PNGBLOGS

by JOHN GARNAUT Australia hasn’t noticed the cracks appearing in the government of its closest neighbour and biggest aid recipient, and that’s dangerous. When Tony Abbott was trying to steer the conversation away from Bronwyn Bishop, he called a press conference to argue that the Northern Territory should become our seventh state. With desperate times bringing desperate measures, the Prime Minister canvassed the idea of altering his beloved flag. "If the Commonwealth star was to be a seven-pointed star rather than a six-pointed star, that's hardly a massive change," said the Prime Minister, explaining how the territory could be represented alongside the six federated states. One problem with the Prime Minister's attempt at national distraction was that the big star beneath the Union Jack already has seven points. It's been that way for more than a century, since 1908, when the six states made room for the territory of Papua. The bigger problem that A

by SAM BASIL MP I am sure many Papua New Guineans are asking this very question right now, reason being that there are too many over inflated, over costed and over variated and unnecessary extra costs pinned to road construction here in PNG. Even the national works department staff and engineers and other private engineers have raised their concerns over this issue and the question remains as to; What is the true cost of road construction in PNG. A per kilometre road of; 1. Pilot track (Rural) 2. Gravelled road 3. Sealed bitumen 4. Sealed hot mix bitumen 5. Concrete road Many roads constructed using different road contractors have different costs per km in fact it is so confusing that not body really knows what the real costs of constructing a km of road using different construction material in Papua New Guinea. My enquiries have gathered me some information in regards to road construction using concrete as I can compare the Lae concrete road construction against the Wau

by PNGBLOGS The recent front-page stories on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill “confronting” facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg do more than highlight the ethical failings of the Post-Courier and the National. They also highlight the hypocrisy and dishonesty of Mr O’Neill himself. The Prime Minister complains about Facebook as being “disruptive”, and its content “misleading and incorrect”, “misinformation and malicious lies.” The problem for Mr O’Neill is that he himself is one of the worst offenders on Facebook. He has been caught lying on Facebook innumerable times. Worse, he actually pays Facebook to propagate his lies. The Prime Minister’s Office is so distrusted by the public and social media that it has now been forced to use “sponsored” posts – a type of post where Facebook is paid to propagate the post much more widely than would otherwise be the case. These posts (see the accompanying sample) are advertising, not genuine posts. In any case most of the people who read Mr O

by   JT SOLOMON There is a very old PNG game that our MPs have played for many years. It involves one corrupt pollie calling another corrupt pollie corrupt without thinking. Then the pollie being accused shoots back and proclaims that the pollie who accused them is the corrupt one. They are also telling the truth. Suddenly both of them realise that the same shoe fits them both and if either one of them spills any more information about the bad things the other fellow did, the whole house of deception is likely to collapse and all the stories might come out. Then they both suffer. Suddenly all goes silent and the people of PNG remain in the dark. Just like the pollies want. We're wondering whether the same game has been played in the PNG sewers of power over the past few months. When Somare and Chan so strongly left the O'Neill government, the Prime Minister had some cutting words to give in reply. We've always heard that the PM is not above getting payback against

by PNGNEWS Blatant misuse of public funds totaling over K2.7 million by the New Ireland Provincial Administration in 2014 has not gone down well with the Auditor- General’s Office. The annual audit report on the accounts of the New Ireland Provincial Government for the year ending 31 December, 2014 has seen K2,749,989.00 misused and completely breached certain provisions of the Public Finances (Management) Act. PNG Auditor-General Philip Nauga in a recent letter to the Governor, Sir Julius Chan, dated July 08, 2016 in highlighting the audit report called for immediate investigation into the misapplication and misuse of the public monies. The auditor’s report which was submitted to the Minister for Inter-Government Relations with copies to the Minister for Finance and the Chairman of the National Economic and Fiscal Commission highlighted several discrepancies incurred by the New Ireland Provincial Administration. According to the auditor general’s report the following has be

The Post Courier newspaper is creating an avenue for early campaign though its newly established column, Scan Your MP. I believe this column published every Tuesdays and Thursdays is a paid newspaper supplement run as an advert. However, in my view Scan Your MP is indirectly in breach of the Organic Law on National & Local Level Government Elections. This organic law prohibits candidates and their agents including the mainstream media from taking part in early campaign until the Governor General officially issues the writs. Then the campaign period starts thereafter.  However, Post Courier is creating a forum for sitting MPs, most of whom have money, to coerce the mindsets of the voters and impose undue influence on them as early as possible. What if an MP featured on this column has not delivered in practical terms some of those so-called services he professes on the media to have delivered using the DSIP funds? I am raising this warning as my MP who was featured

by PNGBLOGS The situation in Goroka at the Provincial Capital (Yanepa Haus) is very frightening. The incumbent Provincial Administrator is a state prisoner by virtue of his arrest and bail and is allowed to continue to occupy public office disbursing funds using the section 32 powers ( delegated powers from the secretary of finance who is the custodian of public funds and in doing so as a "  not fit and proper person " and awarding contracts  through the Provincial Supply and tenders Board whilst the people of EH continues to suffer, He is squandering public funds to remain in office using the courts ( through a restraining order, which ousted the former acting Provincial Administrator in Feb 2016) and siphoning peoples money through his dubious contractors and then collecting the same at the exit point to pay for his legal and bribery expenses to remain in office. The lawyers from Niuage Lawyers, law firm are making huge money out from the peoples purse and the