By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso has acknowledges and paid tribute to former Bulolo MP late Sam Basil Snr for building up a dying Pangu Party.
Mr Rosso who is the Deputy Pangu Party Leader said that late Basil revived the Party which was then in a doldrums state prior to the 2017 national election and made it a party that came back with a new fresh air. “And I also acknowledged Prime Minister James Marape who brought Pangu from seven MPs prior to the May 2019 Vote Of No Confidence at that time to 32 after the 2022 National Elections and now 53 with the latest inclusion of Morobe Governor Luther Wenge”.
Mr Rosso said that during the official announcement of Mr Wenge joining Pangu Party last Tuesday at the State Function room at the National Parliament in Port Moresby.
And Wenge when announcing his loyalty to Pangu Party said that Pangu Party was his childhood party but never joined officially since he embarked on his political career in 1997. But now I’m joining the Party.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Marape emphasized Pangu’s strong roots in Morobe, making Governor Wenge’s decision to join the party fitting and timely. He highlighted that Pangu, as the pioneer party of Papua New Guinea, advocates for greater economic development and a fairer share of resources, such as the Wafi-Golpu Mine in Morobe.
“We have successfully renegotiated the terms of the Wafi-Golpu agreement, securing an additional K6 billion compared to the 2018 agreement signed by the previous government,” PM Marape stated.
“This demonstrates our commitment to developing the country by focusing on revenue generation rather than excessive borrowing.”
He further outlined Pangu’s agenda, which includes maximizing returns from major resource projects like Wafi-Golpu, Porgera, Papua LNG, and P’nyang. Additionally, the party is advancing initiatives such as SME lending, tax relief for low-income earners, education, Connect PNG, and economic recovery efforts.
“I want to assure the people of Papua New Guinea that Pangu, with 53 MPs, remains strong today. With support from our coalition partners, this government is stronger than ever,” the Prime Minister assured.
