O'Neill: Government committed to rebuild army

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to rebuilding all army establishments in the country before going into the general election in 2017.

That includes a more revised pension scheme being worked on to look into the existing one to accommodate the retirement benefits of soldiers.

O’Neill made the government’s stand at the official opening of the K3 million swimming pool at Taurama Barracks in Port Moresby yesterday.

He reassured soldiers that the government was committed to improving existing facilities conducive to their work and welfare, which included housing.

“My Government is committed to improving the Papua New Guinea Defence Force and in the last two years we have made some progress,” O’Neill said.

He said all the PNGDF barracks in PNG, which included Murray, Taurama, Goldie River Training Depot, Air Transport Squadron, Basilisk, Moem, Lombrum and Igam, would be refurbished.

He told soldiers that his government will deliver white goods to all ho

“We need to rebuild and if we do we must maintain also,” he said,

“We must work together and will fix all the infrastructure in the country,” he told the soldiers and their families who witnessed the opening of the refurbished swimming pool.

The swimming pool will be used by athletes for the 2015 Pacific Games and later given to First Royal Pacific Infantry Battalion.

O’Neill indicated the Government’s initiative to establish a pension scheme to look after retired soldiers.

“The Government is now looking at looking after soldiers after their service in the PNGDF,” he said.

 

uses within the barracks as part of its intervention to prioritising housing.