60 killed in landslide disaster

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

MORE than 60 villagers reportedly died and many more unaccounted for after a major landslide buried homes, vehicles and properties at dawn yesterday, The National reports.
The disaster near the Tumbi quarry of the PNG LNG project near Hides, Southern Highlands province, occurred between 3am and 5am.
Papua New Guinean authorities were responding.
According to initial reports, the whole side of a nearby mountain collapsed covering an area stretching about 2km and 500m wide.
It cut off road access to the Komo international airport construction site, LNG conditioning plant site and the Komo township.
LNG developer Esso Highlands in a statement said that the landslide occurred around 6am.
“It is unclear where the landslide started, or what caused it. Esso Highlands has been in communication with government, including the national disaster and emergency relief office.
“Our main concern is for the safety and well-being of our workforce and the community in the area. We have offered our support to the government and the local community.”
Hides Gas Development Company chairman Libe Parindali said it was a major national disaster at the heart of the LNG project.
He said initial reports from the disaster site puts the figure of 60 people buried alive when the mountain side came down after heavy rain.
It caused a landslide stretching 2km from the mountain covering Tumbi quarry into Tagali river, burying everything in its path.
“From initial report more than 60 people, a couple of vehicles, buses and heavy machines and trucks are underground,” Parindali said.
He said people from Enga, Western Highlands and parts of the region had settled in the area looking for work with the PNG LNG project.
He said project developers were cooperating with the locals to search for bodies.
“The main focus now is to retrieve the bodies of those buried. It will take time to get the bodies out,” Parindali said.
Major contractors MCJC and CCJV and the project developers have agreed to stop construction activities and mobilise their resources in the disaster area.
The HGDC board met with its management team comprising general manager Richard Champion, JV manager Andrew Pitman and human resources advisor Rueben Aila.
The company announced an initial support funding of K20,000 to assist the retrieval of  bodies.
Its business partners KK Kingston will provide relief assistance including water bottles, torches and food supply.
The company was willing to pay return airfares for an officer each from the Red Cross, National Disaster and Emergency and Department of Petroleum and Energy to visit the disaster site and assess the damage.
Juha Landowner leader Hengebe Haluja told The National by mobile phone that 42 houses, including a guest house in which 20 guests were staying overnight, were buried.
He said three vehicles, five heavy machinery including graders and excavators and 20 constructions workers were believed to be buried under the landslide.
“The road from Hides PDL 1 to PDL 7 has been cut off by 700m to 800m wide roadblock.”
Haluja has called on Petroleum and Energy Minister William Duma, Treasury and Finance Minister Don Polye and Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to visit the disaster area.
Another leader, Peter Laki, said it was a major tragedy that needed immediate government attention for the sake of the PNG LNG project.
Laki said the people of Hides were in mourning for their tribesmen who were buried alive.
“It will take months to recover the bodies considering the amount of dirt that has piled up from the landslide.

An eyewitness account of today's landslide disaster in Southern Highlands

Family near miss...the family is trapped

On top of where 10 houses used to be

Road from Tari to Hides

Road from Tari to Hides

Villages buried under the earth

 

 

 

At 0600hrs this morning, it was very calm, still and quite. Family’s were still sleeping, while the mothers woke up and prepared breakfast for  their family, others were preparing to take their stalls and stuff to the road market when all over sudden, without warning ........the land slide and covered the entire village.

Tumbi area has three villages and is located along the road leading to Hides 4 and Komo. The three villages are along the road and are scattered in hamlets. Some live a bit further up in to the side of the mountain.

When the land slipped, it covered the three-villages, the people going to the market, a 2- seater with passengers inside and a Land Cruiser from Komo, nine employees from various companies waiting for pick-up and other unaccounted people.

From an estimated figure including the three villages it is believed that 100-plus people have been buried under the earth and that includes, mothers, children, fathers, their relatives, vendors, employees and the passengers in the two-vehicles plus the unaccounted.

It is reported that a HGDC vehicle is also buried under the earth hence yet to be ascertained. Two rivers on both side of the village are buried and dam is building up slowly at the top. If the river banks give way, it will cause more damage to the villages living further down the river.

We are not yet sure whether some of our local guards are buried under the earth. We will do stock take and see. It is a very sad and a tragic day for all of us. One or the other it will also affect us.

We just pray that the good lord will give strength and peace to the relatives of the missing one’s.

