Papua Bew Guinea's Gulf gas project talks set

Source: Post Courier, Monday 27th May 2013

ExxonMobil and InterOil in talks to develop the Elk and Antelope natural gas reservoirs

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has welcomed the decision by InterOil to start talks with ExxonMobil as a potential partner to develop its Elk and Antelope gas reservoirs.

“This is an important announcement for the development of these assets, and I’m certain all stakeholders will welcome this.“As a stakeholder, the government is pleased that InterOil and its partners are taking the next significant step towards the development of our vast natural gas resource.“When the full potential of the gas reservoirs in the Gulf Province are realised, PNG will have in place a stable revenue flow from these resources for the next 30 to 50 years,” the Prime Minister said.

According to government estimates, PNG GDP (Gross Domestic Product) has been growing at an average of 11 per cent a year and with the construction phase of the PNG LNG project reaching 80 percent completion, GDP growth is expected to slow down to 6-8 per cent this year (2013), before rising significantly when LNG exports begin in late 2014 or early 2015.

Papua New Guinea businessman arrested and charged again

Source: Post Courier, Friday 31 May, 2013

Businessman, Eremas Wartoto has been arrested and charged again by the Investigative Task Force Sweep for allegedly defrauding the State of K13.5 million, funds meant for the rehabilitation of rundown agricultural plantations.

According to the Task Force Sweep team, Mr Wartoto has so far been charged for five cases in relation to misappropriation of public funds totaling more than K33 million.

The Sweep team says Mr Wartoto has more cases to answer. He was previously committed to stand trial in absentia for a case involving funds meant for the rehabilitation of the Kerevat National High School in East New Britain under the RESI program administered by the Department of National Planning and Monitoring.
Sweep chairman Sam Koim said in a statement yesterday: “Just yesterday (Wednesday), Minister for National Planning and Monitoring (DNPD, Charles Abel) tabled a report concerning more than K500 million that was expended on the National Agricultural Development Project (NADP) and coincidently, Mr Wartoto is allegedly one of the beneficiaries of those funds.” 

Death laws passed in Papua New Guinea

Source: The National, Wednesday 29th May 2013

The Criminal Code Act (Amendment Bill 2013), which was passed on a voice vote, repealed the Sorcery Act 1971. The amendment bill contains steep penalties for various crimes in the country. 

Killings connected with sorcery will now be treated as wilful murder and the penalty is death.

Aggravated rape is defined as rape using dangerous wea­pons or rape in the company of one or more persons or where grievous bodily harm is caused and where the victim is a child under 10 years.

The new laws have increased the penalties for kidnapping which will now carry a maximum prison term of 50 years without remission or parole while kidnapping for ransom, a new kind of crime, now carries maximum penalty of life imprisonment without remission and parole.

As for stealing of monies between K5 million and K9.99 million, the maximum penalty is 50 years without remission and parole while for stealing K10 million or more, the maximum penalty is life imprisonment without parole or remission.

Misappropriation worth K10 million or above now carries a maximum of life imprisonment.

Parliament also amended section 597 of the Criminal Code Act, which allows for a number of modes of execution. These include hanging by the neck, administration of anesthetics followed by lethal injection, medical death through anesthetic administration and deprivation of oxygen, death by a firing squad and electrification.

The method of execution will be determined by the Head of State acting on advice from the National Executive Council.

Justice and Attorney General Kerenga Kua told Parliament that the laws were tough and reflected the crime situation and demands by the community.

Kua said current laws have not deterred people from committing serious crimes and the amended laws would give a strong warning to offenders.

He added that the death penalty on sorcery related killings would send a strong message to perpetrators.

Kua said violent crimes such as armed robbery and stealing had increased and were an impediment to development.

The new penalties would act as a deterrent to such crimes, he said.

Papua New Guinea Parliament yesterday gave a resounding aye to amendments to the Criminal Code Act that raised penalties for serious crimes including stealing and misappropriation.

The death penalty will apply for crimes such as aggravated rape, sorcery-related killings and robbery with violence.

Enga Provincial Government set out K10mil for school-fee loans

Source: The National (Wednesday 29th May 2013)

The Enga provincial government will allocate more than K10 million to assist children in private schools in the province. This is a continuous investment in human resource for the province and people of Enga

Enga Governor Peter Ipatas said the special loan facility would be available when a new microbank for the province was opened.

Parents whose children attend private schools can acquire loans for school fees.

The Enga government has invested more than K180 million in human resource development, mainly on school fee subsidies and infrastructure development, since Ipatas began prioriortising education in 1987.

He gave K750,000 to the Amapyaka Highlands Lutheran International School in Wapenamanda last Saturday.

Ipatas said although private schools did not benefit directly from provincial and national government subsidy programmes, Enga would help schools not on the public school subsidy list.

