Policeman arrested for serious assault

 Police Media

A policeman in the National Capital District was arrested and charged on Wednesday, November 19, with four counts of being drunk in a public place, assault, resisting arrest and using abusive language.
Director of Crimes Chief Superintendent Peter Guinness said 24-year-old probationary constable Ludger Saingre and another policeman allegedly assaulted a young woman at the Gordon bus stop on November 7, resulting in her sustaining severe facial cuts and bruises.
Saingre was also charged for swearing at a senior policewoman after she attempted to rescue the helpless victim. The policewoman called for backup and the two abusive policemen were arrested by some detectives, but Saingre escaped at the police station and was rearrested on Tuesday,  November 18, at the Gordon Police Station.
Charges are also being prepared for Saingre's accomplice who is also attached to the NCD Beat Unit based at the Boroko Police Station.
 Guinness said that these were very serious disciplinary offences and as such recommendations would  be made for the member's dismissal from the Constabulary. 
Guinness said because of the constant reports of police brutality cases, instructions would be issued to all CID units to step up investigations into such allegations and ensure police personnel implicated in such crimes were prosecuted and terminated from the Constabulary.

National Budget at a glance – What the figures mean to the men, women and children, and the businesses of Papua New Guinea

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has welcomed the tabling in Parliament of the 2015 National Budget by the Treasurer Patrick Pruaitch.

In welcoming the document, the Prime Minister said the gravity and importance of the annual budget was appreciated by all members of the Government.

“The outcome of budget decisions have a direct impact on every man, woman and child in Papua New Guinea,” PM O’Neill said.

“For this reason the National Government must be careful, disciplined and forward thinking in each budget that we hand down.

“Spending must reach the people and improve their lives, and revenue must be raised in the modern world economy that continues to evolve and offer both increased challenges and opportunities.

“In recent years, the people of our country have experienced an improvement in health, lifestyle and economic opportunity that has never before been experienced in our country.

“Our Government will continue to manage the economic affairs of this nation in a way that that will continue to improve the lives of the men, women and children of Papua New Guinea.

“The Treasurer has commended the 2015 National Budget to the Parliament and the people of the nation.”

Fact Sheet Contents
·      Expenditure to be received by the people and invested in infrastructure
·      Government income is higher than expected
·      Managed return to budget surplus by 2018
·      Economic growth very positive and well above global average
·      Kina stabilising following beneficial time for exporters
·      Restructuring of employment with the evolution of mining projects
·      Inflation reducing and stabilising
·      Current account is moving into surplus
·      Ongoing funding with debt reduction

Expenditure to be received directly by the people and invested in infrastructure
·      Total estimated government expenditure for 2015 is projected at 16.1991 billion Kina.  This includes 9.2135 billion Kina in operational expenditure being spent directly on services used by the people of Papua New Guinea in 2015, and 6.9855 billion Kina invested in building capital infrastructure next year.
·      Operational expenditure is allocated for schools, healthcare, security, support to agriculture and SMEs and other government services.
·      Capital expenditure builds the infrastructure that continues to advance the national economy forward and also has the flow-on effect of stimulating business and creating jobs.

Significant areas of expenditure:-      Education expenditure of 1.9 billion Kina, including free schooling for our children, expanding access to universities and vocational training for adults.
-      Healthcare expenditure of 1.8 billion Kina to facilitate healthier and happier living and longer lives for the people of Papua New Guinea, particularly in rural areas.
-      Law and Order expenditure of 1.6 billion Kina to create safer communities.  This includes additional and better trained police, correctional services officers and military personnel; better equipment; and, a stronger independent judiciary.
-      Direct Funding to Provinces of 3.7 billion Kina to ensure money is spent on services and infrastructure for people at local level in a planned and transparent manner.
-      Infrastructure expenditure of 2.298 billion Kina to construct the roads, bridges, ports, buildings and other public facilities that will drive the national economy into the future.  This includes infrastructure for the Pacific Games that will have ongoing community usage and contribute to healthy living.

Government income is higher than expected
·      Total revenue and grants will rise to 13.9 billion Kina in 2015, which is 1.3 billion Kina higher than earlier estimates of 12.7 billion Kina.
·      This includes tax revenue estimated at 11.2 billion Kina in 2015, an increase of 1.5 billion Kina from the earlier revised estimate of 9.7 billion Kina.
·      The increased tax recipes include an additional 380 million Kina raised through improved and more transparent tax compliance measures.
·      Project grants are anticipated to reduce by 200 million Kina from 1.5 billion Kina to 1.3 billion Kina due to factors that include international partner decisions and currency fluctuations.  It is anticipated development support will continue to wind down alongside Papua New Guinea’s continued long-term economic growth.

Managed return to budget surplus in 2018
·      The budget will see a deficit of around 2.3 billion Kina in 2015 driven largely by the Government’s investment in national infrastructure.  This is planned investment in infrastructure that includes roads, airports, ports, schools, teachers and nurses colleges, and utilities that will be used by our people and businesses for decades to come.
·      Budget deficits are planned for 2016, with a balanced budget in 2017, which is one year earlier than anticipated, and aim for surplus in 2018.
·      Careful management of deficits and surpluses is sound economic planning particularly as this relates to infrastructure.  If the government did not build the infrastructure now, the economy of the future would not be likely to reach its full growth potential.

Economic growth very positive and well above global average
·      The national economy is expected to make significant growth in 2015 of 15.5 per cent.  Earlier projected 2015 growth occurred ahead of expectations in 2014, so reduced the projected 2015 estimate.
·      National economic growth is favorable compared to the global average as noted in the following table.

