APEC leaders release declaration, adopt new vision for regional growth

Issued by the  APEC Secretariat

Yokohama, Japan, November 14, 2010 – APEC Leaders gathered under the theme “Change and Action” to “articulate our vision of further building and integrating the Asia-Pacific region in the 21^st Century, and paths to realize that vision.”

At the conclusion of their two-day meeting, APEC Leaders adopted a declaration as well as a Leaders’ Statement on 2010 Bogor Goals Assessment, the Report on APEC’s 2010 Economies’ Progress Towards the Bogor Goals, the APEC Leaders’ Growth Strategy and Pathways to FTAAP.

Significant progress towards the Bogor Goals

“Through our individual and collective efforts toward achieving the Bogor Goals, the Asia-Pacific region has achieved substantial reductions in barriers to trade and investment. These efforts have led to increased trade and investment flows, sustained economic growth, and a vast improvement in the welfare of people in the region.”

“We are confident that APEC is well on track toward achieving the goal of free and open trade and investment among its economies.”

The assessment was conducted on progress towards achieving the Bogor Goals by the five industrialized economies by 2010 as well as eight developing economies, who volunteered ahead of 2020.

“We endorse the Report on APEC’s 2010 Economies’ Progress Towards the Bogor Goals and conclude that while more work remains to be done, these 13 economies have made significant progress toward achieving the Bogor Goals.”

Path toward a robust economy

“We set forth the APEC Leaders’ Growth Strategy as APEC’s first substantial effort to provide a comprehensive long-term framework for promoting high-quality growth in the region.” 

“We will implement the Growth Strategy out to 2015, focusing on the five desired attributes of balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative, and secure growth.

“Our Growth Strategy includes an Action Plan that encompasses work elements on structural reform; human resource and entrepreneurship development; green growth; a knowledge-based economy; and human security.”

“The Action Plan will be supported and promoted through specific work programs that draw in all aspects of APEC’s work, including sectoral Ministerial meetings, committees, APEC sub-fora, extensive regional networks of experts, and APEC’s close cooperation with the business community.”

“We will review our progress toward implementing the Growth Strategy in 2015.”

Accelerating regional economic integration

“We will take concrete steps toward realization of a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), which is a major instrument to further APEC’s regional economic integration agenda. An FTAAP should be pursued as a comprehensive free trade agreement by developing and building on ongoing regional undertakings, such as the ASEAN+3, ASEAN+6, and the Trans Pacific Partnership among others.”

“To this end, APEC will make an important and meaningful contribution as an incubator of an FTAAP by providing leadership and intellectual input into the process of its development, and by playing a critical role in defining, shaping, and addressing the “next generation” trade and investment issues that FTAAP should contain.”

“APEC should contribute to the pursuit of an FTAAP by continuing and further developing its work on sectoral initiatives in such areas as investment; services; e-commerce, rules of origin; standards and conformance; trade facilitation; and environmental goods and services.”

Balanced growth

“We must take steps to build a foundation for stronger, more sustainable, and more balanced growth in the future.”

“We note the importance of strengthening multilateral cooperation to promote external sustainability and pursuing the full range of policies conducive to reducing excessive imbalances and maintaining current account imbalances at sustainable levels.”

“We will move toward more market-determined exchange rate systems and enhance exchange rate flexibility to reflect underlying economic fundamentals and will refrain from competitive devaluation of currencies.  Advanced economies, including those with reserve currencies, will be vigilant against excess volatility and disorderly movements in exchange rates. These actions will help mitigate the risk of excessive volatility in capital flows facing some emerging market economies.”

Supporting the multilateral trading system

“We should continue to take steps to build a stronger and more resilient global financial system. We remain committed to maintaining open markets and fighting protectionism. We reaffirm our common resolve to support the recovery in a collaborative and coordinated way.”

“We reaffirm our strong commitment to bring the Doha Development Agenda to a prompt and successful conclusion. Bearing in mind that 2011 will be a critically important “window of opportunity,” we direct our Ministers to empower our representatives to engage in comprehensive negotiations with a sense of urgency in the end game, built on the progress achieved, including with regard to modalities, consistent with the Doha mandate.”

