KEITH JACKSON'S PNG ATTITUDE

Funding problems stall PNG race riot inquiry

It looks like a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’ as concerns grow that the PNG Parliament’s bipartisan committee investigating recent anti-Asian riots is going nowhere.

Committee chairman Jamie Maxtone-Graham told Parliament the committee formed in May to investigate and report on the causes of the riots had stalled due to lack of funds.

Mr Maxtone-Graham said the committee would need K3 million to conduct hearings in the four regions of the country and K1 million for the inquiry.

“We are crippled by lack of funds because we have to listen to our people,” Mr Maxtone-Graham said. “If we don’t, we will be seen to be losing touch. It is a time-bomb. How do we solve the problem? We have to go out and defuse the situation. The last thing we want is more destruction, burning and looting.”

Opposition leader Sir Mekere Morauta blamed the Government for allowing Asians to come in. “I do not think we need K1 million to solve the problem. The Prime Minister [and other Ministers] have to make statements of loopholes in the net that allowed Asians to swim through,” he said.

PNG Attitude believes this is one of those important issues on which the Australian Government, appreciating the critical nature of the inquiry, could help out our neighbour by offering  logistical and financial assistance.

Our politicians and bureaucrats should see that getting to the root causes of the race riots will potentially provide an important policy input into the thinking of the PNG Government about issues of social harmony and stability.

Anti-corruption rallies in Moresby & Kokopo

An energetic Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane and PNG Transparency International chairman Peter Aitsi lead yesterday’s early morning Walk Against Corruption in Port Moresby. Despite bad weather hundreds of people also marched in Kokopo.

Ilya Gridneff of AAP, who covered the Port Moresby march, said only three Members of Parliament turned up, all of them from the Opposition.

Photo: Ekar Keapu, The National

Thousands to march against PNG corruption

In a spectacular outpouring of public discontent, more than 4,000 people are expected to join Walks Against Corruption in PNG tomorrow.

Around 3,000 people are expected to turn out in the capital Port Moresby and 1,000 others will take part in a march in Kokopo.

The walk is organised by Transparency International in PNG and is expected to raise K325,000 to support TI’s objectives in the fight against corruption.

People from 125 corporations and 93 schools as well as 2,500 individuals will participate in the demand for greater honesty and integrity in the political, public and commercial life of PNG.

Transparency International says it has been “overwhelmed” by the level of interest in the march. It said the response was so big it had to close registration for participants.

TI chairman, Peter Aitsi, told Radio Australia that mismanagement of the country's resources are keeping it poor. "The community is obviously concerned about the current situation,” he said.

“There is an ongoing deterioration of the ability of government to deliver services to its rural majority and out of those concerns has come this overwhelming support by the public to take part in this walk against corruption.”

Marchers will assemble at Murray Barracks Oval in Port Moresby at 5.30 am and the walk will move along 3 Mile Road, Angau Drive and back to Murray Barracks Oval.

The list of sponsors of the walk is a who’s who of PNG public, private and NGO enterprise, including some organisations that probably should take a harder look at their own practices.

PNG criminals are better armed than police

PNG Police Commissioner Gari Baki will tell the Ministerial Committee on Law and Order next week that his police force will grind to a halt unless hundreds of millions of kina are spent to resurrect it.

The PNG National has reported that there is a serious threat that PNG Police will soon be unable to maintain law and order.

Police see the meeting as a last-ditch effort to get Government support. Mr Baki says the lack of adequate funding over the years since independence in 1975 has taken its toll on the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.

PNG has 4,800 police, half of whom have reached retirement age and, of the remaining 2,400, half are approaching retirement. Mr Baki says the situation has reached crisis point.

The Police require K50 million extra for housing, vehicles and to buy equipment needed to fight crime.

Police say PNG criminals are better armed than they are and, in the event of major civil unrest, Police will find it difficult to maintain peace in the community.

Source: ‘Dying force - Police facing shutdown warns Baki’ by Oseah Philemon, The National, 29 May 2009

Govt decides its own laws should be undermined

Many PNG Attitude commenters have been up in arms over the last week about the PNG Government’s lackadaisical attitude in allowing Chinese nationals into the country irregardless of the normal immigration requirements.

In taking this hostile view, they have echoed the reaction of many Papua New Guineans who have voiced loud opposition to laxly administered immigration laws. And, of course, the more violent response on the streets and in the marketplaces in cities as far apart as Moresby, Mendi and Madang.

Now PNG’s Minister for Labour and Industry Mark Maipakai has given all these people the one finger salute by admitting the Government had made it easier for Chinese nationals to bypass the labour laws.

“The PNG Government has a special agreement with Ramu nickel mine where we give them special treatment and allow flexibility with our labour laws and regulations,” Mr Maipakai said.

High level committee to investigate PNG riots

With the resounding support of Members of Parliament, Eastern Highlands Governor Malcolm Kela Smith yesterday petitioned the National Government to remove Asian business people from PNG because they had exploited locals. Most MPs who took part in the debate supported the petition.

Mr Smith claimed Asian businesses were oppressing local employees and depriving them of their rights. “They get a small wage for long hours work and young local girls who work for these Asian run businesses are sexually assaulted and threatened not to report or lose their jobs,” Mr Smith said.

The Governor said he cooled off a very large mob by agreeing to present the petition signed by more than 5000 Goroka people.

The 78 members of the House of Assembly present later voted to establish a bipartisan committee to look into the riots and looting. The committee was expected to be formed today and include Foreign Minister Sam Abal, Labour Minister Mark Maipakai and Social and Community Development Minister Dame Carol Kidu together with respective departmental heads.

Mr Abal admitted there were big problems with the Immigration office and Employment Minister Mark Maipakai said his department was not aware what visa arrangement everyone entering the country had.

“The moment somebody enters the airport, he is not on my screen,” Mr Maipakai said. “I don’t know who is entering, what visa arrangements he has, because I don’t have a network with Foreign Affairs. So we really don’t know who comes here, when they arrive and what purpose they are here for.”

Opposition leader Sir Mekere Morauta said: “Foreigners are here because our systems allow them to be here, they work here because our systems allow them to work here. We have no one to blame but ourselves.”

Meanwhile, the head of AusAID in PNG, Bill Costello, has said his organisation does not have all the answers to PNG’s development challenges and that it is now seeking engagement with the private sector to canvass ways to move forward.

“AusAID will sit down with business leaders and development stakeholders to look at where we are and how we can improve our engagement. Achieving development outcomes through innovative partnerships with the private sector is perhaps an area in which we have only scratched the surface so far,” Mr Costello said.

Sources: PNG Post-Courier, The National

Oro Community Development Project update

John Kleinig

In late April, an Oro Community Development Project [OCDP] team of three teachers and a medical doctor visited and worked with schools and health centres throughout Oro Province.

It was also an opportunity to renew friendships from previous recent visits, establish new contacts and further concentrate on helping teachers to teach, empowering mothers to be the basic health providers and encouraging children to take a much greater interest in the village garden and agriculture in particular.

The aftermath of Cyclone Guba in November 2007 is still very real. Many of the large bridges on the main road from the provincial centre at Popondetta to Kokoda have been washed away and have not been replaced.  Access across the major Kumusi River is limited to one person at a time in a motor vehicle tyre tube, towed across the river for a fee of K20 one way. The lowland areas suffer from inadequate supplies of fresh water and there is evidence of the dislocation caused by the loss of complete villages.

The Australian Government emergency aid response to the cyclone was comprehensive and lasted for a fortnight. Various internal rebuilding agencies were established but progress has been agonisingly slow and further initiatives appear uncertain.

