Donors keen to spur global agricultural research

By SENIORL ANZU of NARI

Agricultural research in developing countries attracts global funding

The notion of Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D) is increasingly getting internationally attention, both technically and financially.
In a new powerful display of solidarity with the world’s poor, a key donors and stakeholders meeting in Washington, D.C. early this month took a decisive step toward harmonising funding for AR4D.
This is a much-appreciated development at a time when a lot of the national agricultural research systems (NARS) globally are focused on meeting real needs of resource poor farmers in the context of AR4D.
AR4D is a paradigm shift of making agricultural research more effective in creating positive development impact, especially for smallholder farming and rural communities.
The 2008 World Development Report’s focus on agriculture for development is a direct manifestation of this shift, especially in its bid to address the millennium development goals.
The focus is to reduce and eradicate extreme poverty, assure food security, improve livelihoods, and bring in sustainable and equitable growth and development for the overall welfare of individuals and communities in the world.
The Washington meeting agreed to channel their collective support into major strategic research initiatives that will decisively confront hunger and poverty in developing countries, while cushioning climate change impacts and curbing natural resource destruction.
Inger Andersen, Fund Chair of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) says the agreement “represents a bold response to the major challenges that agriculture faces today”.
Andersen is also Vice President for Sustainable Development, World Bank.
“A more collective approach for supporting agricultural research will give new impetus to the work of the 8,000 scientists and other professionals of the CGIAR, building on a strong record of major positive impact on human well-being.”
The new agreement establishes a multi-donor trust fund (the CGIAR Fund), connecting donors with the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers.
Approval came after deliberations by the CGIAR Fund’s decision making body, the Fund Council, on November 1-2.
Director General of PNG’s NARI, Dr Raghunath Ghodake, is a member of this Fund Council, which is a 22-member apex body responsible for allocating research funds to international agricultural research centres and national research and development organisations.
The CGIAR Fund is a new multi-donor, multi-year funding mechanism that provides strategic financing to support agricultural research.
The fund is focused on reducing poverty and hunger, improving human health and nutrition, and enhancing ecosystem resilience through high-quality international agricultural research, partnership and leadership.
This is supported by creating and accelerating sustainable increases in the productivity and production of healthy food by and for the poor; conserving, enhancing, and sustainable use of natural resources and biodiversity to improve the livelihoods of the poor in response to climate change and other factors; and promoting policy and institutional change that will stimulate agricultural growth and equity to benefit the poor, especially rural women and other disadvantaged groups.
More specifically, the CGIAR Fund will finance research guided by the Strategy and Results Framework that sets out common goals, objectives and results for the new CGIAR partnership. The strategy will be implemented by the CGIAR-supported Centers and their partner institutions through a portfolio of Mega Programs, ambitious research programs that aim to address today’s most pressing AR4D challenges.
Over the course of 2010 the Fund is being set up at the World Bank, which will serve as Trustee for the Fund.
Fund donors also confirmed new leadership and members of the CGIAR’s Independent Science and Partnership Council.
CGIAR Fund donors further agreed to support two new strategic research programs – one dealing with rice-based farming systems and the other with climate change, agriculture and food security.
Building on consultations with hundreds of collaborators around the world, the rice program underwent rigorous external review and revision.
The result is a broad research agenda centering on major rice ecologies and fostering critical developments in rice genomics, genetics, agronomy, postharvest handling and policy.
To ensure maximum impact, the research will be carried out jointly by three CGIAR Centers and major international organizations in France and Japan in collaboration with hundreds of partners, including the private sector, NARS and civil society.
Partners will officially launch the new initiative on November 10 at the Third International Rice Congress taking place in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The initiative on climate change, agriculture and food security, developed with the Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP), will involve all CGIAR Centers and a wide coalition of partners.
It will offer developing country farmers new options for coping with current climate variability, adapting to emerging impacts in the coming decades and mitigating climate change through a “carbon-friendly” agriculture that also strengthens food security and reduces poverty.
This program will be launched during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in early December at Cancún, Mexico.
CGIAR is a global partnership that unites organizations engaged in research for sustainable development.
The funders include developing and industrialized country governments, foundations, and international and regional organizations.
The work they support is carried out by 15 members of the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers, in close collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations, including national and regional research institutes, civil society organizations, academia, and the private sector.

Cook Islands’ Meyer is Miss South Pacific

By JUNIOR UKAHA

Miss South Pacific Joyanna Meyer, surrounded by fellow contestants (standing from left) Miss Tokelau Meleka Mativa, Miss American Samoa Cindy Fonofili Silao and Miss Solomon Islands Fuantino Malasa. (Front seated) Miss Samoa Jolivette Menime Ete, Miss Aotearoa NZ Angella Cudd and Miss Fiji Sera Tikotikoivatu. – Nationalpic by JASON GIMA WURI

