PNGBLOGS

urban myth? Is it a truism that Namah is 'Mr Fixit' whereas O'Neill is 'Mr I'll look into it'?  No, it's an urban myth -  Writes Susan Merrell An idea has emerged in the PNG social media that Prime Minister Peter O'Neill is a man of empty words while the Opposition Leader, Belden Namah, is a man of action.  These perceptions are incorrect, especially as they apply to politics. A public relations machine, paid and unpaid, has been particularly active on behalf of the opposition leader pushing this idea in the social media pages.  When something is repeated often enough the gullible tend to accept the veracity of the claim and thus an urban myth is born.  It's an interesting strategy, however, when using any form of media, the opposition leader needs to consider his image, not only amongst his diehard social media followers, who tend to be young, brash, impulsive and arrogant (and male), but also amongst those who would be his peers.  Namah's late

Exxon Mobil Corp.'s move to snap up more natural gas assets in Papua New Guinea has sparked concern the U.S. oil major is about to leave its Australian partners there behind. But Oil Search Ltd. and Santos Ltd. needn’t be worried, according to Macquarie’s Adrian Wood, who says they will benefit from an expansion of Exxon’s $19 billion PNG LNG gas-export project regardless of whose gas is fed through it. Oil Search and Santos own 29.0% and 13.5% of PNG LNG, respectively, compared to Exxon’s operating interest of 33.2%. The foundation stage of the project is due to start producing liquefied natural gas, or LNG, for shipment to Asian customers next year. Exxon and partners have already found natural gas to support an expansion of the project to three LNG production units, also known as trains, from the two currently under construction. However, Exxon is poised to strengthen its hand. Last month, it announced it’s in exclusive talks with Houston-based InterOil to inve

Exxon Mobil Corp.'s move to snap up more natural gas assets in Papua New Guinea has sparked concern the U.S. oil major is about to leave its Australian partners there behind. But Oil Search Ltd. and Santos Ltd. needn’t be worried, according to Macquarie’s Adrian Wood, who says they will benefit from an expansion of Exxon’s $19 billion PNG LNG gas-export project regardless of whose gas is fed through it. Oil Search and Santos own 29.0% and 13.5% of PNG LNG, respectively, compared to Exxon’s operating interest of 33.2%. The foundation stage of the project is due to start producing liquefied natural gas, or LNG, for shipment to Asian customers next year. Exxon and partners have already found natural gas to support an expansion of the project to three LNG production units, also known as trains, from the two currently under construction. However, Exxon is poised to strengthen its hand. Last month, it announced it’s in exclusive talks with Houston-based InterO

By STEVEN ANDRE I am totally dumbfounded to learn that Paul Paraka Lawyers is having easy access to the print media to assassinate his opponents, or would be opponents, in the corridors of Waigani Government. The latest media front page concerning Namah, Stevens, Pato and Kua are all orchestrated by Paul Paraka and his cohorts secretly. Why he is running these conspiracy theories with the full support and connivance of the Post Courier and the National newspapers? • Paul Paraka knows that his days are numbered and the people who will contribute to reduce those numbers to almost nothingness are the very ones he is shooting. • Davies Stevens was the lawyer engaged by the State to take action against Paraka when his PPL) contract was terminated by Bire Kimisopa in 2006. Stevens knows more about Paraka. • Kerenga Kua is the current Attorney General and he would want to see Paraka hanged for good • Rimbink also thinks adversely of Paraka who makes quick and easy money without sweating like

By STEVEN ANDRE I am totally dumbfounded to learn that Paul Paraka Lawyers is having easy access to the print media to assassinate his opponents, or would be opponents, in the corridors of Waigani Government. The latest media front page concerning Namah, Stevens, Pato and Kua are all orchestrated by Paul Paraka and his cohorts secretly. Why he is running these conspiracy theories with the full support and connivance of the Post Courier and the National newspapers? • Paul Paraka knows that his days are numbered and the people who will contribute to reduce those numbers to almost nothingness are the very ones he is shooting. • Davies Stevens was the lawyer engaged by the State to take action against Paraka when his PPL) contract was terminated by Bire Kimisopa in 2006. Stevens knows more about Paraka. • Kerenga Kua is the current Attorney General and he would want to see Paraka hanged for good • Rimbink also thinks adversely of Paraka who makes quick and easy money without swea

