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Pacific Games Contract Blowout: NPF Version 2.0

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Pacific Games contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) has been blacklisted by the World Bank for “fraudulent practices”. They have also been found by the Bangladeshi courts to have acquired contracts through bribery. So when CHEC was handed a massive roads deal (K318 million) by the NCD, PNGxposed’s eyebrows were raised. So were Governor Parkop’s when he discovered through a viral social media campaign what his auditors had not, and he duly suspended the contract. Now we learn CHEC has been given the contract to build the 2015 Pacific Games village at the University of PNG. According to the Good Governance Advocacy Forum the project is costed at K190 million, yet CHEC was allegedly awarded an astronomical K263 million, that is a K73 million excess. Other contractors we are told bid around K190 million. The argument that CHEC are a ‘world class’ outfit worth the extra splurge has been definitely torn apart by the Jamaican Minister for Transport, Works and Housin

Pacific Games Contract Blowout: NPF Version 2.0

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Pacific Games contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) has been blacklisted by the World Bank for “fraudulent practices”. They have also been found by the Bangladeshi courts to have acquired contracts through bribery. So when CHEC was handed a massive roads deal (K318 million) by the NCD, PNGxposed’s eyebrows were raised. So were Governor Parkop’s when he discovered through a viral social media campaign what his auditors had not, and he duly suspended the contract. Now we learn CHEC has been given the contract to build the 2015 Pacific Games village at the University of PNG. According to the Good Governance Advocacy Forum the project is costed at K190 million, yet CHEC was allegedly awarded an astronomical K263 million, that is a K73 million excess. Other contractors we are told bid around K190 million. The argument that CHEC are a ‘world class’ outfit worth the extra splurge has been definitely torn apart by the Jamaican Minister for Transport, Works an

Bougainville and the Mining Question

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 Ramu Mine Blog Bougainville is grappling with a series of challenges that will set the course for the island’s long-term future. What economic model of development will they adopt? How will this model gel with aspirations for independence? And perhaps most controversially how does the mining question fit into this equation? Given the haste with which mining was initially imposed on Bougainville during the 1960s, and the bloody conflict the mine subsequently provoked, now is not the time to indecently rush the latter question, much less is it time for those in positions of power to confront communities with threatening ultimatums. Yet that is exactly what is happening. The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), Rio Tinto (via its PNG subsidiary, BCL), the Australian government, in addition to an assortment of individuals, all seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet. The hymn goes something like this: ‘If you want independence/autonomy and development, then the mi

Bougainville and the Mining Question

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 Ramu Mine Blog Bougainville is grappling with a series of challenges that will set the course for the island’s long-term future. What economic model of development will they adopt? How will this model gel with aspirations for independence? And perhaps most controversially how does the mining question fit into this equation? Given the haste with which mining was initially imposed on Bougainville during the 1960s, and the bloody conflict the mine subsequently provoked, now is not the time to indecently rush the latter question, much less is it time for those in positions of power to confront communities with threatening ultimatums. Yet that is exactly what is happening. The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), Rio Tinto (via its PNG subsidiary, BCL), the Australian government, in addition to an assortment of individuals, all seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet. The hymn goes something like this: ‘If you want independence/autonomy and development, then

Lost identity cannot be corrected by quick fix solutions

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By DAVID EPHRAIM Election related violence has cost state millions of money to correct democratic exercise of ballot box vote. Election related violence has continued to drag the entire country. Violence continues to pressure our judiciary system; when politician continue to battle out and pressure the courts and the rule of law. The abuse of progress and mechanism for political gain and the ability to use state resources for political gain is totally uncalled act of suppression and oppression by those who are given mandated powers.  I have come to a stage where I no longer believe in united Papua New Guinea, I have totally lost confidence in our united efforts to correct many wrongs that continue to divide and tore our country into ethnic divide. Let’s wake up to the reality, money “DON’T BUY FREEDOM, ALLIANCE, UNITY or NATIONALISM”. It’s Leadership that inspires and drives nation together. We have lost that; the reflection of what is happening in our villages to semi-developed towns

Lost identity cannot be corrected by quick fix solutions

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By DAVID EPHRAIM Election related violence has cost state millions of money to correct democratic exercise of ballot box vote. Election related violence has continued to drag the entire country. Violence continues to pressure our judiciary system; when politician continue to battle out and pressure the courts and the rule of law. The abuse of progress and mechanism for political gain and the ability to use state resources for political gain is totally uncalled act of suppression and oppression by those who are given mandated powers.  I have come to a stage where I no longer believe in united Papua New Guinea, I have totally lost confidence in our united efforts to correct many wrongs that continue to divide and tore our country into ethnic divide. Let’s wake up to the reality, money “DON’T BUY FREEDOM, ALLIANCE, UNITY or NATIONALISM”. It’s Leadership that inspires and drives nation together. We have lost that; the reflection of what is happening in our villages to semi-develo

PNG solution illegal, court will hear

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The Age The Rudd government's Papua New Guinea Solution faces its first legal challenge, with lawyers representing an asylum seeker who has been sent to Manus Island set to launch High Court action on Tuesday. Lawyers for the asylum seeker earlier lodged an application in the Federal Court, but have accepted that it does not have jurisdiction to handle the case. The challenge will assert that the decision to send the asylum seeker to PNG is illegal because it fails to take account of Australia's international treaty obligations and PNG domestic law. It will argue that Immigration Minister Tony Burke had before him no evidence that Papua New Guinea would act, or was capable of acting, in accord with assurances that asylum seekers would not be at risk of being sent to another country where they had a well-founded fear of persecution. Lawyers for the asylum seeker will also submit that the decision to send him to Manus Island was made without power, is invalid and should be set as

