Soldiers raid and destroy gas station

By ANGELINE KARIUS

 

TRUCKLOADS of fully armed soldiers from the Taurama barracks, in Port Moresby, last Saturday ransacked a service station, destroying property worth more than K5 million during a drunken brawl with civilians, The National reports.

An attempt at setting fire to the fuel station – which at the time had more than 80,000 litres of highly inflammable matter – failed.

Port Moresby police said yesterday the brawl started at East Boroko's Baret Club at around midday.

They said three PNG Defence Force soldiers had picked an argument with a member of the public and had chased him on foot towards Manu autoport service station at Korobosea.

He was caught by the three just before he reached the service station and was beaten up.

The fight spilled over to a betelnut market on the opposite side of the road when the man's relatives retaliated against the three soldiers.

Police said it was understood the three immediately returned to the barracks for reinforcements.

According to police, they were joined by 20 to 25 fully armed soldiers in battle gear riding on a Dyna truck and in a LandCruiser.

Police said as the troops arrived at the service station, they started firing their weapons, forcing people at the service station and the betelnut market to duck for cover and flee.

The soldiers then went on a rampage at the service station, smashing five fuel bowsers, looting the mini-mart and taking three days' takings of more than K108,000.

Service station operator and owner Reuben Kandiu put the estimated property damage and looted goods at more than K5 million.

He said his workers had not been involved in the fight and the destruction of his property and theft of goods and money were criminal offences.

Kandiu said the unauthorised discharge of firearms raised serious security concerns in the city.

"As a disciplined force, the incident should have been handled in an appropriate manner and reported to police," he said.

"I appeal to the PNGDF commander Brig-Gen Francis Agwi and commanding officer-in-charge of Taurama to seriously address this type of behaviour as it was not the first time this has happened," he said.

Kandiu said the group of soldiers had tried to burn down the service station but luckily a worker had shut the main valve. 

"I had about 34,000 litres of petrol and 53,000 litres of diesel. If the place had been set on fire, it could have spelt disaster for the nearby business houses, homes and the hospital," he said.

The Taurama Barracks, about 5km east of the service station, is the home of the first Royal Pacific Infantry Battalion, where some of the country's finest fighting men are based.

Attempts to contact Taurama barracks were unsuccessful.

 

Abal: Invest here

Caption: Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal and Rimbunan Hijau Group executive chairman Tan Sri Sir Tiong Hiew King cutting the ribbon to officially open the Vision City Mega Mall last  Friday. Accompanying them are (from right) RH PNG managing director James Lau, Steven Rockefeller and RH PNG executive director Ivan Lu.

 

RH setting the trend with Vision City, says acting PM

 

By JULIA DAIA BORE

 

ACTING Prime Minister Sam Abal has welcomed foreign investment but has called on these investors to ensure that they abide by the laws of Papua New Guinea, The National reports.

He made this call last Friday evening during the official opening of the state-of-the-art Vision City Mega Mall in NCD's Central Waigani.

The occasion coincided with the 20th anniversary celebrations of the Rimbunan Hijau Group's (RH) presence in PNG.

Abal congratulated RH's presence, saying that when PNG was going through the economic down-turn due to the world's economic recession, RH had faith in PNG and had stayed, investing and diversifying into all sectors of business venture.

He also acknowledged RH for providing employment to the people of PNG.

But most of all, RH had contributed to the economic and infrastructure development.

The Vision City Mega Mall was such an example, he added.

The acting PM described the Vision City Mega Mall as being "as good as any shopping mall in Cairns, Australia, or anywhere, for that matter".

Abal said: "Congratulation to RH for your day today; for the past 20 years of being here, congratulations, to you and all your hard working staff of RH."

The RH Group of companies executive chairman and executive director Tan Sri Sir Tiong Hiew King, who arrived in Port Moresby from Malaysia for the occasion, told guests at the official dinner marking the two occasions that the RH Group had to date provided employment for about 7,500 Papua New Guineans.

The RH Group has made significant economic contributions totalling K1.65 billion to date in the form of contributions, through and including payments of wages, salary tax, premiums and levies, royalties, export duties, corporate tax, NPF payments and infrastructure contributions.

Sir Tiong said new international hotel apartments and modern office space would also be part of Vision City but, most importantly, Vision City would provide employment and growth.

More than 5,000 people would be employed by the project, he said, adding that the mega mall would generate more than K200 million in economic activities annually.

"Vision City is a long-term investment that shows Rimbunan Hijau is committed to economic growth in PNG," Sir Tiong said.

During the unveiling of the plaque to mark the official opening, RH PNG Group managing director James Lau thanked the Sir Michael Somare-led government for providing the stability necessary to support these developments.

He particularly thanked Abal for his presence at the grand opening, saying: "This is a proud moment for PNG.

