LOCAL level governments in Southern Highlands and the National Capital District town services did not get any funding from the national government in the first quarter of this year, The National reports.
The Department of Treasury and the National Economic and Fiscal Commission this week said first quarter allocations for most LLGs were not released because of the late or non-submission of LLG budgets to Treasury for approval.
None of Southern Highlands’ 32 LLGs received any funding even though K4,616,800 had been appropriated for the first quarter.
Only Morobe has one more LLG than the Southern Highlands, which presently included the Hela region.
Gulf was the next worst performer, with only one out of its 10 LLGs having received any money.
West Kikori LLG received its K50,000 allocation while the rest did not receive any funds from the K1,067,400 set aside for them.
Only Wabag and Wapenamanda LLGs received any funding out of Enga’s 15 LLGs.
Ambenob, Transgogol and Madang urban received their funding while 16 others missed out.
Other provinces did fairly well; with Manus leading the pack with 51% drawdown on its allocation of K485,100 for its 12 LLGs.
Its allocation is the smallest in the country.
Generally, the New Guinea Islands LLGs did very well with 50% drawdowns.
The Autonomous Region of Bougainville did not receive direct local level grants from the national government.
LLG grants are received by provincial governments and then passed on.
The grants can only be spent on goods and services and were not allowed to be spent on salaries, fees and allowances.
These are budgeted for separately by provinces and paid for from their internal revenue.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Bougainville Copper Ltd announces K2.8 million profit for 2010
By BOSORINA ROBBY
BOUGAINVILLE Copper Ltd, operator of Panguna mine, revealed at its 44th annual general meeting a net profit of K2.8 million at the close of last year – a drop of K5.9 million from 2009’s K8.7 million, The National reports.
Chairman Peter Taylor reported to shareholders yesterday that the drop was due to operating expenses related to the budget saved for foreign exchange losses.
He explained that because of the small profit and the need to preserve cash for future developments, no dividends would be paid to shareholders.
BCL has remained debt-free, with sufficient funds available to meet expenses in the immediate future, while engagment with the landowners and the government has been frequent and positive.
Taylor said the profit, instead of an expected loss, was due to better than expected income from interest and dividends, and the realised capital gains on disposal of investments.
“However, the tax dispute legal fees continued to be a drain on revenue,” he said.
BCL’s liquid assets continued to be in cash and Australian equities, which, as a result of the good performance from the Australian equity market, had improved returns on investments.
Taylor said it was intended that this current investment strategy continued until such time when equities needed to be sold to fund mine planning and development.
He explained that this year’s income was expected to improve in terms of percentage returns but the size of the investment portfolio had been reduced as a result of the continued tax dispute in court.
Taylor pointed out that the election of John Momis as Bougainville president for the next five years was seen as an important development for BCL.
He said in this period, Panguna mine should be reopened to take advantage of the resurgence in mineral commodity prices and demand, with considerable support from Momis, the cabinet and the landowners.
He said although there was much to do, the common agreement that operations at the mine could continue would deliver significant benefits locally and regionally.
“There is increasing acknowledgment among stakeholders that Bougainville’s economic future needed mining if it were to be able to fund basic services from its own resources,” he said.
Taylor said among other issues, BCL’s non-profit arm Bougainville Copper Foundation had continued giving out scholarships to students for training in safety, risk management, corporate governance and litigation.
BOUGAINVILLE Copper Ltd, operator of Panguna mine, revealed at its 44th annual general meeting a net profit of K2.8 million at the close of last year – a drop of K5.9 million from 2009’s K8.7 million, The National reports.
Chairman Peter Taylor reported to shareholders yesterday that the drop was due to operating expenses related to the budget saved for foreign exchange losses.
He explained that because of the small profit and the need to preserve cash for future developments, no dividends would be paid to shareholders.
BCL has remained debt-free, with sufficient funds available to meet expenses in the immediate future, while engagment with the landowners and the government has been frequent and positive.
Taylor said the profit, instead of an expected loss, was due to better than expected income from interest and dividends, and the realised capital gains on disposal of investments.
“However, the tax dispute legal fees continued to be a drain on revenue,” he said.
BCL’s liquid assets continued to be in cash and Australian equities, which, as a result of the good performance from the Australian equity market, had improved returns on investments.
Taylor said it was intended that this current investment strategy continued until such time when equities needed to be sold to fund mine planning and development.
He explained that this year’s income was expected to improve in terms of percentage returns but the size of the investment portfolio had been reduced as a result of the continued tax dispute in court.
Taylor pointed out that the election of John Momis as Bougainville president for the next five years was seen as an important development for BCL.
He said in this period, Panguna mine should be reopened to take advantage of the resurgence in mineral commodity prices and demand, with considerable support from Momis, the cabinet and the landowners.
He said although there was much to do, the common agreement that operations at the mine could continue would deliver significant benefits locally and regionally.
“There is increasing acknowledgment among stakeholders that Bougainville’s economic future needed mining if it were to be able to fund basic services from its own resources,” he said.
Taylor said among other issues, BCL’s non-profit arm Bougainville Copper Foundation had continued giving out scholarships to students for training in safety, risk management, corporate governance and litigation.
Abal:Hate no more
ACTING Prime Minister Sam Abal has called on Papua New Guineans to abandon hatred and to make PNG a God-loving and fearing nation, The National reports.
In his Easter message, Abal called for resolve to stop discrimination and fight off endemic corruption “that is clogging the wheels of development”.
“Let us translate our ethnic and linguistic diversity into something that can infuse unity and harmony in this country,” he said.
“I thank Sir Michael Somare for allowing me the privilege of standing in for him as acting prime minister.
“I am sure the people of Wabag and Enga are equally appreciative of this gesture. Their prayers are with you at this time.”
He urged the people to use Easter to take stock of their lives and to identify and secure a place with God.
Abal said alcoholism had caused misery and destruction in the lives of families.
“We try at every festive occasion to spice it up with alcohol, which has never been part of our culture of remembrance.
“We must not do that this Easter as it will lead to disharmony and even tragedy for many.”
He said the gun culture gripping PNG must go and there must be common resolve to eradicate it, particularly in the highlands where it had destroyed traditional leadership and social control.
“A compensation culture is before us. We must replace it with the desire for honesty and truth.
“Unreasonable compensatory claims camouflage laziness and a beggar mentality.
“We must rise above these if we are to achieve nation-building and development which, together, ride on sheer hard work and self-sacrifice.
“The PNG LNG project, which promises to transform the economy in the not-too-distant future, comes with its short-comings.
“We are in business with new players regarding new and unfamiliar resources and its economics of business.
“But, as a host country and people, we must play our part to welcome such developments.
“We must allow for compromises where necessary at the same time we expect our investors to understand and respect our rights to land and property where these life-changing projects are situated.”
Abal said, as acting prime minister, he was confident of the support of all other hardworking ministers who are committed to repositioning the country to deliver the PNG Vision 2050, the development strategic plan and the medium-term development plan.
He said the state enterprises ministry, under the leadership of Arthur Somare, “is driving the sovereign wealth fund initiative which, when realised, will result in the growth of consolidated revenue”.
“Only recently, Papua New Guineans themselves met in Kokopo in common resolve to request the government to pay attention and support the fertilisation and development of an indigenous business class in the country.
“The government has promised to assist them. We will do that immediately.
“As we reflect this Easter, let us give thanks to God Almighty and Jesus Christ for their grace in giving us this beautiful and resource-rich nation.”
In his Easter message, Abal called for resolve to stop discrimination and fight off endemic corruption “that is clogging the wheels of development”.
“Let us translate our ethnic and linguistic diversity into something that can infuse unity and harmony in this country,” he said.
“I thank Sir Michael Somare for allowing me the privilege of standing in for him as acting prime minister.
“I am sure the people of Wabag and Enga are equally appreciative of this gesture. Their prayers are with you at this time.”
He urged the people to use Easter to take stock of their lives and to identify and secure a place with God.
Abal said alcoholism had caused misery and destruction in the lives of families.
“We try at every festive occasion to spice it up with alcohol, which has never been part of our culture of remembrance.
“We must not do that this Easter as it will lead to disharmony and even tragedy for many.”
He said the gun culture gripping PNG must go and there must be common resolve to eradicate it, particularly in the highlands where it had destroyed traditional leadership and social control.
“A compensation culture is before us. We must replace it with the desire for honesty and truth.
“Unreasonable compensatory claims camouflage laziness and a beggar mentality.
“We must rise above these if we are to achieve nation-building and development which, together, ride on sheer hard work and self-sacrifice.
“The PNG LNG project, which promises to transform the economy in the not-too-distant future, comes with its short-comings.
“We are in business with new players regarding new and unfamiliar resources and its economics of business.
“But, as a host country and people, we must play our part to welcome such developments.
“We must allow for compromises where necessary at the same time we expect our investors to understand and respect our rights to land and property where these life-changing projects are situated.”
Abal said, as acting prime minister, he was confident of the support of all other hardworking ministers who are committed to repositioning the country to deliver the PNG Vision 2050, the development strategic plan and the medium-term development plan.
He said the state enterprises ministry, under the leadership of Arthur Somare, “is driving the sovereign wealth fund initiative which, when realised, will result in the growth of consolidated revenue”.
“Only recently, Papua New Guineans themselves met in Kokopo in common resolve to request the government to pay attention and support the fertilisation and development of an indigenous business class in the country.
“The government has promised to assist them. We will do that immediately.
“As we reflect this Easter, let us give thanks to God Almighty and Jesus Christ for their grace in giving us this beautiful and resource-rich nation.”
Tribal gunfight leaves 11 dead
By JAMES APA GUMUNO
ELEVEN people have fallen victims to high-powered guns used in a tribal fight in the Southern Highlands’ Kagua-Erave district, The National reports.
Many are unaccounted for, believed dead, while others were wounded, assistant police commissioner and highlands divisional commander Simon Kauba said yesterday.
He said many people from the warring tribes, Kandine and Mui, were killed within a short time because of the use of high-powered guns.
Kauba said provincial police commander Teddy Tei organised 15 policemen to accompany the provincial peace mediation team to Kagua yesterday.
He said the team would be camping in Kagua and would call on the leaders from both parties together to work out a peace process.
He said police and concerned authorities in the province would not allow people to kill each other using high-powered guns.
Kauba said the people should lay down their arms and cooperate with the developers in their province to bring in tangible improvements and services.
He said such tribal fights would not bring anything good into the area.
He said fight would cause more destruction, deaths and deprive the people of basic services.
He appealed to the tribal leaders of the warring tribes to encourage their people to lay down their arms and work closely with the police and provincial peace mediation team in Kagua to restore peace.
Kauba said whatever damage and loss of life in the past “is gone and it is time the fighting stop”.
The fight started two weeks ago over the death of a senior public servant from the Kandine tribe.
The Kandine blamed Mui for the death and killed six of them with one seriously injured.
The Mui retaliated and killed three people from the Kandine tribe.
ELEVEN people have fallen victims to high-powered guns used in a tribal fight in the Southern Highlands’ Kagua-Erave district, The National reports.
Many are unaccounted for, believed dead, while others were wounded, assistant police commissioner and highlands divisional commander Simon Kauba said yesterday.
He said many people from the warring tribes, Kandine and Mui, were killed within a short time because of the use of high-powered guns.
Kauba said provincial police commander Teddy Tei organised 15 policemen to accompany the provincial peace mediation team to Kagua yesterday.
He said the team would be camping in Kagua and would call on the leaders from both parties together to work out a peace process.
He said police and concerned authorities in the province would not allow people to kill each other using high-powered guns.
Kauba said the people should lay down their arms and cooperate with the developers in their province to bring in tangible improvements and services.
He said such tribal fights would not bring anything good into the area.
He said fight would cause more destruction, deaths and deprive the people of basic services.
He appealed to the tribal leaders of the warring tribes to encourage their people to lay down their arms and work closely with the police and provincial peace mediation team in Kagua to restore peace.
Kauba said whatever damage and loss of life in the past “is gone and it is time the fighting stop”.
