Nadzab Airport redevelopment to begin in 2019

Work on the much-mooted Nadzab Airport development in Morobe will begin in 2019 and be completed by 2022, says National Airports Corporation chief executive officer Richard Yopo.

Funding agreements between Japan and Papua New Guinea were signed in 2015 but work has not yet begun on this project, which is planned to be developed as an alternative international airport to Jackson in Port Moresby at a cost of K692 million.

Work was to have begun in 2017 and finished in 2020, but nothing has happened as yet.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) and PNG Ambassador to Japan Gabriel Dusava in 2015 signed agreements for a K578 million loan to PNG for the Nadzab upgrade.

The balance of K114 million will come from the PNG Government. 

Western provincial administrator puts education first

Education is high on the priority list of new Western administrator Aquila Sampson.

Sampson, in his first media interview on Tuesday June 19 as the administrator, said education remained a major obstacle to development in the country’s largest province.

Aged 53, from Parama Island at the mouth of the Fly River, he was appointed administrator by Cabinet last Thursday.

Sampson did his primary and high schooling in Lae before going to Sogeri National High School and University of PNG where he studied law.

He is currently the acting-Commissioner of the National Lands Commission, and before that, was a deputy state-solicitor.

Sampson, has also worked with national and supreme court judges and the Fly River (Western) provincial government.

Hela has many mountains of underdevelopment to climb：A message to the people of Hela from James Marape

by JAMES MARAPE

I appeal to our citizens in Angore , Hides and Komo areas to cease the use of threats, intimidation and guns as a means of getting your grievances heard and settled.

I say this in light of the blockage and looting that took place on the fringes of Angore and Hides gas fields yesterday.

I know the present issue they have is a K20 million claim for Angore township and another K12 million for their business development grant allocated in 2011, which is presently locked in court by the doing of one of their own tribesmen.

Our people must restrain from threats and intimidation.

If genuine issues remain outstanding, then civilised dialogue is the way to go for us now and into the future.

Whilst there might be some elements of genuineness in those issues raised, the continuous use of unlawful means to secure attention is repulsive.

This in the face of many issues our Government must handle not only for Hela and Southern Highlands, but the entire country.

The O’Neill-Abel Government is not far from you landowners.

In fact, on record we are the most-fulfilling Government in the history of our nation responding  to the plight of many of our landowner issues.

This not only in oil and gas areas but mining as well in terms of delivering to outstanding commitments.

The  O’Neill Government has signature policies like greater free carry equity empowerments.

For Hela and Southern Highlands, our gas and oil fields have been producing since 1990.

Yet,only after 2012 are we seeing serious signs of development happening or about to happen.

Has Tari ever seen a sealed road?

 No,but it started to happen after 2012.

From what I am told, the Halimbu-Nogoli Road sealing was to have seen its first laying of bitumen yesterday but the uprisings of Angore forced its closure again.

This project was awarded in 2015, but lawlessness continues to hamper work.

I appeal to our local leaders of youths, clans, and PDLs as well as leaders of facility site areas like Komo and the Pina plant site：Use myself and my two colleague MPs and our Governor to be your middlemen with National Government in a peaceful way to get your grievances out to National Government.

If genuine legitimate commitments aren’t responded to, then I will be the first to support you tribesmen for court action as a final resort but not the use of violence and destructions.

So far, I have received no invitation personally to hear your issues and relay to Government.

How then can you say Government has not been responsive,hence your resort to lawlessness?

I am again opening my office to our people in Hela to channel your issues through,  instead of your continuous use of threats.

One day soon your guns will be rendered useless.

Mark my word as the hand of Government is much much longer then what many of you think.

In July I will take officers from national departments through our project areas in Hela to hear you again.

We will also tell you all how we are going in as far as getting your due benefits in royalties and equities.

One-off payments like outstanding commitments will disappear.

You only have to see how your cousins from PDL 1 and 7 have used up K20million and K15million respectively into thin air just this year.

I ask you all to be fair to the Government, assist us get the clan-vetting complete and we start to get your entitlements out to you all.

