The West Papuan Morning Star Flag was raised today at Port Moresby City Hall by NCD Governor  Powes Parkop to mark the opening of the Free West Papua Campaign here in PNG. However, three West Papuan activists  Freddy Mambrasar, Tony Fofoe and UPNG lecturer Patrick Kaiku were arrested by PNG Police after the flag raising ceremony was held. It was alleged that PNG government gave orders to arrest the West Papuan activists. Police claimed that the demonstration was illegal despite being sponsored by Port Moresby Governor Powes Parkop and many other government ministers. 

Governor Parkop personally escorted the three who were arrested to the waiting armoured Police vehicle. He told the crowd that "This will be fought through the courts" Despite the interruptions from the Police and immigration officials which are believed the Indonesian Government is behind, the flag raising ceremony was a success. 

Prior the ceremony, the organizer and West Papuan activist Benny Wenda was issued with restraining order by PNG Police and Immigration Official. Mr Wenda told Guardian Australia that "immigration officers in Papua New Guinea threatened to have him arrested along with an Australian lawyer for "engaging in political activities" and breaching their visa conditions'.

However, the ceremony went ahead with the support from Papua New Guineans as well as West Papuan Communities living in Port Moresby. Port Moresby's Governor Powes Parkop facilitated the ceremony to mark the Free West Papua Campaign. This was the first ever West Papuan Morning Star Flag raised in Papua New Guinea. 

Governor Parkop has also organised a concert to mark the day. The concert will be held this evening at  Pidik Park in the Port Moresby featuring  Rise of the Morning Star Crew,Members of the Black Brothers,Sir George Telek,Twin Tribe,Lani Singers and many more. 

The PM O’Neill Foundation has reached out to give hope to 10 year old Stanley Lorea who has resided at the Port Moresby General Hospital with his mother for most of his life.

Stanley is faced with a life threatening condition known as Lipomatous/Lymphatic Malformation which has left him with a large growth on his left chest and abdomen, and a very swollen and deformed right foot. This seriously impacts on his ability to move, play or live a normal life, and it affects his entire family.  His father passed away two years ago and life is becoming increasingly difficult for him and his family.

The story of Stanley was one of many reasons why the Prime Minister established his own foundation with a vision to transform, improve and enhance the lives of people in PNG who face real challenges.    Two years ago the Prime Minister recalls reading about the plight of Stanley in a newspaper article and shed a tear saying “Imagine if he was my son.  I want to help him”.    He never forgot his own words and once the Foundation was formed the PM instructed his team to ensure Stanley was the first recipient.  Stanley has now become the face of hope for the Foundation.   

The Foundation is non political.  It is simply one man finding a way to reach out and make sure people like Stanley who are in desperate need do not get left behind.

Under an ambitious and visionary project of the new PM O’Neill Foundation Stanley will be flown to the Sydney Children’s Hospital to be assessed by specialists to see if they can offer him some improvements to his quality of life and his future.

Program Coordinator of Open Heart International, Russell Lee, who is assisting with the project says “we need to do some intensive tests on Stanley before we proceed with any form of treatment”.

Yesterday when the Prime Minister touched down at Port Jackson Airport, Stanley was on hand to welcome him and raced across the tarmac to embrace his new friend.  As they both shared a hug and a special moment together, the Prime Minister presented Stanley and his mother with their passports, visas and plane tickets,

“I wish you all the best my little friend.  You are an inspiration to us all.  We will do our best for you.”

The CEO for the PM O’Neill Foundation says “we will follow his progress with cautious anticipation.  We will be with Stanley every step of the way and provide the support he and his family need so that one day he can enjoy and lead a normal life as much as possible.  ”

Whilst in Sydney, Stanley will also go on a special trip with his heros the band ‘Sheppard’ who recently raised 10,000 Kina for the PM O’Neill Foundation to assist Stanley and his family.  Their father, PNG lawyer Greg Sheppard recently presented the Foundation with a cheque to help the family with their daily living expenses.

The Prime Minister thanks the community for their support and the nation wishes Stanley well.

Source: pmoneillfoundation.com

POLICE have warned members of the public to resist any demand for payment of services by police officers.

The warning was issued by Deputy Police Commissioner Simon Kauba, the chief of police operations, after a complaint from a woman who had paid K3,000 to police officers after they had demanded payment for an eviction operation they conducted.

“A woman called and complained about police charging excessive fees for an eviction exercise,” he said.

“She had paid about K3,000 and was sent an invoice for another K3,000. 

“I would be laughing if this was not so serious. We don’t charge a fee whatever services we render. 

“We don’t issue invoices. I am shocked and disgusted by the behaviour of the policemen involved. I will have this matter investigated and the policemen involved will have to find employment elsewhere.”

He urged members of the public to immediately lodge a formal complaint with his office should they be imposed any fee whatsoever by any member or unit of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.

He however warned people not to solicit police assistance outside of the police command structure.

 “If you have a genuine complaint or requirement for police assistance, we should be able to assist, but through the proper channels,” he said. “See the Metropolitan Superintendent or the Provincial Police Commanders. And if your paper work is in order, we should have no problem assisting you – free of charge. 

“It is when members of the public approach policemen outside of the command structure that such problems occur.”

He said the only fees charged by the department which was collected by Department of Finance was the police clearance fee (K10) and the Traffic Accident Report (K25).

The National

The National Court today upheld the election petitions of Simon Solo and John Tekwie against Amkat Mai and declared the election of Amkat Mai null and void. Both Solo and Tekwie had raised the issue of the impropriety of voting by supporters of Amkat Mai during the 2012 National Elections. Amkat Mai had polled 27, 783 votes to beat his closest rival, former Governor, Simon Solo who polled 22,775. John Tekwie had polled the third highest votes.

The Court dismissed all of the evidence of the witnesses of Amkat Mai and accepted the evidence of the Petitioners witnesses and found that there had been breaches of the law. The Court found that there is credible evidence of underage voting in all polling areas in Oksapmin.

Amkat Mai is now dismissed from office as Governor of Sandaun Province. The Court has ordered that Sandaun go back to the Polls to elect a new Member of Parliament. The Court has ordered Amkat Mai to pay for the legal costs of both Simon Solo and John Tekwie.