The fight started two weeks ago over the death of a senior public servant from the Kandine tribe.
The Kandine blamed Mui for the death and killed six of them with one seriously injured.
The Mui retaliated and killed three people from the Kandine tribe.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Promoting a clean and green Earth Day 2011
Bank South Pacific’s Go Green ambassador Rachael Sapery James announced today the bank will be promoting awareness and conducting Go Green activities to coincide with Earth Day Friday 22nd April, 2011.
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| Ms James at |
Ms James will host Earth Day events in her home province New Ireland with students from local schools and surrounding villages learning the importance of Earth Day’s vision of helping the environment via conducting tree plantings and clean-ups.
Through such Go Green campaigns it is envisaged students and communities involved can spur others how strongly they care about the sustainability of the environment.
“At BSP we recognizs today’s students are tomorrow’s environmental leaders.
“We are thrilled to be a part of Earth Day, which is observed globally and to help students and communities understand the importance of our environment,” said Ms James.
Her visit to Kavieng, is part of her current campaign during which she has already visited Goroka and Lae.
She will encourage school students to plant one tree of importance on Earth Day.
“Students gain education and awareness and appreciate the importance of planting activities, importance of trees in our environment- through celebrating by planting a tree on Earth Day.
This will be an ongoing campaign as part of the Go Green initiative. Earth Day is observed on April 22nd every year and is a day designated for fostering appreciation of the earth's environment and awareness of the issues that threaten it.
Earth Day is observed in 175 countries globally. BSP recognises that many environmental threats and challenges cannot be solved in just one day. Longer-term commitment and action is necessary to combat these problems and restore the environment to a balanced, healthy condition.
The long term solution is to change mindsets and attitudes so everyone takes responsibility.
At BSP we are doing just that, with all our staff, including promoting awareness in schools and in the community.
Airlines PNG gets new Dash 8
AIRLINES PNG (APNG) yesterday announced a further expansion to its fleet with the purchase of a De Havilland DH8-100 (Dash 8) aircraft from Canadian operator North Cariboo Flying Service, The National reports.
These announcements come on the heels of the recently announced financial results for last year and the airline’s K27.2 million improvement in operating performance from the 2009 financial year.
The aircraft will be delivered later this month and will bring the company’s total Dash 8 fleet to 12.
APNG also welcomed back earlier this month a Twin Otter (TO) aircraft from maintenance in the US while another TO recently bought in January was due to enter service later this month.
This would bring the TO fleet to 10 aircraft and the total APNG fleet to 22 aircraft.
As the largest corporate charter airline in PNG, APNG flies contract charters for almost every major resource company in the country and is ExxonMobil’s exclusive fixed wing charter airline for the PNG LNG programme.
While this involvement in the major resource sector growth has fuelled much of the airline’s expansion, scheduled services continue to grow at an encouraging rate signalling the general improvement in business confidence in the country.
“We have been greatly encouraged by the growth in the market and the feedback received from our charter clients in particular,” Scott Roworth, APNG chief commercial officer said.
“The airline’s charter customers have no easy task in making air travel decisions which ultimately affect their operating performance and bottom line.
To have the lion’s share of the charter market is a reflection of the commitment we make to serving our customers’ specific needs and understanding their businesses. Our fleet expansion plans will further improve our customer service for charter and scheduled service passengers alike.”
These announcements come on the heels of the recently announced financial results for last year and the airline’s K27.2 million improvement in operating performance from the 2009 financial year.
The aircraft will be delivered later this month and will bring the company’s total Dash 8 fleet to 12.
APNG also welcomed back earlier this month a Twin Otter (TO) aircraft from maintenance in the US while another TO recently bought in January was due to enter service later this month.
This would bring the TO fleet to 10 aircraft and the total APNG fleet to 22 aircraft.
As the largest corporate charter airline in PNG, APNG flies contract charters for almost every major resource company in the country and is ExxonMobil’s exclusive fixed wing charter airline for the PNG LNG programme.
While this involvement in the major resource sector growth has fuelled much of the airline’s expansion, scheduled services continue to grow at an encouraging rate signalling the general improvement in business confidence in the country.
“We have been greatly encouraged by the growth in the market and the feedback received from our charter clients in particular,” Scott Roworth, APNG chief commercial officer said.
“The airline’s charter customers have no easy task in making air travel decisions which ultimately affect their operating performance and bottom line.
To have the lion’s share of the charter market is a reflection of the commitment we make to serving our customers’ specific needs and understanding their businesses. Our fleet expansion plans will further improve our customer service for charter and scheduled service passengers alike.”
Terror on South Bougainville
By STEPHANIE ELIZAH
CIVILIANS in the Konnou constituency of South Bougainville are living in fear as armed thugs continue a killing spree that has been ongoing since 2006, The National reports.
In a most recent spate of killings, two people, including a Grade 6 student of Ugubagohu primary school, are dead and another is wounded and recovering at the Arawa health centre.
South Bougainville police commander Paul Kamuai confirmed armed thugs fired several shots at civilians last Saturday, killing the two people instantly and wounding the other.
He said policemen were immediately dispatched to the area to protect the villagers and investigate the deaths.
Preliminary reports received by police said the gunshot victims were drinking alcohol when the armed thugs shot them in the head and chest and wounded the other on the leg.
Commander of Wissai Liberation Movement Philip Pusua, who travelled to Buka yesterday to report the fatal shooting, said no one knew why the latest shooting deaths had taken place.
He claimed the criminals were followers of former combatant Damien Koike from Mohoroi village in the Tabago area of South Bougainville and alleged they were led by Koike who moved into Leulo village indiscriminately firing shots at civilians before fleeing into the unoccupied Siniminoi and Tonolei jungles.
He said 23 civilians, including women and children, had been killed by Koike’s band of criminals in the Wissai area.
Pusua appealed to the PNG and Bougainville governments and former combatants in Bougain¬ville to protect the people of Konnou.
“I call on the government that we are not fighting a war or have a crisis in the Wissai Konnou area, we are being surrounded by a bunch of criminals, murderers, killing human beings in cold-blood, criminals who don’t have any desire for humanity, people who listen to no men,” he said.
“I want to appeal to the government or the ex-combatants to come up with an appropriate solution or action to address this lawlessness.
“I think it is time we draw a line between political issues and law and order issues, or should there be a law for our government in providing welfare and security for its citizens,” he said.
CIVILIANS in the Konnou constituency of South Bougainville are living in fear as armed thugs continue a killing spree that has been ongoing since 2006, The National reports.
In a most recent spate of killings, two people, including a Grade 6 student of Ugubagohu primary school, are dead and another is wounded and recovering at the Arawa health centre.
South Bougainville police commander Paul Kamuai confirmed armed thugs fired several shots at civilians last Saturday, killing the two people instantly and wounding the other.
He said policemen were immediately dispatched to the area to protect the villagers and investigate the deaths.
Preliminary reports received by police said the gunshot victims were drinking alcohol when the armed thugs shot them in the head and chest and wounded the other on the leg.
Commander of Wissai Liberation Movement Philip Pusua, who travelled to Buka yesterday to report the fatal shooting, said no one knew why the latest shooting deaths had taken place.
He claimed the criminals were followers of former combatant Damien Koike from Mohoroi village in the Tabago area of South Bougainville and alleged they were led by Koike who moved into Leulo village indiscriminately firing shots at civilians before fleeing into the unoccupied Siniminoi and Tonolei jungles.
He said 23 civilians, including women and children, had been killed by Koike’s band of criminals in the Wissai area.
Pusua appealed to the PNG and Bougainville governments and former combatants in Bougain¬ville to protect the people of Konnou.
“I call on the government that we are not fighting a war or have a crisis in the Wissai Konnou area, we are being surrounded by a bunch of criminals, murderers, killing human beings in cold-blood, criminals who don’t have any desire for humanity, people who listen to no men,” he said.
“I want to appeal to the government or the ex-combatants to come up with an appropriate solution or action to address this lawlessness.
“I think it is time we draw a line between political issues and law and order issues, or should there be a law for our government in providing welfare and security for its citizens,” he said.
Somare:Abal will continue top job
PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare said acting Prime Minister Sam Abal will continue to perform the functions and responsibilities of the office of the prime minister, The National reports.
“I have accepted the decision of the tribunal and have served out the period of my two-week suspension from office as prime minister,” Sir Michael said.
“The country is in good hands and, while I am pleased that the period of my suspension is over, I will remain on medical leave until further notice,” the prime minister said in a short statement yesterday.
Abal, who is Deputy Prime Minister and Works minister, had been acting since Sir Michael was suspended.
“I take this opportunity to once again thank all the visitors and well-wishers, including those who are praying for my return to good health and speedy recovery,” Sir Michael said.
The prime minister, who is on medical leave in Singapore, said he had been visited by friend and former Australian prime minister and now foreign minister Kevin Rudd.
“During this period of infirmity, I was fortunate enough to be visited by my former Australian colleague, and now minister for foreign affairs, Kevin Rudd, on his way back from an official visit to the Middle East and Europe.
“We discussed issues surrounding my health and the possibility of a visit by Rudd to PNG in May.
“I reassured him that he is a friend of PNG and we will be looking forward to his visit,” Sir Michael said.
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Rudd drops in on PM … Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare got a surprise visit from his good friend and Australian foreign minister (and former Australian prime minister) Kevin Rudd while in Singapore on medical leave. Rudd was on his way back to Australia from duty visits to the Middle East and Europe. During the encounter, Sir Michael and Rudd also discussed the possibility of the latter visiting PNG next month.
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“The country is in good hands and, while I am pleased that the period of my suspension is over, I will remain on medical leave until further notice,” the prime minister said in a short statement yesterday.
Abal, who is Deputy Prime Minister and Works minister, had been acting since Sir Michael was suspended.
“I take this opportunity to once again thank all the visitors and well-wishers, including those who are praying for my return to good health and speedy recovery,” Sir Michael said.
The prime minister, who is on medical leave in Singapore, said he had been visited by friend and former Australian prime minister and now foreign minister Kevin Rudd.
“During this period of infirmity, I was fortunate enough to be visited by my former Australian colleague, and now minister for foreign affairs, Kevin Rudd, on his way back from an official visit to the Middle East and Europe.
“We discussed issues surrounding my health and the possibility of a visit by Rudd to PNG in May.
“I reassured him that he is a friend of PNG and we will be looking forward to his visit,” Sir Michael said.
Ex prime minister fights for resources
By JEFFREY ELAPA of The National
“TODAY, I propose to transfer wealth to resource owners, to those simple villagers who are blessed with owning a piece of inherited customary land, many of whom remain poor – so they too can enjoy a worthwhile, more satisfying life.”
So saying, governor of New Ireland and former prime minister, and one of the longest-serving parliamentarians, Sir Julius Chan yesterday proposed before a parliamentary committee to turn the mining, oil and gas extraction regime on it head.
He proposes, among others, to:
*Wrestle ownership of minerals and oil and gas back from the state into the hands of customary landowners;
*Devolve resource development powers to the provincial governments;
*Have local companies be licensed to explore and develop mineral and oil and gas resources with management rights extended to foreign firms if no expertise is found onshore; and
*Streamline existing state agencies into two so that one engages in exploration and extraction activities and another being an investment house.
Sir Julius, who moved a motion on May 14, 2009, for a comprehensive review of the Mining Act of 1992, said in a hard-hitting presentation that PNG was a country in “crisis”.
“If we do not correct some serious faults and failures in the way we approach the extraction of resources such as minerals, gas and oil, we will not only continue to fail to deliver progress to our people but will put the very survival of our country at peril.”
He said history had shown that resource-rich nations like PNG did not often do well while resource-poor countries like Singapore and South Korea do very well indeed.
He said this was because of the effects of the “resource curse” linked to resource developments, which drive up the cost of doing business in the country so that all other sectors of the economy suffer while only the resource sector prospers.
While the “resource curse” could be beaten, as had been experienced in other countries, it could only happen in PNG with a quantum shift in the way the resources sector was managed from the legal and policy framework up, Sir Julius said.
