A norm worth dying for: Life after Somare

From MAVARA HANUA 

Somare is indeed a shrewd politician and that is a fact.
 
Commanding calm, respect and power, he steered a formidable and determined opposition. 
 
Admirers of this man are attracted to him for his reliance, opponents rebuke him of his craftiness and Papua New Guineans are divided in whether he is good for us or not. 
 
The majority of our people know him as the founding father of our nation and that's that. 


They see him as an old wise man that speaks unquestionable wisdom and when he speaks, it has a power source that mesmerises everyone. 


A Sukundoumu indeed.
 

Having a rare privilege to brief him once, I was told that my 50-page brief needed to be condensed to five minutes as that is the concentration span of the old man.

I of course jerked at the thought of condensing an important policy position but that was the fact and off I went. 

He picked up one issue where we spent a good 20 minutes on and that was how the people will benefit.   

After consulting his advisors on the matter, he presented the policy position to cabinet.

Clumsy, gibberish and not impressive in articulating the issues, the ministers got the message.

I couldn't help noticing why this was the case, highly intelligent men and women in cabinet subjecting themselves to an ailing old man that although commands respect is woefully overwhelmed with national interest issues.

It was than I realised what PNG politics is, a rhetorical citation of subjecting men and women to a higher form of humility based purely on respect. 

 The cabinet heard crap that day from this old man and why did they entertain it?

  It wasn't fear, it certainly wasn't intellectual might. 

They simply allowed the old man to be what he is because of respect. 

Humility beyond reckoning and it almost has a religious pretext.  

With this power, Somare wheeled good things and bad things. 

Stability is his legacy and tragically, corruption and scandals are also his legacy. 

 Like every PNGean, when we saw the photos of both camps last week, we all couldn't help noticing Puka Temu's Dream Team.

Intellectual heavies, business tycoons, career public servants and acclaimed human rights celebrities. 

This is the government PNG needs.

When we saw the Somare camp, we all agreed they are so overrated and change needs to come.

Built on ethnic lines, family connections, this is a dirty group.    

 But again, the old man prevailed. 

He hijacked parliament, killed the vote of no-confidence and in a split second, has a four-month siesta. 

Why? Because our elected leaders respect him.

When he does leave us and gracefully swims away to the resting place of the Sepik River, PNG will be scrambling for a new political norm.

Intellectual freaks will concoct flowcharts and dissertations of development, business tycoons will speak of making money, crime magnets will be interested in protecting their turf and social advocates will push for improvement in basic services. 

 And in this mêlée of norm setting, billions of kina will be spent on out competing one norm to the other.

Advocates of the norms will become our next Prime Minister but wantoks, is the price of our sacred resources worth a new norm? 

I don't know, but I am comforted by the ever-increasing desire for our men and women to bring change to our country and it is my prayer that as we go into a season of norm making, the righteous norm prevails.

New butterfly species discovered in Papua New Guinea by UK specialist

An expedition by UK butterfly specialist, John Tennent, to the outlying islands of Milne Bay has discovered a number of new butterfly species and highlighted important previously unknown information on the distribution of Papua New Guinea butterflies.

Mr Tennent is halfway through an eight-month British Natural History Museum-sponsored expedition to survey the unique butterfly populations of the islands of Milne Bay Province.

His visits to the Conflict Group, Marshall Bennett, Egum Atoll, Woodlark and the Trobriand Islands have already unveiled a wealth of new data.

“For example, a small blue butterfly previously only recorded from a few specimens found on Sudest Island more than 100 years ago has now been found on Iwa (Marshall Bennett Islands), Kitava (Trobriand Islands), Egum Atoll and the Conflict Islands.

“This kind of new information illustrates just how little we know about the fauna of some of the islands which, although often small and remote, are rich in insects and other wildlife. The fact that the islands are also amongst the most beautiful places on earth is also a real bonus for me,” he said upon his return to Alotau from Woodlark Island.

During his travels, Mr Tennent has discovered several butterfly species and subspecies that have never been recognised before and will spend many months working on bringing them to the notice of the international scientific community when he eventually returns to the UK later in the year.