Despite the setbacks and the serious lack of basic services, there was nevertheless, amongst those that we met, a determination and optimism to overcome the many problems. It became clear that they knew what they wanted to do, but they needed some help in getting there.

The schools are very basic and education as we know it, is erratic and in some places bizarre; at Eroro primary school, at Oro Bay, the children have not been to school for eighteen months. The team spoke directly with many teachers, who were impressive but concerned about being able to effectively implement the outcomes based curriculum. The OCDP volunteer teachers have these skills and have endured the introduction of a new curriculum in NSW.  They are anxious to return to Oro.

The health situation is dire. It is little wonder that the hospitals and medical centres have so few patients because the facilities are so appalling. Most people, who are sick, suffer in the village and die there, with the biggest killers being malaria and AIDS. Tuberculosis and typhoid are also common, particularly amongst the young. The maternal death rate is now amongst the highest in the world with most births occurring in the village. However, it looks as though we may be able to make a small contribution.

We have made an application to organise the purchase and facilitate the distribution of birth kits to the 3,000 mothers in the province and there is a real possibility this will happen. We have also established a network in Oro to distribute anti malaria nets. The use of these nets dramatically reduces malaria related deaths.

An OCDP team will again visit the province in early October. The planning process for these ventures has been exhaustive. It has essentially focused on ensuring that teachers and health workers in the schools and their community are better able to do their work.

If you want to learn more about this excellent project or assist it in some way, you can contact John Kleinig here.

Half of Australia’s PNG aid spent on consultants

So now we know what Kevin Rudd was on about when he told a Canberra press conference late last month that AusAID was allowing “too much money [to be] consumed by consultants and not enough money … delivered to essential assistance … in the villages.”

Documents obtained by AAP PNG correspondent, Ilya Gridneff, and just revealed this morning, disclose that 300 advisers working under Australia's development program consume half of AusAID’s $400 million a year allocation to PNG.

These consultants earn between $240,000 and $360,000 a year tax-free. If they bring along a partner they get $14,239 a month extra. And if they have children the allowance goes up by another $1,000 a month for each child.

A company called Coffey International Development has been delegated by AusAID to hire these staff. Coffee International did not respond to AAP's questions.

The $200 million a year spent on consultants contrasts starkly with the unavailability in village schools of history books that would cost a few thousand dollars and AusAID's dismissive attitude to a project that would see these books in the hands of Papua New Guinean teachers and students.

More illegal workers enter PNG as riots continue

As PNG continues to reel from the outbreak of anti-Asian rioting, with further violence yesterday, it has been revealed in The National newspaper that Chinese workers employed by the Ramu nickel mine were issued work permits despite not meeting labour laws that stipulate all non-citizens must be proficient in English.

Dr Rhonda Nadile, an executive of the Department of Labour and Industrial Relations, said the workers entered PNG “despite strong opposition from the Department”. According to Dr Nadile, the Government circumvented the labour laws because of the importance of the Ramu nickel project.

Despite officials expressing bemusement about the causes of the recent riots, close observers of PNG politics have linked them to widespread community concern about the activities of Asian businesses and workers in PNG.

Businessman and former politician, Graham Pople, told PNG Attitude yesterday: “The current unrest against Asians is caused because [Government agencies] have not been doing their proper duties as required by the laws of PNG. Many of these people come into our country and engage in activities that are forbidden to them by law.”

There has been further violence in the Highlands and Mamose regions with the number of people shot by police as a result of the riots and looting rising to four.

In Wabag hundreds of people broke into shops operated by families of Korean and Chinese origin. Police in the Highlands are on full alert in Goroka, Mt Hagen, Kainantu and Wabag while most shops operated by Chinese and other families of Asian origin remain closed in the Highlands, where up to 90 percent of shops are run by Asians.

Meanwhile, Jamie Maxtone-Graham, the MP for Anglimp-South Waghi, has told Parliament that the riots of the past week are a sign of a country in social turmoil. While the Government has ensured the country was shielded from economic and political instability, it had failed to address issues that are at the heart of the community: population growth, unemployment and rural-urban drift.

“These problems had a potential to blow up in our faces,” he said. Parliament must establish a ministerial task force to adequately address social issues that had been created as a result of development. Acting Prime Minister Dr Puka Temu said Mr Maxton-Graham’s suggestions were extremely vital as there was an urgent need to address these issues.

In Port Moresby yesterday Governor Powes Parkop raised concerns about the protest march held last week in Port Moresby. “NGOs and political activists should not mislead our people into taking mindless action that will not resolve whatever grievances our people have,” he said.

“If these NGOs or political activists are really interested in helping our people, they should help and encourage our people in setting up businesses or creating income generating activities for them instead of inciting them into engaging in mindless destruction.

“Chasing Chinese business people from our city or country will not solve our problems and those who are inciting our people to engage in such cheap and mindless agendas, should stop now,” Mr Parkop said.

Sources: ‘Rules bent for mining project’ by Barnabas Orere Pondros, ‘Total mayhem’ by Robert Palme, ‘Riots a signal of a nation in turmoil’, ‘Parkop takes NGOs and political activists to task’ by Travertz Mabone ['The National' and 'Post-Courier']

Governor-General says PNG can solve problems

Papua New Guinea’s Governor-General, Sir Paulias Matane, has said he believes PNG will be able to solve problems associated with the anti-Chinese riots of the last few days.

Sir Paulias told PNG Attitude that there have been protests and looting of shops owned by Asians in Port Moresby, Lae, Madang, Goroka, Kundiawa and Mt Hagen.

“There are lots of reasons looters come up with,” he said, “like poor wages paid to natives who work for Asians and allegations of them favouring girls in employment. These allegations are as a result of frustrations, mostly by young people, due to high costs of living and unemployment.

“Many of our leaders in Government, Opposition, churches and the community have voiced their concern and told the looters to stop what they are doing and look at the positive things in life.

“For example, the Asians provide service and employment opportunities to the community and they strengthen the national economy by paying taxes to the government.”

Sir Paulias remarked that matters are now gradually returning to normalcy, although still tense. “There are likely to be some more problems coming,” he said. “Some Asians may close up and leave PNG to find greener pastures elsewhere. We hope not.”

He said the issue is now being discussed in the National Parliament: “We will have to wait for any decisions on the matter. Let’s wait and see. My guess is we will be able to solve the problems.”

Anti-Chinese riots spread to Goroka and Madang

The anti-Chinese riots that hit Port Moresby and Lae last week spread to Madang and the Eastern Highlands over the weekend. And police in Wewak and Mt Hagen also stepped up patrols to prevent attacks on traders.

Four Chinese-owned shops in Goroka were emptied of goods and lost an undisclosed amount of cash early yesterday morning when men, women and children ran amok. In Madang on Saturday, three shops were attacked by people believed to be squatters. Sisiak and Bukbuk settlers were joined by hundreds of others in attacks on two new Chinese shops and a kai bar in the heart of Madang. Other shops, Asian and national, were forced to close their doors.

According to Eastern Highlands provincial police commander, Augustine Wampe, thousands of men, women and children men flocked onto Goroka streets outnumbering police and security guards.

Mr Wampe said four Asian shops were emptied of deep freezers, radios, TV sets, washing machines and groceries. Losses were estimated at K250,000.

In Port Moresby, acting Prime Minister Dr Puka Temu has instructed police to immediately investigate the incidents and deal with the ring leaders. He had also instructed the Department of Commerce and Industry to investigate claims that a number of the Chinese shops were operating illegally.

