Prime Minister James Marape revealed that PNG must take back its resources from foreign exploitation to take the country out of poverty. This is his Vision 2050 to “Take Back PNG”.
“Corruption was sucking 30 to 40 per cent of internal revenue,” he said, adding that the country was not earning the fair cost of its resource exports. “We are still looking for money but we are not clear how much money is going out from our fish, trees, gold and oil. I was minister for two terms and I advised them but they thought that I came from the place of oil and gas and I was making these talks.”
He added that the people living in the oil and gas areas lack properly sealed roads.
“When you come up to Hela and Enga provinces, there is not much change taking shape, despite oil, gas and gold run since 1989 and Hides and Kutubu in 1990.”
His dream is still with Vision 2050
“What’s wrong with becoming rich too in a God-given blessed land not rich in money but more importantly rich in the character of a nation, the good character and fiscal manifestation of money in the pocket will flow,” he said. “So the dream to become rich is set and now we are trying to make it a reality. I realised, to change the laws in the mining Oil and Gas Act and we get more. Why should we pay more equity when the people already hold the resources?”
