PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
20 November 2006
New Generation Party welcomes Commission of Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates in accepting its application as a political entity.
The New Generation Party has welcomed the decision by the Commission of Political Parties and Candidates in accepting its application as a political entity.
The Party, following the announcement, made clear its intention that it will invite the well-respected Lae MP, Hon. Bart Philemon, to lead the party to next year’s election.
The invitation will be made when we enter the grace period for MPs to decide which political party they will join in next year’s election.
It is common knowledge that Mr. Philemon – like Angalimp/South Waghi MP Jamie Maxtone-Graham – has been held against his will by the dictatorial National Alliance.
A recent online poll conducted by The National newspaper had readers overwhelmingly vote against the National Alliance for holding on to Mr. Philemon against his will.
If this is any yardstick to go by, the people of Papua New Guinea will overwhelmingly vote against the National Alliance in 2007.
The New Generation Party will also welcome like-minded sitting members of Parliament to join us.
An open invitation is also extended to public servants, private sector employees, farmers, informal sector members, grassroots, and other concerned Papua New Guineans – both men and women – to join us.
Our National Convention will be held in Lae on February 17th, 2007, where we will elect our national executives and endorse our candidates for the 2007 election.
The New Generation Party aims to build a strong, vibrant and democratic society for present and new generations, with a strong emphasis on our children.
This is because after three decades as an independent sovereign nation, Papua New Guinea is still a country in turmoil.
Despite its vast natural resources and potential wealth, Papua New Guinea remains poor.
It failed to improve the well-being of the people because of political instability and weak economic management.
Consequently, economic well-being is now little changed since Independence in 1975.
Poverty is pervasive with significant regional disparities, health facilities and education are sub-standard, and unemployment is high as the population growth accelerates.
This pattern must now come to an end.
Papua New Guinea must recover lost ground and advance for the benefit of current and future generations to come.
In this regard, the paramount goal of the New Generation Party is to serve the people of Papua New Guinea to ensure common prosperity and durable improvements in the well being of the people of Papua New Guinea.
The New Generation Party will at all times be guided by the by the National Goals and Directive Principles established in the Constitution of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea and implemented through its duly elected representatives
Ends//
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Monday, November 27, 2006
Point of history
Voco Point, Lae, is one of the busiest coastal trading points in the country!
On any given day, coastal vessels from throughout the country – from Alotau to Manus, from Lihir to Vanimo – line up at the wharves.
The passenger boats ferry people to Finschhafen, the Siassi islands, Kimbe, Rabaul, New Ireland, Oro Bay, Alotau, Madang, and Wewak.
The local shops make fortunes every day and the roads are chock-a-block with humans and vehicles.
In a nutshell, Voco Point is one of the busiest coastal trading points in the country.
It continues a great tradition started by Morobeans of long ago.
The pre-World War 11Vacuum Oil Company – Mobil – had a depot at the site of Voco Point; hence, Voco is short for Vacuum Oil Company.
Mobil Oil Australia was established in Australia in 1895 and traded as Vacuum Oil Company.
It was the first oil company to operate in Australia, New Guinea, and of course Lae.
As Lae boomed with the Wau and Bulolo goldfields in the 1920s, a shipping depot connected by railway to the airstrip was established at Vacuum Oil Company (Voco) Point, and remained as the main wharf until after the war.
The local Lae villages call Voco Point Asiawi, and in days of yore, it was a traditional trading ground that bustled with activity.
They came from as far away as the Siassi and Tami Islands, Bukawa, Salamaua, and Labu to meet and exchange goods in this ancient market place.
Researchers know that around the Huon Gulf, a complex and extensive trading system – dependent on canoe voyages – had existed long before contact with Europeans.
The greatest mariners were the Siassi and Tami Islanders, whose boats sailed up the Rai Coast towards Madang, plied the coast of New Britain, and penetrated far to the south in the Huon Gulf.
The Lae, unlike their Labu neighbors, were not great mariners but did build two types of canoes: a small dugout for local fishing and the larger Kasali (sailing canoe) for longer trips.
Supply lines stretched across the Vitiaz Strait to New Britain, up the Rai Coast towards Madang, and deep into the Upper Markham and the high valley of the Huon Peninsula.
According to one researcher, the distinctive feature of this trade was specialisation in the production of certain goods.
The Lae produced taro and fruits; the Labu specialised in woven handbags and baskets; the Bukawa produced taro, fruit, rain capes and mats of pandanus leaves sewn together; the Tami Islanders carved a variety of wooden bowls; while Siassi Islanders acted as middlemen, trading Huon Gulf products into New Britain and bringing back obsidian for knife blades and ochre for paints.
The inlanders and mountain people brought to the beach produce that the coast did not grow so well: yams, sweet potato, and tobacco.
They also brought with them items of wealth such as birds of paradise plumes, dog’s teeth, and cockatoo feathers.
In return, they took shells and shells ornaments, pigs, fish, and salt.
The inland trade route at Lae ran through Yalu to the Markham Valley and through Musom to the highlands of the Huon Peninsula.
Trading was carried out through a system of partnership with certain individuals and families at different ports.
This may explain how traces of the old Ahi – Wampar language are said to exist as far away as the coast of West New Britain.
It may also explain the undercurrent of friendship and co-operation between the people of the Huon Gulf coast, from Salamaua to the Siassi islands.
In 1979, a strange phenomenon occurred when a whirlpool came and tore away a large chunk of land and destroyed part of the Yacht Club.
This surprised many people, but not the local landowners, who said it was an evil spirit called Yaayaa.
According to the traditions of the Gwatu clan of Butibam Village, their original village, Ankuapoc, was near Asiawi.
Asiawi, according to mythology, used to be a long point which went out much further than today but was eaten by the evil spirit called Yaayaa which comes in a whirlpool and takes away chunks of land, the last of which was in 1979.
As Lae boomed with the Wau and Bulolo goldfields in the 1920s, a shipping depot connected by railway to the airstrip was established at Voco Point and remained as the main wharf until after the war.
Voco Point is now the terminal for local shipping and small boats, second to the Lae Port.
But it has made an indelible mark on the history of Lae, Morobe Province, and Papua New Guinea, and continues in the same vein.
Where once ancient mariners braved the rough seas, with only the moon and stars to guide them, now modern coastal vessels load machinery for the new gold mine on Lihir.
This is Voco Point, also known as Asiawi.
Ends//
Voco Point, Lae, is one of the busiest coastal trading points in the country!
On any given day, coastal vessels from throughout the country – from Alotau to Manus, from Lihir to Vanimo – line up at the wharves.
The passenger boats ferry people to Finschhafen, the Siassi islands, Kimbe, Rabaul, New Ireland, Oro Bay, Alotau, Madang, and Wewak.
The local shops make fortunes every day and the roads are chock-a-block with humans and vehicles.
In a nutshell, Voco Point is one of the busiest coastal trading points in the country.
It continues a great tradition started by Morobeans of long ago.
The pre-World War 11Vacuum Oil Company – Mobil – had a depot at the site of Voco Point; hence, Voco is short for Vacuum Oil Company.
Mobil Oil Australia was established in Australia in 1895 and traded as Vacuum Oil Company.
It was the first oil company to operate in Australia, New Guinea, and of course Lae.
As Lae boomed with the Wau and Bulolo goldfields in the 1920s, a shipping depot connected by railway to the airstrip was established at Vacuum Oil Company (Voco) Point, and remained as the main wharf until after the war.
The local Lae villages call Voco Point Asiawi, and in days of yore, it was a traditional trading ground that bustled with activity.
They came from as far away as the Siassi and Tami Islands, Bukawa, Salamaua, and Labu to meet and exchange goods in this ancient market place.
Researchers know that around the Huon Gulf, a complex and extensive trading system – dependent on canoe voyages – had existed long before contact with Europeans.
The greatest mariners were the Siassi and Tami Islanders, whose boats sailed up the Rai Coast towards Madang, plied the coast of New Britain, and penetrated far to the south in the Huon Gulf.
The Lae, unlike their Labu neighbors, were not great mariners but did build two types of canoes: a small dugout for local fishing and the larger Kasali (sailing canoe) for longer trips.
Supply lines stretched across the Vitiaz Strait to New Britain, up the Rai Coast towards Madang, and deep into the Upper Markham and the high valley of the Huon Peninsula.
According to one researcher, the distinctive feature of this trade was specialisation in the production of certain goods.
The Lae produced taro and fruits; the Labu specialised in woven handbags and baskets; the Bukawa produced taro, fruit, rain capes and mats of pandanus leaves sewn together; the Tami Islanders carved a variety of wooden bowls; while Siassi Islanders acted as middlemen, trading Huon Gulf products into New Britain and bringing back obsidian for knife blades and ochre for paints.
The inlanders and mountain people brought to the beach produce that the coast did not grow so well: yams, sweet potato, and tobacco.
They also brought with them items of wealth such as birds of paradise plumes, dog’s teeth, and cockatoo feathers.
In return, they took shells and shells ornaments, pigs, fish, and salt.
The inland trade route at Lae ran through Yalu to the Markham Valley and through Musom to the highlands of the Huon Peninsula.
Trading was carried out through a system of partnership with certain individuals and families at different ports.
This may explain how traces of the old Ahi – Wampar language are said to exist as far away as the coast of West New Britain.
It may also explain the undercurrent of friendship and co-operation between the people of the Huon Gulf coast, from Salamaua to the Siassi islands.
In 1979, a strange phenomenon occurred when a whirlpool came and tore away a large chunk of land and destroyed part of the Yacht Club.
This surprised many people, but not the local landowners, who said it was an evil spirit called Yaayaa.
According to the traditions of the Gwatu clan of Butibam Village, their original village, Ankuapoc, was near Asiawi.
Asiawi, according to mythology, used to be a long point which went out much further than today but was eaten by the evil spirit called Yaayaa which comes in a whirlpool and takes away chunks of land, the last of which was in 1979.
As Lae boomed with the Wau and Bulolo goldfields in the 1920s, a shipping depot connected by railway to the airstrip was established at Voco Point and remained as the main wharf until after the war.
Voco Point is now the terminal for local shipping and small boats, second to the Lae Port.
But it has made an indelible mark on the history of Lae, Morobe Province, and Papua New Guinea, and continues in the same vein.
Where once ancient mariners braved the rough seas, with only the moon and stars to guide them, now modern coastal vessels load machinery for the new gold mine on Lihir.
This is Voco Point, also known as Asiawi.
Ends//
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
BY HON. BART PHILEMON, MP
MEMBER FOR LAE
AT THE BUSU HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION
9TH NOVEMBER 2006
I AM indeed honored as Member for Lae – and your neighbour from Butibam Village - to have been invited to give the keynote address at the 2006 Busu High School graduation.
My commendations to Principal Mr. Betong Bega, who has been a staff member at Busu since 1992, for keeping the school running in these very difficult times.
I whole-heartedly congratulate you for your first intake of Grade 11 students this year, despite “zero” assistance from the government by way of finance, classrooms or teachers’ houses.
Mr. Bega is still seeking finance for a Grade 12 classroom and a teacher’s house.
Why is this so?
The government has failed miserably in implementing its own policies, including never-ending delays in transmitting grants to provincial governments.
A classic example is the K10 million for inspectors’ houses in a number of districts which was supposed to have been implemented in 2005.
This was carried over to 2006 and to date, we have not seen or heard anything.
We should question the Education Department on what has happened to the fund.
My good people, my heart bleeds and I worry so much for the future of the children of Papua New Guinea.
Recently, K22million was approved by Parliament for the District Treasury Roll-Out Programme, however, there have since been no more roll-outs.
Where has this money gone to?
Now we hear that the government is coming up with another supplementary budget.
According to the Public Finance Management Act, 90 per cent of surplus in a budget should used to retire debts and the current government has not done that.
It should seriously consider doing that in the next supplementary budget.
We know that next budget and supplementary budget will be election budgets; however, there has been no evidence in successive governments that election budgets are implemented due to shortage of time.
I must also tell you people of my electorate that the Department of National Planning is still having a very difficult time trying to implement the much-publicised Medium Term Development Strategy.
Clearly, something is very, very wrong with this government and it is very, very much out of touch with the little people such as you and me who make up this country.
Mr. Bega must be commended for persevering despite the very big “zero” from the government.
I am also not forgetting Mr. Bega’s hard-working teaching staff; ancillary staff; the surrounding community – Malahang, Hanta, Balob, Ampo and Butibam; the local business community such as IFC, Malahang Industrial Centre, Arnotts Biscuits, my good friend Joe Chan; parents; and most importantly, all you graduating and continuing students of this great school.
I am told that apart from the Grade 10s, this will be the last Grade 8 graduation as the school concentrates on Grades 9 to 12.
This is certainly the end of an era as since its inception in the early 1960s, Busu has always had Grade 8.
Since those early days, many hundreds of students have passed through this school.
They are absorbed into different walks of life in our communities.
