News 12.2013.1
18.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
CODE OF CONDUCT AND COMMENTS
The ABG Chief Administrator, CHRIS SIRIOSI has come up with a CODE OF CONDUCT for the Bougainville Public service.
And he is welcoming input from the Citizens of Bougainville both locally and abroad as in the past people have been complaining at the role of the Public service and this could be your opportunity for you to contribute.
EDITOR
CODE OF CONDUCT & ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR
Bougainville Public Service
Autonomous Bougainville Government
CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR’S FORWARD
The Autonomous Bougainville Government is committed to ensuringthat our public service delivers services to the Bougainville community with observable integrity and accountability.
With the creation of the Bougainville Public Service, it is timely for us to develop and systematically implement a strong integrity and accountability framework. We believe this framework will be the envy of many Pacific nations.
This Code of Conduct and EthicalBehaviour for the Bougainville Public Service is a significant element in an on-going transition and public sector reform process. It replaces all previous codes of ethics or conduct issued by Papua New Guinea public service agencies. It is a single Code of Conduct for all Bougainville public service departments, divisions, districts and employees and as such will assist the government in implementing ethical standards of behaviour and realistic expectations across all government services
We recognize that the complexity of the challenges we face as a developing autonomous region are growing and changing and should not be underestimated. To keep pace with change, we will undertake regular reviews of our public service systems to ensure this framework is robust enough to keep pace..
As a government and a public service we have the opportunity now to make a real difference in the lives of all Bougainville citizens. The people of Bougainville demand and deserve our best efforts in delivering consistent services to the best of our ability.
As public servants, whether we are front-line staff or behind the scenes supporting community service delivery, we are all in the business of serving the best interests of the Bougainville people. The public has a right to expect the same high ethical behaviour from each and every one of us, no matter what job we perform.Every individual public servant must takepersonal responsibility to uphold this Code of Conduct.
Effectively applied this Code of Conduct will ensure the Bougainville public service embodies the highest ethical standards and helps to achieve greater community awareness of the principles and positive values underpinning our public service.
I have every confidence that all public service employees will embrace this Code and continue to show the people of Bougainville our utmost commitment to observable integrity and accountability by working together to adhere to this Code of Conduct.
Mr. Chris Siriosi,
Chief Administrator ABG
Head of Bougainville Public Service
Autonomous Region of Bougainville
Application of the Code
This Code of Conduct and Ethical Behaviour applies to all public service employees of all Bougainville public service institutions.
Public Service employees, for the purposes of this document only (other than constitutional office holders and judicial officials), are defined as any:
§ Bougainville public service employees whether permanent, contract, temporary, full-time, part-time or casual, and
§ Volunteer, student, contractor, consultant or anyone who works in any other capacity for a Bougainville public service agency.
Public service institutionsfor the purpose of this documentare defined as:
§ ABG departments, units or offices;
§ ABG divisions, including regional, district, ward or village level establishments;
§ Anyadministrative office of a court or tribunal, and
§ Any government recognised entity prescribed by regulation.
The Code of Conduct and Ethical Behaviourapplies at all times when performing official public sector duties including when representingthe Autonomous Bougainville Government at conferences, training events, on business trips or when attending workrelatedsocial events.
In regard to officers of the ABG that are subject to the Leadership Code established in the ARoB Constitution (Sec. 169), this Code of Conductand Ethical Behaviour shall apply in addition to that Code and where a conflict appears between these codes the higher standard shall apply.
Exceptions to the application of this Code:
§ Employees engaged on a contractual basis, including donor technical advisers, where a separate Code of Conduct or Ethical Behaviour is part of their contract. In such cases the Code with the higher standards shall apply.
Authority
The over-riding authority for the application of thisCode of Conduct and Ethical Behaviour is derived from the Constitution of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and the Bougainville Public Service (Management and Administration) Act.
How the Code works
This Code is based onthe 4 keyethics principles and their associated values andstandards of conduct.
The ethics principles are:
3 4
The Autonomous Region of Bougainville Constitution and Public Sector (Management and Administration) Act apply to all public sector entities, including public service departments, divisions, units and offices, local level government institutions and other public sector institutions such as tribunals, committees, schools and universities.
The fundamental principles of ethical behaviour, above,are essential to a robust Bougainville public sector, specificallyto itsintegrity and accountability and as such all public sector entities must be seen to be promotingthese principles in all internal and external relationships.
Each of these principles is strengthened by an associated set of values and observable behaviours that will further demonstrate adherence to thatparticular principle. The principles and associated values are therefore equally important.
The standards of Ethical Behaviour, contained in this Code under each principle and value set, are designed to help individuals understand how toput these principles and values into practice. The standards arenot intended to cover every possible scenario andtherefore in adhering to the Code, we are committed toupholding the intention and spirit of the principles and valuescontained within them.
Department/Division/Office/Unit-specific Standards of Practice, as approved by the Head of the ABG Public Service can also be used to supplement this Code. An approved Standard of Practice may thenapply to that agency’s employees inthe same way as this Code.
As well as upholding the principles, values and complying with standards of ethical behaviour set out in thisCode, as public servants we must also comply with all relevant legislation, awards, certified agreements, subsidiaryagreements, directives, whole-of-government policies and standards. We also must adhere to policies, organisational values and organisational documents such as the annual work plans of our employing agency.
Using this Code
This Code describes how, as public servants, wewill conduct ourselves whiledelivering services to the Bougainville community or in our dealings with others while representing the ABG.
An ethical culture in public service agencies beginswith theChief Administrator and is cascaded through to the behaviour of our senior leaders and ultimately all ABG employees.
ALL ABG EMPLOYEES
Take personal responsibility to uphold this Code and consistently applythe principles and values embodied within the Codethrough their observed behaviour.
The Code recognises we can all demonstrate ethical leadership in the way we perform our duties, andis a statement of our individual and group commitment to the people of Bougainville, their elected representatives andour public service colleagues.
CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR AND SENIOR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
As organisational leaders, the Chief Administrator and Senior Executive Officers of the ABG have a responsibilityto visibly demonstrate and uphold the principles and values of this Code and the Leadership Code outlined the ARoB Constitution. The Chief Administrator and Senior Executive Officers’ rolesincludethe promotion of a public service delivery culture, which values high ethicalstandards and behaviour.
§ The Chief Administrator and Senior Executive Officerswill openly demonstrate their conscious commitment to ethical behaviours bypracticing and communicating the importance of ethical decision-making, and by modeling ethicalbehaviour in their day-to-day activities.
§ The Chief Administrator and Senior Executive Officerswill ensure all employees are aware of and have access to training in the application of thisCode and in ethical decision-making, thus making the Code meaningful for all employees.
MANAGERS AND SUPERVISORS
Managerial behaviour sets the modelfor the conduct of all employees and is linked to the overall performance of the public service. Managers and supervisors have acritical responsibility to continuously and visibly model and promote this Code.
§ Managers and supervisors influence others by facilitatingan ethical work environment and physically demonstrate theirawareness through ethical decision-making.
§ Managers must ensure all public service employees understand the Code, and any legislation,delegations, policies or other information required to satisfactorily perform their duties.
§ Managers willensure that development and training is provided to allow employees to effectively perform their duties.
UPHOLDING THIS CODE
§ By way of demonstrating our commitment to this Code of Conduct and Ethical Behaviour, we must all identify and report conductthat is inconsistent with the Code.
§ Managers have a clear responsibility to make fair, transparent and consistent decisions regarding anyallegations of behaviour that does not uphold this Code.
§ As a government we will support employees who report genuine concerns of wrongdoing and will manage any reports ofsuspected wrongdoing in a fair, transparent and consistent manner.
Principles and associated values
1. ADHERENCE TO HIGHEST STANDARDS OF WORKPLACE BEHAVIOUR
Value Observable behaviours
Standards of Ethical Behaviour:
1.1 Commit to this code and the highest possible ethical standards
As public service employees we are required,when fulfilling our public responsibilities,to ensure our personal conduct consistently meets realistic public expectations and the highest possible ethical standards.
We will always:
a) Ensure our decision making is ethical and transparent,
b) Ensure we provide a full day’s work for a full day’s pay,
c) Engage all elements of the community in a waythat is consultative, respectful, culturally appropriate and fair, and
d) Meet our obligations to report suspected wrongdoing, including conduct inconsistent with this Code.
1.2 Manage conflicts of interest
A conflict of interest is a clash between our duty to serve thepublic interest at all times and our own personal interests. Conflict may arise from a range of factors including personal relationships, any employment outside the public service, membership of special interestgroups, or ownership of shares, companies, or property.
As public employees we may also experience conflicts of interest between public serviceethics and our professional ethics (for example as health care professionals or as lawyers), oreven with our personal beliefs or opinions.
In recognition that public office involves a high level of public trust, public service institutions, publicsector entities and public officials mustpromotepublic confidence in the integrity of thepublic sector and demonstrate that they;
a) are committed to the highest possible ethical and service delivery standards;
b) accept and value their duty to provide advice which is objective, independent,apolitical and impartial;
c) show respect towards all persons, including employees, clients and the generalpublic;
d) acknowledge the primacy of the public interest and undertake that any conflict ofinterest will be resolved or appropriately managed in favour of the publicinterest; and
e) are committed to honest, fair and respectful engagement with the community.
Integrity and Impartiality
Having a conflict of interest is not unusual and it is not a wrongdoing in itself. However failing to discloseand manage the conflict appropriately is likely to be wrongdoing.
As public service employees we are committed to demonstrating our impartiality and integrity infulfilling our responsibilities.
We will always:
a) Ensure any and all advice we provide is objective, independent, apolitical and impartial,
b) Always disclose a personal interest that could, now or in the future, be seen as influencing the performance of our duties. This will be done in accordance with our employers policies and procedures,
c) Actively participate with our employer in developing and implementing resolution strategies for any conflict of interest, and
d) Ensure that any conflict of interest is resolved in the public interest.
1.3 Contribute to public discussion in an appropriate way
Commenting on government policy is a matter for Ministers, not public employees. Except where prior authorisationhas been given in writing, we will not comment to the media or the public on government policy.
Where providing factual information to the public on government policy is a part of our official dutiesand responsibilities, we will ensure information is appropriately authorised, and that we properlyrepresent government policy and administration in its intended spirit.
Like any other citizen, we have the right to contribute to public discussions on community and socialissues in our private capacity.
We will always:
a) Take reasonable steps to ensure that any comment we make will be understood as representing our personal views, not those of government,
b) Maintain the confidentiality of information we have access to due to our roles, that is not publicly available, and
c) Be aware that personal comments about a public issue may compromise our capacity to perform the duties of our role in an independent, unbiased manner.
1.4 Manage participation in external organisations
Our work as a public employee does not remove our right to be active privately in a politicalparty, professional organisation or trade union.
As a member of a political party, however, we are aware that participating in activities in the publicarena, where we may be identified as a public employee, can give rise to a perception of conflictof interest (see above). Where such a situation arises, we will declare and manage our activities inaccordance with our employer’s policies.
If we are elected as a workplace representative or official of a trade union or professional association,we are not required to seek permission from our workplace before speaking publicly in that capacity,but we will make it clear that our comments are made only on behalf of that organisation and not as a public servant.
We will always:
a) Comply with the appropriate laws and policies relating toprivacy, confidentiality and information management.
1.5 Demonstrate a high standard of workplace behaviour and personal conduct
We have a personal responsibility to always conduct and present ourselves in a professional way, anddemonstrate respect for all persons, whether fellow employees, clients or members of the public.
We will always:
a) Treat co-workers, clients and members of the public with courtesy and respect, be appropriate in our relationships with them, and recognise that others have the right to hold views which may differ from our own,
b) Ensure our conduct reflects our commitment to a workplace that is inclusive and free from harassment,
c) Ensure our fitness for duty, and the safety, health and welfare of ourselves and others in the workplace, whether co-workers or clients,
d) Ensure our private conduct maintains the integrity of the public service and our ability to perform our duties, and
e) Comply with legislative and/or policy obligations to report employee criminal charges and convictions.
2. PROMOTING THE PUBLIC GOOD
In recognition that the public sector is the mechanism through which the electedrepresentatives deliver programs and services for the benefit of the people of Bougainville,public service agencies, public sector entities and public officials.
Value Observable behaviours
Standards of Ethical Behaviour:
2.1 Commit to excellence in service delivery
Public service institutions are entrusted with public funds to develop and deliver services to thecommunity on behalf of government.
We will always:
a) Deliver services fairly, courteously, effectively, and ensure we use resources efficiently and economically,
b) Assist all members of the community, particularly people with disabilities, those who speak languages other than English, and those who may find it difficult to access government services, and
c) Treat complaints from clients and the community seriously and respond to constructive feedback as an opportunity for improvement.
2.2 Ensure appropriate community engagement
Community participation is crucial to the development of quality government plans and the ABG decision-makingprocesses.
We will always;
a) Listen and respond to issues and concerns raised by individuals, special interest groups, non-government organisations or communities,
b) Consult with the public to assist in the development of public policy, and
c) Assist in raising community awareness about public issues and policies.
2.3 Work as an integrated service
In order to deliver excellence in customer service, we will work together to address complex issues andprovide integrated services to the community.
We will always:
a) Share information across Bougainville public service organisations, where permitted by law and policy, to enhance the seamless delivery of services,
b) Share common-use assets, accommodation, and infrastructure within Bougainville public service agencies to generate economies and efficiencies.
c) Collectively plan and deliver related programs and services within Bougainville public service agencies, and
d) Work cohesively and collaboratively at the local, regional and national levels to provide integrated services to all Bougainville communities.
3. COMMITMENT TO THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT
In recognition that the public sector has a duty to uphold the system of government and
the laws of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and Papua New Guinea, public service institutions, publicsector entities and public officials –
a) Accept and value their duty to uphold the system of government and the laws appropriate to their work;
b) Are committed to effecting official public sector priorities, policies and decisions professionally and impartially; and
c) Accept and value their duty to operate within the framework of Ministerial responsibility to government, the Parliament and the community.
The above does not limit the responsibility of a public service agency, public sector entity orpublic sector official to act independently of government if the independence of the agency,entity or official is required by legislation or government policy, or is a customary feature ofthe work of the institution, entity or official.
Value Observable behaviours
Standards of Ethical Behaviour:
3.1 Commit to our roles in public service
Our role is to undertake our assigned duties, and give effect to the policies of the elected government, regardless of its political position.
We will always:
a) Accept that the elected government has the right to determine policy and priorities,
b) Be responsive to the government of the day and implement decisions and policies professionally and impartially,
c) Comply with the laws of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Public Service General Orders and the relevant laws of Papua New Guinea,
d) Comply with all relevant awards, certified agreements, subsidiary agreements, directives, whole-of-government policies and standards, and
e) Adhere to the policies, organisational values and organisational documents of our employing agency.
3.2 Maintain appropriate relationships with Ministerial staff
Ministerial advisors and the public service share a common commitment to serving the governmentof the day. Central to good government, and the ability to carry out the designated role of the publicservice, are positive and productive interactions between the administrative and political armsof government.
We will always:
a) Ensure our interactions are positive and productive when engaging with ministerial staff.
Ministerial staff are not empowered to direct public employees in their own right. If this occurs,we will bring this to the attention of our senior management.
3.3 Ensure proper communication with Members of Parliament
We have the right to communicate directly with a Member of Parliament on any issue affecting us as aprivate citizen.
We will always;
a) Maintain the confidentiality of information that is not publicly available, and we have access to due to our roles.
4. Accountability and transparency
In recognition that maintaining public trust in public office requires high standards of publicadministration - public service agencies, public sector entities and public officials;
a) are committed to exercising proper diligence, care and attention;
b) are committed to using public resources in an effective and accountable way;
c) are committed to managing information as openly as possiblewithin the legalframework;
d) value and seek to achieve high standards of public administration;
e) value and seek to innovate and continuously improve performance; and
f) value and seek to operate within a framework of mutual obligation and sharedresponsibility between public service agencies, public sector entities andpublic officials.
Value Observable behaviours
Standards of Ethical Behaviour:
4.1 Ensure diligence in public administration
We have an obligation to seek to achieve high standards of public administration and perform ourduties to the best of our abilities.
We will always:
a) Apply due care in our work, and provide accurate and impartial advice to all clients whether members of the public, public service agencies, or any level of government,
b) Treat all people equitably and consistently, and demonstrate the principles of procedural fairness and natural justice when making decisions,
c) Exercise our lawful powers and authority with care and for the purpose for which these were granted, and
d) Comply with all reasonable and lawful instructions, whether or not we personally agree with a given policy direction.
4.2 Ensure transparency in our business dealings
In order to ensure all government dealings with private industry are conducted with the highest level ofintegrity.
We will always:
a) Ensure our business meetings with persons who were formerly Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries or senior government representatives are not relating to matters those persons had official dealings with in their recent previous employment in accordance with government policy,
b) Any engagement we have with lobbyists is properly recorded, and
c) We manage gifts, benefits or hospitality in accordance with our agency policies.
4.3 Ensure appropriate use of official resources, public propertyand facilities.
We are accountable for all resources that we use or are provided in the course of our duties.
We will always:
a) Be economical, and avoid waste and extravagance in the use of public resources for proper purposes,
b) Use any public resource in accordance with official policies or manufacturers recommendations,
c) Purchase, manage and care for public resources in accordance with official policies, and
d) Responsibly utilise human assets such as corporate knowledge and intellectual property, as public resources.
4.4 Ensure appropriate use and disclosure of official information
The public has a right to know the information that is created and used by the government ontheir behalf. This right is balanced by necessary protections for certain information, includingpersonal information.
Information privacy legislation protects against the misuse of personal information and we have anobligation to ensure the lawful collection and handling of personal information.
In addition,
We will always:
a) Treat official information with care and use it only for the purpose for which it was collected or authorised,
b) Store official information securely, and limit access to those persons requiring it for legitimate purposes,
c) Not use confidential or privileged information to further personal interests, and
d) Continue to respect the confidentiality of official information when we leave public service employment.
4.5 Commit to innovation and continuousperformance improvement
The capacity of the public service to deliver services to the community depends onan innovative and creative workforce, and a commitment to continuously improve theperformance of our agency and ourselves.
We will always:
a. Maintain and develop our professional skills and knowledge
b. In consultation with our managers, take reasonable steps to identify and apply for development opportunities relevant to our current roles and responsibilities
c. Actively participate in the employee performance management processes, including induction, performance planning and development, and
d. Actively contribute to developing and improving business planning and processes, including innovative ways of delivering services.
DECLARATION BY ABG PUBLIC EMPLOYEE
As a public employee of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, I hereby declare my personal commitment to meeting the requirements of the ABG Code of Conduct and Ethical Behaviour. Specifically:
Icommit to:
i. The continuous application of due diligence in all mypublic work, including the provision of objective, accurate, apolitical and impartial advice to all, whether members of the public, public service, or at any level of government, in exercising my lawful powers for the public good and complying with all reasonable and lawful instructions, whether or not I personally agree with a given direction,
ii. Beingresponsible andeconomical; avoiding waste and extravagance in the use of public funds and resources, including;
a. Responsibleuse of human assets includingtime management, corporate knowledge and intellectual property,
b. Managing official information with extreme care, using it only for the purpose for which it was collected or authorised; ensuring it’s secure storageand limiting access to it by only those persons requiring it for legitimate and authorised purposes,
c. Respectingthe confidentiality of official information afterI leave the ABG public service.
iii. Demonstrating the principles of procedural fairness and natural justice when making decisions and to treating all people equitably and consistently,
iv. Compliancewith the laws of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, ABG General Orders, the relevant laws of Papua New Guinea, and any ABG policy relating to:
a. Disclosure of any conflict of interest that could, now or in the future, be perceived as influencing the performance of my duties and to active participation with my employer in developing and implementing resolution strategies for any perceived or actual conflict of interest so they can be resolved in the public interest.
b. Privacy, confidentiality and information management,while sharing information across public service organisations, where permitted by law and policy, to enhance the seamless delivery of services,
c. Reporting of suspected wrongdoing, including Fraud, Corruption or conduct inconsistent with theCode of Conduct and Ethical Behaviour,
v. Compliance with any award, certified agreement, subsidiary agreement, directive, whole-of-government policy or standard relevant to my work,
vi. Ensuring:
a. My decision-making is ethical and transparent at all times,
b. My conduct continually reflects a strong commitment to a workplace that is inclusive and free from harassment,and that myprivate conduct maintains the integrity of the ABG public service and my ability to perform my duties,
c. I provide a full day’s work for a full day’s pay,
d. My fitness for duty, and the safety, health and welfare of myself and others in the workplace is in accordance with ABG Policy,
e. I treat co-workers, clients and members of the public with courtesy and respect - maintaining appropriate relationships with them, and recognising their right to hold views which may differ from my own,
f. I assist all members of the community, particularly those with disabilities, those who speak languages other than English, and those who may find it difficult to normally access government services,
vii. Working cohesively and collaboratively at local, regional and national levels to provide integrated services to all Bougainville communities,
a. Accepting the elected government has the right to determine policy and priorities,responding to the government of the day and implementing decisions and policies professionally and impartially,
b. Consulting with the general public to assist in development of effective public policy,engaging all elements of the community in a consultative, respectful, culturally appropriate and fair way,
c. Delivering services fairly, courteously, effectively, and ensure I use public resources efficiently, economically and for the purpose for which they were provided,
d. Collectively planning and delivering related programs and services within Bougainville public service agencies,
e. Listening and responding to issues and concerns raised by individuals, special interest groups, non-government organisations or communities,
f. Refraining from makingany personal comments relating to public issueswhich may compromise the integrity of the ABG or my capacity to perform my duties in an independent, unbiased manner,
g. Treatingall complaints seriously and respondingwith constructive feedback as an opportunity for service improvement,
h. Understanding any unapproved public comment I make isclearly understood as representing my own views and not those of the ABG,
i. Assisting in raising community awareness relating to public issues and policies.
j. Sharing common-use assets, accommodation, and infrastructure within Bougainville public service agencies to generate economies and efficiencies.
k. Ensuring interactionwith ministerial staffis positive and productive,
l. Management of gifts, benefits or hospitality in accordance with ABG policies.
viii. Maintaining and developingmy professional skills and knowledge and my value to the ABG public service by;
a. In consultation with my manager, taking reasonable steps to identify and apply for development opportunities relevant to my current and future roles and responsibilities within the ABG,
b. Actively participating in the ABG employee performance management processes, including induction, performance planning and development, and
c. Actively contributing to developing and improving business planning and organisational processes, including innovative ways of delivering community services.
SIGNED
18.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT ANALYSIS TEAM DEBRIEFS STAKEHOLDERS
By Aloysius Laukai
The six weeks Peace and Development analysis team under UN and Inter-Peace has completed first round of fact finding mission throughout Bougainville except Nissan and the Atolls and did their presentations to the ABG and other stakeholders of the Bougainville Peace Process this morning.
Brief presentations were done by the team leader, DENNIS KUIAI, Inter-peace, women and youths representatives.
Among their first findings the team found a lot of dislocation of connections between the ABG its administration and the people in the villages.
Like in the past Communication services and communication links between the various level of Governments were non existence resulting in the people staying in total darkness.
CEO for Peace and Reconciliation division, NICK PENIAI told the meeting that the ABG knew these problems but lacked the capacity to tackle them.
He said he hoped that with the UN Peace Building Funds, they will overcome all these difficulties and move the processes forward.
MR. PENIAI thanked the team members for colleting all these information despite the difficulties they faced in the process.
The first draft of the report will be ready in the new year.
