PNGBLOGS

PNGBLOGS EXCLUSIVE Oil Search Ltd is laying off 300 employees mostly believed to be Papua New Guineans by Tuesday 1st September 2015.  Reasons could be low oil prices but then what happened to my K3 Billion investment in Oil Search? This is believed to be the first redundancy exercise. Two more are expected to follow. Last Thursday, all the employees were given empty boxes to pack all their personal belongings at their office desks home. On Tuesday, about 300 of them will know their fate. Happy Oil digging! If that goes ahead (and definitely it will), imagine the consequences...jobless, families suffer, loans, school fees, accommodation. This information can be verified with Oil Search Public Affairs and has been leaked to PNGBLOGS by people who are aware of the situation and do not want to be named.

by YAKAN LEPAKAILI In the light of the view expressed by the members of the PNG Council of Churches pertaining to the advertisement in The National – Monday 24th August 2015 page 26, I take offence with retrospect to the publication. It somewhat appears Theodore Zurenuoc has the leeway to the throne room of God. Worse still, the actions of T. Zurenuoc is telling that he in eventuality has taken over the role of the body that should be responsible for the organisation of the National Day of Repentance day event. He forcefully and unilaterally assumed the leadership and sponsored ads if you like and in the forefront of tearing down idols, idolatry and witchcraft practices and so forth. Let me in the outset pose this question, is Theodore Zurenuoc a politician or a clergy man? Is he the parliamentary chaplain and if so, what school of theological seminary did he attend and for how long has been practicing his religion as a clergyman? Thought was elected a politician but suddenly turned

by CYRIL GARE When the Airlines PNG Dash 8 aircraft touched down on Lihir airport on Aug 9, 2015 I couldn’t believe that this rich gold mining township airport runaway is bare soil, sending clouds of dust backwards as we taxi in to park at the small terminal nearby. For a first timer, first impression counts. The miner is not serious in sealing the runway. ‘They’re here to get and get out’. The ring road around the airport parameters are bare soil. Even Camp 1 and 2 which houses the official residence of the Newcrest Mining Limited (NML) general manager, Craig Jetson is bare soil causing dust everywhere each time a vehicle passes through. Parts of Lihir Island have sealed roads and permanent houses because of mining benefits except the West Coast where almost nothing is there; roads are neglected for years, people leave in traditional hamlets and evidence of neglect are sporadic. But thanks to the missions especially the Catholic Church for being there with them and providing basic

  by SAM BASIL MP Low Oil Prices/Stockmarkets Share Prices Plummeting Further Exposing UBS Loan and impact on PNG’s economy As Deputy Opposition Leader (DOL), I have issued several statements about the mismanagement of Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) economy since 2012 by the O’Neill-led government. I have revisited the reality of them in recent days following developments in Bulolo and the Morobe Province in delivery of services to the rural areas. As any elected member of Parliament regardless of party membership, it is our duty to make statements on our directions of PNG and what our future looks like under this PNC-led government. With Parliament member’s silence, they have deliberately exposed PNG to high debt spending with figures now stating that our economy is on the decline and rather than reduce DSIP’s/PSIP’s, they are now thinking of increasing GST, impacting heavily on our citizens; I will not be supporting the Bill, to increase GST/VAT! One specific decision that O’Neill dire

Public Servants should immediately check on the status of their superannuation entitlements if they are thinking of retiring now or in the months ahead. It is becoming clear that the O’Neill Government has not been paying its contributions to at least some super funds and retiring members have been told that they cannot get their payouts. Some Defence Force personnel have told PNG Blogs that there is not enough money in the Defence Force Retirement Benefits Fund to meet payouts that members are legally entitled to. There are fears that State contributions have not been paid to teachers and police, and possibly Nambawan Super as well. Members who have been told they cannot access their payouts are welcome to email us, pngblogs@gmail.com, or post comments on our web site, www.pngblogs.com. The non-payment of superannuation contributions is occurring because the O’Neill Government is essentially bankrupt. Five years of O’Neill Government corruption, waste and economic mismanagement have

by JACK KUMAN Prime Minister Peter O’Neill is telling us that the economy and government finances are in good condition. But the official numbers from Treasury and the Bank of Papua New Guinea tell a different story. They tell us that Papua New Guinea is rushing towards an economic and financial disaster. The numbers do not lie, unlike the Prime Minister. Since he grabbed power in mid-2011, the economy and government finances have got worse and worse until today the Government is virtually bankrupt. Now the Prime Minister and his partners in crime have resorted to stealing from State-Owned Enterprises to try to prevent a complete financial crash. They have demanded hundreds of millions of kina, including from LNG landowners’ funds held in NPCP and reserve and operating cash from National Fisheries Authority and MVIL. This is in addition to the hundreds of millions of kina already drained from SOEs last year and earlier this year in fake “dividends”. O’Neill’s corru

PNGBLOGS   They were once not the best of buddies so what has brought them together? Read some inside info on Tiffany Gaye Nonggorr (Tiffany Twivey), courtesy of DR Susan Merrell “Her legal practices, set up with Maladina, I believe could be a front for laundering money through her trust account.  The amounts that it's mooted she was paid for her advice is far too high.  It's a way of getting money, supposedly legitimately, out f (sic) government coffers.  Maladina is a very shrewd and crooked politicain (sic) (great shame, I've met him and liked him a lot) Had a drink with him one night in POM when Tiffany had left for Lae.  (She'd introduced me.) Didn't know then about the affair - found out the next day when she returned.  But the private date had obviously been playing on her mind.  It was moses idea and was perfectly innocent apart froma bit of harmless flirtation.” “At a guess, I'd say he's hanging on to the relationship because he's using h

PNG Government To Investigate Lawyers’  Undercover video on Australian TV alleges bribery PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (The National, June 26, 2015) – The Government will set up a high-powered team to investigate comments by two senior lawyers on ways that suspect funds could be transferred to Australia to bribe Papua New Guinean politicians. It will consist of senior officials from the Bank of PNG, the Justice Department, the Prime Minister’s Department, the Immigration Department, the police and the National Executive Council. Announcing this yesterday, Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Isaac Lupari said a number of serious claims had been aired on television that related to statements by Greg Sheppard and Harvey Maladina to an undercover operative who filmed the conversations secretly. "The video has since gone viral on social media leading to rumours and innuendo," he said and indicated that the investigation would begin soon. He also said that all government cases be

by STEVEN ANDRE - PNGBLOGS Susan Merrell continues to amaze me at the way she ferociously attacks and defends herself on social media but not anymore. The name Susan Merrell is synonyms with keyboard warrior and she is very good at it. She claims and fiercely defends that she has a doctorate degree and two masters degrees. One would imagine that the degrees under her belt are sufficient to be an expert in her area of speciality. She poses so subtly as an independent commentator on PNG issues and with her proficiency and eloquence in English, bamboozles all other audiences and commentators alike to either follow her or left confused. Her recent wave of attacks mounted against respected citizens in the likes of Deputy Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika and Sam Koim of Papua New Guinea was a source of concern for me to know a little bit more about the person “Susan Merrell” and her motivations. An objective and critical observer who follows her trend of publications and commentar