PNGBLOGS

By Sanjay Bhosale   Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill's call for a thorough rethink of Australia's aid policy towards his country deserves serious consideration. On his first visit to Australia since his re-election in August, O'Neill delivered a thorough assessment of PNG-Australia relations and expressed his desire for a change in direction for AusAID. Addressing the National Press Club on November 28, O'Neill began with a complaint about the Australian media's coverage of PNG. ''It frequently disappoints me that journalists with most limited knowledge about Papua New Guinea describe my country as a failed state or a failing state. This is just simply, totally wrong,'' he said. ''I have no problems with journalists being critical of my government or my country. There are times when we deserve it … but such sweeping claims are harmful and quite frankly they are also very hurtful.'' O'Neill's grievance is just

By Sanjay Bhosale   Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill's call for a thorough rethink of Australia's aid policy towards his country deserves serious consideration. On his first visit to Australia since his re-election in August, O'Neill delivered a thorough assessment of PNG-Australia relations and expressed his desire for a change in direction for AusAID. Addressing the National Press Club on November 28, O'Neill began with a complaint about the Australian media's coverage of PNG. ''It frequently disappoints me that journalists with most limited knowledge about Papua New Guinea describe my country as a failed state or a failing state. This is just simply, totally wrong,'' he said. ''I have no problems with journalists being critical of my government or my country. There are times when we deserve it … but such sweeping claims are harmful and quite frankly they are also very hurtful.'' O'Neill's gri

By GOVERNOR GARY JUFFA MP Sonoma was an old man who was well known for his legends. That’s what we grew up reading, in the Times, a PNG newspaper of yesteryear which featured PNG legends. Sonoma told many legends that explained the existence of various geographic anomalies or creatures and their relationship towards each other. His stories were entertaining. I reflected today about legends. I myself grew up like many other Papua New Guineans enthralled and entertained by legends by the fireside. It made me think of a modern day legend. Well not really a legend, but I thought it would be an interesting way to begin this Sunday rant. A National Security Policy is being developed by Papua New Guinea. This is according to recent media reports. One wonders why it took 30 years. One would imagine that such a policy would have been designed and developed immediately after independence. National Security is fundamental to economic progress for any nation as its primary intention is to ensure i

IMPLEMENTATION of basic social services like health and education, and basic infrastructure – access roads, bridges, jetties and wharves – has been one of PNG’s biggest problems since independence in 1975. In fact this is one of the main reasons why PNG is currently facing a whole range of development issues or challenges – lack of business opportunities for the people; poverty; poor standards of living and quality of life; high maternal and infant deaths; deaths from TB, malaria, breast and cervical cancer and the list goes on. Imagine the hundreds of millions of kina that have gone to waste over the years, simply because the country’s principal implementation agency – the Public Service – has failed to provide the manpower – public servants – to do the job. We have the Provincial Administrators who are responsible for provincial administrations at each provincial centre. The PAs are assisted by Principal Advisors of divisions like Health, Education, Agriculture & Livestock, Comme

IMPLEMENTATION of basic social services like health and education, and basic infrastructure – access roads, bridges, jetties and wharves – has been one of PNG’s biggest problems since independence in 1975. In fact this is one of the main reasons why PNG is currently facing a whole range of development issues or challenges – lack of business opportunities for the people; poverty; poor standards of living and quality of life; high maternal and infant deaths; deaths from TB, malaria, breast and cervical cancer and the list goes on. Imagine the hundreds of millions of kina that have gone to waste over the years, simply because the country’s principal implementation agency – the Public Service – has failed to provide the manpower – public servants – to do the job. We have the Provincial Administrators who are responsible for provincial administrations at each provincial centre. The PAs are assisted by Principal Advisors of divisions like Health, Education, Agriculture & Livestock,

By NATHAN DINGU You all must be pretty tired of this topic being repeated so often without anything being done about it but hey, the more we talk about it, expose it and ridicule it – sooner or later something will be done about it. So let me show you how our government is taxing its own citizens similar to that of foreigners or even more so. We have a so called minimum wage limit set at K8000.00, but hey, it is only for that group of people. The rest of us have to face the full brunt of the TAX man. Yes, all Papua New Guineans are taxed at a 30% flat rate right across (that is, if you are not married). This literally means that out of every K1000 you earn – we are subject to pay K300 to the government for its so called services. Yes that is ONLY 10% less than an expatriate would but we all know that all expatriates are exempted from paying tax because the companies who bring them in pay for their TAXES! What makes me sick about the above is that the tax rate is simply flat – our gover

By NATHAN DINGU You all must be pretty tired of this topic being repeated so often without anything being done about it but hey, the more we talk about it, expose it and ridicule it – sooner or later something will be done about it. So let me show you how our government is taxing its own citizens similar to that of foreigners or even more so. We have a so called minimum wage limit set at K8000.00, but hey, it is only for that group of people. The rest of us have to face the full brunt of the TAX man. Yes, all Papua New Guineans are taxed at a 30% flat rate right across (that is, if you are not married). This literally means that out of every K1000 you earn – we are subject to pay K300 to the government for its so called services. Yes that is ONLY 10% less than an expatriate would but we all know that all expatriates are exempted from paying tax because the companies who bring them in pay for their TAXES! What makes me sick about the above is that the tax rate is simply flat – ou