PNGBLOGS

Bulolo MP and Deputy Leader of Opposition Honourable Sam Basil today commended the enforcer of the Leadership Code - the Ombudsman Commission – for its proactive response on his call for public accounting on funding of elections. “I am pleased that that Acting Chief Ombudsman John Nero has taken my public call on parliamentary leaders and political party executives to account for their election campaign funding seriously,” Mr Basil said, following an EMTV news item featuring Mr Nero’s public comments on Saturday evening. The head of PNG’s watch dog said on TV that the Ombudsman Commission will investigate the use of District Services Improvement Program funds by both ousted and returned MPs. Open MPs are chairmen of their joint district planning and budget priorities committees which determine priorities for disbursement. It is estimated that the 89 Open MPs had access to some K27 million each from 2007-2012 in DSIP funds. That equates to an expenditure of at least K2.4 billion for the

Bulolo MP and Deputy Leader of Opposition Honourable Sam Basil today commended the enforcer of the Leadership Code - the Ombudsman Commission – for its proactive response on his call for public accounting on funding of elections. “I am pleased that that Acting Chief Ombudsman John Nero has taken my public call on parliamentary leaders and political party executives to account for their election campaign funding seriously,” Mr Basil said, following an EMTV news item featuring Mr Nero’s public comments on Saturday evening. The head of PNG’s watch dog said on TV that the Ombudsman Commission will investigate the use of District Services Improvement Program funds by both ousted and returned MPs. Open MPs are chairmen of their joint district planning and budget priorities committees which determine priorities for disbursement. It is estimated that the 89 Open MPs had access to some K27 million each from 2007-2012 in DSIP funds. That equates to an expenditure of at least K2.4 billion for t

By CHRISTOPHER PAPIALI PNG is the richest country in the South Pacific. It has a lot of land space, increasing population with massive economic boom that will transform our small country. Our richness and wealth creation can be felt if the national government together with its developmental partners stands united to supporting sports development initiatives. It is right to act now for our betterment than wait for the next 5 years. Sport can be used as a tool for addressing some of the challenges that arise from humanitarian crises and in conflict and post-conflict settings. Even the UN emphasizes sports and development in these words: “People in every nation love sport. Its values – fitness, fair play, teamwork, and the pursuit of excellence – are universal. At its best, it brings people together, no matter what”. For PNG to progress, we sometimes have to take on board the UN chronicled statements as it appeals to everyone from every race and nationality. Successive governments and pol

By CHRISTOPHER PAPIALI PNG is the richest country in the South Pacific. It has a lot of land space, increasing population with massive economic boom that will transform our small country. Our richness and wealth creation can be felt if the national government together with its developmental partners stands united to supporting sports development initiatives. It is right to act now for our betterment than wait for the next 5 years. Sport can be used as a tool for addressing some of the challenges that arise from humanitarian crises and in conflict and post-conflict settings. Even the UN emphasizes sports and development in these words: “People in every nation love sport. Its values – fitness, fair play, teamwork, and the pursuit of excellence – are universal. At its best, it brings people together, no matter what”. For PNG to progress, we sometimes have to take on board the UN chronicled statements as it appeals to everyone from every race and nationality. Successive governments and pol

The Internal Revenue Commission went to town on this newspaper when we carried a story quoting Asian Deve­lopment Bank’s country eco­nomist Aaron Batten that PNG was giving “generous tax concessions” to mining, oil and gas companies which were contributing to lower go­­vern­ment revenue per capita. Batten commented that “average effective tax on PNG’s mining, oil and gas companies was now on the low side of fiscal regimes across the world”. The IRC said the reasons for giving these companies tax concession over five to 10 years was to give time to them for construction and also because foreign investors needed that time to extract, produce, export and sell their products before generating a continuous income to pay tax. Another factor that the IRC conveniently forgot was the fact that giving such companies a tax holiday is also giving the state itself a tax holiday because it is actively engaged as an equity partner in almost all major mining, oil and gas resource projects. We tend to