He said the past ad hoc and project-to-project approach should be reviewed so that resource landowners and the provincial government take ownership of their resources.
He blamed the current regime on no particular PNG administration but on a historical accident where PNG had inherited an Australian colonial legislation that discriminated against and took ownership of minerals and hydrocarbon resources from landowners and vested it in the administration, later the national government.
From then on, he said, it was “a story of ineptitude, ignorance, robbery and deceit”.
“It is shocking such a story can be told; even more shocking that it is the truth. But, it is the truth.
“We – the state, the people – have been duped. I know it is uncomfortable, but we must face the truth.”
Sir Julius, a former prime minister and the minister for finance, said ownership of the resources by the landowners was important for the equitable distribution of benefits.
He said PNG had been described as a “mountain of gold floating on a sea of oil”, but the truth was that the wealth of the nation was squandered and, in so doing, condemned our people to poverty while others prospered.
“Without mincing words, our country has been systematically giving away its birthright.
“That is not rhetoric; it is literally true.
“We may be pardoned for this at self-government, at independence but, after 35 years, we should have matured.
“The national government either does not understand or does not care that the way it has structured the minerals, oil and gas industries – indeed, the entire renewable and non-renewable resource sector, including fisheries and forestry – is not only wounding the people of this country, it is robbing the state of what should be its legitimate incomes for the development of the country.
“How has this happened?
“Put politics aside. We need to take a bi-partisan approach to correct our mistakes.
“TODAY, I propose to transfer wealth to resource owners, to those simple villagers who are blessed with owning a piece of inherited customary land, many of whom remain poor – so they too can enjoy a worthwhile, more satisfying life.”
So saying, governor of New Ireland and former prime minister, and one of the longest-serving parliamentarians, Sir Julius Chan yesterday proposed before a parliamentary committee to turn the mining, oil and gas extraction regime on it head.
He proposes, among others, to:
*Wrestle ownership of minerals and oil and gas back from the state into the hands of customary landowners;
*Devolve resource development powers to the provincial governments;
*Have local companies be licensed to explore and develop mineral and oil and gas resources with management rights extended to foreign firms if no expertise is found onshore; and
*Streamline existing state agencies into two so that one engages in exploration and extraction activities and another being an investment house.
Sir Julius, who moved a motion on May 14, 2009, for a comprehensive review of the Mining Act of 1992, said in a hard-hitting presentation that PNG was a country in “crisis”.
“If we do not correct some serious faults and failures in the way we approach the extraction of resources such as minerals, gas and oil, we will not only continue to fail to deliver progress to our people but will put the very survival of our country at peril.”
He said history had shown that resource-rich nations like PNG did not often do well while resource-poor countries like Singapore and South Korea do very well indeed.
He said this was because of the effects of the “resource curse” linked to resource developments, which drive up the cost of doing business in the country so that all other sectors of the economy suffer while only the resource sector prospers.
While the “resource curse” could be beaten, as had been experienced in other countries, it could only happen in PNG with a quantum shift in the way the resources sector was managed from the legal and policy framework up, Sir Julius said.
He said the past ad hoc and project-to-project approach should be reviewed so that resource landowners and the provincial government take ownership of their resources.
He blamed the current regime on no particular PNG administration but on a historical accident where PNG had inherited an Australian colonial legislation that discriminated against and took ownership of minerals and hydrocarbon resources from landowners and vested it in the administration, later the national government.
From then on, he said, it was “a story of ineptitude, ignorance, robbery and deceit”.
“It is shocking such a story can be told; even more shocking that it is the truth. But, it is the truth.
“We – the state, the people – have been duped. I know it is uncomfortable, but we must face the truth.”
Sir Julius, a former prime minister and the minister for finance, said ownership of the resources by the landowners was important for the equitable distribution of benefits.
He said PNG had been described as a “mountain of gold floating on a sea of oil”, but the truth was that the wealth of the nation was squandered and, in so doing, condemned our people to poverty while others prospered.
“Without mincing words, our country has been systematically giving away its birthright.
“That is not rhetoric; it is literally true.
“We may be pardoned for this at self-government, at independence but, after 35 years, we should have matured.
“The national government either does not understand or does not care that the way it has structured the minerals, oil and gas industries – indeed, the entire renewable and non-renewable resource sector, including fisheries and forestry – is not only wounding the people of this country, it is robbing the state of what should be its legitimate incomes for the development of the country.
“How has this happened?
“Put politics aside. We need to take a bi-partisan approach to correct our mistakes.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
On a wing and a prayer
By MALUM NALU
Paul Gilma graduated with a degree in tropical agriculture from University of Vudal (now University of Natural Resources and Environment) in 2006 but unlike his colleagues, who settled for cosy jobs in our towns and cities, he answered the call of the wild.
This young man from Nondugl, in the great Waghi Valley of Western Highlands province, decided long ago that he wanted to work in the undeveloped rural areas of Papua New Guinea, serving the people that time has long forgotten.
That dream came true when, after graduation, he joined the Coffee Industry Corporation in Goroka where, with single-minded determination, he worked himself up to the position of freight surety co-ordinator.
This job is not for the meek or faint-hearted, let alone the conniving “paper farmers” of Waigani, as it involves travelling to some of the most-remote and rugged terrain of PNG, where only eagles dare, to ensure that coffee from these areas - that are off the government’s radar – gets transported to market.
There is so much coffee in these forgotten rural areas, estimated at 700,000 bags or almost the entire coffee production of PNG, that just rots away because there is no transport to market.
When Gilma flies in on a wing and a prayer on a tiny singled-engined Cessna 206, flown by dedicated missionary pilots from third-level airlines like Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF), New Tribes Mission (NTM) or Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Aviation, he is in his forte.
He is feted like royalty and the locals – who see outsiders only once in a blue moon – cook up a feast for him.
He spends days, even weeks, with these people, organising freight of their coffee as well as carrying out extension work as he awaits the next available flight to Goroka, which no-one knows when will arrive.
He admits that sometimes, when he is with these rural people, he breaks down and cries, as he thinks about what we people in town have.
“Sometimes, when I talk to these people, I break down and cry,” Gilma tells me.
“Some of these people have never been to town.
“Airplanes are the only means of transport
“We, in urban areas, have access to so many services, and yet, we still complain.
“These little people also contribute to the economy of the country, through their coffee, and yet don’t complain.
“They are my heroes, my driving force.
“Sometimes, I feel that I want to buy a plane for them, if I have the money.“When I go, they say ‘bosman bilong CIC I kam (the CIC boss is here)’, and they cook so much food for me.”
Gilma’s anecdotes could fill a whole book.
“Once,” he recalls, “I flew out to Owena airstrip in the Obura-Wonenara area of Eastern Highlands.
“From Owena, I walked for a day to Aziana airstrip.
“I stayed there for two days talking to farmers, walked back to Owena, and from there walked to Tainoraba airstrip.
“I came back to Owena and stayed there for three weeks, collecting data and organising farmers.
“That was the whole purpose of the trip.
“Sometime later, I flew to Simbari in Obura-Wonenara, where the MAF plane left me, and I walked with a group to Norambi airstrip.
“Another time, I went to Marawaka.
“After that, I went to Andakombi, which is on the border of Eastern Highlands, Morobe and Gulf provinces.
“I went there and gave them two days training in rehabilitation and post-harvest.
“I stayed at Andakombi for one week and came back in an SDA plane.
“Some of these people still go about in their traditional clothing.
“Sometimes, planes don’t even land in these areas, and as a result, coffee just rots away because there is no means of transporting it to town.”
The freight surety scheme has the fully blessing of the CIC board and is successor to the former freight subsidy scheme, which was also run by CIC.
“We identified the need to help rural growers who found it hard to transport their coffee to market,” Gilma explains.
“The programme was first started in 1999 as freight subsidy scheme.
“Back then, the government funded the programme.
“At that time, there was also the ‘Green Revolution’, and PNG Defence Force aircraft were used.
“The government subsidised 40% of total freight costs, and 60% was met by the farmers themselves.
“This was done from 1999 up to 2001, but by then, the money was not enough to cover all coffee-growing provinces in PNG, so subsidy funds were depleted, and the programme came to a halt in 2001.
“In 2002, the CIC board reviewed the freight subsidy policy, and revived it as freight surety or revolving scheme.
“Under this, there was no 60-40; growers themselves had to pay 100% of costs.
“Some farmers had the capacity to take their coffee to market, while others couldn’t.
“Under this scheme, CIC made upfront payment to third-level airlines.
“When farmers asked for assistance, we paid up front, and expected them to pay back the money.
“This is how our freight surety scheme worked.
“This was in place from 2003-2007.”
A spanner, however, was thrown into the works when airlines were not properly reporting coffee shipments, as well as farmers not wanting to pay the surety component, and the programme came to a halt in 2007.
In 2008, it was revived again under CIC’s incentives scheme, and in 2009, the full programme came under Gilma’s wings.
"In 2009, the full responsibility was given to me,” he says.
“We had not been very consistent in the past.
“Some farmers lost interest in the programme.
“There was no information going out to them.
“I had to start from scratch, identifying grower groups and mobilising them.
“We restarted the programme in only Eastern Highlands and Chimbu provinces, with only K200, 000.
“Since I came on board, there has been some difference, especially in volume.
“In 2008, only 23,000kg of parchment coffee was airlifted.
“In 2009, I tried my best to increase the volume, and we increased this to 53,000kg.
“Last year was about the same as we airfreighted about 50,000kg.
“We did not get any new grower groups or spread out to other provinces.”
Gilma has made a submission to the Department of National Planning and Monitoring for assistance, and K500, 000 has been approved for this year and K500, 000 for next year.
“We’re now looking at expanding to all coffee-growing provinces,” he adds.
“We want to delegate responsibilities to all provinces so farmers can access the service.
“We want to get as many growers as possible on board.
“We are also building the sustainability concept.”
Paul Gilma, one of the many unsung heroes of PNG, continues his labour of love for the forgotten rural people of this country.
Paul Gilma graduated with a degree in tropical agriculture from University of Vudal (now University of Natural Resources and Environment) in 2006 but unlike his colleagues, who settled for cosy jobs in our towns and cities, he answered the call of the wild.
 |
| MAF Cessna loading coffee at Owena |
+with+a+village+elder+in+traditional+clothing+at+Andakombi.JPG) |
| Paul Gilma (left) with a village elder in traditional clothing at Andakombi |
That dream came true when, after graduation, he joined the Coffee Industry Corporation in Goroka where, with single-minded determination, he worked himself up to the position of freight surety co-ordinator.
 |
| Paul Gilma...enjoying the call of the wild |
 |
| Coffee at rural Owena awaiting airfreight |
When Gilma flies in on a wing and a prayer on a tiny singled-engined Cessna 206, flown by dedicated missionary pilots from third-level airlines like Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF), New Tribes Mission (NTM) or Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Aviation, he is in his forte.
 |
| Coffee bags being unloaded from an MAF Twin Otter at Aiyura, Eastern Highlands |
He spends days, even weeks, with these people, organising freight of their coffee as well as carrying out extension work as he awaits the next available flight to Goroka, which no-one knows when will arrive.
He admits that sometimes, when he is with these rural people, he breaks down and cries, as he thinks about what we people in town have.
 |
| Paul Gilma...a true champion of our rural coffee growers |
“Some of these people have never been to town.
“Airplanes are the only means of transport
 |
| Coffee growers listening to Paul Gilma at Andakombi, Eastern Highlands |
“These little people also contribute to the economy of the country, through their coffee, and yet don’t complain.
“They are my heroes, my driving force.
“Sometimes, I feel that I want to buy a plane for them, if I have the money.“When I go, they say ‘bosman bilong CIC I kam (the CIC boss is here)’, and they cook so much food for me.”
 |
| Paul Gilma teaching coffee growers about pruning at Andakombi |
“Once,” he recalls, “I flew out to Owena airstrip in the Obura-Wonenara area of Eastern Highlands.
