Marape Focuses on Revenue

BY GORETHY KENNETH - Post Courier

PAPUA New Guinea needs to be serious in improving on its economic and revenue gains from all its national assets, Finance Minister James Marape said.

He said at the closure of the national leaders’ summit in Port Moresby last Friday that the government and leaders should focus on how they could gain from forestry, fisheries, oil and gas, and agriculture, among others. “I take cue from prime minister’s intervention on forestry, we always talk about revenue and expenditure, but it should be that every district, province and our national leaders should start talking about improving our gains from national assets and that is something yet to be seriously addressed,” Mr Marape said.

“I now put to the table, our country has a huge asset base, look at forestry, we just heard that 75 per cent net take goes to the investors, PNG will be lucky to have 25 per cent.”

He said that future conversations should focus on how PNG could gain from national assets.

“We have a huge asset base in the country, translation of the balance sheet of what we have as asset into actual cash is not taking place,” he said. “Our resources in mining, oil and gas, fisheries, agriculture, forestry sector to name a few, look at timber, it is our easiest industry to make money, let’s take stock and see if our provinces can take charge.”

Go to this link for more: https://postcourier.com.pg/marape-focuses-revenue/

Court To Decide On Hides LO Company Forgery Case

Posted on Post Courier

THE Waigani Committal Court would decide if there is a case to answer when it rules on a forgery and alteration of company documents of a Hides landowner company registered with the Investment Promotion Authority.

According to police records, Howard Hole, from Hemari village in the South Koroba, Hela Province, was alleged to have cheated his people and falsified company documents without the consent of the directors.

According to court documents read to the respondent yesterday, it was alleged that he (Hole) without approval from the board in a meeting went ahead and removed directors James Bare, Andale Andaja and Alex Malingi and replaced them with Mai Hiyabe, making him and Hiyabe as the only shareholders and directors.

Based on complaint from the plaintiffs in the proceeding (Bare, Andaja and Andane), the respondent, Mr Hole was arrested by police and charged with two counts of forgery and two counts of alteration.

He appeared before the committal court yesterday in which the court read his statement of facts and adjourned it to March 27, 2019 when the committal court would decide if there is a case to answer at the national court.

According to statements presented to court, the landowners of Hides (Zuku clan) decided that a landowner company called Zuku Development Corporation was to be formed and the people contributed money to start the company.

However the plaintiffs (James Bare, Andale Andaja and Andy Andale) alleged that instead of starting the company, Hole used the funds and started a company called Tuguba PDL 1 Company which was receiving dividends from transport company Trans Wonderland.

The plaintiffs further claim that the dividends were never paid to the shareholders even from the new company he registered with the knowledge of the people and the board members.

He was arrested and appeared before the committal court yesterday before presiding magistrate Cosmas Bidar adjourned the matter to March 27 for decision on the future of the case.

Spokesman of the plaintiffs Andy Andale, a major shareholder, appealed to the shareholders, directors and the members to maintain calm pending the decision on March 27.

“You must not give up, we will hear the result very soon so remain calm and support me and the team to pursue what is rightfully ours. The court of justice will prevail and if he wins then that is fine, if we win than justice will be served to us,” he said.

Go to this link for more: https://postcourier.com.pg/court-to-decide-on-hides-lo-company-forgery-case/

Marape To Launch Projects in Tari

BY Finance Minister James Marape

Hello all citizens and friends of Tari Pori and Hela; for those of you at Tari see you at two locations tomorrow for launch of few catalyst projects.

Our old airport will start to see proper fencing and sealing and a better and good terminal as part of the national government airport upgrade programs nationwide. This is a K80million development package that got delayed when I tried to confirm wether late Agiru’s plan for realignment and bigger airport can pass technical specifications.

However when National Airport Corporations Ltd ( which I am a shareholder as FM), informed me of impossibilities of expansion due to wind flow and mountain closeness ( pi nagia andapari and mt huriba ), we agreed for re do of existing airport , with the knowledge that the road sealing currently underway from Komo to Tari will mean a one hour travel to access bigger airport in Komo from Tari.