Picture of the meeting in Progress this morning
18.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Bougainville public servants warned
By WINTERFORD TOREAS
Mr Siriosi checking his latest payslip using the Alesco payroll system while a an officer from the Department of Personnel Management watches.
PUBLIC Servants in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville have been challenged to improve their work performance. A failure to adhere to this bold directive will result in them getting pay-cuts. This warning was sounded by the acting Bougainville Chief Administrator Chris Siriosi while inspecting the newly installed Alesco Payroll System of the Bougainville Administration last week. According to Mr Siriosi, this payroll system which will be monitored by authorised staff from the human resource division in Buka is a sign of another real development taking place within the public service in Bougainville.
“This is special because it will now mean that the ABG and the administration will now increase its level of accountability on the performances of public servants. “Public servants who don’t turn up for work without any explanation, be warned,” Mr Siriosi said. Mr Siriosi said this payroll system is destined to improve discipline and the attendance of the public service. Mr Siriosi also expressed his gratitude to the secretary for the Department of Personal Management, John Kali on this achievement, before adding that he will be inviting Mr Kali to come witness the launch of the system sometime early next year.
He also thanked the DPM staff and the consultant who were engaged in the connection and installation of this payroll system in Buka. Mr Siriosi later called on the staff of the HR division to enforce the general orders of the public service, before challenging those that will be monitoring the payroll system to be honest while performing their duties. A date for the launch of this payroll system will be confirmed sometime early next year. Meanwhile, the installation of this system has already drawn mixed reactions from the public servants. Those that are supporting this initiative said at last there is now a system in place that will monitor the work performance especially the daily attendance of the officers.
They added that this system will punish those officers who spend their working hours consuming alcohol. However, others said officers that will be affected most are those that live in their village and commute to work daily. Some of them, especially those that live far away from town, always arrive late for work, before leaving their offices early in the afternoon again in order to catch a PMV home. One of the government officers who lives in the village later proposed that ABG should start building houses for those officers that live far away from town.
18.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Young dancers keep crowd entertained
A SCHOOL closing day is always a fun-filled day because of the different items including discos, Solomon dances and other items that will be showcased by the students, teachers and parents. Shown here are two sisters, Maggie Sawa (left) and Wilmah Kinani leading their disco group during the closing of Hahela Primary School in Buka last week. Even though both sisters attend Hahela Elementary School, this did not deter them from celebration with their older friends in the primary school. Words and Picture: WINTERFORD TOREAS.
18.12.2013
Source: Bougainville24
Farming ferns for consumption
By Leonard Fong Roka
A dopedope plot at Enamira village in Panguna.
As the human population of Bougainville increases the island will not expanding to accommodate that growth; the result is that people are using more resources at an unsustainable rates.
As always on Bougainville, when the competition gets tougher the people adapt.
Bougainvilleans are great vegetable consumers, living largely on wild edible plants, domesticated vegetables and other garden produce. Fresh meat is also an occasional input in a household meal.
With the global warming phenomenon a wild vegetable recognised throughout Bougainville, the creeper known as choko, has been pushed into higher (and cooler) altitudes where access is difficult. Its place is now being occupied by ferns, wild taro and other common Bougainvillean leave vegetables that grow in both warm and cold climates.
In the Kieta area Bougainville ferns have special cultural significance. They have three key functions; medicinal, feasting and household usage. People believe that the consumption of the variety of ferns important for the body and for social roles and traditions.
In Kieta all edible ferns haves names that are employed across Kieta. The traditionally known edible ferns in the Nasioi language are dopedope, paangko, uvia, tumpurung, kovetu, uk’kinaa, potung (or potura), pingtung and a few others. All these have their own unique taste in broth and so people often change from one to another.
It is also believed that each fern has its own function in the human body. For example, the pingtung is used more as a vegetable by those suffering urination problems because it is said to have healing powers. The uvia is mostly used in feasting. It is used for cooking with pig blood and fed to the people who attend the feasting.
Today as the population is increasing people are scavenging every forest for this type of food. There is much competition for their wild vegetables and this is what that is leading the people in the Panguna District to adopt agricultural skills to domesticate these vegetables.
The dopedope and tumpurung are the most frequently farmed ferns. They are planted and cared for like the orchids.
People collect them in the jungles and bring them home where they are planted on moist soil, hidden from continuous sun light, particularly alongside little streams.
People often improvise by securing individual fern roots around decaying coconut husks. This is said to keep the soil around the plant moist.
In most homes today parents are manning their own fern farms and children look after their own. These are almost entirely consumed within the family with a few possibly sold in the markets.
The greatest advantage to the people is that they no longer have to exhaust themselves hunting for ferns in the bush where people are always looking for them but once domesticated.
The farm is your property so your meal will not miss a soup of fern.
18.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Arawa sewerage threat
By ROMULUS MASIU
ARAWA town is under threat of being overflowed with sewerage wastes if the three waste pump stations are not restored as soon as possible.
The sewerage wastes in the heart of Arawa town where the Bank South Pacific and Police Station are situated has already overflowed and back-flowing towards the former ‘White House’ building. This is caused by the non-functioning of the three waste pump stations six, seven and one which are sitting idle at the moment after the Bougainville Crisis.
The other problem is that Arawa town is in a naturally low-lying environment and therefore the wastes take time to flow down the pipe system and onto the Tupukas River and out to the open sea. According to Peter Miriki who is Arawa Urban Council’s manager in charge of the sewerage and sanitation of town.
The overflowing of sewerage wastes has gone for the past two years now since no funding has been forthcoming from the government responsible. However, ABG has just released K500,000 to help out with the emergency work on the sewerage system in town which is currently underway. The fund is from the 2012 budget and only released at the latter part of this year.
In this year’s budget, ABG will also dish out another K5 million for the rehabilitation of the Arawa town sewerage system. Mr Miriki said the full scoping of the work would begin next month with engineers flown in to work on the three sewerage pump stations too.
The staff of Arawa Urban Council (AUC) are working around the clock to sort out the problem of waste back-flowing in the town system as the Arawa lock up and the bank compound area has been described as health hazard with waste over-flowing already onto the road.
Mr Miriki said the money was being used to only do emergency work on the overflowing sewerage system but it won’t solve the whole problem. “The whole problem will be solved when the three waste pump stations are restored and working because these pump stations usually work 24 hours to rectify and subdue the over-flowing of the sewerages especially wastes.”
18.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Priest among winners of Bougainville by-elections
By WINTERFORD TOREAS
A CATHOLIC priest in Bougainville is among the five new members of the Bougainville House of Representatives that were declared over the weekend.
Fr Joseph Nabuai was declared the new member for Lule constituency in the Buin District of South Bougainville, beating nine other candidates who also contested for that seat. Fr Nabuai polled 1293 votes, beating his nearest rival Paul Lugakei Lorugagi who only mustered 577 votes.
In the Hagogohe seat, former broadcaster and chief of staff in the ABG president’s office, Peter Sohia, was declared as the new member-elect for that constituency. Mr Sohia led the race from the start of the counting till the fifth when he was declared the winner.
He polled 933 votes while former member Robert Hamal Sawa, who had resigned early last year, to contest the North Bougainville Open seat during the National Election came second with 691 votes followed by Pio Bisia on 459 votes. Mr Sohia, who hails from Tahetahe village in Hagogohe, is not new to politics as he was the former member for Buka Passage in the former North Solomon’s Provincial Government.
Former member Thomas Keriri was declared the winner of the Rau seat, beating seven other contestants. Mr Keriri first won the seat in 2005, but lost in 2010 to late Joseph Egilio. The Peit constituency seat was won by former primary school teacher Jerome Tsingoli Sawa who polled 1445, followed by Jimmy Gibson (1237 votes) and Gabriel Mahen Katun on 826 votes.
In the Kongara seat saw former member, Dominic Itta, retaining the seat out of the three candidates that participated in the by-election. Mr Itta, who resigned last year to contest the Central Bougainville Open seat in the National Election, polled 608 votes, followed by John Mugaki on 357 and Paul Bade who only mustered 81 votes.
Mr Itta’s win also makes him as the first ABG member that had resigned but later winning the seat again in a by-election. Other former members who had resigned including Mr Sawa have failed to win back the seats that they vacated. Meanwhile, the return of writs for the ABG by-election will take place this Thursday.
18.12.2013
Source: Radio New Zealand International
Plight of Bougainville’s Carteret Islanders increasingly dire
Tulele Peisa, a non-government organisation in Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville says they need more help to cater for growing numbers of families wanting to move to the main island from the Carterets.
The tiny islands are increasingly under threat from the effects of climate change, with flooding affecting residents’ chances for producing food.
Tulele Peisa’s spokesperson Ursula Rakova says people on the Carterets are struggling to feed themselves.
She says their situation amounts to an abuse of human rights.
Tulele Peisa, supported by the Catholic Church, is providing land on Bougainville Island, near Tinputz, where the people are being resettled.
Ms Rakova says they have settled seven families so far and built 6 and a half houses, but many others want to move.
“When we started in 2009 there were 83 families that volunteered to move. The list is actually increasing and the council of elders from the Carterets keeps giving us a list of names that we cannot manage to deal with.”
Ursula Rakova says they are not able to move people until houses are built.
18.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Poposoko women breaking it away at Hamatana
18.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
PUBLIC SERVANTS GET SHUTDOWN DAYS
By Alex Munme
PUBLIC Servants in Bougainville will get five shutdown days in addition to the gazetted Christmas and New Year Public leave days.
In a circular to all Public Servants, the Chief Administrator, Chris Siriosi advises that Friday 27th December, 2013, Monday 30th December,2013, Tuesday 31st December, 2013, Thursday 02nd January, 2014 and Friday 3rd January,2014 are the Shutdown days and not leave days.
He says that however, anyone who is required to work on these days is eligible for overtime pay.
Mr. Siriosi says that these days are designated purposely for the close of normal business for government officers during the festive season.
The Chief Administrator wishes all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
18.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
POLICE APPEALS FOR PEACEFUL AND LIQUOR FREE FESTIVE SEASON
By Alex Munme
NORTH Bougainville Police Commander, Spencer Aili on behalf of ACP, Paul Kamuai is appealing to all Bougainvilleans to enjoy a peaceful and liquor free festive season in the Communities.
He says that any activity that would lead to deaths, fights, rape, incest, civil disturbances, assaults and road accidents should be avoided.
He appeals to all homebrew producers and consumers to refrain from doing so during the period.
Mr. Aili says that liquor sales will be banned from 4pm on the 23rd December to 27th December, 2013 and again on the 31st December to 2nd January, 2014.
He says that although they are under resourced with man power and logistics, they will do everything to enforce the law and anyone found selling liquor during the festive season will be arrested and locked up.
The Police Commander wishes all Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
18.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
ELECTED PEIT ABG MEMBER ACKNOWLEDGES ALL
By Alex Munme
THE newly elected Member for PEIT Constituency in the ABG By Elections, JEROME TSINGOLI SAWA has thanked all for his election victory.
They include all voters, scrutinizers, Police, Electoral Staff and Former Member Alexis Sarei.
He made the comments soon after he was declared the winner of the ABG By Elections for Peit Constituency in the Autonomous Bougainville Government.
He said he will continue on with what Sir ALEXIS SAREI has left.
He also acknowledged the former members input saying he will make sure there are developments in his constituency.
17.12.2013
Source: The National
Exam papers missing
By ALOYSIUS LAUKAI
THE education department in Bougainville is investigating how Grade 8 examination papers from Tabago Primary School failed to reach Buka.
Bougainville Education Examinations officer James Salanin confirmed that the 32 Grade 8 students from Tabago Primary School were not selected to continue in Grade 9 next year because the examination papers were misplaced.
He said they went missing between the school and the education officer in Buka where marking was done. They were investigating the matter.
The students in Konnou, Buin, South Bougainville, will not be allowed to proceed to Grade Nine if the papers are not found.
Disappointed parents said they were caught by surprise during the school’s closing this week when one education officer announced that there were no records of Grade 8 results for Tabago Primary School at the education office.
The officer promised to investigate how this could have happened to a school that had been topping Grade Eight in past years.
Tabago Primary School continued to operate despite the on-going fights in the area.
Parent Francis Mona is calling on the Education office to immediately investigate this problem and include Tabago’s students in Grade 9.
17.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Tolai group with dukduk dance
Suni Solomon dance children
Halesala mixed choir at Hamatana
Malis Adult women's choir is on now..singing whispering hope
17.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
DARE OPENS FESTIVAL
By Aloysius Laukai
The ABG minister for Community Development MELCHIOR DARE officially opened the 2013 SASALAM HIHIKUMA FESTIVAL at the Hamatana Primary School on Buka island this afternoon.
In his official speech, MR DARE called on the people of Hagogohe and Bougainville to make Bougainville a MARIJUANA FREE, HOMEBREW FREE and make this place a free place this Christmas.
He said these problems must be ridded off our homes and streets and make Bougainville a beautiful place on earth.
17.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
HAMAL SAWA CALLS FOR UNITY
By Aloysius Laukai
The former ABG member for HAGOGOHE and losing candidate in the ABG By Election, ROBERT HAMAL SAWA today called on the people of Hagogohe to forget who they voted in the By election and support their member elect, PETER SOHIA to carry out the task of representing the people of Hagogohe on Buka island.
MR. SAWA said that he as a candidate in the By election will support and work with the mandated leader for the next one and half years remaining in the ABG before the next election in 2015.
MR. SAWA made these remarks at the opening ceremony of the SASALAM HIHIKUMA festival at Hamatana Primary school today.
MR. SAWA is the chairman of the 2013 SASALAM HIHIKUMA FESTIVAL.
He also called on the participants and competing at this festival that they will be given awards at this festival as earlier promised.
MR. SAWA was responding to critics that the Festival had no funds for awards.
He thanked sponsors like the Open Member LAUTA ATOI for pledging TWENTY THOUSAND KINA for the festival.
MR. SAWA said that he will continue to support community programs that support peace and prosperity in the COE and Bougainville as a whole.
17.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
SASALAM HIHIKUMA FESTIVAL OPENS TODAY
By Aloysius Laukai
Sasalam Hihikuma Festival a annual festival in the Hagogohe COE Buka island was officially launched today and will run for the next four days.
This is a fundraising drive for the people of Hagogohe COE and is held at different locations in the COE area.
The last time New Dawn FM covered this festival at the Gogohe Parish and this year the festival is been staged at Hamatana Primary School.
In his welcome remarks this afternoon, the Board Chairman, WENCISLAUS SOATSIN said that the School needs two more classrooms and Teacher’s house and this Fundraising was one of the school’s fundraising drives for the school.
He also thanked the ABG for funding the School’s Library and the Open member for North Bougainville, LAUTA ATOI for funding 2 Double Classrooms for the school.
JOE MAMOI representing the Hagogohe COE said that his COE supports this fundraising as the COE has only two points in the COE Policy that is Service Delivery and Chieftain System.
The festival was launched by the ABG Minister for Community Development, MELCHIOR DARE.
17.12.2013
Source: Bougainville24
Mining can stimulate economy – Finance Minister
The Finance Minister in the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), Albert Punghau (pictured), has said that mining has the potential to rejuvenate other industries in the autonomous region.
Speaking to Radio New Zealand International (RNZI), Punghau suggested that mining can provide an injection in to the Bougainville economy that can flow to other industries, such as agriculture, that have suffered since the Crisis.
“We are now in total peace, but the issue of getting the agriculture industry up and running so fast,” Mr Punghau said.
“The cash crop industry, for example the cocoa and coconut, and the other crop industries, they’re also equally important here in Bougainville.
“The plantations here that have been closed down that were generating economy to Bougainville.
“It will need money to kick-start all these things that were left for a long time during the war.
“If you can look at mining we can just kick-start the economy quickly,” Mr Punghau continued.
“As soon as construction starts on the mine there will be money thrown to the people and to the government.”
The Finance Minister acknowledged the importance of a stable legislative environment for investment and pointed at the independence referendum and the ABG’s Transitional Mining bill as key milestones.
Punghau also addressed suggestions that people in Central Bougainville don’t want mining, stating there is support on both sides and a desire for information and input from landowners.
“If go to Central Bougainville and you talk to the actual people on the ground you will find that there are people who want the mine to be open and there are also people there who think the mine should not be open,” Mr Punghau told RNZI.
“These are the people that we need to educate and we need to tell them why it is important that we have to get this mine up.”
The Transitional Mining bill be looked at by parliament in 2014 and a referendum on independence is due between 2015 and 2020.
17.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Historic event in Panguna
By DAVID LORNIE Post-Courier Bougainville Bureau Chief
ON SATURDAY, history was created when the inaugural Panguna Peace and Progress Concert was held in Central Bougainville. The ground-breaking concert was organised and sponsored by Post-Courier as a community initiative to support the ongoing Bougainville peace-building process. There has not been a music concert or festival in the Panguna district since the late 1980s when the ten-year Bougainville War broke out, tearing the region apart and killing up to 20,000 people. The people at Panguna, the flashpoint for the Bougainville Conflict, have had little interaction with the outside world since the war.
The concert was an entertainment spectacular celebrating the peace process and the breaking down of barriers between Panguna and the rest of Bougainville. It was part of Post-Courier’s ongoing commitment to Bougainville. The concert was held at Panguna Primary School and attended by locals who came to enjoy a day of local live music provided by Bougainville contemporary musicians playing rock, heavy metal and reggae.
Locals took the opportunity to set up stalls selling betelnut, food and other commodities. It was a day when the various communities of the mountainous area came together as one in the spirit of unity. Two bands travelled down to Panguna from Buka for the event and other Central Bougainville acts took to the stage. The Master of Ceremonies, and special guest, was former Autonomous Bougainville Government Deputy Speaker and women’s rights advocate Francesca Semoso.
Ms Semoso thanked Post-Courier Managing Director Kevin Smith for sponsoring the show. Speakers at the event included ABG members Melchior Dare and Michael Oni along with ex-Bougainville Revolutionary Army Commander Ishmael Toroama whose band Remnants played two songs for an appreciative audience.
Also speaking at the Peace Concert were women’s advocate Philomena Barita, local chiefs, a Panguna Peace Building Strategy representative, Joe Taruna from the Me’ekamui Government of Unity, local chiefs and ex-combatant Albert Magoi who runs the United Bougainville Training Institute. Sylvester Pokona, a local man living with HIV also gave a rousing speech.
The event was also used as the launchpad for the Panguna Arts Association by the CEO of ABG Communications Division Robert Aneisia. The concert started at 11am with a traditional welcome ceremony and continued until late evening. THE Panguna Peace and Progress Concert is a community initiative by the newspaper to contribute to the region’s progress on the road to referendum to Independence.
The day was lauded by local community leaders as a resounding success and one important step forward in the ongoing peace process. Post-Courier’s Bougainville Bureau Chief David Lornie thanked the people of Panguna and the Me’ekamui Government for their warm welcome. He also paid tribute to local school teacher Lance Itta who went out of his way to help organise the event and Cyril Tavore, whose team from the Panguna Peace Building Strategy contributed funds and fully supported the concert.
17.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
‘Unity’ the way forward
By DAVID LORNIE Post-Courier Bougainville Bureau Chief
HEAD trainer of the United Bougainville Training Centre Albert Magoi said Bougainvilleans must not forget why they fought their bloody war. The outspoken ex-combatant said this at Saturday’s Panguna Peace and Progress Concert.
"Bougainville had a vision, "said Magoi, "and there is a reason Bougainville people fought this war against Bougainville Copper Limited and PNG." He said the fathers had a vision which led to the war that resulted in Bougainville being granted a Referendum for Independence. Magoi challenged Bougainvilleans, particularly senior statespeople and fellow ex-fighters to not lose sight of the unifying vision – the struggle for freedom.
He said that some Bougainvilleans had lost that single vision and many Bougainvilleans had recently been pursuing their own individual dreams and goals. "Bougainville is like a city with many entry holes, people making their own entries instead of using the main, common entrance – meaning people have many ideologies about what they want." This is not why the war was fought, he stressed. But, he said, the Panguna Concert was a positive step in regaining the Bougainvillean spirit of unity.
Magoi praised Post-Courier for its continued commitment to Bougainville over the last year with its various community projects and sponsorships – commitment, he insists, that is making a very real difference to the Bougainville people. "With this Peace Concert, Post-Courier has driven in a six-inch nail," he said, "a nail that is an important step in binding Bougainvilleans together."
Magoi said the Bougainville vision was born in Panguna and so unity "must start here. Reconciliation and peace must begin in Panguna, from where it started, the beginning of a new journey to Referendum". Magoi reminded his fellow Bougainvilleans that they have only a short amount of time to prepare for referendum. Unity of vision and spirit is a vital factor, he said.
17.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Panguna rocks for peace
"F**k the mine, let’s rock and roll!"
The crowd went wild as these words were yelled out at the Panguna Peace and Progress Concert held on Saturday. People were at Panguna Primary School for the event in the spirit of unity, brought together by live Bougainville music. The concert, sponsored by Post-Courier, showcased the best musical talent on offer in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
Bougainvilleans are well known for their love of rock music, heavy metal and reggae. All these styles were played by the various bands who entertained the crowd at Saturday’s spectacular all-day event. Bands that performed on the day were No eXit, Black Ops, Remnants, Human Beghores, Aungie Punks, Mental Mechanics, Rights Absentees and various other local Panguna bands.
No eXit travelled to Panguna from Buka to play and entertained the crowd with a smooth set of rock classics and local bouncy music. Led by singers Eric and Jerry, the band is capably driven by powerhouse drummer Juntau who attacked the drums with his usual energy. Human Beghores are well-known in Bougainville and played a slick blues rock-based set that got the crowd on their feet dancing. The singer is a livewire who got the outdoor arena pumping. Mental Mechanics is a music project put together by local school teacher Lance Itta and played cover versions of well-known rock songs that went down well with the audience.
Rights Absentees are a young three-piece combo who played punk-inspired songs with a high energy level. Special musical guest on the day was respected ex-combatant Ishmael Toroama who played two reggae-influenced songs with his band Remnants. The second song, "We Pray For Peace" struck a chord with the crowd and showcased the ex-rebel army strongman’s melodic vocal style.
Bougainville’s premier heavy metal band Black Ops from Buka showcased a tight, thumping set of original compositions. Songs such as "Warriors of Time" and "Corruption" had the crowd standing back in awe. Guitarist Freddie "Fingers" Maneo is one of the most skilful players in this country and his lightning-fast solos echoed around the surrounding mountains. Black Ops are spearheading a revival of Bougainville metal and showing the younger generation the way forward.
After the bands on the program had performed, several groups of young Panguna musicians took to the stage, showing surprising skill and passion – the styles being mainly hard rock and reggae. There is a lot of hidden musical talent tucked away in the mountains of Bougainville. The final band for the night was the legendary Aungie Punks, performing with guest musicians as some of the original members were unable to make the show.
The band proved yet again they are purveyors of energetic rock and had the crowd jumping around. It was an event that will be remembered for some time, the first music concert held in Panguna since the outbreak of was the in late 1980s. It is a positive step for Panguna and Bougainville, evidence that the peace process is moving forward.God bless Bougainville.
17.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Semoso supports more concerts
By WINTERFORD TOREAS
THE Post-Courier-sponsored Peace and Progress Concert held on Saturday at the Andrew Pisi Memorial Primary School in Panguna has been hailed a success. Many who turned up to witnessed all events that took place at the remaining BCL structures of the then Kavarong Women’s Hostel appreciated the initiative taken by the nambawan daily in sponsoring such an event in the area. The concert was historical as it was the first time for such a musical event to be held in the former mining township of Panguna since the start of the Bougainville Crisis. One such person who was at the forefront last Saturday to make the day a lively success was none other than former Deputy Speaker in the first Bougainville House of Representatives, Francesca Semoso (pictured).
