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Showing posts from May, 2010

Put Papua New Guinea's House in Order

Focus Papua New Guinea has long experienced a dual economy, initially between the estate sector and the rest of the population. From the 1970s mining and 1990s oil enclaves developed, supporting a growing urban population. Government initially discouraged permanent urban settlement, but the hard kina policy and subsequent fiscal indiscipline and under funding for infrastructure and services in the provinces and rural areas, encouraged urban drift, with educational, health and income earning opportunities in rural areas squeezed. Now we have a few bubbling urban centres and service industries, buoyed up by current and prospective enclave mining/hydro-carbon industries. Despite optimism in parts of the business community, there is great frustration in much of the population, feeling forgotten in the apparent narrow –based economic boom and concerned over government’s readiness to side-step procedures (land, labour and environmental) for selected developers. Some concerns are widely share

Put Papua New Guinea's House in Order

Focus Papua New Guinea has long experienced a dual economy, initially between the estate sector and the rest of the population. From the 1970s mining and 1990s oil enclaves developed, supporting a growing urban population. Government initially discouraged permanent urban settlement, but the hard kina policy and subsequent fiscal indiscipline and under funding for infrastructure and services in the provinces and rural areas, encouraged urban drift, with educational, health and income earning opportunities in rural areas squeezed. Now we have a few bubbling urban centres and service industries, buoyed up by current and prospective enclave mining/hydro-carbon industries. Despite optimism in parts of the business community, there is great frustration in much of the population, feeling forgotten in the apparent narrow –based economic boom and concerned over government’s readiness to side-step procedures (land, labour and environmental) for selected developers. Some concerns are widely share

Lupari, aided by Gelu and Paraka lawyers, stole K3.7 million - COI

PNG Exposed Former Ambassador to the European Union, Departmental Head and Consultant to the Prime Minister, Isaac Lupari stole K3.7 million from the people of PNG through false claims for breach of contract according to the findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the Finance Department. The false claims were drafted and submitted by Guguna Garo, of Paul Paraka lawyers, and were illegally settled by the then Solicitor General, Zachary Gelu. In addition to the K3.7 million, a further K800,000 was paid to Paul Paraka lawyers from public funds for their role in facilitating the fraud. The Commission of Inquiry has recommended Isaac Lupari, Zacchary Gelu and Guguna Garo all be investigated by the police with a view to prosecution for fraud and conspiracy. From 1997 through to 2009, Isaac Lupari was employed by the State in a series of senior positions including Secretary Finance, Secretary Defence, Secretary Works, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, Michael Somare, Secretary Transpo

Lupari, aided by Gelu and Paraka lawyers, stole K3.7 million - COI

PNG Exposed Former Ambassador to the European Union, Departmental Head and Consultant to the Prime Minister, Isaac Lupari stole K3.7 million from the people of PNG through false claims for breach of contract according to the findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the Finance Department. The false claims were drafted and submitted by Guguna Garo, of Paul Paraka lawyers, and were illegally settled by the then Solicitor General, Zachary Gelu. In addition to the K3.7 million, a further K800,000 was paid to Paul Paraka lawyers from public funds for their role in facilitating the fraud. The Commission of Inquiry has recommended Isaac Lupari, Zacchary Gelu and Guguna Garo all be investigated by the police with a view to prosecution for fraud and conspiracy. From 1997 through to 2009, Isaac Lupari was employed by the State in a series of senior positions including Secretary Finance, Secretary Defence, Secretary Works, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, Michael Somare, Secretary Transpo

We called it: government changes the law. Landowners rights smashed

George Ireng On 18 April we asked the question “Where to the Chinese go next?” in response to the injunction stopping the construction of a system to dump the waste from the Ramu nickel mine in the sea. One option that seemed likely was a change in the law to take away landowners rights to demand protection of their natural environment. On Friday afternoon this prediction proved correct as the government rushed emergency legislation through Parliament that disenfranchises landowners and gives the government total control over their land and seas. This is how George Ireng, the campaigner who has led the landowners campaign against the Ramu mine waste dumping, explains the legislation: “This is to inform you of the latest developments that occurred yesterday in Parliament. “The government through the Environment minister, Benny Allan, made changes to sections the Environment Act 2000 to prevent landowners and concerned Papua New Guineans from “interfering” with developing p

