PNGBLOGS

PNGEXPOSED What was it that caused the acrimonious and rather public falling out between National Planning Secretary, Joseph Lelang, and his political masters? Lelang has admitted paying out millions on behalf of his political masters,  As Lelang has himself admitted [1], he has been involved in unlawfully dishing out hundreds of millions of kina from the national development budget on the orders of a small cabal of ministers at the very heart of government, including Arthur Somare, Patrick Pruaitch, Paul Tiensten, Peter O’Neill and, it is alleged, the Prime Minister himself, Michael Somare.   In February this year, Lelang was suspended from office, according to the Post Courier [2], for releasing K112 million for various projects under political directions from O’Neill, Tiensten and Pruaitch. But surely this cannot have been the real reason for his suspension? After all, Lelang, as he graphically illustrated himself in a memo to his Minister, Tiensten, dated December 6, 2010, [1

PNGEXPOSED What was it that caused the acrimonious and rather public falling out between National Planning Secretary, Joseph Lelang, and his political masters? Lelang has admitted paying out millions on behalf of his political masters,  As Lelang has himself admitted [1], he has been involved in unlawfully dishing out hundreds of millions of kina from the national development budget on the orders of a small cabal of ministers at the very heart of government, including Arthur Somare, Patrick Pruaitch, Paul Tiensten, Peter O’Neill and, it is alleged, the Prime Minister himself, Michael Somare.   In February this year, Lelang was suspended from office, according to the Post Courier [2], for releasing K112 million for various projects under political directions from O’Neill, Tiensten and Pruaitch. But surely this cannot have been the real reason for his suspension? After all, Lelang, as he graphically illustrated himself in a memo to his Minister, Tiensten, dated December 6, 201

OSEAH PHILEMON The city of Lae with a population of over 200,000 people is Papua New Guinea’s second city and its industrial hub. It is the centre of the manufacturing industry that keeps the Papua New Guinea economy rolling and moving the nation forward. Its central location makes it ideal for business and commerce as it connects with the Highlands, Islands and Momase regions of PNG. Unlike the capital city of Port Moresby which has no road connection anywhere, Lae is connected by road to the Highlands and Madang, making transportation vital to the economy. The Ramu Agribusiness which produces PNG’s sugar and premier beef is connected by road to Lae and is serviced from Lae even though it is physically located in the Madang Province. It is also home to the busiest sea port in the country that serves the entire Highlands, the Momase and Islands regions. From Lae, goods manufactured in the city are transported into the Highlands region through the Highlands Highway for a region that is

OSEAH PHILEMON The city of Lae with a population of over 200,000 people is Papua New Guinea’s second city and its industrial hub. It is the centre of the manufacturing industry that keeps the Papua New Guinea economy rolling and moving the nation forward. Its central location makes it ideal for business and commerce as it connects with the Highlands, Islands and Momase regions of PNG. Unlike the capital city of Port Moresby which has no road connection anywhere, Lae is connected by road to the Highlands and Madang, making transportation vital to the economy. The Ramu Agribusiness which produces PNG’s sugar and premier beef is connected by road to Lae and is serviced from Lae even though it is physically located in the Madang Province. It is also home to the busiest sea port in the country that serves the entire Highlands, the Momase and Islands regions. From Lae, goods manufactured in the city are transported into the Highlands region through the Highlands Highway for a region tha

ONECOUNTRY The problems of LNG Landowners are long time in the making, not just of this LNG Project. The attitude of government in not conducting social mapping and sitting down with its own citizens and determining land boundaries, trupela landowners, exact nature of and bundle of rights applying to various groups in respect of project areas and pipeline corridor, is not new. In the past it has been just shoving matters down the throats of people. The Kutubu and the Gobe Projects are clear examples. In respect of the Gobe project, the government instead of resorting to social mapping prior to granting Development license, it bulldozed it and forced the people to camp in Port Moresby fighting over who owns what. They never had a chance to negotiate their equity or royalty rights. It then locked up their meager royalties and forced the people to enter into serious debt living in the corridors of court houses trying to determine who owns what- something the government should have done as

ONECOUNTRY The problems of LNG Landowners are long time in the making, not just of this LNG Project. The attitude of government in not conducting social mapping and sitting down with its own citizens and determining land boundaries, trupela landowners, exact nature of and bundle of rights applying to various groups in respect of project areas and pipeline corridor, is not new. In the past it has been just shoving matters down the throats of people. The Kutubu and the Gobe Projects are clear examples. In respect of the Gobe project, the government instead of resorting to social mapping prior to granting Development license, it bulldozed it and forced the people to camp in Port Moresby fighting over who owns what. They never had a chance to negotiate their equity or royalty rights. It then locked up their meager royalties and forced the people to enter into serious debt living in the corridors of court houses trying to determine who owns what- something the government shoul