“From Owena, I walked for a day to Aziana airstrip.
“I stayed there for two days talking to farmers, walked back to Owena, and from there walked to Tainoraba airstrip.
“I came back to Owena and stayed there for three weeks, collecting data and organising farmers.
“That was the whole purpose of the trip.
“Sometime later, I flew to Simbari in Obura-Wonenara, where the MAF plane left me, and I walked with a group to Norambi airstrip.
“Another time, I went to Marawaka.
“After that, I went to Andakombi, which is on the border of Eastern Highlands, Morobe and Gulf provinces.
+with+CIC+service+provider+Ekim+Ulato+at+the+headwaters+of+the+Purari+River.JPG) |
| Paul Gilma (left) with CIC service provider Ekim Ulato at the headwaters of the Purari River |
“I stayed at Andakombi for one week and came back in an SDA plane.
“Some of these people still go about in their traditional clothing.
“Sometimes, planes don’t even land in these areas, and as a result, coffee just rots away because there is no means of transporting it to town.”
The freight surety scheme has the fully blessing of the CIC board and is successor to the former freight subsidy scheme, which was also run by CIC.
“We identified the need to help rural growers who found it hard to transport their coffee to market,” Gilma explains.
“The programme was first started in 1999 as freight subsidy scheme.
“Back then, the government funded the programme.
“At that time, there was also the ‘Green Revolution’, and PNG Defence Force aircraft were used.
“The government subsidised 40% of total freight costs, and 60% was met by the farmers themselves.
“This was done from 1999 up to 2001, but by then, the money was not enough to cover all coffee-growing provinces in PNG, so subsidy funds were depleted, and the programme came to a halt in 2001.
“In 2002, the CIC board reviewed the freight subsidy policy, and revived it as freight surety or revolving scheme.
“Under this, there was no 60-40; growers themselves had to pay 100% of costs.
“Some farmers had the capacity to take their coffee to market, while others couldn’t.
“Under this scheme, CIC made upfront payment to third-level airlines.
“When farmers asked for assistance, we paid up front, and expected them to pay back the money.
“This is how our freight surety scheme worked.
“This was in place from 2003-2007.”
A spanner, however, was thrown into the works when airlines were not properly reporting coffee shipments, as well as farmers not wanting to pay the surety component, and the programme came to a halt in 2007.
In 2008, it was revived again under CIC’s incentives scheme, and in 2009, the full programme came under Gilma’s wings.
 |
| Paul Gilma talking to coffee growers at Simbari, Eastern Highlands |
“We had not been very consistent in the past.
“Some farmers lost interest in the programme.
“There was no information going out to them.
“I had to start from scratch, identifying grower groups and mobilising them.
“We restarted the programme in only Eastern Highlands and Chimbu provinces, with only K200, 000.
“Since I came on board, there has been some difference, especially in volume.
“In 2008, only 23,000kg of parchment coffee was airlifted.
“In 2009, I tried my best to increase the volume, and we increased this to 53,000kg.
“Last year was about the same as we airfreighted about 50,000kg.
“We did not get any new grower groups or spread out to other provinces.”
Gilma has made a submission to the Department of National Planning and Monitoring for assistance, and K500, 000 has been approved for this year and K500, 000 for next year.
“We’re now looking at expanding to all coffee-growing provinces,” he adds.
“We want to delegate responsibilities to all provinces so farmers can access the service.
“We want to get as many growers as possible on board.
“We are also building the sustainability concept.”
Paul Gilma, one of the many unsung heroes of PNG, continues his labour of love for the forgotten rural people of this country.
Coffee industry welcomes World Bank project
By MALUM NALU
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Coffee Industry Corporation board chairman James Korarome (left) and Rural Industries Council executive officer Graham Ainui (right) lead World Bank officials including project task team leader Mona Sur (lcentre) to Mark Solon Auditorium at University of Goroka where the launching took place.-Picture by MALUM NALU
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Exporters’ chairman John Edwards, processors’ chairman Jerry Kapka, plantation representative Max Kumbamong, Western Highlands’ smallgrowers’ chairman Peter Kewa and Jiwaka smallgrowers’ chairman James Koimo were united at the launch of the coffee segment in Goroka on Tuesday last week.
“Our coffee industry is slowing down,” Edwards said.
“The PPAP is giving us another chance.”
Kapka, managing director of renowned Kongo Coffee, said a lot of money was going to be pumped into the industry.
“By the time this project is finished, we want to see coffee earn K2 to K3 billion a year,” he said.
“We want credible people to be involved in this project.”
Kumbamong said the government had failed the industry many times, such as the ill-fated national agriculture development plan (NADP), in which millions were alleged to have been stolen by “paper farmers”.
“This is a great opportunity for Papua New Guineans to benefit,” he said.
“Such plans are long overdue.”
Kewa said smallholder growers were facing many problems.
“Prices are not going down to the farmers,” he said.
“We need farmer training.
“We need group marketing.
“This is where World Bank can come in.
“We have to work together and make this industry develop.”
Koimo said the soon-to-be Jiwaka province had set itself an ambitious target of one million bags per year.
“We have set a target of one million bags per year,” he said.
“Jiwaka produce 40% of PNG coffee but is not receiving services.
“I think it’s best that CIC decentralises extension services to the provinces.
“It’s timely that the World Bank has come in and we want you to work with smallholder coffee growers.”
NARI show on May 5
By MALUM NALU
Hundreds of people are expected to converge on the National Agricultural Research Institute at Bubia outside Lae on Thursday, May 5, for the annual Agricultural Innovations Show for 2011 to be staged at its Sir Alkan Tololo Research Centre.
The programme starts at 8.30am and continues for the whole day.
This will be the fifth year of this ‘information exchange and knowledge sharing’ event in which partner and collaborating organisations in agricultural and rural development will display and exhibit their innovations and improved technologies, and interact with farmers and the general public.
The theme for the May 5 event is “Investing in Innovative Agriculture for Prosperity”.
This day also marks NARI’s 14th anniversary.
This year’s show will involve demonstrations and displays of materials and technologies.
NARI will also be officially releasing three improved technologies to the farming community.
There will be a number of government officials, private sector representatives and other stakeholders participating.
Also participating and presenting their activities will be a number of research and development agencies, the private sector, educational and training institutions, extension providers, NGOs, and community groups.
Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Paru Aihi, has confirmed his availability to be the chief guest at the show.
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Scientist Michael Dom (centre) showing pig silage with Highlands Pig Farmers’ Association president Moses Pala (left) and Tambul farmer Akilo Purunu at the 2010 NARI Agricultural Innovations Show.-Picture by MALUM NALU
|
The programme starts at 8.30am and continues for the whole day.
This will be the fifth year of this ‘information exchange and knowledge sharing’ event in which partner and collaborating organisations in agricultural and rural development will display and exhibit their innovations and improved technologies, and interact with farmers and the general public.
The theme for the May 5 event is “Investing in Innovative Agriculture for Prosperity”.
This day also marks NARI’s 14th anniversary.
This year’s show will involve demonstrations and displays of materials and technologies.
NARI will also be officially releasing three improved technologies to the farming community.
There will be a number of government officials, private sector representatives and other stakeholders participating.
Also participating and presenting their activities will be a number of research and development agencies, the private sector, educational and training institutions, extension providers, NGOs, and community groups.
Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Paru Aihi, has confirmed his availability to be the chief guest at the show.
Lands Department denies selling land
By JUNIOR UKAHA
THE Lands Department has refuted claims the land on which the iconic First House of Assembly building stands has been sold to a foreign developer, The National reports.
Lands acting secretary Romily Kila Pat said the report in The National yesterday was misleading “as the land in question was never sold, but leased, to the Lamana Development Group by the state to build a replica of the historical first House of Assembly”.
Details of the lease agreement remained unclear but Pat said the place would be turned into a “tourist attraction and not a hotel” as claimed by David Western Construction manager David Kini.
How much the project was worth remained unclear as well.
Pat said the developer was allowed to develop the area under a “special public-private partnership arrangement”.
He said the government had no money to improve the place and decided to relinquish it to the Lamana Development Group to develop on its behalf.
Pat said the land on which the first House of Assembly stood consisted of two separate plots, hence, under the arrangement, the developer would develop the site using its own resources and, after completion of the job, would take as its reward a portion of the land in the block.
Pat said the arrangement with the developer was made a couple of years ago and the then governor-general (Sir Paulias Matane) was fully informed of and approved the deal.
National Museum and Arts Gallery acting director Dr Andrew Moutu, whose organisation was the custodian of the property before its acquisition by the developer, said yesterday The National report was “partly true and partly incorrect”.
He would not elaborate, saying many factors were involved.
A planned interview with him failed as his phone was switched off.
Attempts to get comments from the developer yesterday were unsuccessful.
THE Lands Department has refuted claims the land on which the iconic First House of Assembly building stands has been sold to a foreign developer, The National reports.
Lands acting secretary Romily Kila Pat said the report in The National yesterday was misleading “as the land in question was never sold, but leased, to the Lamana Development Group by the state to build a replica of the historical first House of Assembly”.
Details of the lease agreement remained unclear but Pat said the place would be turned into a “tourist attraction and not a hotel” as claimed by David Western Construction manager David Kini.
How much the project was worth remained unclear as well.
Pat said the developer was allowed to develop the area under a “special public-private partnership arrangement”.
He said the government had no money to improve the place and decided to relinquish it to the Lamana Development Group to develop on its behalf.
Pat said the land on which the first House of Assembly stood consisted of two separate plots, hence, under the arrangement, the developer would develop the site using its own resources and, after completion of the job, would take as its reward a portion of the land in the block.
Pat said the arrangement with the developer was made a couple of years ago and the then governor-general (Sir Paulias Matane) was fully informed of and approved the deal.
National Museum and Arts Gallery acting director Dr Andrew Moutu, whose organisation was the custodian of the property before its acquisition by the developer, said yesterday The National report was “partly true and partly incorrect”.
He would not elaborate, saying many factors were involved.
A planned interview with him failed as his phone was switched off.
Attempts to get comments from the developer yesterday were unsuccessful.
Somare yet to resume duties
PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare has not resumed official duties after serving his 14-day suspension, which ended yesterday, The National reports. Sir Michael was suspended by a leadership tribunal after being found guilty of official misconduct. He had failed to file his annual returns to the Ombudsman’s Commission.
The suspension began on April 4 and ended last Friday. He was to have returned to office yesterday.
The Office of the Prime Minister said acting Prime Minister Sam Abal “will remain acting until further notice”.
Government sources said Sir Michael was still in Singapore where he would undergo an operation tomorrow.
The suspension began on April 4 and ended last Friday. He was to have returned to office yesterday.
The Office of the Prime Minister said acting Prime Minister Sam Abal “will remain acting until further notice”.
Government sources said Sir Michael was still in Singapore where he would undergo an operation tomorrow.
Lands Department denies selling land
By JUNIOR UKAHA
THE Lands Department has refuted claims the land on which the iconic First House of Assembly building stands has been sold to a foreign developer, The National reports.
Lands acting secretary Romily Kila Pat said the report in The National yesterday was misleading “as the land in question was never sold, but leased, to the Lamana Development Group by the state to build a replica of the historical first House of Assembly”.
Details of the lease agreement remained unclear but Pat said the place would be turned into a “tourist attraction and not a hotel” as claimed by David Western Construction manager David Kini.
How much the project was worth remained unclear as well.
Pat said the developer was allowed to develop the area under a “special public-private partnership arrangement”.
He said the government had no money to improve the place and decided to relinquish it to the Lamana Development Group to develop on its behalf.
Pat said the land on which the first House of Assembly stood consisted of two separate plots, hence, under the arrangement, the developer would develop the site using its own resources and, after completion of the job, would take as its reward a portion of the land in the block.
Pat said the arrangement with the developer was made a couple of years ago and the then governor-general (Sir Paulias Matane) was fully informed of and approved the deal.