The decision to choose Ms Semoso as the master of ceremony was rewarding because she is a lively personality. Ms Semoso or Franco as she was widely renowned during her young days as a radio broadcaster, has already set her sights on next year’s event. Franco wants to ensure that if a similar event is held in the area again next year, then it should be bigger.
And she has volunteered to be a member of the team to organise that event. Ms Semoso already has plans on how to make the next event bigger, better, historical and above all memorable for the people of Panguna and Bougainville as a whole. The North Bougainville women’s advocate also wants to see more women involved in next year’s event, adding that if women are not involved, then they will feel that they have been left out of the celebrations.
She also proposed that next year’s event should be a two or three days show so that mothers there will be able to sell their arts, crafts and food to earn additional income. Ms Semoso has also volunteered to help teach women from the area floriculture so they are able to showcase the variety of rare flowers, including orchids, found in the area. She added that she is willing to travel to the area a few weeks before the scheduled event to teach mothers this art so they can prepare well before the actual event.
She added that later on, women from the Panguna area will be invited to also participate in the next flower show which she will be staging in Buka sometimes next year. Representatives of the Panguna people in the Autonomous Bougainville Government, Michael Oni (Ioro constituency) and Melchior Dare (Eivo-Torau constituency) have also pledged their support to next year’s event. Both leaders added that they will ensure the event is bigger than the one that was held on Saturday. They also commended the Post-Courier for supporting and sponsoring such an event in their district.
17.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Rock for peace and progress in Panguna
By LANCE SIKAVE ITTA
YES, Bougainville is the home of hard and heavy rock and roll. And this was proven once again when the mining town of Panguna hosted the Panguna Peace and Progress Concert with Post-Courier as the major sponsor and Panguna Peace Building Strategy (PPBS) helping out with support.
The heavy metal band Black Ops and No Exit from the northern tip of Buka town, Remnants featuring former BRA commander Ishmael Toroama joined up with their comrades Aunge Punks, Human Beghoes, Absentee Rights and the Mental Mechanics in a rock for peace concert in Panguna. This was a first of its kind, and an eye opener for the former mining town. And the icing on the cake, espe-cially for residents of Panguna town, was the ever popular Tukana actress and former deputy speaker of the ABG, Francisca Semoso who acted as the mistress of ceremony at the concert.
“Aungee, tokpisin boro meri ia ino senis lik lik,’’ I overheard two elders who are fans of the 1980s Bougainville movie Tukana comment on Francisca. With the usual Bougainville timing the show started a little late but it didn’t stop the crowd and the bands from rocking and rolling in the Panguna primary school courtyard as the Aunge Punks and their brothers the Human Beghores belted out some popular 1980s numbers. When Black Ops with Freddy Maneo’s heavy metal guitar licks combined with fast drumming of Motley Crue drummer lookalike Dave Lornie the crowd were at a standstill.
“Mi no save olsem yumi inap lo pilai olsem’’ (I didn’t know that we Bougainvillians had this type of talent), commented a friend having a six pack and enjoying the music. The show went on up until 8pm with the crowds taking to the Panguna primary school courtyard to a swaying beat. Panguna may be in the ‘’no go zone’’, but it is still one the most peaceful places anyone can be in. The honourable ABG members from Eivo Torau and Eivo Ioro Melchior Dare and Michael Oni were in attendance with their people – in this first of its kind event after the Bougainville conflict here in Panguna.
Ishmael Toroama and his popular Remnants band from Tinputz brought spiritual light into the concert and with a couple of gospel hits. But whether its gospel, hard rock or rock and roll in Panguna it was all slip and slide. Meaning it oils your joints which results in you shaking to the left and shaking to the right whether your mummy or daddy likes it, as one popular lyric goes!
16.12.2013
Source: Business Mirror
Bougainville president seeks Filipino partners in rebuilding war-torn homeland
by Henry Empeño
IBA, Zambales —President John L. Momis of the Autonomous Bougainville Government in Papua New Guinea (PNG) appealed on Saturday for Filipino expertise and capital to help rebuild his resource-rich island-province ravaged by almost a decade of civil war.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony hosted by Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. for Bougainville citizens who trained here in livelihood development under Zambales’s homegrown Program of Global Excellence (Poge), Momis said they badly need partners to help develop their economy and arm their citizens with skills crucial to self-determination.
Momis, with his wife Elizabeth, stood as guest of honor in the inauguration of the Zambales Hotel, the newest project of the provincial government, and the Zambales Training Center in this town, which housed the two batches of Poge-Bougainville trainees.
In his message, Momis noted that Filipinos “are educated [and] technically qualified, and they are now in a position to do something to better their own lives.”
He said that while Bougainville has rich natural resources, “we lack expertise and capital.”
Momis was elected ABG president in 2010, after serving as member of the Papuan parliament, ambassador to the People’s Republic of China and governor of Bougainville from 1999 to 2005.
He enjoined Filipinos to come to Bougainville “not only to come and help us and then move out, but to [become] partners for life so that we can enjoy the fruits of our common labor.”
“You bring your expertise and capital—but most especially your expertise—so that we can collaborate based on the principle of equitable distribution, so that both your people and our people can benefit,” he said.
“We want to learn more from you. And hopefully, together with you,” Momis said.
While calling for outside help, Momis tempered his appeal with the assertion that Bougainville, exploited as it was by foreign business, is now determined to chart its own destiny.
He said the civil war that destroyed his homeland was “a direct result of the systematic and ongoing process of alienation and marginalization, which led to impoverishment and dehumanization.”
Bougainville, an island-province of the state of PNG in southwestern Pacific Ocean, is the site of the Panguna mine, one of the world’s largest open-pit mines in the world.
Established in the early 1970s by Bougainville Copper Ltd., an Australian mining company controlled by British mining giant Rio Tinto Zinc, the mine contributed to as much as 45 percent of the income of PNG, but benefited Bougainville with just about 0.5 percent to 1.25 percent of the total profit.
This disparity in income, along with environmental and social impacts of the mining project, fueled a secessionist movement in Bougainville that became a full-blown civil war from 1988 to 1998.
“It was a bloody war that cost 10,000 to 15,000 lives,” said Momis, who served as a Catholic priest from 1970 until 1993, but who rose to political prominence after being elected in 1972 as representative of the then-North Solomons to PNG’s first representative assembly.
As parliament member, Momis chaired the constitutional committee and was credited with being the co-author of PNG’s Constitution, but he resigned his seat even before PNG gained independence in 1975, to establish a secessionist organization in Bougainville.
The secessionists, he said, stood up to defend their human rights and the dignity of the people of Bougainville. “Unfortunately, in the confrontation, many lives were lost. Everything was destroyed because the Papua New Guinea defense forces decided to launch an attack on its own citizens,” he added.
Momis said the two batches of Bougainville citizens who arrived in Zambales to train, did so in order for them to liberate themselves and become incubators of change.
“We aim to transform our own society. We don’t want to be spoon-fed, or become subjects of dependency. We want to take charge of our own development,” he stressed.
He said that when foreigners came to Bougainville in the past, it was only to exploit the island’s resources, leaving the natives in bare existence.
“We are no longer interested in merely surviving. We want to prosper, but it will be prosperity that we create for ourselves in conjunction with men and women of goodwill, such as your people who have a lot of experience in overcoming problems in the past,” Momis said.
The Bougainville leader also said that while the island-province has a lot of professionals, many of them have left the countryside for the city. “This must be changed,” he stressed.
Momis then thanked Zambales officials for the encouragement they gave Bougainville natives who joined the Poge training program.
“The experience our young men and women get from you here will be more than enough to motivate them to stand up for their rights, and to stand up for the good of others,” Momis said.
Ebdane said Zambales would continue to train Bougainville natives under the Poge program, which focuses on livelihood development, business administration and fiscal management.
He said the two batches of Bougainville trainees were trained to become trainors themselves when they returned to their province, thus spreading the necessary skills to further develop their community.
16.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
PRESIDENT WARNS INVESTORS
By Aloysius Laukai
The ABG Acting President, PATRICK NISIRA wants all investors to go through the Commerce Division instead of going through elected leaders.
He made these remarks to a group of investors who met the President at the Presidential office this morning.
MR. NISIRA said that the ABG was fed up of welcoming people and signing Agreements which in the end does not materialize.
He said that any investors who are interested in investing in the region must come with their proposal for approval by the Screening committee as the ABG has its own Investment policy.
MR. NISIRA also said that the ABG wants all other visits by investors to be deferred until after March 2013 as the leaders want to reflect on the year’s activities and look forward to the festive season and plan for the future.
He said that the leaders need to slow down reflect and plan for the future.
MR. NISIRA said that the ABG is interested in investors who are ready to work and have the needed capital to do so.
Visitors in the Vice-President's office
16.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BY ELECTION A SUCCESS
By Aloysius Laukai
The ABG By-Election 2013 has been hailed a success as it was conducted without problems and completed in record time.
Returning Officer, JOHN ITANU made these comments at the close of counting last yesterday morning at the BUKA TOWN UNITED CHURCH.
He thanked all candidates, Scrutineers and polling officials for their contributions in the By Elections.
The declaration of the newly elected member for PEIT, JEROME TSINGOLI SAWA completed the by election with the return of writs this Thursday 19th, December,2013.
The other seats were won by the following candidates.
LULE seat in Buin was won by FATHER JOSEPH KANGI NABUAI, the KONGARA seat was won by its former member, DOMINIC ITTA, the RAU seat in Wakunai was also won by its former member, THOMAS KERIRI.
The Hagogohe seat was won by the former radio personality, PETER SOHIA.
Writs will be returned this Thursday and also Swearing in for these newly elected members will be done at the ABG House this Thursday.
16.12.2013
Source: Radio New Zealand International
Call for more support for PNG community anti-violence initiatives
The founder of a non-governmental organisation in the autonomous Papua New Guinea region of Bougainville says the government should back community programmes supporting survivors of sorcery-related violence.
A recent conference in PNG’s Eastern Highlands looked at how to stop murders and attacks related to sorcery accusations.
The government’s decision to reintroduce the death penalty as a way of deterring would-be perpetrators generated much discussion.
“But Bougainville Women for Peace and Freedom’s" Josephine Sirivi suh-REE-vee Kauona says "the government should consider instead providing community initiatives with more funding and support.”
“Those positive approaches should be identified and supported and given proper - one thing I realised was that I didn’t have proper facility to accommodate for these people. So, better safe houses and maybe counselling service for those of us who are providing this service.”
Josephine Sirivi Kauona the mediation process to resolve sorcery-related disputes can take years but it is very effective.
16.12.2013
Source: Islands Business
Movie Mr Pip puts Bougainville on tourism map
By Davendra Sharma
From a ravaged war-zone 20 years ago to a prime tourist spot every visitor to Papua New Guinea would love to see. That is Bougainville, PNG’s mineral-rich island province where dissidents once claimed a secessionist state in an attempt to break-away from the national government in Port Moresby.
Boasting one of the world’s largest copper mines until its closure in 1989 after a bloody and long-drawn civil war that erupted between warring landowners, Bougainville has seen the toughest of times. But gone are the relics of war and so too the armed gangs which once frequented the streets or places like Panguna, where the mine once stood. “The people here are very, very friendly,” says CEO of Bougainville Tourism, Lawrence Belleh as foreign reporters began calling him last month in the wake of the release of the new film Mr Pip shot on the island. “You can walk on the streets during the night unlike Port Moresby,” he claimed in a reference to a recent spate of street violence in the nation’s capital and other provincial towns. Tourism is being put on the front page of the economy with a new website promoting the island’s coolness. “We still have the rawness in the natural environment and everything people would want to see, especially with ecotourism that is around here in Bougainville,” Belleh said. Based on a novel Mister Pip by New Zealand author Lloyd Jones, the new movie which captures the highs and lows of the island’s natural attractiveness, is now captivating audiences world-wide. “Some of the actors and scenes you see in the film are actually the experiences people had experienced during the height of the crisis,” said Belleh. Mr Pip’s adventurous showpiece which featured some local cast added a new perspective to the island’s attempt to revitalise tourism in the aftermath of the civil war. “There are so many things happening and because of the film, there are so many people now coming to see where the film was actually filmed.” Foreign investment is also on the rise with entrepreneurs from Australia and New Zealand building guest and townhouses on the remains of the war zone. The film has created a new image for the island and highlighted some of the natural wonders of Bougainville which the outside do not know. Things like lakes, mountains and volcanoes, noted Belleh. Mr Pip is named after the chief character in the movie and shaped by the plot of Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations. Jones wrote 11 versions of the novel with the original setting on an unnamed Pacific islands country but the movie version was ultimately set against the backdrop of Bougainville. Bougainville provided a perfect fit for the movie’s plot since the island was caught in a war where families were torn apart. So many children were orphaned and women widowed after the clashes of security forces. The movie is about the story of a girl caught in the highs of the civil war on Bougainville. She is guided by her Christian beliefs espoused by her mother and her connection to Pip. After years of suffering from loss of income because of business interruptions and closures on the island and infighting among dissidents, locals now do not advocate reopening the mines. Thousands of lives have been lost in the conflict, which first involved local BRA, Bougainville Revolutionary Army, and the national PNG defence forces. Locals have now readjusted to the lifestyle without the riches the mines once brought them. They are content either on subsistence living or agriculture, fisheries and soon tourism. “One of the things we are trying to avoid is to reopen the mine and that’s the sentiment that we have here, especially the people of Panguna where what they would like to do is to do tourism,” said Belleh.
16.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Policy breeding parental laziness
By ROMULUS MASIU
PARENTS in schools on Bougainville have become lazy after the introduction of the free tuition fee policy by the O’Neill Government this year, says education division head Bruno Babato.
Attitudes of parents have dramatically changed since the introduction of this policy where parents have taken the backseat and become spectators in their children’s education, he said
“Parents have become dependent. They have become lazy and are depending on the government for everything,” the chief executive officer of Bougainville education division said at his official keynote address to parents, citizens, teachers and students of Kavaronau Primary School in Panguna.
Mr Babato said communities have completely forgotten and do not take part anymore in looking after their schools. In the past before the FTT policy was introduced, parents are very well organised in their Parents and Citizens (P&C) and carryout work in their respective schools.
“However, today the role of P&C is dying out,” Mr Babato said adding that most schools are not clean and bush is growing – showing that parents do not attend or clean their schools anymore.
Mr Babato encouraged parents to support the education of their children so that children will know that their parents are supportive and they will do well in class too. He also called on the board of management (BOM) and parents to support and plan how their schools will be developed and improved.
“You must plan through your School Learning Improvement Plan (SLIP) and in return the government can support these institutions through these plans. If there are no plans, there won’t be any help from government or donors either.”
Mr Babato challenged parents of Panguna to help their BOM to make sure his department does not close or suspend their schools like they did to Daru Primary School after sorcery related incidents affected the school resulting in the education boss using his discretion to close the school.
“I don’t want a repeat of this in any schools in Panguna and for the rest of Bougainville. Don’t force me to close your schools because this will only deny the kids learning,” Mr Babato said.
15.12.2013
Source: Business Mirror
Zambales ventures into MICE market with P64-million* hotel project
* USD 1,446,460
by Henry Empeño / Correspondent
IBA, Zambales—With plenty of natural attractions to keep tourists coming in, Zambales province has embarked on another venture to keep its edge in the tourism market: a P64-milllion hotel.
On Saturday provincial officials, led by Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. and Vice Gov. Ramon Lacbain II inaugurated the Zambales Hotel in this town, saying the project will boost the province’s entry into the growing meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) market that will draw significant revenue for local government units (LGUs) elsewhere.
Ebdane, who has initiated several sports tourism events in the last four years to bring life—and needed revenue— to local tourism establishments, said developing the MICE market would further enhance the attractiveness of natural tourism attractions in the province.
“For so long, our beaches and islands have attracted tourists, and our rivers, mountain trails and lahar dunes have drawn sports enthusiasts. Now, we’re trying to develop another market—those who go out of town for meetings and conventions,” Ebdane said during the inauguration of the hotel.
“Now, they can have the best of both worlds here—they can conduct conferences and, on the side, they can enjoy the sights, the food and the hospitality of Zambaleños,” he added.
The guest of honor during the ceremony was John L. Momis, president of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, who was in town for the graduation of the second batch of Bougainville citizens undergoing training under the Program of Global Excellence (Poge), a local livelihood project initiated by Ebdane last year.
Speaking at the graduation rites later, Momis, whose hometown was devastated by a civil war until 1998, said he wished that Bougainville could soon benefit from modern technology “and build a hotel like this.”
Together with Momis, Ebdane also unveiled the two-story Zambales Training Center at the provincial engineering compound, which housed the two batches of trainees from Bougainville.
The Zambales Hotel is a four-story building that overlooks the track oval and Olympic-size swimming pool at the refurbished Zambales Sports Complex.
According to Engr. Domingo Mariano, who heads the Zambales provincial engineering office, the hotel has 64 rooms on the top three floors, aside from two penthouses on its roof deck. The first floor has two conference rooms/banquet halls that each could seat as many as 150 guests.
Mariano said the hotel is ideal for conference-goers because all the rooms are air-conditioned, furnished with trundle beds and could accommodate as many as three persons. Ebdane said provincial government will operate the hotel and will open it to accommodate meetings and seminars of local government units and other community groups.
In Photo: A priest blesses the Zambales Hotel during the inauguration on Saturday. Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. (third from right) and Bougainville President John L. Momis (fourth from right) lead the guests at the hotel inauguration. (From left) Iba Mayor Jun Rundstedt Ebdane, Palauig Mayor Gene Amog, Castillejos Mayor Jose Angelo Dominguez, Elizabeth Momis, San Felipe Mayor Carolyn Fariñas, Alma Ebdane, Vice Gov. Ramon Lacbain II and former Zambales Rep. Jun Omar Ebdane. (Inset) The newly unveiled Zambales Hotel. (Henry Empeño)
15.12.2013
Source Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
PEIT DECLARED
By Aloysius Laukai
Peit Constituency seat was finally won by JEROME TSINGOLI SAWA just after 1 am this morning.
This now completes the counting for the five seats that took part in the ABG BY Election 2013.
After he was declared, the new member thanked the people of PEIT and the public for their patience until the final seat was declared.
He also thanked all his committees and supporters for the part they played in making sure that he won.
MR.JEROME TSINGOLI SAWA also thanked his other candidates for participating in choosing a leader for the people of PEIT and Bougainville as a whole.
Pictured is Garry Kenehe the Assistant Returning Officer for PEIT and the Returning Officer JOHN ITANU making the declaration.
These members will now await for their official Swearing in Ceremony.
Polling Officials just about to DECLARE the winner for the PEIT Constituency
Sorters busy with the last ballot papers
Bougainville Assistant Police Commissioner, PAUL KAMUAI talking with Returning Officer JOHN ITANU (looking in) and Assistant Returning Officer for LULE Mathew Maau (with Glasses)
15.12.2013
Source Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
SECOND ELIMINATION
By Aloysius Laukai
Counting for the PEIT Constituency is in the second eliminations and results and declaration sometimes tonight.
We are providing some pictures of the Counting Centre tonight.
15.12.2013
Source Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
COUNTING INTO ELIMINATIONS
By Aloysius Laukai
Counting for the PEIT Constituency is near complete as they have completed the Primary Counts and are making quality checks before elimination begins.
At the close of primary counts, JEROME TSINGOLI SAWA is leading with 725 votes.
Coming second is JIMMY GIBSON with 658 coming 3rd is GABRIEL MAHEN 493.
The others are JULIAN MANEAS NOGOS 243,SIMON RAKEIT HAONI 66,PAUL PARO MUSEIN 485,STANISLAUS BARNES 291,THOMAS SOAGAI 176,MARK NABOEN 65 and
HENRY KAROLO 458.
15.12.2013
Source Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
PEIT COUNT ON
By Aloysius Laukai
Counting for the five seats in the ABG By-election is expected to end this afternoon.
So far Four seats have been declared with the last one for PEIT still in counting.
The first to be declared was PETER SOHIA who took the HAGOGOHE seat on Buka island.
Then the LULE seat was won by FATHER JOSEPH KANGKI NABUAI.
This morning the former member for RAU, THOMAS KERIRI was declared winner just after 7am.
Then at ten am the Electoral Commission officials declared the seat for KONGARA.
This seat was won by the former member, DOMINIC ITTA.
The last seat still in count has ten candidates.
13.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
KERIRI STARTS STRONG
By Aloysius Laukai
The former ABG Member for RAU in the first ABG House, 2005-2010, THOMAS KERIRI has started strongly in the primary counts for the RAU seat in Wakunai.
He scored 968, whilst runner up PHILIP SIREOMIS is on 478, OBED J ARITO is coming next with 465, JOEL VAVIRIATA 324,GREG RAIVIA 323,NORRIE MARTIN 277,WILLIAM RAUOVI 230 and MARTIN KAKITO 209.
They are now in the process of eliminations starting with the lowest scorer that is MARTIN KAKITO.
RAU seat will be declared before midnight tonight and counting will then look at PEIT and KONGARA the two remaining seats yet to be counted.
13.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
FATHER JOSEPH KANGKI NABUAI DECLARED
By Aloysius Laukai
FATHER JOSEPH KANGKI NABUAI was declared the newly elected member for LULE seat in Buin South Bougainville just after three PM this afternoon.
He becomes the second leader to be elected in the ABG By-elections for five seats that have been vacant for some time.
The first leader the new member for HAGOGOHE on Buka island, PETER SOHIA was declared at the early hours of this morning.
This now leaves three more seats to be counted, that is for the RAO seat in Wakunai left vacant when its former member and Minister for Tourism, the LATE JOSEPH EGILIO died and vacated this seat last year.
The other two seats are for PEIT on Buka island, this was left vacant due to old age and illness by the former North Solomon’s Provincial Government Premier, DR,. ALEXIS SAREI.
AND the seat for KONGARA was left vacant when its former member, DOMINIC ITTA resigned to contest the 2012 PNG General Election.
FATHER JOSEPH NABUAI polled 1,293 votes to win the seat.
Meanwhile, counting continues and has moved to the RAU seat in Wakunai.
The RAU seat is being contested by 8 candidates including the member in the first house from 2005 to 2010, MR. THOMAS KERIRI.
Thomas Keriri is contesting this RAU seat for the 3rd time, first in 2005 which he won, second in 2010 when he lost to the late JOSEPH EGILIO and 3rd time this By election.
Just before the count for RAU seat, MR. KERIRI praised the Acting Bougainville Electoral Commissioner, GEORGE MANU for doing a remarkable job with less expenses like the two previous elections.
He said that he sees this election as the best of all elections that were held on Bougainville in the past.
Counting will continue until the three remaining seats are declared sometimes tomorrow.
Pictured is Commissioner JAMES KOIBO Addressing the Veterans this morning
Picture by Aloysius Laukai
13.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
FATHER STILL LEADING RACE FOR LULE
By Aloysius Laukai
It seems that FATHER JOSEPH NABUAI is still leading and extending his lead after the 3rd elimination.
The figures after the 3rd eliminations are as follows, FR. JOSEPH KANGKI NABUAI is leading with 1,084 votes.
Running second is PAUL LUGAKEI LORUGAGI with 429,TONY KIATA 246,JOSEPH KAIMA KINANI a member for LULE in the first House 176,PETER KUGUNIA DIOU 244,the only female candidate ISABEL PETA 205,SIMON MOATSI 289.