British High Commissioner to PNG, David Dunn, said the discovery of so many more butterflies in the islands of Milne Bay shows the significance of PNG’s overall standing as a world biodiversity hotspot.

“This is not only the discovery of new butterfly species but a valuable addition to information and general research work already done on the islands.

“The fact these islands have such an abundance of wildlife underlines the need for the world to recognise PNG as a unique guardian of world flora and fauna and do what we can to help the people of PNG to protect and benefit from its unique biodiversity,” he said.

Mr Tennent is working closely with the PNG National Research Institute (NRI) and the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC).

 His expedition is funded by the Natural History Museum, Royal Entomological Society and the Linnean Society in London, as well as by a grant from National Geographic in Washington DC.

He has just returned from Woodlark, where Woodlark Mining Limited generously hosted his visit and enabled him to go to some of the more remote islands in the region including Egum Atoll, Gawa and Alcester.

Nicole gambles for title

Miss National Gaming Control Board Nicole Jeune was over the moon yesterday after receiving K30,000 from her sponsor to compete in this year’s Miss PNG Red Cross Quest, The National reports.

 Jeune, from Northern, said she was entering the quest to be an ambassador for youth development.

Jeune is the programme producer and coordinator for Haus & Home show and standby presenter with EMTV.-Nationalpic by AURI EVA

 

Ramu NiCo pursuing nickel project despite lawsuit

DESPITE a court injunction against the proposed deep-sea tailing system for the Ramu nickel project, project owner Ramu NiCo has decided to pursue other construction activities at the mining and refining sites, The National reports.

The full-swing construction activities at the two sites are being bank-rolled by Chinese funds, which already spent more than US$1.2 billion (K3.3 billion).

Ramu Nico president Madam Luo Shu told reporters yesterday the National Court Injunction obtained by the Basamuk Bay landowners has not stalled activities at the mine site, save for the deep-sea tailing system.

With the mine being potentially the biggest project after the Bougainville copper mine or the Ok Tedi Mine, “Ramu NiCo will not let down its stakeholders, especially the National Government, project partners and the community at large”, she said.

“It’s a commitment we have with our stakeholders and the people of Papua New Guinea,” Luo said.

Highlands Pacific’s managing director John Gooding said: “Ramu nickel project is a significant project as it would be the first time for PNG to export nickel and cobalt once it begins production.”

It had the potential to have a greater impact on the country’s economy, he said.

Gooding also said Papua New Guineans could own up to 35% of the company by buying stakes through respective holdings companies.

Luo said up to the end of last year, the aggregated local procurement value involving supplies and provisions was in excess of K200 million, while spin-off businesses worth K80 million had been contracted to landowner companies.

Furthermore, more than K 5.1 million was paid to landowners as environmental and land compensation.

 

PDM 4 yoyos back to government

FOUR People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) members of parliament, who jumped ship to the opposition during the recent political horse-trading amid a looming vote of no-confidence on the prime minister, have returned to the government fold, The National reports.

The four included deputy party leader and Obura-Wonenara MP John Boito, member for Telefomin Peter Iwei, Jimmy Miringtoro (Central Bouginville) and Jack Cameroon (Kiriwina-Goodenough).

However, Cameroon was away in his electorate and could not confirm if he had also returned to government.

PDM parliamentary leader and Higher Education Minister Michael Ogio told reporters yesterday that the four were neither terminated nor were they part of the opposition.

He said what transpired resulted from a National Alliance party split that caused them to move with the splintered group to the March Girls Resort camp.

The move by the PDM four brings to 10 the total number of “rebel” MPs who have moved back to rejoin the National Alliance-led coalition. Six Southern region NA MPs, who had defected to the opposition, also rejoined government early this week.

The NA rebellious six included David Arore (Ijivitari), Andrew Mald (Moresby Northeast), Alphonse Moroi (Central Governor), Mathew Poia (Goilala) and Pitom Bombom (Gulf Governor). South Fly MP Sali Subam was named but had not confirmed.

“We want to tell the government and the prime minister that the four MPs are still part of the coalition according to the Warangoi Accord,” Ogio said.

