K5 per photoshoot

Just for K5 per villager, visitors or tourists can take pictures of the remains of a light Cessna 210 that now adorns the shores of Lelegwagwa village in Milne Bay. The aircraft crash-landed about 50m off the shores of Lelegwagwa in late September and was towed ashore by the villagers who decided to make some money from the wreck.
Five Australians escaped the Sept 26 accident unhurt.
The villagers have even put up a notice about the K5-per-caretaker fee at the roadside. – Nationalpic by JULIA DAIA BORE

Prime minister referred to leadership tribunal

Abal to be acting PM if Sir Michael steps aside

 

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

 

PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare will be referred to a leadership tribunal for breaching the Leadership Code, effectively requiring him to step aside as head of government, The National reports.

Acting Public Prosecutor Jim Wala Tamate said yesterday he had served notice on Sir Michael about his intention to request the Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia to appoint a leadership tribunal to hear Ombudsman Commission charges that the prime minister had failed to submit his annual returns since 1996.

The announcement came 24 hours after a snap reshuffle with the National Alliance cabinet seats in the government in which Sir Michael elevated Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Abal to be the new deputy prime minister in place of Don Polye, meaning Abal will be acting prime minister, should Sir Michael steps aside.

Tamate confirmed late yesterday that a letter was served on Sir Michael, the regional member for East Sepik, and his lawyer Kerenga Kua yesterday morning.

“The letter was a notice to the prime minister advising him that, in three days time, a request will be made to the chief justice to appoint a leadership tribunal.”

However, sources said the letter was not served on the prime minister in person but left at the gates of his Mirigini House residence at Waigani.

Sir Michael was referred by the Ombudsman Commission in 2008 after finding that he had failed to submit his annual returns dating back to 1996.

However, the prime minister appealed to the National Court but, last week, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal.

The dismissal did not affect a Supreme Court reference that is still pending, or Sir Michael’s position as a leader, allowing him to still pursue the substantive matter.

The prime minister is likely to be suspended as per the Supreme Court decision on the case of former treasurer and finance minister Patrick Pruaitch if a tribunal was established.

Sir Michael is understood to have briefed his cabinet ministers and NA party executives yesterday afternoon.

The National understood that his snap reshuffle of NA ministers on Tuesday was to cater for a worse-case scenario, in which he preferred Abal to be in charge of government, rather than fellow Engan Polye.

Although there was no official confirmation last night from the government, sources claimed the changes would be effected by the prime minister before the end of the week.

The NA changes were Sir Arnold Amet as attorney-general and justice minister; Ano Pala – Agriculture and Livestock; Mark Maipakai – Labour and Industrial Relations; and Puri Ruing – Internal Security.

Axed from cabinet were Sani Rambi and John Hickey.

 

 

Lost K1 million found

By JEFFREY ELAPA

 

THE K1 million cheque belonging to the Telefomin people in West Sepik, which was lost in a taxi in Port Moresby, has been found, The National reports.

Telefomin MP Peter Iwei had allegedly left the cheque in a cab on his way home from parliament last month.

He said the cheque was returned to his parliament office following widespread publicity and public appeal.

Iwei said he had so far received K16 million in district support improvement programme (DSIP) funds from the national government.

However, he said due to the remoteness of his isolated and disadvantaged district, more funds were needed for his people to really participate in the country’s development.

He said over the years, Telefomin had been neglected with only a handful of people having access to vital services, usually accessed by flying in and out of the district.

Iwei said Sepiks had produced the country’s prime minister for a number of years but there was little to show for it.

Consequently, he said the people of Telefomin had sought vital health and education services elsewhere such as going to Tabubil in Western or crossing over the border into Indonesia.

Telefomin has a population of about 40,000 people who share a common border with Indonesia.

Iwei said his recent action to pay K10, 000 into a private bank account was necessitated by the government’s lack of interest in seriously addressing and developing least developed areas in the country.

 

 

Polye insists that he is still deputy prime minister

By JEFFREY ELAPA 

 

NATIONAL Alliance deputy leader Don Polye claims he is still deputy prime minister, brushing aside media speculations that he was demoted in a snap reshuffle among the NA ranks of cabinet on Tuesday, The National reports.

NA national secretary Joyce Grant added weight when she went on radio last night to deny that there was a reshuffle, saying Polye was still deputy prime minister and also transport and works minister.

Polye told The National yesterday that he had not received instruments from Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane, who was holidaying in Rabaul, East New Britain, to effect the change.

Government House officials, who were in Rabaul to witness Madang Governor Sir Arnold Amet sworn in as attorney-general and justice minister, said Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare had verbally confirmed Abal as the new deputy prime minister, replacing Polye.

This confirmed that although the instruments for the change in the deputy prime minister and other cabinet ministers had not been signed by Sir Paulias, the prime minister indicated that he would sign instruments for the reshuffle by the end of this week.

This had been confirmed independently by a third source.

Polye, who had to cut short his electorate duties to return to Port Moresby, said he was addressed as “deputy prime minister” when he met with Sir Michael yesterday morning.

“I believe I am still the deputy prime minister and deputy party leader,” he added.

However, sources said Sir Michael was just being diplomatic until the instruments for the changes were signed for gazettal.

According to political observers, the prime minister’s move came at a time when a notice was issued to him by the public prosecutor advising him of his referral to a leadership tribunal within three days.

Abal could not be reached for comments as he had returned to Sydney for today’s closing of a three-day mining and petroleum conference.

A reshuffle with Abal taking over as deputy prime minister

Abal takes over as deputy PM

 

By JEFFREY ELAPA and ISAAC NICHOLAS

 

PRIME Minister Sir Michael has made a snap cabinet reshuffle, replacing his deputy Don Polye and decommissioning two other ministers.

