Chinese Taipei, 21 May 2010 - Business leaders from the APEC region have expressed concern over the crisis currently emerging in Europe.
At a meeting in Chinese Taipei this week, the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) called on member economies to be prepared to take quick and coordinated action, should the crisis in Europe persist and spread toward the APEC region.
Progress toward free trade goals, future vision for APEC
Reviewing APEC’s own progress toward its guiding principle of free trade throughout the region, the group noted that both developed and developing member economies have become considerably more open since the adoption of the Bogor Goals* by APEC Leaders in 1994.
However, says ABAC Chair Gempachiro Aihara:
“The world has changed and APEC needs a renewed focus on removing barriers to deeper integration and deliver stronger business growth.”
ABAC called for a new vision for economic integration that takes into account the evolving nature of global business particularly regional supply chains and value chain in the Asia Pacific region. This vision, say members, should not only include liberalising the flow of goods throughout the region, but also the flow of services, investments, ideas and people. It should be underpinned by balanced and inclusive growth and sustainable development and should take into account the needs of small and medium enterprises as well as microenterprises.
ABAC continues its call for the establishment of a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) which appears to be the most viable concept for achieving economic and market integration in the Asia Pacific. It called for APEC Ministers to provide greater detail on the modalities and process toward a FTAAP to enable the business community to be more actively involved in its evolution.
ABAC will put forward their recommendations to Leaders on the way forward for APEC during their meeting with Ministers Responsible for Trade which will take place on 5-6 June 2010 in Sapporo, Japan.
About ABAC
ABAC includes representatives from the business communities in each of the APEC’s 21 member economies. These representatives are appointed by APEC Leaders as a source of insight to the priorities and concerns of business sector. The second ABAC meeting was held from 17 – 21 May in Chinese Taipei.
For more information, contact:
Mr. Osama Kamikawa, ABAC Executive Director 2010 at (813) 3285 5857 or at: o.kamikawa@mitsui.com
Mr. Antonio Basilio, ABAC Secretariat at (63 2) 845-4564 or at: abacsec@pfgc.ph
Ms. Tran Bao Ngoc, APEC Secretariat at: (65) 6891 9616 or at: tbn@apec.org
* In 1994 APEC established the “Bogor Goals” of free and open trade and investment in the region by 2010 for industrialised economies, and by 2020 for developing economies.
The Department of Agriculture and Livestock is reviewing the National Agriculture Development Plan to realign it with the Government’s higher national development objectives.
A three-day workshop was held last week for senior DAL staff and representatives from the agricultural commodity agencies, industries and farmer groups to discuss the agenda.
About 50 participants met to review the NADP objectives and see how it can be aligned to higher government policies and strategies such as the Medium Term Development Strategy (2005-2010), PNG Development Strategic Plan (2010-2030) and the PNG Vision 2050 in the “promotion of smart, fair and happy society”.
The workshop objectives included the review of the values, vision and mission of NADP, formulation of its goal and purpose, and determination of the thematic areas and objectives.
The workshop was told that the policies and strategies had similar goals to the NADP whose main objective is to improve the people’s quality of life.
However, it is important that all government policies and strategies are aligned together and implemented jointly by all government departments and agencies and its partners for more impact, effectiveness and greater success.
DAL Secretary Anton Benjamin said the NADP was a good plan which was about mobilising and growing the agriculture sector.
However, in its current state, the NADP had lesser linkages to the Government’s higher development policies and strategies and this needed to be addressed.
Benjamin welcomed the input by all stakeholders and thanked the Agriculture Research and Development Support Facility (ARDSF) team for successfully facilitating the workshop proceedings.
He urged the stakeholders to continue working in partnership with NDAL to make the NADP an even better plan for sustainable agriculture growth.
Caption: Mr Uhena pictured outside the Comfort Inn during the CIMC meeting.-Picture by SOLDIER BURUKA
By SOLDIER BURUKA of DAL
There is potential for rubber in the oil palm-dominated Oro province but more effort is needed to improve agricultural delivery services including transportation and marketing.
The call was made by a rubber grower, Paulinias Uhena, who says many people are interested in rubber development but are critical of the lack of basic infrastructure services as well as inadequate extension and technical support from the relevant government agencies.
Uhena attended the recent Consultative Implementation and Monitoring Council (CIMC) Southern Regional Development Forum in Popondetta and was happy to meet with PNG Rubber Board chairman Warren Dutton.
The main constraints faced by farmers are the lack of transportation to transport the rubber cup lumps to designated markets, access to basic infrastructure such as roads and bridges, extension advice, credit and finance, rubber seedlings and the appropriate tools for tapping.
There is also a need to rehabilitate the rubber trees as well as to go into further expansion.
“We need assistance with transporting of rubber produce from the rubber plantations to the main road, feeder roads to be built and upgraded,” Mr Uhena said.
