Make MRA an issue in court: Wanjik

FORMER Secretary for Mining and resources lawyer James Wanjik has called on lawyers involved in the Ramu deep sea tailings placement (DSTP) litigation to advise their clients and the court to make Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) as an issue.

“In any litigation, one of the cardinal principles to be considered by the court is the legal standing and competence of the litigants,” Wanjik said.

“The MRA is unconstitutional and is operating illegally.

“As such it has no legal standing and competence to regulate all mines including the Ramu mine and its DSTP.

“It follows that MRA has no legal standing and competence to be a party in the DSTP litigation or to be entertained by the court.

“Questions of legal standing and competence of litigants are preliminary, elementary and fundamental legal issues.

“It is a surprise lawyers involved in the litigation particularly lawyers for the landowners have not made MRA's legal standing and competence to regulate Ramu mine and its DSTP preliminary, elementary and fundamental legal issues before the court.

“Lawyers have duty to the law and court apart from the profession and clients.”

 

Aihi observes Teachers’ Day with teachers

Story and photo by HENZY YAKAM

Kairuku Hiri MP Paru Aihi observed the International Teachers Day today with teachers from Inauabui Primary in the Bereina district of Central province.

Together with the 19 teachers were their spouses who travelled to Port Moresby and a guided tour of the National Parliament House to observe the day.

Mr Aihi  (fourth from left , back row standing) with teachers from Inauabui Primary School  with their spouses after the group’s visit to Parliament House

The tour was organised by Mrs Theresa and led by Inauabui Primary School principal Mrs Victoria Efi.

The visit to Parliament House was concluded with a lunch with Mr Aihi who told teachers to be role models both in the classroom and community.

“I want to see our children from Kairuku Hiri become competitive with the rest of PNG for top jobs and be future professional.

“To achieve that, I depend on you teachers.

“You must become role models for every child in your school,” Mr Aihi told the teachers.

As well, he noted the challenges and difficulties teachers faced including lack of resources and basic teaching and learning materials.

“It takes an awful amount of sacrifice to be in the profession and I want to say thank you every teacher.

“As your representative in Parliament, I promise to do everything within my power to improve the education sector in our district,” he said.

Mr Aihi also took the opportunity to inform the group that in 2011 he would supply all grade five classes in Kairuku Hiri district with one computer as part of the education improvement programme.

APEC ministers address sustainable fishing

 Issued by the 3^rd APEC Oceans-related  Ministerial Meeting

 

Paracas, Peru, 8 October, 2010 – Securing fish supplies, sustainable management of marine resources, enhancing free trade and the effects of climate change on oceans will be addressed by APEC Ministers meeting here next week.

 The 3^rd APEC Oceans-related Ministerial Meeting will be held in Paracas on Peru’s south coast on October 11-12 to address key issues impacting fisheries, a crucial industry for the Asia-Pacific region, which accounts for about half of global fish exports.

 Peru’s Minister of Production, Jorge Villasante, said APEC’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the security and sustainability of the sector is important, especially given its size and socio-economic significance for the region.

 “APEC economies account for more than half of the world’s exports of fishery products in terms of value, while six of the 10 largest exporters of seafood products are APEC member economies,” the Minister said.

 APEC member economies account for 65 percent of the world’s capture fisheries and more than 80 percent of aquaculture production. APEC economies account for approximately half of the world’s exports of fishery products in terms of value, totalling USD45.6 billion in 2007.

 The fisheries and aquaculture sector employs about 26.2 million people in the region, and for some living in rural and remote areas, it is one of the few sources of available income.

 The region also consumes 70 percent of the world’s fish products, including from aquaculture. Ensuring reliable and affordable access to seafood is therefore a key issue for APEC Ministers, along with sustainable development of the industry and protection of the marine environment.

 Enhancing fair and equitable trade in the industry is also expected to be discussed along with the effects of climate change on oceans, such as rising sea levels and their impact on coastal communities.

 Ministers are expected to share information on food security issues in their economy, and to release a joint statement at the end of the two-day meeting on the way forward. Ministers will also hold a press conference for local and international media.

