PNGBLOGS

Concerned Citizen I am compelled to write because I have lost my respect for someone I used to look up to. Sir Arnold Amet was a man of stature and integrity and he has become the latest casualty in a long line of leaders, including the pre­vious governor-general to have lost their integrity because of their association with the prime minister. These leaders, including Sir Michael Somare, have built their integrity over time but one wrong act in the public’s eye has destroyed their integrity and reputation. This, I believe, is of a great concern not only to me but many Papua New Guineans. Only a handful of leaders like Powes Parkop and Dame Carol Kidu have remained untainted. No matter how Sir Arnold tries to justify the sacking of acting Public Prosecutor Jim Wala Tamate, the public are no longer as ignorant as before and will not swallow such nonsense. We have come a long way, almost 36 years since independence, and our people are now better educated to see through any cover ups and

Concerned Citizen I am compelled to write because I have lost my respect for someone I used to look up to. Sir Arnold Amet was a man of stature and integrity and he has become the latest casualty in a long line of leaders, including the pre­vious governor-general to have lost their integrity because of their association with the prime minister. These leaders, including Sir Michael Somare, have built their integrity over time but one wrong act in the public’s eye has destroyed their integrity and reputation. This, I believe, is of a great concern not only to me but many Papua New Guineans. Only a handful of leaders like Powes Parkop and Dame Carol Kidu have remained untainted. No matter how Sir Arnold tries to justify the sacking of acting Public Prosecutor Jim Wala Tamate, the public are no longer as ignorant as before and will not swallow such nonsense. We have come a long way, almost 36 years since independence, and our people are now better educated to see through any cover ups

THE FINANCIAL Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Asian Development Bank on February 25 signed a loan worth $57.3 million to reduce power shortages in urban areas. The Secretary for the Department of Treasury, Simon Tosali, Chief Executive Officer of PNG Power Limited Tony Koiri, and Officer-in-Charge of the Asian Development Bank 's (ADB) Papua New Guinea Resident Mission Allan Lee signed the loan. The signing ceremony was held at PNG Power's headquarters in Port Moresby. Julianna Kubak, Acting Deputy Secretary-Policy, Department of National Planning and Monitoring, was Master of Ceremonies for the event. ADB's loan to the state power utility, PNG Power Ltd, will fund renewable energy facilities, including run-of-the-river hydropower plant and transmission systems in urban centers in PNG. Only about 10% of PNG's population of 6.5 million has access to grid power, which is largely confined to urban areas. Some provinces suffer regular outages, adversely affecting businesses

THE FINANCIAL Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Asian Development Bank on February 25 signed a loan worth $57.3 million to reduce power shortages in urban areas. The Secretary for the Department of Treasury, Simon Tosali, Chief Executive Officer of PNG Power Limited Tony Koiri, and Officer-in-Charge of the Asian Development Bank 's (ADB) Papua New Guinea Resident Mission Allan Lee signed the loan. The signing ceremony was held at PNG Power's headquarters in Port Moresby. Julianna Kubak, Acting Deputy Secretary-Policy, Department of National Planning and Monitoring, was Master of Ceremonies for the event. ADB's loan to the state power utility, PNG Power Ltd, will fund renewable energy facilities, including run-of-the-river hydropower plant and transmission systems in urban centers in PNG. Only about 10% of PNG's population of 6.5 million has access to grid power, which is largely confined to urban areas. Some provinces suffer regular outages, adversely affecting busin

BLUE SERVANT I read with dismay the numerous and disproportionate complaints in the print media about police inaction and inability to perform fully its constitutional obligations. I concur that performance and effectiveness of our police service have dropped over the years and will continue to spiral downwards if immediate intervention and action is not taken. Insufficient resources seem to be cause of non performance but I disagree with this reasoning. Hefty funding alone cannot solve the woes facing the organization. Security has not been guaranteed in this country despite the hundreds of millions of kina spent on the police service over the years. The RPNGC can solve its own problems without external intervention and additional funding. The police force has been on a path of self-destruction over the years but officers and men within are oblivious to the cancers eroding the fabrics of the organization. They are tight-lipped because they either fear the inevitable conseq

