The PNG government can only do little on the issue of increased airfares by airline operators in the country as stated by Prime Minister James Marape in Parliament on Thursday. Prime Minister Marape made the remarks when responding to questions by Menyamya MP Solen Loifa on how the government can help the travelling public by way of reducing the increased fees involved in airfare prices of the country’s national airline, Air Niugini. “With the festive period now in full swing, Air Niugini has put in place a number of fees on top of ticket prices which has caused so much financial constraints on the travelling public who are trying to go home for holidays” Mr Loifa said. “Is there any intervention by the State Owned Enterprise Ministry to assist our people with this issue?”
“If Air Niugini is a state owned airline company, then it also belongs to the people, why is it that the people’s own airline is burdening the people with hefty fees?” Prime Minister Marape explained that Air Niugini operates on a cost structure which requires the company to operate on a certain level and the government could only do much in asking the airline if there is any space within its fee structure to relieve some of the costs involved. “There were some suggestions made earlier and we’ve asked the relevant ministers in State Owned Enterprise and Transport and Civil Aviation Departments to look at reducing the fees associated with the tickets,” Mr Marape said. “But to really keep Air Niugini in operation with its ticket costs is something the government really cannot influence.” Phot Credit: Parliamentary Media Services FM 100 / PNGfacts Next : Marape Government Hands Down Record K24.5 Billion Budget Comments are closed.
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