Chinese PNG? I don't think so

From PAUL OATES

"PNG can become the China of the Pacific", the Minister for Planning and Monitoring and District Development, Paul Tiensten said recently at a dinner in Kokopo.
Yet exactly what was the Minister referring to?
"Past PNG governments had only looked at their survival," the Minister is quoted as saying.
He then made the point that PNG as a country must align itself with both the short and long term government strategies; "and that
this may well result in PNG becoming the China of the Pacific."
With a booming economy and aspirations of becoming the leading world power, China is an easy example to laud when so called developing countries wish to align and emulate their own development strategies.
But exactly what would it mean if PNG did adopt Chinese methods and strategies?
If one were to look beneath the rhetoric and hyperbole, might not this concept create some problems for Mr Tiensten's own government?
What methodologies for example, does the Chinese government use to curb
corruption?
Is Chinese culture readily able to be assimilated by the PNG people?
Do PNG people want to emulate the Chinese way of doing things?
Those with some experience of PNG culture and customs might well point out that a similar notion used to be bandied around some decades ago about PNG adopting western culture and ethics.
How successful was that concept in creating a society and government that eradicated corruption and enabled PNG to use its resources to build up a modern nation and allow its people to prosper?
It seems that the idea of 'further fields always being greener' hasn't changed in four decades.
Why not start looking at the mirror and working out what is going wrong at home rather than chasing the illusion of a rainbow
elsewhere?
______________________________ ___________________

Post Courier on line News
   Wednesday 24th November, 2010

'PNG is China of Pacific'

By MAUREEN SANTANA

PAPUA New Guinea can become the China of the Pacific, a minister said during the closing dinner of the MTDP and PNGDSP rollout in Kokopo recently.
Minister for Planning and Monitoring and District Development Paul Tiensten said: "The important thing as a country we must align with the government's plans."
The Minister said the two government initiatives have looked at all the perimeters and have planned accordingly and this may result in PNG becoming the China of the Pacific.
Mr Tiensten however said PNG must plan appropriately and it must be together with government's short and long term strategies.
He said it was important to look at the missing links and one area was the implementation framework.
He said the government commitment was there but it was up to each province to build the capacity within their districts and to implement the funds coming from the national government.
The minister said past governments had only looked at their political survival.
Mr Tiensten said however for the current Somare-Polye government the current plans were aligned to meet vision 2050 and the government was putting funds to encourage economic and development growth.
Mr Tiensten said there were talks among developers and other multi-national organisations that PNG was becoming the China of the Pacific.

Simon says: ‘Life begins at 40’

By MALUM NALU

Lae boy and longtime Papua New Guinea resident, Simon Merton, turned 40 last Saturday with big celebrations at his house at Korobosea in Port Moresby.

Simon Merton ready to blow out his 40 candles surrounded by wife Chairmaine, family and friends.-Pictures by MALUM NALU

 Family, friends and Hebou Construction workmates of Merton turned up at his birthday bash which started on Saturday afternoon and continued until Sunday.

 Guests included prominent commentator Reg Renagi, PNG Rugby Football League interim chairman Gary Juffa. Lae legend Terry Charles, pilot Sao Maliaki, former radio personality Uncle ET and many more.

 There was plenty of food, drink and a live band to keep everyone happy.

 Merton, the man-of-the-moment and an accomplished singer, took centre stage several times to wow party-goers.

 “I spent the last 40 years enjoying my life in PNG and am going to spend the next 40 doing my best to ensure our children get to enjoy their life in PNG,” he declares.

 “I love PNG and will do anything for my country.”

Yes … I am Santa!

 MISTER Ho Ho Ho dropped by yesterday to visit sick children at the Port Moresby General Hospital, The National reports.

Santa brought smiles as well gifts for all when he paid his annual visit from the North Pole, courtesy of the good staff of Coffey International, who helped in cash and kind.

After touring the hospital’s ward, Santa stopped by a bleary-eyed Sugui Eneri’s bed to hand over this special gift and all his special love for a speedy recovery.

