Anti-corruption commission urgently needed in Papua New Guinea

By REGINALD RENAGI

 

If the Papua New Guinea government and parliament is really serious about combating corruption at all levels than it must immediately set up an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). 

Setting up an ICAC entity has been mooted many times before in various public forums but nothing substantive has resulted from this.

 The main reason for this inaction so far is that successive PNG governments have always lacked the required political will and determination to stamp out corruption in PNG. 

An ICAC should be a principal agency with a statutory charter to investigate and prevent corruption in PNG.

 It must be totally independent from the executive branch of the Government.

The principal objectives should be:

• To enforce anti-corruption laws vigilantly and professionally, to make corruption a high-risk crime;

• To identify and eliminate opportunities for corruption in government departments and public bodies by reviewing their procedures and practices, and promote corruption prevention in private sector businesses; and

• To educate the community about the evils of corruption and enlist their support in the war against corruption.

The anti-corruption agency needs a simple but basic plan of action before employing other more complex strategies in future to combat corruption.

 The plan should be to conduct investigation, prevention and education, through the operations, corruption prevention and community relations divisions within the Commission. 

The agency must implement effective strategies such as employing proactive investigation techniques to identify and prosecute instances of corruption which might otherwise go unreported.

A further approach must also include use of undercover operations and broader and more effective use of intelligence and information technology.

In addition, ICAC's investigators must be given continuous professional training to keep pace with the changing commercial environment, technological advances and the latest developments in criminal investigation techniques.

 The training should embrace a wide range of topics, including financial investigation, IT applications, computer forensics, video interview techniques, case management and court proceedings.

Joint operational groups must be established and should comprise of retired senior service officers, dedicated ICAC agents and the disciplined services to strengthen inter-agency cooperation.

Regular meetings should be held to step up operational liaison, addressing common concerns, and developing anti-corruption strategies within the respective disciplined services.

ICAC's main strategic tasks should be focused towards reducing opportunities for corruption in PNG government departments and other public bodies. 

It should also include advising private sector and corporate bodies on corruption prevention. The agency must also conduct detailed studies of practices and procedures of the public sector by helping them to effectively implement corruption prevention measures. 

Its other services should include providing effective consultation services to public sector organisations when new procedures or policies are being formulated, and when urgent corruption prevention advice is urgently required.

 Upon request, ICAC must also provide free and confidential corruption prevention advice to the private sector.

They should include reviewing systems and procedures, drawing up codes of conduct and holding corruption prevention seminars, workshops, etc.

Establishing ICAC in PNG will help other state agencies develop their corruption prevention capability, by producing easy-to-use Best Practice Packages on ways to prevent, minimise or in some controlled manner curb corruption-related opportunities in such corruption prone areas such as procurement, staff administration, information system security, contract letting and administration. 

A good community relations strategy is required to educate the public against corruption and enlist their support in the fight against corruption. Community education should be conducted using mass media programmes and a network of ICAC sub-branch offices in the provinces.

Other future strategies to use on regular basis are give advice on organisational guidelines to state agencies by conducting corruption prevention presentations for government officers.

Apart from civil servants, the ICAC office must regularly conduct training seminars for public and private sector organisations, and assist by providing to other agencies by encouraging them to launch staff integrity promotion projects within their respective organisations.

 

Reginald Renagi

Port Moresby

Ela Vista a development to watch out for in 2010

Ela Vista, a new luxury low-to-medium density residential development is coming up on Touaguba Hill, facing Ela Beach, and will be one of the many developments to watch this year and beyond.

 This development promises to transform the face of Port Moresby once completed in the next few years.

The whole project totals 180 residential units on a land covering about 3.5 ha.

The K250 million-project will be developed in stages by Glory Estate Ltd (formerly known as Kembis Holdings Ltd).

The first stage totals 87 units, comprising semi-detached, terraces, and triplex apartments.

Set high on Touaguba Hill, Ela Vista looks over Ela Beach and beyond toward the sea.

 It also looks over the Koki area.

Apart from the spectacular view it affords, the development is also handily located near amenities.

It is only 300m from the city centre.

 Ela Vista boasts a contemporary design offering open-plan living to suit the lifestyle of young executives or a family.

Each unit is designed to take full advantage of the views while offering safe, convenient and comfortable living.