National Museum and Arts Gallery acting director Dr Andrew Moutu, whose organisation was the custodian of the property before its acquisition by the developer, said yesterday The National report was “partly true and partly incorrect”.
He would not elaborate, saying many factors were involved.
A planned interview with him failed as his phone was switched off.
Attempts to get comments from the developer yesterday were unsuccessful.
THE Lands Department has refuted claims the land on which the iconic First House of Assembly building stands has been sold to a foreign developer, The National reports.
Lands acting secretary Romily Kila Pat said the report in The National yesterday was misleading “as the land in question was never sold, but leased, to the Lamana Development Group by the state to build a replica of the historical first House of Assembly”.
Details of the lease agreement remained unclear but Pat said the place would be turned into a “tourist attraction and not a hotel” as claimed by David Western Construction manager David Kini.
How much the project was worth remained unclear as well.
Pat said the developer was allowed to develop the area under a “special public-private partnership arrangement”.
He said the government had no money to improve the place and decided to relinquish it to the Lamana Development Group to develop on its behalf.
Pat said the land on which the first House of Assembly stood consisted of two separate plots, hence, under the arrangement, the developer would develop the site using its own resources and, after completion of the job, would take as its reward a portion of the land in the block.
Pat said the arrangement with the developer was made a couple of years ago and the then governor-general (Sir Paulias Matane) was fully informed of and approved the deal.
National Museum and Arts Gallery acting director Dr Andrew Moutu, whose organisation was the custodian of the property before its acquisition by the developer, said yesterday The National report was “partly true and partly incorrect”.
He would not elaborate, saying many factors were involved.
A planned interview with him failed as his phone was switched off.
Attempts to get comments from the developer yesterday were unsuccessful.
Chinese killed fighting rapists
By ZACHERY PER
THE Chinese national killed in Goroka over the weekend fired shots to disperse thugs raping his female passengers and looting his vehicle, Goroka police said yesterday, The National reports.
Initial police investigations showed the man, his friend and two females were struggling to push their mini-dyna truck out of the drain, after it went off the road, when opportunists and thugs converged on them.
The thugs raped the female passengers, robbed them of cash, mobile phones and other valuable items, Eastern Highlands provincial police commander Supt Augustine Wampe said.
He said Alex Seng Da then fired the shot from his pistol that hit a youth in the crowd, which then turned and killed him instantly.
“The pistol used in the incident remains missing but police are aware of who is in possession of it, so arrests will be made soon,” he said.
Wampe said investigations were still going on with reliable information coming in as a result of good cooperation from Asariufa community leaders.
William Morea, a youth from Sinasina, Chimbu, was shot dead by the Chinese man.
In retaliation, relatives killed him on the spot.
The deaths occurred at around 8pm last Saturday at the Asariufa section of the Highlands Highway.
Police stepped up operations not only in Goroka but in the neighbouring Kainantu town to contain opportunists who may try to loot shops.
The Seng Da chain of supermarkets and other Asian business outlets in Goroka remained closed yesterday.
THE Chinese national killed in Goroka over the weekend fired shots to disperse thugs raping his female passengers and looting his vehicle, Goroka police said yesterday, The National reports.
Initial police investigations showed the man, his friend and two females were struggling to push their mini-dyna truck out of the drain, after it went off the road, when opportunists and thugs converged on them.
The thugs raped the female passengers, robbed them of cash, mobile phones and other valuable items, Eastern Highlands provincial police commander Supt Augustine Wampe said.
He said Alex Seng Da then fired the shot from his pistol that hit a youth in the crowd, which then turned and killed him instantly.
“The pistol used in the incident remains missing but police are aware of who is in possession of it, so arrests will be made soon,” he said.
Wampe said investigations were still going on with reliable information coming in as a result of good cooperation from Asariufa community leaders.
William Morea, a youth from Sinasina, Chimbu, was shot dead by the Chinese man.
In retaliation, relatives killed him on the spot.
The deaths occurred at around 8pm last Saturday at the Asariufa section of the Highlands Highway.
Police stepped up operations not only in Goroka but in the neighbouring Kainantu town to contain opportunists who may try to loot shops.
The Seng Da chain of supermarkets and other Asian business outlets in Goroka remained closed yesterday.
Chinese killed fighting rapists
By ZACHERY PER
THE Chinese national killed in Goroka over the weekend fired shots to disperse thugs raping his female passengers and looting his vehicle, Goroka police said yesterday, The National reports.
Initial police investigations showed the man, his friend and two females were struggling to push their mini-dyna truck out of the drain, after it went off the road, when opportunists and thugs converged on them.
The thugs raped the female passengers, robbed them of cash, mobile phones and other valuable items, Eastern Highlands provincial police commander Supt Augustine Wampe said.
He said Alex Seng Da then fired the shot from his pistol that hit a youth in the crowd, which then turned and killed him instantly.
“The pistol used in the incident remains missing but police are aware of who is in possession of it, so arrests will be made soon,” he said.
Wampe said investigations were still going on with reliable information coming in as a result of good cooperation from Asariufa community leaders.
William Morea, a youth from Sinasina, Chimbu, was shot dead by the Chinese man.
In retaliation, relatives killed him on the spot.
The deaths occurred at around 8pm last Saturday at the Asariufa section of the Highlands Highway.
Police stepped up operations not only in Goroka but in the neighbouring Kainantu town to contain opportunists who may try to loot shops.
The Seng Da chain of supermarkets and other Asian business outlets in Goroka remained closed yesterday.
THE Chinese national killed in Goroka over the weekend fired shots to disperse thugs raping his female passengers and looting his vehicle, Goroka police said yesterday, The National reports.
Initial police investigations showed the man, his friend and two females were struggling to push their mini-dyna truck out of the drain, after it went off the road, when opportunists and thugs converged on them.
The thugs raped the female passengers, robbed them of cash, mobile phones and other valuable items, Eastern Highlands provincial police commander Supt Augustine Wampe said.
He said Alex Seng Da then fired the shot from his pistol that hit a youth in the crowd, which then turned and killed him instantly.
“The pistol used in the incident remains missing but police are aware of who is in possession of it, so arrests will be made soon,” he said.
Wampe said investigations were still going on with reliable information coming in as a result of good cooperation from Asariufa community leaders.
William Morea, a youth from Sinasina, Chimbu, was shot dead by the Chinese man.
In retaliation, relatives killed him on the spot.
The deaths occurred at around 8pm last Saturday at the Asariufa section of the Highlands Highway.
Police stepped up operations not only in Goroka but in the neighbouring Kainantu town to contain opportunists who may try to loot shops.
The Seng Da chain of supermarkets and other Asian business outlets in Goroka remained closed yesterday.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Pact with European Union will boost tuna industry
A EUROPEAN Union (EU) economic partnership agreement (EPA) is major boost for the Papua New Guinea fishing industry, Fisheries Minister Ben Semri said, The National reports.
Semri said the agreement would benefit the country through direct foreign investment, employment and poverty alleviation.
The EPA between the two parties was signed in 2009.
The agreement provided access for PNG canned tuna into European markets without any import duties.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration Don Polye thanked the EU delegation who supported PNG to secure global sourcing for fisheries exports into EU market.
He said the government was taking measures to ratify the deal quickly so it could implement the provisions in the agreement.
Polye said this at the first meeting of the trade committee under the EPA with EU representatives in Port Moresby last Friday.
Polye said local canned tuna could be found on European markets at a competitive price be¬cause it enjoyed no import duty.
He encouraged other Pacific Islands to sign EPAs with EU to enjoy similar benefits.
Polye encouraged local fishermen and women to embrace fishing as the agreement had added va¬lue to fisheries.
Semri thanked the European countries that voted 80% in favour of allowing direct export of PNG canned tuna to European shores.
EU Trade Commissioner Peter Thompson said both parties agreed with the EPA PNG could inspire other Pacific nations to join the agreement.
“The EU remains committed not only to supporting PNG in implementing the agreement, but to strengthen it further by deepening its coverage – to include provisions on development, services, investment and sustainable management of fishery resources – and widening its membership to other Pacific Island Countries,” Thompson said.
Polye said PNG could become the tuna capital of the world should all go well in the agreement.
He said that the EPA added value to PNG’s as¬pirations which other Pa¬ci¬fic island counties could benefit from as well.
“To make PNG the tuna capital, we must grasp the opportunity available and take ownership of the development,” Polye said.
He stressed the EPA would promote other spin-off businesses outside the fisheries industry.
“Most important of all is the engagement of women and youth in this business, women and children being significant component of our population,” Polye said,
Semri said: “The beauty of it is that huge revenue associated with the tuna market where no duty or taxes will be charged on every tonne of tuna lands on EU market”.
“Not only our tuna is very competitive in the EU markets and that will greatly benefit our economy,” he added.
Meanwhile, the two-day African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) review seminar meeting will start at Lamana Hotel today.
The EPA between EU and ACP countries is aimed at promoting trade between the two groups through trade development, sustainable growth and poverty reduction.
EPA set out to help ACP countries integrate into the world economy and share in the opportunities offered by globalisation.
Pasquarelli decries loss of House of Assembly
By MALUM NALU
A former member of the first House of The House of Assembly in 1964 has decried the selling its selling to Lamana Development Group to be turned into a hotel.
John Pasquarelli, MP for Angoram Open Electorate from 1964-1968, said today that building should have been preserved because of its historical significance.
He said, however, that the history of the first House of Assembly should be reflected in the new building.
“The site is, of course, very prominent in the Moresby CBD and to be honest it has no outstanding architectural features that would warrant preserving it,” Pasquarelli said.
“But it is the birthplace of PNG's democracy and the new building to be erected must feature clearly that history.
“I don't know about the new building being a replica of the old - I would have to see an architect's model first and the design, I assume, would be debated by the government and the people.
“The entrance foyer and environs would be the obvious place to illustrate the history of the site and, at the risk of appearing vain, maybe a plaque detailing the names of the members of that first House Of Assembly should be included in any recognition.”
A former member of the first House of The House of Assembly in 1964 has decried the selling its selling to Lamana Development Group to be turned into a hotel.
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| An Australian newspaper cutting from 1964 show from left John Pasquarelli, Simogen Peter, Sinake Giregire and Graham Pople. |
He said, however, that the history of the first House of Assembly should be reflected in the new building.
“The site is, of course, very prominent in the Moresby CBD and to be honest it has no outstanding architectural features that would warrant preserving it,” Pasquarelli said.
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Opening of the first House of Assembly in June 1964.
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“I don't know about the new building being a replica of the old - I would have to see an architect's model first and the design, I assume, would be debated by the government and the people.
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Members of the first House of Assembly in 1964.
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Joe Leahy's Neighbours: A parable for mordern-day Papua New Guinea
By MALUM NALU
Joe Leahy shot to fame as the star of internationally-acclaimed movies, Joe Leahy’s Neighbours and its sequel Black Harvest, which have also been widely shown on local television.
Today, at age 72 but still sprightly as ever since the filming of Joe Leahy’s Neighbours and Black Harvest in the 1980s, Leahy is desperately looking for money to revive his rundown Kilma coffee plantation in the Nebilyer Valley of Western Highlands province.
I met him in Goroka, Eastern Highlands, on Tuesday, April 12, when he and other Western Highlands coffee growers had travelled there for the launch of the World Bank-funded coffee project, and we got into a lively conversation.
If Joe Leahy’s story is a parable for modern-day Papua New Guinea, more so our coffee growers and those living in the highlands, perhaps everyone takes his own meaning from it and reads his own life into it.
Having watched both movies several times, unrehearsed documentaries which can make you laugh one moment and drive you to tears the next, I was keen to know how Leahy’s coffee business had prospered since.
Joe Leahy’s Neighbours traces the fortunes of Joe Leahy, the mixed-race son of Australian explorer Michael Leahy, in his uneasy relationship with his tribal neighbors.
He built his coffee plantation on land bought from the Ganiga tribe in the mid 1970s.
European-educated, raised in the highlands, freed by his mixed race from the entanglements of tribal obligation, Leahy leads a Western lifestyle governed by individualism and the pursuit of affluence.
