Judge: Arms of state failed

By SAMUEL RAITANO

 

A NATIONAL Court judge in Papua New Guinea has blamed the failure by state agencies on individuals operating the systems of government, The National reports.

Justice Ambeng Kandakasi said the finance and legal offices were no exception to this sad fact, which is a shame for the country.

These sentiments were expressed while hearing a complaint by PNG Defence Force ex-servicemen against the state and its finance office for declining to release the complainants’ 8% interest on their retirement claims.

Counsel for the ex-servicemen had told the court that a resolution had not been reached during the mediation process because the state had changed its stance in the negotiations.

The court was told that while the state had agreed to pay the 334 claimants their entitlements, with some yet to be paid, the 8% interest would not be entertained.

The 8% interest, the Department of Finance said, would only be paid if there were further submission of claims.

Kandakasi said he thought the matter was straight forward and that both parties had reached a consensus; instead of a stalemate.

He added that the financial arm of the state seemed to be functioning for a few people and millions of kina had been released without delay upon their requests while the ordinary people were given a run-around.

The judge told the ex-servicemen to check with the office of the state solicitor to make sure they were paid their entitlements.

On the 8% interest, Kandakasi said the matter could be raised in court later if the ex-servicemen wished to do so.

 

Prime Minister sends condolence to New Zealand counterpart

Grief-stricken ... Fifteen-year-old Kent Manning (left) and his sister Libby, 18, reacting with their father, who asked not to identified, after they were told by police yesterday that there was no hope of finding Kent and Libby’s mother alive in a collapsed building following a 6.3-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday in Christchurch, New Zealand. – APpic

PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare yesterday wrote to his counterpart and New Zealand prime minister John Key, expressing deep sorrow and regret over the loss of lives and property as a result of an earthquake that struck Christchurch on Tuesday, The National reports.

“On behalf of the government and people of Papua New Guinea, I convey our deep sorrow and condolence on the terrible loss of lives and destruction caused to properties and public infrastructure following the devastating earthquake that struck the city of Christchurch.

“As your people mourn this tragic loss, we pray that the Almighty God will guide, console and grant strength to the immediate families and relatives affected by this catastrophe during this time of bereavement.

“I am confident that the strength of spirit and resilience of the New Zealand people, which has seen them overcome previous natural disasters, will see them through this tragedy,” he said.

He said PNG valued its bilateral ties with New Zealand.

“We are friends in every sense of the word. As a token of expression of our solidarity, profound sorrow and regret, my government stands ready to offer whatever assistance your government might require towards the recovery efforts in Christchurch.”

A number of PNG students are studying in New Zealand, but it could not be ascertained yesterday whether any attended colleges in the Christchurch or Canterbury region.

However, latest Radio Australia report said a night-time curfew came into force yesterday across much of quake-ravaged Christchurch, with the grim likelihood of a rising death toll hanging over rescuers desperately searching for survivors.

The number of confirmed dead from Tuesday’s 6.3-magnitude quake remained at 75 with more than 300 missing, officials said.

Radio Australia reported that for the first time in its history, New Zealand was in a state of emergency.

Military and police personnel were patrolling the centre of the city.

There have been more than 110 aftershocks since Tuesday’s quake and the cost had been estimated to be as high as US$16 billion – double the damage bill of the quake that hit Christchurch last September.

Zurenuoc: Guns fight has started

THE national government has already started implementing the guns committee report, acting Chief Secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc said yesterday, The National reports.

Zurenuoc said contrary to a claim by Transparency International (PNG) in the media this week, the report recommendations were being implemented with the Department of Prime Minister and National Executive Council the lead coordinating agency.

“The Police Department has already started implementing some of the recommendations concerning the issuing of firearm licences, the transfer of licences and updating of firearms databases,” he said.

“It would be amiss of the watchdog to allege that nothing is being done when a team comprising representatives from a cross-section of society, which includes representatives from civil society groups, has already been set up to further elaborate on the implementation of the recommendations.

“We have already started the ball rolling.

