Regional auditing secretariat to be set up

The standard of public auditing within the Pacific region is expected to be improved with the establishment of a Secretariat of the Pacific Association of Supreme Audit Institutions (PASAI) in Suva, Fiji next year.

The 12th Forum Economic Ministers’ Meeting (FEMM) held in Port Vila, Vanuatu 27 – 29 October noted the establishment of a PASAI Secretariat as part of the implementation of the Pacific Regional Audit Initiative (PRAI). 

The PRAI is a Pacific Plan initiative endorsed by Forum Leaders in 2005, and followed-up by the 2006 FEMM which directed the Forum Secretariat to undertake further work on a number of Pacific Plan initiatives related to regional economic integration, in particular, agreed to consider the development of regional support to audit services to improve integrity and financial scrutiny.

“This Pacific Plan initiative has made significant progress in the last two and half years since FEMM mandated this matter. Extensive diagnostic and design work has been undertaken with stakeholder consultation, and development partner support mobilized to allow for implementation of regional and sub-regional programmes from early 2009,” says Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

Mr Slade adds: “The programmes are aimed to uniformly raise public auditing standards and effectiveness in the region through a package of initiatives including capacity supplementation and augmentation approaches to help overcome the underlying structural and capacity constraints particularly amongst the Smaller Island States.”

The design of PRAI has been developed through an extensive consultation process under the guidance of the 25-member PASAI with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions Development Initiative (IDI) and AusAID. The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat provided oversight of the process. In April this year, the PASAI Congress which met in the Cook Islands endorsed the PRAI design.

Besides setting up the PASAI Secretariat, the emphasis of PRAI for 2008 - 2012 will be:

•           the setting up a sub-regional audit support programme for Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu;

•           designing a long-term structured capacity-development programme; and

•           initiating cooperative performance audit.

During the FEMM in Port Vila, Ministers welcomed the progress made to-date, noted the positive implications for the management of State Owned Enterprises, and lent support to associated implementation of PRAI, with the ongoing support of the ADB, AusAID, IDI, and other development partners.

For more information contact Mr Sanjesh Naidu, the Forum Secretariat’s Economic Adviser, Economic Governance Programme on phone 679 331 2600 or email sanjeshn@forumsec.org.fj .

Somare's properties in Cairns

PNG leader Michael Somare and son asked to explain Cairns property

 

By Peter Michael November 05, 2008 11:00pm

PAPUA New Guinea's most powerful family is being investigated over private deals linked to more than $1 million worth of luxury property in Cairns.
PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and his son Arthur have been asked to explain how they obtained a luxury inner-city unit and a new $685,000 beach house.
Documents have emerged linking the PNG Grand Chief and his powerbroker son to the real estate.
PNG's anti-corruption watchdog, the Opposition Leader Sir Mekere Morauta, and former finance minister Bart Philemon yesterday said it had to be asked where the money had come from.
Ombudsman Commission legal counsel Vergil Narokobi, one of the top three most senior officials with the anti-corruption watchdog, said they would investigate.
"It is quite possible it is legitimate," Mr Narokobi said.
"We will look to see if there were any breaches of the leadership code.
"To afford such luxuries it is not something ordinary Papua New Guineans can do. It is a situation of unfairness, but that is my own personal view.
"We have to give them the benefit of doubt. On the face of it we will respect our leaders until the contrary is shown."
Documents obtained by The Courier-Mail show Sir Michael obtained a $349,000 three-bedroom executive-style apartment with private plunge pool in inner-city Cairns in April last year, in a deal brokered by a Gold Coast lawyer.
Two months ago, Arthur Somare, who is PNG's State Enterprise Minister and a political heavyweight, bought a $685,000 four-bedroom home with his wife at Trinity Beach.
Mr Somare, who plans to move his family to Australia to live, has just sealed a US$20 billion deal over access to PNG's liquid natural gas reserves with a consortium from the Middle East.
Cairns builder Michael Case, who sold the house to Mr Somare in August, said: "He is a fabulous guy, everything was done above board."
Agents for the unit's sale said it was bought at the time of last year's PNG election after protracted negotiations. The vendor, R & H Constructions (Qld) Pty Ltd, went bankrupt while building the $5 million unit block - with no trace of former directors.
Sir Michael, who was in Cairns last week for a historic address to Queensland Parliament, declined a request for an interview and did not respond to a series of written questions.
His son Arthur also did not respond to questions about his new property.
Sir Michael, who has refused to provide details of his overseas assets since 1992 under the leadership code, is fighting a Supreme Court action against the Ombudsman Commission.
Opposition Leader Sir Mekere said the Somare family owed it to the PNG people to reveal their assets.
"They should both publicly explain how they obtained this real estate," said Sir Mekere, who this year bought a $3.6 million riverfront mansion at New Farm in Brisbane's inner city under his wife Roslyn's name.
Former finance minister and anti-graft campaigner Mr Philemon said: "They have got to tell people in PNG how they funded those properties, otherwise it smells like corruption.
Source: Courier Mail:      http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24606853-3102,00.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pacific Islands Forum-Fiji Joint Working Group on the Situation in Fiji