Ela Vista will have 24-hour security, back-up power and water supply through a centralised property management team appointed by developer, Glory Estate Ltd. Common facilities like street lights, landscape and rubbish disposal will also be taken care of by the team.

Enquiries may be made to Glory Estate Ltd on telephones 238818/3112249 or email gloryestate@gmail.com .

Work progresses well on Vision City Waigani

Mega-mall expected to open this year

 

Work is progressing well on Vision City Waigani, a project which promises to transform the whole economic landscape of Port Moresby.

I yesterday visited the project site and found a hive of activity on the eye-catching site, with workmen busy as bees.

The Rimbunan Hijau (PNG) Group is undertaking this most-ambitious commercial property development ever undertaken in the country at an estimated cost of K1 billion.

The proposed multi-user complex will incorporate a three-storey mega-mall, a 12-storey hotel with more than 290 rooms, a twin-tower office block, a convention centre and about 120 serviced apartments.

The mega-mall is expected to be opened this year, however, RH management were not available yesterday for comment.

Vision City is located on a 9.2ha site fronted by Waigani Drive and Sir John Guise Stadium.

Vision City will create a new focal point for shopping and business in addition to Boroko, the downtown area and Harbour City.

The master plan for the spectacular project, to be undertaken by the RH Group's property subsidiary, Dynasty Development Ltd, has been approved by the National Capital District Commission and a ground-breaking ceremony was held on Tuesday, June 17, 2008.

Work began first with the shopping mall.

Besides a large hypermart and department store, the mega-mall will feature more than 50 retail outlets.

The entire project is expected to take between seven and 10 years and will create about 1,800 jobs at the peak of construction.

"Once Vision City is completed we expect that about 5,000 people will be employed or accommodated within this vast complex that will virtually represent a city within a city," RH managing director James Lau said in 2008.

"It will be home to some 250 business entities and be responsible for generation of business activities worth K200 million to K250 million a year.

"This and other projects being undertaken in Harbour City and in the downtown area are destined to turn Port Moresby into one of the most-dynamic and vibrant cities in the South Pacific.

According to Dynasty, the mini-city complex will have a floor area of 150,000 sq metres or more than seven times the floor space in the 19-storey Deloitte Tower.

The 33,000 sqm shopping mall alone will increase Port Moresby's current shopping floor area by more than 20% and generate around 1,200 jobs.

Similarly the hotel, which will be managed by an international chain, will be the largest in the city.

The twin 10-storey office blocks will be built in two phases.

On completion they will boost the available office area by 60,000 sq m, about three times more than the space available in Deloitte Tower.

Mr Lau said the RH Group had spent several years planning this mixed commercial and residential development.

"This project will only be successful if the PNG economy continues to experience strong growth and we are confident that initiatives undertaken by the present government in recent years will ensure a healthy climate will prevail for private sector investment and growth," he said.

"The extremely strong growth in employment in the past two years is one of the factors that make us confident that a visionary project of this scale can be a commercial success by providing many more world-class amenities for public use.

The complex will incorporate various high-tech features to take care of growing concerns about greenhouse effects and climate change.

The hotel, for example, will employ sun-shading devices to maximise natural ventilation and natural lighting and an "external skin of steel mesh over part of the façade" will reduce power requirements.

The landscaped courtyard for the serviced apartments will also allow for better cross ventilation and improved entry of natural sunlight.

There will be 2,600 parking lots, with a third of them under cover.

Residents of the apartments will have use of squash courts and a gymnasium.

Chinese duo charged with attempted murder

By JULIA DAIA BORE in The National, Papua New Guinea’s leading daily newspaper

Two Chinese nationals (pictured) suspected of shooting businessman Jason Tan at his home in Port Moresby have been charged with attempted murder.

They are expected to appear before the Waigani Committal Court tomorrow.

Changziang Gao, 36, and Xue Zhufu, 38, were arrested in Baruni, in Moresby North West, shortly after Mr Tan was shot at his home at Paga Hill last Saturday afternoon.

Two pistols were reportedly seized.

Five shots were fired at Mr Tan, but only one shot hit him in the arm.

It is understood that he has sought treatment in Australia.

Police are questioning the suspects through interpreters.

Both accused do not speak English or Tok Pisin.

