PNGBLOGS

Papua New Guinea's prime minister and deputy prime minister appear to be at odds with each other over controversial voluntary carbon trade schemes (VCS) that have plagued their country with scandal. Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare issued a media release at the weekend claiming the VCS were risky and premature. Sir Michael wants to pursue forest protection and reduce greenhouse gases through the complex United Nations plan known as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD). "The voluntary trading of forest carbon is inadvisable at this time," Sir Michael said. But on September 23 this year Deputy Prime Minister Don Polye wrote a letter to carbon trade developer Kirk Roberts saying the PNG government supported and endorsed his VCS projects. Roberts, through the VCS projects, has been promoting carbon trade to PNG villagers as an alternative income to logging. Polye's letter, supported by another letter from the prime minister's legal advi

Papua New Guinea's prime minister and deputy prime minister appear to be at odds with each other over controversial voluntary carbon trade schemes (VCS) that have plagued their country with scandal. Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare issued a media release at the weekend claiming the VCS were risky and premature. Sir Michael wants to pursue forest protection and reduce greenhouse gases through the complex United Nations plan known as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD). "The voluntary trading of forest carbon is inadvisable at this time," Sir Michael said. But on September 23 this year Deputy Prime Minister Don Polye wrote a letter to carbon trade developer Kirk Roberts saying the PNG government supported and endorsed his VCS projects. Roberts, through the VCS projects, has been promoting carbon trade to PNG villagers as an alternative income to logging. Polye's letter, supported by another letter from the prime minister's lega

NATIONAL Newspaper MEMBER for Vanimo-Green Belden Namah is the new leader for PNG Party. He takes over from founder and former prime minister Sir Mekere Morauta. A handover ceremony for the media took place last Friday. Namah, former forest minister and a central part of the National Alliance party, defected to the opposition with former deputy prime minister Sir Puka Temu and former culture and tourism minister Charles Abel in July. A plot to remove Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare during the July sitting did not succeed. The PNG Party suffered defections to the government recently before Namah’s arrival. Imbonggu MP Francis Awesa, Chimbu Governor Fr John Garia, and Henganofi MP Ferao Orimyao recently announced they were leaving the party to join the United Resource Party. Sir Mekere told reporters at the handover ceremony that PNG Party was a national institution, and, therefore, the party wanted to make a change in the political landscape in the country by giving away the leadersh

NATIONAL Newspaper MEMBER for Vanimo-Green Belden Namah is the new leader for PNG Party. He takes over from founder and former prime minister Sir Mekere Morauta. A handover ceremony for the media took place last Friday. Namah, former forest minister and a central part of the National Alliance party, defected to the opposition with former deputy prime minister Sir Puka Temu and former culture and tourism minister Charles Abel in July. A plot to remove Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare during the July sitting did not succeed. The PNG Party suffered defections to the government recently before Namah’s arrival. Imbonggu MP Francis Awesa, Chimbu Governor Fr John Garia, and Henganofi MP Ferao Orimyao recently announced they were leaving the party to join the United Resource Party. Sir Mekere told reporters at the handover ceremony that PNG Party was a national institution, and, therefore, the party wanted to make a change in the political landscape in the country by giving away the lea

PNG EXPOSED Records from the bank account of the Komo Margarima District Treasury shows six payments totaling K18 million were made to ‘PNG Construction’ in December 2009. K9 million was transferred directly to PNG Construction in the week ending 3 December in three separate transactions. A further K9 million was paid via three bank cheques in the week ending 17 December. Local people have referred details of these payments to the Prime Minister alleging they were fraudulent transaction made by Acting District Administrator Tumbi Yari as part of an on-going theft of public money. But who is PNG Construction? Local people in Komo allege the company is connected to their local MP Francis Potape, who knew of or collaborated in the fraud. But according to the Registrar of Companies in the Investment Promotion Authority there is NO registered company with the name PNG Construction. There is a registered company with the name PNG Construction and Development – but the Company Extr