Meanwhile, National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop has blamed police for the anti-Asian riots in Lae and Port Moresby. Mr Parkop told a news conference that the incident got out of hand because the police “probably tolerated a march which should not have taken place”.

A distraught Mr Parkop was adamant the march organisers should be arrested and made accountable for their actions. He assured Asians that Port Moresby is safe and they should reopen shops and trade as normal.

The president of Madang Chamber of Commerce, Stotick Kamya, has said anti-Chinese sentiment is damaging potential investment. “The uprisings were not conducive for investments; they are not a good indicator for business,” he said.

The riot in Madang erupted on the eve of the Australia-PNG Business Council forum aimed at strengthening and improving existing bilateral business and government relationships.

Sources: Madang looters empty two shops by Kevin Pamba; Madang, EHP shops looted by Pisai Gumar; Governor blames cops for city riots by Madeleine Arek; Uprising threatening business climate by Barnabas Orere Pondros [The National]

Outbreak of race violence in Moresby & Lae

A dramatic outbreak of unexplained lawlessness and looting on the streets of Lae yesterday morning took on the grim appearance of a race riot. One youth was reportedly hacked to death and other people were injured.

Thousands of men and boys stormed Chinese shops throughout the city bringing Lae to a standstill and catching the police off guard. The Lae police commander said he did not know the cause of the riot.

The PNG National reported youths as saying: “We are frustrated with small Asian shops sprouting unnecessarily, selling cheap items around the city. Who is allowing these Asians to come into our country and own small businesses which should be owned by Papua New Guineans? Mipela tait na les pinis long ol Kongkong nabaut ya. Mipela ino wari long polis tu. Inap em inap.”

The Post-Courier talked to a shocked Chinese businessman who was preparing to leave PNG as a result of the attack. He said that, following five years in Lae, he was calling it quits after his shop was looted. “I cannot stay here, I am scared of what has happened,” he said.

Police said attacks on Asian shops started as early as 5am, taking businesses, government agencies, schools, markets and other institutions by surprise and forcing them to close. By 10 the city was shut down.

Looters rushed into shops stealing tills and goods. Guards were left helpless. Police fired tear gas and warning shots and thrashed stubborn rioters with batons and vehicle fan belts to disperse them.

“It was the first time the city experienced mob looting that struck three major shopping areas at once,” said Momase police, who did not know the identity of the organisers.

Media reports said the riot was triggered by a protest march in Port Moresby on Tuesday in which youths called on National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop to place restrictions on foreigners operating small businesses.

The NCD police commander said he had approved Tuesday’s civil society march saying it was nothing more than a peaceful protest. However, Asian shops in the city were targeted by protesters and closed their doors. On Wednesday, police were caught by surprise again when several Asian shops, especially those belonging to Chinese nationals, were ransacked.

In a separate development, the PNG Government has said it is thinking of bringing back an Australian team of police. Acting Prime Minister Dr Puka Temu told Parliament that the Government was also contemplating getting a foreigner to be Police Commissioner.

Sources: ‘Mobs loot in Lae’ by Franco Nebas and Poreni Umau [Post-Courier]; ‘Asian shops hit in Lae’ by Pisai Gumar [National], ‘Top city cop urges Asians to trade again’ by Travertz Mabone [National], ‘Government considers getting a foreigner as police chief by Gorethy Kenneth [Post-Courier]

Australian aid to PNG soars past $400M

Papua New Guinea will receive $414.3 million in development assistance from Australia in 2009-10, an increase of $25 million, or more than 6%, over last year.

And, firmly demonstrating its commitment to its own backyard, the Australian government has increased all-up aid to the Pacific region to nearly $1.1 billion.

Under the Partnership for Development scheme, assistance to PNG will initially focus on five priority areas:

(1)   Better transport infrastructure to improve national roads, regional airports and ports.

(2)   Faster progress towards universal basic education, targeting increasing primary and elementary school enrolments with a focus on increasing the number of female students. Activities will aim to raise the enrolment rate in primary schools to 70% by 2015.

(3)   Improve health outcomes by providing assistance to meet targets on triple antigen and measles vaccinations and reducing malaria and tuberculosis rates.

(4)   Strengthen the public service by improving public administration at national, provincial and district levels, including improved financial management.

(5)   Implementation of a national statistics program. Consistent data collection will enable policies and programs to be based on sound statistics.

Other assistance will include work to improve governance and nation building by working with civil society, the private sector and government to support enhanced governance, civic education and community development.

Australia is also providing a strengthened response to the HIV crisis through a $100 million five year program to prevent the spread of HIV and to provide treatment and care for those affected.

Local anger over Bougainville land grab

Aloysius Laukai

A dispute over foreign acquisition of land threatens to set back the Bougainville reconciliation process.

Landowners and chiefs in the Tinputz area are upset over the purchase of plantations by a group of foreign investors and some prominent Bougainvilleans known as the Bougainville Island Group.

At a meeting in the Tinputz administration centre last week, landowners said they were not happy as there was no consultation between them and the Bougainville Island Group before the plantations were purchased from the liquidators Deloitte and Westpac, who are current titleholders to the plantations.

The landowners said such actions can have drastic effects, even derail the peace process on Bougainville.

They are now calling on the Autonomous Bougainville Government to assist by immediately finding ways to put a stop to the plantation sales so landowners can deal directly with the liquidators regarding payments and transfer of titles to the original landowners.

I understand that although landowners have occupied most of the plantations since the Bougainville crisis, they will have to negotiate with Deloitte and Westpac to re-acquire these plantations through legal means.

More news of Bougainville affairs at the New Dawn on Bougainville website here.

Controversy surrounds PNG climate hero

AAP’s PNG correspondent, Ilya Gridneff, has sent people diving for cover in Port Moresby with revelations that one of the world's most outspoken voices on climate change, Kevin Conrad [left], has been linked to failed business dealings in PNG.

Mr Conrad was the man who achieved international fame at the 2007 Bali climate conference when he told the United States to either lead the debate or get out of the way. At the time, he was PNG's special envoy for climate change.

Last year, Time magazine named him as its top placed ‘Leader and Visionary’ in its list of Heroes of the Environment. But in PNG, perceptions of Mr Conrad are different.

There have been allegations in Parliament that he was involved in a failed housing scheme where $8 million was spent and not a single house built and in the PNG Banking Corporation writing off $18 million and landowners losing plantations in the collapse of a coffee export company.

Now a new controversy has erupted around Mr Conrad’s role in carbon trading.

“If he is going to be directly involved in a mechanism managing trust funds for carbon trading,” AAP quotes Paul Barker, director of the PNG Institute of National Affairs, as saying, "concerns about the past need to be resolved. He really needs to do a little bit of explaining. There is a wide public scepticism within PNG.”

Political stoush on poverty comments

Sir Michael Somare has defended his comments at a Canberra press conference last week where he said no one went hungry in PNG.

Opposition leader Sir Mekere Morauta subsequently criticised the Prime Minister for saying there was no poverty in PNG, saying that many people were starving and the majority of people still lacked basic services.

Sir Michael launched a stinging attack on the Opposition, strongly defending his Government’s track record since taking the reins seven years ago and questioned what Sir Mekere was doing to improve services in his own Moresby Northwest electorate.

“There has been a lot of finger pointing going on by some urban Members of Parliament and I want to know what these urban Members, especially the leader of the Opposition, have done with the increases in their allocations over the last four or so years.

“Has Gerehu police station been improved to better serve the community? I hear Baruni dump being brought up in the media recently. Can the local Member (Sir Mekere) tell us how he has used his district allocation to assist in alleviating urban poverty? With the district road improvement programme, are there new roads in these urban electorates?” Sir Michael asked.

