Oz lawyers to strengthen Papua New Guinea governance

From PAUL OATES
I refer to the article in today's PNG Attitude titled 'Australian lawyers to strengthen governance'.
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This initiative raises a few concerns.
Firstly, why does Papua New Guinea need qualified lawyers to improve public service governance? This is a straightforward management and internal audit function that requires a proven administrative skills set and not a qualified legal one. Also, no overseas applicant should be recruited for these positions unless it has first been established that there are no suitable PNG applicants available.
Secondly, these lawyers should be working directly to the Australian Department and not a consultancy company.
Thirdly, there should be some limitations specified in the contracts to be undertaken by the occupants of those positions in the Office of the Solicitor General?
Here are some suggestions for inclusion in these contracts:
1. There must be a guaranteed outcomes based, independent assessment on a half yearly basis with the Australian employer and achievement targets agreed on, at the start of each assessment period. Non achievement of agreed targets effectively causes contract termination and an automatic cessation of employment.
2. Successful applicants must sign an agreement to conduct an effective training programme with guaranteed skills transfer to at least two PNG officers each year. The agreed training program to be put together and assessed by the law societies of both PNG and Australia on an ongoing monthly basis after discussion and agreement by both the training officer and the PNG officers being trained.
3. Agreed parameters are to be written into each contract to ensure that those officers recruited and the PNG officers being trained will not be in any way undertaking any work associated or involved with the defence of the members of PNG Parliament or PNG public service officers, should these PNG persons be personally or severally involved in any legal action on any issue.
4. Successful applicants must have proven, cultural sensitivity and an awareness of PNG culture and customs.
5. Successful applicants must have a minimum of 5 years proven experience in working with the same types of matters and issues they will be required to work on during the period of their contract.
6. Each successful applicant must be able to allowed to communicate with both PNG government and PNG Opposition members.
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06 June 2010
Australian lawyers to strengthen governance
BY DONALD HOOK

THE AUSTRALIAN Government will appoint three senior lawyers to work with the law and justice component of Papua New Guinea's Strongim Gavman programme.
The programme is designed to improve governance, law and policing in PNG.
Two of the lawyers will be senior litigation advisers in the office of the PNG Solicitor-General.
The other will be a senior commercial law adviser in the office of the State Solicitor.
Australia's Attorney-General's Department, which manages the law and justice but not the policing component of Strongim Gavman, advertised the three positions in Australian newspapers this weekend.
The two-year appointments - with the possibility of a one-year extension - have a tax free annual salary range of $132,652 to $145,385 plus allowances.

NASFUND Launches Phase 2 of TEXTBAL

THERE ARE NOW TWO OPTIONS TO ACCESS YOUR BALANCE ELECTRONICALLY

If you are a member of NASFUND and have access to a DIGICEL phone, you can now retrieve your NASFUND superannuation balance in two easy steps anytime you wish.
1. Press *627* enter your membership number followed by # key.
2. Press send.

Your Superannuation balance will be sent via text straight to your phone.
Note: 1. You will not be charged for this call
2. This service works only on Digicel phones
3. There is no registration involved and
4. This service operates 24 hours a day

If you want a service where you are sent a text message every time your superannuation balance is updated then you will need to register via a Text Bal Registration form.

Note: 1. This service is free to Members
2. This service works on both Digicel and Be Mobile
3. You must register for this service.

ANOTHER REFORM FROM THE LEADERS IN SUPERANNUATION
www.nasfund.com.pg

Madang children clean up town on World Environment Day

Children picking up rubbish to load on to a small truck being driven by Sir Peter Barter.-Pictures courtesy of SIR PETER BARTER

Madang Resort Hotel staffer Sibona Mahi and children cleaning up Madang on World Environment Day

By MALUM NALU

Spurred on by environmentalist/rower Roz Savage’s visit, downtown Madang was cleaned up over World Environment Day on Saturday by children of Madang Resort Hotel staff.

Hotel owner Sir Peter Barter and staffer Sibona Mani, together with the children, collected several bags, filling several truckloads and emptying rubbish that was overflowing onto the roads.

