Pregnant woman dies in accident

By YVONNE HAIP

 

A PREGNANT woman, a Pentecostal church pastor and another man reportedly died while others were injured during a road accident in Western Highlands yesterday, The National reports.

They were travelling in a 15-seater PMV bus to Mt Hagen from Chimbu at around midday when the accident occurred near the Nazarene Bible College at Wara Tuman along the Highlands Highway.

Police investigators were yet to confirm the details of the accident.

However, eyewitnesses, who were at the roadside, said the bus went off the road after a front tyre had burst.

The Kudjip and Mt Hagen hospitals received the victims and confirmed that three had died while others were being hospitalised.

Mourners who turned up the hospital, including a female pastor who had been travelling in the same bus but got dropped off earlier at her village in Kumbal, near the Chimbu and Western Highlands border, said they were returning from a religious gathering in Chimbu.

Gabriel Kuk, who helped health workers transfer the injured from the bus to a waiting ambulance, claimed the bus had been travelling at high speed when one of its front tyres burst.

He said the vehicle ended up in a nearby drain.

Kuk said there were 12 passengers and most of them were taken to the Kudjip Hospital for treatment. Two were transported in an ambulance to Mt Hagen.

Hospital staff transporting the injured told The National that a pregnant woman, a church pastor and another man had died during the accident.

Staff at the accidents and emergency ward at the Mt Hagen Hospital said the pastor died on arrival while the bus driver was in critical condition.

In Kudjip, more patients were being treated. A church pastor and a youth were in critical condition.

Lutheran church in rural development

Caption: A motivator under Yangpela Didiman Wokabaut in Alkena, Hagen ELC-PNG district, displaying her piggery project. - Picture by JACOB SIMINGING of YANGPELA DIDIMAN

 

By MALUM NALU

 

As the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (ELC-PNG) celebrated 125 years of the Miti (Word of God) on Tuesday this week, so too did Lutheran Development Service (LDS), an ELC-PNG department whose emphasis is on sustainable livelihood of the people, especially the marginal in many rural Lutheran communities.

“LDS believes people need not just motivation, but opportunities and knowledge,” says acting LDS Secretary Bonnie Keoka.

“It embraces God’s teaching in Hosea 4:6:  ‘My people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge’.

“Food security and basic necessities are the focus in the role of LDS. 

“Therefore, LDS ensures in its programmes to empower people to seek, find and live in the Kingdom of God.” 

Outreach programme content of LDS is classed in three areas:  Yangpela Didiman (agriculture); financial literacy (managing and living within financial means); and basic infrastructure support (water supply, sanitation facilities).

“Agriculture, as the core of all LDS programmes, promotes sustainable agricultural activities and community development through Yangpela Didiman or basic agricultural projects, as well as chicken, poultry and cash cropping in cocoa,” Keoka explains.

“This programme caters for the growing population, the uncertainty of weather in climate change, and land potential to support the people’s demands. 

“This programme has reached over 20,000 farmers in the last 10 years.

“It has expanded into remote areas of Kabwum, Finschhafen, and Boana in Morobe province; Rai Coast, Amele and Begesin in Madang and the highlands provinces of Western Highlands, Chimbu and Eastern Highlands, along with a savings of over K115,000 with a loan portfolio of over K60,000.

“The Yangpela Didiman or agriculture programmes are carried out through efforts of 40 staff. 

“Twenty are scattered in Morobe, Eastern Highlands, and Western Highlands. 

“Chimbu branch was recently closed for shortage in funding and expertise.”

Keoka said over 5, 000 people in the marginal community were enabled to access savings facilities through the financial literacy programme also in the last 10 years.

“LDS has, within the last years, witnessed a different perspective of funding rural development projects with people’s participation,” he said.

“Infrastructure was lately introduced to LDS activities because of people’s needs.

“Over 100 water supply projects in Morobe province are now accessed by over 1,000 people in rural communities for clean water and sanitation aspects.”

LDS operates out of its main office at Malahang in Lae, Morobe province, about 2km from ELC-PNG head office at Ampo.

