Foreign aid ripped off

By STEVE LEWIS in the Herald Sun

AUSTRALIA'S $4 billion foreign aid program is plagued by fraud, with 134 "active" investigations into possible corruption in 16 countries.

Most cases of fraud are in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, who jointly receive $740 million a year in Australian aid.

A Herald Sun investigation can reveal that at least $100,000 in taxpayers' money has been "misused" - and possibly siphoned off - on one project in PNG's overflowing jails.

Millions of dollars are being illegally used by corrupt officials, with AusAID revealing 68 cases of "alleged, suspected or detected" fraud investigated in the past year.

Adding to the problems for AusAID, its head Peter Baxter conceded that many of the countries receiving Australian money didn't have sufficient legal and police grunt to properly pursue alleged fraud.

The peak aid agency - which will see its budget double to nearly $8 billion by 2015 - would not comment on particular cases of fraud while investigations continued.

But the Herald Sun can reveal that the flagship $160 million PNG Law and Justice Sector Program is under serious scrutiny after the misuse of funds.

Documents seen by the Herald Sun show PNG's Department of Correctional Services is investigating a $200,000 contract to supply vital radio equipment to prisons.

An investigation by the department's internal auditor, Wailyo Pindao, has uncovered "serious weaknesses" with the project, which has been backed by AusAID since 2003.

Mr Pindao said he wanted Aarons Security Service, the firm contracted to supply repeater equipment, formally investigated.

And he said it was possible some money had been stolen or siphoned off by corrupt government officials.

Radio equipment purchased for the jails did not comply with PNG standards. This caused a "total breakdown of the entire radio communication system", Mr Pindao wrote.

The faulty equipment meant that radio coverage was restricted to 10m. This was leading to "great risk in the movement of prisoners".

Inquiries to the PNG Investment Promotion Authority showed that Aarons Security Service has not filed an annual return for two years.

The company would be deregistered within months, a spokeswoman said.

Phone numbers for Thomas Waim, Aaron's principal director, have been disconnected.

National Alliance holds key

Opposition admits to lack of numbers

 

THE opposition admitted yesterday it does not have the numbers, and needs a faction of the National Alliance party splitting away to help it topple Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, The National reports.

The opposition wanted to move a vote of no-confidence next Tuesday, when Parliament sits.

But political watchers said that was unlikely to happen until a few issues within NA were settled.

The prime minister also had a few aces up his sleeves which he had not played yet, one said.

Deputy opposition leader Bart Philemon told reporters yesterday they had only 21 MPs, and were talking to people within government and NA.

“We can’t change (the government) on our own. We need people on that side. We are talking to them. We have been talking to them for months now,” Philemon said.

He said whoever brought in the numbers would lead them.

A political observer told The National that the different factions within NA, especially those not happy with Sir Michael, would be reluctant to make their move now until the NA convention is held next month.

During that meeting, the party is expected to elect a person to succeed Sir Michael as parliamentary leader of the party.

“After this agenda is decided, many will decide whether it is worthwhile to hang around or move on. The real test of the solidarity of the party will come here, and key to all this is who takes over,” he said.

“So, if a vote is going to happen, and maybe succeed, it would have to be during the November session of parliament. The cracks in NA will become apparent then.”

He said the prime minister had aces up his sleeve he could play now, including reshuffling and expanding his cabinet.

There were talks of secret meetings over the weekend, in Port Moresby and Australia, where ministries were offered to a number

of people, including opposition MPs.

Mendi MP Pastor Isaac Joseph, an opposition MP who was allegedly offered a cabinet post, said he would remain in the opposition, and would not be bought by money, job offers or other promises.

Meanwhile, Unggai-Bena MP and Environment and Conservation Minister Benny Allan has denied claims of a political camp called the “Eastern bloc” in Goroka.

Allan said the report in the Post-Courier, naming him as being in the “Eastern bloc”, was not true.

“I was with Arthur Somare, Paul Tiensten and Sam Abal for the forum (in Alotau) and we all agreed that there was no need for a change of government.”

One government insider, who was on the flight from Goroka to Port Moresby on Monday morning, said Simbu Governor Fr John Garia and one of his henchman were on the flight to Port Moresby without any other MPs.