“We have given each of the 89 districts adequate funds since the first term of this Government. In the first year, it was K1 million, then K4 million and recently K10 million.

“Yes, we lack material wealth in rural areas where the vast majority of our people live but they are not short of food and water,” the Prime Minister said.

He said social services should be improving with the resources that his Government had been continuously pouring into all Government departments and districts. “It is not for me to make inspections of aid posts and schools; it’s the responsibility of managers in those sectors.

“We recognise that there are deficiencies and have ploughed money into the districts to complement the work of departments such as police, Works, Transport, Health and Education,” the Prime Minister said.

He said the public sector was a stumbling block, making delivery of services to districts difficult.

Somare announces key PNG policy shift

You would never have known from today’s Australian media coverage of Sir Michael Somare’s visit to Australia, but in an important major speech in Canberra last night the PNG Prime Minister heralded a major shift in policy on development aid and resource deployment.

A key feature of the new approach is the intention of PNG to direct more resources to employing Australian judges, doctors and teachers throughout the country.

Sir Michael said the time has come for PNG “to assert and accept more responsibility for our national development. We must forge a new relationship of equitable partnership with Australia. We will also be accepting more responsibility with respect to regional initiatives.”

Negotiations are about to begin with Australia on an Aid Exit Strategy to ultimately phase out Australian development aid. Initially, in what can be seen a blow to aid agency AusAID, there will be less consultancies and more money deployed to the private sector.

The Exit Strategy will be conducted so as not to prejudice PNG’s development effort and without destabilising the national budget. There will also be a resource shift from the public service to fund infrastructure development in the transport, health and education sectors.

Sir Michael announced that new consular offices would open in Sydney and Cairns as PNG seeks to strengthen its relationship with Australia.

“PNG and Australia are true friends,” he said. “Our partnership has withstood the test of time. Over the years this partnership has grown and matured. But of particular interest and importance to me is the warmth of the relationship – an aspect very often overshadowed by negative reporting in the media.”

You can find a full transcript of Sir Michael’s speech here.

Upper photo: Sir Michael Somare talks to Orange’s Cr Chris Gryllis and me. For many years, Orange City Council has undertaken much philanthropic work in and around Mt Hagen [Ingrid Jackson]

Somare in Australia for high level talks

Sir Michael Somare arrived in Australia yesterday for talks with Kevin Rudd and a tour of bushfire and flood affected areas.

He is accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Abal, National Planning Minister Paul Tiensten, Vice Minister for Mining Ano Pala and leading Opposition identity, Byron Chan MP, son of New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan.

Sir Michael will meet Mr Rudd tomorrow and also call on Governor-General Quentin Bryce. The discussions will also involve Trade Minister Simon Crean, Immigration Minister Chris Evans and Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Affairs Duncan Kerr.

In the evening there will be a reception at the PNG High Commission which Ingrid and I will be attending and I’ll be reporting on for PNG Attitude.

On Wednesday, Sir Michael will meet Victorian Premier John Brumby before visiting bushfire-affected areas. On Thursday he meets Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull and address the PNG-Australia Business Council in Brisbane.On Friday, he will get a briefing on the flood recovery efforts in the Ingham region before returning to Port Moresby on Sunday.

Large numbers at Bomana dawn service

Malum Nalu

Hundreds of people attended the traditional Anzac Day dawn service at Bomana War Cemetery outside Port Moresby today.

The ceremony started at 5am with the mounting of the guard by the First Royal Pacific Islands Regiment of the PNG Defence Force.

Then the catafalque party moved into position and the many people attending were welcomed by master of ceremonies, Mick Pye.

The hymn Abide With Me was sung and the Requiem read by Australian High Commissioner, Chris Moraitis. Then followed a prayer by Major Kelvin Alley of the Salvation Army and Bible Readings from PNG Governor General, Sir Paulias Matane, and Australian Defence Adviser, Colonel Luke Foster.

After the Lord’s Prayer, New Zealand High Commissioner, Neils Holm, addressed the gathering. Wreaths were laid and there was another Reading, this time by PNG Defence Force Commander, Commodore Peter Ilau.

The Ode was read by Ms Christine Coulthard of the Gungahlin RSL Sub-Branch and Mr Joe Filippi of the Port Moresby RSL. The Last Post was played followed by two minutes silence, then the Lament and Reveille.

The ceremony closed with the National Anthems of Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand.

Those who attended included members of the diplomatic corps and hundreds of trekkers who had walked the Kokoda Trail.

Think positive & consolidate: Sir Paulias

Papua New Guinea’s Governor-General, Sir Paulias Matane, has made another intervention into public discourse, his second in a few days, this time in an attempt to build the nation’s morale.

Earlier this week Sir Paulias said he was “totally disappointed and sickened by [public servants’] work attitudes and inefficiency.”

He asked: “Whose interests are the public servants serving? Are they serving the interest of the public, or their own?”

Now he has called for Papua New Guinea to emphasise its stories of success and end its stories of failure.

Speaking to the St John of PNG Council, he said PNG needed to consolidate good achievements and not remain a nation stuck with “an attitude of starts and stops”.

Sir Paulias praised St John for bringing to PNG a tradition of goodwill, volunteerism, service to the poor, unity, peace and cooperative partnership”.

“What St John does in this country cannot be underestimated as it has already made a great, and positive, impact towards peace and goodwill in all towns it has established itself in,” he said.

It was one of the agents of consolidation of many aspects of life in PNG.

PNG has been a country of ‘starts and stops’, Sir Paulias said, but it had not strengthened initiatives and consolidated its achievements.

He said governments knew development could not be the sole responsibility of the public sector. “It must be, by its nature, a responsibility of individuals and corporate citizens.”

BCL will spend K11B to re-open mine

Bougainville Copper Limited is prepared to invest more than 11 billion kina to recommission the abandoned Panguna Copper Mine, BCL Chairman Peter Taylor said this week at the company's annual general meeting in Port Moresby.

BCL’s plan includes the creation of 2,500 new company jobs, which will generate an estimated 10,000 other jobs in small businesses in and around Central Bougainville.

Responding to the European Shareholders of BCL, who asked if the company would employ former freedom fighters to prevent possible dissatisfaction, Mr Taylor said: "This will hopefully include ex-combatants and others."

The company faces huge environmental problems due to the uncontrolled closure of the mine twenty years ago. He said: "Access to the site is required before an assessment of the safety and environmental issues can be made. The company will work with the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the landowners addressing environmental concerns."

Further details here.

 

 

Rudd’s PNG visit came at a high price

AAP’s Papua New Guinea correspondent, Ilya Gridneff, has reported that the PNG government spent $1.6 million on a three-day official visit by the Australian prime minister in March last year, despite Mr Rudd flying to Port Moresby and Goroka on a RAAF plane and covering other costs.

A spokesperson for Mr Rudd told AAP: "Costs borne by the PNG government in relation to the visit are matters for the PNG government".

At the same time the PNG budget was blowing out from an estimated surplus of $100 million to a deficit of almost $240 million. The PNG Treasury listed the details in its just published 68-page 2008 final budget outcome report.

The report on the Treasury website said the deficit was "substantially higher" than expected. The government has blamed the global financial crisis as a major reason for the turnaround.

Amongst many other expenses listed was the outlay for one night spent by the Commerce and Industry Minister and his delegation at an Australian business meeting in October 2008 – a cool $75,000.

