Major breakthrough in fight against potato disease

From MALUM NALU in Tambul

National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI) had made a major breakthrough in the fight against the dreaded potato late blight (PLB), which just about decimated Papua New Guinea's K25 million potato industry in 2003.

It comes in the nick of time with the lucrative liquefied natural gas project just around the corner, and provides an added sense of food security with real fears of another prolonged drought.

NARI, with support from Australian Centre for Integrated Agricultural Research (ACIAR), has developed new PLB-resistant clones, which were showcased at its field day at the high altitude highlands regional centre at Tambul, Western Highlands, yesterday (Saturday (March 19).

Farmers, visitors and NARI council members were able to see first-hand the new clones, which will be officially released at NARI's annual agricultural innovations show at Bubia outside Lae in May.

The disease – caused by a fungal agent called Pythorthora infastans - remains a major concern for potato farmers in PNG, as it is easily transported by wind under moist and humid conditions, especially so in the highlands where it can rapidly multiply and spread over long distances in short times.

It has, to an extent, been controlled by expensive chemical fungicides and integrated disease management (IDM) systems.

NARI research has identified the behavior and type of PLB present in PNG, identified suitable chemical fungicides for PNG, and identified the PLB-resistant clones.

NARI director-general Dr Raghunath Ghodake told farmers, visitors and council members – who had their meeting in Tambul last Friday – that these outcomes would help PNG farmers to successfully grow potato again for cash income as well as food security.

"We now have three to four varieties of potato which are tolerant (to PLB)," he said.

"These will be released in May (at NARI's agricultural innovations show).

"These can be grown here at Tambul and people throughout PNG will benefit.

"Other stakeholders like Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA), will also benefit from our research, and will provide seeds to farmers as well as extension services."

Apart from the work of NARI and FPDA in getting PNG's potato industry back on a firm foothold, an exciting independent potato project in Lagaip-Porgera, Enga province – spearheaded by local MP Philip Kikala – was also showcased at the field day.

The project, led by former NARI scientist Humphrey Saese, is aimed at building capacity for high health seeds and sustainable potato production in Lagaip-Porgera and involves construction of three screen houses for producing mini-tubers.

"We are building three screen houses to take in 12,000 plantlets," Saese said in Tambul.

"That capacity will produce about four tones of mini-tubers."

Saese said he expected about 50 tonnes of seed production by June this year in Lagaip-Porgera from the work they had already done, including training and extension programmes, as well as introducing PLB-resistant lines to farmers.

‘Tribunal acted beyond powers’

Decisions made could be voided, says Donigi

THE prime minister's tribunal is exercising powers that it does not have and that decisions made by it could be voided, a prominent lawyer said in Port Moresby yesterday, The National reports.
Constitutional lawyer, ambassador Peter Donigi, said the tribunal had been asked to interpret and apply a constitutional law, which is the exclusive preserve of the Supreme Court and of no lesser court, including tribunals.
As section 142 (6) of the constitution, which has never been tested, is being interpreted on the question of suspension of Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, Donigi said that job was rightly vested in the Supreme Court under section 18 of the constitution.
A member of the tribunal, Sir Robin Auld, has already alluded to the tribunal being forced to act beyond its powers when it was asked to decide whether or not to suspend the prime minister.
Donigi said the matter could be rectified if the Ombudsman Commission appealed any decision or made a constitutional reference to the Supreme Court.
That very issue will come to the fore when the tribunal hands down its decision at 1.30pm on Monday (see lead story).
Donigi was especially critical of the counsel in the tribunal who had failed so far to draw the attention of members of the tribunal to the existence of section 18(1) and section 18(2) of the constitution.
Those provisions provided plainly that, in the event a question of interpreting or applying the constitution arises in a lower court or a tribunal, that question must be referred to the Supreme Court.
It alone was vested with the powers to interpret the constitution, he said.
In a statement, Donigi said that the chief justice did not err in law and neither was the tribunal guilty in making a decision not to suspend the PM.
He said:  "However, in my view both counsel for the prosecution and that of the prime minister had erred substantially in their respective duty as officers of the court on a matter of prime constitutional importance to this nation," Donigi said.
"They have failed to draw the attention of the members of the tribunal to the existence of section 18(1) and 18(2) of the constitution.
"It would appear to me that a question of constitutional question has arisen in the matter of interpretation and application of section 142(6) of the constitution because this is the first time in the history of this country that this question has arisen.
"There are, therefore, no precedents for the tribunal to follow.
"The tribunal, therefore, is duty-bound and has no option but to find facts and refer the question to the Supreme Court for its opinion on whether the prime minister should be suspended.
"If one is to read the constitutional planning committee report, one will find that it was very explicit about the prime minister being one among equals.
"The only power that he exercises, which no one else has, is the power to appoint ministers and to remove them from office.
"We have had a travesty of justice by failure of the lawyers to perform their duty to up hold the rule of law in this nation.
"Unfortunately, the laws that we have adopted from England are not all together clear on the definition of the term 'may' as is used in section 142(6) of the constitution.
"All precedents say that the word 'may' can be interpreted as obligatory in some cases and, in other cases, as discretionary depending on the circumstances of each particular case.
"So, it would seem to me that the question of its interpretation and application is a matter for the Supreme Court to decide and not the tribunal.
"The tribunal has, therefore, erred in exercising powers it does not have under our constitution. In law, it can be said that the tribunal had acted beyond its powers by virtue of section 18 of the constitution and its ruling that the prime minister stays in office, therefore, is voidable.
"These are matters of law that could be rectified by an appropriate appeal or by a constitutional reference by the Ombudsman Commission."