Economic GrowthPapua New Guinea
2014 - 8.4
2015 - 15.5

World (WB/IMF)
2014 - 3.3

2015 - 3.8

·      2015 will be the fourteenth year of uninterrupted economic growth for the nation.

Kina stabilizing following beneficial time for exporters·      The Kina depreciated by 8.3 per cent in 2014 compared to 2013, mainly due to higher foreign exchange outflows and a strengthening US Dollar.  The Government, in consultation with the Bank of Papua New Guinea and commercial banks, established measures to stabilize the Kina.
·      The positive news for the change in exchange rates is that this has benefited Papua New Guinea’s exporters enabling more competitive pricing in international markets.

Restructuring of employment with the evolution of mining projects·      Non-mining employment grew by 3 per cent to the end of the June quarter in 2014, though mainly due to the conclusion of the construction phase of projects, mining sector employment declined by 22.7 per cent.  This was anticipated and with the greater experience and improved skill sets held by many of these workers, they will be absorbed through growth in other government and private sector construction projects coming online in 2015.

Inflation reducing and stabilising ·      Inflation will be better than originally projected in 2014 and 2015.  The anticipated 6.5 per cent for 2014 has been revised down to 5.9 per cent.  Inflation in 2015 is anticipated to ease to 5.5 per cent and further reduce to average around 5 per cent for 2016 to 2019.

Current account is moving into surplus·      Papua New Guinea’s trade with the rest of the world continues to improve from a 3.9 billion Kina deficit in 2013, to 1.4 billion Kina deficit for the first half of 2014, to a projected surplus of 7.1 Billion Kina in 2015.
·      Improvement is being driven by the awaited full year of LNG and Ramu Nickle mine production, as well as a rebound in agricultural and other mining production.  This has been accompanied by a fall in foreign reserves from 6.8 billion Kina at the end of 2013, to 6.1 billion Kina in September 2014, and is expected to recover to 6.4 billion Kina by the end of 2014.

Ongoing funding with debt reduction·      Government debt is expected to fall by 228 million Kina to 14.26 billion Kina by the end of 2015.
·      The Government has a preference to raise funds from the domestic market and this will continue as a priority where this is possible, while also exploring options to expand the national investor base through a range of cost-effective financing options.
·      Managed debt is essential for the economic governance of any enterprise, but more important for government where the delivery of government services and infrastructure investment has direct impact on the livelihoods of families and viability of business around the nation.

Papua New Guinea government releases budget increasing funds for MPs electorates

ABC

The Papua New Guinean government has announced its $6.14 billion budget for 2015, with ambitious funding to electorates and a push to reduce deficit.

PNG treasurer Patrick Pruaitch said the budget, an increase by 7 per cent from 2014, identified major revenue sources within the mining, agriculture, and resource sectors.

He said there would be increases in taxes to finance the budget.

Deficit and debt levels including inflation are said to be well under control.

Professor Stephen Howes, the director of ANU's Development Policy Centre, said it was a significant budget for the Pacific nation.

"PNG has been in a very expansionary fiscal mode really for the last decade since the resource boom started," he said.

"But in this budget we see an increase in expenditure but only slightly more than the rate of inflation.

"So it is a very restrained budget."

However, Mr Howes said the one exception were some large increases to "district spending" for building schools and health clinics.

"It sounds good but normally in PNG if funds are allocated to the district that means they are control of the MP," he said.

"PNG has gotten into the practise of putting substantial amounts of funding at the discretion of MPs."

International Day for Tolerance

By U.S. Ambassador Walter North

On November 16th the world community will observe the 19th International Day for Tolerance. While we are reminded of the security and human rights implications of intolerance (which often takes the form of stigma and discrimination), this day also provides an opportunity to highlight the vital contribution of tolerance and acceptance to achieving important public health objectives and impact, especially those focusing on groups living on the margins of many societies.

The U.S. Government is proud to partner with the people and Government of Papua New Guinea to implement the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and help achieve an AIDS-free generation. In recent months and in collaboration with other stakeholders, we have worked hard to align our resources and programmes with both the Papua New Guinea government's priorities and PEPFAR's commitment to delivering the right things, in the right places, at the right time. This also involves careful planning to ensure that we are reaching the right people with urgently needed programmes, resources, and funding.

Here in Papua New Guinea, basic tolerance of all human beings is key to providing access to care for people who are at high risk of either acquiring or transmitting the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is only by providing accessible prevention and care services to those groups who are most vulnerable that HIV will be controlled. Among other groups, this includes women and men who engage in sex either for money or for goods and services such as food, clothes, or school fees; men who have sex with men (MSM) or with both men and women; transgender persons; and women who have been subjected to rape or domestic violence. Current laws in PNG notwithstanding, programs and policies must recognise that eliminating stigma and discrimination is critical to ensuring that all people feel safe accessing HIV/AIDS care and treatment services. Programmes that treat people with dignity and respect will have the greatest impact.

When trying to achieve an AIDS-free generation, intolerance and hatred only create barriers that keep the most vulnerable from accessing essential services and thus lead to considerable loss of life. The PNG National AIDS Council also stresses the importance of stopping discrimination and being able to access services by making this year's World AIDS day theme: "Stop discrimination. Access to services is my right."

Tolerance requires treating everyone, even those who are different, with dignity and respect. This extends to all people regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. As President Barack Obama recently declared, "the struggle to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons is a global challenge, and one that is central to the United States' commitment to promoting human rights."