MISS Cook Islands Joyanna Meyer is the new Miss South Pacific Queen 2010-2011, The National reports.
The 21-year-old Meyer beat 10 other Pacific beauties, including PNG’s own Rachel Sapery James, on Saturday night at the Sir John Guise indoor complex to win the pageant.
In the lead-up to the crowning, she also scooped three of the eight awards on offer – Miss Photogenic, Miss Sarong and Miss Talent.
An eager local media contingent could not talk to Meyer after the crowning as she was ushered to her hotel by chaperones who promised that “media will be allowed to talk to her first thing Sunday morning”.
Despite initial hiccups at the start of the evening, which was televised lived by EMTV, it was also disappointing our own contestant failed to win a single award.
Meyer won the crown after scoring the most points in each of the four different categories the Miss South Pacific pageants were judged on sarong (laplap), talent, traditional island and stage interview.
One of the judges, New Zealander Moana Maniaopoto, confessed it was difficult to come up with a final winner as all the contestants were equally superb in the different categories they were judged on.
“I must admit it was quite difficult for us to actually come up with a winner,” she said.
“All the girls put on a great performance.
“But at the end someone has to be crowned,” Maniaopoto said.
The first runner-up was Miss Aotearoa (NZ) Angella Cudd followed by Miss Samoa Julivette Menime Ete (third), Miss Hawaiian Islands Pomaikai Klein (fourth) and Miss Fiji Sera Tikotikoivatu (fifth).
The other award winners were Miss Elegance Pomaii Klein, Miss Tourism Sera Tikotikoivatu, Miss Internet Julivette Menime Ete and Miss Friendship Mafi Tui’nukuafe (Miss Tonga).
The winner of the float procession hosted during the day went to Miss Niue Maria Mitimeti who had the best decorated float that drew a huge crowd.
The outgoing Miss South Pacific queen Marawalesi Nailatikau, while handing the crown over to Meyer, said she was happy her journey ended and that it was time to pass on the reign to the new queen
“My journey ends here and her journey begins,” she said
She said all the contestants were queens in their own rights and that there were many issues in the Pacific regarding women that needed to be addressed.
Next year’s Miss South Pacific contest will be held in Apia, Samoa, the birthplace of the event.

Pacific group seeks 30% cut in tuna catch

A GROUP of Pacific fishing nations, including Papua New Guinea, has called for a near-30% cut in next year’s tuna catch as concern about over-fishing increases, The National reports.

The eight members of the parties to the Nauru agreement (PNA) group control waters where a quarter of the world’s tuna is caught, Radio Australia reported at the weekend.

At a meeting in Majuro, in the Marshall Islands, last week they agreed to cut licensed fishing days from 40,000 to 28,469 next year.

The PNA nations operate a system known as the “vessel day scheme”, selling “fishing days” instead of licensing a set number of vessels to fish in the region.

But during the three years the scheme had been in place, the Pacific nations have had difficulty enforcing it, reducing its effectiveness for conservation.

The PNA is a sub-regional agreement on terms and conditions for tuna purse seine fishing licences in the region.

Apart from PNG, the other parties are Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

These countries own waters which supply 25% of the world’s tuna, an estimated US$2 billion worth of fish every year.

PNA fisheries policy makers met to discuss how to skyrocket fishing revenue by establishing connections with industry so the islands could become involved in all aspects of the tuna business – to compete on the same level as industry-leading Thai canneries and tuna suppliers, Ansform Aqorau, director of the PNA office in Majuro, Transform Aqorau, said.

He added that island nations must integrate boats with processing facilities and marketing into Europe and North America, PacNews reported.

“PNA is looking for long-term linkages with processing plants,” he said.

Aquorau said it would be necessary for the Pacific Islands to compete with Thai tuna products.

“The islands have set hard limits but have had difficulty in actually doing it,” Phil Roberts of Tri-Marine International, one of the world’s largest suppliers of tuna, who attended the talks in Majuro, said.

He told AFP: “The proposal to cut to 28,000 fishing days in 2011 means they will have to cut back a lot of boats.

“If they don’t, they will never get fishing under control.”

 

 

Lightning kills 4

20 more burnt as storm hits market

 

By YVONNE HAIP

 

FOUR people were struck dead by lightning on Saturday in the upper Mendi area of the Southern Highlands, The National reports.

Twenty others received serious burns in the electric storm at about 3pm at Egari village, 18km outside Mendi, provincial disaster and emergency relief coordinator Martin Pat said yesterday.

He said the dead included a male teenager and three women, two in their early 20s.

Locals at the Egari market, recently built by Mendi MP Pr Isaac Joseph, took shelter as the storm hit and could do little to save the casualties.

Mendi General Hospital chief executive officer Joseph Turian confirmed that four people were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

He also said that at least 20 people were treated at the hospital, kept overnight and discharged yesterday.

Three with more serious wounds were retained, Turian said, adding that others who received minor injuries were treated at the Mongol Health Centre on Saturday.

He said the hospital was quick to respond as soon as word of the disaster reached the accident and emergency section in the afternoon.

Pat said a provincial disaster and emergency relief team visited Egari village yesterday to assess the damage, saying that about 400 people were at the market when the electric storm struck.

They were astounded by its intensity, he said, adding that lightning struck two trees and the three women who were sitting nearby on one of the market benches.

Pat did not say how the teenager was killed, however, his team had assured relatives of the deceased that they would work with relevant authorities to make sure that some form of relief assistance was provided.

He also commended Mendi hospital staff for ensuring that the patients received care and treatment.