“With a staff of 16, six are water and sanitation officers who are on ongoing travel to implement these projects,” Keoka said.

“Ten other LDS staff made up of ancillary staff and management including a department secretary as the head, technical expertise and consultants are drawn locally and assisted through funding and expertise by Lutheran Overseas Church partners of ELC-PNG in Europe, America and Australia.

“The community projects are managed and supervised from four regional bases for the Highlands in Banz and Jiwaka; Lae is out of Malahang; Madang at Amron; and FISIKA for Finschhafen, Siassi, and Kabwum areas is coordinated from Finschhafen.”

Keoka said last December, LDS began the process of restructuring and revitalising its functions to fit the demands in this changing time.

“Such changes are necessary to accommodate requirements of the church’s strategic plan in the Vision 2020 with a household focus in achieving the church’s vision in ‘revisioning, renewing and re-vitalising the church to become missional’,” he said.

“We call on prayers, support and understanding by all Lutheran members, stakeholders and partners to walk with us in this transition into another 125 years for a better and effective service to the marginal in many disadvantaged areas of our beautiful country.

“We are grateful to the financial backing in making a difference in people’s lives by our donors – EED, Bread for the World, Lutheran overseas church partners and back donors, European Union, AusAID and the PNG government.”

Sir Mekere supports call for commission of inquiry into Department of National Planning and Monitoring

Former Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta said today that he agreed with the call by Minister Peter O’Neill for the acting Prime Minister to set up immediately a commission of inquiry to investigate the K1.9 billion allegedly misappropriated this year from the development budget, including the K10 million handed out to Eremas Wartoto. 

“In fact, the terms of reference of such a commission of inquiry should reach back to cover previous years and all trust fund monies, as allegations of similar abuse have been made many times before,” he said.

“Papua New Guineans are simply fed up.

“Every day new revelations of theft and abuse are spelled out in the newspapers. 

“And nothing happens. 

“In the last eight years the Somare government through inaction and indifference has allowed corruption to overwhelm the public sector and, in turn, inflict the private sector.

“There is now truly systemic corruption practised by virtually everyone in the government along with their associates.

“I urge the acting Prime Minister to show leadership, leadership that is different from Somare, leadership that listens to the people and takes action. 

“This is Abal’s turn to make a mark if he wants to show people that he can run the nation differently from Somare. 

“He will get support if he acts on behalf of the people. 

“Papua New Guineans cannot take it anymore. 

“We are all just sick in the stomach hearing and seeing what is going on.

“ And the most annoying thing is that no action is taken. 

“Instead, thieves are rewarded.”

Sir Mekere said:  “Minister Tiensten says that all the expenditure is in order. 

“We need the details, not just his words.  

“For instance, the K10 million that he allegedly handed out to Mr Wartoto to buy aeroplanes.

“Where is this in the 2011 Budget? 

“We did not hear anything about it last November when the budget was presented to Parliament.  

“And what is the development rationale to give subsidy to this company, and not others? 

“How was this one selected? 

“What are the criteria? 

“Can he spell it out so that other Papua New Guinean businesses can apply for these free government subsidies?

“Can Paul Tiensten and Arthur Somare tell us why the Government should hand out millions to a private airline, when Arthur is the lord and master of Air Niugini, which is struggling to provide domestic services. 

“I am sure every member of the travelling public has experienced delays or had flights cancelled when travelling on Air Niugini.

“Why not give the K10 million to Air Niugini for new aircraft?

“Many stories abound that certain influential members of the Kitchen Cabinet are silent beneficial owners of Travel Air, and of other businesses which have benefitted from these indiscriminate hand-outs from trust funds and the development budget, which is under the control not of Cabinet as in the National Executive Council, but of the Kitchen Cabinet.

“Only a commission of inquiry has the legal power to dig out and reveal the truth. 

“Unfortunately, despite the good honest work of many police officers, the tentacles of the Kitchen Cabinet appear to strangulate sections of the Police Force and we can no longer rely on the outcome of police investigations. 

“Let a commission of inquiry undertake the appropriate investigation and refer any matters that might be criminal to the police for prosecution.