Some are now occupying top respectable positions in both the government and private sector in the country and overseas.
I appeal to you – the “New Generation” – to continue this great tradition of Busu.
Do not let yourselves be destroyed by the evils of alcohol, drugs, gambling, crime, promiscuous sex, and many others lurking out there.
The future of Papua New Guinea is in the hands of you, the “New Generation”.
Those of you who are not continuing, please do not despair and turn to a life of evil.
There are other avenues to continue your education, otherwise, use what you have learned at Busu to help yourself.
God Almighty has blessed us with every spiritual blessing and an abundance of natural beauty and wealth.
But whilst we live on this earth, we have to make the most of it by living a life of fulfillment, of joy, peace and harmony.
To do so we need good, wise leaders and governments that make decisions that bring maximum positive benefit to their people.
Whilst only a handful of countries enjoy good life, many, including us in Papua New Guinea, struggle from year to year in search of the same, but we never really seem to make it.
I often weep for all the children of this great country.
I wonder what life is like for these children: do they have good homes and access to good health, education, food on the table or money in their pockets?
What will it be like in 20 years from now?
Will they have access to employment in 30 years time?
Will they have access to government services in 50 years from now, when most of us will no longer be here?
Will they have access to adequate health care and security?
Unfortunately for us, as it is now, there is no guarantee, even after 30 years of Independence, of these happening.
According to United Nation’s ratings, Papua New Guinea ranks amongst the lowest or worst in human development index.
Our child mortality rate remains very high with about 70 deaths per 1,000 births; maternal mortality at about 300 deaths per 100,000 births; and life expectancy of a low 58 years.
The sad thing here is that these high mortality rates occur mainly from preventable diseases.
Our literacy rate is also low with many children lacking access to good education.
It is also estimated that around 38 per cent of Papua New Guinea’s population live in poverty.
During the last two years in my former job as Minister for Finance and Treasury I have travelled to many districts in the country to bring financial, banking and postal services to the districts.
I have been forced to weep openly seeing the plight of our mothers and children.
Basic government services have deteriorated to such a state that they can no longer provide the services they are supposed to.
Schools, aid posts and health centres, roads and bridges, police and prison services and general administration have all broken down.
I have seen an alarming contrast.
On the one hand we are a nation of great beauty with immense natural resources.
Unlike many other countries, we have rich mineral deposits, vast timber reserves, teeming fisheries and rich soils, rich and diverse cultures.
And yet while we have been so richly blessed we are so poor.
I see poorly educated children, I see run down buildings, I see news headlines every day about fraud and corruption within our society.
In large urban centres like Lae, Port Moresby and Mount Hagen, I see the social effects of poverty expressed in crime and violence.
So how can a nation of people so richly blessed with such wealth of natural resources suffer in the way that so many of our country men do?
Where is the wealth that we have been so richly given going?
Clearly, much of the people’s natural wealth has not filtered through to the people.
I believe that these past and current failures are as much failures in our leadership and management as they are failures of any other kind.
It is not an absence of wealth that we suffer – it is the absence of the effective leadership and management of that wealth that we suffer.
We must never allow ourselves to underestimate the linkages between good leadership and management and the wellbeing of our communities.
Good leadership and management are not something we can hold up as some vague notion or distant goal – it is something that is essential, something non negotiable, something that we must doggedly pursue regardless of personal cost, regardless of barriers and regardless of set backs difficulties and frustrations – for without good leadership and management the people suffer.
There is an insightful saying that goes like this:
“Sow a thought, reap an action; Sow an action, reap a habit;
Sow a habit, reap a character; Sow a character, reap a destiny.”
I would like to also suggest that the long term destiny of this nation will be ultimately determined by getting the basics right.
We have to go back to the basics, and that means going back to the districts and going back to the people.
Today, as I speak to you graduating students, staff, parents and friends, I believe it is the actions we take, or avoid today, that will determine - in no small measure - what life for you will be like.
We have to make the “New Generation” our priority by having good honest leadership in government that will make the decisions that will ultimately in the best interest of our children, their children and their children.
We, leaders and governments, have to ensure that the future of every man women and child alive in this country today is as bright and prosperous as possible.
It says in the Bible, and is inscribed at the entrance of Parliament House, that:
“When the wicked rule the people suffer, when the just rule, the people rejoice.”
Let me tell you - without good leadership and management the people suffer.
Without good leadership and management our taxes go in servicing foreign debt, our physical infrastructure is not maintained, and our capacity to provide basic services to the community is depleted.
Without good leadership and management babies don’t receive the medical care they need, school children don’t receive the education they are entitled to, fathers can’t find employment and can’t support their families.
Without strong leadership and management, opportunities to grow our economy and attract foreign investment will be limited.
Without strong leadership and management, we lose the confidence of the markets, our development partners, and lenders.
Without good leadership and management, we waste the very money that should be being used to strengthen the infrastructure and programs essential to achieve the aspirations of the people.
So to me, good leadership and management is not an option – it is an absolute necessity and it is one that I have committed myself to and will continue to commit myself to wholeheartedly.
But that commitment must also come from you, the voters.
You must make wise decisions when selecting your leaders.
You know, the kind of leadership that forms government is the kind of leadership you choose.
You can choose to have wicked leaders that make you suffer or you can choose to elected just leaders that make you rejoice.
The choice is entirely yours because that choice you make will determine the destiny of your children and grand children.
The type of government and leadership I want to be a part of will also work in partnership with all the people of Papua New Guinea.
A new political Party – “New Generation Party” will emerge in the 2007 general elections and we believe it has a spiritual connotation to it.
It reminds us of the children of Israel led by Moses on their way to the “Promised Land” filled with milk and honey.
Unfortunately, the old generation of people led by Moses had to die in the wilderness, including Moses, and God had to raise a new generation of people under the leadership of Joshua to enter the Promised Land after 40 years
“God willing”, a new government under the leadership of the New Generation Party will ensure that our people benefit from the services they have been deprived of for the last 31 years.
Papua New Guinea has had 31 years of Independence and we have absolutely no doubt that “God willing”, a new generation of leadership under the New Generation Party will drive PNG into a nation that God had intended it to be.
It is time now aim high and to set our course on the right path and relentlessly set our goals high and steadfastly pursue these goals to build a nation and lift the economic, social, and cultural well-being of all Papua New Guineans.
When this is done, Papua New Guinea will then truly be one nation and one people, harnessing and unleashing all energies together to build a brighter future and better future for the current and future generations.
My heart-felt congratulations to all you young people graduating today, and remember that you are the “New Generation” who will one day run this country.
Thank you and God Bless!
BY HON. BART PHILEMON, MP
MEMBER FOR LAE
AT THE BUSU HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION
9TH NOVEMBER 2006
I AM indeed honored as Member for Lae – and your neighbour from Butibam Village - to have been invited to give the keynote address at the 2006 Busu High School graduation.
My commendations to Principal Mr. Betong Bega, who has been a staff member at Busu since 1992, for keeping the school running in these very difficult times.
I whole-heartedly congratulate you for your first intake of Grade 11 students this year, despite “zero” assistance from the government by way of finance, classrooms or teachers’ houses.
Mr. Bega is still seeking finance for a Grade 12 classroom and a teacher’s house.
Why is this so?
The government has failed miserably in implementing its own policies, including never-ending delays in transmitting grants to provincial governments.
A classic example is the K10 million for inspectors’ houses in a number of districts which was supposed to have been implemented in 2005.
This was carried over to 2006 and to date, we have not seen or heard anything.
We should question the Education Department on what has happened to the fund.
My good people, my heart bleeds and I worry so much for the future of the children of Papua New Guinea.
Recently, K22million was approved by Parliament for the District Treasury Roll-Out Programme, however, there have since been no more roll-outs.
Where has this money gone to?
Now we hear that the government is coming up with another supplementary budget.
According to the Public Finance Management Act, 90 per cent of surplus in a budget should used to retire debts and the current government has not done that.
It should seriously consider doing that in the next supplementary budget.
We know that next budget and supplementary budget will be election budgets; however, there has been no evidence in successive governments that election budgets are implemented due to shortage of time.
I must also tell you people of my electorate that the Department of National Planning is still having a very difficult time trying to implement the much-publicised Medium Term Development Strategy.
Clearly, something is very, very wrong with this government and it is very, very much out of touch with the little people such as you and me who make up this country.
Mr. Bega must be commended for persevering despite the very big “zero” from the government.
I am also not forgetting Mr. Bega’s hard-working teaching staff; ancillary staff; the surrounding community – Malahang, Hanta, Balob, Ampo and Butibam; the local business community such as IFC, Malahang Industrial Centre, Arnotts Biscuits, my good friend Joe Chan; parents; and most importantly, all you graduating and continuing students of this great school.
I am told that apart from the Grade 10s, this will be the last Grade 8 graduation as the school concentrates on Grades 9 to 12.
This is certainly the end of an era as since its inception in the early 1960s, Busu has always had Grade 8.
Since those early days, many hundreds of students have passed through this school.
They are absorbed into different walks of life in our communities.
Some are now occupying top respectable positions in both the government and private sector in the country and overseas.
I appeal to you – the “New Generation” – to continue this great tradition of Busu.
Do not let yourselves be destroyed by the evils of alcohol, drugs, gambling, crime, promiscuous sex, and many others lurking out there.
The future of Papua New Guinea is in the hands of you, the “New Generation”.
Those of you who are not continuing, please do not despair and turn to a life of evil.
There are other avenues to continue your education, otherwise, use what you have learned at Busu to help yourself.
God Almighty has blessed us with every spiritual blessing and an abundance of natural beauty and wealth.
But whilst we live on this earth, we have to make the most of it by living a life of fulfillment, of joy, peace and harmony.
To do so we need good, wise leaders and governments that make decisions that bring maximum positive benefit to their people.
Whilst only a handful of countries enjoy good life, many, including us in Papua New Guinea, struggle from year to year in search of the same, but we never really seem to make it.
I often weep for all the children of this great country.
I wonder what life is like for these children: do they have good homes and access to good health, education, food on the table or money in their pockets?
What will it be like in 20 years from now?
Will they have access to employment in 30 years time?
Will they have access to government services in 50 years from now, when most of us will no longer be here?
Will they have access to adequate health care and security?
Unfortunately for us, as it is now, there is no guarantee, even after 30 years of Independence, of these happening.
According to United Nation’s ratings, Papua New Guinea ranks amongst the lowest or worst in human development index.
Our child mortality rate remains very high with about 70 deaths per 1,000 births; maternal mortality at about 300 deaths per 100,000 births; and life expectancy of a low 58 years.
The sad thing here is that these high mortality rates occur mainly from preventable diseases.
Our literacy rate is also low with many children lacking access to good education.
It is also estimated that around 38 per cent of Papua New Guinea’s population live in poverty.
During the last two years in my former job as Minister for Finance and Treasury I have travelled to many districts in the country to bring financial, banking and postal services to the districts.
I have been forced to weep openly seeing the plight of our mothers and children.
Basic government services have deteriorated to such a state that they can no longer provide the services they are supposed to.
Schools, aid posts and health centres, roads and bridges, police and prison services and general administration have all broken down.
I have seen an alarming contrast.
On the one hand we are a nation of great beauty with immense natural resources.
Unlike many other countries, we have rich mineral deposits, vast timber reserves, teeming fisheries and rich soils, rich and diverse cultures.
And yet while we have been so richly blessed we are so poor.
I see poorly educated children, I see run down buildings, I see news headlines every day about fraud and corruption within our society.
In large urban centres like Lae, Port Moresby and Mount Hagen, I see the social effects of poverty expressed in crime and violence.
So how can a nation of people so richly blessed with such wealth of natural resources suffer in the way that so many of our country men do?
Where is the wealth that we have been so richly given going?
Clearly, much of the people’s natural wealth has not filtered through to the people.
I believe that these past and current failures are as much failures in our leadership and management as they are failures of any other kind.
It is not an absence of wealth that we suffer – it is the absence of the effective leadership and management of that wealth that we suffer.
We must never allow ourselves to underestimate the linkages between good leadership and management and the wellbeing of our communities.
Good leadership and management are not something we can hold up as some vague notion or distant goal – it is something that is essential, something non negotiable, something that we must doggedly pursue regardless of personal cost, regardless of barriers and regardless of set backs difficulties and frustrations – for without good leadership and management the people suffer.
There is an insightful saying that goes like this:
“Sow a thought, reap an action; Sow an action, reap a habit;
Sow a habit, reap a character; Sow a character, reap a destiny.”
I would like to also suggest that the long term destiny of this nation will be ultimately determined by getting the basics right.
We have to go back to the basics, and that means going back to the districts and going back to the people.
Today, as I speak to you graduating students, staff, parents and friends, I believe it is the actions we take, or avoid today, that will determine - in no small measure - what life for you will be like.
We have to make the “New Generation” our priority by having good honest leadership in government that will make the decisions that will ultimately in the best interest of our children, their children and their children.
