Provincial pollies fed up with Waigani red tape

By MALUM NALU

Two former provincial politicians who have been wandering the corridors of Waigani awaiting their outstanding entitlements are demanding answers.

Former Morobe provincial speaker Isaac Narol and his Madang counterpart Tonny Sauba say they have been going to Waigani day-in, day-out, only to find evasive public servants.

They are now calling on acting chief secretary and secretary for provincial affairs and inter-government relations, Manasupe Zurenuoc, to come clean on this as the payout decision was made at cabinet level.

“The national government appropriated K30 million to settle outstanding entitlements for former provincial assembly members, whose term of office was terminated as a result of the reforms in the previous provincial government system in 1995,” Narol said.

“We were assured by Zurenuoc that our payments would be ready in July or the second week of September.

“To date, there are no signs of cheques being printed, and there is confusion within the Department of Provincial Affairs as to when the payment will be forthcoming.”

Narol said lawyer Emmanuel Bearion was responsible for organising payments, however, seemed to be deliberately avoiding frustrated former provincial politicians by staying out of his office.

“The inability of the Department of Provincial Affairs to release payment of K39m from the 2010 national budget is one good example of public servants not serving the interests of the executive government,” he said.

“I call on Zurenuoc to sack the officers responsible.

“If this is not done, then he himself should resign and to save face because his actions speak loud and clear of his bad leadership.

“The Prime Minister, through cabinet and the minister responsible for provincial affairs, must all the responsible officials for disobeying lawful orders of the executive government of the day.”

 

MMJV admits "high" sediment in Watut River

By MALUM NALU

One of the joint venture partners in the just-commissioned Hidden Valley gold mine in Morobe province has admitted that there are “higher-than-expected” sediment levels in the Watut River.

South African company Harmony Gold Mining, through its chief executive officer Graham Briggs, made the announcement in a letter to stakeholders – published on its website (http://www.harmony.co.za/sd/message.asp) – on Tuesday this week.

Harmony CEO Graham Briggs

Briggs admitted that this was causing “serious concern within and outside the company” and a change in the course of a section of the lower Watut River, resulting in die-back of vegetation.

The admission came about as Morobe Mining Joint Ventures, made up of Harmony and Australian partner Newcrest, started paying compensation to affected villagers along the Watut River and as Bulolo MP Sam Basil called on villagers not to accept the payouts.

“The higher-than-expected sediment impacts in the Watut River in PNG have given rise to serious concern within and outside the company,” Briggs said.

“The mine’s environmental impact statement (EIS) predicted sediment loads in the Watut River during construction but, as it has taken longer than expected to reach hard rock at the mine which will be used to construct the interim waste dumps, the construction of stable waste dumps has been delayed resulting in a continued high sediment load in the Watut River.

“Construction of the interim waste dumps has been prioritised, with specific resources allocated to the project to ensure speedy progress.

“This will reduce the sediment load in the river, and allow the current sedimentation to flush out.

“In addition, mining activities which contributed to the increased sediment load have been stopped.

“The MMJV commissioned further impact assessments so that we could better understand the impact of these sediment loads on the river.

“These studies show that the increased sediment load in the Watut River (of which the mine is one source) has resulted in a change in the course of a section of the lower Watut River, and a die-back of vegetation in that area as a result of flooding.

“Although these changes in the river course occur naturally over time, the mine's contribution to the sediment load in the lower Watut River has speeded up this process.

“The MMJV has committed to expanding its monitoring programme to quantify the impacts coming from the mine and other sources, taking remedial action wherever possible, and working with the government to assess fair compensation for those affected.”

Hidden Valley mine was officially commissioned on Sept 29 by Governor General Sir Paulias Matane at a ceremony which also marked its opening.

The new gold project is a joint venture between South African miner Harmony Gold (70%) and Newcrest Mining Ltd (30%), the largest gold miner in Asia-Pacific.

MMJV plans to invest a total of K1.25 billion over a 10-year period, with the outlay to go towards wages and salaries (K800 million), royalty payments (K200m) and revenue for the provincial and national government (K250m).

The Hidden Valley mine is projected to produce an estimated 2.9 million ounces of gold.