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill says everyone should be proud of the K15 billion 2014 Budget and stay focused on what they are doing.

He said the Government was allocating funds on district development, infrastructure, roads, education, health, law and order and growing the economy through small to medium business, particularly in the agriculture sector. O’Neill said there was no new tax in the budget and for the first time, it had the recurrent budget and the development budget combined.

He said the Government could fund the districts, provinces and the local level governments through the development budget. The other 50% can be used for general expenditure.

O’Neill said if Papua New Guinea wanted to grow the economy, it should be prepared to take advantage of the changes in Asia because PNG had the resources.

He said the Government was working with investors.

By 2030, PNG’s economy would be well over K100 billion, he said. And for that, the country needs K170 billion in investment.

He said with the growing population, the demand for services would be high. The country had invested in infrastructure to meet the demand of the population and to grow the economy.

He however warned that the procurement process and the CSTB were a burden on service delivery.

PNG Today / The National

By Gary Juffa

Papua New Guinea’s true heroes are the loyal hard working public servants who toil away in some of the most difficult conditions on earth to serve their people. Criticized by many in Papua New Guinea, including leaders and the general public, the negative perception of their services are certainly no secret. 

Certainly bad apples abound. No doubt. Civil service anywhere in the world has its own share. Of course there are instances when one feels like they are hitting their own heads with a hammer when one deals with civil service in Papua New Guinea. The danger of acquiring stomach ulcers and suffering stress related ill health just interacting with PNG public servants is very high. There is much nodding and sounds of agreement for sure from readers who have all at one time or another fought the temptation to scream and become violent although there are many stories of those who simply could not hold back and destroyed property or some poor public servant. 

Wastage of time, lack of lateral thinking and consideration, laziness and shabby presentation and appearance are disgusting aspects of the civil service that we have all at one time or another confronted when dealing with the public service machinery. 

But let us look beyond that and you will find some real heroes. It can be done when one removes the obstruction of narrow mindedness that all humans invariably possess (yes, look hard enough, you will find it there, hiding in plain sight, usually next our good friend Ego!), I put my hand up, guilty as charged, firing off at the hip sometimes without first analyzing the facts. For this I have paid the price many times but I am still unlearned although I am striving to correct this horrible habit. 

"Hard working public servants??" Incredulous tones are heard! "Rare creatures!" you say automatically but yes, they are there. They are those who work quietly away with little or often no recognition, toiling to deliver the best possible service they can muster with the challenging circumstances they are forced to work in. They live in atrocious conditions, earn a paltry meager sum and are forced to accommodate their children in dingy settlements or remote villages with no potable water or electricity. 

We all know of these heroes. These are the real heroes of Papua New Guinea. The heroes who save lives, who deliver some form of public service that whilst perhaps inadequate in some instances, is something that simply keeps this nation afloat. It is easy to look at what is not being done by those who are supposed to do it, but let us look at what is being done by those who sometimes possibly do not have the means to but do so! Somehow this nation that was dismissed by many upon obtaining its independence by not a few “developed” economies including its former colonial administrator, manages to move along because of these people, these humble civil servants, these true “heroes”. 

I met a few of these great guys recently in Popondetta. Doctor Matupi Apaio and Doctor Paki Molumi who are surgeons living and working in Port Moresby are two of my “heroes”. Their story is remarkable and heartwarming. It is a breath of fresh air to hear their stories of true humanity as opposed to the deluge of bad news we are inundated with in our lives daily in Papua New Guinea. Not content to wait and serve patients in Port Moresby, they were instead flying around PNG and meeting them in their provinces and treating them. In many instances, providing a new lease on lives for many souls, giving them precious time with their loved ones. They are part of a team of 20 Papua New Guinean surgeons based in Port Moresby who are expected to serve the population of Papua New Guinea’s 7 million. With only 3 operating theatres and an operating allowance of one day per surgeon, the turnover of cases is perhaps the most inefficient in the region, perhaps even the world. When the operating theatres are being used (and they are always being used) surgeons and patients wait anxiously. Surgeons are hopelessly frustrated and patients sometimes die waiting. Numerous efforts to highlight the need to increase the number of operating theatres to the powers that be appear to have fallen on deaf ears. 

I met Doctor Apaio and Doctor Molumi at the Girua Airport Popondetta, making their way back to Port Moresby last week. They were standing there in a small group speaking softly and smiling their great smiles as they awaited their flight no doubt satisfied at the joy of giving, giving time and services and saving lives. And no wonder! They had just saved 18 souls in Oro Province. 18 patients who would others wise have had to travel to Port Moresby and stand in the long queue of Papua New Guineans who are referred to Port Moresby for surgery, at great cost to themselves and family, waiting to be operated on in one of 3 theatres at the Port Moresby General Hospital, the nation’s major Hospital serving a population of 7 million, with only 20 surgeons who have only a day each to perform a procedure. Many die waiting to be treated. The operating theaters are always full. 

Unwilling to engage in these inhumane and impractical wait for the cumbersome PNG health care system to work, the Doctors had developed a concept of travelling out to Provinces to treat patients in their local Hospitals rather then wait for them to come to Port Moresby to stand in the “queue of possible no return”. They have even drafted a policy proposing that this effort be funded and promoted by the Health Department to save lives, ultimately this is supposed to be the primary purpose of any Government. This simple and brilliant life saving policy has been apparently ignored - dubious projects and scams seem to be more important than PNG lives that could be saved by some more operating theatres. Undeterred, these innovative PNG surgeons have persisted in keeping with the oath they signed to save lives and have come up with some funds even paying for some expenses themselves, to travel around Papua New Guinea and save the lives of their people. 

I am sure you will agree without hesitation, that these are true heroes. 

I am most grateful. They saved 18 of my people. 3 of which were certainly destined for the afterlife but have now received a new lease on life and they will be able to be around for loved ones for some time longer. 

Next year onwards, I am pledging to fund at least 4 trips every quarter so that these great heroes, may come to Popondetta and join our own local hero Doctor Gunzee Gawin Popondetta General Hospital CEO and his team of local heroes who work in the Popondetta General Hospital (often with little thanks) to treat my people who I do not want travelling to Port Moresby to stand in the “queue of possible no return”.