While Leahy may live in Western grandeur, he is still surrounded by his subsistence-level Ganiga "neighbors," who never let him forget the original source of his prosperity.
He spends much of his waking hours just keeping the lid on things.
Australian filmmakers Bob Connolly and Robin Anderson lived for 18 continuous months in 1985 and 1986 on the edge of his plantation, in the "no man's land" between Leahy and the Ganiga.
Their lively, non-judgmental narrative eloquently captures the conflicting values of tribalism and capitalism.
Black Harvest, the final film shot in 1989, charts the progress of Leahy in convincing the Ganiga tribespeople to join him in a coffee-growing venture.
He provides the money and the expertise; they supply the land and labor.
But on the eve of success, world coffee price collapses and tribal warfare erupts in the valley, as the Ganigas team up with the Ulgas to fight the Kulgas.
Always suspect because of his mixed-race status, Leahy is in deep trouble with the tribespeople when his promises of riches fail to materialise.
As he organises to emigrate with his family to Australia, he is a saddened man with an uncertain future.
So much has happened since then, Leahy remaining in his beloved Western Highlands – the Promised Land discovered by his father and uncles in the 1930s and eloquently captured in First Contact – while his Central province wife and children have settled permanently in Australia.
‘The plantation (Kilma), since the movies were shot in the 1980s, has closed, that’s why I’m in Goroka,” Leahy tells me.
“I’ve been trying to get money from the NADP (national agriculture development plan) to revive the plantation; however, all that money has been siphoned elsewhere.
“The plantation has all gone bush.
"I’m still living there.
“I applied for NADP funding but I got nothing, so I’m here to see if the World Bank can help us.
“The government has the ideas in place; however, it is the implementing agencies that are not making it happen
“What I’m doing now is looking for cash to revive the plantation.”
Such was the intensity of the fighting between the Ulgas and the Kulgas in the Nebilyer Valley that it continued unabated, for more than 10 years, claiming countless lives.
"Everything’s been destroyed,” Leahy tells me.
“The infrastructure, everything’s there, and all I need is the money and things will be back again.
“Before the fighting erupted, the plantation was fully operational.
“We borrowed money from the PNGBC (PNG Banking Corporation) and were paying it off.
“Then the fighting broke out and we were in debt with the PNGBC
“I started the plantation in the 1970s.
“In 1975/1976, the plantation was in full production.
“The fighting started in the 1980s and continued for more than 10 years.
“Now is the time to pump money into rural areas so that people can look after themselves.”
After the daylight robbery of the NADP by the infamous “paper farmers” of Waigani, Leahy, and coffee growers in the highlands, see the World Bank project as manna from heaven.
“The World Bank project is a blessing from heaven,” he says.
“The system is there but the people who are there should make it work.
“Bureaucrats live if a dream world.
“They are not looking at reality.”
A look of sadness appears on Leahy’s face as he talks about Kilma plantation, his wife, and seven children, two girls and five boys.
“The plantation’s not operational,” he tells me.
“It’s all bush now.
“Thieves are going there, stealing.
“I just live on the place and do bits and pieces.
“What we need is money and law-and-order.
“My children have all left and are looking after themselves.
“They’re all married and have got kids.
“During the fighting, my wife asked me to leave.
“I said I will never leave this place.
“She’s in Australia with the kids.”
Leahy says the warring tribes now realise the economic development’s they’ve missed out on for all these years because of tribal fighting.
“They accused me of stealing their money and their land,” he adds, forlornly.
“Now they look back and see that they’ve done wrong.
“They’re living a miserable life."
Joe Leahy shot to fame as the star of internationally-acclaimed movies, Joe Leahy’s Neighbours and its sequel Black Harvest, which have also been widely shown on local television.
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Joe Leahy manages a smile amidst all his problems.-Pictures by MALUM NALU
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| At age 72, and fit as ever, is Joe Leahy in boots, jeans, jacket and hat. |
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| A perennial coffee farmer…Joe Leahy (fourth from right, backrow) with other Western Highlands coffee growers in Goroka. |
Having watched both movies several times, unrehearsed documentaries which can make you laugh one moment and drive you to tears the next, I was keen to know how Leahy’s coffee business had prospered since.
Joe Leahy’s Neighbours traces the fortunes of Joe Leahy, the mixed-race son of Australian explorer Michael Leahy, in his uneasy relationship with his tribal neighbors.
He built his coffee plantation on land bought from the Ganiga tribe in the mid 1970s.
European-educated, raised in the highlands, freed by his mixed race from the entanglements of tribal obligation, Leahy leads a Western lifestyle governed by individualism and the pursuit of affluence.
While Leahy may live in Western grandeur, he is still surrounded by his subsistence-level Ganiga "neighbors," who never let him forget the original source of his prosperity.
He spends much of his waking hours just keeping the lid on things.
Australian filmmakers Bob Connolly and Robin Anderson lived for 18 continuous months in 1985 and 1986 on the edge of his plantation, in the "no man's land" between Leahy and the Ganiga.
Their lively, non-judgmental narrative eloquently captures the conflicting values of tribalism and capitalism.
Black Harvest, the final film shot in 1989, charts the progress of Leahy in convincing the Ganiga tribespeople to join him in a coffee-growing venture.
He provides the money and the expertise; they supply the land and labor.
But on the eve of success, world coffee price collapses and tribal warfare erupts in the valley, as the Ganigas team up with the Ulgas to fight the Kulgas.
Always suspect because of his mixed-race status, Leahy is in deep trouble with the tribespeople when his promises of riches fail to materialise.
As he organises to emigrate with his family to Australia, he is a saddened man with an uncertain future.
So much has happened since then, Leahy remaining in his beloved Western Highlands – the Promised Land discovered by his father and uncles in the 1930s and eloquently captured in First Contact – while his Central province wife and children have settled permanently in Australia.
‘The plantation (Kilma), since the movies were shot in the 1980s, has closed, that’s why I’m in Goroka,” Leahy tells me.
“I’ve been trying to get money from the NADP (national agriculture development plan) to revive the plantation; however, all that money has been siphoned elsewhere.
“The plantation has all gone bush.
"I’m still living there.
“I applied for NADP funding but I got nothing, so I’m here to see if the World Bank can help us.
“The government has the ideas in place; however, it is the implementing agencies that are not making it happen
“What I’m doing now is looking for cash to revive the plantation.”
Such was the intensity of the fighting between the Ulgas and the Kulgas in the Nebilyer Valley that it continued unabated, for more than 10 years, claiming countless lives.
"Everything’s been destroyed,” Leahy tells me.
“The infrastructure, everything’s there, and all I need is the money and things will be back again.
“Before the fighting erupted, the plantation was fully operational.
“We borrowed money from the PNGBC (PNG Banking Corporation) and were paying it off.
“Then the fighting broke out and we were in debt with the PNGBC
“I started the plantation in the 1970s.
“In 1975/1976, the plantation was in full production.
“The fighting started in the 1980s and continued for more than 10 years.
“Now is the time to pump money into rural areas so that people can look after themselves.”
After the daylight robbery of the NADP by the infamous “paper farmers” of Waigani, Leahy, and coffee growers in the highlands, see the World Bank project as manna from heaven.
“The World Bank project is a blessing from heaven,” he says.
“The system is there but the people who are there should make it work.
“Bureaucrats live if a dream world.
“They are not looking at reality.”
A look of sadness appears on Leahy’s face as he talks about Kilma plantation, his wife, and seven children, two girls and five boys.
“The plantation’s not operational,” he tells me.
“It’s all bush now.
“Thieves are going there, stealing.
“I just live on the place and do bits and pieces.
“What we need is money and law-and-order.
“My children have all left and are looking after themselves.
“They’re all married and have got kids.
“During the fighting, my wife asked me to leave.
“I said I will never leave this place.
“She’s in Australia with the kids.”
Leahy says the warring tribes now realise the economic development’s they’ve missed out on for all these years because of tribal fighting.
“They accused me of stealing their money and their land,” he adds, forlornly.
“Now they look back and see that they’ve done wrong.
“They’re living a miserable life."
Hidden Valley mine supports Coffee Industry Corporation objectives
The Hidden Valley Mine is implementing the Coffee Industry Corporation’s (CIC) plans to improve coffee production in the country.
The CIC is focusing on adding value in the marketing chain for farmers to increase export volume and quality.
Its strategy includes rehabilitation of all aging senile coffee trees, expansion into new growth areas and establishment of nurseries, mobilisation of smallholder coffee growers, promote marketing systems which revolve around quality.
Hidden Valley is helping to achieve these objectives in partnership with Mainland Holdings Limited (MHL) through a coffee training programme.
The mine is funding the trainings which are conducted by MHL for villages located in the footprint of the mining operation in the Wau/Bulolo district of Morobe province.
The objective of the programme is to enhance the income of the rural people through coffee production.
The first training was conducted for Biangai villages in Wau from July to August, 2010.
It involved six Biangai villages including the two principal landowners of the Hidden Valley Gold Mine: Kwembu and Winima.
The training was aimed at enhancing the income of the Biangai community through improved coffee management practices.
It focused on improving the skills and knowledge of farmers on, coffee nursery establishment and field planting, coffee garden management, basic garden rehabilitation and pruning practices, coffee quality improvement through improved harvesting and processing techniques and basic financial management and cash handling practices and Marketing.
The training was conducted in two phases, theory and practical.
It attracted a huge turnout with a total of 95 participants in attendance.
Five came from Winima, 10 from Kwembu, 58 from Biawen, 10 from Werewere, 10 from Elauru and three from Kaisenik and also comprised of 16 females, two of whom were ward councilors, seven church pastors and a grade 11 female student of Grace Memorial Secondary School.
The participants were presented with shade cloth for nursery and drying beds, secateurs and saws for pruning, nails for the nursery buildings, yellow cover cloth for the drying roofs, and topped it off with 17 coffee cherry pulping machines to assist them to continue to take care of their coffee gardens.
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A coffee farmer from Biawen attends to one of his coffee trees during the pruning practical session.
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Its strategy includes rehabilitation of all aging senile coffee trees, expansion into new growth areas and establishment of nurseries, mobilisation of smallholder coffee growers, promote marketing systems which revolve around quality.
Hidden Valley is helping to achieve these objectives in partnership with Mainland Holdings Limited (MHL) through a coffee training programme.
The mine is funding the trainings which are conducted by MHL for villages located in the footprint of the mining operation in the Wau/Bulolo district of Morobe province.
The objective of the programme is to enhance the income of the rural people through coffee production.
The first training was conducted for Biangai villages in Wau from July to August, 2010.
It involved six Biangai villages including the two principal landowners of the Hidden Valley Gold Mine: Kwembu and Winima.
The training was aimed at enhancing the income of the Biangai community through improved coffee management practices.
It focused on improving the skills and knowledge of farmers on, coffee nursery establishment and field planting, coffee garden management, basic garden rehabilitation and pruning practices, coffee quality improvement through improved harvesting and processing techniques and basic financial management and cash handling practices and Marketing.
The training was conducted in two phases, theory and practical.
It attracted a huge turnout with a total of 95 participants in attendance.
Five came from Winima, 10 from Kwembu, 58 from Biawen, 10 from Werewere, 10 from Elauru and three from Kaisenik and also comprised of 16 females, two of whom were ward councilors, seven church pastors and a grade 11 female student of Grace Memorial Secondary School.
The participants were presented with shade cloth for nursery and drying beds, secateurs and saws for pruning, nails for the nursery buildings, yellow cover cloth for the drying roofs, and topped it off with 17 coffee cherry pulping machines to assist them to continue to take care of their coffee gardens.
Miss PNG sees real life in remote Nabak
By ELLEN TIAMU
MISS Papua New Guinea Rachel Sapery James visited a remote village in Morobe last Friday morning, describing it as the highlight of her visit to the province, The National reports.
She visited Sakarang village, Nabak district, as part of her Red Cross Miss PNG duties to spread the word on the work of the organisation.
