Vision 2050 is dead

By JAMES WANJIK

 

THE STORY "Govt unveils plan" (The National, Tuesday, October 12, pp. 1-2) is very clear.

Vision 2050 is a cover for a particular leader's popularity.

It is now dead.

Legislation to lock in the Medium Term Development Plan puts beyond doubt that Vision 2050 is dead.

Hiring consultants and advisers was Waigani's way of propping up popularity of a particular leader.

Thank God, Paul Tiensten is a political novice no more.

Papua New Guinea will know why Vision 2050 would have been a bad mistake in due time.

NGE looking at six new wells despite shares fall

By PATRICK TALU

 

NEW Guinea Energy (NGE) says its shares price fell after the high impact Panakawa well failed to find oil, The National reports.

However, a revised deal with joint venture partner Talisman Energy means three to six exploration wells could be drilled next year.

In a statement, RBS Morgans Ltd analyst Nik Burns said at the current share price, NGE would make an inexpensive acquisition for someone looking to expand its position in PNG.

“We view the NGE shares price as over-sold and rate it as a speculative buy, target price to A$0.21,” Burns said.

The high impact well was drilled in third quarter this year, but failed to intersect oil.

On a positive note, the well did intersect a structure with a viable reservoir, and the well was drilled for under US$11 million.

But this did not protect the shares , which fell to as low as US$0.10.

NGE has renegotiated the terms of the Talisman deal to PPL 268 and 269.

At least three wells are now expected to be spudded by June 30 next year.

In addition to this, NGE is progressing plans to drill up to three additional wells in its other foreland blocks.

 “PNG is relatively under-explored and is highly prospective for oil and gas with attractive fiscal terms on offer,” Burns said.

There should be plenty of news flow on drilling activity and results, beginning next January, he said.

 

 

Government unveils plan

MTDP to cost K65 million in five years

 

PAPUA New Guinea’s development plans and programmes for the next five years will be driven by the medium-term development plan (MTDP), The National reports.

Cabinet yesterday approved the MTDP, which is part of the government’s 20-year strategic development plan.

It was estimated that the total cost for the first five years of MTDP (2011-15) would be K65 billion, which was essentially the annual budgets for the country for the next five years, starting with K8 billion next year.

Legislation to lock in the plan will be brought to parliament next month.

The decision by cabinet yesterday raised questions about the future of the government’s Vision 2050.

It is believed that the Vision Centre, which promotes the Vision 2050, will be abolished, but this could not be confirmed.

National Planning Minister Paul Tiensten yesterday confirmed cabinet’s approval of the MTDP.

 “This plan is more detailed. Budgets, starting with 2011, will reflect this plan.

“We have been having budgets that are open-ended. Not any more.

“There will be targets to be achieved and contracts will be performance-based. This way,

we will achieve our goals,” he added.

Tiensten said his department would monitor and implement Vision 2050, MTDP and SDP starting next year.

“The National Planning Department’s role will be purely monitoring and implementing, and nothing else.”

The minister said the MTDP would make the government, development partners, donors, departments and provinces accountable. It would also eliminate misapplication of policies.

The minister said he expected development partners like AusAID to “fit into the plan”.

With cabinet approval already given, Tiensten is expected to meet with PNG’s development partners in Port Moresby tomorrow to outline the plan, and what is expected of them.

“I expect them to streamline their programmes and support the government’s plan.

“Their funding of programmes, such as HIV/AIDS, will have to be realigned with our national health plan and the MTDP.”

He said the targets of the millennium development goals could be achieved at the 2015 target date, when the first MTDP cycle was completed, if the government and its partners pool their resources under this plan and work together.

 

 

Potape reinstated

PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare has gone a full circle by appointing Komo-Margarima MP Francis Potape as the minister assisting the prime minister on climate change and LNG matters only weeks after stripping him of these functions, The National reports.

Documents furnished to The National seemed to suggest the prime minister had a change of heart last Friday to reinstate Potape the powers.

Two weeks ago, Sir Michael removed Potape’s ministerial powers days before leaving for the United Nations meeting in New York.

Potape had claimed that the documents for his removal were forged but the government printing office, which produced the gazettal documents, said the signature of the prime minister were authentic.

It seemed the prime minister did strip Potape of those powers, because he (Somare) had signed new instruments to reinstate him.