Thousands turn up to receive Paul Pora

By JAMES APA GUMUNO

THOUSANDS of people turned up at the Kagamuga Airport in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands, to receive the casket containing the remains of former politician and businessman Paul Pora yesterday, The National reports.

The late Pora’s casket arrived on a chartered new Dash 8 aircraft, accompanied by parliamentary leader of the PNG National Party Joe Mek Teine, wives of the deceased and their children and other Hagen Central leaders.

People from Yamka and the neighbouring tribes in a mourning procession as they escorted the casket containing the remains of the late Paul Pora from the Kagamuga Airport to the Tega ceremonial grounds where thousands of mourners waited to receive the body. – Nationalpic by JAMES APA GUMUNO

The huge crowd outside the Air Niugini terminal was well-behaved, allowing other airlines to continue on with their operations.

After the Dash 8 landed, the casket of the late Pora was transferred onto an open-back Fifth Element vehicle and, escorted by police traffic and a bagpipes band, proceeded slowly from Kagamuga Airport all the way to his Tega village where thousands of mourners waited.

The Tega ceremonial ground was packed to capacity with the crowd stretching from the main arena out onto the road, allowing very little room for free movement as neighbouring tribes turned up in droves yesterday. More are expected today and tomorrow.

The late Pora will be laid to rest on Sunday at his village.

Former Kerowagi MP Waguwo Goiye said he had received news that PNG National Party supporters from Chimbu would arrive tomorrow for the funeral.

Other party followers and supporters from within the highlands were also expected tomorrow.

No Western Highlands MPs accompanied the casket when it left Port Moresby for Mt Hagen yesterday.

MMJV: K2.6m compo for river villagers

By PATRICK TALU

THE Morobe Mining Joint Venture is paying a one-off ex gratia compensation payments of more than K2.6 million to people along the Watut River who are environmentally affected and displaced by the Hidden Valley mine, The National reports.

According to a statement released yesterday, payments began last week and is now into the second week.

The payments followed consultation and assessments conducted by Hidden Valley Mine Joint Venture (HVJV) through working with communities, local level and Morobe provincial government, representatives, the Mineral Resources Authority officers and other stakeholder groups.

Late last year, HVJV voluntarily committed to the communities along the Watut River to make this payment for damage to property and gardens of value throughout the river system.

The said damage could have been partly traceable to the Hidden Valley mine construction period.

Three teams comprising HVJV officers and the government, community and MRA along with witnesses provided by local community including the Union of Watut River communities began the task of assessments in the lower, middle and upper Watut last March.

Over the past several months, the teams have assessed more than 2,200 claims for individual compensation, with Upper and Lower Watut receiving their payments while Middle Watut payments are still being finalised.  

The payment exercise is expected to be completed by the end of next month.

According to the HVJV compensation procedure, assessments undertaken throughout the Watut River System include loss of gardens, crop trees with food or commercial value and infrastructure caused by possible increased sedimentation or over-bank flooding.

Fees hit parents

Rate remains despite hard times

PARENTS will have to dig deep to pay for their children’s school fees next year despite hardship being faced in communities throughout the country, The National reports.

The PNG LNG project and other factors had caused a steep rise in inflation, and a report commissioned by the government indicated many parents would struggle to pay their children’s school fees next year.

The government had been warned that an El Nino-induced drought, expected next year, could wreak economic havoc in the country, driving most families into poverty.

But, despite these reports, the government has decided not to lower school fees for next year but maintain it at the same level as this year.

National education board (NEB) chairman and acting Education secretary Dr Joseph Pagelio announced yesterday that the board had recommended the maximum school fee limits for next year be the same as this year for all institutions.

He said NEB had made the decision based on the outcomes of the “parental school fees affordability study” last year, which ascertained various hardships parents were experiencing and were living beyond their means.

Pagelio said the study’s findings had revealed that the income earned by parents was far less than their expenditures.

He said families in the rural areas were struggling because there were no basic government services provided, coupled with additional community problems and commitments throughout the year.

The report contrasted sharply with a national government’s claim that the K14 million provided to each open MP in the last three years had brought changes and improvement to villages and communities throughout the country.