We also will start the electricity distribution lines that I have been forever pushing with Government out of Hides to Komo, Tari, Koroba and Nipa. That is a K60million project that Kumul Petroleum Holding Ltd is funding under Cabinet’s approval that should redistribute power out of Hides to Hela.

We will also be launching the png Power Ltd substation in Wabia for the major 132 KVA electrification cabling that will run from Hides to Hagen, a K600million project. This one will carry Hela power for sale to png power in which Governor Philip Undialu is leading all of us behind Hela Province and all our land owner subsidiaries owning new power generation in Hides where we will own as business.

Important day tomorrow and all stake holders will be in Tari tomorow. Sorry shall i add on here , we will also run fiber optic for high speed Internet on the high voltage power line.

All contracts have mobilize with funding dispatched, they on the ground , and some of them are international contractors , I ask our people you have wanted development it’s is coming , embrace development and leave your differences at home or for 2022.

Hides LO’s Threaten Legal Action

Post Courier - March 15, 2019

TUGUBA tribe, the principal landowners of Hides PDL 1 and PDL 7, have warned Petroleum Minister Fabian Pok they will seek legal challenge to the ministerial determination on the LOBID process.

The eight paramount chiefs of Tuguba tribe were upset that they were not invited to the signing ceremony last weekend, which was a low key event and did not involve the principal landowners of the Hides gas resource.

Their appointed spokesmen, Richard Takima for PDL 1 and Erick Hawai Ako for PDL 7, said in a joint statement yesterday the chiefs have accorded them the powers of attorney to challenge the ministerial determination in a court of law.

“The eight paramount chiefs of Tuguba tribe, who are the principal landowners of Hides PDL 1 and PDL 7, have entrusted us through powers of attorney to deal with all matters relating to our gas resources in Hides,” they said.

“They are particularly upset that Dr Pok rushed the signing of the ministerial determination last weekend after PDL 1 and PDL 7 fully supported and cooperated in with the government team in the recent clan vetting exercise in Hides.

“The minister was aware that our chiefs had returned to Port Moresby after the clan vetting exercise to resolve outstanding issues, including the non-payment of K6.5 million for legal and other liabilities. These bills were incurred last year while our chiefs and clan leaders were trying to protect and recover project security funds worth K15 million that were paid by the Department of Petroleum to a fake authority in 2017.

“Yet, Dr Pok chose to ignore the plight of our paramount chiefs and left them stranded in Port Moresby while he returned quietly to Hides to sign the ministerial determination, which was witnessed by some government officials and a handful of landowners from other tribes.

“We want to remind the minister that these eight paramount chiefs of Tuguba tribe are the rightful owners of Hides gas in PDL 1 and PDL 7 as well as the proposed Muruk gas development. Our gas resource is the main supply for the PNGLNG project and the Hides to Porgera gas.” PNG TokStret Loop PNG.

K325 Million for Hela People

By Post Courier

Finance Minister James Marape, as is happy with the Hela Provincial Budget that Governor of Hela, Philip Undialu handed down in the Hela Provincial Assembly in Tari this week.

With an ambitious but achievable internal revenue of K325,765,288 million projection and national government functional grant K148,859,500 million, the budget was handed down with the full support of all PEC and Provincial Assembly members. The budget was fair on all development sectors and all corners of the province receiving its fair share of funding allocation.

Mr Marape, who is also the MP for Tari Pori, commended Mr Undialu for the fair distribution of development funds, irrespective of politics and other personal differences that is prevalent in Hela.
“This is Governor Undialu’s first budget proper for Hela and to see for the first time in my 10 years of being in parliament, my provincial budget that is borne out of consultations and fair equitable distribution of development funds is highly commendable,”a Mr Marape said.

“My colleague ministers, Petrus Thomas and vice Minister Manasseh Makiba offer our support as MPs of the Hela Provincial Assembly to unite to the cause of raising revenues and allocations in the National Budget to service our Hela Budget,” Minister Marape said in the occasion of budget delivery in Assembly.

