PORT MORESBY: The government’s bid to recoup billions of Kina spent on Pacific Games facilities via a sports foundation has suppressed sports personnel, who have been charged fees to use the facilities. And this has angered the Opposition Leader Don Pomb Polye to brand this money-making scheme as ‘suppression of sports development in the country.’ “Why are the Prime Minister and his Sports Minister incurring fees on the very people who have made the country proud by topping the medal tally in the Pacific Games? “These facilities have been funded by our people through their taxes and that it is unjustifiable to charge fees on them again for their usage as the facilities were built for them,” said Mr Polye after watching on a TV program in which sports managers expressing concerns on this matter. He said most codes of sports were at their infant stages and their development was a challenge for the administrators and managers. Polye added that such fees for the facilities only demotes and hinders their progress. “The government may defend this self-serving decision with operation costs. “But our alternative government believes this decision should be reviewed so that our sportsmen and sportswomen must be exempted from paying fees,” he said. Meanwhile, Mr Polye has called on the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and his Sports Minister Tkchencko to direct the PNG Sports Foundation to reduce the costs of entry tickets for the sports facilities. “Millions of our taxpayers’ money was used to build a grand city at the expense of other priority infrastructures like roads, hospitals and schools in other centers. “Our people should not be charged hefty gate fees again. The reasonable fees should be up to K10 per head,” he said. He said this on learning that gate fees for the trial match between the PNG Hunters and Penrith Panthers on Saturday were K25 and K50 for adults.
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