We, leaders and governments, have to ensure that the future of every man women and child alive in this country today is as bright and prosperous as possible.
It says in the Bible, and is inscribed at the entrance of Parliament House, that:
“When the wicked rule the people suffer, when the just rule, the people rejoice.”
Let me tell you - without good leadership and management the people suffer.
Without good leadership and management our taxes go in servicing foreign debt, our physical infrastructure is not maintained, and our capacity to provide basic services to the community is depleted.
Without good leadership and management babies don’t receive the medical care they need, school children don’t receive the education they are entitled to, fathers can’t find employment and can’t support their families.
Without strong leadership and management, opportunities to grow our economy and attract foreign investment will be limited.
Without strong leadership and management, we lose the confidence of the markets, our development partners, and lenders.
Without good leadership and management, we waste the very money that should be being used to strengthen the infrastructure and programs essential to achieve the aspirations of the people.
So to me, good leadership and management is not an option – it is an absolute necessity and it is one that I have committed myself to and will continue to commit myself to wholeheartedly.
But that commitment must also come from you, the voters.
You must make wise decisions when selecting your leaders.
You know, the kind of leadership that forms government is the kind of leadership you choose.
You can choose to have wicked leaders that make you suffer or you can choose to elected just leaders that make you rejoice.
The choice is entirely yours because that choice you make will determine the destiny of your children and grand children.
The type of government and leadership I want to be a part of will also work in partnership with all the people of Papua New Guinea.
A new political Party – “New Generation Party” will emerge in the 2007 general elections and we believe it has a spiritual connotation to it.
It reminds us of the children of Israel led by Moses on their way to the “Promised Land” filled with milk and honey.
Unfortunately, the old generation of people led by Moses had to die in the wilderness, including Moses, and God had to raise a new generation of people under the leadership of Joshua to enter the Promised Land after 40 years
“God willing”, a new government under the leadership of the New Generation Party will ensure that our people benefit from the services they have been deprived of for the last 31 years.
Papua New Guinea has had 31 years of Independence and we have absolutely no doubt that “God willing”, a new generation of leadership under the New Generation Party will drive PNG into a nation that God had intended it to be.
It is time now aim high and to set our course on the right path and relentlessly set our goals high and steadfastly pursue these goals to build a nation and lift the economic, social, and cultural well-being of all Papua New Guineans.
When this is done, Papua New Guinea will then truly be one nation and one people, harnessing and unleashing all energies together to build a brighter future and better future for the current and future generations.
My heart-felt congratulations to all you young people graduating today, and remember that you are the “New Generation” who will one day run this country.
Thank you and God Bless!
Thursday, November 09, 2006
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
6 November 2006
Lae MP welcomes UK-based exploration company setting up in Lae
The Member for Lae Bart Philemon today welcomed UK-based exploration company Triple Plate Junction (TPJ) setting up its office in Lae.
The Lae office is mainly to support the needs of Exploration Licences in Morobe, Manus and Eastern Highlands Provinces.
It is understood that although TPJ (PNG) is not a big company, it employs about 100 employees and spends about K500, 000.00 a month on exploration in Papua New Guinea.
“This is about job creation within Morobe province and capitalising on the presence of skilled Papua New Guinean with a lot of commercial and practical experience” Mr. Philemon said.
Mr. Philemon also welcomed the company’s policy of employing and training local people whenever possible.
New assays received from TPJ’s first-phase reconnaissance work at the Company’s Otibanda prospect in Morobe province have outlined consistently high gold values in outcropping quartz vein shear zones.
Rock-chip gold grades include 4m of 70g/t, 5m of 13.0 g/t, 4m of 13.5g/t, 1.8m of 18.4 g/t and 3m of 12.7g/t from a 3-5 meter wide WNW trending 2km long central vein, but the gold value will not be known until the assays come back from an independent laboratory later this month.
The laboratory preparation facility is also based in Lae.
Smaller, parallel gold veins can be found up to 1.1 kilometers north of central zone, and 500 meters south of the zone.
Rock-chips values in these discontinuous veins include 0.8m of 26.2 g/t, 1.5m of 22.7 and 0.7m at 4.1 g/t gold.
On seeing the results, the Chief Executive Officer of PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum, Mr. Greg Anderson, commented that they were “very impressive and good news for PNG mineral exploration”.
Otibanda landowners in the area are happy with the progress of exploration.
Mr. Philemon urged the landowners to be reasonable in their on-going discussions with the company to ensure they receive benefit in the short and long term to enrich their livelihood and not to unnecessarily delay the drilling process.
“Otibanda is one of the several encouraging gold prospects that TPJ is currently working on its PNG Exploration Licences, including the recently-announced high grade gold mineral deposit on Manus,” Mr. Philemon said.
“Both of these prospects will be drilled next year and TPJ is presently negotiating with two Lae-based drilling companies to carry out the drilling.
“I am pleased with TJP for recognising the potential and having the confidence in setting its office in my electorate.
“As I have always maintained, Papua New Guinea has a lot of untapped natural resources, however, it needs strong political leadership to be at the helm in order for our people to benefit from the outcomes.”
TPJ is currently listed in London but is working towards a dual listing on the PNG Stock Exchange next year.
Ends//
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
6 November 2006
Lae MP welcomes UK-based exploration company setting up in Lae
The Member for Lae Bart Philemon today welcomed UK-based exploration company Triple Plate Junction (TPJ) setting up its office in Lae.
The Lae office is mainly to support the needs of Exploration Licences in Morobe, Manus and Eastern Highlands Provinces.
It is understood that although TPJ (PNG) is not a big company, it employs about 100 employees and spends about K500, 000.00 a month on exploration in Papua New Guinea.
“This is about job creation within Morobe province and capitalising on the presence of skilled Papua New Guinean with a lot of commercial and practical experience” Mr. Philemon said.
Mr. Philemon also welcomed the company’s policy of employing and training local people whenever possible.
New assays received from TPJ’s first-phase reconnaissance work at the Company’s Otibanda prospect in Morobe province have outlined consistently high gold values in outcropping quartz vein shear zones.
Rock-chip gold grades include 4m of 70g/t, 5m of 13.0 g/t, 4m of 13.5g/t, 1.8m of 18.4 g/t and 3m of 12.7g/t from a 3-5 meter wide WNW trending 2km long central vein, but the gold value will not be known until the assays come back from an independent laboratory later this month.
The laboratory preparation facility is also based in Lae.
Smaller, parallel gold veins can be found up to 1.1 kilometers north of central zone, and 500 meters south of the zone.
Rock-chips values in these discontinuous veins include 0.8m of 26.2 g/t, 1.5m of 22.7 and 0.7m at 4.1 g/t gold.
On seeing the results, the Chief Executive Officer of PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum, Mr. Greg Anderson, commented that they were “very impressive and good news for PNG mineral exploration”.
Otibanda landowners in the area are happy with the progress of exploration.
Mr. Philemon urged the landowners to be reasonable in their on-going discussions with the company to ensure they receive benefit in the short and long term to enrich their livelihood and not to unnecessarily delay the drilling process.
“Otibanda is one of the several encouraging gold prospects that TPJ is currently working on its PNG Exploration Licences, including the recently-announced high grade gold mineral deposit on Manus,” Mr. Philemon said.
“Both of these prospects will be drilled next year and TPJ is presently negotiating with two Lae-based drilling companies to carry out the drilling.
“I am pleased with TJP for recognising the potential and having the confidence in setting its office in my electorate.
“As I have always maintained, Papua New Guinea has a lot of untapped natural resources, however, it needs strong political leadership to be at the helm in order for our people to benefit from the outcomes.”
TPJ is currently listed in London but is working towards a dual listing on the PNG Stock Exchange next year.
Ends//
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
BY HON. BART PHILEMON, MP
MEMBER FOR LAE
AT THE MOROBE AGRICULTURAL SHOW
5TH NOVEMBER 2006
I am indeed honored as Member for Lae – and a former banana farmer - to have been invited to give the keynote address at the 2006 Morobe Agricultural Show.
My commendations to my good friend Mike Quinn, who has been the Show Society President for the last 10 years and a member of the Show Society since 1992, for keeping the fire of the Morobe Agricultural Show alive.
Not forgetting Mike’s hard-working Show Committee, the business community of Lae and Morobe Province, and most-importantly the little men and women farmers of Morobe Province to whom this Show is dedicated.
Like you, I once was a little banana farmer at Malahang, who toiled the soil to make ends meet – so I feel an empathy for you.
Let me also not forget the support of all sponsors, especially Coca-Cola, without whom this iconic event of Papua New Guinea would not have been possible.
The Morobe Agricultural Show is a major tourist attraction and showcases the agricultural, industrial, commercial and cultural aspects of Lae and the Morobe Province.
It plays a major role in the dissemination of information on cultivation, crops, diseases and breeding, as well as being the largest entertainment event in the province.
I am proud, as Member for Lae, that this is the 46th show since 1959 and is – without question – the best show in Papua New Guinea with a bias towards agriculture.
As a farmer, I strongly believe in agriculture to help develop this country.
We must encourage and foster upstream processing of agricultural commodities;
We must reduce the National Department of Agriculture and Livestock to a small policy making unit advising the Minister;
We must review, consolidate and restructure existing commodity boards, ensuring that growers make appointment of at least half the board members and those they have effective controls to prevent unnecessary wastage of growers’ funds;
We must consolidate all agricultural research under the National Agricultural Research Institute or the private sector. Ensure that adequate government funding is provided for agricultural research by providing funding on a kina-for-kina basis. Ensure regular external reviews of agricultural research;
We must revive agricultural extension by expanding the Smallholder Support Services Pilot Programme to all provinces;
We must review and enhance the Rural Development Bank lending and operational policies to make it accessible to rural populace;
We must encourage smallholder farmers to increase production;
We must review all outstanding debts to government owed by commodity boards.
We must ensure that transport infrastructure is adequate to allow farmers to get produce to market and trade goods back to villages.
We must ensure adequate telecommunications to enable farmers to access information about markets and prices.
We must support and rehabilitate livestock industry including institutional strengthening.
God Almighty has blessed us with every spiritual blessing and an abundance of natural beauty and wealth.
But whilst we live on this earth, we have to make the most of it by living a life of fulfillment, of joy, peace and harmony.
To do so we need good, wise leaders and governments that make decisions that bring maximum positive benefit to their people.
Whilst only a handful of countries enjoy good life, many, including us in Papua New Guinea, struggle from year to year in search of the same, but we never really seem to make it.
Many of us here today at the Morobe Show have children, or younger brothers and sisters, or nieces and nephews.
I wonder what life is like for those children: do they have good homes and access to good health, education, food on the table or money in their pockets.
What will it be like in 20 years from now?
Will they have access to employment in 30 years time?
Will they have access to government services in 50 years from now, when most of us will no longer be here?
Will they have access to adequate health care and security?
Unfortunately for us, as it is now, there is no guarantee, even after 30 years of Independence, of these happening.
According to United Nation’s ratings, Papua New Guinea ranks amongst the lowest or worst in human development index.
Our child mortality rate remains very high with about 70 deaths per 1,000 births, maternal mortality at about 300 deaths per 100,000 births and, life expectancy of a low 58 years.
The sad thing here is that these high mortality rates occur mainly from preventable diseases.
Our literacy rate is also low with many children lacking access to good education.
It is also estimated that around 38 per cent of Papua New Guinea’s population live in poverty.
During the last two years in my former job as Minister for Finance and Treasury I have traveled to many districts in the country to bring financial, banking and postal services to the districts.
I have been forced to weep openly seeing the plight of our mothers and children.
Basic government services have deteriorated to such a state that they can no longer provide the services they are supposed to.
Schools, aid posts and health centres, roads and bridges, police and prison services and general administration have all broken down.
I have seen an alarming contrast.
On the one hand we are a nation of great beauty with immense natural resources.
Unlike many other countries, we have rich mineral deposits, vast timber reserves, teeming fisheries and rich soils, rich and diverse cultures.
And yet while we have been so richly blessed we are so poor.
I see poorly educated children, I see run down buildings, I see news headlines every day about fraud and corruption within our society.
In large urban centres like Lae, Port Moresby and Mount Hagen, I see the social effects of poverty expressed in crime and violence.
So how can a nation of people so richly blessed with such wealth of natural resources suffer in the way that so many of our country men do?
Where is the wealth that we have been so richly given going?
Clearly, much of the people’s natural wealth has not filtered through to the people.
I believe that these past and current failures are as much failures in our leadership and management as they are failures of any other kind.
It is not an absence of wealth that we suffer – it is the absence of the effective leadership and management of that wealth that we suffer.
We must never allow ourselves to underestimate the linkages between good leadership and management and the wellbeing of our communities.
Good leadership and management are not something we can hold up as some vague notion or distant goal – it is something that is essential, something non negotiable, something that we must doggedly pursue regardless of personal cost, regardless of barriers and regardless of set backs difficulties and frustrations – for without good leadership and management the people suffer.
