PNGBLOGS

by BEN NEGINTS As a PNGean, I am deeply embarrassed after reading the threads from Pauline Hanson's post on the aftermath of our government's failed efforts to get Australia to support our budget.  Sadly the threads on the post are full of jeering and contempt for our government, our country and us as a proud Melanesian people. What upsets me most is the genuineness of the Marape-Stevens government in seeking the budgetary support aid to resuscitate our hailing economy is misunderstood and misconstrued badly Down Under.  Aussies still think our government is corrupt, careless and stupid. They still believe we can not manage their hard-earned Aid tax dollars. One comment was specifically alluding our government’s stupidity and wastages in the purchase of the luxury Maseratis.  I am angry and ashamed at the same time but honestly speaking can I blame the Australians for thinking that way? The answer is NO. We must blame ourselves. The Marape-Stevens G

by TONY DEKLIN "PAPUA NEW GUINEA PRIME MINISTER BEGGED AUSTRALIA TO GIVE HIS GOVERNMENT 300 MILLION DOLLARS IN CASH TO SUPPORT HIS GOVERNMENT'S 2020 BUDGET" ----- THIS WAS A NATIONAL NEWS ITEM RELAYED ACROSS AUSTRALIA TODAY BY THE 24-HOUR NEWS CYCLE   https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/papua-new-guinea-asks-for-millions-to-avoid-budget-cliff-11842610?fbclid=IwAR1qY_TZ_8RcINq_nv3D0_4eXrvq4gZ-8xkQKi_bII7yAlf7mQcT_f9b6LU As a Papua New Guinean I was embarrassed to see this news item on my TV screen this evening. To rub salt into the wound, the Australian official who was being interviewed, said the PNG Prime Minister brought a big delegation of 6 Ministers with him on the recent tour when the begging was done ------implying that James Marape brought a big delegation down to do the begging. The TV shot showed James Marape saying if Australia does not give this amount, there are other countries, and he quoted China and India specifically, where PNG can turn

by EMMANUEL PLANG A week ago Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Davis Stevens has questioned the Chief Secretary to Government, Mr Isaac Lupari on the reasons for the recall of cheque paid to Lower Koiari Landowners. The response by Lupari that the decision to pay was made by the previous government and that the current government will review this decision with the landowners before paying them again unnecessary and sounds fishy. The response by the chief secretary is a total diversion of truth, insubordination, abuse of office and abuse of established protocols. The decision to pay the Koiaris came to his office through an NEC Decision 356/2013 establishing a Ministerial Committee on Koiari Sustainable Development Package chaired by Minister for Commerce and Industry, Hon. Wera Mori. The NEC Decision is based on a Court Order OS 742 of 2015 directing the government to establish a task force to review all Koiari benefit package claims properly before paying. Included in the orders, amo

by Frank A Makanuey The dressing room at the Bava park rugby union stadium has been converted into a living quarter's. Big games cannot be hosted there due to the lack of a proper dressing room. Is NSTL a State-Owned Enterprise? Is NSTL owned by PNG Sports Foundation? Prior to the Pacific Games in 2015, the PNG Sports Foundation under the former Minister Justin Tkachenko conducted automatic acquisition of the sporting fields around the Bisini - Boroko area and improved it for the games. Soccer, Softball, Netball, Rugby Union, Cricket and AFL fields including the land where the Botanical Garden used to be but was being used by Port Moresby Softball as the carpark. All these fields are now managed by a company, a business arm of the Png Sports Foundation which now manages these infrastructures. The company is called NSTL, or National Stadiums Trust Limited. Can the Minister responsible for Sports answer the following questions? I believe the Ministry of Sports still remains

by REGGIE ALIAMBO If the Prime Minister has no achievements and only failures to show for when he reaches 100 days in office on 6 September, then he should move aside before he ruins this country. After making so many promises this prime minister has not made a single decision that has moved this country forward. He cannot keep blaming the former government for his inability to make decisions and has to accept that he is driving the economy into the ground. The first one hundred days is when a new government is supposed to set its plans into motion. But nothing new is in motion, in fact, the country and the economy is slowing down as this prime minister dithers and cannot make a decision on any important issue. All we hear about is consultations and discussions and sharing ideas and announcements that there will be more announcements coming soon. The Marape government has failed on the K45 billion Papua LNG project with investment partners getting ready to walk away. The comp

New Prime Minister James Marape has loudly trumpeted his commitment to fight corruption and he has vowed an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) will soon be established. But actions speak louder than words. After all, Peter O’Neill came to power making very similar promises. Indeed, the exact same commitment to establishing an ICAC was the centrepiece of O’Neill’s rhetoric from day one. It was included in both the Alotau Accords (I and II) and the National Anti-Corruption Strategy.  Yet, for all the talk, nothing was ever delivered. Marape was voted into power on 30 May, so we should not jump to judge too quickly. But it is concerning that after more than two full months in power we are still waiting to see a draft ICAC law published and we are still waiting to hear who has been appointed to chair the UBS/Oil Search Commission of Inquiry. Meanwhile, corrupt institutions that even the previous O’Neill government promised to shut down, seemingly have a new lease of life u

By JAMES MARAPE,  Our country is going through a tough phase including a tough 2019 fiscal year and I do not know why the Opposition Leader and his cohorts including few senior leaders of former O’Neil government want to achieve by going to courts on my election as Prime Minister on the 30th of May 2019. Since assuming office, we have been looking retrospectively on how we have come as an economy and it does not look good and we are trying to fix our struggling economy that was caused by recklessness, laziness and lack of innovation by treasurers and PMs in the recent past. Together with former PM., Peter O'Neil they (Pruaitch and O'Neil) have run our economy as treasurer and PM from 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and Pruaitch was again Treasurer from 2014 to 2017. The Treasurer and the Prime Minister are key leaders responsible for our economy and as a former Finance Minister responsible for expenditures in the same period, I saw first hand their lack of foresight an