Government plans to stop cash payments for landowners

THE government plans to stop cash payments for landowner benefits accruing from resource developments, The National reports.
 Prime Minister Peter O’Neill also said if any payments were to be made, they must be done in each licenced area – and not in Port Moresby.

Vulupindi Haus, Waigani, know as the "House of Thieves", now, "House of Landowners"

Road along Vulupindi Haus, Waigani. Note the trees at left, which have had all their leaves and branches cut off by "landowners". Does money grow on trees?

These will be among stringent guidelines contained in a major policy on the issue to be announced this week following final consultations between O’Neill and landowners tomorrow.
O’Neill said the policy would streamline, simplify and specify payment procedures for all benefits accruing under resource development agreements and in particular the LNG project’s umbrella benefits sharing agreement (UBSA) and the licence-based bene­fits sharing agreements  (LBBSA).
“We are going to simplify it and do it in accordance with the law,” he said.
“There will be absolutely no cash handouts.
“We will agree to a way forward and that should resolve many of the landow­ner issues.
“After cabinet has made a decision on Wednesday on the proposed structure and a way of dealing with the issue, any disruption of government assets or go­vernment services (by landowners) will become a law and order issue.
“Both the landowners and the government must respect any agreement that they signed.
“Any issue of landowner benefits must be in accor­dance with the law and the agreement.”
The policy will also cover the role and functions of the expenditure implementation committee which oversees much of the payment pro­cess

Census figures to be out this month

PROVISIONAL figures for the 2011 census will be released this month, national statistician Joseph Aka said, The National reports.
 Aka said in a statement yesterday, provisional figures for Gulf, Central, Milne Bay, Oro, Enga, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, East Sepik, West Sepik, Manus, New Ireland, East New Britain, West New Britain, Bougainville, Hela and Madang were ready.
The provisional figures would be released once the remaining six provinces had their numbers entered before it the formal launching and release by the government.
Census director, Hajily Kele said census forms that had arrived from the provinces were going through three phases of checks.

Australia urges PNG to go ahead with polls

THE best thing for Papua New Guinea is to press ahead and hold its general elections in June as scheduled, Australia’s High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Ian Kemish, believes, The National reports.
 “We are a good friend of PNG and we think what’s best for Papua New Guinea is what the prime minister himself (Peter O’Neill) has been saying, elections on time.”
The question of deferring the election was raised last week by Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah who expressed doubts that the electoral rolls would be completed in time for the election in June .
He also said the incumbent government would need another year to consolidate policy changes.
Kemish said in a press conference last Friday that Australia would supply another 88 computers on top of the 30 given earlier.
Election Commissioner Andrew Trawen had said in a report last week the electoral roll was only 60% complete, just under two months before the writs are issued and campaigning formally begins on April 27.
Trawen told the press conference there was “no room for deferment” of the election.
“We have to follow the Constitution,” Trawen said.
 “The term of five years will come to an end very shortly, so there’s no room for any deferment.”
Kemish said Australia had provided more than K26 million to improve PNG’s capacity to hold election that is free, fair and safe.
Australia will also provide three staff at the electoral commission to support operations, air transport and logistics, as well as a senior Australian Electoral Commission expert.
They will be arriving in two weeks to work alongside the commission.
Australia will also hire four PNG national IT staff to assist in the cleaning up of the roll.
Kemish said each of the recent elections in the country had been more successful than the previous one.
“We are helping the PNGEC to ensure 2012 is no different,” he said