The Internal Revenue Commission went to town on this newspaper when we carried a story quoting Asian Deve­lopment Bank’s country eco­nomist Aaron Batten that PNG was giving “generous tax concessions” to mining, oil and gas companies which were contributing to lower go­­vern­ment revenue per capita. Batten commented that “average effective tax on PNG’s mining, oil and gas companies was now on the low side of fiscal regimes across the world”. The IRC said the reasons for giving these companies tax concession over five to 10 years was to give time to them for construction and also because foreign investors needed that time to extract, produce, export and sell their products before generating a continuous income to pay tax. Another factor that the IRC conveniently forgot was the fact that giving such companies a tax holiday is also giving the state itself a tax holiday because it is actively engaged as an equity partner in almost all major mining, oil and gas resource projects. We te

Agriculture provides a livelihood to the majority of the population in Papua New Guinea, a developing island nation of approximately seven million in the southwest Pacific.  However, the loss and waste of an estimated half of all fresh produce between harvesting and marketing is threatening improvements to food security and local incomes. Yer Kirul, a fresh produce grower and vendor at Gordon’s food market in the capital, Port Moresby, told IPS: “We sell our produce, but not always all of it.  What isn’t sold is either given to street vendors at the end of the day or thrown away. There is a lot of waste.” Papua New Guinea is located close to the equator and Kirul does not have access to storage facilities for his perishable fruit and vegetables in the year-round heat and humidity. According to a survey conducted by the Fresh Produce Development Agency, which is working to develop a sustainable commercial food industry, only 13 percent of farmers in nearby Central Province sold produce

Agriculture provides a livelihood to the majority of the population in Papua New Guinea, a developing island nation of approximately seven million in the southwest Pacific.  However, the loss and waste of an estimated half of all fresh produce between harvesting and marketing is threatening improvements to food security and local incomes. Yer Kirul, a fresh produce grower and vendor at Gordon’s food market in the capital, Port Moresby, told IPS: “We sell our produce, but not always all of it.  What isn’t sold is either given to street vendors at the end of the day or thrown away. There is a lot of waste.” Papua New Guinea is located close to the equator and Kirul does not have access to storage facilities for his perishable fruit and vegetables in the year-round heat and humidity. According to a survey conducted by the Fresh Produce Development Agency, which is working to develop a sustainable commercial food industry, only 13 percent of farmers in nearby Central Province sold produc

By CHRISTOPHER PAPIALI On the 24th May 2012, Chief Justice, Sir Alamo Inja was charged on sedition. Sedition is ‘actions or words intended to encourage overthrow of a state’ (Answers.Ask.com). The O’Neill government at that time saw the Chief Justice showing allegiance to Sir Michael and O’Neill government saw this as another form of bias in which all judicial/constitutional interpretations will not favor O’Neill government. Five days after the arrest of the Chief Justice, Justice Nicholas Kiriwom was also arrested. The arrests of both senior judges occurred as a result of the ruling in which they made whereby Sir Michael and his government acted and existed within the meaning of the constitution and not O’Neill/Namah government. The arrest of Chief Justice and his brother judge sparked a great concern across all legal fraternity, civil society, and international community. It was viewed that the independence of judiciary was the hallmark of rule of law in a democratic state. Those who

By CHRISTOPHER PAPIALI On the 24th May 2012, Chief Justice, Sir Alamo Inja was charged on sedition. Sedition is ‘actions or words intended to encourage overthrow of a state’ (Answers.Ask.com). The O’Neill government at that time saw the Chief Justice showing allegiance to Sir Michael and O’Neill government saw this as another form of bias in which all judicial/constitutional interpretations will not favor O’Neill government. Five days after the arrest of the Chief Justice, Justice Nicholas Kiriwom was also arrested. The arrests of both senior judges occurred as a result of the ruling in which they made whereby Sir Michael and his government acted and existed within the meaning of the constitution and not O’Neill/Namah government. The arrest of Chief Justice and his brother judge sparked a great concern across all legal fraternity, civil society, and international community. It was viewed that the independence of judiciary was the hallmark of rule of law in a democratic state. Those w

