FEW of us seem to realise how close this lovely country may be to catastrophe.
Before the nation entered the elections the vital indicators were not any good. On all fronts - economic, social and political - the signs were not at all encouraging.
We all know the story. We live it: high incidence of crime, low arrest and even lower prosecution rate; high prices and low incomes; too much talking (politicking) and too little service delivery; much resources and too little benefits from their development.
All new major resource development projects in the country, upon which the future of the country was dependent, were put on hold when this country went into the elections. The Ramu Nickel/Cobalt mine, Frieda Copper, and the Gas to Queensland have all been put on hold.
Why? Because no entity in its right mind wants to invest in an uncertain climate. The way the national election has turned out, most investors have reason to hold off rather than invest.
Most of the operational resource projects have peaked and are on their way out. Misima is shut down, Ok Tedi reserves are dwindling, Lihir reserves are dwindling, Porgera is nearing the end of its life and Kutubu is way past its prime.
Yesterday, the normally diplomatic PNG Chamber of Commerce and Industry put it bluntly: "Do something or the country steps off the edge into the economic abyss."
PNGCCI president Michael Mayberry said businesses were closing down and investment has declined sharply and that the prolonged election and its related problems were doing little to help the already worsening situation.
Mr Mayberry said the exchange rate, currently at its lowest level of 24 US cents, was falling steadily and income was going down, while expenses were going up because people are uncertain about what the future holds for this country.
Shares of major PNG companies have also taken a beating with Oil Search shares dropping to 70 cents and Lihir shares going at A$1.15 when they were as high as A$1.65 only a few weeks ago. Is this scare-mongering?
We say no. And we have an added reason to endorse the comments of Mr Mayberry.
When Parliament meets on Monday, will we or will we not have Members from Enga and Southern Highlands - the two provinces whose combined resources contribute nearly 50 per cent of the country's export revenue.
What will be the ramifications of these provinces not being represented politically on the floor of Parliament, particularly when certain agreements such as the gas pipeline deal have been deferred to when the new government gets in. The landowners are not going to be pleased if they are not represented politically.
Already some 12 power pylons conveying electricity from Hides Gas in the Southern Highlands to power the Porgera Gold mine have been felled.
Porgera's generators will not be able to power the mine for any length of time because the deteriorated and now disturbed Highlands Highway has disrupted smooth transportation of fuel.
We fear for the worst.
Remember, the Bougainville crisis started out of people believing that they were not being heard at the political level.
When BCL shut down, 49 per cent of revenue to the nation went. The nation's largest cocoa and copra producing province at that time was also Bougainville. PNG is still suffering the effects of that.
Today, never mind the numbers game being played out in Kokopo, in Port Moresby and Kimbe. Somebody will form Government, that is a surety.
The important things are the issues facing this nation. One of them is settling this Enga and Southern Highlands stalemate in a manner that will do minimum damage to what is already a bad and potentially explosive situation.
That is where our attention must be drawn towards.
It is not just some power-hungry and bloodthirsty Highlanders. They may be all of that but our concern should be that they happen to hold the future of the country in their hands.
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Post Courier