PNGBLOGS

by PHILIP WEN PORT MORESBY: Barely a five-minute drive from the US$50 million conference venue for the just-concluded Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Papua New Guinea's capital, a makeshift squatter settlement is tucked away from visiting world leaders. The Wanigela settlement in Port Moresby looks out directly over APEC Haus, but might as well be a world away. With the South Pacific nation's rainy season looming, Wanigela's thousands of residents are packed together in overcrowded and dilapidated dwellings with no sanitation and unreliable electricity supplies. For all the hope and promise the APEC summit would put PNG on the world stage – and attract investment that will translate into jobs and infrastructure – many are questioning how such an international event will benefit their everyday lives. "The government says APEC is going to improve our lives, but I don’t know, because our politics is not trustworthy," said Bra

by BRYAN KRAMER MP Up to 80% of sitting Members of O'Neill Government are expected to lose their seat following 2022 General Elections. Why? Corruption and mismanagement of the Economy. The last time our economy nose dived was in 1997 and 1998 under Skate PNC Government, a Government Peter O'Neill was a key adviser to. In just two years under a PNC led Government Kina plunged in value from being one and a half times stronger than Australian dollar in 1994 to less than 37 cents by end 1999. Interest rates on Government Treasury bills was as high as 24% which would normally be between 6%-9%. Lack of confidence in Skate Government also saw investors and private sector rush to send funds out of the country, concerned over the Kina fast losing its value. This caused a serious shortage in foreign currency reserves that went from US$500 million in 1996 to as low as $80 million by middle of 1999. In 1996 the debt levels were around 36% in less than one year under Skat

by MEKERE MORAUTA Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has exposed Papua New Guinea to international ridicule and criticism over the lavish staging of APEC and the failure of the meeting to make the customary Leaders’ Declaration for the first time in its history. “APEC has revealed to the world the corruption, waste and mismanagement within the O’Neill Government, and their devastating effects on the nation and citizens,” the Member for Moresby North- West, Sir Mekere Morauta, said today. “It has shone the international spotlight on Mr O’Neill’s crude and cynical attempts to play one nation against another, and his inability to understand the nuances of international relations and the dramatic geopolitical changes occurring in the region. “What should have been a moment for PNG to shine on the international stage instead descended into chaos, including embarrassing diplomatic incidents, international media allegations of financial and procedural impropriety and organisational disarray. “P

by ROBERT SALMON-MINAK In 2001, when a Waigani insider (you know those types that hop from one politician to another within the corridors of power) complained that Australia was taking PNG for granted, I found validity in that sentiment. He had a cure too: “The next PM should ignore Australia, flirt with China and wait. Australia will come begging”. I was scared. 18 years later I see the fruits of that sentiment. But it could come at a price. Peter O’Neill took power in 2011. Soon global commodity prices plummeted. A protracted corruption allegation followed with an economy headed south. But O’Neill had a government to run, election to win and tenure to protect (with gloomy Economic Forecasts). With that backdrop, O’Neill went to bed with the Chinese (literally). The rest is history….well about to be! Beijing, flush with cash and hungry for world dominance spoiled O’Neill with all and sundry through its signature Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). O’Neill knew 8 countries (

by BRYAN KRAMER MP While Post Courier published the front page headline "Yes We Did It'! the rest of the international media reported No we didn't! For the first time in APEC Summit history, leaders of 21 Nations were unable to agree on a formal written declaration. The purpose of APEC is to enhance economic growth and prosperity for the region and to strengthen the Asia-Pacific community. The Guardian reported O’Neill denied the failure to agree on a declaration was a humiliation for his poverty-hit country, which was hosting the annual gathering of the 21 nations for the first time. So how did it go so wrong? Look no further than the Chairman of APEC Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, while in PNG politics where he divides others in the pursuit of his own personal interest this time round it back fired on him. Never in the history of APEC has the host country made the blunder of staging a State visit at the same time. In this case O'Neill knowing the d

by JAYLON JACOB Everyone knows the history and international politics, I will just give a brief ... Power in international relations is defined in several different ways.. Those states that have significant amounts of power within the international system are referred to as Superpowers, big powers, middle powers, and small powers respectively. The power is measured by military and economic power. Countries like the US, Russia, China are a superpower...Example of Big power countries are Great Britain, France and for middle power in Australia and few others...So PNG fits into small power group...That means PNG can be easily influenced by Super Power countries in terms of money via aid and military by conducting an exchange training programme or other means. Going back to political history..The Cuban Missile Crisis, in 1962 confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union concerning American ballistic missile deployment in Italy and Turkey with consequent Soviet ballist

PNGI CENTRAL The Internal Revenue Commission is cracking down on tax evasion by senior executives who divert their salary payments through ‘associated or related’ companies in order to avoid paying taxes. According to the IRC, such arrangements are “prevalent in many industries operating in the country”. IRC Public Notice published on 31 October 2018 PNGi first alerted its readers to the existence of such scams in June 2017, when we exposed how the Managing Director of the Mineral Resource Development Corporation (MRDC), Augustine Mano, was using a company he owns to evade tax on his salary and benefits. The MRDC is a State owned entity that manages landowner equity interests in mining and petroleum projects on behalf of landowner companies. Augustine Mano has been the Managing Director since March 2008. In his report for 2009 , the Auditor General revealed Augustine Mano was avoiding paying any income tax on 80% of his K750,000 a year salary package.