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Showing posts with the label aid

A DESPERATE TURNBULL STANDS BY A WEAK DESPOT

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by PETER J RICKETS April is proving to be the most disastrous month in the history of Australia’s relationship with Papua New Guinea, with yet another crisis in Malcolm Turnbull’s concentration camp on Manus Island, to the north of the PNG mainland. At a time when the West is struggling to win the hearts and minds of Papua New Guinea in the face of a concerted Chinese diplomatic effort to do the same, Manus has once again blown up in Australia’s face. This week’s riot during which PNG Defence Force personnel fired approximately 100 rounds from military weapons into the refugee compound has created even more animosity towards Turnbull’s Australia. The compound is supposed to be officially closed, but still houses hundreds of refugees, with Turnbull and his Immigration Minister washing their hands of any responsibility for it and its occupants. Infuriated by the continuing Turnbull-Dutton deceptions and their attempts to slither away from Australia’s responsibilities, Papua New Gui

CASH AID OR PROGRAM AID –A DELICATE BALANCE

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by SAM KOIM At the 25th Papua New Guinea–Australia Ministerial Forum held recently in Madang, the Government of Papua New Guinea (GoPNG) surprised the Australian Government Ministers in attendance by requesting the Australian Government to take a paradigm shift from its program and project based aid to direct budgetary support as was during early days of PNG’s statehood. Two reasons publicly given by the GoPNG for the request are that firstly, it is claimed that the Australian aid programs are running parallel to the GoPNG development agendas and secondly, it is perceived that a lot of middlemen are chewing up most of the funds that could otherwise be spent on tangible projects. It is understood such requests were made previously and Australia rejected it, but this time, the Australian Government had undertaken to consider it in an upcoming review on aid to PNG. Although the GoPNG denies the request is driven by the cash flow crises the country is facing, it is an open secret

GOVERNMENT’S CREDIBILITY WITH INVESTORS AT ROCK BOTTOM: INEPT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT BY O’NEILL, PRUAITCH AND MARAPE PREDICTS LOOMING ECONOMIC DISASTER

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by WILSON TALAG “For a small country whose economy is heavily dependent on volatile commodity prices to  borrow heavily hoping that commodity prices will remain high is the pinnacle of stupidity.” Smart investors are not anywhere as dumb as the average Papua New Guinean citizen whenever  Prime Minister Peter O’Neill speaks.   O’Neill can utter complete lies about the PNG economy and government budget to the public and people will take his words at face value.  Foreign investors and the foreign owned private sector in PNG make good money because they are not so gullible.  They check things out and what they have learnt is disturbing.  The Prime Minister himself does not understand this reality and continues to present only information he wants the investors to hear.  But the investors are wise to his tricks and overall investor confidence in PNG has plummeted close to nil if the side comments of investors are to be taken at face value.    Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minist

IS AUSTRALIA BENDING BACKWARDS TO ACCOMMODATE PNG’S MOST CORRUPT GOVERNMENT?

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PM TURNBULL by PETER WARINE Australia’s nearest neighour and only colony, Papua New Guinea, is on the brink of economic collapse due to grand corruption and mismanagement of the O’Neill Government. The Public coffers have run dry early last year (2015) and PNG has there seems not much left to keep its head above the water.  PNGs economic outlook is bleak. International Rating Agencies have all downgraded PNG to negative gradings. The O’Neill Government conducted roadshows around the world to secure some more loans to ease the cash flow and foreign reserve shortages but to no avail. Even treasury bonds were used to attract investors but were seen as mere toilet papers.  The economic crises has escalated and literally, there is no money to pay the public servants salary –something that O’Neill wants covered all the time as a measure of control public dissent. Whilst trouble is brewing on the island of paradise, life is as usual downunder. Australia has never raised any form o