On this International Day for Tolerance, let us affirm that all persons - sex workers, MSM, transgender persons as well as the wider LGBT community, and any group that suffers the negative health effects of discrimination such as persons with disabilities - should also be free to access and receive essential health services from providers who treat them with dignity and respect.

I call on all partners in our shared goal of controlling HIV in Papua New Guinea to practice tolerance in all aspects of service delivery. The goal of an AIDS-free generation will remain unfulfilled until every Papua New Guinean feels that he or she will be treated with tolerance and respect when seeking services to preserve health if already infected; to prevent infection of others; and to be free of the risk of rape or sexual violence.

Join me in reaching out in tolerance to everyone in need so that together, we may achieve that longed-for goal of an AIDS-free generation in Papua New Guinea.

# # #

Papua New Guinea beat Hong Kong in three-day match

CricketEurope
Andrew Nixon
13 November 2014

Papua New Guinea and Hong Kong have ended their series of matches in Australia with PNG winning the concluding three-day match today in Townsville.
With no experience of matches of this length in the Papua New Guinea side, with the exception of England wicket-keeper Geraint Jones, few would have expected them to have done as well as they did in their first innings. Openers Lega Siaka and Tony Ura put on 88 before Ura was out for 58.
Siaka went on to score 51 before getting out, before Assad Vala and Vani Morea put on 164 for the third wicket. Morea was that third wicket, getting out for 90. Vala was next out, just short of his century on 98. Geraint Jones failed with the bat, only scoring four, but Kila Pala scored 57 before the close of play.
Closing on 411-6, Papua New Guinea continued batting on the second morning. Captain Chris Amini declared once he'd brought up his 50 with the PNG total on 469-7.
Hong Kong's reply started slowly, with openers Jamie Atkinson and Waqs Barkat both out cheaply. Anshuman Rath, who turned 17 just last week, was their top scorer with 72 before he was the fifth man out with the score on 120. Kinchit Shah and Babar Hayat were the only other batsmen to go past 15 as Hong Kong were bowled out for 205.
Papua New Guinea opted not to enforce the follow-on and batted again. They were unable to repeat their first innings performance though, and had lost four wickets by the close of the second day, only scoring 58.
Things didn't go to plan at the resumption on the third morning either, as Papua New Guinea collapsed to 69-8. Assad Vala scored 40 from just 13 balls to help them get to 114-8 before their second declaration set Hong Kong a challenging target of 379.
Anshuman Rath and Aizaz Khan opened for Hong Kong in their run chase, but that didn't stop both openers again being dismissed cheaply. Jamie Atkinson, who has got County Championship experience, was able to score 63, but Hong Kong were unable to bat out the day for the draw.
Norman Vanua took 5-36 as Hong Kong were bowled out for 245, losing by 133 runs. Hong Kong will now prepare for their tour of Sri Lanka where they will take on Nepal in a T20I series and a one-day match before two three-day matches against local sides. Papua New Guinea's next action will be the East Asia Pacific T20 championship.
Papua New Guinea beat Hong Kong by 133 runs
Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville, 11-13 November
Papua New Guinea 469-7d (104 overs, A Vala 98, V Morea 90, T Ura 58, Nadeem Ahmed 4-114)
Hong Kong 205 (67.5 overs, Anshuman Rath 72, K Shah 38*, CJ Amini 3-34)
Papua New Guinea 114-8d (23 overs, A Vala 40*, Haseeb Amjad 3-35, Nadeem Ahmed 3-38)
Hong Kong 245 (71.5 overs, J Atkinson 63, Waqas Barkat 39, K Shah 36, N Vanua 5-36)

Xi to propose Pacific aid scheme, will not ignore Taiwan allies

By Ben Blanchard  /  Reuters, BEIJING

Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) will offer a broad aid package to Pacific island nations at a summit in Fiji next week, Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Zheng Zeguang (鄭澤光) said yesterday, adding that there is also room to work with six island states not invited to the meeting because of their ties to Taiwan.
The tiny states of the Pacific have been a source of diplomatic intrigue between Taiwan and China for decades, with each side accusing the other of using "dollar diplomacy" to win sovereign recognition.
China views Taiwan as a renegade province with no right to have diplomatic relations and over time, the number of states with ties to Taipei has dwindled to just 22, six of which are in the Pacific.
Xi will host the meeting of its allies in Fiji. The leaders of Fiji, Micronesia, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, the Cook Islands, Tonga and Niue will attend, Zheng told a news briefing.
Xi, who is to visits the region after trips to Australia and New Zealand, will give an "important policy speech" at the summit and announce "important steps" to help development, Zheng said.
"During the visit, China will sign a series of cooperative documents with the leaders, as well as business agreements. They will be in the areas of financing, education, training, infrastructure and such other broad areas," the deputy minister said, without elaborating.
While Taiwan's allies in the region — Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu — have not been invited to attend, this does not mean that China will ignore them, he added.
"China has all along had friendly interactions with the peoples of all the islands in the Pacific Ocean, and exchanges and cooperation continue to increase," Zheng said.
He also held out the chance of more benefits for countries of the region once they recognise China, rather than Taiwan.
"Under the framework of one China, relations in the future will develop even better. There is a lot of space for cooperation," Zheng added, referring to the 'one China' policy under which both sides acknowledge that there is only one China, with each having its own interpretation of what that means.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei said that they will be paying close attention to Xi's visit.
Taipei and Beijing have engaged in an unofficial diplomatic truce since signing a series of landmark trade and economic pacts in 2008.