You can read the full Treasury report, including data on the High Commission's $6 million Canberra residence and the Governor-General's $88,000 trip for the Solomons' independence anniversary last 7 July, here.

Time to rebuild Bougainville from ashes

There’s some very good news from Bougainville this Easter Sunday. ALOYSIUS LAUKAI reports from Buka…

Belated Easter Greetings. I have just returned from Panguna and the Kieta district where the last of the so called original Mekamui have agreed to join the peace process at the latest meeting in Arawa with the President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, James Tanis.

At the meeting, Mekamui Commander Chris Uma and his senior leaders agreed to work with the Government. They asked the ABG to accommodate their group under the chief system adopted under the Bougainville Constitution. This paved the way for further discussion between the two parties.

The group were the original Mekamui established by former President the late Francis Ona which had dissociated themselves from other Mekamui movements in parts of Central and South Bougainville.

The meeting with the ABG delegation was the first to be held openly with the media also covered everything including presentations.

ABG president James Tanis praised the Mekamui for their support and called on all Bougainvilleans to support the Bougainville leaders.

He said Bougainville must now rise from the ashes and rebuild the entire island.

He said the move by the remaining Mekamui group has now removed all obstacles that have been blocking the development of Bougainville because of factional uncertainties.

The ABG President declared 2009 as the year of resurrection of Bougainville.

Mr Tanis has now travelled to Port Moresby to accompany Michael Somare on a visit to the Republic of China. They leave Port Moresby on Thursday.

Aussie celebrities spruik media freedom

Australian television personality Ray Martin will be joined by musician Jimmy Barnes and gospel singer Steve Grace in a string of events in Port Moresby next month to celebrate media freedom in Papua New Guinea.

The PNG Media Council will stage the events as part of its efforts to promote freedom of expression and the freedom of press as basic human rights. The international guests will help promote the message of media freedom.

The council’s executive director Nimo Walter Kama said the theme ‘Media freedom is your right’ was aimed at “liberalising media from constraints it faces from the State, civil society and also from the press itself”.

Mr Kama said highlights, presented in partnership with AusAID, include a TV movie marathon, a media breakfast, a public musical performance at Sir John Guise stadium and other events.

Source: ‘Public invited to join media events’ by Travertz Mabone, The National, 7 April 2009

Keravat renewal about to get started

Ronnie Ilam

I am surprised that news of developments at Kerevat high school have reached Australia. His Excellency the Governor General of PNG, Sir Paulias Matane, who was a former student of Kerevat, is continuing to assist us in this endeavour as currently he is working with the school to generate funding through the Alumni Association. His contribution is greatly appreciated.

I am also pleased that a person of his standing continues to work with us as we begin to rebuild what was once a prime institution producing many of our great leaders in this country.

I am pleased to report that my School Council finally had the opportunity to speak with the contractor in a meeting on Friday. In this meeting we were able to iron out issues and unanswered questions regarding the project.

The Council, in preparation for contract implementation, has put together a project supervisory team which comprises the technical and manpower support from the Engineering Battalion of the PNG Defence Force. In recent weeks the Secretary of National Planning delegated to the Council powers and function on the project management under this project, which means that by virtue of my position as Chairman of the Council I have now been entrusted with the role of project manager overseeing implementation on this project.

This power will now enable us to deal directly with the contractor and thus the contractor under this arrangement will from now on report to us on issues affecting the project.

Under the arrangement two Building supervisors will be based in the school to help us supervise project implementation in line with the contract scope of work. The team will work closely with Council and the other stakeholders on this project. The arrangement is unique and one that has not been explored before by institutions at this level thus I thank the National Planning Department for having the trust in the Council.

The Kerevat Rehabilitation involves three phases: dormitories; classrooms; teacher’ houses. The current project will implement Phase 1. We believe project funding under the two remaining phases will become available later under the RESSI funding now managed by National Planning.

The magnitude of the development is high and may take 2 - 3 years. Because of the controversy surrounding RESSI funding in the media, we believe the arrangement will ensure funding is put to its intended purpose and that this project is done in an accountable and transparent manner in the interest of students, parents and the people of East New Britain and PNG.

Thank you once again and I trust that you will all continue to support us in the difficult task ahead.

Ronnie Ilam is head the Kokopo UPNG Campus and honorary chairman of Keravat School Council.

Private aid delivers results for PNG

David Keating

Operation Library Books for Karkar Secondary School is almost complete. The first collection points was at Clairvaux-Mackillop College in Brisbane. From there the books were loaded on a ship organised by Hon Ken Fairweather, Member for Sumkar and Chairman of the Karkar Secondary School Board of Governors.

The second collection point was the Rotary Club of Howrah in Tasmania. They did a great job and over 450 cartons of books and other equipment were delivered by the Club members to the Hobart wharf on 16 March.

The ship, Marina Svetaeva, is currently provisioning in Hobart and will be leaving for PNG in about 10 days time. The ship is due at Karkar Island on 16 April and the books will be delivered to the school on the same day.

Hilary and I went to Hobart last Thursday to speak at the Howrah Rotary Club Meeting. We thanked the Rotarians and their partners on behalf of the staff and students of Karkar Secondary School and all those who had also contributed to the successful outcome of this project.

A rough estimate is that we have sent up between 5,000 and 7,000 good quality library books. A very conservative estimate of the second-hand value of the books would be $60,000.

Minister commits to Keravat rejuvenation

Following recent public criticism of PNG’s four national high schools, Education Minister James Marape has told Parliament they will be renovated. Attention focused on the schools at Aiyura, Sogeri, Passam and Keravat following revelations of dilapidated buildings, insufficient funds, alcohol brewing and cult activities.

Mr Marape assured Parliament that he would look at the problems affecting national high schools, which he said were the responsibility of the Education Department. He advised that he was in communication with National Planning to deploy Rehabilitation of Education School Infrastructure funds to the institutions.

PNG national broadcast network revives

The PNG National Broadcasting Corporation is to rehabilitate its medium wave radio broadcasting network, which has been unserviceable for the last ten years. NBC board chairman Paul Raptario said the project was a significant modernisation and infrastructure development program.

Mr Raptario said senior NBC technical officers fire up a network of medium and short wave transmitters enable radio broadcasting transmission throughout the whole country. The board is excited with the changes taking place which will see a new NBC promoting PNG and bridging all provinces, cultures and languages through radio and television, Mr Raptario said.

Meanwhile, the board has tasked NBC management for a development plan for the new National Television Services.

Big Kev, little Kev: Degi birthday thwarted

Celebrations for the first birthday of baby Kevin Rudd Junior are being held in a rather sombre atmosphere in remote Degi village in PNG’ Kevin Rudd Junior was born in Goroka General Hospital a year ago tomorrow, just five minutes after Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd visited the Eastern Highlands town.

Esau and Lina Kitgi, having named their baby in honour of Mr Rudd, are upset that Australia hasn't recognised their efforts to host a special first birthday party.

Loven Forapi, self-appointed chairman of the Kevin Rudd Junior Birthday Committee, remains optimistic. “We want someone from the Australian Government to come to the village to show we are celebrating little Kev's birthday,” he said. "We understand Mr Rudd is very busy, but a namesake is very important for our culture.

“It is a true sign of friendship, especially at our rural level. Australia has been our lifetime friend in every aspect, and having a namesake sealed it all.”

Source: ‘PNG's Kevin Rudd Jr turns 1’ by Ilya Gridneff, AAP, 6 March 2009

Condoms rot as AIDS officials romp

Richard Jones with AAP

  More than two million condoms paid for with Australian aid money have been
left to rot in AIDS-ravaged Papua New Guinea. The PNG government's National AIDS Council Secretariat left the stockpile, worth $190,000, sitting in a warehouse for more than 18 months.