There is an insightful saying that goes like this:
“Sow a thought, reap an action; Sow an action, reap a habit;
Sow a habit, reap a character; Sow a character, reap a destiny.”
I would like to also suggest that the long term destiny of this nation will be ultimately determined by getting the basics right.
We have to go back to the basics, and that means going back to the districts and going back to the people.
Today, as I speak to you people of Lae, Morobe Province and Papua New Guinea, I believe it is the actions we take, or avoid today, will determine - in no small measure - what life for you will be like.
We have to make the new generation our priority by having good honest leadership in government that will make the decisions that will ultimately in the best interest of our children, their children and their children.
We, leaders and governments, have to ensure that the future of every man women and child alive in this country today is as bright and prosperous as possible.
It says in the Bible, and is inscribed at the entrance of Parliament House, that:
“When the wicked rule the people suffer, when the just rule, the people rejoice.”
Let me tell you - without good leadership and management the people suffer.
Without good leadership and management our taxes go in servicing foreign debt, our physical infrastructure is not maintained, and our capacity to provide basic services to the community is depleted.
Without good leadership and management babies don’t receive the medical care they need, school children don’t receive the education they are entitled to, fathers can’t find employment and can’t support their families.
Without strong leadership and management, opportunities to grow our economy and attract foreign investment will be limited.
Without strong leadership and management, we lose the confidence of the markets, our development partners, and lenders.
Without good leadership and management, we waste the very money that should be being used to strengthen the infrastructure and programs essential to achieve the aspirations of the people.
So to me, good leadership and management is not an option – it is an absolute necessity and it is one that I have committed myself to and will continue to commit myself too wholeheartedly.
But that commitment must also come from you, the voters.
You must make wise decisions when selecting your leaders.
You know, the kind of leadership that forms government is the kind of leadership you choose.
You can choose to have wicked leaders that make you suffer or you can choose to elected just leaders that make you rejoice.
The choice is entirely yours because that choice you make will determine the destiny of your children and grand children.
The type of government and leadership I want to be a part of will also work in partnership with all the people of Papua New Guinea.
I say this because after three decades as an independent sovereign nation, Papua New Guinea is still a country in turmoil.
Despite its vast natural resources and potential wealth, Papua New Guinea remains poor.
It failed to improve the well-being of the people because of political instability and weak economic management.
Consequently, economic well-being is now little changed since independence in 1975.
Poverty is pervasive with significant regional disparities, health facilities and education are sub-standard, and unemployment is high as the population growth accelerates.
This pattern must now come to an end.
Papua New Guinea must recover lost ground and advance for the benefit of current and future generations to come.
In this regard, the paramount goal of the Government must be to serve the people of Papua New Guinea to ensure common prosperity and durable improvements in the well being of the people of Papua New Guinea.
The Government must at all times be guided by the by the National Goals and Directive Principles established in the Constitution of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea and implemented through its duly elected representatives.
The critical elements which can and will ensure a decisive and irreversible forward progress are not just economic and political, but also social and cultural.
These are critically important.
1. We must legislate National Goals and Directive Principles to guide the policies for social and economic development.
2. We must improve the welfare of all Papua New Guineans by ensuring that they have access to basic medical and educational services.
3. We must achieve high and sustained growth rates by developing and expanding the resource sectors to include downstream processing all agricultural and mineral resources. We must do so responsibility to ensure sustainable development of our natural resources.
4. Similarly, we must expand and rehabilitate physical infrastructure to allow people to take part in the modern economy and to thereby lower unemployment and underemployment especially in the rural areas.
5. We must promote the private sector as the key engine of growth in order to generate income earning opportunities for all Papua New Guineans.
6. Government’s role in the economy must be limited streamlined regulation and providing an enabling framework for the rapid growth of productive capacity in the private sector.
7. We must eradicate corruption and graft at all levels by ensuring that transparency and accountability permeates every aspect of public transactions. We must learn from the past and adopt best practices that have worked elsewhere.
8. We must reduce waste and improve the efficiency of service delivery to our people, especially those in the rural areas. To do so, we must break from past tradition and review the current three tier system of government with a view to making more cost effective and service oriented. A lean productive and responsive public service machinery will deliver better services to our population.
9. We are a proud nation, rich in diversity of people, ideas, and action. We must use this to our advantage to create an integrated order of one people and one nation.
10. We must also protect and preserve our natural environment, and cultural heritage for future generations yet unborn.
It is time now to aim high and to set our course on the right path and relentlessly set our goals high and steadfastly pursue these goals to build a nation and lift the economic, social, and cultural well-being of all Papua New Guineans.
When this is done, Papua New Guinea will then truly be one nation and one people, harnessing and unleashing all energies together to build a brighter future and better future for the current and future generations.
With these few words, I now declare the 2006 Morobe Agricultural Show officially open.
Thank you and God Bless Papua New Guinea.
NEW GENERATION PARTY
BUILDING A STRONG, VIBRANT AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY FOR PRESENT AND NEW GENERATIONS
2007 AND BEYOND
DRAFT POLICY
After three decades as an independent sovereign nation, Papua New Guinea is still a country in turmoil. Despite its vast natural resources and potential wealth, Papua New Guinea remains poor. It failed to improve the well-being of the people because of political instability and weak economic management. Consequently, economic well-being is now little changed since independence in 1975. Poverty is pervasive with significant regional disparities, health facilities and education are sub-standard, and unemployment is high as the population growth accelerates. This pattern must now come to an end. Papua New Guinea must recover lost ground and advance for the benefit of current and future generations to come.
In this regard, the paramount goal of the New Generation Party (NGP) is to serve the people of Papua New Guinea to ensure common prosperity and durable improvements in the well being of the people of Papua New Guinea. The NGP will at all times be guided by the by the National Goals and Directive Principles established in the Constitution of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea and implemented through its duly elected representatives.
KEY POLICY OBJECTIVES
The critical elements which can and will ensure a decisive and irreversible forward progress are not just economic and political, but also social and cultural. These are critically important.
We must legislate National Goals and Directive Principles to guide the policies for social and economic development.
We must improve the welfare of all Papua New Guineans by ensuring that they have access to basic medical and educational services.
We must achieve high and sustained growth rates by developing and expanding the resource sectors to include downstream processing all agricultural and mineral resources. We must do so responsibility to ensure sustainable development of our natural resources.
Similarly, we must expand and rehabilitate physical infrastructure to allow people to take part in the modern economy and to thereby lower unemployment and underemployment especially in the rural areas.
We must promote the private sector as the key engine of growth in order to generate income earning opportunities for all Papua New Guineans.
Government’s role in the economy must be limited streamlined regulation and providing an enabling framework for the rapid growth of productive capacity in the private sector.
We must eradicate corruption and graft at all levels by ensuring that transparency and accountability permeates every aspect of public transactions. We must learn from the past and adopt best practices that have worked elsewhere.
We must reduce waste and improve the efficiency of service delivery to our people, especially those in the rural areas. To do so, we must break from past tradition and review the current three tier system of government with a view to making more cost effective and service oriented. A lean productive and responsive public service machinery will deliver better services to our population.
We are a proud nation, rich in diversity of people, ideas, and action. We must use this to our advantage to create an integrated order of one people and one nation.
We must also protect and preserve our natural environment, and cultural heritage for future generations yet unborn.
These critical elements can only be held together at the top by a truly national symbol of unity in a Head of sate selected in a non-partisan manner as a lever of political unity. From this strength of unity, many political policies and divisive practices will disappear or will no longer be possible.
It is time now aim high and to set our course on the right path and relentlessly set our goals high and steadfastly pursue these goals to build a nation and lift the economic, social, and cultural well-being of all Papua New Guineans. When this is done, Papua New Guinea will then truly be one nation and one people, harnessing and unleashing all energies together to build a brighter future and better future for the current and future generations.
1. GOVERNANCE REFORM PLAN
The NGP recognizes improved governance as a critical requirement for PNG to address its development challenges. Support for public sector reform, improved public financial management and the application of sanctions for non-compliance and corruption are critical elements in maintaining good governance.
NGP will address corruption by:
a) Introducing legislation to create an Independent Commission Against Corruption.
b) Ensure that the sufficient resources are provided to institutions responsible for fighting corruption.
c) Appointing a contract Police Commissioner by the Constitutional Appointments Committee on a finite contract to reform and rebuild the police force.
d) Ensuring that adequate resources are provided to the Public Accounts Committee and the fraud squad and National Anti Corruption Coalition to take action on irregularities exposed by the committee.
e) Directing and making sure relevant agencies perform their constitutional functions and responsibilities according to law.
f) Establishing audit committees and units in all levels and instruments of government.
g) Review and strengthen systems of checks and balance to prevent abuse of power and process.
h) Stringent compliance to the merit-based system of appointments and termination.
i) Review and simplify the current cumbersome appointment process of Departmental heads and statutory bodies.
j) Instituting a performance based management systems for Departmental heads aimed at achieving and rewarding results and applying sanctions on poor performance.
k) Enforcing strict code of professional ethics for public office holders, public servants and professionals within government instrumentalities.
l) Strengthen the professional bodies’ responsible for ethical conduct of professionals in government instrumentalities.
2. ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT
The NGP will implement macro-economic policies that will build investor confidence and create the foundation for sustained low inflation, a stable currency, high levels of investment and significant economic growth. High sustained economic growth facilitates widespread job creation and reduces poverty.
a) Increase Gross National Savings and Gross Domestic Investment from current low levels.
b) Accelerate economic growth to at least 5 per annum sustain it above 5 percent per annum based on the phased implementation of the key projects and improved productivity in the agriculture and mineral sector.
c) Remove obstacles to productive growth in the formal and informal sectors and encourage downstream processing of primary resources.
d) Setting realistic economic goals and targets production levels by number of tones/units and identify the constraints to reaching these targets and removing them.
e) Review and improve fiscal and monetary policy. Monetary and fiscal discipline will result in a gradual reduction in interest rates, providing businesses with lower cost funding for investment, growth and job creation.
f) Reduce the ratio of debt to GDP by setting and strictly enforcing maximum borrowing levels to minimize the use of revenues to service debt.
g)
h) Review the Medium Term Development Strategy to be guided by the Medium Term Fiscal Strategy.
i) Review the taxation system to enable better outcomes
3. PRIVATE SECTOR and BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Recognizing that the private sector is the backbone of the economy, and that small and informal business is part of the private sector, NGP will pursue a number of key strategies to facilitate private sector growth by:
a) Direct the public sector to cooperate with the private sector and do all it can to encourage business rather than create barriers and impediments. Ensure that these efforts are coordinated within government agencies.
b) Provide or encourage necessary infrastructure (transport, telecommunications, electricity, and financial) to assist sustainable business to grow.
c) Strengthen the law and justice sector to reduce law and order problems in both rural and urban areas.
d) Reduce the institutional barriers to business and ensure that approvals are given quickly with assistance from the Investment Promotion Authority.
e) Provide more effective technical support and training for small and medium size enterprises by restructuring number of government agencies.
f) encouraging a competitive and dynamic private sector through various policy initiatives.
g) limiting the role of government to one of regulatory rather than a direct player.
In addition NGP will promote the public-private partnership and aggressively pursue trade liberalization to comply with international commitments.
4. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
NGP recognizes the importance of industrial development to broaden the economic base and create opportunities for employment and income generation. The NGP will ensure that our manufacturing sector becomes more competitive and that manufacturers upgrade their facilities and have increased access to overseas export markets by:
a) Encouraging and fostering manufacturing and downstream processing activities with the view to add value to exports.
b) Encourage and foster upstream activities to sustain the industry.
c) Enhance operations of a one-stop shop and approval system for security in business.
d) Re-examine and strengthen existing initiatives on free trade zones, industrial parks/centers and tax free factories
e) Encourage informal sectors and businesses in towns and villages.
f) Promote micro- finance scheme to support small-scale business and individual entrepreneurs.
g) Promote development of entrepreneurial culture and skills.
5. PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM
The NGP believes in the importance of the public sector to the economy and service delivery to our people. Reforming the public sector to make it more effective, efficient and economical is important in this regard. NGP will accomplish this by:
a) Abolishing provincial governments and progressively relocating public servants to districts after ensuring that there is adequate housing and infrastructure available.
b) Initiating reform towards results-based performance in all government instrumentalities.
c) Where possible outsource provision of traditional government services with strong government control over standards and regularity, air, sea and road. of delivery.
d) Review and implement the Right Sizing recommendations presented to the government in 2005 where relevant including provincial governments.
e) Review number of Boards and Authorities with a view to reducing the numbers and increasing their efficiency by introducing strict performance management criteria and penalties for failure to reach them.
f) Developing and implement an institutional and implementation professional capacity building programmes for all levels of government through the reintroduction of a public service cadetship system, formal training schemes through regional training institutions, promotion based on formal training results;
g) Establishing a coherent policy, planning, budgeting and accounting system for program implementation
h) Developing a comprehensive National and District Data Management System to improve planning, delivery and monitoring of program of public services.