BLUE SERVANT I read with dismay the numerous and disproportionate complaints in the print media about police inaction and inability to perform fully its constitutional obligations. I concur that performance and effectiveness of our police service have dropped over the years and will continue to spiral downwards if immediate intervention and action is not taken. Insufficient resources seem to be cause of non performance but I disagree with this reasoning. Hefty funding alone cannot solve the woes facing the organization. Security has not been guaranteed in this country despite the hundreds of millions of kina spent on the police service over the years. The RPNGC can solve its own problems without external intervention and additional funding. The police force has been on a path of self-destruction over the years but officers and men within are oblivious to the cancers eroding the fabrics of the organization. They are tight-lipped because they either fear the inevitable c

OP/ED A young cocoa grower in Morobe stopped the Chief Secretary, Manasupe Zurenuoc, not too long ago at the Lae Hotel International for a five-minute door-stop lecture. The farmer, whose name we do not know, wanted to know why the government was paying MoA, UBSA, LBBSA, BDG and a host of other “free” money when the first gas has yet to be sold. He wanted to know if those like himself in the agriculture sector, which has sustained the economic lifeline of this country for longer than this country has been independent, could have access to similar free money. He said people in the agricultural sector work hard from sun up to sun down for every morsel of grain or kilogram that is produced which takes many months before anything is paid to them. And, then, it is kina for kilogram and nothing more. We remember this young man’s enquiry with some feeling as we see the mad charade that surrounds the liquefied natural gas like some bad smell that will not go away. The latest was the mob action

OP/ED A young cocoa grower in Morobe stopped the Chief Secretary, Manasupe Zurenuoc, not too long ago at the Lae Hotel International for a five-minute door-stop lecture. The farmer, whose name we do not know, wanted to know why the government was paying MoA, UBSA, LBBSA, BDG and a host of other “free” money when the first gas has yet to be sold. He wanted to know if those like himself in the agriculture sector, which has sustained the economic lifeline of this country for longer than this country has been independent, could have access to similar free money. He said people in the agricultural sector work hard from sun up to sun down for every morsel of grain or kilogram that is produced which takes many months before anything is paid to them. And, then, it is kina for kilogram and nothing more. We remember this young man’s enquiry with some feeling as we see the mad charade that surrounds the liquefied natural gas like some bad smell that will not go away. The latest was the mob act

TAXPAYER As a concerned citizen, I would like to have my say on the performance of our police force. The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary is ineffective and this is a national disgrace. Many police personnel are incompetent in their performance and the effect of their non-performance makes the government lose millions of kina in trying to maintain law and order issues in PNG. Our people do not have any trust in our police personnel who are on and off duty. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, our police force was more effective than what we have today. In most cases today police are ignorant in their response and performance towards the public who they are duty-bound to serve. Police response to public cry for help is: There is not enough vehicle to attend to your complaint, or no fuel or the vehicle is attending to other complaints. This is the same old sick RPNGC we have. Port Moresby is our capital city but driving around, I see many road users, especially PMVs and taxi driver

TAXPAYER As a concerned citizen, I would like to have my say on the performance of our police force. The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary is ineffective and this is a national disgrace. Many police personnel are incompetent in their performance and the effect of their non-performance makes the government lose millions of kina in trying to maintain law and order issues in PNG. Our people do not have any trust in our police personnel who are on and off duty. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, our police force was more effective than what we have today. In most cases today police are ignorant in their response and performance towards the public who they are duty-bound to serve. Police response to public cry for help is: There is not enough vehicle to attend to your complaint, or no fuel or the vehicle is attending to other complaints. This is the same old sick RPNGC we have. Port Moresby is our capital city but driving around, I see many road users, especially PMVs and taxi

RADIO ABC A constitutional lawyer in Papua New Guinea says Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare should have automatically stepped down or be suspended, after a tribunal was set up to look into alleged misconduct in office. Doctor John Nonggorr says it's the first time in PNG's short political history a prime minister will face a leadership tribunal. The tribunal is made up of judges from the Supreme and Appeals Courts of New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. Sir Michael is alleged to have failed, or lodged incomplete annual returns to PNG's Ombudsman Commission between 1994 and 1997. The Tribunal will start the inquiry on March 10. Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare says he will comply with the laws but will remain in office and allow the tribunal to rule whether he could be suspended or not. Constitutional lawyer Doctor John Nonggorr says Sir Michael should be made to step aside until the inquiry is complete. "Clearly the leader ship tribunal says that the laws t

