Wednesday, November 23, 2011
‘Crime rates to increase if PNG fails to share wealth’
THE World Bank has warned of increases in crime rates if there is
continued failure in addressing the inequality in distribution of the
nation’s economic wealth, The National reports.
“Progress against the modified Millennium Development Goals adopted by the PNG government is generally off track.
“Crime rates may well rise further, exacerbating a major operational cost for businesses, if there is continued failure to address mounting inequality, limited opportunities for low-skilled workers, and poor provision of security and other public services,” the bank said about PNG in its economic update titled: Navigating Turbulance, Sustaining Growth. It was released in Singapore yesterday.
It said the O’Neill government had formulated “ambitious plans to tackle these issues.”
“Now, before revenues from new natural resource projects start to flow, is the time to develop the systems and lay the groundwork for the improvements in governance needed to achieve those goals,” it said.
It wanted that although PNG was headed for its eighth consecutive year of growth with GDP likely to hit 10%, there were risks that the government should be aware of.
High inflation is the obvious one. There is still continuing uncertainty on the global financial front which could reverse the high commodity prices that PNG enjoys today.
If this happens, resource projects could be put on the back burner.
“Concerns are growing around both external and domestic developments. The deteriorating and more uncertain global outlook creates risks that the prices of PNG’s exports may retreat significantly from recent levels.
“A reversal in commodity prices may reduce the likelihood of potential future resource projects reaching final approval,” the bank warned.
“PNG’s economic outlook remains strong, though not without risks. The central driver is the stream of new investments in the country’s productive capacity.
“Residential property constraints in the main urban areas, and the associated very high rental rates, are also being addressed with a large increase in the supply of new housing units and hotel rooms expected to enter the market from Q4 2011 and through 2012.
“Efforts are also being made to improve the efficiency with which business and government operate, although PNG’s ranking in the 2012 Doing Business survey declined by four positions to 101 out of 183 economies as other countries reform efforts moved ahead of PNG’s.
“The government is also investing in measures to strength its public financial management systems, but the current management of the various financial accounts has not helped remove excess liquidity from the financial system,” the bank said
“Progress against the modified Millennium Development Goals adopted by the PNG government is generally off track.
“Crime rates may well rise further, exacerbating a major operational cost for businesses, if there is continued failure to address mounting inequality, limited opportunities for low-skilled workers, and poor provision of security and other public services,” the bank said about PNG in its economic update titled: Navigating Turbulance, Sustaining Growth. It was released in Singapore yesterday.
It said the O’Neill government had formulated “ambitious plans to tackle these issues.”
“Now, before revenues from new natural resource projects start to flow, is the time to develop the systems and lay the groundwork for the improvements in governance needed to achieve those goals,” it said.
It wanted that although PNG was headed for its eighth consecutive year of growth with GDP likely to hit 10%, there were risks that the government should be aware of.
High inflation is the obvious one. There is still continuing uncertainty on the global financial front which could reverse the high commodity prices that PNG enjoys today.
If this happens, resource projects could be put on the back burner.
“Concerns are growing around both external and domestic developments. The deteriorating and more uncertain global outlook creates risks that the prices of PNG’s exports may retreat significantly from recent levels.
“A reversal in commodity prices may reduce the likelihood of potential future resource projects reaching final approval,” the bank warned.
“PNG’s economic outlook remains strong, though not without risks. The central driver is the stream of new investments in the country’s productive capacity.
“Residential property constraints in the main urban areas, and the associated very high rental rates, are also being addressed with a large increase in the supply of new housing units and hotel rooms expected to enter the market from Q4 2011 and through 2012.
“Efforts are also being made to improve the efficiency with which business and government operate, although PNG’s ranking in the 2012 Doing Business survey declined by four positions to 101 out of 183 economies as other countries reform efforts moved ahead of PNG’s.
“The government is also investing in measures to strength its public financial management systems, but the current management of the various financial accounts has not helped remove excess liquidity from the financial system,” the bank said
Mola: Pregnant mothers prefer church hospitals
SOME pregnant mothers prefer going to church-run hospitals to deliver their babies than public hospitals, Prof Glen Mola said, The National reports.
