British High Commission continues support for anti-corruption body

From left are  Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce & Industry (POMCCI) vice president Ken Dunn, Treasury and Finance Minister Peter O’Neill and BACA coordinator Val Salama look as British High Commissioner David Dunn shakes the hands of POMCCI president Ron Seddon before passing on the cheque for K85,000.
.

The British High Commission has continued its partnership with the anti-corruption body Business Against Corruption Alliance (BACA).
British High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, David Dunn, said the UK government was pleased to be able to partner BACA for a second year and to help in its efforts to tackle corruption.
BACA, is run by business for business and provides its members with concrete advice, best practice and support to more than 100 like minded companies who have chosen to make a stand against corruption.
“Ensuring that the PNG investment climate is transparent, fair and an equal playing field for all is critical for the PNG’s future development,” he added.
BACA is an initiative of the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce (POMCCI), the British High Commission and the PNG Chapter of Transparency International (TIPNG).
It was established in 2009 to provide anti-corruption awareness, education and support to its membership and their employees.
A recent independent study undertaken by BACA revealed that in the last 12 months 24% of its members have suffered losses between K10,000 to K50,000 from corrupt activities and that 100% favour a confidential whistle blowing service.
The British High Commission’s support for BACA is part of a global UK commitment to fight corruption and encourage fair trade. In support of this UK Prime Minister David Cameron recently announced primary legislation aimed at toughening up further anti bribery and corruption legislation.
The new UK Bribery Act will ensure that the UK stays at the forefront of the battle against corruption and will legally empower British authorities to insist that UK companies operate to the highest standards and that they are able to held accountable not only for their activities in the UK but abroad as well.
For more information on how you can join BACA and its activities please email baca@pomcci.org.png .

The glory days of radio in Papua New Guinea

By MALUM NALU

Like many other Papua New Guinean children of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s era, I grew up on a constant diet of radio and the voice of that great National Broadcasting commission icon Peter Trist.
Trist, for those who came in late, was the man behind those famous NBC drama and radio programmes of that bygone era.

The great Peter Trist

In those days, before video killed the radio star, Sunday night dramas were a must and every time one of those popular dramas came on, entire families would be huddled around their radio sets.
Many fine actors emerged on radio drama, some from staff of the NBC, others from auditions, including my good mate David ‘Buffalo’ Haro in Lae, Cecily Kekedo, Joseph N’Draliu, Pauline Beni Hau’ofa, Kilore Susuve, Alofa Vaki, Douglas Gabb, Memafu Kapera and – possessing one of the richest radio voices – the late Sevese Morea.
Trist was also the man behind the famous school broadcast programmes of that era, including the unforgettable Peter, Kinibo and Dagu, in which he played the villain Doriga.
The NBC cupboard, sadly, is now bare of those iconic radio programmes.
On Tuesday last fortnight, I had the long-overdue honour of meeting my childhood hero at the University of PNG campus, where he presented a paper at a two-day book workshop in which he discussed the influence of the inimitable Ulli Beier and his wife Georgina on PNG playwriting, poetry prose, performance and publications in the 1960s and 1970s.
Now aged 74, Trist first came to PNG in 1957 and left in 1984, and has not been back since.
As we sit down in the UPNG forum, his old stomping grounds which he first came to in 1966, memories of another day come rushing back.
I am also a product of UPNG, having first come here in 1986, but that was many years later after Trist had left.
“I first came to PNG in 1957,” he tells me.
“I worked with the Australian administration in those days as a clerk with Customs and Department of Native Affairs.
“In 1966, Dr John Gunther (then vice-chancellor of UPNG) invited me to come out and join the administration staff of the university.
“He said that he knew that I’d done a lot of theatre work in Moresby.
“I did the first integrated production with Papua New Guineans and Australian expatriates at the old arts theatre in town.
“It was a product of Gilbert and Sullivan, HMS Pinafore.
“That was controversial and some of the white members resigned in protest, arguing ‘where would the natives get dressed for the show’?
“I issued an ultimatum that unless the Papua New Guinean actors were welcomed, I would refuse to direct the show.
“The play went ahead and was a great success, with mixed audiences enjoying the show.
“Jon Bili Tokome and Cecily Kekedo were among the cast.”
It was then decided that Trist could go ahead and establish a Drama and Arts Society at UPNG.
In 1974, he joined the NBC, and thus began an unforgettable era in the history of PNG radio.
“The (NBC) chairman at that time, Sam Piniau, asked me to form the Drama and Features Department,” Trist remembers.
“I wanted Papua New Guinea material and actors and musicians.
“I arranged for the NBC to pay these artists for their contributions.
“Therefore, it was on a professional, rather than amateur basis.”
The NBC was persuaded to have a clear motivational “carrot” to promote people to send scripts with payments for any scripts used in broadcasting.
There was also payment for actors taking part in radio drama.
Trist remembers that on the day of their “open audition”, after a newspaper advertisement, a long line of hopeful, would-be actors, stretched from the NBC studios almost to Boroko.
Local playwrights such as Russell Soaba, Benjamin Umba, Pius Tikili, Roslyn Bobom, Norah Vagi Brash and the very-prolific John Kolia contributed.
A memorable drama serial based on actual historic events was Albert Toro’s The Sugarcane Days.
This told the story of Molen, who was kidnapped as a young man by the notorious ‘blackbirders’ and conscripted into virtual slavery on a Queensland sugar plantation.
Toro told the events from the perspective of Molen, as an old man, remembering the trials of his servitude as a ‘kanak’.
The great Bougainvillean actor, the late Jon Bili Tokome, played the role of Molen, with strength and sensitivity, while Roslyn Bobom was equally memorable as his mother.
“Cultural programmes were contributed by Ulli Beier at the institute of PNG Studies on topics such as music, folklore, art and customs,” Trist says.
“They were scripted and broadcast.”
Folklore in Melanesia, for example, was a six-part series examining themes in Melanesian myth on topics such as death, creation, the moon, the coming of the Europeans – presented by Beier and Karkah Kais – and was dramatised with acted sequences.
Scripts for this series, and for others, were produced by the institute.
Arts in the Third World, The World through Poetry, and Worship through Music were other successful NBC/IPNGS co-productions.
“I left Papua New Guinea in 1984 to return to Australia to care for my ageing parents,” Trist says.
“In Australia, I continued to direct and produce plays to encourage young people to express themselves through theatre.”
I ask Trist what are the highlights of his 27 years in PNG.
“Highlights would be the formation years at the University of PNG and to witness the very first graduation of qualified Papua New Guineans,” he says.
“It was John Gunther’s vision to get this place going.
“This is my first time back since leaving in 1984, so you can imagine the emotions running through me.”
Trist says that to rekindle those glory days of radio drama and programmes in PNG, there must be strong corporate support.
“It’s time for corporate support,” he says.
“You Papua New Guineans are among the most-creative people in the world.”