RADIO ABC A constitutional lawyer in Papua New Guinea says Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare should have automatically stepped down or be suspended, after a tribunal was set up to look into alleged misconduct in office. Doctor John Nonggorr says it's the first time in PNG's short political history a prime minister will face a leadership tribunal. The tribunal is made up of judges from the Supreme and Appeals Courts of New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. Sir Michael is alleged to have failed, or lodged incomplete annual returns to PNG's Ombudsman Commission between 1994 and 1997. The Tribunal will start the inquiry on March 10. Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare says he will comply with the laws but will remain in office and allow the tribunal to rule whether he could be suspended or not. Constitutional lawyer Doctor John Nonggorr says Sir Michael should be made to step aside until the inquiry is complete. "Clearly the leader ship tribunal says that the

OP/ED A community leader from Mt Hagen rang this newspaper last night to confirm what he heard on the radio - was it really true that a leadership tribunal had been set up to hear allegations of misconduct in office against the Prime Minister Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare? The call from this leader in the mountains might just have been another curious member of the public but more significantly, it shows the interest with which ordinary Papua New Guineans have in this particular case. The Prime Minister’s referral has been in the public domain for such a long time it has often been used as a political weapon against the Prime Minister by his opponents, for which there are many, because he has vigorously fought it legally. This remote community leader, far flung from the corridors of powers of Waigani, shows how Papua New Guineans country-wide have watched and waited for an outcome such as announced yesterday afternoon by the Chief Justice after a long time – a Leadership Tribunal to h

OP/ED A community leader from Mt Hagen rang this newspaper last night to confirm what he heard on the radio - was it really true that a leadership tribunal had been set up to hear allegations of misconduct in office against the Prime Minister Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare? The call from this leader in the mountains might just have been another curious member of the public but more significantly, it shows the interest with which ordinary Papua New Guineans have in this particular case. The Prime Minister’s referral has been in the public domain for such a long time it has often been used as a political weapon against the Prime Minister by his opponents, for which there are many, because he has vigorously fought it legally. This remote community leader, far flung from the corridors of powers of Waigani, shows how Papua New Guineans country-wide have watched and waited for an outcome such as announced yesterday afternoon by the Chief Justice after a long time – a Leadership Tribunal t

RADIO AUSTRALIA A prominent Papua New Guinean prosecutor has been demoted not long after pursuing allegations of misconduct against the Prime Minister. Late last year, the acting public prosecutor Jim Wala Tamate sought to have a tribunal hear allegations Sir Michael Somare failed to lodge several financial statements. But last week he was replaced as public prosecutor; PNG's opposition says it was because of his pursuit of Sir Michael. But the Attorney-General Sir Arnold Ahmet says Mr Tamate's position was not renewed because of "performance issues". Presenter: Liam Fox, PNG Correspondent Speaker: Sir Arnold Ahmet, PNG Attorney General Listen: Windows Media SIR ARNOLD AHMET: The position of public prosecutor has been in acting mode for nearly two years which is quite inappropriate. The process that began in November-December last year. An advertisement went out for applicants. There were nine applicants, so a decision had to be made by the Judicial and Legal Services

RADIO AUSTRALIA A prominent Papua New Guinean prosecutor has been demoted not long after pursuing allegations of misconduct against the Prime Minister. Late last year, the acting public prosecutor Jim Wala Tamate sought to have a tribunal hear allegations Sir Michael Somare failed to lodge several financial statements. But last week he was replaced as public prosecutor; PNG's opposition says it was because of his pursuit of Sir Michael. But the Attorney-General Sir Arnold Ahmet says Mr Tamate's position was not renewed because of "performance issues". Presenter: Liam Fox, PNG Correspondent Speaker: Sir Arnold Ahmet, PNG Attorney General Listen: Windows Media SIR ARNOLD AHMET: The position of public prosecutor has been in acting mode for nearly two years which is quite inappropriate. The process that began in November-December last year. An advertisement went out for applicants. There were nine applicants, so a decision had to be made by the Judicial and Leg

SAM BASIL MP Today is a sad day for PNG as people whom we had hopes on have been contaminated, and our hopes crushed. The former Chief Justice could have given a better reason than being defensive for the PM over the Leadership Tribunal. Look at how he described the reasons for the removal of Mr Tamata. He said Mr. Tamata was removed for non performance but failed to outline what sort of lack of performance. Did he mismanage the office? If so, what are the examples? Did he not do his constitutional duty? What are some examples? Was he cited for contempt for not allocating lawyers to attend to criminal cases/call-overs like his Predecessors? So what are the reasons at this very crucial moment when the whole nation is looking forward to see justice prevail? Can the former Chief Justice as a learned person justify his actions because you cannot afford to leave the people of PNG guessing? Otherwise, Sir Arnold is just another puppet, executing the PM and his family’s will and the only con