He identified the deceased as Job Peand, 13; Janet Simon, 25; Rita Samal, 24; and an elderly woman Ogon Nonpi.

The wounded were recovering from shock, he added.

People in the area said a child was struck dead by lightning last year in a similar electric storm.

 

 

Villagers give notice on deep-sea mining

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

 

WEST coast central New Ireland landowners will ask the Supreme Court to stop any deep-sea mining in the area until the current mining laws governing sacred fishing grounds are properly interpreted, The National reports.

Nautilus Minerals had obtained national government approval to begin deep sea mining off the coast of New Ireland and East New Britain.

Namatanai MP Byron Chan and the provincial government have joined forces with the West-coast Central Seabed Mining Landowners Association to fight for benefits from the mining operations.

Landowner representatives including chairman Benson ToMarum, secretary Eugene Pasmet and technical adviser Roboam Paka and Chan held a joint media conference in Port Moresby last Friday to announce the legal challenge.

“We will make an application to the Supreme Court in Kokopo for an interpretation of the Mining Act,” Paka said.

He said the current memorandum of agreement has three signatories, which is the state, the developer and the two provincial governments of East New Britain and New Ireland.

“We have engaged lawyers to go to court to seek interpretation whether we can claim ownership of the sea.”

Paka said villagers, who used the ocean area to be mined for food,  had not been consulted, simply because the Mining Act was not clear on the sea aspect.

“We want the seaowners to be part of the MoA and pre-project financing be enjoyed by the locals.”

Paka said the rights of landowners to fish and visit their sacred sites out at sea must be protected.

“The state has resolved that we are not owners of the sea.

“The state seems to think

that ownership ends at

the waterfront,” he said.

Paka said the people had a long association with the sea around the St George Channel through fishing and sacred shark-calling activities.

“Our cultures are linked to the sea and we want that to be addressed in the MoA.”

Chan said four main issues were equity, mining facilities and operations, seaowners being part of the MoA and pre-project financing.

“We are taking the matter to court for legitimacy of the current Mining Act to ensure the rights of our people are protected,” he added.

 

 

East New Britain MPs pledge to work together

By ELIZABETH VUVU

 

ALL five national members of parliament from East New Britain have pledged their undivided support and cooperation to ensure the province is developed further to the next level, The National reports.

The ENB leaders’ summit held at parliament house last Thursday evening was attended by Governor Leo Dion, Pomio MP Paul Tiensten, Rabaul MP Dr Allan Marat, Kokopo MP Patrick Tammur and Gazelle MP Malakai Tabar.

The summit was a follow-up to the inaugural meeting held in July last year to discuss issues affecting the development of the province.

According to deputy administrator for policy, planning and evaluation, Bernard Lukara, the summit provided a real opportunity for the leaders to discuss issues and organised and facilitated annually by the provincial administration.

Provincial administrator Akuila Tubal also gave a brief statement to the leaders at the summit on the development status of the province, including the vision, mission and values for the new provincial strategic development for the province 2011-21, New Britain highway, 2011 provincial budget themes and strategies and recommendations from the ENB-WNB joint development meeting held last month.

Dion thanked all leaders for attending saying the show of support among the leaders was for the good of the province.

Tammur commended his colleagues and thanked Dion for his leadership.

The need for research and development in smallholder agriculture in Papua New Guinea

By WORKNEH AYALEW of NARI

Food and nutrition insecurity, and particularly seasonal scarcity of staples, have become a national challenge in Papua New Guinea as a consequence of human population growing faster than that of agricultural output in recent years.

