The Opposition warns that hosting the APEC summit in 2018 is a huge liability to the people and that it will worsen the country’s economic crisis.
Leader Don Polye says: “Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and his government should swallow their pride and cancel hosting it.
“Our economy is in a crisis. Hosting it will only worsen the current cash-flow stricken economy as its costs will not be at K120 million as announced, but will run into billions of Kina,” warned Polye.
He has called on the Prime Minister and his Minister for National Events to make a list of measurable benefits the country will reap from hosting the event.
“Our children, women and other citizens are dying due to lack of basic services like medicines in the health centres. Schools have been shut down due to lack of funds,” Polye said.
The Pacific Games, he said, should have taught them a good lesson to avoid similar economic mismanagement.
“Most of the infrastructure for the games are still incomplete.
“They do not produce any economic returns for the public purse,” stated the Opposition Leader.
The Opposition believes that the alternative option is for the government to request other APEC member countries in the Asia-Pacific region, like Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, to host it.
Polye believes the APEC summit is only a window dressing.
“It is an inward thing. We must create a conducive environment to market the country as an investment destination and not the event doing it for us.”
Polye reiterates that there is no need to spend billions of taxpayers’ money to host only a 24-hour event.