By Natasha Ovoi
Former Prime Minister and Ialibu Pangia MP Peter O’Neill said the economy is not performing today which puts a strain on the average income earner.
Mr. O’Neill highlighted the impact of the economy on the ordinary Papua New Guineans during an interview with this news room.
“The economy is not performing today why, because the cost of living has gone up due to inflation and off course Government’s overspending which is creating this environment where prices of goods are going up and the devaluation of kina is another reason. Wages of the workers in the country has not been reviewed for the past five years so the real wages that our people are earning every fortnight is still the same,” said O’Neill.
“Now when you go to the shop you will find that you can’t afford to buy the same things that you use to buy five years ago. That’s the reality that we are living in,” he said.
He further elaborated that with all this strain on an average income earner and the adjustment to the current K3.50 minimum wage was long overdue.
“Last minimum wage board meeting and the increase that we made to the K3.50 per hour for the minimum labour pay was done in 2016, its nine years since that last board meeting. I mentioned three or four times in the floor of parliament, when is the government going to review this.”
