Lower Watut cocoa farmers get small business training

Participants to the SYB training showing off their certificates.

Fifty-five cocoa farmers from 13 villages in the Lower Watut River community have successfully completed a two-week training to improve their business knowledge and management skills through a Hidden Valley mine sponsored start your business (SYB) programme last week. The SYB two-week training, facilitated by three certified Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) trainers, is aimed at helping equip the farmers and established cocoa groups in the Lower Watut region with the necessary skills to operate their cocoa businesses successfully.
The training programmes are part of Hidden Valley’s overall agriculture programme to compliment and build the capacity of local farmers.
Last year, following consultation and agreement with stakeholders, Hidden Valley engaged the services of SBDC to conduct two weekly training sessions for recipient communities under its various stakeholder community sustainable development (CSD) programmes.
Eric Ngawi, a local participant, thanked MMJV for funding the programme through SBDC, saying the training was timely and very useful as it would better equip them in the cocoa industry as well as enable them to take advantage of business opportunities that could arise from mining developments.
Huon district administrator Tony Ase, while thanking MMJV for the development programmes, challenged participants to take ownership of the training and utilise it through practice as well as to pass on the knowledge to others.
The SYB training comprises two phases: to do business awareness in analysing and understanding the local environment before deciding on business type or suitability for aspiring entrepreneurs; and to develop business plans taking into account marketing issues, business type, staffing, costing/pricing and starting capital/finance.
Wafi community affairs manager, Rolland Allbrook thanked participants and trainers for taking the time to attend the two-week training session.
“Agriculture is the backbone of this country and rightfully, your attendance is an indication of the desire to use the opportunity provided by developers such as MMJV to improve your knowledge,” he said.
“MMJV is happy to work with communities that show initiative, take ownership and are committed to improving their livelihoods, looking ahead into the future, because the mine will not be here for ever.”
Hidden Valley gold mine has also facilitated SYB training for coffee farmers in seven Biangai coffee growers’ groups, including farmers from two landowner villages of Winima and Kwembu; as well as for fish farmers under Middle Watut fish farmers’ cooperative.
To date, a total 131 participants and 25 observers have attended with more planned to follow suit.
Peter Piawu, SYB PNG programme manager, said SBDC was enjoying the partnership with MMJV, which was delivering a lot of business knowledge and skills to benefit the people on the ground that needed it.
The SYB training is internationally recognised and practised in 129 developing countries around the world.
The training is developed and certified by International Labour Organisation (ILO) and very high in material content.
According to SBDC, it has extensive training coverage throughout the country.

Lower Watut cocoa farmers get help from MMJV

A cluster nursery group tending to their hybrid cocoa seeds nursery at Mafanazo village, Lower Watut

Morobe Mining Joint Ventures, Hidden Valley mine has embarked on an intensive cocoa development and extension programme in the Lower Watut River communities aimed at establishing higher yielding crop varieties. The programme was initiated last year utilising partnerships with other service organisations and community service organisation, Bris Kanda Inc, and is set to benefit an estimated 900 farmers by building on and improving the existing work done by previous service providers.
Since June 2010, MMJV’s community sustainable development (CSD) agricultural team in consultation with the communities has helped to reorganise all existing cocoa groups’ farmers groups and emerging farmers under a cluster group system, where central nurseries are set up in each village to serve the planting material needs of the farmers.
According to a study facilitated by Bris Kanda, well over 90% of cocoa production in the Lower Watut impact region is based on low-yielding variety introduced in the colonial days.
With the cluster groups approach, it is envisaged that high-yielding cocoa varieties will be introduced and established, gradually phasing out the low-yielding variety that is currently grown.
Under the programme, over K120, 000 has already been injected into supporting this programme.
Some of these funds were used to provide materials to the 26 cluster groups comprising an estimated 900 farmers from 13 villages, to construct nurseries.
High yielding cocoa variety seeds from Cocoa and Coconut Research Institute (CCRI) at Murnas in Madang are also distributed to each group on a monthly basis.
To date 100, 000 hybrid seeds have been purchased with 61,000 distributed and established so far.
In addition, 100,000 polybags, 50 rolls of shade cloth and four cartons of nails were purchased and distributed for the construction of the 26 cluster group’s nurseries. Pruning and budding tools (six pole pruners, 10 secateurs, 10 punning saw, 58 budding knives and 594 budding tapes) were purchased and will be distributed during a field budding and training programme to be conducted in each of the villages which commenced in late February this year.
Already, further plans are in place to purchase an additional 50,000 polybags for the purpose of raising root stocks for budding superior clones.
This approach will assist the 26 cocoa cluster groups to raise and establish 150,000 high-yielding cocoa varieties in the farmer’s field in the first 12 months of rolling out this programme.
Each group has also been assisted with setting up bud wood gardens of 200-plus stands to provide bud stick requirements for a superior clone budding programme to be undertaken in the future.