 

                                            # # #

 

For more information, contact: Trudy Harris +65 98983710 or th@apec.org

 

                                                 Michael Chapnick +65 96474847 or mc@apec.org

 

For media registration, contact: vloyola@produce.gob.pe or mcanales@produce.gob.pe or prensa@produce.gob.pe or jberrio@produce.gob.pe

 

 

 

 

 

Sell jet to buy life-saving equipment for hospitals: Morauta

The PNG Trade Union Congress (PNGTUC) should stop telling the Australian government to pump some of its aid money directly into buying life-saving machines for hospitals throughout Papua New Guinea.

Leader of the Opposition Sir Mekere Morauta said instead PNGTUC president Michael Malabag should urge Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare to sell the K130 million executive Falcon jet to buy the much-needed life-saving equipments for hospitals.

"Malabag's statement is not news to the people of PNG.

"Important referral and main hospitals like Port Moresby General Hospital, Angau Memorial Hospital, Goroka Base Hospital and others PNG-wide all need essential medical equipment.

"It's a national shame.

"Where were Michael Malabag and the unions when the PM was trying to buy the Falcon jet?

"Silent.

"Nothing said.

"I want him to come out on behalf of the unions to call on the PM to sell the plane.

"We all know that the craft exclusively used by Somare as his aerial PMV for family shopping trips, birthday parties and other family errands.

"Somare and I are likely to get medivac services to Australia if we are sick and the state pays for it, but what about the ordinary people?" Sir Mekere said.

On Thursday, October 7 2010,  during a meeting with Australian parliamentary secretary for Pacific Islands affairs Richards Marles in Port Moresby, PNGTUC officials raised the need for life-saving equipment in PNG hospitals among others issues.

However, Sir Mekere said the unions and people must come out and urge the Prime Minister to find money to buy the essential life-saving equipments instead of begging other nations and donor agencies.

"I'm ashamed. Other leaders should also be ashamed," the former prime minister said.

He also called on the unions to urge Minister for Public Enterprises to stop spoon feeding National flag carrier, Air Niugini to buy second-hand aircraft using agents.

"We wonder whose getting the commission?

"Why can't we use the money to buy life-saving equipment?

"It is shameful to ask Australia to buy equipment for our hospital," Sir Mekere said.

Policeman shot dead in Port Moresby robbery

By JULIA DAIA BORE

 

A LONG-serving policeman and father of seven was shot dead at close range yesterday while escorting a company’s pay-run in Port Moresby, The National reports.

The shooting took place during the afternoon rush hour outside the Correctional Services headquarters at Hohola about 4.30pm.

He was named as Paul Waim, from Kerowagi, Chimbu, who was stationed at Moreguina, in Central’s Abau district.

Bystanders gathering around the vehicle to check on the policeman who was shot and could be seen lying across the two front seats. – Pictures courtesy of CS media

Waim and another policeman were escorting a rubber company depositing cash and pay run from the Abau district when they were attacked in the city.

Eyewitnesses said Waim and his colleague and others were in a utility vehicle driving slowly towards the busy Wards Drive from Islander Drive when their vehicle was intercepted by another utility vehicle near the Islander drain and the CS headquarters.

They said they saw the killers, armed with weapons, step out their vehicle, a silver-brown Toyota Hilux, and confronted the passengers in the intercepted utility.

One eyewitness said: “They came out with high-powered guns and shouted to the driver to leave the utility, screaming, ‘come out, you come’.

“Then, one of the men holding onto the weapon, appeared to be holding a pistol, fired six to seven continuous shots at the policeman.

“The gun was emptied on the policeman who was in uniform.”

The impact of the bullets threw Waim back, flat on the seat in the vehicle.

“The armed men then rushed into their vehicle and sped off toward Hohola.”

The sound of gunshots drew a large crowd who tried to help before the other policeman, apparently unhurt, drove his wounded colleague to Port Moresby General Hospital.

Another eyewitness said they also noticed the killers remove two weapons from the utility which the policemen were in before they fled the scene.

One eyewitnesses described the scene as “just straight out a movie” and that “things happened so swiftly, fast and unsuspicious”.

Port Moresby police could not be contacted to confirm whether any money was stolen.

Central police commander Chief Supt John Maru, who was at the Port Moresby General Hospital late yesterday to arrange for the release of the body, had called on companies seeking police escort to provide a separate vehicle from the vehicle carrying the money.

