PNGBLOGS

By JOHN FOW KE Governor Juffa, as you so correctly say in the recent piece featured on this blog, any possible dream of making more than a hand-to-mouth living from one's traditional share of the clan's lands is often sabotaged before it even enters the consciousness of youth, having been already sold by the "dream-sellers" you have identified. These are the half-educated- despite many being "well-qualified professionals" - whose hearts are laden with inhuman greed instead of the idealism and positivism which a fully-educated person normally perceives as his duty to adopt. Its a problem, and it will remain one.  However, Governor, as one with long experience of the effects of PNG's version of forestry-policy, and the social effects of nucleus-estate developments, developments where second, third, and fourth sons become landless and thus live from their wits in a shroud of frustration, I have a really attractive dream for you, quite aside from advising

By RICHARDO TIMAPEN In places like Malaysia, China, Japan, a K20 can be a day’s meal but here in PNG, it’s a cost of a single big rooster lunch pack. Car rentals in aussie for instance, would be like $35 (K80) per day for a sedan but here its K200+. A roadside inn would cost $40 (K90) per night, in PNG its K250+ and a good fortnight’s residential rental would cost $250 (K600), here K1600 per fortnight. I have always wondered why people say it’s expensive to live and work in PNG then in other countries like Ozz. The economic boom boosted about by ministers, bureaucrats, central banks, financial institutions, research agents, and the business communities are exclusive top level good news. Developmental benefits aren't reaching the average and lower level. For instance, a 3% deflation has never been reflected in the prices of goods and services. However, rather a 10% increase in the costs of goods and services was “approved’. ICCC a good strategic agent for corporate fraud? Relevant g

By RICHARDO TIMAPEN In places like Malaysia, China, Japan, a K20 can be a day’s meal but here in PNG, it’s a cost of a single big rooster lunch pack. Car rentals in aussie for instance, would be like $35 (K80) per day for a sedan but here its K200+. A roadside inn would cost $40 (K90) per night, in PNG its K250+ and a good fortnight’s residential rental would cost $250 (K600), here K1600 per fortnight. I have always wondered why people say it’s expensive to live and work in PNG then in other countries like Ozz. The economic boom boosted about by ministers, bureaucrats, central banks, financial institutions, research agents, and the business communities are exclusive top level good news. Developmental benefits aren't reaching the average and lower level. For instance, a 3% deflation has never been reflected in the prices of goods and services. However, rather a 10% increase in the costs of goods and services was “approved’. ICCC a good strategic agent for corporate fraud? Releva

CREDIT RATING: B+/Stable/B Country: Papua New Guinea Rationale The ratings on Papua New Guinea (PNG) reflect the vulnerabilities associated with the country's weak policy environment and shortcomings in governance. The activities of statutory authorities, trust accounts, and other government-controlled entities lack transparency and contribute to the government's off-balance-sheet liabilities. Infrastructure shortcomings and security risks further constrain the rating by impeding investment required to diversify the economy , which is highly concentrated in the resources sector. The government's moderate fiscal deficits, low government debt, modest net external liability position, and the strong potential of the minerals and allied sectors to boost economic growth support the ratings. In our view, PNG's political and institutional frameworks remain weak and pose a key challenge as the government manages large windfall gains from lique

CREDIT RATING: B+/Stable/B Country: Papua New Guinea Rationale The ratings on Papua New Guinea (PNG) reflect the vulnerabilities associated with the country's weak policy environment and shortcomings in governance. The activities of statutory authorities, trust accounts, and other government-controlled entities lack transparency and contribute to the government's off-balance-sheet liabilities. Infrastructure shortcomings and security risks further constrain the rating by impeding investment required to diversify the economy , which is highly concentrated in the resources sector. The government's moderate fiscal deficits, low government debt, modest net external liability position, and the strong potential of the minerals and allied sectors to boost economic growth support the ratings. In our view, PNG's political and institutional frameworks remain weak and pose a key challenge as the government manages large windfall gains from

Sports and Special Events Minister Justin Tkatchenko is not a fit and proper person to be an MP, let alone a government Minister, given his history of unanswered fraud allegations. Parliament’s own Accounts Committee and special investigations at the National Capital District have both thrown up detailed allegations of corruption while one criminal prosecution against Tkatchenko was dropped in circumstances questioned by the National Court. In 2010 it was alleged Tkatchenko received over K3 million in payments from the National Capital District through his landscaping companies Kitoro No.33 and PNG Gardner. It is claimed these payments, were authorised by NCDC Governor Powes Parkop in breach of the Public Finance Management Act, the NCDC Act and the Organic Law on the Leadership Code. The payments, which were made for work on the NCDC Mini Park, Water Fountain, Waterslide and Zoo and Animal Farm, were made with no quotations provided and no public tendering process – brea

