Query of the week

From PAUL OATES

In last night's local news there was an expose from the Queensland government on how much the health services currently being provided to PNGians travelling to Australian facilities in the Torres Strait are costing the Queensland government. The estimated cost was in the many millions of dollars. The Commonwealth government is now being asked to help with funding.

Now why isn't this assistance being funded by AusAID?  Afterall, it is overseas aid and directly being applied to our immediate neighbours. At least the expenditure of these funds could be accountable under the Queensland government and not under a very fluid and extremely murky PNG government program as revealed by the recent PNG Commission of Inquiry (COI), into government finances. Only five PNG authorities were exonerated by the COI from the many other government bodies expending funds.

But what might happen if PNG people from all over the country start travelling to Australian facilities in the Torres Strait for treatment?What happens if the trickle becomes a flood? Would these people then be shipped off to Christmas Island to be ultimately accepted as
permanent residents? Many PNG people would welcome the opportunity.

Some might also say that PNG people have an equal or better claim toAustralian citizenship than others from elsewhere.

Indian group eyes LNG slot

Gail India Ltd wants to tie up with InterOil on second gas project

 

By YEHIURA HRIEHWAZI in Brisbane

 

INDIA’s state-owned oil and gas company Gail India Ltd is considering joining InterOil Corp to develop the second LNG plant in PNG, The National reports.

InterOil office in Port Moresby yesterday confirmed that the company is in discussions with Gail.

“Yes, InterOil is in talks with Gail, but we do not comment on discussions until any transaction is complete,” spokesman on behalf of CEO and chairman Phil Mulacek said.

Gail’s chairman and managing director BC Tripathi made the announcement during a sideline press conference where a regional gas conference is in progress this week.

It received wide coverage by local media including the Calcutta Daily Telegraph and major financial websites like Bloomberg and Dow Jones.

He said Gail was planning to invest in gas infrastructure globally and is looking at projects in Papua New Guinea, Nigeria, Ghana and Egypt.

“We are examining the possibility of having a stake in the Papua New Guinea LNG terminal,” Tripathi told reporters.

The state-owned firm is talking to Canadian firm InterOil Corp to buy a stake in its proposed liquefied natural gas project (LNG) in Papua New Guinea.

“In Nigeria, we, along with partners Total and Shell have been shortlisted as one of the companies to develop the Nigeria gas master plan worth about US$7 billion (K`19.4 billion),” he said.

Nigeria is estimated to hold 184 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves, most of which remain unexplored.

The short-listed companies would be invited to build three major gas gathering plants and pipelines that would supply fuel to power firms.

Tripathi said: “In Ghana, we are talking. Once gas production starts, we will process the gas and transport it to the desired location.”

The firm has a presence in city gas distribution projects in Egypt and China.

“We are also exploring the possibility of expanding our city gas operations in Egypt,” Tripathi said.

 

Flying high in Asia-Pacific

LNG forces Jackson International Airport to plan K1.4bil expansion, upgrading

 

PORT Moresby’s Jackson International Airport will be expanded and upgraded into an international-class aviation facility in the Asia-Pacific region, The National reports.

The development is estimated to cost K1.4 billion.

The airport expansion follows pressures from the liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, which will increase passenger and aircraft traffic volume into and out of Port Moresby tremendously.

National Airport Corporation (NAC) managing director Joseph Kintau yesterday accepted the Port Moresby International Airport (PMIA) master plan from Jacobs Consultancy.

Mr Kintau said the current demand for aviation services had put a strain on the existing facilities.

 “The LNG project, expansions by airlines and booming economic activities are factors that forced us to come up with the plan to raise the airport’s standards to meet the expectations of the air industry,” Mr Kintau said.

“The airport is also strategically located in the region where LNG project developers and consumers from the United States, Europe and Asia can have a convenient transit and exit from Port Moresby to other destinations.”

He said the current airport, constructed in 1989, was designed to serve an annual capacity of 300,000 passengers.

“After 20 years, we are now serving 1.4 million passengers a year.

“That’s a significant strain on the airport’s facilities and infrastructure.”

Highlighting one of the key objectives of the organisation’s reforms, Mr Kintau said the 2010 project was to ensure infrastructure development was based on a comprehensive master plan which PMIA was giving priority.

The plan covers the development of infrastructure and facilities over the next 20 years – from 2010 to 2030.

“It is based on passenger and aircraft movements’ forecast and growth in the aviation industry,” he added.

Mr Kintau said the new airport would feature dual domestic and international terminals, extension of runways, redevelopment of apron and taxiways and also the commercial development of the aerodrome land.

Asked how it would be implemented, he said: “The most probable implementation method NAC will be pursuing is a possible public-private partnership arrangement.

“We are looking at a possible concession agreement to implement the capital programme to deliver the infrastructures, management capacity building and improved financial viability for regional airports through PMIA.”