6. PRIVATISATION
The NGP believes that state owned enterprises should be fully commercialized and where relevant privatized. NGP will:
a) Review roles and function of Independent Public Business Corporation.
b) Review the current regulatory regime with the view to opening up the market for competition.
c) Ensure that all appointments of Boards and Chief executive Officers are made on merit
d) Assess the performance of State Owned Enterprises and determine their immediate and long-term commercial viability
e) To privatize SOEs where such enterprises have proven to be commercially unviable or in instances where the gains from privatization outweighs the future benefits by continuously holding onto them.
f) Ensure that the Community Service Obligations are included in any sale or commercialization.
7. AGRICULTURE, LAND, AND NATURAL RESOURCES
(i) Agriculture
The NGP will work to make traditional agricultural crops more competitive and actively seek to diversify into higher value-added and niche market areas to benefit from our comparative advantages.
a) Encourage and foster upstream processing of agricultural commodities.
b) Reduce the National Department of Agriculture and Livestock to a small policy making unit advising the Minister.
c) Review, consolidate and restructure existing commodity boards, ensuring that growers make appointment of at least half the board members and those they have effective controls to prevent unnecessary wastage of growers’ funds.
d) Consolidate all agricultural research under the National Agricultural Research Institute or the private sector. Ensure that adequate government funding is provided for agricultural research by providing funding on a kina-for-kina basis. Ensure regular external reviews of agricultural research.
e) Revive agricultural extension by expanding the Smallholder Support Services Pilot Programme to all provinces,
f) Review and enhance the Rural Development Bank lending and operational policies to make it accessible to rural populace.
g) Encourage small holder’s farmers to increase production.
h) Review all outstanding debts to government owed by commodity boards.
i) Ensure that transport infrastructure is adequate to allow farmers to get produce to market and trade goods back to villages.
j) Ensure adequate telecommunications to enable farmers to access information about markets and prices.
k) Support and rehabilitate livestock industry including institutional strengthening.
(ii) Forestry
a) Get industry agreement on sustainable logging levels through roundtable discussion between all Stakeholders.
b) Review current practice of round log export versus downstream processing.
c) Ensure that ALL conditions of EVERY logging lease/agreement are uniform and guarantee lasting benefit to landowners.
d) Review the Forestry Act to ensure it provides sustainability with the emphasis on on-shore downstream processing to enhance growth in manufacturing sector and rural employment.
e) Enhance landowner participation in decision making and development.
f) Encourage more research into forestry resources with the view to conserve rare and unique habitat for future generations.
g) Review and restructure the forest management services including the institutional setup.
(iii) Fisheries
a) Review the fisheries management arrangements for fisheries development
b) Promote and encourage onshore processing of tuna and other species.
c) Rehabilitate and strengthen research and training institutions.
d) Review the provisions of the border treaties relating to marine resources.
e) Encourage and support aquaculture development in inland fishery.
(iv) Tourism
The NGP will provide adequate support to marketing and advertising the tourist product, expand offerings of attractions to visitors and improve our infrastructure, especially in our resort towns. It will:
a) Review and promote the recommendation of the ICCC-TPA Review and Development Plan 2007-2017.
b) Address impediments to tourism development with the view to addressing the high cost structures
c) Increase allocation of resources to the promotion and development of the tourism industry through incentives to the private sector.
d) Implement more tax incentives for new tourism development.
e) Institute a high level coordination and communication between provincial, districts and the national departments on eco-tourism development
f) Encourage and support for tourism related training initiatives.
g) Encourage and support community and village based tourism projects.
h) Review existing instructional setup to facilitate tourism development.
i) Encourage cultural heritage for tourism development.
(v) Environment Management and Development
The NGP will promote sustainable development and protection of the environment to develop and preserve the country for future generations.
a) Promote and conserve our natural environment for sustainable and use consistent with the 4th Goal of our Constitution.
b) Rehabilitate existing protected areas and promote small to large scale conservation areas for sustainable development.
c) Review the environment and conservation legislations with the view to enhancing management and development of our natural resources and biodiversity.
d) Strengthen the administrative ability of the Department of Environment and Conservation to enable it to better monitor exploitation of natural resources.
(vi) Land
The NGP will place special emphasis on the unique issues surrounding the economic use of land. It will devise focused strategies to address these problems to encourage the productive development of land as a key economic input. NGP Will:
a) Ensure proper security of indigenous landownership for maximum and long term benefits.
b) Review the land administration and management legislations.
c) Encourage landowner participation in using their land for economic development.
d) Review and implement the National Development Land Reform.
(vii) Mining and Petroleum
The NGP will work to expand the mining and petroleum sector. It will
a) Review the appropriate legislations to ensure it provides sustainability with the emphasis on on-shore downstream processing to enhance growth in manufacturing sector and rural employment.
b) Enhance landowner participation in decision making and development.
c) Review and restructure the current administrative arrangements in the management of land-owner benefits.
(ix) Cross-Cutting Issues
a) Provide revolving credit facilities such as the micro-finance to provide opportunities for investment and productive employment.
b) Review existing incentive structures to encourage subsistence farmers in agriculture, fisheries, tourism and forestry to consolidate these sectors as the backbone of the economy.
c) Promote and enhance capacity building in those economic sectors.
6. INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
NGP recognizes that infrastructure development is the key to any economic and social development. The NGP will focus on the rehabilitation and development of all basic infrastructures by:
Transport
The NGP will upgrade, improve and maintain Papua New Guinea’s transportation network, and improve the quality and diversity of the transportation system.
a) Ensure adequate provision of transport services (air, sea and road) to all remote areas.
b) Review the existing transport policy to ensure that a more integrated approach transport planning to provide a safe, dependable, effective and cost efficient transport services to all sections of the community.
c) Increase funding for the maintenance, rehabilitation and upgrading of existing infrastructure in the three modes of transportation (land, sea/waterways and air).
d) Develop and maintain rural feeder roads, airstrip, and waterways to facilitate easy access to social and economic services.
e) Implementation of the sub-sectoral authorities such as National Road Authority, National Maritime Authority and Civil Aviation Authority and ensure they are more effective accountable to finance and management of transport assets.
f) Review and institute regulations to encourage competition in the sector.
Health
The NGP believes that every one must have access to basic health care. It will encourage:
a) Encourage private provision of health services down to village level.
b) Review existing legislations with the view to improving and realigning the health sector.
c) Make a stock take of all medical facilities throughout the country and provide funding to ensure that they are reopened by government or private health care providers.
d) Maintain and rehabilitate existing health facilities including accommodation for staff.
e) Establish mobile clinics to provide medical access to the poor, elderly and infirmed.
Education
The NGP will:
a) Make a stock take of all schools, their condition, actual versus funded staffing levels and provision of adequate materials and supplies including desks, books and stationary.
b) Review existing legislations with the view to improving and realigning the education sector.
c) Increase funding for education facilities such primary, secondary, vocational/technical, colleges and tertiary institutions.
d) Maintain and rehabilitate existing educational facilities including accommodation for staff.
Information, Communication, Telecommunications
The NGP will develop a modern information, communication and technology (“ICT”) policy that provides for the acquisition, installation and operation of different means of ICT to make Papua New Guinea a world leader in ICT and also meet the developmental needs of the people. NGP believes that
Communications must play a critical role in promoting economic, social, scientific, educational and cultural progress as well as a better understanding among Papua New Guineans.
In the globalized economy, information technology and communications media have a vital role in educational advancement and in promoting economic and social development.
To effectively take advantage of the opportunities offered by ICT, Papua New Guinea must put in place a cost-effective and technologically advanced human resources and regulatory infrastructure. The NGP will:
a) Promote and increase funding for establishment of rural telecommunication network.
b) Establish an Information Technology Authority reporting directly to the relevant minister to plan and coordinate the development of the ICT industry in Papua New Guinea within the public sector and to facilitate linkages with the private sector.
c) Conduct a comprehensive survey of the current status of ICT in the public and private sectors.
d) Conduct a comprehensive new legislation and legislative overhaul initiative to ensure that adequate and appropriate legislation exists covering areas such as digital signatures, privacy, and protection of intellectual property.
e) Actively work toward establishing a national public IT network on a single standard which is competitively priced, utilizes multiple sources, and has adequate penetration into the educational system.
f) Attract joint ventures to build more information technology (IT) digi ports to develop Papua New Guinea as a leading IT operation.
g) Encourage the installation of broadband, high speed internet and wireless technology to attract a wide range of IT investments.
h) Promote wireless internet technology to enable computer access to reach schools and rural homes institution as required.
i) Promote broader reach of television broadcasting to reach the wider population.
Housing
a) Ensure that adequate land is available for citizens to build their own houses.
b) Encourage private provision of housing and in the interim increase funding for maintenance and rehabilitation of institutional housing for public servants including police, correctional services magisterial services and judiciary in urban centers and districts.
c) Encourage and support various housing schemes
7. PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL LEVEL GOVERNMENTS
NGP recognizes that after 31 years of political independence, the three tiers of government have failed to effectively deliver the essential basic services to the rural populace. The NGP will reform Papua New Guinea’s Constitution and system of Governance to improve transparency, accountability and the strength of representation of the people by elected officials. The NGP will:
a) Review the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Government with a view to abolishing provincial government.
b) Make appropriate amendments to the OLPLLG to make it more effective and capable of providing the necessary services to all communities.
c) Pursue the District Treasury and District Services Improvement Programme.
d) Review of the work of the National Economic and Fiscal Commission with view to identifying funding for its equitable distribution to provinces.
e) Review and strengthen the National and Provincial Monitoring Authority.
f) Promote training and up skilling of provincial and district professional capacity for effective implementation of government policy.
g) Ensure the all funding for Local Level Governments provided under the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Government is provided directly to the districts.
8. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
The NGP recognizes the importance of providing social services to improve the welfare of all Papua New Guineans. In doing so, the NGP will:
8.1 Education
The NGP will implement LEARN (Learning and Education Reform for Nation Building) a comprehensive programme to increase funding, reform the curricula, and improve school infrastructure and teacher training, in order to produce more literate and educated students.
a) Recentralize the Education System to make it more effective and responsive to the changing times.
b) Ensure every child will be provided tuition fees from elementary to grade 2 and that will be extended to Grade 8 in 2010, with the view to empowering our future generation and to improve the literacy rate consistent with the Millennium Development Goals..
c) Review the Elementary Curriculum with the view to introduce tok pisin in all elementary schools and to enhance greater local participation and making it more effective.
d) Reform teacher education programmes to make them more effective with view to improving the quality of education.
e) Promote technical and vocational training programmes.
f) Encourage private providers of education and training and expansion of distance education, without compromising the quality standards set by Government.
g) Promote and enhance school inspectorate in all district to monitor the successes and failures of education in the district.
h) Review and strengthen current Tertiary Education Subsidy Scheme to make it more effective.
i) Review and strengthen tertiary education programme/curriculum with the view to making it more relevant and professionally competitive.
j) Rationalise tertiary education especially the number of universities. Reduce the size of Office of Higher education and relocate it back in the Department of Educations.
k) Review and implement the National Education Plan 2005 - 20014
8.2 Health
NGP recognizes the importance of a healthy population as the foundation for nation building. The NGP will introduce four basic disciplines in all of the district hospitals with services on a timely basis: (1) pediatrics (2) surgery (3) medicine (4) obstetrics/gynecology. It will:
a) Encourage family planning programmes to control population growth that the economy can sustain.
b) Promote and provide appropriate resources for mobile health extension services in rural areas.
c) Increase funding for preventable diseases including research and development as well as health promotion and prevention programmes.
d) Increase funding and distribution of essential drugs and basic supplies.
e) Improve the terms and conditions of health workers including the provision of specialized and qualified health workers.
f) Improve training programs for cadres of health workers
g) Promote and encourage health insurance policy to offset rising cost of heath care services.
h) Review and improve the management and operations of public hospitals and district health services.
8.3 Sports and Recreation
The NGP will improve the opportunities for Papua New Guinea’s athletes to fully develop their physical and sporting abilities to the highest levels and for young Papua New Guinean’s to have enhanced recreational outlets. It will:
a) Provide adequate sporting facilities in all urban centers; ensure that potential sporting facilities are not diverted into industrial and commercial land.
b) Encourage community sports involvement and participation.
c) Review management and functions of existing sporting bodies to improve standards and promote professionalism in various sports to be internationally competitive.
d) Provide adequate funding in the promotion and development of sports in the country.
8.4 Youth Development
The NGP will review and strengthen existing policies and programmes under the National Youth Services Commission to make them more responsive to youth development.
8.5 Churches and Non State Actors
a) Promote Christian values and provide adequate funding to support the work of Christian churches and Non-State Actors (NSAs).
b) Support Churches and Snaps participation in the delivery of development services to the rural populace in line with government policy and programmes.
8.6 Settlements
Improve basic services to settlements including their rehabilitation and resettlement.
