Prime Minister James Marape has urged Papua New Guineans to stop seeking personal cash handouts from politicians and instead take advantage of Government programs and economic opportunities available to build their own livelihoods.
Mr. Marape said he had noticed an increasing number of people sending repeated text messages and personal requests for money, believing the Prime Minister had unlimited personal resources.
“I want to make it very clear that the Office of the Prime Minister is not a money-making machine for individuals, supporters or anyone expecting easy cash,” Mr. Marape said in a statement this evening.
“Neither is the Prime Minister a personal bank with endless funds.”
He said while he was willing to assist people genuinely in need, when possible, such assistance should not create an expectation of continuous financial support.
“I do not encourage a culture of dependency or entitlement,” he said.
Mr. Marape said the Government’s role was to create opportunities and provide support that would enable Papua New Guineans to become self-reliant rather than depend on handouts.
He pointed to Government support for education, basic healthcare, small and medium enterprises and access to finance through institutions including Mama Bank, the National Development Bank, BSP and other financial institutions.
Mr. Marape also highlighted District Services Improvement Program funding, saying every district receives DSIP funding, with 10 per cent allocated specifically to economic activities and SME development.
“Every citizen has a district treasury, a District Development Authority and a provincial government that can assist with SME startup opportunities,” he said.
“People should be approaching these institutions and taking advantage of the programs already established for them.”
The Prime Minister pointed to a Government partnership with Mama Bank in Tari that provides startup loans ranging from K300 to K5,000 for families wanting to establish small businesses.
He said the National Development Bank could support businesses seeking to expand, while BSP was available for enterprises ready to move to the next stage of growth.
Mr. Marape said PNG already had successful businesspeople who had built their wealth through hard work and identifying opportunities rather than repeatedly seeking financial assistance from politicians.
He cited a businessman from Tari who started with a small trade store in 1986 and later accumulated properties in Cairns, Port Moresby, Lae and elsewhere.
He also referred to a businessman from Pangia who began buying coffee as a young boy in the early 1970s and went on to own thousands of properties in PNG and overseas.
“These people did not build their success by asking the Prime Minister or politicians for money every week,” Mr. Marape said.
“They worked hard, identified opportunities and built their businesses step by step.”
Mr. Marape said it saddened him to receive constant personal requests for financial assistance when Government policies and programs were already available to help people improve their livelihoods.
“I encourage every Papua New Guinean to stop looking for easy money,” he said.
“Government exists to create the right policies, expand the economy and provide opportunities for our people to participate in economic growth.”
He said PNG’s future would depend on enterprise, innovation and hard work rather than a culture of dependency.
“Our future will not be built through handouts,” Mr. Marape said.
“It will be built through enterprise, innovation, hard work and the determination of our people to create wealth for themselves, their families and our nation.”
Mr. Marape reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to entrepreneurship, job creation and inclusive economic growth as PNG enters its next phase of national development.