AGREED OUTCOMES

 

The Working Group held its thirty-second meeting at the Forum Secretariat Headquarters in Suva on 6 November 2008, attended by senior officials from Australia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu.

The Working Group expressed its regret at the withdrawal from the Working Group, due to other work commitments, of the Permanent Secretary for the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr Parmesh Chand. 

The Working Group thanked Mr Chand for his considerable work in facilitating relations between the Forum and the Interim Government to date. 

The Working Group welcomed Ratu Isoa Gavidi, Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs, as the new leader of Fiji’s delegation to the Working Group, and looked forward to continued open and constructive communication between the Working Group and the Interim Government through the Permanent Secretaries of Foreign Affairs and Justice.

The Working Group noted the letter of 19 September 2008 from Interim Prime Minister Bainimarama to the Forum Chair, Premier Talagi of Niue, advising that Fiji was prepared to re-engage with the Working Group, and would welcome a visit by the Ministerial Contact Group before the end of 2008.

The Working Group welcomed the Interim Prime Minister’s willingness to re-engage with the Forum, and expressed its readiness to engage in dialogue and to work constructively toward a way forward, reaffirming the good will of all members of the Forum to assist each other in challenging times. 

The Working Group acknowledged that the Forum process is a key means by which Fiji can be assisted to return to parliamentary democracy in the shortest practicable time.

The Working Group discussed recent developments in the situation in Fiji, particularly the political parties’ meeting convened by the Fiji Interim Government on 27 October.

 The Working Group welcomed the commitment of the Interim Government and the political parties to the process, recalling Forum Leaders’ support for independent and inclusive dialogue, without preconditions, as an essential element in resolving the Fiji situation, complementary to the implementation of Fiji’s commitments to the Forum on elections. 

Working Group members encouraged all concerned to continue working on the development of a credible political dialogue process, with the greatest possible momentum.

The Working Group discussed the Interim Prime Minister’s request that the Group develop new terms of reference, and received a proposed addendum from Fiji to the Working Group’s Terms of Reference. 

The Working Group noted the issues raised in Fiji’s proposal, and agreed to consider possible revision of the Terms of Reference for further discussion at its next meeting.

The Working Group discussed initial preparations for the proposed visit by the Ministerial Contact Group in December 2008.

The Working Group will hold its next meeting on 20 November 2008.

 

Forum Secretariat, Suva

6 November 2008

 

Frank Sinatra tribute concert at Airways

Australian crooner Max Miller is wowing them at Airways Hotel’s Bacchus Restaurant with Ol’ Blue Eyes, a 10^th anniversary tribute concert to the great Frank Sinatra.

The show started at Bacchus on Wednesday night, continued last night (Thursday) and the finale is on tonight (Friday).

If you sat back and closed your eyes, you would have sworn you were in the Sands Casino Hotel Las Vegas.

Frank Sinatra, centre stage amidst a bevy of black tuxes, gleaming brass and a shiny black piano, is cradling the audience in the palm of his hand as he croons his way through some of the best songs ever written.

But Sinatra’s been gone for 10 years.

And this wasn’t Las Vegas.

From the opening bars of My Kind of Town, to Summer Wind, Strangers in the Night and Sinatra’s trademark My Way – the favorite of our former Prime Minister Sir William Skate – Miller’s show is all class.

So if you want entertainment of a different kind, complemented by great food and wine, drop into the Bacchus Restaurant tonight.

 

 

Lutheran University of Papua New Guinea website

The Lutheran University of Papua New Guinea - new and exciting Lutheran University for Papua New Guinea committed to excellence in tertiary education and service to the church - will open in 2010.

It has a detailed website http://lupng.org/ which contains basically all the information one may want to know.

 

Mission Statement:

 

The mission of the Lutheran University of Papua New Guinea is to conscientiously provide a Christian education for individuals through “Teaching”, “Researching”, and preparing them for “Service” in the church and community as servant leaders.

 

Vision Statement:

 

The Establishment Committee of the Lutheran University Papua New Guinea (LUPNG) has a compelling vision to establish a new Lutheran University at Lae and to unify under that umbrella the distinctive institutions of Martin Luther Seminary and Balob Teachers College. LUPNG will insure a sound, Lutheran Christian quality and model-educational tertiary institution for the citizens of Papua New Guinea.

 

Tabubil women's fellowship group travels to Malalo, Morobe province

By ANDY MAIE

A letter of appeal for donation was written by Evangelical Lutheran Church Malalo circuit gejamsaoc (women’s group) to Tabubil Lutheran church women’s fellowship to support them in their dream to build a women’s resource centre.

The Tabubil women’s fellowship agreed to support this project and with the help of the executive of the Tabubil Lutheran church sent a delegation of 12 women and three men leaders.

On October 10, the group traveled to Lae by plane from Tabubil, and then by sea to Buakap village.

The visit also coincided with the ELC Malalo Circuit Wokmeri conference which was held at Kisiwaga Parish, Busamang village.

Upon arrival at the resource centre at Buakap, the gejamsaoc group from Buakap congregation welcomed the delegation with a traditional dabol singsing through a gate set up on the beach.

On the Saturday, October 11, the delegation was invited to Kisiwaga parish, Busamang village, to attend the women’s conference with the rest of the Malalo circuit.

Upon arrival at Busamang village by dinghy, the delegation was welcomed by the Kisiwaga parish gejamsaoc group with mulmul and siac singsings.

In the evening, the Tabubil women’s fellowship group gave K2, 700 to Malalo circuit hetmeri, who reciprocated with 15 bilums.

On Sunday, October 12, the delegation had Sunday service hosted by Buakap.

In the evening, the delegation was entertained to a siac singsing by the villagers.

On Monday, October 13, the delegation climbed up the hill to visit Malalo circuit mission station to see the centennial plaques that were set up in October 2007.

The Tabubil Malalo group and the Tabubil Lutheran congregation contributed funds towards the celebration and the memorial plaques last year.

When the delegation returned from the mission station, a small shake handshake offer was performed between the delegation and the executive of the Malalo circuit gejamsaoc which raised K300 for the centre.

In the afternoon, the delegation took two dinghy trips to Laugui, Salamaua, to visit the Laugui gejamsaoc group.

The delegation was surprised to be welcomed by the Laugui women’s singsing group through a gate followed by exchange of speeches, and then presentation of bilums.

The delegation left Laugui for the conference centre at Buakap to a traditional welcome of sea water showering by the circuit gejamsaoc group.

A pig was then slaughtered for a feast.

Almighty God has Blessed the trip as everything was executed as planned without any major problems.

Lutheran health services thrive in PNG

Captions: 1. A Lutheran missionary doctor at work in Braun Hospital. People from all over PNG flock to Braun to seek the 'healing hands' of these missionary doctors. Picture by NMZ Mission. 2. A mother seeking treatment for her child at Braun Hospital. Picture by NMZ Mission. 3. Braun Memorial Hospital in Finschhafen, Morobe province. Picture by NMZ Mission. 4. Lutheran health services secretary Abraham Yapu...bearing the cross of Jesus.