“It brightens up their day,” duty officer Sister Maea Kauio said.

Santa and his Coffey International team rode off soon after, perhaps with Christmas tidings for other needy children in the city.

Coffey Global Quest started in 2000 in Adelaide, Australia, and is an initiative of the staff from Coffey International to help organisations in need of help.

15 foreign investment analysts visit LNG sites

A 15-man team of foreign investment analysts is  impressed with the oil operations at Oil Search Ltd and the activities at the PNG gas project sites, The National reports.

The team was in the country recently to have a first-hand look at the on-going gas and oil projects.

Later, they met with Public Enterprises Minister Arthur Somare.

OSL managing director Peter Botten and his team of executives hosted the team composed of fund managers, bankers and investors that included JB Morgan Securities, Norges Bank, JP Capital Partners, Macquarie Equities, Credit Suisse, JP Morgan Asset Management, BNP Baribas Securities, Macquarie Securities and Nomura Securities.

They were told in detailed briefings that in 2014, gas from the oil producing fields, which is currently being re-injected into the fields, will be recovered and fed into the PNG LNG pipeline as the first gas off-take for overseas markets.

This excited the analysts and raised a lot of questions regarding the development and expansion of the central processing facility in Kutubu to cater for the LNG project and a host of other financing issues.

They also visited the construction site of the Hides gas conditioning plant and the first of a number of Hides well-pads that will feed plant.

Former managing director of Mineral Resources Development Corp Francis Kaupa – a structural engineer, who heads the civil works, ground clearance and infrastructure – gave the visitors a thorough briefing on the early works.

They also flew over Komo and saw the huge airport construction underway. When completed, this airport will take the world’s largest aircraft, the Antonov.

Botten told the visitors that PNG, especially the Southern Highlands and the Gulf, was  attractive oil and gas provinces which raised the interests of a lot of potential investors

Most of the analysts were very pleased with what they saw and heard as they were driven through the heart of Hela region by road which allayed any fears they might have had about project security.

 

 

Budget passed

Shadow treasurer claims little achieved in last eight years

 

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

 

TREASURY and Finance Minister Peter O’Neill has declared 2011 as the “year of implementation” as parliament last night unanimously passed the record K9.3 billion money plan for next year, The National reports.

The budget, which had the support of almost all MPs from both sides of the house, was debated for six hours before being passed on voices.

The integrity law required parliament to vote on the budget along party lines, with parties submitting to the speaker a resolution of the decision of their caucus which way they would vote.

But, the government and the speaker decided that, since much of the integrity law was struck down by the Supreme Court, this voting requirement no longer applied.

O’Neill, who generally received warm reviews from parliament and the private sector on his first budget as treasurer, said implementation was a top priority if the government wanted to achieve targets and development goals and improve indicators.

“If we work within the budget framework, the targets set by the MTDP and the MDG will be achieved; the social and health indicators will improve.

“Public servants must roll up their sleeves and work with the private sector, with politicians leading from the front.”

O’Neill stressed that the monthly reviews of the budget he promised would be a crucial part of the government’s strategy in implementing the budget.

During debate, however, the budget took a hammering from shadow treasurer Bart Philemon.

Opposition leader Sir Mekere Morauta was overlooked by Speaker Jeffery Nape when he tried to present his comments of the budget, with Nape arguing that Sir Mekere had passed up his opportunity to speak by allowing Philemon to deliver the budget reply.

Sir Mekere left the chamber without speaking, and later released the text of his speech to the media.

Philemon said in his speech the government had achieved little despite eight years of stability and economic prosperity.

He said the government had spent K55 billion in eight years to achieve very little with corruption rising, the public service bloated and unproductive and eating K2 billion of the recurrent budget, and failure to broaden revenue base beyond mining and oil and gas sector.

Senior opposition MP and member for Abau Sir Puka Temu said the overall 2011 money plan was good news for the country.

He commended the treasurer and government for packaging a very good budget but the challenge was on implementation.

O’Neill said he was disappointed with the opposition’s reply, which lacked new initiative and substance.

