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UN concern over PNG 'stealth logging'

AAP The United Nations has sent Papua New Guinea's government a please explain letter about millions of hectares of land allocated for what some say is "logging by stealth". In October last year AAP reported PNG villagers in Western Provinces were outraged the government had given away more than a million hectares of pristine forest for Special Agricultural Business Leases (SABL) without their knowledge or consent. Western Province now has half of PNG's allocated 5 million hectares of SABLs - close to ten per cent of the entire country. The leases are for projects like oil palm farms. But some view them as a backdoor way for foreign companies to log pristine forest. PNG has one of the world's largest and most precious forest resources and the build-up of SABLs has enraged green groups, NGOs and numerous government officials who have raised concerns that the forests were under threat by what they describe as logging by stealth. The chairman of the UN's Committ

UN concern over PNG 'stealth logging'

AAP The United Nations has sent Papua New Guinea's government a please explain letter about millions of hectares of land allocated for what some say is "logging by stealth". In October last year AAP reported PNG villagers in Western Provinces were outraged the government had given away more than a million hectares of pristine forest for Special Agricultural Business Leases (SABL) without their knowledge or consent. Western Province now has half of PNG's allocated 5 million hectares of SABLs - close to ten per cent of the entire country. The leases are for projects like oil palm farms. But some view them as a backdoor way for foreign companies to log pristine forest. PNG has one of the world's largest and most precious forest resources and the build-up of SABLs has enraged green groups, NGOs and numerous government officials who have raised concerns that the forests were under threat by what they describe as logging by stealth. The chairman of the UN's C

The Papua New Guinea Economy Outlook

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Asian Development Bank Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) economy should grow by 8.5% this year and 6.5% in 2012 largely due to the recent rise in commodity prices and new project investments in the resource-rich Pacific nation. Farmers make up the majority of the PNG population, so higher agricultural prices will support local consumption. Gross domestic product expanded by 7.0% in 2010 and 5.5% in 2009. The monitor credits the $15 billion ExxonMobil-led Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project as being largely responsible for boosting growth in PNG. “Private investment is strong in PNG as businesses seize the opportunities generated by the LNG Project,” said Charles Andrews, Country Director of ADB’s Papua New Guinea Resident Mission. “The challenge is to ensure the sound management of the revenues gained from these opportunities, and the government has already made some prudent steps in this area.” Still, rising international food prices, the depreciation of the kina in 2010 and some s

The Papua New Guinea Economy Outlook

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Asian Development Bank Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) economy should grow by 8.5% this year and 6.5% in 2012 largely due to the recent rise in commodity prices and new project investments in the resource-rich Pacific nation. Farmers make up the majority of the PNG population, so higher agricultural prices will support local consumption. Gross domestic product expanded by 7.0% in 2010 and 5.5% in 2009. The monitor credits the $15 billion ExxonMobil-led Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project as being largely responsible for boosting growth in PNG. “Private investment is strong in PNG as businesses seize the opportunities generated by the LNG Project,” said Charles Andrews, Country Director of ADB’s Papua New Guinea Resident Mission. “The challenge is to ensure the sound management of the revenues gained from these opportunities, and the government has already made some prudent steps in this area.” Still, rising international food prices, the depreciation of the kina in 2010 and s

Where have the billions gone to? Where do they end up?

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OP.ED BETWEEN 2003 and 2008, the Somare government amassed a whopping K6 billion in extra revenue. That is money over and above what was budgeted each year. The excess billions were parked in trust accounts and drawn down in one-off payments which were approved in a number of mid-year supplementary budgets. Much of that money, we were told, was to be used for maintenance and new infrastructure - the major road networks in the country being a priority. Some of it was to retire PNG’s huge external debt, then standing at K6 billion. Outstanding government debt with the Public Officers Superannuation Fund (POSF) was to be paid off and outstanding awards to public servants were also to be paid. Some of the money – about K600 million – was to be used by the government on the new gas project. By the time of the global economic meltdown in the latter part of 2008, the last of this excess revenue was used up. It was back to borrowing from the banks and from our own future earning to fund last

Where have the billions gone to? Where do they end up?

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OP.ED BETWEEN 2003 and 2008, the Somare government amassed a whopping K6 billion in extra revenue. That is money over and above what was budgeted each year. The excess billions were parked in trust accounts and drawn down in one-off payments which were approved in a number of mid-year supplementary budgets. Much of that money, we were told, was to be used for maintenance and new infrastructure - the major road networks in the country being a priority. Some of it was to retire PNG’s huge external debt, then standing at K6 billion. Outstanding government debt with the Public Officers Superannuation Fund (POSF) was to be paid off and outstanding awards to public servants were also to be paid. Some of the money – about K600 million – was to be used by the government on the new gas project. By the time of the global economic meltdown in the latter part of 2008, the last of this excess revenue was used up. It was back to borrowing from the banks and from our own future earning to fund la