Mr Tan is a long-time resident of PNG and is involved in several businesses.

Papua New Guinea needs a strategy for change

By REG RENAGI

 

Since independence, successive governments betrayed the values that brought Papua New Guinea into nationhood. 

All the early political promises at independence of providing opportunities to the people, taking responsibility and rewarding those who work hard seems to have been forgotten by the government over the passage of time.

 The result today is the people got poorer while the few who got into power in Waigani and their special interest friends got richer.

PNG has some of the world’s richest natural resources and most-resourceful people.

 The country’s natural beauty, culture and lifestyle could make it a great place to live, work, visit and do business.

 Yet, since independence, the country with successive national and provincial governments has mismanaged its assets and squandered its people’s opportunities for a better standard of living and a good quality of life.

 The consequences are high unemployment and underemployment, low incomes, a high tax economy, substantial urban migration, below standard services and a big national debt. 

PNG’s political system is not working effectively for its people.  Waigani is dominated by special interests and an entrenched bureaucracy that has totally failed its life-long mission of serving the people in all conditions.

 Papua New Guineans are tired of the way their country has been mismanaged and are ready for leaders willing to take responsibility to lead the nation to prosperity and growth.

To do this, PNG’s leadership must have a good strategy for change that will transform the whole country for a better future.

 The new leadership strategy must put people first with a plan that will provide avenues for the people to fully engage themselves in many life-changing opportunities.

PNG needs a new leadership approach, realistic vision and a good holistic plan.

 The next new prime minister and administration must start dealing with many basic problems ignored for many years.

 The next government must judiciously apply rational and intelligent policies to traditional resource industries that aim to make PNG competitive and provide solid benefits to all citizens.

 It must foster new and growing industries to create jobs for today and for the next generation.

The new plan for a progressive and transformational government from 2012 should be to grow the economy and provide new job opportunities for Papua New Guineans.

  Its focus must be to put more money into the pockets of those who need it the most.

 It must also target growth in small and medium businesses, tourism, IT, fisheries, forest and the agriculture sector industries. 

The focus should also be placed on receiving more widely-distributed benefits from the development of the country’s natural resources.  

For the future, the government must ensure equality for all citizens by empowering them to equally participating in and benefiting from the country’s development.

 National sovereignty and self-reliance is an important goal to make PNG politically and economically independent with a self-reliant economy. 

PNG must ensure its natural resources and environment is conserved as much

Kokopo international hotel to be opened in April

Picture of new hotel with the original steps of Queen Emma’s residence which have been retained and developed as a tourist attraction. - Picture courtesy of NAMBAWAN SUPER

The historic site of Queen Emma’s residence at Ralum near Kokopo in East New Britain will soon become an impressive three-storey hotel called Gazelle International which will be opened in April this year.
All rooms will have spectacular views over-looking the blue waters of Blanche Bay and looking up to the green hills of Kokopo.
Construction work started early last year on the multimillion kina hotel which is jointly owned by Nambawan Super which has majority shareholding, plus Airways Hotel and East New Britain provincial government.
The owners of the new development have taken into account the invaluable historical significance of the hotel site and have modeled the design of the hotel to reflect as much as possible Queen Emma’s original house.
This included renovating the original steps of the Queen Emma residence as a draw card and a major tourist attraction.
The steps are still located on the hotel property leading towards the golf course.
The hotel will comprise a reception, lobby shop, coffee lounge, restaurant, bar and poker machines all on the ground floor, while a total of 52 rooms make up the two upper floors.
Other amenities will include a resort pool, and a separate conference building which will seat up to about 150 persons.
In recent years, an influx of people have been attracted to Kokopo for conferences and a real need for good facilities have been unavailable to cater for their needs.
The builders for the hotel are Lamana Development Limited while the architect is Peter Kubli of Cairns.
According to the builders, the Gazelle International Hotel is designed to cater for a mix of customers, international tourists as well as conference people and weekenders.
All rooms will have spectacular views over-looking the blue waters of Blanche Bay and looking up to the green hills of Kokopo.

Henry Kila dies

Well-known Papua New Guinea Henry Kila died at 2pm yesterday from a suspected heart attack.

Mr Kila was a well-known insurance man, leading sports personality and a prominent figure in government and private sector relations.