Additional reporting by JR Wu in TAIPEI

‘51pc NBPOL stake ideal’

By MUHAMMED AHMAD
NEW STRAITS TIMES

SIME Darby Bhd will be satisified with having only a 51 per cent controlling stake in New Britain Palm Oil Ltd (NBPOL), which will allow it to secure control of the latter at the shareholder, board and management levels, says its president and group chief executive Tan Sri Mohd Bakke Salleh.
He said the conglomerate was also willing to allow the Papua New Guinea (PNG) government to raise its stake in NBPOL to 30 per cent from 18 per cent upon conclusion of its takeover of NBPOL in a deal worth £1.07 billion (RM5.63 billion).
The acquisition is expected to be completed by December 19.
Sime Darby had on October 9 announced an offer to buy all of NBPOL shares through unit Sime Darby Plantation Sdn Bhd as part of the requirement to obtain a minimum 51 per cent of the voting rights in the global producer of sustainable palm oil.
"The PNG government has expressed interest to increase its stake to 30 per cent, and I think this is good because we would like to work with the authority to grow the business together.
For us, 51 per cent (stake) would be ideal (for Sime Darby)," he said after the company's annual general meeting, here, yesterday.
On the offer price that is fixed at £7.15 for every NBPOL share, a 55.7 per cent premium over its two-month volume weighted average price, Bakke said: "We have itemised the reasons and justifications for making an offer at that price, and we see value".
Sime Darby had said in a statement recently that the acquisition would be funded through internally-generated funds and external borrowings and that the rise in gearing would be managed through tight control of capital expenditure and proceeds from future corporate exercises.
NBPOL has about 135,000ha of land in PNG, of which 80,000ha are planted.
The proposed acquisition by Sime Darby Plantation fits well with the company's strategy to expand its landbank. Post-acquisition, the combined landbank of the two companies will be nearly one million hectares.

CLICK TV announces PNG’s first regional HD

Papua New Guinea broadcaster Click TV has launched its Port Moresby services announcing the country's first regional direct to home service spanning 100% of PNG, Melanesia and Polynesia.
In conjunction with its own channel PNG TV, the new digital broadcaster has launched the sale of PNG's first HD set top boxes with 25 channels launched to Port Moresby on Tuesday.
At its launch on Tuesday the broadcaster also announced a five-year lease of a transponder on the satellite Intelsat 19 to beam 30 channels of local, regional and international channels to Papua New Guinea with services to be launched into Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands and small island states in the South Pacific from December 14.
Its own local channel PNG TV will be available in the region and through its local and satellite footprints be available in all PNG cities and rural areas and will also be available to broadcasters and subscribers in parts of Australasia and the South Pacific.
In Port Moresby the company announced it had secured two retail channels for customers to acquire the necessary equipment to enjoy what the platform had to offer.
Included in its Phase 1 content plan are three free to view channels and 22 Pay TV channels including the broadcast of Hope Channel free to the Seventh Day Church of Papua New Guinea.
"We're excited to finally launch our platforms. Viewers will see an improvement in local content with PNG TV and it will provide to local producers and PNG citizens more opportunities to not only partner with us but more importantly foster real change in the community. We would like to play a major part in providing family oriented learning programs to the community", managing director Richard Broadbridge said.
Click has announced Rapid Fones and Datec Mega store as their initial retail channels with early paying subscribers receiving all their channels for free.
The broadcaster says all the Set Top Boxes will be broadcasting some content in HD with their devices having the capability to record content.
Click says they are the first broadcaster to offer HD with each Set Top Box having wifi capability meaning access to the internet using the subscribers TV screen.
"We're offering PNG what it deserves. We will raise the bar in terms of local programmes, a strong and trustworthy newsroom and both LIVE and delayed sport including the first ever Pacific Games in HD, exclusively Click TV's in Papua New Guinea.
Port Moresby Set top boxes go on sale from Tuesday with their national rollout using terrestrial transmitters will occur over the next few months.
Clicks satellite only customers to be able to access their Set Top Boxes from December providing access to 30 channels of TV to viewers in remote areas of PNG and the Pacific Islands.
   
SOURCE: PACNEWS

Papua New Guinea moves to allay asylum seeker safety concerns ahead of Manus Island releases

