PNGBLOGS

Tribal Echo The recent remarks made by PNG’s former Foreign Minister, Justin Tkatchenko, referring to Papua New Guinean’s as “primitive animals” has caused outrage among concerned citizens. This incident brings to light the similarities between Minister Tkatchenko and Treasury Minister Ian Ling-Stuckey, both of foreign ancestry, emphasizing the need for Ling-Stuckey’s sacking as well. Ling-Stuckey’s outrageous comments, made on the 15th March 2023, on the floor of parliament, about the suffering faced by Papua New Guineans undermine their struggles and exhibit a callous disregard for their welfare. Both ministers show a severe lack of empathy and understanding for the challenges faced by the people. Ling-stuckey’s dismissal of the suffering and poverty prevalent in PNG disregards the realities being faced by countless individuals and families.   In 15th March 2023, Treasury Minister, Ian Ling-Stuckey, made highly misleading comments on the floor of parliament, stating, "We continu

by  MICHAEL PASSINGAN Justin Tkatchenko Minister for Housing and Member for Port Moresby South is listing his 2nd Brisbane property for a cool $2.8 Million dollars. This is one of many properties own by Justin Tkatchenko and his PNG wife. He also owned 15 Upper Brookfield Road property also in Brisbane which is a 8.5 acre property in Brisbane which he sold last year for $1.6 Million. In 2010 Justin Tkatchenko received over K3 million in payments from the National Capital District through his landscaping companies Kitoro No.33 and PNG Gardner. It is claimed these payments, were authorised by NCDC Governor Powes Parkop in breach of the Public Finance Management Act, the NCDC Act and the Organic Law on the Leadership Code. The payments, which were made for work on the NCDC Mini Park, Water Fountain, Waterslide and Zoo and Animal Farm, were made with no quotations provided and no public tendering process – breaching the fundamental principles of value for money, transparency, effective com

by PAUL AMATIO Once upon a time, Bryan Kramer held significant power and was highly regarded for his potential to combat corruption within the O'Neil regime. His diverse background, including being half-caste, mixed race, a failed businessman, a scientist, and an intelligent individual, contributed to his reputation. Kramer was even credited with the downfall of Peter O'Neil, leading to high expectations for a corruption-free future in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Kramer's influence was so strong that during the Prime Minister vote, he didn't bother to support Marape and was rewarded with the Police Ministry, a decision that was widely popular in PNG. Many believed that the days of corrupt governance were coming to an end, envisioning the corrupt officials facing consequences for their actions. However, as the saying goes, "the dreams of men and mice are as nothing to the gods." My faith, trust, belief, and confidence in Kramer started to waver when he began to wav

Joseph Kintau, the former MD/CEO of NAC, faced allegations and subsequent resignation in 2014 due to actions involving the awarding of a land lease and contracts. The NAC Board, led by Chairman Mal Lewis, initiated an investigation into these matters. One of the allegations was related to the land lease of prime property across from Gateway Hotel, adjacent to the Air Niugini Head Quarters at 7mile. Kintau used his authority as MD/CEO to lease this land to Air Niugini for a period of 40 years at a rate of K3 million. This equated to K75,000 per year or K6,250 per month, significantly below the standard rate of K125 per square meter. As a result, NAC suffered substantial losses in land lease revenue. Due to Air Niugini's development of the land and construction of a serviced apartment, terminating the lease has become difficult. Kintau was aware that the lease rate was not in the best interest of NAC, but he proceeded with the agreement because of a trade-off arrangement with Air Niu

by DAVID LEPI The Post Courier caricature depicting Prime Minister James Marape standing dumbfounded beside a money bag as two gigantic arms with the inscriptions of US and China reaching out on either sides both in the gesture of shaking hands demonstrates Papua New Guinea's standing in geopolitics in the most simplest way possible.  Perhaps it could have been more reflective had the cartoonist drew Marape as a jester tossing and juggling two primed nuclear warheads while walking aloft a tight rope before a 8 million or 17 million bewildering spectators.  I am sure those in the business of espionage, foreign affairs, trade, security, statecraft and geopolitics would have better ways to put it But whatever assertion they may have it would all point to the fact PNG has placed herself in a precarious position and must now rethink her foreign policy that should align trade, investment, security, defence and nation development in the context of the growing influence exerted by the bigg