Allan described the article as a “cooked-up story” by Garia and the Post-Courier to mislead the public.

Philemon: Stability must bring better quality of life

POLITICAL and economic stability will count for nothing if it does not bring tangible development and a better standard of living for the people, deputy opposition leader Bart Philemon said yesterday, The National reports.

He admitted that there had been economic growth for the past few years but said that this had not improve the lives of the majority of the population.

He also said the growth was due to improve commodity prices which were determined by global market forces.

“They are not dictated by PNG or the government,” he told a press conference at parliament house when calling for the government to be replaced.

Philemon, who was at one stage the finance minister before he was removed, claimed that the government had spent some K60 billion in the past eight years, but social indicators were worsening, with PNG ranking 148 out of 186 countries.

“Despite the economic growth and substantial increase in government revenue, the sad fact of life is this did not translate to the social indicators,” he said.

“The nation wants to know where all the billions gone to. The NA government spent over K59 billion in the last eight years since taking office in 2002. Yet there is no tangible evidence on the ground to equate such huge amount of money.”

Philemon expressed grave concern that hundreds of lives were lost each day as a direct result of government inaction.

He said records showed that each year, 7,300 babies less than a year old and 3,700 mothers died.

Studies also showed that 220,000 children under five do not have proper nutrition and that half of them are not immunised.

“About 60% of mothers are not properly supervised when giving birth, 70% of people have no access to safe drinking water; HIV/AIDS is ravaging like bushfire PNG-wide with 90,000 confirmed cases; and estimates of HIV/AIDS cases putting infection rate at 2-3% of population.”

He warned that that the government was setting a time bomb that would explode anytime with wider social and economic ramifications.

“The news is also not good on the education sector, where 55% of the population is illiterate.”

He said this was happening because 50% of the children were not sent to school.

Other reasons, he said, were a high dropout rate, poor teachers training and the government’s failure to maintain most education facilities and institutions.

Philemon said the law and order situation remained poor.

“In the last 10 years, 13,453 youths were involved in robbery, 9,389 harmed citizens, 8,435 broke into people’s houses and businesses to survive, 5,079 also stole from people to survive and more than 5,000 were involved in drugs.”

Philemon said these were the reasons why the prime minister and his National Alliance party must be removed from government.

 

 

Philemon: Stability must bring better quality of life

POLITICAL and economic stability will count for nothing if it does not bring tangible development and a better standard of living for the people, deputy opposition leader Bart Philemon said yesterday, The National reports.

He admitted that there had been economic growth for the past few years but said that this had not improve the lives of the majority of the population.

He also said the growth was due to improve commodity prices which were determined by global market forces.

“They are not dictated by PNG or the government,” he told a press conference at parliament house when calling for the government to be replaced.

Philemon, who was at one stage the finance minister before he was removed, claimed that the government had spent some K60 billion in the past eight years, but social indicators were worsening, with PNG ranking 148 out of 186 countries.

“Despite the economic growth and substantial increase in government revenue, the sad fact of life is this did not translate to the social indicators,” he said.

“The nation wants to know where all the billions gone to. The NA government spent over K59 billion in the last eight years since taking office in 2002. Yet there is no tangible evidence on the ground to equate such huge amount of money.”

Philemon expressed grave concern that hundreds of lives were lost each day as a direct result of government inaction.

He said records showed that each year, 7,300 babies less than a year old and 3,700 mothers died.

Studies also showed that 220,000 children under five do not have proper nutrition and that half of them are not immunised.

“About 60% of mothers are not properly supervised when giving birth, 70% of people have no access to safe drinking water; HIV/AIDS is ravaging like bushfire PNG-wide with 90,000 confirmed cases; and estimates of HIV/AIDS cases putting infection rate at 2-3% of population.”

He warned that that the government was setting a time bomb that would explode anytime with wider social and economic ramifications.

“The news is also not good on the education sector, where 55% of the population is illiterate.”

He said this was happening because 50% of the children were not sent to school.

Other reasons, he said, were a high dropout rate, poor teachers training and the government’s failure to maintain most education facilities and institutions.

