PNGBLOGS

ROWAN CALLICK Papua New Guinea’s founding father Sir Michael Somare, now aged 75, was suspended for 14 days from April 4 for failing to provide annual reports on his assets and business dealings to the Ombudsman Commission as required. It is Sir Michael’s skills as a leader and player of the PNG political game—at once ornate and brutal—that have held his ruling coalition together for almost 10 years. He has been at the centre of PNG’s parliaments for 42 years. But this long-anticipated court case ended up appearing more like a part of the passing of the old independence era, rather than a decisive centerpiece of the PNG story. For regardless of Sir Michael’s fate, PNG is on the cusp of an extraordinary economic, social and political transition, one which the country has not seen since gaining independence from Australia in 1975. Where this change will take it, remains utterly uncertain. But that it is undergoing a convulsion is clear. A new generation is on the move, one which has bee

ROWAN CALLICK Papua New Guinea’s founding father Sir Michael Somare, now aged 75, was suspended for 14 days from April 4 for failing to provide annual reports on his assets and business dealings to the Ombudsman Commission as required. It is Sir Michael’s skills as a leader and player of the PNG political game—at once ornate and brutal—that have held his ruling coalition together for almost 10 years. He has been at the centre of PNG’s parliaments for 42 years. But this long-anticipated court case ended up appearing more like a part of the passing of the old independence era, rather than a decisive centerpiece of the PNG story. For regardless of Sir Michael’s fate, PNG is on the cusp of an extraordinary economic, social and political transition, one which the country has not seen since gaining independence from Australia in 1975. Where this change will take it, remains utterly uncertain. But that it is undergoing a convulsion is clear. A new generation is on the move, one which has

OP ED Only in Papua New Guinea do we find regulators that charge inordinately high rates for services which are more than affordable by the average consumer in other countries. There is any number of products and services that are taken for granted by people in the global community but seen as a luxury here. Take, for instance, internet usage and web access. In virtually every Western country, and an increasing number of developing nations, this service is relatively inexpensive for individuals, institutions and businesses alike. Yet, here in PNG, one cannot say the same. The reality is that rates charged by internet service providers here are proportionately higher on average than what you would find in Australia, Malaysia, Fiji and other neighbouring countries. Some say we charge the highest fees in the world. One must critically ask whether the laws regulating this service are there to enable or prohibit access to the worldwide information network. Entry into cyberspace should com

OP ED Only in Papua New Guinea do we find regulators that charge inordinately high rates for services which are more than affordable by the average consumer in other countries. There is any number of products and services that are taken for granted by people in the global community but seen as a luxury here. Take, for instance, internet usage and web access. In virtually every Western country, and an increasing number of developing nations, this service is relatively inexpensive for individuals, institutions and businesses alike. Yet, here in PNG, one cannot say the same. The reality is that rates charged by internet service providers here are proportionately higher on average than what you would find in Australia, Malaysia, Fiji and other neighbouring countries. Some say we charge the highest fees in the world. One must critically ask whether the laws regulating this service are there to enable or prohibit access to the worldwide information network. Entry into cyberspace should c

SOUTH PACIFIC POST William Nanua Kapris did not deliver K1.2 million of the Madang BSP heist to his Port Moresby-based sponsors within the time requested resulting in his capture along the Magi Highway. In a lengthy allocutus he delivered to the National Court sitting in Madang last Thursday, Kapris said soon after the heist on the Metals Refinery Operations in Port Moresby and his escape from custody he returned home to Kimbe He said it was while there that he got a call from Port Moresby that he would execute another robbery in Madang - the BSP Branch – and he was to travel there. He told the court a sum of K20,000 wired for his movements through a Helen Minape’s bank account in Kimbe. He described the woman as his big sister having grown up with her in Kimbe. He said one of his nephew’s hired a banana boat for him from a Talasea man and he travelled to Lae via Finshhafen. His boat skipper was Elvis Bala Aka and his other companion on the trip was Kito Aso. Kapris said they had no k