The Opposition Leader, Hon Belden Namah has welcomed investigations into how the K9.9 million of the Log Export Development Levy from the Vanimo Timber Rights Purchase (TRP) Blocks 1-6 Project Area in Bewani has been obtained and spent. Just as the mineral and hydrocarbon development area land owners are entitled to MOA Funds or Development Levy, so are Forest Land owners entitled to Forest Export Levy. The monies in question, accordingly, are designated and allocated for infrastructure development within the Vanimo TRP, Blocks 1-6 Project Area, in Bewani. I must state categorically that the funds were lawfully applied for that purpose. The funds were used to seal the road between Vanimo Secondary School and Krisa Village by a contractor who was lawfully awarded the contract through normal procurement processes. “The screening process in the award of such a contract is as follows; The Joint District Planning and Budget Priority Committee (JDP&BPC) endorses project to be funded. It

The Opposition Leader, Hon Belden Namah has welcomed investigations into how the K9.9 million of the Log Export Development Levy from the Vanimo Timber Rights Purchase (TRP) Blocks 1-6 Project Area in Bewani has been obtained and spent. Just as the mineral and hydrocarbon development area land owners are entitled to MOA Funds or Development Levy, so are Forest Land owners entitled to Forest Export Levy. The monies in question, accordingly, are designated and allocated for infrastructure development within the Vanimo TRP, Blocks 1-6 Project Area, in Bewani. I must state categorically that the funds were lawfully applied for that purpose. The funds were used to seal the road between Vanimo Secondary School and Krisa Village by a contractor who was lawfully awarded the contract through normal procurement processes. “The screening process in the award of such a contract is as follows; The Joint District Planning and Budget Priority Committee (JDP&BPC) endorses project to be fund

By LUCAS KIAP The current states of affairs in this country whether good or bad according to your judgment are the reflections of the standard and quality of leadership we have had over the last 38 years of independence.   To understand the standard and quality of leadership in this country, let’s go back to how our leaders are elected to parliament, hence elections. In the Highlands where I come from, leaders are not elected democratically as it suppose to be through the ballot paper but usually elected through force, intimidations, bribery and cheating.   In the following I share my personal experiences of election bribery and cheating starting from the 1997 up until the 2012 general/national elections.   As far as I can recall, I had first witnessed bribery during the 1997 general elections. In that year I was doing Grade 9 at Fr. Peter Secondary (formerly known as Fatima Secondary) in the new Jiwaka Province (before it was part of the W.H.P). All students were asked to go home to v

By LUCAS KIAP The current states of affairs in this country whether good or bad according to your judgment are the reflections of the standard and quality of leadership we have had over the last 38 years of independence.   To understand the standard and quality of leadership in this country, let’s go back to how our leaders are elected to parliament, hence elections. In the Highlands where I come from, leaders are not elected democratically as it suppose to be through the ballot paper but usually elected through force, intimidations, bribery and cheating.   In the following I share my personal experiences of election bribery and cheating starting from the 1997 up until the 2012 general/national elections.   As far as I can recall, I had first witnessed bribery during the 1997 general elections. In that year I was doing Grade 9 at Fr. Peter Secondary (formerly known as Fatima Secondary) in the new Jiwaka Province (before it was part of the W.H.P). All students were asked

AT a time of steady economic growth and the promise of even greater expansion spurred by multi-billion kina resource projects, it can become easy to overlook the essential nuts and bolts that keep the economy humming. With the promise of big money coming in, it can become easy to overspend, borrow heavily against future revenue or loosen fiscal and monetary policies too much. That is why we welcome Treasurer Don Polye’s pledge to maintain macroeconomic stability through sound fiscal and monetary policies. Political stability must go hand in hand with good macro- and micro-economic policies to attract and sustain economic growth. PNG’s own immediate past is a solid example of just how this can be done, along with a pinch of good luck to do with a period of good world prices for a good number of PNG’s export commodities. The seven years of solid economic growth between 2002 and 2008 can be attributed to the fact that the Somare government served an unprecedented five-year term and then m