PNGBLOGS

PAPUA New Guinea's treasury department is considering a recommendation to regulate house prices in the country. Treasurer Don Polye says he has asked his department to examine a recommendation by PNG's Independent Consumer and Competition Commission to regulate the nation's housing market. "I have asked the department to look at it," Mr Polye said in response to a question at a recent press conference. "I believe in competition. The economy must grow on competition. Where it is really necessary, we have to introduce regulation. "I would like to see a market that is less regulated and free, competitive, quality-oriented and more thriving." Mr Polye, who is acting prime minister of the Pacific Island nation while Peter O'Neill is on a state visit to Indonesia, said his focus is to reduce high prices and inflation. PNG's annual rate of inflation slowed to 2.2 per cent in 2012; however, some analysts believe it will pick up to an

PAPUA New Guinea's treasury department is considering a recommendation to regulate house prices in the country. Treasurer Don Polye says he has asked his department to examine a recommendation by PNG's Independent Consumer and Competition Commission to regulate the nation's housing market. "I have asked the department to look at it," Mr Polye said in response to a question at a recent press conference. "I believe in competition. The economy must grow on competition. Where it is really necessary, we have to introduce regulation. "I would like to see a market that is less regulated and free, competitive, quality-oriented and more thriving." Mr Polye, who is acting prime minister of the Pacific Island nation while Peter O'Neill is on a state visit to Indonesia, said his focus is to reduce high prices and inflation. PNG's annual rate of inflation slowed to 2.2 per cent in 2012; however, some analysts believe it will

Millions of dollars allegedly corruptly obtained from the PNG government have been siphoned to Australian banks, confidential banking documents reveal. Fairfax Media has also confirmed that Australian bank NAB recently increased its due diligence on some money transfers from PNG due to corruption concerns. The allegedly dirty money stems from a corruption scandal gripping PNG that has led to the suspension of senior government officials and Prime Minister Peter O'Neill last month asking the Australian Federal Police and Interpol to help investigate. Mr O'Neill also threatened to sack all staff in the country's Finance Department after allegations in Parliament implicating top officials and prominent lawyers. Advertisement Law enforcement sources believe up to $500 million may have been stolen from PNG government legal aid funds over several years. A NAB spokesman said on Tuesday that the bank late last year ''heightened our due diligence relating to some funds from

Millions of dollars allegedly corruptly obtained from the PNG government have been siphoned to Australian banks, confidential banking documents reveal. Fairfax Media has also confirmed that Australian bank NAB recently increased its due diligence on some money transfers from PNG due to corruption concerns. The allegedly dirty money stems from a corruption scandal gripping PNG that has led to the suspension of senior government officials and Prime Minister Peter O'Neill last month asking the Australian Federal Police and Interpol to help investigate. Mr O'Neill also threatened to sack all staff in the country's Finance Department after allegations in Parliament implicating top officials and prominent lawyers. Advertisement Law enforcement sources believe up to $500 million may have been stolen from PNG government legal aid funds over several years. A NAB spokesman said on Tuesday that the bank late last year ''heightened our due diligence relating to some funds fro

By Graham Tenaen Robinson The 105 MPs gave O’Neill the benefit of the doubt in having dominion over the seat of the Prime Minister, however most importantly are the 7.5 million citizens in this country represented by their MPs in re-correcting a political incorrectness since 1975 with regards to the slaughter of West Papuans . Always showing a calm and collective pose our O'Neill portrays maturity and experience, yet the moment of truth depicted an uncharacteristic of our PM just on the eve of the last parliament sitting when information was leaked through to his office about the Paul Paraka payment in which the Opposition Leader was aware of. A dramatic report in the dailies captured the attention of this country through a defamation lawsuit by O’Neill against Namah for character smearing statements made in Morobe Province last month that was unsurprisingly given front-page exclusive on both dailies –The National and Post Courier. Such the intensity in news items added a new vigou

By Graham Tenaen Robinson The 105 MPs gave O’Neill the benefit of the doubt in having dominion over the seat of the Prime Minister, however most importantly are the 7.5 million citizens in this country represented by their MPs in re-correcting a political incorrectness since 1975 with regards to the slaughter of West Papuans . Always showing a calm and collective pose our O'Neill portrays maturity and experience, yet the moment of truth depicted an uncharacteristic of our PM just on the eve of the last parliament sitting when information was leaked through to his office about the Paul Paraka payment in which the Opposition Leader was aware of. A dramatic report in the dailies captured the attention of this country through a defamation lawsuit by O’Neill against Namah for character smearing statements made in Morobe Province last month that was unsurprisingly given front-page exclusive on both dailies –The National and Post Courier. Such the intensity in news items added a new v

By DANIEL DRAGESET Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea Peter O’Neill will travel to Jakarta this weekend for discussions with the Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. O’Neill will discuss trade, the West Papua situation, border issues and an extradition treaty with Yudhoyono, Radio Australia reports. The visit comes just days before the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) meets in New Caledonia to decide if the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation will be granted membership. Support The timing of O’Neill’s Indonesia visit has raised questions on Papua New Guinea’s support for West Papua, Radio New Zealand International reports. O’Neill has stated that West Papua is an integral part of Indonesia, but has voiced concern about human rights abuses in West Papua. Several reports detail torture and abuses against pro-independence activists in West Papua. Border issues include people from West Papua fleeing to Papua New Guinea. O’Neill said he looks forward to discussing these i

By DANIEL DRAGESET Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea Peter O’Neill will travel to Jakarta this weekend for discussions with the Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. O’Neill will discuss trade, the West Papua situation, border issues and an extradition treaty with Yudhoyono, Radio Australia reports. The visit comes just days before the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) meets in New Caledonia to decide if the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation will be granted membership. Support The timing of O’Neill’s Indonesia visit has raised questions on Papua New Guinea’s support for West Papua, Radio New Zealand International reports. O’Neill has stated that West Papua is an integral part of Indonesia, but has voiced concern about human rights abuses in West Papua. Several reports detail torture and abuses against pro-independence activists in West Papua. Border issues include people from West Papua fleeing to Papua New Guinea. O’Neill said he looks forward to

By Renata Laveil Papua New Guineans will be the judge in their respective electorates of their own leaders. The hackneyed referral to the Papua New Guinea Opposition Leader, Hon. Belden Namah in the article ‘Political Reality: Of Truisms and Urban Myths’, by notorious free lance writer Susan Merrell is more likely another spur in her boots with attempt at raising a public rally against the Opposition Leader for unknown reasons associated by her personal vendetta with the leader. The public relations machine she refers to in her article exists because it is run by the people for the people. The Opposition, as the alternative government, has the responsibility to take the government to task by demanding transparency and accountability. What then has transpired is that learned Papua New Guineans, whom Susan Merrell describes as ‘young, brash, impulsive and arrogant (and male) are not alone as those who would be his peers’, turning the public treadmill using social media to air out their g