Prime Minister: Polls in June

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill and his People’s National Congress want the national election held as scheduled in June, The National reports.
 The party also resolved at its Goroka convention last Friday that it would increase support for its five-pillar policies – free education, free basic medical services, improving infrastructure, maintaining law and order, and growing the economy.
O’Neill said the party did not want the election deferred.
 “Given the current political squabbling going on, it is good that the people decide who should lead the country.”
His deputy Belden Namah said last week the go­vernment needed time to implement all its policies before an election could be called. This can only be possible if the election is deferred.
The party resolved that free education would be continued with a commitment that tuition-free education would include Grade 12 and later to also cover tertiary education.
O’Neill said the economy would be strong enough by then to sustain the massive undertakings.
The free education budget takes up nearly 30% of the entire national budget and this would remain constant in 2014.
But the actual amount would double to corres­pond with growth in the economy and this would double again by 2016, he said.
On health, a PNC go­vernment would allocate more money to health infrastructure, equipment
and improvement of wor­king conditions for wor­kers.
By 2016, investment in this sector alone should top K2 billion, O’Neill said.
The health sector allocation is now K1.4 billion.
On law and order, a PNC government would invest in all three services – police, army and correctional services – in the areas of infrastructure, equipment, training and recruitment.
The fight against corruption would continue and increase by strengthening of existing efforts including Task Force Sweep.
The legislation on an independent commission against corruption, which has been tabled, would be made into law, O’Neill said.
Similarly, the PNC sup­ports investments in the government’s major transport assets of national significance.
It supports a new authority that will manage and develop these assets which are currently poorly managed by departments and agencies.
Such a body would be empowered to seek concessional and commercial loans to develop these assets to international standards.
On the party’s fifth pillar of growing the economy, O’Neill said it was the engine room for development and growth.
Provision of a stable fiscal and monetary regime will give investors the confidence that PNG is a destination of choice for investment.
“We need to provide a stable legislative and tax regime,” he said.
During a vist to Chimbu over the weekend to launch district improvement programmes there, O’Neill told a crowd that special agencies from the United Nations (UN) and Australia would be engaged to help complete electoral rolls.
“The United Nations and Australia will come in to help us in the elections. We will not defer the election.
“The government will ensure common rolls and security concerns are addressed with the help of these special agencies from UN and Australia,” the prime minister said.
O’Neill said the people were now suffering because of dete­riorating basic ser­vices and infrastructure due to poor leadership in the past.
More than  K70 billion had been budgeted by the government in the past nine years, but there is no evidence of that in rural areas.

UN Human Rights Office celebrates rural women human rights defenders

Media Release from the UN Human Rights Office for the Pacific, Suva, Fiji: – To mark International Women’s Day, 8 March, the United Nations (UN) in the Pacific will celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of rural women. The UN Human Rights Office for the Pacific (OHCHR) is highlighting the work of women’s human rights defenders in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. The UN Human Rights Office for the Pacific supports women’s human rights defender networks in Papua New Guinea, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Kiribati. Below are two incredible stories of courageous women human rights defenders who work with OHCHR to build and strengthen human rights defender networks in their communities.

Monica Paulus – Fighting against sorcery related killings

Monica Paulus, a human rights defender, has been fighting against sorcery-related attacks for years. She assists women who have been attacked after accusations of witchcraft by providing them with food, hiding them in a safe place, assisting them in presenting their cases to court, or taking them to the closest hospital. She herself was accused of being a sorcerer and, as a consequence, lost all her possessions, including her house. “I feel for those women who have been accused of having magical powers,” she says. “I understand their suffering because I also went through it and that is why I want to help them.”

Sorcery is believed to account for sudden or unexplained death or illness: the end result is often that someone is killed for another person's unexplained death. Every year hundreds of people are put to death or tortured because someone thinks they are responsible, for a death or a disease, using black magic. Women are six times more likely to be accused of sorcery than men, according to Amnesty International.

Paulus recently helped a woman accused of sorcery and managed to hide her, together with her daughters, in a safe location. Because of the assistance she provided, Paulus has been threatened by some members of the community. “They say I am the one who helped the sorcerer. I am stigmatised because I help innocent women and their children.”

On one occasion, she sought assistance from the UN Human Rights Office in Papua New Guinea regarding a woman and her four daughters who had been tortured and raped after they were accused of sorcery. “The UN Human Rights Office helped them relocate to a safe location,” she says.