Some thoughts on recovering stolen money

BY PAUL OATES

 

ADDRESSING THE annual conference of the Institute of Internal Auditors in Port Moresby last Friday, PNG Ombudsman John Nero raised the prospect of recovering misappropriated funds.

Mr Nero said leadership tribunals should be empowered to order their restitution.

"As it is, a leader can steal millions of kina and is not be obligated to pay back even though found guilty by the tribunal," he told the conference.

"The public prosecutor, in consultation with the police, (needs to) invoke certain provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act where a guilty verdict is recorded to commence recovery of stolen assets in-country or abroad.

Mr Nero went on to say there was a need for permanent leadership tribunals whose membership could comprise retired judges and magistrates, accountants, lawyers, engineers, business people and the clergy, so members could be drawn at short notice.

This would obviate the strain on judicial and magisterial services in terms of cost and stress on court programs.

He said the chief justice, in consultation with the chief magistrate, should appoint a leadership tribunal within 30 days of receiving a request from the public prosecutor.

Earlier this year the government of the Maldives Republic faced a similar problem of recovering misappropriated government funds that the former Maldives president (who himself had taken over from a kleptomaniac) had reportedly used for personal enrichment.

The previous president, Mr Gayoom, who had held power for 30 years, has now had his extravagant life style audited.

The audit report said in part: "An estimated $9.5 million was spent buying and delivering a luxury yacht from Germany for the president; $17 million was spent on renovations of the presidential palace and family houses. Mr Gayoom built a saltwater swimming pool, a badminton court and a gymnasium, and he bought 11 speed boats and at least 55 cars - including the country's only Mercedes-Benz."

The new Maldives government has asked the World Bank and the UN to help in recovering the funds, said to amount to $US 400 million.

In PNG's case, misappropriated funds recovered could be available for health, education, law and order or any one of a number of areas that desperately need assistance.

An effective audit of trust funds would be an excellent place to start. Bulolo MP Sam Basil recently highlighted the operations of government trust funds as an area needing to be audited and tightened up.

I wonder what might be revealed by an effective audit of government expenditure. Surely those charged with safeguarding PNG's public monies must urgently give thought to Mr Basil's and Mr Nero's suggestions. Who knows, perhaps the PNG Chief Justice, if he were to be sent a copy of this article, might consider these suggestions as a practical way forward? Just the thought that audits will definitely be initiated on Trust funds and those who have been guilty of misappropriation will have to repay the monies and be charged might stop or least slow down the currently reported haemorrhaging. Positive action must start somewhere.

Pundari: Ramu tailings disposal effective

By PATRICK TALU

 

THE government has maintained the disposal of mine tailings from the Ramu mickel mine is done in an “environmentally safe and socially responsible manner”, The National reports.

Mining minister John Pundari, commenting on the outcome of a week-long stakeholders meeting in Madang on the deep-sea tailings placement system (DSTP), said it (the system) was the right approach.

In a statement yesterday, Pundari said the government was confident given the body of evidences from various environmental reports and assessment on the possible environmental impact assessment carried out by internationally reputable scientific organization.

He also noted the continuing efforts towards ensuring the proper disposal of tailings from the mine.

“We must appreciate the financial risk undertaken by the Chinese enterprises to invest in PNG in a project that is technically difficult to develop when no other investor was willing to undertake the challenge,” Pundari said.