Today the new generation of leadership in Hela has assembled and united in one accord to the cause of Hela’s development. “Challenges in Hela including lack of progressive development due to inconsistencies in budget focus and implementation challenges in a politically divided and tribal conflicted zones remains our challenges.
“It is fair that our people reciprocate the Governor’s intention by respecting each other and the rule of law.

“ The break up will come later, but let me say for the first time in my 10 years as MP under a provincial assembly, I am satisfied that we have a fair budget irrespective of political affiliations.”

Go to this link for more: https://postcourier.com.pg/k325-million-hela-people/

Oil Search Foundation supports Hela women tackle change

Posted by Oil Search Foundation

Women in Hela Province have decided they want change and peace and they want to do something about it.

It is easy to see their plight.

Frequent tribal conflicts erupting in many parts of the province have dislodged families from their homes and robbed them of their livelihoods with the most vulnerable, women and children, seriously affected.

Throughout Hela province the cry for peace has been growing.

Following the successful women’s leadership summit held in Goroka in 2017, Hela women requested Oil Search Foundation (OSF) support a forum where they can lead the dialogue around addressing violence.

The two-day workshop, attended by 24 women leaders drawn from Hela’s Tari-Pori, Koroba-Lake Kopiago and Komo-Magarima districts and representatives of the Hela administration, was encouraging and revealing.

The leaders agreed that:

• Economic development and employment opportunities are critical to achieve change;
• Working with young men is necessary to stop the violence;
• Family and sexual violence is common and increasing;
• School-age children are missing out on formal education and getting access to decent health services is very hard;
• The presence of security forces was only temporary, and a more permanent mechanism needed to be set in place;
• A community approach is needed for collective action to tackle violence, education and economic empowerment; and

It was further agreed that a Hela-wide Women Leader’s Conference be held in 2019 and that five-year plans of action against violence should be drawn for each of the three Hela districts.

The women were also introduced to citizens’ rights and responsibilities as contained in Papua New Guinea’s Constitution and leadership characteristics and responsibilities.

Workshop facilitator Iva Kola said: “I was delighted to see these local women leaders take ownership of their issues in Hela and develop their vision a five-year plan for the three districts.”

Participant and leader Janet Koriama said their fear is that there will be ongoing killings and violence because most deaths resulting out of tribal fights have not been compensated.

“Women and children are mostly and will be affected by tribal warfare. There aren’t any proper court hearings, Correctional Institutional Services (CIS) camps are not functioning, police are not arresting any perpetrators of rape and family and sexual violence. We would like by-laws developed to address these practices and have it passed as a Provincial Hela law to influence the attitude and behaviours that can provoke tribal war fares.”

OSF has agreed to work with women in Hela to further develop and implement a plan of action.

Go to this link: https://www.oilsearchfoundation.org/media-1/2019/1/28/oil-search-foundation-supports-hela-women-tackle-change

Oil Search Commits K3M to Koroba District Hospital

Posted by Oil Search Foundation

The Oil Search Foundation (OSF) is contributing up to K3 million to help fund a major redevelopment of the Koroba District hospital. The announcement was made by OSF Chairman and Oil Search Managing Director in Koroba on February 27th.

Mr Botten, who is also the Chairman of the Hela Provincial Health Authority was accompanied to Koroba by local MP and Minister for Immigration and Board Security, Petrus Thomas, Counsellor Health with the Australian High Commission, Will Robinson, , Earthquake emergency controller Dr Willian Hamblin, members of the Hela Provincial Health Authority Board and OSF staff. .

“Having access to good healthcare is a fundamental right of everyone – regardless of their age, their gender, or their wealth.” said Mr Botten.

“Here in Koroba we are working with the Hela Provincial Health Authority, Minister Thomas, and the Australian Government to make sure that everyone in this District can access the healthcare they need, when they need it.”

The OSF contribution is part of a multi-million-kina package to redevelop Koroba District Hospital with additional funding from Minister Petrus Thomas and the PNG and Australian Governments.

