Natural disasters and emergencies miss out on budget

By PATRICK TALU

 

THE National Agriculture Research Institute is concerned that no funding was allocated in the national budget for emergencies and unexpected natural disasters like the climate change-induced prolonged dry spells that were widely publicised recently, The National reports.

NARI director-general Dr Raghunath Ghodake said while K5.7million was appropriated for disaster risks management and disaster management getting K1.9 million, nothing was specifically set aside for natural disasters and emergencies.

Experts had said the El Niño phenomenon was likely to hit PNG between next year and 2014, causing severe drought everywhere.

When asked for his comments on the 2011 budget yesterday, Ghodake said: “Yes, indeed, we are all concerned that there has been no funding apportioned for climate change-related drought events. 

“There is a development project funded for NARI this year, and that was to have continued for the next four years so that we can prepare PNG and its communities for a severe drought.

“I cannot comprehend how this was misplaced, and I am in touch with central agencies to find out and have already expressed my concern and dissatisfaction to them.

“I can only guess at this stage that there may have been some misunderstanding and omission, and also hope that good sense prevails and this area gets funding support in whatever way possible.”

According to the NARI website, there were strong indications for El Niño conditions developing in the later part of next year.

Ghodake said in an article posted on the website that food production in PNG was highly vulnerable to El Niño-induced droughts and other seasonal events of droughts. 

He warned that unless action was taken to empower and equip our farming and rural communities with appropriate technologies and information, people would be exposed to food insecurity, malnutrition and hunger. 

“It is advisable that PNG has contingency measures in place which can be activated at short notice to deal with drought and food shortage situations under such a highly likely scenario.”

Besides food and water shortages in the rural and urban areas, severe droughts could cause disease outbreaks, population out-migration, school closures, bush and forest fires, hydro-power shortages, breakdown of transport and communication infrastructures and law and order problems. 

Many parts of Eastern Highlands and Morobe had reported cases of people and domestic animals dying from starvation as a result of food and water sources drying up.

K9.3b budget handed down

Strong economic growth forecast

 

TREASURER and Finance Minister Peter O’Neill yesterday handed down a record K9.3 billion budget for 2011 with the theme “building the foundations for economic growth and prosperity”., The National reports.

He said it supported key medium-term development plan (MTDP) with new tax policy measures.

Total revenue and grants were projected at K9.328 billion, which was K1.08 billion higher than the revised 2010 estimate of K8.24 billion.

The budget highlights were:

* Balanced budget for 2010 and 2011;

* Strong economic growth in 2010 and 2011;

* High price of good and services worry;

* No new direct or indirect taxes;

* Tax on locally-brewed liquor;

* Wage adjustment for public servants;

* Threshold increase for first-time home buyers;

* Increased development budget to fund high priority programmes in MTDP enabling areas, especially education;

* Increased recurrent budget funding to support MTDP enablers and meet government obligations; and

* Long-term fiscal issues such as sovereign wealth funds.

 

 

Education biggest winner

THE education sector – from primary/secondary to technical and higher education institutions – is the biggest winner next year with more than K1.1 billion from the development budget, The National reports

The education appropriation represents 13.8% of the budget, K918.4 million to K1.07 billion.

Specifically, the universal access to quality primary and secondary education is appropriated K906 million, an increase of K18.7 million.

The break-up showed:

* An increase in education subsidy, from K144 million to K172 million, which is an ongoing initiative;

* K30 million for curriculum development and K20 million for equipment from the development budget;

* Expansion of Grade 12 examinations from eight subjects to 16 at K2.3 million and K6 million for production of examination papers (ongoing);

* 72 additional teachers in NCD at a cost of K2.25 million, (ongoing);

* Provinces to receive an additional K42.8 million to fund 4,000 teachers next year, bringing teachers’ numbers to 41,400 at a cost of K526.1 million (ongoing); and

* Provinces receiving K46.9 million in basic education function grants, an increase of K7.7 million (ongoing).

In the higher and technical education sector, the government is focused on addressing the skilled workforce shortage by allocating a total of K170.6 million – the government allocating K93 million while K61 million would come from loans and K36.3 million in additional grants.

Of this amount, K26 million would go to the University of Technology’s infrastructure development – K16 million for HR infrastructure development and K10 million for petroleum and petro-chemical engineering school.

The University of Papua New Guinea was allocated K18 million for infrastructure development comprising a new law school building (K10 million) and science building (K8 million).

Under the same infrastructure development fund, the University of Natural Resources and Environment (formerly Vudal) was allocated K8 million for library (K5 million) and administration block upgrade at (K3 million).

The University of Goroka was allocated K4 million while K59 million would come from the Chinese government for the dormitory extension.

A new initiative, called trade skills scholarship, was allocated K20 million for capacity building while technical vocational education training sector project got K10 million.

Minister James Marape said the school of excellence concept would come to reality with the resource allocation.

He also welcomed an allocation of K40 million for the rehabilitation of the four national high schools of Aiyura, Passam, Sogeri and Kerevat.

He said the rehabilitation of education sector infrastructure (Resi) programme funding of K70 million next year would be more controlled and aligned with the national education plan.

Marape also welcomed “establishing the library in every school” project with an initial allocation of K11 million for next year.

He said this was the biggest support ever received by the department, although funding had increased over the past three years.

 

 

K687.5m for law and order, justice

LAW and order and justice, as a key government priority sector, have received funding of K687.5 million for 2011, The National reports.

This is an increase of K157.8 million from 2010 that will cover areas including K3.8 million for recruitment of 630 personnel and K1.5 million for vehicles to address lawlessness in major centres and cities.

Treasurer and Finance Minister Peter O’Neill said the police were also receiving K44.5 million extra in its recurrent budget.

