PNG needs more Transparent Leaders

By RENATA LAVEILL

What do Papua New Guineans make of the OK Tedi Mining Ltd takeover by the O’Neill-Dion led government? How do we as Papua New Guineans interpret the stance taken by the government to claim the 52% share previously held by Papua New Guinea Sustainable Development Program?

What are the stakes here? As by wrestling more than half the shares previously held by the predecessor, the government now takes full ownership of OTML plus the K450 million annual share in dividends with fears of depleting the Long Term Fund worth currently at US$ 1.8 billion.

This last week saw the government pass a couple of significant bills; the first being to stake its claim on the OTML and the second to secure its term in parliament, or power more likely.

What does the government have to offer the people of Papua New Guinea as justification over its takeover of the shares held by PNGSDP? Why just now make noise over that huge financial slice and the ramifications experienced since the start of that mining project; when for the last eleven years since 2002 they were left to their own devices?

For many there is the niggling thought that this decision to takeover OTML by the government is to utilize the hefty funds kept in Singapore to offset the deficit caused by the seemingly unlimited spending and never ending commitments made by the government. That is a very unsavory thought, but then considering we give them the benefit of the doubt?

A boat can only take in the number of passengers it was built to carry; if we go over the limit allowed, the boat will capsize and everyone will drown. Is it then safe to say that we may have spent more than within our means? Since the passing of the National Budget for 2013, we have heard of commitments and spending done outside of the budget.

In honouring our word in giving the benefit of the doubt to the government, it is clearly evident to say that we do need the repairs and maintenance being done to infrastructure; the highlands highway, Port Moresby City Roads and hospitals.

We also appreciate the free education policy that was implemented as promised; sad to say though that it created another snag of its own considering that with the increased number of students per teacher and classroom we are now faced with issues like increase in teachers’ salaries which is an existing issue that carried on to this era but now has increased in weight, teacher’s accommodation and other benefits, shortage of classrooms and teaching materials and etc all to be sorted out hopefully, in good time.

When the tragic incident occurred along the Black Cat Trail in Morobe, Lae Province; it clearly exposed the pitiful conditions at the Angau Memorial General Hospital where there was shortage of wards, medicines and shortage of staff. Similar conditions can be identified at all our Health establishments; insufficient wards, shortage in supply of medicines, and above all shortage of medical staff.

Beginning of this year, there was a report that there were a total of 300 positions vacant for nursing staff yet to be filled if the health service in the nation’s capital was to perform to its full potential.  These positions can be filled if decent incentives were set to lure medical and nursing staff from contributing to private institutions and the ‘Brain Drain’.

Our nurses and doctors around the country must be saluted and honoured, though, for their endurance and diligence in their duty despite being faced with their own issues of remuneration, accommodation and patient to medical staff ratio.

Having sailed briefly through our problems, exasperated sighs will obviously be let out in reproach to say that yes we know we have all these problems, why remind us? Simply it is to keep us on our toes to continue bombarding the government for answers and to deliver much needed services to our people; not just deliver promises but deliver tangible services and development.

Our people in Madang province, the Landowners of the project area where the multi-million kina Pacific Marine Industrial Zone is being constructed, are now at loggerheads with the contractor.

Apparently menial jobs such as fencing, cleaning and grubbing were awarded to an outside company instead of to the landowners who set up companies in anticipation of the spin off business activities promised by the government.

It is now clearly evident they are now being reduced to mere spectators on their own land.

Meanwhile, our people at the Hides PDL 1 Project License area are following up on their petition delivered to the government and developer Esso Highlands Ltd last month with a five days grace period issued effective Friday, 20th September, 2013.

Their petition pointedly queried outstanding seed capital, well head rental payment, water resource compensation and UBBSA and LBBSA legislated landowner entitled funds;  serious complications will be met if these were not meted out to the disgruntled landowners, who are quite fed up of, yet again, empty promises.

Now that the government has achieved its goal of gaining a step towards ‘Political Stability’ as it claims to justify their bulldozing through the amendments to Section 124 and 145 of the constitution; will they start focusing now on national issues such as these?

Can all commitments made outside of the budget be not necessarily repealed but postponed to a later date, maybe when the LNG project kicks of production stage and the country starts receiving its full revenue?

As of now there is doubt surrounding decisions the government makes with regard to funding, out of the budget spending and commitments, inflated contracts, alleged withholding of funds meant for Commission of Inquiry and the Prime Minister’s alleged involvement in signing off a letter authorizing payment worth millions of kina to a certain law firm.

We are at a crossroad where it is very uncertain which path to choose. We know that amendments have been made to the constitution – changes that will rock the foundation of our democracy; yet we are being reassured it is for the good of political stability.

We are also mindfully uncertain of the takeover of PNGSDP’s shareholding from OTML which includes the Long-Term Fund that is meant for the sustainability of the people of Western Province 40 years after the mine closure, but it is being done for the sake of national interest, or so we are being told.

When can we have a government who is transparent in all its dealings and decisions, a government who is willing to stop all decision making when the nation asks it to? Seeing as we are the ones living in constant limbo due to decisions made at the floor not properly debated on and allowed for proper nationwide consensus.

Our fate used to rest in the hands of the government for healthy debate with the opposition, now with these changes being done, it is dangerously being reduced to the hands of a few in a power circle.

May God bless Papua New Guinea.

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