Shell’s return a ‘vote of confidence’ in PNG

By MALUM NALU

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill yesterday (Thursday) assured investors that Papua New Guinea was an ideal business location, despite all the bad press of late.

O’Neill made the assurance when opening a new representative office for Shell, one of the largest energy and petrochemical companies in the world, at Petromin Haus in Port Moresby.

He said the return of Shell showed that “there is big investor confidence in PNG”.

“I want to investors and companies that despite our politics, PNG continues to have investors coming in,” O’Neill said.

“We have in recent times seen that the economy is going very well.

“Our foreign reserves are at record levels.

“The economy of the country is very stable.

“We look forward to working closely with Shell and Petromin over the years.

“This is a huge vote of confidence in our country.”

Shell vice-president commercial –Asia, Ton Ten Have, said the company’s return to PNG was a natural follow-on from the strategic alliance agreement and joint technical study agreement signed between Shell and Petromin last August.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill…Shell return a ‘vote of confidence’ in PNG.-Pictures by ROY SANGI of Petromin

Shell vice-president commercial –AsiaTon Ten Have, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, Petroleum and Energy Minister William Duma and Petromin managing director Joshua Kalinoe raise a toast to Shell’s return to PNG

Shell vice-president commercial –AsiaTon Ten Have

: Shell vice-president commercial –AsiaTon Ten Have, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, Petroleum and Energy Minister William Duma at yesterday’s opening of the Shell PNG office

“Shell believes that Papua New Guinea is underexplored,” he said.

“We are looking at staying here for the long term.

“The LNG industry is not one that’s here today and gone tomorrow – it’s here for the long term.

“It is one that is based on collaboration and co-operation.

“Shell is a big energy player in the world, and one of the leading LNG companies in the world.

“We have been involved in some of the most-challenging projects the LNG industry has seen over the last 20 years.”

Ten Have said Shell would not be successful without having the right people, as it did in countries like Malaysia and Brunei.

“We have been humbled by all the support you have given us in getting Shell back to PNG,” he said.

“We look forward to a long-lasting and successful partnership.”

Ten Have said the JTSA was on track to be completed this year and Shell looked forward to working with Petromin to build a successful upstream business in PNG.

Petromin managing director Joshua Kalinoe welcomed the increased presence of Shell and added it would further facilitate for future opportunities in PNG.

“Shell is a world-class operator with a proven track record in all parts of the upstream business,” he said. 

“Together with Petromin, Shell will help PNG realise the full potential of its energy resources.”

Shell and Petromin entered into a Strategic Alliance Agreement on Aug 18, 2011 to establish a long-term partnership.

The agreement includes a joint study of major hydrocarbon basins in PNG and will enable the pursuit of mutually-beneficial upstream opportunities. 

It also contains skills-transfer elements, which will see Shell holding technical skills training sessions for Petromin staff, and Petromin staff posted to Shell’s office in Malaysia on development assignments.

Shell is a global group of energy and petrochemicals companies, with around 93,000 employees in more than 90 countries and territories, and helps to meet the world's growing demand for energy.

Sir Puka: Rice project will have major impact in Kairuku-Hiri

Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Puka Temu has strongly defended the Central province rice project, which has been the subject of much controversy lately.

 He said this in response to criticisms in the media that landowners had been left out and not informed about the project.

 Sir Puka said DAL, Central province administration and relevant government agencies had conducted wide consultation and awareness for the project.

 He said government officers had conducted extensive awareness and consultation with landowners and communities within Kairuku-Hiri district and would continue to do so.

 Sir Puka said he and other MPs from Central province, including Kairuku-Hiri MP Paru Aihi, had a public meeting with Aroa people at Pinu village last October and witnessed the support of the people for the project.

 He said there had been overwhelming support from people attended meetings conducted by DAL and its stakeholders at Bereina station and the villages of Bereina, Inauaia, Inaui, Agevairu, Pinu, Magabaira and Vanapa.

 A land mobilisation team comprising of officers from DAL and Lands Department also visited villages in the Gabadi/Aroa, Roro and Mekeo areas.

  A few villages are yet to be visited by the team, however, there has been positive response from majority of the villagers, who want the project to go ahead.

 Sir Puka said last month, the team visited North Mekeo area and spoke to people of Babagogo, Waika, Apanaipi, Piuga, Ameisaka, Inaujina, Egefa, Maipa, Akufa, Ioi and Imouga, who gave overwhelming support.

 He denied claims that he was treating the landowners as “fools”, as one newspaper letter writer suggested.

 “I have never in my political life, regarded and treated any landowner as a fool, or someone one can ignore in making decisions that require the use of their land,” Sir Pika said,

 “Indeed, with the Central Province Commercial Rice Project (CPCRP), it is because of this, and the need to have wider consultation and participation that we have conducted extensive awareness and continue to do so for this project throughout the Kairuku district.”

 He said the rice project was a major impact project in the agriculture sector that this country had ever seen, and the Kairuku-Hiri district in particular was very fortunate to have this project.

 “When done properly, this project will be highly beneficial to the local people, including those who are criticising it right now,” Sir Puka said.