“The team is currently reviewing the recommendations of the guns committee report and has been collaborating with civil society groups on an implementation strategy.”

Zurenuoc said the biggest problem facing the government was not so much the use of licenced weapons but the containment of illegal firearms that are currently in use.

“The Department of Prime Minister and National Executive Council is preparing a critical analysis of crime statistics for 2009 and 2010 to determine baseline data of crimes committed using firearms.

“This will help in the implementation of the recommendations,” he said.

This week, TIPNG claimed that the government had failed to act on the recommendations, leaving the people open to gun violence.

It said because of this failure prominent people had been seen to be involved in disputes in which weapons had been discharged.

“The problem reaches all sections of the community with far too frequent examples of privileged and intelligent people carrying and using weapons in public places,” TIPNG said.

Climate change and food security

By JAMES LARAKI of NARI


A model resource centre on display at Bubia outside Lae

 GLOBAL climate change poses great risks to poor people whose livelihoods depend directly on agriculture, forestry, and other natural resources.
Global organisations and governments have already taken steps to change their focus to assess, adapt and mitigate these risks.
Strategies and policy reforms to enhance human welfare in an equitable and sustainable ways are taking centre stage.
Programs and projects are being undertaken at various levels to analyse the complex interrelations between climate change and agricultural growth, food security and sustainable use of natural resources.
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) is one such organisation that is focusing its efforts to identifying the key drivers of climate change and how these drivers will impact on food and agriculture systems, and food security.
IFPRI is identifying solutions to these challenges by focusing its research agenda on reducing poverty, hunger, and malnutrition is in a sustainable way.
Through its analysis on the factors influencing climate change and policy on food production systems and ongoing research, regions and sectors that are more likely to be vulnerable to climate change are determined.
And the Pacific Islands countries have been identified among the vulnerable regions to climate-driven environmental changes.
As such, the Washington-based Institution has extended its research to the Pacific to examine the linkages that connects the environmental change to the welfare of the people, to reveal the impact and develop possible adaptation strategies to reduce vulnerability.
Through its Environment and Production Technology Division, it has launched a project titled “Climate Change and Food Security: Adaption Mechanisms and Policy Recommendations for Sound Economic Livelihood in the Pacific” covering Fiji, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
The project which started last October and ends in September 2011 will assess the impacts of climate change on food security, availability, and accessibility, and how this influences the livelihood of Pacific island communities.
Funded by the Pacific Department of the Asian Development Bank, it will determine potential adaptation mechanisms and coping strategies that will ensure food security and enhance livelihoods for the rural communities.
The project will recommend policy options for agriculture, fisheries, and food security to strengthen the support from national governments.
The recommendations could also be used to seek technical and financial assistance from regional and international organisations to assist rural communities facing climate change.
Research Analysts, Ms Rowena Valmonte-Santo and Ms Catherine Chang were in the country early this month to start the Papua New Guinea leg of the study and held preliminary discussion with various agencies including the: National Fisheries Authority, Department of Agriculture and Livestock, National Statistical Office, National Weather Bureau, Office of the Climate Change, and the National Agricultural Research Institute.
The research will be carried out by developing country case studies.
It will involve survey of experts, farmers, fishers, community groups and relevant agencies. Suitable secondary data on agriculture and fisheries and other related information to food security and climate change at country level will also be identified and compiled.
Data on land use and land cover, biophysical (fluctuation in sea level, soil fertility, water availability, elevation), socioecomic indicators (crop prices, population, poverty, nutritional information, consumption) and other related data will be compiled.
The data compiled would then be used to analyse the impacts of climate change on agriculture and fisheries.
Team leader, Ms Rowena Valmonte-Santos said the responses to climate need to occur on several levels, including crop and farm-level adaptations, national level agriculture-related policies and investments, and regional and global policies and investments.
She said to indentify both short and long-term adaptation measures that reduces the impacts of global change, her team will work with local partners and stakeholders to characterise their vulnerability through focus-group interviews and household surveys.
“A series of workshops will also be organised to bring together partners to develop and analyse scenarios for vulnerable communities and assess the effectiveness and relative costs, and benefits of response options and adaptations strategies.
“From there, regional-level and country-level adaptation strategies and policy reform options would be developed.”
IFPRI would also assist to enhance regional and national adaptive capacity by facilitating exchange of insights and experience among researchers, and by building capacity in national research institutions, Ms Valmonte-Santos added.
In PNG, the Office of the Climate Change was created to take lead in matters relating to climate at the national level.
It is hoped that some of the policy recommendations generated by this study to tackle food security threats will be bulit into the national plans.
National Agriculture Research Institute (with other agencies) and NGOs have developed initiatives aimed at increasing awareness, generation and adaptation of appropriate technologies. NARI is taking the lead in mitigating the impact of climate change on agriculture and food security.
All these initiatives and those of others need to be supported.
As a country, PNG has to move forward.
Concerned agencies need to come together and discuss adaptation strategies.
There is a need to identify and discuss the issues of difficulties the country face in adopting sensible policy options, and how these issues and political obstacles can be overcome, if possible.
Policy interventions are required to combat climate change, improve agricultural and fisheries production, and alleviate the socioeconomic conditions of the rural communities and vulnerable groups, especially women.
Hopefully, useful recommendations generated from this study will provide policymakers and stakeholders with the tools for making informed decisions on adaptation mechanisms and coping strategies.