For your other issues, please channel through me and Governor Philip Undialu plus our two other colleagues in Minister Petrus Thomas and Vice -Minister Manase Makiba to pass on to Government.

Our Government is in office, hence why are you evading us?

I ask you all to remove blockages and we work through the normal channels of dialogue again.

This Thursday my office will facilitate a meeting between all concerned leaders of project areas.

 I encourage you all to meet us to air issues of common concerns and we collectively map a way forward.

Sometimes,answers may be right in front of us yet our differences of opinion, including politics, continue being blockages.

Hela has many mountains of underdevelopment to climb.

Hence we all cannot afford the luxury of differences to hinder us.

There is no long-term winner in an environment of differences.

New Western Provincial Administrator on his appointment and challenges

Lawyer Aquila Sampson has been appointed by Cabinet as Provincial Administrator of Western, putting to rest controversy over the position since the jailing of former provincial administrator Modowa Gumoi in Nov 2016.
Sampson was chosen from a shortlist of three names submitted to Cabinet by the Western provincial executive council.
Here he speaks about his appointment and the challenges ahead:

Police to commence operations in Southern Highlands

by JIM ANDREWS

Acting Commissioner of Police

Chief of Operations 

As you would all have gathered, the Government has declared a State of Emergency in the troubled Southern Highlands Province.

I am now making the following internal transfer directives as the acting Commissioner of Police so that the Southern Highlands issue can be effectively addressed:

• Assistant Commissioner Kaiglo Ambane is transferred as Commander Southern;
• Assistant Commissioner Anton Billie is transferred as Commander Highlands Western End;
• Assistant Commissioner Allan Kundi is transferred as Assistant Commissioner Assisting the Police Commissioner;
• Chief Superintendent Joseph Tondop’s appointment as Provincial Police Commander Southern Highlands is revoked. He will remain unattached until further notice;
• Chief Inspector Gideon Kauke currently Station Commander Mendi is appointed Acting PPC SHP;
• Chief Superintendent Paul Kamuai is appointed as Acting Commander New Guinea Islands.

  These changes will take effect immediately and will be in force until further notice.

In the transition period I have appointed Assistant Commissioner Operations David Manning to take charge of all police operations in the Southern Highlands Province. 

He will be assisted by Assistant Commissioner Sylvester Kalaut, Acting Assistant Commissioner Crimes Hodges Ette and a team of detectives, and Acting Director Special Services Division Superintendent Julius Tasion. 

They will remain in the province until Assistant Commissioner Billie takes up his post.

  As we speak two police mobile squads totalling almost 70 police personnel are now in the Southern Highlands Province together with a contingent of Papua New Guinea Defence Force soldiers. 

Another two mobile squads are on standby to be sent to the Southern Highlands Province should the need arise.

The police operations will be conducted in four phases and includes:

• The insertion of the police personnel;
• Neutralising of threats and restoring rule of law; 
• Public awareness and appeal;
• Investigations, arrest and prosecution of offenders.

What occurred in Mendi including the burning of the National and District Court buildings, the Commerce and Industry building, the burning of the Air Niugini Dash 8 aircraft and the torching of Southern Highlands Governor William Powi’s residence are unthinkable acts of violence which need to be addressed immediately.

Two warehouses in Mendi were also broken into during the riot and tonnes of relief supplies looted as well. 

This poses serious concerns about the welfare of people affected by the February earthquake.

These acts of violence and criminal behaviour are clear evidence that there are underlying issues which must be addressed by everyone including the people themselves, and the various levels of leadership within the province.

For the police we are treating these as criminal acts and will be taking appropriate and immediate action upon those who had participated in the destruction and burning of the buildings and the aeroplane as well as the looting of the relief supplies.

I am appealing to the people of Southern Highlands and especially the leadership at the family, clan, tribal, village, electoral and provincial levels to cooperate with police and play their part in the restoration of peace and normalcy into the Southern Highlands Province, and more importantly in arresting those responsible for the destruction and looting.

Thank you.

Papua New Guinea's PM to visit China

xinhuanet.com | June 15, 2018

BEIJING, June 15 (Xinhua) -- Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea Peter O'Neill will pay a visit to China from June 20 to 26, as agreed by the two sides, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang announced Friday in Beijing.