 “In fact, I am advised that in a day, an average of four to five landowners and local villagers visit the CPRCRP office in Port Moresby, to either follow up on their ILGs or to obtain more information about the project.”

 He said so far, landowners had already registered with the CPCRP office 44 existing ILGs and 44 new applications.

 Of the existing ILGs, 30 are those that were formerly under the Mekeo hinterland project, with seven collected and 23 pledged to be handed in soon.

 Notification has been received of more ILGs to be brought in.

 Sir Puka said awareness and consultations on the project were continuing, together with land mobilisation work which was now at the land investigation reports (LIR) stage.

  In the meantime, DAL and the national project steering committee progresses the work on a deed of agreement that is acceptable for the State before it is signed with the investor.

 Sir Puka appealed to landowners and members of the public who have genuine concerns about the rice project to seek information from the CPCRP office at DAL headquarters and not to make misleading and incorrect statements in the media.

“I am always available and willing to visit Kairuku-Hiri district to talk about the project with our people and will certainly do so after the DAL and the project team has done its work,” he said.

Let not those lives be lost in vain- let it be the catalyst for change

By TAWIC NGALU

In the immediate aftermath of the MV Rabaul Queens incident, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said everything would be done to establish the cause of the accident.

"We will leave no stone unturned," he said. 

"We cannot afford to continue to lose our people's lives. Sea transport is one of the most important forms of transportation in the country."

Whilst the fingers will immediately be pointed at the shipping operator and government officials within the regulatory bodies as being the main perpetrators – a fair chunk of the blame must fall squarely on successive governments and society in general for allowing this to happen again.

This incident yet again, highlights the appalling inadequacies of our public service and the ingrained willingness of officials from all levels of government to compromise public safety and well being – of course for a “very, very” small fee – to bend the rules and continue to award operating licenses and permits, enabling rogue operators to run amok, and continue to ply their trade, with complete and utter disregard for the laws of the land, sea and environment.

Successive governments have known of these irregularities and malpractices within these regulatory organisations and of rogue operators, but have continually failed to take heed, act on and take the necessary measures, thus allowing these malpractices and corrupt acts to flourish into the thriving industry that it now is.

The Prime Minister needs to be held true to his word. 

No stone must be left unturned - a comprehensive incident report must be furnished within a specific time frame, complete with findings of investigations into the dealings of operators and the regulatory bodies tasked with ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the traveling public.

Recommendation for immediate remedial actions must be implemented, and then a complete overhaul of corrupt systems and processes, government officials and operators. 

Based on the findings of the report, an example must be made of all individuals, companies and organisations found guilty of wrongdoing and non-compliance.

Legal proceedings must be initiated and the maximum penalty exacted.

It is a sad fact of our society – where the public debate and rhetoric is endless in the immediate aftermath of such a tragedy, but lessons learnt are never taken to heart, in ensuring that corrective remedial measures are implemented on the ground by the relevant authorities to prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy.

The news media - print, radio and TV along with social media network site Facebook and Twitter, is littered with discussion threads on the tragic sinking of the MV Rabaul Queens. There are numerous views and opinions and possibly good suggestions which sadly, in all likelihood, will never get taken up and acted upon because of the indifference that prevails – no one takes ownership.

There is an old adage “Evil triumphs when good men do nothing” – and we collectively, as a people have been guilty on all fronts. We continue to accept and tolerate substandard services with not a care or whim. Our indifference, ignorance and cumulative non action have amounted to the current state of affairs where deteriorating public services and infrastructure is the accepted norm.

The legendary “Bonbon Ngara”, the sea serpent of the Vitiaz Straits, the nemesis of all ancient mariners along the Huon Peninsula has again reared its ugly head to claim yet another vessel and to mock our collective incompetence.

Let not those lives be lost in vain- let it be the catalyst for change

National day of mourning must be held

By REG RENAGI 

It is with a heavy heart that I write this. 
With each passing day, the authorities will gradually scale down their search tempo for survivors from the ill-fated passenger ship, Rabaul Queen that sank last Thursday morning until it is finally called off by either this weekend or early next week.  
The total number of survivors remains at 246 and since then, only five bodies have been recovered in other coastal provinces far away from the original sunken location.
It's now five days after the worst marine disaster in our country,with hopes from families now fading fast for more survivors to be found alive this week.  
The sunken coastal ship was certainly not suitable for the current rough weather conditions.
It may seem also that it was not in any way sea-worthy to ever sailed at all in the rough weather conditions at the time.  
The government must now hold a national day of mourning and later, a collective memorial service for all those 120 or so passengers onboard the Rabaul Queen who perished last Thursday.  
This must be done to mourn the lost passengers and remember them in their final moments when the stricken vessel sank.  
I also remember asking some people in authority last year regarding the APNG plane crash victims to hold a national memorial service to mourn for the passengers who perished in October 2011, but sadly did not get any feedback at all.  
This will be the same unless we all make a lot of noise so something gets done now about improving general maritime safety (likewise for air safety) in PNG.  
I praise our Lord God for the survivors and pray for all the passengers who lost their lives last Thursday. 
May they rest in eternal peace. God bless them all.