Sir Peter said this was not exactly a new task carried out by the children, as it was done many times during the year.

“Despite these attempts to keep clean, the Madang urban council makes no attempt to thank the children, nor does it appear to be making any real attempt to clean the town or repair the roads,” he said.

“Perhaps we should all refuse to pay land rates.

“This may make them aware of the total disgust rate payers have in the performance of a council that is rarely seen, makes little or no attempt to tell the tax/rate payers how the money is spent to improve the image of the town.”

Madang lays down the red carpet for woman rower

By MALUM NALU

 

British ocean rower and environmental campaigner Roz Savage was feted like royalty when she arrived in Madang last Friday after an epic 47-day rowing voyage from Tarawa in Kiribati.

Savage made landfall at 8am last  Friday, completing her three-stage trip and becoming the first woman to row solo across the Pacific Ocean.

She was met by flotilla of more than 100 traditional canoes, adorned in PNG style and PNG flags.  

More than 5, 000 men, women and children, many in traditional dress – in one of the biggest events in Madang in recent times -  lined the entrance of Dallman Passage and Kalibobo Village waving to Savage she moved slowly into the dock at the Madang Resort. 

On arrival she was met by customs, immigration, and quarantine and officially cleared and then welcomed by the Governor Sir Arnold Amet.  

Literally hundreds of people shook hands with Savage, most of whom had pictures taken with her. 

“The welcome was spectacular,” she said today (Sunday).

“I really had no expectations at all and I can’t believe how many people were there.

“It was fantastic and I really enjoyed being escorted by the canoes.”

Sir Peter Barter welcomed her, explained the purpose of her visit and Savage then spoke, saying she chose Madang on the advice of famous French oceanographer Jean-Michel Costeau, who visited Madang in the 1980s with his father, Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

Savage spoke of the million of strokes and how she had crossed an ocean.

She went on to tell the people that they too could make a contribution by many people doing small things to look after the environment.

She told the crowd that during her stay over four weeks she would visit schools, meet students and talk to them about protecting the planet.

 Numerous people presented bilum bags, yabob pots and other gifts as an appreciation and the formal welcome was done by children from Milne Bay and students of Krangket Island.

Savage said she was overwhelmed by the red carpet welcome and was really enjoying the natural beauty of Madang.

“I want to get to know Madang a little bit,” she said.

“I went diving yesterday (Saturday) and Madang has some of the most-beautiful diving in the world.

“I’d like to say thank you to everybody.

“Walking around town, it’s been really good, with everyone wanting to shake hands with me and take pictures.”

Savage set off in her 23-foot boat from Tarawa, Kiribati, in mid-April on the final leg of her Pacific voyage.

In total, she spent about 250 days alone at sea, rowing more than 8,000 miles and taking an estimated 2.5 million oar strokes along the way.

Savage traveled from San Francisco to Hawaii in 2008, then on to Tarawa last year, before finally arriving in Madang.

“My Pacific row has been to raise awareness on climate change and to say that we will have to do our part,” she said.

“Every action counts.”

 Savage said that after taking a well-deserved break in Madang, she would be moving down to Perth, Western Australia, for the Indian Ocean stretch of her epic voyage from Perth to Mauritius in Africa.

Why hasn't legal action commenced?

From PAUL OATES

In what appears to be an open and shut case of massive fraud, an article on the following website details how the Papua New Guinea government has paid out millions of kina in what the Finance Commission of Inquiry specifies in their report are fraudulent payments.
http://pngexposed.wordpress.com/
Tom Rangip and Pacific Paradise Foods unlawfully paid K14.85 million
If the investigation has already been completed and the factual evidence is already available, why hasn't the PNG police service taken immediate action to bring this matter to court?
 The money that has been reportedly stolen from the state could have built new accommodation for those hard working policemen and their families who are reportedly living in sub standard accommodation around the country.
Why hasn't the Public Prosecutor taken immediate action on this report and the many other findings from the high level Inquiry?
The money that has reportedly been stolen from the government could have paid for more staff for the Public Prosecutor to take legal action against those who are financially bleeding PNG dry.
So if the PNG authorities cannot act on what appears to be a clear cut illegal activity, perhaps they themselves should be investigated by the PNG Ombudsman Commission to determine why this is so?
Perhaps the Chief Ombudsman should issue a public statement to the effect that any public authority who is not clearly and energetically carrying out the activities it has been set up to do will be required to publically state "Why not?"
 The Ombudsman Commission could well have used the reported K15m in fraudulent payments to investigate further malpractice and malfeance.
Maybe the Ombudsman's review should also look at the Solicitor General and any PNG government audit body who have apparently been paid to a job they appear to be unable to carry out. In business, if you can't perform what you set out to do, your business goes bankrupt and you lose everything.
In PNG however, if you are in a government authority that doesn't do what it is paid to do, you continue to get paid.
In many people's eyes, that situation could be another glaring case of fraud.