By Liam Cochrane
ABC

Papua New Guinea's immigration minister says refugees released on temporary visas will be safe on Manus Island, despite fears of further attacks after deadly riots in February.
The comments came as he announced the first 10 positive refugee determinations for those detained on Manus Island.
"They will have temporary visas for an initial period of 12 months called the refugee visa," immigration and foreign minister Rimbink Pato said.
"[This visa] will entitle them to move about Lorengau town and generally be absorbed in activities in the community," he said.
Mr Pato was in Sydney to meet with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Immigration Minister Scott Morrison.
In the past, asylum seekers have expressed fears of further attacks, after local police, centre staff and residents entered the detention centre in February, beating 24-year-old Reza Barati to death and injuring dozens of others.
Since the attacks, police have arrested two Papua New Guinean men and charged them with murder.
"Their relatives will kill us, piece of cake for them," one asylum seeker told the ABC from the Manus Island detention centre.
"There's no guarantee for our safety here."
PNG's immigration minister declined to guarantee the safety of refugees released into the community on Manus Island but said security would not be an issue.
"We have moved swiftly ... to address the breach of the law by having those concerned arrested and dealt with and the matter is pending in the courts," Mr Pato said.
"One of the reasons for the violence that occurred was the fact that there was no movement on the determination of the resettlement of refugees process, [and] information is now available and therefore there is an element of excitement."
Refugees to receive cultural, language and job assistance
The accommodation facilities for refugees on Manus Island are located at East Lorengau, on the outskirts of the island's main town.
The purpose-built centre cost Australia $137 million and can accommodate approximately 290 people.
While at East Lorengau, refugees will be offered lessons in English, Tok Pisin [language], and local culture. They will be assisted to find work elsewhere in Papua New Guinea.
Mr Pato said the centre would be entirely run by PNG officials.
"We have the resources, the police are empowered, the local staff are empowered and the facility is well secured and manned," he said.
The latest available statistics from the Australian Government showed 1,056 people were detained on Manus Island.
At that time, 104 Refugee Status Interim Determination assessments had been completed with 56 found to be positive and 48 negative.
The PNG government said they expect to make a further 10 refugee determinations each week.
However, a policy to guide the permanent resettlement of refugees is yet to be approved by the country's cabinet-like National Executive Council.

Thailand and PNG consider further agriculture and tourism exchange

During the week of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting Prime Minister Peter O'Neill held a series of bilateral meetings with the leaders of APEC partner governments.
In meeting with Thailand's Prime Minister, H.E. Prayut Chan-o-cha (pictured), the two leaders explored opportunities in the areas of agricultural cooperation and considered ways for increased people-to-people contact between Thailand and Papua New Guinea.
Speaking after the meeting, O'Neill said Thailand had significant experience in sectors where PNG was expanding into greater export markets.
"The relationship between Thailand and Papua New Guinea continues to grow with expanding trade and investment, and cooperation in areas such agriculture."
O'Neill also noted that the diversity of Thai culture, from the coastal areas and islands, to the inland areas, had some parallels to PNG when it came to tourism promotion. 
"There are lessons our tourism industry could learn from Thailand's experience in expanding their tourism sector," he said.
"Thailand has created a vibrant tourism sector with that is known throughout the world.
"When tourists visit Thailand they have the opportunity to experience a diversity of Thai culture, and it is interesting to observe how they have marketed this to the world market."
O'Neill said he invited Thailand's Prime Minister to visit Papua New Guinea when the opportunity arose.

PM O'Neill promotes Lae port to APEC leaders

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has promoted the role of Lae as a transportation centre for trade between Asia and the Pacific Islands in his discussion with leaders from APEC economies.
He made the comments during an intervention speech to the APEC Summit in Beijing this week when leaders discussed ways to strengthen connectivity between APEC member economies.  
He also highlighted the need for APEC economies to work together to overcome obstructions or bottlenecks to trade.
"The Asia-Pacific covers such an immense area, so for an island nation like Papua New Guinea, enhancing connectivity is a priority,"  O'Neill said.
"We continue to build our direct linkages for the movement of people, goods, and knowledge and information across borders.
"Papua New Guinea is a hub between the larger economies of the Asia-Pacific and the smaller Pacific Island states. 
"We are expanding our seaport facilities that will see the city of Lae become an important hub for shipping in our part of the Asia-Pacific region.
"A wide-ranging construction programme has been implemented in Lae that has increased the wharf capacity dramatically."
During their meeting, APEC leaders endorsed a number of initiatives that will help to strengthen trade through national ports, including the Blueprint on Connectivity, that will seek to prevent interruptions to the movement of goods as well as services.
"Papua New Guinea welcomes the APEC Blueprint on Connectivity and the implementation plan which establishes our next steps and milestones for progress," O'Neill said.
"For a country like Papua New Guinea, obstructions and bottlenecks in supply chains can have more devastating effects than in other economies.
"We do not have the economies of scale that can absorb and balance interruptions.  The cost to large businesses can lead to losses in the millions, while interruptions to small businesses can be devastating."
The Prime Minister noted that with the blueprint being adopted, a related capacity building plan to improve supply chain performance woulf be particularly important for Papua New Guinea.  
"Advancing this connectivity agenda will have flow-on effects for smaller island states for whom Papua New Guinea is a transportation hub,"he said.
"The funding and capacity building support that comes with this plan will assist Papua New Guinea in implementing the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement."
"APEC leaders agreed that collectively they expect to reach the target of a 10% improvement in supply chain performance by 2015, and this plan will strengthen Papua New Guinea's capacity to play its part in reaching this goal."

PM O'Neill at APEC CEO Summit

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has provided more than 1,000 Asia-Pacific CEOs and leading businesspeople with greater insight to business and investment potential of Papua New Guinea. 
Participating in a panel discussion at the APEC CEO Summit in Beijing this week,  O'Neill focused on the fundamentals of PNG's development as indicators of long-term economic growth and stability.  These include education, healthcare and infrastructure development, and were discussed in the context of the APEC CEO Summit session topic of "Inclusive Growth."
O'Neill said one of the main approaches the PNG Government  was focusing on was ensuring education became compulsory for all school-aged children from Grade 1 to 12.
"Having access to decent education is one key area that strengthens our community and our economy," he told with delegates.
"Higher literacy rates is an outcome of proper education and enables people to further acquire better skills and get better jobs.
"As part of our focus on these core areas, we are also ensuring that government resources, especially funding, is delivered directly to local communities."
He said for the first time in the country's history, national government funds wrrr being delivered directly to the district and community level, which were aimed at providing basic services that support education, health, law and order and infrastructure locally.
O'Neill informed delegates that for the medium term, Papua New Guinea's economy would reach double-digit growth in 2015.
"This will again enable us to further distribute more services to our local communities," he said.
O'Neill  also made the point that there were a number of similarities between PNG's development and the experiences of partner countries, and that all nations could learn form each other.
"We are learning from internal migration experience especially from countries like China, India and many others in the region. 
"We are also looking at experiences in these countries where small businesses have grown to become large companies, resulting in the improvement of living standards for themselves as well as their community."
O'Neill said this was knowledge and experience that was shared between government and businesses from around the region through participation in forums such as the APEC CEO Summit.