"Guided by the government of PM Sir Michael Somare, PNG has experienced strong investment and economic growth in recent years.

"Employment figures have been strong; investment from home and abroad is increasing.

"The government has provided the stability necessary to support these developments.

"Vision City represents an important milestone in our group's venture in the retail and property development industries in PNG.

"It is one of the most ambitious development projects in the South Pacific," he said, announcing that the new 18-storey international hotel, apartments and office space were being planned to be built soon.

"Once completed, Vision City is a sustainable business model that will provide employments growth," Lau said, adding it was a sign of continuing confidence in the government and RH would continue to conduct business and to deliver and to promote development and investment.

RH's involvement in PNG began with forestry for which it was a leader in the country; and later ventured into agriculture (oil palm), retail, property development, media and agriculture.

It is also involved in transport infrastructure such as roads and bridges.                                                                                

Old and new come together in Vision City Mega Mall grand opening

Caption: Fireworks light up Vision City Mega Mall at last Friday's grand opening

 

PEOPLE at the Vision City Mega Mall on the opening day on Friday may be excused for thinking they had entered a time warp.

 Outside in the car park they were greeted by the Ovia Group singsing troupe from Hisiu dancing with kundu drums and grass skirts.

Inside, were the colourfully-attired and painted Huli dancers of the Southern Highlands.

Then the visitors stood, many with dropped jaw, to find the mall's three-storey atrium darkened space lit up to pounding techno music and the eyeball- splitting spectacle of laser beams slicing through the air to list the range of business and services provided by the Rimbunan Hijau PNG.

They range from forestery, shipping, airline, computer, supermarket and the newspaper business.

Pay-week shoppers already crowding the mall in the afternoon were joined by more throngs wanting to be part of this milestone in Port Moresby's growth, the opening of a retail presence with floor space the area of four football fields, dwarfing many of the present shopping spots.

This, in the words of one of the people there, is "a city in itself", self-sufficient, with shops, a medical centre, supermarket, ATMs, phone service centres, pharmacy and restaurants.

And at long last, there will be a cinema, taking us across time again to a fond Port Moresby memory, of the Wards Cinema and Skyline Drive-in movie place of the 1960s, which closed when public safety became an issue.

This shiny new mega mall will be even more complete over the next decade, when Vision City adds on a hotel and residential apartments.

All this on ground previously a dusty wasteland, a stone's throw from Parliament and down the road from the abandoned infamous "pineapple building".

We have a ways to go, however.

Consider the big splotch of red betelnut spit spotted in the corner of the pristine main ground floor walkway last Friday night. 

Sympathy to the team of cleaners.

Someone at least has yet to be accustomed to the civic conscious "new age".

Papua New Guinea is “place to be” for investors

Caption:Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal unveils a plaque to commemorate the opening of Vision City Mega Mall as RH Executive Director Tan Sri Datuk Tiong Hiew King (right) and RH PNG Managing Director James Lau look on.-Picture by AURI EVA

 

By MALUM NALU

 

Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal says Papua New Guinea has made a complete turnaround from previous years and is now "the place to be" for investors.

Abal said this when addressing guests at a dinner last night to celebrate the opening of Vision City Mega Mall as well as the 20^th anniversary of Rimbunan Hijau.

He had earlier unveiled a plaque to mark the opening of the iconic Vision City Mega Mall owned by RH.

"Many things are happening in the country, thanks to the LNG," he said.

"We (government) have always been pro-investor and I think that will stay.

"We are looking at a turnaround of the country.

"We have grown from a minus 2% growth rate to 7-8% growth rate now.

"Good things are in store and Papua New Guinea is the place to be."

Abal said RH, unlike many other companies, didn't run away from the country.

"RH put trust in this country at a time when many others didn't," he said.

"PNG was not a good investment place but they stayed."

"I want to congratulate you (RH) and welcome investors in general."

Abal said PNG was blessed which resources which must be exploited for the benefit of the people.

"It's a blessing that PNG has all the resources it has," he said,

"It's important that these resources are exploited for the benefit of the people.

Opposition against Abal's actions

Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal's decision for a Commission of Inquiry into the Special Agriculture and Business Leases (SABL) and subsequent suspension of logging permits under such leases has come under scathing attack from the Opposition.

Leader of PNG Party, Belden Namah is leading the onslaught with more stiff opposition expected from the stakeholders throughout Papua New Guinea.

Namah said under SABL, private funds were invested to establish important sustainable agriculture and forestry projects providing employment and business opportunities for thousands of people in rural parts of the country, where the national government has failed miserably.

"Land owners have power to obtain SABL to develop resources in their customary land in the absence of government initiated agriculture projects," he said.

"Land owners and private investors have taken the initiative to invest their resources in agriculture projects with private sector investors because the government has failed in the agriculture sector.