Mioks unfazed

Crunch time ... Masta Mak Rangers centre Robert Nandie (left) and winger Ham Tee tackling ACTL Lae Bombers Bal Kaupa during the bemobile Cup in Port Moresby last Sunday. – Nationalpic by AURI EVA

Players unhappy with coach but unbeaten Engans remain focused
By ZACHERY PER

TOYOTA Enga Mioks are unfazed by the controversy surrounding their coach Gabriel Kiluwa and the players when the Engans take on Bintangor Goroka Lahanis at the National Sports Institute (NSI) in round five of the bemobile Cup tomorrow, The National reports.
The Lahanis are also bracing for a tough encounter as they also have their own in-house issues following the sudden resignation of deputy board chairman Himony Lapiso on Monday. Lapiso resigned from the Lahanis Board following public criticisms.
The Mioks board is understood to have resolved their internal feud following the call to remove Kiluwa passing on information to the board without the players’ consent.
Kiluwa maintained that he was appointed by Enga Governor Peter Ipatas and was subjected to Ipatas’ decision regarding his tenure with the Mioks.
In response, Mioks players made it clear that their three wins and their current second placing on the bemobile Cup ladder was done without Kiluwa’s tactical input.
Instead captain James Meninga and vice-captains David Loko and Mose Lam claimed that the true architect of the Mioks’ successes so far was team manager Timothy Lepa.
They said this trend was unlikely to change when they play the Lahanis this on Sunday.
Incidently, the Mioks have yet to win in Goroka since re-entering last year and are keen to continue their strong form with a win at NSI.
Lepa explained that despite the situation in the Mioks camp, the players are all geared up and prepared for their clash with the Lahanis.
Former Lahanis try scoring wizard and centre Garnet Auwo, who has scored in all the Mioks three games so far, has also vowed to avenged his sacking from Lahanis this season.
Mioks scooped Auwo following his sacking along several other Lahanis players at the end of last season.
The Mioks are benefiting from the former representative winger. Auwo will be ably supported by freakish ball runner and fellow Goroka Nowek Royals player Pasu Peter Avani.
The likely Mioks line-up for Sunday features a solid forward pack in the likes of props Esau Siune and Timothy Clement, backrowers James Gend, Loko, Wanpis James and rake Leon Cletus.
The bench should see Jonah Mackay, Anderson Tewi, Diki Aiyo and Young Pamus.
Skipper Meninga has been shifted back to his traditional fullback position to cater for young Joel Punas who slots into the five-eighth.
Halfback Lam, Auwo, Avani, Junior Bal Kawa, Jefery Maino, Jason Tali and Ben Jomino appear to have a slight edge over the ir opposites in theLahanis outfit.
The host have the weight, height and speed advantage in the likes of skipper Nigel Hukula, England based player Nicko Slain, John Milba and Glen Nami, however, the forwards fire power of late has been lacking unless they improve this Sunday the Lahanis 2010 campaign could take fatal blow.
For the Goroka franchise the recall of electrifying scrumhalf Casey Frank should add some class to the backline, however, newcomers like Jerry Akepa, Adex Wera, Ismael Awute, Thompson Tete, Joseph Peter, Jasper Philip, Wally Laua and Spiro Mikaive must withstand the expected Mioks aggression and be disciplined enough to stick to the game plan of coach Peter Danga.

