PNGBLOGS

Benny Sandeka THE then Chairman of the Constitutional Review Committee, Ben Micah has admitted that the Provincial and Local Level Government reforms which he spearheaded in 1995 have totally missed the intentions of the reforms.  Mr Micah said the Provincial Government Reforms which he spearheaded 15 years ago was to improve the delivery of basic services to the masses. However, the new Organic Law on the Provincial and Local Level Government has undergone too many amendments and has made it become ineffective and thus failed to deliver its intentions. Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Puka Temu said, the government is currently looking at ways to improve the system of government in the country. While the national government will remain in its current state, the national government is still looking at ways of how to improve the provincial and local level governments further with the same intents of effectively delivering basic services to the rural masses. "We are looking at retaining

Benny Sandeka THE then Chairman of the Constitutional Review Committee, Ben Micah has admitted that the Provincial and Local Level Government reforms which he spearheaded in 1995 have totally missed the intentions of the reforms.  Mr Micah said the Provincial Government Reforms which he spearheaded 15 years ago was to improve the delivery of basic services to the masses. However, the new Organic Law on the Provincial and Local Level Government has undergone too many amendments and has made it become ineffective and thus failed to deliver its intentions. Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Puka Temu said, the government is currently looking at ways to improve the system of government in the country. While the national government will remain in its current state, the national government is still looking at ways of how to improve the provincial and local level governments further with the same intents of effectively delivering basic services to the rural masses. "We are looking at ret

PNG Sunday Chronicles THE NATIONAL Parliament will fork out K2 million annually to pay two private law firms when the house itself is rotting away, it has been alleged. This will see in-house lawyers doing nothing when it comes to providing legal directions and advice for Members of Parliament. Shadow Minister for Fisheries and Member for Bulolo, Sam Basil revealed this when commenting on the recent amendments to the Ombudsman Commission bill. "We are not stupid here, but are being misled or deliberately denied legal services by the Speaker of Parliament and if we have less knowledge of the legal implications of bills then we can be easily fooled by the bill sponsors." Mr Basil said the two law firms that have been engaged on retainer arrangement costing tax payers money is unnecessary and they only work for the interest of the government. "I personally think the current system works to the best interest of the ruling party (National Alliance) to easily pas

PNG Sunday Chronicles THE NATIONAL Parliament will fork out K2 million annually to pay two private law firms when the house itself is rotting away, it has been alleged. This will see in-house lawyers doing nothing when it comes to providing legal directions and advice for Members of Parliament. Shadow Minister for Fisheries and Member for Bulolo, Sam Basil revealed this when commenting on the recent amendments to the Ombudsman Commission bill. "We are not stupid here, but are being misled or deliberately denied legal services by the Speaker of Parliament and if we have less knowledge of the legal implications of bills then we can be easily fooled by the bill sponsors." Mr Basil said the two law firms that have been engaged on retainer arrangement costing tax payers money is unnecessary and they only work for the interest of the government. "I personally think the current system works to the best interest of the ruling party (National Allianc

By ROBEFRT PALME   A PRIVATE individual has been a signatory to a Papua New Guinea Government trust account. And millions of kina from that account were paid to private consultants including payments to the signatory's company. The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee(PAC) revealed that the Konebada Petroleum Park Authority Working Group Trust Account (KPPWGTA) is operated outside the Papua New Guinea Government Computerized Accounting System (PGAS). The PAC report, tabled in Parliament last month, reads: "Effectively this trust money has been handed to private persons and is unaccountable. "We believe the purpose of this was to avoid scrutiny." According to the PAC, this person is not a delegated person to be a signatory for the account. It also reads:"It is notable that millions of kina have flowed to private consultants -including payments to the signatory's company. "The department Secretary has lost control of Trust management. No r

By ROBEFRT PALME   A PRIVATE individual has been a signatory to a Papua New Guinea Government trust account. And millions of kina from that account were paid to private consultants including payments to the signatory's company. The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee(PAC) revealed that the Konebada Petroleum Park Authority Working Group Trust Account (KPPWGTA) is operated outside the Papua New Guinea Government Computerized Accounting System (PGAS). The PAC report, tabled in Parliament last month, reads: "Effectively this trust money has been handed to private persons and is unaccountable. "We believe the purpose of this was to avoid scrutiny." According to the PAC, this person is not a delegated person to be a signatory for the account. It also reads:"It is notable that millions of kina have flowed to private consultants -including payments to the signatory's company. "The department Secretary has lost control of Tru

William Lobdell The controversy over what the future holds for InterOil (NYSE: IOC) has heated up in recent days, with news surfacing of the bad-faith bankruptcy filed by a company controlled by InterOil CEO Phil Mulacek; wild allegations revealed in a massive fraud lawsuit against Mulacek, InterOil and other companies he controls; published claims that InterOil may be one giant fraud; and a story Monday alleging an InterOil geologist had told his peers the prospects for an InterOil gas discovery in Papua New Guinea were much dimmer than what the company had boasted to Wall Street. One fact that InterOil fans and skeptics can agree on is this: Mulacek's integrity and business history are critical factors in assessing the company's future success. No one can say for certain if InterOil's gas fields in Papua New Guinea contain any commercial gas or oil or, if they do, if the gas can be extracted in a manner to make them commercially viable. So let's set