Sports and Special Events Minister Justin Tkatchenko is not a fit and proper person to be an MP, let alone a government Minister, given his history of unanswered fraud allegations. Parliament’s own Accounts Committee and special investigations at the National Capital District have both thrown up detailed allegations of corruption while one criminal prosecution against Tkatchenko was dropped in circumstances questioned by the National Court. In 2010 it was alleged Tkatchenko received over K3 million in payments from the National Capital District through his landscaping companies Kitoro No.33 and PNG Gardner. It is claimed these payments, were authorised by NCDC Governor Powes Parkop in breach of the Public Finance Management Act, the NCDC Act and the Organic Law on the Leadership Code. The payments, which were made for work on the NCDC Mini Park, Water Fountain, Waterslide and Zoo and Animal Farm, were made with no quotations provided and no public tendering proces

By GOVERNOR GARY JUFFA MP My grandmother had a dream to own a turkey. She had seen one of these feathered creatures in a book of animals my mother had bought me. When my uncle who was an agriculturalist, came around to visit, she asked him whether such creatures were sold in Papua New Guinea. He said they would be sold in due time when the Department of Agriculture was promoting poultry farming. She was so pleased with him and said she would place an order now and would start saving up. Every so often when I was flipping through the pages of my book as she baked, she would insist that I show her the page with the turkey. “I want to own a few turkeys.” she would say with a wistful smile. “Can you imagine them in our farm?” And off we would go telling outrageous stories of a farm full of turkeys and goats and horses and cattle in Kokoda strolling among the cocoa and coffee trees as she baked her scones to sell at the Kokoda Station market the next day. That was her simple dream. Sadly, s

THE case of fugitive Indonesian businessman Djoko Tjandra gaining Papua New Guinea citizenship to escape the clutches of the law serves to reinforce the view that we condone people with questionable motives and pasts. The impression given by this episode is that we are willing to bend our principles to suit our own ends despite how it may appear. On the one hand we have a person fleeing alleged persecution by the justice system of his own country so we agree to protect him using the immunity of citizenship. And, on the other hand, we must remember that this person is wanted by Interpol and Indonesian authorities for the embezzlement of millions in bank funds. We must ask the question: Is it wise, or worth our while, to embroil ourselves in a course of action that could cause friction in the cordial bilateral relationship enjoyed by Papua New Guinea and Indonesia? We should hope not. If we are to go out on a limb for an individual or a cause, doesn’t the plight of the indigen

THE case of fugitive Indonesian businessman Djoko Tjandra gaining Papua New Guinea citizenship to escape the clutches of the law serves to reinforce the view that we condone people with questionable motives and pasts. The impression given by this episode is that we are willing to bend our principles to suit our own ends despite how it may appear. On the one hand we have a person fleeing alleged persecution by the justice system of his own country so we agree to protect him using the immunity of citizenship. And, on the other hand, we must remember that this person is wanted by Interpol and Indonesian authorities for the embezzlement of millions in bank funds. We must ask the question: Is it wise, or worth our while, to embroil ourselves in a course of action that could cause friction in the cordial bilateral relationship enjoyed by Papua New Guinea and Indonesia? We should hope not. If we are to go out on a limb for an individual or a cause, doesn’t the plight of

WHEN Prince Charles visited Papua New Guinea half a century ago, he was on a student exchange spent eating yams and bananas in the dorm with local school boys. Yesterday,  his welcome back to the island nation was filled with more pomp and ceremony; a 21-gun salute, thousands of well-wishers, and flower garlands presented by women in tribal dress. Anticipation for the visit, which is part of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, had been building in impoverished PNG, with the Post-Courier newspaper on Friday declaring: "Welcome to Papua New Guinea, Your Royal Highnesses Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla!" The paper said the visit would be like a "home-coming" for Charles who first travelled to PNG in the 1960s when he was an exchange student in Australia and stayed at the Martyrs' Memorial Anglican School for boys in Northern Province. "The Prince did not stay with the school principal," it said. "He stayed with the boys at Sefoa Ga