Monday D-Day for prime minister

THE leadership tribunal enquiring into misconduct allegations against Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare is expected to hand down its decision on liability at 1.30pm on Monday or thereafter, chairman Roger Gyles' office said yesterday,The National reports.

The tribunal, enquiring for the first time into misconduct charges into a reigning prime minister, took four days to hear evidence.

It involved judges from three common law countries (United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand) who were given the unprecedented task of deciding whether or not to suspend Sir Michael while the tribunal was in progress.

The tribunal of eminent judges Gyles, Sir Bruce Robertson and Sir Robin Auld decided on Monday to not suspend him.

The tribunal was tasked to enquire into 25 charges relating to Sir Michael's annual returns from 1994 to 1997.

In the event that the tribunal finds shortcomings against Sir Michael, the question of penalty is already provided for under the law.

Under the Organic Law on Duties and Responsibilities of Leadership, if the tribunal finds the leader liable (or guilty) of the misconduct charges, "it shall recommend to the appropriate authority that:

lHe (the leader) be dismissed from office or position; or

lAs permitted: "firstly, that the penalties (under the Leadership Code [Alternative Penalties] Act 1976) that may be recommended and imposed under and for the purposes of section 28 (1A) of the constitution and section 27(5)(b) of the Organic Law on Duties and Responsibilities of Leadership are that the person found guilty of misconduct in office are:

a)Be fined a amount fixed by the tribunal, not exceeding K1,000;

b)Be ordered by the appropriate authority to enter into his recognisance in a reasonable amount, not exceeding K500, fixed by the tribunal that he will comply with division III.2 (leadership code) of the constitution and with the Organic Law during a period fixed by the tribunal, not exceeding 12 months from the date of the announcement, unders ection 27(6) of he Organic Law, of the decision of the tribunal;

c)Be suspended, without pay, from office or position from a period not exceeding three months from the date of commencement of the suspension; or

d)Be reprimanded."

Highlands Pacific Ltd: US$10m profit for 2010

HIGHLANDS Pacific Ltd, operator of the Frieda copper/gold project, posted a net profit of US$10.3 million last year, The National reports.

The figure was considered a significant increase from the previous year’s only US$1.1 million.

However, the company’s cash reserves dropped to US$21 million last year from the previous year’s US$24 million.

The key feature in last year’s performance was the gain of US$18 million on the Frieda project, which continued to make significant progress.

Last November, the project moved to the feasibility study stage and last month, the resource inventory increased substantially.

The amount carried in the accounts now reflected the full book value expended by Highlands.

Another contribution was foreign exchange gain of US$1.2 million due to the appreciation in the Australian dollar against the US currency.

The company holds approximately half of its reserves in Australian currency and these are re-valued to US dollars for reporting purposes.

The exploration, evaluation and development expenditure of US$4.3 million provided for expenditure on the Star Mountains programme and ownership costs for the company’s interest in the Ramu nickel cobalt project and the Frieda copper gold project also contributed..

HPL managing director John Gooding said 2010 had been an excellent year with respect to the Frieda project and the exploration programme at Star Mountains.

He said Frieda had made significant progress last year under the management of Xstrata and still had a lot more potential in terms of resource inventory.

“Highlands was one of few smaller market cap companies that has exposure to a tier one multi-decade copper mine of the near future.

“Our Star Mountains exploration programme had allowed Highlands to show its own expertise in exploration management with some very encouraging drilling results early in the programme,” Gooding said.