Aid and integration in the Pacific

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Danielle Hay The Pacific region has long been a major focus of Australia’s aid program. As Australia doubles it’s global aid program to $8-9 billion in 2015-16, what are the implications for the Pacific? How can aid support closer economic integration? An experienced trans-pacific panel discussed these questions at a recent conference on ‘ Doubling Australian Aid ‘ hosted by the Development Policy Centre at the Crawford School. Members of the Independent Review of Aid Effectiveness panel attended the conference, so it will be interesting to see what the review recommends on aid to the Pacific. Australia has traditionally targeted aid to its neighbours Richard Marles, Parliamentary Secretary for the Pacific, set the scene for the discussion by highlighting the importance of the Pacific to Australia. This significance is reflected in the volume of aid given to the region: according to an estimate in the 2010-11 budget $1 billion was allocated this year to PNG and the Pacific. Ma

Aid and integration in the Pacific

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Danielle Hay The Pacific region has long been a major focus of Australia’s aid program. As Australia doubles it’s global aid program to $8-9 billion in 2015-16, what are the implications for the Pacific? How can aid support closer economic integration? An experienced trans-pacific panel discussed these questions at a recent conference on ‘ Doubling Australian Aid ‘ hosted by the Development Policy Centre at the Crawford School. Members of the Independent Review of Aid Effectiveness panel attended the conference, so it will be interesting to see what the review recommends on aid to the Pacific. Australia has traditionally targeted aid to its neighbours Richard Marles, Parliamentary Secretary for the Pacific, set the scene for the discussion by highlighting the importance of the Pacific to Australia. This significance is reflected in the volume of aid given to the region: according to an estimate in the 2010-11 budget $1 billion was allocated this year to PNG and the Pacifi

PRIME MINISTER CONTEMPT YET AGAIN

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By: SAM  BASIL MP The Prime Minister caused the Publication of the National Ministers constitutions the NEC and their respective Responsibilities in the National Gazette on Thursday 3'd March 2011, National Gazette No. G57 of 2011. In the publication, particularly Schedule 30 provides that Patrick Pruaitch as the Minister for State Assisting the Prime Minister. This is in direct contempt of the Orders of the Supreme Court in the case of Pruaitch v Manek [2010] PGSC 7;SCl052 (31 May 2010) where the Supreme Court declared that the leader was automatically suspended when the charges were served on the Tribunal. The highest Court of the land constituting Kirriwom J, Gavan-Nanu and Davani JJ declared that the leader was suspended forthwith. How could the PM then appoint him to be a minister of his cabinet?   The Tribunal is yet to hear the case against Mr. Pruaitch and as far as I could recall, there was no Court Order setting aside the Supreme Court Orders. Until the Tribunal finally d

PRIME MINISTER CONTEMPT YET AGAIN

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By: SAM  BASIL MP The Prime Minister caused the Publication of the National Ministers constitutions the NEC and their respective Responsibilities in the National Gazette on Thursday 3'd March 2011, National Gazette No. G57 of 2011. In the publication, particularly Schedule 30 provides that Patrick Pruaitch as the Minister for State Assisting the Prime Minister. This is in direct contempt of the Orders of the Supreme Court in the case of Pruaitch v Manek [2010] PGSC 7;SCl052 (31 May 2010) where the Supreme Court declared that the leader was automatically suspended when the charges were served on the Tribunal. The highest Court of the land constituting Kirriwom J, Gavan-Nanu and Davani JJ declared that the leader was suspended forthwith. How could the PM then appoint him to be a minister of his cabinet?   The Tribunal is yet to hear the case against Mr. Pruaitch and as far as I could recall, there was no Court Order setting aside the Supreme Court Orders. Until the Tribunal fin

THIS PARLIAMENT — AND THE NEXT?

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James Macpherson, Eric Kwa and Ray Anere    Crisis  Political climate change can create a political cyclone. Controversies over parliament’s election of the Governor-General, votes of no-confidence, environmental legislation, integrity of political parties, and infrequent meetings of parliament are political climate changes. Parliament risks unconstitutionality and irrelevance. This could be the cyclone. Opportunity Parliament has been adjourned to 10 May 2011 so that maintenance work can be done. This long period could be used by leaders to debate steps for defining electorates that will create a consti¬tutional, representative, and effective parliament after the 2012 National General Elections. How¬ever, will they? Storm Clouds Unconstitutional Elections for Provincial Electorates A stable government requires a parliament that is defined by its Constitution. However, provincial Members of Parliament (MPs) throughout the country are currently holding of¬fice in breach of the Constitu

THIS PARLIAMENT — AND THE NEXT?

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James Macpherson, Eric Kwa and Ray Anere    Crisis  Political climate change can create a political cyclone. Controversies over parliament’s election of the Governor-General, votes of no-confidence, environmental legislation, integrity of political parties, and infrequent meetings of parliament are political climate changes. Parliament risks unconstitutionality and irrelevance. This could be the cyclone. Opportunity Parliament has been adjourned to 10 May 2011 so that maintenance work can be done. This long period could be used by leaders to debate steps for defining electorates that will create a consti¬tutional, representative, and effective parliament after the 2012 National General Elections. How¬ever, will they? Storm Clouds Unconstitutional Elections for Provincial Electorates A stable government requires a parliament that is defined by its Constitution. However, provincial Members of Parliament (MPs) throughout the country are currently holding of¬fice in breach of the Co