PNG Deputy  Opposition Leader, Sam Basil has voiced concern at the method of disbursal of District Support Improvement Programme funds for MPs. Mr Basil said every MP was made to line up like Plantation Workers to collect their  DSIP funds. The government, through parliamentary services, has directed that MPs would have to come to parliament to physically receive cheques for the latest quarterly allocation.

Mr Basil quarried why the DSIP funds were not transferred  through electronic transferal. Making  MPs to  to stand in line in demeaning fashion is unacceptable. 

He claims that  DSIP funds are not always allocated promptly and usually the Opposition MPs miss out or sometimes payments are delayed. 

This did not go down well with the general public and took on the social media  to condemn the action  by the MPs.

Naup Waup: I sense that so many funny things are going to happen to the cheques like, Cheques not properly signed, cheques will bounce back because there is no money, Long delay in processing the cheques, It will be deposited in to a unknown or private accounts and the list goes on......we all have heard, read and experience these stories.

Wesly Moses: Just can't imagine big poly boys and girls lining up to collect their DSIP funds. What has happen to their dignity? Why are they selling themselves like K2 meris[ladies] just to be in government and get all the favours? Mr Basil, you hang in there, tomorrows these same MPs will be crawling back top you. you are the peoples mouth in parliament, every decent and honest citizens of this nation is with you.

Alfred Detroit Antipas :Same old stupid mistake. Some they lack visionary others who are thieves and just followers eg some don't know how to write proposal for funding and help the people at home in there area I am sorry to say some are elected marijuana dealers who use the system to cover there dealing and white collar crimes and I assure you people in the village will never see changes....

Mr Basil blamed  the Finance Department Staff  for  bringing the reputation of finance department & the PM's office down into the ground.

The Government and members of Parliament watered down Mr. Namah's reply, describing it as wild allegations, without supportive evidence.

"National Planning Minister Charles able said the budget went through and exhaustive consultation process and not just plucked out of the blue.

He also said the supplementary budge is not to deficit, because it is a re-appropriation. 

The controversial issue of PNG obtaining a 6-billion US Dollar loan from China's Exim Bank was also addressed.

Minister Able said there is no such loan but government is considering this among it's financing options. 

He also dispelled allegations that there is no annual funding for the Bougainvile Peace Agreement Program. 

Finance Minister James Marape said there were over 16-billion kina of projects for the department to consider but they have been mindful of it's fiscal management enabling it to present this budget which he termed as responsible

After lengthy debate, Parliament unanimously passed the 15-billion Kina 2014 National Budget, last night.

Prime Minister Peter O' Neil has given his full backing of the 2014 Budget, saying it continued the foundations laid in 2013.

He said, the record spending in infrastructure development, health, education and business development or Small to Medium Enterprises, was justified for the continued growth of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

Mr. O' Neil said, no economy can grow without investing in infrastructure development, which is the fact all around world.

The Prime Minister said this when debating the budget in Parliament this afternoon (Tuesday).

Mr. O' Neil said, there's massive investment in infrastructure, as the government sees it as vital for growth. 

He said they are continuing to rehabilitate the major roads, including the highlands highway, at the cost of 150-million-Kina, another 100-million-Kina in the Lae roads and 10-million-Kina for Buluminski, to complete upgrade to Namatanai.

With ADB funding, they will upgrade and seal the Malalaua to Kerema Highway, and continue to Kikori, liking it with Southern Highlands Highway, connecting it to the rest of highlands, Lae and Madang. 

The Ramu/Madang Highway will also be funded by the Australian government. 

50-million-Kina has been allocated for the development of the Sepik plains.

A POLICE officer will face trial at the Waigani National Court on a charge of rape involving a married woman at the Boroko Police station premises last year. 

Waigani Committal Court magistrate Cosmas Bidar ruled that there was overwhelming evidence to commit Jericke Mokmane to the National Court for trial. 

Mokmane, 29, from Kombokande village, Kerowagi district, Chimbu, was ordered by Bidar to appear before the National Court on Dec 9 for listing. 

The court heard that the woman and her husband had taken refuge at the police station on the night of Nov 16 last year after they were stranded in the city. 

They had missed a PMV truck which was supposed to take them to their home at Boera village outside Port Moresby. 

Mokmane was the police officer on duty.

Bidar told the court that the woman and her husband thought that the police station was the safest place to seek shelter in.

“They simply did no wrong and were simply there to seek refuge and sit out the night,” Bidar said. 

The court heard that the husband was then taken into custody on some allegations.

The court was told that the woman was then taken by Mokmane to the back of the police station and ordered her to perform indecent acts on him before she was raped. 

PNG Today / The National

A GAME against the Wigan Warriors in Kokopo early next year is expected to be used as a trial for the Papua New Guinea team in preparation for its debut season in Queensland’s  Intrust Super Cup.

The draw for that is expected to be released in a fortnight but the PNG Rugby Football League has been told the first match will be an away game against Redcliffe or Wynumm in Brisbane on March 2.

The match will  be telecast.

PNG’s first home game is the next one, a testing challenge against defending premiers Mackay Cutters in Kokopo on March 8.

PNG Rugby League acting chief executive officer Brad Tassell said that yesterday when outlining plans for the PNG side in one of two of Australia’s second-tier competition next year.  

The English Super League champions have approached PNGRFL about the option of a lead-up match en-route to Australia where they are scheduled to play NRL champions Roosters in Sydney in the annual World Club challenge.

The game against Wigan, if it goes ahead, will be played in Kokopo on February 15.

“We have been approached by Super League champions Wigan about playing a match on February 15 in PNG as a lead-in game to their World Club Challenge match against the Sydney Roosters in Sydney a week later,” Tassell said. 

Tassell took Queensland Rugby League representatives, who arrived in Port Moresby on Monday, including Intrust Super Cup general manager Jamie O’Connor, to Kokopo to visit the venue. 

“We inspected the venue and accommodation places, medical facilities and went through logistics on the games being played there. There is great support and the QRL were extremely happy with the visit, the region and the people.”

Mackay Cutters head coach Kim Williams was part of the visiting representatives as they will be the first team to Kokopo for the game against the PNG side in round two.