Paulus works full time with the Highlands Women’s Human Rights Defenders Network. The Network focuses on issues related to sorcery accusations and killings, tribal conflicts, and violence against women at home and in the community. A number of female members of the Network, including Paulus, are subjected to serious threats against their safety regularly because of their work. Aware of the risks she faces, she continues her work with courage and commitment. “Helping women accused of sorcery is the right thing to do,” she stresses. “They are suffering with hardly any support and people don’t want to go near them.”

“I am inspired by the courage of women,” she says. “Women accused of sorcery are victims of extreme abuse and horrendous killings.” The stigma is passed on to their children. “I have seen their children being displaced, abandoned and stigmatized,” she concludes. “I am aware of that plight and that is why I want to help.”

Mary Kini – Making “secret plans” to stop tribal fighting and end violence against women

Mary Kini, a human rights defender and a peace builder from Papua New Guinea, made “secret plans” to bring peace to her community. After years of intertribal violence that engulfed the district of Kup, in the mountains of Papua New Guinea, she teamed up with two other women to end fighting.

Mary, Angela Apa and Agnes Sil belong to three enemy tribes. In 1999, after one of the worst tribal clashes, they decided to take action. “We were all affected by the fighting. We lost our loved ones,” says Mary. “Our people had been fighting for so long: enough was enough, so we made secret plans to bring peace to our communities.”

According to tribal laws, women of enemy tribes were not allowed to talk to one another. Risking their lives, the three women came up with clandestine and innovative ways to meet and strategize, such as discussing their peace plans while shopping at the local market.

Mary, Angela and Agnes succeeded in mobilising others to support peace in the district. They even walked out onto the battlefields to send out messages of peace. This led to the creation, in 2002, of the Kup Women for Peace (KWP), which works on promoting peace between communities and ending violence against women.

Mary’s decision to work towards building peace and promoting women’s rights came after experiencing first-hand the consequences of inter-tribal violence. Because of the fighting, Mary was not able to regularly attend school. “I did not complete my studies because of tribal fighting, but I want young women who come after me to have a good life,” she says.

The KWP works in partnership with the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), Oxfam PNG and other women’s organisations from the region and is part of the Papua New Guinea Highlands Women's Human Rights Defenders Network which was initiated by OHCHR. Its activities and projects are assisted by OHCHR and Oxfam PNG, and by a coalition of 15 organizations working together to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice.

In 2007 Mary Kini and the KWP received the 7th Pacific Human Rights Award from the Pacific Regional Rights Resource Team of the UN Development Programme. The award honours extraordinary efforts in advancing human rights and peace building throughout the Pacific and was given to the KWP for its outstanding work in situations of conflict, for its intrepid dedication to the cause of peace in the highlands of Papua New Guinea and for its bravery in challenging discriminatory customs and norms, including widespread violence against women.

Belden Namah pledges K250,000 to Peter O'Neill

Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah and PNG Party leader Belden Namah has pledged K250,000 to Prime Minister Peter O'Neill's People's National Congress at PNC's national congress in Goroka, Sunday Chronicle reports today.
This fuilfils the promise he made to O'Neill in Vanimo last week that he would do anything to bring back O'Neill as prime minister after the 2012 elections.
Namah told the huge turnout that the two parties would form an alliance and return as a team after the elections.
Meantime, Western Highlands businessman Simon Korua has been elected as new PNC president, replacing Mary Karo.
Long-time party supporter Jonathan Oata is the general-secretary.

Stop N Shop launches advertising campaign

"Affordable, reliable and above all... loyal to the people we serve."

“We know you and you know us.  We are a part of your community.”

 These are just two of the core messages that Stop N Shop communicated with its new advertising campaign, which was launched last Tuesday night at Gateway Hotel.

The campaign places an emphasis on such core brand values as affordability, reliability, quality, innovation and strong industry leadership.

The Stop N Shop employees are also central to the new advertising motifs.

The images, shot in a natural, candid style of photography, depict actual Stop N Shop employees, which makes the advertising campaign very Papua New Guinean.

The Stop N Shop employees were treated as VIP guests during the launch.  

