PNGBLOGS

By SCOTT WAIDE In 1975, Jerry Nalau, became one of the first Papua New Guineans to become  a District Commissioner  when powers were transferred  from the Australian Colonial  administration to the new Papua New Guinea government. The  young patrol  officer  who was then already  a veteran  in the new administration became one of the few  Morobeans   sent to Kunidiawa  in the Simbu Province  as part of  the Somare’s administration to help unite the new country. “Somare said to me: ‘I want you to go to the highlands.’ And I said: ‘Somare, I’m not the only one! What about the others?’” By then,  Jerry Nalau had already served several years  in Bougainville and Rabaul  during  the  turbulent  but  positive  pre-independence period. Nalau recalls that in typical Somare humor, the Chief Minister responded: “You go to the highlands because you Finchafens took the  Word of God  to the highlands calling God’s name… Anutu… Anutu…Anutu… I think if you go, they will respect you.”It

By A Bush Economist This is the story of privatisation of public enterprises.  Privatisation first reared its head in PNG with the demise of the government owned Papua New Guinea Banking Corporation.  Its landmark Port Moresby headquarters still shows the PNG traditional art forms and icons that around the time of independence we proudly displayed as evidence of our unique culture, but nowdays allow elected fools such as Theo Zureonuc and Loujaya Kousa label as satanic.   PNGBC was the bank of the people with the goal of service, not profit.    We now have BSP in its place.  BSP is majority owned by private shareholders and its profit since 2012 has grown at rates of 10-25% each year, leading to the 2013 result of nearly K437 million.   That’s not income, it is profit and a hell of a lot of money by PNG standards.    Divided up amongst every single person living in PNG, from baby up to papa na mama, each one would have received K62 for 2013.  BSP has what it proudly states to be ov

By TECHE  JACOB It was amazing to see hundreds of people on PNG Blogs Facebook page give their thumbs up to the recent article about Bemobile CEO Ramamurthy.   More people than ever seem angry at how people from other cultures treat us.   Foreign investors are dictating ‘take it or leave it’ terms to our government and basically calling the shots.  Yet we happily reap benefits from the growing Asian invasion.   Let me ask you, what is most important:   Our sovereignty and self respect, or the greater material benefits we get by having foreigners and foreign investment dominate us?    The Clash Between Land-less Versus Land Rich Societies The article about BeMobile’s new CEO and allegations of racism didn’t get to the root issues, which is the reason for these kinds of clashes.   They occur between 2 very different societies: In the Type 1 society, the average person has access to much wealth (promoted by personal access to land and resources).  They have more personal freedom in m