APEC free trade welcomed with careful implementation

The Prime Minister yesterday attendef the second day of the 22nd APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in Beijing, China.
Working to the theme of "Shaping the future through Asia-Pacific partnership," leaders discussed next generation trade and investment issues and progress to establish an eventual Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP).
In his intervention at the Leaders' Meeting, Prime Minister Peter O'Neill expressed his optimism for an FTAAP in the future while at the same time urging the region to proceed with care so as to ensure the viability of small and potentially vulnerable businesses.
"The general consensus was that an FTAAP is positive and will improve transport and logistics in the region, increase trade and create jobs," the Prime Minister said.
"This long-term goal has been advanced by APEC since 2006 and we are taking gradual steps towards it being realised.
"Specifically for Papua New Guinea, ongoing and deeper regional economic integration is essential as a source for trade, and importantly for investment, in order to continue to grow our economy."
"Within the APEC region, Papua New Guinea already has strong government-to-government and business-to-business engagement with most of our economic engagement being within the APEC region."
However, the Prime Minister said any FTAAP should be advanced with consideration of all stakeholders, and communication with people affected by policy and regulatory change as an essential part of the process.
"Deepening multilateral engagement can at times be challenging and controversial, particularly for developing nations, both large and small, were some sectors have not reached a level where competition is sustainable just yet.
"Change must be measured and properly implemented according to timetables that do not harm domestic sectors, while at the same time enable Papua New Guinea to embrace international opportunities.
"It is incumbent upon all governments to communicate with stakeholders such as businesses and other employers.
"We must provide information on both the challenges, and importantly the opportunities afforded by increased engagement in the multilateral trading system."
The Prime Minister said he welcomes the APEC Beijing Road Map on Regional Economic Integration, that was endorsed by APEC Leaders, as a positive development.
"Beijing Road Map on Regional Economic Integration that will provides a step-by-step approach to attaining our broader goal of an FTAAP."

K13 million study of Ramu Highway upgrade

Australian High Commission

A major upgrade to one of Papua New Guinea’s national priority highways will be scoped and designed following a contract signing on November10,  2014.
The scope and design study of the Ramu-Madang Highway is part the Joint Understanding between Australia and Papua New Guinea on Further Bilateral Cooperation on Health, Education and Law and Order. 

A section of the Ramu-Madang Highway.-Picture courtesy of Australian High Commission

 The K13 million study will examine ways to improve traffic and pedestrian safety, flood resilience and traffic capacity, while decreasing maintenance costs and travel times. It will also examine any alternative routes under consideration.
 “The study will support economic investment along the Ramu Highway and adjacent areas, as well as offering an alternative corridor from the Highlands to coastal ports,” Australian High Commissioner to PNG, Ms Deborah Stokes, said.
 Secretary of the Department of Works, Mr David Wereh, noted the Ramu Highway Scoping and Design Study will contribute to the strategic objectives outlined in the PNG Medium Term Development Plan and the National Transport Strategy.
 “The Ramu Highway is one of 16 national priority highways in PNG. The highway is a key transport link between Lae and Madang and supports important mining and agro-industrial activities, specifically beef, sugar and palm oil production. PNG appreciates the Australian Government’s support for the study and options for reconstruction,” Mr Wereh said.
 The contract is part of the PNG-Australia Transport Sector Support Program - Australia’s long-term commitment to support the development of PNG’s transport network. An international competitive procurement process resulted in the selection of the Ramu Gateway Joint Venture, comprising Shawmac, Infra Tech and ATZ, to implement the study.
 Representative of the Ramu Gateway Joint Venture, Mr Brian Hartley, said: “We are pleased to have been selected to lead the Ramu Highway study to investigate and assess engineering solutions to challenges including major slip activity and river crossings and develop options for a durable and maintainable road for the long-term. As part of the contract, we will identify the various costing options for the highway’s upgrade to support future government investment decisions.”

 The Joint Understanding commitments by Australia and PNG also include the redevelopment of the Lae ANGAU Memorial Hospital, deployment of 50 Australian Federal Police advisors; scoping and design of the lower courts in Port Moresby; and support for the rehabilitation of essential infrastructure at the University of PNG.