We called it: government changes the law. Landowners rights smashed

George Ireng On 18 April we asked the question “Where to the Chinese go next?” in response to the injunction stopping the construction of a system to dump the waste from the Ramu nickel mine in the sea. One option that seemed likely was a change in the law to take away landowners rights to demand protection of their natural environment. On Friday afternoon this prediction proved correct as the government rushed emergency legislation through Parliament that disenfranchises landowners and gives the government total control over their land and seas. This is how George Ireng, the campaigner who has led the landowners campaign against the Ramu mine waste dumping, explains the legislation: “This is to inform you of the latest developments that occurred yesterday in Parliament. “The government through the Environment minister, Benny Allan, made changes to sections the Environment Act 2000 to prevent landowners and concerned Papua New Guineans from “interfering

Papua New Guinea politicians playing a deadly game of Russian roulette

A simple amendment into environment law may help wipe out most of our long-term renewable marine resources By a SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT The Government on Friday, May 28, 2010 bulldozed yet again another constitutional amendment in the environmental law without any real extensive consultations carried out or an analytical research into what the effects and consequences of the law amendments may bring us. All those MPs who supported the bill have no idea nor do they have the country’s best interest at heart. They have thrown our country and its people to the dogs and right outside our very own gates to make us become spectators of the destructions that will take place after all the mining, oil and gas activities are over.  The proposed amended to the Environment Bill was passed with an absolute majority after the third reading in Parliament but no-one bothered to give any explanation during the last two readings as to what the long-term negative impacts this changes woul

Papua New Guinea politicians playing a deadly game of Russian roulette

A simple amendment into environment law may help wipe out most of our long-term renewable marine resources By a SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT The Government on Friday, May 28, 2010 bulldozed yet again another constitutional amendment in the environmental law without any real extensive consultations carried out or an analytical research into what the effects and consequences of the law amendments may bring us. All those MPs who supported the bill have no idea nor do they have the country’s best interest at heart. They have thrown our country and its people to the dogs and right outside our very own gates to make us become spectators of the destructions that will take place after all the mining, oil and gas activities are over.  The proposed amended to the Environment Bill was passed with an absolute majority after the third reading in Parliament but no-one bothered to give any explanation during the last two readings as to what the long-term negative impacts

ENVIRONMENT LAW CHANGE AS A DIRECT INSULT TO MADANG LANDOWNERS

George Ireng This is to inform you of the latest developments that occurred yesterday in Parliament. The government through the Environment minister, Benny Allan, made changes to sections the Environment Act 2000 to prevent landowners and concerned Papua New Guineans from “interfering” with developing project like the Ramu Nickel Mine and LNG in the Southern Highlands. This comes after a petition against DSTP was presented to the Deputy Prime Minister, Puka Temu and Environment Minister, Benny Allan, in Bongu Village on 10 April. The petition deadline is on Monday 31 April. But the government has seen fit to insult landowners by changing the law! The explanatory notes provided to the media make no secret of the fact that this is an attempt by a corrupt regime to suppress the rights of landowners who are concerned about their lives and the environment to which they are connected. It states: “THE LAW IS BEING MADE IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT COURT DECISION THAT HAS EXPOSED R

ENVIRONMENT LAW CHANGE AS A DIRECT INSULT TO MADANG LANDOWNERS

George Ireng This is to inform you of the latest developments that occurred yesterday in Parliament. The government through the Environment minister, Benny Allan, made changes to sections the Environment Act 2000 to prevent landowners and concerned Papua New Guineans from “interfering” with developing project like the Ramu Nickel Mine and LNG in the Southern Highlands. This comes after a petition against DSTP was presented to the Deputy Prime Minister, Puka Temu and Environment Minister, Benny Allan, in Bongu Village on 10 April. The petition deadline is on Monday 31 April. But the government has seen fit to insult landowners by changing the law! The explanatory notes provided to the media make no secret of the fact that this is an attempt by a corrupt regime to suppress the rights of landowners who are concerned about their lives and the environment to which they are connected. It states: “THE LAW IS BEING MADE IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT COURT DECISION THAT HAS