He said the government further believed that the environmentally responsible development of the Ramu nickel mine using DSTP technology offered  the people of Rai Coast and the people of Madang an important opportunity to develop their communities and enjoy the economic benefits that large-scale mining projects had brought to other parts of the country.

“In parting, it is unfortunate that such a volume of study and information was available even before 2003 when MCC first carried out its due diligence study before taking a decision to invest in PNG,” Pundari said.

“It appears that these studies (dating back to 1988 and beyond) were not an issue for contention until MCC’s involvement in the project,” Pundari added.

 

 

Lae burns

Looters strike as dawn fire guts shops

By PISAI GUMAR

A DAWN fire gutted a shop at Eriku in Lae, Morobe, yesterday as hundreds of opportunists ransacked adjacent shops and took off with thousands of kina worth of goods, The National reports.

Looters watching and waiting to raid the neighbouring Raumai 18 wholesale as fire continues to destroy Lotus Trading at Eric Woo in Lae yesterday morning.

The fire, which started at about 5.30am, razed through Lotus Enterprise and, by 6am, hundreds of people, mainly looters from the nearby settlements of Boundary Road, Buimo, the Miles and Kamkumung, had gathered.

Outnumbered police and security guards fired teargas into the air to get the pressing crowd away from the shops’ front, all in vain eventually.

It was not long before the looters broke their way into the two neighbouring shops, PC Woo and Raumai 18, and, in the process, reportedly raping a woman shop assistant.

Members of the fire brigade, who are about a kilometre away, arrived more than a hour later after flames had engulfed the building and could do very little to save anything.

Lae’s iconic trading companies PC Woo, Papindo, Pelgens and Andersons are all on the same block, adjacent to each other.

More onlookers and opportunists arrived at Eriku as soon as the PMVs began operating at 6.30am.

Looters were seen carrying knife wounds and other injuries apparently suffered while breaking into the shops to ransack them.

All manner of goods, from cartons of tinned foods, bags of rice, frozen goods, household electrical goods, white goods and clothing accessories to cartons of beer, were removed.

Eriku’s surrounding streets were dotted with people unabashedly scurrying to get home with their stolen cargo. 

Although Guard Dog and Pacific Corporate Security guards were outnumbered at the other shops, they bravely prevented the looters from entering Papindo, Pelgens and Andersons supermarkets.

Crowds of men were also dispersed by police mid-morning at shops near the main market, Voco Point and Top Town, with the morning melee at Eriku forcing many businesses and schools to close for the day.

By dusk yesterday, the threat of more shop break-ins at Eriku was imminent with hundreds of men still milling about belligerently.

Many workers, who would have caught public transport through the Eriku bus stop, had to demand employers to drop them off at home out of fear.

Soldiers from Igam Barracks had to drive into town, armed in a troop carrier, to take their children and spouses home last night.

Bank South Pacific's 10% offer ends strike

By PEARSON KOLO

 

ALL protesting Bank South Pacific workers will return to work today after the bank agreed to raise housing allowances for many of them.

The BSP management reached an agreement with the workers’ union yesterday, and a memorandum of understanding was signed to end the strike.

The striking workers, who had gathered at the PNG Trade Union Congress headquarters, agreed to return to work today after union executives informed them of the outcome of their meeting with BSP.

A joint statement by BSP and the union said the agreement brings to rest resolution eight of the nine outstanding “parked items” arising out from the 2007 consolidated industrial agreement.

The meeting between BSP and the union yesterday was chaired by Francis Hau from the Department of Labour.

The statement said the only remaining issue, housing allowance, would be determined through the industrial arbitration tribunal process. But, as a sign of good faith, BSP had offered a further 10% increase on housing allowances for all Grade 3 to Grade 8 staff.

BSP chief executive officer Ian Clyne said in a separate statement that the industrial action by BSP staff was illegal but assured the staff that no one would be terminated for participating in it, if all staff return to work immediately.

The bankers walked off their jobs work last Thursday, affecting the general services provided by the bank. Many of the ATMs ran out of cash yesterday, and customers stood for hours in lines waiting to be served.

A mother, Doris Okoli, said BSP guards were sending five customers into the bank at a time to be served.

“Standing in the queue with the unpredictable Port Moresby weather is really a terrible experience for me and most of the customers,” Okoli said.

 

 

Role of the 39th on Kokoda

From BRUCE COPELAND

 

Have you thought of the role of the 39^th in the Kokoda campaign? They faced the Japanese at Isurava until the 2/14^th arrived. They were relieved. That does not mean they go all the way back to Ower’s Corner but retire until called forward again.

The 39^th stayed at Isurava. They had the back seat position. In the withdrawal, the next we see them is at the rest house above Isurava. They are not dug in but

on the track where we find Con’s Rock.

We find that they were intended to move to Eora Creek camp to be rearguard. That probably did not mean they engaged the enemy but waited to see if Japanese

arrived first by outflanking.

Then they would engage. They may have had a role in advising the Field Hospital to move out if the radio link had been cut. But the first soldiers to arrive were AIF. That means that the 39^th could move out.