PAPUA NEW GUINEA'S newly elected leader is willing to negotiate with Australia to open a detention centre for asylum seekers on Manus Island. The Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, said it was a tragedy when boats full of people sank, pledging PNG would help Australia tackle what was a regional problem. His comments came in a statement issued after the review headed by the former Defence chief Angus Houston called for Australia to immediately seek to open a centre on Manus Island. Mr O'Neill said last year he was willing to reopen the centre, which last operated during the Howard era as part of the so-called Pacific Solution. The last refugee left Manus Island in 2004 after 10 months as the sole detainee, at a cost to Australia of $250,000 a month. The negotiations with PNG that coincided with Labor's push for a refugee swap with Malaysia last year stalled when a constitutional crisis engulfed the country. A small-scale army mutiny and a police rebellion followed a High Cou

PAPUA NEW GUINEA'S newly elected leader is willing to negotiate with Australia to open a detention centre for asylum seekers on Manus Island. The Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, said it was a tragedy when boats full of people sank, pledging PNG would help Australia tackle what was a regional problem. His comments came in a statement issued after the review headed by the former Defence chief Angus Houston called for Australia to immediately seek to open a centre on Manus Island. Mr O'Neill said last year he was willing to reopen the centre, which last operated during the Howard era as part of the so-called Pacific Solution. The last refugee left Manus Island in 2004 after 10 months as the sole detainee, at a cost to Australia of $250,000 a month. The negotiations with PNG that coincided with Labor's push for a refugee swap with Malaysia last year stalled when a constitutional crisis engulfed the country. A small-scale army mutiny and a police rebellion follow

By CHRISTOPHER PAPIALI Recorded Police brutality in Papua New Guinea ought to be brought to the fore as more and more Papua New Guineans experience extreme physical suffering and death in the hands of rogue policemen. Reported and unreported cases of police brutality is causing extreme violence and it becomes a national issue as some foreign observers have also discussed it at various forums and meetings. A far more appalling reaction from United Nations is contained in a fact finding report titled Level of police violence in Papua New Guinea. In this report, Manfred Nowak, the UN Special Rapporteur states “This regular practice of police violence, corroborated by medical evidence, often reaches the level of torture.” Every year the government’s allocation of police budget increases without any improvement and reduction of police brutality and not even the rank and file of the police force inform the nation how the increase spending is accounted for. We are left in awe whether or not t

By CHRISTOPHER PAPIALI Recorded Police brutality in Papua New Guinea ought to be brought to the fore as more and more Papua New Guineans experience extreme physical suffering and death in the hands of rogue policemen. Reported and unreported cases of police brutality is causing extreme violence and it becomes a national issue as some foreign observers have also discussed it at various forums and meetings. A far more appalling reaction from United Nations is contained in a fact finding report titled Level of police violence in Papua New Guinea. In this report, Manfred Nowak, the UN Special Rapporteur states “This regular practice of police violence, corroborated by medical evidence, often reaches the level of torture.” Every year the government’s allocation of police budget increases without any improvement and reduction of police brutality and not even the rank and file of the police force inform the nation how the increase spending is accounted for. We are left in awe whether

By SANJAY BHOSALE PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill deserves to be congratulated for putting together a coalition of unprecedented proportions in the aftermath of the recent elections. Any questions of legitimacy and credibility have now been emphatically answered. And the new government enjoys a level of acceptance around the country and abroad than perhaps any other before it. The challenge for O’Neill lies in keeping his grand coalition together for the duration. They say a week is a long time in politics, and five years is an absolute eternity. To use an Olympic analogy, holding the government together for five years is like running a marathon. The runners know that only one of them will win gold. Still, it won’t stop them from trying to breast the tape first. Those who had ambitions for the top post have been kept at bay. But for how long? It would be wishful thinking to hope that O’Neill will not face any challenges to his leadership until 2017. And as has been pointed out on this pa

By SANJAY BHOSALE PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill deserves to be congratulated for putting together a coalition of unprecedented proportions in the aftermath of the recent elections. Any questions of legitimacy and credibility have now been emphatically answered. And the new government enjoys a level of acceptance around the country and abroad than perhaps any other before it. The challenge for O’Neill lies in keeping his grand coalition together for the duration. They say a week is a long time in politics, and five years is an absolute eternity. To use an Olympic analogy, holding the government together for five years is like running a marathon. The runners know that only one of them will win gold. Still, it won’t stop them from trying to breast the tape first. Those who had ambitions for the top post have been kept at bay. But for how long? It would be wishful thinking to hope that O’Neill will not face any challenges to his leadership until 2017. And as has been pointed out on