Highlands farming field day at Tambul

By JAMES LARAKI of NARI
TAMBUL basin in the Western Highlands will come alive on Saturday when National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) highlands regional centre stages its third annual field day.

 Anton Kerru of NARI Tambul talking to visitors on the importance of field evaluation of potatoes during the second annual field day at Tambul in 2009.

This event will coincide with the 46th NARI council meeting which will be held at Tambul on Friday..
With the theme ‘Enhancing Sustainable Farming for Rural Farmers’, this event will provide an opportunity for the people of Tambul and visitors alike to learn about activities undertaken, meet scientific and technical staff, tour the campus and facilities, and gather information on other activities NARI undertakes throughout the country.
This event will provide the chance to people to find out more about the research and development activities undertaken by NARI in the high altitude highlands region of PNG and how they can source and adopt them.
Preparations are well under way to stage the event with the local MP and Minister for Civil Aviation, Benjamin Poponawa, confirmed as the chief guest.
Major activities that are to be displayed and demonstrated include kaukau (sweet potato) silage-making for pig feed, village broiler production, improved pasture species, wheat milling and cooking, high-yielding pyrethrum clones, early-maturing kaukau varieties, and mini tuber production of selected potato clones.
Representatives from divisions of primary industry in Enga and Western Highlands provinces, Enga Pyrethrum Company, National Development Bank, National Micro-Bank, Correctional Services of Baisu, Porgera Joint Venture, Christian Leaders Training College, Tambul/Nebilyer district administration, Fresh Produce Development Agency, Jiwaka Women’s Association, Highlands Farmers and Piggery Association, MKL Vegetables, Laiagam district project office, farmers, school children, and the general public are expected to attend.

NARI officers (left) explaining the various potato clones tested in PNG for resistance against potato late blight during the second annual field day in Tambul in 2009.

Field days such as the one to be staged in Tambul are one of the means that NARI uses to allow stakeholders to come together to share information, exchange views and see for themselves the agricultural technologies and innovations being developed and tested.
NARI is using various ways and means to be effective in innovation systems approach, which includes: agricultural innovations shows, community-based resource centres, information centres, regional research and development advisory committees, commodity committees, public and private sector partnerships, piloting and out-scaling and up-scaling models, and innovations systems approach to research and development.

Silage making from sweet potato for feeding pigs will be one of the technologies demonstrated at the field day: Michael Dom of NARI demonstrating the technology to visitors to NARI’s fourth innovation show at Bubia outside Lae last May.

NARI also shares its innovations and technologies through the media, various shows and other major events, various publications, audio-visual products, newsletter, and its website (http://www.nari.org.pg/).
Similar open days are organised in all NARI regional centres around the country including the annual innovations show which will be staged on May 5 at the Sir Alkan Tololo Research Centre at Bubia, outside Lae.

Chief justice erred in law

English judge says tribunal acted beyond its jurisdiction

 

By JULIA DAIA BORE

 

A MEMBER of the leadership tribunal yesterday expressed disbelief that PNG law could have intended for the prime minister to be treated less severely than other leaders, The National reports.

“I just can’t believe that the legislature could have intended that the prime minister could have lesser penalty than other leaders,” Sir Robin Auld said when explaining his “reserved” decision.

He further said the tribunal was forced to “act beyond its jurisdiction” when the decision was left to it to decide whether or not to suspend Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare.

