PNGBLOGS

A Prime Minister who seems to operate without checks and balances, combined with reckless spending and mounting government deficits, accelerates concerns of an economy starting to go out of control. By Adam Garens Papua New Guinea may not officially be a one party state, nor its head of state a dictator, but disturbing trends are resulting in some of its people comparing the developing financial situation to that of Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe, which by the late 2000’s had experienced the worst hyperinflation in the history of the world. Zimbabwe’s recent bout of hyperinflation set a record. While the actual PNG budget deficit blowout is mild by many standards, the apparent inability of any government institution to hold Prime Minister Peter O’Neill accountable for his actions is causing the growing concern.  As one Port Moresby resident puts it, “he seems to be spending money on everything but how is he paying the bills?” PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill The massive ExxonMobil o

PNG BLOGS CONTRIBUTOR NETWORK In June 2012, Ok Tedi’s managing director heralded the company’s profit as one of the most impressive in the world. In its first year of being fully owned by Papua New Guineans, the mine posted a profit of 1.2 billion kina - equivalent at the time to 577 million US dollars. This was profit, not revenue (which was K4.5 billion). It was indeed a hallmark. The following year, 2012, the profit was lower but still impressive: US$350 million. And then came the collapse, representing the company’s performance during its first year under the forced nationalisation of Peter O’Neill: less than US $20 million. Nine years prior to being 100% owned by Papua New Guineans, via the PNG Sustainable Development Fund, Ok Tedi was started on the pathway of compensating for the tremendous environmental damage caused by decades of mining without a functioning tailing dam when an Act of Parliament created the PNG Sustainable Development Fund to own the mine and ens

By Mangi Hanuabada What a waste of life and of K4 million the buai ban ended up being!   The buai ban wasn’t  less than 100% successful, as Powes Parkop is now trying to convince us, but more like 10% successful, and even that 10% is going to be out the door by New Years.   For shame, Powes Parkop, for shame!    And what a funny photo on the front page of the National, which shows City Rangers emptying betelnut and daka onto the streets, littering the streets.  No uniforms, we notice.  No obvious signs that they represent city law enforcement.  Instead they might be mistaken as conmen on the take, which might in fact be their side occupations.   What a complete hoax that photo is too!  Yet another attempt by Parkop PR Ltd to convince us of something that definitely is not reality.  You can be sure that right after that photo was taken, these city rangers were frantically gathering up all that thrown away buai and pocketing it for their later use or resale.   The buai ban s

By LUCAS KIAP If PNG is to take one step forward at a time, now we have the chance to take the first step in the right direction. But what has been happening since Peter O'Neill wrestled power off Sir Michael Somare, probably making the world thinking that PNG is a lawless Banana Republic, ruled by a chain of tyrants and morons. Worse still, probably reaffirming the country's ranking as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. If one man can destroy or build a country, he is no other than Peter O'Neill, the PM of PNG. The law has been after him like a criminal after by the law ever since he was implicated in the K71.8million Paul Paraka saga. Yet he is still on the run but in parallel with the law, making it impossible for the law to catch up with him. While their PM was on the run after by the law, the people have been waiting for a hero to make good everything. First it was thought to be Sam Koim. For some reasons, he dismissed the case due to insu

BY ROBERT KELIN All Papua New Guineans, you should know about this man. His name is David Arore. He is a second term MP from Oro (Ijivitari). He is a one-time minister of higher education who in the process became one of PNG’s most celebrated clowns. He is an active partier, alcoholic and womaniser. He funds his vices by stealing our tax money. He escaped being found guilty of corruption by the courts last year (oh please – let’s not have more silly talk that in PNG, being found innocent in court means that you’re actually innocent of what you were accused of!). It doesn’t matter. Everyone who’s decent and knows anything about David Arore knows that he is one of PNG’s biggest pieces of shit. David Arore stole extensively from the Oro provincial government treasury when he could, then started stealing from the national treasury once he became Minister. He’s far from being as smart as Peter O’Neill and thus has never gotten into the big time money making rackets. In