“To tell you the truth, I am a bit disappointed given the experience in the opposition.

“We need constructive debate on the budget.

“I am happy that many people accepted the budget and the challenge is for us to implement on a timely basis,” O’Neill said outside parliament.

 

 

Bill on reserved seats goes back to cabinet

THE National Executive Council will meet today to make amendments to the bill to have 22 reserve seats for women in parliament, The National reports.

Community Development Minister Dame Carol Kidu said there were discrepancies in the Equality and Participation Bill which did not go down well with some members of parliament, who had refused to support the proposed legislation.

Dame Carol said the reserved seats for women would come from the 22 provincial electorates under the new arrangements before cabinet for endorsement before tabling in parliament.

She said previously, the proposal to have one provincial electorate with two seats did not go down well with the provincial governors.

Dame Carol said the alternate would be two provincial electorates, one for the governor and the reserved seat for a woman in parliament.

“It is the same boundary, and I know it sounds crazy, but one provincial electorate is for a woman and she will become an ordinary MP with no district support improvement programme (DSIP) grants.

“If the government) does not give women the K2 million discretionary funds, do not worry about it,” she said.

“Some people are saying it will cost so much, but, the cost is for salary and two staff; only a few millions but we can afford that.

“We are not going into parliament for money but to provide the gender balance and to speak on issues affecting the nation as women.”

More than 100 women leaders, attired in PNG-coloured meri blouses and laplaps fronted up at the parliament front gates to drum up support at lunchtime yesterday.

Dame Carol met the women and asked them to be patient and wait for another day or two as the bill would have to be amended and brought to cabinet.

“Be patient, we have waited a long time for this and we can wait for another one or two days.”

Dame Carol also told the women that some people had wanted to adjourn parliament after the budget but the prime minister had declined.

She said proper processes and procedures must be followed as some clever lawyer may challenge the bill in court.

“We do not want to pass the bill in a hurry and, later, being declared null and void by the courts. We have to do it properly.”

She said the eyes of Pacific Island countries were zeroing in on PNG as what was happening here could also be done in other Pacific Island countries to get reserve seats for women.

 

 

 

 

One more wasted budget, says Philemon

By JEFFREY ELAPA

 

THE opposition yesterday criticised the 2011 Budget as another example of the government doing the same thing over and over again with little result, The National reports.

Shadow Treasurer Bart Philemon said the government had wasted eight years of political stability and has nothing to show for more than K55 billion it had spent during this period.

Holding up The National newspaper and pointing to the front page which had a picture of an overcrowded ward at the Port Moresby General Hospital with mothers sleeping on the floor to illustrate his point, Philemon said social indicators had deteriorated under this government.

He said with the budget showing a lot of microeconomic holes, it was built on “shifting sand” and not “solid rock” and would collapse.

Philemon told the government to realign their unproductive expenditure to a productive expenditure while looking back of the past experiences and comparing of how effective it would work when the K9.3 billion was implemented next year.

 “They are not working on reliable, accurate data and their monitoring and evaluation capacity is questionable.

“Despite the government achieving positive growth rates of up to 8% in consecutive years majority of our children do not attend primary school while major hospitals are always overcrowded and understaffed while our rural clinics and aidposts are rundown and with little or no drugs,” he said.

He said the people especially women and children in urban centres lived in constant fear of being robbed, mugged, raped or even killed while the agriculture sector had been neglected, heavily politicised and corrupted, and badly managed.

He said the highly-educated and competent citizens still had no formal jobs with unemployment estimated at more than 60% while basic services especially in the rural areas had deteriorated forcing people to move to town and cities in increasing numbers.

Philemon said agriculture should be the foundation for education and health but not much concern was given in addressing agriculture which was the back bone of the nation’s development.

 “There is nothing to celebrate or be proud about in the dire state of PNG including economic growth insufficient to impact households, poor performance on social indicators, absence of quality data or indicator framework for PNG, development plans have existed, but not well resourced, not linked to other plans and poorly implemented and the lack of fiscal discipline resulting to overspending and unproductive spending,” he said.