8.7 Housing
a) Address the shortage of housing issue and to ensure better and affordable housing for all citizens.
b) Review the National Shelter Policy to encourage the home ownership schemes.
c) Review the management and structure of National Housing Corporation to ensure that there is effective and efficient accountability.
9. HIV AND AIDS
NGP recognizes the profound effect of HIV and AIDS to the economy and the population. NGP will:
a) Review, strengthen and enforcement of legislation on HIV and AIDS to prevent its spread.
b) Support various stakeholders in prevention and spread of HIV and AIDS in all sectors of the community including government instrumentalities.
c) Review and strengthen the work of the National Aids Council to make it more effective.
d) Encourage and support awareness programmes in the provinces and districts.
e) Increase funding to support various stakeholders responsible for HIV and AIDS programmes and activities.
f) Institute non-discrimination policy on all employment and other social settings.
10. GENDER EQUALITY
The NGP recognizes the importance of maintaining gender-balanced in society. It will:
a) Encourage gender balanced participation in development and promotion of justice in all areas.
b) Promote and encourage women contributions to the economy, communities and welfare of families consistent with international commitments.
c) Implement legal reforms and expand existing programme to ensure that men and women are treated equally and that abuses against women are punished with the full force of the law
11. LAW AND JUSTICE
NGP reaffirms that law and order is an important issue affecting the overall development efforts of the country. The NGP is committed to undertake major review to legislate necessary changes to address the law and order issue. The NGP will:
a) Immediately implement the recommendations of the Police Administrative Review Committee. Appoint a monitoring committee which will include members of Parliament, the private sector and civil society to ensure that satisfactory progress is made.
b) Review management and structure of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.
c) Review the management, structure and infrastructure of Correctional Services including its policy and programmes. Encourage institutions to become self funding.
d) Charge the Law and Justice Sectoral (Coordination) Committee to ensure that the whole sector is coordinated and made more effective, reduce investigation times and make timely prosecutions.
e) Ensure that the sector receives adequate financial and manpower resources to be able carry out its work.
f) Charge the Law and Justice Sectoral (Coordination) Committee to ensure that the whole sector is coordinated and made more effective, reduce investigation times and make timely prosecutions.
g) Ensure that the sector receives adequate financial and manpower resources to be able carry out its work.
12. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND TRADE
New Generation Party is committed to actively participate in regional and global affairs so that our international trade, investment and security interests are protected and to ensure that, the impact of globalization on our people and our nation are well managed.
a) Review our foreign policy and develop a new strategic and partnership approach “think globally act locally”.
b) Actively participate in bilateral and multilateral affairs to sustain trade, investments and security policy interests.
c) Review overseas representation to focus on strategic economic and security interest.
d) Review Immigration and Citizenship Act to meet the global changes.
e) Review one-stop shop policy to enhance timely approval processes and procedures for immigration, work permit and company registration.
f) Establish a Centralize Overseas Travel Committee with powers to approve overseas travel as part of budget process.
BUILDING A STRONG, VIBRANT AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY FOR PRESENT AND NEW GENERATIONS
2007 AND BEYOND
DRAFT POLICY
After three decades as an independent sovereign nation, Papua New Guinea is still a country in turmoil. Despite its vast natural resources and potential wealth, Papua New Guinea remains poor. It failed to improve the well-being of the people because of political instability and weak economic management. Consequently, economic well-being is now little changed since independence in 1975. Poverty is pervasive with significant regional disparities, health facilities and education are sub-standard, and unemployment is high as the population growth accelerates. This pattern must now come to an end. Papua New Guinea must recover lost ground and advance for the benefit of current and future generations to come.
In this regard, the paramount goal of the New Generation Party (NGP) is to serve the people of Papua New Guinea to ensure common prosperity and durable improvements in the well being of the people of Papua New Guinea. The NGP will at all times be guided by the by the National Goals and Directive Principles established in the Constitution of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea and implemented through its duly elected representatives.
KEY POLICY OBJECTIVES
The critical elements which can and will ensure a decisive and irreversible forward progress are not just economic and political, but also social and cultural. These are critically important.
We must legislate National Goals and Directive Principles to guide the policies for social and economic development.
We must improve the welfare of all Papua New Guineans by ensuring that they have access to basic medical and educational services.
We must achieve high and sustained growth rates by developing and expanding the resource sectors to include downstream processing all agricultural and mineral resources. We must do so responsibility to ensure sustainable development of our natural resources.
Similarly, we must expand and rehabilitate physical infrastructure to allow people to take part in the modern economy and to thereby lower unemployment and underemployment especially in the rural areas.
We must promote the private sector as the key engine of growth in order to generate income earning opportunities for all Papua New Guineans.
Government’s role in the economy must be limited streamlined regulation and providing an enabling framework for the rapid growth of productive capacity in the private sector.
We must eradicate corruption and graft at all levels by ensuring that transparency and accountability permeates every aspect of public transactions. We must learn from the past and adopt best practices that have worked elsewhere.
We must reduce waste and improve the efficiency of service delivery to our people, especially those in the rural areas. To do so, we must break from past tradition and review the current three tier system of government with a view to making more cost effective and service oriented. A lean productive and responsive public service machinery will deliver better services to our population.
We are a proud nation, rich in diversity of people, ideas, and action. We must use this to our advantage to create an integrated order of one people and one nation.
We must also protect and preserve our natural environment, and cultural heritage for future generations yet unborn.
These critical elements can only be held together at the top by a truly national symbol of unity in a Head of sate selected in a non-partisan manner as a lever of political unity. From this strength of unity, many political policies and divisive practices will disappear or will no longer be possible.
It is time now aim high and to set our course on the right path and relentlessly set our goals high and steadfastly pursue these goals to build a nation and lift the economic, social, and cultural well-being of all Papua New Guineans. When this is done, Papua New Guinea will then truly be one nation and one people, harnessing and unleashing all energies together to build a brighter future and better future for the current and future generations.
1. GOVERNANCE REFORM PLAN
The NGP recognizes improved governance as a critical requirement for PNG to address its development challenges. Support for public sector reform, improved public financial management and the application of sanctions for non-compliance and corruption are critical elements in maintaining good governance.
NGP will address corruption by:
a) Introducing legislation to create an Independent Commission Against Corruption.
b) Ensure that the sufficient resources are provided to institutions responsible for fighting corruption.
c) Appointing a contract Police Commissioner by the Constitutional Appointments Committee on a finite contract to reform and rebuild the police force.
d) Ensuring that adequate resources are provided to the Public Accounts Committee and the fraud squad and National Anti Corruption Coalition to take action on irregularities exposed by the committee.
e) Directing and making sure relevant agencies perform their constitutional functions and responsibilities according to law.
f) Establishing audit committees and units in all levels and instruments of government.
g) Review and strengthen systems of checks and balance to prevent abuse of power and process.
h) Stringent compliance to the merit-based system of appointments and termination.
i) Review and simplify the current cumbersome appointment process of Departmental heads and statutory bodies.
j) Instituting a performance based management systems for Departmental heads aimed at achieving and rewarding results and applying sanctions on poor performance.
k) Enforcing strict code of professional ethics for public office holders, public servants and professionals within government instrumentalities.
l) Strengthen the professional bodies’ responsible for ethical conduct of professionals in government instrumentalities.
2. ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT
The NGP will implement macro-economic policies that will build investor confidence and create the foundation for sustained low inflation, a stable currency, high levels of investment and significant economic growth. High sustained economic growth facilitates widespread job creation and reduces poverty.
a) Increase Gross National Savings and Gross Domestic Investment from current low levels.
b) Accelerate economic growth to at least 5 per annum sustain it above 5 percent per annum based on the phased implementation of the key projects and improved productivity in the agriculture and mineral sector.
c) Remove obstacles to productive growth in the formal and informal sectors and encourage downstream processing of primary resources.
d) Setting realistic economic goals and targets production levels by number of tones/units and identify the constraints to reaching these targets and removing them.
e) Review and improve fiscal and monetary policy. Monetary and fiscal discipline will result in a gradual reduction in interest rates, providing businesses with lower cost funding for investment, growth and job creation.
f) Reduce the ratio of debt to GDP by setting and strictly enforcing maximum borrowing levels to minimize the use of revenues to service debt.
g)
h) Review the Medium Term Development Strategy to be guided by the Medium Term Fiscal Strategy.
i) Review the taxation system to enable better outcomes
3. PRIVATE SECTOR and BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Recognizing that the private sector is the backbone of the economy, and that small and informal business is part of the private sector, NGP will pursue a number of key strategies to facilitate private sector growth by:
a) Direct the public sector to cooperate with the private sector and do all it can to encourage business rather than create barriers and impediments. Ensure that these efforts are coordinated within government agencies.
b) Provide or encourage necessary infrastructure (transport, telecommunications, electricity, and financial) to assist sustainable business to grow.
c) Strengthen the law and justice sector to reduce law and order problems in both rural and urban areas.
d) Reduce the institutional barriers to business and ensure that approvals are given quickly with assistance from the Investment Promotion Authority.
e) Provide more effective technical support and training for small and medium size enterprises by restructuring number of government agencies.
f) encouraging a competitive and dynamic private sector through various policy initiatives.
g) limiting the role of government to one of regulatory rather than a direct player.
In addition NGP will promote the public-private partnership and aggressively pursue trade liberalization to comply with international commitments.
4. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
NGP recognizes the importance of industrial development to broaden the economic base and create opportunities for employment and income generation. The NGP will ensure that our manufacturing sector becomes more competitive and that manufacturers upgrade their facilities and have increased access to overseas export markets by:
a) Encouraging and fostering manufacturing and downstream processing activities with the view to add value to exports.
b) Encourage and foster upstream activities to sustain the industry.
c) Enhance operations of a one-stop shop and approval system for security in business.
d) Re-examine and strengthen existing initiatives on free trade zones, industrial parks/centers and tax free factories
e) Encourage informal sectors and businesses in towns and villages.
f) Promote micro- finance scheme to support small-scale business and individual entrepreneurs.
g) Promote development of entrepreneurial culture and skills.
5. PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM
The NGP believes in the importance of the public sector to the economy and service delivery to our people. Reforming the public sector to make it more effective, efficient and economical is important in this regard. NGP will accomplish this by:
a) Abolishing provincial governments and progressively relocating public servants to districts after ensuring that there is adequate housing and infrastructure available.
b) Initiating reform towards results-based performance in all government instrumentalities.
c) Where possible outsource provision of traditional government services with strong government control over standards and regularity, air, sea and road. of delivery.
d) Review and implement the Right Sizing recommendations presented to the government in 2005 where relevant including provincial governments.
e) Review number of Boards and Authorities with a view to reducing the numbers and increasing their efficiency by introducing strict performance management criteria and penalties for failure to reach them.
f) Developing and implement an institutional and implementation professional capacity building programmes for all levels of government through the reintroduction of a public service cadetship system, formal training schemes through regional training institutions, promotion based on formal training results;
g) Establishing a coherent policy, planning, budgeting and accounting system for program implementation
h) Developing a comprehensive National and District Data Management System to improve planning, delivery and monitoring of program of public services.
6. PRIVATISATION
The NGP believes that state owned enterprises should be fully commercialized and where relevant privatized. NGP will:
a) Review roles and function of Independent Public Business Corporation.
b) Review the current regulatory regime with the view to opening up the market for competition.
c) Ensure that all appointments of Boards and Chief executive Officers are made on merit
d) Assess the performance of State Owned Enterprises and determine their immediate and long-term commercial viability
e) To privatize SOEs where such enterprises have proven to be commercially unviable or in instances where the gains from privatization outweighs the future benefits by continuously holding onto them.
f) Ensure that the Community Service Obligations are included in any sale or commercialization.
7. AGRICULTURE, LAND, AND NATURAL RESOURCES
(i) Agriculture
The NGP will work to make traditional agricultural crops more competitive and actively seek to diversify into higher value-added and niche market areas to benefit from our comparative advantages.
a) Encourage and foster upstream processing of agricultural commodities.
b) Reduce the National Department of Agriculture and Livestock to a small policy making unit advising the Minister.
c) Review, consolidate and restructure existing commodity boards, ensuring that growers make appointment of at least half the board members and those they have effective controls to prevent unnecessary wastage of growers’ funds.
d) Consolidate all agricultural research under the National Agricultural Research Institute or the private sector. Ensure that adequate government funding is provided for agricultural research by providing funding on a kina-for-kina basis. Ensure regular external reviews of agricultural research.
e) Revive agricultural extension by expanding the Smallholder Support Services Pilot Programme to all provinces,
f) Review and enhance the Rural Development Bank lending and operational policies to make it accessible to rural populace.
g) Encourage small holder’s farmers to increase production.
h) Review all outstanding debts to government owed by commodity boards.
i) Ensure that transport infrastructure is adequate to allow farmers to get produce to market and trade goods back to villages.
j) Ensure adequate telecommunications to enable farmers to access information about markets and prices.
k) Support and rehabilitate livestock industry including institutional strengthening.