The condoms are well past their use-by date and cannot be distributed in a country, which has the highest incidence of HIV in the Pacific. Not surprisingly, the secretariat has just appointed a new board, which aims to reform its activities and look into serious allegations of mismanagement.

Reporters based in Port Moresby have obtained documents which show the secretariat has overspent its budget with hundreds of thousands of dollars wasted - much of it on unnecessary travel by bureaucrats. The documents also show alleged abuses by staff members.

The secretariat's new chairman Peter Barter, a former PNG health minister, said the condom stockpile was discovered during a recent audit. "AusAID is not to blame. We just need to distribute what condoms we can and get our direction right," he said. Mr Barter added he would be asking for the fraud squad to investigate the alleged overspending on wasteful travel.

New Dawn FM website is up and running

New Dawn FM – the Buka based radio station established out of local enterprise and with assistance from UNESCO, the German Government and a group of private Australians – has just launched a website, New Dawn on Bougainville, which you can click through to here.

The website features information about the station and news about happenings in the Autonomous province of Bougainville. It is edited by one of the station’s founders and its manager, Aloysius Laukai, and me.

The site is brand new and experiencing a few teething problems but it’s well worth a visit from time to time. The folks in Bougainville would also deeply appreciate it if you could offer some welcoming remarks by way of a comment on the site.

New Dawn FM broadcasts to the many towns and villages in the Tinputz and Buka Passage area of north Bougainville. The locally owned and managed radio station provides independent news, information, education and entertainment to listeners.

“We believed the project would contribute to establishing a public sphere of community discourse, enabling discussion and giving a voice to a community dispossessed by civil insurrection and seeking to rebuild a democratic society,” says Aloysius Laukai.

Meanwhile, here at PNG ATTITUDE, our readers have just chalked up a significant milestone. When the reader meter told me the total number of comments had passed 500 in the last couple of days, I was reminded of the important role that interaction with readers plays in the life of a website like this.

It’s one thing to have readers (according to a US company called Lijit that counts them, we had 2,115 last week – averaging a few more than 300 a day), it’s quite another to have the requests, ripostes and occasional rockets from our Commentariat. Well done, and keep up the comments.

Moresby confirms Somare Canberra visit

There has been confirmation in Port Moresby that PNG’s Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare will pay his first State visit to Australia next month, addressing the National Press Club and possibly giving a speech in Parliament House.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, Duncan Kerr, is in Moresby today beginning a four-day visit with discussions focusing on the fight against HIV/AIDS in PNG. He is meeting the National AIDS Council Secretariat and key stakeholders involved in the fight against AIDS.

Tomorrow Mr Kerr will leave for Buka for the first visit to Bougainville by a member of the Rudd Government. While there, he will meet with the new President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, James Tanis.

Green Chip cops straight talk in Enga

The AAP correspondent in Papua New Guinea, Ilya Gridneff, provides this unusual shot of the welcoming committee that greeted Sir Michael Somare on his recent visit to Enga Province for a Cabinet meeting.

The Prime Minister’s trip ended in disarray when Enga Governor, Peter Ipatas, decided to say what he really thought at an official dinner. Anyway, that’s politics. But a welcome is good reason to celebrate and fly a few balloons.

So what’s the ‘Green Chip’? Well that’s the Engan rendition of ‘Grand Chief’. I think you’re now fully in the picture.

Photo: Ilya Gridneff

 

More Aussie police mooted for PNG

Richard Jones with AAP

The Papua New Guinea Government wants to bolster Australian police numbers in some of the country's toughest spots, Prime Minister Michael Somare has said in Wabag after the PNG Cabinet discussed the need for more Aussie police to help local forces.

Last year 11 Australian police members were deployed in advisory roles in the capital Port Moresby following the expensive failure of a previous detachment sent to PNG in late 2003.

In 2005, there was a highly politicised withdrawal of 150 Australian police in the Enhance Cooperation Project (or ECP), a number of them from the Federal force. The withdrawal followed a PNG court ruling which stated the legal immunity of the Australian police officers conflicted with the PNG constitution.

Fires: A friend in need is a friend indeed

It’s one thing to kick the tin when you’re loaded with cash and it’s quite another to do the same when you’re on struggle street. Papua New Guinea has shown clearly what a great friend of Australia it is by its generous response to recent natural disasters in Australia.

Last week the PNG Government gave $2 million for bushfire and flood relief and this has been followed by various amounts of money raised by groups and communities right across the country.

The small township of Vanimo near the Indonesian border has donated $5,500 to the Victorian bushfire appeal and staff of the National Research Institute on Friday donated K7,575 to the PNG Red Cross Australian Disaster Appeal Fund.

The Morobe provincial government has made a K100,000 donation. Secretary-General of the PNG Red Cross, Esmie Freda Sinapa, said donations to the Red Cross stood at K32,000 on Friday afternoon.

Jim Robinson, a divisional head at NRI, said it was touching to see average Papua New Guineans digging deep to donate. “It’s not the monetary value but the support that really counts,” he said. Australia's High Commissioner to PNG, Chris Moraitis, said he was moved by the donations.

Morobe Governor Luther Wenge said: “On behalf of the people of Morobe province, we sincerely express our sorrow, and also express that we are totally in heart with you in your suffering, we know very well that no human action will bring you to where you were in-full before the fire. We pray and offer our comfort and give the understanding and the blessings you need at this time.”

Footnote: The Exclusive Brethren Church, which is a client of my company Jackson Wells, yesterday donated $3 million to the Red Cross Appeal. The Church has just 13,000 members – men, women and children – in Australia.

Promise to facilitate visas not honoured

Reports from Port Moresby reveal that, despite last year’s Federal Government commitments to facilitate the acquisition of Australian visas in Papua New Guinea, applicants are angered and frustrated by bureaucratic delays.

“It is quite clear that the Rudd Goverment's new policies have yet to flow through to the Australian High Commission at Waigani,” said one commentator, quoting a comment by Duncan Kerr, parliamentary secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, in December 2008 that the Australian Government was building immigration staff numbers and skills in PNG to reduce visa processing times.

“For too long there has been an unbalanced relationship between what is said will happen, and what actually does happen,” said an observer. “Mr Kerr is perhaps blind to what occurs on a daily basis at Waigani. Give the people of PNG a fair go! “

New Dawn FM begins its educative task

Aloysius Laukai, manager of New Dawn FM, has sent PNG ATTITUDE this photograph of Dr Barnabas Matanu, Director of Medical Services at Buka General Hospital, being interviewed at the New Dawn studios on Buka Island.

Dr Matanu is talking with New Dawn presentation team leader and my former Radio Bougainville colleague from the early 1070s, Paul Max Haliken, during a talk back show on health issues on Bougainville.

Aloysius Laukai says New Dawn has featured many guest broadcasters from both PNG and abroad since it went on air earlier this year. Most recently the station has broadcast live coverage of the Autonomous Bougainville Government Presidential By Election.

New Dawn powers ahead on B/ville

From Aloysius Laukai in Buka

We have finalised everything and the new station is on air on at full power. We are getting 500 plus texts a day from listeners and are very popular on Buka Island.

Our equipment arrived in Buka and was installed in April. We started test broadcasts on 3 April and covered the death of the first Bougainville President, Joseph Kabui, in June. We continued testing whilst awaiting technicians to upgrade our transmission power from 200 to 300 watts.