Philippines, Papua New Guinea to enhance trade and investment cooperation

PNA

BEIJING, China, Nov. 10 — The Philippines and Papua New Guinea (PNG) are moving for the enhancement of their trade and investment cooperation, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario has said.
"The Philippines has committed to send a scoping mission to Papua New Guinea for trade and investment cooperation," del Rosario said following a bilateral meeting held Monday morning between President Benigno S. Aquino III and Prime Minister Peter O'Neill on the sidelines of the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Chief Executive Officers' Summit here.
He also said the Philippines wants to advance its cooperation in health services because it appears that the country is emerging as a favored destination for "medical tourism."
"We are being asked to advance our cooperation in education, specifically technical and vocational programs. It seems that many PNG nationals are now studying in the Philippines," the Foreign Affairs chief told reporters during a media briefing held at the Philippine Embassy in Beijing.
Del Rosario also mentioned a discussion on the deepening of a cooperation in agriculture between Manila and Port Moresby. He said the Laguna-based International Rice Research Institute is currently exploring suitable rice species for Papua New Guinea.
Both countries also agreed to cooperate with each other during their respective hosting of the APEC Summits in the near future.
"As you probably know, PNG will chair in 2018. And so, we are being asked to cooperate with PNG as we seek their cooperation for our chairmanship in 2015," del Rosario said. (PNA)

PM O’Neill at APEC: Papua New Guinea’s role as gateway between Asia and the Pacific

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill  has begun his first full day of APEC related meetings taking place in Beijing, China, this week.
Accompanied by key ministers involved in the policy and logistics of APEC activities between now and 2018, the Prime Minister met with other regional leaders and spoke to more than 1,000 senior business people.
In bilateral meetings with counterpart leaders, O'Neill highlighted a range of issues that are central to further strengthening Papua New Guinea's economy.
"Papua New Guinea is a gateway to the Pacific Islands for Asian countries,"  O'Neill sad following the bilateral meetings.
"We are utilising our position as a crossroads between Asia and the Pacific Islands to strengthen trade, increase skills and improve the lives of people in our region."
The bilateral meetings undertaken by the Prime Minister and his delegation were with the leaders of Viet Nam, Thailand, the Philippines and China.
The Prime Minister also participated in the APEC CEO Summit, a dialogue of more than 1,000 CEOs from around the world that takes place in conjunction with the APEC Economic Leaders' Summit.
Appearing alongside O'Neill on the panel was H.E. llanta Humala, the President of Peru; Richard Adkerson, President and Vice Chairman of Freeport-McMoRan; and, Akio Mimura, the Honorary Chairman of Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation.
The topic of the panel discussion was: ­"Towards Inclusive Growth: Is Economic Growth the Answer to Rising Global Inequality?"
The Prime Minister provided perspective on inclusive growth as this relates to Papua New Guinea's approach to economic development.
"We must be inclusive with the growth that we're experiencing so that this is shared by all,"  O'Neill said to the APEC CEO Summit.
"It is not just about income it's about a better quality of life for our people in a range of areas.
"To overcome inequality we need to give people support and develop the necessary skills that they need to contribute to the economy."
He made the point that reducing inequality required attention to core services that empower people to take part in the economy such as healthcare, education, law and order, and infrastructure.
"Access to universal healthcare is enabling our people to be more healthy so that they can be productive in the economy and this helps their community.
"Education and skills training is also essential to empower the next generation when they leave our schools.
"We have implemented a free education policy so that all Papua New Guinea children have to go to school.  This will advance literacy rates and we will have a much better educated and trained population.
"We have increased our spending on law and order initiatives and this is making the places people live and work safer."
The Prime Minister added that the provision of new infrastructure was essential but it had to not just be in major cities.
"We are putting national government funds into local level projects," he said.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that overcoming inequality can be a difficult path to navigate, but governments have a responsibility to deal with the issue.
"Yes, we there have been some challenges.  We are learning from the past and we are learning from experience of people in other countries who have had similar growth challenges such as urbanisation."
The Prime Minister is attending the APEC Business Advisory Council Dialogue with fellow leaders in the afternoon of November 10, while formal APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting Plenary Sessions take place today.
The Ministers attending the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting with the Prime Minister are Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato; Trade and Industry Minster, Richard Maru; and, Minster for National Events Justin Tkatchenko.

Pacific Games venues need work: Council urges Papua New Guinea to continue efforts

Written by Pacific Daily News

The Pacific Games Council said in a news release that it accepts some of the venues for the 2015 Pacific Games won't be fully completed in advance.

 

"Recent developments have gone another step toward satisfying the council that Papua New Guinea will be ready to host the Pacific Games in 2015," said Vidhya Lakhan, president of the Pacific Games Council. "The council's confidence levels continue to improve, but critically important work remains to be done to guarantee a successful Pacific Games in 2015."
Lakhan and Andrew Minogue, the council's executive director, are visiting Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea this week to assess the state of preparations for the 2015 Pacific Games, the news release stated.
"I urge the government of Papua New Guinea and the minister responsible for the games to continue their efforts to ensure that all stakeholders, especially government departments and statutory bodies, work together and with a renewed sense of urgency to bring the final preparations for the 2015 Pacific Games to a positive conclusion," Lakhan said.
During a July visit, the council urged all stakeholders to redouble efforts to get venues finished well in advance of July 2015, the news release stated, to allow the 2015 Pacific Games Organising Committee "sufficient time to take possession of the venues, test them, and install the necessary overlay, technology and other services required to deliver successful competitions at the games."
This week's visit was planned to assess Papua New Guinea's progress, so final decisions could be made as to where each sport will be conducted, the news release stated.
The council did say "very significant progress has been made in the construction program over the past four months."
The council said arrangements must be made "for the hand-over of clean, secure and safety certified venues to the (organizing committee) by next May at the latest."
"There is no reason, given Papua New Guinea's rich and proud heritage of participation in the Pacific Games and having hosted the event so successfully twice before, that this immediate objective cannot be obtained," Lakhan said.