by DAVID LEPI Just before shutting down the Porgera Gold Mine in April 2020 and shedding over 4,000 direct employment besides cutting contracts and indirect jobs from spin off business the Marape government established the PNG Labour Mobility Unit (LMU) within the Treasurery Department as an independent vehicle to mobilise labour. The preamble of the underlying policy in creating LMU reads, "Draft National Labour Mobility Policy 2021 outlines a vision of “providing opportunities for decent, temporary work overseas for at least 8,000 youth and citizens, both women and men, per year by 2025 to grow PNG’s economy both through remittances and through skills and knowledge transfer to build sustainable industry at home”. An ambitious programme to create 8,000 jobs as seasonal workers overseas. Interestingly on that vision in so far as employment is concerned Prime Minister James Marape switched off Pogera, mishandled Papua LNG, P'nyang gas and Wafi-Golpu and in doing so he sent a te

by DAVID LEPI Bryan Kramer's brief and tumultuous political career will come to an end today as he receives punishment for the seven charges he has been found guilty of. Both Kramer's defense and the state's representatives have made recommendations for penalties based on the severity of the crimes committed. The country watches in amazement as the law catches up with Kramer, a self-proclaimed corruption fighter who became corrupt himself, and takes hold of him. It is often said that when the weak enter the battle, the hunter becomes the hunted. Will Kramer merely receive a slap on the wrist and be free to go, as he has suggested? The answer is a resounding no. Kramer has a tendency to recklessly make enemies on all fronts, and his insults towards the court and members of the judiciary proved to be his downfall. The judiciary system, including the Ombudsman Commission, Public Prosecutor, and leadership tribunal made up of judges and magistrates, weighed his fate and found h

By Chris Abini The education system in Papua New Guinea is struggling to produce quality graduates across our institutions. This is largely due to the fact that the system is not recruiting the best students as teachers. Instead, the system is admitting second-class students with failing grades into Universities and Teachers' Colleges to teach our children. Consequently, we have less enthusiastic teachers who are unable to inspire and motivate their students to achieve their full potential. To address this issue, I propose that the responsible authorities implement a policy to recruit the best students as teachers. These teachers should receive remuneration packages equivalent to those of medical doctors, engineers, and accountants. By doing so, we can attract top-performing students who are passionate about teaching and who make it their first choice when filling out their school leaver's form. The benefits of employing the best students as teachers are numerous. Firstly, thes

by JASON MONDUL The recent concerns about the independence of the Central Bank of Papua New Guinea have sparked a debate on the importance of safeguarding the financial sector from political interference. The Marape Rosso government's recent actions, under the leadership of Treasurer Ian Ling Stuckey, have raised fears of a loss of independence for the Central Bank. Isaac Lupari, the former Government Chief Secretary, has expressed his concerns about the amendments to the Central Bank Act. He warns that the proposed changes could politicize and destabilize the bank, leading to a loss of independence and jeopardizing the country's financial future and international reputation. Lupari emphasizes the potential negative outcomes of a politicized central bank, drawing attention to the example of Zimbabwe where a lack of independence led to economic turmoil and widespread poverty. He also stresses the importance of investing in revenue-generating infrastructure, managing debt, and av

Western Highlanders are proud,  self-centered,  hardworking, independent,  egocentric and business minded people.  They believe in education and wealth distribution through community obligations and challenges. They take ownership of their problems and resolve through dialogue and compensation.  They take pride of their own heritage and always cherish their identity. They  are never afraid or ashamed of speaking their language when ever they congrate or meet up with another Hagener.  They never take issue with people who are jealous of their achievements or being jealous of others who succeed. They try to improve their own lives by working hard.  They do not dwell on things that will not benefit them or waste their time and resources on lazy people.  Through hardwork,  they have succeeded in education,  business and politics.  The country talks about Western Highlanders and even try to imitate the way hageners do things and some succeeded.  These traits are gifts from God and Western H