“We need rubber tapping equipment, and we need seedlings for planting.”
“Our biggest obstacle to rubber development and most agricultural productivity is the lack of roads and bridges and the poor conditions of the feeder roads.
“This has been the major concern before, during and after the cyclone disaster that affected the province in 2007.”
He said desperate farmers had to pay people to carry their bags of cup lumps to the nearest road to await transport.
He said what the people needed was cheap transport such as tricycles.
Mr Uhena said the Ioma area not only produced rubber but also cocoa, coffee and vanilla and there was enormous potential for forestry development or agro forestry.
He said there were several options on agricultural productivity for the people to choose, however, this would be made easier with better access to good roads and bridges, market, extension and other essential services.
He said rubber plantations that were established in the early 1970s with provincial government assistance were now in production and this gave the people the opportunity to tap the trees and earn reasonable income.
He said there were over 34,000 matured rubber trees which were in total production.
A local market for rubber cup lump has been established in Popondetta at 90t/kg which is attractive for growers.
Mr Uhena, who works in the provincial administration, is the chairman of the Aeka rubber project in the Ioma sub district of Sohe district, which has over 200 farmers. Another 200 farmers exist in other nearby districts, which mean that the rubber production can be doubled in the province.
The growers and their families, despite the difficulties they encounter, are happy that they are able to earn some income to sustain their livelihood.
Mr Uhena said he had raised his concerns with Mr Dutton who had assured him that he would approach the PNG Sustainable Development Program for possible assistance.
Mr Uhena said he also appealed to the Department of Agriculture and Livestock to donate a big truck and a tractor and provide the appropriate tapping equipment including cups and knives.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed to promote rubber development in the Manus province.
The signing took place between the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and the Manus provincial government last week in Port Moresby.
Officiating at the signing ceremony, acting Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, Peter O’Neill, described it as the way forward for the development and expansion of the rubber industry in Manus province.
“The National Government supports the initiative taken by the Manus provincial government for the establishment and development of the rubber estate and will undertake to provide the necessary funding and technical assistance, including training and extension services to growers,” Mr O’Neill said.
He said the MoU would also enable the stakeholders to be involved in the effective planning, organising and management of rubber development and expansion in the province.
This, he said, was an example of the public-private partnership which the National Government encourages for sustainable agriculture growth and to involve investors in the process.
He emphasised that the important thing was for the provincial government and the resource owners to benefit in the long term.
“The rubber industry offers some challenges and the Government through the Rubber Industry Board and NDAL and relevant stakeholders, including the private sector, are working together to promote the industry,” Mr O’Neill said.
“The public-private partnership is an effective way to support the board and department in their efforts to commence rehabilitation and replanting in potential areas of the country.”
Mr O’Neill said rubber had been cultivated in the country for over 100 years but its contribution to the GDP remained marginal.
Although over 40,000 ha were planted in the past only, 18,230 ha still exist with 6,000 ha in production.
Rubber provides income for over 5,000 growers and indirectly supports another 20,000 population.
In Manus province, it is smallholder-based with 126 growers with an area of 149 ha of matured rubber.
PNG’s natural rubber can be a major foreign exchange earner and is fast becoming a major commodity, given the growing need for natural rubber around the globe.
The current world market price for classified rubber is $US2, 000 per tonne which is around K5, 000.
Manus Governor Michael Sapau signed the MoU on behalf of the province.
Also present was Minister for Inter-Government Relations Job Pomat, DAL Secretary Anton Benjamin and Rubber Board deputy chairman Colin Damai.
A model resource centre at the NARI field day at Bubia.-Pictures by MALUM NALU
Morobe Governor Luther Wenge launches NARI’s drought resource centre.
Chief Secretary to Government Manasupe Zurenuoc (right) launches the drought preparedness plan together with NARI Director General Dr Raghunath Ghodake Morobe Governor Luther Wenge, Chief Secretary to Government Manasupe Zurenuoc and NARI Director General Dr Raghunath Ghodake Food drops being grown on a trial basis at Bubia outside Lae. Will they be evergreen like this in 2012? By MALUM NALU
The 1997 El Nino-induced drought was, as far as I can remember, one of the worst events that I can ever remember.
I was based in Lae at that time, and often took long drives up the MarkhamValley, which is often called the “food bowl” of Papua New Guinea.
The green grass was burnt brown by the prolonged drought, cattle were thin as skeletons and even the chickens didn’t get a respite.
Thousands of villagers in the Markham were affected as their gardens turned dry and betelnut – one of their main sources of income – followed suit.
The MarkhamValley epitomised what happened throughout PNG at that time as food gardens turned dry and animals became skeletons.
But amazingly at that time, while the Markham and the rest of PNG suffered, Lae lived up to its “rainy” tag as rain continued by the buckets.