Total allowable Ballot papers remaining 2678, votes distributed 125 and with exhausted ballot papers 5 and the total ballot papers remaining 2676.
As of the 3rd elimination, the absolute Majority needed to win is at 1,337 votes.
Elimination continues for the LULE seat.
13.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BOUGAINVILLE VETERANS MEETING OPENED
By Aloysius Laukai in Arawa
The Bougainville Veterans Association meeting which was supposed to start yesterday finally started this morning at the TUNURU Catholic Mission today.
The meeting was officially opened by the Commissioner for Central Bougainville, JAMES KOIBO who wasted no time in reminding the Veterans on the ticking time to referendum and the mammoth task ahead for all Bougainvilleans to unite and tackle of face the consequences for their failures to adhere to what they have signed at the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement.
MR. KOIBO said that the time for pointing fingers were over and that the people must work together and prepare the place for referendum to take place.
He said that the current MOMIS/NISIRA government will set the date for the Referendum in 2014 and asked if the people of Bougainville were ready to take on the challenges.
MR. KOIBO said that enough time has been wasted in going around in circles and this must be stopped for the sake of Bougainville and her future generations.
13.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
FR JOSEPH LEADING LULE
By Aloysius Laukai
FR. JOE NABUAI is leading the Lule seat in Buin South Bougainville as counting in the ABG By-election which started last night at the United Church Building in Buka town continues into its second day.
For the LULE seat the primary counts have been completed with the Ten candidates ready for their first eliminations process.
Their figures are as follows, FR. JOE NABUAI is leading with 993 votes, PAUL LUGAKEI LORUGAGI 400,
TONY KIATA 204, JOSEPH KAIMA KINANI 156,PETER KUGUNIA DIOU 220,ISABEL PETA 184, SIMON MOATSI 253,PAUL KAREBA KUMMA 121,PAUL KONEANA 68 and PAUL MOROKANA 79.
Total allowable ballot papers 2678, INFORMAL 42 and Grand total 2720.
Counting officials have already eliminated PAUL KONEANA who is dragging behind with only 68 votes.
13.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
MEETING STARTS AT LAST
By Aloysius Laukai in Tunuru
The Bougainville Veterans meeting started this morning at the Tunuru Women's Centre after several hiccups yesterday.
The meeting started with a Cultural group from Taveromau village escorting the members to the conference meeting.
The launched was made by the Central Bougainville Commissioner, JAMES KOIBO.
The minister came later in the day.
Meeting in progress
13.12.2013
Source: ABC Radio Australia News - Pacific Beat
Sorcery in PNG: Murder, witchcraft and law reform
by Pacific Beat, PNG correspondent Liam Fox and Pacific correspondent Sean Dorney
"Sorcerer" burned alive in PNG
VIDEO: PNG's new sorcery laws may not be effective (Newsline)
Every month in Papua New Guinea, stories emerge of people being put to death, accused of being sorcerers.
The belief in witchcraft is deeply embedded in the country's culture and tackling is proving a tough problem for PNG's law-makers.
The horrific torture and burnings of alleged witches in Papua New Guinea have been partly responsible for the introduction of new tougher laws, including five methods of execution for people the courts sentence to death.
President of the province from 2009 to 2010 and former commander of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, James Tanis, says the idea of sorcery is culturally engrained.
"Sorcery is something...we hear from childhood," he said.
"The first thing that we hear from our mothers, 'Don't go there! Don't eat that! Don't do this! The sorcerer is out there!'"
"Increasingly modern as we are, increasingly serious with things of God and the bible hasn't made us abandon our beliefs in sorcery."
Dr Andrew Moutu, PNG National Museum and Gallery
"It's like a big bogyman that you listen to and grow up in it."
A recent conference in Canberra on sorcery in Melanesia heard the belief in the power of others to cause harm using supernatural powers is deeply ingrained in the region.
Mr Tanis says during the 10-year-long civil war on Bougainville, the BRA capitalised on the belief they knew the PNG troops had in sorcery.
"We knew that they would encamp themselves with explosives...set for us," he said.
"What we would do is...throw bones into those traps during the night or some pieces of bones from pork.
"And you know what would happen? The dogs would fight over it in the night and they would trip it up and it goes off and in the morning the defence force would wake up.
"What would they see? A dog footprint there and they would then believe that, 'yes, these BRAs can turn into dogs!'"
Difficult problem
It's no wonder the issue of dealing with sorcery in Melanesia is such a complex one.
Nancy Robinson from the United Nations Human Rights Commission says toughening up the laws is no solution if they're not implemented.
"I find it disgusting that old women can be picked up from their homes and dragged off into the bush and tortured, after being accused of sorcery, when we often know those allegations are absolutely false."
Charles Abel, PNG Minister for Commerce and Industry
"Implementation is the big obstacle," she said.
"You may have a law but then if you don't have the police capacity to enforce it, or if the police themselves view the situation of sorcery related killings with indifference then we still have a big issue of how to address impunity.
"Those who perpetrate this violence know full well they'll get off scot free - this has to change."
Shocking killings
Long-serving PNG parliamentarian, Dame Carol Kidu, was one of many to express shock at an apparent upsurge in public torture and killing of women accused of being sorcerers in PNG.
"I felt physically ill when I read of the first witch burning and the photo in the newspaper, front page," she said.
"I really physically felt ill and horrified.
"The majority of Papua New Guineans are horrified by what's happening."
Dame Kidu moved to PNG in her twenties and married the man who would become PNG's first indigenous chief justice.
When her husband died, many blamed sorcery.
"Because the question is not, 'well, he had a heart attack?'... but, 'who caused it? Why?'" she said.
"Many members of the family still firmly believe he was killed by sorcery."
13.12.2013
Source: Bougainville24
Siriosi defends legislative process
Chris Siriosi (left) is the acting Chief Administrator in the ABG.
The acting Chief Administrator in the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), Chris Siriosi, took to social media last week to explain the approach policy creation and implementation.
In a post to the Bougainville Forum on Facebook, Siriosi took time to explain the new ground the ABG is treading.
“The ABG has power develop its own policies and laws on many subjects,” Mr Siriosi said.
“Unlike the North Solomons Provincial Government and the later Bougainville provincial governments, the ABG has wide legislative powers.”
“The Bougainville Peace Agreement says this is so Bougainvilleans can find their own solutions to their own special needs and problems”.
Siriosi was keen to discuss the development of legislation on Bougainville, an intensive process to provide the framework for the autonomous region.
“Beginning transfer of new powers from the national government took time,” Mr Siriosi continued.
“It’s also taking time for the ABG to gradually develop the specialised skills needed to develop our own policies and laws on transferred powers.”
One of these highly skilled areas are legislative drafters, a profession that requires years of legal training and experience to qualify for.
“We don’t yet have an experienced and trained Bougainvillean drafter,” Mr Siriosi said, “but one Bougainvillean lawyer… is being trained.”
“We are using a drafter who worked in Port Moresby for many years, and now lives in Australia.
“Sometimes, where a gap is identified, he may act on verbal instructions from a minister or senior officer.”
“All the drafter’s work is checked carefully. The final law is developed gradually… successive drafts go to Bougainville Executive Council, which often directs changes.
Siriosi slammed suggestions that the ABG has been lead along by their legal advisors, reiterating that their work is technical in nature, not to do with policy direction.
“Some people say advisers direct or control development of ABG laws,” Mr Siriosi said.
“That kind of comment, not based on any evidence, is insulting to our leaders and to senior officers in the Administration.
“It’s saying that we are so weak or stupid that we allow outsiders to control us.
“I can assure you that no adviser controls me, the President, our ministers, or our senior officers.
“I can promise all Bougainvilleans that all our advisers are completely under ABG and Administration direction and control. If they were not, we would immediately get rid of them.”
13.02.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
SOHIA COMES HOME
By Aloysius Laukai
Former Broadcaster, PETER SOHIA has won the HAGOGOHE seat in the first seat that has been declared since counting for the Hagogohe seat commenced after Seven pm last night.
PETER SOHIA started leading from the first count and at the end of the primary counts he was still leading with 515 votes with the former member, ROBERT HAMAL SAWA coming second with 481 votes.
PETER SOHIA although the new member for Hagogohe is not new to politics as he was the former member for Buka Passage in the former North Solomon's Provincial Government.
PETER SOHIA hails from TaheTahe village in the Hagogohe Constituency.
His declaration by the returning officer leaves 4 more seats to be declared.
MR.SOHIA won after the Exclusion 5 and with three candidates remaining in the race.
These are the final scores, COE Chairman PIO BISIA 495,ROBERT HAMAL SAWA 691 and PETER SOHIA 933, TOTAL allowable Ballot Papers 1624 with the Absolute Majority at 813.
13.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Great fisherman
ENOCH Zambael is a great fisherman from Sirovai village of Central Bougainville. You can not miss him at Arawa fish market with his catch of yellow fin tuna, mackerel, marlin and many other species found in the Solomon Sea. Words & Picture: ROMULUS MASIU.
12.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
COUNTING STARTS
By Aloysius Laukai
Counting for the ABG Byelection has started tonight at the Hutjena United Church in Buka town.
As of start of Counting, the officials have started with the HAGOGOHE seat on Buka island and later in the night they will move into other electorates from the five seats being contested by 38 candidates.
The seats are for LULE in Buin, KONGARA and RAO in Central Bougainville, HAGOGOHE and PEIT on Buka island.
The Bougainville Acting Electoral Commissioner, GEORGE MANU has appealed to all candidates and supporters to behave and not to disturb the counting as this could be their only chance to have a representative in the ABG House, as it took more than two years for the By election to take place after these seats became vacant.
As of Count 1 for the HAGOGOHE seat, former broadcaster, PETER SOHIA is leading the race with 271 votes, whilst EDWARD HAMANEIN is running second with 191 votes. The rest are as follows, AUGUSTINE RETEIN 85, COE Chairman, PIO BISIA 75, TOM KATHOA 48, DAVID MUSEIN 26.
Former member, ROBERT HAMAL SAWA is on 81.
The votes were taken from the Polling Booths at MALIS, TSINTSIN and HOKO.
The counting is continuing.
12.12.2013
Source: PNG Mining News Net
Rio beats cost-saving target
by Kristie Batten
RIO Tinto CEO Sam Walsh says the company has already achieved its 2013 target of $US2 billion ($A2.2 billion) in cost savings.
Speaking at the company’s London investor day, Walsh updated the figure of $1.8 billion of cost savings achieved to the end of October, which was revealed at the Sydney event last week.
“In fact, at the end of November, we’ve now exceeded our targets for 2013,” he said.
“We have taken more than $2 billion out of our operating costs, and reduced our exploration and evaluation spend by over $800 million.
“At the same time, we’ve set new production records as we've realised productivity gains across our portfolio.”
Rio chief financial officer Chris Lynch said the savings were the result of more than 1500 separate initiatives.
“The copper group has reduced service and support costs by more than $50 million in the first 10 months of the year, primarily through reducing headcount and right-sizing the business following divestments,” he said.
“In aluminium, they’ve been able to increase truck utilisation at the Weipa bauxite mine through using condition-based maintenance and reducing turnaround times.
“Initiatives such as these have allowed them to achieve a 47% increase in labour productivity since 2011.
“At the same time, they’ve been able to strip out costs in their procurement spend with a reduction of 14% in materials and services costs since 2012.”
The company has removed 4000 roles globally since June 2012, after taking into account 1800 new roles to support the iron ore expansion.
“And this doesn't include a further 3000 roles that have gone with divested assets,” Lynch said.
“So the business is now being run much more tightly, with a real focus on cash generation, and I think you can see that we’re making good progress.
“But it’s a journey and we have more to deliver in future years.”
Rio will aim for a $3 billion reduction over 2012’s figure next year.
Energy CEO Harry Kenyon-Slaney commented on the tank failures over the past week at the Rossing uranium mine in Namibia and Ranger mine in Australia.
“The containment systems worked as designed, no material left the sites and there was no impact on the environment,” he said.
“We continue to work with key stakeholders and regulators.
“But it is too early to fully understand what the implications of these incidents will be.”
Meanwhile, Diamonds and Minerals boss Alan Davies said the progress at the massive Simandou iron ore project in Guinea was encouraging.
The project, which could reportedly cost as much as $20 billion to develop, has been delayed by the need to establish an investment framework with the Guinean government, a partner in the project.
Davies said he expected the investment framework to progress to ratification early next year with constructive discussions underway.
“Earlier this year, the government of Guinea decided not to take up its 51% share of the infrastructure company,” Davies said.
“This has created a gap in the funding of the project which now needs to be closed.”
Davies said the focus of Rio’s investment would be the mine, which would provide a stable revenue stream for the infrastructure.
“The infrastructure development and ownership model will be underpinned by a haulage contact from the mine,” he said.
“Over a short period of time, we plan to mobilise new investors and infrastructure owners to raise a significant portion of the required capital in equity, with the remainder to be funded by project finance debt.
“As these additional investors are brought in, it will reduce the capital funding requirements by the existing Simandou partners.”
Rio shares last traded 1.3% down to $A64.90.
12.12.2013
Source: Radio New Zealand International
Call for leadership over PNG sorcery violence
A former Bougainville MP says unless people publicly condemn attacks and murders in Papua New Guinea related to accusations of sorcery, they will continue.
Francesca Semoso (pictured) was a delegate at last week’s conference in the Eastern Highlands capital Goroka on how to stop the growing number of public executions and torture of people suspected of using sorcery to cause illness or death.
Much debate at the conference centred on the government’s reintroduction of the death penalty and whether it is likely to stop people taking the law into their own hands.
But Ms Semoso says the answer is in leadership at village level.
“In every family there is a leader. That is a father and a mother. We’ve got leadership in the churches, in the women’s groups, in the youth groups as well. So, these are leaders in the village that should be able to actually stand up collectively and say, ’We can’t let that happen’.”
Francesca Semoso says capital punishment will not stop the violence.
12.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BOXING AT THREE ROCKS
By Aloysius Laukai in Arawa
Arawa town the former Capital of Bougainville will be live tonight with the staging of a Boxing tournament at the THREE ROCKS CLUB starting 6.30 pm.
About five clubs from Buin, Arawa, Wakunai and Inus will be fighting it out to select the best team for a Bougainville tournament that will be staged in the new year.
Former Bougainville Boxing Champion and organizer of the tournament, SIMON TOVIRIKA told New Dawn FM in Arawa this afternoon that Bougainville need to regain its title in Boxing and his Association, that is the Bougainville Amateur Boxing Association is reviving Associations again on Bougainville to take up Boxing again as its main game on Bougainville.
Bougainville has two Associations that are currently promoting Boxing in Papua New Guinea.
They are the North Solomon’s Boxing Federation and the Bougainville Amateur Boxing Association.
New Dawn FM will cover the Boxing Tournament in Arawa tonight.
12.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
MEETING TO OFFICIALLY START TOMORROW
By Aloysius Laukai in Arawa
The two-days Bougainville Regional Veterans Association failed to get the leaders to officially officiate at the opening ceremony this morning resulting in the meeting being put off for tomorrow.
Former combatants from Central, North and South Bougainville started arriving in Arawa on Monday for this very important meeting.
Instead of opening the meeting the members this morning worked on prioritizing Agendas for this meeting which will now start at the Tunuru Women’s Training centre near Loloho.
The brief meeting this morning, wanted the Minister for Veterans Affairs, DAVID SISITO and the CEO for the Veterans Affairs division, ARON PITA to be present for the opening session.
These two leaders were not present at today’s meeting but will be available tomorrow.
Those who were Present this morning included Chairmen’s of Associations for North, South and Central Bougainville including notable leaders like ISHMAEL TOROAMA,THOMAS TARI,PETER BARIK and the member for Ex-combatants representing North Bougainville in the ABG.
12.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Pato satisfied with ministerial forum
Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Rimbink Pato yesterday expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the PNG – Australia Ministerial Forum held in Canberra.
Mr Pato said the agreement between the two governments, outlined in the Communique signed, delivered a new outlook in the relationship between the two countries.
"The new focus in our economic and development co-operation, only serves to strengthen our existing relationship," Mr Pato said.
He said PNG’s economy was one of the fastest growing economies in the world. He said there was increased spending by the government on key areas like infrastructure development, education and health, and law and order.
"The Australian Government is now aligning their annual aid with our development priorities in these key areas, and I’m very pleased and excited. In fact these are exciting time for all of us (both Australia and PNG)," Mr Pato said.
"Focusing resources in these priority areas will ensure we get the outcome we want."
Mr Pato and his Australian counterpart jointly addressed the media in Canberra after signing the Communique.
The upgrade of the Madang-Ramu Highway, Angau Hospital redevelopment, building a lower court house in Waigani, and upgrading facilities at the University of PNG are initial projects agreed to by both governments. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop also announced she would visit PNG early next year, possiblyin February.
Some of agreements in the Communiqué include:
•Australia supporting PNG’s hosting of the APEC summit in 2018;
•Australia supporting ongoing implementation of Bougainville Peace Agreement;
•Both sides committed to work together maximize take-ups for the Seasonal Workers Program;
•Both sides to continue to work on streamlining visa arrangement to make it easier for PNG citizens to travel to Australia;
•Continue the Defence and Police co-operation, with 50 Australian Federal Police personnels now deployed in PNG;
•Australian Government fully supporting the anti corruption efforts of the PNG Government;
•Australian Government supporting PNG Government’s efforts in improving the procurement process.
Mr Pato said PNG will continue to work with Australia in addressing human trafficking issues, and expressed satisfaction that the Manus Asylum Processing Centre was working well, in line with laws and standard expected of such a facility.
Handshake in Canberra: Rimbink Pata and Julie Bishop
12.12.2013
Source: PNG Attitude
Medicine & books out as Australia & PNG 'refocus' relationship
by KEITH JACKSON
WITH AUSTRALIA’S NEW COALITION government having struck rough waters in China, Indonesia and Timor Leste in recent times, it needs all the friends it can keep in the neighbourhood.
And with the Abbott government determined to cut back on foreign aid, and PNG having long expressed a convenient relaxation with the concept, yesterday’s 22nd Australia-Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum seemed a good opportunity to re-invent an old friendship.
Thus the official statements were able to boldly assert a ‘pledge’ that the governments of Australia and Papua New Guinea would take a “fresh approach” to their relationship.
For her part, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said it was time to move the relationship beyond the ‘stereotypes’ of aid donor and aid recipient.
"We decided it is time to look afresh at the development assistance," she said. "We are the largest donor to PNG and we want to ensure the funding we provide is able to go to developing a sustainable economy.
"We want to move away from direct service delivery like medicines and schoolbooks."
Of course these are the tangibles that, by and large don’t interest corrupt PNG fat cats because it is hard to make a decent quid out of them.
So what do you get when you don’t get medicines and schoolbooks?
"A strong law and order focus," Ms Bishop said, “because that also affects investment confidence and economic growth in a number of areas.”
Counterpart Foreign Minister, Rimbink Pato, responded that the “new focus is on a partnership which has matured and how we can partner together to benefit mutually from the economic growth taking place in Papua New Guinea."
And so, to the sound of mutual back scratching and saccharine words, those superannuated pesky medical and educational supplies shuffled off reluctantly into the distance.
12.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
ADULT LITERACY
By Aloysius Laukai in Arawa
The Bougainville Education Division is running a one week Training Of Trainers on Adult Literacy at the Arawa Women's centre.
The group of former educationists have been called in to help as Bougainville still has to tackle the growing literacy problem created by the Ten year Bougainville conflict which damaged the learning of students.
The training is being run by officials from the Education office and including the CEO Bruno Babato.
New Dawn Fm will interview these participants before close of their program tomorrow.
12.12.2013
Source: PNG Attitude
Beware of under-rating resilient & resourceful Bougainvilleans
JOANNE WALLIS | The Strategist
Bougainville jacket (Mekamui) PETER JENNINGS AND KARL CLAXTON’s recent ASPI Special Report A stitch in time: Preserving peace on Bougainville represents an important — and necessary — attempt to move Bougainville to the centre stage of Australian foreign and strategic policy debates.
Bougainville is due to hold a referendum on its political future between 2015 and 2020, and given Australia’s long-standing involvement and interest in Bougainville, and Papua New Guinea more broadly, we’ll be focused on the events that surround the vote. The Report represents a considered attempt to outline what Australia might do to mitigate a recurrence of conflict in Bougainville and to advance the development of the Bougainvillean people.
But the Report both overestimates Australia’s potential legitimacy and effectiveness in Bougainville, and underestimates the capacity and potential of the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) and its people.
As forcefully argued elsewhere, the Report glosses over much of Australia’s ambivalent (and potentially culpable) history in Bougainville, which undermines our legitimacy and how effective our assistance might be today. As the colonial power in Papua New Guinea we were responsible for generating many of the issues which triggered the conflict, most notably relating to the Panguna mine.
During the conflict, our role in providing assistance to the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNDGDF), particularly the Iroquois helicopters that were used to devastating effect, should be acknowledged.
The Report is insufficiently circumspect concerning this history and the impact it has on Australian activities in the region. In light of that history, any Australian initiative in Bougainville must be designed in close consultation with, and deference to, the ABG and Bougainvillean people. We cannot force ‘solutions’ on Bougainville which may be met with resentment, or at worst, resistance.
In particular, the Report proposes that the Australian Defence Force cooperates with the PNGDF in Bougainville. This shows a misunderstanding of the Bougainville Peace Agreement, according to which the withdrawal of the PNGDF and demilitarisation of Bougainville was a requisite of the weapons disposal process.
While the Peace Agreement does provide that the PNGDF can be deployed to Bougainville in response to natural disasters or humanitarian emergencies, or in consultation with the ABG, it’s unlikely that this would happen.
If the PNGDF was to redeploy in any capacity (even an unarmed Engineering Battalion as proposed in the Report) this would likely derail the already slow weapons disposal process, and would probably be met by an armed response from hardline independence supporters.
The Report also underestimates the capacity of the ABG. It rightly observes that the ABG has faced severe capacity and funding challenges since its creation in 2005, that there is incipient corruption, and that development levels in Bougainville are low.
Many of these challenges can be attributed to the sometimes rocky relationship between the ABG and the Papua New Guinea government, which has often proved reluctant to transfer sufficient powers and resources to allow the ABG to develop.
The Report is correct that this relationship needs to be improved. But given the challenges it has faced, the ABG’s achievements should be acknowledged. It has overseen the rebuilding of schools, aid posts and roads, as well as the revival of the copra and cocoa industries. It has also facilitated extensive (and expensive) post-conflict reconciliation across Bougainville, most significantly in its southern regions and around the Panguna mine.
While tensions remain, there are few other international cases where there has been a devastating conflict after which a population has been able to achieve significant reconciliation and avoid the recurrence of major hostilities. That the ABG and ordinary Bougainvilleans have done this with minimal outside assistance should be acknowledged in any Australian initiative.
Accordingly, while Australian development and capacity-building assistance might be welcomed by the ABG and Bougainvilleans, we need to avoid berating them for their supposed shortcomings, and instead focus on their potential and achievements.
The report underestimates the resilience of the Bougainvillean people, illustrated by the innovative solutions they devised to survive during the conflict. By focusing on the performance of the formal institutions of government, the ABG and its administration, the report fails to sufficiently acknowledge the role of local leaders, institutions and practices. In villages and hamlets across Bougainville, local leaders continue to perform political, administrative and law and order functions, and family and clan groups continue to provide public goods and services.
The Bougainvillean Constitution acknowledges the role of local leaders, and there are avenues for them to work with the ABG. As I’ve argued before, although the formal institutions of ‘state’ might be weak in Bougainville, the society beneath it is strong.
