PNGBLOGS

ILYA GRIDNEFF - AAP Papua New Guinea's Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Abal wants an overhaul of Australia's $414 million annual aid to PNG because he says too much is wasted on costly consultants. AusAID figures reveal that nearly half (46 per cent) of all Australian aid in PNG goes to advisers, contractors or experts providing "technical assistance" for "capacity building". That's twice the rate of other countries' aid programs. And despite delivering billions of dollars in aid to PNG over the years, a 2009 AusAID report found PNG is not meeting any of its human development goals despite strong economic growth and political stability. Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Abal wants aid effectiveness discussed at the joint Australia PNG ministers meeting scheduled for later this year. "We feel that the large portion of aid being used for consultants can not be allowed to continue," he said in Tuesday's Post Courier. "

ILYA GRIDNEFF - AAP Papua New Guinea's Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Abal wants an overhaul of Australia's $414 million annual aid to PNG because he says too much is wasted on costly consultants. AusAID figures reveal that nearly half (46 per cent) of all Australian aid in PNG goes to advisers, contractors or experts providing "technical assistance" for "capacity building". That's twice the rate of other countries' aid programs. And despite delivering billions of dollars in aid to PNG over the years, a 2009 AusAID report found PNG is not meeting any of its human development goals despite strong economic growth and political stability. Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Abal wants aid effectiveness discussed at the joint Australia PNG ministers meeting scheduled for later this year. "We feel that the large portion of aid being used for consultants can not be allowed to continue," he said in Tuesday's Post Courier. "

Maybe governments and politicians, or other leaders, have never enjoyed great public esteem, the world over. Sometimes feared, widely disdained or ridiculed, some leaders have enjoyed honeymoons of popularity, but relatively few have enjoyed lasting popularity, verging on reverence, like Mandela or Mahatma Gandhi. The level of scepticism is particularly high at this movement, worldwide, with politicians widely competing with investment bankers as the least popular or trusted members of the community. A recent popular survey in Australia had artists (like Blanchett), public-spirited businessmen (like Dick Smith), charity leaders, scientists and a few other public office holders standing head and shoulders ahead of politicians, less salubrious financiers and other businessmen in the stakes of trustworthiness. (Some politicians, including, interestingly, Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard come ahead amongst politicians). Government credibility in countries like Greece (w

Maybe governments and politicians, or other leaders, have never enjoyed great public esteem, the world over. Sometimes feared, widely disdained or ridiculed, some leaders have enjoyed honeymoons of popularity, but relatively few have enjoyed lasting popularity, verging on reverence, like Mandela or Mahatma Gandhi. The level of scepticism is particularly high at this movement, worldwide, with politicians widely competing with investment bankers as the least popular or trusted members of the community. A recent popular survey in Australia had artists (like Blanchett), public-spirited businessmen (like Dick Smith), charity leaders, scientists and a few other public office holders standing head and shoulders ahead of politicians, less salubrious financiers and other businessmen in the stakes of trustworthiness. (Some politicians, including, interestingly, Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard come ahead amongst politicians). Government credibility in countries like Greece (w

ALMOST all rural villages in PNG do not have basic services, causing the people to suffer in silence. Now, imagine if you want to become an MP. You show up during election campaigning and promise the people you will restore everything if you are voted in. They give you their mandate and after winning the election, you return to Port Moresby where you live in an expensive house, drive around in flashy cars trying to attract the attention of young girls, eat in exclusive restaurants, frequenting pokies joints and nightclubs, and travelling to Australia for shopping and medical treatment. One day, you decide to make a trip to the village to launch a semi-permanent classroom. At the airport, you are greeted by your tribesmen and you hire a fleet of vehicles. As the convoy makes its way to the village, the pothole-filled road makes your drive uncomfortable. On that instant, you started working out your speech, what to tell the people. As soon as you get out of the vehicle upon rea

ALMOST all rural villages in PNG do not have basic services, causing the people to suffer in silence. Now, imagine if you want to become an MP. You show up during election campaigning and promise the people you will restore everything if you are voted in. They give you their mandate and after winning the election, you return to Port Moresby where you live in an expensive house, drive around in flashy cars trying to attract the attention of young girls, eat in exclusive restaurants, frequenting pokies joints and nightclubs, and travelling to Australia for shopping and medical treatment. One day, you decide to make a trip to the village to launch a semi-permanent classroom. At the airport, you are greeted by your tribesmen and you hire a fleet of vehicles. As the convoy makes its way to the village, the pothole-filled road makes your drive uncomfortable. On that instant, you started working out your speech, what to tell the people. As soon as you get out of the vehicle upon rea

Rene Klumbi TWO people were killed in a nasty road accident in Port Moresby last weekend and several others were injured.The accident would have been avoidable but for the careless driving of one of the drivers, who crashed into another vehicle forcing it to overturn onto the next lane.While recognising the fact that motor traffic accidents will happen in the best of conditions, and anywhere, we must ask the question: Is the big budget Road Safety is Not a Game campaign, funded by the Motor Vehicle Insurance Trust and promoted by Australian NRL big names, getting anywhere near educating errant drivers? If the evidence presented on the streets of Port Moresby are anything to go by, we can answer our own question with one word: “zilch!”Few, if anybody on the road, today is driving with the kind of care and respect for others that is promoted by the road safety campaign. If road safety is, indeed, not a game, then how do we make sure that it is serious, life threatening stuff? The campaig

Rene Klumbi TWO people were killed in a nasty road accident in Port Moresby last weekend and several others were injured.The accident would have been avoidable but for the careless driving of one of the drivers, who crashed into another vehicle forcing it to overturn onto the next lane.While recognising the fact that motor traffic accidents will happen in the best of conditions, and anywhere, we must ask the question: Is the big budget Road Safety is Not a Game campaign, funded by the Motor Vehicle Insurance Trust and promoted by Australian NRL big names, getting anywhere near educating errant drivers? If the evidence presented on the streets of Port Moresby are anything to go by, we can answer our own question with one word: “zilch!”Few, if anybody on the road, today is driving with the kind of care and respect for others that is promoted by the road safety campaign. If road safety is, indeed, not a game, then how do we make sure that it is serious, life threatening stuff? The cam

Most people agree that InterOil has found something of value at its Antelope drilling site in Papua New Guinea.  Whether the gas reservoir InterOil has found matches the company's euphoric description of it, however, is still a subject of fierce debate. For example, InterOil has described the "flow" (pressure) of natural gas at the site as a "world record." The video below is ostensibly of a flare test at InterOil's Antelope 2 site -- which purports to show this world-record flow. The video appears to have been uploaded to YouTube by InterOil's CFO, Collin Visaggio , although the uploader could presumably just be someone pretending to be him (we're checking). The video is labeled as follows: InterOil Antelope 2 World Record Gas Flow 705 mscf/day A company skeptic says this video doesn't show a flow anywhere near as big as the company describes.  We therefore invite all natural gas experts to weigh in on it. It's possible that