The changes, within portfolios held by his National Alliance party, were made yesterday and widely reported by the national radio, although there had been no official confirmation from the prime minister’s office.

New faces in cabinet were Madang Governor Sir Arnold Amet and United Resources Party stalwart Puri Ruing (Dei MP).

The reshuffle came hours after Sir Michael gave a keynote address at the mining and petroleum conference in Sydney, Australia, cancelled his onward trip to Cancun, Mexico, for the UN climate change conference and returned to Port Moresby with Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Abal, whom he had elevated as the new deputy prime minister.

It followed a minor reshuffle last month in which Ialibu-Pangia MP Peter O’Neill was appointed Finance and Treasury Minister and brought back Esa’ala MP Moses Maladina as public service minister.

According to sources last night, confirming the radio reports, the reshuffle affected Polye, who is now foreign affairs minister; Ano Pala, who is agriculture and livestock minister; and Mark Maipakai, who is now industrial relations minister.

Dropped from cabinet were Bogia MP John Hickey, who lost his agriculture and livestock portfolio and Mul-Baiyer MP Sani Rambi, who lost his internal security ministry.

New ministers Sir Arnold takes charge of justice and attorney-general while Ruing takes over internal security.

While the changes had all been done within National Alliance, the URP was the only coalition partner allocated an extra ministry.

Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane, who was on holiday in his village, signed the instruments yesterday to effect the reshuffle.

Polye, when contacted in his Kandep electorate yesterday, said he was not aware of the reshuffle.

He declined to comment further.

The prime minister’s media liaison officer, Betha Somare, said she was unable to reach Sir Michael from Sydney yesterday and, therefore, could not comment on the reshuffle.

The NA was meeting in Port Moresby yesterday but no details were available.

Earlier in the day, the prime minister’s office and NA had denied reports of an impending reshuffle.

NA spokesperson Joyce Grant said: “That is the prerogative of the prime minister to reshuffle the cabinet.

“The prime minister has been talking of reshuffling cabinet for a long time now and, when that happens, it happens.”

Meanwhile, government sources said on Monday that a special NEC meeting had appointed Paul Tiensten as acting governor-general while Sir Paulias was on holiday.

It was understood that the instruments to effect the appointment were yet to be made official.

 

 

Oil Search and Papua New Guinea's 20-year partnership

PAPUA New Guinea has, for more than 20 years, been enjoying substantial benefits from the Oil Search Ltd, whose fundamental benefits structure is progressive by world standards, The National reports.

Speaking at the 11th mining and petroleum conference in Sydney on Monday, OSL managing director Peter Botten told participants that the resource business in PNG had never been healthier in terms of major project development.

He said, however, the true potential of resource wealth would not be reached without appropriate management of the huge benefit streams that would come from new developments.

Botten said since 1992, the PNG government, provincial and local level governments, landowners (cash or non-cash or indirect payments) had received a total of K11.931 billion, with the government as the main recipient of the oil industry with K8.796 billion to date.

The oil industry has a record investment in petroleum exploration and development, led by the PNG LNG, other projects and continued investment in oil.

There is potential for significant development which will only reach potential if projects operate in a stable environment, have good management and governance of benefit streams which are essential for project stability and have the need to see benefits away from resources areas.

Botten explained that primary benefit streams were mandated by the Oil and Gas Act (1996) and other legislation, while others were more discretionary and were managed through negotiation by the operator with the stakeholders.

There is, however, a need for transparency and understanding of the benefits streams in order for it to work.

This includes MoA funds distributions, which required greater governance, if they are to deliver fair outcomes.

Botten said what had worked in the benefit streams included the Mineral Resource Development Co (MRDC) payments of equity dividend and royalties in the fields.

Mandated apportionment of benefits to various stakeholders had worked, with a percentage given to community infrastructure and future generations.

Botten said it was more important than ever to manage benefits in a rigorous and transparent way.

He said recent steps by the government regarding establishment of independent sovereign wealth funds for receipts from PNG LNG was a new major positive initiative.

These first steps were encouraging and needed a full understanding by all stakeholders, he said.

 

 

Pundari explores plan to build gold refinery

By PATRICK TALU in Sydney

 

MINING Minister John Pundari says he wants to see Papua New Guinea build and own an onshore gold refinery to refine gold produced by its various mines, The National reports.

He told mining investors at the mining and petroleum conference in Sydney that it was time for a big gold refinery because current mining activities warranted it.

Pundari told the conference he was looking at the prospects of preparing necessary legislation for the National Executive Council to pave way for the refinery to be constructed.

“For far too long, the government and people of Papua

New Guinea did not know the real values of gold bars produced and how many ounces are taken out of PNG and refined offshore,” he told The National.

“I want to provide the leadership in supporting the establishment of an internationally accredited gold refinery operation in PNG, through public-private partnership, to process all gold mined in PNG.

“I believe that we are mere custodians of the collective wealth of our nation,” Pundari said.

He reaffirmed Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare’s earlier address that the government

had committed itself to a complete review and overhaul of the mineral policy legislation to ensure the interest of all stakeholders, including the people, within the resources sector were protected and that optimal benefit were  gained from the extraction of PNG’s mineral resources.

Pundari said he also wanted to provide leadership by creating a level playing field for all players within the mining sector and deliver a robust strategic plan to bring onstream advanced and prospective projects as soon as possible.

He reiterated that he would encourage state-owned entities, such as Petromin, to exercise greater state equity option in the new mines coming on stream and to be involved more in new explorations.

The three-day mining conference will end today.