PNGBLOGS

by ANDREW BEATTY -AFP Tribes in Papua New Guinea's rough and rugged highlands have fought each other for centuries, but a recent influx of automatic weapons risks turning minor beefs into all-out war. Israel Laki misses the old days -- just a few years ago -- when clansmen would settle fights in what he deems the proper way: with bows, arrows, axes and spears. It was honourable, he insists, even if an arrow once thumped within millimetres of his heart as he tried to axe a rival tribal fighter to death. The wiry 69-year-old still carries the scars and spirit of the old ways from this picturesque part of central Papua New Guinea, which westerners only reached in the 1930s. Even today, the modern state is little more than an abstract concept in the isolated region, where few respect the government. Old rivalries persist, as do fights over rape, theft and tribal boundaries. But tradition is increasingly melding with modernity, to devastating effect. Locals now speak d

by TONY CHARLES KEROWA Papua New Guinean development aspirations are all jumbled up and not in order. The National Government should invest its resources including Money where it will improve the lives of its people. From my observation and experience, there is more grandstanding on the political level building statuesque and echo more than planning on bringing tangible development to communities and towns by elected representatives from both sides of the house. The following important key development areas should be prioritized. 1. Improving Road and Bridges : Opening up and connecting the rural PNG communities through improved Road and Bridges will give an opportunity for our people to work on their land by converting ideal land to economic value by planting cash crops and livestock on a commercial scale. The Department of Works should be reviewed and upgraded to function independently. The Department should operate as independently as possible 2. Improving and empowerin

by JOHN ENDEMONGO KUA The prime minister Peter O'Neill has not resigned as yet with his deputy prime minister and minister for Treasury Charles Abel after passing a string of fake budgets over the years including the 2019 appropriation bill which was distraught with fraud as it did not capture the existing foreign debts , especially from the Republic of China and the component of debt servicing which would be as high as 50 percent leaving very little to maintain concurrent services. The moral and ethical benchmark for proper conduct has declined since independence forcing inductees over the years to become prototypes of their predecessors who themselves were swimming in corrupt behavior. To begin with the grand statesman Sir Michael Thomas Somare was found guilty of misconduct in office by a leadership tribunal Court for failing to report his financial statements as a public office holder and yet he clung onto public office as if it was his God given inheritance , not to mention

by CAPTAIN NOBERT BAN It is so sad the PNGDF Air Element has been hijacked by certain PNGDF pilots and Engineers for sinister reasons. It is amazing to note that the same thieves within PNGDF have been abusing the aircraft by way of engaging into commercial operations at the expense of Tax Payers to make millions in clear profit. On 13 July 2016, whilst doing one of such commercial flights from Telefomin to Vanimo, the aircraft developed reduced oil pressure on its right hand engine Propeller Reduction Gearbox (PGB). The crew procedurally shut down the affected engine on reaching 18000 ft cruise altitude. Indications of imminent failure were detected whilst passing 15000ft on climb...thank God didn't happen on take off roll or immediately after take off. After shutting down the engine, it was realised that the Propellers of the affected engine didn't feather. This resulted in creation of aerodynamic drag and reduction in performance. To maintain altitude,

[Press Release by Rt Hon Sir Mekere Morauta] Prime Minister Peter O’Neill should stand down and submit himself to an independent external inquiry into very serious allegations of personal and corporate impropriety. The allegations concern his then wholly-owned construction company Wild Cat Developments Ltd and a bridge-building contract with the Asian Development Bank. The bank investigated the contract and found it to be improperly and incompletely implemented by Mr O’Neill’s company. The bank found proper tender processes had not been followed, rigging of the tender process, misrepresentation, financial management deficiencies, potential integrity violations, serious procurement irregularities, contravention of contract terms, and lack of qualification to tender. Reports by the Guardian newspaper and the PNGi network state that the 2015-2016 project in West New Britain Province “was fraught with problems, requiring the ADB to temporarily stop payments and send in inspector

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