Hopes still high for Referendum for Bougainville Island in 2019 despite lack of financial support from PNG Government

Momis vents frustration

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK

Autonomous Bougainville Government President John Momis says they are frustrated with the lack of support from the national government to prepare ABG for its referendum in a year’s time.

“I understand your government has other pressing priorities with Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting and the complex current situation in the Highlands,” he told Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

“I understand too that your budgetary constraints are grave. But we must also remember that the peace agreement ended a terrible conflict. There is a slowly emerging risk of real frustration among Bougainvilleans about the lack of progress, both with the autonomy and with the referendum. The time for action on the referendum is now.”

Momis said told the prime minister and a joint supervisory body meeting in Arawa, Bougainville, on Friday that they faced extreme budget crisis.

“I realise that the national government faces its own budget crisis. But the lack of funds being received by the ABG is leading to a desperate situation for us,” he said.

“We simply do not have the money to do anything. We are not even receiving the amount of recurrent grants needed to meet salary costs, and not enough for our public service to do much at all.

File picture of President Momis (right) with former Opposition Leader Don Polye in Lae.

“We have received no restoration and development grant. Most of the police grant has not been paid. Our share of the national government taxes collected in Bougainville are in arrears. Prime minister, I ask you and your ministers for treasury and finance to do all you can to ease our terrible financial position.

“Prime minister, I turn to the referendum, and in particular to the work needed to ensure that the referendum is held before the end of the five-year window within which the peace agreement and the national constitution say it must be held.
“That window is less two than years away – in mid-June 2020.
“All Bougainvilleans have been heartened by the assurances you have recently given in public statements that you and your government will honour the peace agreement in full.

“On several occasions now you have stated that the referendum will be held – and held on the targeted date in June 2019.

“But the fact is that a huge amount needs to be done, and done very soon if there is to be any hope at all that the referendum will be held, either in 2019, or before the end of that five-year window in mid-June 2020.”

Source: The National Newspaper