Background

Prime Minister O'Neill's visit to China is an important high-level exchange between China and Papua New Guinea this year.

During the visit, President Xi Jinping will meet with Prime Minister O'Neill. Premier Li Keqiang will also meet with him.

The leaders of our two countries will exchange views on China-Papua New Guinea relations as well as other important issues of mutual interest.

Besides Beijing, Prime Minister O'Neill will visit Shanghai, Zhejiang and Guangdong.

Over the past 42 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Papua New Guinea, thanks to the concerted efforts of both sides, our bilateral relations have achieved remarkable progress.

Notably, in November 2014, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister O'Neill agreed to establish the strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development.

Under the guidance of this important consensus, the China-Papua New Guinea relations have entered a new stage of rapid development.

 In November this year, President Xi Jinping will travel to Papua New Guinea for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, which will provide an important opportunity for the further development of China-Papua New Guinea ties.

China is willing to work with Papua New Guinea to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges and interactions at other levels, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in all dimensions, and enhance communication and coordination in international and regional affairs so as to move forward the China-Papua New Guinea strategic partnership.

Declaration of state of emergency in Southern Highlands

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has announced that the National Executive Council has approved the declaration of a state of emergency for the Southern Highlands Province, and a call-out of the Defence Force in the province.
The National Executive Council has agreed to a course of action that will restore order
in the Southern Highlands, ensure all Leaders with potential involvement in unlawful behavior are held to account, and prevent further unlawful activities.
“The actions of reckless individuals damaging property in Mendi has disgusted the nation,” the Prime Minister said.
“The state of emergency in Southern Highlands Province will be in place for a period of nine months, and Mr Thomas Eluh is being appointed as the controller of the SOE.
“Put simply, I have had enough of this nonsense that has been manipulated by people who would call themselves leaders.
“Police will investigate every agitator, and every person who was involved in the unrest we saw yesterday.
“No person is above the law and all involved will face the full force of the law and answer for any crime they have committed.
“The Southern Highlands Province has so much going for it, so many natural resources and agricultural potential.
“We will not let this potential be undermined by people who have failed in politics and want to cause disruption.
“The Southern Highlands Provincial Government has been suspended, and I will oversee the operations of the Southern Highlands Provincial Government on behalf of the National Executive Council.
“It is important that we place the actions we saw yesterday into context.
“The ridiculous behavior by an unruly group is all about local level politics and attempts by failed politicians to vent their anger over their inability to be duly elected.
“If there is any group who thinks they can continue cause trouble, they will find out very quickly that their actions will not be tolerated.”
The Decision by the National Executive Council includes:
- Suspension of the Southern Highlands Provincial Government with
immediate effect for the duration of the state of smergency.
- Thomas Eluh to be appointed as the controller of the state of emergency,
with powers, duties and functions as prescribed by the Constitution and
Emergency Acts and Regulations.
- Deployment of police personnel, mobile squad and criminal investigators
(CID) to the Southern Highlands Province with immediate effect.
- Directing the Commissioner of Police, and the Commander of the PNG Defence
Force, in consultation with the controller, to immediately develop an operational
order for the deployment of troops (police and military) to Southern Highlands
Province for the SOE.
- Delegation of powers under Section 187E(5) of the Constitution and
Sections 66 and 67 of the Organic Law on Provincial Governments and Local
Level Governments for the Prime Minister to oversee the operations of the
Southern Highlands Provincial Government on behalf of the NEC.
- Directing the Minister Responsible for Provincial Government and Local Level
Government matters to table a report at the next meeting of the Parliament in
accordance with Section 187E(6) of the Constitution.
- Approval for the establishment of a technical committee under the l
leadership of the Chief Secretary to the Government to coordinate the measures to be taken in restoring the administration of the Southern Highlands Province in
consultation with the acting provincial administrator and the controller.
- Approval of K6 million in funding to enable the SOE mobilisation immediately.
- Direction for all relevant ministries and agencies to take immediate actions to
implement the decision of the National Executive Council.