“I urge the acting Prime Minister to close his ears to the protestations of his ministers, and listen to and act for the people.” 

Sir Mekere said:  “The (acting) Prime Minister has the sole power and authority to establish a commission of inquiry. 

“Mr Abal, Papua New Guineans await your action.”

 

K1.9 billion probe on

Special police unit to investigate fraud claims at National Planning

 

POLICE Commissioner Tony Wagambie yesterday announced an investigation into the purported misapplication of K1.9 billion of the development budget, The National reports.

At the same time, Works Minister Peter O'Neill broke with tradition by calling for the establishment of a commission of inquiry into the use of the development budget.

A police fraud investigation and a commission of inquiry are separate processes.

The man in the hot seat, National Planning and Rural Development Minister Paul Tiensten, denied the allegations of mismanagement yesterday, claiming K1.8 billion had been paid out of the development budget for legitimate and budgeted programmes and projects over the first six months of the year.

Wagambie announced yesterday that he has established and commissioned a special unit within the crimes directorate at police headquarters in Port Moresby to look into the allegations of the billion-kina fraud made by former secretary of National Planning Joseph Lelang.

A report compiled by a private law firm, Korowi Lawyers, as part of investigations to support Lelang's court battle against the state, had alleged K1.9 billion had been paid out over three months, much of which was paid to political cronies and for unbudgeted items.

The report named several individuals and companies involved in these alleged illegal dealings.

Wagambie, who is also chairman of the National Anti-Corruption Alliance (Naca), had made known his intention to convene the board of Naca to initiate separate investigations into the fraud allegations.

O'Neill last week told an audience in Kerema, Gulf, that Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal should establish a commission of inquiry into the management and disbursement of the development budget.

While addressing the launch of that province's development plans, the former finance and treasury minister said: "The development budget constitutes half of the national budget. The people need to know how funds are used.

"We have serious concerns that budget appropriations are being misdirected so as to raise serious breaches of the Finance Management Act.

"The breaches are so frequent and the amounts that are stated are quite large and the country deserves to know.

"In all fairness, this requires an independent commission of inquiry to establish the facts."

NCD officers stop work

By ALISON ANIS

 

COUNTING for the nine zones in the National Capital District was affected when more than 1,000 census officers chose to take a day off in protest over the non-payment of their daily field allowances, The National reports.

And a ward councilor for Rigo Inland has condemned their decision to leave their posts over the delay in the payment of allowances, saying officers working outside the urban centres had a tougher task to perform but never complained.

Frustrated zone coordinators had to leave their "control centres" at noon yesterday after receiving complaints from field officers wanting to know why the payments had been delayed.

The National spoke with field coordinators and officers from the four zones in NCD, who said some were frustrated and left for home while a few chose to continue the enumeration.

"There was a sit-in protest yesterday by our officers who refused to carry out the enumeration until they received their payments. They waited until 1pm for the payments and left the field when they were advised the payments were not ready," NCD zone two chairman Phillip Tiki said.

Zone three coordinator Julius Bakaman said: "The daily allowances are supposed to cover for our lunches during the enumeration."

Zone two covers Waigani, Gerehu, Morata, UPNG, Ensisi and Erima. Zone three covers Tokarara and Hohola.

Field officers in zone eight, covering 6-Mile and Boroko, were told to do as they pleased after they also raised similar complaints.

Counting was aborted in Bomana, 8-Mile, ATS Compound, Laloki, Tete settlement and Fisherman Island.

A senior officer with the NCD census team said the cheques had been released yesterday and the officers would be getting paid soon.

Ward councillor for Rigo Inland Alex Apore criticised the NCD officers for abandoning their work "when they were in a privileged position to do the counting".

"I cannot believe these people are crying out for daily allowances when they have access to everything, including transport," he said.

"Here, in the most difficult part of Central, our coordinator and his officers walk 40-50km everyday to collect people's data and not even a single complaint had come from them," Apore said.

He said for places such as Doro-Bisoro and Mt Maria, which could not be reached by vehicles, interviewers and their supervisors had to walk for up to three days.