Golden Pine (Bulolo) inland fish project by NARI

With 87% of the human population dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods, almost all of whom are smallholder farmers, it is imperative that national agricultural research and development efforts aim at enabling the smallholder agriculture sector produce enough to meet family subsistence needs for food and agriculture, supply urban markets and even contribute to export markets.
As the World Development Report 2008 of the World Bank maintains, the relatively large size of this sector also means that the most-effective and direct way of improving food security and alleviating poverty in countries like PNG is to enhance productivity of this sector.
Similarly the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) emphasises that only the smallholder farmers themselves can put an end to rural and peri-urban food insecurity and poverty.
Unfortunately these largely-subsistent family crop and livestock farms are often considered traditional, old-fashioned and backward that resist efforts to improvement and modernisation, and that only large scale intensive commercial farms are deemed to provide the only hope of modernising agriculture in countries like PNG.
Such erroneous notions tend to influence national policy decision making for research and development.
The purpose of the article is to highlight the strategic importance of research to improve smallholder family farms for overall national economic development with particular reference to the smallholder livestock raising.
In the first instance, what are the key reasons for paying attention to the smallholder livestock farmers?
1. The small farms produce most of the food and some petty income to support livelihoods of the majority of the rural population. They therefore provide direct realistic opportunities for improving rural livelihoods;
2. The majority of livestock in the country, particularly pigs, chicken, ducks, goats and sheep, are maintained by smallholder subsistence farmers, and any desired improvement of these resources should focus on these small family farms;
3. The aggregate of small sustained improvements achieved at individual farm level add up in economic significance at local, regional and national levels, so they can be an engine for economic development;
4. Small family farms are essentially an enormous reservoir of labour and skilled manpower that can be tapped into to enhance livestock production, which otherwise can potentially overwhelm urban areas through voluntary migration; and
5. As is the case with coffee, cocoa, coconut and other export crops, smallholder livestock farms can also be a source of important export commodities, such as meat, skins, hides and other products.
Agricultural research has potential to deal with these issues and develop appropriate remedial technologies in collaboration with smallholder farmers, provided adequate human and material resources are made available to run these research projects. Furthermore, research can be effectively used to:
1. Explore the yield potential of livestock and the ways and means to improve yields;
2. Identify and investigate constraints to production;
3. Develop new and improved ways of production and product handling;
4. Adapt suitable technologies and innovations developed elsewhere;
5. Develop more efficient practices of managing natural resources such as livestock, land, soil, water and even human labour, and
6. Explore strategies for managing current and arising emergencies such as outbreaks of diseases.
Various research tools can be used to ensure that such research is based on the needs and priorities of target smallholder farmers.
In fact when the smallholder farmers are a dominant element of the agriculture sector, it is reasonable to focus on the farmers’ indigenous practices with the view to strengthening the natural forces towards intensification of traditional agriculture.
The history of rapidly-growing economies in Asia with well-developed agriculture sectors shows that assisting the masses of smallholder farmers to have access to improved agricultural practices can bring about lasting transformation of the sector.
Testing and refinement of farmers’ traditional practices and innovations led to significant gains in productivity of smallholder subsistent agriculture until intensive commercial agriculture took a more prominent role.
International research and development institutions are advising that to promote growth in agricultural productivity over the longer term, developing countries like PNG should greatly increase their investment in agricultural research and development, rural infrastructure and market access for poor farmers.
A key requirement for boosting productivity growth is to invest in research aimed at preserving and making better use of diverse indigenous genetic resources for crop and animal improvement.
In the face of recent global crisis on grain supplies, governments are being called to renew their commitment to the development and dissemination of improved agricultural technologies as the only viable long-term solution for ensuring that affordable food is available to poor consumers both in rural and urban areas.
Without strong growth in disposable incomes imported food commodities will become increasingly unaffordable.
Technological innovation, in combination with policy reforms, has worked well in the past in the transformation of agriculture in many Asian countries.
According to the World Development Report 2008, investment in agricultural research has paid off generously, emphasising that further investment is needed in research and development targeting the predominant smallholder farming sector.
The current level of annual public investment in research, science and technology in the agriculture sector in PNG is only 0.5% of agricultural GDP of K4 billion, while the internationally recommended rate is 2.0%.
The prevailing global food crisis, the ominous threat of global climate change, and pressure from globalisation all call for greater emphasis in long-term investment in agriculture to ensuring sustainable agricultural development.
More public funding for research and rural development is needed to utilise the huge potential of the smallholder livestock sector to assure food security, increase incomes, generate gainful employment and contribute to rural as well as national economic development.

Ms Cook Islands wins Miss South Pacific title

Picture by JASON GIMA WURI

Joyana Meyer (pictured above) of Cook Islands was last night crowned the 2010-2011 Miss South Pacific at Port Moresby's Sir John Guise Indoor Sports Stadium.
The crowning was a culmination of a busy week for the beatuties from countries of the South Pacific.
Eleven contestants vied for the Miss South Pacific title and Miss Cook Islands Joyana Myer won the title scoring well in all categories of the competition.
The final night featured the traditional wear and stage interview.
Next year the MSPP will be held in its birth place, Samoa.
Ms Meyer takes the crown from Ms Merawalesi Nailatikau of Fiji.

Ms Cook Islands (centre) surrounded by the other 10 Pacific beauties

More to come

PNG forecast to outdo Fiji in next decade

ANZ Banking Group chief Pacific economist Paul Guenwald said Papua New Guinea is the economic powerhouse of the Pacific and is set to outperform Fiji in the next decade as it did in the last, The National reports.

Guenwald, elaborating on new report from the bank on Pacific economies this week, said the resources boom would  see PNG continue to outperform Fiji until at least 2020, Radio Australia reported.

It quoted Guenwald as saying that despite the strong growth reported, PNG still lagged behind most Pacific countries on measures of personal economic well-being.

According to the bank, PNG’s per capita gross domestic product was around one-third of that in Fiji.

Gruenwald told Radio Australia he expected that to improve in the next 10 years, good management of the resources revenue by the government, was important to boost income and wealth.

“As of last year, which is the latest data we have on an annual basis, PNG’s economy is approaching US$8 billion in terms of GDP, that’s substantially larger than Fiji’s that is closer to US$3 billion,” he said.

“However, if we look at it on a per capita basis, the fixture is quite different, where we’ve got PNG’s per capita income of about US$3,000 and PNG is closer to US$1,000,” he said.

Guenwald’s comments on Wednesday came as international accounting firm Deloitte Touche said that PNG’s economy  grew by an estimated 5.5% last year and was expected to grow by 7.1% this year.

Asked how he saw PNG performing in the next 10 years, Guenwald said: “We think the story is also quite good in the decade we’ve just begun.

