Newly elected Prime Minister addressing his people

By Hon. James Marabe Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea

Good morning all friends out there, a new week has started and I am set for the bigger and greater challenges that lays ahead in terms of changing the course our country must travel on for better development for our people.

But firstly let me thank a host of many friends, families, and citizens of this country who supported one way or another, especially the many Christian prayer warriors, there were many ugly political currents at play even down to the very last minute but God of the Universe , God Yahweh made it possible and for that let me say thank you to many Christians of all denominations who not necessarily prayed for me but the need for safe country, God’s will to prevail and for our country to grow greater.

Former PM’s resignation, my election and all associated events took place under God’s watch hence I am greatly burdened to ensure the right thing is done for all of PNG’s citizens.

I have made huge commitments to our nation and none can be greater then to say that in ten years time this country must be the Richest Black Christian Nation. And that is because we have all the natural endowments; gold, copper, iron, coal, gas, oil, nickle, timber, tuna and fish, agriculture, tourism and culture, biomedicine and research, water, fresh unpolluted air and more in a nation of under 8 million people in a big land mass.

I have a band of like minded leaders sitting on both sides of the National Parliament and we are driving an agenda to grow the economy in a safe, secured, and educated country where all citizens are making honest productive living and all have equal opportunities as our constitution in 1975 envisage.

I will be tapping into these talents soon to get a line up of full cabinet with ministers who can share the vision with me, those who believe we can do it. I did a caretaker arrangement to appreciate the political structure we had as we took vote but this week I will fill in Ministers I assessed that can work in key sectors for productivity and not just for politics convenience. There will be a healthy mix in my cabinet for good performance based on talents and experiences and our development intend.

I will also be checking out our public service to ensure those leading them or working in the rank and file have a believe that they will meaningfully contribute to making our home, Papua New Guinea, a truly wealthy country as it supposed to be, where quality health, quality education and quality infrastructure and effective law and order system secured our country.

To our contractors of State, you have now, a Prime Minister, who expects nothing in return for giving state contracts. All we expect is do your fair bidding with right price and get your job done. Don’t offer inducement to me or any ministers or public servants from procurement offers and every other officers in the chain of procurement and contract management. I will instruct the new justice minister to bring Independent Commission Against Corruption ( ICAC), in the first instance so let us all play by the rules now going forward.

Contractors earn your money to limit as per work scope. Public servants and politicians earn your salary and don’t ask for special favors. It must start now if it hasn’t started yet! I will ask National Procurement Commission (NPC) to polish the contract ceilings where contracts under K10million are strictly for citizen and local companies and contracts above that threshold to have local partnership involvement also.

To local SME and contractors, we have a special incentive plan for you in this mid level, tidy your company books, pay your honest tax and if you want to go the next phase of your business, we will inject very soft term loans ( possibly 5% repayment rate over 40 year period). Tidy your books, including your taxes, prepare to be part of our program to resuscitate our businessmen and women.

To multi national companies who operate in our resources sectors, I am not here to chase you away but to work with you so that we can add value to the benefits that emanates from the harvest of our natural endowment. I will be meeting with key resources sector and I request you all to assist me as to how we must grow my Papua New Guinea economy.

I look forward to your interventions and I have a fresh team of PNG advisors looking into all our resource laws and I am putting you all on notice that laws will be tailored for implementation when our country moves past 50 years of independence in 2025. Presently all projects agreements that are in compliance and congruent to all our laws will be honored.

We are here to protect our genuine foreign investors who can respect our laws as it is now and our intend of policy and legal regime shift into the future.

To all young educated PNG citizens, I will be asking few of our leaders including myself on your views about Taking Back PNG (with GJ approval) to interface and pick your thoughts. Keep a look out on this space on forums we will organize for your voices to be heard. I don’t buy into outside advisors, we have in the intelligent and experience pool in country, let us mobilize into cohesive units.

To all our citizens, we are prepared to work, can I ask of one thing? Give me a good law and order environment, stop crime, stop tribal fights (my Hela please), stop torture of mothers and daughters, stop corruption at all levels, honor time by being punctual, do little things like stop littering and spitting the red stain of betel nuts,.

Let’s us all contribute, I am willing to make few hard calls going forward as the chief servant of my country, Papua New Guinea, please join me all citizens including businesses.

Keep a look out in this space as from time to time I will communicate with the nation using this medium. Please forgive me if I don’t reply as you all will outnumber me but at least you read my thoughts.

This Wednesday I will have a State of Nation Address on Radio and TV on some of these points plus others but for now you can see where my mind is and those of you who want to work with me please align here or offer me better solution to make PNG the Richest Black Christian Nation on earth, where no child in all part of our country is left behind.

God Bless Papua New Guinea!

Honourable James Marape, MP, Hulukumaiya
Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea.