Business Leaders push for Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific

Issued by the APEC Business Advisory Council

 

Key business leaders of the Asia Pacific region have agreed that it is now time for APEC to take more decisive actions towards establishing a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP) in view of the financial crisis and the stalled Doha Round negotiations. The APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) met in Da Nang to finalize their recommendations to APEC Leaders prior to their dialogue in the November APEC Economic Leaders Meeting.

ABAC members expressed caution about signs of the economic recovery and urged Leaders to take steps to ensure that this is sustained. They believe that this can be done if economies resist protectionism, promote global demand rather than just domestic and that they take the opportunity to undertake economic reforms. And that setting a firm timeframe for bringing a FTAAP into reality would send a very strong signal about APEC’s commitment to accelerating the integration of their economies.

“We believe that APEC is in a position to be the champion of free and open trade. Our vision of a FTAAP would not just cover trade but encompass services, investments and behind-the-border issues of concern to business. We see it as an instrument for bringing about inclusive growth where no one is left behind.” said Mr. Teng Theng Dar, the ABAC Chair of 2009.

ABAC also sees the successful conclusion of the Doha Round no later than 2010 as not only providing a major stimulus to global trade and investments but also to deal effectively with persisting protectionism.

Recognizing the upcoming negotiations in Copenhagen in December for an agreement on climate change, ABAC called on the Leaders to empower their negotiators to conclude a meeting with an agreement that provides business with a predictable and stable environment in which they operate. The business leaders are also developing their recommendations on key issues of critical interest to Leaders including climate change, energy, food security and the impact of demographic trends on the availability of labor.

In a separate communications to APEC Finance Ministers, ABAC urged more dialogue on regulatory changes regarding capital requirements and financial reforms.

 

About ABAC

ABAC brings together up to three business leaders appointed by each of their Leaders of the APEC’s 21 economies. They provide APEC Leaders with information regarding the priorities and concerns of the business sector in the region.

 

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Martin Yuoon, ABAC Executive Director 2009, Tel: (65) 6827-6886, Email: mkhyuoon@sbf.org.sg

Mr. Antonio Basilio, ABAC Secretariat, Tel: (63 2) 845-4564, Email: abacsec@pfgc.ph

Ms. Tran Bao Ngoc, APEC Secretariat, Tel: (65) 6891 9616, Email: tbn@apec.org

 

Land, resources and regulation in Papua New Guinea

By James Wanjik

E-mail: jameswanjik@hotmail.com

 

LAND is very important to people of Papua New Guinea. It is a way of life. No manner of legal gymnastic can change this way of life. Land is Western people’s most prized resource. Thus they do land-banking in Papua New Guinea with licences. Now they are very exposed. No licence processed by the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) is legally valid. I warned the government but miners were very influential. MRA was set up in breach of law. Today my warning is proven true.

No Waigani legal eagle lived life of truth. More questions were raised without legal advice. Keeping MRA guessing I started publishing truths. No lawyer provided response on my views. Today MRA is under siege. It has no way out.

Resource ownership is not a politically powerful issue. It will push MRA mad. This madness we have seen in the media propaganda of late. It pulled wool over the eyes of Waigani that it should be consulted by Members of Parliament on resource ownership. It is a politically suicidal mission. MRA will pay for its arrogance.

Landowners are redirected to MRA. They must take on MRA to be free. Saddling landowners with resource ownership issue MRA thought it would hide. Not so. Plot and plotters are exposed. MRA, its offshoot the new Department of Mineral Policy and Geological Hazards (DMPGH) and the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum are the plotters.

PNG would have been totally powerless had I not warned the government. MRA’s plot was to destroy PNG’s national unity. It would have started with Bougainville. I made MRA to seek Autonomous Bougainville Government’s (ABG’s) consent in a 15-step Alotau Pact in March 2008. It was a political pact.

Legally MRA was already on Bougainville under the MRA Act 2005. It was there in breach of National Constitution. Under section 288 and 290 of the National Constitution the ABG was responsible for mining matters on Bougainville. MRA regretted taking me on just because I had warned Bougainville leaders.

More and more people and leaders are slowly and surely seeing MRA for what it is. It is a counterfeit. It only works for money. Money in illegal tax in illegal production levy. Parliament had been made to look totally powerless. Under section 209 of the National Constitution all government agencies and statutory authorities are required to get prior parliamentary approval of their budgets for a fiscal year. And this includes any revenue measure that might be taken or imposed in a fiscal year. The MRA has been illegally collecting illegal tax in illegal production levy indirectly in 2006 and directly in 2007, 2008 and now 2009. No leader has paid attention to this MRA rot.

The Somare – Temu government lost the plot when they took me on. They did not want truth known. They thought by removing me as Secretary for Mining would be enough to send me powerless. They were mistaken. Position, pay and privileges I lost or were denied me. My voice of conscience they could not silence. Today my voice is more true than their collective lies and deceits.

Landowners would have paid dearly if I was not the Secretary for Mining in 2006 though only for 9 months. The World Bank had in 2005 prepared host of amendments to the Mining Act 1992. Among other amendments the landowners would have paid with no review of exploration licence and licensees would have kept land away from landowners under retention licence. Also the Warden would have assessed compensation. Very disempowering proposals indeed. These proposals are still in the works. The World Bank is back in PNG. This time MRA is the keeper of World Bank money.

The new DMPGH has shown very recently that it has no mandate and cloud to lead review of the Mining Act 1992. Setting up a committee is a cover for weakness.

The truth is the new DMPGH has no legislative basis. The MRA Act 2005 is silent on its roles and functions. No contrary legal advice has been published by the DMPGH to date. It also pulls up some reasons for Waigani’s plot. They did not want me to lawyer MRA out of PNG. Only lawyer who would not do that was Nellie James. She was rewarded with Secretary for new DMPGH. Instead of “appointing” her the government saw it fitting to legally kind of pay paltry sum of “confirmation”. It was odd because Nellie James was not appointed to act in the position of Secretary for DMPGH. No such position was on offer when I was removed as Secretary for Mining.

Landowners will open up can of worms when they take on MRA. MRA will collect DMPGH and PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum to the showdown where landowners will win. Land is our way of life. Resources in or on land are for all people of our land. We must protect our way of life. MRA must go. Long live PNG.

Vying to be Hiri Queen

THREE contestants from Elavala village during the mini festival held in the village last weekend to choose their representative for this year’s Hiri Moale Festival next month.
From left are winner Henao Hale (Miss Elavala) with two other competitors from Elavala, Koani Mea and Igue Pipi.-Picture by AURI EVA of The National

Lie clocks of Papua New Guinea

A famous politician in Papua New Guinea died and went to heaven.
As he stood in front of St Peter at the Pearly Gates, he saw a huge wall of clocks behind him.
He asked, "What are all those clocks?"
St Peter answered, "Those are Lie-Clocks. Everyone on Earth has a Lie-Clock. Every time you lie the hands on your clock will move."
"Oh," said the politician, "whose clock is that?" "That's Mother Teresa's.
The hands have never moved, indicating that she never told a lie."
"Incredible," said the politician.
"And whose clock is that one?"
St Peter responded, "That's Port Moresby Archbishop's clock. The hands have moved twice, telling us that the bishop told only two lies in his entire life."
"Where's Somare's clock?" asked the politician.
"Somare's clock is in Jesus' office. He's using it as a ceiling fan."

Pacific Adventist University celebrates its 25th anniversary (please click to enlarge)

Happy Birthday, Hula

Happy birthday to my beloved wife and Mum, Hula Debe Nalu, who would have turned 33 today, but left us so alone and tragically on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008.

Memories of the time we have spent together will be cherished forever.

With never-ending love from Malum and our four young children Malum Jr, Gedi, Moasing and Gedi.

Do not stand at my grave and weep,I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glint on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you wake in the morning hush,I am the swift, uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circling flight.

I am the soft starlight at night.

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am not there, I do not sleep.

Do not stand at my grave and cry.

I am not there, I did not die!

Visit a real Papua New Guinea settlement

The Eight-Mile Settlement outside Port Moresby is setting the pace for other settlements in Papua New Guinea by having its own photographic exhibition and establishing its own website which features heartwarming poems and stories written by its residents.
The exhibition with a difference, titled ‘Life in 8-Mile is Hard’ opened at the University of PNG last Saturday night (Aug 22) and will next year be featured at the Monash Gallery of Art in Melbourne, Australia.
A difference in that it featured photographs by settlement youth who were taught and inspired by Australian professional photographer Sean Davey.
In what is believed to be a first for a settlement community in Papua New Guinea, Davey has also set up a website entirely devoted to the Eight-Mile Settlement, http://www.8milesettlement.com/ which showcases their photographs, writings and lifestyle.