"Allowance is not an issue here because that will come later. We want to do the job for our country and, if people can use that kind of thinking, everything will progress well," Apore said.

Wartoto defends K10 million subsidy

caption: The 'K10 million' aircraft – Mangi Lo Peles ... Owner Eremas Wartoto yesterday admitted he had applied for and received government funding of K10 million following due process and denied any fraudulent dealings. The  money was used to buy five Fokker 50 aircraft.

 

By JEFFREY ELAPA

 

A Kokopo-based businessman, who obtained K10 million under the development budget to set up an airline, said yesterday the money was a government budgeted subsidy and not a bogus claim, The National reports.

Eremas Wartoto, a successful Papua New Guinean businessman who has invested more than K100 million in the airline industry, and has bought five Fokker 50 aeroplanes, has several other business interests including travel services, hire cars, construction and hotel and shipping industries locally and abroad.

He said since venturing into the airline industry, he needed infrastructure to be in place and applied for a government grant as a citizen to get the buildings and "other necessary things" in place before the planes were flown into the country to begin operations.

He said the government had helped his company, Travel Air, with K10 million "which was just 10% of the K100 million investment over the next five years".

Wartoto said the government was shown the investment plan and approved the subsidy through the public-private partnership programme to help with setting up infrastructure to start operating his five Fokker 50 aeroplanes.

"I submitted the application on behalf of the company last year and went through the normal government screening procedures," he said.

"There was nothing sinister about the payment.   

"It was not a bogus claim as reported. It is a significant development that the government saw fit to support and I am grateful for the help.

 "We appreciate the government's vision to at least subsidise 10% of that investment.

"This investment will be based in Madang, replacing the Airlink ser­vice which was servicing much-needed air routes that are not currently serviced on a daily basis," Wartoto said.

He said his airline would open up air routes that had not been served by other airlines. These routes included Aitape, Kandrian and Aropa.

He said two of his planes were sitting in Maastricht, in the Netherlands, awaiting Casa PNG clearance at the end of this month for delivery early next month.

Wartoto said three other aircraft in Malaysia were being prepared to be delivered around the same time.

He said he had signed up on two additional aircraft in Maastricht that would be ready for delivery in October.

Meanwhile, another internationally known and established consultant company, David Consultants and Associates which received K4.1 million, denied receiving bogus payments.

Managing director David Pondoros, who was also named in the newspaper report, said his company was engaged to do two important national projects; the Abaca study and the diesel-free rural electrification programme.

He said the first payment of K500,000 was for the Abaca project, an important project that would be­-nefit the country while the other

K3.6 million was for the air compressor generator "to light up rural communities".

"Lawyer Philemon Korowi failed to do a proper research and had compiled a report based on the payment print to destroy my name and that of my company when everything, including the acquittals, was in place."

ISP, IT firms get operating licences

By ANCILLA WRAKUALE

 

PAPUA New Guinea’s internet and information technology providers were issued operating licences by the National Information and Communications Technology Authority (Nicta) yesterday, The National reports.

The licences covered the ISPs’ migration to Nicta of licences from the previous licencing agency Pangtel and the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission.

This was in line with reforms in the ICT sector under the national ICT Act 2009 and subsequent creation of Nicta last Octover.

As part of the reforms to make the sector competitive, Nicta was now the sole licencing and regulatory body and was spearheading the migration of licences issued by the  defunct Pangtel/ICCC.

Chief executive officer Charles Punaha said it had taken a while for Nicta to undertake the process due to ongoing consultation process with the ICT operators.

Telikom was issued   the individual network licence, the international gateway licence and the individual applications licence.

Daltron was issued an individual network licence and an individual applications licence.

The other ICT service providers like Daltron, Global internet, DataNets, MiCom and Comserve were also issued individual applications licences.

Punaha said Daltron was the only company that requested for the network licence apart from Telikom and Punaha.

He told other ICT operators to submit forms early so that they could work on their request.

Punaha also urged them to comply with the terms and conditions outlined in the licence.

He said the deadline for the consultation process with the ICT operators is Aug 5 and urged the operators to provide them with feedback as the information gathered would go towards setting conditions for the licence which would apply to them.