The year 1997, coincidentally, was a national election year so at least many of the people got a free feed just by following their favorite candidate, hence, perhaps 2012 will bring a sense of déjà vu.
And it was also the year of the infamous Sandline Crisis.
Effects of the 1997 El Nino continued into 1998 as it took time for the soil and betelnut trees to recover.
I remember once in 1998, I was driving my late wife Hula to NadzabAirport to catch a flight back to Port Moresby and on to Australia, and she wanted some betelnut.
Betelnut was as rare as hen’s teeth then because of the drought, and after finding none along the main Highlands Highway between Lae and Nadzab, we drove into a small village near Nadzab where we bought a tiny bunch for K80.
All these memories came back on Wednesday, May 5, as I was among hundreds of people who converged on the National Agricultural Research Institute at Bubia outside Lae for the annual Agricultural Innovations Show for 2010 staged at its Sir Alkan Tololo Research Centre.
As if by divine intervention, to remind us all how fast climate change can take place, it rained heavily that day after fine weather in the preceding days.
This was the fourth year of this “information exchange and knowledge sharing” event in which partner and collaborating organisations in agricultural and rural developmentdisplayed and exhibited their innovations and improved technologies and interacted with farmers and the general public.
Over the past four years, NARI has been spearheading a campaign to prepare Papua New Guinea for recurring periods of prolonged drought linked to changes in the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
In recognition of the urgent need to prepare PNG for such a scenario, the theme of NARI’s innovation show this year was: “Preparing PNG for Drought and Climate Change”.
As an integral component of the event, NARI also hosted a major stakeholder forum under the banner: “Preparing PNG for Drought”.
This aim of this forum was to raise awareness on drought nationally and to debate how best to prepare rural communities for drought conditions.
NARI invited representatives from all the major international and national aid agencies and government institutions concerned with food and agriculture, environment and water security issues in PNG.
Guests included Chief Secretary to Government Manasupe Zurenuoc, Morobe Governor Luther Wenge, John Malai from PNG Red Cross, Andrew Kalai from Salvation Army, Merilyn Gairo from Adventist Development and Research Agency, NARI Director General Dr Raghunath Ghodake and scientists Dr Pikah Kohun, Dr John Bailey, Dr Akkinapally Ramakrishna and Dr Workneh Ayalew
Local NGOs, churches, community-based organisations and rural farming communities were also invited to participate in this forum.
Mr Zurenuoc, no stranger to drought and emergencies because of his previous life as Morobe provincial administrator, launched a major drought preparedness plan.
The plan, appropriately titled, “Preparing Rural Communities in PNG for Drought and Climate Change”, involves NARI as Papua New Guinea prepares for the next major expected drought in 2012 after the havoc caused by the last El Nino-induced drought in 1997.
Mr Zurenuoc said the launching of the project was very timely and relevant to the lives of PNG’s farming and rural communities as the effects of climate change were all too real in these areas.
He said the changes taking place in the country’s rainfall patterns had been much more sudden and unexpected due to variations in the strength and frequency of El Nino events in the tropical Pacific.
“These events are triggering severe dought conditions in PNG once every 10 to 12 years,” Mr Zurenuoc told a stakeholder forum at Bubia.
“There are two major concerns with these El Nino events: the associated drought conditions they bring have been getting progressively more severe and causing ever-greater food and water security problems; and because they only happen sporadically, every 10-12 years, the necessity to put contingency measures in place to help them cope with these problems.”
He commended NARI for taking the initiative over the past three years and campaigning to prepare PNG for drought, and indeed another mega-drought in the near future, particularly principal scientist Dr John Bailey.
Mr Zurenuoc said Government recognised the importance of what NARI was doing and was pleased to provide funding for this initiative under its public investment programme (PIP).
“This will be a long-term investment to assist NARI and its partners in equipping a network of resource centres throughout the drought-vulnerable parts of the country,” he said.
“It is envisaged that these resource centres – possibly 50 in total – will be located at existing stations or bases owned and operated by various extension or outreach organisations including the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, divisions of primary industry, non-government organisations, community-based organisations, schools and church-based organisations.
“I understand that NARI will work in partnership with all of these organisations to ensure that our communities are well prepared to cope with drought events in the foreseeable future.”
The model resource centre, launched by Mr Wenge on the same day, will be built at strategic points around the country.
“The model resource centre, on show here today with its poster displays, food-processing demonstrations and indoor technology displays, illustrates the types of information and resources that need to be made available to out rural communities,” Mr Zurenuoc said.
“They have shown us how to alter the ways in which we manage and use our food and water resources in order to minimise the risks to food and water security during crisis.”
Mr Wenge launched NARI’s model resource centre as PNG prepares for the next big El Nino-induced drought in 2010
This is part of NARI’s plan to prepare rural communities in PNG for frequent and prolonged El Nino-induced drought events.