CPL chairman Mahesh Patel (centre, front)  with Empire Worldwide  team and  his CPL employees during the launch

CPL Group’s CEO, Ravi Kant Singh, said: “This ad campaign is a reflection of values that Stop and Shop represents as a brand and on the other, it’s a celebration of a special relationship that exists between Port Moresby, its residents and Stop N Shop.

“This ad campaign is a tribute to those heroes who lead their life with simplicity and honor. 

“It’s a tribute and celebration of our home, our city of choice Port Moresby; we often ignore its virtues and myriad of sights and sounds which make it a very special place.”

Together, the image, the background music and the text create a striking, emotional message that integrates the notions of simplicity, reliability, hardwork and affordability.

The new Stop N Shop advertising campaign is being deployed in daily newspapers, radio stations and television starting February 29.

Empire Worldwide is responsible for the creative development of Stop N Shop's new advertising campaign.

Stop N Shop is part of CPL Group, PNG’s biggest retailing network. 

To its credit, CPL Group has now established five strong retail brands namely City Pharmacy, Stop N Shop, Hardware Haus, BonCafe, HomeMaker and now, Paradise Cinema.  

 As of year 2011, the CPL Group has a combined retail operations of 54 stores nationwide and employs over 2,000 staff of which 95% are Papua New Guineans.

Its retail network spans health and beauty chains, grocery, hardware stores, coffee shops and now, multiplex cinema.

Armed robbery at PNG Power's Gordon Business Centre

PNG Power Ltd confirms there was an armed robbery at its Gordon Business Centre within the Datec complex around 10 am yesterday (Friday) morning.

“It is believed the motive behind the robbery was to steal money as armed men walked into the office, jumped over the counter and demanded money to be released from the office safe,” said PNG Power CEO Tony Koiri.

“No staff or customers were harmed during the incident.

“The Gordon office is now closed until Monday as staff who were traumatised from the robbery were told to lay off from work until then.

“All customers are therefore informed that the office will re-open again on Monday.

“At this stage, not much information is available into the robbery as PPL and the Police Criminal Investigation Division (CID) are conducting investigations into the matter.

“PNG Power also advises that starting next week, cash payments at all our business centres will be ceased and customers will be asked to make payments through EFTPOS.

“This decision is made in light of the latest incident and will ensure that no big amount of cash is handled at the business centre.

“PNG Power regrets the unfortunate inconvenience caused to its customers who access the Gordon Business Centre.”

The tallest building in Port Moresby

The tallest building in Port Moresby, Steamships' 20-storey Grand Papua Hotel in Downtown Port Moresby.-Pictures by MALUM NALU

Holiday Inn reaches for the skies

Holiday Inn extension work today.-Pictures by MALUM NALU

Holiday Inn apartments take shape

Holiday Inn apartments today

Kairuku-Hiri leaders question MP’s loyalty

By JEFFREY ELAPA

PEOPLE and councillors of the Kairuku-Hiri electorate want the Prime Minister’s People Congress Party (PNC) to endorse their candidate of choice and not Paru Aihi, The National reports.
 Aihi, who won the 2007 election under the PNG Party banner in 2007 after defeating Sir Moi Avei, defected to the National Alliance party early last year where he was given the ministry of Higher Education Science and Technology.
However, the people and councillors are furious that Prime Minister and leader of PNC Peter O’Neill and its executives had accepted Aihi as a member.
They are planning to petition party executives and parliamentary members to endorse the man of their choice today during the PNC national convention in Goroka.
Out of 77 councillors and ward members, 50 of them have signed and submitted a letter to the prime minister to endorse the man “who will represent them come the next five years”.
They said the leader and his executives were aware of the letters submitted to them.
LLG councillors of Hiri, Mekeo, Koiari, Tubusereia and others from Bereina and Yule Island said since the PNC was a party started by the people of Port Moresby and Central, led by the late Sir William Bill Skate, they wanted a say on who the party should endorse as their candidates.
They questioned Ai­hi’s endorsement, noting that he had refused in the past two elections to run as a PNC candidate.
The councillors in a letter to the prime minister had endorsed a man (named) and not any other person to represent them  in the next five years.
They also called on Aihi to explain his mandate and loyalty, whether it was in his business, people or party.
The PNC Party yesterday said they remained open to all intending candidates and they had advised that they would not respond to this to the media but deal with it within the party.
O’Neill has admitted receiving the proposal and letter from the people hesitate to comment