“The reason is the LNG project, which, if it is managed properly, should be able to keep PNG’s growth rate relatively high.

 

 

MPs' pay rise

Massive 52% rise also for departmental heads and others

 

By JEFFREY ELAPA

 

MEMBERS of parliament yesterday voted to give themselves a hefty 52% pay rise before adjourning for a six-month holiday, The National reports.

Opposition MPs walked out of the chamber when Public Service Minister Moses Maladina, appointed to the portfolio less than 24 hours earlier, presented the 36th report of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.

Parliament adopted the report on voices without debate.

The vote by parliament raised the base salaries from the prime minister down to an ordinary MP by 52.08%.

The base salary of departmental heads, provincial administrators, provincial assembly members, the chief justice, his deputy and judges, the chief magistrate and others classified as appointed leaders also went up by the same percentage.

The rise in their base salary was backdated to last year, and this rise alone will cost taxpayers K33 million, an appropriation not provided for in the 2011 budget approved early this week.

The rise in the salary rate was based on a review conducted by Hay Group Consultants in 2008.

Maladina said they had found a huge gap in the remuneration of leaders that had developed since the last review in 2000.

He said the report stated that over the nine-year period, leaders’ base salaries had increased by only 5% compared to 52% in the public sector.

During the same period, official CPI increased by 53%, hence, the real value of leaders’ salaries had fallen by more than half while the public sector average salary level was projected to have increased by not less than 10% between last year and next year, Maladina added.

The rise in the base salaries of MPs came after they recently voted to give themselves a 100% increase in housing and vehicle allowances. A total of 750 people will be affected in the salary rise.

The prime minister’s base salary will rise to K262,762 per annum from the current base salary of K172,770. The speaker’s will rise from K146,645 to K223,029; Deputy PM and opposition leader from K134,518 to K204,585; ministers from K104,814 to K159,408; MPs from K52,595 to K79,991; governors from K36,920 to K56,151; and assembly members from K12,885 to K19,597.

The chief secretary’s salary will rise from K134,515 to K204,585 while the chief justice will be paid K261,601 annually from K172,007.

The report also recommended that the security allowance for the public solicitor and the the public prosecutor be upgraded from K6,000 per annum to K12,000.

It also recommended for the prime minister’s overseas travel allowance to be increased from US$100 per day to US$500, which would also include the speaker of parliament and the chief justice.

 

 

Roadblocks outlawed

COMPENSATION claims and blocking of roads by villagers and landowners have been outlawed by parliament yesterday, The National reports.

The enactment of the protection of transport infrastructure received overwhelming support from MPs, voting 62-0, to pass the bill yesterday.

Deputy Prime Minister Don Polye, in presenting the bill, said it was intended to protect infrastructure of all the three modes of transport in land, sea and air.

He said the bill would ensure all transport infrastructures were available to be used for national, provincial and local level transport and was free from encroachment, deliberate damage and excessive and unjustified compensation claims.

Polye said for many years, land used for transport infrastructure had been the subject of encroachment, blockades, trespass, deliberate damage and unjustified compensation claims for infrastructure, even where just and fair compensation had been paid to landowners.

“The cost of this is enormous, with some roads being encroached on, blockaded for extensive periods and/or made unusable by deliberate damage and unjustified additional compensation being paid to landowners amounting to millions of kina.

“The money used to repair transport infrastructure, which is deliberately damaged and paid out for unjustified additional compensation, can and should be used for other purposes including health care, education and building and maintaining much-needed transport infrastructure.”

Any person found guilty of putting up roadblocks, damaging infrastructure such as survey pegs or markers, would be fined K100,000 or jailed for two years.

The more serious of this offence would invoked a fine of K1 million, or 10 years in jail.

Also, anyone who demanded compensation with the intention to extort would be fined K500,000 or face a five-year jail term.

Polye said service delivery and economic development had been hampered by such unruly behaviour for too long, and it was time for the government to get tough.

He said genuine claims and grievances would be addressed through the proper process.

 

 

Six-month holiday

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

 

PARLIAMENT has been adjourned for six months to May next year, after Treasurer Peter O’Neill was forced to assure Speaker Jeffery Nape that K20 million would be released next week for urgent maintenance work in parliament, The National reports.

The adjournment ensured the prime minister cannot face a vote of no-confidence in this term of parliament.

Before that, Nape informed the house that a notice for a vote of no-confidence, which was handed in by the opposition, was found to be defective by the Private Business Committee because three MPs who had signed the notice had withdrawn their support.

Their withdrawal reduced the signatories from 11 to eight, insufficient to uphold the notice.

The speaker’s unusual step to get O’Neill to publicly commit to releasing K20 million by next week gave the impression there was collusion to ensure parliament would meet again 12 months away from the issue of writ for the next general elections.

The opposition described it as a calculated move.

Some government MPs, like Community Development Minister Dame Carol Kidu, was caught by surprise.

“I thought we agreed in government caucus this morning to adjourn to March,” she said, questioning if resuming in May would give them enough time to address the bill of the 22 reserved seats for women.

Opposition leader Sir Mekere Morauta said the period of adjournment was interesting that parliament would resume a year before the issue of writs for the general elections in 2012.