Big winds destroyed our telescopic mast at the end of June and we stopped test broadcasts. We sent our transmitter to Port Moresby for repair and started broadcasting again on 200 Watts until last weekend.

Technician arrived on 13 December and worked on the mast and the studio putting us off air on Sunday and Monday. We have been broadcasting on full power since Tuesday 16 December. A request has been sent to Pangtel to inspect our setup and hopefully we will do the much awaited launch in the New Year.

For funding we have secured a lot of sponsors from our local companies and including the Autonomous Bougainville Government which has allocated 50,000 kina in next year’s Budget.

We will continue to update you on our progress and would like to thank our supporters including, Keith Jackson, Martin Hadlow, Phil and Marie Charlie, Abel Caine and Nifo at Unesco Apia Office and the German Embassy for assisting us in starting this station on Bougainville.

We have proved to the public of Bougainville that having a Community FM can help in the restoration of services on Bougainville. We did live broadcasts lately to cover World Aids Day and starting Monday we will cover the counting in the Bougainville Presidential by election.

We have three trainee reporters from the Divine Word University and two graduates at the station. We have also covered many events including the Bougainville Law and Order Forum last week. Our local news comes on at 6.30pm Monday to Friday. Radio Australia has promised to give us a satellite dish to get its news.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Aloysius Laukai is station manager of New Dawn FM

Ok Tedi accused of causing more damage

Tonight’s ABC’s 7.30 Report accuses the Ok Tedi gold and copper mine in PNG’s Western Province of causing more environmental damage to the jungle and river system.

“It’s going to be cultural genocide because the people’s land and river is like a supermarket,” said provincial governor Bob Danaya. “They get their fish from the river. The river provides water to keep the environment going. You damage the river, everything dies also,” he said.

But Ok Tedi board member and Australian environment guru, Dr Ross Garnaut, offered a different view. “It’s the most thorough and careful management of the environment that’s ever been undertaken by a mining company,” he told ABC reporter Steve Marshall.

In the latter 1990s, Ok Tedi’s former owner BHP agreed to pay local landowners more than $US100 million for similar environmental damage. Now locals are once again considering launching another massive compensation claim against the mine.

Call for Kokoda Track code of conduct

With 7,000 international trekkers forecast to walk the 96-kilometre Kokoda track next year, Sandy Hollway - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's special envoy on the track – has asked tour operators to introduce a code of conduct to preserve the trail and lessen the impact on the people living alongside it.

“Minimum standards for the trekkers, minimum standards for the treatment of local people along the track, respect for the villages along the track and minimum standards to be adopted by the trek operators themselves,” he said.

Mr Hollway’s comments follow those of NSW MP Charlie Lynn who, in a recent newsletter, wrote of “a new breed of 'trekking Samaritans' who use the experience to raise money for various charities in Australia. While the cause is always noble, and the individuals often well intentioned, there is some irony that we seek to exploit a jungle track in a third world country to raise funds for a cause in our 'land of plenty',” Mr Lynn said.

“Lets hope the new breed of 'trekking Samaritans' decide to leave some of what they raise in PNG - there is no shortage of worthy causes for those who trek 'with their eyes wide open'. It would be far more noble for them to leave their ego in Australia and their money in PNG!”

Sources: ‘Calls for Kokoda track code of conduct’, Steve Marshall, ABC, 20 November 2008 and Charlie Lynn’s ‘Adventure Kokoda’ newsletter

Too much punch at PNG media awards

Journalists from the PNG Post-Courier newspaper and the PNG National Broadcasting Corporation turned on a king-sized stoush at Saturday’s Media Council awards ceremony in Port Moresby. AAP reports that “simmering tensions mixed with alcohol” turned a successful evening into an all-in brawl.

The fight came late in the proceedings, after speeches on the importance of media freedom and accurate reporting. Security guards stepped in to pull apart scrapping guests. "It is embarrassing," said one guest. "This stuff always happens at this end of year. Everything starts fine but it all comes out with too much drink. It really is the silly season. All the simmering tensions erupt," she said.

The awards night came as the culmination of a week-long Media Council program to raise industry standards. After calm was restored, the Council provided karaoke entertainment. It would never have happened in my day. The karaoke, that is.

Source: ‘Drunken brawl mars PNG media award night’, AAP, 17 November 2008

PNG media must expose corruption

 

PNG’s chief ombudsman Chronox Manek has said the media must expose corruption in the country. “Although the media contributes a lot to the development and maintenance of a nation, it does not need to be biased but should allow for viewpoints of individuals on any matter,” he said.

Mr Manek said the media is a source of education to the public. “The right to inform remains the foundation of democracy ... without citizens remaining in the dark, since it will affect their right to decision making.”

He also said that for the media to be the agenda setter and expose issues, journalists need to know about their constitutional rights and also have a fair idea about PNG’s national goals. “You can never go wrong if you speak right, expose and stand up for the people,” he said.

Source: ‘Media is the agenda setter, says Manek’, by Peter Larry, UPNG journalism student, PNG Naional, 13 November 2008

$2.4B gas deal stirs PNG Opposition

The PNG Post-Courier reports that opposition leader Sir Mekere Morauta has demanded that prime minister Sir Michael Somare delay signing a bond with an Abu Dhabi company to finance the government’s share of the huge PNG gas project deal. The $2.4 billion bond may be signed this week.

Arthur Somare [left], the Public Enterprises Minister who controls the gas project for the government, has confirmed the deal. Sir Mekere has strongly criticised the deal following the disclosure of leaked PNG Treasury papers that the deal was risky and did not need to be done at this time.

“What is the rush?” asked Sir Mekere, “The Treasury advice leaked to the press clearly outlined some of the risks. So why [is] the PM plunging headlong into this deal, we wonder? Why are alternative options not being sought and considered? Why is he moving to sign this deal and put one of the most valuable assets of the state, its shares in Oil Search, at risk? It makes no sense.”

Sir Mekere said: “Treasury assesses the deal as risky. Arthur Somare says it is not risky. Given these two conflicting views, I urge the Prime Minister to appoint a third party to assess both the risks and advantages of the bond deal, and compare them with other forms of financing options. That is obviously the most sensible thing to do. How can we make this point any clearer to the PM? Leaders must be reminded that they are custodians of people’s assets, and that they must act in people’s overall interest.”

Somare Cairns properties questioned

PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and his son Arthur have been asked to explain how they obtained a luxury inner-city unit and a new $685,000 beach house in Cairns. Documents have emerged linking the PNG leader and his powerbroker son to the real estate.

PNG's anti-corruption watchdog, Opposition Leader Sir Mekere Morauta and former finance minister Bart Philemon said it had to be asked where the money had come from. Ombudsman Commission legal counsel Vergil Narokobi, one of the most senior officials with the anti-corruption watchdog, said the Commission would investigate.

"It is quite possible it is legitimate," Mr Narokobi said. “We will look to see if there were any breaches of the leadership code. To afford such luxuries it is not something ordinary Papua New Guineans can do. It is a situation of unfairness, but that is my own personal view. We have to give them the benefit of doubt. On the face of it we will respect our leaders until the contrary is shown."

Documents obtained by the Courier-Mail show Sir Michael obtained a $349,000 three-bedroom executive-style apartment with private plunge pool in inner-city Cairns in April last year, in a deal brokered by a Gold Coast lawyer. Two months ago, Arthur Somare, who is PNG's State Enterprise Minister and a political heavyweight, bought a $685,000 four-bedroom home with his wife at Trinity Beach.

