Another vital milestone for Datec (PNG) Ltd

Caption: Datec CEO Bhanu Sud (left) seals the deal with ISC CEO and Global Chairman Tony Wilde

 

Datec (PNG) Ltd has announced a new initiative to bring management system training courses to Papua New Guinea through an arrangement with International Standards Certifications Pty Ltd (ISC).

ISC is a full scope JAS-ANZ accredited certification body providing independent third-party auditing and certification to companies, organisations, government departments and enterprises who are seeking recognition of compliance to various national and international Standards.

ISC also has a range of accredited training courses in various subjects including quality management, environmental management and occupational health and safety.

With the commencement of the liquefied natural gas projects about to begin, the acquisition of relevant skills by local people will be a crucial factor in PNG’s goal of self sufficiency and will ensure it has the ability to provide the services required by suppliers who wish to work in this huge development project.

Independent third-party auditing and certifications are much sought after all over the world and achievement of certification to the various standards enhances the reputation and global acceptance of any organisation, making it more-competitive and capable of marketing its products and services in a globally-accepted manner.

Bhanu Sud, CEO of Datec (PNG) Ltd said: “With this agreement between ISC and Datec, training can now be provided to government and private organisations in PNG to master the art and science of quality management systems and also to become world-recognised lead auditors, a skill set that has an extremely high demand worldwide and opens exciting new global career opportunities.”

On the occasion of signing the agreement, Tony Wilde, CEO and Global Chairman of ISC, said: “I am extremely happy that we have been able to identify an organisation like Datec, wishing to add a meaningful contribution to the future of PNG by helping to make these training courses available.

“ISC offers flexible, modular-style training which enables you to choose the pace in which you wish to progress to the auditor's qualification.

“The flexibility of the modular style training enables the delegates to digest and consolidate training information before moving on to the next module or stage of training.

 “This new and exciting training concept is a competency-based learning experience and has the ability to evaluate and recognise prior learning and competencies obtained through other training establishments.

“This would obviously mean that the training provided would meet the highest levels of competence and the trainers selected from our global pool would provide relevant and the most effective training.”

These programmes are being launched through the Datec Learning Centers, the training and education arm of Datec, which provides the finest training in PNG and the programmes will be conducted at various locations including the Datec Learning Centers’ facilities at Lae and Port Moresby.

More details of the programme can be found on the Datec website, www.datec.com.pg .

 

Passing of veteran photographer William Williando

This is to let all friends and media colleagues know of the passing of veteran Papua New Guinea photographer, WILLIAM WILLIANDO, earlier today at the Port Moresby general Hospital. William was well-known in this country for his friends-to-all, enemies-to-none approach.

SYB in PNG: Making Up for lost time

By Jenny Hayward-Jones

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was busy improving bilateral relations with more than one neighbour last week. Incredibly, for two countries that share an island and a difficult border, President Yudhoyono was the first Indonesian President to visit PNG since President Soeharto in 1979. 

Making up for lost time, the two governments signed a Defence Cooperation Agreement, a Double Taxation Agreement and letters of exchange on agriculture cooperation. They also agreed to open an official border crossing at Sokau-Wutung. And, according to media reports in PNG, Indonesia has agreed to train PNG police to prevent transnational terrorism, money laundering and people smuggling.

PNG's Post Courier newspaper has suggested that Indonesia's improved relations with Australia paves the way for new forms of trilateral cooperation between PNG, Australia and Indonesia. Whether or not this eventuates, PNG stands to benefit from a more mature bilateral relationship with Indonesia. The focus on economic as well as security cooperation evident in President Yudhoyono's visit is a positive development for the Pacific Islands region's most populous country.

The situation in West Papua was apparently not on the agenda, despite the efforts of Port Moresby's Governor, Powes Parkop, to present a petition to the Indonesian President calling for greater Papuan autonomy. The PNG Government will not have missed President Yudhoyono's warnings to the Australian parliament about respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

This will no doubt be disappointing to Vanuatu, West Papua's most vocal supporter in the Pacific Islands region. PNG's desire to enhance and protect its relationship with Indonesia seems certain to continue to trump Vanuatu's efforts to use the Melanesian Spearhead Group to promote the West Papuan cause

Failing public sector could derail equitable benefit sharing of the gas project

This Editorial - from the Nasfund newsletter -  is in dedication to five outstanding State agencies that give us hope that we can do it right.