While the Report contains a reference to empowering women and community leaders, as it largely proposes technocratic solutions to strengthen formal institutions and advance development, it overlooks this society’s potential and the role that it may play in developing and stabilising Bougainville in the future.
Joanne Wallis is a lecturer in the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University, where she also convenes the Asia-Pacific Security program
11.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
NISIRA ON MOMIS ABSENCE
By Anthony Kaybing
This is a formal statement to the people of Bougainville regarding the absence of our President Chief Dr. John Momis from the Vice President, PATRICK NISIRA currently acting President.
Following the recent death of President Momis and First Lady Elizabeth’s only child and daughter, Mary Katherine Momis, the President is currently away on compassionate leave as he seeks to overcome the sudden loss of his only beloved child....
The President and the First Lady are currently away from the Region to seek counseling and peace to deal with this most traumatic event. Their return to Bougainville should be sometime next week before Christmas. I would like to ask for your prayers as well as you understanding and patience as our Presidents goes through his time of healing.
It also is my duty as the Acting President of the people of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville to reassure you all that despite the absence of President Momis, the mechanisms of the Autonomous Bougainville Government are still moving and progress within the government is still being made.
May God’s Blessings be upon you all during this festive period.
11.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
NEW DAWN FM is making this Communique between PNG and Australia available on its site because it also has something for Bougainville.
Last week the Australian High Commissioner to PNG, DEBORAH STOKES visited Bougainville ahead of this important meeting.
Editor
The 22nd Papua New Guinea-Australia Ministerial Forum
Parliament House Canberra, Australia
Communique
11 December 2013
1. The 22nd Papua New Guinea - Australia Ministerial Forum (the Forum) was held at
Parliament House in Canberra on 11 December 2013.
2. The Forum was co-hosted by the Hon Julie Bishop, Australian Minister for Foreign
Affairs, and the Hon Rimbink Pato, PNG Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration.
3. The Forum emphasised the importance of the Australia-Papua New Guinea bilateral relationship. Ministers agreed to expand the relationship to one of economic and strategic partnership. Ministers agreed to focus on expanding trade and investment ties, security cooperation and strengthening people-to-people links to reflect the close relations between Australia and Papua New Guinea based on mutual respect and understanding.
Economic cooperation
4. Ministers highlighted the increasing importance of trade and investment in the bilateral relationship. The Forum noted Papua New Guinea was Australia's 15th largest merchandise trading partner and 13th largest merchandise export market in 2012-13; and that Australia is Papua New Guinea's largest trading partner. Ministers committed to
reviewing, strengthening and diversifying our bilateral trade and investment ties.
5. Ministers welcomed Papua New Guinea's progress in establishing a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) in-line with international best practice. The Forum noted a SWFwili assist insharing the economic gains of Papua New Guinea's resource sector with the people of Papua New Guinea.' .
6. Ministers committed to early finalisation of an Economic Cooperation Treaty. The Treaty will recognise the growing relations between Australia and Papua New Guinea in trade, investment, business and development cooperation and will set out a framework for bilateral cooperation in these areas.
Development cooperation
7. Ministers welcomed the ongoing commitment to the PNG-Australia Partnership for
Development.
8. Ministers confirmed a commitment to the ongoing closer alignment of the aid program with Papua New Guinea's development priorities, including with a particular focus on infrastructure. Emphasis was also given to improving procurement processes and modalities, and sub-national capacity building.
9. Ministers welcomed progress under the Joint Understanding on further bilateral cooperation on health, education and law and order...
10.Australia reconfirmed its support for Papua New Guinea to improve the quality of its universities in-line with the Garnaut-Namaliu PNG Universities Review. The Forum noted that this support would remain on a kina for kina basis underpinned by the principle of mutual accountability for performance and results.
11. Ministers acknowledged that aid investments need to target areas where Australian expertise can have an impact on sustainable economic growth, which is critical to raising living standards in Papua New Guinea over the long term.
12.Australia committed to undertake an assessment of its aid investment in Papua New Guinea in close consultation with the PNG Government to reflect both Governments' priorities.
13.The assessment will position the Australian aid program to address the key constraints to sustainable economic growth and equality in Papua New Guinea; focus on private sector led growth; be subject to clear performance benchmarks and mutual accountability for both investments and results.
14.Australia confirmed its support for Papua New Guinea's reforms of its government procurement systems, including the establishment of the Independent Health Procurement Authority and the Infrastructure Development Authority, reforms which will be essential in generating better value for money and accountability for public finances in compliance with PNG laws.
15. Both governments looked forward to the result of the Australian-funded Pacific Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) financing study, which will provide advice on how the private sector can also engage in this area.
Cooperation against people smuggling and the Regional Resettlement Arrangement
16.The Australian Government reiterated its commitment to the Regional Resettlement Arrangement. Ministers noted that funding under the Joint Understanding is in addition to other elements of Australia's development cooperation assistance to Papua New Guinea. The Forum welcomed Papua New Guinea's strong leadership in combating people smuggling in the region, particularly in implementing the Regional Resettlement Arrangement. . ....
People-to-people links
17. Ministers discussed opportunities to further enhance people-to-people links, including through the New Colombo Plan. Both governments noted that Papua New Guinea's efforts to improve the quality of PNG universities would facilitate the operation of the New Colombo Plan in Papua New Guinea in years to come. There will also be opportunities for Australian University students to gain work experience in PNG busihesses and with the PNG Government.
18. Ministers agreed to establish an Australia-PNG Network, to provide a platform to build stronger people-to-people links between Australia and Papua New Guinea, foster links between businesses and create an online space for collaboration. Using the annual Emerging Leaders' Dialogue as a key event, the networkwould bring together the multiple sister city, school, scholarships, and twinning arrangements, provide a point of contact for organisations wanting to create links and generate opportunities to develop a more comprehensive understanding of one another. Progress to streamline visa arrangements will also help to facilitate people-to-people links and travel between both countries.
Gender equality and social inclusion
19. Ministers acknowledged Australia's commitment to working with the PNG Government to confrontgender inequality and violence against women as a critical barrierto the country's development. .
20.Australia commended the PNG Parliament's passing of the Family Protection Bill, a landmark legal reform to combat the epidemic of family and sexual violence. Australia reaffirmed its commitment to continuing to work with the PNG government to improve access to justice for Papua New Guineans, especially vulnerable women and children.
21. The PNG Government recommitted to implementing commitments made under the 2012
Pacific Leaders Gender Equality Declaration, including increasing funding for services for women survivors of violence across the country, particularly women's refuges and
Family Support Centres in all provinces.
22.Ministers noted the PNG Government's adoption of aqender equality and social inclusion policy and its continued institutionalisation throughout the public service.
Youth
23. Ministers acknowledged that young people make up the majority of Papua New Guinea's population and they must be provided with opportunities and the skills and abilities to act on them. Ministers noted the National Youth Commission is playing a central role in national policy and coordlnatlon.
Sport
24. Ministers welcomed the extension of the Rugby League in.Schools Pilot Program to include Bougainville, and Australia's assistance in new sporting activities including AFL, cricket and soccer under the Australian Government's Pacific Sports Partnership Program.
Kokoda
25. Ministers reiterated their commitment to the Kokoda Initiative. The Kokoda Initiative and NGOs are bringing education, health and economic opportunities to the people and communities along the track. The Initiative is supporting Papua New Guinea to protect the rich cultural and military heritage of the iconic Kokoda Track and the Owen Stanley Ranges.
Defence cooperation
26. Ministers recognised the longstanding and mutually beneficial defence relationship, vital to our shared security interests in the region. Defence Ministers held the inaugural Defence Ministers' Meeting yesterday (10 December 2013).
27. Ministers agreed to establish an annual security dialogue including senior officials from the Prime Minister's, Defence and Foreign Affairs departments of both countries.
28. Ministers looked forward to strengthening practical defence and security cooperation including through mentoring and training, information sharing and maritime security cooperation. Ministers also welcomed an expansionof Australia's Defence Cooperation Program with Papua New Guinea'- Australia's largest with any country.
29. Ministers welcomed the impending release of PNG's National Security Policy and Defence White Paper and agreed to consider implications for the PNG-Australia Defence Cooperation program.
Policing cooperation
30. Ministers noted the PNG-Australia Policing Partnership is delivering stronger PNG policing capabilities. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Royal PNG Constabulary (RPNGC) committed to continuing their close working relationship. The Forum welcomed the deployment of 50 AFP officers to Papua New Guinea which has already commenced and is anticipated to be completed by the end of December 2013. Ministers welcomed the PNG Government's commitment of greater resources towards RPNGC development and modernisation.
Antl-corruption and legal cooperation
31. Ministers renewed their commitment to fighting corruption. Ministers noted that improving law and order remains vital for the quality of life for the people of Papua New Guinea, including through strengthening PNG's economy and increasing PNG trade and investment links with the international economy. Australia welcomed Papua New' Guinea's commitment to establish an Independent Commission Against Corruption. The Forum noted that Australia's law and justice support has helped Papua New Guinea on h!gh priority issues of concern, including corruption and sexual and gender based violence. Ministers recognised that improving the transparency and accountability of public finances and procurement was important to reducing opportunities for corruption, Ministers welcomed both Governments',commitment to zero tolerance of fraud in the delivery of Australia's development cooperation program.
Strongim Gavman Program
32. Ministers welcomed the contribution of the whole-of-government Strongim Gavman Program, which deploys officials consistent with PNG government's needs, from Australian Government agencies to build specifically the capacity of selected counterpart PNG Government agencies and to support stronger governance outcomes, including at the sub-national level, to benefit the people. of Papua New G. uin.ea. Ministers supported regular dialogue between heads of department and agencies in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Ministers agreed to consult closely on the review of the Strongim Gavman Program in 2014.
Business Dialogue
33. The Forum welcomed the dialogue with representatives of the Australia Papua New Guinea Business Council and the Business Council of Papua New Guinea. Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to creating opportunities for private sector-led growth, including through continued dialogue with business and creating a conducive environment for trade and investment.
Visas and entry to Australia
34. Ministers discussed progress to streamline visa arrangements, including a number of new measures to make it easier for PNG citizens to travel to Australia. Consideration will continue to be given to steps to further streamline entry arrangements, including through continuing discussions between PNG and Australian officials at a technical level. The Forum noted that PNG nationals were the first in the Pacific region to be given access to electronic Visitor visa applications, reducing processing times.
Work and holiday visas
35. Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to finalising administrative arrangementsto bring into force the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2011 for a reciprocal Work and Holiday visa arrangement. Once this arrangement is in effect, up to 100 young adults per year from each country will be eligible to enjoy a working holiday in the other country with the aim of encouraging cultural exchange and closer people-to-people links.
Seasonal Worker Program
36. Ministers committed to working together to maximise the take-up of places under the Seasonal Worker Program. The Forum noted that the program progressed well in its first year (to 30 JUne2013). Ministers noted both sides would like to see Papua New 'Guinea increase its stake in the Seasonal Worker Program (SWP) and provide more opportunities to Papua New Guinea's substantial working age population.
Bougainville
37. The Australian government noted the PNG's government's ongoing commitmentto the full implementation of the Bougainville Peace Agreement. Australia outlined its support for the implementation of the Peace Agreement, working closely with the PNG government and the Autonomous Bougainville Government. The Forum welcomed progress in planning for Operation Render Safe, led byAustralia, in consultation with the PNG government, to remove unexploded remnants of World War II from Torokina, noting that the Operation would contribute to the goal of weapons disposal in Bougainville.
Torres Strait
38. The Forum noted the significance of the Torres Strait as an important link between Australia and Papua New Guinea, including important cultural ties and border protection matters. Ministers welcomed the outcomes from this year's Torres Strait Joint Advisory Committee meeting in October. This initiative will allow Australia and Papua New Guinea to better regulate the shared border including through enhanced joint border patrols andthe establishment of an immigration office in Daru.
Pacific Agreement on.Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus
39. The meeting noted Papua New Guinea's intention to review its trade agreements and
. arrangements. The Forum noted the.progress in the PACER Plus negotiations and the, further work that is planned for 2014 and beyond. Furthermore, the Forum noted and appreciated the ongoing support of Australia to Papua New Guinea in the areas of trade
.facilitation.
40. Papua New Guinea welcomed Australia's continued development support to assist in training of trade negotiators and the offer to fund country-specific research on PACER Plus, and agreed it would take up this offer soon.
APEC
41. The Forum welcomed Australia's support of Papua New Guinea's hosting of APEC in
2018 and looked forward to close cooperation between the two countries in the course of Papua New Guinea's leadership of the APEC agenda. Ministers endorsed the reciprocal visits during 2014 of PNG and Australian delegations to assist with PNG's hosting of APEC.
Fiji
42. Ministers looked forward to continuing to work together, bilaterally and through the Pacific Islands Forum Ministerial Contact Group (MCG), to support Fiji's return to democracy.
Implementation of Forum decisions
43. Ministers agreed to establish meetings at senior officials level to ensure timely implementation of decisions reached at the Forum.
44. Ministers agreed that the Australia-PNG Ministerial Forum is a valuable mechanism to progress key issues and agree actions for the year ahead and senior officials would be responsible for implementation of agreed commitments.
SIGNED BY:
Hon Julie Bishop MP Minister for Foreign Affairs
Australia
Hon Rimbink Pato OBE LLB MP
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration
Papua New Guinea
11.12,2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
MANETAI LIMESTONE READY
By Aloysius Laukai
Landowners of the Manetai Limestone have finally agreed to allow work to proceed on the shut Manetai Limestone mine.
The property was operated and owned by BDC a company owned by the former North Solomon's Provincial Government before the Bougainville conflict but was destroyed during the height of the crisis.
Landowners have ironed out their differences and want the work to progress quickly so that they can contribute to the economic recovery in Bougainville.
Eivo chief, Cornelius Pesia told New Dawn FM in Buka that chiefs from the area are united for the first time for this project.
New Dawn FM understands the mine used to provide all Lime that BCL needed at the concentrator during their operations and would be needed again if Panguna reopens.
11.12,2013
Source: The National
ABG projects successful
THE Autonomous Bougainville Government has taken strides in promoting its self-sustainability through commercial and agricultural projects this year.
ABG Minister for Commerce Trade and Industry Wilfred Komba said 2013 has been quite successful and many projects by his ministry have started to come to fruition.
“The much talked about Torokina Oil Palm Project which is nearing completion will project about US$1 billion (K2.4b), the landowners have come to a consensus and we are just about to begin production,” Komba said.
He said much of ABG’s commercial projects were based on the primary industries and would promote and develop the lives of Bougainvilleans.
“We have developed a seaweed project that will benefit the people in the outer atolls of Bougainville and will generate about K500,000.”
The Ministry and the Commerce Trade and Industry Division have invited the National Development Bank to set up an office in Bougainville.
The ABG will provide funds to guarantee loans by people from the bank. Komba said with the introduction of the new Inward Investment Bill, the ABG could deal with investors willing to come to Bougainville.
“We are already in talks with foreign investors to develop large scale industries in certain parts of Bougainville and these investors will come into Bougainville on our own terms,” Komba said.
11.12,2013
Source: ABC Radio Australia - Pacific Beat
Bougainville actress Xzannjah named NZ's Best Actress
The female star of the film Mr Pip has taken out the Best Actress Award at last night's New Zealand Film Awards.
17-year-old Xzannjah from Papua New Guinea's Bougainville says she was thrilled just to be nominated for the award and didn't expect to win.
She hopes the film's exposure will help to encourage a film industry in Papua New Guinea.
LISTEN HERE !
Presenter: Bethany Keats
Speaker: Xzannjah, star of the film Mr Pip and winner of the New Zealand Film Awards Best Actress
11.12,2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
TABAGO STUDENTS MISS OUT
By Aloysius Laukai
Tabago Primary School 's GRADE 8 students in the Konnow area of Buin South Bougainville will miss out from going into Grade nine in 2014 due to what could be a deliberate attempt to remove all student's Grade 8 results for this year,2013.
Reports reaching New Dawn FM office from disappointed parents,said that parents were caught by surprise at the school's closing this week when one education officer announced that there was no record of Grade 8 results for Tabago Primary School at the Education office.
The officer promised to investigate how this could have happened to a School that has been topping Grade 8 results in the sat years.
Tabago Primary School continued to operate despite the ongoing fighting in the area took many years.
If nothing is done this would become one of the very sad cases in the history of education on Bougainville.
Parent, Francis Mona is calling on the Education office to immediately investigate this problem and include Tabago's students into the selection of Grade 9 students for 2014 school yer.
Attempts by New Dawn Fm to get comments from the education officials were unsuccessful.
11.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Aussie soldiers dispose of WW2 bombs
By WINTERFORD TOREAS
THE first phase of the scoping mission on how to remove the unexploded bombs and landmines at Torokina District in South Bougainville has been completed.
The week-long work was carried out by seven Australian Defence Force personnel who were in the district a fortnight ago as part of the Operation Render Safe program.
This program came after the Autonomous Bougainville Government asked Australia for assistance on the removal of unexploded World War 2 bombs and landmines at Torokina.
Chief executive officer of the Bougainville Division of Veteran Affairs Aaron Pita, said the soldiers who were involved in the first exercise left Bougainville last Wednesday.
Mr Pita said during their stay at Torokina the soldiers were able to visit many areas to check out the unexploded incendiary devices.
Some of the places they visited include Marowa, Koromokina, Piva, Kenebaki, Siabai, Laruma, Koromaketo and Wakovi. They also visited Gotana where the proposed Torokina high school will be built.
Mr Pita said the team will return in April next year to conduct the second phase of the scoping mission, while the final one will take place in August. He said the third mission will identify what areas the two first missions failed to identify. Mr Pita said the removal of these war remains will take place between October and December next year. Their report will be submitted to the Acting Bougainville chief administrator, who will present it to the Bougainville Executive Council.
The commander of the first scoping mission, Lt Adrian Hicks, said they were very happy with the co-operation and support given by the people of Torokina and the ABG.
11.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Walking signboard
PATRICK Kanasu popularly known in Arawa town as ‘Grassroots’ (pictured) wore charts on global warming and environment on Friday and walked the streets of Arawa town campaigning on the effects of global warming and destruction to the environment.
The lonely campaigner against global warming told the people that global warming and climate change is already affecting Bougainvilleans pin pointing Atoll Islanders as the victims of Climate Change. Grassroots campaigned against destruction of forest and told the people to replant trees that have been cut down to minimize soil erosion and other problems that will affect our climate. Words & Picture: ROMULUS MASIU.
11.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
JOE LERA SEE SUCCESS
By Aloysius Laukai
The Bougainville Regional member, JOE LERA says that more than fifty percent of the 183 projects year marked for this year have been documented in preparation of funding them.
He told New Dawn FM in Buka that over 50 projects have been completed resulting in the people of Bougainville seen some positive developments in a long time.
MR. LERA made this remarks after handing a cheque of ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINA to the TUMPUSIONG Youth near PANGUNA for their Brick making project.
He said that these youths will make bricks for the DEOMORI Church and the MANANAU OISCA Project which are coming on line next year whilst at the same providing employment for the youths in the area.
MR. LERA said that the Regional forums in January will review projects for this year whilst including new projects for year 2014.
On questions of other members not performing as expected, MR. LERA said that it all depends on planning, documenting and implementing as all have been allocated their funds for this year.
11.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
VILLAGE BIRTH ATTENDANTS HOLD FORMAL TRAINING
By Alex Munme
A FORMAL Training in collaboration with the Catholic Health Services is currently being held to train Traditional and Village Birth Attendants on prevention and reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality rate in Bougainville.
The 7th of the 15 workshops is being held for the mothers of Atolls at the Hahela Catholic Mission in Buka, Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
Other centres including Gagan, Tearouki, Manetai, Koromira, Piano and Tabago also had their training.
The training is mainly to focus on hygiene during pregnancy, early motherhood, preparation and application of traditional medicine to protect both the mother and child during child birth.
The workshop also aims to teach the Traditional Birth Attendants on how to support mothers during deliveries in a safe and hygienic way, family planning, risk of HIV and AIDS, right herbal medicine to be applied during pregnancy, delivery and early childhood.
The training workshop ends on Friday and participants will receive a certificate and a delivery kit to assist when attending to mothers at child birth.
11.12.2013
Source: Bougainville24
Education top priority for Dickson
By Ishmael Palipal
There are many challenges and temptations faced by kids growing up in Central Bougainville where drug abuse, alcoholism, teen pregnancy, domestic violence and anti-social behavior are all major issues.
Dickson Nata’a, from Koromira, exemplifies a portion of young Bougainvileans that have decided to take these challenges head on by putting a priority on education.
Last year Dickson completed his primary education at Koromira Primary School as Dux of the eighth grade.
The youngest of 5 brothers and sister, Dickson is continues to work hard at his education as a student at Koromira Technical High School.
At 16 years old, Dickson is determined to make a positive impact and stay away from the type of life that many Bougainvillean youths unfortunately are drawn in to.
“Some things are waste of time and energy for instance drugs and alcohol,” Dickson said.
“Boy-girl relationships are always going to be there, so why start so young where things can get out of hand.”
Many of his friends were fine at primary school, living at home, but have lost their way when they moved to boarding school.
Dickson believes it is possible to enjoy life to the fullest without destroying yourself on the way.
“It’s not hard to just stay positive and do things positively,” he said.
Dickson has a goal to continue his education and use his knowledge to help the community.
He is tired of seeing young people wasting their lives and he plans to help the youth of Bougainville in which ever path he might take.
10.12.2013
Source: PNG Attitude
Panguna mine landowners’ umbrella group splinters
by LEONARD FONG ROKA
All nine Panguna mine landowner executives in prayer before the meetingTHE PANGUNA MINE LANDOWNER groups have decided to dissolve their umbrella body, the Panguna Mine Affected Landowner Associations (PMALA), which covered nine landowners groups with Lawrence Daveona as chairman.
At a meeting last week co-chaired by Professor Ciaran O'Faircheallaigh, one the two AusAID funded consultants to the Autonomous Bougainville Government, and Raymond Masono, coordinator of the Panguna Mine Negotiation Committee for the ABG, it was obvious that landowners were disorganised and in conflict.
Thus PMALA was dissolved and the landowner groups are now independent entities. This means that, when it comes to consultations with BCL, time will be a factor constraining progress for tangible outcomes for Bougainville.
So it seems it will be a longer road to bring progress regarding the Panguna mine re-opening issues including compensation and development.
The main issue behind the dissolving of PMALA appeared to be that the umbrella body was seen to belittle the nine landowner groups and also that most groups did not share the same problems.
There is high probability that there is a communication gap between landowner groups and their own people and that there is a need for a change of attitude and character.
The landowner groups are now working with ABG towards sorting out these issues.
10.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Peace concert to rock Panguna
THE inaugural Panguna Peace and Progress Concert will be held on December 14 at Panguna Primary School. The music concert is the first of its kind in Panguna since the Bougainville crisis cut the area off from the rest of the world. The show starts at 11am with a traditional welcome for guests. The concert is sponsored by the Post-Courier.
Even though a peace agreement was signed in 2001, the rebel forces of the Panguna District did not sign and formed a separate government, the Me’ekamui. The area has been cut off from services and there is still a manned roadblock leading to the area.
The peace concert is a community initiative by the Post-Courier as part of the ongoing Bougainville peace-building process. The people at Panguna, the flashpoint for the crisis, rarely get much interaction with the outside world and have not had a big music event there since the crisis.