Yasause refused bail

By JACOB POK and SAMUEL RAITANO

 

FORMER executive director of the office of climate change Dr Theo Yasause’s application for bail has been refused yesterday by the Waigani National Court, The National reports.

Yasause, charged with the murder of former rugby league star Aquila Emil, is in remand at Bomana prison.

Justice Ere Kariko refused the bail application on the basis that there was insufficient evidence on the grounds pleaded in the bail application by Yasause and his lawyers.

In Yasause’s application for bail, he claimed he was innocent and blamed the print media for painting a bad picture of him as the suspect in the killing.

He claimed the media publicity had forced him to surrender to police that resulted in him being arrested and remanded.

He also claimed that his first visit to the prison was a nightmare, as he was subject to intimidation, harassment and abuse by Correctional Services (CS) officers.

He claimed that he was at one stage stripped naked by three CS officers and was assaulted and booted on his private parts, adding that he was subject to continuous ill- treatment and was in fear for his life.

Yasause further submitted that the welfare of his family would be jeopardised since he was the sole provider as well as his consultant firm, which assisted landowners in the negotiation process of the LNG project, would collapse if he remained in prison.

However, Kariko found most of Yasause’s grounds in the application to be too general, since there was no medical report provided on the allegations of assault, there were no photo evidences on the assault which Yasause said he would show the court and he failed to specify which landowner groups he was assisting.

He said the constitution did allow bail for wilful murder for exceptional circumstances, but Yasause’s case was not such, adding that a family and business can suffer as a result of a crime.

Yasause, 43, from East Sepik’s West Yangoru is married with four children.

Kariko also said assault on any remandee by CS officers was a serious matter that could be pursued in court by the aggrieved.

He said no remandee was to be mistreated or assaulted regardless of their crime, given that they were already in the hands of the law when they enter prison, which is their punishment.

Kariko said remandees had the right to file proceedings against CS officers who assault them.

 

Gas owners fight over K115 million

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

 

LANDOWNERS from gas fields in the Hela region are still fighting for tens of millions of kina from the state, this time a hefty K115 million promised by ministers to them, The National reports.

Last December, the finance and planning headquarters in Port Moresby was closed and workers could not access buildings after landowners demanded K120 million in business development grants promised them.

The current tussle is over promises made by ministers to landowners at the umbrella benefits sharing agreement (UBSA) reached at Kokopo, East New Britain, and the licence-based benefits sharing agreements (LBBSA) which were reached at the project sites.

Treasury and Finance Minister Peter O’Neill gave directions for the payment of more than K115 million to various landowner companies to honour ministerial commitments for the LNG project last November.

