PNGBLOGS

By KARABUSPALAU KAIKU  Officials from the Papua New Guinea Department of Foreign Affairs have been tasked to come up with a revised PNG foreign policy. Whilst this is welcomed development, there are issues that need to be thrashed out. For instance, how different is this new policy from previous foreign policy statements? What is the timeframe considered in the proposed foreign policy? What variables are considered in the framing of this foreign policy? And what specifically is PNG seeking to elicit from its foreign relations with the international community? We know that PNG is situated in the Asia-Pacific region. This region of the world is considered to be the most dynamic region in global economic and political transformations. The Asia-Pacific is also where geo-political maneuverings has gained significant attention in recent decades. As the realization of the “Asian Century” provides the guide for other countries in the region to outline their foreign policy orientations, PNG sho

By KARABUSPALAU KAIKU  Officials from the Papua New Guinea Department of Foreign Affairs have been tasked to come up with a revised PNG foreign policy. Whilst this is welcomed development, there are issues that need to be thrashed out. For instance, how different is this new policy from previous foreign policy statements? What is the timeframe considered in the proposed foreign policy? What variables are considered in the framing of this foreign policy? And what specifically is PNG seeking to elicit from its foreign relations with the international community? We know that PNG is situated in the Asia-Pacific region. This region of the world is considered to be the most dynamic region in global economic and political transformations. The Asia-Pacific is also where geo-political maneuverings has gained significant attention in recent decades. As the realization of the “Asian Century” provides the guide for other countries in the region to outline their foreign policy orientations, PN

TIME and again this newspaper has called for investigations into the abuse of monies held in trust accounts by government entities. We are merely broadcasting concerns repeatedly raised by the Auditor General and by the Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts. Now a senior minister is calling for an investigation to find out where an amazing K9 billion has disappeared to from trust funds between 2006 and 2011. Works and Implementation Minister Francis Awesa said last night that everybody is talking about corruption but no serious effort seems to be directed at recovering these billions of kina which could have gone into important infrastructure projects in the country. We agree entirely with Awesa. Task Force Sweep is doing a commendable job but it needs to do more. It needs to be supported with more resources. Indeed, it has also been our call for a merging of government entities which are doing virtually the same job but operating under different entities and different laws even.

TIME and again this newspaper has called for investigations into the abuse of monies held in trust accounts by government entities. We are merely broadcasting concerns repeatedly raised by the Auditor General and by the Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts. Now a senior minister is calling for an investigation to find out where an amazing K9 billion has disappeared to from trust funds between 2006 and 2011. Works and Implementation Minister Francis Awesa said last night that everybody is talking about corruption but no serious effort seems to be directed at recovering these billions of kina which could have gone into important infrastructure projects in the country. We agree entirely with Awesa. Task Force Sweep is doing a commendable job but it needs to do more. It needs to be supported with more resources. Indeed, it has also been our call for a merging of government entities which are doing virtually the same job but operating under different entities and different l

By LUCAS KIAP For the last 37 years of nationhood, we have been letting corruption to grow systematic and systemic - making our lives difficult, limiting our opportunities, making our systems malfunction, setting back our progresses, creating loopholes for our systems to be manipulated, distorting of our democratic values, depriving and denying us of our basic human rights and trapping millions of our citizens in poverty. We have forsaken our country and its future by confessing and accepting corruption as a norm, part of our history, cultures, and traditions. We have regarded it is as part of our way of life, for instance “Big Man” are not punishable even when they commit serious crimes. We regarded “wantok system” or nepotism as helping one another or returning a favor. Bribery has been regarded as normal and is considered as a gift to facilitate requests in a speedy or timely manner. Unfortunately, our traditional norms have presided over western norms. We are a nation at confusion

By LUCAS KIAP For the last 37 years of nationhood, we have been letting corruption to grow systematic and systemic - making our lives difficult, limiting our opportunities, making our systems malfunction, setting back our progresses, creating loopholes for our systems to be manipulated, distorting of our democratic values, depriving and denying us of our basic human rights and trapping millions of our citizens in poverty. We have forsaken our country and its future by confessing and accepting corruption as a norm, part of our history, cultures, and traditions. We have regarded it is as part of our way of life, for instance “Big Man” are not punishable even when they commit serious crimes. We regarded “wantok system” or nepotism as helping one another or returning a favor. Bribery has been regarded as normal and is considered as a gift to facilitate requests in a speedy or timely manner. Unfortunately, our traditional norms have presided over western norms. We are a nation at confu

By alt-UNITECH Reporter By all reports, last Friday's 45 th  Unitech graduation was most certainly not on time. The speeches contained the usual choking dose of inspirational tok nating.  At least HERST Minister Don Polye didn’t pretend that Unitech’s graduants got a fine education. Instead he encouraged them to spew forth across the nation and creatively solve whatever problems they encountered, armed with the substandard education they acquired.  We already know what the results of THAT will be:  It already affects us all on a daily basis, we see it everywhere! The good Minister also mentioned that he couldn’t mention VC Albert Schram until the Sevua investigation completed its work.    That statement follows an old PNG political strategy:   Convince the people that the government’s doing something which gives them the breathing space to do nothing until we all forget what they were supposed to do.  With respet to investigations and inquiries, this means that the government quiet