SOUTH PACIFIC POST William Nanua Kapris did not deliver K1.2 million of the Madang BSP heist to his Port Moresby-based sponsors within the time requested resulting in his capture along the Magi Highway. In a lengthy allocutus he delivered to the National Court sitting in Madang last Thursday, Kapris said soon after the heist on the Metals Refinery Operations in Port Moresby and his escape from custody he returned home to Kimbe He said it was while there that he got a call from Port Moresby that he would execute another robbery in Madang - the BSP Branch – and he was to travel there. He told the court a sum of K20,000 wired for his movements through a Helen Minape’s bank account in Kimbe. He described the woman as his big sister having grown up with her in Kimbe. He said one of his nephew’s hired a banana boat for him from a Talasea man and he travelled to Lae via Finshhafen. His boat skipper was Elvis Bala Aka and his other companion on the trip was Kito Aso. Kapris said they had no

JEFFERY LEVONGO Corruption follows a formula: C = M + D – A. C)Corruption equals (M) monopoly plus (D)discretion minus (A)accountability. Corruption flourishes when someone has monopoly power over a good or service, has the discretion to decide how much you get or whether you get it at all, and has no accountability. - Robert Klitgaard, “Addressing Corruption in Haiti.” This is exactly what is happening in the corridors of power especially in Government departments especially respect to projects fund – Land Owner MOA’s, Development projects etc. Just like any mathematical equation, to do the opposite to reduce corruption. Increase accountability – improve bite for Ombudsman Commission and penalise wrongdoers, reduce monopoly – meaning decentralising powers so that one office is not looking after everything. Some functions can be transferred to the provinces; Discretion must be removed by setting up clear policies, processes and guidelines to be followed.   Jeffery Levong

JEFFERY LEVONGO Corruption follows a formula: C = M + D – A. C)Corruption equals (M) monopoly plus (D)discretion minus (A)accountability. Corruption flourishes when someone has monopoly power over a good or service, has the discretion to decide how much you get or whether you get it at all, and has no accountability. - Robert Klitgaard, “Addressing Corruption in Haiti.” This is exactly what is happening in the corridors of power especially in Government departments especially respect to projects fund – Land Owner MOA’s, Development projects etc. Just like any mathematical equation, to do the opposite to reduce corruption. Increase accountability – improve bite for Ombudsman Commission and penalise wrongdoers, reduce monopoly – meaning decentralising powers so that one office is not looking after everything. Some functions can be transferred to the provinces; Discretion must be removed by setting up clear policies, processes and guidelines to be followed.   Jeffery

SOUTH PACIFIC POST CONVICTED criminal William Nanua Kapris has named State ministers Patrick Pruaitch and Tony Aimo and Deputy Speaker Francis Marus in his evidence at the Madang National Court hearing last week as accessories. He also named a policeman Phillip Bokom as the officer who supplied police uniforms to carry out his robbery at the Metals Refinery Operations in Port Moresby in 2007 and Malaysian William Lee who resides at Hohola as the person who operated a ‘black bank’ and took possession of all the gold bullions, gold nuggets and jewelry from the MRO robbery. He also named Gerehu-based man Alphonse Silas (Alphie) as the person who introduced him to Lee. He requested the National Court hearing in Madang to issue an order for those implicated to be investigated and that he become a state-witness in each of the cases. Kapris aged 33 from Karapia village in Yangoru, East Sepik Province, made the request during a lengthy allocutus which he delivered to a full courtroom last Thur