“He (Williams) was very impressed by everything he saw. 

“The QRL are meeting with NBC and EMTV to discuss broadcast rights to matches while in Port Moresby.” Tassell said PNGRL deputy chairman Sandis Tsaka would  accompany them to Brisbane today and would attend a club chief executive officers’ meeting tomorrow.

They will later attend a media conference to sign the participation agreement, officially confirming PNG’s entry into the Queensland Cup.

Tassell said PNG had already confirmed its pre-season schedule. That includes a game against Northern Pride in Cairns on Sunday, February 9, and either the Central Capras in Rockhampton on February 15 if the game against Wigan does not  eventuate.

“One thing at a time mate – we are concentrating on the AGM this weekend, then the announcement on Monday of the head coach,” Tassell said.

The National

MAHURU Dai kept Papua New Guinea’s hopes alive with a 40-ball 64, leading the Barramundis to a 25-run win over Bermuda yesterday in their last pool match of the ICC World Twenty-20 qualifiers in Dubai. 

Captain Chris Amini won the toss and sent his side in to bat, making 168 for five – thanks mainly to Dai and Tony Ura, who made 47 off 32 balls.

Bermuda’s David Hemp hit 64 as well, while Janeiro Tucker contributed 42 as the Caribbean Islanders went blow for blow with PNG before running out of steam to be 142/9 at the end.

Willie Gavera picked up three for 17,  including No.3 Hemp and opener Terryn Stovell (4) to lead the Barramundi bowlers.   

But things did not look rosy for PNG as opener Assad Vala was run out for two in the first over.

Vala, who has had an ordinary tournament so far, was replaced by Kila Pala who was bowled the very next ball and PNG were 2/2 runs in the first over. 

No.4 batsmen Geraint Jones joined Tony Ura but the partnership only lasted just nine runs when Jones was caught by wicket Keeper for 7 runs and PNG were 3/9 runs in the 3rd over. 

Jack Vare paired up with Ura and showed some intent but the Bermuda bowlers bowled tight lines whenVare scored 14 runs but was trapped LBW in the 5th over and PNG were in big trouble at 4/22 while Ura managed to keep his wicket and hold the innings. 

However, tide changed when experience campaigner Dai (pictured) joined Ura the pair put on a match saving partnership of 76 runs in seven overs when Ura was bowled with PNG’s score at 102-4 in the 13th over mark. 

The pair played positive cricket under pressure and were able to play there natural game to put the fight back to the Bermudan bowlers. 

The Barramundis have now secured 5th spot in their Pool B and will advance to the play off stages which will starts tomorrow. 

PNG will take on Pool A’s fourth placed team, Namibia. 

The Pool B ladder at the completion of the round matches is: Afghanistan 12, Netherlands 10, Nepal 8, Scotland 8, PNG 7, Kenya 6, Bermuda 4 and Denmark 0. 

Pool A: Ireland 13, Hong Kong 10, UAE 10, Namibia 8, Itlay 5, Uganda 4, Canada 3, USA 3. 

The Barramundis head over to Abu Dhabi were they will play in the playoff stages and with must-win situations in all matches. 

If PNG beat Namibia they will move up to play the loser of the second versus third match. 

If PNG lose their match against Namibia they will be out of the World Cup race. 

PNG are two wins away from qualifying for 2014 world cup tournament in Bangladesh. 

The National

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill says phone hacking and spying activities by Australia are illegal.

He has instructed Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration Rimbink Pato to summon Australian High Commissioner Deborah Stokes to explain the accusations made against Australia.  

O’Neill said phone tapping was illegal and Australia must respect the leaders of any sovereign nation.

“Friends do not do that,” he said.

“If they want to participate in any discussion then ask and join in the discussion rather than spying and illegally listening to conversations,” he said.

“I have now instructed the Minister for Foreign Affairs to summon the High Commissioner of Australia to PNG to verify the issue of spying on PNG national leaders.”

O’Neill was responding to a question in Parliament by Manus MP Ronny Knight on what the Government was doing on the spying allegations and phone hacking by Australia.

He said the phone hacking and spying issues would be discussed during the PNG-Australia ministerial meeting in Australia next month.

O’Neill said the Manus asylum centre issue raised by Bogia MP John Hickey about Papua New Guineans missing out on benefits and the visa requirement concerns would be discussed during the ministerial meeting.

“We want the ministerial meeting to be a meaningful one,” O’Neill said.

 “Not just one of such events where you hold talks and nothing happens year in and year out.” 

O’Neill said former police commissioner Gari Baki had been appointed the director general of the National Intelligence Organisation..

PNG Today/The National

By Lucas Kiap

More than eighty-five percent of the population in Papua New Guinea are poor rural subsistence farmers and their contribution to the economic growth of the country is very little or nothing at all in most cases. All of them are isolated from taking part in economic growth activities as the government fails to create opportunities for them or simply the opportunities are not there.

For the last 38 years, the government has been concentrating on the extractive sectors (minerals, oil and gas, timber, and forestry) to create economic growth in the country further isolating the people as interests of foreign international multi-corporations take the centre stage. Spin off benefits are very little or nothing at all as in most cases the government does not have a plan to convert those opportunities into thriving economic growth activities for the resources owners to enhance their quality of life. Mostly benefited from the spinoff benefits and other benefits are those already rich, well-off and educated. They form perimeters around unsuspecting rural people with corrupt politicians and government officials to siphon most of the benefits further isolating and marginalizing the rural people. 

The agriculture sector, which traditionally supposed to be the back bone driving the economic growth of the country, has over the years received very little attention as the government has been concentrating all its efforts to drive investment into the extractive industry by giving tax breaks and exemptions to foreign owned multi-corporations. The continuous negligence of the agriculture sector has completely isolating and marginalizing the poor rural people from fully participating in the economic growth of the country. 

While the people are poor and having fewer opportunities to take part in any economic growth activity, the blunt negligence of the government to involve its own people is evident in small business activities which have been dominated by foreigners especially of Asian origin. Whether its lack of training, skills, experiences, knowledge or capital to empower the ordinary people to take part in those small business activities, the must protect the interests its own in employment and business opportunities. 