Mola, the owner of the Paradise Private hospital blames this on the ill-treatment of the mothers by public health officers.
He told a Emergency Obstetric and New Born Care Needs Assessment workshop recently that there was a decline in the number of supervised births in public hospitals from 60% in the 1970s to 36% last year.
“Health workers in public hospitals are not welcoming and friendly.
“They scold and scream and insult the mothers who are in pain to give birth.
“This kind of approach often drives the mothers away.”
He said this was because many health workers work without supervision causing them to develop unfriendly habits.
Mola said this was also a contributing factor to high maternal mortality rate in PNG apart from the lack of skilled birth attendants and access to proper services.
He said an example was the rural St Michaels Hospital run by the Catholic mission in the Dengoglu area in Chimbu.
Mola said the patients preferred to go there because the health staff were friendly.
He said it was time to re-introduce supervision and teamwork back into the public health system to improve the attitude of health staff.
Madang businesswoman Catherine Mal and family guilty of murder
By JAYNE SAFIHAO
Madang businesswoman Catherine Mal, her son and his two cousins have been found guilty of murder, marking the end of a two-year court case, The National reports.
There was no show of remorse when the decision was handed down yesterday before a packed courtroom by judge David Cannings.
He said based on written and pictorial evidences, and oral evidence of Wetei Gumari, six state witnesses and one independent witness, he found enough reason to convict the four.
The defence’s argument that the Sakel family stood to gain land if the mother and son were put away thereby all aligned to the Sakel family would have motives to lie, was seen as a valid submission.
“The court must be cautious in a case such as this where diametrically different versions of events are given by different groups of witnesses, in identifying what interests each group has in the outcome of the case,’’ Cannings said.
“Certainly it would be in the interest of the Sakel family, in terms of their land dispute to see the Mal family disadvantaged by having the influence of their leader, Catherine, lessened or neutralised by seeing her serve a prison sentence.”
He also stressed that the accused also had motives to lie and that would be to avoid conviction.
Cannings found that on Feb 28, 2009, an argument which started at the 4-Mile market between male members of the two families ended up in a fight at the junction leading to Yagaum and 10-Mile.
The court found that during the fight, a Daga Nanas was killed after being hit on the back of the head by Emmanuel Ong (Catherine’s son) and again on the side of his jaw with a three cornered iron rod.
Keith Mal was the one who pushed a knife into the Nanas’ mouth and twisted it, cutting the tongue, gums and causing a number of teeth to fall out.
Keith is yet to be found for questioning.
The court found that Seth Mal shot Nanas in the eyebrow with a slingshot at close range, Onen Mal hit him in the stomach with a shade tree branch causing blood to come out of his mouth and nose and Catherine who urged on her group of relatives by shouting “kill him”.
Medical evidence in court show that Nanas died as a result of “compound fractures of the mandible and maxilla causing asphyxiation”.
The four members of the Mal family were hugging and crying with family members and friends yesterday afternoon after being told that they would go to Beon.
They will be sentenced on Dec 5
Madang businesswoman Catherine Mal, her son and his two cousins have been found guilty of murder, marking the end of a two-year court case, The National reports.
There was no show of remorse when the decision was handed down yesterday before a packed courtroom by judge David Cannings.
He said based on written and pictorial evidences, and oral evidence of Wetei Gumari, six state witnesses and one independent witness, he found enough reason to convict the four.
The defence’s argument that the Sakel family stood to gain land if the mother and son were put away thereby all aligned to the Sakel family would have motives to lie, was seen as a valid submission.
“The court must be cautious in a case such as this where diametrically different versions of events are given by different groups of witnesses, in identifying what interests each group has in the outcome of the case,’’ Cannings said.
“Certainly it would be in the interest of the Sakel family, in terms of their land dispute to see the Mal family disadvantaged by having the influence of their leader, Catherine, lessened or neutralised by seeing her serve a prison sentence.”
He also stressed that the accused also had motives to lie and that would be to avoid conviction.