Conspiracy bid claim

By JUNIOR UKAHA

THE ongoing leadership tussle claimed another victim yesterday with police charging a prominent lawyer with perverting the course of justice, The National reports.
Plainclothes detectives arrested David Dotaona after he walked out of a court room in Port Moresby yesterday morning.
Police claimed he tried to bribe a police lawyer into signing legal documents recognising his client Fred Yakasa as the police commissioner.
Yakasa had gone to court seeking orders that he was the legitimate police chief because Sir Michael Somare had appointed him.
Dotaona has been representing Yakasa since his appointment by Sir Michael following the Supreme Court ruling on Dec 12. The Peter O’Neill-led government appointed Tom Kulunga to the job.
He was charged with one count of attempting to pervert the course of justice, contrary to section 136 of the Criminal Code.
Dotaona’s arrest followed an operation order by NCD-Central assistant commissioner of police Francis Tokura on Jan 11. It called for him and Yakasa to be arrested immediately after the National Court ruling and conveyed to ACP Crimes for processing.
Deputy police commissioner (operations) Simon Kauba said Dotaona, in his position as Yakasa’s counsel, and others allegedly attempted to bribe Kulunga’s lawyer to sign documents to recognise Yakasa as the police commissioner.
“Lawyer David Dotaona was arrested and charged with attempting to solicit a bribe to pay off Police Commissioner Toami Kulunga’s defence,” he said.
Kauba said it was a “conspiracy bid” to have legal documents signed to declare Yakasa as the duly appointed acting Police Commissioner.
“Dotaona allegedly colluded with two senior politicians and attempted to solicit a substantial amount of money to bribe Kulunga’s legal counsel. This criminal matter came to light after the intended victim filed a sworn affidavit and tendered it as evidence to police investigators,” he said.
Kauba said the interim restraint order obtained by Yakasa on Dec 16 last year, restraining police from arresting him explicitly extended only to members of the police force linked with him, adding that Dotaona was not protected under that order.
He said the matter was quite serious and police had to respond quickly.
Dotaona was alleged to have committed the offence between Jan 7 and Jan 8 while the case between Yakasa and Kulunga was pending in court.
NCD metropolitan supt Peter Guinness said Dotaona was picked up by police at 9am and taken to ACP Crimes Mark Kanawi at police headquarters.
Then he was taken to the Boroko Police Station at around 3pm and formally arrested and charged.
Dotaona was later released on a K2,000 police bail and would appear before the Waigani Committal Court at 9am today

Somare accused of recklessly spending K76.6 billion

SIR Michael Somare’s regime has been accused of spending K76.6 billion in the past six years without the country seeing any tangible changes, The National reports.
Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah, while launching his PNG Party’s first provincial electoral office at 14-Mile outside Lae last Saturday, said a few “selfish and corrupt ministers” in the Somare regime had benefited from the money.
He claimed they were the same people fighting to have Sir Michael back as prime minister so they could have access to state funds to benefit themselves and their families.
He called on voters to be careful who they gave their ticks to in the general election.
The Vanimo-Green MP said the government wanted to make sure that the people got what was owed to them.
He mentioned the free education policy and free medical services for the people.
He revealed initiatives by the government to push for 100% ownership of resources by landowners with the government receiving taxes and fees benefits.
A new ministry - ministry of religious affairs - would be created by the government with one tenth of the country’s budget to be used to further the work of recognised Christian churches in the country.
“The prime minister and I have a good working relationship and believe in the cause to change the nation,” Namah said.
The government was also committed to making sure work on the Lae port begins next week, he said

Team to assess K5 billion rice project

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

A STATE negotiating team will assess the K5 billion Central province commercial rice project that will see Papua New Guinea produce rice on a larger scale, The National reports.
Agriculture Minister Sir Puka Temu told parliament last Friday that the Central commercial rice project was initiated by the former Somare government under the leadership of Ano Pala.
The project is valued between K3 billion and K5 billion.
 “As far as the injection of capital is concerned, it covers 60,000 to 100,000ha of land which will be the first of its kind in the country.
“For the past 30 to 35 years no investor has put his hand up to invest this kind of capital in commercial rice production,” Sir Puka said.
He said commercial rice production was a high risk low yield area and this would be the first time an investor was looking into this possibility.
“The challenges are there and the previous and the current government are assessing particular deed of agreement.”
Sir Puka expressed disappointment at the sector for jumping up and down, including taking out a full-page advertisement.
“I do not know where they are coming from. Issues raised through the media are that the proposal is anti-trade.”
Sir Puka said there was an assumption that the price would increase but the government was looking at that among other issues.
He said the exclusivity of the import of rice for a specific period was under negotiations.
Sir Puka said the state negotiating team comprised Treasury and Finance, National Planning, Internal Revenue Commission, Environment and Conservation, ICCC and Lands and Physical Planning.
“Some people are putting the cart before the horse but, at the end of the day, national interest must come first.”
He said for commercial rice production, “PNG does not have land and the single biggest land available is in the Kairuku-Hiri area where landowners and leaders have agreed to venture into this project”.
“Rice must be exported and become cheaper. The long term gains negate the short term pains,” Sir Puka said.
He said the Trukai agreement would be reviewed this month and the government hoped to come with a win-win situation for all parties.