 

• Bank of Papua New Guinea
• Institute of Public Administration
• Alotau General Hospital
• Goroka Base Hospital
• Post PNG

 “The evidence we have shows that fiscal management and accountability have collapsed” – Timothy Bonga MP, Chairman Parliamentary Accounts Committee

Without an effective public service, we will increasingly see Papua New Guinea’s growing mineral boom being fritted away with the benefits unequally shared. This will mean minimal impact on service delivery, especially outside of Port Moresby.

It is clear that the PNG Government Sector has lived well beyond its means for a decade or more. It is costly, grossly inefficient and largely ineffective. Large sections have been corrupted and deskilled.  To quote the Public Accounts Committee (PAC)

“systems of accounting and reporting in all government departments have collapsed under the gaze of the departments of Finance and Treasury, law enforcement agencies and Parliament with no attempt to stop the endless illegalities and incompetence.”

The recent expose’ in the papers of the PAC findings are simply breath taking as to the incompetence and lack of accountability right throughout the machinery of government. In the latest round of PAC reports covering 900 state agencies only five made the grade. As the Chairman of the PAC stated

“Of the hundreds of agencies we have examined, we can only find five that maintained proper, lawful, auditable and reliable financial information. “

How are we going to provide education, aid posts, roads and other services, when the very machinery is incapable of basic delivery? How are we going to progress the Nation if the Lands Department is assessed by the Committee in the following less than complementary terms “Corruption and criminal collusion by senior managers is an accepted incident of the departments functioning”.

Sadly, the facts as being highlighted have been well known for over a decade. Currently the expenditure on salaries and wages within the public sector takes up approximately 45% of recurrent budget expenditure. Many look to the LNG project tax receipts as the solution, believing that the answer is just to throw more money at the problem. Sadly money has never been the root cause of the effectiveness or lack of effectiveness of the public service. Money has always been there, it has just been washed away through incompetence, corruption and lack of discipline. The real solution to the Public Service is leadership…and from that taking responsibility. Two key words sadly in short supply.

 

Kapris: I am sorry

Prisoner given another 4 months, K1, 000 fine for firearm

By GEEJAY MILLI

PRISON escapee and bank robbery suspect William Nanua Kapris said sorry yesterday about his deeds, and said he wanted to serve his time in jail and become a good citizen again, The National reports.

The alleged mastermind of the 2008 bank robberies appeared in court yesterday in Boroko before Magistrate Danny Wakikura.

He and 11 others escaped from the Bomana maximum security facility on Jan 12. He was caught three weeks later in a motel in the city. He had a gun in his possession at the time.

Kapris was sentenced to four months imprisonment and fined K1, 000 for being in possession of an unregistered firearm.

Before sentencing him, Magistrate Wakikura asked him why he did not appear in court in the last two days.

 “Askim ol CIS lo explain why mi no bin apia, bihain ol kalabusim mi, ol i lokim mi na mi nogat idea wanem taim lo kam lo kot” (ask the CS to explain the reason why I did not appear. After I was captured, they locked me away and I had no idea when to come to court),” Kapris said.

Kapris was convicted of this offence after he pleaded guilty on Feb 10.

Mr Wakikura told him he had four months to pay the fine, or four months would be added to his time.

Police prosecutors informed the court that Kapris’ existing sentences included a sentence on Jan 29, 1997, of four months for escaping; a Nov 3, 1997, sentence for 15 years for two rape charges; a sentence on May 4, 1998, of 20 years (concurrent) for attempted murder; a sentence for four weeks hard labour for assault on May 29, 1998; a three-month sentence on Feb 1, 1999, for escaping from lawful custody; a 12-month sentence on Oct 5, 2000, for unlawful assault; and a three-month sentence on March 26, 2004, for escaping.

All that adds up to about 16 years for Kapris because of the concurrent nature of most of the sentences. This does not include the alleged crimes he is still to face trial for, including the robberies and the Jan 12 escape from Bomana.

Kapris spoke out when Magistrate Wakikura asked if he had anything to say to the court.

“Olsem mi bin tok pinis, kes blo mi gat politics involve; mi holim displa firearm lo protektim mi yet; mi nogat tingting lo bagarapim public; mi askim marimari blo kot so mi ken servim stret taim blo mi.

“Givim seken sans long mi so mi ken senis; mi ken pinisim taim blo mi lo kalabus na kamap gutpla citizen blo kantri.