SOUTH PACIFIC POST CONVICTED criminal William Nanua Kapris has named State ministers Patrick Pruaitch and Tony Aimo and Deputy Speaker Francis Marus in his evidence at the Madang National Court hearing last week as accessories. He also named a policeman Phillip Bokom as the officer who supplied police uniforms to carry out his robbery at the Metals Refinery Operations in Port Moresby in 2007 and Malaysian William Lee who resides at Hohola as the person who operated a ‘black bank’ and took possession of all the gold bullions, gold nuggets and jewelry from the MRO robbery. He also named Gerehu-based man Alphonse Silas (Alphie) as the person who introduced him to Lee. He requested the National Court hearing in Madang to issue an order for those implicated to be investigated and that he become a state-witness in each of the cases. Kapris aged 33 from Karapia village in Yangoru, East Sepik Province, made the request during a lengthy allocutus which he delivered to a full co

MONGABAY The government of Papua New Guinea yesterday suspended its controversial Special Agricultural and Business Leases program which has granted logging and plantation development concessions to mostly foreign corporations across 5.2 million hectares of community forest land, reports the Post Courier. The leases (SABLs) emerged as a hot political issue in Papua New Guinea, where 97 percent of land is communally owned. In some cases SABLs were granted without permission or knowledge of the local community, a direct violation of Papua New Guinea's Lands Act. SABLs allow companies to clear forest without complying with existing forestry regulations. Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal said the government would immediately suspend leases and launch an official inquiry. He cited "concern" for the rights and interests of customary landholders. “The Commission will investigate the grant of Special Purpose Agriculture and Business Leases, covering some 5.2 million hectares of cust

MONGABAY The government of Papua New Guinea yesterday suspended its controversial Special Agricultural and Business Leases program which has granted logging and plantation development concessions to mostly foreign corporations across 5.2 million hectares of community forest land, reports the Post Courier. The leases (SABLs) emerged as a hot political issue in Papua New Guinea, where 97 percent of land is communally owned. In some cases SABLs were granted without permission or knowledge of the local community, a direct violation of Papua New Guinea's Lands Act. SABLs allow companies to clear forest without complying with existing forestry regulations. Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal said the government would immediately suspend leases and launch an official inquiry. He cited "concern" for the rights and interests of customary landholders. “The Commission will investigate the grant of Special Purpose Agriculture and Business Leases, covering some 5.2 million hectares of

PNGBLOGSADMIN Why Anonymity Matters Tor protects you by bouncing your communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around the world: it prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from learning what sites you visit, and it prevents the sites you visit from learning your physical location. Tor works with many of your existing applications, including web browsers, instant messaging clients, remote login, and other applications based on the TCP protocol. Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that allows people and groups to improve their privacy and security on the Internet. It also enables software developers to create new communication tools with built-in privacy features. Tor provides the foundation for a range of applications that allow organizations and individuals to share information over public networks without compromising their privacy.  Individuals

PNGBLOGSADMIN Why Anonymity Matters Tor protects you by bouncing your communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around the world: it prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from learning what sites you visit, and it prevents the sites you visit from learning your physical location. Tor works with many of your existing applications, including web browsers, instant messaging clients, remote login, and other applications based on the TCP protocol. Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that allows people and groups to improve their privacy and security on the Internet. It also enables software developers to create new communication tools with built-in privacy features. Tor provides the foundation for a range of applications that allow organizations and individuals to share information over public networks without compromising their privacy.  Individ

UNESCAP Strong economic growth continues •  Pacific island developing economies experienced sharp declines in GDP growth in 2009 on account of the global economic crisis. For 2010, t he results appear to be mixed, with only Papua New Guinea , Solomon Islands , and Palau recording improved GDP growth performance. Most of the other Pacific economies virtually stagnated, with the economy of Tonga actually contracting. •  Papua New Guinea is the star performer with 7.1% GDP growth in 2010 compared with 5.5% growth in 2009. •  The economy benefited from higher commodity prices as a result of a strong demand for its exports (oil, gold, copper, coffee, cocoa, and palm oil). •  The economy was also boosted by the commencement of Papua New Guinea liquefied natural gas project. High inflation is a major concern •  There was some deceleration in inflation in some major Pacific island dev