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Showing posts from November, 2015

PAPUA NEW GUINEA FAILS AT WORLD FREEDOM RANKINGS

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by FREEDOM HOUSE   The Political Rights rating declined from 3 to 4 due to Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s increasingly autocratic leadership style, including his disbanding of an anticorruption task force after he became subject of a corruption investigation. Overview:  In January 2014, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and other lawmakers faced allegations of wrongdoing involving $28 million in government fees paid to a private law firm. Taskforce Sweep, O’Neill’s special anticorruption investigation body, first concluded the allegations were unfounded, but later said new evidence supported an arrest warrant for O’Neill. Following this development, O’Neill declared Taskforce Sweep to be politically compromised and disbanded the group in June, putting the police in charge of the investigation. Acting Police Commissioner Geoffrey Vaki was arrested soon afterward by fraud investigators for interfering with the course of justice in relation to the case against O’Neil

UPNG A PICTURE TELLS A LOT OF STORY

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CYRIL GARE A picture tells a lot of story. Likewise I present pictures here to tell about the state of students’ and lecturers’ housing facilities on campus at the University of Papua New Guinea. From the outset let me attest unreservedly that there is no malice or prejudice behind this publication except that the truth must be told.  It’s been over 20 years since I left UPNG and correctly student dormitories including all the Toa blocks (1-6), Talaigu, Poroman, Kapandu, and Niomoru as well as all the girls’ dormitories – Luavi house, Lasitawe and Dame Mary Kekedo building - have succumbed to depreciation and years of general wear and tear. At Toa 5 & 6, stocks of rubbish lie uncollected for weeks if not months, betelnut spittle everywhere. A room has stocks of empty soft drink cans piled up outside, a perfect attraction for Papuan black snakes.  At Fort banner where lecturers live, streets are filthy with rubbish and over grown trees and grass, used shopping plast

WILLIAM POWI'S 5 YEAR MASTER PLAN FOR NOTHING

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by PNGBLOGS William Titipe Powi contested for Southern Highlands Provincial Seat under Peter O’Neill’s party – People’s National Congress (PNC), in the 2012 election. On the race with him were Joseph Kopol (independent), Vincent Mirupasi (independent), Silvester Harry Komba (independent) and others. They were contesting for the seat left vacant by Anderson Agiru (current Hela Governor). At the end of the final elimination, Powi was declared winner on 27 July 2012 with a total votes of 139, 308. Before switching code into politics, Powi has been the serving as the Southern Highlands Provincial Administrator for about 10 years. Under his belt as the administrator, he delivered absolutely NOTHING to the province. He only manipulated and controlled all the administrative functions of the provincial government to suit his business and political interest. Development funds were used to pay ghost projects and then diverted into personal account to run election. For i

PETER O’NEIL IS ON PSYCHOPATH,NEVER WALKED THE TALK BANNING ISSUING AUSTRALIAN VISA ON ARRIVAL.

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by YAKAN LEPAKAILI In this post-modern era, the controversial infamous Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea namely Peter O’Neil, has failed to walk the talk. Peter O’Neil has threatened to withdraw the visa on arrival arrangements PNG has with Australia unless visa rights are reciprocated. This in record, broadcasted through radio Australia on the 15th of November 2013, titled “O’Neil threatens to scrap visa on arrival rights for Australians”. He (PO) unequivocally made the statement on the floor of Parliament and rest of the script is cut and pasted as follows: “Speaking in parliament, Mr O'Neill said he is disappointed with how long it takes Papua New Guineans to get an Australian visa. He says he is also upset with reports about inconvenient questions being asked by the Australian High Commission during the application process. "This visa on arrival business for all Australians will be withdrawn by the following year if we don't get a similar arrang

CHANGING PORT MORESBY CITY LANDSCAPE WITH INFRASTRUCTURE

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CHANGING PORT MORESBY CITY LANDSCAPE WITH INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, COMPLACENCY IN COMPLIANCE AND STANDARD COMPROMISED. INCOMPLETE STADIUMS: by LEKEM LAKI The metropolitan city of Port Moresby is booming in construction in all form and shape. Contrasting with rest of the country, the scale of construction happening in Port Moresby is unprecedented. The economic values of all gigantic infrastructure developments are in alarming proportion. If not doubled, it is tripled the factual cost of putting up the projects. Should independent expertise is engaged to study and do variation on the costing; surely extravagance unscrupulous spending would be revealed. Particularly sporting venues, in haste, trying to meet the deadline and delivered incomplete jobs and remain as such. Sir Hubert Murry stadium is progressing at snail’s pace. The sport’s Minister exaggerated and today date, he over exaggerate claiming, under his ministry, he has delivered world class stadiums

PMIZ MAKE SLAVES OF LOCALS

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Madang Sunrise ; Photo Credit Jan Messersmith by MARINA WAITA PMIZ promises spin-off business for landowners but would not allow locals to participate. When one talks of project development, three major parties are involved; the investors, the government and the landowners.  There would be consultation and understanding before any agreement is signed, finalized and launched before operations begin. But has this been the trend here in Papua New Guinea? For the case of Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ) in Madang Province, the answer is a big NO. There has never been proper consultation between the National Government and investors with the landowners of the Vidar site where the PMIZ project is located. The landowner’s constant struggles to make the government understand that they do not want the project seem to be falling on deaf ears. As they continue to raise concerns for the environment, potential creation of social problems and lack of real benefit in regards to

PARLIAMENTARY PROCESS, CONSTITUTION AND INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNANCE ARE AT STAKE.