(ii) Forestry
a) Get industry agreement on sustainable logging levels through roundtable discussion between all Stakeholders.
b) Review current practice of round log export versus downstream processing.
c) Ensure that ALL conditions of EVERY logging lease/agreement are uniform and guarantee lasting benefit to landowners.
d) Review the Forestry Act to ensure it provides sustainability with the emphasis on on-shore downstream processing to enhance growth in manufacturing sector and rural employment.
e) Enhance landowner participation in decision making and development.
f) Encourage more research into forestry resources with the view to conserve rare and unique habitat for future generations.
g) Review and restructure the forest management services including the institutional setup.
(iii) Fisheries
a) Review the fisheries management arrangements for fisheries development
b) Promote and encourage onshore processing of tuna and other species.
c) Rehabilitate and strengthen research and training institutions.
d) Review the provisions of the border treaties relating to marine resources.
e) Encourage and support aquaculture development in inland fishery.
(iv) Tourism
The NGP will provide adequate support to marketing and advertising the tourist product, expand offerings of attractions to visitors and improve our infrastructure, especially in our resort towns. It will:
a) Review and promote the recommendation of the ICCC-TPA Review and Development Plan 2007-2017.
b) Address impediments to tourism development with the view to addressing the high cost structures
c) Increase allocation of resources to the promotion and development of the tourism industry through incentives to the private sector.
d) Implement more tax incentives for new tourism development.
e) Institute a high level coordination and communication between provincial, districts and the national departments on eco-tourism development
f) Encourage and support for tourism related training initiatives.
g) Encourage and support community and village based tourism projects.
h) Review existing instructional setup to facilitate tourism development.
i) Encourage cultural heritage for tourism development.
(v) Environment Management and Development
The NGP will promote sustainable development and protection of the environment to develop and preserve the country for future generations.
a) Promote and conserve our natural environment for sustainable and use consistent with the 4th Goal of our Constitution.
b) Rehabilitate existing protected areas and promote small to large scale conservation areas for sustainable development.
c) Review the environment and conservation legislations with the view to enhancing management and development of our natural resources and biodiversity.
d) Strengthen the administrative ability of the Department of Environment and Conservation to enable it to better monitor exploitation of natural resources.
(vi) Land
The NGP will place special emphasis on the unique issues surrounding the economic use of land. It will devise focused strategies to address these problems to encourage the productive development of land as a key economic input. NGP Will:
a) Ensure proper security of indigenous landownership for maximum and long term benefits.
b) Review the land administration and management legislations.
c) Encourage landowner participation in using their land for economic development.
d) Review and implement the National Development Land Reform.
(vii) Mining and Petroleum
The NGP will work to expand the mining and petroleum sector. It will
a) Review the appropriate legislations to ensure it provides sustainability with the emphasis on on-shore downstream processing to enhance growth in manufacturing sector and rural employment.
b) Enhance landowner participation in decision making and development.
c) Review and restructure the current administrative arrangements in the management of land-owner benefits.
(ix) Cross-Cutting Issues
a) Provide revolving credit facilities such as the micro-finance to provide opportunities for investment and productive employment.
b) Review existing incentive structures to encourage subsistence farmers in agriculture, fisheries, tourism and forestry to consolidate these sectors as the backbone of the economy.
c) Promote and enhance capacity building in those economic sectors.
6. INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
NGP recognizes that infrastructure development is the key to any economic and social development. The NGP will focus on the rehabilitation and development of all basic infrastructures by:
Transport
The NGP will upgrade, improve and maintain Papua New Guinea’s transportation network, and improve the quality and diversity of the transportation system.
a) Ensure adequate provision of transport services (air, sea and road) to all remote areas.
b) Review the existing transport policy to ensure that a more integrated approach transport planning to provide a safe, dependable, effective and cost efficient transport services to all sections of the community.
c) Increase funding for the maintenance, rehabilitation and upgrading of existing infrastructure in the three modes of transportation (land, sea/waterways and air).
d) Develop and maintain rural feeder roads, airstrip, and waterways to facilitate easy access to social and economic services.
e) Implementation of the sub-sectoral authorities such as National Road Authority, National Maritime Authority and Civil Aviation Authority and ensure they are more effective accountable to finance and management of transport assets.
f) Review and institute regulations to encourage competition in the sector.
Health
The NGP believes that every one must have access to basic health care. It will encourage:
a) Encourage private provision of health services down to village level.
b) Review existing legislations with the view to improving and realigning the health sector.
c) Make a stock take of all medical facilities throughout the country and provide funding to ensure that they are reopened by government or private health care providers.
d) Maintain and rehabilitate existing health facilities including accommodation for staff.
e) Establish mobile clinics to provide medical access to the poor, elderly and infirmed.
Education
The NGP will:
a) Make a stock take of all schools, their condition, actual versus funded staffing levels and provision of adequate materials and supplies including desks, books and stationary.
b) Review existing legislations with the view to improving and realigning the education sector.
c) Increase funding for education facilities such primary, secondary, vocational/technical, colleges and tertiary institutions.
d) Maintain and rehabilitate existing educational facilities including accommodation for staff.
Information, Communication, Telecommunications
The NGP will develop a modern information, communication and technology (“ICT”) policy that provides for the acquisition, installation and operation of different means of ICT to make Papua New Guinea a world leader in ICT and also meet the developmental needs of the people. NGP believes that
Communications must play a critical role in promoting economic, social, scientific, educational and cultural progress as well as a better understanding among Papua New Guineans.
In the globalized economy, information technology and communications media have a vital role in educational advancement and in promoting economic and social development.
To effectively take advantage of the opportunities offered by ICT, Papua New Guinea must put in place a cost-effective and technologically advanced human resources and regulatory infrastructure. The NGP will:
a) Promote and increase funding for establishment of rural telecommunication network.
b) Establish an Information Technology Authority reporting directly to the relevant minister to plan and coordinate the development of the ICT industry in Papua New Guinea within the public sector and to facilitate linkages with the private sector.
c) Conduct a comprehensive survey of the current status of ICT in the public and private sectors.
d) Conduct a comprehensive new legislation and legislative overhaul initiative to ensure that adequate and appropriate legislation exists covering areas such as digital signatures, privacy, and protection of intellectual property.
e) Actively work toward establishing a national public IT network on a single standard which is competitively priced, utilizes multiple sources, and has adequate penetration into the educational system.
f) Attract joint ventures to build more information technology (IT) digi ports to develop Papua New Guinea as a leading IT operation.
g) Encourage the installation of broadband, high speed internet and wireless technology to attract a wide range of IT investments.
h) Promote wireless internet technology to enable computer access to reach schools and rural homes institution as required.
i) Promote broader reach of television broadcasting to reach the wider population.
Housing
a) Ensure that adequate land is available for citizens to build their own houses.
b) Encourage private provision of housing and in the interim increase funding for maintenance and rehabilitation of institutional housing for public servants including police, correctional services magisterial services and judiciary in urban centers and districts.
c) Encourage and support various housing schemes
7. PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL LEVEL GOVERNMENTS
NGP recognizes that after 31 years of political independence, the three tiers of government have failed to effectively deliver the essential basic services to the rural populace. The NGP will reform Papua New Guinea’s Constitution and system of Governance to improve transparency, accountability and the strength of representation of the people by elected officials. The NGP will:
a) Review the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Government with a view to abolishing provincial government.
b) Make appropriate amendments to the OLPLLG to make it more effective and capable of providing the necessary services to all communities.
c) Pursue the District Treasury and District Services Improvement Programme.
d) Review of the work of the National Economic and Fiscal Commission with view to identifying funding for its equitable distribution to provinces.
e) Review and strengthen the National and Provincial Monitoring Authority.
f) Promote training and up skilling of provincial and district professional capacity for effective implementation of government policy.
g) Ensure the all funding for Local Level Governments provided under the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Government is provided directly to the districts.
8. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
The NGP recognizes the importance of providing social services to improve the welfare of all Papua New Guineans. In doing so, the NGP will:
8.1 Education
The NGP will implement LEARN (Learning and Education Reform for Nation Building) a comprehensive programme to increase funding, reform the curricula, and improve school infrastructure and teacher training, in order to produce more literate and educated students.
a) Recentralize the Education System to make it more effective and responsive to the changing times.
b) Ensure every child will be provided tuition fees from elementary to grade 2 and that will be extended to Grade 8 in 2010, with the view to empowering our future generation and to improve the literacy rate consistent with the Millennium Development Goals..
c) Review the Elementary Curriculum with the view to introduce tok pisin in all elementary schools and to enhance greater local participation and making it more effective.
d) Reform teacher education programmes to make them more effective with view to improving the quality of education.
e) Promote technical and vocational training programmes.
f) Encourage private providers of education and training and expansion of distance education, without compromising the quality standards set by Government.
g) Promote and enhance school inspectorate in all district to monitor the successes and failures of education in the district.
h) Review and strengthen current Tertiary Education Subsidy Scheme to make it more effective.
i) Review and strengthen tertiary education programme/curriculum with the view to making it more relevant and professionally competitive.
j) Rationalise tertiary education especially the number of universities. Reduce the size of Office of Higher education and relocate it back in the Department of Educations.
k) Review and implement the National Education Plan 2005 - 20014
8.2 Health
NGP recognizes the importance of a healthy population as the foundation for nation building. The NGP will introduce four basic disciplines in all of the district hospitals with services on a timely basis: (1) pediatrics (2) surgery (3) medicine (4) obstetrics/gynecology. It will:
a) Encourage family planning programmes to control population growth that the economy can sustain.
b) Promote and provide appropriate resources for mobile health extension services in rural areas.
c) Increase funding for preventable diseases including research and development as well as health promotion and prevention programmes.
d) Increase funding and distribution of essential drugs and basic supplies.
e) Improve the terms and conditions of health workers including the provision of specialized and qualified health workers.
f) Improve training programs for cadres of health workers
g) Promote and encourage health insurance policy to offset rising cost of heath care services.
h) Review and improve the management and operations of public hospitals and district health services.
8.3 Sports and Recreation
The NGP will improve the opportunities for Papua New Guinea’s athletes to fully develop their physical and sporting abilities to the highest levels and for young Papua New Guinean’s to have enhanced recreational outlets. It will:
a) Provide adequate sporting facilities in all urban centers; ensure that potential sporting facilities are not diverted into industrial and commercial land.
b) Encourage community sports involvement and participation.
c) Review management and functions of existing sporting bodies to improve standards and promote professionalism in various sports to be internationally competitive.
d) Provide adequate funding in the promotion and development of sports in the country.
8.4 Youth Development
The NGP will review and strengthen existing policies and programmes under the National Youth Services Commission to make them more responsive to youth development.
8.5 Churches and Non State Actors
a) Promote Christian values and provide adequate funding to support the work of Christian churches and Non-State Actors (NSAs).
b) Support Churches and Snaps participation in the delivery of development services to the rural populace in line with government policy and programmes.
8.6 Settlements
Improve basic services to settlements including their rehabilitation and resettlement.
8.7 Housing
a) Address the shortage of housing issue and to ensure better and affordable housing for all citizens.
b) Review the National Shelter Policy to encourage the home ownership schemes.
c) Review the management and structure of National Housing Corporation to ensure that there is effective and efficient accountability.
9. HIV AND AIDS
NGP recognizes the profound effect of HIV and AIDS to the economy and the population. NGP will:
a) Review, strengthen and enforcement of legislation on HIV and AIDS to prevent its spread.
b) Support various stakeholders in prevention and spread of HIV and AIDS in all sectors of the community including government instrumentalities.
c) Review and strengthen the work of the National Aids Council to make it more effective.
d) Encourage and support awareness programmes in the provinces and districts.
e) Increase funding to support various stakeholders responsible for HIV and AIDS programmes and activities.
f) Institute non-discrimination policy on all employment and other social settings.
10. GENDER EQUALITY
The NGP recognizes the importance of maintaining gender-balanced in society. It will:
a) Encourage gender balanced participation in development and promotion of justice in all areas.
b) Promote and encourage women contributions to the economy, communities and welfare of families consistent with international commitments.
c) Implement legal reforms and expand existing programme to ensure that men and women are treated equally and that abuses against women are punished with the full force of the law
11. LAW AND JUSTICE
NGP reaffirms that law and order is an important issue affecting the overall development efforts of the country. The NGP is committed to undertake major review to legislate necessary changes to address the law and order issue. The NGP will:
a) Immediately implement the recommendations of the Police Administrative Review Committee. Appoint a monitoring committee which will include members of Parliament, the private sector and civil society to ensure that satisfactory progress is made.
b) Review management and structure of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.
c) Review the management, structure and infrastructure of Correctional Services including its policy and programmes. Encourage institutions to become self funding.
d) Charge the Law and Justice Sectoral (Coordination) Committee to ensure that the whole sector is coordinated and made more effective, reduce investigation times and make timely prosecutions.
e) Ensure that the sector receives adequate financial and manpower resources to be able carry out its work.
f) Charge the Law and Justice Sectoral (Coordination) Committee to ensure that the whole sector is coordinated and made more effective, reduce investigation times and make timely prosecutions.
g) Ensure that the sector receives adequate financial and manpower resources to be able carry out its work.
12. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND TRADE
New Generation Party is committed to actively participate in regional and global affairs so that our international trade, investment and security interests are protected and to ensure that, the impact of globalization on our people and our nation are well managed.
a) Review our foreign policy and develop a new strategic and partnership approach “think globally act locally”.
b) Actively participate in bilateral and multilateral affairs to sustain trade, investments and security policy interests.
c) Review overseas representation to focus on strategic economic and security interest.
d) Review Immigration and Citizenship Act to meet the global changes.
e) Review one-stop shop policy to enhance timely approval processes and procedures for immigration, work permit and company registration.
f) Establish a Centralize Overseas Travel Committee with powers to approve overseas travel as part of budget process.
James Campbell on the trail of the Ghost Mountain Battalion
A dream came true for American author-adventurer James Campbell when he walked a forgotten World War 11 trail recently.
Campbell and his team, however, consider themselves lucky to come out in one piece and tell the story as the trail covered some of the most-rugged, leech-infested and inhospitable terrain in Papua New Guinea.
People living along the trail have seen little to zilch government services since Independence on September 16th, 1975, and the team was feted liked royalty at every village.
Campbell was accompanied by American writers –adventurers George Houd and Dave Musgrave, Hong Kong-based German photographer Philipp Engelhorn, and four Papua New Guineans from local video production company POM Productions.
Fifty-eight year old American journalist George Houd, from the Chicago Tribune, was a serious casualty with a badly-infected foot but survived to tell the story.
This forgotten WW11 trail - used by American troops in Papua New Guinea - will be the subject of a book and a television documentary set to be released in 2007.
This trail – like the Black Cat and Bulldog Trails in Morobe Province – played an equal, if not more significant role, than the Kokoda Trail, but has now taken the backseat.
The trail, between Gaba Gaba in the Central Province and Buna in the Oro Province, is a march that military historians have called "one of the cruelest in military history”.
Campbell is an author currently under contract to write a book of non-fiction set in Papua New Guinea for Random House/Crown Books.
The book concerns a group of National Guardsmen - the Ghost Mountain Battalion - who fought the Japanese at Buna, Papua New Guinea, during WW II.
This group made a grueling, 120-mile march from the coast just south of Port Moresby, PNG, through the jungle and lowland swamps, over the Owen Stanley Mountains and back down through the jungle, before reaching the coast at Buna.
It took the men 42 days to cover the 120 miles, and when they reached Buna, they were a shattered unit, ridden with malaria, dengue fever, dysentery, jungle rot, and scrub typhus.
The 2nd Battalion, of which Company E was part, was assigned the most grueling mission of the entire Southwest Pacific campaign: to march from Papuan Peninsula's south coast to its north coast, a straight-line distance of only 150 miles.
What lay between the men of the 2nd Battalion and the north coast, though, was a no-man’s land of some of the most inhospitable terrain on earth.
The 2nd Battalion began the journey just outside of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
Its route north led the men through thick jungle, over the rugged, mist-shrouded Owen Stanley Range and back down through more jungle and lowland swamps with fetid, chest-high water.
It took the men of Company E 42 days to cover the 150 miles, and when they reached the north coast, they were a shattered unit, exhausted and starving, ridden with malaria, dengue fever, dysentery, jungle rot, and scrub typhus.
Nevertheless, General MacArthur sent them directly into battle.
In its struggle to reach Buna, the Ghost Mountain Battalion was assisted by a large group of Papua New Guineans, who served an indispensable role as guides and carriers.
Later, these same men - men from villages all over the Papuan Peninsula (especially from Gaba Gaba and Buna) - served as scouts and litter bearers, carrying wounded American GIs from the battlefield to portable hospitals and to the airstrip at Doboduru for transport to Port Moresby.
The Australians on the Kokoda Trail called these men "fuzzy wuzzy angels”.
The American soldiers referred to them simply as their "saviors”.
Author-adventurer Campbell repeated the epic trek that Sergeant Paul R. Lutjens describes in his journal, a march that military historians have called "one of the cruelest in military history”, in late June and mid-July this year.
The entire trail had not been hiked since the men of Company E did it in 1942.
Campbell's book about the experience and the ensuing battle - an ordeal that has been largely forgotten by history - tentatively titled The Ghost Mountain Boys: Across New Guinea with WW II’s Heroic 2nd Battalion, will be published by Random House/Crown Books in June 2007.
“The film will come out late next spring, May, June,” Campbell tells me.
“I’m doing an article for Outside magazine that will come out next spring also, there’ll be some more radio interviews and TV interviews, and George (Houd) will probably do a piece in the Chicago Tribune on traveling to Papua New Guinea
“So you can see, it’s going to be a big, big deal and we hope that this trail will eventually become popular.
“We hope that it will not only bring Australians who have done the Kokoda Track and want to do something different, but even Americans who are half a world away.
“Maybe they’ll be inspired to come here and do this trail, not only those who are interested in WW11 history but also those who are interested in wilderness, remote places and pristine places.
“I don’t know if it will eventually become another Kokoda Track, however, I’d like to think that it has some kind of potential as a national historic trail, and also bring some attention to some of these forgotten villages.
“You know, they haven’t been visited since Independence, not even their elected representatives have been there.”
Houd, who considers himself a survivor, says: “Since the Australians quit patrolling, no-one goes up there anymore.
“They (villagers) kind of long for the old days when Australian patrol officers would come, and there’d be medical help, there’d be dispensing of justice where complaints could be lodged, but that doesn’t happen anymore.”
Campbell’s team started their trek at Kwikila in the Central Province and ended at Popondetta, from where they went to Buna.
They had to leave out some parts of the original track used during WW11 because of the time factor, however, were able to capture some remarkable footage of the area, including interviews with those who remember WW11, flora and fauna, virgin rainforest and the eerie, mist-covered Ghost Mountain.
“The moss at Ghost Mountain was amazing,” Campbell recalls.
“That was the top of Ghost Mountain, which was 3150 metres.
“Everything was dripping in there; everything was kind of decorated with moss.
“It was dark.
“An eerie place, that’s why they called it Ghost Mountain.”
The experience, however, had made Campbell and his team all the more richer.
“It all made us appreciate what the soldiers accomplished,” he continues.
“Really, for Americans, it’s a forgotten part of WW11 in the South Pacific.
“When they think of WW11 in the Pacific, they think of Guadalcanal, they think of the Philippines, but many people don’t know of those fierce battles fought in New Guinea.
“Papua New Guinea is one of the last great wildernesses of the world, the people are wonderful and took great care of us, and we loved it.
“We didn’t love it at the time, ha, ha, ha; we hated it at the time.
“However, I think everybody feels a sense of satisfaction and a sense of pride.
“Who knows what it will become?”
A dream came true for American author-adventurer James Campbell when he walked a forgotten World War 11 trail recently.
Campbell and his team, however, consider themselves lucky to come out in one piece and tell the story as the trail covered some of the most-rugged, leech-infested and inhospitable terrain in Papua New Guinea.
People living along the trail have seen little to zilch government services since Independence on September 16th, 1975, and the team was feted liked royalty at every village.
Campbell was accompanied by American writers –adventurers George Houd and Dave Musgrave, Hong Kong-based German photographer Philipp Engelhorn, and four Papua New Guineans from local video production company POM Productions.
Fifty-eight year old American journalist George Houd, from the Chicago Tribune, was a serious casualty with a badly-infected foot but survived to tell the story.
This forgotten WW11 trail - used by American troops in Papua New Guinea - will be the subject of a book and a television documentary set to be released in 2007.
This trail – like the Black Cat and Bulldog Trails in Morobe Province – played an equal, if not more significant role, than the Kokoda Trail, but has now taken the backseat.
The trail, between Gaba Gaba in the Central Province and Buna in the Oro Province, is a march that military historians have called "one of the cruelest in military history”.
Campbell is an author currently under contract to write a book of non-fiction set in Papua New Guinea for Random House/Crown Books.
The book concerns a group of National Guardsmen - the Ghost Mountain Battalion - who fought the Japanese at Buna, Papua New Guinea, during WW II.
This group made a grueling, 120-mile march from the coast just south of Port Moresby, PNG, through the jungle and lowland swamps, over the Owen Stanley Mountains and back down through the jungle, before reaching the coast at Buna.
It took the men 42 days to cover the 120 miles, and when they reached Buna, they were a shattered unit, ridden with malaria, dengue fever, dysentery, jungle rot, and scrub typhus.
The 2nd Battalion, of which Company E was part, was assigned the most grueling mission of the entire Southwest Pacific campaign: to march from Papuan Peninsula's south coast to its north coast, a straight-line distance of only 150 miles.
What lay between the men of the 2nd Battalion and the north coast, though, was a no-man’s land of some of the most inhospitable terrain on earth.
The 2nd Battalion began the journey just outside of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
Its route north led the men through thick jungle, over the rugged, mist-shrouded Owen Stanley Range and back down through more jungle and lowland swamps with fetid, chest-high water.
It took the men of Company E 42 days to cover the 150 miles, and when they reached the north coast, they were a shattered unit, exhausted and starving, ridden with malaria, dengue fever, dysentery, jungle rot, and scrub typhus.
Nevertheless, General MacArthur sent them directly into battle.
In its struggle to reach Buna, the Ghost Mountain Battalion was assisted by a large group of Papua New Guineans, who served an indispensable role as guides and carriers.
Later, these same men - men from villages all over the Papuan Peninsula (especially from Gaba Gaba and Buna) - served as scouts and litter bearers, carrying wounded American GIs from the battlefield to portable hospitals and to the airstrip at Doboduru for transport to Port Moresby.
The Australians on the Kokoda Trail called these men "fuzzy wuzzy angels”.
The American soldiers referred to them simply as their "saviors”.
Author-adventurer Campbell repeated the epic trek that Sergeant Paul R. Lutjens describes in his journal, a march that military historians have called "one of the cruelest in military history”, in late June and mid-July this year.
The entire trail had not been hiked since the men of Company E did it in 1942.
Campbell's book about the experience and the ensuing battle - an ordeal that has been largely forgotten by history - tentatively titled The Ghost Mountain Boys: Across New Guinea with WW II’s Heroic 2nd Battalion, will be published by Random House/Crown Books in June 2007.
“The film will come out late next spring, May, June,” Campbell tells me.
“I’m doing an article for Outside magazine that will come out next spring also, there’ll be some more radio interviews and TV interviews, and George (Houd) will probably do a piece in the Chicago Tribune on traveling to Papua New Guinea
“So you can see, it’s going to be a big, big deal and we hope that this trail will eventually become popular.
“We hope that it will not only bring Australians who have done the Kokoda Track and want to do something different, but even Americans who are half a world away.
“Maybe they’ll be inspired to come here and do this trail, not only those who are interested in WW11 history but also those who are interested in wilderness, remote places and pristine places.
“I don’t know if it will eventually become another Kokoda Track, however, I’d like to think that it has some kind of potential as a national historic trail, and also bring some attention to some of these forgotten villages.
“You know, they haven’t been visited since Independence, not even their elected representatives have been there.”
Houd, who considers himself a survivor, says: “Since the Australians quit patrolling, no-one goes up there anymore.
“They (villagers) kind of long for the old days when Australian patrol officers would come, and there’d be medical help, there’d be dispensing of justice where complaints could be lodged, but that doesn’t happen anymore.”
Campbell’s team started their trek at Kwikila in the Central Province and ended at Popondetta, from where they went to Buna.
They had to leave out some parts of the original track used during WW11 because of the time factor, however, were able to capture some remarkable footage of the area, including interviews with those who remember WW11, flora and fauna, virgin rainforest and the eerie, mist-covered Ghost Mountain.
“The moss at Ghost Mountain was amazing,” Campbell recalls.
“That was the top of Ghost Mountain, which was 3150 metres.
“Everything was dripping in there; everything was kind of decorated with moss.
“It was dark.
“An eerie place, that’s why they called it Ghost Mountain.”
The experience, however, had made Campbell and his team all the more richer.
“It all made us appreciate what the soldiers accomplished,” he continues.
“Really, for Americans, it’s a forgotten part of WW11 in the South Pacific.
“When they think of WW11 in the Pacific, they think of Guadalcanal, they think of the Philippines, but many people don’t know of those fierce battles fought in New Guinea.
“Papua New Guinea is one of the last great wildernesses of the world, the people are wonderful and took great care of us, and we loved it.
“We didn’t love it at the time, ha, ha, ha; we hated it at the time.
“However, I think everybody feels a sense of satisfaction and a sense of pride.
“Who knows what it will become?”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)