PNGSDP: Law wants funds shared

Source: The National, Wednesday August 7th, 2013

 
RECENT public comments in the media about PNG Sustainable Development Program Ltd have prompted me to write to explain our role in terms of national and Western Province sustainable development and how we are required by law to allocate the funding we receive as dividends from the Ok Tedi mine.
PNGSDP was set up by an Act of Parliament, the Ok Tedi Mine Continuation Ninth Supplemental Agreement Act 2001.
The Act resulted from an agreement between the owners of the mine, primarily the Government of Papua New Guinea and BHP Billiton.
It stipulates that the benefits of the mine should flow to ALL Papua New Guineans, and in particular, the Western Province.
The Act states that its purpose was partly to ensure that Ok Tedi might “continue its significant contributions to the advancement of the social and economic welfare of the people of Papua New Guinea in general and the people of Western Province in particular”.
It also states that it specifically takes into account the “national goals and directive principles (including, in particular, the goals that Papua New Guinea should, among other things, be economically independent and its economy basically self-reliant and that Papua New Guinea's natural resources and environment should, among other things, be conserved for the collective benefit of all Papua New Guineans)”.
In other words, PNGSDP is required by law to distribute the income it receives from the mine across the nation, but with special reference to Western Province.
It achieves this balance in a number of ways:

• We place two-thirds of our net share of the Ok Tedi dividends into the Long Term Fund. This fund, which now stands at $US1.4 billion (K3.04 billion), is reserved for sustainable development of Western Province for 40 years after the mine’s closure.
• We place one-third of the net dividend share into the Development Fund. Two-thirds of the Development Fund goes to national projects (some of which are in Western province) and one-third is reserved for Western province projects.

The sharing of funds complies with the Constitution, which clearly states (Item 4 of the national goals and directive principles) that natural resources and the environment must be “conserved and used for the collective benefit of us all”.
As trustees, the board and chief executive are obliged to fulfil the legislative mandate of PNGSDP, in an environment of unaccountable trusts.
Collective ownership and sharing of resources is one of the foundations of nationhood.
It underpins the development of Western province before Ok Tedi began paying dividends to the State in 1991.
Before 1991, Western province had very little income. Almost all development was paid for by taxes and other national income raised from outside the province.
The main contributor was the Bougainville copper mine before it was closed in 1989.
PNGSDP is unique in the world. It uses all of the dividends from Ok Tedi for sustainable social and economic development in Western province and elsewhere, according to the law.
It has protected and preserved money in its Long Term Fund which can be used for continued development in Western Province once the mine is closed.
No other mine owner in the world can claim to have returned the profits from mining to the people in such a sustainable way and on such a scale.
This is in addition to the billions of kina paid in compensation for environmental damage and the continuing efforts to mitigate environmental damage, including the development this year of a shortlist of potential sites for a tailings dam.
David Sode
CEO, PNGSDP

Ipatas backs agreement

Source: The National, Wednesday August 7th, 2013

 
ENGA Governor Peter Ipatas has backed the asylum seekers’ deal signed with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, saying PNG stands to gain greatly from it.
“Critics of this deal are ignoring the immediate benefits of the deal, and the opportunities it will open up for Papua New Guinea,” he said.
“Immediately, Manus will get developments projects funded by the Australian and PNG governments, that it would not otherwise get for some time.
“Manus is isolated, and often forgotten, so this deal is providing opportunities that come with hosting the processing centre”
Ipatas said Australia had always stood by PNG when it was in need, so it was right to accept a request from them to help address a growing global problem of human smuggling and illegal migration.

Locals hold up chopper

Highlands Region

Thursday 08th August 2013

KAGUA District in the Southern Highlands Province is now declared a ‘No-Go Zone’ by local helicopter companies.
This followed an attack last week on one of PNG’s own fastest rising helicopter company, Heli Solutions Limited.
Heli Solutions chief executive officer (CEO) Captain Phil Emeck said yesterday from Mt Hagen that the company was currently engaged by PNG Electoral Commission for the LLG election operations in the Highlands region and it was doing its scheduled flights to Kagua and Erave districts when the incident happened. Capt Emeck who was flying one of the companies third Bell 407 helicopter was held up and threatened by heavily armed thugs reportedly under the influence of marijuana at the remote place at Katiloma Bible Mission station last Wednesday. He had stopped to refuel after dropping off an aviation fuel drum there earlier.
The incident happened after he arrived from Sembirigi and Marorogo areas after dropping off polling officials, ballot papers and boxes en-route for Mt Hagen.
He said it was about 1pm when locals numbering about 30, armed with bush knives and homemade guns surrounded him and his lone crew member demanding K10,000 or else they would damage the K7 million aircraft.
Captain Emeck offered the gang K1000 which he had in his pocket but was refused. They ordered Capt Emeck to leave his crew behind, go to Mt Hagen bring back the money in exchange for his crew.
Fearing that his life and that of his crew plus the aircraft was in danger he handed over K5000 which he had brought along for purchase of timber along the Highlands Highway. The group after some resistance took the money and released both men.
Capt Emeck is co-owner of the helicopter company together with fellow Southern Highlander Capt James Pilot. They are both former PNG Defence Force pilots who resigned to start their own aviation company. Capt Emeck described the incident as a ‘frightening and barbaric act’, adding that it is not the first time for culprits in the Kagua area to hijack or attack helicopters and planes.
They have reported the incident to Mendi police but due to its isolated location, police are yet to arrest the culprits involved.

