The Director of Caritas Papua New Guinea says that failure by successive governments to provide basic services for the mainly rural population has put unneccessary pressure on resource developers.
Raymond Ton has just concluded a visit to New Zealand where he delivered an address, reflecting on PNG's thirty six years since gaining independence from Australia.
Mr Ton says that despite its economic growth, PNG continues a downward spiral in its overall development indicators.
He says that many problems arise from the lack of meaningful participation for Papua New Guineans in the various major resource developments underway on their land.
"And the resource developers are under threat to provide the basic services which is really the government's responsibility. So in most cases, the developers actually feel cheated for having to pay more to the state both in equity and taxes, and also providing basic services."
Raymond Ton