"An indicative of this is the miserable failure of the Government's controversial National Agriculture Development Plan (NADP).

"Mr Abal has no power whatsoever to stop or suspend agriculture projects operating under SABL.

"Stakeholders must not listen to the current government.

"Unless there are specific court orders, businesses should continue as usual.

"National Government does not have the right.

"Landowners have the absolute right over the use of their land."

Namah warned the government to consider seriously the effects of such bad decisions on the livelihood of hundreds of thousands people and its ramifications.

As well, he said the government was sending wrong signals to the private sector and businesses that had made enormous sacrifices and contributions to PNG's agriculture industry.

"Agriculture has always been the livelihood of Papua New Guineans," Namah said.

"No Government or Prime Minister will stop that.

"I strongly discourage landowners through Lands Department not to sell any customary land to foreigners.

"We should encourage partnership with foreign investors instead."

Papua New Guinea a ‘star performer’ with 7.1% GDP growth

 

By BOSORINA ROBBY

 

PAPUA New Guinea has been identified in a United Nation-sponsored survey to be the star performer among the Pacific Islands' economies with a 7.1% GDP growth last year, compared to 5.5% in 2009, The National reports.

The report titled "Asia-Pacific economies face fresh challenges to sustaining dynamic growth of 2010" , which was launched yesterday, was conducted by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

It stated that PNG was one of three economies in the Asia-Pacific region to record improved GDP growth performance, with most of the other islands virtually stagnating.

UN resident coordinator Dr Bertrand Desmoulins, who presented the report to the Bank of PNG's acting governor Benny Popoitai, highlighted other results of the survey, including challenges the region would face this year.

With 8.8% growth last year, the economies of Asia-Pacific recovered strongly from the global financial crisis in 2008-09 but challenges facing them now include the return of the food and fuel price crises, sluggish recovery in the advanced economies and a deluge of short term capital flows leading to volatility in capital markets, asset bubbles and appreciating exchange rates.

The report stated that PNG's strong economic growth was a result of good higher commodity prices from strong demands of oil, gold, copper, coffee, cocoa and palm oil, and also from the LNG project.

It, however, warned of the high inflation rates that would occur.

Desmoulins said while overall, there was deceleration in inflation in some major Pacific Islands' developing economies, PNG recorded the highest inflation rate in this region at 6% last year.

The report further revealed that PNG was expected to lead the growth of the Pacific Islands' economies of 2.4% with an 8% growth this year, boosted by rising commodity prices and growth in domestic demand coupled with acceleration in investment in the LNG and several mining projects.

However, the resource boom needed to be well managed so that rapid economic expansion does not translate into continuously high inflation.

Desmoulins stated that the government was encouraged to translate the funds from the resource boom into social benefits, especially for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable population groups.

The report identified that the ever-present challenge for the Pacific Island developing economies, including PNG, was to diversify their economies, having been seen now as the growth driver and anchor of stability of the global economy.

‘Inmates were forced out’

By JUNIOR UKAHA

 

THE 90 escapees who were "forced to escape under the gun-barrel" from the Bui-Iebi prison in Mendi, Southern Highlands, by an armed gang in the early hours of Wednesday morning were believed to be heading in two separate directions, Correctional Services Commissioner Richard Sikani said, The National reports.

He said one group, allegedly led by Paul Rambo, a local from upper Mendi and the inmate who stole a police vehicle, was heading towards upper Mendi and further towards Tari, Koroba, Margarima and Kutubu in the Hela region.

He said the other group was led by Peter Hena from Pangia, who was jailed for murder, and was heading towards the eastern end of Mendi, aiming for Kagua, Pangia and Mt Hagen.

Sikani said the group led by Rambo were suspected to be keeping all the arms and ammunition that had been stolen from the CS armoury in Bui-Iebi.

A source from Bui-Iebi jail said the CS jail commander, Felix Namane, and PPC Teddy Tei went on-air on radio at 7pm on Wednesday to appeal to the people of Mendi and Southern Highlands not to harbour these criminals and to report them to police.

Supt Tei gave a seven-day ultimatum to the gang to return all the stolen weapons and for the escapees to voluntarily surrender to police and CS officers.

Sikani said no escapees had been recaptured except the one who was picked up by his men and police near Kiburu Lodge Junction in Mendi.

He said no arms had been recovered thus far and he appealed to the community leaders to help recover the weapons.

He said around 60 men were engaged in the recapture operation, with 15 men from the local CS command and 40 officers from the Mendi riot police.

A source said Highway Patrol 17 of Kaupena, in Ialibu, had been notified of the escape and were monitoring the highway along Western Highlands-Southern Highlands border at Kaupena.

The source said the escapees were dangerous criminals and included men who were serving time for robbery and rape.

One of them was jailed for attempting to set fire to a company's helicopter.