Prime Minister responds to UPNG Students petition

Prime Minister James Marape returned to the University of Papua New Guinea, to personally respond to a petition by the students, presented by their student representative council last month.

This was the first time a country’s CEO personally responded to students petition.

He went prepared with a power point presentation, and spent up to three hours going through what his government is doing to address some of the key issues the students raised in their petition including law and order, foreign exchange and inflation among others.

PM Marape highlighted among some of his government’s policy interventions, directly related to the petition raised by the students, the removal of the 10% Goods and services tax.

He says the government is not insensitive to the plight of the people, especially with the sky-rocketing inflation.

"We started the work last year. Today, we have passed over almost K50 million to ICT and customers are reconfiguring the ICT system that calculates GST so that when that man goes to market, there is a new text on ICTs of salt and cooking oil.

"Then he goes to the tills to get a system that is easier. I don't see many GST on, but it is such a lot of items like fuel and food that we don't pay any attention to GST. It is something that we need to assist you, not blindly,"Marape said.

The PM also highlighted an increase in police, judiciary personnel and prison expansion.

DHERST Secretary Fr. Jan Czuba while acknowledging the matured approach taken by the students in presenting their petition to the Prime Minister, last month - also called for students to propose solutions to the issues they highlighted.

"We would expect from university students, which you are the elite of our society, present issues and present solutions. We will welcome your solutions to current existing issues because you might see things differently than us. And my dear students, in the future try to exercise your brain.

"You have the brain and all of you will get together. You might be able to suggest solutions which we don't know, maybe we don't think about. So, the whole idea about dialogue is to contribute", Fr Jan Czuba said.

This was a call reiterated by Chief Secretary Ivan Pomaleu who told the students they will be leading the masses, as the educated elites of this country and so must help the people understand these issues better as well.