“They have done it better in that there will be no vote of no-confidence unless parliament is recalled.”

He claimed that parliament had failed to sit the required 63 days, which would be challenged in court.

“We might as well close down parliament. It is a mockery.

“The relationship between the legislature and the executive government is very strong,” Sir Mekere said.

The opposition also questioned the move by Nape to adjourn for the refurbishment of the house from the K20 million allocation from the supplementary budget.

Opposition member and Abau MP Sir Puka Temu questioned the scheme between the legislature and executive arm of government collaborating to adjourn parliament to avoid the move to oust the prime minister.

He said the funding for parliament maintenance needed to be scrutinised.

“Will public procurement be followed?” Sir Puka asked.

O’Neill last night said the adjournment of parliament to May next year was due to the declining state of parliament facilities including air-conditioning, elevators, toilets and security.

“That is the reason why the speaker adjourned parliament because it cannot function efficiently.”

He said money would go through the normal tendering and procurement processes.

“No money will be disbursed until procurement processes are complete.”

He said the commitment was made to release the money next week through a trust account under the care of parliament.

Butibam women performing a traditional dance

Butibam women performing a traditional dance

Ahi Festival to bring together local Lae villages

By MALUM NALU

Symbol of the Ahi Festival

The inaugural Ahi Festival, a major cultural and sporting event involving the six Ahi villages in and around Lae, will be held at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium in Lae from Dec 12-17.

It is an initiative of Riback Stevedores Ltd, the major employer of Ahi men and women from the six Ahi villages of Wagang, Yanga, Butibam, Hengali, Kamkumung and Yalu and has their full support.

Riback Stevedores staff modeling uniforms which will be worn by the six villages during the inaugural Ahi Festival next month.-Pictures courtesy of Riback Stevedores

Sporting events include basketball, volleyball, netball, soccer, touch rugby and a number of other fun games for the kids.

The Ahi Festival – with the theme Promoting Education Through Sports & Culture - is aimed at raising funds for the establishment of an Ahi resource centre, an education facility which will have a library, computer laboratory and conference and workshop facilities.

“The Ahi Festival is an initiative of Riback Stevedores Ltd and has the full support of the Ahi community,” explains Riback general manager Peter Boyd.

“The company believes that the effects of the social problems facing the Ahi community can be wide-ranging in size anywhere from local effects on a family or a village to the Lae community and even the entire society. 

“The company therefore wants to do its part in helping the Ahi community to help themselves to take a lead now in working towards addressing some of their social problems. 

“We hope other members and stakeholders of the Lae community can also join in and help the people of Ahi in their endeavours to create an educated and orderly community that can co exist peacefully with others in the wider Lae community.”

Boyd said the social problems of the Ahi community could be addressed only if the community could unite and work together in search of solutions with the support of strategic partners. 

“The Ahi Festival can be a powerful tool to unite the Ahi community,” he added.

“It can also create awareness of the social issues and promote a team approach with key stakeholders to address the socials problems with the view to minimise its crippling effects on the people of Ahi – the current generation and also the future generation.”

Some of the main objectives of the Ahi Festival include:

•           Promoting community unity;

•           Promoting and preserving Ahi culture;

•           Creating awareness on social Issues and assistance available; and

•           Showcase local talents in culture, sports, music and business.

The Ahi villages are all located within and around Lae – the industrial city of Papua New Guinea. 

Along with the expansion and development of Lae, these traditional villages are also being forced to accept new changes and influences brought about by the changing socio-economic conditions.

The changing socioeconomic conditions have placed a high demand for land on the Ahi communities. 

This has seen most of the traditional land being taken away.

 Land was taken earlier by missionaries, then the colonial government and recently the state and industry. 

The attractions of  urban life along with government’s and industry’s demand for labour has also attracted Papua New Guineans to migrate to Lae in search for work and better living conditions.

 This unfortunately has created a need for more land.

 Consequently, customary land which used to be hunting and gardening land has all been replaced with buildings, factories and urban settlements. 

Without gardening or hunting land, most inhabitants of the Ahi community are now forced to adopt and embrace the cash economy. 

“Education of the children of Ahi is therefore important,” Boyd said.

“Without land and other natural resources, the human resources must be trained and developed if the Ahi community is to survive and live in peaceful co-existence with every other Papua New Guinean and the wider Lae community.”  

The economic changes around Lae also bring with them many tangible and intangible social problems which affect the Ahi communities. 

Tangible social problems include unemployment; law and order issues; drug abuse; alcohol problems; and school drop-out rate is high.

Intangible social problems include breakdown in moral standards; lack of ethics in community leadership – a recipe for corruption which affects the management of church groups, clans and businesses owned by the people; community disharmony; and breakdown in the family unit

Elephants for 5-Mile

PNG Gardener Justin Thatchenko continues to amaze city residents in NCD in his efforts to beautify the capital and make it welcoming for visitors and tourists as they enter the city, The National reports.
Now, with Christmas a month away, a convoy of “animals”, not normally seen in these parts, was seen being trucked yesterday to the Jack Pidik Park at 5-Mile. 
There, they stood alongside the Christmas lights put up by PNG Gardener workmen this week as NCD Governor Powes Parkop officially switched them on yesterday evening. 
The artificial animals, including giraffes, elephants and rhinoceros, drew quite a stir from the public as they made their way to their destinations yesterday. – Nationalpic by AURI EVA

Economy to grow 7.1% this year, says forecast

PAPUA New Guinea's economy grew by an estimated 5.5% last year and is expected to grow 7.1% this year, The National reports.