Copies of the instruments No: S1 245/2010 and National Gazette No: G239, dated Oct 11, 2010, obtained by The National, revealed that Potape’s responsibilities included the powers and matters related to:

* Liquefied natural gas and independent issues arising;

* Office and functions of climate change;

* Medium-term development goals;

* State protocols and ceremonies;

* Parliamentary services;

* Extractive industries including landowner development issues; and

* Other duties and powers as delegated from time to time by the prime minister.

The prime minister’s office and the media unit could not be reached for comments.

 

 

MP tells police to buy vehicles

By JEFFREY ELAPA

 

THE Police Department has been called to put a stop to using hire cars and unmarked vehicles to do police work, The National reports.

Member for Moresby Northeast Andrew Mald said this after several incidents involving armed criminals pretending to be policemen in police issue uniforms and firearm committed crimes in the city.

Mald said in several instances, organised crimes were committed using state-issued items while using unmarked vehicles and this was becoming a major concern to the public.

He said the state could not continue to waste taxpayers’ money for the police to continue to hire vehicles when they could simply buy new police vehicles which were also a pride for the force.

“If the department does not know how to buy vehicles and have all the necessary features of the constabulary, then give me the money and I will buy it for them like what I did for my electorate when I bought seven new police registered vehicles,” he said.

Mald said many policemen were also being implicated in organised crimes in the pretext of doing police work in unmarked vehicles as they are not distinguishable.

Principal plaintiff speaks out against Ramu Nico

By LOUIS MEDAING

I am the principal plaintiff in the legal proceedings that challenge the marine waste dumping plans by the Ramu Nickel mine in Madang. 

I instituted the legal proceedings on 24 September 2010 being WS1192 of 2010 to seek a permanent injunction to restrain Ramu Nico Management (MCC) Ltd from dumping five million tonnes of mine waste into Astrolabe bay annually, on behalf of myself and at this stage 38 members of the Tong and Ongeg clans from the Rai Coast.

A further 37 more clan members are seeking to join the proceedings this week.

Since the legal proceedings were filed in the National Court in Madang, my family and clan members have been put under intense pressure by the mine owners, Ramu Nico Management (MCC) Ltd to discontinue the court case.

The Tong and Ongeg clan members who make up the Plaintiffs and who are not employees of Ramu Nico Management (MCC) Ltd have been threatened that unless they withdraw or discontinue the proceedings, all Tong and Ongeg Clan members employed by Ramu Nico Management (MCC) Ltd will be sacked.

The Tong and Ongeg Clan members who make up the plaintiffs but who are also employees of Ramu Nico Management (MCC) Ltd have been individually told to sign documents which would withdraw them from the case, on threat of termination from employment.

Because of this intimidation, I have today filed an application in the National Court for punishment for contempt of court against Ramu Nico Management (MCC) Ltd and its employees Jacky Wang and Tonny Nongi as well as ward councillor Dongembu Dugai, particularly for assaulting , threatening and intimidating the members of the Tong and Ongeg Clans that make up the plaintiffs for the purpose of making the plaintiffs withdraw from or discontinue the proceedings.

I am informed by my lawyers that it is a serious offence to for a person or a company to take action to deter or obstruct a party from bringing or continuing legal proceedings as it is an interference with the administration of justice and constitutes Contempt of Court.

Louis Medaing

Plaintiff (on his behalf and on behalf of named members of the Tong and Ongeg Clans of the Rai Coast)

Managing potato late alight disease in Papua New Guinea

By DAVID MINEMBA and ANTHONY KERRU of NARI

The potato late blight disease is successfully controlled in this healthy sequoia potato patch in Tambul with the use of Echo, a Chlorothalonil-based fungicide.

The potato late blight (PLB) disease, caused by a fungus, Phytophthora infestans, is considered one of the most economically-important diseases of potato in the world.

It is a century old disease and was responsible for the great potato famine reported in Ireland in the 1840s.

This airborne fungal disease is reportedly present in almost all the countries where potato is cultivated.

Papua New Guinea was free from the PLB disease until January 2003.

It was first reported in the Surinki plateau, Enga province, and within few months it moved very quickly into the Western Highlands Province and eventually to other parts of the highlands.