Asylum Seekers Raped, More Harrowing Details Revealed from Manus Island

By Athena Yenko: July 26, 2013 7:40 AM IST

 

Asylum Seekers Raped, More Harrowing Details Revealed from Manus Island (VA Papua New Guinea national detention guard in Manus Island revealed more harrowing details of rape in the men's facility. The guard refused to be named in the fear of losing his job.

His revelation came after whistleblower, Rod St George, spoke of the same hapless condition in the Manus Island facility.In an interview with Fairfax Media, the guard detailed of what he saw inside the facility involving a Pakistani victim who was raped by six Middle Eastern men. "We had to go into the tent and he was there, and it was very bad. There was excrement all over the tent."The guard said that the victim was given medical aid in the camp clinic for two weeks. BUT, the victim was sent back to the same facility where his rapists were roaming freely - something that was hard to understand.According to the guard, there had been documents reporting the incident but there were no further investigations made and the PNG police remained clueless of what had happened.Another rape case in May 2013 had compelled PNG nationals working for G4S to attend to the men's facility where another victim was raped and badly injured. But after that, the PNG nationals seemed still 'unaware' of what's happening.One recent incident involved a brutal attack where a victim was slashed from shoulder to buttocks with a sharp object, "He had to go to the clinic. The cut went from his shoulder down to his buttocks."But again, even with reports already filed, there were no investigations that took place. The guard also revealed that G4S were guilty of exploitation for paying salaries of $40 a day. In an answer to the issue, Immigration Minister Tony Burke said that officials were having a hard time investigating because witnesses and victims were not willing to name the culprits. Mr Burke said, "There are challenges for the police in dealing with an allegation where no complainant has come forward and the only person who it is thought might have been a complainant that has left the country voluntarily some time ago. In an interview with The Age, Mr Burke expressed confidence that current conditions in Manus Island will be improve by the Australian Labor Party's new policy. He said that under the new policy, there will be separation of aggressive detainees from the vulnerable ones. Mr Burke said, "I'm very confident that the accommodation on Manus will be able to keep well and truly in front of any attempts by people smugglers to test our resolve."

Kandep Peace move applauded

News	Tuesday 11th June 2013

A LAE based Engan businessman Mr Kandaso Napi has applauded the positive move by Enga Governor Peter Ipatas and his administration in trying to negotiate peace amongst the warring tribes of the Kandep district.
He has also appreciated the positive gestures made by Treasury Minister Don Polye.
“It is quite reassuring if that is any indication of future political cooperation between our two prominent leaders of the province and the immediate need for their bipartisan approach to end the bloodshed and sufferings of the many innocent people in that district.
Mr Napi, who is an ardent nationalist and one who also concerns himself with the developments and events in his home province, has called on Governor Ipatas and Minister Polye to put their political and personal differences aside and work towards lasting peace for the good of Kandep and Enga as a province.
He said if they had done that one year ago at the start to quell the troubles that flared up after the elections, it would not have gotten out of hand and the deaths could have been avoided.
Mr Napi said supporters of Mr Polye and Alfred Manase had been waging war against each other and described the reports of more than 100 people who have lost their lives as disturbing and unnecessary since most of those poor souls would never have benefitted in one way or another through the winnings of either candidate.
He said in reality, the war belonged to them and if these two educated Kandepians had also shown their true leadership at the beginning, all those innocent lives would have been saved.
He said they must discuss peace through the established Engan customary system of brokering peace and bringing normalcy to the area so that people may go about their daily lives without any hindrance and fear of retaliation.
Mr Napi called on the people of Kandep, especially those groups and individuals whose lives have been affected in one way or another by tribal war to forget and forgive if they want genuine lasting peace.
This self-made businessman who is a strong supporter of local participation in spin-off businesses, envisages a booming Kandep as a border district when the Mendi-Kikori highway opens up in the near future.
He said when this happened, all Engan businesses, including the giant Porgera gold mine and the upcoming Mt Kare gold mine would be using the now upgraded Kandep-Mendi highway and connect with the Mendi-Kikori highway as a short-cut alternative to freight their equipment and materials.
“I reckon the people of Kandep would benefit immensely if they can stop fighting now and prepare to cash in on the opportunities of a lifetime”, he added.