Reaping what we sew

Empowered…Jeris Kundin, Tan Maki and Anna Karapi hard at work at the PNG Garment and Textile Development Institute
From left are Jeris Kundin, Tan Maki and Anna Karapi while at back are SBDC women in development officer Maria Kalap and business development manager Nathan Timo
Anna Karapi, Tan Maki, SBDC women in development officer Maria Kalap and Jeris Kundin

By MALUM NALU

BY now, a country like Papua New Guinea should have a thriving clothing industry, however, this is not the case and we continue to import clothes from overseas as well as rely on expatriate tailors.

We are also being inundated by an avalanche of second-hand clothes.

This status quo, however, may soon become a thing of the past with the intensive training received by three women from rural areas of the country.

It comes at a time when there is more support being given to women through such organisations as PNG Women in Business, and when the first PNG Women in Business Expo was staged in Lae earlier this year.

The three women, two from Jiwaka area of Western Highlands province and one from Eastern Highland province, were brought to Port Moresby by the Small Business Development Corporation for the express purpose of furthering their clothes-making skills at the PNG Garment and Textile Development Institute.

The SBDC, for the record, is also the major supporter of PNG Women in Business.

From the beginning of February to the end of May this year, the three women have been undergoing intensive training at the institute, which the SBDC hopes will reap handsome rewards by them going back home and training more women.

The SBDC paid for their travel, training and daily living costs in Port Moresby, and to put the icing on the cake, paid for two industrial sewing machines worth K3, 100 each which they will take home with them to teach more women.

Having lunch with them at a Port Moresby restaurant last Friday, their enthusiasm was infectious, as they spoke of their ambitious plans to empower their fellow womenfolk.

Take the case of Tan Maki, a sewing trainer at Kuling Star Vocation Centre in Minj, who has only been educated to only Grade Five level.

“I am very happy at receiving this training,” she says.

“I have learned everything there is to know about making clothes over the four months.

“We have learned many things such as how to make school uniforms, long trousers and shirts for men, as well as six-pocket trousers.”

Anna Karapi, from Isametoka village in Goroka, is an informal sector businesswoman who is already making clothes.

“I sell clothes and sell them at Goroka Market, everything from meri blouses for all occasions to skirts and tops,” she says.

“I sell at Goroka Market and in town to working-class ladies.

“Over the 16 weeks, I have learned many new things and am now more advanced in sewing, especially in things like designing, pattern making and then construction of garments.

“When I go back, I will be able to attend to all orders.

“I’m a church group leader as well and teach many Adventist ladies.

“With these new skills, I will be able to help them even more and it’s not only my church members I am talking about, but other denominations as well.

“I will also be able to help mothers in rural areas.

“Apart from that, I will also be running my small business.

“I’ve already got big plans to expand.

“I will teach my son how to design and cut, and the wife will be trained how to construct the garment.

“What I have learned will not be wasted, and I say this because there is no tailoring company in Goroka.”

Jeris Kundin, like Maki, is a sewing trainer at Kuling Star Vocational Centre in Minj.

“I have been teaching vocational students for a long time about sewing,” she says.

“When I go back, I will teach the women how to make long trousers for their husbands.

“We have many students learning about sewing at Kuling Star.

“We will be able to attend to whatever orders placed such as six-pocket trousers, industrial wear, corporate uniforms and industrial wear.

“We will be able to sew everything from children’s wear to men’s wear to women’s wear.”

SBDC business development manager, Nathan Timo, explains it’s all about empowering women from rural areas.

“A lot of women are getting into sewing and tailoring, and this particular project is all about empowering women in rural areas to improve livelihood, create employment opportunities and alleviate poverty,” he says.

“We are empowering women in rural areas so that they can help other women.

“SBDC brought them here and paid for their return airfares, lodging, course fees and a small living allowance.

“SBDC is also providing them two industrial machines.”

Karapi wants Papua New Guineans to support their cause by stopping from buying second-hand clothes, and for the government to give more support to the country’s clothing industry.

“For four years, I’ve stopped from buying second-hand clothes,” she says.

“Second-hand clothes are making women so lazy.

“This training we have received is very good.

“The government must support our clothing industry.”