“We affirm our commitment to win domestic support in our respective systems for a strong agreement.”

Resisting protectionism

“In our continued efforts to resist protectionism, we agree to extend our commitment on standstill made in 2008 to the end of 2013 to refrain from raising new barriers to investment or to trade in goods and services, imposing new export restrictions, or implementing World Trade Organisation inconsistent measures in all areas, including those that stimulate exports.”

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For more information, contact: Trudy Harris at th@apec.org or (+81) (0)80 3417 3130 (in Japan) or Michael Chapnick at mc@apec.org or (+81) (0)80 40841709 (in Japan)

Somare now behaving like a dictator

Opposition Leader Sir Mekere Morauta said today that Michael Somare is turning Papua New Guinea into “Mugabeland”.

“Somare has all the ingredients and recipes in place,” he said.

“The two most-important disciplinary forces, the Defence Force and the Police have been tribalised and converted into instruments at his disposal and for his use.  “Papua New Guineans should be extremely worried about these developments and must not allow these tribal roots to take hold.

“These moves are fraught with danger and set sickening precedents for others to follow in the future. 

 “Michael Somare has to be blamed squarely for these atrocious, self-serving acts.”

“This is why this Government has to be changed – to save our country and our future.

“The alleged capture by Somare’s bodyguards and alleged bashing of NGO activist Noel Anjo by the Prime Minister and his wife, demonstrate Somare’s preparedness to silence any critic, by any means, including violence and use of the institutions of state.

“I remind Papua New Guineans of the Prime Minister walking across the floor of Parliament to the Opposition front bench, in spitting distance, saying to the Member for Bulolo Sam Basil ‘I will kill you’.

“This again demonstrates Somare’s willingness to stop at nothing to silence any sign of criticism or threat, in ways most inappropriate for a leader. 

“Shameful. 

“Why do we put up with this?”

Sir Mekere concluded:  “This Government has so much to protect that it will stop at nothing to stay in power, even if it destroys the Constitution and people’s freedom. 

“Wake up Papua New Guineans.”

Mekere Morauta KCMG MP                              

Leader of the Opposition and                                           

Member for Moresby North-West                         

Police stable

Wagambie vows to ‘protect and serve’

Acting Police Commissioner Anthony Wagambie (left) and acting deputy commissioner Fred Yakasa talking to reporters and senior police officers at police headquarters, Konedobu, yesterday.

ACTING Police Commissioner Anthony Wagambie yesterday assured the nation and investors that the police force was stable and united in its mandate to protect and serve.

In his first media conference yesterday, a day after his appointment, he said police services would continue as usual.

In a separate statement, Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare confirmed the National Executive Council decision on Wednesday to suspend incumbent Gari Baki on disciplinary grounds and appoint Wagambie to act until further notice.

He said the NEC had also directed acting chief secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc to set up an independent committee to investigate Baki’s conduct as police commissioner within the next three months, including allegedly misleading the government to secure K10 million for LNG operations last month.

“I call upon the rank and file for recommitment and dedication to your assigned duties and responsibilities,” Wagambie, flanked by acting deputy commissioner Fred Yakasa and other senior officers, told reporters at police headquarters, Konedobu.

While the changes at the police hierarchy appeared to have gone without a hitch in the past 48 hours, the picture was less rosy in the provinces.

* Morobe, the Lae Chamber of Commerce and Industry said police had been operating without fuel and it had chipped in to help but had warned its members of upsurge in holdups in the miles area and cautioned those travelling in or around the area to take extra precautions.

* Mt Hagen, Telikom PNG had disconnected all telephone lines to the Highlands provincial police headquarters for non-payment of phone bills totalling more than K400,000. Communications with resource-rich Enga and Southern Highlands, including the LNG project, were also cut.

* Mendi, Southern Highlands police said they needed more money to effectively monitor the six-month, province-wide liquor ban where liquor-related offences were on the rise.

