PORT MORESBY: Opposition Leader Don Polye has again described 2016 Budget as ‘hoax, paper budget and properly-planned deception’. “I said this when making the Opposition’s 2015 Budget Reply last November. “Now I am standing to prove my point,” said Mr Polye when debating on the 2016 Budget. He has urged the learned MPs in the government to refrain from making rosy budget debates, citing the Budget was an infrastructure-oriented and not people-oriented. He said only a few preferred contractors would benefit as always by way of pushing the indigenous SMEs and the people to the edge of poverty. Polye has queried where the government’s interest was when it did not fully capture local content. “The infrastructure budget was a beauty in disguise as our people will tend to think that it is for them so they will fall into the trap,” said Mr Polye. He said there was nothing for the people to benefit from the Budget as their income per capita, their development index and other socio-economic development were deteriorating. He said the 2015 Budget failed to be fully implemented as there were instances of budgetary slashes, particularly in the health and education sector. “I understand all the MPs have not received their funds fully as my district received only K5 million as DSIP for this year,” he said. Mr Polye said the K15 million was appropriated to each of the district, adding PSIP were also cut. He said a few MPs in the government always missed the main subject at hand when debating as they do not understand the subject matter. He queried why they always shouted him down when addressing the issues which affect the livelihood of the people, citing many decisions made by the government were self-serving and not in the best interest of the nation. He said he put in his budget reply to the Prime Minister to strengthen the systems of governance, adding he was shouted down in the same manner. “Now I have records to prove that cost variations have gone beyond the budgetary appropriations with 94 per cent was awarded to contracts as variations in the Pacific Game,” said Mr Polye. He said building a grand city at the expense of the rural people was economically unjustifiable. The Opposition Leader made reference to a doctor sharing an experience to him for the first time a hospital run out of blood transfusion bottles, saying it was a symptom of a budget not working. He has urged the MPs in the government not to take Opposition’s debate as a political rhetoric and that there is wisdom in their criticisms. He said there were many instances of slashes to the Budget but his debate time was short.
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