School fees for next year were elementary K100; primary Grades 3-6 K230; primary Grades 7-8 K230; secondary/vocational Grades 7-10 K750 (day) and K1,100 (boarding); secondary/national high schools Grades 11-12 K800 (day) and K1,300 (boarding).

Fees for teachers, technical and business colleges will remain the same.

Pagelio said school administrations, parents and the school communities needed to realise that times were difficult and schools also needed finance to operate at the required standard.

“The NEB maximum fee is an estimate of the average amount per student that each institution needs to budget in order to stay open for the full school year.”

He reiterated that the cost of education was a shared responsibility between parents and guardians, school governing bodies, education agencies and provincial and national governments.

“To ensure schools operate effectively, parents are encouraged to start making arrangements to pay fees by the time schools start next year.”

Elementary schools had been charging fees this year despite clear direction from the ministry of education for free elementary education.

“The school administrations are now required to reimburse parents before this academic year ends,” the acting secretary said.

Tiensten: DSIP is in next year's budget

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

THE national government will continue funding the district service improvement programme (DSIP) in next year’s budget, which will be handed down next month, The National reports.

Planning Minister Paul Tiensten said the DSIP and the district and provincial support grants and other development initiatives complemented the medium-term development plan (MTDP).

“The DSIP is a major rural intervention policy which was established in 2007 and represents a significant increase in funds going to the 89 districts where more than K1.6 billion has been appropriated to date,” Tiensten said.

“DSIP will be funded as long as this government is in office, including next year.”

The minister attributed difficulties faced during implementation to unavailability of data which resulted in poor planning and execution of projects.

He was speaking at the launch of the Office of Rural Development (ORD) corporate plan 2011-15, last year’s DSIP implementation report and the establishment of the district information management system (Dims).

The European Union funded Dims at a cost of K4 million. AusAID provided the technical assistance.

Dims will provide a database of district profiles, assets and records of training and supervision activities.

He said ORD would set up offices in each region to implement government interventions and bring services closer to the rural people and

localise the millennium development goals at the district level.

“To our development partners, I make it clear that there will be no parallel programmes.

“I urge you to use the systems, processes, procedures and programmes of government, especially the rural intervention programmes.”

EU acting head in PNG Roberto Cecutti said the union and other development partners welcomed the adoption of the MTDP.

He said dialogue between the government and donors was necessary to better understand the capacity building undertaken by EU at

the sub-national level.

“You cannot translate funds into service delivery if sub-national administrations are not functioning properly,” Cecutti said.

He said EU had allocated K56 million on good governance and capacity building programmes in the districts and local level governments to help get functioning systems of procurement, audit, accounting and internal control systems in place.

Public mourning begin for late Joseph Kingal

By ELLEN TIAMU and JASON GIMA WURI

PAPUA New Guineans and overseas friends who have waited for permission from the Ministers Fraternal in Lae, who were holding prayer vigils for the late evangelist Joseph Kingal, can now publicly mourn his death, The National reports.

A public haus krai was finally put up at the Joseph Kingal Ministries headquarters at Omili yesterday to allow the public to attend and pay their last respects.

On Sunday, there will be a public viewing of the late Kingal at the Sir Ignatius Kilage stadium starting at 10am.

In Port Moresby, funeral arrangement committee member and Dei MP Puri Ruing said they had received news that three funeral services would be held in Lae, Port Moresby and Mt Hagen.

Ruing also told reporters yesterday that the condition of the late pastor’s wife, Susan, had improved and she regained consciousness on Monday.

“After the funeral service in Lae on Saturday, the remains of the late tele-evangelist will be flown to Port Moresby for another funeral service next Tuesday at the AOG Conner Stone church.

“Next Wednesday, the casket will leave for Mt Hagen for the final funeral service at the Queen Elizabeth Park before burial at Gumanch in Dei, Western Highlands,” Ruing said.

Fellow evangelist Pr Joseph Walters described the late Kingal as “a passionate patriot” who showed his true nationalistic colours when preaching in Russia, China, Australia and other countries “by wearing the PNG colours while on stage”.

Organisers said a mourning house in Port Moresby would start this evening at the Servant Heart Ministry grounds near the Gerehu roundabout.