Chief auditor slams state-owned entities

By FRANK SENGE KOLMA

MANY chief executive officers of public bodies and state-owned corporations have no concept of effective, prudent and efficient finance management, the auditor-general has reported, The National reports.
 The report says these are the very essence of accountability and good governance.
The attorney-general disco­vered that 49 out of the 88 public bodies which are subject to audits have not submitted their 2010 financial statements.
This gross negligence, in contravention of section 63 of the Public Finance Management Act, is itself a big improvement from the previous year when 62 financial statements were not made available.
This extends back to 2002.
The attorney-general  report states: “I consider that a large number of chief executive officers do not pay sufficient attention to financial management in their entities.
“In my view, the concept of effective, prudent and efficient finance management is yet to be absorbed by many chief executive officers.”
An entity’s management is responsible for preparing and presenting financial statements for audit inspection.
That being the case, the attorney-general  in its 2010 report, recommends that there be a vigorous enforcement of section 63 of the Public Finance Management Act.
The attorney-general   further recommends that there be legislative requirement to make the renewal of contracts of chief executive officers subject to submission of financial statements and prudent financial management.
“These recommendations,” the attorney-general   states, “are to help achieve accountability and good governance in the public sector.”
Those public bodies that consistently failed to submit financial returns to the attorney-general   are:

• National Narcotic Bureau and PNG Sports Foundation, which share dubious top honours having missed out for seven years in a row;
• Public Curator and Unigor Consultancy Ltd (five  years);
• Tabudubu Ltd and Port Moresby City Development Enterprises Ltd (four years);
• National Economic and Fiscal Commission and National Volunteer Service (three years); and
• The Unitech Development and Consultancy Company Ltd (three years).

The attorney-general said poor financial management had persisted for a long time in the public accounts of Papua New Guinea.
The attorney-general states that the failure by public bodies to comply with this legislative requirement results in:

• The attorney-general  being unable to report adequately on the accountability of the use of public resources in a timely manner;
• A build up of audits in arrears; and
• The non-tabling of annual reports on performance and management by public entities in parliament

Nambawan Super fixes workers’ fund

NAMBAWAN Super has successfully completed the cleanup of Public Employees Association Superannuation Fund (PEASF) in its capacity as the fund’s new trustee and is now in a position to process member entitlements, The National reports.
The PEASF was a voluntary superannuation fund established in 1989 but encountered financial difficulties in the early 2000s.
It was placed under statutory management in June 2006 by the regulator, the Bank of Papua New Guinea.
Subsequently, in May 2010, Nambawan Super was appointed trustee.
“It has taken Nambawan Super 18 months as it undertook the enormous task of fixing up the troubled Fund,” Nambawan Super acting managing director Paul Yangen said yesterday.
“This involved mainly the updating of all accounting and member records in preparation for the final payout of member balances.
“This exercise has now been completed.”
Yangen, on behalf of the trustee, declared a 70% interest on all PEASF accounts based on their current balances.
“This interest declaration represents a significant achievement by Nambawan Super in preserving and protecting the savings balance of the fund and we hope that it helps restore members’ confidence in prudently-managed superannuation as a way of achieving worthwhile long-term savings”, he said.
Yangen thanked all PEASF members for their patience and understanding duringthis exercise.
He also extended the trustee’s appreciation to the BPNG for its assistance, help and guidance.
“The records are now at a point where we can start processing claims,” he said.
“However,  members are asked to refer to the questionnaires and ‘frequently asked questions’ they will have received to work out the best options for their individual situations,” Yangen said.