The notable private schools in Enga are Four Square International School, Kompiam Baptist International, Porgera International, Amapyaka Lutheran International and Kungumanda Community Health Workers College.

“We will park about K10 million in the microbank that we plan to open early next year. This money is intended to assist everyone in the province,” Ipatas said. Once this is full swing those unfortunate students attending private institutions in the province will benefit.

“We will come up with a special loan facility to assist parents whose children attend private schools to acquire loan for school fees.” 

Tougher laws for violet crimes in Papua New Guinea

Source: The National, Thursday 2nd May 2013

The National Executive Council has approved a legislative action plan to address community concerns over the level of violent crimes in the country.

 Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said laws would be drafted to increase the penalty for violent crimes such as rape and murder.“The level of these serious crimes in our community, particularly crimes of sexual nature and murder are unacceptable,” he said.

 “The heinous behaviour is perpetrated by a few, but the country at large is made to suffer. “We must act now to protect the majority. “The proposed laws are tough, but they are necessary. “We have to address a situation that is destroying our country.” The NEC has authorised Attorney-Ge­neral Kerenga Kua to table the proposed laws in parliament when it meets in two weeks.

A government statement yesterday said the proposed legislation would clear hurdles so that the death penalty could be implemented. It said among the methods of execution discussed was death by firing squad, considered more humane and inexpensive than others. But O’Neill said cabinet had not settled on a method yet.

Cabinet has also decided that the execution centre for those on death row will be in a new maximum security prison to be built in a remote area, preferably a remote island.

Under the proposed laws:

• Rape will attract life imprisonment without parole;
• -Armed robbery will attract 30 years; 
• -The Sorcery Act will be repealed so that sorcery-related crimes are punishable under the Criminal Code; 
• -Drug abuse will now attract a minimum of 10 years; and
• -Penalties for all forms of assault will be increased.

O’Neill said alcohol licencing would become a “national function and no longer a provincial function”.

Trading hours for alcohol will be limited from noon to 2am for licenced premises, and noon to 6pm for retail outlets. The government statement said any breach of the liquor laws would attract 10 years imprisonment or a heavy fine for licences or consumers. The penalty for the possession of unlicenced firearm is now 10 years, while manufacturing of firearm attracts a 20-year penalty.

Plans for new university in Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea

Hon James Marape

A new university for the highlands region will be built in Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, it has been revealed in Port Moresby by a senior minister of O'Neil-Dion Government, according to The national (24th April, 2013) Marape said Ialibu in Southern Highlands had been chosen as the site 

for the new university because of three reasons: (l) It is in a more central location in the upper highlands region with more than two million people living within the periphery.
Apart from those living in Southern Highlands, other students from neighbouring highlands provinces including those from Gulf and Western can easily travel there to attend.

Marape said it was very difficult for landowners to release traditional land for such purposes. But the local community was keen on having such an institute at their locality and made land available. “I call on other landowners throughout the country to do the same. If you want to see development happening in your area, make land available for such ventures to take place,” he said.school; (2)The chosen site would be only 60km away from where the PNG LNG’s project’s fibre optic cable would run.

Papua New Guinea LNG project under threat

Source: The National, Tuesday 23rd April 2013

The state and the developer of PNG’s first liquefied natural gas project, ExxonMobil, were yesterday given 30 days to address their obligations under various agreements or face legal action to shut down the project.

Hon Richard Maru

This ultimatum was contained in a petition handed to Commerce and Industry Minister Richard Maru by Hela Governor Anderson Agiru in Tari.
Maru accepted and supported the petition, promising to bring it to the attention of cabinet next week.

“It has been forced by the negligence on the part of the state and the developer to undertake clearly stipulated obligations as outlined in various agreements and commitments,” Agiru said.

Hon Governor Anderson Agiru

“I supported this project and I supported the national government on the premise and the promise that they will fund core infrastructure that will be the basis to grow from.
“I hear of K500 million for Port Moresby roads and K500 million for Highlands Highway but we have not got anything. Where will they get the money to fund these projects? “We have to stop this (LNG) project to bring some sense to government.” Maru sympathised with the Agiru and the resource owners of Hela. “I support this petition. 

The home of gas (Tari) is full of dust. Gas from Hides has been powering Porgera mine,” he said. “Yet there is no power to the people’s homes here. They have no permanent homes. The sheer neglect is indescribable. I am
horrified.