The concert will be an entertainment spectacular celebrating the peace process and the breaking down of barriers between Panguna and the rest of Bougainville. It is part of Post-Courier’s ongoing commitment to Boug-ainville. Bands appearing at the concert will be local, original heavy metal band Black Ops featuring Post-Courier Bougainville bureau chief David Lornie on drums.
Also appearing from Buka is No eXit. Bands from Central Bougainville taking the stage are Aungie Punks, which reformed this year after a long break. Aungie Punks, led by local personality Chris Korokoro, date back to the 1980s and have a large following. With them is Human Beghores, Mental Mechanics and the New Eagle Boys Band.
Special guest bands feature ex-rebel commanders Chris Uma who will be showcasing his country music talents and Ishmael Toroama with Remnants, his reggae group. The master of ceremonies will be former Bougainville Deputy Speaker Francisca Semoso.
There will also be guest speakers from the Autonomous Bougainville Government, the Bougainville administration, the Me’ekamui government, Panguna Women’s Association and others. The aim of the concert is to bring a day of good entertainment to the people of Panguna and surrounding areas – and also to foster the spirit of peace and Bougainville unity.
10.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
MVIL opens new office in Buka
By WINTERFORD TOREAS
FROM left: Insp Aili (left), Mr Nangoi, Mr Chris, Mr Kebori, MVIL CEO Joe Wemin and MVIL staff posing in front of the new office. Picture: WINTERFORD TOREAS.
VEHICLE owners and operators in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville have every reason to celebrate this Christmas following the opening of the Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited (MVIL) office in Buka last Friday. The office, which is located at the Traffic Registry section at the Green Haus building, was opened by the MVIL director John Chris and acting Bougainville deputy administrator Paul Kebori, witnessed by MVIL director Blaise Nangoi, North Bougainville police boss Inspector Spencer Aili, Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited (MVIL) staff and other guests. The opening ceremony also coincided with the launching of the twin sticker certificates (Compulsory Third Party Insurance and Registration).
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Mr Chris said MVIL was making a big commitment to help develop the road transport industry in Bougainville. “The Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited (MVIL) board had made a commitment, though small as it may seem, that we are here to stay,” Mr Chris said. Mr Chris then gave a brief update on the purpose of the establishment of Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited (MVIL) by the government, and the roles it is playing. He later pledged the company’s commitment to work together with all stakeholders in Bougainville, before adding that Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited (MVIL) will be ready to provide other assistances to Bougainville.
Acting deputy administrator Mr Kebori thanked Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited (MVIL) for including Bougainville in their roll-out program. He also encouraged the Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited (MVIL) staff to effectively perform their duties, saying Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited (MVIL) may have the best equipment but without capable staff the company will not achieve its objective. Mr Kebori also thanked the traffic registry officers in Bougainville who had been performing their duties as agents of Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited (MVIL) over the past years.
He later said there should not be any excuse now for Bougainville to have many unregistered vehicles, before calling on Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited (MVIL) to continue improving its services to Bougainville. Insp Aili also thanked MVIL for setting up their office in Bougainville, before adding that police are happy because they now have a colleague that will help make their work easier. MVIL staff, police and other stakeholders in Bougainville now has a big responsibility to conduct awareness throughout the region on the functions and responsibilities of the company.
10.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Sewing to earn a living
By ROMULUS MASIU
WHEN Margaret Pakou was running away in the jungles of Buin during the height of the Bougainville crisis, she made sure the old sewing machine left behind by her mum is well-looked after.
Her commitment and desire to safe guard the sewing machine has paid off for her with her sewing and tailoring business called Magus Tailoring. The booming business at Donsiro, along the former Panguna mine access road, is operated under TJT Trading. Margaret attended Moma High School, a privately run institution in Buin prior to the crisis from 1987 to 1989. She acquired the skills in sewing in her home economics class. Apart from sewing she also took carpentry courses. In 2000 she studied a bit of tailoring and started sewing “meri blouses” for women.
Since 2000 she has worked her way up and now has two sewing machines apart from the “old one”. Her work is now in high demand, helping out the Catholic Missions in Central Bougainville with the sewing of priests’ gowns and other necessities.
Apart from that, Margaret is sewing school uniforms and graduation gowns for Metonai and Mabiri institutions while many are sold in her tailoring shop. She is also training young kids on the sewing trade, mainly to put threads into shirts buttons and so on. Clients who would like to place their orders can contact Margaret on phone 71596876 or visit her tailoring shop at Donsiro village, a 15-minutes drive out of Arawa town.
According to Margaret, tailoring is easy money and apart from doing her own things, she helped out a lot with her skills to women groups. She is employed by Caritas to train local women on how to sew in their own villages and communities. Prior to that, she had worked with ADRA, another NGO group in Bougainville.
10.12.2013
Source: Bougainville24
AROB a bird watching hotspot
The Pied Goshawk.
There are more bird species on Bougainville than there are on the mainland of Papua New Guinea. The autonomous province has 98 resident non–marine bird species and is second only to Guadalcanal in bird diversity among the Pacific Islands east of the Bismarck Archipelago.
Though many of these bird species have been identified, there are some that continue to thwart even avid researchers.
One of these is a bird that the Bougainvilleans call Odidi. The name comes from its bird song which can sometimes be heard in the morning.
Bougainville attracted world attention after New Zealand school teacher, Don Hadden, published a book about the birds of Bougainville. These are included in his extensive photo library which is on the web (http://www.donhadden.com/index.php).
The rare Moustached Kingfisher Halcoyn (Actenoides Bougainville) is found nowhere in the world other than in Bougainville.
The prime bird watching points are the Tunuru mudflats, Aropa Airport, Mabiri Vocational Centre, Mt Balbi, Pinei River and Novah. All these locations offer a chance to glimpse the unique birds of Bougainville.
Bird watching records advise that among the species to be regularly spotted in Bougainville are the Pied Goshawk, Solomon Sea-Eagle, Bougainville Crows, Island Imperial-Pigeons, Mackinlay’s Cuckoo-Dove, Ultramarine Kingfisher, Beach Kingfisher, Cicadabird, Steel-blue Flycatcher, Island Monarch, Black-and-white Monarch, Shining Flycatcher, Bougainville Monarch, Yellow-throated White-eye, Brown-winged Starling and Pacific Swallow.
That’s quite a list which will engage the average bird watcher with many days, if not weeks, of keen spotting activity.
10.12.2013
Source: The National
AROB impresses Stokes
By ALOYSIUS LAUKAI
AUSTRALIAN High Commissioner Deborah Stokes is impressed with the development of the Bougainville police service in terms of training, research, and investigation at their training facilities.
Stokes, who visited the Autonomous Region of Bougainville last week, said she wanted to get some updates on issues and developments on Bougainville especially ahead of the heads of government meeting between Australia and PNG in Canberra next week.
She was in Buka last Wednesday and Thursday.
Autonomous Bougainville Government Minister for Public Service, Joel Banam told her on her arrival on Buka that the people were happy with the continued support Australia was providing to the people of Bougainville and Papua New Guinea.
He said Australia had been a friend of Bougainville for many years.
Banam said he hoped her trip to Bougainville would be a worthwhile and educational trip.
She talked to officials from the ABG Government and the administration, non-government organisations, women leaders, business community, and Bougainville Police.
She visited the Buka main market and met the Bougainville Community Auxiliary Police Programme cadets.
The project on Bougainville is jointly supported by New Zealand and Australia.
09.12.2013
Source: Radio New Zealand International
Money from mining would stimulate other industries - Bougainville minister
The finance minister in the autonomous government in Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville says re-launching mining in the province will provide the finance to foster other sectors of the economy.
There is a real prospect of a re-start with new mining legislation likely to go before the ABG early next year and extensive efforts by the government to garner the thoughts of communities around Bougainville.
Albert Punghau told Don Wiseman the immediate appeal of mining is it would bring money into the economy the moment construction work starts.
ALBERT PUNGHAU: The cash crop industry, for example the cocoa and coconut and the other crop industries, they’re also equally important here in Bougainville, but given the situation that we are at, to re-activate back the plantations here that have been closed down that were generating economy to Bougainville are all in virgin forest. And we need to clear this forest - all the plantations are no longer as they used to be. We need, first of all, an amount of money to kick start clearing the bushes so the cocoa trees and the coconut trees that are now in the bush can be cleared so we can start to work on these plantations. It will need money to kick-start all these things that were left for a long time during the war. And as a minister I feel if we can kick-start the mine we can reinvest all the money into agriculture and try to get downstream processing on maybe cocoa and coconut industry here in Bougainville. So the mine would give the financing time kick-start the agriculture industry here in Bougainville.
DON WISEMAN: Some might think that’s cart before the horse given the problems associated with mining.
ALBERT PUNGHAU: Yes, I think we need to also look at the realistic situation on the ground. Yes, peace has prevailed in Bougainville. We are now in total peace. But the issue of getting the agriculture industry up and running so fast and quickly, it will take time to produce all these cash crops, to produce cocoa and to produce coconut and all these things. But if you can look at mining we can just kick-start the economy quickly because as soon as construction starts on the mine there will be money thrown to the people and to the government As soon as they open the mine. But if we don’t do the agriculture it will take some time. And, remember, we are going through this referendum until five or four or three years’ time. So it is something that we are putting into a situation where we have to make some hard decisions, some drastic decisions for us as a government, as a people of Bougainville to now say that we have to things from the past in the past and look to the future and rebuild the economy and get the political aspiration that people have died for.
DON WISEMAN: Do you think that the mine can be up and running or mining, per say, can be a significant activity in Bougainville within that two or three years before there is a referendum?
ALBERT PUNGHAU: From the investors point of view, in my view I think they would want to do is they would want to wait until the referendum is taken in Bougainville. Then they would know how much money they are going to invest in Bougainville because no investor would want to come to Bougainville given the situation that we have gone through and given the experience that the investors had had in the past. And I think the political stability of having the referendum and the result of the referendum, whether it’s an autonomous government here in Bougainville, an independent government here in Bougainville, that would be a clear indication for the investor to come into Bougainville. But we need to start something to talk about these issues with whichever investors want to come. Then we can talk within the parameters of the mining policy that we are talking about and we are trying to build. And then the investor would use that mining policy to come and invest in Bougainville. But I think the investor would want to come to Bougainville only after the referendum. That’s my view.
DON WISEMAN: As far as the mining legislation goes, how far away is that in terms of it being re-presented in the house?
ALBERT PUNGHAU: We have given copies of the draft to all the constituency members of Bougainville. And they are doing consultations with their people in all the constituencies in Bougainville. As soon as all these consultations are done it will be taken back to the mining department of the Autonomous Bougainville Government and then the Autonomous Government will collate all the views of the people and try to look at how they can put all these inputs together before they present it back to the Bougainville executive council and the executive council will make a decision as to when they can put the mining law on to the floor of parliament.
DON WISEMAN: So the middle of next year maybe?
ALBERT PUNGHAU: If I look at things, yes, I think it might be the first session of parliament, which will be March. Maybe that will be a good time for us to have a look at that mining transitional deal.
DON WISEMAN: There has been criticism that there hasn’t been enough consultation at grass-roots level. Do you think with this work that the MPs are doing that that will satisfy those critics?
ALBERT PUNGHAU: I think that people, especially the people in the constituency from South and North Bougainville, they are virtually aware of what is happening and what the contents of the mining deal is all about, but it is the people in Central Bougainville where there a lot of mining elements and Panguna and [Indistinct] and all the other places where they find coal, these kind of people who are resource owners, these are the people who really want to scrutinise the mining deal and make sure that the landowners and the resource owners are protected.
DON WISEMAN: The MP from Central Bougainville in the national government Jimmy Miningtoro spoke out quite recently about how the people there don’t want mining.
ALBERT PUNGHAU: If go to Central Bougainville and you talk to the actual people on the ground you will find that there are people who want the mine to be open and there are also people there who think the mine should not be open. So these are the people that we need to educate and we need to tell them why it is important that we have to get this mine up.
09.12.2013
Source: Radio New Zealand International
Bougainville minister expects potential investors will wait for referendum
The finance minister in the autonomous government in Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville says he expects any potential investors in the mining sector would hold off until after the province has held its referendum on possible independence.
Albert Punghau says the new mining legislation should go before MPs by March as public consultation about a possible resumption of mining is continuing.
Mr Punghau says mining is the best option for a quick re-start of the economy and that this will provide investment for other sectors like agriculture.
But he says given past experiences in the province, no investor would be interested in coming in until the political future is resolved.
“And I think that the political stability of having the referendum and the result of the referendum, whether it is an autonomous government here in Bougainville or an independent government here in Bougainville - that would be a clear indication for the investor to come in.”
Albert Punghau.
Bougainville is to conduct the referendum some time after 2015.
09.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
The Famous Commodity BETEL NUT is back
By Aloysius Laukai
The famous Betel nut(Buai market) in Buka town has been experiencing shortage of the famous commodity since last week and that last weekend was the worst one with sellers raising their prices as supply went low.
This morning NEW DAWN FM quickly visited the market just to find the place filled up again with fresh supplies from the West Coast of Bougainville.
The supplies from Kunua has dropped the prices again to the normal 30toea for one at least for some time.
One seller questioned by New Dawn FM said that his just made Three Hundred Kina from his three bags selling at ONE HUNDRED KINA EACH.
Pictured are some resellers trying their luck to get a discount from these mainland suppliers.
Picture by Lawrence Banae
Buai market this morning
09.12.2013
Source: Papua New Guinea Mine Watch
No more dependency and neo-Colonialism on Bougainville: Minister Miringtoro
by ramunickel
FUNDING OF BOUGAINVILLE RESOURCE OWNERS REPRESENTATIVE COMMITTEE WAS JUSTIFIED
Jimmy Miringtoro, MP
FUNDING ALLOCATION TO BRORC
It is has come to my attention that the Acting President on Behalf of President John Momis of the Autonomous Bougainville Government has seen it fit to questioned the funds allocated through my office to “Bougainville Resource Owners Representative Committee” (BRORC) saying that I had given the funding to Morumbi Resources, a small mining company registered in Canada.
Where the Acting President or the President had got such information I don’t know, but the fact is, I am not in the business of allocating public funds to mining companies. These funds were allocated to BRORC after it was approved in Joint District Planning and Budget Priority Committee (JDP&BPC) meeting. Let me make it clear that I as the Member for Central Bougainville, a region which was and is still being affected the by the effects of large scale Mining operations, do have a duty to look after the welfare of my people 90% of whom are in the rural areas.
These people have been ignored by the ABG when it was carrying out is Mining forums which were brief and not extensive enough to give leaders and key community members and in rural Bougainville opportunity to register their input on the mining agenda. In actual fact these so called forums were rushed through to “justify” that the people of Bougainville had been informed. We all know that the re-opening of Panguna mine was always high on ABG’s agenda. Only certain chosen people with name tags hanging around their neck were accorded more time to talk at the forum and many people felt unwelcomed by the forums were staged inside a building instead of out in the open in view of the general public. These chosen people with name tags from their necks were of course none other than the ones who supported the return of BCL to Panguna.
THE PURPOSE OF BRORC AND ITS ESTABLISHMENT
The reason why BRORC was established is to represent the resource owners in my electorate and to address the underlying issues that brought about the Crisis which are being ignored by the ABG, and were never dealt with in the Bougainville Peace Agreement. To re-open the mine without addressing the root cause of the problems associated with mining is a recipe for disaster. Peace cannot be attained if there is no justice. Before any talk on resumption of mining in the region takes place, basic grievance such as return of stolen rights of the people and the compensation for land degradation and environmental damage must be dealt with.
With the class action in the United States courts thrown out of court it is not clear how or when the people will be compensated for not only mining related damages but loss of lives in a war that the previous governments waged on the people in support of the BCL. Therefore, I have no doubt whatsoever that the funding I have allocated is justified and to an organization that will work closely not only with the resource owners, but leaders of communities that maybe affected directly or indirectly by the resumption of mining in Central Bougainville. I further believe that that BRORC, in consultation with local resource owners will draft a mining bill that will protect people’s right to and ownership of resources found on their land and that they will be have the last say on it.
The funding of BRORC by my JDP &BPC has therefore, nothing to do with the current media war that is raging between parties on different sides of the mining issue in the region.
PEOPLE DO NOT WANT BCL TO RETURN TO PANGUNA
My continued involvement with mining matters is directly related to my concern for the rights and the welfare of the people of my electorate of Central Bougainville. I frequently visit my electorate and have listened to my people’s views regarding Mining. From what I heard the resource owners feel that BCL has nothing to offer them because it already owes them and the people of Bougainville a lot in terms of suffering and loss of lives in a war declared on the people of Bougainville in defence of its mine and interests. The removal of class action in the USA has strengthened BCL’s non-apologetic attitude towards the people of Bougainville who have suffered at its hands. Such self-righteous bigotry is unwelcome in Bougainville when there is ample weight of evidence to prove BCL did partake in the cruelties on Bougainville. I believe the best way to deal with mining investors is judge them by their own merits and what they have to offer Bougainville if they were allowed to establish their mining operations on the island. Let us therefore, not be narrow-minded as to believe that “there is none but BCL”, otherwise we may miss someone who can do what BCL had failed to do when it had the opportunity.
THE ISSUE OF MINING SHOULD NEVER BE CONFUSED WITH REFERENDUM AND INDEPENDENCE
Despite opposition on the ground, ABG has continued to push for mining. In the efforts to water down opposition to mining and to muster support of the people, ABG put out a distorted idea that referendum on the future political status of Bougainville is not possible without minding. This is completely misleading and to put a price tag or a condition on referendum which the National Government had agreed to is totally wrong and unacceptable. Whilst there are conditions set down in Bougainville Peace Agreement with regard to a timeline to referendum; one must not forget that the people of Bougainville paid ultimate price in blood and thousands of lives lost in the crisis. Agreements are not set in stone and must be reviewed when time and season requires it or else they will suffer the same fate as the Bougainville Copper Agreement which still hangs out there in the shadows. Why then is ABG worried so much about “back door mining deals” when it fact its “front door” deal happens to with a mining company that shows no remorse for the suffering and death from war efforts that it supported. Why can’t the President and his people for once draw up a bill that gives a better deal to the people of Bougainville rather than writing nonsense to promote BCL’s mining interests?
WHY MINING CANNOT BE ESTABLISHED AS YET IN BOUGAINVILLE
Having heard what my people had to say regarding resumption of mining in Panguna and/or, establishment of another large scale mine on the island, I have decided there are a whole lot of issues to be resolved before mining can take place on Bougainville. In the meantime ABG should consider other revenue earning opportunities to run its operations and to provide services for the people. There are sustainable industries that can be developed such as agriculture, tourism and fisheries. We can also establish manufacturing and downstream processing of our commodities and raw materials. Bougainville is a resource rich island and blessed with water, high rainfall and fertile soil. Mining cannot be established in an environment where people are still recovering from traumatic experience of a war that started as a result of it. Mining can only be considered if we have strong mining laws that will ensure resource owners are shareholders and that there is minimal damage to the environment through better waste management and mining methods that will not cause so much pollution and degradation of arable land. Above all these laws must also ensure equitable distribution of wealth from the mine so that no one group in Bougainville becomes while the rest are poor. At this point in time it is highly unlikely that ABG will be able to manage the impact of mining in Bougainville because it simple lacks the resources and the capacity to do so.
ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE RESOLVED PRIOR TO RESUMPTION OF MINING
There are basic grievances of the people of Bougainville to do with compensation for loss of land and environmental damage that need to be addressed before the resumption of mining is considered. This has led me to a conclusion that ABG must consider alternative means of revenue generation in the meantime because to establish new mines we must have proper mining laws drawn to protect rights and interests of the resource owners and the people of Bougainville. There must be greater involvement by resource owners and community leaders throughout Bougainville in the creation of this laws and must have a same hearing as the Bougainville constitution received.
STOP MISLEADING THE PEOPLE
My patience and tolerance with the good President is wearing thin and I cannot continue to stand by and watch him mislead my people of Bougainville. In the 40 years he had served in the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea, the President had done nothing to improve the condition of resource owners. In fact beneath his rhetoric he has nothing to show for his term as one of the longest serving politicians in the history of this country.
Just before the crisis he came up with a dream called “Bougainville Initiative” in which he attacked BCL likening it to a “wild pig that had come to destroy the garden”. His attack was so effective that it helped to fuel anti-BCL sentiments which was a factor in bring about the landowner uprising and the subsequent crisis. Had he made some in-roads in the parliament in having the Bougainville Copper Agreement reviewed to accommodate a better deal for the landowners, we would not have gone through so much heartache and a costly war.
The people of Bougainville must know that during his term in Parliament he voted for the option to declare war on the people of Bougainville. I am not surprise at the stand he has taken to continue to subject people to endless suffering at the hands of BCL. I have advised my people at Panguna to dissolve the umbrella organization established to deal with landowner issues because it is a rubber stamp for ABG and its advisor Tony Reagan who has been working on a draft mining bill for Bougainville which is oppressive and colonial. The people of Bougainville should not be rushed to accept something they don’t fully understand. That has been the way of the past in which outsiders have been in telling us how to run our affairs only for us to find out later that things had worked out in their favour and not ours.
It is time ABG must woke up from its long sleep and develop industries that will create employment for our people who need to work and pay taxes instead of being “looked after” by the state. The reality is that this people are farmers, fisherman and carpenters and cannot be expected to find employment at the mine unless they are skilled in some trade. We have a large tourism potential but so far not much is being done to develop it. Unless we have our people occupied in something kind of job or occupation, mining will cause envy and jealousy when the old “haves and have nots” comes back to haunt us. I have the duty to serve my people and if I find that they are not served then I will step in to help them.
Thank you and may God Bless you All.
Hon. Jimmy Miringtoro, MP for Central Bougainville & Minister for Communication and Information Technology
09.12.2013
Source: PNG Attitude
Don’t insult us: Advisers do not control formation of ABG laws
KEITH JACKSON
Autonomous_Bougainville_Government_logoGTHE ACTING CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR of the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), Chris Siriosi, has said comments that external advisers are directing the development of ABG laws are insulting to Bougainvillean leaders.
Writing in the Bougainville Forum on Facebook, Mr Siriosi (pictured) said the ABG has wide legislative powers to enable Bougainvilleans to find solutions to their own needs and problems.
“Some people say advisers direct or control development of ABG laws,” he said.
“That kind of comment, not based on any evidence, is saying we are so weak or stupid that we allow outsiders to control us.
“I can assure you that no adviser controls me, the President, our ministers or our senior officers.”
Mr Siriosi said the ABG is using a legislative drafter who worked in Port Moresby for many years and now lives in Australia. “He does our drafting work only as directed by the ABG,” Mr Siriosi said, adding that, while the ABG does not yet have an experienced Bougainvillean drafter, a Bougainvillean lawyer is now being trained.
He also said that all the ABG’s advisers are completely under ABG and Administration direction and control as Bougainville develops its own laws. “If they were not, we would immediately get rid of them.”
Mr Siriosi also said that the ABG is trying to improve its communication to the Bougainville people.
“At present radio reaches only parts of Bougainville,” he said. “More than 60% of our people aren’t covered. So the ABG is working to extend broadcast coverage. A new satellite transmission system, for all main broadcasters, should be working within weeks.
09.12.2013
Source: Radio New Zealand International
Bougainville minister expects potential investors will wait for referendum
The finance minister in the autonomous government in Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville says he expects any potential investors in the mining sector would hold off until after the province has held its referendum on possible independence.
Albert Punghau says the new mining legislation should go before MPs by March as public consultation about a possible resumption of mining is continuing.
Mr Punghau says mining is the best option for a quick re-start of the economy and that this will provide investment for other sectors like agriculture.