PNG solution illegal, court will hear

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The Age The Rudd government's Papua New Guinea Solution faces its first legal challenge, with lawyers representing an asylum seeker who has been sent to Manus Island set to launch High Court action on Tuesday. Lawyers for the asylum seeker earlier lodged an application in the Federal Court, but have accepted that it does not have jurisdiction to handle the case. The challenge will assert that the decision to send the asylum seeker to PNG is illegal because it fails to take account of Australia's international treaty obligations and PNG domestic law. It will argue that Immigration Minister Tony Burke had before him no evidence that Papua New Guinea would act, or was capable of acting, in accord with assurances that asylum seekers would not be at risk of being sent to another country where they had a well-founded fear of persecution. Lawyers for the asylum seeker will also submit that the decision to send him to Manus Island was made without power, is invalid and

Complete SABL inquiry report

The revelations from research by the James Cook University on oil palm being used by developers as a cover for logging should not come as a surprise to Papua New Guineans. “It is crucial that the real intentions of developers are understood and highlighted so the PNG Government can manage the property appropriately. At present a lot of people around the world think that buying products containing palm oil encourages deforestation, but boycotting those products at the supermarket is not going to stop loss of forest in PNG,” he added. The controversy relating to the Government’s Special Agriculture and Business Lease (SABL) is well documented in PNG, compelling the government of then acting Prime Minister Sam Abal in 2011 and a year later PM Peter O’Neill to support and establish a commission of inquiry. It is a pity that the commission of inquiry into the SABLs is yet to hand a final report to the Government as the findings of the research co-authored by the JCU’s Dr Paul Nelson and Jen

Complete SABL inquiry report

The revelations from research by the James Cook University on oil palm being used by developers as a cover for logging should not come as a surprise to Papua New Guineans. “It is crucial that the real intentions of developers are understood and highlighted so the PNG Government can manage the property appropriately. At present a lot of people around the world think that buying products containing palm oil encourages deforestation, but boycotting those products at the supermarket is not going to stop loss of forest in PNG,” he added. The controversy relating to the Government’s Special Agriculture and Business Lease (SABL) is well documented in PNG, compelling the government of then acting Prime Minister Sam Abal in 2011 and a year later PM Peter O’Neill to support and establish a commission of inquiry. It is a pity that the commission of inquiry into the SABLs is yet to hand a final report to the Government as the findings of the research co-authored by the JCU’s Dr Paul Nelson an

Are we still worthy of “Big Brother” tag in the region?

By JASON GIMA WURI As Melanesians, it is only natural and fitting to stand up for our own kind or our own Melanesian brothers and wantoks as we call it in this part of the Pacific. With Australia’s regional resettlement deal hot on its heels whereby Australia seems to be shifting its asylum seeker boat issues to the lesser competent Pacific island nations in Papua New Guinea and Nauru in exchange for promises of development and funding. It seems like Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has ulterior motives to win the federal elections and does not care who stands in the way whether it be Papua New Guinea or Nauru. PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neiland his government as we understand are looking at it from a development perspective whereby funding is coming in from the deal to help bring about development in Manus Province  but do they  even consider the long term effects, whether or not the asylum seekers will be settled here? Recently reported on Australian Network this week, the Fiji G

Are we still worthy of “Big Brother” tag in the region?

By JASON GIMA WURI As Melanesians, it is only natural and fitting to stand up for our own kind or our own Melanesian brothers and wantoks as we call it in this part of the Pacific. With Australia’s regional resettlement deal hot on its heels whereby Australia seems to be shifting its asylum seeker boat issues to the lesser competent Pacific island nations in Papua New Guinea and Nauru in exchange for promises of development and funding. It seems like Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has ulterior motives to win the federal elections and does not care who stands in the way whether it be Papua New Guinea or Nauru. PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neiland his government as we understand are looking at it from a development perspective whereby funding is coming in from the deal to help bring about development in Manus Province  but do they  even consider the long term effects, whether or not the asylum seekers will be settled here? Recently reported on Australian Network this week, the Fiji

Belden Namah: The man behind the enigma

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A personal commentary by Sonja Barry Ramoi Deep in the mountains of the village called Paru Paru - the village of late secessionist leader and former first President of Bougainville Joseph Kabui - not far from Panguna Mine, Defence Force Captain and Helicopter Pilot Charlie Andrews was ordered by the Commander of the PNG Defence Force Brigadier General Jerry Singirok to go in and get Captain Belden Norman Namah out. The terrain, in enemy territory under the control of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, was no place for a chopper to land. Captain Namah – in a daring, innovative feat and display of bravery – was airlifted out of the bush by hanging onto the skid of the chopper. Only a very strong man highly skilled and highly trained to be a Special Forces Unit commando could do that. Did Captain Namah, now the Opposition Leader of Papua New Guinea, tell me the story perhaps to try and impress me? No he did not. I heard the story from somebody else via Charlie Andrews and asked him to

Belden Namah: The man behind the enigma

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A personal commentary by Sonja Barry Ramoi Deep in the mountains of the village called Paru Paru - the village of late secessionist leader and former first President of Bougainville Joseph Kabui - not far from Panguna Mine, Defence Force Captain and Helicopter Pilot Charlie Andrews was ordered by the Commander of the PNG Defence Force Brigadier General Jerry Singirok to go in and get Captain Belden Norman Namah out. The terrain, in enemy territory under the control of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, was no place for a chopper to land. Captain Namah – in a daring, innovative feat and display of bravery – was airlifted out of the bush by hanging onto the skid of the chopper. Only a very strong man highly skilled and highly trained to be a Special Forces Unit commando could do that. Did Captain Namah, now the Opposition Leader of Papua New Guinea, tell me the story perhaps to try and impress me? No he did not. I heard the story from somebody else via Charlie Andrews and asked h