Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has announced Member for Lae and Minister for Lands John Rosso as the country’s Deputy Prime Minister going into the election and beyond.
He will be sworn in on Wednesday this week.
Marape has also announced Hagen MP and SOE Minister William Duma acting Prime Minister while he is away attending the 37th Australia Papua New Guinea Business Forum & Trade Expo.
Meanwhile, Lands and Physical Planning Minister and Lae MP John Rosso is ready to give his best to continue developmental agendas for Lae if given the mandate for another term.
He said this following his nomination last Thursday.
Rosso thanked the people of Lae district for having confidence in him in 2017 National General Election to be their MP of which he described as an opportunity, journey and was privilege to represent them in parliament in the last five years.
“It was not my will to contest in 2017 election but I was pressured by mothers, women and underprivileged people to contest, and they paid my nomination fees,” he said.
“During my term in parliament, I worked hared to deliver services to the people of Lae compared to my private business as a businessman.
“It takes a lot of work, effort, sleepless nights and it is very stressful and my family asked me not to contest this election.”
However, Rosso said he feels he owes the people of Lae many development and impact projects that are in the pipeline to materialise and so he wants to defend his seat and ensure that certain promises made to fix the city are achieved fully.
He said during his first term in parliament, he did his best to address issues in Lae but five years is not enough to do and achieve everythig.
“Among other things, we worked towards the establishment of Lae City Authority, built school infrastructures for teaching and learning so our children can learn in proper classrooms, built health facilities so people can have access to reliable health services at their doorsteps.
“Under my ministerial portfolio as Lands and Physical Planning Minister, I was able to get land titles for public recreational areas of sporting ovals, parks, state land being stolen by fraudulent means, give land titles to our people that have been settling on state land without titles and ensure land titles in Lae are given through the right process with valid documents.
“Above all, the greatest achievement is that Lae now has a budget of over K50 million (US$14 million) compared to previous years which is only K5 million (US$1.4 million) and it is all prudent management. So we have money to fix our issues.”
Rosso said Lae is now clean with mothers helping to keep the city clean, rubbish being picked and other positive initiatives being implemented to make Lae a better place so generally the atmosphere has changed, people’s behaviour and attitude have changed as well but there is still more to do.
He said there is still need to fix Lae’s aging infrastructures, continue fixing the street roads, main busstops, create jobs opportunities, and create a conducive environment for business houses, especially major businesses and investors, so they can operate and pay their taxes as well as give employment opportunities to the people.
SOURCE: POST COURIER/PACNEWS