Cannings found that on Feb 28, 2009, an argument which started at the 4-Mile market between male members of the two families ended up in a fight at the junction leading to Yagaum and 10-Mile.
The court found that during the fight, a Daga Nanas was killed after being hit on the back of the head by Emmanuel Ong (Catherine’s son) and again on the side of his jaw with a three cornered iron rod.
Keith Mal was the one who pushed a knife into the Nanas’ mouth and twisted it, cutting the tongue, gums and causing a number of teeth to fall out.
Keith is yet to be found for questioning.
The court found that Seth Mal shot Nanas in the eyebrow with a slingshot at close range, Onen Mal hit him in the stomach with a shade tree branch causing blood to come out of his mouth and nose and Catherine who urged on her group of relatives by shouting “kill him”.
Medical evidence in court show that Nanas died as a result of “compound fractures of the mandible and maxilla causing asphyxiation”.
The four members of the Mal family were hugging and crying with family members and friends yesterday afternoon after being told that they would go to Beon.
They will be sentenced on Dec 5
Baby’s corpse found among rubbish
Story by ZACHERY PER
A new-born baby was wrapped in a plastic bag and dumped at a rubbish dump in Goroka town, The National reports.
The baby had its umbilical chord clipped with diapers wrappers from the hospital, suggesting to police that the mother must have deliberately killed the baby and dumped it among the garbage.
A senior medical officer at the Goroka hospital confirmed that the baby must have been left at the dump for over two days.
The hospital will assist police in identifying mothers who gave birth during the weekend up to Monday afternoon.
Mothers who lived around Rotary Park expressed shock that the mother must have dumped the baby at the rubbish dump in the night during heavy rain
A new-born baby was wrapped in a plastic bag and dumped at a rubbish dump in Goroka town, The National reports.
 |
| Residents of Rotary Park looking at the dead baby wrapped in a plastic bag and dumped among a pile of rubbish |
The baby had its umbilical chord clipped with diapers wrappers from the hospital, suggesting to police that the mother must have deliberately killed the baby and dumped it among the garbage.
A senior medical officer at the Goroka hospital confirmed that the baby must have been left at the dump for over two days.
The hospital will assist police in identifying mothers who gave birth during the weekend up to Monday afternoon.
Mothers who lived around Rotary Park expressed shock that the mother must have dumped the baby at the rubbish dump in the night during heavy rain
Women disappointed at all the politics
The public gallery of parliament was awash in the national colours yesterday as women in their black, red and yellow meri blouses virtually took over the entire gallery, anticipating parliament to introduce the bill on the 22 reserved seats.
To their bitter disappointment, parliament did nothing of the kind and, instead, was reduced to a shouting mad house when Speaker Jeffery Nape decided to unilaterally sack Pomio MP Paul Tiensten.
The women, who had arrived at Parliament House in busloads, were disappointed with one declaring on the steps of parliament: “This is the very reason why women are needed in this house. Women will bring back self-respect, dignity and common sense.”
Disappointed too were the people of Hela and Jiwaka, who had anticipated the electoral boundaries commission report would be tabled yesterday.
Both bill and report are on the notice paper and are expected to be tabled in this session
To their bitter disappointment, parliament did nothing of the kind and, instead, was reduced to a shouting mad house when Speaker Jeffery Nape decided to unilaterally sack Pomio MP Paul Tiensten.
The women, who had arrived at Parliament House in busloads, were disappointed with one declaring on the steps of parliament: “This is the very reason why women are needed in this house. Women will bring back self-respect, dignity and common sense.”
Disappointed too were the people of Hela and Jiwaka, who had anticipated the electoral boundaries commission report would be tabled yesterday.
Both bill and report are on the notice paper and are expected to be tabled in this session
MPs shout down each other in chamber
PARLIAMENT witnessed another rowdy and aggressive session yesterday when members started shouting down each other when the speaker “disqualified” Paul Tiensten as member for Pomio, The National reports.
As parliament met for the November Budget session at 2.55pm, Speaker Jeffery Nape announced that Tiensten was no longer an MP because he had missed three consecutive parliament sittings – Aug 9, Sept 6 and Sept 20.