It is a puzzle as the where the 53^rd were. Surely in the advance of the Japanese, all troops would move together. Either they had already gone or were held up. Did they move out by an alternative route?

The next duty of the 39^th was to do the same at Kagi. This would have been more difficult as there were two ridge lines down which the Japanese could move.

Reports are that the 39^th watched the American fighter aircraft strafing to Japanese. That is a puzzle. If the Japanese were down so close to Efogi, where were the 2/14^th and 2/16^th? Perhaps the strafing was higher up the range.

But once the AIF arrived, the 39^th could move out again. This time they moved over Brigade Hill and down to Menari. Is it possible they were to do the same at Menari? It is always possible that the Japanese could outflank. There had been an airdrop of supplies at Menari.

That may explain why they did not dig in on Brigade Hill with any stragglers from the 53^rd.

We know the time frame of their arrival at Menari as the 2/27^th had arrived and 39^th had handed over weapons and ammunition. Why did this happen?

Several friends state they were not disarmed. Were the 39^th unable to carry heavy loads because of illness? What of the 53^rd? It would take the 2/27^th half a day to get to Mission Ridge. Were they short of ammunition? Don’t forget the air drop at Menari.

The 53^rd really are a puzzle. Where were they during all this? We know they combined with the 55^th. Where was the 55^th at the fall of Brigade Hill? Did the 53^rd go straight through?

I am just looking at small scenarios on Kokoda and trying to understand.

In this analysis, I base my description on the fact that the 39^th had to be ahead of the 2/14^th and 2/16^th down the track. So they took off as soon as the AIF arrived at Eora Creek and Kagi. Perhaps they found a better site at Mission Hill. That is where I believe they saw theAmerican aircraft strafing the Japanese.

PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG.

 

Looking for a good captain

From REGINALD RENAGI

Since independence our political leadership has been found most wanting.

 Every MP elected by parliament to become the CEO PNG Inc. represents the people as well as being head of our government. 

As prime minister of the day, he alone must take full responsibility for the way our country’s national business is conducted.

Papua New Guinea’s early vision was good and noble in its intentions.

PNG’s national interests clearly stated in our constitution are all-enduring. 

They are still very much valid today but unfulfilled by the state and its many agencies over the years.  

Had we followed our earlier plans diligently, then PNG would be a better country and just society now. 

This unfortunately is not the case we are faced with 35 years after becoming independent from Australia. 

Many reasons contributed to PNG’s present woes. 

However, the main contributing factor to our present-day problems must also be directly attributed to all political leaders since independence. 

Successive PMs, as captains of our state ship never really stuck to the one course being steered at any one time long enough before making many tacks (as in sailing, to catch strong breezes by making the spinnaker full and getting good steerage). 

All our captains unfortunately did not make the required adjustments in the way they ran their ship. 

They all failed to ensure the ship’s daily business was managed by competent crew members. 

The training of the ship’s crew is always the captain's sole responsibility.

 They unfortunately failed in ensuring their senior officers and crew were always fit and up to the task of running a ‘tight ship’ at all times, in any weather conditions; 24/7 and 365 days of the calendar year.

Firstly, the PNG ship was not ready in all respects for sea in 1975. 

The then administration was being run by an all Australia-made team who failed to diligently prepare the PNG ship for sea. 

They knew what would happen when you send someone to sea without the pre-sea training perquisites being done which includes crew training as well.

 This did not happen and Australia did not exercise its full duty of care. 

Secondly, the captain was in a hurry to go to sea with his new crew, so perhaps saw no need for more time in doing other related training. 

This would have been good.

 It would have fully prepared for any future situations. 

Thirdly, Australia knew full-well our man was in some sort of a hurry, but was not quiet ready yet.

 It could still have told the captain about the delayed sailing plan until they were fully confident the ship was ready in all respects for sea before the launching ceremony.

 Only after doing this and making sure all other safety checks have been thoroughly done then Australia would be in a very good position to hand the ship over to its new owners (the people/shareholders of PNG). 

Australia failed its important duty as colonial administrators of our country. 

As it turned out, the captain was not properly trained and Australians also knew this same man is expected in time to impart what he was briefly taught, or knows; passed on his crew members later.

Therefore, nothing today should even surprise our political leaders, especially recent captains of our ship.

Sadly, the captain in his quiet moments is probably regretful that he has not made a very good job of it as he contemplates what life would be like after retirement. 

Hence, on hindsight, the man at the helm should know exactly what is really wrong with our ship today. 

Is he able to fix the very big problems now, before it is too late? 

The writer and many other PNG observers have great reservations over this prospect, as Father Time waits for no man. 

In addition, the captain’s long service is no reason to sing praises now about what a great ship we have, as most things onboard are not ‘ship-shaped’.   

Worse, the passenger’s state of health is very poor and has not really improved at all over the long voyage.

 Many are getting sicker by the day and are still dying at sea.  

The captain can save them if he chose, and commits to it now. 

This is not happening. 

Either he cannot, does not know how to or simply have now lost the zest that initially went with the job. 

One usually gets into this rut when in the job too long and sadly the novelty of the job wears off over time.

 This is totally unacceptable and must change for the better, for obvious reasons. 