Triumph Heritage Empowerment (THE) Party leader Don Pomb Polye is the most upset man in this country right now. Sources close to Mr Polye said the Kandep MP was fuming that Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has “lied” to him over the Finance and Treasury portfolio. Last night when Mr O’Neill made the announcement, Mr Polye was at a function to celebrate the election victories of Delilah Gore and Julie Soso Akeke for the Sohe Open and Eastern Highlands provincial seats respectively. At that function, he remained calm when told that he was given only the Treasury portfolio but sources close to him said, the man felt cheated. “He had to forgo the Deputy Prime Minister’s post for the Finance and Treasury portfolio. What can he do as Treasurer,” a senior member of the party told Post Courier. At that party, senior MPs and officials from THE Party informed Post Courier that they were also concerned that none of the economic portfolios were given to any of their members and what was allocated to t

Triumph Heritage Empowerment (THE) Party leader Don Pomb Polye is the most upset man in this country right now. Sources close to Mr Polye said the Kandep MP was fuming that Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has “lied” to him over the Finance and Treasury portfolio. Last night when Mr O’Neill made the announcement, Mr Polye was at a function to celebrate the election victories of Delilah Gore and Julie Soso Akeke for the Sohe Open and Eastern Highlands provincial seats respectively. At that function, he remained calm when told that he was given only the Treasury portfolio but sources close to him said, the man felt cheated. “He had to forgo the Deputy Prime Minister’s post for the Finance and Treasury portfolio. What can he do as Treasurer,” a senior member of the party told Post Courier. At that party, senior MPs and officials from THE Party informed Post Courier that they were also concerned that none of the economic portfolios were given to any of their members and what was all

CABINET PORTFOLIOS: Peter O'Neill              Prime Minister Leo Dion              Deputy Prime Minister; Inter-Government Relations. Don Polye              Treasurer James Marape              Finance Charles Abel             National Planning Loujaya Toni              Religion, Youth and Community Development. Ben Micah              Public Enterprises and State Investment Rimbink Pato              Foreign Affairs and Immigration Education              Paru Aihi Michael Malabag          Health and HIV-AIDS Patrick Pruaitch          Forests and Climate Change Ano Pala              Transport Tommy Tomscoll          Agriculture and Livestock Sir Puka Temu              Public Service John Pundari              Environment and Conservation David Arore              Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology Kerenga Kua              Justice and Attorney-General Fabian Pok              Defence William Duma              Petroleum and Energy Paul Isikiel              Housing and Urba

IN the days of the Cold War, the Pacific firmly belonged to the United States’ Pacific Fleet. The Pacific consisted, in the minds of US military strategists as a theatre, a wide expanse of ocean with a sprinkling of islands and dreamy islanders in grass skirts swaying on white sandy beaches like the coconut palms to the strum of ukuleles. Simplistic, perhaps, but that is how the islander felt he was being treated. If the US needed to dump highly toxic nuclear waste or test nuclear weaponry, or even transport nuclear arsenal through the region, it did not feel anybody deserved the courtesy of being informed. The ANZUS Treaty collapsed as a direct result of this arrogant stance by the US. But times are a-changing. US influence in the region, while still very influential, is being challenged both militarily and economically by the rising might of China and India. What does it all mean for little nations in the South Pacific like Papua New Guinea? The first thing really is to wake up to th

IN the days of the Cold War, the Pacific firmly belonged to the United States’ Pacific Fleet. The Pacific consisted, in the minds of US military strategists as a theatre, a wide expanse of ocean with a sprinkling of islands and dreamy islanders in grass skirts swaying on white sandy beaches like the coconut palms to the strum of ukuleles. Simplistic, perhaps, but that is how the islander felt he was being treated. If the US needed to dump highly toxic nuclear waste or test nuclear weaponry, or even transport nuclear arsenal through the region, it did not feel anybody deserved the courtesy of being informed. The ANZUS Treaty collapsed as a direct result of this arrogant stance by the US. But times are a-changing. US influence in the region, while still very influential, is being challenged both militarily and economically by the rising might of China and India. What does it all mean for little nations in the South Pacific like Papua New Guinea? The first thing really is to wake up