In reality the poor rural people of Papua New Guinea have been neglected and marginalized by the government and a few already rich and well-off. Those who have been benefiting from the government coffers are corrupt politicians, corrupt government officials and only those who have connections to political leaders in the country and those that are rich enough to find their own way through by bribing corrupt politicians and corrupt government officials. The rest of the population, we are only spectators and somewhat confusing of the realities. The richer are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. If this development trend is to continue for the next or two decades, this country is doom for worse with the increasing unemployment and law and order problems. 

All these nonsense must come to an end now. All people must be given the equal opportunity to contribute to and benefit from the economic growth of the country. The best way to do this to diversify the economy by developing every economic potential of this country to give every Papua New Guinean an equal opportunity to take part in economic growth of the country in order to improve the standard and quality of life of the people.

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For more information on this article contact Luca Kiap on facebook. 

JUSTICE Minister and Attorney-General Kerenga Kua says the Government remains committed to enforcing the death penalty legislation to reduce law and order problems. 

He said since the passing of the law earlier this year, there had been much criticism from individuals and organisations that opposed the move by the Government in passing the law. 

As a result, he said there had been a number of consultations with stakeholders on the issue on how the law would be implemented. 

He was responding to a question from Laigap-Porgera MP Nixon Mangape in Parliament yesterday. 

Mangape raised concerns that serious crimes were still occurring and questioned Kua on when the Government would be enforcing the death penalty. 

“I maintain that it is the government’s position that this was necessary pathway that we had to follow if we were serious about minimising law and order problems in the country,” Kua said. 

“At the same time emphasising that this was directed to only a little group of people in the country and that the mainstream of society did not need to be too concerned about the implications of the death penalty.

“If implemented properly, it should add to creating a more orderly and peaceful society that our people will enjoy. At the end of the day it still remains a law because we’ve passed that legislation.” 

Kua told the House that a delegation was sent to the US, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia to study how the death penalty was implemented.

He said a report from that study had been prepared and was currently reviewed by the department and would be brought to cabinet. 

He said an inter-department committee would be established to look at setting up the requisite infrastructure that would be used to implement that particular legislation. 

The National

By Gary Juffa 

We are the sacrificial lamb" for the few capitalists whose hunger for wealth is quenchless and unceasing. We are not going to sit by and watch capitalists and their Papua New Guinean political allies exploiting us. We have planted the seeds which will germinate soon not only in Bougainville but throughout Papua New Guinea.." 

Francis Ona, Bougainville Resistance Army Commander...

These words will ring true to the ears of our people, our political leaders are failing the very people they have been elected to represent...they are instead siding with corporate interest and promoting the agenda of greed and profit....with proper agricultural strategies, Papua New Guinea could easily be the food bowl of the region and even the world, it could be a tourist haven and embark on a environmental and sustainably friendly economy cashing in on its rich culture and ancient peoples...but it is now being poisoned...sold...disfigured....everything on it and in it and around it is destined for coffers of the rich...evil prevails here it seems....such is the philosophy of the greed and profit merchants that nothing is sacred, everything has a price, efforts to discuss future and consideration of the environment are instead laughed at with cynicism and clever interpretation of the outdated colonial laws designed to suppress human interest and promote rampant capitalism...this is evident with the Seabed Mining Scam, the Djoko Tjandra Scam, land grabbing scams galore and on and on it goes.....This 2015 deficit budget, which is party centric is but a mere scam designed to keep those in power longer at the expense of those who speak up, the people and the future generations...The leaders designing the budget have ignored all processes and procedures that many members have followed diligently preparing and submitting requests for development projects...instead it is cunningly structured to cater to political allegiances and prepare for the 2017 elections...

Yes, greed and profit and those who subscribe to those twin evils are in control of Papua New Guinea...it is to be expected...in the land of the unexpected...and once more...the people pay the price...

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says he expects Australia to respect the sovereignty of PNG and the rights of its citizens.

O’Neill was responding to a question raised in parliament today by the Member for Manus Ronny Knight.

Mr. Knight was concerned that PNG has been spied on by Australians.

Mr. Knight said PNG lacked the capacity in its intelligence services, and thus was prone to threats.

He took the recent reports of Australia gathering intelligence information from PNG, and asked the Prime Minister to confirm this report.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill confirmed today in parliament that Australia has been involved in collecting intelligence information in PNG.

O’Neill said he has instructed the Foreign Affairs Minister Rimbink Pato to summon the Australian High Commission to PNG Deborah Stokes to provide an explanation on this matter.

Ms. Stokes will also be asked to explain the asylum and visa issues brought up in parliament this week.

Prime Minister O’Neill said the issue of intelligence will also be discussed at the Ministerial forum to be held in Canberra next month.

In the meantime, he said the National Intelligence Organisation which has been run down for a while has a new director in former Police Commissioner Gari Baki.

O’Neill said the country has also engaged officers from Israel to do a gap analysis of NIO and will be working to beef up Intelligence gathering activities on a timely manner. EMTV

Hon Paul Tiensten, member for Pomio and former Minister for National Planning was convicted on one count of misappropriating for his part in the K10million that was paid to Travel Air to start an airline company.

Mr. Tiensten was found guilty on one count of misappropriation by trial judge, Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika, in the Waigani Supreme Court.

The transaction was made during Mr. Tiensten’s term as the Minister for National Planning and Monitoring.

This was one of the first cases Investigation Task Force Sweep investigated, when it was established by the Government in August 2011.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tiensten’s other trial concerning and amount of 3 point 4 million kina paid to Tol Port Services Limited by his department then, was concluded last month in Kokopo.

Justice Panuel Mogish, who heard the matter, deferred the decision on conviction to a later date this month.

In other related news, the National Court in Kimbe today revoked an earlier order permitting Eremas Wartoto to leave the country.

Mr. Wartoto has a number of committal and trial hearings pending in the District and National Courts, and the court ruling today prevents him from absconding jurisdiction again.

The Australian Government has been accused of betraying PNG by not honouring bilateral agreements.

Member for Bogia, John Hickey, raised this concern in parliament .

He was concerned that locals on Manus Island were not participating in spin-off benefits from the Asylum Processing Centre there.