According to the Deloitte Touche 2011 budget alert, the economy was able to weather the global recession of last year reasonably well, with the financial sector remaining resilient due to relatively low exposure to overseas financial instruments and a strong domestic funding base.

However, the most heavily affected sectors were agriculture, forestry, fisheries and the manufacturing sectors due to declining overseas demand.

Themed Building the foundations for economic growth and prosperity, the 2011 budget in many ways can be described as a "steady as she goes" budget, which builds on planning done in previous years and takes advantage of the increased revenue stream expected to be available next year.

As in previous years, the government seeks to promote a stable macro economic and fiscal environment and to that end has announced a balanced budget.

The global recovery together with expected increased commodity prices and production will result in additional mineral revenue in 2011.

The government set out what it saw as a number of risks to the fiscal and economic outlook on which the budget is framed.

These include the fragility of the global economy in terms of its impact on PNG exports and commodity prices, delays to the PNG LNG and other resource projects, and the government diverting from fiscal discipline and adding to already strong inflationary pressures.

On the plus side, it was recognised that a number of mining and gas projects are under active consideration which would provide a boost to the PNG economy if they proceed.

As such, the government will fund its established framework, the national agriculture development plan 2007-2016 with K109 million, with support also going to other sectors of agriculture.

Fisheries will be receiving K55 million to foster investments in marine industrial zones and the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone in Madang.

It will also receive K15 million for the Coastal Fisheries Development Programme.

Forestry will be receiving support in terms of programmes aimed at, among others, support for forest research institute rehabilitation and support for sustainable forest management.

 

 

Vote notice ousted

House committee declares no-confidence motion defective

 

THE opposition suffered a double blow yesterday when its notice for a vote of no-confidence was declared defective, and three of its MPs moved to the government side, The National reports.

Parliament Speaker and chairman of the parliamentary Private Members Committee (PMC) Jeffrey Nape is expected to announce the committee’s decision, nullifying the notice, when parliament resumes at 10 o’clock this morning to deal with major government business including the women’s reserved bill.

The PMC members included Deputy Speaker Francis Marus, Usino-Bundi MP Sampson Kuli, Yangoru-Saussia MP and East Sepik Governor Peter Waranaka and Mendi MP Isaac Joseph.

They held their meeting to discuss the notice when parliament was adjourned yesterday morning.

The PMC’s main agenda was to consider the merit and the demerits of the notice of motion of no-confidence and whether it was of national importance or a parochial matter.

The PMC was also to consider, among other things, that some opposition MPs, who had initially signed the original notice of motion, had now joined the government ranks and withdrew their support for the motion.

Three MPs who had given their letter for the withdrawal of support included Simbu Governor Fr John Garia, Alotau MP Charles Abel and Kairuku-Hiri MP Paru Aihi.

Garia and Aihi were former PNG Party members who had pulled out since the change of leadership from Sir Mekere Morauta to Belden Namah.

The three MPs said in separate letters to the speaker that they had withdrawn their support as signatories.

Garia said the decision had been necessitated by his recent decision to be part of the United Resource Party following his release from PNG Party.

“Given the strong alignment that the URP has with the government and, more importantly, because URP is an integral part of the coalition government, I consider withdrawal of my support from the motion of no-confidence as in order and totally appropriate,” Garia said.

The opposition, learning that the PMC was meeting, urged it to take the vote of no-confidence motion as in the best interest of democracy and the people of PNG.

Speaking during a media conference yesterday after the parliament was adjourned, the opposition said the motion was in order and, therefore, should go ahead as submitted.

Members said that although the government might push for the motion to be thrown out on the grounds that several parties, who have been signatories to the motion, were with the government, there was nothing wrong as only the mover had the right to withdraw.

The speaker also asked the opposition to inform the house, when it sits today, who the opposition leader is and who are the members in the opposition.

 

 

Chimbu's five sum up fight for reserved seats

SYLIA Gonapa, Bepi Dom Apa, Schola Yauma, Jilla Kaupa and Dawa Sandra Terence each spent K40 this week to travel by road from Kundiawa to Lae and fly from there to Port Moresby, The National reports.

The mothers, from Sinasina-Yongomugl, came to give their support for the bill for the 22 reserved seats in parliament for women and, more importantly, to ensure their local member and speaker of parliament Jeffrey Nape did likewise.

Nape is the key man in parliamentary deliberations, they said.

They wanted to witness him supporting and passing the bill through the first reading so that they can go back and tell the women of Sinasina-Yongomugl that their MP did the right thing by them.

The mothers said: “For 35 years, we (women) have been observers and labourers while men made decisions affecting our lives,” Gonapa said.

“Now, we want to support this bill so that we can also help make decisions.

“Now, we have come to see this bill passed. We have used our own money to make sure this bill is passed.”

