Scandal-tainted Papua New Guinea football chief quits

SPORTS CGTN
2018-04-11

Scandal-tainted football chief David Chung has quit as head of the Papua New Guinea Football Association, days after resigning as Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) president over corruption concerns.

Chung stepped down on Friday as Oceania's top football official citing "personal reasons." But FIFA subsequently revealed an audit had uncovered "potential irregularities" in the construction of a lavish new Auckland headquarters for the OFC.
The world governing body has temporarily suspended all funding to Oceania. The fall of Malaysian-born Chung is now complete after he also resigned as president of the PNGFA, a position he had held since 2004, a statement on its website said Wednesday.
"To ensure good governance and accountability at all levels, the executive committee of PNGFA will adhere to the status of PNG Football Association and comply with the process in electing a new president of PNGFA," said Vice President John Wesley Gonjuan.
"In the meantime, it's business as usual." The FIFA audit raised concerns about the construction of a sports hub in Auckland that Chung said would become "The Home of Football" in the Pacific region.
With a reported budget of 15 million NZ dollars (10.9 million US dollars), it was a pet project of Chung, who had led the OFC since 2010.
The New York Times has reported that Chung and former OFC General Secretary Tai Nicholas awarded contracts for the scheme without tender to companies with no track record in the area.
It claimed the audit showed many of the companies were set up just before the contracts were awarded and questioned their relationship with those driving the project.
The newspaper alleged the OFC's executive committee was planning to suspend Chung for "gross dereliction of duty or an act of improper conduct" at a meeting last weekend before he fell on his sword.
Nicholas quietly resigned in December, also citing personal reasons.

Highlands loses first round in Frieda River arbitration

miningweekly.com | April 10, 2018

PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Highlands Pacific is facing a $12.4-million bill relating to the Frieda River copper/gold project, in Papua New Guinea, after the first stage of arbitration found in favour of project partner PanAust.

Highlands, which has a 20% interest in the Frieda River joint venture (JV), has been arguing that a feasibility study submitted to the Papua New Guinea government as part of an application for a special mining lease in June 2016, was incomplete, and that the company’s free carry should continue.

However, an arbitrator has determined in the first stage of an arbitration process that Highland’s free carry for the Frieda River project feasibility study ended on the date of the lodgment of an application for a special mining lease.

The arbitration will now proceed to the second stage, with Highlands telling shareholders that it will be contending that other provisions of the JV agreement should be applied to make PanAust liable in the first instance for the full cost of the feasibility studies undertaken since June 2016, with the right for Highlands to pay its share at a later date, if the project proceeds.

If Highlands is unsuccessful in the second stage, and if the cash calls made by PanAust are held to be valid, the ASX-listed company will be expected to pay its share of project expenditure from June 2016 to May 2018, which amounts to some $12.4-million.

In this case, the company could either elect to pay the amount, or have its share in the JV dilute by around 2.2%.

Meanwhile, the permitting process for the Frieda River project is continuing, although the Papua New Guinea authorities are awaiting the completion of current feasibility study work, which is scheduled for the second half of 2018.

Exxon expects Papua New Guinea LNG project to restart in May

reuters.com | April 11, 2018

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - ExxonMobil Corp expects to restart production from its Papua New Guinea liquefied natural gas (LNG) project at the start of May after it was shut following an earthquake in February, ExxonMobil LNG Vice President Emma Cochrane said on Wednesday.
The $19 billion LNG facility, opened in 2014 in a remote location in one of Asia’s poorest and most politically troubled countries, has been closed since the powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake.
The project is considered one of the world’s best-performing LNG operations, despite the challenge of drilling for gas and building a plant and pipeline in the remote Papua New Guinea jungle.
Australia’s Oil Search and Santos are Exxon’s main partners in the project.
The LNG export terminal may not be able to produce at full capacity at first and will likely ramp up gradually, Cochrane said on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum.
“We are hopeful that we will be able to start in the beginning of May. We are actually ahead of schedule,” Cochrane told Reuters.
ExxonMobil has said there has not been any indication that the 700 km (435 mile) pipeline that delivers gas to its coastal LNG plant had been damaged by the quake, which flattened villages, killed dozens of people and spoilt water sources.
Cochrane also said the company has recertified the reserves in its P’nyang field in Papua New Guinea, and the reserves are higher than it previously thought.
“That gives us the potential to expand the facilities in the P’nyang field for the PNG LNG foundation project,” she said.
Exxon is likely to take a final investment decision this year on expanding its Golden Pass LNG terminal in Texas - a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips , Cochrane said.
The company intends to expand its facility in Qatar, but “they have still not made a decision on partnering,” Cochrane said.
“We very much hope that Exxon Mobil will be a part of that story. But Qatar Petroleum is still considered their partnership choices.”

Project Brief: Papua New Guinea Earthquake Response Common Service

reliefweb.int | April 1, 2018

Click for a full PDF report

On 26 February 2018, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the highlands region of Papua New Guinea, resulting in a Government-declared state of emergency for Hela, Southern Highlands, Western and Enga provinces. Some 465,000 people are estimated to be affected with 247,000 requiring immediate assistance.