He was referring to the decision by Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia to leave the matter of suspension up to the tribunal to decide.

“The tribunal has been caused to act beyond its jurisdiction,” he said yesterday.

Sir Robin on Monday dissented from the decision by his two colleagues not to suspend the prime minister for the duration of the tribunal.

The Englishman, who now serves as president of the court of appeals in Solomon Islands, quoted relevant parts of PNG’s Constitution [section 142(6)] and the relevant Organic Law on the Duties and Responsibilities of Leadership (section 28), among others, and also made reference to the decision of the Supreme Court last May relating to the Ombudsman Commission (OC) versus Patrick Pruaitch.

He quoted the section where it made reference to the “automatic” suspension of a leader when referred for prosecution by the OC.

Sir Robin said Pruaitch’s Supreme Court decision, paragraphs 80-90, stated that a leader once referred, and when the chief justice convened a tribunal, that “all” leaders are deemed automatically suspended with full pay by the application of section 28 of the Organic Law “pending, and I repeat, pending” the tribunal, he said.

“The wording of section 28 is very clear,” he said.

Sir Robin added that the Organic Law was “mandatory” and that the outcome “does not produce any conflict”.

Read together with the constitution, Sir Robin’s indication was that the Organic Law on Duties and Responsibilities of Leadership and the constitution might have conflicted each other.

He pointed out that section 142(6) of the PNG Constitution granted the prime minister an exception to all other leaders.

The section stated: “The prime minister may be suspended from office (a) by the tribunal under an Organic Law made for the purposes of section 28, pending an investigation into a question of misconduct in office.” 

This is what Sir Robin could not “believe” was the intention of parliament for the prime minister to have a lesser penalty when all other leaders faced automatic suspension.

Sir Robin said since the tribunal had been granted the discretion to decide and, since his two pre-eminent colleagues had decided in favour of not suspending the prime minister, he had no option but to agree with them.

The hearing adjourned yesterday but did not set a time for it to reconvene.

 

 

Governor:K51 million used to garner MPs’ support

MORE than K51 million in special support grant (SSG) funds for Western was paid to MPs to garner support last November, Western Governor Dr Bob Danaya claimed yesterday, The National reports.

Claiming he has evidence of the transfer of his province's funds to pay MPs, Danaya said he had instructed Loani Henao Lawyers to take the matter up in court to force the government to reimburse the money.

He said the province was owed K60 million in outstanding SSG between the years 2000 and 2006.

This money had been reduced to K9 million, he said and claimed he knew where the missing K51 million had gone to.

"It was wrongly used by the government to bribe members of parliament," Danaya alleged in a statement.

"Only K9 million was transferred to the provincial government treasury account.

"This is gross abuse of power and funds earmarked for projects in Western.

"This is gross corruption at the highest political level."

Finance secretary Gabriel Yer confirmed last night that the government owed the Western provincial government a substantial amount of money but denied such funds had been used in the manner alleged.

Yer said: "It is correct that we owe them. They will still be paid.

"The money appropriated might have lapsed but a number of projects have been submitted and we are going through the process at the moment.

"Planning and finance are going through that process. We acknowledge that we owe money to Western and they will be paid."

Yer said projects worth about K30 million had been received and the government would honour its commitments.

He was uncertain about the exact amount owed and said he would need to consult with planning.

Danaya is the second governor to take the national government to court over outstanding SSG funds.

New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan has a case on foot against the government over an outstanding K400 million owed to his provincial government, being SSG money from the Lihir gold mine.

Danaya said he had traced some of the money to projects which were never budgeted for this year and which were not part of government's priority areas.

The angry governor expressed deep concern in the way the government was handling the finances of the nation.

"There is no control in Waigani in applying good governance so there is accountability and transparency.

"Political leaders do not care whether they breach laws governing financial management.

"Corruption has become systemic and systematic and is very fast destroying Papua New Guinea."

SSG funds are funds that are given to host provincial governments of resource projects by the national government.

It is a component of the national government's overall receipt from the mine, calculated at 0.25% of revenue.

The money is held in trust with the Department of National Planning and Monitoring.

