PNGBLOGS

ROWAN CALLICK AS PAPUA NEW GUINEA ENTERS ITS 35TH YEAR as an independent country, its options—the risks and the opportunities—are looking surprisingly familiar. It has, of course, as its leader, the most durable, cleverest politician whom the Pacific region has ever produced, in Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare. He has been prime minister for 16 of PNG’s 35 years. Still, the succession remains uncertain—both the cause of instability within his own ranks and the wider political terrain and a tool through which he subtly maintains power. Just as so often in PNG’s past, the country is entering an upbeat period on the crucial economic front, with growth expected to reach eight percent this year, well ahead of the rest of the islands region—except Vanuatu—on the back of the launch of the costly construction of ExxonMobil’s A$16.5 billion liquefied natural gas project. Tantalising prospects As before, but in a far bigger way than ever, PNG’s resources are offering the country the tantalisin

ROWAN CALLICK AS PAPUA NEW GUINEA ENTERS ITS 35TH YEAR as an independent country, its options—the risks and the opportunities—are looking surprisingly familiar. It has, of course, as its leader, the most durable, cleverest politician whom the Pacific region has ever produced, in Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare. He has been prime minister for 16 of PNG’s 35 years. Still, the succession remains uncertain—both the cause of instability within his own ranks and the wider political terrain and a tool through which he subtly maintains power. Just as so often in PNG’s past, the country is entering an upbeat period on the crucial economic front, with growth expected to reach eight percent this year, well ahead of the rest of the islands region—except Vanuatu—on the back of the launch of the costly construction of ExxonMobil’s A$16.5 billion liquefied natural gas project. Tantalising prospects As before, but in a far bigger way than ever, PNG’s resources are offering the country the tantali

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has welcomed the completion of a comprehensive review of advisers which will lead to a more effective Australian aid program in Papua New Guinea. The PNG review is part of an overall Australian aid program adviser review announced in the May Budget Statement. 'The Australian Government is committed to strengthening the aid program and ensuring value-for-money across all the development assistance programs,' said Mr Rudd. Mr Rudd discussed the PNG adviser review report with his counterpart, PNG Foreign Minister Sam Abal this week. Both agreed the review had been a valuable exercise to ensure a more targeted allocation of advisers and a reduction in the level of advisory support. The finalisation of the review was an outcome of the July 2010 Australia - PNG Ministerial Meeting. The jointly conducted PNG adviser review examined the role of each adviser position to ensure that its allocation was an effective response to meeting agreed development needs a

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has welcomed the completion of a comprehensive review of advisers which will lead to a more effective Australian aid program in Papua New Guinea. The PNG review is part of an overall Australian aid program adviser review announced in the May Budget Statement. 'The Australian Government is committed to strengthening the aid program and ensuring value-for-money across all the development assistance programs,' said Mr Rudd. Mr Rudd discussed the PNG adviser review report with his counterpart, PNG Foreign Minister Sam Abal this week. Both agreed the review had been a valuable exercise to ensure a more targeted allocation of advisers and a reduction in the level of advisory support. The finalisation of the review was an outcome of the July 2010 Australia - PNG Ministerial Meeting. The jointly conducted PNG adviser review examined the role of each adviser position to ensure that its allocation was an effective response to meeting agreed development ne

Ilya Gridneff AAP Australia will sack more than a third of the advisers directing aid to Papua New Guinea in an attempt to eliminate waste in the nation's $457 million PNG assistance program. Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said on Thursday he had advised his PNG counterpart Sam Abal of the government's decision to make big cuts in the ranks of the 487 Australian advisers working on PNG aid. He said a review of the PNG-Australia Development Cooperation Treaty had found "widespread dissatisfaction with the aid program" and the "capacity building through advisers model is not working". Advertisement: Story continues below A string of negative reports about Australia's PNG aid program have pointed to a pattern of waste through spending on consultancies and training, as well as exorbitant salaries. In June, it was revealed that one aid adviser working in PNG was on a package of $55,000 a month. However, Mr Rudd did not provide details of which positions would be

Ilya Gridneff AAP Australia will sack more than a third of the advisers directing aid to Papua New Guinea in an attempt to eliminate waste in the nation's $457 million PNG assistance program. Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said on Thursday he had advised his PNG counterpart Sam Abal of the government's decision to make big cuts in the ranks of the 487 Australian advisers working on PNG aid. He said a review of the PNG-Australia Development Cooperation Treaty had found "widespread dissatisfaction with the aid program" and the "capacity building through advisers model is not working". Advertisement: Story continues below A string of negative reports about Australia's PNG aid program have pointed to a pattern of waste through spending on consultancies and training, as well as exorbitant salaries. In June, it was revealed that one aid adviser working in PNG was on a package of $55,000 a month. However, Mr Rudd did not provide details of which positions wo

BELDEN NAMAH MP I am now convinced that the Somare Government does not consider the interests of local people or the country to be of any importance. Increasingly, decisions that negatively affect every citizen are being made by this Government that are justified because they say they are in the ‘National Interest’. In fact, these decisions are only in the interest of the political elite and the robber companies that the Somare Government is now attracting to steal from Papua New Guinea’s resources. Environment Act amendments The Somare Government recently passed amendments to the Environment Act that allow one man, the Secretary of DEC, to exempt any company or developer from abiding by PNG’s environmental protection laws. This is the same man who the Ombudsman Commission recommended should face expulsion from the public service for his involvement in illegal forestry allocations. Now, when ever the Secretary or his political masters feel that a project is in ‘the national interest’

BELDEN NAMAH MP I am now convinced that the Somare Government does not consider the interests of local people or the country to be of any importance. Increasingly, decisions that negatively affect every citizen are being made by this Government that are justified because they say they are in the ‘National Interest’. In fact, these decisions are only in the interest of the political elite and the robber companies that the Somare Government is now attracting to steal from Papua New Guinea’s resources. Environment Act amendments The Somare Government recently passed amendments to the Environment Act that allow one man, the Secretary of DEC, to exempt any company or developer from abiding by PNG’s environmental protection laws. This is the same man who the Ombudsman Commission recommended should face expulsion from the public service for his involvement in illegal forestry allocations. Now, when ever the Secretary or his political masters feel that a project is in ‘the national inter

BEGA DISTRICT NEWS BEGA doctor Duncan MacKinnon at the end of the week is heading off again to bring more medical relief to those living in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea is a country of extremes, rich in natural mineral deposits on the one hand and struggling with extreme poverty and lack of basic infrastructure on the other. Dr MacKinnon has experienced first hand the inadequacies and hardships Papua New Guineans face, particularly in relation to the availability of health services in a country that has the highest incidence of HIV and AIDS in the Pacific region and widespread malaria, an infectious disease commonly associated with poverty. This month Dr MacKinnon will be making his fifth visit to a hospital in Mount Hagen, located high in the western highlands of PNG, where he is gradually improving operating theatre practices within the hospital and generally assisting in any other way he possibly can. “Mount Hagen is a beautiful area with a nice c