WHEN Prince Charles visited Papua New Guinea half a century ago, he was on a student exchange spent eating yams and bananas in the dorm with local school boys. Yesterday,  his welcome back to the island nation was filled with more pomp and ceremony; a 21-gun salute, thousands of well-wishers, and flower garlands presented by women in tribal dress. Anticipation for the visit, which is part of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, had been building in impoverished PNG, with the Post-Courier newspaper on Friday declaring: "Welcome to Papua New Guinea, Your Royal Highnesses Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla!" The paper said the visit would be like a "home-coming" for Charles who first travelled to PNG in the 1960s when he was an exchange student in Australia and stayed at the Martyrs' Memorial Anglican School for boys in Northern Province. "The Prince did not stay with the school principal," it said. "He stayed with the boys at Sefoa

Australia is giving $8 million in aid to PNG's Manus Island, where it is planning to build an asylum seeker detention centre. The Australian high commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Ian Kemish, says the aid, already committed before the asylum centre was planned, will pay for medical scholarships and equipment, and for schools to be built on the small collection of islands that make up Manus province. The aid is coming amid ongoing uncertainty over landowner concerns about the deal, as well as the threat of legal action to halt the opening of the facility. "Australia is committed to assisting PNG achieve improved development outcomes for all Papua New Guineans, and we are already providing significant support to Manus," Mr Kemish said in a statement on Thursday. The high commissioner's statement said a joint assessment mission made up of development experts from AusAid and PNG's Department of National Planning is scheduled to visit Manus next week to conduct a needs

Australia is giving $8 million in aid to PNG's Manus Island, where it is planning to build an asylum seeker detention centre. The Australian high commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Ian Kemish, says the aid, already committed before the asylum centre was planned, will pay for medical scholarships and equipment, and for schools to be built on the small collection of islands that make up Manus province. The aid is coming amid ongoing uncertainty over landowner concerns about the deal, as well as the threat of legal action to halt the opening of the facility. "Australia is committed to assisting PNG achieve improved development outcomes for all Papua New Guineans, and we are already providing significant support to Manus," Mr Kemish said in a statement on Thursday. The high commissioner's statement said a joint assessment mission made up of development experts from AusAid and PNG's Department of National Planning is scheduled to visit Manus next week to conduct a needs

Jakarta Globe Papua New Guinea has been given a vote of confidence by ratings service Standard & Poor’s, which on Monday upgraded the country’s long-term sovereign debt credit outlook to stable from negative, citing the Pacific state’s greater political stability following July legislative elections. The rating agency affirmed Indonesia’s eastern neighbor’s current long-term rating at B+, and its short-term rating at B. PNG’s rating is four steps below investment grade, on par with other countries including Bolivia, Nigeria and Ukraine. “The elections resolved the stalemate that existed for nearly a year,” S&P credit analyst Yee Farn Phua said in a statement on Monday. Phua was referring to competing claims for the prime minister’s post between Peter O’Neill and previous premier Michael Somare. The PNG parliament elected O’Neill as prime minister in August 2011 during Somare’s absence due to illness. The Supreme Court then ruled in December that the removal of Som

Jakarta Globe Papua New Guinea has been given a vote of confidence by ratings service Standard & Poor’s, which on Monday upgraded the country’s long-term sovereign debt credit outlook to stable from negative, citing the Pacific state’s greater political stability following July legislative elections. The rating agency affirmed Indonesia’s eastern neighbor’s current long-term rating at B+, and its short-term rating at B. PNG’s rating is four steps below investment grade, on par with other countries including Bolivia, Nigeria and Ukraine. “The elections resolved the stalemate that existed for nearly a year,” S&P credit analyst Yee Farn Phua said in a statement on Monday. Phua was referring to competing claims for the prime minister’s post between Peter O’Neill and previous premier Michael Somare. The PNG parliament elected O’Neill as prime minister in August 2011 during Somare’s absence due to illness. The Supreme Court then ruled in December that the removal of

Introduction On 9 October 2012, the International State Crime Initiative (ISCI) released a report , The Demolition of Paga Hill , documenting a forced eviction that took place in Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby, on 12 May this year. Dozens of homes in the area of Paga Hill were demolished by the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary. Those residents who resisted or photographed the forced eviction, were attacked with sticks, iron rods and machetes . At one stage police even fired live rounds at bystanders. The demolition was conducted in order to make way for a luxury estate being spearheaded by the Paga Hill Development Company (PHDC) – a company largely run from Australia. PHDC’s Chairman and Secretary is Gudmundur Fridriksson, an executive who heads the North Queensland, Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership. [1] Since the publication of our report, Gudmundur Fridriksson, along with PHDC Director, George Hallit, [2] have made a number of serious allegations on Radi