Port Moresby: Archbishop of Port Moresby His Eminence Sir John Cardinal Ribat and Most Reverend Bishop Otto Separy the president of Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (CBC PNGSI) in a press conference on February 1st, is calling on the government to do away with corruption.
(His Eminence Archbishop Sir John Cardinal Ribat MSC and His Grace Bishop Otto Separy)
This call came after the saddening events of black Wednesday, January 10, 2024. The black Wednesday was a result of government tax cuts following the amendments to the tax laws by the parliament in November 2023.
The looting has caused a lot of negative impacts as a result of poor decision making by the government. Cardinal expressed that many of the citizens rely on these stores for the sale of their local produces are affected and so are the SME’s and those who order and buy in bulk for retail sales, where many citizens depend on for their employment to sustain their lives in this tough time.
In a press statement made by the president of CBC PNGSI, he stated “We are equally concerned with the general deteriorating breakdown in the governance of the already broken systems and institutions of the state. Corruption continues to be a major challenge, we are concerned with the unstable political climate and the steady appetite among our political leadership.”
Him eminence Sir John Cardinal Ribat expressed the same sentiment stating that the cost of sustaining a budget to keep with the increase in the number of ministers, ministerial staff and public service along with the bureaucratic access of expensive travels with and abroad already placed a lot of strain on the economy.
Cardinal Ribat and Bishop Otto both expressed that while the government should accept some responsibility to help with the recovery for the business which suffered loss, they also proposed that the government should take steps to cushion the economic stress felt by the citizens, not only with tax relief but tangible subsidy to help with the cost of common goods and services, and measures to help stabilize the impact on the economy.
“We remain prayerful and hopeful that our political leaders can improve for the better. That our politicians can hear the cry of the people. That our politicians commit their efforts and time to their mandated responsibility for the people and the nation, by making sacrifices, cut costs, cushion the rising costs of basic goods and services, and allow good governance in the systems, processes and institutions of Government and the state, “urged Most Reverend Bishop Otto Separy.
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