PNGBLOGS

By JASON WAUGLE It defies simple logic how an Israeli company so small and invisible in its own country could be creating everything from A to Z here in PNG, with its eye on running the national power grid and holding us hostage to pay whatever price they demand for electricity. Israeli’s LR Group is back in the news again.   Sometime in 2011 our shady Prime Minister found LR Group to be the perfect partner for PNG, even though its track record at setting up any project that sustains itself without their permanent and profitable involvement is questionable and they seem very secretive, even to their employees on what they’re really up to (see http://www.pngblogs.com/2014/06/png-israeli-business-connections.html ). Late last year, shady Peter had LR Group do a simple middleman business deal, sourcing 2 generators for PNG that initially were said to be coming from Israel’s Israel Electric Corp (IEC) as used equipment, but then strangely arrived from the USA from General Electric, which

By Frank Taso Have you ever noticed that our pollies constantly whimper that they’re being defamed on the social media, yet will hardly ever reply to any allegations made against them on the social media?     Actually, Powes Parkop once tried it on PNGBlogs by posting an article defending himself.  He immediately vanished when followup questions were thrown at him that put him on the spot.   Questions like why does it cost so damn much money to build a road on government land on flat ground in Port Moresby.   Or why is is so damn impossible to post all tenders for infrastructure construction contracted by NCDC directly on the NCDC web site for we taxpayers to see? Powes won’t answer such questions because he’s too busy worrying that he’ll look stupid before the eyes of the public over what appears about him on the internet.  Once again he has called for legal regulation of the social media, especially Facebook.  What Stupid Powes doesn’t ever seem to get into his

By DR JAMES NAIPAO Happy 39th Independence. Man has lived on this planet for 360 million years or so. 300 million years or so, man have become nocturnal mammals. After 65 million years ago, man came out of the closet of the darkness to explore the ends of the earth. From a nomadic lifestyle, agriculture paved the way for the birth of clans, tribes, ethnicity, great kingdoms and civilizations and attached to the biodiversity of environments where man set foot on. For control and normalcy, all forms of government were born. With time through centuries, million of lives were lost through wars, conflicts, territorial land grabbings, diseases, natural disasters and famines. Intellectual ability of man grew with the experiences of time. This brought peace and good order as well as the evolution of modernism. Today, global hunger and despair will absorb the minds of men and they will fight against each to claim presumably what is deservedly theirs, and poverty will drive that. PNG

WE ARE MANY YET ONE 39 YEARS OF BEING A FREE NATION

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

By OHE Insider Those who stay silent about the critical issues facing our country must understand that you are a big reason for the mess we’re in.   When we don’t speak out in this country in a way that captures the government’s attention, our government does nothing.    But when we make loud, persistent, even obnoxious noises that annoy some of you silent ones out there, guess what?  Government responds. Peter O’Neill finally responded to months of clamor in the social media about the pathetic state of PNG’s universities with a media release that was published in last Thursday and Friday’s newspapers.   At long last he came forward to address the laughingstock state of our PNG public universities (UNRE in Vudal being world ranked almost as low as you can go on the Webometrics scale).   We were bound to be disappointed with the PM’s response.   All he proved was that he truly is the Master of Deception.  He wants the people of PNG to think that he’s doing something to straighten out

By NATHAN MARABE The strategy worked for our Prime Sinister back in 2001.  He hopes to get off on the current criminal and leadership charges by using the simple but effective DDD strategy:    Delay, delay, delay.    The value of delay is clear with any case put forth by the ombudsman.   O’Steal liked what he saw in the case of Arthur Somare, who delayed his Leadership Tribunal literally for years.   The Prime Sinister plans to so the same if it appears likely that he’ll be found guilty.  The strategy is actually a 2 step one.  First, cause DDD to the Tribunal, moving the process as close to 2017 election as possible.   Second step is to resign just before the Leadership Tribunal gives their decision, if it looks like the Tribunal will find him guilty.  Once he resigns the Leadership Tribunal must close down, it cannot give a verdict.  That leaves Peter O’Steal free to campaign for the next election, telling the people of Pangia that he has big political enemies in PNG who hate