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by YAKAN LEPAKAILI   The action of the deputy and acting Speaker of Parliament in the last Parliament session was well calculated and his action is not surprising but demeans the parliamentary process and democracy to say the least. This is in the light of opposition moving the motion of no-confidence notice. Initially, when deputy opposition leader sponsored the MONC, acting Speaking called it defective. The approach acting Speaker taken to make the ruling was it proper and followed the tenets of the Parliamentary Standing Orders leaves lot to be desired. The acting Speaker then returned the defective MONC notice to the sponsor to rectify the anomaly and surely resubmitted. In the second time, acting Speaker, on a Thursday, received the amended MONC notice. Whilst the opposition camp was throwing heart and soul into moving the MONC, those in the opposing team had counter plans on foot to outpace opposition. Typically, with Westminster system of governance

O'LIAR EXPOSED AGAIN IN 2016 BUDGET - TOTAL SPENDING CUT BY 8% - OLGETA MONI IGO WE?

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by PAULUS KANAMBO Peter O’Steal, the biggest liar, thief and konman in PNG history, has been exposed again by new facts revealed about the 2016 Budget. He said the 2016 money plan was “a conservative budget that carefully manages spending to ensure essential services are delivered to the people. Core services for our grassroots including school fees and access to healthcare will continue to be properly funded. “Our law and order programs will continue with more funding for police, the courts and correctional services. “Funding for critical infrastructure will be maintained in order to provide ongoing stimulus for business and for job creation.” Each and every one of these statements by O’Steal is a lie, as shown by the latest economic research by the prestigious Lowy Institute in Sydney. THE FACTS ABOUT PETER O’STEAL’S LIES Core services for grassroots have in fact been savagely cut because of O’Steal’s corruption, waste and mismanagement. Education sp

BANK OF PNG: WIPING THEIR HANDS OFF THE ECONOMIC MESS THEY ASSISTED IN

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by SAM BASIL MP  Deputy Opposition Leader As Deputy Opposition Leader (DOL), I have continuously criticised the mismanagement of the economy by the O’Neill government and their continuous lies that the economy will recover back to pre-2012, when PNG was in a surplus budget. My predictions on the negative high spending and reliance on oil and gas prices, from as far back as 36 months ago when the 2013 Budget was handed down, is now very real; the citizens of Papua New Guinea (PNG) don’t have to look far on the basic figureswhen they’re experiencing: i) The high costs of goods and services acknowledging the high inflation rate that I predicted which current figures don’t acknowledge, and ii) The rapid devaluation of our exchange rate reflecting a slowdown in the economy because- a. The exporters aren’t getting the revenue they used to get, as well as b. The importers awaiting their products to reach our shores because there is a lack of foreign reserves available, to pay o

DIGICEL'S MUSICAL CHAIRS AND USE OF PNG AS A CASH COW.

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NIUGINI OUTLOOK The now infamous John Mangoes of PNG Power CEO fame was Digicel PNG CEO until the end of March. Mangoes competency at Digicel was questionable as Digicel service was frequently erratic and some things just seemed never to be fixed. But this past January, it was under Mangoes direction that the new Digicel customer service unit was establis hed under a returning Lorna McPherson and the much hated "no warning message before the voicemail charge" policy was finally done away with. At least that's what we thought. But the voice mail warning has come back on, with no advance warning, in the typical "we don't give a Sh!t about our customers" way. What happened to the supposed commitment to customer service? Enter Maurice McCarthy, another Irishman seeking to shovel as much money as possible towards Irishman Denis O'Brien, as he struggles under an overall Digicel debt of around USD $6 billion. The last 2 years of Digi

PAPUA NEW GUINEA, DIGICEL'S NUMBER ONE MONEY MAKING COUNTRY, AND WE ARE BEING RIPPED.

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by BRYAN KRAMER It seems Digicel has not taken heed of my last article in relation to ripping off its customers nor have they taken corrective measures to discontinue violating our consumer rights. In recent weeks I've been busy taking to task the head of Government, a Prime Minister who evades arrest and facing corruption charges over misuse of public funds. I would rather commit all of my time pursuing that cause than expend my time bringing to account a billion kina foreign company on allegations of corrupt and deceptive practices, stealing from our illiterate and impoverished people. I intend to write two in-depth articles about Digicel: The first under the above headline and the second to discuss in detail the legal process of a class action lawsuit. We will look into their earnings, profits and capital expenditure. We will consider the facts that support my opinion that Digicel has been ripping off PNG, its No.1 earner. Both articles will leave Papua New Guineans gri

O'NEILL RUNS SCARED ADJOURNING PARLIAMENT TO MARCH 2016.

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by BRYAN KRAMER The news of O'Neill Government's decision to adjourn Parliament to March 2016 brought a smile to my face. A decision that was very much anticipated and welcomed. As predicted Peter O'Neill would do so to avoid facing the motion of vote of no confidence. It's my view it is typical of O'Neill to act like a coward demonstrating weak leadership by manipulating democratic processes to serve his own interest. Evidence of this fact was when Fraud squad members served him a warrant of arrest in June 2014. They kindly asked him to accompany them to be interviewed, he instead fled like a common criminal to hide out in Parliament House. Section 155 (Parliamentary Privileges) Constitution states Members of the Parliament are free from arrest for civil debt during meetings of the Parliament and during the period commencing three days before, and ending three days after. At the time Parliament was not even in session but nonetheless it didn't stop O