PNGBLOGS

by DAVID LEP I While the PM’s warrant of arrest saga has dragged into another kaleidoscope of a turn, valuable lessons can be learned from this experience. I particularly came across two important lessons. First and foremost, it is extremely important to note that never allow personal vendetta and political ambition get in the way to overthrow a mandated government by using state apparatuses and slip in the law. Perhaps not only legitimate but the most dignified and honourable manner in taking on a government in our parliamentary democracy is on the floor of parliament and square it out using smart political maneuvering, tactical statecraft or popular policy intervention in amassing the required strength in numbers to form a government or overthrow a government through the vote-of-no confidence. Resorting to other shabby and malicious means is for the weak and desperate. It is said that in natural selection the weak always try to bring down the strong given their a

by JOE PETER JOKSEY The mandatory SIM card registration peddlers are trying to sell you an old, costly and discredited idea. They say it is needed to fight crime. But a closer look would reveal that the measure suffer from the following fatal flaws: 1. It is impossible to implement: We have millions of SIM cards in circulation, with millions more roaming SIM cards used. These SIM cards are used not just for mobile phones, but also for tablets, payphones, landlines, modem, routers, and other devices. We also have thousands of tourists and visitors going into the country bringing in roaming SIM cards. Exactly how would all these SIM cards be registered? Is this even possible? Would it disrupt government services and businesses – for how long? 2. It is costly: The tedious registration process is expected to be costly, and there would be separate costs for setting up, maintaining and safekeeping the database. Who will pay for these costs? The telcos? The taxpayers?

  by JOE NARONG "For the benefit of the public" a coin has two sides ; As far as this case is concerned the petition filed by Peter Yama against Nixon Duban for the 2013 Madang Open By Election has gone as far as the 3 men bench Supreme Court and slip rule . Nixon Duban scored 18,000 votes,  Bryan Kramer 7000 votes and Peter Yama 5000 votes. That’s the final 2013  By Election result. Peter Yama filed an election petition on errors and omissions and requested a recount . His arguments were centered around 6000 papers found at his mother’s grave yard.  The 2013 By Election was done without any issue of missing ballot boxes or ballot papers either during the counting or polling . How the 6000 papers ended up at the cemetery remains a fraud matter to be fully investigated. On record the ballot papers were never part of the Madang Open By Election. All candidates who contested the election are fully aware of this fraud . Since Madang Open 2013 By Election was completed without

by APO KEFAMO Words cannot fully express the disgust that is now felt throughout EHP on the stupidity, immaturity and criminality of the new governor of Eastern Highlands Province, Peter Numu. His ascension to power was never though a honest and fair game, Mr Numu himself cannot deny this fact! He was the only candidate in the 2017 National election in EHP that extensively used deceit, bribery, sorcery and external forces to get to power. Most of us at the counting venue know about these facts and also know that the petition case filed against him is a very competitive one, thus passing through listing and pre-trial hearings last month at Waigani National Courts without a single challenge to its competency and is listed early in February next year for trial. Just as this court was reaching its peak, Numu led mobs, street drug bodies and opportunists into looting the shop of the fellow candidate, who is also the petitioner. What a way to be a governor! Numu was alway

by DANIEL POLONSKI IEA school system has been hitting the headlines on the dailies in the last few weeks, and all for wrong and dubious reasons, it would seem. In doing so they may have unwittingly exposed a greater evil that belies IEA. It was only a matter of time anyway. IEA and its Board, admitted its Chairman, Mr Mea Ravu, (Post Courier 1st Dec 2017), has voluntarily made press statements to a female National Newspaper journalist who published under the headline “ K7 Million Gamble Hits IEA”.  That article was published by Mr Ravu and Mr Joe Lali the CEO, to explain why National IEA teachers had to suffer pay cuts and reduction in terms and conditions, while the Chairman himself, the CEO and Management, and expatriate teachers enjoyed pay and benefits increases at the same time. The level of exchanges in the media has sparked my interest in this organisation and I started digging and asking around. I have an interest in this school system because I am a fee-paying parent, and o

by PAUL FLANAGAN The new Treasurer released his first budget on 28 November. This was an opportunity to demonstrate the second term of the O’Neill government would help turn the corner on PNG’s economic mismanagement. So how did it do? Overall, there are some wonderful sentiments in this first Abel budget. My sense is that he is very genuine in what he is trying to achieve. But he seems to be let down by the realities of PNG politics. Protecting politicians electoral funds, finding money for APEC, trying to regain the upper-hand on the rhetoric of protecting health and education – all within the confines of fiscal responsibility – was simply too much. What has given way in this equation of trying to be responsible while dealing with the political spending pressures has been revenue credibility? Ultimately, he fails in his attempts to explain why we should believe his claim that revenues will suddenly jump by over 20 percent in 2018. This is an increase of over K2.2 billion and

Outlined below are some of the most serious allegations that warrant the immediate termination of Mahesh Patel and appointment of a new Board chairman to take charge of the SOE. We will provide evidence once an internal investigation is set up. SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS AGAINST MAHESH PATEL.(Evidence Available) 1.    2012- VES (voluntary exit scheme). Mahesh Patel, being chairman of HR Sub- Committee went ahead and implemented the VES under the pretext of Government Reforms. The exercise was poorly planned and executed, which resulted in the termination of employment of approximately 500 qualified technical staff, engineers and support staff from their employment. As a result a skills gap was created, Telikom never recovered and recorded consecutive loss in revenue and never declared profit and paid dividends to the state up till 2017. The affected staff under VES in 2012 took Telikom PNG to court seeking damages to be awarded to them. In 2017, a three men Supreme Court Bench upheld the N