The National
PAPUA New Guinea’s economic growth will slow down to 4.5% this year, a marked reduction from the 9.2% of last year and 11.1% of 2011, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB). However, ADB vice-president Stephen Groff told The National on Tuesday that the bank remained confident in the future of PNG. Groff said PNG’s growth over the past 10 years had been very positive. “If you look back over the last decade, PNG has been one of the fastest-growing economies in the Pacific and in Asia,” he said. “Last year, we had growth of 9.2%; the year before (2011) you had growth of 11.1%, that’s all been very, very positive. “There is the maturing of the mineral and oil operations and scaling down of the LNG construction, which are the two main drivers of what we forecast to have a reduced levels of growth this year,” he said. “We’re quite confident in the general medium-term outlook for the PNG economy. “We think that the fundamentals are good. “We think that PNG can grow, but it’s going to be a bit of a different situation for the country.” Groff, however, said PNG had failed to turn its economic growth into benefits for all people. “The challenge for PNG has been translating that growth into benefits for poor people and in real change to the lives of poor people in the country,” he said. “Another word for that is inclusive growth, meaning growth that benefits all sectors of the community. “Evidence of the growth not being as inclusive as it might have been is not on target to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. “That’s clear indication that the government and donor partners have not been able to sort out how best do you translate this economic growth into inclusive growth.” The United Nations MDGs are eight goals that all 191 UN member states have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015. The United Nations Millennium Declaration signed in September 2000 commits world leaders to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women. The MDGs are derived from this declaration and all have specific targets and indicators. Change hasn’t happened quickly enough in the global mining sector, despite prodding from advocacy groups concerned about environmental sustainability and human rights abuses. But when a mining company responds to pressure and makes changes for the better, that should be acknowledged, not dismissed as an empty public relations gesture.
Recent criticism by Mining Watch of Barrick Gold’s initiative to assist the women who were raped by local employees of its mine in Papua New Guinea is short-sighted. It has accused the company of “rushing” the women through the claims process, and of forcing them to sign away their legal rights. That is stretching the truth. In fact, Barrick, the world’s largest gold-mining company, has done its best to clean up the mess at the Porgera gold mine. Since 2011, it has spent 18 months consulting with human-rights advocates and developed an opt-in program of remediation for the victims, offering them counselling, access to micro-credit and medical care. The program is administered by an independent team, including the former chief magistrate of Papua New Guinea. The women are free to pursue action against any individuals involved but once they settle the grievance procedure with the company, they cannot make further legal claims against it. This seems fair. There is no denying that the Toronto-based corporation should have acted before the allegations of gang rapes became public in a 2011 Human Rights Watch report. That is regrettable. However, Barrick has since responded “with vigour,” to use the words of Human Rights Watch. It launched a major internal investigation, facilitated a criminal investigation by the local police and dismissed the employees who were charged. Sexual violence against women remains a serious problem in Papua New Guinea, due in part to the country’s patriarchal culture. In the Porgera district, many women have experienced trauma and violence. This deeply rooted problem will not be resolved overnight. Mining Watch, a non-profit advocacy group, is right to continue to monitor this issue in Papua New Guinea and in other countries where governance is weak and corruption a problem. But it should also be prepared to acknowledge change, and to chart the continuing evolution of the mining sector. Globe and Mail The Sir Tei Abal Secondary School in Enga province remains close as landowners still insist on meeting with the governor and the provincial administrator on their compensation demand.
The Kalia clan of Wakumale village, which owns the school land, is demanding 150-thousand Kina and 100 live pigs, from the Sakare clan of Liop village in the Laiagaim district, and the provincial government over the killing of a Kalia clansman on the school grounds last year. A Kalia community leader, John Yombon says, the Office of Mekim Save court system under the Law and Order Division, had ordered the Sakale clan and other parties to settle the compensation demand by December the 28th 2012, however nothing was forthcoming, resulting in the frustrated landowners shutting the gate of the school on Monday. A government delegation yesterday failed to get the Kalia landowners to open the school gate. The government delegation consisting of Deputy Provincial Administrator Social Services Joel Kisu and Lower Kuda advisor Nelson Lea appealed to the clans to open the gate before the school should resume its 2013 academic year. The government officials told the clan that they will take the issue up with the Enga Governor Peter Ipatas and the Enga Provincial Administrator Dr.Samson Amean, because the two leaders who were away from the province. However Kalia clan leaders repeatedly say it would be more appropriate for them to talk face with the two leaders before they open the school gate. Enga police try to despatch the landowners to clear the school gate, however the teachers told the police personnel not to do that as the school is located outside of Wabag and is well protected by the Kalia clan. Canadian mining company, Nautilus Minerals says it's dedicated to resolving the financial issues with the government of Papua New Guinea, so that the work on its Solwara One Project resumes.
Nautilus Mineral's country Manager, Mel Togolo, made this known reiterating the company's commitment to developing the country's first seabed mining.. Nautilus has a license to mine copper and zinc under the floor of the Bismark Sea, in waters off East New Britain, New Ireland and Manus provinces. However, the construction of equipment for its Solwara One Project remains terminated as a result of a disagreement with the P-N-G government, which is yet to pay more than 23-million US-Dollars, or more than 50-million kina for its 22-percent equity in the project. Radio Australia reports Togolo saying, they look forward to achieving a resolution to ensure the project goes into production successfully. Mr. Togolo says that the project has many environmental advantages compared to land-based mines, as it is working towards a zero tailings system, and that no people need to be relocated. PAPUA New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has warned that the government may not approve the extension of the mine life of the nation's biggest single taxpayer, Ok Tedi, unless BHP Billiton agrees to amend the terms of the copper-gold mine's ownership.
Mr O'Neill told members of the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday that he was "not in a hurry" to grant an extension to the mine -- whose permits expire later this year -- even though it provides a quarter of the country's export receipts. Following a series of environmental problems, BHP -- which built the mine in the then-remote Star Mountains in PNG's Western Province in the early 1980s -- pulled out of the venture. Through an agreement with the PNG government of the day that involved a form of indemnity over environmental damage, BHP placed 63.4 per cent of the ownership in the hands of PNG Sustainable Development Program, a trust that was chaired by leading economist Ross Garnaut. |
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