MATT MORRIS Papua New Guinea is on the brink of it’s biggest resources boom. Will it be a curse or a blessing? A new generation of mining projects and a massive LNG project are expected to double the size of the economy over the next decade. Yet there is skepticism about whether benefits will be shared widely among the nation’s seven million people. This is the third resource boom in as many decades, and despite the promises of the past, incomes today are barely higher than they were at independence in 1975 and PNG is unlikely to meet any of the MDGs. Some argue that PNG has a classic case of the resource curse: Dutch Disease, weak accountability and corruption, which all conspire to undermine economic, social and political development. A key question is how to break with this past experience and chart a new development path? The economic debate on managing PNG’s next resource boom has focused on three areas: The design of a savings mechanism, such as a sovereign

MATT MORRIS Papua New Guinea is on the brink of it’s biggest resources boom. Will it be a curse or a blessing? A new generation of mining projects and a massive LNG project are expected to double the size of the economy over the next decade. Yet there is skepticism about whether benefits will be shared widely among the nation’s seven million people. This is the third resource boom in as many decades, and despite the promises of the past, incomes today are barely higher than they were at independence in 1975 and PNG is unlikely to meet any of the MDGs. Some argue that PNG has a classic case of the resource curse: Dutch Disease, weak accountability and corruption, which all conspire to undermine economic, social and political development. A key question is how to break with this past experience and chart a new development path? The economic debate on managing PNG’s next resource boom has focused on three areas: The design of a savings mechanism, such as a soverei

From: Ben Witherspoon Date: Thu, May 26, 2011 at 4:32 PM Subject: Papua New Guinea's Prote-J To: PNGBLOGS@gmail.com Hello! I came across your blog today and it has a lot of good info on Papua New Guinea! I manage Prote-J, a musician who grew up in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. We just released his new music video with some footage from his home in PNG! Prote-J has been on Nau FM and in both PNG newspapers. Thanks for checking it out and let me know if you post it on your blog! Talk to you soon! -- Ben Witherspoon www.AjustEntertainment.com (954) 937-4451 Click here to stream/download Prote-J's new mixtape, "Dope Raps & Kit Kats" Prote-J is a rapper/producer/songwriter from 3rd world country, Papua New Guinea, and is now building a major buzz out of Orlando, FL. Prote-J has been seen on MTV.com, DJBooth.net and heard on radio all over the world. He's performed with major label acts like Big Sean, Curren$y, J. Cole, and Ace Hood. His highly a

From: Ben Witherspoon Date: Thu, May 26, 2011 at 4:32 PM Subject: Papua New Guinea's Prote-J To: PNGBLOGS@gmail.com Hello! I came across your blog today and it has a lot of good info on Papua New Guinea! I manage Prote-J, a musician who grew up in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. We just released his new music video with some footage from his home in PNG! Prote-J has been on Nau FM and in both PNG newspapers. Thanks for checking it out and let me know if you post it on your blog! Talk to you soon! -- Ben Witherspoon www.AjustEntertainment.com (954) 937-4451 Click here to stream/download Prote-J's new mixtape, "Dope Raps & Kit Kats" Prote-J is a rapper/producer/songwriter from 3rd world country, Papua New Guinea, and is now building a major buzz out of Orlando, FL. Prote-J has been seen on MTV.com, DJBooth.net and heard on radio all over the world. He's performed with major label acts like Big Sean, Curren$y, J. Cole, and Ace Hood.

RADIO AUSTRALIA PACIFIC BEAT Landowners in the highlands of Papua New Guinea are threatening to shutdown the ExxonMobil-led PNG Liquid Natural Gas project if the PNG government does not take action on a long list of grievances. Tensions have been rising for some time over government delays. Now they have been pushed to a head with the death of Tuguba Chief Himuni Homoko, whose clan members say died too young, fighting for justice for his people. The landowners have put a petition to government and they say they want action immediately. Presenter: Jemima Garrett, Pacific Business and Economic reporter Speaker: Sir Alfred Kaiabe, spokesperson for the Tuguba clans from the Hela region of the PNG highlands; Chief Kingsford Uruliwa from Juha; Chief Tara Liyabe from Angore; Sir Arnold Ahmet, PNG's Attorney-General Listen: Windows Media GARRETT: The PNG LNG project is of critical importance to Papua New Guinea - at 15 billion dollars it is by far the biggest investment ever

RADIO AUSTRALIA PACIFIC BEAT Landowners in the highlands of Papua New Guinea are threatening to shutdown the ExxonMobil-led PNG Liquid Natural Gas project if the PNG government does not take action on a long list of grievances. Tensions have been rising for some time over government delays. Now they have been pushed to a head with the death of Tuguba Chief Himuni Homoko, whose clan members say died too young, fighting for justice for his people. The landowners have put a petition to government and they say they want action immediately. Presenter: Jemima Garrett, Pacific Business and Economic reporter Speaker: Sir Alfred Kaiabe, spokesperson for the Tuguba clans from the Hela region of the PNG highlands; Chief Kingsford Uruliwa from Juha; Chief Tara Liyabe from Angore; Sir Arnold Ahmet, PNG's Attorney-General Listen: Windows Media GARRETT: The PNG LNG project is of critical importance to Papua New Guinea - at 15 billion dollars it is by far the biggest inve