 

 

Huli of a show

The Huli Duna cultural group from PNG was the best, attracting the young and old, during the Kundu music at the World Music Festival in Adelaide, Australia, last weekend.

PAPUA New Guinea’s Huli wigmen stole the show at the international music festival in Adelaide last weekend. The PNG community and former residents took on board the Huli Duna cultural group despite customs and immigration preventing the Huli’s their traditional singsing gears into Australia.
Chairman Simon Bole said, with the strict restrictions, the group was denied performance on Friday and Saturday but with the intervention by organisers, the Australian government allowed the groups’ traditional gear.
Adelaide media stated in its reports that the festival has sold out a record 334,000 tickets over the weekend fest and the Huli group was the first from PNG to perform.

Tamate's last appeal for more funding

By JULIA DAIA BORE

 

ACTING Public Prosecutor Jim Wala Tamate, who will vacate his job today, has called on the government to improve funding for the office of the public prosecutor, The National reports.

He said improved funding would greatly assist state lawyers execute their responsibilities in court and effectively uphold the laws of PNG.

“Adequate government funding was vital for the effective running of the office of the public prosecutor, whose major role is to ensure law and order is upheld.”

He made specific reference to the day-to-day running of the office and sending public prosecutors (state lawyers) to the provinces to prosecute court matters.

Tamate said another option to improve public prosecutor performance was to set up provincial offices, adequately manned by public prosecutors on the ground.

He said the staff ceiling requirement at the office of the public prosecutor was more than 100 personnel.

“However, what we have now is just over half that number.”

He said over the years, the public prosecutor had been running back and forth to Treasury to seek additional funding, even after the budget had been handed down.

On his future plans, Tamate said he would stay on in the office as a senior state lawyer.

His colleague Camillus Sambua will take over as acting public prosecutor.

 

 

Doctors to strike

Four major hospitals to be targeted over outstanding claims

 

By KARI TOTONA

 

DOCTORS yesterday decided to go on a nationwide strike starting next Friday, The National reports.

The National Doctors Association (NDA) yesterday confirmed the industrial action, saying this was because the departments of Health and Personnel Management had failed to honour commitments they reached in agreements and understandings last year to improve doctors’ work conditions.

The doctors were supported by the Nurses Association, which was also considering its options.

Trade Union Congress (TUC) secretary-general John Paska, who met with the doctors’ executive committee, condemned the inaction and called for the sacking of the departmental heads.

NDA president Dr Kauve Pomat said the strike could have been averted and expressed bitter disappointment at learning that the DPM had no knowledge of the NDA negotiations and the memorandum of agreement with draft awards signed in 2007.

The MoA draft agreement was for 2007-09 after the NDA came up with a job value study which resulted in two outcomes; the salary structure and the incentive packages.

“DPM has always been a party in the MoA signing and, so, we have gathered all regional representatives today to get their views.

“From today’s (yesterday) executive meeting, we have come up with the resolution to go on an industrial strike nationwide,” he said.

The president told the media that they would meet with the industrial registry office today to set the ball rolling.

“This is an indication of inefficiency of the employer (Health) and they have been known for signing MoU and MoA and not implementing them,” he said.

Another member Dr Thomas Vinit said that doctors had been considerate but the MoA had lapsed and there was no more agreement in place.

“The government of the day and the employer has to decide for the public what’s best for them and everyone else who will be affected by this,” he said.

Emergency cases would be attended upon advice during the strike.

Pomat also revealed that 68 doctors had left the industry to look for greener pastures while four hospitals remained closed.

About 20% of national doctors are not members of the NDA.

Paska said doctors in PNG should not be forced to walk out of their jobs.

“This is a huge disgrace to the country and those incompetent heads in the Health and Personnel Management departments should be sacked for their inaction,” he said.

He stressed that doctors could not continue to work under stress when the terms and conditions that go with their employment were sub-standard.

“Doctors are not the same as others because they deal with people’s lives and for the DPM to play marbles with them is injustice,” he said.

Paska said, if in the event that the doctors go on strike and any life or lives are lost, those concerned should sue Health and Personnel Management.

Nurses Association (NA) president Eimi Kaptigau said many doctors and nurses were either aged or sick and those able had to work twice as hard under poor conditions.

“Aren’t they concerned about the situation?” she asked.

She said doctors and nurses work for the same employer and that they were in this together.

Kaptigau said doctors and nurses “cannot be treated like this”.

“With the government’s Vision 2050, where is the human resource attraction in the health sector?” she asked.

The National understands that responses from provinces would come out in a scheduled executive meeting next week.