“Our vision is for a hospital where mothers with birth complications can have babies in a safe and secure place. Where children with serious infections can have quick and effective treatment. Where surgery is safe. And where there is round the clock emergency care for both inpatients and outpatients. This is our goal and by working together we can achieve it’, Mr Botten said.

The redevelopment of Koroba is already underway.

The delegation laid the final footing on the foundation where a new X-Ray room will be located. The machine will arrive in the next few weeks along with a new pathology lab and other equipment funded by the Australian Government and OSF.

Minister Thomas said that the initiative highlighted the importance of partnership. He noted there was a lot to do to bring health infrastructure up to standard especially after the earthquake. “I take on board your commitment to Koroba District Hospital. We want to build Koroba to the standard of Port Moresby General Hospital and PIH. I am with you to partner this. Thank you OSF and the Australian High Commission. We do not have a lot of money but together in partnership I know that we can deliver much needed services and one of them is Koroba District Hospital. For us the journey has just begun. We have a long way to go. But I know that we can deliver together,” Minister Thomas said.

Go to this link: https://www.oilsearchfoundation.org/media-1/2019/3/4/oil-search-commits-k3m-to-koroba-district-hospital

Oil Search commits millions to improving health services in Hela

Posted by Oil Search Foundation at Tari, Hela Province, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

A combined approach to improving health services in Hela province supported by Oil Search is already making a difference. The success of Hela Province in delivering improved health services is nothing short of incredible. It is a story of partnership with the private sector playing a significant role.

Over the past four years Oil Search alone has contributed over K70 million.

In 2019 the company has committed a further K21 million, which includes K3 million for Koroba District Hospital and K9 million for the new Accident and Emergency facility. Other key private sector partners include Santos, ExxonMobil, Bank South Pacific and Curtain Brothers have all contributed funding and or expertise.

Hela Provincial Health Authority Chairman and Oil Search Managing Director Peter Botten said a few years ago, when Hela became a province, it was struggling to deliver services to a disperse population. However, Hela is now in the top three performers in the country for health services and is striving to improve all the time. Public private partnerships are making a difference.

Speaking at the unveiling of the plaque for the construction of the new accident and emergency building for the hospital – which is funded Santos and Oil Search, Mr Botten also made a personal donation of K500,000.00 towards the construction of this vital facility

In less than three years since the Hela Provincial Health Authority was launched, over 300,000 people now have a functioning provincial hospital staffed with 12 doctors – including six specialists and other essential health staff. This is especially noteworthy because the Province struggled for years to attract and retain specialists– despite many attempts to recruit them.

When the HPHA was launched in November 2016, there were no doctors at the hospital, and the Board had to bring in volunteers from overseas to work in the hospital,

Deputy Chair of the Hela Provincial Health Authority Board, Reverend Olene Yawai said that when he initially joined the Board the hospital was in trouble.

There were not enough health workers and many buildings were unsafe.

‘We were going to receive a huge increase in our funding and had to put almost 200 people on the payroll. But we did not even have a single person with skills in finance or staffing’ he said. ‘We were praying to God not to let the hospital close down and we were scared because the job in front of us seemed impossible yet here we are with a great outcome.’

The PHA, partnering with Government, the private sector, and other donors is now strengthening district hospitals and health centres to ensure communities can directly access help when they need it without having to travel long distances.

Rural health services are benefitting having already achieved 100 % polio immunisation coverage and government money is flowing to the districts for the first time in decades.

Mr Botten said he is pleased with progress to date. He said he was especially appreciative of the contributions made by the Open Members and the Governor to improve health services.

“Although we have come a long way, there is still much more to do, and we can’t do it alone. It is all about partnership’ he said.

Go to this link: https://www.oilsearchfoundation.org/media-1/2019/3/6/oil-search-commits-millions-to-improving-health-services-in-hela

Oil Search Foundation Scholarships Program

Posted by Oil Search Foundation
Childbirth can be a challenge in many parts of rural Papua New Guinea. Only last year, a report by ChildFund Australia indicated that about half of PNG mums-to-be have no choice but to go into labour at home – a situation which leaves them 35 times more likely than Australian women to die during or after the process.

