PNGBLOGS

By RICHARDO TIMAPEN In places like Malaysia, China, Japan, a K20 can be a day’s meal but here in PNG, it’s a cost of a single big rooster lunch pack. Car rentals in aussie for instance, would be like $35 (K80) per day for a sedan but here its K200+. A roadside inn would cost $40 (K90) per night, in PNG its K250+ and a good fortnight’s residential rental would cost $250 (K600), here K1600 per fortnight. I have always wondered why people say it’s expensive to live and work in PNG then in other countries like Ozz. The economic boom boosted about by ministers, bureaucrats, central banks, financial institutions, research agents, and the business communities are exclusive top level good news. Developmental benefits aren't reaching the average and lower level. For instance, a 3% deflation has never been reflected in the prices of goods and services. However, rather a 10% increase in the costs of goods and services was “approved’. ICCC a good strategic agent for corporate fraud? Relevant g

By RICHARDO TIMAPEN In places like Malaysia, China, Japan, a K20 can be a day’s meal but here in PNG, it’s a cost of a single big rooster lunch pack. Car rentals in aussie for instance, would be like $35 (K80) per day for a sedan but here its K200+. A roadside inn would cost $40 (K90) per night, in PNG its K250+ and a good fortnight’s residential rental would cost $250 (K600), here K1600 per fortnight. I have always wondered why people say it’s expensive to live and work in PNG then in other countries like Ozz. The economic boom boosted about by ministers, bureaucrats, central banks, financial institutions, research agents, and the business communities are exclusive top level good news. Developmental benefits aren't reaching the average and lower level. For instance, a 3% deflation has never been reflected in the prices of goods and services. However, rather a 10% increase in the costs of goods and services was “approved’. ICCC a good strategic agent for corporate fraud? Releva

CREDIT RATING: B+/Stable/B Country: Papua New Guinea Rationale The ratings on Papua New Guinea (PNG) reflect the vulnerabilities associated with the country's weak policy environment and shortcomings in governance. The activities of statutory authorities, trust accounts, and other government-controlled entities lack transparency and contribute to the government's off-balance-sheet liabilities. Infrastructure shortcomings and security risks further constrain the rating by impeding investment required to diversify the economy , which is highly concentrated in the resources sector. The government's moderate fiscal deficits, low government debt, modest net external liability position, and the strong potential of the minerals and allied sectors to boost economic growth support the ratings. In our view, PNG's political and institutional frameworks remain weak and pose a key challenge as the government manages large windfall gains from lique

CREDIT RATING: B+/Stable/B Country: Papua New Guinea Rationale The ratings on Papua New Guinea (PNG) reflect the vulnerabilities associated with the country's weak policy environment and shortcomings in governance. The activities of statutory authorities, trust accounts, and other government-controlled entities lack transparency and contribute to the government's off-balance-sheet liabilities. Infrastructure shortcomings and security risks further constrain the rating by impeding investment required to diversify the economy , which is highly concentrated in the resources sector. The government's moderate fiscal deficits, low government debt, modest net external liability position, and the strong potential of the minerals and allied sectors to boost economic growth support the ratings. In our view, PNG's political and institutional frameworks remain weak and pose a key challenge as the government manages large windfall gains from

Sports and Special Events Minister Justin Tkatchenko is not a fit and proper person to be an MP, let alone a government Minister, given his history of unanswered fraud allegations. Parliament’s own Accounts Committee and special investigations at the National Capital District have both thrown up detailed allegations of corruption while one criminal prosecution against Tkatchenko was dropped in circumstances questioned by the National Court. In 2010 it was alleged Tkatchenko received over K3 million in payments from the National Capital District through his landscaping companies Kitoro No.33 and PNG Gardner. It is claimed these payments, were authorised by NCDC Governor Powes Parkop in breach of the Public Finance Management Act, the NCDC Act and the Organic Law on the Leadership Code. The payments, which were made for work on the NCDC Mini Park, Water Fountain, Waterslide and Zoo and Animal Farm, were made with no quotations provided and no public tendering process – brea

Sports and Special Events Minister Justin Tkatchenko is not a fit and proper person to be an MP, let alone a government Minister, given his history of unanswered fraud allegations. Parliament’s own Accounts Committee and special investigations at the National Capital District have both thrown up detailed allegations of corruption while one criminal prosecution against Tkatchenko was dropped in circumstances questioned by the National Court. In 2010 it was alleged Tkatchenko received over K3 million in payments from the National Capital District through his landscaping companies Kitoro No.33 and PNG Gardner. It is claimed these payments, were authorised by NCDC Governor Powes Parkop in breach of the Public Finance Management Act, the NCDC Act and the Organic Law on the Leadership Code. The payments, which were made for work on the NCDC Mini Park, Water Fountain, Waterslide and Zoo and Animal Farm, were made with no quotations provided and no public tendering proces

By GOVERNOR GARY JUFFA MP My grandmother had a dream to own a turkey. She had seen one of these feathered creatures in a book of animals my mother had bought me. When my uncle who was an agriculturalist, came around to visit, she asked him whether such creatures were sold in Papua New Guinea. He said they would be sold in due time when the Department of Agriculture was promoting poultry farming. She was so pleased with him and said she would place an order now and would start saving up. Every so often when I was flipping through the pages of my book as she baked, she would insist that I show her the page with the turkey. “I want to own a few turkeys.” she would say with a wistful smile. “Can you imagine them in our farm?” And off we would go telling outrageous stories of a farm full of turkeys and goats and horses and cattle in Kokoda strolling among the cocoa and coffee trees as she baked her scones to sell at the Kokoda Station market the next day. That was her simple dream. Sadly, s

THE case of fugitive Indonesian businessman Djoko Tjandra gaining Papua New Guinea citizenship to escape the clutches of the law serves to reinforce the view that we condone people with questionable motives and pasts. The impression given by this episode is that we are willing to bend our principles to suit our own ends despite how it may appear. On the one hand we have a person fleeing alleged persecution by the justice system of his own country so we agree to protect him using the immunity of citizenship. And, on the other hand, we must remember that this person is wanted by Interpol and Indonesian authorities for the embezzlement of millions in bank funds. We must ask the question: Is it wise, or worth our while, to embroil ourselves in a course of action that could cause friction in the cordial bilateral relationship enjoyed by Papua New Guinea and Indonesia? We should hope not. If we are to go out on a limb for an individual or a cause, doesn’t the plight of the indigen

THE case of fugitive Indonesian businessman Djoko Tjandra gaining Papua New Guinea citizenship to escape the clutches of the law serves to reinforce the view that we condone people with questionable motives and pasts. The impression given by this episode is that we are willing to bend our principles to suit our own ends despite how it may appear. On the one hand we have a person fleeing alleged persecution by the justice system of his own country so we agree to protect him using the immunity of citizenship. And, on the other hand, we must remember that this person is wanted by Interpol and Indonesian authorities for the embezzlement of millions in bank funds. We must ask the question: Is it wise, or worth our while, to embroil ourselves in a course of action that could cause friction in the cordial bilateral relationship enjoyed by Papua New Guinea and Indonesia? We should hope not. If we are to go out on a limb for an individual or a cause, doesn’t the plight of