Philemon said the law and order situation remained poor.

“In the last 10 years, 13,453 youths were involved in robbery, 9,389 harmed citizens, 8,435 broke into people’s houses and businesses to survive, 5,079 also stole from people to survive and more than 5,000 were involved in drugs.”

Philemon said these were the reasons why the prime minister and his National Alliance party must be removed from government.

 

 

Sir Arnold declares war on squatter settlements

MADANG Governor Sir Arnold Amet has declared war on illegal settlers in his province, The National reports.

Speaking to provincial leaders who met him on his return home on Monday, after his Supreme Court victory in Port Moresby, the governor said they must now pursue a zero-tolerance policy on squatters and illegal settlements.

He said Madang was set to be the centre of economic boom and there would be an influx of people looking for job opportunities in the province.

Sir Arnold said illegal settlements were already a problem in boom centres in other parts of the country and Madang should learn from their experiences, act now and be prepared.

“We must apply zero tolerance on squatter settlements. If you do not take action now, you will be responsible for your actions later.”

Making specific reference to illegal settlements in Madang town, he said that they would be removed over a six-year period. 

“These people should be settled on land provided by the state or on land provided by villagers through properly signed agreements between the two parties.

“There should be no illegal settlements anywhere in the province,” he said, reiterating that Madang was set to enjoy an economic boom within the next few years.

He noted that there were illegal settlements already at the Ramu NiCo special mining lease areas at Kurumbukari and at the processing site at Basamuk Bay.

“These people must be removed and their settlements dismantled,” Sir Arnold told the leaders, adding that they must take a tough stand on this.

Some of the major projects in the pipeline, he noted and highlighted at the meeting, were:

v     The Ramu nickel project, barring construction of the deep sea tailings placement (DSTO) pipeline;

v     nMaringo gold project in the Bundi area, not far from the Ramu nickel mine site at Kurumbukari;

v     The regional Pacific Marine Park at Vidar;

v     Gas and oil exploration in the Ramu area;

v     Ramu block one forestry project;

v     Alternate route to the Highlands region via the Western Highlands to cater for the LNG project; and

v     Alternate sea port facilities for the LNG project at Vidar.

On the latter, Sir Arnold said the LNG developers were looking for alternate port facilities because the silting of Markham River made Lae port, the busiest in the country, unsuitable for their long-term requirements.

“There are major, major developments in the pipeline for Madang and the people must gear up for it,” he added.

 

A chance to right the wrongs

By SUSUVE LAUMAEA

 

Papua New Guinea’s 109 lawmakers have a golden opportunity thrust at them by the judiciary to correct flawed, restrictive and unconstitutional provisions of the Organic Law on Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates.

The latest preoccupation by Opposition MPs, “drifting MPs in the middle benches and individuals from within the government’s own rank and file with scheming to overthrow the government in a parliamentary no-confidence motion smacks all over of political opportunism, self service and greed.

The nation’s prevailing issues of alleged corruption, misappropriation of public money, unemployment,  poor wages and living conditions for frontline public servants such as teachers, policemen, soldiers, health workers and many more, exorbitant urban housing rentals, shortage of affordable public housing in urban centres, lowly social indicators and human development index, poverty, law and order, healthcare, education, deteriorating public institutions and transportation infrastructure will not be solved effectively and meaningfully by an incoming new government in mere two years before a national general election.

 In effect, going by observation over the last 34 years, an incoming government within 18 to 24 months of a national general election would spend all its time and public resources and money on propping up its re-election chances.

 Let’s not all get on the emotional bandwagon and look at a parliamentary no-confidence motion to throw out the present government as the only way or the last resort to right the present wrongs that have been done to people and nation under the almost eight-year watch of Sir Michael and his National Alliance Party-led governing coalition.

We all know that Sir Michael and his NAP may have become institutionalised but they are not indispensable.

All thinking citizens should put their best efforts over the next two years towards building nationwide support for zero tolerance and national cleansing of corrupt and self-serving political leaders.

The national campaign should go to the extent that all present 109 MPs must not be re-elected because they are all deemed to be painted and tainted with the same paint-brush of greed, selfish pursuits and alleged corruption of due processes in lawmaking, good and transparent governance and for efficient procurement and delivery of public services.