The Government has provided PIP funding of K2.5 million to equip a network of resource centres throughout the country – operated by government, non-government and church organisations – with the information and resources to help communities cope with recurring drought events.
The most-imminent risk to PNG posed by climate change is the increased frequency of strong El Nino events and the severe drought conditions they bring to much of the country.
Following the drought of 1997, NARI developed a series of strategies to help communities adapt their traditional food production systems to cope with the effects of drought.
These strategies have since been publicised at NARI field events and open days in various parts of the highlands and lowlands.
Notwithstanding this, most rural communities in the highlands, lowlands and islands regions still do not have good access to the necessary information and resources to cope with prolonged drought conditions.
Mr Wenge said he had full confidence in the NARI team to help carry PNG through the expected 2012 drought.
“I’m confident that NARI has the scientific team to carry us through the expected 2010 drought,” he said.
All we, the people of PNG can ask for, is that the Government prepares early for the next drought and not be caught completely off guard as it was in 1997.
Political stability and good governance is vital for Papua New Guinea’s future growth and prosperity. The government must at all times promote good governance to ensure transparency and accountability in everything it does for its citizens.
Parliament must strive towards 'good government and 'clean politics'. It is time we got rid of the special interests that is now corrupting our political system. The evidence is so widespread today but still political leaders pretend ignorance when challenged by media and the public.
If we do not stop corruption, it will soon completely destroy our government and society.
The government can now start combating corruption using some of these strategies:
Promote open discussion of the most significant problems facing parliament and develop priorities for reforms needed to make government's operations transparent and accountable.
Ensure proper oversight of government functions by strengthening internal mechanisms, including investigative and enforcement capacity with respect to acts of corruption and facilitating public access to information necessary for meaningful outside review.
Establish conflict of interest standards for public employees and effective measures against illicit enrichment, including stiff penalties for those who utilise their public positions to benefit private interests.
Legislate for governments at all levels to adopt and enforce measures against bribery in all financial or commercial transactions both with the state, and with external actors.
The organisers of the Maladina protest march are indeed to be congratulated. But has the Papua New Guinea government and its leader been prepared to listen and accept the message being sent?
Statements by the PNG PM, who denounced those protesting, have so far indicated an obstinate intransigence by himself and his government. Those Parliamentarians who stood at the door of the Haus Tambaran and accepted the people's petition have now been lambasted and ridiculed. This does not auger well for PNG's future. The fact that the PM was forced to make an off hand statement that was supposed to be an apology for his calling his people insane only shows that he intends to completely turn his back on the issue. He intends to ignore the will of the people and continue to pursue his own selfish ends.
Now is the time when the resolve of the protest organisers and those who are fed up with the way government ministers and leaders are treating their country and its people, will be severely tested. Will they let the issue die, like PM clearly believes it will, or will they continue to stand up for what they believe in?
The seed has been planted of that great forest tree that represents the future of Papua New Guinea. Will that tree grow strong or will it be allowed to die? Will the PNG public continue to support those who stood up for them or will they allow the heart felt sentiments expressed in protest march to die, as their PM intends.
People of PNG, your resolve has been displayed and is now being tested by those you demonstrated against. Your country's future is in your hands. What direction do you want it to take? Backwards or forwards?
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Bai olgeta pipol imas tok hamamas long ol lain itokaut long stapim dispela Maladina senis long PNG Constitusion. Tasol bai gavaman bilong ol inap long harim dispela singaut a?
PM Somare itok nogut long yupela pipol na emi no harim gut dispela laik bilong yu. PM itok nogut tru long dispela lain ibin kisim dispela pepa bilong ol lain ilaik daunim dispela senis long lo. Emi no gutpela samting long PNG. Bihain bai Somare ibin toksave olsem emi sori long liklik aswa ibin mekim tasol emi no sori tru. Emi laik tanim baksait long ol pipol na tingting long liklik lain femili bilongen tasol.
Nau bai ol lain pipol bilong PNG imas sanap na tokaut long olgeta ino laikim dispela rot gavaman isave wokabaut longen. Sapos oli no hariap long mekim dispela signaut, bai PM inap tokbaitsait long ol, "Ah mi save long ol. Oli no inap tru long mekim mipela save long dispela samting."
Tasol ol pipol yet ibin plantim pikinini bilong dispela bikpela diwai emi olsem kantri bilong PNG. Sapos ol inap lukautim gut dispela pikinin tingting bai kru bilongen ikamap na bai gutpela diwai tru isanap bihain. Tasol sapos oli lusim tingting na larim dispela pikinini diwai idai em bai kantri bilong ol ibagarap bihain.
Pipol bilong PNG. Taim bilong yu istap. Bihain bai yu wokabaut long wanem rot a? Rot igo long gutpela ples oa ples nogut?