PNG EXPOSED Records from the bank account of the Komo Margarima District Treasury shows six payments totaling K18 million were made to ‘PNG Construction’ in December 2009. K9 million was transferred directly to PNG Construction in the week ending 3 December in three separate transactions. A further K9 million was paid via three bank cheques in the week ending 17 December. Local people have referred details of these payments to the Prime Minister alleging they were fraudulent transaction made by Acting District Administrator Tumbi Yari as part of an on-going theft of public money. But who is PNG Construction? Local people in Komo allege the company is connected to their local MP Francis Potape, who knew of or collaborated in the fraud. But according to the Registrar of Companies in the Investment Promotion Authority there is NO registered company with the name PNG Construction. There is a registered company with the name PNG Construction and Development – but the Compa

PHILIP PUTAIJA There is a clear misuse of public funds which is indicated clearly on the Bank records (attached) of the Komo Margarima District Account. Millions of Kina from the district account has been diverted into the Acting District Managers personal account for personal use, which we believe is done in consultation or with the knowledge of the local Member of Parliament. The Acting District Manager should be terminated, arrested and locked behind bars for an investigation to begin. We write to your office expressing the concern of the huge misappropriation which occured in the Komo Margarima funds in a short span of time, 2007 2010. This Acting District Administrator for Komo Margarima District has terribly mismanaged the district funds. He illegally did direct fund transfers, made huge withdrawals over the counter under his own name, converting huge amounts of money into bank Cheques to direct transfers to PNG Construction Ltd, a company purportedly owned by the local member of

PHILIP PUTAIJA There is a clear misuse of public funds which is indicated clearly on the Bank records (attached) of the Komo Margarima District Account. Millions of Kina from the district account has been diverted into the Acting District Managers personal account for personal use, which we believe is done in consultation or with the knowledge of the local Member of Parliament. The Acting District Manager should be terminated, arrested and locked behind bars for an investigation to begin. We write to your office expressing the concern of the huge misappropriation which occured in the Komo Margarima funds in a short span of time, 2007 2010. This Acting District Administrator for Komo Margarima District has terribly mismanaged the district funds. He illegally did direct fund transfers, made huge withdrawals over the counter under his own name, converting huge amounts of money into bank Cheques to direct transfers to PNG Construction Ltd, a company purportedly owned by the local member

By WILLIAM KAPRIS The law makers and law enforcers seem to be the sole beneficiaries of the laws that they make in this country. Happy are they that live to enjoy every privilege at the expense of the civil society. Even in times of trouble, it seems easy for them to beat the system and get over their troubles because they are on the playing field, embracing, encouraging and supporting each other while civil society spectates. The laws seems to be of no effect to these class of persons for reasons that they are either above the law or excusable by law. Surely time and history tend to dictate that the laws are made for the ordinary citizen, the so-called grassroots as it remains evident that only grassroots are in prisons branded as hardcore criminals while the most sophisticated criminals are at large simply because they are either above the law or excusable by law. Above all human reasoning, the public or the civil society have correctly given their verdict that there is a divided rul

By WILLIAM KAPRIS The law makers and law enforcers seem to be the sole beneficiaries of the laws that they make in this country. Happy are they that live to enjoy every privilege at the expense of the civil society. Even in times of trouble, it seems easy for them to beat the system and get over their troubles because they are on the playing field, embracing, encouraging and supporting each other while civil society spectates. The laws seems to be of no effect to these class of persons for reasons that they are either above the law or excusable by law. Surely time and history tend to dictate that the laws are made for the ordinary citizen, the so-called grassroots as it remains evident that only grassroots are in prisons branded as hardcore criminals while the most sophisticated criminals are at large simply because they are either above the law or excusable by law. Above all human reasoning, the public or the civil society have correctly given their verdict that there is a divid

AAP Papua New Guinea is stalling crucial global climate change talks in China. Delegates from more than 170 countries are meeting in Tianjin, China to try to revive UN climate negotiations that failed to create a binding agreement in Copenhagen last year. The talks are a prelude to a UN summit starting next month in Mexico, but the US on Wednesday said they had so far failed to make significant progress. The global bickering centres on the details of the complex UN plan to reduce climate change through its Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) agenda. PNG, as co-chair of the REDD negotiations, is arguing for less scrutiny on donor funding as a way to fast-track the process. But PNG forests campaigner, Sam Moko, said this was a worry showing PNG appeared more interested in donor money than seriously tackling climate change. “With a reputation of corruption, complete disregard for land owner rights, free and prior informed consent and accurate estimations of likely