“I will stand and PDM will still remain with the grand chief for stability.

“I want him to leave with dignity when he retires from politics.”

Boito claimed that the four of them were misled by the NA faction and would apologise to the prime minister for what had happened.

He also attributed their move to the opposition to the slowness of certain vital issues not being addressed, citing the disbursement of public investment programme funds as an example.

 

 

Tuna cannery suspends 400

ABOUT 400 workers of fish processing company, RD Tuna Cannery in Madang have been suspended by the company, The National reports.

The action by the company followed a strike on July 22 over the minimum wage rate of K2.29 an hour which, the workers claimed, the company had not honoured.

RD Tuna Cannery’s failure to apply the minimum wage, which came into effect this year, did not go down well with the disputing members of the workforce who opted for industrial action.

Yesterday, the company confirmed that 400 production workers had been placed on preventive suspension.

It said that on July 22 the production workers on night shift just sat down and refused to work despite explanation and pleas of the management to report to work.

“As a result of their mass action, we sustained losses,” RD Tuna Cannery said in a statement, adding the reason of the mass action was the delayed implementation of the new K2.29 an hour minimum wage rate. 

“In compliance with the Minimum Wages Board Determination, RD Tuna Cannery has implemented the rate of K1.14 per hour and 26 weeks later, RD implemented the mandated rate of K1.72 per hour. 

“However, on the implementation of the K2.29, RD opted to exercise a provision in the determination given to sector/employers with provision for partial wage payment to include payments for housing,   transport assistance etc.”

RD Tuna Cannery said that on Oct 12 last year, it filed a position paper with the director of the National Tripartite Consultative Council seeking, among others, a consideration as “cash wage” the cost of transportation which RD spends to pick up and drop off the workers which was about K120,000 a fortnight or K3 million a year and the cost of meals which RD  provides  the workers at K3 a head a meal.

It said that although the NTCC acknowledged receiving the position paper, it failed to notify the cannery about the status of its claim within 26 weeks as required in the determination.

“As a result of this delay the workers resorted to this industrial action,” RD Tuna Cannery said.

“Just like the implementation of K1.14 and the K1.72, RD has committed to comply with whatever the decision of NTCC on our petition.”

In a meeting between the RD Tuna Cannery management and the Labour Department, the labour provincial officer in Madang declared that the workers did not comply with the requirements of conducting a legal strike under the PNG labour laws and regulations and considered their strike action to be illegal.

 RD currently employs about 1,000 workers in the production area.  With the suspension of a portion of its workforce, RD is taking alternative measures to ensure that operations were not hampered.

 

 

SWF best kept offshore: Yauieb

ONE of the main objectives of a sovereign wealth fund (SWF) is to create a broad-based economy, The National reports.

“This will present adverse affects that are usually present in booming oil and gas economies,” Anthony Yauieb, chairman of the SWF working group at Port Moresby’s National Research Institute, said yesterday.

The working group’s recommended model of the SWF was to be a consolidation of three offshore funds:

• Stabilisation fund;
•  Infrastructure fund; and
• Future or savings fund.

One of the reasons of having the SWF kept off-shore is to prevent exchange rate appreciation and the effect which is often called “Dutch disease”.

Dutch disease, in economics, refers to the decline in manufacturing sector due to increase in exploitation of natural resources.

The theory is that the increase in revenue from natural resources affects the country by raising its exchange rate and which will make the manufacturing and agriculture sectors less competitive.

Yauieb said the SWF would be kept offshore because past onshore funds like the Mineral Resources Stabilisation Fund and the trust accounts, were depleted due to inefficient management arrangements. 

Central Bank deputy governor Benny Popoitai, who is the working group deputy chairman, said the idea of the SWF was important with the LNG project promising significant economic growth as well as improving the living standards of people.

Popoitai stressed the importance of properly managing the flow of proceeds from the LNG project.

“Managing the flow from the LNG project is very important.

“If this flow is not sterilised and quarantined then it will lead to high liquidity,” he said, adding that the government in its wisdom had set up his group to work towards creating arrangements that would “assist in insulating and sterilising” the flow of money from the  LNG project.