Simet: I will not turn anyone away

Caption:  Dr Jacob Simet.

By MATTHEW VARI

Wednesday, July 9, 2014 (Midweek Chronicle, PNG)

CHAIRMAN of the 5th Melanesian Festival of Arts and Culture Dr Jacob Simet has reiterated that despite the exponential increase in national participants in the festival, he has not turned away anyone from participating.

He explained this during a press conference held on Monday in relation to complaints raised by participants of issues of rations and lodging issues- adding that the issue came about as people continue to come into the city beyond the expected numbers performing.  

“Issue with national contingent is very precise that we expected 660 on the basis of 30 people per province. However, today we have about 1500 people in Port Moresby,” Dr Simet said.

“There are three locations where people are housed at the moment Boreboa Primary School, Wardstrip Primary, and Gordons Secondary- both Gordons Secondary and Wardstrip do not have problems, except for Boreboa which was intended to house 400 people, at the moment they have got 744.”

“What we have tried to do and have done is to move some to Wardstrip, however, some people have arrived over the last few days another lot of people have come in.”

He said that a lot of this people were not expected and have come at their own accord, even being sponsored by other like parliamentarian to come and have been left for the organisers to cater for.

“My position which I have taken is that I appreciate much the enthusiasm and spirit which the people 

have expressed by getting on the plane themselves and coming,” Simet pointed out.

“I have explained that I will not turn anyone away and that we will try our best to look after you.”

“We appreciate you interest to participate and at this point we have not turned away anyone away and have gone through the extent of trying to manage the funding have to look after everybody until all of them are ready to go back home.”

He added that they were settling and have not heard complaints from other people, despite the shortfall in the budget for the entire festival they were managing with what was given.

“For the record the government approved a K53 million budget- to date only received K34 million which is what we have been expected to run this festival with,” he said.

“We think we can manage, but I am not one to say that we can run a K53 million event with K34 million but that is the ceiling we have.”