She told villagers of the importance of keeping clean, using clean water and keeping food clean to combat cholera and tuberculosis.
James encouraged the villagers to take care of their environment, saying it was their livelihood and any destruction of the eco-system would mean possible threats on their lives.
Helicopter company Manolos Aviation assisted her with transport to the inland village, which highlighted to her the plight of many women in the province, and country, who needlessly die because they could not easily access health centres and hospitals.
Manolos Aviation flies women, men and children from remote areas of Morobe needing urgent and life-saving medical attention into Lae’s Angau Memorial Hospital.
James described her visit to the village as the best part of her visit to Morobe.
MISS Papua New Guinea Rachel Sapery James visited a remote village in Morobe last Friday morning, describing it as the highlight of her visit to the province, The National reports.
She told villagers of the importance of keeping clean, using clean water and keeping food clean to combat cholera and tuberculosis.
James encouraged the villagers to take care of their environment, saying it was their livelihood and any destruction of the eco-system would mean possible threats on their lives.
Helicopter company Manolos Aviation assisted her with transport to the inland village, which highlighted to her the plight of many women in the province, and country, who needlessly die because they could not easily access health centres and hospitals.
Manolos Aviation flies women, men and children from remote areas of Morobe needing urgent and life-saving medical attention into Lae’s Angau Memorial Hospital.
James described her visit to the village as the best part of her visit to Morobe.
Attorney general: State owns all resources
ATTORNEY-General Sir Arnold Amet is adamant the state owns all resources found six feet or deeper in the land, The National reports. This included minerals and oil, he said.
Refuting ambassador Peter Donigi of Warner Shand Lawyers, who claimed that the state did not own natural resources, Sir Arnold said the Petroleum Act and Mining Act vested ownership of minerals and petroleum resources with the state.
The former chief justice said, as such, the state was the proper party to the gas agreement and it had validly executed the gas agreement (PNG LNG Agreement of May 22, 2008).
“Both the Oil and Gas Act 1998 and the Mining Act 1992 vest ownership of minerals and petroleum resources with the state,” Sir Arnold said in a statement last Friday.
“These two acts adopted state ownership rights for minerals and petroleum resources from pre-independence laws.”
Sir Arnold said Donigi had previously raised the issue in the National Court on a number of occasions and, each time, the court had ruled ownership rested with the state.
“Donigi has and continues to incite landowners from the LNG project areas with his vague argument, instead of pursuing legal redress through the higher courts to have the matter resolved,” the attorney-general said.
Attempts to get comments from Donigi failed as he was said to be in Hela.
The relevant laws state that all minerals and petroleum resources lying six feet below the surface of the land belong to the state.
There is a private member’s bill promoted by North Fly MP Boka Kondra that seeks to amend those particular clauses to vest all ownership of minerals and hydrocarbon resources in the owners of the land on which the resources are found.
It is yet to be made into law.
Refuting ambassador Peter Donigi of Warner Shand Lawyers, who claimed that the state did not own natural resources, Sir Arnold said the Petroleum Act and Mining Act vested ownership of minerals and petroleum resources with the state.
The former chief justice said, as such, the state was the proper party to the gas agreement and it had validly executed the gas agreement (PNG LNG Agreement of May 22, 2008).
“Both the Oil and Gas Act 1998 and the Mining Act 1992 vest ownership of minerals and petroleum resources with the state,” Sir Arnold said in a statement last Friday.
“These two acts adopted state ownership rights for minerals and petroleum resources from pre-independence laws.”
Sir Arnold said Donigi had previously raised the issue in the National Court on a number of occasions and, each time, the court had ruled ownership rested with the state.
“Donigi has and continues to incite landowners from the LNG project areas with his vague argument, instead of pursuing legal redress through the higher courts to have the matter resolved,” the attorney-general said.
Attempts to get comments from Donigi failed as he was said to be in Hela.
The relevant laws state that all minerals and petroleum resources lying six feet below the surface of the land belong to the state.
There is a private member’s bill promoted by North Fly MP Boka Kondra that seeks to amend those particular clauses to vest all ownership of minerals and hydrocarbon resources in the owners of the land on which the resources are found.
It is yet to be made into law.
House of Assembly sold
By JUNIOR UKAHA
THE first House of Assembly in downtown Port Moresby is to be turned into a hotel, The National reports.
The state sold the site to the Lamana Development Group which plans to turn the historical building into a modern hotel.
The one-time seat-of-power is located in downtown Port Moresby, next to the AON Building on McGregor Street.
How the land was obtained and why this iconic building was sold to the developer is not known but contractors began demolition work last week.
David Western Constructions Ltd managing director David Kini said they were contracted by Lamana Development Group, the new owner of the area, to clear up the place.
He said his company had been hired to demolish the old House of Assembly and build a replica of the building that would serve as a hotel.
“We have been instructed by our client to demolish the old building and build a replica of it,” Kini said.
The National visited the site last Friday and saw workmen erecting a fence around the property to stop public access.
It is understood that the national government, through the National Museum and Arts Gallery (NMAG), was owner of the land before its acquisition by the Lamana Development Group.
Nine families who lived in the area were paid K200,000 by the developer and told to move out to make way for construction work to begin.
John Sine, from Chimbu, who has lived in the area for the past 35 years, thought it was a joke when he first saw the contractors.
“It looks like the government does not care about the cultural and historical significance of this place,” he said.
“I will not be surprised if the government and other selfish politicians and people in authority sell the country to foreigners in their greed to acquire more money and wealth.”
The state and concerned parties did attempt to restore the old parliament as a national heritage and former governor-general Sir Paulias Matane headed a committee which attempted to raise funds to restore the building.
Money was committed by government but it is uncertain where these funds might be.
The building was formerly a “whites only” hospital in the 1950s and was turned into a House of Assembly in 1961 when at the insistence of the UN and Australia decided to prepare the former territories of Papua and New Guinea for self-governing status.
Attempts to get comments from NMAG and the Lands Department were unsuccessful.
Chinese murdered after killing youth in Goroka
Asian, two local women escape after car accident
By ZACHERY PER and JOHN SUPA
A CHINESE national was set upon by a mob and murdered soon after he shot dead a youth of Chimbu origin in Goroka over the weekend, The National reports.
The Chinese, identified as Alex Seng Da, was in the company of another colleague and two females in a vehicle that ran off the road at Asariufa section of the Highlands Highway on Saturday evening.
When curious youths approached the accident scene, the Chinese man allegedly took out a pistol and shot dead a young man, named as William Morea of Gunagi area in the Sinasina area of Chimbu.
Relatives of the youth regrouped and attacked the Asian and murdered him while his accomplice and the females escaped.
The body of Seng Da and Morea are at the Glenrowen Funeral Home. The incident occurred at around 8pm on Saturday.
Eyewitnesses, who gave accounts of the incident, said Seng Da and another Chinese were driving into Goroka town with two PNG women passengers when the vehicle ran off the road about 100m from the Zokizoi River bridge at Asariufa village near Goroka main market.
When bystanders rushed to the scene of the accident, Seng Da allegedly pulled out a pistol and shot the youth in the head.
The villagers retaliated and beat the Chinese national to death. There were also cuts on his body, indicating the use of sharp objects.
The vehicle involved in the accident was burnt.
The deceased Asian was an employee of Seng Da Supermarket.
Opportunists from the Council Camp and Banana Block capitalised on the situation and ransacked the Bintangor store at West Goroka.
However, quick action by Goroka police prevented further lootings.
Eastern Highlands provincial police commander Supt Augustine Wampe, when confirming the incident, condemned the actions of looters.
He said what occurred on Saturday night was being treated by police as criminal in nature and police were investigating.
He warned opportunists that police would come down hard on them.
Wampe could not establish whether the firearm was licenced or not.
The small Chinese community in Goroka was mourning the death of Seng Da.
Wampe said police knew the identities of those involved in killing the Chinese and would soon be making arrests.
Investigations are continuing.
Wampe also praised Goroka Rural LLG president Jeffery Sasuo for his handling of the situation.
Sasuo had warned potential looters that all buildings in Goroka were owned by locals but were leased to other people such as the Asians and any attempt to vandalise these assets would be met with extreme retribution from the locals.
By ZACHERY PER and JOHN SUPA
A CHINESE national was set upon by a mob and murdered soon after he shot dead a youth of Chimbu origin in Goroka over the weekend, The National reports.
The Chinese, identified as Alex Seng Da, was in the company of another colleague and two females in a vehicle that ran off the road at Asariufa section of the Highlands Highway on Saturday evening.
When curious youths approached the accident scene, the Chinese man allegedly took out a pistol and shot dead a young man, named as William Morea of Gunagi area in the Sinasina area of Chimbu.
Relatives of the youth regrouped and attacked the Asian and murdered him while his accomplice and the females escaped.
The body of Seng Da and Morea are at the Glenrowen Funeral Home. The incident occurred at around 8pm on Saturday.
Eyewitnesses, who gave accounts of the incident, said Seng Da and another Chinese were driving into Goroka town with two PNG women passengers when the vehicle ran off the road about 100m from the Zokizoi River bridge at Asariufa village near Goroka main market.
When bystanders rushed to the scene of the accident, Seng Da allegedly pulled out a pistol and shot the youth in the head.
The villagers retaliated and beat the Chinese national to death. There were also cuts on his body, indicating the use of sharp objects.
The vehicle involved in the accident was burnt.
The deceased Asian was an employee of Seng Da Supermarket.
Opportunists from the Council Camp and Banana Block capitalised on the situation and ransacked the Bintangor store at West Goroka.
However, quick action by Goroka police prevented further lootings.
Eastern Highlands provincial police commander Supt Augustine Wampe, when confirming the incident, condemned the actions of looters.
He said what occurred on Saturday night was being treated by police as criminal in nature and police were investigating.
He warned opportunists that police would come down hard on them.
Wampe could not establish whether the firearm was licenced or not.
The small Chinese community in Goroka was mourning the death of Seng Da.
Wampe said police knew the identities of those involved in killing the Chinese and would soon be making arrests.
Investigations are continuing.
Wampe also praised Goroka Rural LLG president Jeffery Sasuo for his handling of the situation.
Sasuo had warned potential looters that all buildings in Goroka were owned by locals but were leased to other people such as the Asians and any attempt to vandalise these assets would be met with extreme retribution from the locals.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Papua New Guinea’s coffee industry: For the people, by the people
By JOHN FOWKE
Our coffee industry began in a very small way, in the 1890s, soon after the arrival of Australian and German colonists, but it did not begin to grow large and to prosper until coffee became established in the Highlands in the 1950s.
Initially, in the mid-1950s, white settlers took up land purchased from willing sellers and established small plantations; around 100 of these, each of up to 150 acres in extent, although full development took time.
These were owner-managers, empowered more by enthusiasm for the place and the project in hand than by ready capital.
Most were burdened by loans from the time they established their farms until the big coffee-boom of the late 1970s, when almost all of them sold out to local landowner groups.
Today there is only one foreign-owned coffee-plantation operator in PNG, namely W.R.Carpenter Estates Ltd. Of Mt Hagen, owned by Malaysian interests.
Beginning in the 1950s, the developing plantations provided an example, a challenge which was soon taken up everywhere through the main highland valleys.
In the Bena Bena Valley, situated on what had been the original small airstrip and camp used by Jim Taylor and the Leahy brothers in 1933, a great nursery was established in 1952.
Whole communities, enemies and related clans together, travelled from the “het blo wara” and from the lower reaches of the river to till the soil and see the seed-beds established.
In 12, months they returned to receive allocations of tall, healthy seedlings.
In the meantime, they had been schooled in the setting-out, the draining and establishment of shade-trees on their small family-owned coffee blocks.
This went on in all the areas which were under the banner and surveillance of the Administration.
By far the greatest grower population today resides in the five highland provinces, where coffee is king in terms of local commerce and lifestyle.
As a well-known coffee man who has seen it all develop observed, “It’d be a sad old Highlands if we’d never been able to get coffee to grow here.”