PNG is where it is today because of leadership failure. 

Many bad things have happened in PNG because of inaction by its many captains of state over the years.

 The man at the helm has steered too many different courses.

 This made several captains over the years to be publicly perceived as not fully competent to steer PNG in taking her rightful place in the 21st Century.

The other thing worth noting here is that the passenger’s constant cries to the captain for help on where the ship was heading and its final destination were, and is still being ignored to this very day. 

This has made the ship's passengers very angry, frustrated and many tried to rebelled, not follow orders with many creating little pockets of social fragmented resistance groups for self-preservation and daily survival purposes.

The solution to PNG’s problem is obvious.

Activate our leadership ‘succession plan’ now. 

The time is right to make a good sea-change and is needed today before the ship runs aground. 

Many bad things have been done in contrary to PNG's national interests.

 PNG needs a fresh new competent political leadership.

The leader must be someone with a heart for PNG and knows what the job entails by doing it well without compromise.   

The new PNG leader from here on must at the same time take full responsibility for the safety of his passengers, and the ship's cargo at all times.

PNG’s new captain needs to stay on a true course without wavering.

So in review, PNG had a good vision at independence.

  But through several poor political leadership right up to the present time, the country is not where it was first planned to be 35 years ago.

 There is not much point in crying over split milk now by people in their comfort zones in making a bad job of defending the ship’s captain.

In 1975, Australia failed big time to not properly prepare PNG's state ship.

 Due to Australia's grand strategic failure, it is now shamelessly seen spending billions of its taxpayers' money trying to buy PNG ships' stores whenever supplies are running low, now and then.

This is not fair on the Australian taxpayers because the ship of another country is actually making its own money with good profits.

 But its whole money management is wrong, with the captain and crew's actions to date being assessed as very highly questionable; and in some cases deemed illegal.

So who is going to court-martial the captain and crew of our ship?

As nothing is being done, the risk of mutiny ever increases with the passing of time.

  It might put a stop to this because many state agencies entrusted to stop the people doing this are failing in their mandated jobs to prosecute and convict those who steal from the national coffers.

All in all, Australia should have seen this coming some 35 years before but pretended ignorance at the time.

 It wanted to see a quick ship delivery to its new owners with no moral sense of duty to do the right thing by PNG.

What is now happening today in PNG should not even surprise Australia one bit. 

It will be interesting to see what Julia Gillard or Tony Abbott's future bi-lateral strategy is on what they plan to do about PNG after they get past their ‘hung parliament’ predicament and move forward this year. 

Whether it will be Julia or Tony in charge does not really matter to PNG. 

What really matters now is how the new Australian leadership will constructively deal with PNG with its ongoing development challenges.

Reginald Renagi is a trainer of seafarers and formerly trained/served on many different classes of warships in the Royal Australian Navy.             

Looking for a good captain

From Reginald Renagi

 

Since independence our political leadership has been found most wanting.

 Every MP elected by parliament to become the CEO PNG Inc. represents the people as well as being head of our government. 

As prime minister of the day, he alone must take full responsibility for the way our country’s national business is conducted.

Papua New Guinea’s early vision was good and noble in its intentions.

PNG’s national interests clearly stated in our constitution are all-enduring. 

They are still very much valid today but unfulfilled by the state and its many agencies over the years.  

Had we followed our earlier plans diligently, then PNG would be a better country and just society now. 

This unfortunately is not the case we are faced with 35 years after becoming independent from Australia. 

Many reasons contributed to PNG’s present woes. 

However, the main contributing factor to our present-day problems must also be directly attributed to all political leaders since independence. 

Successive PMs, as captains of our state ship never really stuck to the one course being steered at any one time long enough before making many tacks (as in sailing, to catch strong breezes by making the spinnaker full and getting good steerage). 

All our captains unfortunately did not make the required adjustments in the way they ran their ship. 

They all failed to ensure the ship’s daily business was managed by competent crew members. 

The training of the ship’s crew is always the captain's sole responsibility.

 They unfortunately failed in ensuring their senior officers and crew were always fit and up to the task of running a ‘tight ship’ at all times, in any weather conditions; 24/7 and 365 days of the calendar year.

Firstly, the PNG ship was not ready in all respects for sea in 1975. 

The then administration was being run by an all Australia-made team who failed to diligently prepare the PNG ship for sea. 

They knew what would happen when you send someone to sea without the pre-sea training perquisites being done which includes crew training as well.

 This did not happen and Australia did not exercise its full duty of care. 

Secondly, the captain was in a hurry to go to sea with his new crew, so perhaps saw no need for more time in doing other related training. 

This would have been good.

 It would have fully prepared for any future situations. 

Thirdly, Australia knew full-well our man was in some sort of a hurry, but was not quiet ready yet.

 It could still have told the captain about the delayed sailing plan until they were fully confident the ship was ready in all respects for sea before the launching ceremony.

 Only after doing this and making sure all other safety checks have been thoroughly done then Australia would be in a very good position to hand the ship over to its new owners (the people/shareholders of PNG). 

Australia failed its important duty as colonial administrators of our country. 

