PNGBLOGS

by JAMES PERA KINAP THE STATEMENT THAT HE IS A "FAMOUS HOMOSEXUAL MP". When the PNG Blogs posting came out on 19th December seemingly connecting Tkatchenko with a Malaysian woman who had overstayed her visa, it included what potentially could have been a much much more slanderous, libelous and defamatory implication - that Justin Tkatchenko was also being referred to on the posting as a "famous homosexual MP". If there was anything on that PNG Blogs posting that could damage an MPs reputation in the kind of cultural environment that operates in PNG, it would be the declaration that he or she was a homosexual. If there was one false allegation on the PNG Blogs posting that would infuriate Justin Tkatchenko, it would be a false declaration that he was a "famous homosexual MP". There would be no possibility of overlooking that statement by Tkatchenko. There are few countries in the world today where anti-gay sentiments are higher than in PNG, althou

  DORA LU'S FORMER MISTRESS, MINING & PETROLEUM MINISTER NIXON DUBAN, IS GIVING AWAY MADANG TOWN LAND AND WHO MIGHT BE MAKING MONEY ON THE SIDE? (from PNG Exposed): In a blatant abuse of position, MP for Madang and Minister for Petroleum, Nixon Duban, has successfully lobbied for two controversial commercial leases to be granted to a company, Dawan Investment, to which he has strong personal ties. Nixon Duban is a member of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s People National Congress party and a former executive officer for the PM. Nixon Duban’s sister, Debbie Duban is the treasurer and vice-chair of Dawan Investment, the beneficiary of the leases: Dawan Investment was set up in 2013 by Nixon Duban’s electoral officer, Collins Iwap. Iwap signed the application for the registration of Dawan Investment and was initially a company Director: Dawan Investment is 50% owned by Stanley Kaut, who works in Nixon Duban’s Ministerial office and 50% by Lamak Katit

Supposedly the Lae police were investigating.    This is a matter of high public interest.   A true PNG patriot has sent us their account of what happened at Unitech.   We are publishing it because all reports we have received is that the police and Unitech officials show no indication of releasing the report, I will lay out what happened as an eye witness to the events.     It would be good if a UPNG student eyewitness who recorded the events might also come forward we are tired of getting indications that UPNG students don’t know how to report on events and submit them to the wider audience.   UPNG communication to the public during their boycott was irregular and not effective in building support. This is your chance to at least explain things to the people of PNG in the same way as the Unitech student below has done.   At the end of this account there is brief commentary from PNG Blogs.     EYEWITNESS TO THE EVENTS AT UNITECH To begin I shall go back to the very beginning

Kevin Rozzoli & Quinton Clements with Mr Oseah Philemon, then President of the PNG Media Council. by An Old Friend and Admirer Late Oseah Philemon always tried his best to do what was right for the good of PNG.   He took seriously his responsibility to uphold freedom of the press.  He resisted political interference and attempts to control what was reported by the Post Courier.  He told me once that if he compromised his ideals on keeping political interference out of the Newspaper Business there would be no reversing the trend once it started.   He was an excellent journalist who will be very hard to replace.   I have 2 Stories to tell as my personal tribute to my dear friend.  Both seem to me as relevant to what is taking place today in the newspapers.   Those who regularly read the Post Courier in the 90s would have seen evidence of both these stories I am about to tell, but would not have known what happened behind the scenes.   Oseah and I were from differ

by PAUL FLANAGAN In an article for the ANU’s Development Policy Centre eighteen months ago (see here) , I congratulated PNG’s central bank (BPNG) for its very constructive stance in stopping its effective printing of money to fund the government’s budget deficit. I noted how this reflected positively on the independence of BPNG, an independence built into its charter by Sir Mekere Morauta (PNG’s former Prime Minister) and Sir Wilson Kamit (PNG’s central bank governor from 1999 to 2009) in response to PNG’s last major economic crisis in the late 1990s. Unfortunately, this independent role appears to have been reversed from the start of this year. Based on the latest Quarterly Economic Bulletin released on 18 November 2016 and its accompanying tables (esp Table 2-3 for BPNG’s assets sheet see here ) PNG appears to have returned to a very slippery slope of effectively printing money by back-stopping auctions in government securities – a practice initially warned about in September 2

by Ephraim Curtis Different people have different perspectives. I have watched as some of my friends have applauded the new highrise apartments popping up in Moresby even though the rents they charge is out of reach of most Moresby residents. They have also gazed with approval when the new roads and Kumul flyover were built though they will certainly never own a car, they make to little money. These same people approve of the changes to the city only because they think someday the change will reach them. As for now they have no money to pay admission to the various festivities that the NCDC has put on. They have been to Vision City now and again just to look because they have no money to buy. They dream in the hopes there will be change in their life. The dreams become more important as they look around them and see that they are being left further behind each day. I do not live in a settlement, instead in a government house. I am a lucky one although th

by PAUL FLANAGAN PNG’s revenue collapse is likely to continue with estimated additional shortfalls of K1.5 billion for both 2016 and 2017. This will add to the budget deficit, debt levels and financing pressures. The major reason for this collapse in revenues is not the fall in international commodity prices  The reason is the fall in domestic tax collections as a result of PNG’s domestic recession. There have already been enough expenditure cuts in key sectors between 2015 and 2017 (a 52% real cut in infrastructure, 45% in education and 40% in health with large on-going cuts already planned in future years). Better policies are needed to restart growth and additional tax measures should be considered. In 2014, it was forecast that 2017 PNG revenues (so excluding international grants and after adjusting for accounting changes) would total K15.2 billion. This has fallen in each subsequent budget (the falling lines shown in the figure below) so that by the ti

Opposition leader Don Polye has condemned the action of a MP who reported to be involved with an expatriate woman arrested with drugs, sex toys and sex enhancement tablets. The Member of Parliament is alleged to be from an electorate within the nation’s capital. Polye said it’s a shame when our leaders are reported to be involved in such illegal activities, harboring expatriates who over-stay their visas thus becoming agents of alleged drug trafficking and prostitution syndicates. “If we have leaders in the country who perpetrate evil, bring expatriates into PNG to involve in alleged drug trafficking, prostitution among other illegal activities then our country is not in safe hands.” According to reports, the Malaysian woman was driving a vehicle belonging to the MP. He added that to make matters worse, the woman in question had over-stayed her visa. Polye called on Foreign Affairs Department to get tough with all expatriates living and working in the country.

Open Letter to Sir Michael Somare    by JAMES PARAKISAN     Grand Chief, before you bow out of the picture, we need you.  We realize you are 80 years old and you will be retiring from PNG politics in June 2017.  At the same time your influence, stature and leadership is essential during this time of unparalleled corruption.       The current administration is knee-deep in pekpek of its own making.  They’ve done a masterful job of sidelining and silencing Sam Koim, leader of the Task Force Sweep.  Koim was hand-picked by the O’Neill government to spearhead the drive against the corruption pervasive in all levels of government.  Then, ironically, when Koim starts making some headway in addressing government fraud, O’Neill neutralizes him.       Sir Michael, please address two or three of the major corruption issues of the last several years.  Shout out from the rooftops about the abuse of power of the current administration.  It’s been reported once before, but the people o