Mr. Hickey asked Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to explain why the people and local businesses in Manus.  were not fully participating in the spin-off benefits created by the establishment of the centre.

He says apart from earthmoving and simple construction works being awarded to Australian companies, basic food and household items were also brought in from Australia.

Prime Minister O’Neill in response said while the Australians were using their own funds to procure their own goods and services, they should utilise the local contractors before engaging outsiders.

He said Foreign Affairs Minister Rimbink Pato will head a delegation to Canberra for the ministerial meeting and this will be a matter of priority for discussions there.. EMTV

By Sonja Barry Ramoi

For the first time in PNG's political history (possibly World History) an Opposition Leader has publicly advised that he will not hold any more press conferences with mainstream media until he becomes PM.

Opposition Leader, Hon. Belden Namah has agreed to receive a petition from Social Media anti-corruption activists at a press conference at 3pm today; which is addressed to the Prime Minister of PNG, Peter O’Neill. 

The presence of all social media admins does not necessarily indicate that they support the petition. They are invited to be present to report on an event which is history in the making.

Invited Facebook groups, blogs and websites:

PNG NEWS

Sharp Talk

BLUNT TALK SHARP ACTION

Dear Govt of PNG

Defence of PNG and its National Interests

Malum Nalu Blog

Masalai Blog (Emmanuel Narakobi)

Media Watch

Namorong Blogspot

National Affairs Council

Paitim Garamut

PIKSA

PNG Anti-Corruption Movement (PNGACM)

PNG Perspectives.com

PNG THINK TANK

PNGFacts.Com

Public Policy Digest

Sharp Shooters

Talking Edge

The Nationalists (PNG)

The PNG News Page

The Talking Edge PNG

The Truth As It Is

Votim PNG

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Belden Namah, held a press conference yesterday at his Office in Parliament in which, only the social media was invited. Namah affirmed the Oppositions view that the mainstream media was firmly under government censorship.

In recent times, I have seen that .. media… the mainstream media has been suppressed. Most of my stories haven’t been run, especially to do with high level corruption in this country,” Namah said

The meeting was also a familiarization gathering where members of online forums met with the Opposition Leader and discussed media relations going forward.

Keen to avoid the perception that citizen journalists were ganging up against the government, a spokesperson said they were interested in presenting the truth.

“We here in the social media, try to be as neutral as can be and we try to expose what we think is inappropriate and not good conduct,” the spokesman said.

The meeting ended with the understanding, that all opposition communications will now be handled via social media.

New solar lamps are lighting up homes and boosting learning opportunities for children in the PNG  LNG Project area schools. 

Primary school students in Komo, Hides, Angore and Juha have received approximately 2,500 

portable solar lamps from Esso Highlands Limited, the operator of the PNG LNG Project. 

Teachers from 10 primary schools and 20 elementary schools in the area also received lamps to 

help support their teaching environments. 

The PNG LNG Project’s Social Impacts Manager, Sisa Kini said the solar lamps distribution is just 

one way the Project is supporting education in the area. 

“It is a wonderful opportunity to provide students with the right tools to boost their learning and 

educational development," she said. 

“Many primary school students who are unable to access electricity in their homes will now be able 

to use their solar lamps to complete their homework or reading. 

“Education is so important. It broadens people’s horizons and enables communities to progress. 

Home learning through these lamps will take these children a step closer towards achieving this 

goal. 

“The technology of the lamps is simple,” she said. “The light is small and lightweight, covered on 

one side by a small solar panel that converts sunlight into electricity. The solar panel is linked to a 

small battery that stores the electricity, which then powers the two small lights on the opposite side, 

with a switch to turn the lights on and off. If fully charged, the lights can run for up to eight hours, 

making it a valuable resource for students trying to learn at night.” 

While distributed to all students, the lights are also being used as graduation gifts and academic 

awards, helping to shed light on the importance of education. 

More solar lights will be distributed to schools in other Project areas in early 2014. 

TREASURER Don Polye yesterday handed down a record K15.144 billion budget, the biggest ever in the history of Papua New Guinea.

It is an increase by K1.8 billion or 13.8% from K13.2 billion in the 2013 revised budget.

He also handed down a 2013 Supplementary Budget, which  contains a number of saving measures realised from project under-spends of K386 million. This will be brought forward for investment in the 2015 Pacific Games.

He said the budget, based on the theme “Consolidate gains for sustained growth through prudent investments” involved a lot of money that needed to be spent wisely to improve the lives of the seven million people of PNG.

“The 2014 budget is a single fully-integrated multi-year budget,” Polye said.

“For the first time, agencies and the public will have a clear idea of the appropriated 2014 expenditure and future year expenditure estimates over the period 2015 to 2017 for each government department, agency and authority.

“There will be an improved understanding of what each agency’s funding is being spent on in terms of personal emoluments, goods and services, utilities and rentals, grants and capital formation.

“This budget is presented on a sectoral approach, comprising administration (which includes interest payments), economic and agriculture, education, health, infrastructure, law and order, provinces and social.

“This gives the government and the people of Papua New Guinea the clearest picture yet of where it is allocating its funds and which sectors are receiving 

increased funding overtime.

“This government will continue to strive for a stronger economy through diversification by translating the past, present and anticipated future gains from the mining and resources sector into prudent and sustainable investments in other sectors such as education, health, law and order, energy, transport, tourism, and agriculture.”

Polye said to achieve that, a culture of fiscal discipline must be developed, entrenched and enhanced.

“We cannot allow the hard-earned macro-economic stability and discipline from the past to be eroded,” he said.

“We are making historic investment decisions from a position of economic strength.”

He said the Government had introduced tuition fee-free education, investment in quality higher education, free health care, significant infrastructure funding, transfer of funds to sub-national governments under the decentralisation strategy, and policy to support growth in agriculture, tourism and small to medium enterprises.

Polye said it was of regional significance that sporting facilities for the 2015 Pacific Games met world standards and were completed by March 2015. It will cater for more than 3,000 visiting athletes from 22 Pacific nations and 28 sports from July 4-18, 2015.

“The 2013 Supplementary Budget is a demonstration of the Government’s commitment to ensuring that the 2015 Pacific Games is a memorable event for our visitors and the people of Papua New Guinea,” he said.