It’s statistics like these that really bring home just how important a trained midwife can be.

And it is people like Stanley Lemb and Tracey Vege that give us hope for the future.

They are two of 14 inaugural recipients of Oil the Search Foundation scholarships in 2018. The two graduated today with their Bachelor of Midwifery from the Lutheran School of Nursing in Madang– and it seems safe to say that they got their qualifications in style.

Stanley works at the Karinja Subhealth Centre (Hela province). The health worker has finished in the year top of his class and has also been recognised for his leadership on campus with the school’s Leadership Award. Tracey, who also did academically and socially well, was recognised with one of the two Good Citizenship Awards given out during the Midwifery Badging Ceremony at Lutheran School of Nursing on March 8th.

“I have learnt a lot of essential skills throughout my Bachelor of Midwifery Program at Lutheran School of Nursing. In the past, I was not able to assist a lot of mothers who had complications as I was not equipped with essential skills and knowledge to do so effectively. For example, as a general nurse, I was not able to fully assist mothers to remove their retained placenta after they deliver their babies at home and come in to the health facility, hence I used to refer them to bigger hospitals. One mother lost her life while travelling. Now that I am a midwife, I am trained to effectively prevent such situations, and possibly save lives”, said Stanley.

While Stanley can take all the credit for his academic success, his leadership award may owe something to OSF’s scholarship program, which includes leadership training followed by a leadership assignment.

Together with his fellow scholarship recipient (and now fellow midwife) Tracey Vege, the two were asked to identify a community issue and find a way to address it, as part of their leadership assignment.

The pair decided that waste management needed to be addressed in and around their campus, and promptly organised a major clean-up. They also hosted a successful awareness session with peers, and with the help of OSF, procured wheelie bins for their school’s dormitories, mess, and administration building.

Leadership training has also helped to raise the confidence of students as Tracey explains:

“Before being an OSF scholarship recipient, I was not a self-confident public speaker, and I was not comfortable to lead and make a difference. I feel I have now gained these skills and I have set myself a goal help drive positive change After I graduate and return to Hela Province, I will be raising awareness about the importance of midwifery training, and I will be campaigning for nursing officers to go for midwifery studies. In the next 5 years, my aim is to motivate about 20 nursing officers to pursue these studies”, Tracey said.

Oil Search Foundation scholarships are building PNG’s next generation of leaders by helping to fund their tuition and associated living and academic costs, and by giving recipients the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills.

All recipients have a background in education or health, and or want one or both of those fields to be part of their future careers. They are willing to work in rural parts of Gulf, Southern Highlands and Hela provinces for at least two years after finishing their studies.

Go to this link: https://www.oilsearchfoundation.org/media-1/2019/3/12/oil-search-foundation-scholarships-program

Partners contribute PGK9m to improve Hela Hospital Infrastructure

Posted by Oil Search Foundation

Accident and emergency health services at the Hela Provincial Hospital have been boosted with PGK 1 million funding from the Hela Provincial Government and a further PGK 8 million from Santos Limited, Oil Search Foundation, and a personal donation from Peter Botten, Hela PHA Chair and Oil Search Managing Director. The Australian government is also supporting an upgrade to the hospital’s electricity.

Mr Botten welcomed the support saying it was “always a privilege to be working with partners who shared similar development visions for the people of Hela and Papua New Guinea.”

Currently the hospital does not have a facility that can manage the acute care of emergency patients.

“When the Hela PHA Board was appointed in November 2015 we made a commitment to make this hospital one of the best in PNG. I’m proud to say that eighteen months on we are continually pushing ourselves to achieve more,” said Botten. “And we’ve been able to do this because we have a hardworking board, staff and management team and we also have strong partnerships that can help us achieve our vision” Mr Botten said.

The Oil Search Foundation, who is managing the project, has entered into an agreement with Rhodes Engineering to build the new facility which is expected to open in early 2020 at a total cost of around PGK 9 million kina. It will provide a 24-hour service for the initial treatment of a broad spectrum of illnesses and injuries in both adults and children.

