PNGBLOGS

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

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

STATEMENT by Rt Hon Mekere Morauta, KCMG November 4 2015 The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea has once again singled me out for attack for expressing a view on current national issues. My assessment and analysis of the severe economic and financial difficulties facing the nation and the adjustments that need to be taken are entirely my own. My statements were made to promote public discussion and were published at my personal expense. Every citizen has a right to speak about national issues and challenges, and those rights should be respected by the Government.  The Prime Minister’s extraordinary attacks on me as an individual should be seen as part of a broader campaign of intimidation and attempts to shut down dissent, by force if necessary. Dissent is a sign of a healthy society. It is a sign of a robust democracy. The right to freedom of speech and the freedom to gather together publicly to express our views are precious public commodities. The Prime Minister claims t

by MICHAEL J. PASSINGAN   In a Minute dated 30/07/2015, controversial Police Commissioner Gari Baki wrote to his controversial Acting Deputy Commissioner Raphael Huafolo with the following contents: “This is to reiterate my previous instruction to the National Fraud Squad Anti-Corruption Directorate. No more Warrants of Arrests are to be obtained direct from the Courts. All requests for Warrants of Arrest by Police are to be referred to you for vetting and approval prior to referral to the Courts. Bring this to the notice of NFACD. Breaches will result in departmental action taken against officer concerned.” This minute is believed to have been circulated to all the Police throughout the country as there are fraud and corruption divisions and officers in all the provinces. PNG Blogs approached a prominent lawyer who has been practising law since the early 1990s and the lawyer bluntly said “unconstitutional and corruption at the highest level.” The lawyer said “ap

by JACKSON LEVONGO Papua New Guinea will have one of the best world's renowned  hotels. The Mineral Resource Development Company is proud to bring to Port Moresby, the first ever HILTON HOTEL. The Management agreement signed early last month between MRDC and Hilton World Wide will see the construction of a 5 star 212 premium room hotels in Port Moresby. The Hilton hotel is part of MRDC group subsidiaries latest development project, the STAR Mountain Plaza to be launched today. Under the agreement, Hilton will manage the Hotel and a convention centre within the Star Mountain Plaza. Papua New Guinea will have one of the best world's renowned    Western Province people are so naïve & gullible and gutless and continue to be fooled when their compensation monies from the Ok Tedi Mine pollution continue to be misapplied and siphoned out by use of various methods that seem legitimate with the impression of associations with world renowned company but in f

by A NATIONAL RESEARCH INSITUTE STAFF MEMBER Three Prime Ministers including the Father of PNG, Sir Michael Somare, have, over the past 40 years, effectively congealed to destroy what could have been a bright future and equal opportunity for the people of Papua New Guinea following independence.    As such, the noble ideals articulated by Somare and other members of the legendary Bully Beef Club during their many gatherings prior to Independence, and articulated in the Constitution's Six Directives, were never fulfilled and today are essentially abandoned.     PNG's sad progression downwards has produced its current state of rampant corruption.   Like Nigeria, like Mexico, like Indonesia, all fabulously wealthy nations in terms of natural resources, the wealth has gone nowhere useful in PNG.    PNG drags the bottom in global rankings today in terms of how little meaningful integral human development has occurred for the majority of its population. Thus far, the adv