Papua New Guinea Opposition leader Don Polye has called on Sports Minister Justin Tkatchenko to defer 2015 Pacific games by a month or two. Mr Polye said FM100 Talkback Show with Roger Hau’ofa that the Opposition supported the Government in hosting the XV Pacific Games but they wanted to be realistic and not mislead the public. He made the call after seeing slow progress in completing the host venues. “We are seeing that progress is very slow. “Some companies are not paid their dues and waiting for cash flow to improve — to get their funding,”Polye said. “If the Games are taking place in July — now we are in the middle of May and have one and a half months to accomplish all that is going on. “I doubt we are going to be able host the Games in July. “I like to offer you a suggestion to think about. “We might probably need to shift the Games back by one or two months so you can get all the jobs done so we have a good Pacific Games,” Polye said. However Tkatchenko was adamant that the Games will go on as scheduled from July 4-18 and said that neither he nor Prime Minister Peter O’Neill were misleading the people of PNG about the Games. “We will be Games-ready with our facilities for the Pacific nations to come on July 4 (opening),” Tkatchenko said. “We will have this Games ready. “The best Games the Pacific has ever seen. “You’ll be a part of it with your Opposition members and that’s all part of nation-building through the name of sport. “I appreciate your suggestion in moving the Games to another date but unfortunately we’ve got a set date and that’s July 4 because everything revolves around that and we have to make sure everything is ready by then. “The most important thing is that even with the rainy weather, people are working as we speak and bills are being paid on time.” Tkatchenko reiterated his call to Polye in visiting the facilities for himself into which the State had pumped more than K1 billion. “We’ve always made that stand, I always made that stand and when it stops raining, Opposition leader, my invitation still stands for your members to come with me to visit the facilities so you can judge for yourself and not listen to lies and misleading statements. “I want you to see it for yourself and understand where we’re at and what we’re doing. “We are making sure that what ever money is made available by the National Government is getting across to contractors of the Pacific Games.” PNGFacts/The National
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