The affected areas have significant access challenges. Majority of humanitarian items must be flown in as roads are not always reliable. In terms of communications, there are limited radio towers and existing FM radio has limited range due to mountains.

With affected communities desperately needing information on aid and assistance, humanitarian actors quickly mobilised to establish a coordinated approach to communicating with communities to more rapidly respond and reach a greater number of affected people with the limited collective resources available. With this, a Communicating with Communities Working Group coordinated by the United Nations Resident Coordinators’ Office under the Protection Cluster was formed.

To reach communities with life-saving messages and alerts, an information line was established using audio streaming over mobile phones – essentially turning mobile phones into radios - with support from Digicel and UN Women. Community members can dial into the information line to hear short updates from humanitarian agencies - 50,000 text messages to be sent twice weekly to promote an information line and share key messages. An additional 10,000 automated calls will be made to the affected area, playing the short messages once the call is connected.

PNG LNG terminal expected to restart in May after earthquake shut down - executive

reuters.com | April 11, 2018

SINGAPORE, April 11 (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil expects to restart production from its PNG LNG project in Papua New Guinea at the beginning of May after it was shut following an earthquake in February, Exxon LNG Vice President Emma Cochrane said on Wednesday.
The liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal may not be able to produce at full capacity at first and will likely ramp up gradually, said Cochrane on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum.
The May target for a restart is ahead of schedule, she said. 

MAF orders up to seven Cessna Caravans for Papua New Guinea

by Kerry Lynch, ainonline.com
April 10, 

Textron Aviation received an order from the Mission Aviation Fellowship International (MAF) for five Cessna Caravans that will be used to transition the MAF fleet in Papua New Guinea.

Mission Aviation Fellowship Cessna Caravan at Kagamuga Airport in Mt Hagen on. This is one of three MAF planes actively involved in earthquake disaster relief work.

The order, which Textron Aviation said is the single largest aircraft investement made by MAF, includes an option for two more. The Caravans on firm order will be delivered this year and placed into service in Papua New Guinea by mid-2019.
 The aircraft will join three existing Caravans in the region as MAF transitions to an all-Caravan fleet there, Textron Aviation said.
“With an all-Caravan fleet powered by the dependable PT6 engine, significant gains in reliability and mission impact will be achieved,” said William Nicol, MAF International aviation director.
“The Caravan provides capability that ensures an effective, efficient, and sustainable operation—a critical consideration when operating with limited infrastructure in challenging conditions, where remote access often becomes a matter of life and death.”
MAF has served the isolated communities of Papua New Guinea since 1951, bringing in aid workers, long-term development specialists, mission workers, doctors and nurses, teachers, and water engineers.
The missions have delivered food, medical supplies, and relief, water, and education to those living in remote areas.
MAF has gradually expanded its Caravan operations over past decade, Textron Aviation said, noting the turboprop single has now been operated into 95 percent of more than 230 remote bush airstrips.

Disgraced David Chung leaves PNGFA

by Ola Bjerkevoll, footballoceania.com
April 10, 2018

After first leaving his posts as President of the Oceania Football Confederation and Senior Vice President of FIFA, David Chung has now also resigned from the President role at the Papua New Guinea Football Association.

David Chung is now gone from all positions he held less than a week ago. Photo credit: OFC

The PNGFA confirmed the news earlier today in a statement.
The resignation comes after a week where Chung first stepped down from the OFC and FIFA citing personal reasons, but has later come under a cloud of suspicion surrounding corruption in regards to the building process of the OFC’s Home of Football in Auckland.
 The OFC are preparing to investigate the matter and a committee well be put in place at the next congress in June.
Vice-President John Wesley Gonjuan thanks Chung in the statement released by the PNGFA for the work he has done for football in the country.
The statement continued with Gonjuan assuring that everything will go as normal at the PNGFA:“To ensure good governance and accountability at all levels, the Executive Committee of PNGFA will adhere to the status of Papua New Guinea Football Association and comply with the process in electing a new President of PNGFA.
“In the meantime, its business as usual at PNG Football Association, we will continue on with the planned activities for the year which includes, National Soccer League, National Youth tournaments during the school holidays, Besta FA Cup Regional & Finals, Women’s Regional Tournament, Referees & Coaching development programs, PNGFA Football Development Programs and Education Centre Program.”
The statement also touched upon the matter of the breakaway rebel football association, the Football Federation Papua New Guinea (FFPNG), started a little over a year ago, which have been in conflict with the PNGFA and Chung in particular since they broke off from the original FA.
“PNGFA hereby encourage our member associations who have strayed from PNG Football Association to come forward and communicate with the Secretariat to rectify their situations and comply with the PNG Football Association Statutes requirements,” the statement read.
David Chung has been under heavy criticism from the Papua New Guinea government for his lack of interest in trying to find a solution to the best for football in the country and was described as a stumbling block by PNG’s Vice Minister for Sports Wesley Raminai, who has tried to mediate between the two sides.
Raminai also said, “He has been deliberately delaying our efforts to address this issue.”

Perhaps now there can be a solution to the problems football in Papua New Guinea face.