By DAVID OSBORNE Since 2011 many have expected the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Government to create a sovereign wealth fund (SWF) for the management of PNG’s widely anticipated LNG revenues. A requirement to do so was intended by a PNG law certified on 21 March 2012: the Organic Law for establishment of a Sovereign Wealth Fund. It was designed to ensure that all government revenues from minerals and petroleum passed through a stabilisation fund prior to flowing through to the National Budget in accordance with a specified formula, and that PNG LNG dividends accruing to the PNG Government would be paid into a development fund for PNG’s economic and social development. PNG started exporting LNG in May 2014 amidst expectations that resulting revenues will greatly benefit PNG. Yet no SWF has been established and its future prospects are currently mired in confusion, including uncertainty around the legal status of the 2012 Organic Law. SWF version 1 … In October 2011 the policy and legislat

PNGBLOGS CONTRIBUTER NETWORK There have been suspicions about Rigo Lua ever since he was appointed Chief Ombudsman by Peter O’Neill in June 2013.   Any political appointee by Peter O’Neill becomes automatically suspect these days given that the Prime Minister has such a solid track record for appointing cronies and lackees to stand by his side and protect him.  The appointment of Acting Police Commissioner Geoffrey Vaki is merely the tip of the iceberg in questionable Peter O’Neill appointments.   He wants a friendly task force by his side and most certainly he doesn’t want to see an activist ombudsman poking around at what he’s been doing.    When Ombudman Lua started his job then proceeded to sit on a number of prosecution papers for MPs who had never turned in their 2012 election acquittals, inquiring minds began to wonder why the delay on such a straightforward matter.  Then came the back and forth paperwork between the ombudsman and Public Prosecutor Pondrus Kaluwin ov

By Beka Maruka I wanted to get the title of this article right first before I wrote the rest of this article.  That’s because I want the story of Powes Parkop’s buai ban disaster to go down into internet archives in a way that it can be retrieved many years from now and people of the future will learn from the mistakes of today.  The Port Moresby buai ban is almost like a clown show, hilarious in the level of ineptness that its implementers have displayed.  It would all be worth a few loud and long laughs if there were not so many tragic elements.   I personally believe that our governor should have stuck to paying huge amounts of money to local rental car companies and equally outrageous sums to shady road construction supply companies as was revealed before the 2012 election when NCDC audit records came to light, the findings of which, incidentally, the governor tried at first to escape from, then defended with vague generalities hoping that no one would catch his trick.

By BRYAN KRAMER Three weeks ago (6 October 2014) I posted an article on whether the Public Prosecutor (PP) would refer the Prime Minister (PM) to the Leadership Tribunal to face allegations of misconduct in office, for his part in facilitating the K3 Billion UBS Loan. The prediction was that the PM’s referral would be no later than Friday of the week that followed my post. This presumption was founded on independent intel, extensive research and informed analysis. Unfortunately that was not so and the PP instead issued a Press Statement on the Thursday of that week announcing he required "certain vital evidence" from Ombudsman Commission (OC) before he decides whether to ask the Chief Justice (CJ) to set up a Leadership Tribunal to investigate the PM. Such action by the PP was not only extraordinary it was unprecedented. This caused me to retrace my sources and re-evaluate what led the PP to make such an uncharacteristic judgement: Firstly for taking s

By BOMAI GUNN PNG is already destroyed; the state institutions, the constitutions, political parties and parliamentary democracy, the economy, leaders and individuals to mention a few. Here are some of the destructions that stems from desperation and self-interest: On August 02 2011, Peter O’Neill illegally sieged power over a legal and legitimate government of Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare, Regional member for East Sepik. O’NEILL DESPERATELY DESTROYED AND UNDERMINED THE CONSTITUTION OF PNG THAT GOVERNS THE ELECTION OF PM. On 12th December 2011 PNG Supreme Court decision ruled 3-2 that Sir Michael’s ousting was an invalid act as the post was not vacant, and that he should be reinstated. Despite, O’NEIL DESPERATELY DISOBEYED AND UNDERMINED/NULLIFIED THE SUPREME COURT DECISION. In inducing and enticing voters in PNG for the 2012 national election, O’Neil’s illegal government over-committed unbudgeted expenses for free education that resulted in K500 million defi