Braun Hospital in Finschhafen, Morobe province, is a hive of activity every day as patients flock in from all over Papua New Guinea to seek the services of specialist missionary doctors.

These doctors, Lutheran volunteers from Germany, pray over each patient before treating them and there is a huge success rate.

Lutheran health services secretary Abraham Yapu conservatively estimates that Braun treats more than 10,000 patients a year.

“… Braun alone treats over 10,000 patients a year,” he tells me.

“We have a specialist surgeon, physician, gynaecologist and paeditrician at Braun Hospital.

“That’s why it attracts patients from all over the country.

“We have very good facilities, including up-to-date operating facilities.

“We have very hardworking missionary doctors who are fully committed to their jobs.”

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG, apart from its core task of spreading the Word of God, is also involved in many development activities such as health.

It runs four hospitals around the country at Braun, Yagaum in Madang, Gaubin on Karkar Island in Madang and Etep at Wasu in Morobe province.

“Most of our hospitals are staffed by overseas doctors, mainly from Germany,” Mr Yapu explains.

“There is an organisation called South South Programme which also provides doctors.

“At the moment, we have two doctors in PNG under this programme, which is working very well.

“We have two Bavarian doctors at Gaubin, four at Braun and one at Etep.

“There are missionary doctors sent in for a four-year term.

“We have two local doctors, one at Yagaum and one at Etep.”

Apart from these hospitals, ELCPNG runs 28 health centres through the whole country, 14 aid posts and 14 two-man aid posts.

“We have a health project called District Health Project in Menyamya (Morobe province),” Mr Yapu adds.

“Due to remoteness, this project was created so that we can have direct funding from our partners.

“This idea came from Bavaria and New Zealand.

“That was back in the 80’s.

“ELCPNG is a major contributor in funding.”

The ELCPNG also runs three health schools, the nursing school in Madang which is now affiliated with Divine Word University, and community health workers’ schools at Gaubin and Braun.

“We have almost 300 staff ranging from doctors to community health workers,” Mr Yapu says.

“We have about 250 or more casual workers, depending on areas where they work.

“Staffing would be about 50 for the three schools.

The ELCPNG’s Lutheran health services department was created in 1988; however, health services were already established long before this under the evangelism department.

“At the Ialibu synod in 1988, it was agreed that the Lutheran Health Services must become a department of its own,” Mr Yapu recalls.

“The first national health secretary was Mr Wilson Waesa.

“Changes were made and Vincent Michaels (now Tewai-Siassi MP) became the second national health secretary.

“At that time, we had two hospitals: Braun Memorial Hospital in Finschhafen and Yagaum Hospital in Madang.

“Gaubin (Madang province) became a hospital after Yagaum.

“In 2000, Etep Rural Hospital in Wasu, Kabwum district (Morobe province) was created.

“I don’t have exact figures for the number of patients for the whole country, but Braun alone treats over 10,000 patients a year.

“In the administration structure of the department, we have the national secretary, and then we have regional secretaries.

“I am the national health secretary, Don Kuda is the regional health secretary in Madang, Nena Nag is regional health secretary in Morobe, and Reverend James Koi is regional health secretary in the Highlands.

“We have a senior management team which meets every year to advise the Lutheran health services board.

“Lutheran health services board endorses what projects and programmes and it goes to the church council for endorsement and implementation.

“Lutheran health services comes under the churches medical council like other churches.

“Churches medical council, through the national government, gives grants.

“From churches medical council, the funding goes straight to the regional offices.

“Regional secretaries take care of that funding.

“It covers infrastructure, health programmes and salaries of the workers.

“In one year, funding for the three regions goes up to K6 million.

“Apart from churches media council, regional offices also get assistance from their respective provinces, districts and LLGs.

“ELCPNG is the main source of funding.

“Donations also come in from believers.

“In Morobe, we get a lot of assistance from the Morobe provincial government.

“Recently, we started receiving funding from MPs for health facilities in their electorates.”