PRESS STATEMENT The chairman of PNG Sustainable Development Program Ltd, Sir Mekere Morauta, said today that allegations by the Prime Minister that the company was drawing down on the Long Term Fund were false. “There is today slightly more than $US1.3 billion in the Long Term Fund,” he said. “That amount will be available to future generations of the people of Western Province. “The Long Term Fund, which is invested around the world in low-risk investments, is safe and secure. It was set up so that the people of Western Province would have a source of sustainable development funding for future generations, and that is the way it will stay.” The investments in the Long Term Fund generate returns, which are providing income to PNGSDP to pay for its operational expenses. This is expressly permitted under rule 9.3(a) of the company's Program Rules. “Using the income is different from using the capital of the Long Term Fund,” Sir Mekere said. “PNGSDP has never withdrawn capital

By ESA'ALA ADVOCATE In July of 2012 when Davis Steven was elected as Member for Esa’ala Open, the people were relieved that Hon. Moses Maladina’s reign had come to an end because nothing much was achieved during his 10 year reign as MP. But the feeling of relief and optimism soon disappeared as Davies started stamping his authority as MP. In his first JDP&BPC meeting as Chairman, the MP sent out a message of what is to follow in the next five years by allocating K500, 000.00 from the DSIP funds to a member of his inner circle for the completion of a boat, M.V. Hideaway II. It was a message to the people of Esa’ala by the MP that he will only support those that supported him in the election The MP also appointed “political coordinators” of wards and zones when he clearly campaigned against it during the elections. These so called coordinators have become more powerful than ward councillors who are mandated leaders by the people. All development agendas are channelled thr

By PNGBLOGS CONTRIBUTOR NETWORK Bmobile Limited under the management of Sundar Ramamurthy since mid-last year has had no constructive plans, since he was employed, towards the company and is further accused of continuous threats levelled at national staff. His approach of continuous negative attacks on the staff as “bunch of thieves and liars” has had a huge impact on the moral of the national staff. Latest name calling and branding of the national staff “as the lowest of the lowest” by Sundar Ramamurthy‘s Group Security & Facilities Manager David Pidik has now stirred up the racist and discrimination felt by national staff. How can anyone perform to their best of their ability when constantly reminded they’re “useless bunch of Papua New Guineans” and due to that most experience staff had resigned to find alternative avenues? Bmobile Limited is a small SOE company with the workforce of less than 100 staff in total inclusive of expats/consultants with a Group CEO and two CEO’S

By Anna Gerato Suckling The 3 main shareholders have monopoly over Angola’s natural resources & have effectively sealed Angola’s Presidents dictatorship power. Its old news that Puma Energy International bought out Inter Oil’s Napa Napa refinery for USD526 million in July this year but just who are they and why could the purchase be a strategic move? It is a fact that within 2 years of Puma Energy entering Angola the main partners of this company gained monopoly over all of Angola’s overseas oil sales & local distribution of fuel. Privately held company Puma Energy (Singapore) is owned by the following corporations 1. Trafigura 2.Sonangol Holding LDA & 3.Cochan Holdings. 15% of the Swiss corporation Trafigura is owned by the infamously named “General Dino”. General Dino is one of the three ‘main’ partners that the president of Angola uses as his covers ups for his corrupt business dealings in Angola. Marc Gueniat a senior NGO researcher quotes &quo

By SAM BASIL MP Deputy Opposition Leader and Pangu Pati Leader, Sam Basil said the role of political parties and the Opposition in development of political culture and practice of Westminster principles in PNG, good governance and leadership needs more work and that can be done by Members of Parliament. He said the THE Party and its Members are welcome to join the Opposition and challenged other Members and political parties who do not support the policies and management of PNC led Government to decide which side they are on and what achievements and policies they will sell to the people during the National Elections. The Pangu Pati Leader said the Opposition is a creation of the Constitution and laws like the Organic Law on Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates (OLIPPAC), Prime Ministers Act, Parliamentary Standing Orders and other laws to ensure the sovereignty of the Independent State of PNG is intact and to make laws and to ensure governance and systems including over