Public enterprise business plans and budgets approved

Managing Director of IPBC, Mr Thomas Abe, said today the IPBC board had approved 2012 business plans and budgets for public enterprises.

“The plans submitted to IPBC for approval are now the official internal framework under which each public enterprise will operate,” he said.

“IPBC and the national government will closely monitor compliance with the plans.”

Abe said IPBC and public enterprises would renew their focus on continuous improvement to entrench commercial disciplines in their operations. Reform and rehabilitation will continue, with greater energy and commitment.

The emphasis will be on more-efficient organisational structures, cost-effective and productive practices at all levels, full compliance with due process and making customer service the number one priority.

"It is clear than from past years that public enterprises have lost their way," Abe said. 

"For example not one single enterprise has paid a dividend since 2007.

“That is unacceptable, and indicates the extent of the problems within these critical service providers.

"The practise of paying dividends was devised in 2002 as a way of enforcing commercial discipline within public enterprises, and making a return on some of the State’s investment in them.

"Public enterprises must remember that they are owned by the people of Papua New Guinea, and they are funded by the people of Papua New Guinea through taxes, licences and charges.

"People are entitled to expect a return on their funds to be put to good use – for example in the government’s decision to provide free medical care and to rehabilitate our public hospitals.”

 Abe said the O’Neill-Namah Government had refocussed the efforts of IPBC and the public enterprises it controls, giving more emphasis to service delivery.

This is reflected in the 2012 business plans, which focus on customer service standards, good governance and due process, financial efficiency and conformity to applicable policies and legislation.

The major projects and plans for each public enterprise are also outlined, including investment plans and targeted actions.

Abe congratulated Eda Ranu, which won two international awards during the year, and Air Niugini for achieving full and unconditional approval for their business plans. Conditional approval was given to the following enterprises:

• Telikom, subject to further review and consultation on capital expenditure and organisational restructuring.
• MVIL, subject to further review and consultation on capital expenditure and its investment policy.
• Post PNG, subject to further review and consultation on proposed strategies for financial services, logistics and investments.
• Water PNG, subject to further review and consultation on its organisational structure and its debt to the State.
• PNG Ports, subject to further review and consultation on major capital expenditure items.

The National Development Bank’s business plan and budget was not approved, pending consultation with IPBC.

Abe said: "Our reviews are showing there is a long way to go with reform and rehabilitation.

"But the hard work put in by IPBC and public enterprises over the past six months has shown us a way forward."

Border agency under scrutiny

By JEFFREY ELAPA

INVESTIGATIONS into the Border Development Authority start this week, Minister for Finance and Treasury, Don Polye says, The National reports.
Polye said this in response to questions raised by Milne Bay Governor John Luke during question time in Parliament last Friday.
Luke said the vessel Milne Bay Atolls had been bought from Indonesia at a cost of K5million, an inflated price when the actual price was a K2 million.
He said there were so many fishy deals involved in the purchase of the vessel as many people had benefited through commissions.
He said instead of serving its purpose, the vessel had been leased for five years and was now in Pomio, East New Britain.
He said the purpose of buying the vessel was to serve the people of Milne Bay but it had ended up in another location and not a border province.
He called for an investigation into the use of funds and the abuse of assets by the authority “before every asset disappears in the wrong hands”.
Western Governor Dr Bob Danaya voiced concern that his province was still waiting for two vessels to operate in his province and for surveillance along the border of Indonesia and Australia.
Polye agreed it was a very serious matter as there were many questions about the manner in which the authority had operated.
He said he had learned that the purpose and aim of setting up the authority had not been fulfilled.
He said the government had appointed a new chairman two months ago and an investigation will be conducted, starting this week.
He said the functions and powers vested under the Minister for Finance and Treasury would be transferred to the Department of Provincial Affairs when all investigations had been completed