“The results are and will be out there for everyone to see.”

PNG Today/The National

 THE National Broadband Network (NBN) will have a profound impact on information communication technology (ICT) in Papua New Guinea, Telikom PNG’s business solutions manager Bosa Togs said.

Toga stressed this at the PNG Computer Society annual seminar in Port Moresby last week. 

Speaking on the topic National Broadband Network – impact on ICT, Togs said the rollout of the NBN would impact the roles of ICT people as it increased the demand for business analysts and mobile application developers.

This is because more business would adopt online platforms for their operations or to improve online presence, Togs said.

She said with the greater access to high-speed broadband, the demand from business for online technologies and the skills that supported the organisations would encourage growth.

“This way, the NBN would further trigger skills shortage in ICT in this region and could also spawn new ICT roles in what have traditionally been non-ICT sectors such as health, retail and agriculture,” she said.

She stressed the need for tertiary institutions to transform their curriculum to produce next generation of graduates that would design, implement and maintain the advanced multimedia application and services needed to bring the value of NBN to businesses and the communities.

The national goal of the NBN is in line with the Government’s 2050 Vision and it is important for all stakeholders to work together to deliver this national goal, Togs said.

FORMER Lae MP and respected statesman, Bart Philemon has slammed Australian immigration for one of the “most blatant racism” cases against Papua New Guineans he has ever seen.

Philemon, who was educated in Australia and travelled frequently there, said all black passengers on an Air Niugini flight to Brisbane last Wednesday were lined up and a sniffer dog set on them in scenes he had never before witnessed.

Ironically, this same part of Brisbane airport, known as the “red carpet”, was where former Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare was forced to remove his shoes some years ago.

Philemon said the flight from Port Moresby arrived at Brisbane at 4.30pm and passengers disembarked for the normal passport check.

“I got my baggage and was then going through the quarantine section, which is the last before they let you out,” he said, “at Brisbane airport there’s a red carpet.

“There was a woman in front of me. We were told to queue there and I stood behind the woman, who was Indian but she was black.

“I stood there and all the black ones who collected their bags came and there were about 20 of us, all queuing on the red carpet, and they put on the sniffer dog.

“There was only one white man who was in that line. I told the quarantine man, ‘this is really bad as there is no white person here except for a white man who’s married to a Papua New Guinean, so why are you doing this?

“He said ‘go and check the government’ and I asked ‘which government’.

“He went and grabbed me a document about bio-security.

“I raised my voice and said it brought me ‘right there and then back to colonial times when there were black people here and white people there’.

“I said ‘I don’t care if I get arrested or deported back to Papua New Guinea but this is black and white discrimination where all the whites are going and all the blacks are locked up here in a queue’.

“The question I want to ask is ‘why is Australian quarantine singling out just Papua New Guineans, black skins’.

The National /PNG Today

THE Government has allocated K3 million to help in relief efforts in typhoon-devastated Philippines.

Finance Minister James Marape made the pledge to Philippine Ambassador Bienvenido Tejano during a fundraising concert hosted by the Seventh Day Adventist Church at the Sir John Guise Stadium last Saturday.

Marape is a member of the Footprints Gospel Group, which was one of the groups that presented beautiful gospel music. More than K50,000 was collected during the concert.

Donations were received from ANZ Bank, National Development Bank, Funeral Home, employees of Hideaway Hotel, employees of Seeto Kui PNG Ltd, Integrated Development Services Ltd and China Investments PNG Ltd. 

Filipino Association of Papua New Guinea President Roel Sta Cruz said other business houses and individuals had promised to help.

“All the proceeds will be given to the Philippine Red Cross to help our people,” Cruz said.

“A total of K3,131,000 in commitments and payments have been raised so far,” Cruz said.. PNG Today/The National

OPPOSITION leader Belden Namah says he has lost confidence in the mainstream media and will use only social media to get his message across to the people.

He told reporters yesterday he would print his own papers for distribution on the streets rather than using the mainstream media.

He held his final press conference yesterday with the media at a conference room in Parliament.

He said he had lost faith in freedom of speech and expression as stipulated in the Constitution and the United Nations stand on those principles.

“Today is my last press conference with the media,” he said. 

“I have lost trust and confidence in the freedom of press because the two daily papers (The National and Post-Courier) and the two television stations (EMTV and KunduTwo) have failed to report important issues I raised,” he said.

He was referring to his call for the resignation of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, Treasury Minister Don Polye and Finance Minister James Marape over the payment of K71.8 million to a law firm.

“If you talk about petty issues, it goes on the front page and not issues of national importance like corruption,” he said. 

“It’s a sad day today.” PNG Today/The National

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill told Parliament last Friday that it would be one of the most important topics on the PNG-Australia ministerial meeting agenda in Australia next month.

He said if the Australian government insisted on granting PNG citizens tourist and business visa on arrival, then PNG would reciprocate.

There had been some improvements for travellers to Brisbane.

He will forward the request to Foreign Affairs and Immigration minister Rimbink Pato who is in Sri Lanka for the Commonwealth heads of government meeting to discuss with his Australian counterpart as well.

Bogia MP John Hickey told Parliament that the Australia’s visa requirements were stringent and it was hard for PNG tourists and business people to enter that country.

He said a good bilateral relationship was important and Australia should relax its visa requirements.

He said it took a month to apply for a visa to visit Australia while Australians coming to PNG were granted visa on arrival.

“Some of those visitors to PNG are a security-risk to this nation and we should reciprocate their visa requirements,” Hickey said.

PNG Today/The National

My response was in this fashion: we should focus on being leaders and understand that this is the world we now live in and though it may be frustrating and at times inspire anger, we must rise up beyond this and do what is expected of us and remember, that as leaders, we are subject to criticism...there will always be those who love you no matter what, those who hate you no matter what and those who fall in between these two extremities based on information they perceive or receive whether factual or not....it is part of accepting the role of leadership...even Barak Obama and Vladimir Putin, two world leaders, are subject to all manner of criticism and they cannot control this, we also do not have the resources and means to be able to monitor and trace and review all communication efforts. We also cannot seriously consider registering sim cards because how do we expect our little people to have identification cards such as passports and drivers licenses? We shall also most certainly attract the criticism of those who will most surely cry out that this is oppressive and undemocratic...note also that there must be avenues to allow those who have genuine claims and concerns such as the whistleblowers legislation and so forth. Interestingly my response was not captured by the media.