SAM BASIL MP Today is a sad day for PNG as people whom we had hopes on have been contaminated, and our hopes crushed. The former Chief Justice could have given a better reason than being defensive for the PM over the Leadership Tribunal. Look at how he described the reasons for the removal of Mr Tamata. He said Mr. Tamata was removed for non performance but failed to outline what sort of lack of performance. Did he mismanage the office? If so, what are the examples? Did he not do his constitutional duty? What are some examples? Was he cited for contempt for not allocating lawyers to attend to criminal cases/call-overs like his Predecessors? So what are the reasons at this very crucial moment when the whole nation is looking forward to see justice prevail? Can the former Chief Justice as a learned person justify his actions because you cannot afford to leave the people of PNG guessing? Otherwise, Sir Arnold is just another puppet, executing the PM and his family’s will and the onl

SAM BASIL MP The issue of the damage to the Watut and the people who rely upon it for their very existence and the resulting court case should not be the subject of a publicity-seeking talkfest proposed by Member for Huon Gulf Hon. Sasa Zibe. The question of liability of MMJV for the damage is before the Courts and Minister Zibe’s conduct would be in contempt of Court. Where was Sasa Zibe when the people he represents in Parliament were crying for help throughout 2009  and 2010 as their river had been destroyed? Where was he when they were complaining that the fish were dead, that they couldn’t use the river for transport as the overburden from the mine had made the river too shallow?” Authorities have been signed by landowners of the Lower Watut region, which is in his electorate, for me to represent them in the court case against MMJV as Sasa Zibe did nothing to help them. Now the mining company is putting the pressure on as the Court case has started, Sasa Zibe is trying to get hi

SAM BASIL MP The issue of the damage to the Watut and the people who rely upon it for their very existence and the resulting court case should not be the subject of a publicity-seeking talkfest proposed by Member for Huon Gulf Hon. Sasa Zibe. The question of liability of MMJV for the damage is before the Courts and Minister Zibe’s conduct would be in contempt of Court. Where was Sasa Zibe when the people he represents in Parliament were crying for help throughout 2009  and 2010 as their river had been destroyed? Where was he when they were complaining that the fish were dead, that they couldn’t use the river for transport as the overburden from the mine had made the river too shallow?” Authorities have been signed by landowners of the Lower Watut region, which is in his electorate, for me to represent them in the court case against MMJV as Sasa Zibe did nothing to help them. Now the mining company is putting the pressure on as the Court case has started, Sasa Zibe is trying to ge

OP/ED A meeting of senior police officers is underway in Mt Hagen to discuss the security aspect of the 2012 national elections. One of the topics that came up, again and again in that meeting, is the prevalence of firearms and the threat they pose on the elections. To show the police bosses the seriousness of the matter, Mt Hagen Police showed the police chiefs two M16 rifles, five other factory-made guns, and eight military issued grenades confiscated from raids into villages around this highlands city. The demonstration was to send a clear message to the top brass of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary that the accumulation of illegal firearms in the Highlands is a real threat to the coming national elections. Guns have left thousands traumatised and have the seriously grave potential to bring Papua New Guinea down to its knees. Statistics compiled by the police force, show that there is overwhelming evidence that the majority of serious crimes like robbery, break and enter and

OP/ED A meeting of senior police officers is underway in Mt Hagen to discuss the security aspect of the 2012 national elections. One of the topics that came up, again and again in that meeting, is the prevalence of firearms and the threat they pose on the elections. To show the police bosses the seriousness of the matter, Mt Hagen Police showed the police chiefs two M16 rifles, five other factory-made guns, and eight military issued grenades confiscated from raids into villages around this highlands city. The demonstration was to send a clear message to the top brass of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary that the accumulation of illegal firearms in the Highlands is a real threat to the coming national elections. Guns have left thousands traumatised and have the seriously grave potential to bring Papua New Guinea down to its knees. Statistics compiled by the police force, show that there is overwhelming evidence that the majority of serious crimes like robbery, break and enter