As it turned out, the captain was not properly trained and Australians also knew this same man is expected in time to impart what he was briefly taught, or knows; passed on his crew members later.

Therefore, nothing today should even surprise our political leaders, especially recent captains of our ship.

Sadly, the captain in his quiet moments is probably regretful that he has not made a very good job of it as he contemplates what life would be like after retirement. 

Hence, on hindsight, the man at the helm should know exactly what is really wrong with our ship today. 

Is he able to fix the very big problems now, before it is too late? 

The writer and many other PNG observers have great reservations over this prospect, as Father Time waits for no man. 

In addition, the captain’s long service is no reason to sing praises now about what a great ship we have, as most things onboard are not ‘ship-shaped’.   

Worse, the passenger’s state of health is very poor and has not really improved at all over the long voyage.

 Many are getting sicker by the day and are still dying at sea. 

The captain can save them if he chose, and commits to it now. 

This is not happening. 

Either he cannot, does not know how to or simply have now lost the zest that initially went with the job. 

One usually gets into this rut when in the job too long and sadly the novelty of the job wears off over time.

 This is totally unacceptable and must change for the better, for obvious reasons. 

PNG is where it is today because of leadership failure. 

Many bad things have happened in PNG because of inaction by its many captains of state over the years.

 The man at the helm has steered too many different courses.

 This made several captains over the years to be publicly perceived as not fully competent to steer PNG in taking her rightful place in the 21st Century.

The other thing worth noting here is that the passenger’s constant cries to the captain for help on where the ship was heading and its final destination were, and is still being ignored to this very day. 

This has made the ship's passengers very angry, frustrated and many tried to rebelled, not follow orders with many creating little pockets of social fragmented resistance groups for self-preservation and daily survival purposes.

The solution to PNG’s problem is obvious.

Activate our leadership ‘succession plan’ now. 

The time is right to make a good sea-change and is needed today before the ship runs aground. 

Many bad things have been done in contrary to PNG's national interests.

 PNG needs a fresh new competent political leadership.

The leader must be someone with a heart for PNG and knows what the job entails by doing it well without compromise.   

The new PNG leader from here on must at the same time take full responsibility for the safety of his passengers, and the ship's cargo at all times.

PNG’s new captain needs to stay on a true course without wavering.

So in review, PNG had a good vision at independence.

  But through several poor political leadership right up to the present time, the country is not where it was first planned to be 35 years ago.

 There is not much point in crying over split milk now by people in their comfort zones in making a bad job of defending the ship’s captain.

In 1975, Australia failed big time to not properly prepare PNG's state ship.

 Due to Australia's grand strategic failure, it is now shamelessly seen spending billions of its taxpayers' money trying to buy PNG ships' stores whenever supplies are running low, now and then.

This is not fair on the Australian taxpayers because the ship of another country is actually making its own money with good profits.

 But its whole money management is wrong, with the captain and crew's actions to date being assessed as very highly questionable; and in some cases deemed illegal.

So who is going to court-martial the captain and crew of our ship?

As nothing is being done, the risk of mutiny ever increases with the passing of time.

  It might put a stop to this because many state agencies entrusted to stop the people doing this are failing in their mandated jobs to prosecute and convict those who steal from the national coffers.

All in all, Australia should have seen this coming some 35 years before but pretended ignorance at the time.

 It wanted to see a quick ship delivery to its new owners with no moral sense of duty to do the right thing by PNG.

What is now happening today in PNG should not even surprise Australia one bit. 

It will be interesting to see what Julia Gillard or Tony Abbott's future bi-lateral strategy is on what they plan to do about PNG after they get past their ‘hung parliament’ predicament and move forward this year. 

Whether it will be Julia or Tony in charge does not really matter to PNG. 

What really matters now is how the new Australian leadership will constructively deal with PNG with its ongoing development challenges.

 

Reginald Renagi is a trainer of seafarers and formerly trained/served on many different classes of warships in the Royal Australian Navy.             

Technical school contributes to building up Bulolo

Caption: Bulolo Technical School manager Berom Yawal

 

A final school fee cheque of K80, 000 was recently released to Bulolo Technical School to complete a total of K126, 000 for the district’s capacity building programme funded by Bulolo District Joint District Planning and Budget Priorities Committee.

Currently the education reform has changed the status of all vocational schools into technical schools, with Bulolo Vocational now known as Bulolo Technical School.

This year BTS has enrolled 290 students into various trades such as:

a) Tourism and hospitality;

b) Carpentry and joinery;

c) Brick laying;

d) Plumbing;

e) Motor mechanical;

f)  Heavy equipment fitter;

g) Panel beating and spray painting;

h) Business studies;

I)  IT – computing; and

J) Office administration.

By next year the BTS will link up with Mt Hagen Technical to take in continuing BTS students for National Certificate (NC1) programmes for courses such as heavy equipment fitter.

Also this year BTS has enrolled about 84 students under the Bulolo District rural capacity building programme which covers most of the courses mentioned above.

Bulolo District JDP and BPC Chairman Hon. Sam Basil has approved the programme, which saw 14 students from the six local level governments in Bulolo District.

The program has cost the district K126, 000 from the district services improvement programme (DSIP) funds.