By May 2003, it was found in all parts of the PNG mainland wehre potato crops are grown.

It must be accepted now that the PLB disease is here to stay, and effective, affordable and sustainable management methods are needed to control it.

Nature and effect of PLB in PNG

PLB is a poly-cyclic disease (it can complete a single life cycle within three to five days and can have as many completed life cycles in one potato cropping season, producing a large number of disease spores).

 The disease spores are easily transported by wind and can be carried over long distances in a short period of time.

This was evident in early 2003 where many potato gardens were completely destroyed within few months, causing the fall of the PNG potato industry which was estimated around K20 million - based on annual seed production figures.

One reason for this massive negative impact was that the industry entirely dependent on a single potato variety, sequoia, which is highly-susceptible to the PLB disease.

Research efforts in controlling PLB

The presence of the PLB disease in the highland has affected the livelihoods of many farming communities.

Many rural growers could not continue to cultivate potatoes.

Those that live in the high altitude regions (areas about 1800 – 2400 metres above sea level) suffered most as potato is considered their major source of food and cash income.

They were disadvantaged by lack of knowledge and unavailability of adequate resources to manage the disease.

Potato has then become a rich man’s crop; only those who can afford the costs associated with the use of chemical fungicides are able to grow potatoes.

Since the disease outbreak, NARI mobilised its resources with funding support from AusAID and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research to develop a cost-effective and integrated disease management strategy for PLB for potato farmers in PNG.

Cost effective fungicide use

Use of chemical fungicides was the option immediately available to control the PLB disease in PNG after its outbreak in 2003.

Many farmers still had stocks of sequoia seeds and needed a control method against the blight.

 At that time, available chemical fungicides listed for use on PLB were tested on sequoia with the aim to develop a highly cost-effective fungicide application system. 

Cost-effective in the sense that it is profitable, user friendly and can be sustained over a long period of time.

The evaluations were specifically conducted to assess the optimal application rates of different fungicides and wetting agents, the effective spray frequencies, effectiveness of fungicides with curatives properties against those with systemic mode of actions and the effectiveness of integrating systemic and protective fungicides.

Results from these trials showed that the Chlorothalonil based fungicides such as Barrack^®, Echo^® and Banis^® were highly effective in controlling the disease. Although this group of fungicides are more expensive compared to copper-based fungicides such as Copper Nordox^® and Kocide^® , higher gross margins are achieved, hence higher profits for potato growers.

The Chlorothalonils effectively controlled the disease when applied at three to seven days interval.

The copper-based fungicides also worked well when applied at three to seven days but needed thorough coverage on plant canopy to ensure that the potato plants are protected well from invasion of PLB.

This requires a lot of time, skills and efforts which proved difficult for many farmers when potato plants grow into larger canopies.

The project also assessed the fungicide Agri-Phos^® which has a systemic mode of action.

This group of fungicides seemed to have worked well on potato varieties with increased levels of resistance against PLB with much longer spray intervals at 14 to21 days.

The findings from the fungicide trials presented the opportunity to integrate different fungicides in a manner that can substantially reduce the cost incurred by fungicides in potato production.  

Integrated disease management

The ultimate aim of the project on PLB management in PNG by NARI is to develop an integrated disease management (IDM) strategy.

 This IDM would involve the combination of different disease control methods such as cultural control, sanitation (e.g. removal and proper disposal of plant debris) and fungicide application but central to the IDM concept is a suitable potato variety with good level of resistance to the disease.

NARI therefore imported 56 potato clones, specifically bred for PLB resistance from the International Potato Centre in Peru, South America.

 These clones were evaluated under PNG’s growing condition and selections were made based on characters comparable to Sequoia which was used as a standard variety.

A NARI research trial  in Tambul showing rows of sequoia potato badly infected by PLB vs imported potato clones resistant to PLB.

The performance of the CIP clones were assessed based on set characteristics acceptable for potato markets available in PNG under field condition through to post-harvest.

To date, eight different potato clones have been selected for farmer evaluation.

On-farm trials have been established in 12 different locations in Western Highlands, Enga, Eastern Highlands and Morobe provinces.

 Once suitable potato clones are selected, an appropriate IDM strategy will be developed to control the PLB disease.

This should reduce the cost of potato production significantly and enable subsistence farmers to grow more potatoes again.