But he says given past experiences in the province, no investor would be interested in coming in until the political future is resolved.
“And I think that the political stability of having the referendum and the result of the referendum, whether it is an autonomous government here in Bougainville or an independent government here in Bougainville - that would be a clear indication for the investor to come in.”
Albert Punghau.
Bougainville is to conduct the referendum some time after 2015.
09.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Early X-mas for Halia people
By WINTERFORD TOREAS
THE people of Halia constituency in Buka yesterday received an early Christmas gift following the opening of their council of elders office complex. The building which is located at Hagus village is another initiative of the Acting President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government and member for Halia, Patrick Nisira. The “stylish” building was co-funded by Mr Nisira through his constituency support grant, ABG and the Australian and New Zealand Governments through their Governance Implementation Fund (GIF) program at a cost of over K688,000.
The building completion came about after five years since initial consultation process started with the landowners in January 2008. Yesterday’s ceremony also marks Halia as the first COE in Buka to have their office complex that will house all functions of the village government. Moreover that, this new complex marks Halia COE as the first COE in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville to have such modern office building. The ‘U’ shaped building houses two conference rooms and the offices of the constituency member, COE chairman and others.
The opening ceremony was witnessed by Mr Nisira, ABG Minister for local level government, Rev. Joseph Nopei, member for Tsitalato Cosmas Sohia, Bougainville-based AusAID rep, Deo Mwesigye, acting Bougainville deputy administrator Paul Kebori and senior administrative officers, COE members from Halia and other constituencies in Buka and the people of Halia. Buka Island’s hottest bamboo band, Umi Yet bamboo Band from Lontis village in the Haku area and other traditional groups from the area also performed yesterday, which made the event more memorable.
The event started with a small reconciliation ceremony between the landowners of where the building is situated and Mr Nisira and representatives of chiefs of Halia. The landowners had used the occasion to seek forgiveness for the destructions their youths had done on the building during its construction stages to show their frustrations over the erection of the property on their land. The landowners then pledged their support saying they will not be carrying out any more destruction on the property.
Mr Nisira while delivering his speech said the opening ceremony marks a historical day and a milestone achievement for the people in his constituency. He said though there are other COEs in Bougainville that also have their offices, the Halia COE building was unique because it will house all COE programs. Mr Nisira said this building can be seen as a role model in Bougainville, before adding that this was a classic example of the decentralization of powers down to the village level. Mr Nisira said the next move to be taken now is the development of a Halia strategic plan which he plans to launch in 2015.
This plan will be aligned with the ABG’s development plans including the government’s medium term development plan and others, and will be aimed at bringing more developments and services into the Halia area. Mr Nisira, who is also the ABG vice president, also thanked those who had made it possible for the construction and completion of the building. Rev. Nopei also thanked all those who had played a part in the construction of the building, saying this property is a fruit of hard work and initiative taken by the people of Halia.
09.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Only in Bougainville
This young fella was sitting on top of the container side-lift and travelling the streets of Arawa when caught on camera. Actually the young man was directing his driver on power lines hanging loose over the streets. Words & Picture: ROMULUS MASIU
07.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
POLYTECH TRAINEES
By Aloysius Laukai
Fifteen Polytech Trainees are ready to go to New Zealand under Bougainville Regional Members sponsorship.
These fifteen ABG Workers are ten women and five men and are the first batch from several trainings the Regional member intends to support in the next four years.
Their training fees, accommodation breakfast and dinner have been paid for including Air tickets from Port Moresby and New Zealand and back, whilst they have to meet the Buka Pom and return.
MR. Lera in his first meeting with the participants said that theis three weeks training will cost FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINA and after three weeks they will return to Buka and continue from the Polytech Buka office which will be opened by then.
This program is under a package totalling EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND KINA paid to ATIHA Consultants who will be managers of this program according to the Regional member.
These are the first trainees from ABG sponsored by Regional member Joe Lera,Some were not available at the time for this photo.
The group will leave for New Zealand on January 17th,2014.
06.12.2013
Source: The National
Aussie rep to meet with Bougainville officials
AUSTRALIAN High Commissioner to PNG Deborah Stokes’ visit to Bougainville will give both countries a heads-up on the agenda for next week’s government heads’ meeting between the two countries.
Stokes arrived in Buka on Wednesday and was welcomed by the Bougainville Minister for Public Service Joel Banam, who said the people of Bougainville were happy for the continued support Australia was providing to ABG and its people.
Acting chief administrator Chris Siriosi said he was looking forward to a positive dialogue on issues that were of interest to the two parties during the commissioner’s stay in the region.
Stokes said her visit to Bougainville was important as she would like to get some latest information on issues and developments on Bougainville, especially ahead of the heads of governments meeting between Canberra and Port Moresby next week.
06.12.2013
Source: Bougainville 24
BCL kicks in for Youth Foundation
By Ishmael Palipal and Ben Jackson
The 2012 campaign was met with positive feedback throughout Bougainville.
Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) has chipped in K1,000 as Bougainvillean students of Divine Word University launch their annual tour of the autonomous region.
The awareness program, which is carried out by the Bougainville Youth Foundation (BYF), aims to raise education levels, awareness and discussion on the issues facing Bougainville, especially in the most remote areas of the province.
As in previous years, BYF members will travel to their home regions (North, South, Central and Atolls) and deliver the one-day program to local schools and communities.
Education and social and health issues make up the morning session. Some of the issues covered are illiteracy, lifestyle diseases, hygiene, maternal health, teenage pregnancy, prostitution; and alcohol and drug consumption.
Bougainville Youth Foundation t-shirts were produced for the fundraising dance in Buka.
In the late morning there are discussions on foreign investment, cottage industries, customary land, autonomy and the path to a referendum, the constitution, law and order, weapons disposal and the Bougainville Peace Agreement.
Each afternoon will be filled with matters related to mining with talks on sea bed mining in the Pacific and mining issues in Bougainville.
To carry out these programs BYF relies heavily on sponsorship, donations and fundraising events.
BCL have provided a sponsorship to BYF that will help fund transport, accommodation and other travel-related expenses as the students move from town to town.
The centrepiece fundraising event is Blaqueville Nite, an exhibition of Bougainvillean culture held in Madang each year.
In November BYF hosted a second fundraising dance at the Rendevous Club in Buka to raise money directly for the awareness program.
This year’s awareness program began on Monday at Muguai Primary School.
06.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Chief Administrator's Corner
To All Bougainvilleans and persons concerned about Bougainville’s development and her future.
We at New Dawn FM are pleased to put some clarifications on issues on development with the Acting Chief Administrator CHRIS SIRIOSI.
This clarifications will be posted on New Dawn FM site and can be viewed and reviewed by going to Archives and on the Categories see them under Chief Administrator’s corner. These are very good information from the chief.
Editor
Thank you Forum members for the responses to my posts on Tuesday. As acting Chief Administrator, I want improved ABG communication. Without adequate information people are often confused. So I do a radio discussion every Thursday night. I make press statements. Now I’ll also try to get out more information through social media, such as the Forum.
At present radio reaches only parts of Bougainville. More than 60 per cent of our people aren’t covered. So the ABG is working to extend broadcast coverage. A new satellite transmission system, for all main broadcasters, should be working within weeks.
In one response to my Tuesday post, Fidelma, of Buka, commented on how the ABG develops its laws, and the roles of advisers in the process. I am very willing to respond.
Unlike the North Solomons Provincial Government, and the later Bougainville provincial governments, the ABG has wide legislative powers. The Bougainville Peace Agreement says this is so Bougainvilleans can find their own solutions to their own special needs and problems. So the ABG has power develop its own policies and laws on many subjects.
When the ABG was established in 2005, the ABG had the same powers as the previous Bougainville Interim Provincial Government. Beginning transfer of new powers from the national government took time. It’s also taking time for the ABG to gradually develop the specialised skills needed to develop our own policies and laws on transferred powers. In the last two years, we have been gradually developing more of our own Bougainville laws.
The Bougainville Executive Council (BEC) controls the process. Senior Administration officers work closely with the BEC and whichever minister is responsible. It’s BEC that decides to develop a law. Officers then develop drafting instructions. They is a detailed road map for the new law. BEC approves the drafting instructions. Then they go to the legislative drafter.
A legislative drafter is a special kind of lawyer, trained to write laws. It takes years of training and experience to be a good drafter. The first ABG drafter was Sir James Fraser. He’d been the PNG legislative drafter from 1976. After he retired he did much ABG work. First he drafted the Bougainville Constitution, between 2002 and 2004. Then he drafted all the first laws of the ABG in 2005-06. But he died in 2007. After that we had a ni Vanuatu drafter. But he left the ABG earlier this year. So now we are using a drafter who worked in Port Moresby for many years, and now lives in Australia. He does our drafting work only as directed by the ABG.
We don’t yet have an experienced and trained Bougainvillean drafter. But one Bougainvillean lawyer employed by the ABG in the last 4 years is being trained as a drafter.
Whatever the drafter does is as directed by the ABG. Sometimes, where a gap is identified, he may act on verbal instructions, from a minister or senior officer. All the drafter’s work does is checked carefully. Usually there are several drafts. The final law is developed gradually. Successive drafts go to BEC, which often directs changes.
Sometimes advisers work with Administration officials in preparing drafting instructions and draft laws. It depends on the subject. For example, there was little involvement of advisers in developing our recent Bougainville Education Act. But other laws have actively involved advisers. One was the Bougainville Physical Planning Act, where a New Zealand adviser in the Lands Division assisted. Advisers have also been involved in developing the draft Bougainville Mining Bill. We have used one Australian adviser because he has specialised knowledge we need. He knows the constitutional basis for autonomy (he was one of the advisers on both the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the Bougainville Constitution). He has taught mining law.
I was the head of the Bougainville Law and Justice Division for the five years before I became acting Chief Administrator. One role was supervising development of ABG laws. I can promise all Bougainvilleans that all our advisers are completely under ABG and Administration direction and control. If they were not, we would immediately get rid of them.
Some people say advisers direct or control development of ABG laws. That kind of comment, not based on any evidence, is insulting to our leaders, and to senior officers in the Administration. It’s saying that we are so weak or stupid that we allow outsiders to control us. I can assure you that no adviser controls me, the President, our ministers, or our senior officers.
05.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
HALIA COE OPENS OFFICE
By Aloysius Laukai
The HALIA COE this morning officially opened its new modern Office Complex at Hagus village on Buka island.
The building was the first of its kind on Bougainville has it twin two storey and linked to both buildings by a bridge in between.
The building was built at a cost of SIX HUNDRED AND EIGTHY EIGHT THOUSAND KINA.
Speakers at today’s opening called for cooperation as the building will house various sections of the community like Village Court and COE Assembly and within the HALIA COE.
The building was officially opened by its local member and Vice President, PATRICK NISIRA.
More than Two Thousand people witnessed today’s opening and celebration which included more than 15 speakers and Dances that went into the later part of the day.
Pictured is the Vice President PATRICK NISIRA Cutting the Ribbon to the building on lookers are the Deputy Administrator, PAUL KEBORI and AusAid Bougainville boss DEO.
Front of the HALIA COE Building picture by Lawrence Banae
Picture of the Building (Back)
And partying time
05.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
VOTING INTO SECOND DAY
By Aloysius Laukai
Voting for the five seats in the ABG By Election went into its second day today with polling officials predicting an event free election.
Polling will end in three days time and counting will commence immidiately afterwards and winners declared.
Pictured are voters at the Tsintsin Polling booth, Hagogohe Electorate where candidates are vying for the seat left vacant by the former member ROBERT HAMAL SAWA who resigned to contest the 2012 National Election he lost to sitting member LAUTA ATOI...MR. HAMAL SAWA is contesting this seat again. Pictures by Lawrence Banae
05.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
CHRISTIAN ACADEMY SCHOOL HOLDS GRADUATION
By Alex Munme
ONE of the private schools on Bougainville went ahead of the rest of the schools to celebrate its graduation today.
Bougainville Christian Academy celebrated its graduation today in Buka town.
The graduation ceremony also saw the first 13 students graduating from the schools additional curriculum, ABCs with Ace and Christi-Learn to Read Program.
Among the many speeches at the closing ceremony, Northern Regional Police Commander, Spencer Aili spoke on the importance of Education, Parents investment for their children a life time investment and Parents neglect of responsibility leads to negative consequence.
He said that the students sitting here are future lawyers, pilots, doctors and also importantly it is their right to be educated.
He said that other investments may one day stop but children’s education is a lifetime investment.
Mr. Aili also said that many homes are very abusive and violent which can affect the children’s education which is their future investment.
He said that many children end up on the streets with peer groups because of abusive and violent homes adding that these children sometimes end up in jail or in the hospital.
He added that statistics show many deaths occur due to drug and home brew abuse.
05.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER visiting the BPS Training centre this morning.
Meeting at the Buka Police station
Talking to Police Trainer constable Irene Semoso
Police training Computer Lab at Hutjena
05.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Aust envoy visits Bougainville
By WINTERFORD TOREAS
THE Australian High Commissioner to PNG, Her Excellency Deborah Stokes is currently on her two days visit to Bougainville. The high commissioner arrived at the Buka Airport yesterday morning and was welcomed by leaders from the Autonomous Bougainville Government, acting Chief Administrator Chris Siriosi and officers from the Bougainville administration.
Ms Stokes said the purpose of her visit was to find out more about the effects of Australia’s aid assistance to Bougainville. She said Australia has a very important priority towards addressing certain important issues including the Bougainville Peace Agreement, weapons disposal and other issues of importance on the island.
Yesterday she met with the North Bougainville MP Lauta Atoi, Mr Siriosi, director of Panguna negotiations Raymond Masono, ABG Mining Secretary Stephen Burain and ABG women leaders including Elizabeth Burain (North Bougainville), Joan Jerome (Central Bougainville) and Rose Pihei (South Bougainville).
She also met with the head of the New Zealand police contingent in Bougainville, Supt Steven Caldwell, Mr Michael Poposan from the Bougainville Business Association and selected ABG cabinet ministers, members and chief executives of the divisions of Peace and Veterans Affairs. Today she will be visiting the Bougainville Police Service Training Centre at Hutjena, before returning to Port Moresby this in the afternoon.
The Australian High Commissioner had time to visit the Buka Market today with women leaders,Judit Raban,Minister Rose Pihei, HE Deborah Stokes, Member Joan Jerome,Member Elizabeth Burain and Haku collective leader Hona Holand
05.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Push start ambulance
Words and Picture: WINTERFORD TOREAS
BY looking at this picture of a man pushing this ambulance, one would wonder what would happen if this vehicle was transporting a very sick patient when the engine got cut-off on the road. Therefore it is important that an ambulance should always be road-worthy because it is always used to transport sick patients to hospitals to get treatment. Pictured is a young man trying to push-start the ambulance at the Buka Airport early yesterday morning when caught on camera.
05.12.2013
Source: Bougainville24 / PNG Attitude
Bulletin to bring news once again
By Leonard Fong Roka
A HANDFUL OF BOUGAINVILLEANS are fighting time to revive the newspaper of their childhood which disseminated information to the people of Bougainville.
The Arawa Bulletin was established in the late 1970s by Australian journalist Ray Smart while living in Arawa, the capital of Bougainville.
During the crisis of 1988-90, the Bulletin sold well under the leadership of its then managing editor and publisher, Carrie Kablean, who had joined in 1986.
The paper was published weekly from December 1978 until it closed due to the Bougainville war in March 1990, when Ms Smart was evacuated from the island.
Lance Itta, a history teacher at Arawa Secondary School, dreamed of reestablishing the Bulletin and discussed his thoughts with Romulus Masiu, an Arawa-based journalist with the PNG Post Courier.
The pair teamed up with former Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) photographer Jacob Ienu and they began to plan their next steps.
In mid-October, after a few months of talking, the trio had their first formal meeting in Arawa.
They decided that, as Bougainville gallops through this period of post-conflict political, economic and social change, there is a demand for independent information to be provided to the population and more Bougainville-oriented writing and writers.
The meeting also decided that the paper should write on health, sports, education, entertainment, the peace process, agriculture, business, religion, tourism and the road to referendum, as well as carrying advertisements.
There were also plans made for the long term growth of the Arawa Bulletin, beginning with circulation in Arawa, Toniva, Panguna and Wakunai. After it is well established in Central Bougainville, it may expand to North and South Bougainville.
With the plans in place, Lance Itta is seeking more Bougainvillean writers and professionals to join the group.
At its second meeting two weeks ago, an interim board of management was created.
Chairman and chief editor is Romulus Masiu from Buin; vice chairman is Lance Itta; secretary is Camillus Kabui (an accountant from Panguna); treasurer Francis Nazia (a businessman from Panguna); and advertising manager is Jacob Ienu from Panguna.
All these people will also write for the Arawa Bulletin.
The interim board is in communication with the founder of the original paper, Ray Smart, for her permission to use the name.
They will also create a new logo for the paper and are working around the clock to secure funding assistance.
The revived Arawa Bulletin under Bougainvillean leadership will be launched next Friday at Christmas Park in Arawa.
Board members of the Arawa Bulletin meet to plan for its relaunch.
04.12.2013
Source: GOLDINVEST.de
Rohstoffgigant Rio Tinto setzt verstärkt auf Kupfer
10:42 04.12.13
Erhebliches Angebotsdefizit erwartet
Der Rohstoffriese Rio Tinto (WKN 852147) will sich neben seinem Eisenerzgeschäft verstärkt auf die Kupferproduktion konzentrieren. Der Konzern legte einen langfristigen Plan vor, der helfen soll, ein Angebotsdefizit zu schließen, von dem man ausgeht, dass es sich bis auf
die Hälfte der weltweiten Produktion des roten Metalls ausweiten wird.
In letzter Zeit allerdings hatte Rio Tinto sein Kupfergeschäft verschlankt, indem man Assets im Wert von 1,8 Mrd. USD abstieß, um so die durchschnittlichen Kosten pro Tonne zu senken. In den kommenden fünf Jahren rechnet das Unternehmen nun erst einmal mit einem
gleichbleibenden Ausstoß, hat aber nach eigenen Angaben das Potenzial auf ein Produktionswachstum von mehr als 1 Mio. Tonnen pro Jahr durch zwei neue Projekte identifiziert: die Tagebaumine La Granja in Peru und die Untertagemine Resolution in Arizona.
Nach Ansicht von Rio Tintos CEO Sam Walsh wird die Welt in Zukunft wesentlich mehr Kupfer benötigen, während es gleichzeitig schwerer werde, dieses zu liefern. Weshalb er Kupfer für sehr aussichtsreich halte, so Walsh. Bis La Granja in Produktion ist, will der Konzern den Wert seines Kupfergeschäfts vor allem durch Kostensenkungen steigern.
Erst danach soll der Ausstoß erhöht werden, erläutert der Chef von Rios Kupfersparte Jean-Sebastien Jacques.
Wie Jacques weiter ausführt, wird die Branche zwischen 2012 und 2025 ihre Produktionskapazität um zusätzliche 2 Mio. Tonnen erweitern müssen, nur um das aktuelle Niveau zu halten. Da aber gleichzeitig ein Anstieg der Nachfrage vorhergesagt werde, gehe man bei Rio Tinto davon aus, dass das Angebotsdefizit 2025 bei 9 Mio. Tonnen liegen könnte.
Da die jährliche Nachfrage derzeit bei rund 18 Mio. Tonnen des roten Metalls liegt und die größte Kupfermine der Welt, Escondida in Chile, rund 1 Mio. Tonnen pro Jahr fördert, wird diese Lücke nicht einfach zu füllen sein.
Nach dem Verkauf der Palabora-Mine in Südafrika und der Northparkes-Mine in New South Wales arbeitet Rio Tinto nun mit vier großen, produzieren den Assets und den zwei Expansionsmöglichkeiten. Bei den vier produzierenden Minen handelt es sich um Bingham Canyon in Utah sowie Oyu Tolgoi in der Mongolei, die von BHP Billiton (WKN 908101) betriebene Escondida und die Grasberg-Mine in Indonesien, die Freeport McMoRan (WKN
896476) betreibt.
La Granja, die Mine verfügt über das Potenzial zur Produktion von 500.000 Tonnen Kupfer pro Jahr, wird zunächst im Fokus von Rio Tinto stehen. Eine Vormachbarkeitsstudie zu dem Projekt soll im ersten Quartal fertig gestellt sein und die Produktion könnte schon 2016 anlaufen. Die Resolution-Mine verfügt über eine mögliche Produktionskapazität von mehr
als 640.000 Tonnen Kupfer pro Jahr.
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Media GmbH und ihre Autoren schließen jede Haftung diesbezüglich aus.
Die Artikel und Berichte dienen ausschließlich der Information der Leser
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der GOLDINVEST Media GmbH und den Lesern dieser Artikel entsteht
keinerlei Vertrags- und/oder Beratungsverhältnis, da sich unsere Artikel
lediglich auf das jeweilige Unternehmen, nicht aber auf die
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empfohlenen Werte im gleichen Zeitraum besprechen. Daher kann es in
diesem Zeitraum zur symmetrischen Informations- und Meinungsgenerierung
kommen.
04.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
By Aloysius Laukai
The seven Australian soldiers who came to Bougainville a week ago have returned home today.
The team are members of the Royal Australian Army personnel advance team of Bomb experts and other specialists who were in Torokina to identify unexploded bombs which are remains from the second world two bombs and ammunitions that were left after the war ended some 60 years ago.
After these group present their findings, are more advance team with air crafts and other facilities would then be established to monitor and remove these live ammunitions which were endangering the lives of the people of Torokina since the war ended.
Torokina was one of the bases for America and allied forces and have tones and tones of live ammunitions that must be removed to make the place safe for development.
Last year a group ol bomb experts from America were in Torokina and managed to remove some but the place is still full of bombs and bullets which were one of the main sources of arms supply to Bougainvilleans during the Bougainville conflict.
Pictured are the soldiers boarding the PX flight out of Buka this morning.
04.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
The High Commissioner also visited the Buka Police Station.
She is pictured welcomed to the Station by Inspector Aili Spencer the Northern Commander.
High commissioner Stokes visits Buka market.
04.13.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Australian High Commissioner in Buka
By Aloysius Laukai
The Australian High Commissioner to PNG, HE DEBORAH STOKES arrived in Buka this morning for a two days official visit to the region.
This was her second visit since she took over from the former High commissioner, Ian Kemish.
On her arrival to Buka, she was welcomed by the ABG Minister for Public Service, JOEL BANAM who said that the people of Bougainville were happy to the continued support the government of Australia was providing to ABG and the people of Bougainville.
The Acting chief administrator,CHRIS SIRIOSI also said that he was looking forward to a positive dialogue on issues that the are of interest to the two parties during her stay in the region.
High Commissioner, STOKES said that her visit to Bougainville was important as she would like to get some latest information on issues and developments on Bougainville especially ahead of the Heads of Governments meeting between Canberra and Port Moresby next week.
04.13.2013
Source: Autonomous Bougainville Government
ABG jumps to defend Rio Tinto’s controversial Mining Act clause
by Chris Siriosi
I post as acting Chief Administrator (Bougainville Administration) for 4 months. Before that as I was CEO of the Law and Justice Division. Yesterday, a young and inexperienced Bougainville Administration officer made an inaccurate and misleading post on the Forum. He claimed that the supposedly “controversial” section 203A of the draft Bougainville Mining Bill was not in the drafting instructions for the Bill. He said it was inserted by an AusAID funded legal drafter. In fact, the section is not exceptional. And it was not inserted by an adviser. His untrue statements reflect his inexperience of developing new laws.