He said the plan also covered the scope of work and, after deliberation by the NAC board, it would be submitted to NEC for approval.

 

Hagen water returns

NORMAL flow of water to Mt Hagen city, Western Highlands province, is expected to return to normal today, The National reports.

This follows tireless efforts by PNG Waterboard Hagen branch staff to flush out water in the storage tanks which were contaminated after someone poured engine oil into the tanks.

One of the raw water pumps started pumping water late yesterday afternoon to fill the contact tank before supplying to the town area.

With the second pump expected to start working this morning, water will return to normal today.

Two suspects were arrested and questioned by police investigators over the incident but later released yesterday. Investigations are continuing into the matter.

PNGWB branch manager Jack Moro yesterday condemned the manner in which a few individuals held the entire city at ransom by contaminating the water.

Staff had completed cleaning the chambers and the wet well (holding tank under the pump station) yesterday.

He reassured that water was only supplied to consumers after ensuring that it is clean and safe for consumption.

Guard Dog security personnel are guarding the raw water pumps and treatment plant premises.

PNGWB has appealed to consumers to boil water derived from other sources to ensure it is safe and clean for consumption.

It also called for community assistance to find the culprits who contaminated the water.

Meanwhile, a community leader in Mt Hagen has called on people living near the city to take ownership of public properties and look after them.

Michael Wamp from the Moge tribe said yesterday that destroying public property would lead to many innocent people suffering.

Mr Wamp said the contamination of the water supply clearly showed that people lack common sense and did not care about others.

“Western Highlander should be ashamed of this,” Mr Wamp said.

 

Government borrows to develop Kokopo

THE National Government is borrowing money to fund several projects in Kokopo, East New Britain province, The National reports.

The Government is borrowing locally, from Nasfund, through the issue of treasury bills, under a scheme described as the sovereign community infrastructure treasury bill (SCITB) series.

It is understood a number of Government projects is to be funded under this scheme.

Kokopo will get K125 million to fund its water and road infrastructure projects.

This was announced jointly in a statement by Treasurer Patrick Pruaitch, National Planning Minister Paul Tiensten and Communications Minister Patrick Tammur.

An appointed agent has been instructed by the Treasurer to issue the treasury bills on behalf of the Government.

Mr Pruaitch said this funding met the debt and fiscal strategy of the Government.

The statement did not detail the water and infrastructure projects to be funded in Kokopo.

Joint chief executive officer of Nasfund Rod Mitchell said this investment would deliver a return to members of the fund in two ways.

He said, financially, it would provide a good return to support member retirements and, socially, it would provide good infrastructure for the Kokopo community.

Mr Mitchell described this investment as a low risk, reasonable returns with a PNG focus.

In the statement, the ministers said the scheme was “within the full parameters of the law”  within PNG.

“I am delighted by the work done and the structure of this community treasury bill. It is the first direct infrastructure treasury bill to be issued and fully invested by one institution, Nasfund,” Mr Pruaitch said.

He assured the people of Kokopo that the funding and expenditure would be transparent and the coordinator would release and utilise the funds in accordance with the agreement and terms of the SCITB.

 

Are more PNG autonomous regions the answer?

From PAUL OATES

"Yes, we must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately."

Benjamin Franklin 1706 - 1790 (at the signing of the US Declaration of Independence).
___________________________________________________

Before any further split up of PNG happens, those promoting the break up as a remedy to produce better times should ponder on just what has caused the current impasse.
Clearly, the effects of ineffectual leadership and massive amount of unprosecuted corruption at all levels of government has resulted in diverting national resources away from providing desparately needed services for the vast majority of PNG people. A few have obviously
benefitted at the expense of the many.  This situation has been allowed to continue for many, many years by the very leaders who now suggest regional autonomy will be better for their people.
While everyone in PNG knows what the visible effects of the problems are, very few have come out and said what they would do about effectively fixing those problems?
If the obvious solution has been too hard for current leaders to manage or is far too electorally painful to contemplate, exactly how are smaller fractions of the same, basic, mathematical formula going to be any more effective than the current, unbalanced equation? More of the
same will not produce any different results, no matter how much it is further dissected.
Where are the politicians with enough guts to stand up and publically denounce what is clearly wrong with today's PNG? Plenty are prepared to talk about what is morally right but who has actually achieved any real results? The people responsible for PNG's current
woes must be clearly identified, publically denounced and officially charged by public authorities. Anything else cannot and will not work. That much is patently obvious.
So what will change with potentially smaller, fragmented, PNG autonomous regions?
Three fifths of five eighths of nothing!

Lest we forget

In loving memory of my beloved wife, Hula, who left us alone so tragically on this day, March 23, 2008.

The times we spent together will be cherished forever.

Never-ending love from me and our children Malum Jr, Gedi, Moasing and Keith.