“Mi tok sori. Mi save mi rong. Mi tok sori lo kot na sori lo pablik tu. Em tasol, tenkyu (Like I stated previously, politics is involved in my case; I kept the firearm to protect myself; I had no intention of harming any member of the public. I ask for the mercy of the court so that I can serve my time. I ask for a second chance, to change, so that I can finish my term and become a good citizen of this country; I am sorry; I know I have done wrong. I say sorry to this court and to the public. That is all, thank you).

Media personnel reporting the court proceedings were not allowed to interview Kapris.

On the charge of escaping from lawful custody, the matter would be indicted by the public prosecutors on April 8.

The firearm Kapris had is to be tendered in court on March 22 and will be destroyed within 30 days if no one steps forward to claim it.

Rambi: NEC to step in on row

INTERNAL Security Minister Sani Rambi yesterday admitted the Government’s hand in the problems confronting the top hierarchy of the police force, and promised to go to Cabinet today to have it resolved, The National reports.

A press conference was arranged at the police headquarters at Konedobu where Police Commissioner Gari Baki spoke to reporters first, and Mr Rambi joined about 30 minutes later.

Both Mr Baki and Mr Rambi were concerned about the headlines Mr Baki has been making in the last three days, relating to the court case between him and Tony Wagambie, and another case filed by Raphael Huafolo, and Mr Baki’s decision to bring back Geoffery Vaki from suspension.

Both were concerned that the media publicity was giving the impression the police force was divided, and deviating away from its responsibility to fight crime and maintain law and order.

Mr Baki also criticised The National for reporting on its front page that he had filed a legal challenge against the National Executive Council, when that action was actually a judicial review proceeding instituted by Mr Huafolo relating to his appointment.

Mr Baki said at no stage in the whole saga was he challenging the NEC, the appointing authority.

Mr Baki said Mr Huafolo was seeking to ask the courts to rule that the NEC had acted improperly and outside of its jurisdiction in appointing Mr Wagambie under section 49 of the Police Force Act1998 to the position of acting deputy commissioner of police.

Mr Baki said he had made the decision to bring Mr Vaki back after a year out in the cold. Mr Vaki was suspended to allow police investigations into alleged abuse of a female companion. He was cleared by the court later.

Following Mr Vaki’s suspension, Mr Huafolo was appointed to act as deputy commissioner by Mr Baki.

But it appears that NEC decided to appoint Mr Wagambie when the submission to suspend Mr Vaki was brought to NEC.

Mr Wagambi’s case is before the court, and a contempt proceeding against Mr Baki is related to this.

Asked if bringing a fresh NEC submission to reinstate Mr Vaki would be disrespect of the court, which is dealing with these issues, Mr Rambi said he did not think so.

“I’m taking a submission back to NEC to recall Mr Vaki, to confirm his appointment. The court process is there, and we respect it. But these are urgent issues within the force which we have to deal with.

“The submission might go to NEC tomorrow (today).

“There are rumours the Government is split about this. I can assure you we are not. I met the Prime Minister on Tuesday and briefed him, and he said to allow the court to take its course.”

'Senat is a menace'

AIDS patient Nicholas Senat is becoming a menace to the Lae public, The National reports.

He has been threatening students, commuters and the public with a syringe.

The Morobe provincial AIDS committee last night asked the police to step in and arrest him.

PAC coordinator Charles Pepe said Mr Senat should not be threatening the public.

“He should be taken into custody and sent home,” Mr Pepe said.

He said Mr Senat’s behaviour was placing the lives of other people at risk.

Mr Pepe said under the HIV/AIDS Management Act, people who knowingly transmit the virus could be charged with a criminal offence.

He urged relatives to meet with the PAC to discuss ways to care for him.

“We can send him to Siassi but who is going to look after him?” Mr Pepe asked.

Mr Senat’s parents are in Port Moresby.

In January, the PAC had paid boat fares for both Mr Senat and an escort to Siassi Island to his Omom village, where his medication would be sent.

But Mr Senat returned to Lae in February.

At the beginning of this month, he began threatening people.

Last Saturday afternoon, he walked into the Foodmart Supermarket around 5pm and started eating the food he collected before paying for it.

On Monday, he walked into the Amba Demonstration School’s elementary section at Ampo and chased all the pupils out, threatening “to inject them with AIDS”.

The next day, he confronted an upper primary pupil from the school and tried to grab him but was shrugged off.

On a PMV bus from Balob to China town on Tuesday, commuters ran out of the bus at China town and fled for their lives urging the driver and conductor to “take him to the police”.

At Eriku yesterday morning, he swore at people who stared at him.

He pointed to a group of about 50 men, women and children and shouted: “You call me AIDS man. Ten of you have AIDS.”