West New Britain Governor Sasindran Muthuvel on Sunday, October 13th, has raised serious concerns about the government's support for a new satellite casino in Port Moresby. He believes this move goes against Papua New Guinea's Christian values, often emphasized by Prime Minister James Marape. “I am troubled by the government's backing of a new satellite casino in Port Moresby. Prime Minister Marape, who often declares our nation as Christian, was seen launching this project with foreign business owners." "It’s a blatant contradiction to his so-called values, and it’s dangerous for our country.” Governor Muthuvel, further made reference to a recent report from ABC News which highlights the growing problem of gambling in PNG, where vulnerable citizens are lured into a trap that deepens their poverty. “Now, we’re setting up a casino to further exploit that vulnerability - while the business operates tax-free in a Special Economic Zone (SEZ).” Muthuvel questioned how this can be seen as development. “The casino is poised to become a profit machine for foreign interests, while our people will lose their hard-earned money in an already difficult economy." "Worse yet the casino will not pay a single kina in taxes.” "Meanwhile, government is aggressively squeezing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to pay more fees and taxes the backbone of our local economy." "It's an insult to those who are genuinely working to uplift PNG." "Even in developed countries like Australia, where corruption is actively monitored, and forensic investigators are highly skilled it's still difficult to track illicit financial activity within these establishments." “Imagine how it will play out in PNG, where we haven’t given enough training to improve the skills of our investigating agencies.” Governor Muthuvel further urged the government to reconsider the casino project. “If the government truly cares about the well-being of its citizens, it’s time to rethink this casino and focus on the development that will benefit all Papua New Guineans – not just the rich and powerful.”