However, to date, the K115, 494,772.17 had not been released, raising the ire of landowners who were promised the funds and, also, inviting a second lot of landowners who claimed that the first group were only “paper landowners” and were not legitimate.lFrom Page 1

The second group, who had missed the list, claimed that the K115.5 million ministerial commitments were promised to “paper landowners” living in Port Moresby.

O’Neill said in a statement late yesterday that the UBSA financial commitments were landowner entitlements for project infrastructure development in the PNG LNG project areas.

“In order to get the LNG project up and running smoothly, the Somare government felt the meaningful participation of landowners in this massive life-changing project is crucial.

“The government, therefore, made a number of important UBSA commitments during the landowner development forum in Kokopo in July 2009.”

O’Neill said in the supplementary budget handed down last November, K170 million was allocated to meet UBSA and LBBSA commitments.

“Because of a lot of disputes and infighting among landowner factions, no funds have been paid to anyone,” O’Neill said.

The treasury secretary has been tasked to pay the following groups:

*Kilo 760 Oil and Gas Pipeline Ltd (Kutubu) – K6.079 million;

*Tubo Enterprise Ltd trading as Tubo Lodge (Kutubu) – K6.5 million;

*Gusomu Society Ltd (Kutubu) – K20 million;

*Akita Investments Ltd (Moran – K5 million;

*Kiki Investments (Northwest Moran) – K9 million;

*Balana Resources Ltd (Moran) – K5 million;

*Kaipte Ikopi Parikewa Investment Ltd (Gobe-Gulf) – K10.56 million;

*Isawari Landowners Association (Kutubu) – K5 million;

*JPPK Hides Association Inc (Hides) – K434, 772.17;

*Wita Arua Holdings (Hides PDL1) – K6 million;

*Petroleum Exploration Joint Venture Ltd – K18 million;

*Hides Tuguba Ltd (Hides PRL12) -– K2 million;

*Para Health Centre Ltd (Hides PRL 12) – K2 million;

*Bosaru-Sisa Landowners Association (SE Mananda-Onabasulu) – K5 million;

*Bosavi-Sisa Landowners (SE Mamanda) – K5 million; and

* Juha Joint Venture Ltd (Juha) – K5 million.

However, Hiwa Corporation Ltd Holdings chairman Peter Purani and Tuguba Petroleum Development Licence (PDL 1) Ltd chairman Howard Lole said these groups did not own sites hosting LNG infrastructures and facilities.

They said their companies represented 15 clans that owned PDL1 sites hosting the main gas producing activities

Prime minister's tribunal to cost K1 million

By JULIA DAIA BORE

 

THE leadership tribunal, probing misconduct charges against Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, will cost more than K1 million, The National reports.

The tribunal had been scheduled to begin on March 10, and would go on for about six weeks.

Government insiders said funding for the tribunal would come out from the judiciary’s K69.6 million recurrent budget.

The National could not verify the budget report with the office of the chief justice and other judiciary administrators.

Preparations for the tribunal were nearing completion.

Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia announced the tribunal panel on Monday, comprising three pre-eminent retired judges from Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

The panel would be chaired by Australian Roger Gyles, who was a former judge with the federal court of Australia, the supreme court of Australian Capital Territory and the supreme court of New South Wales.

Members on the tribunal included a former judge of the federal high court of New Zealand who is now serving in Vanuatu and Samoa Sir Bruce Robertson and Sir Robin Auld, president of the court of appeal of Solomon Islands. Auld was the former lord justice of the court of appeal and high court of England and Wales and a former judge of the high court of justice of the Queen’s Bench division of England and Wales.

The prime minister had been cited for the alleged non-acquittal and late acquittals of annual returns between 1994 and 1997.

On Dec 16 last year, acting Public Prosecutor Jim Wala Tamate wrote to the chief justice requesting for a leadership tribunal to be appointed to look into these allegations. The prime minister was referred to the public prosecutor by the Ombudsman Commission in 2006.

In an interview on Monday, Tamate said: “I did what I had to do, without fear or favour, in the course of performing my duties as the acting public prosecutor.

“I performed my duties in making this referral (to the CJ) and, in doing so, as a service to the people of PNG.”