PNGBLOGS

by LUCAS KIAP Some people are complaining about my everyday devotion on the issues and challenges facing our beloved country and our dear lives. They are growing sick and tired of reading my posts. They want me to shut up for good. They are saying I am a Facebook Governor for Western Highlands province because I have been attracting more followers on Facebook. Some are saying that I am going to be el iminated in the first count. Let me remind you all that I have been writing and advocating against corruption and about the issues affecting the development and progress of the country for the last 20 years since my young days at the University of Technology in 2001. I wish you all know me better; read my mind, hear my heartbeat and feel the flow of blood running through my veins. I wish it is that easy to give up. I wish I could easily forget everything. I wish I could find the courage to shut up and move on with my life. But I can't. Not even for a second. I can&

by TERRY SEMBO STEP BACK MENTALLY AND CONSIDER FOR A MOMENT WHAT OUR GOVERNMENT IS DOING IN THE NAME OF FOREIGN INVESTMENT: They have opened the door to every Tom, Dick and Harry foreign invader to come into the country. Too many are worthless carpetbaggers smelling the prospects of big profits for their pockets and not giving a damn about PNG or its peoples. The reason why we attract so many unscrupulous investors is because our country is, overall, a poor investment prospect in terms of high risk. Yes, high profits, but only if you get around all the risks. The government acts like the Supreme Pamuk in dealing with foreign investment and foreign investments. There is a story from the early 2000s when InterOil came sniffing around PNG and had a meeting with Mining and Petroleum Engineer department top cats. The InterOil representatives apparently were neither polite nor tolerant of melanesian niceties. They got straight to the point and said, you either do things the InterOil wa

by SAM KOIM At the 25th Papua New Guinea–Australia Ministerial Forum held recently in Madang, the Government of Papua New Guinea (GoPNG) surprised the Australian Government Ministers in attendance by requesting the Australian Government to take a paradigm shift from its program and project based aid to direct budgetary support as was during early days of PNG’s statehood. Two reasons publicly given by the GoPNG for the request are that firstly, it is claimed that the Australian aid programs are running parallel to the GoPNG development agendas and secondly, it is perceived that a lot of middlemen are chewing up most of the funds that could otherwise be spent on tangible projects. It is understood such requests were made previously and Australia rejected it, but this time, the Australian Government had undertaken to consider it in an upcoming review on aid to PNG. Although the GoPNG denies the request is driven by the cash flow crises the country is facing, it is an open secret

NIUGINI OUTLOOK ARE WE BEST DESCRIBED AS SHEEPLE, AS LEMMINGS, OR AS LOCAL TOURISTS HOPING TO RECORD OUR OWN DEMISE? PNG did have a chance to avoid the economic avalanche that is getting close to breaking apart over our heads. We could have avoided the pending disaster if only we had stood up and joined the students last year in a unified national work walk out. Why was it that you and we couldn't be bothered? Why is it that the people of other countries, faced with less severe crisis than what we now face in PNG take to the streets? We have a drop in our kina more than 30% which raises the prices of every import and we just sit and read about it. Over in Mexico, they had a 20% increase in just one important product (petrol) and they take to the streets angrily and sometimes violently. Why is it that we beat our spouses without much thought but won't beat the streets of Moresby in the name of justice? "It's illegal" we say. What? How can we call ourselves

by STEVEN YANDARI REVELATIONS ON PNG BLOGS WOULD NORMALLY RESULT IN AN OUTRAGED PUBLIC RESPONSE BY THE PRIME MINISTER . Not against the publisher of the information, but a call to establish a Commission of Inquiry to get to the bottom of the multiple stories of massive sex-for-government-favours that the Dora Lu/Ru Lu stories are bringing out. Remember, however, that when Peter O'Neill came into power as PM, and his government established a set of about 10 priority action areas for the government, "fighting corruption" wasn't on the list at all. This was despite the glaring fact that PNG is in the top 15% of most corrupt countries in the world. There is silence from the Prime Minister and the government on the Dora Lu story. There is silence from The National, the Post Courier, and government owned EM-TV. Why is there such silence when, in fact, a journalist at any of these organisations could create a flashy reputation and good name if they investigated and fou

