OPPOSITION Leader and Chuave MP James Nomane has accused the Government of failing to deliver meaningful socio-economic progress, describing the administration as being “in deep slumber” amid worsening national challenges.
In a statement issued this week, Mr Nomane said Papua New Guinea continued to experience declining public services, rising living costs and weak institutional performance, despite its status as a resource-rich nation.
“The country expects real progress in health, education, policing and development,” Mr Nomane said. “Yet since 2019, there has been no visible improvement, leaving Papua New Guinea trapped in the ‘so rich yet poor’ paradox.”
The Opposition criticised recent public remarks by Prime Minister James Marape, arguing they failed to address the root causes of recurring national crises.
These included comments on evacuating PNG citizens from the Middle East, law-and-order issues in Hela and Wewak, concerns about foreign influence in governance, and discussions on economic reform with international partners.
Mr Nomane said the persistence of these issues reflected serious governance failures, including:
- Weak foreign policy preparedness, citing reliance on Australia to evacuate PNG citizens overseas.
- Inadequate national support for law and order, with provincial governments funding police training.
- Declining public trust in governance and institutions.
- Failure to address the growing youth population, contributing to rising vandalism and unrest.
He said government claims of fiscal discipline and a balanced budget by 2027 contrast sharply with the lived reality of households facing inflation, poor services and business stagnation.
The Opposition also criticised what it described as silence from Cabinet ministers, warning that declining performance and weak accountability risked sliding into systemic decay.
“Papua New Guinea is already grey-listed. From here on, everything becomes a shade of grey unless decisive action is taken,” Mr Nomane said.
The Opposition called on the Prime Minister to immediately remove underperforming ministers and reduce Cabinet to no more than 22 portfolios.
“Over-bloated Cabinets are not symbols of unity-they are instruments of political survival,” the statement said.
To address what it called mounting national crises, the Opposition proposed:
- Rationalising Cabinet to 22 priority ministries.
- Introducing a public fiscal transparency dashboard.
- Implementing a Youth Economic Mobilisation Plan.
- Strengthening key oversight and law-enforcement institutions, including ICAC, the Ombudsman Commission, the Auditor-General’s Office and the RPNGC.
“The country cannot afford another year of drift,” Mr Nomane said. “The Prime Minister must act now.”