Now a long-serving public servant Mr. Brian Yuwi, a person who has dedicated all his active life to saving lives was found murdered and dumped in Tepi River this morning. Is this how Hela repays his life-saving services? On Monday last week, an innocent young man was killed at Holongali in his School uniform. The little guy who would have been a lawyer, pilot, pastor, or doctor would have saved lives.  A week or two ago, an innocent small girl who would have been a proud and confident sister and mother was terribly raped and taken hostage. Now imagine what is going through her. Her naked image went viral on social media. If it was me, I would have committed suicide. What the fuck might be going on in the heads of our elected leaders? Has Undialu gone crazy? Is Marape too drunk with the powers of Waigani? Is Bando wasting his time thinking of another foul play in court against Nane? Makiba and Tindipu, wake the fuck up from your slumbers. We are talking about the lives of innocents. The

During a parliamentary session on March 22, 2023, Hon. Steven Pim MP, the Member for Dei, presented four inquiries regarding the decision of the NAC Board to prolong the acting MD's appointment for an additional 3 months. He also questioned whether the board acted unlawfully, violating the recent modifications made to the Civil Aviation Act. In reaction, Civil Aviation Minister Walter Schnaubelt made deceitful statements to both Parliament and the public. The Civil Aviation Minister, Walter Schnaubelt, authorized a board meeting that took place and resulted in the appointment of Tupiri as Acting MD of NAC. This can be proven by the NAC Board Circular dated March 3, 2023, and the correspondence between the Board and the Minister. Therefore, his statement to Parliament that no decision had been made by the Board was false. The decision to reappoint Tupiri as Acting MD was widely confirmed and published on social media by the NAC Board. The Minister's statement to Parliament that

by NICKSON WAIYO In the context of an economically unstable country struggling to perform, politicians who make a long list of promises are no better than those who promise the impossible to people, trying to move heaven and earth. This behavior is not only a mockery, but it is also detestable. A responsible leader has a patriotic duty to speak out about what is at stake and publicly denounce such behavior for the good of society. It is unfortunate that bad leadership is often highly regarded, even by rational individuals. Leadership should not be motivated by extreme greed for material gain and aggressive greed aimed at achieving political milestones through corrupt means. Such a leadership approach is a recipe for anarchy and should not be encouraged. A patriotic leader should engage in self-examination and reflection, asking themselves questions such as "Have I done enough to liberate the people? If not, what has hindered me from doing my personal best?" Instead of using t

By: Sekinolo Sawala  Australia’s relationship with Papua New Guinea continues to be tainted by racism inherent in Australia's predominantly  European society. In many respects, Australia has its doors closed on Papua New Guinea, be it in politics, economics, business, or in social and cultural domains such as sports.  Australia treats PNG at a different level of cooperation characterized by racially discriminatory attitudes, which is very unbecoming of regional power. It is pretty difficult for a PNG native to enter Australia and access its goods and services which other Pacific Islanders can do with ease.  Some examples of incidents that come to mind are;  Papua New Guineans are not at all considered for taking up citizenship in Australia. In other words, PNG remains the least considered country by Australia for awarding citizenship.  In 2022, there were only 2 native Papua New Guineans, apart from a mixed parentage, playing first-grade rugby in the NRL despite the fact that PNG h

UNVEILING ‘BLACK STOCK’ CORRUPTION AT LIVESTOCK DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION LIMITED  This week the Transparency International (TI) PNG launched its report naming PNG at 30th placing out of 100 countries in the world on the Corruption Perception Index.  TIPNG country chairman, Mr. Peter Aitsi said while there have been some improvements, PNG still has a lot more to do to change the perception as “one of the most corrupt country in the world”.  Tackling Corruption Already PNG has adopted a Whistleblower (protection) Act 2020 and had the newly established ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) body additional to existing crime and corruption fighter bodies such as the police Anti-Corruption and Fraud Investigation Directorate and the Ombudsman Commission however, blowing the whistle against corrupt activities in PNG remain a high-risk task where only the brave could stand up and withstand.  Below is a presentation by one such brave whose report to the police Assistant Commissioner –