PNGBLOGS

By JOHN FOWKE   At the risk of  angering those who have already indicated that this mild-mannered old masta  is in fact a patronising colonial relic  of the sort PNG is well rid of, I want to raise the following points. Very few modern enterprises or services of any sort in PNG work well unless managed by a  PNG’ian professional who has had overseas experience at a high level and the degree of social separation conferred by a few years of hands-on management in a different cultural, intellectual and social environment.   Once established as a world-citizen and a peer among equals in an industry or a profession across the globe, few of such PNG’ians, and there are increasingly-large numbers, are willing to return to live and work in what they  perceive as a messy, corrupt and crime-burdened environment with opportunities only for risk-takers. This means that the nation misses out on the benefit of the services and input of  a  large segment of its most-talented and best-educated sons

By JOHN FOWKE   At the risk of  angering those who have already indicated that this mild-mannered old masta  is in fact a patronising colonial relic  of the sort PNG is well rid of, I want to raise the following points. Very few modern enterprises or services of any sort in PNG work well unless managed by a  PNG’ian professional who has had overseas experience at a high level and the degree of social separation conferred by a few years of hands-on management in a different cultural, intellectual and social environment.   Once established as a world-citizen and a peer among equals in an industry or a profession across the globe, few of such PNG’ians, and there are increasingly-large numbers, are willing to return to live and work in what they  perceive as a messy, corrupt and crime-burdened environment with opportunities only for risk-takers. This means that the nation misses out on the benefit of the services and input of  a  large segment of its most-talented and best-educated

JOHN BURTON The Ok Tedi mine is well-known for its disposal of mine tailings into the local river system which led to international litigation and ultimately to BHP Billiton quitting the project . People argue to this day about the balance between the economic benefits to be had from keeping the mine open (to local people and central government) and the impacts on people and the environment (felt by local people on their own). Among the business voices who came down against the continuation of mining were the World Bank (‘the Ok Tedi mine needs to be moving towards closure as soon as possible’, Country Director, Papua New Guinea, to Sir Mekere Morauta, 20 January 2000) and BHP itself, whose then Chief Executive Chip Goodyear said in 2004 that his company could no longer be involved in projects of this nature and that Ok Tedi ‘was not a development of which BHP Billiton was proud’ ( The Age , 16 July 2004 ). The industry-sponsored Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development

JOHN BURTON The Ok Tedi mine is well-known for its disposal of mine tailings into the local river system which led to international litigation and ultimately to BHP Billiton quitting the project . People argue to this day about the balance between the economic benefits to be had from keeping the mine open (to local people and central government) and the impacts on people and the environment (felt by local people on their own). Among the business voices who came down against the continuation of mining were the World Bank (‘the Ok Tedi mine needs to be moving towards closure as soon as possible’, Country Director, Papua New Guinea, to Sir Mekere Morauta, 20 January 2000) and BHP itself, whose then Chief Executive Chip Goodyear said in 2004 that his company could no longer be involved in projects of this nature and that Ok Tedi ‘was not a development of which BHP Billiton was proud’ ( The Age , 16 July 2004 ). The industry-sponsored Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Developmen

PNGBLOGS The statement by the Attorney General that the public should not demand swift decision making from the Chief Justice as to the appointment of a leadership tribunal is as offensive as it is clearly wrong. The Chief Justice, like the Attorney General, are public servants and should be answerable and accountable to the people of Papua New Guinea at all times. Serious allegations have been made against the most senior public servant in Papua New Guinea, the Prime Minister. These allegations remain unanswered 3 years later. This is bringing the integrity of the office of Prime Minister into question and it is in the interests of the country as a whole that these allegations are resolved quickly, one way or another.  Justice delayed is justice denied. The Public Prosecutor was satisfied that the Prime Minister was guilty of misconduct in office, which resulted in his referral of the matter to the Chief Justice for the appointment of a Leadership Tribunal pursuant to Section 27(2)

PNGBLOGS The statement by the Attorney General that the public should not demand swift decision making from the Chief Justice as to the appointment of a leadership tribunal is as offensive as it is clearly wrong. The Chief Justice, like the Attorney General, are public servants and should be answerable and accountable to the people of Papua New Guinea at all times. Serious allegations have been made against the most senior public servant in Papua New Guinea, the Prime Minister. These allegations remain unanswered 3 years later. This is bringing the integrity of the office of Prime Minister into question and it is in the interests of the country as a whole that these allegations are resolved quickly, one way or another.  Justice delayed is justice denied. The Public Prosecutor was satisfied that the Prime Minister was guilty of misconduct in office, which resulted in his referral of the matter to the Chief Justice for the appointment of a Leadership Tribunal pursuant to Section

SOUTH PACIFIC POST The Auditor General George Wasi Sullimann, whose term in office expires on Monday (Feb 14), has scoffed at serious allegations of misconduct in office against him. Mr Sullimann served five years in office, the normal term of an Auditor- General. He said it had become a norm for persons within the organisation to come out and discredit the incumbent head, whose term was about to expire so that he/she was not reappointed. He said such behaviour is being perpetrated by those aspiring to take over the top post and as such, he did not wish to waste his precious time commenting on baseless allegations made against him and his wife. Mr Sullimann said the appointment of the AG is a prerogative of the Government and that he will exit a satisfied man having brought many changes into the department unlike his predecessors. “I have worked in this office for 38 years, six of these years as the AG and the terms and conditions enjoyed by employees here is extremely higher than in t

SOUTH PACIFIC POST The Auditor General George Wasi Sullimann, whose term in office expires on Monday (Feb 14), has scoffed at serious allegations of misconduct in office against him. Mr Sullimann served five years in office, the normal term of an Auditor- General. He said it had become a norm for persons within the organisation to come out and discredit the incumbent head, whose term was about to expire so that he/she was not reappointed. He said such behaviour is being perpetrated by those aspiring to take over the top post and as such, he did not wish to waste his precious time commenting on baseless allegations made against him and his wife. Mr Sullimann said the appointment of the AG is a prerogative of the Government and that he will exit a satisfied man having brought many changes into the department unlike his predecessors. “I have worked in this office for 38 years, six of these years as the AG and the terms and conditions enjoyed by employees here is extremely higher than

SAM BASIL MP I call for Joseph Lelang (now sacked) to come out now without fear or favor and expose all he can to clear his name. Usually members of parliament give directives and when the going gets tough they hide and let the departmental secretaries to cope with the blame game so I am appealing to the sacked secretary to come out now and spill the beans. Tell us who and where the monies in various trust accounts disappeared to? Which companies? Which MPs used undue influence or threatened him to break financial laws to dish out or redirect funds? Why is Hon. Paul Tienstein so quite since this issue surfaced? I am ready to march the street with the people to demand the arrest and charging of members of parliament when Joe Lelang expose the rot and he must do so now!! Ministers have been buying houses and shifting their families overseas in an unprecedented manner never like never before from those stolen funds so Lelang owes it to the people of Papua New Guinea and he mus