PNGCWU The recently appointed Chairman of the Kumul Telikom Holdings Ltd, Mr. Mahesh Patel has been and continue to do so by meddling into the affairs of the executive government in the running of Telikom PNG Ltd. As an expatriate and a noncitizen of this country he is not entitled to play politics and must be restrain from doing despite his close association with our local MPS. The appointment of Michael Donnelly as the CEO of Telikom PNG is clear example of a close deal. The NEC Decision No: 360/2016 has revoked Michael Donnelly contract and subsequently appointed Moses Tendumo as the acting CEO. This did not go well with Mahesh Patel and he coerced NEC Decision No: 44/2017. This revoked the appointment of Moses Tedumo and allowed for Michael Donnelly to serve his full contract till April 2017 and at the same time appointing him as the Team Leader of Transition Team of the merging of Telikom, Bemobile and DataCo. This shows a clear disrespect of an executive decision by a forei

by JOSEPH GAWI PATRICK PRUAITCH STANDS OUT AMONGST THE WHOLE GANG OF WHITE COLLAR CRIMINALS IN PARLIAMENT: He honestly believes that no matter how corrupt he is, he will never be prosecuted. This belief is made ever more strong by the fact that he has been caught or nearly caught many times. But nothing ever results in a conviction and Patrick Pruaitch remains free to smirk at the world knowing he has his protectors. Is it true that he actually believes it is God's will that he remain free to perpetuate his life of bribery and kickbacks? Or is it actually the devil at work here? More than any other PNG politician today, Patrick Pruaitch is the symbol of a system of justice breaking down nearly in its entirety whenever it comes to prosecuting VIPs or virtually any white collar criminals. Yes, Paul Tientsen got prosecuted and sent to jail but that's because he wouldn't do things the way the loose knit mafia of politicians who run our country expected him to do. He wouldn&

by JOSEPH TAMBSON A member of Parliament for Kandep Electorate, Don Polye was first elected into the 7th National Parliament in the 2002 General Elections for the Kandep Open seat as a National Alliance Party Candidate. During his time he never achieved anything great for this country. As his first time in the Opposition he now regrets a fool he was during his political career. HE WAS APPOINTED AS DEPUTY PM TWICE, HELD MINISTERIAL PORTFOLIOS FOR ALMOST 14 YEARS AND A FIRST TIMER AS OPPOSITION LEADER. His first appointment was Minister for Transport and Civil Aviation on the 13th August 2002 following the formation of the Somare/Marat government. He was then given added responsibility as Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology on the 26th July 2005 till 26th January 2006. He was then appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister on the 7th August 2006 while retaining Transport and Civil Aviation, and relinquishing Higher Education, Research, Science an

by PAUL FLANAGAN PNG and Mongolia have much in common economically. Indeed, the latest World Bank Global Economic Prospects report portrays them as near economic twins despite their  historic, cultural and geo-political differences.   If anything, Mongolia was considered the healthier of the two countries. There is now one important economic difference – Mongolia last week  recognised  that it needed help from the international community. By doing so, it mobilised $US440 million in IMF funding and an estimated additional $US5.5 billion in additional cheap loan and grant assistance (much cheaper than Credit Suisse). In contrast, the O’Neill government has failed to concede its economic mismanagement requires a similar solution – low cost financing conditional on improved economic policies.  Foreign currency restrictions are the new norm for business, but this is hurting growth and discouraging further foreign investment. There is much good that a similar assistance package co

PRESS STATEMENT by SIR MEKERE MORAUTA Former Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta today called for a more rational and constructive debate about national issues in the lead-up to the election. “The election result will determine the future of the nation,” he said. “It is important that voters are well informed about the issues that are critical to the nation through informed, open public debate.  “It is also important to ensure that the conduct of the election itself is free and fair and that electoral systems and processes are transparent and subject to international and domestic public scrutiny.” Sir Mekere said the adoption of appropriate policies is the key to getting Papua New Guinea back on track, not grandiose schemes, vote-buying and sweet-talk. “The latter is what has brought the nation to its knees, coupled with unprecedented levels of corruption, waste and mismanagement,” he said. The former Prime Minister said he is concerned about the level of gutter politics exhibi