AAP Papua New Guinea is stalling crucial global climate change talks in China. Delegates from more than 170 countries are meeting in Tianjin, China to try to revive UN climate negotiations that failed to create a binding agreement in Copenhagen last year. The talks are a prelude to a UN summit starting next month in Mexico, but the US on Wednesday said they had so far failed to make significant progress. The global bickering centres on the details of the complex UN plan to reduce climate change through its Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) agenda. PNG, as co-chair of the REDD negotiations, is arguing for less scrutiny on donor funding as a way to fast-track the process. But PNG forests campaigner, Sam Moko, said this was a worry showing PNG appeared more interested in donor money than seriously tackling climate change. “With a reputation of corruption, complete disregard for land owner rights, free and prior informed consent and accurate estimations o

A feather-tailed opossum clings to a tree branch in Papua New Guinea's Muller Range in September 2009.  Though it has yet to be scientifically documented,  the elusive species has been reported once before before, on a nearby mountain in 1985. More than 200 new species of plants and animals were found in Papua New Guinea last year, researchers revealed Tuesday. The discoveries included almost 100 new insects, almost 100 new spiders, two new mammals and 24 new species of frog, some so small they could sit on a thumbnail. One of the mammals — a mouse with a white, prehensile tail — has no close relative, and represents not just a new species, but a new genus. Several of the katydids and at least one of the ants found also represent new genera, the researchers said. Only two individuals of the spiny, tree-dwelling ant were found, at an elevation of 1,600 metres. The new species were found during two month-long expeditions to Papua New Guinea by Conservation International's

A feather-tailed opossum clings to a tree branch in Papua New Guinea's Muller Range in September 2009.  Though it has yet to be scientifically documented,  the elusive species has been reported once before before, on a nearby mountain in 1985. More than 200 new species of plants and animals were found in Papua New Guinea last year, researchers revealed Tuesday. The discoveries included almost 100 new insects, almost 100 new spiders, two new mammals and 24 new species of frog, some so small they could sit on a thumbnail. One of the mammals — a mouse with a white, prehensile tail — has no close relative, and represents not just a new species, but a new genus. Several of the katydids and at least one of the ants found also represent new genera, the researchers said. Only two individuals of the spiny, tree-dwelling ant were found, at an elevation of 1,600 metres. The new species were found during two month-long expeditions to Papua New Guinea by Conservation Interna

TUNGUBE IGINI AFTER adjourning parliament, the government thought it would be safe to continue until 2012. But PNG is the land of the unexpected and its politics is unpredictable.  The URP and NA marriage is cracking after James Marape was appointed Hela Transitional Authority (HTA) chairman. It was bitter for Governor Anderson Agiru, who just returned from New York after delivering the gas agreement. With Sir Puka Temu out of the way, Sir Michael Somare will now have to contend with Agiru. With that in mind, two things may happen. NA must now accommodate URP’s demands or face a vote of no-confidence. Either way, it will be costly for NA. Whatever happens, the Hela people and the LNG project proponents will feel the impact and Agiru and Sir Michael must know that good things like the Hela gas comes from God. Corruption, hijacking and manipulation are not God’s ways and rewards. Hela sons Agiru and Marape must put Hela’s interest first before politics. The proposed province and Hela gas

TUNGUBE IGINI AFTER adjourning parliament, the government thought it would be safe to continue until 2012. But PNG is the land of the unexpected and its politics is unpredictable.  The URP and NA marriage is cracking after James Marape was appointed Hela Transitional Authority (HTA) chairman. It was bitter for Governor Anderson Agiru, who just returned from New York after delivering the gas agreement. With Sir Puka Temu out of the way, Sir Michael Somare will now have to contend with Agiru. With that in mind, two things may happen. NA must now accommodate URP’s demands or face a vote of no-confidence. Either way, it will be costly for NA. Whatever happens, the Hela people and the LNG project proponents will feel the impact and Agiru and Sir Michael must know that good things like the Hela gas comes from God. Corruption, hijacking and manipulation are not God’s ways and rewards. Hela sons Agiru and Marape must put Hela’s interest first before politics. The proposed province and Hel