Mr Basil said the capacity building of rural LLGS through human resource was very important at this stage when much of the DSIP funds were used to equip the rural LLGs with machinery, vehicles, electricity, communication networks and road infrastructure.

A similar programme has been struck with the Wau Small Scale Mining Center with course participants being fed through the rural LLGs.

Balob Teachers’ College in Lae will also engage in a similar arrangement to train rural teachers for Bulolo District.

Final hurdle cleared for Lihir takeover

MELBOURNE: Newcrest Mining Ltd’s A$10.45 billion (K25 billion) takeover of Lihir Gold Ltd has been officially completed after a Papua New Guinea court approved the deal, The National reports.

Newcrest welcomed the decision by the national court, which it said was the final step in the merger process after Lihir’s shareholders voted overwhelmingly in favour of the deal earlier last week.

“The company is soon to become part of Newcrest Mining Ltd, with the combined assets creating a strong and vibrant new, major gold company,” Lihir managing director Graeme Hunt said last Friday.

News of the court approval came as Lihir reported a first-half profit of US$87.1 million, a turnaround from its loss in the corresponding period a year earlier.

Although Lihir did not declare an interim dividend, Newcrest said Lihir shareholders who participated in its offer would be eligible for that company’s final dividend of US$0.20.

It is expected the takeover scheme of arrangement will be implemented on Sept 13.

Lihir shares will be suspended from trading on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and the Port Moresby Stock Exchange (POMSoX) from today.

Under the scheme, Lihir shareholders will receive nearly 0.12 Newcrest shares plus US$0.225 for each Lihir share they own.

Based on Newcrest’s closing share price of US$35.28 last Friday, the offer has an implied price of US$4.41 per Lihir share, or US$10.45 billion.

In its half year results, Lihir reported its underlying profit for the six months to June 30 was US$142.5 million (K387.23 million), down 15.2% on the previous corresponding period.

However, it was up 17.3% on the six months to Dec 31, 2009. – AAP

 

 

Axed in cold blood

Teacher shot in both legs, then chopped to pieces

 

By JAMES APA GUMUNO

 

A SENIOR teacher in Enga was dragged from the vehicle he was travelling in last Friday afternoon and summarily executed in the middle of the highway in front of shocked passengers, The National reports.

Police believed that James Mondo, deputy headmaster of Yaemanda Primary School in Kompiam district was a victim of a payback killing.

Provincial police commander Supt Martin Lakari said more than 20 men from Poreyalum tribe had set up a roadblock at Kompiam and were waiting for a 10-seater Toyota landcruiser as it was returning from Wabag.

He said they singled out Mondo, pulled him out and stood him in the middle of the road.

“He was shot in both legs and when he fell down, the tribesmen, armed with axes, moved in and cut him into pieces. It was barbaric and inhumane,” Lakari said.

Mondo, 40, was from Ulip village, also in Kompiam district.

He was the only one attacked. The other passengers were not robbed or attacked by the clansmen who fled the scene of killing when they saw more vehicle arriving.

Lakari said police would investigate to determine the motive of the killing although they had not ruled out payback killing.

He said police had a hard time putting together the body which they took to the Wabag General Hospital morgue.

“These people do not have any respect for human life and a highly educated man in the district who struggled to develop human resource in a least developed district of Enga,” Lakari said.

He said he was notified of the killing around 3pm and he quickly dispatched his men to Kompiam to monitor the situation and prevent tribal fighting.

Lakari said police urged Mondo’s relatives not to take the law into their own hands and allow police to investigate and deal with the offenders.

Police presence was beefed up on Saturday, together with the criminal investigation officers, to watch over funeral arrangements.

Lakari has appealed to Poreyalum tribal leaders to hand over the killers.

 

Dead at mine site

By JEFFREY ELAPA

 

ARMED security guards and police reservists at the Porgera gold mine in Enga have been blamed for the death a landowner and the wounding of another last week, The National reports.

Police have confirmed receiving news of the death and shooting but could not give further details as investigations were continuing.

Reports alleged that the landowner was killed inside the mine site and his body dumped outside the camp last Thursday.

Highlands regional police boss Supt Simon Kaupa confirmed that the security guards were also enlisted as police reservists.

He was yet to receive a report from the local police force in Porgera.

Acting Porgera police station commander Snr Sgt Poko Itapa confirmed the killing and shooting but could not say much because investigations were continuing.

He said a landowner chief was allegedly shot by security guards as villagers fronted up at the company gate to inquire about the death of their relative.

Landowner chairman Mark Tony Ekepa told The National in a phone interview that relatives of the victim had protested outside the community affairs office last Friday at about midday.

However, he claimed Barricks security guards fired into the crowd and wounded Nixon Mangape, the chief landowner and chairman of Porgera Development Authority.

He said Mangape was trying to control the crowd and was not involved in the protest.

Police said that the empty bullet shells were found at the site of the shooting and were tendered in as evidence.

Porgera’s Paiam Hospital chief Dr Granda Granada said a person was rushed to the hospital with a bullet wound at the back of his buttock but was discharged after treatment as it was not severe.