A significant minority of coffee-growers, though, is well-established in both the mountainous and in certain low-altitude regions of several coastal provinces.
There is growing interest in establishing coffee in mountainous parts of New Britain, New Ireland, and more recently, in Bougainville, and the Coffee Industry Corporation is working with provincial authorities in these districts.
Thus our industry encompasses by far the largest group of smallholder or village-based cash-crop producers in the nation, in an industry which, whilst with a tendency to be unruly because of its free-enterprise and open nature, is an efficient one in terms of distribution of the gross export income received each season.
By way of contrast the palm-oil industry, dependant upon major foreign investment in the mills and plantations which provide centres of operations which draw product from so-called out-growers, the foreign-controlled company is king and the price for palm-fruit is set unilaterally without the effect of local competition, the central mill being the only buyer. However prices paid to coffee-growers reflect a competitive internal market with a great many aggressive players.
As well, coffee has been adopted seamlessly into the ancient subsistence-farming systems of our land, grown wherever there is the space and the people who want to grow it.
Here are no de-tribalised out-grower communities with all the social pressures and crime related to growing families with very limited land and limited employment opportunities.
Statistics tell us that 90% of the coffee exported from PNG comes from the smallholders, the subsistence-farming village-based sector comprising some 400,000 families conferring a direct, in-the-hand cash income to around 1.5 million people.
The declining plantation sector, faced with heavy pressures of cost and theft, buys and processes some 50% of its own exports of coffee in freshly-picked cherry form from neighboring small growers and the few remaining 20-hectare-scheme blocks.
Thus it actually only contributes about half of its statistically-recorded production of 10% of total exports from its own fields of coffee.
The annual production actually grown by the plantation sector is down to around 5 % of exports although with the added purchased fresh cherry, recorded production as shipped comes to something over 10% of total.
To explain further, many of the old plantations, taken over by local business groups and corporations in the late 70s have languished, defaulted on their loans, and have been effectively abandoned.
Whilst no maintenance is done the coffee which the trees produce is picked and sold by villagers and thus, physically and statistically-speaking, most of it enters the village smallholder sector.
Coffee, especially in the highlands provinces is as much a part of life as gardening, pig-raising and hunting, and is an equal contributor within the complex of inter-clan relations and traditional social observances.
It is instrumental in meeting modern needs within society; clothing, bus-fares, medical treatment, school-fees, as well as customary obligations and bride-price. Largely-speaking, and despite the industry’s efforts to encourage the formation of group-marketing organisations including a number of coffee co-operatives, the selling of coffee is typically executed by individual choice of time, place and buyer.
Despite this there are one or two emerging examples which are very encouraging; for instance the Kundiawa-based group managed by Brian Kuglame and supported by PNG Coffee Exports, who also support a large group of progressive growers near Goroka.
The work done over several years by Jerry Kapka’s Kongo Coffeee at Suave is impressive, and Monpi Coffee Exports of Goroka have invested a lot in time and money in encouraging farmer groups and factories to obtain certification under various price-enhancing marketing schemes.
These exporters are to the fore in engagement with the recently-announced World bank financed PPIP partnership scheme which will place much emphasis upon development of niche markets for smallholder coffee.
In the main, though, and as at present, coffee-sellers harvest, process and then sell or hold in storage according to each individual family’s plans of the moment.
Most coffee is sold either to self-funded roadside buyers who travel out to growing areas during the season, or is taken to centers where there are coffee factories, and sold directly to a factory.
Factories generally pay a bonus to defray the cost of transport in these transactions, and selling at the factory-door is encouraged by CIC for these reasons and for the reason that quality-assessment is usually more stringent at factories whereas roadside buyers are inclined to mix coffee of varying moisture contents and levels of defective beans.
Thus it may be seen that coffee is sold as and when the grower wants cash, and provided it is sold where more than one buyer or factory is present, fetches a competitive price, a price paid in full in a single transaction.This is an efficient market, although in its freedom it has problems related to evenness of quality, as intimated above.
The question of quality control will be addressed in a further article.
As to industry financing, PNG’s banks are historically opposed to lending to coffee-industry operators, considering with justice that the industry is an inherently risky one for lenders.
This is where PNG’s registered exporters come in, for they alone finance each season’s crop, a huge amount in hard currency.
This is something which is not widely known outside the industry.
Our exporters must not only be accomplished commodity-traders with good agents in consuming countries, they must also be able to trade effectively in the money-market, negotiating advances or loans from overseas and landing these when the ruling exchange-rate is favourable.
A knowledge of the money-market and the ability to hedge money transactions as well as coffee contracts against future rises and falls is an essential part of the trade.
If you don’t know how to do this you must have an arrangement with someone who does.
Exporting coffee is a complex, high-risk business, and a great many registered exporters have folded over the years.
Among these were the two largest, Angco Ltd., and Coffee International Ltd., plus many smaller entities.
Registered factories take forward contracts for tonnages from the exporters who will make advances which keep the whole trade rolling on a day-to-day basis.
Coffee is delivered to exporters and new contracts are undertaken; in this way the industry functions throughout the season, turning over product in its journey from grower to factory to point of shipment and on to its ultimate overseas destination.
NEXT WEEK: Who are the coffee exporters? Do Growers get a fair share? Do we really need 21 registered exporters and 53 registered factories? And what is the story about quality control and downstream processing? Look for answers in this blog.
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| John Fowke |
Initially, in the mid-1950s, white settlers took up land purchased from willing sellers and established small plantations; around 100 of these, each of up to 150 acres in extent, although full development took time.
These were owner-managers, empowered more by enthusiasm for the place and the project in hand than by ready capital.
Most were burdened by loans from the time they established their farms until the big coffee-boom of the late 1970s, when almost all of them sold out to local landowner groups.
Today there is only one foreign-owned coffee-plantation operator in PNG, namely W.R.Carpenter Estates Ltd. Of Mt Hagen, owned by Malaysian interests.
Beginning in the 1950s, the developing plantations provided an example, a challenge which was soon taken up everywhere through the main highland valleys.
In the Bena Bena Valley, situated on what had been the original small airstrip and camp used by Jim Taylor and the Leahy brothers in 1933, a great nursery was established in 1952.
Whole communities, enemies and related clans together, travelled from the “het blo wara” and from the lower reaches of the river to till the soil and see the seed-beds established.
In 12, months they returned to receive allocations of tall, healthy seedlings.
In the meantime, they had been schooled in the setting-out, the draining and establishment of shade-trees on their small family-owned coffee blocks.
This went on in all the areas which were under the banner and surveillance of the Administration.
By far the greatest grower population today resides in the five highland provinces, where coffee is king in terms of local commerce and lifestyle.
As a well-known coffee man who has seen it all develop observed, “It’d be a sad old Highlands if we’d never been able to get coffee to grow here.”
A significant minority of coffee-growers, though, is well-established in both the mountainous and in certain low-altitude regions of several coastal provinces.
There is growing interest in establishing coffee in mountainous parts of New Britain, New Ireland, and more recently, in Bougainville, and the Coffee Industry Corporation is working with provincial authorities in these districts.
Thus our industry encompasses by far the largest group of smallholder or village-based cash-crop producers in the nation, in an industry which, whilst with a tendency to be unruly because of its free-enterprise and open nature, is an efficient one in terms of distribution of the gross export income received each season.
By way of contrast the palm-oil industry, dependant upon major foreign investment in the mills and plantations which provide centres of operations which draw product from so-called out-growers, the foreign-controlled company is king and the price for palm-fruit is set unilaterally without the effect of local competition, the central mill being the only buyer. However prices paid to coffee-growers reflect a competitive internal market with a great many aggressive players.
As well, coffee has been adopted seamlessly into the ancient subsistence-farming systems of our land, grown wherever there is the space and the people who want to grow it.
Here are no de-tribalised out-grower communities with all the social pressures and crime related to growing families with very limited land and limited employment opportunities.
Statistics tell us that 90% of the coffee exported from PNG comes from the smallholders, the subsistence-farming village-based sector comprising some 400,000 families conferring a direct, in-the-hand cash income to around 1.5 million people.
The declining plantation sector, faced with heavy pressures of cost and theft, buys and processes some 50% of its own exports of coffee in freshly-picked cherry form from neighboring small growers and the few remaining 20-hectare-scheme blocks.
Thus it actually only contributes about half of its statistically-recorded production of 10% of total exports from its own fields of coffee.
The annual production actually grown by the plantation sector is down to around 5 % of exports although with the added purchased fresh cherry, recorded production as shipped comes to something over 10% of total.
To explain further, many of the old plantations, taken over by local business groups and corporations in the late 70s have languished, defaulted on their loans, and have been effectively abandoned.
Whilst no maintenance is done the coffee which the trees produce is picked and sold by villagers and thus, physically and statistically-speaking, most of it enters the village smallholder sector.
Coffee, especially in the highlands provinces is as much a part of life as gardening, pig-raising and hunting, and is an equal contributor within the complex of inter-clan relations and traditional social observances.
It is instrumental in meeting modern needs within society; clothing, bus-fares, medical treatment, school-fees, as well as customary obligations and bride-price. Largely-speaking, and despite the industry’s efforts to encourage the formation of group-marketing organisations including a number of coffee co-operatives, the selling of coffee is typically executed by individual choice of time, place and buyer.
Despite this there are one or two emerging examples which are very encouraging; for instance the Kundiawa-based group managed by Brian Kuglame and supported by PNG Coffee Exports, who also support a large group of progressive growers near Goroka.
The work done over several years by Jerry Kapka’s Kongo Coffeee at Suave is impressive, and Monpi Coffee Exports of Goroka have invested a lot in time and money in encouraging farmer groups and factories to obtain certification under various price-enhancing marketing schemes.
These exporters are to the fore in engagement with the recently-announced World bank financed PPIP partnership scheme which will place much emphasis upon development of niche markets for smallholder coffee.
In the main, though, and as at present, coffee-sellers harvest, process and then sell or hold in storage according to each individual family’s plans of the moment.
Most coffee is sold either to self-funded roadside buyers who travel out to growing areas during the season, or is taken to centers where there are coffee factories, and sold directly to a factory.
Factories generally pay a bonus to defray the cost of transport in these transactions, and selling at the factory-door is encouraged by CIC for these reasons and for the reason that quality-assessment is usually more stringent at factories whereas roadside buyers are inclined to mix coffee of varying moisture contents and levels of defective beans.
Thus it may be seen that coffee is sold as and when the grower wants cash, and provided it is sold where more than one buyer or factory is present, fetches a competitive price, a price paid in full in a single transaction.This is an efficient market, although in its freedom it has problems related to evenness of quality, as intimated above.
The question of quality control will be addressed in a further article.
As to industry financing, PNG’s banks are historically opposed to lending to coffee-industry operators, considering with justice that the industry is an inherently risky one for lenders.
This is where PNG’s registered exporters come in, for they alone finance each season’s crop, a huge amount in hard currency.
This is something which is not widely known outside the industry.
Our exporters must not only be accomplished commodity-traders with good agents in consuming countries, they must also be able to trade effectively in the money-market, negotiating advances or loans from overseas and landing these when the ruling exchange-rate is favourable.
A knowledge of the money-market and the ability to hedge money transactions as well as coffee contracts against future rises and falls is an essential part of the trade.
If you don’t know how to do this you must have an arrangement with someone who does.
Exporting coffee is a complex, high-risk business, and a great many registered exporters have folded over the years.
Among these were the two largest, Angco Ltd., and Coffee International Ltd., plus many smaller entities.
Registered factories take forward contracts for tonnages from the exporters who will make advances which keep the whole trade rolling on a day-to-day basis.
Coffee is delivered to exporters and new contracts are undertaken; in this way the industry functions throughout the season, turning over product in its journey from grower to factory to point of shipment and on to its ultimate overseas destination.
NEXT WEEK: Who are the coffee exporters? Do Growers get a fair share? Do we really need 21 registered exporters and 53 registered factories? And what is the story about quality control and downstream processing? Look for answers in this blog.
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