“Under section 104(2)(d) of the Constitution, I declare the seat of Pomio vacant,” he said.
Nape then called on the sergeant-at-arms to remove Tiensten, saying he was no longer the Pomio MP.
The decision angered non-government members who starting calling names and described the move as “cheap politics”.
Government backbenchers joined in the verbal abuse against the opposition.
Tiensten, who took the back seat of the middle bench, with a clenched fist responded in Tok Pisin: “Yupela kam rausim mi (you come and remove me) but no one, not even the sergeant-at-arms, attempted to eject him from the chamber.
Former attorney-general Sir Arnold Amet made a point of order that the speaker’s decision was a serious breach of the Constitution and that he had misapplied section 104(2)(d) to remove Tiensten.
He said a similar matter, relating to the ouster of Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare as East, Sepik MP, was still before the court and that Nape could be in contempt.
However, the speaker said Tiensten was not the East Sepik regional MP but the Pomio MP and the cases were separate, not part of the current proceeding by the East Sepik government.
“Tiensten is not the member for ESP regional. He is the member for Pomio and this is not your court house, sit down,” Nape told Sir Arnold, amid an uproar in the chamber.
When Tiensten refused to budge, Nape suspended parliament for 30 minutes until informed that the member had left the chamber. However, Tiensten walked back into the chamber, surprising Nape who immediately declared: “Under section 16 of the standing orders, I adjourn parliament to tomorrow 10am (today)”. He then walked out.
Sir Arnold called a media conference after the adjournment, saying that the anti-government bloc would take the matter to court today. He said they would be arguing that the issue of qualification and disqualification of members of parliament was the prerogative of the court and not the speaker or parliament.
Sir Arnold said they would file an urgent application to stop Tiensten from being disqualified and would also apply through the court to have Nape arrested for contempt.
The public gallery, which was filled with women in PNG colours, who came to show their support for the women’s 22 reserve seat proposed law, walked away annoyed.
As parliament met for the November Budget session at 2.55pm, Speaker Jeffery Nape announced that Tiensten was no longer an MP because he had missed three consecutive parliament sittings – Aug 9, Sept 6 and Sept 20.
“Under section 104(2)(d) of the Constitution, I declare the seat of Pomio vacant,” he said.
Nape then called on the sergeant-at-arms to remove Tiensten, saying he was no longer the Pomio MP.
The decision angered non-government members who starting calling names and described the move as “cheap politics”.
Government backbenchers joined in the verbal abuse against the opposition.
Tiensten, who took the back seat of the middle bench, with a clenched fist responded in Tok Pisin: “Yupela kam rausim mi (you come and remove me) but no one, not even the sergeant-at-arms, attempted to eject him from the chamber.
Former attorney-general Sir Arnold Amet made a point of order that the speaker’s decision was a serious breach of the Constitution and that he had misapplied section 104(2)(d) to remove Tiensten.
He said a similar matter, relating to the ouster of Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare as East, Sepik MP, was still before the court and that Nape could be in contempt.
However, the speaker said Tiensten was not the East Sepik regional MP but the Pomio MP and the cases were separate, not part of the current proceeding by the East Sepik government.
“Tiensten is not the member for ESP regional. He is the member for Pomio and this is not your court house, sit down,” Nape told Sir Arnold, amid an uproar in the chamber.
When Tiensten refused to budge, Nape suspended parliament for 30 minutes until informed that the member had left the chamber. However, Tiensten walked back into the chamber, surprising Nape who immediately declared: “Under section 16 of the standing orders, I adjourn parliament to tomorrow 10am (today)”. He then walked out.
Sir Arnold called a media conference after the adjournment, saying that the anti-government bloc would take the matter to court today. He said they would be arguing that the issue of qualification and disqualification of members of parliament was the prerogative of the court and not the speaker or parliament.
Sir Arnold said they would file an urgent application to stop Tiensten from being disqualified and would also apply through the court to have Nape arrested for contempt.
The public gallery, which was filled with women in PNG colours, who came to show their support for the women’s 22 reserve seat proposed law, walked away annoyed.
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