• Heavy haulage road from Hides 4 to the now completed Komo international airport which has not started;
• Business opportunity for Angore;
• Transfer of Kikori-Kutubu-Tari road to National Roads Authority;Completion of 21 bridges;
• Komo Airport perimeter road;
• Water supply system for Komo Airport site villages; 
• Failure to deliver college output as discussed at Juni Technical College.
• Local business content plans which remain unknown;

Enga's Wapenamanda district has hope at last

By Joe WASIA

The 40, 000 plus people of Wapenamanda District in Enga Province will now see light at the end of the tunnel after years of total darkness. Wapenamanda District, a gateway to the province is the home of the Papua New Guinea's legal head and the foreign affairs minister.

Hon Rimbink Pato, MP

It was very interesting to read and hear from various news media that the new MP for Wapenamanda and Foreign Affairs Minister Rimbink Pato has reveal his greater visions for the long suffering people of the district.

Since 2002, after the former parliamentarian Masket Iangalio lost his seat to Miki Kaeyok, who was then succeeded by Pato in 2012 General elections, there were gross negligence in service delivery. All existing basic infrastructure services in the district have been collapsed, to be exact. And the district was in total darkness for years. There were no proper district administration for Wapenamanda for the last 10 to 15 years as the former MPs were operating either from their home or from Waigani. It was utter ridiculous.

Law and order issues were on the rise due to no police personals on the ground. The district police station has been closed down for more than 10 years. District Court was transferred to Wabag town for unknown reasons. The station houses owns by PNG National Housing Commission have been taken over by landowners, Department of Primary Industry (DPI) sub branch which was once an active body supporting rural farmers has been closed down due to lack of funding from the district administration. The schools and health facilities established by former MP Pato Kakaraya in 1980's have also been deteriorating so badly.

The road condition in the district has been an hot topic that everyone from the Lower Lai basin up to the Tsak Valley could not live without in a day. They had to complain everyday like food and drink that they cannot live without. Really sad to see the people from Lower Lai and Tsak loading in their olden toyota stouts and trucks travelling to Wapenamanda just to access basic goods and services. In doing that, many had lost their lives in road accidents relating to bad road conditions.

Better Education will reduce social issues in Papua New Guinea

Following is one my articles published at PNG Attitude which dugged out varying views and ideas from writers and commentators in Australia and Papua New Guinea. It was ranked as a most commented article on the month of Feb, 2013.
..............................................................................................................................................................
JOE WASIA| Supported by the Bob Cleland Writing Fellowship

Do we have coherent plans and strategies to combat tribal fights and other violent social unrest which are too rampant in Papua New Guinea?

I believe education would be a greatest tool to solve these issues in our country - as most of our people are really lacking an education. The vast majority of Papua New Guineans, more than 70%, still live in rural areas where there is no proper education and other infrastructure services. As a result, we have an uneducated population with many social issues.

Tribal fights, as mentioned by Francis Nii in a recent article and similar social issues discussed and read about at PNG Attitude Link here and other media, are very common in much of Papua New Guinea society where there is no proper education, health and other basic infrastructure.

Successive governments have neglected this vast majority, their focus diverted to the main centres of the country like Port Moresby, Lae, Kokopo and Mt Hagen. And that was really unfair for the people living out

there in the jungles of Mt Bosapi, Waro and Sisipia between Southern Highlands and Western Provinces towards the eastern part of the country stretches to the west and to the north and south.

Rural societies need support from the responsible authorities. The national, provincial and local level governments, NGOs, business houses, international agencies and organisations must establish new education infrastructure and renovate the existing schools in the country. And youths in the villages have to be educated so they can be able to conduct awareness in rural villages on pressing issues such as warfare, elections, HIV/AIDS, education, global warming, etc.

The Clients and the world class Papua New Guinea LNG Project

Papua New Guinea is one of the few countries in the world that has huge deposits of petroleum and mineral resource such as gold, copper, nickel, cobalt, Zinc, natural oil and gas across its culturally diverse land. For decades many mining companies have been developing mining projects in the country. However, oil and gas industry was just touched by PNG's owned Oil Search Ltd when it developed Kutubu Oil which now exists for almost 21 years.

Much talked PNG LNG project in new Hela Province is the second oil and gas project in the country operated by Exxon Mobil a United State owned company in co-venture with Oil Search limited.
We have few other oil and gas projects coming up and they are Gulf LNG which will be developed by Inter oil and PNG government (50-50) and the Western LNG by Talisman Energy and few others.

The PNG LNG Project is operated by:

qESSO Highlands Limited (33.2%)

Øa subsidiary of EXXON Mobil Corporation

in Co-Venture with

qOil Search (29%)

ØPNG’s largest oil and gas producer

qIndependent Public Business Corporation (16.6%)

ØPNG government

qSantos (13.5%)

ØAustralia’s largest domestic gas producer

qNippon Oil (4.7%)

ØJapan’s largest integrated oil company

qMineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) (2.8%)

ØPNG oil & gas trustee and manager for landowner interests

qPetromin PNG Holding (0.2%)

ØPNG State owned corporation