He also confirmed that a body, found near the mine site, was brought to the hospital prior to the shooting but declined to comment further.

He said a post-mortem and x-ray results indicated a fractured neck bone and believed that the person could have died from blunt trauma, particularly caused by blunts things like sticks, metal or rocks.

The landowners said last Friday’s incident was not the first involving live bullets.

They said that numerous complaints had been lodged with the PNG government, the UN Human Rights Commission that included various reputable institutions around the globe.

“Shooting to death of defenceless landowners is serious human rights abuse. 

“Therefore, the Porgera Landowners Association calls on the PNG government and local NGOs to investigate the shooting and to allow law to take its course,” Ekepa said.

Bank workers continue strike

By PEARSON KOLO

 

BANK South Pacific workers nationwide are expected to continue their strike today despite a court order by the bank’s management declaring the industrial action illegal, The National reports.

The strike has already threatened all electronic banking systems with no bank officers available to attend to them.

Long queues were seen in all Bank South Pacific branches in Port Moresby last Friday as customers lined up to do their banking with only a skeleton staff attending to them.

Customers are expected to brace for a total blackout today.

Last Friday, more than 500 BSP staff in Port Moresby camped at the PNG Trade Union Congress headquarters and were visited by 20 affiliated union bodies of the PNG Trade Union Congress.

The presidents of the union bodies joined in and called for the sacking of BSP CEO Ian Clyne, saying he had turned a blind eye on the issue and gone overseas and had not taken part in the negotiations.

PNGTUC president Michael Malabag, who is also the president of the Public Employees Association said one of their calls was to call for the termination of BSP CEO.

Malabag’s call for Clyne’s sacking received wide applause from the striking workers.

Malabag and PNGTUC general secretary John Paska voiced strong words of encouragement among the striking bankers as reports circulated that the BSP management had issued instructions to the police to arrest the striking workers.

Malabag said the fight was legal as legitimate processes were followed with the sister unions stepping in when it was absolutely necessary.

He urged the workers to persist until they got what they wanted while room for negotiation was open.

“The biggest shareholders are the workers themselves; you can’t sack the workers who are shareholders. Do not fear intimidation and threats of sacking.”

The union asked BSP board chairman Noreo Beangke to step in and address the issue

The BSP workers numbering more than 1,000 walked off their jobs last Thursday with a good number camping at the TUC headquarters last Friday.

A meeting between the union executives and BSP management will take place today to decide whether the striking bankers would continue the industrial action or return to work.

 

Basil urges Sepik MPs to issue joint statement

MEMBER for Bulolo Sam Basil has called members from East Sepik including the prime minister to sit down with him and issue a joint statement over the recent clashes in Bulolo between the locals and Sepik settlers and a reported clash at the University of Papua New Guinea, The National reports.

Basil said it was in the best interest of the people that whatever was said and debated on the floor of parliament stayed in parliament.

“It will be good if we, as leaders from Bulolo and Sepiks sit down together and issue a joint statement, urging all our people and young ones to remain neutral and not take matters into their hands.

“I also call upon university students not to take these matters further because it will only spill onto the streets,” Basil said.

“Such actions by our young elites are uncalled for, and they should not be tolerated.”

He said he was also willing to go to the university campus and address students if invited.

“If the students want me to go and address a forum, I will do so gladly with my councillors from Bulolo, so that we can explain things properly.

“As the 2012 elections are fast approaching, I would like to once again appeal to serial general election candidates and recycled leaders not to politicise the issue at the expense of the Bulolo ethnic clash.

“There are opportunists who use pen names in letters to the editor, or on the ground, taking sides with either party of the conflicting groups, playing the blame game or publishing more unfounded accusations,” Basil said.

“I see how such things can help those affected and the vulnerable ones on ground zero.

“When the election writs are delivered by the governor-general in April to July 2012, then we all can play the political game.

“Today’s situation demands common sense to help in any way possible,” he added.

Basil said Morobe Governor Luther Wenge and himself might have not done enough, “but when we all come to properly analyse the situation, we will find that there are so many contributing factors that led to the situation”.

“Law and order, lack of funding, slowness of the provincial law and order committee meeting, disappearance of the uncertified report by the Wau urban LLG manager, police not enforcing the full force of the law on both sides of the conflicting parties, lifting the liquor ban by the magistrate at the request of the traders and, worst of all, politicking of this unfortunate issue.”

 

Appeal for Wampar LLG to help

By SAM BASIL

Bulolo MP

I would like to appeal to the President of Wampar local level government Peter Namus and the people of his constituency, especially the Gabsongkeg villagers, to help my district to accommodate the displaced Sepik settlers by providing temporary land if a relocation plan is embarked on by the committee.

The land, I believe, was identified and supported by Governor Luther Wenge and I stand behind the Governor to appeal for the understanding of the Wampar people at this time of need.

Bulolo District is a very important district hosting an operational mine operated by the Morobe Mining JV (MMJV),  contributing to the economy of Morobe through employment, businesses and royalties to the provincial and national government.

Bulolo District is one of the sister districts among the nine districts in the province.

 Therefore I appeal for their understanding for this temporary arrangement. 

Sam Basil

Bulolo MP