ROWAN CALLICK AUSTRALIAN investment in Papua New Guinea's resurgent resources sector is booming, but the risks have been underlined by dramatic events. There was a violent raid on a construction camp at Kikori for the $16.5 billion ExxonMobil-Oil Search-Santos liquefied natural gas project. Kikori is in Gulf province northwest of Port Moresby. As well, the developers have won the latest round of a colossal court battle over the disposal of tailings from the $1.8bn Ramu Nickel mine, under construction by Chinese state-owned giant Metallurgical Construction Corporation, with Brisbane-based Highlands Gold a minority stakeholder. The common theme in both cases is the role of frustrated, opportunistic or worried landowners. The attack at Kikori came at night, when no one was working at the site, so there were no injuries, but a Caterpillar 740 dumptruck -- which routinely costs $250,000 secondhand -- and another truck were destroyed by fire, and other equipment was damaged severely, som

ROWAN CALLICK AUSTRALIAN investment in Papua New Guinea's resurgent resources sector is booming, but the risks have been underlined by dramatic events. There was a violent raid on a construction camp at Kikori for the $16.5 billion ExxonMobil-Oil Search-Santos liquefied natural gas project. Kikori is in Gulf province northwest of Port Moresby. As well, the developers have won the latest round of a colossal court battle over the disposal of tailings from the $1.8bn Ramu Nickel mine, under construction by Chinese state-owned giant Metallurgical Construction Corporation, with Brisbane-based Highlands Gold a minority stakeholder. The common theme in both cases is the role of frustrated, opportunistic or worried landowners. The attack at Kikori came at night, when no one was working at the site, so there were no injuries, but a Caterpillar 740 dumptruck -- which routinely costs $250,000 secondhand -- and another truck were destroyed by fire, and other equipment was damaged severe

PNGEXPOSED While Prime Minister Michael Somare is on his extended international tour, pleading with the international community to hand over billions of dollars in return for carbon strategy stitched together by international consultancy firm, McKinsey’s for a cool $2.2 million dollars, the true nature of his carbon scam is only too apparent to keen observers. On one front there is the continuing scandal of rampant illegal logging. Illegal logging like that at Musa Pongani which is now encroaching into the Managlas Conservation Area. The Authorities have been aware of the logging for more than 9 months but despite repeated pleas from landowners, the Malaysian loggers, protected by local police, continue to plunder the forests and the illegally harvested logs pile up on the beach while the local forest officer drives around in a logging company vehicle. Meanwhile, nobody seems to know whether Somare’s Climate Change Minister has been sacked or not. Potape claims his sacking is not trueA

PNGEXPOSED While Prime Minister Michael Somare is on his extended international tour, pleading with the international community to hand over billions of dollars in return for carbon strategy stitched together by international consultancy firm, McKinsey’s for a cool $2.2 million dollars, the true nature of his carbon scam is only too apparent to keen observers. On one front there is the continuing scandal of rampant illegal logging. Illegal logging like that at Musa Pongani which is now encroaching into the Managlas Conservation Area. The Authorities have been aware of the logging for more than 9 months but despite repeated pleas from landowners, the Malaysian loggers, protected by local police, continue to plunder the forests and the illegally harvested logs pile up on the beach while the local forest officer drives around in a logging company vehicle. Meanwhile, nobody seems to know whether Somare’s Climate Change Minister has been sacked or not. Potape claims his sacking

AFP The world's oldest known high-altitude human settlements, dating back up to 49,000 years, have been found sealed in volcanic ash in Papua New Guinea mountains, archaeologists said Friday. Researchers have unearthed the remains of about six camps, including fragments of stone tools and food, in an area near the town of Kokoda, said an archaeologist on the team, Andrew Fairbairn. "What we've got there are basically a series of campsites, that's what they look like anyway. The remains of fires, stone tools, that kind of thing, on ridgetops," the University of Queensland academic told AFP. "It's not like a village or anything like that, they are these campsite areas that have been repeatedly used." Fairbairn said the settlements are at about 2,000 metres (6,600 feet) and believed to be the oldest evidence of our human ancestors, homo sapiens, inhabiting a high-altitude environment. "For homo sapiens, this is the earliest for us, for modern human