Chief censor, bishops and chamber of commerce slam phone lottery

By ALISON ANIS

 

THE censorship board, Catholic bishops of PNG and the Solomon Islands and the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce have publicly condemned mobile phone lottery in the country, The National reports.

Representatives of these organisations made known their views on Wednesday, calling for this form of gambling to be abolished, during a consultative meeting organised by PNG Lotto and the National Gaming Control Board.

Secretary-general of the Catholic Bishops Conference in PNG and Solomon Islands Fr Victor Roche said: “I do not think Papua New Guinea needs mobile phone gambling right.

“Our concerns are for children and the ordinary people in the villages who already have a financial stress on their budgets.

“In order to make one person a million-kina rich, we will make thousand others poor.”

Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce president Ron Seddon said the announcement of mobile phone lottery in PNG came as a surprise.

He said while this form of gambling had been successfully launched in developed countries like Spain, United Kingdom, United States and China, no third world country had tried mobile phone lottery.

“People in developed nations have more control over their expenditure. In PNG, we do not have that.”

PNG chief censor Steven Mala said the National Censorship Board was concerned about children being exposed to gambling and did not believe the assurances from PNG Lotto and the gaming control board.

“I do not think they are 110% sure that this will work.

“Children nowadays are smart; so, what is the guarantee that children will not participate?” Mala asked.

Roche, speaking on behalf of the Catholic bishops conference and Archbishop Francesco Panfillo, said while it was easy to say that parents should control their children, it was difficult to regulate children.

Seddon added: “I am a PNG citizen, and I do not want to see this continued any further.

“We will never stop children from going online.

“It is not the one person who wins a million kina; it is the five million people who lose K4.20 that they cannot afford.

“The government does not need the money. We have money, so let us stop mobile phone gambling,” Seddon said.

The chief censor said he was still not satisfied with the proposal and that the National Censorship Board’s concern was for Papua New Guinea’s overall population and how this would affect them.

“Our suggestion is that we stop this lottery thing and return to the old lotto using entry card manually,” Mala said.

The meeting was organised to collect views and feedbacks from the public following widespread opposition to mobile phone lottery, especially where children were concerned.

 

MPs court Nape

By DANIEL KORIMBAO

 

PARLIAMENT meets on Tuesday for the final session of 2010 before the house rises for the year, The National reports.

Because it is the November session, the focus of this sitting should be the 2011 budget.

But there is uncertainty on most minds because the murmur is for a vote of no-confidence in the prime minister to be introduced by the opposition.

Realistically, this is the only chance the opposition has of getting a no-confidence motion through to be voted on. The opening or window of opportunity provided by law closes in the new year as the Constitution bars any such vote 18 months before a writ is issued for the next general elections.

Speaker Jeffery Nape holds the key to how events will play out on Tuesday, and that is why all roads have led to Cairns, Australia, in recent days, where he has been holidaying.

Frustrated by the government’s failure to provide funds it has promised for urgent maintenance work in parliament, Nape has holed up in Cairns for the last two months or so, and word is that the opposition and government factions have been courting him to allow the notice now before him to go through for a vote, ahead of the budget.

Sources said the prime minister paid Nape a visit last week and had lunch with him. That was followed by a visit from Treasurer and People’s National Congress party leader Peter O’Neill.

Then last week, Enga governor and People’s Party leader Peter Ipatas, United Resources Party founder and Southern Highlands Governor Anderson Agiru, and Rural Development Party leader Moses Maladina, and URP leader William Duma visited Nape for separate meetings.

On Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Don Polye flew to Cairns for a meeting with Nape before flying back to Port Moresby.

Yesterday, Public Enterprises Minister Arthur Somare got on the Qantas flight from Port Moresby to Cairns, hoping to meet with Nape.

Somare told The National he was seeking consultation with Nape on his interpretation of the integrity law, or what’s left of it, after the Supreme Court has struck down some of its provisions as unconstitutional.

He is seeking his views on how members and parties should vote on important bills like the budget and a vote of no-confidence.

“I have my legal advice on this, and I believe the speaker’s would not be much different.

“That is why I am meeting him to discuss these, because it is important we interpret the laws correctly and set the right precedent.