The nation’s immediate, medium and long term economic, political and social stability would be better served and assured should the Prime Minister as head of the executive government, Speaker Jeffrey Nape as head of the legislature and Opposition Leader Sir Mekere Morauta showed unity of legislative purpose by strengthening OLIPPAC anew in the interest of long term economic, political and social stability for the nation as their legacy after they have been and gone from the political scene.

Sir Michael and Sir Mekere must assert their leadership by jointly initiating corrective amendments to provisions of OLIPPAC which their honours, the judges of the Supreme Court found to be flawed, restrictive of specific freedoms of MPs and therefore deemed by their learned honours to be unconstitutional.

The nation has been watching them and expecting them to show assertive leadership but has been getting only hot air and pious platitudes in the daily media as the leaders sparred for political supremacy over the other.

Not good enough.

The ball’s in your joint court, Sirs.

 

Yours truly,

 

Susuve Laumaea

slaumaea@gmail.com

Mobile: (675)72013870

Port Moresby, NCD

Papua New Guinea platitude: Reacting to Reg Renagi and his mates

 BY JOHN FOWKE

HOW WILL Julia Gillard help Papua New Guinea to become more independent and fight corruption through good governance if her operating agency in PNG is closed?

I am not known as a fervid AusAID supporter by any means, but if we in Oz and Julia Gillard and her Minister for Foreign Affairs are to be of help to our mates in PNG, how may this be facilitated in any other way but a material one; where the agreed material help comes with relevant advice and instruction?

By Reg Renagi’s own admission, his own generation of educated professionals and leaders of society are so weak, lacking in guts and imagination, and dishonest as not only to stall progress, but to send it into reverse.

How may Australia help in this regard, unless by the offer and the implementation of assistance directed at the problem? By hypnotism? By a national Help PNG Prayer Day?

The river of weakness and lack of resolution runs deep in PNG, as these educated people well know. Who in PNG will get up and turn the nation around?

All any of these people do, with such few exceptions as to be counted on fingers of one hand, is endlessly talk and propose and suggest. You are self-proclaimed champion boxers who spend your lives hitting the punching-bag but always shy away from the ring and the real challenge.

And sit back to watch the crooks become stronger and more numerous week by week.

Reg and his fellow educated professionals in PNG are musicians who play many tunes; music played according to who is listening, not music played from passionate feeling.

I find this immensely disappointing, whilst at the same time maintaining a full heart and high regard, in fact love, for so many old friends and their families who live in the villages.

These people have never had the opportunities that Reg and his mates have enjoyed, and they suffer a continuing diminution in conditions of daily life. Why? Because the educated generation has failed them absolutely and miserably.

We PNG-acquainted outsiders who are not able to do any more than talk and write are in many cases people who have worked hard and long as subordinates within PNG-managed institutions.

We have been putting up positive ideas, some of us for years, and there are some slight signs of acceptance - for instance, changes in the management at AusAID and Stephen Smith's announcement about funding for education and health through church-managed institutions.

These signs show perhaps, and while never acknowledged, that our ideas have caught the eye of those who control Australia’s inputs and aid delivery to PNG.

Forget about endless contributions on blogs, get together and make plans and actually do something instead of practising your famous Melanesian Way - talk, talk, seminars, 2050 programs, all this is simply horseshit.

When did we ever see anything positive come out of these magnificent plans? The Eight-Point plan, for instance? Plans, plans and more plans, accompanied by seminars and two-day stays at fancy locations. Tokwin tasol. Karana anina lasi. [Just empty air!]

Until you actually start kicking arse and getting people to come to work on time five days a week, accepting responsibility and working hard for that beautiful place which is your home, none of the problems you continually refer to are going to go away.

If you and your peer-group of some tens of thousands of middle class, educated citizens can’t hack it, the war's already over.

And the ghosts of people like Sgt Major Katui MM and Sgt Major Soa Ubia MM, who really cared, and who really fought and delivered for their country without the benefit of university educations and long white socks, will remain restless, disappointed, homeless spirits forever.