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill wants Opposition leader Belden Namah referred to the parliamentary privileges committee for discrediting individuals in the House.

He asked Speaker Theo Zurenuoc to refer Namah to the committee for abusing parliamentary privileges and defaming people.

Zurenuouc will make a ruling today on O’Neill’s request.

O’Neill was responding to allegation made by Namah against him and the Central Bank’s economical advisor, Dr Jacob Weiss.

Namah had referred to moves or agreements to transfer and manage the PNGSD programmes and another development foundation to a company owned by Weiss’ son, LR group of companies, which was already doing work in Western.

Namah claimed that Weiss was a close friend of O’Neill.

Speaker Zurenuouc warned Namah to stop naming people using parliament privilege as it was against standing orders.

He said he would not allow the Prime Minister to answer Namah’s questions. 

But O’Neill insisted that he should respond to the questions for the benefit of the nation.

O’Neill said there was no such agreement during his visit to Israel with Weiss or his son’s company and called on Namah to produce evidence.

He said Weiss served the country for over 30 years and had stabilised the economy of the country. The National

Lea Lea fisherman Nou Avuru is taking advantage of new career opportunities from the experience he has gained through the Project.

After completing training at the Port Moresby Construction Training Facility, Nou worked as a carpenter and steel worker with an LNG Plant contractor.

When his contract with the Project ended, Nou returned to Lea Lea to consider his future. While browsing job advertisements in the newspaper, Nou noticed an opening for a steel fixer at the Project’s Hides Gas Conditioning Plant. He applied for the job and was successful because of the skills he had developed in his previous Project role.

“The experience I’ve gained by working at the LNG Plant and here in Hides is not like anything else I’ve done,” Nou said. “I haven’t just learned new skills. I’ve also learned how to engage with people better and how to work with different people; and I know this will help create opportunities for me in the future.

“If I hadn’t gained this experience, I would still be a fisherman back in the village. I am so grateful to the Project and the subcontractors for the opportunity to develop my skills,” he said.

To help workers like Nou transition to new opportunities after demobilisation, the LNG Plant offers training on how to create a resumé, find jobs, and how candidates should conduct themselves in an interview to gain a competitive edge.

Since the training was introduced in June 2013, more than 950 workers have volunteered for the four-day program taken during their lunch hours.

Mal Meninga, Adrian Lam, Sport minister Justine Tkatchenko, and RFU chairman Don Fox had a press conference at the Holiday Inn. Lam said that though the country was upset with the Kumul's performance, the Kumuls impressed the international rugby league community. 

Even after the Kiwi-kumul match, the Kiwis followed the Kumuls into their dressing room to congratulate and encourage them.

The press conference was tense with other league followers not happy with Kumuls performance who raised their voice to make comments.

Even Sports Ministers PR Keith Puiria was shouted when he tried calm the people who spoke against the Minister.

The Kumuls (whole team) arrived yesterday. Read PNG's bid to host 2017 RLWC pool games in PNG

The Kumuls have arrived back to the country after losing all the pool B games at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. 

Meanwhile PAPUA New Guinea has made a bid to host the Kumuls’ pool matches for the 2017 World Cup Rugby League tournament. 

The 2017 edition of World Cup rugby league will be co-hosted by closest neighbours Australia and New Zealand. 

Sports Minister Justin Tkatchencko said he is expecting a positive response in six months time to give PNG the opportunity to host the Kumuls matches in Port Moresby. 

He described his World Cup trip as an eye-opener for his Ministry where they visited many different sporting facilities such as the soccer stadiums and saw how they operated and ran these facilities. 

“The trip was fantastic, positive trip,” he said.

Tkatchenko has negotiated with the head of World Cup Committee allocate World Cup games to be played in PNG. 

If all goes well the PNG pool games will be played in Port Moresby. Twelve games are expected to be played at the Lloyd Robson Oval, which is getting a massive facelift in preparation for the Pacific Games in 2015. 

Tkatchenko said many positives came out of the trip. 

He used the opportunity to encourage Papua New Guineans to get behind Team Kumul.

The boys did their best, he said. 

“We have wasted five years of bickering which distracted Team Kumuls preparation.”

BY PEARSON KOLO 

IT was like a scene in a movie when Police and criminals exchanged shots at the heart of Mt Hagen City yesterday morning. One criminal who was shooting at the police using a pistol was shot dead during the cross fire and police quickly moved in a removed the weapon from the dead robber. Three or four of his companions ran into the Komkui building and took refuge inside it but police moved in and after exchanging several shots, two of the criminals were apprehended after they surrounded to police. A PNG Post reporter who accompanied the police into the building after putting on a bullet proof vest and was at the crime scene with the police. The Mt Hagen police mobile squad and other police surrounded Komkui Building, the tallest building in Mt Hagen and cornered the robbers inside the building and apprehended them. The robbers were trying to rob the BSP ATM in front of Konkui Building opposite the Baiyer bus stop when bank officials and security tried to fill the ATM machine with money. But police arrived at the scene at the same time and the robbers shot at the police who formed a perimeter and retaliated and shot one of the robber dead. The general public who were caught by surprise in the cross fire ran for cover but stayed at a distance and watched the drama unfold. The criminals retreated into the six story Komkui building and took refuge inside but the police called in reinforcements and a fully equipped mobile squad team went into the building and cornered the criminals inside the building and apprehended them. The general public said there was a total of eight robbers while others said there were six of them. But police said those that are apprehended will lead to the apprehension of their colleagues. Tenants at the Komkui building stayed behind locked doors while the police searched for the criminals inside the building Bank securities said there are more than K100, 000 placed in every ATM machines and it is not appropriate for criminals to risk their lives. Western Highlands Police Commander Martin Lakari after the drama praised his policemen for their quick respond and warned criminals elements that their days are over and that they should do something worthwhile to sustain their lives rather that getting involved in robberies. No money was taken by the robbers.

Source: Post PNG