Mr Somare, who plans to move his family to Australia to live, has just  sealed a $US20 billion deal over access to PNG's liquid natural gas reserves with a consortium from the Middle East.  Cairns builder Michael Case, who sold the house to Mr Somare in August, said: "He is a fabulous guy, everything was done above board."

Sir Michael, who was in Cairns last week for a historic address to Queensland Parliament, declined a request for an interview and did not respond to a series of written questions. His son Arthur also did not respond to questions about his new property

Sir Michael, who has refused to provide details of his overseas assets under the leadership code since 1992, is fighting a Supreme Court action against the Ombudsman Commission.

Opposition Leader Morauta said the Somare family owed it to the PNG people to reveal their assets. "They should both publicly explain how they obtained this real estate," said Sir Mekere, who this year bought a $3.6 million riverfront mansion at New Farm in Brisbane's inner city under his wife Roslyn's name.-

Former finance minister and anti-graft campaigner Mr Philemon said, “They have got to tell people in PNG how they funded those properties, otherwise it smells like corruption.”

Source: ‘PNG leader Michael Somare and son asked to explain Cairns property’, by Peter Michael, Courier-Mail, 5 November 2008

First climate change refugees to PNG

The world's first climate change refugees will be relocated from their Pacific island home to Papua New Guinea by March next year. The Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation says 40 families from north of Ontong Java in the Solomon Island's Malaita Province will be relocated to Bougainville.

Flooding has made parts of their islands completely uninhabitable and the islands are expected to be fully submerged by 2015. The relocation is estimated to cost the Autonomous Bougainville and PNG Government millions of dollars over the next six years. One third of the 1,500 residents have refused to leave the islands.

PNG says US has ‘ again taken lead’

The United States Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Leslie Rowe, hosted a live telecast of the US election in Port Moresby yesterday. Ms Rowe said it had been the most historic election in her lifetime. “Today many of us are especially proud to be part of the American electorate. A projected 130 million Americans have lined up to cast their votes — the largest election turnout in the history of the United States.”

 “I remember as a child travelling through the south of United States and questioning my parents as to why gas stations had to have two different water fountains, one for whites and one for blacks. That we have come this far from those days to the point where an African-American may be elected president, is something many of us never thought we would see in our lifetimes,” she said.

Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Abal said PNG as a small nation could learn from the US, the leading democracy in the world that had again taken the lead in electing the best man for the job despite his race, skin colour or status.

Source: PNG Post-Courier

Big project safe despite economic strife

The global markets are in turmoil and oil prices have collapsed but Oil Search remains up beat about securing finance and finding buyers for its $15 billion liquefied natural gas project - PNG’s largest ever resource development. It is planned to ship the first cargo in 2013.

Oil Search says it has “considerable interest” from lenders to acquire its 34% per cent share. Managing director, Peter Botten, said interest from prospective buyers was strong despite the near halving in oil prices from their peaks. Global oil giant ExxonMobil's41.5% involvement in the project has bolstered market confidence.

The LNG project is a joint venture between ExxonMobil, Oil Search, Nippon Oil, Santos, AGL and MRDC (a PNG company representing landowner interests). The Project will commercialise petroleum resources in the Hides, Angore and Juha fields the currently operating oil fields of Kutubu, Agogo, Gobe and Moran in the Southern Highlands and Western Provinces.

The gas will be transported by pipeline to a facility 20 kilometres northwest of Port Moresby. There, the gas will be liquefied and the LNG (approximately 6.3 million tonnes per annum) loaded on tankers and shipped to gas markets.

Sources: [1] Oil Search confident of funding for $15b LNG plan by Clancy Yeates, Sydney Morning Herald, 22 October 2008. [2] ‘Trio to develop Papua New Guinea LNG project’ by InterOil Corp, DownsteramToday.com, 1 August 2007.

MPs attack corruption, poor leadership

Satan rules the PNG National Parliament, the deputy leader of the PNG Party, Francis Awesa, told a huge crowd at Banz in the Western Highlands on Saturday. Mr Awesa said politicians and bureaucrats who allegedly got rich overnight must be investigated so that the people knew the sources of their wealth.

Mr Awesa said that in the last five years PNG had been riddled with nothing but corruption and this had brought the country to its knees. He said the Somare Government had passed budgets that had not trickled down to the bulk of the population.

Despite many reports and allegations of corruption in high places, leaders and senior public servants allegedly involved in corruption and misuse of public funds were still walking free, he said. The laws seemed to favour them while ordinary people were sent to jail for trivial matters. Leaders and bureaucrats involved in abuse of power and misuse public funds must be held accountable and sent to prison.

Speaking at the same rally, human rights activist and National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop said bad leadership is leading PNG into poverty. He said God had blessed PNG but leaders had turned it into a poor country with bad leadership. The country was a dependent state despite all its resources.

Sources: ‘Satan is boss of Parlt: MP’ and ‘Bad leaders forcing PNG into poverty – Parkop’, PNG Post-Courier, 20 October 2008

Impact of Cyclone Guba continues

Nearly a year after Tropical Cyclone Guba devastated the Oro Province, most villagers are still unable to cultivate their land and continue to experience hardship, the PNG Post-Courier reports. People were most concerned about when the Government’s restoration plan will be implemented. They said government authorities had failed to visit people still living in care centres and villages devastated by the floods. An Oro Bay councillor from Dombada village, which is now a lagoon, said the people in the area were “thankful to God for surviving on beans”, one of the few surviving edible plants.

The next issue of the PNG Association’s quarterly journal, Una Voce, features a fundraising raffle to raise money for a well managed and carefully targeted rural development project in the Oro Province. Tickets will be on sale until early December. The PNGAA website will also soon have a facility available to enable readers to participate in the event.

Simbu looting evidences decline of govt

When you turn off the Highlands Highway near Mingende Catholic Mission and travel a few kilometers north into the Bismarck Range along a red clay road interspersed with fragile bridges, you come to a ridge on which is located an isolated primary school called Gagl. Here, more than 40 years ago, I spent a memorable – if sometimes lonely - year of my life. Some Friday afternoons, maybe once a month before I acquired a motorbike, I used to walk those kilometers to the highway and hitch-hiked to Kundiawa for a weekend.

Gagl Primary T School was on the demarcation line between two clan groups, one of which was pushing the other off its land, and there were periodic flare-ups as a result. Midway between Mingende and Gagl – at Mintima – anthropologist Paula Brown and geographer Harold Brookfield had set up camp, having just begun what was to be 38 years of milestone research into Simbu land tenure.

The people were keen about education and committed to their school. The clans may have periodically clashed but there was bipartisan agreement on the need to support the school in every way they could – ensuring their children attended faithfully, working hard on the grounds and buildings and gardens, and never encroaching upon the school no matter how antagonistic clan relationships became.

There was no stealing. I experienced no hostility. And when, after a clan fight left some schoolboys somewhat battered and bloodied and they fled to the school in fear, and I felt some trepidation, my personal safety and that of anyone on school grounds was assured by the leaders of both sides. In retrospect, it was a year of adventure and wonderment and delight. I loved it.

Last Thursday, the Highlands (now Okuk) Highway near Mingende, was blocked for hours as tribespeople using cooking pots, buckets and dishes stole thousands of litres of diesel fuel pouring from a capsized tanker. Looters came from as far as Minj and Kundiawa. These days, whenever a vehicle comes to grief, or can be brought to grief, on the highway, the same thing happens.

The law has been taken into individual hands, implying that respect for national law has broken down. It is a measure of the challenges that PNG faces. It is also a measure of the extent to which that respect for what government is able to bring has disappeared, because government is seen to be unable to bring very much at all.