Danaya called on the government to detail where the money had gone to and, furthermore, to reimburse Western's K51 million.

"I will not rest until justice is done," he said. "How they do it and where they get the money is their problem so long as they do not steal again during the process."

Murdered Belgian's widow reveals ordeal

By YVONNE HAIP

 

THE widow of the Belgian believed to have been murdered by locals in the remote Nondri area of Gumine, Chimbu, on Jan 27, is calling on police to speed up their investigations and arrest suspects, The National reports.

Tony Boddin, an elderly retired member of the British army, was allegedly killed by locals, while his pregnant wife was kidnapped and repeatedly raped for two days before she was rescued by tribesmen.

The child was lost as a result and the widow, Ronic Boddin, returned to Banz, Western Highlands, where she is from.

Speaking for the first time this week about the ordeal, the widow said she believed her husband’s body had been buried in a cave and was yet to be recovered.

She claimed the suspects operated as a syndicate and were responsible for a string of murders in the area, yet no one had been arrested.

She named the victims as a priest, a primary school teacher, a nursing officer, a tribeswoman and a father and son who were beheaded while crossing a river.

She claimed there were 12 suspects, including a university student and a woman, who is the mastermind.

Police knew their identities but were not doing anything, she claimed.

According to the widow, she and her husband were invited to Nondri village by a Francis Gore, a local Catholic catechist, and had travelled there last Dec 27.

She said they had stayed with the family for three weeks and were on their way to a nearby creek to do their laundry on Jan 9 when they were confronted by the gang.

She claimed that they were told to return home by one of the suspects while the woman member of the gang arranged for the other suspects, who were armed with axes, knives and two guns, to hold up the couple at gunpoint at the house they were staying in.

The suspects then axed her husband on his shoulder and tied him with a rope onto a post inside the house.

She said they then took her away at gunpoint and locked her inside another house where one of the suspects guarded her with a knife pointed at her heart while the other suspects stoned her husband and chased him down to the river.

Then the chasers returned and forced her to walk to a house located on a mountain where five men took turns in repeatedly raping her.

She named the suspects, saying they were related to the family the couple was staying with and did not understand why they would do such things.

She said she managed to escape while she was being escorted to another house and made her way to Kundiawa where the matter was reported to police.

Human rights advocacy group, Jiwaka Waal Daam Association (JWDA), which had been assisting Ronic Boddin fight for justice, called on police to fast-track the arrest of the suspects.

JWDA executive secretary Wilfred Kulno said yesterday this was a serious matter and no one had been arrested in over two months.

He said talks were progressing with the Belgian embassy in Canberra, Australia, which had agreed to help retrieve Boddin’s remains and accord him a decent burial in Banz where his relatives would also attend.

Chimbu police could not be reached for comments yesterday.

Japan unloads stake in Papua New Guinea gas venture

THE Japanese government has begun unloading its stake in a Papua New Guinea oil and gas joint venture with JX Holdings and Mitsubishi Corp, The National reports.

Last Friday, the government through its trade ministry, offered its 62% stake (159,120 shares in the joint venture Japan-Papua New Guinea Petroleum Co.

The tender closes on March 31, with bids to be opened immediately.

But a buyer is unlikely to be finalised for several months after the tender closes due to a need to clear various procedures involving the sale of a stake in an unlisted firm, a trade ministry official said.

The tender was part of a policy to divest upstream energy stakes held previously by now-defunct Japan National Oil Corp, once the sale was finalised, the official added.

The venture’s wholly owned unit Merlin Petroleum Co has a 4.7 % stake in Exxon Mobil-led US$15 billion (K50 billion) liquefied natural gas project.

Japan’s JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Corp, a wholly owned unit of JX Holdings, holds 36.4 % of the venture, while Mitsubishi has the remaining 1.6%.

Exxon is the biggest stakeholder in the PNG LNG project, which will produce 6.6 million tonnes per year of LNG when it comes online in 2014.

The trade ministry last sold its share of upstream stakes in North Sea and Thai ventures in 2008 for a total of ¥31 billion (US$374 million) to two Japanese explorers.