His comments reflect Mr. Sam Kauona’s recent attacks on the “transitional” provisions in the draft Bill. They include provisions that would keep the Bougainville Copper Agreement Act in force until a new Panguna agreement is reached. Section 203A would also keep BCL’s SML alive in the same way. I will explain why and how those provisions are included.
The Bougainville Executive Council (BEC) 2012 instructed the Bougainville Administration to develop a Bougainville Mining Bill based on the PNG Mining Act 1992. This is a law providing for a new entity (the ABG) to take over and change previous rights and duties (mining to be taken over by the ABG). Such a law needs to cover what happens to rights and duties under the old law. These are usually called “transitional” provisions. They cover transition from old to new arrangements. Absence of, or faults in, transitional provisions can cause big problems.
There can be confusion on whether rights under the old law continue, or are abolished, or changed. Major arguments, disputes, court cases and crises can occur.
The ABG must also consider Constitutional and international treaty protections for property. It must also ensure Bougainville remains a competitive foreign investment destination.
So far we have had 3 drafts of the Bougainville Mining Bill. Each draft has been developed by discussion back and forth between ABG officers and advisers, and the drafter. Everything the drafter has included has been on the instructions of the ABG. That includes section 203A. Beyond that, each draft has been made available to various interest groups for their discussion and input. Each time this has resulted in many changes to the draft.
The transitional provisions have changed in each of the three drafts. But like all parts of the draft Bill, those in the current draft are not set in concrete. The draft is available for public consultation. It was recently tabled in the ABG House of Representatives for that purpose. Already the ABG has received suggestions from many sources. As with all parts of the draft, the ABG welcomes comments and suggestions on the transitional provisions.
The transitional provisions, including section 203A do not guarantee BCL a right to return to Panguna. In his statement responding to. Kauona, Semple and Rali published in The National on 25 November the President repeated past statements: “I have made it clear to BCL, and to the Panguna landowners, that BCL will never go back to Panguna unless landowners and the ABG agree that any new deal offered by BCL is the best possible. That continues to be my absolute promise to the Panguna mine-related lease landowners and to the people of Bougainville. In addition, the ABG is committed to including other major interest groups in the negotiation process. This will include women, former combatants, and other interests.”
In his statement published on 25 November, President Momis also commented on the transitional provisions in the current draft Mining Bill: “In his statement on behalf of Semple and Rali, Kauona claims that the draft Law’s transitional provisions give special protection to BCL. But in fact they offer BCL no more protection than the company has had since the Panguna mine closed in 1989. But even with that legal protection, BCL has not mined in all those years. That is because the landowners and the people of Bougainville have opposed them returning. That will continue to be the case unless an acceptable new deal is negotiated.
But the ABG also recognises that transitional provisions giving any protection to BCL can be sensitive ... possible changes to them have been discussed with Mr. Kauona and others. Amendments may be made when the consultation process is complete.”
04.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Lera funds seminar on farming
By SEBASTIAN HAKALITS
BOUGAINVILLE regional MP Joe Lera recently (pictured) chipped in with K25,000 funding to stage a two weeks seminar on agriculture held in Bougainville.
The first week-long seminar was held in Arawa and saw 27 participants attending. The facilitators conducted the second week of the serminar in Buka which was attended by 15 female and 40 male participants.
The seminar was facilitated jointly by agriculture lecturer Peter Mwayawa and business skills lecturer Nare Kewa from the University of PNG and Cocoa and Coconut Institute in Buka. The presentations based on integrated pest and disease management and Start My Own Small Business (SMOSB) covered cocoa budding techniques to protect cocoa plants, food security and cash chart.
Speaking soon after the completion of the seminar, Mr Mwayawa said this seminar was a short roll-out program aimed at updating and encouraging participants to implement what they have learnt.
He also thanked Mr Lera for taking the initiative to fund short courses like this for the people to attend and learn, before adding that he was privileged to have come to Bougainville to conduct this course.
While speaking on behalf of the Regional MP, first secretary Simon Koraikove said people’s empowerment was one of the pillars that needs to be developed in order to enable people to build the region with skills and knowledge. He added that Mr Lera would be empowering people through the introduction of such courses, which at the same time is affordable and accessible to them.
04.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Early childhood education course underway in Arawa
By ROMULUS MASIU
EARLY Childhood Education course participants and their tutor.
MORE than 100 participants are undergoing certificate one in Early Childhood Education in Arawa, Central Bougainville. The two weeks course held at Marimari Hauslotu will run for two week starting this week Monday. The course is being coordinated by Dr Dinah Dovona-Ope from the University of Goroka (UOG). With no government support, participants paid the required fee of K1200 from their own pockets to partake in the course. According to Dr Dovona-Ope, the certificate one will cover level one Phonics and Jolly courses.
Next year these same participants will undergo certificate 2, 3 and 4 on Jolly and Phonics level two, three and four. If the participants are Grade 10 school leavers, they will go on to UOG to attain their Diploma in teaching while those Grade 12 School leavers will get their lifeline which is a degree also at UOG. They (participants) will undergo some trainings again and those qualified will go on to colleges.
03.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
AUSTRALIA HIGH COMMISSIONER VISIT
By Aloysius Laukai
The Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, HE DEBORAH STOKES (pictured) will visit Bougainville for two days starting tomorrow.
According to the Program, she will arrive on the AIR NIUGINI flight in the morning and will be met by the ABG officials at the Buka airport.
She will meet the ABG Acting President, PATRICK NISIRA and other Government officials, Business Community, Police and women’s groups before returning to Port Moresby the following day.
This would be the first official visit by DEBORAH STOKES since she replaced the last High Commissioner who officially opened the Panguna Peace Building Strategy, IAN KEMISH.
03.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
POLICE CALL FOR RESPECT
By Aloysius Laukai
A Bougainville Community Police officer, CONSTABLE LESLY METEN is calling on all men and boys to respect women.
He made these remarks at the Violence against women program in Buka last week.
CONSTABLE METEN said that women can be equal partners of men if given the opportunity instead of violating their rights.
He said that a community without women can not exist therefore as partners men should respect their women counterparts in place of work or even at home and at the market place.
The Police Constable warned that violence against women was a crime and the law has been amended to protect vulnerable women and the children and persons caught will be severely punished by the laws like the Lukautim Pikinini act and other new laws.
03.12.2013
Source: MiningNews.net
Rio plans more cuts
by Justin Niessner
RIO Tinto has projected 20% year-on-year spending reductions for 2014-15 at an investor seminar in Sydney today, despite expressing optimism for a global economic recovery.
The mining giant forecast total capital expenditure of $US11 billion ($A12 billion) in 2014 and about $8 billion in 2015 after tipping 2013 capex to come in more than 20% lower than the previous year at less than $14 billion.
The budget was offered in a review of the year’s operational highlights, which included a number of belt-tightening measures, including a head count reduction of 3800 across the group since June 2012.
This figure takes into account 1800 new roles to support iron ore expansions. Another 300 roles have left the business with divested assets.
Rio chief executive Sam Walsh (pictured) said he had set a clear direction for the company in a year of tough decision-making.
“While there is always more to do, I am confident we are well on the way to transforming Rio Tinto into the highest performer in our sector,” he said.
The seminar charted a $1.8 billion improvement in operating cash costs in the 10 months to October and an $800 million reduction in exploration and evaluation spend over the same period, exceeding the 2013 target of $750 million.
Divestments of non-core assets announced or completed over the year were reported to value $3.3 billion, with $2.3 billion of this having already been received.
Last week, Rio announced it was suspending alumina production at the Gove refinery in the Northern Territory, which would see 2.6 million tonnes of annual alumina capacity exit the market.
The company, however, emphasised its expectations for robust resources demand from developing economies, highlighting production pushes in copper and iron ore.
Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Andrew Harding outlined the company’s new “breakthrough” pathway to production of 350 million tonnes per annum by 2017 in Western Australia’s Pilbara region at an all-in capital cost of $120-130/t.
“We have taking one of the industry’s most attractive growth projects and made it even better,” he said.
Production increases were flagged for the company’s copper business to include plans for operational growth at Oyu Tolgoi in Mongolia and Kennecott Utah Copper in the US as well as more investment in massive properties such as Peru’s La Granja project and the Resolution project in the US.
Walsh balanced these ambitions with the recent divestments and cost-cutting efforts using a cautious tone.
“From where I stand, we continue to see market fragility and volatility,” he said.
“The impacts of decisions like quantitative easing and austerity programmes are still washing through markets around the world. But it is a mixed story because, despite this uncertainty, we are also seeing modest economic recovery.
“In China, the decisions from the government’s Third Plenary Session last month reflect an ambitious yet pragmatic approach to continued reform and confirmed our expectation of gradual change which reduces the likelihood of a sudden downturn.
“Over the longer term, I remain optimistic about demand for our products. China’s urbanisation will continue and the development of other economies as they continue to grow at pace, such as India, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, the Middle East, the former Soviet Union, South America and Africa, will also contribute to ongoing demand for our products.”
Shares in Rio were down 1% this morning at $A65.18.
03.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
POLLING TO COMMENCE
By Aloysius Laukai
Polling for the five constituencies currently running for the ABG BY-ELECTION will officially go to polls starting tomorrow Wednesday 4th December and for the next five Days.
Polling will commence tomorrow for LULE seat in Buin, South Bougainville, KONGARA and RAU in Central Bougainville and PEIT and HAGOGOHE in North Bougainville.
The seats currently been contested are, LULE in which its former member the Late PAUL MITU died and vacated.
The seat for RAU in Wakunai was also vacated when its former member and Minister for Tourism, JOE EGILIO died and vacated it last year.
The Peit Seat was vacated when its former member, DR. ALEXIUS SAREI vacated the seat due to ill health and old age.
The other two seats of HAGOGOHE and KONGARA were left vacant last year when its former members, DOMINIC ITTA for Kongara and ROBERT HAMAL SAWA for the Hagogohe seat resigned to contest the 2012 PNG National Elections.
The two former members who resigned are contesting their former seats again.
Due to the rugged terrain in Kongara polling will be held in seven days whilst the other four seats where voting will be in just five days.
03.12.2013
Source: Australian Network News
Boost for Bougainville
03.12.2013
Source: Post-Courier
Buin police want fair elections in Lule
By ROMULUS MASIU
POLICE personnel in Buin will be out in full force to see that polling in the Lule Constituency by-election in South Bougainville this week is trouble free.
And anybody found to be breaching the polling rules will be severely dealt with accordingly.
The undertaking was given by Buin police station commander Senior Sergeant John Popui yesterday in light of the Lule Constituency polling tomorrow.
Ten candidates are vying for the seat left vacant by late ABG Member for Lule Constituency Paul Mitu in 2011.
The candidates are Fr Joseph Nabuai, Tony Kiata, Simon Moatsi, Isabel Peta, Paul Morokana, Joseph Kinani, Paul Lugakei, Paul Koniana, Paul Kareba and Peter Kugunia.
Snr Sgt Popui said there would be 44 police personnel involved in the polling that will be held from December 4 to 12, 2013.
According to Snr Sgt Popui, the campaign has gone very well without any disturbances or trouble and that the polling is expected to be trouble free.
"My men are preparing the normal election operations and we are deploying police personnel at various polling locations. There will be seven polling booths, four at Lenoke COE and three at Lugakei COE. All the Community Auxiliary police and regulars will participate in this exercise."
Snr Sgt Popui who is from Lule Constituency urges all eligible voters to work with polling officials and raise any query following proper procedures.
"No one is to disturb the polling by tampering and threatening the polling officials during this time," Snr Sgt Popui said.
03.12.2013
Source: Bougainville24
MP condemns violence against women
By Leonard Fong Roka
Minister for Veterans Affairs in Central Bougainville in the Autonomous Bougainville Government, Hon. David Sisito (pictured), condemned all forms of violence against women whilst speaking at the Stop Violence Against Women rally held at Arawa’s Christmas Park on the 25 November 2013.
The rally was organized by Oxfam and women groups in Arawa to display their united stand against the rising levels of violence against women across Bougainville. An issue that is seen as an impediment to positive progress for Bougainville.
“In Bougainville,” Minister Sisito said, “men and women are partners in development as we walk towards referendum for independence.”
03.12.2013
Source: PNG Attitude
Bougainville Manifesto 10: Sources of conflict and peace
LEONARD FONG ROKA
AFTER THE KANGSINARI COUP of 1997, Francis Ona and Joseph Kabui led their groups in separate ways. The Kieta people looked at each leader. Many waited for one of them to create something tangible.
Both Panguna leaders wanted independence for Bougainville but their means to get there conflicted. Kabui and his team wanted ‘peace by peaceful means’ and Ona wanted a war to the end.
The leaders’ common purpose was to liberate Bougainville and Bougainvilleans from (as I have stated previously in Manifesto 7) the “exploitation, indoctrination and genocide by, firstly, the colonial powers and later with much more intensity by the PNG government and people.”
So what were these problems and how were they destroying Bougainville and its people?
Bougainville was discovered by the French explorer, Louis De Bougainville and his team of sailors, on 4 July 1768. There was a wait of 24 years to 1792 before the island began to be scavenged for opportunities of trade and Christianisation.
Christianisation and commerce were the pillars of colonisation that ruined the peaceful evolution of Bougainville and its black Solomon Islands people. Under Christianisation and trade we are talking about education, religion, money, agriculture and manufacturing forced on the Stone Age people who knew nothing about the modernisation happening in Europe.
Thus Europeans, to keep up the pace of economic, political and social change, held Bougainvilleans by the throat and drove them into the reckless current of 19th century Euro-centrism.
Such a procedure resulted in exploitation, indoctrination and eventually the genocide of the identity and dignity of the Solomon Island people of Bougainville.
Exploitation was the first act of cruelty by colonialism against Bougainville. And 1792 was the year it all started. I define ‘exploitation’ as ‘using Bougainville’s resources for one’s own benefit without the Bougainville peoples’ consent or without giving back to Bougainvilleans’.
Bougainville, the largest and the richest island of the Solomon archipelago, was subjected to the worst exploitation in the mid-Pacific. Firstly came the 1800s planters who secured hectare after hectare of coconut and cocoa plantations.
One such case was the land in Arawa. According to Donald Denoon’s 2000 book, Getting under the Skin, Arawa began as a plantation in the German era. It was expropriated in 1927 for $19,800 and after World War II it changed hands for $46,000.
During the reign of CRA, the owner F R McKillop sold it to CRA for $1.5 million. Traditional owners were not there and Europeans made money out of their rights.
With the trend set, Australia saw Bougainville as a good financial source to fund the independence of it buffer state, PNG. So it went ahead to destroy the lives of Bougainvilleans to establish the Panguna mine at the cost of the destruction of the Bougainville people.
The Panguna mine continued the colonial will of exploiting Bougainville to the betterment of PNG.
Panguna mine, from its founding and over its 17 years of operation, according to the BCL Annual Report 2012, reached production valued at K5.2 billion by 1989; and Bougainvilleans got nothing.
Bougainvilleans saw no sealed roads, no bridges across the rivers or the Buka Passage, no rural electrification or road connection to all their villages. But all they took was environmental destruction and looting of their rights.
Next I look at ‘indoctrination’, the second problem for Bougainville.
I define ‘indoctrination’ as the colonisers and PNG’s desire to ‘make Bougainvilleans forget about themselves and destroy themselves’.
The first lot of colonisers enforced Christian and secular education on the people to see right and wrong from a Eurocentric perspective.
Bougainvilleans were to be nurtured to look at land and life from the Western world view; to let go their own world views; to accept the destruction of their land and lives as positive development; to accept the PNG state and people as a brother in the name of Christ under one law, that is the PNG constitution since 1975.
Writing in the book, Bougainville before the conflict (2005), Jonathan Friedlaender wrote, “One of the great puzzles of Bougainville is why its people are so distinctive in appearance from most other people in the region, particularly why they are so black.” This is the dignity and pride of the northern Solomons!
The PNG government and people coming into the scene in 1975 did not want Bougainvilleans to know themselves. They designed their constitution to kill Bougainville identity and their dignity as Solomons people; they designed an education system that makes Bougainville people not accept themselves as unique in the Pacific; they told Bougainvilleans that they are not Solomons people and, in doing so, Bougainvilleans were to keep selling themselves and their land to the PNG people.
All this was the pathway to genocide.
For Bougainville, ‘genocide’ meant to ‘to wipe out Bougainville identity and dignity; redskinize Bougainvilleans’.
With the crisis of the 1990s, Bougainville sought to defeat all these evil systems but a sad chapter dawned with the peace process in 1997 when Bougainville leaders gave in to Australia, Rio Tinto and PNG.
In 1988 Rio Tinto worked hard to save the Panguna mine. I believe it provided support to the PNG army operations to suppress the militancy. As the army slowly failed, Australia state stepped in with increased military aid but was left with disappointment.
Rio Tinto, Australia and PNG kept up their effort to defeat the Bougainville freedom movement as Pacific nations Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Zealand struggled for peace on Bougainville.
Australia jumped in to hijack the peace effort and make itself innocent in the eyes of the Bougainville people.
Thus the Bougainville Peace Agreement of 2001 and the Bougainville autonomy arrangement ended in favour of the external forces.
In the peace agreement, the culprits pushed for a weapon-free Bougainville. But in history they never listened to the cries of the Bougainville peoples until the gun was involved. That was when they decided to listen and respect Bougainville rights.
Despite the many provisions of the peace agreement, autonomy and constitution and so on, the culprits have still not addressed issues that harm Bougainville. They did not create a new education system; they did not create a vagrancy act; they did not create a tertiary institution; they did not support Bougainville to establish its own export and import companies.
If all these development were established in 2005 with the reign of the first Autonomous Bougainville Government, Bougainville could believe it was in safe waters. But sadly not.
02.12.2013
Source: Bougainville24
Investment laws protect local business
The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) will look to implement new inward investment laws after they were passed through parliament on Wednesday 13 November.
These laws were created with the intention of promoting responsible investment on Bougainville that is congruent with the culture desires of its citizens.
This includes recognition of customary land rights, environmentally sustainable practices and employment & and participation of local people.
Once fully functional the laws will seek to ensure only investors that make commitments to these practices will be permitted to operate in Bougainville.
02.12.2013
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
CALLAN SERVICES TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL DISABILITY DAY
By Aloysius Laukai
The Callan Services Bougainville which cares for the persons living with disabilities will be commemorating the International Day for Persons living with Disability at their Centre in Hahela tomorrow.
Parents and citizens and guardians of people living with diasbility are requested to attend this special day tomorrow in which a Mini Bazaar will als be held.
The orgarnization will have various fundraising acivities like raffle tickets,coin drop,target shooting and many more to raise funds to continue to care for people living with disabilities and people who have special need.
This message was conveyed to New Dawn FM in a service message sent for Broadcast today from the Callan Services Bougainville office.
DR. BARNABAS MATANU Director Medical Services at the Buka General Hospital giving his speech at the Family Support Centre Opening last week.
02.12.2013
Source: The National
Detectives for Bougainville
THE Autonomous Region of Bougainville now has two women detectives among 11 police personnel who graduated recently.
The 23 students underwent intensive training that would see Bougainville people supported by police investigators and prosecutors.
According to the Australian High Commission, the advanced investigation skills and prosecution courses were provided by the Royal PNG Constabulary trainers and supported by Australia through the PNG-Australia Law and Justice Partnership.
Minister counsellor development cooperation at the Australian High Commission James Hall said: “The rule of law and an effective justice system is fundamental to economic and social development of Bougainville and to its democratic system of government.”
Prior to the training, Bougainville had no qualified detectives.
02.12.2013
Source: ABC Radio Australia - Pacific Beat
PNG mining industry faces first downturn in a decade
Papua New Guinea's mining sector is in the doldrums for the first time in a decade.
On Tuesday the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum hosts its annual investor summit - this year in Port Moresby. The Chamber says while the gas industry in PNG is booming mining is facing difficult times. Executive Director, Greg Anderson (pictured), says PNG is feeling the same pressures as the rest of the world.
Listen here !
Presenter: Jemima Garrett
Speaker: Greg Anderson, Executive Director, PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum
ANDERSON: The decreases in commodity prices, the pressures on production, the inefficiencies that have crept into the industry. It has affected us just like Australia and other parts of the world. So we have had considerable challenges on our mining sector. And the juniors can't raise money on the markets which is an international phenomenon and many of them are in a stressed state. Similarly, it is difficult to raise money for our new projects so this is also a challenge. I think we are seeing quite a difficult time coming up. It is not over yet for the mining sector.
GARRETT: In recent years mining exploration spending in Papua New Guinea has been strong. Just how much of a downturn are we seeing in exploration?
ANDERSON: Oh! Very significant! We have had 10 years of very substantial growth. We had a magnificent cross-section of explorers including a very decent suite of majors in joint ventures. Unfortunately many of those have now opted to pull out because of international pressures so it is definitely a challenge. And we have many juniors, a very significant junior sector but a lot of them are facing great pressures and I am afraid to say some of them will probably disappear, yes.
GARRETT: Mining has been the mainstay of government revenue. Just how much impact is this downturn having on the government budget?
ANDERSON: It hasn't flowed through yet significantly because it takes some time - the lag effect. But it definitely will impact. We've got some growth in production thank goodness because we have some new projects but they are new and they are not significant tax contributors for some years so it will certainly affect the government's bottom line, particularly in the Ok Tedi situation because the commodity prices for both Ok Tedi products - copper and gold - were very high and they have both slumped . So, of course, that will impact the government's bottom line, no doubt about it.
GARRETT: The PNG government is currently reviewing the mining act. What does this downturn mean for that review?
ANDERSON: Well we are definitely trying to get that message across to government that that mining act review needs to consider this situation and not to make any dramatic changes. The same we have got a tax review, very very major tax review going on across the nation at the moment, of all taxation, not just mining and petroleum, so we hope the government will take the stressed nature of the industry into consideration when looking at the taxation situation. Because there is pressures and again, similar to international trends to take a greater slice of resource sector income.
GARRETT: By contrast the gas industry is performing well. What are you seeing exactly?
ANDERSON: It is still a very good story, fortunately. The two sectors have diverged quite considerably in the last 18 months because we had solid growth in both of them for nearly a decade but definitely oil and gas is fortunately doing extremely well still and we have got a very buoyant situation there, particularly for further LNG developments. And the additional developments on our existing LNG projects so we are looking at the potential for train 3 and 4 on that and we are looking at another LNG development and possibly a further one down the track.
GARRETT: You are holding your mining and petroleum seminars this week. What do you expect the highlights to be?
ANDERSON: Certainly in oil and gas it will be the significant health of the oil and gas sector and the upside that we have got which is very impressive for such a small country because we have just about completed one so we have got the near completion of one LNG which is a major achievement. We have got as we say the potential for further extensions and other developments and other gas developments as well so this is a very good story for such a small country. In mining it is going to be how we are dealing with the challenges and how we can weather this difficult situation. I think that is going to be the main areas and to hear the messages from the government itself. The government is relatively new. It is just 15 months in office and this is a chance for ministers and the Prime Minister - two respective ministers will be presenting as well as the Prime Minister- so to hear their views on how they see the future emerging.
02.12.2013
Source: Bougainville24
Investment laws protect local business
The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) will look to implement new inward investment laws after they were passed through parliament on Wednesday 13 November.
These laws were created with the intention of promoting responsible investment on Bougainville that is congruent with the culture desires of its citizens.
This includes recognition of customary land rights, environmentally sustainable practices and employment & and participation of local people.
Once fully functional the laws will seek to ensure only investors that make commitments to these practices will be permitted to operate in Bougainville.