Key areas of the facility include a triage area to assess patients according to their needs. It will also include resuscitation bays for the critically ill or injured, acute bays for patients not requiring resuscitation, non-acute bays for patients who require close monitoring after resuscitation or treatment, a procedure room, a plaster room for fracture stabilization and an isolation room for the management of infectious diseases or privacy for survivors of domestic or sexual violence.

Mr Botten was delighted with Governor Phililp Undialu and the Provincial Government’s support and praised them for their commitment to improving health. ‘On behalf of the Board we are deeply appreciative of the support we are receiving from the Governor and his team. I also thank them for their plan to provide incentives to Health professionals to work in Hela. “Infrastructure is necessary, but it’s no good to anyone if there are no doctors or nurses to provide services” he said.

Go to this link: https://www.oilsearchfoundation.org/media-1/2019/3/13/partners-contribute-pgk9m-to-improve-hela-hospital-infrastructure

Oil Search Foundation helps to open door to new literacy library in Tari

Posted by Oil Search Foundation

“When schools all over Hela closed after the earthquake, our school remained open. When there was tribal fighting here and all the schools in Tari closed, our school did not close down. We have kept going. We kept going because of help from you all.” This is how a parent of a student enrolled at the Habare Literacy Library in Tari described why the school of early childhood learning continued to operate even after the earthquake forced the building that housed the library off its foundations.

While schools in Tari remained closed for last year, the Habare Literacy Library reopened in June. The headmaster allocated an undamaged classroom for the library because the community wanted their children to continue classes despite the disaster.

On February 28, in front of happy students, smiling parents, and a proud delegation led by Oil Search Ltd Managing Director Peter Botten, the Habare Literacy Library opened its doors at the old classroom.

Built with funding from the Oil Search Foundation (OSF), the early childhood education program provides an innovative learning environment for 100 children aged 4 to 6 years – and provides them with the foundation for lifelong success.

Students enrolled in the childhood literacy program by the PNG NGO, Buk bilong Pikinini (BbP) use the library to study phonics, for speaking and listening exercises, pre-reading and pre-writing; the four building blocks that must be in place for a child to begin a lifetime of literacy.

Mr Botten, who is also OSF Chairman, spoke to students about the importance of early learning. “Who wants to be Managing Director of Oil Search?” Mr Botten asked. “Who wants to be head of the Hela Provincial Health Authority? Who wants to be the next Prime Minister of PNG?”

“This library gives you an opportunity in life to reach your farthest dream. The library gives you an opportunity to read and write, to get an education and to get a good job.”

And it seems that the children enrolled in the programme are already are well on their way.

“When they came to us, they did not know English,” Susan Minai, the head librarian said. “But after three weeks, they can follow our instructions in English. They can say the words we teach them. It is amazing to watch.” Ms Minai and a few helpers have kept the literacy program going while the library was undergoing repairs.

Mr Botten thanked teachers like Ms Minai and emphasised how important they are. “A library is not just a room full of books. It needs trained staff to help children reach their education goals.”

He also thanked the local Seventh Day Adventist Church for providing the teachers and students with classrooms and Buk bilong Pikinini for their strong partnership to provide training, mentoring and the curriculum. The support of parents and local community members was acknowledged, along with the important role by the Provincial Department of Education.

“We have enjoyed a very productive relationship with education officials,” said Mr Botten who is also chair of the Hela Provincial Health Authority. “This is the way we work, in partnership with organisations to deliver the services people need. And we can’t do it without the community, that has provided labour and support to open this wonderful library.”

One of OSF’s next tasks will be to help build a new library in Fugwa, located in the Koroba-Kopiago district of Hela. This will be done with funding from the Australian government, the local Member, Hon Petrus Thomas and with support from the Wesley church and the provincial education office. A new library funded by OSF will also be open later this year in Kikori, Gulf Province.

Go to this link: https://www.oilsearchfoundation.org/media-1/2019/3/12/oil-search-foundation-helps-to-open-door-to-new-literacy-library-in-tari