Vietnam eyes stronger ties with Papua New Guinea

HANOI, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang said the country is keen to enhance bilateral relationship with Papua New Guinea, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.
Sang expressed the desire during a meeting with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'neill on the sidelines of the 22th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' meeting in Beijing on Monday.
Exchanging visits at all levels, holding business meetings and signing agreements have been identified as ways to help boost economic, trade, investment and energy ties between both countries.
The two leaders reached a consensus on strengthening bilateral cooperation at multilateral forums and closer coordination within APEC.
Vietnam and Papua New Guinea will host the APEC Economic Leaders' meeting in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
The two countries established diplomatic relations on Nov 3, 1989.

-- BERNAMA

China, Papua New Guinea look to more cooperation

XINHUA

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called for cooperation with Papua New Guinea in trade, energy, natural resources, infrastructure, agriculture and culture.

China is willing to boost bilateral relations with Papua New Guinea, China's important partner in the South Pacific, Xi said.

Xi made the remarks at the meeting with visiting Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, who is in Beijing to attend the 22nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting from Nov. 10-11.

Papua New Guinea is a major leader in regional cooperation among Pacific islands countries, said Xi, who is going to visit Fiji and meet with leaders of the countries that have diplomatic relations with China in the next few days.

Xi said he expects to hold discussions with leaders of these countries, including Papua New Guinea, on friendly cooperation.

O'Neill told Xi that Chinese investment have contributed to his country's economic growth and people's livelihood.

Papua New Guinea is looking forward to more cooperation with China and will promote the relations between China and other Pacific island countries.

Petrodollars: Figuring out what to do with PNG’s new LNG wealth

By John Kingston | November 10, 2014

Platts

As Papua New Guinea enters the small fraternity of LNG exporters, it needs to figure out what do with the money the poor nation is going to earn. Christine Forster looks at the issue in this week’s Oilgram News column, Petrodollars.

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The start-up in April this year of the ExxonMobil-operated Papua New Guinea LNG project was an historic moment for the small Pacific nation, marking the arrival of the world’s newest player on the global gas market.

At a price tag of $19 billion, the PNG LNG project represents the biggest investment in the country’s history. With the project now up and running at full capacity, and with the prospects firming for the development of a second LNG project at the InterOil-operated Elk-Antelope fields, PNG’s economy is set for a transformation.

But with the oil and gas industry’s increasing importance to PNG’s economy comes an even greater need for transparency, according to Oil Search, a key stakeholder in both PNG LNG and Elk-Antelope and operator of all the country’s producing oil fields.

“We estimate that over the next 30 odd years some $40 billion in total cash flow will come to the PNG government,” Oil Search Managing Director Peter Botten told a recent investor briefing when discussing the returns expected from the emerging LNG industry. “That clearly has to be managed well through a sovereign wealth fund…We need to help, along with ExxonMobil and our other partners in making sure that that those benefits do get delivered.”

The PNG parliament passed legislation in 2011 and 2012 to create a sovereign wealth fund to manage government surpluses from projects such as PNG LNG. But there are still serious challenges for the government to ensure transparency and accountability for the revenues flowing from development.

“Transparency is a very big thing,” Botten acknowledged. “EITI [the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative] and transparency of where those funds go, the development of the sovereign wealth fund and certainly publishing where all those benefits go is of critical importance in terms of managing community expectations and ensuring we meet those obligations,” he added.

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Natural resources already dominate PNG’s export mix, accounting for nearly two-thirds of earnings, headed by oil, gold and copper. ExxonMobil’s project adds to this list export capacity of 6.9 million mt/year of LNG from two production trains at the liquefaction facilities near Port Moresby.

The project is an integrated development that includes gas production and processing facilities in PNG’s Southern Highlands, Hela, Western, Gulf and Central provinces. More than 700 km (434 miles) of pipelines connect the project facilities, including a gas conditioning plant at the Hides field and the liquefaction and storage infrastructure on the coast.

The project delivered its first LNG cargo in May and reached full operating capacity ahead of schedule in late July, following what was reportedly a trouble-free ramp-up. By the end of September, it had shipped 23 LNG cargoes, including the first delivery under its long-term contracts, which cover 95% of capacity and are with China’s Sinopec, Tokyo Electric Power Company and Osaka Gas, and Taiwan-based CPC.

The scale of the project is huge for such a small nation. Since the start of construction in early 2010, the PNG LNG project has employed a total of more 55,000 workers, peaking at a workforce of 21,220 in 2012. Around 40% of the project’s workforce were PNG citizens, and the co-venturers had spent more than Kina 11 billion ($4.2 billion) on local services and supplies by the time production started.

PNG enjoyed its tenth straight year of economic expansion in 2012, when real gross domestic profit rose by 8.1%, according to figures from the Australian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Growth slowed to an estimated 5.5% in 2013 and is forecast to be 5.8% in 2014.

According to the 2014 CIA World Factbook, the massive gas development has the potential to double PNG’s GDP in the near-term and triple its export revenue from the $5.6 billion recorded in 2012. It will boost government coffers, generate local employment opportunities and royalty payments to landowners, and provide infrastructure which could spur further industry development.

That means the oil and gas industry’s already well-established role in PNG’s economy is likely to get even bigger. For its part, Oil Search is already managing a range of significant infrastructure projects on behalf of the government, and is delivering its own community programs in areas such as agriculture and water supply. In addition, the company is the second-largest health service provider in the country.

For PNG, where only 6% of people have access to power and 30% of the population still lives below the international poverty line of $1.25/day, LNG should be a game-changer. — Christine Forster in Sydney