Schola Yauma said: “Man cannot work alone. We produce children together.

“We must make decisions affecting the child’s welfare together.

“We are not after money. We want to participate in decision-making for the betterment of our children.

“We want our MP and speaker to support this bill.”

Bepi Apa said: “We see in the newspapers the good work that Dame Carol Kidu is doing.

“She is making good decisions, but there is only one of her.

“What good we could do in this country if there were another 20 Kidus.”

Gonapa added: “In a home, both man and woman make decisions for the welfare of their family. So far, we have only seen man making the decisions.

“Decision-making in PNG is like a plane flying on one wing.”

There was another, slightly dark aspect, to this which the women said they were aware of.

Presently, only a few women were taking up the fight for reserved seats but, when the law is passed, businesswomen and educated women, who were now passive observers, would take centre stage in trying to vie for the seat, they said.

The Sinasina women said women leadership must be about bringing real change and not about wealth, power and ego trips.

They said they had seen enough of that already and that the push to get women into parliament was really to make a difference, and not to bask in personal glory.

The women went to parliament yesterday along with truckloads of other women who had also flown, trucked or sailed in from different parts of the country on the promise that the bill would be presented, but, parliament adjourned to today to do so.

Word on the bill was that cabinet had made the necessary adjustments and it was ready for presentation.

Dame Carol will present the bill to amend section 101 of the constitution, which has the personal support and blessing of Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare.

 

Deputy Prime Minister lauds budget

DEPUTY Prime Minister Don Polye believes the 2011 budget provides the essential tools for the people to become active participants not just in the local economy, but also the regional and global economy, The National reports.

He said PNG was fast becoming an integrated economy, in line with international obligations and commitments.

Polye said PNG was part of regional Asia-Pacific economy that was growing faster than other global economies, and was part of the Apec economy that must achieve the Bogor goals for zero-rate on tariffs to achieve a free-trade economy by 2020.

“Whether we like it or not, a vigorous wave of change is sweeping across the regional economy and our survival depends on our self-empowerment and enlightment, our preparedness to change to capitalise on the dynamics of progress,” he said.

He said the 2011 budget identified targets and provided the resources to achieve these goals.

He said the huge funding appropriated to education, for tertiary as well as trade and TVET education, funding of agriculture credit support and support for micro- and medium-scale enterprises were examples of the government’s commitment to achieving these goals.

He said it was right for the budget to target the medium-income class, and provide the resource for industry development and SMEs.

He said it was important to develop entrepreneurial skills and create avenues for exposure to international trade and investments.

He praised the K50 million allocation to develop economic corridors in least developed areas, and reforming of the tariff regime to attract more investment and open up trade with reciprocating economies.

Polye said the prime minister’s championing of the fight to reduce emissions of the green house gasses on the global stage provided PNG the opportunity to tap into energy project less dependent on fossil fuel.

In this regard, the government is exploring potential for thermal power projects in various locations in the country, and the Purari River project with the Queensland state government.

 

 

Prime Minister defends family

PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare has hit back at the opposition and media for persecuting him and his family with allegations for political convenience, The National reports.

Sir Michael sought leave from parliament and, in a personal explanation, said the Somare family had not taken anything away from the country that did not belong to it.

“I brought this country through to independence with the best of intentions.

“Nobody should put up with the kind of venom that my entire family has been subjected to over the years that I have been in office,” Sir Michael said.

“Yes, I am a member of parliament and a public figure, but there are standards of conduct even in our everyday life when dealing with each other as human beings, even towards people in public life.”

The prime minister said it was for political convenience that the Moti Affair was continually being flogged by the opposition.

He said the matter concerning the Taiwanese deal was put to rest months ago when the courts in Singapore identified the persons involved in the scam and dealt with them.

“It is not a matter for Papua New Guinea.

“Similarly, the Singapore bank account is a figment of the opposition’s imagination.

“Until an ounce of proof comes out, it is insanity ... we all know the definition that Bart Philemon provided us so illustriously of doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result.

“Meanwhile, the Ombudsman Commission is holding tightly onto the only shred of

purported breach that they can claim against me.

“Yet, on a daily basis, my family and I have been trialed by the media on unfounded claims and allegations.

“Never in the history of PNG has any other family been dealt with in such an indecent manner.”

Sir Michael said this type of politics had never been played out in this manner over the last 35 years where personal attacks had become the order of the day.

“I have watched the many finger-pointing that has been going on.

“We have lost our sense of decency.

“The opposition leader has equally reduced himself to name-calling instead of constructive debate.

“It is equally interesting that, recently, there have been many statements made about our attitude by the public at large.

“There is no respect for one another anymore,” he said.

“Is government to blame when individuals take pride out of a filthy habit like betelnut chewing?

“I have been in my car when plastic bottles were hurled at the window full of betelnut spittle. What a disgrace.

“I have seen cars parked in the middle of the road while two wantoks speak to each other. Passing cars have to find room to manoeuvre around them.

“Is it the responsibility of government to instill basic principles of respect into these individuals? Disgraceful!”

He said the word corruption crept in too easily into people’s vocabulary every day.

“We do not need proof anymore for corruption. We can just say the word and it becomes a fact.”