Maru also condemned the lack of resources and inadequate funding of the police force which he said was the reason why policemen in escort situations, such as yesterday’s, were left to carry out the escort, travelling in the same vehicle as that carrying the cash. 

K500 million deal for LNG landowners

By PATRICK TALU

 

LANDOWNERS will succeed if they stop waiting to be fed by politicians, put their businessmen’s cap on and prepare themselves for the challenge of businesses with global reputation, The National reports.

Hides landowner leader Larry Andagali echoed this when landowner company Trans Wonderland Ltd (TWL) clinched a lucrative deal associated with the PNG LNG project.

TWL, the flagship umbrella company representing seven gas-field landowner companies in Southern Highlands, yesterday signed a contract worth more than K500 million to provide logistics to the PNG LNG project.

The contract was for a three-year period.

The deal was signed between TWL, PNG LNG project operator Esso Highlands Ltd and Agility Ltd, the world’s leading logistics mover.

Under the agreement, TWL and its partners will provide a central base of operations in Lae, for receipt, storage and processing of goods and equipment to be transported to the project site and supply trucking resources drawn from a number of companies.

The trucking resources and operation will be provided through the joint venture partnership; Northern Logistic Group Joint Venture between five logistic companies.

These companies included TWL, Mapai Transport, Traisa and Kutubu Transport.

Andagali, who is a director of TWL, said it dawned on him during the signing of the umbrella benefits sharing agreement in Kokopo last year that if landowners were to succeed, they had to organise themselves.

“I had to remove my landowner cap and wear the businessman’s cap.

“I realise I could not milk anything from Peter Graham, so we had to organise ourselves and get details, however small, right.

“This (contract) was not given to me on a golden platter.

“We had to work hard and organise ourselves for it,” he added.

He said it underscored the importance of the national content plan.

Petroleum and Energy Minister William Duma welcomed the TWL deal.

Duma said as minister responsible for oil and gas, he would have preferred to see a landowner company awarded a multi-million-kina contract in its own right.

Esa’ala MP Moses Maladina said the contract was another option for landowners, instead of waiting for royalties and dividends.

The early works of the PNG LNG project had suffered some stop-work due to landowner protests, but the government insisted it was on track to ship its first gas in 2014.

 

 

Papua New Guinea stalling UN climate talks, says Greenpeace

GREENPEACE has criticised Papua New Guinea for stalling crucial global climate change talks in China.

Delegates from more than 170 countries are meeting in Tianjin, China, to try to revive UN climate negotiations that failed to create a binding agreement in Copenhagen last year.

The talks are a prelude to a United Nation’s summit starting next month in Mexico, but UN on Wednesday said they had so far failed to make significant progress.

The global bickering centres on the details of the complex UN plan to reduce climate change through its reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) agenda.

PNG, as co-chair of the REDD negotiations, is arguing for less scrutiny on donor funding as a way to fast-track the process.

But Greenpeace forests campaigner in PNG, Sam Moko, said this was a worry showing PNG appeared more interested in donor money than seriously tackling climate change.

“With a reputation of corruption, complete disregard for landowner rights, free and prior informed consent and accurate estimations of likely benefits accruing from REDD, PNG is in no fit state to be receiving REDD funding without strict conditions in place,” he said.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s Paul Winn, who is at the discussions in China, said PNG was putting the REDD process at risk of failure.

“The PNG delegation is using its position to keep stakeholders, such as green groups and indigenous people’s groups, away from the meetings in an attempt to keep rules on social and biodiversity safeguards out of the REDD framework.”

The PNG prime minister’s office did not return AAP’s calls and emails to clarify its position or answer Greenpeace’s criticisms.

On Sept 23, Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, 74, who wanted to forge combating climate change as his legacy before retiring, told UN meetings in New York that REDD must go ahead.

But Sir Michael was critical of the World Bank and the UN “tangling us in endless process and conditionalities”.

“REDD and all its co-benefits can no longer be held hostage by UN negotiations that are mired in self-serving inaction,” Sir Michael said.

“While we must support the UN process where possible, we must steadfastly refuse to let the bureaucracy impede our progress”.

PNG has been plagued by a litany of scandals and corruption allegations surrounding its REDD efforts.  – AAP