“The laws may still require MPs to vote on important bills through party resolutions, and we need to set the ground rules for this in this sitting, given what has happened,” Somare said.

Under the integrity law, MPs must show their vote through a party resolution when voting on the budget, or a vote for the prime minister, including a vote of no-confidence. It was not very clear if this law had been struck down by the court, or was still intact, or was provided for in the standing orders of parliament.

As Somare got off the Qantas plane at the Cairns airport, PNG Party leader Belden Namah and Bulolo MP Sam Basil were checking in to catch the Air Niugini flight back to Port Moresby after meeting the speaker.

Namah declined to give details of his meeting with Nape.

 

 

Aussies close border but send aid to Daru

THE Daru Island cholera outbreak is preventing travel from Papua New Guinea to the Torres Strait under provisions of the Torres Strait Treaty, Radio Australia reported yesterday, The National reports.

It said Australia’s department of foreign affairs had restricted travel under the treaty until further notice because of the outbreak on the island.

Yesterday, PNG health officials confirmed the death toll at 16 and had a chartered plane travelling from Port Moresby, with officers from the Health Department, World Health Organisation and AusAID, to distribute emergency medical aid and assess the situation.

More than 300 people were confirmed to have been affected by the disease and 70 admitted to the hospital for treatment.

Last night, there was unconfirmed report that the death toll might have reached 22.

The Australian newspaper reported yesterday that Australia was rushing medical supplies and aid to Daru.

It said that medicine and intravenous fluid, to treat dehydration associated with the deadly disease, was being stockpiled on the Queensland side of the strait.

Daru is about 4km off the PNG mainland and only 50km from the nearest Australian island of Saibai.

The newspaper quoted medical staff at the 60-bed Daru General Hospital describing horrific scenes, and pleaded for Australian help.

It quoted local Catholic priest Vinod D’Mello saying that sick people lay in the hospital’s corridors because all the beds were taken.

“There are two or three more deaths every day,” he said.

“I can hear the crying from the hospital when I am in the church.

“(The staff) are trying their best, but it is a tragic situation.”

Nurse Dawe Tuti said the hospital’s two doctors and other medical staff were running off their feet.

“We do not have enough manpower,” she told The Australian.

“The Australian government stands ready to provide additional assistance to the PNG government to respond to the outbreak as needed,” an AusAID spokeswoman said. “At this stage, no formal request for assistance has been made.”

Queensland health communicable diseases branch senior director Christine Selvey said: “Even though the cholera outbreak has now spread to Daru, it is exceedingly unlikely that cholera could spread locally within north Queensland.

“Hygiene and food preparation practices in the Torres Strait are good; there is ready access to safe-drinking water and there is safe disposal of human wastes.”

MRDC acquires Hevi Lift for LNG project ops

MINERAL Resources Development Co (MRDC) has acquired Hevi Lift (PNG) Pty Ltd and contracted to ExxonMobil for LNG-related aviation services, The National reports.

MRDC managing director Augustine Mano revealed this last week during the launching of MRDC’s website (http:www.mrdc.com.pg).

However, Mano did not disclose the cost of acquiring the aviation company, which took place last December.

Mano said the acquisition of Hevi Lift’s 50% shareholding was through a consortium of Mineral Resources Star Mountain, Petroleum Resources Kutbu, Petroleum Resources Gobe and Petroleum Resources Moran.

He also disclosed raising K250 million to buy MRDC’s stake on behalf of the landowners companies in the PNG LNG project.

Mano said the company had opened up  several  offices offshore, making MRDC the first multinational company collectively owned by resource-owners to have established offices abroad.

“We will be the first multinational company to have established offices in Indonesia, Shangai in China and Myanmar, with Thailand to follow suit.

“From an initial K600 million in 2008 since the transfer of the State equity interest for Eda Oil to Petromin and withdrawal of Mineral Resource Lihir, MRDC has now K1.2 billion in assets and investment portfolio,” Mano said.

Acknowledging the MRDC challenges ahead, he said his management and board were determined and positive to deliver benefits that were required and expected from.