This will bring the total to K256.7 million for 2011, including K30 million for the LNG project support.

The Correctional Service received up to K21.1 million, an increase from K67.9 million in 2010 to K89 million in the 2011 budget.

This is to cater for the new salary structure, new uniforms and 95 new recruits.

The Defence Force will receive an increase of K29.2 million from K115.5 million in 2010 to K144.8 million in the 2011 budget.

This will go towards staff awards and recruitment of 50 new officers (K7 million), K7 million for liabilities, K2.5 million for training, K4 million for maintenance of ships and aircraft and K1 million for Beijing defence attaché.

The Judiciary is receiving an additional K19.4 million from 2010, bringing the total in 2011 to K69.6 million.

O’Neill said the major component of this increase would be spent on court circuits, which was one of the government’s priorities in this sector.

Other increases in the sector included land tribunals getting K6 million, particularly in resource project areas in PNG and K1 million for village court uniforms.

Budget all set

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

 

IT is all set, Treasurer and Finance Minister Peter O’Neill said of the supplementary and the 2011 budgets which he will present in parliament at 2pm today, The National reports.

The supplementary budget – expected to be about K500 million – would go towards meeting outstanding obligations, including commitments to the liquefied natural gas (LNG) project landowners.

Next year’s budget is expected to be about K8 billion that would address key government priorities in the district support improvement programme (DSIP), transport infrastructure programme and rural electrification.

It will be O’Neill’s first full budget as treasurer. He will be accompanied by National Planning Minister Paul Tiensten in laying out the development budget.

The budget would represent the start of the medium-term development plan (MTDP) to 2015.

Under the MTDP, the government will focus on a development expenditure of K36 billion over five years to create an additional 315,200 jobs throughout the country.

The MTDP is also the first five-year stage in the government’s broader 20-year development strategy (PNGDSP) and realisation of the Vision 2050 programme, which provides the overall direction of PNG’s development initiatives for the next 40 years.

The plan is expected to achieve an average economic growth of 8.5% a year, resulting in a healthy rise in the average GDP per person from K3, 430 this year to K4, 638 by 2015.

The most significant aspects of the MTDP included:

* The upgrading of 16 national priority roads, construction of 16 “missing link” roads and construction of four additional economic corridor national roads;

* The construction of 315 new aid posts nationwide in line with targets set for 2030 under the DSP. The plan required the Department of Health to hire 50 additional doctors and 787 nurses by 2015;

* In the education sector, 1,678 new primary and secondary schools would be built across the nation in every province with more than 9,800 teachers recruited in the next five years;

* In higher education, about 21,500 university places would be created, 6,800 technical and business college places, 8,000 teacher places, 5,000 nursing places, 3,700 vocational training institution places and improved access to internet and communication technologies; and

* K1.1 billion would be spent on improving the law and order situation.

 

 

3 attacks on Hickey as 146 houses torched

By JAYNE SAFIHAO

 

MEMBER for Bogia John Hickey and his wife were attacked three times at Dylup in Madang in separate incidents while 146 houses, belonging to settlers, were razed following a delay in a compensation payment last weekend, The National reports.

Last Sunday morning, a group of youths confronted the Hickeys as they were driving through Bogia station.

“At Kumul River, another group of armed youths flagged us down but I did not stop.

“I drove straight at them and the youths dispersed,” Hickey said when relaying the incidents to The National yesterday.

“We approached Dylup only to be confronted again by armed youths who damaged my car with bush knives,” he said.

“We were nearly killed.”

Hickey said: “The road condition along the North Coast is so bad and the there are no police at Bogia.”

Police in the area, however, said homes of labourers and settlers at Dylup plantation were razed to the ground last weekend following an armed hold-up last Thursday.

Reports said Buskens-Dimer villagers travelling on a PMV to Madang town were held up and robbed at Dylup, with the robbers stealing K400 in cash and a tool box.

A passenger and the PMV crew were injured in the incident.

In retaliation, Buskens-Dimer villagers demanded that the Dylup people pay them K5, 000 in compensation and a pig worth K600.

The peace ceremony, scheduled for last Sunday, did not take place as there was no mediator.

Tired of waiting, Buskens-Dimer youths marched into the plantation and torched every house in sight.

This happened when the Hickeys were passing through, resulting in their car being damaged.

Hickey had blamed provincial police commander Anthony Wagambie Jnr for the breakdown in law and order in the province.

Talidik rural police commander Snr Sgt Francis Wullinga confirmed the raid on the plantation and said his men were investigating.

 

 

Kidu reminds MPs of reserved seats bill

By JUNIOR UKAHA

 

LONE woman politician and government minister Dame Carol Kidu is optimistic that parliament will pass the proposed Equality and Participation Bill to enact 22 reserved seats for women by an elective process, The National reports.

Dame Carol, who holds the community development portfolio, has been outspoken on women and children issues since entering politics. Among her main agendas had been women’s voice and representation in parliament.

“The prime minister has assured me that the matter will be entertained in parliament,” Dame Carol said yesterday.

In a media statement last Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare committed the government to tabling the proposed bill.

He said the bill was now on the notice paper of the parliamentary business and “the government will discuss it come Nov 16”.

“The government will elaborate on the proposed legislation during the coming parliament session to ensure women have a fair representation in the highest decision-making process,” Sir Michael said.

In reaffirming his ongoing commitment to PNG women, the prime minister also assured visiting US state secretary Hillary Clinton of “the government’s unwavering support to ensure women have a voice at the highest level”.

Dame Carol said women from as far as East New Britain and Manus had rang her and rallied their support for the government to allocate the proposed 22 seats for women in parliament.

The bill is expected to go before parliament this week.

However, it was understood that the supplementary and 2011 budgets would take precedence.