by Meriba Tulo – EM TV, Port Moresby
Papua New Guinea’s 2015 national budget is a responsible budget.
This is because the government’s priorities have been clearly outlined. According to Treasury Secretary Dairi Vele, all steps have been taken to ensure that spending is controlled so that the benefits from the country’s wealth can be felt across the nation.
Speaking to EM TV News during the 2015 national budget lock-up today, Secretary Vele commended all parties involved in developing the country’s money plan.
With a record K16.2 billion budget for 2015, Secretary Vele was quick to heap praise on all stakeholders who worked behind the scenes to come up with the country’s money plan.
Whilst acknowledging that not all sectors got exactly what they had submitted for, Secretary Vele defended the budget process, saying the budget was aimed at empowering citizens of PNG.
With the theme “Building Our Nation and Providing Opportunities for our People”, the 2015 national budget focuses on the following;
- Enhancing opportunities for our people by improving the investment climate of our country while recognising the need for macroeconomic stability
- Further promoting the efficient and effective implementation of major projects
- Increasing direct funding to provinces and districts with more emphasis on monitoring, evaluation and compliance
- Continuing to support policy priorities in education, health, infrastructure, agriculture and SMEs, and
- Continuing to strengthen the justice sector by adequately resourcing corrections services, modernising the police force and rebuilding the Defence Force.
Secretary Vele says the progress of the 2015 national budget will be monitored; however, how effective the monitoring will be remains to be seen.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=bYKXSoLOQOQ%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
