Witness: Public set on drunk driver without realising he is an MP
A MEMBER of parliament was punched to the ground and kicked unconscious after he attempted to flee an accident scene in Port Moresby last Friday evening, The National reports.
Eyewitnesses said the MP was drunk and was involved in a vehicle accident, and in a bid to flee, he was severely bashed up by members of the public.
The eyewitnesses said the MP, representing an electorate in Northern, was driving at top speed when he came out from a pokies parlour at the Gordon’s industrial area, where alcohol was served to patrons.
The MP was following a
Realising he had caused an accident, the MP tried to escape by reversing his vehicle, but his path was blocked by other vehicles behind him.
He opened the door to escape on foot but was set upon by members of the public who had witnessed what had happened.
They punched him to the ground and kicked him until he was unconscious.
An eyewitness said the bystanders who attacked the MP did not realised that they were beating up a member of parliament.
“They thought he was just another drunk driver involved in an accident and was trying to run away,” the eyewitness said.
He said the incident happened around 7.30pm last Friday.
Several attempts to get comments from the MP were unsuccessful with no one answering his parliament office phone.
His mobile phone was also switched off.
Police said no official complaint against the MP had been filed, but they would look into it.
MPs convicted of drunk and disorderly behaviour can be punished for breaching the Leadership Code.
Drink driving has been blamed for a fatal accident the following day in Sogeri, which claimed the lives of two people, and left seven others injured.
By PEARSON KOLO
LANDOWNERS of gas fields in the Southern Highlands have demanded to know why the function of LNG matters was separated from the petroleum and energy ministry, held by William Duma, and given to Climate Change Minister Francis Potape, The National reports.
Leaders from the area feel the appointment of Potape, who is from the electorate hosting the project, poses a potential for conflict of interest and bias.
The leaders aired their views in a press conference in
The leaders are from the Tuguba, Hiwa Wita, Arua and Pina clans from the LNG project areas.
They expressed their disappointment and gave Sir Michael 14 days to explain why Potape was reinstated as minister assisting in LNG matters just a week after his removal.
They questioned what wrongs Duma did for the LNG function to be given to Potape.
The chiefs, led by Anoli Mituba, from the Hiwa clan, and Himuni Homogo, from the Tuguba clan, jointly said what had progressed so far in the LNG project since the Kokopo BSA and LBBSA agreements last year could not be continued by Potape.
“The government made many commitments with the landowners and Duma has facilitated them well for the landowners to benefit.
“These are likely to be hindered with the change,” Thomas Taku, from the Arua clan of Juha, claimed.
Taku said the landowners had seen enough delays and they did not want the change of responsibility from Duma to Potape to cause more delays in their beneficiaries and participations.
“We, the landowners, see no problem in the way William Duma is dealing with LNG and there is no need for change,” the chiefs stressed.
The landowner leaders said they did not trust their own Southern Highlands MPs because they were involved in the provincial and district politics.
“There will be widespread nepotism in handling of MoA funds and other landowner benefits including minor civil contracts.
“Political preferences will come into play, and landowners will be affected. Frustrations from this can lead to real trouble at the project sites.
“That is why we feel Duma is neutral and is the right man,” Homogo said.
LANDOWNERS of the Panguna copper mine, who went to war in 1988 over what they claimed then was utter disrespect and disregard for their existence and welfare, are claiming the same maltreatment as the National Government, the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the Bougainville Copper Ltd prepare for negotiations on the possible reopening of the mine, The National reports.
They are claiming that the interim Panguna Landowners Association (PLA) has not been recognised and its reconciliation process not supported.
In a letter dated Oct 5, to chairman of BCL Paul Coleman, PLA interim secretary Lawrence Daveona said: “The people of Panguna mine leases believe that ABG, BCL and the Government have the legal obligation to assist Panguna mine landowners.
“For far too long, even before the crisis, we have been used for your own benefits. Through the crises and up till now our people are still suffering.”
He said while the name Panguna landowners was “too often prostituted in the news media by the chairman of BCL in his chairman’s statement at the AGM”, the same chairman had said variously that the landowners were disorganised.
“Our simple question now especially with the arrangements to prepare for
It ought to be noted that both BCL and the ABG had assisted the Panguna landowners with their reconciliation ceremony last October.
The company donated K5, 000 and ABG threw in K300, 000.
Daveona said the work of reconciliation and disarmament was not yet completed and it would take at least two to three million more to cover the entire island.
He said presently their pleas were falling on deaf ears and it seems the reconciliation process might be short-lived and the review of the BCA proceeds without the landowners participating.
“Most of the interim PLA executive members have worked tirelessly year after year over the past 21 years keeping the Panguna landowner’s fire burning because of the concern for the welfare of their people without receiving any payment. Our concern for our people is deep rooted and we will not rest until such time we have achieved our goal,” Daveona said.
“All we need from you as partners in this process are for you to assist us with:
Daveona said he was very disappointed to hear comments repeated about the Panguna landowners not being organised and do not constitute a legal body that BCL can organise.
He said the landowners had formed the interim organisation out of their resources and it was up to the company to assist with an election to make the body be properly elected and incorporated.
Daveona was particularly critical of the Government and its Office of Bougainville Affairs which had not accommodated a single request to date.
He said such neglect had led to the crisis.
From AARON HAYES
As a small business operator in PNG I would like to make some observations about the unpopular 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) which some businesses still incorrectly refer to as VAT (old name).
Both businesses and consumers hate the GST because
(a) The 10% rate is too high and
(b) The tax is not being collected fairly.
The flat 10% rate makes purchases significantly more expensive and discourages spending.
These often makes people “go without” or buy cheaper quality food and consumer goods which reduces quality of life and can even affect nutrition and health.
Consumers think twice about buying big-ticket items like TVs and fridges and often end up buying cheaper brands that don't last long, and then they are back to square one with nothing but unrepairable goods littering their back yards.
In terms of collecting the tax, it's my understanding that some businesses that are not registered to collect GST are still adding 10% to their invoices.
Customers who are none the wiser just pay up.
This is fraud.
Some other businesses that are registered to collect the tax always add 10% GST to their sales invoices but do not remit all GST takings to the Internal Revenue Commission which is the government's tax collector.
They under-state their income to the IRC and surrender less GST than they have actually collected.
Some businesses are up to five years behind in remitting their GST revenue to the IRC.
This is also fraud but the IRC does not seem to have enough resources to audit all businesses registered for GST and prosecute those who are not playing fairly.
So the culprits just get away with it.
Another problem the IRC should be concerned about is those businesses turning over more than K100, 000 per year that have not registered to collect GST.
The government is missing out on huge amounts of GST revenue from these businesses.
Some privately owned hotels and hire car companies in
They are deliberately avoiding collecting GST because it gives them a price advantage over their competitors.
The best way to make this unpopular and unfair tax work for the future is to reduce the rate to 5% and then put more IRC resources into auditing and compliance and make everybody cooperate.
If all businesses are collecting and remitting the tax properly at 5% the government will still be financially better off than under the current unaffordable and unpopular 10% rate which many businesses are failing to collect and remit.
Businesses that are not registered for collecting GST will be happier to sign up with IRC if the tax is only 5%.
Businesses not remitting the full amount of GST collected will remit more reliably if the rate is lower.
Crooked busiensses that are not registered but still collecting the tax will get away with less loot.
And consumers will find 5% much less painful and this will stimulate spending which will be good for the economy.
Let's start a campaign for reforming an unpopular 10% GST into a workable 5% GST that everybody will support.
Aaron Hayes
Sec 55 Lot
(
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.
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.