AFP The world's oldest known high-altitude human settlements, dating back up to 49,000 years, have been found sealed in volcanic ash in Papua New Guinea mountains, archaeologists said Friday. Researchers have unearthed the remains of about six camps, including fragments of stone tools and food, in an area near the town of Kokoda, said an archaeologist on the team, Andrew Fairbairn. "What we've got there are basically a series of campsites, that's what they look like anyway. The remains of fires, stone tools, that kind of thing, on ridgetops," the University of Queensland academic told AFP. "It's not like a village or anything like that, they are these campsite areas that have been repeatedly used." Fairbairn said the settlements are at about 2,000 metres (6,600 feet) and believed to be the oldest evidence of our human ancestors, homo sapiens, inhabiting a high-altitude environment. "For homo sapiens, this is the earliest for us, for moder

OP/ED Students at two schools in the Highlands will now go without their teachers because they were killed in a tribal fight at Minj in the Western Highlands. In that fight, Police tell us that guns were used. On the same day, three villagers from Kandep walked into our office in Mt Hagen and told us that some 300 firearms are in the hands of communities who are engaged in a conflict. They revealed that over 75 men have been killed in the conflict that has raged for a number of years. The breakdown of law and order, the proliferation of violence now increasingly blamed on guns, and the inability of the Police or the courts to exercise authority because of various reasons, are more obvious features in PNG today. According to Police, there is overwhelming evidence to show that major crimes over the last 15 years or more have been exacerbated by the use of illegal guns. Tribal fighting, robbery, break and enter and murder involve the use of guns. We can therefore assume that without guns,

OP/ED Students at two schools in the Highlands will now go without their teachers because they were killed in a tribal fight at Minj in the Western Highlands. In that fight, Police tell us that guns were used. On the same day, three villagers from Kandep walked into our office in Mt Hagen and told us that some 300 firearms are in the hands of communities who are engaged in a conflict. They revealed that over 75 men have been killed in the conflict that has raged for a number of years. The breakdown of law and order, the proliferation of violence now increasingly blamed on guns, and the inability of the Police or the courts to exercise authority because of various reasons, are more obvious features in PNG today. According to Police, there is overwhelming evidence to show that major crimes over the last 15 years or more have been exacerbated by the use of illegal guns. Tribal fighting, robbery, break and enter and murder involve the use of guns. We can therefore assume that without g

AFP PORT MORESBY — Energy giant ExxonMobil Tuesday refused to confirm reports of an arson attack on its 15-billion-dollar gas project in Papua New Guinea, saying only that police were probing an unspecified incident. The National newspaper reported that trucks and heavy machinery were torched by local villagers at an Exxon quarry near Kaiam Ferry in the southern Gulf province of Kikori last Friday. "No one was injured or directly threatened," ExxonMobil spokesman Miles Shaw told AFP, confirming that police were investigating an incident involving the liquefied natural gas project but declining to provide details. "Police are carrying out their investigation so until that is complete it would not be appropriate to comment at this time." Police contacted by AFP could not immediately comment. The National said the attack was believed to have stemmed from ongoing landowner unrest about Exxon's gas project, which will include liquefaction and storage facilities in th

AFP PORT MORESBY — Energy giant ExxonMobil Tuesday refused to confirm reports of an arson attack on its 15-billion-dollar gas project in Papua New Guinea, saying only that police were probing an unspecified incident. The National newspaper reported that trucks and heavy machinery were torched by local villagers at an Exxon quarry near Kaiam Ferry in the southern Gulf province of Kikori last Friday. "No one was injured or directly threatened," ExxonMobil spokesman Miles Shaw told AFP, confirming that police were investigating an incident involving the liquefied natural gas project but declining to provide details. "Police are carrying out their investigation so until that is complete it would not be appropriate to comment at this time." Police contacted by AFP could not immediately comment. The National said the attack was believed to have stemmed from ongoing landowner unrest about Exxon's gas project, which will include liquefaction and storage facilitie