Marape’s pledge of hope & reassurance to the people of PNG

James Marape in the traditional bilas (finery) of the Huli people

By DANIEL KUMBON - PNG Attitude

PORT MORESBY – Papua New Guinea’s new prime minister James Marape is ready to fight crime and deep-rooted corruption in a country overburdened with billions of kina in foreign debt and poor delivery of basic services like health and education.

PNG’s eighth prime minister, Marape has been a member of parliament since 2011 and has held several important ministerial portfolios.

He did not mince his words in his maiden speech as he warned investors not to approach him, his ministers or public servants with bribes but to earn their money through honest hard work.

“Don’t offer inducements to me or any ministers or public servants,” he said.

Marape also warned public servants and politicians to earn their salary and not to ask for special favours from investors.

People watching his maiden speech with me on a TV screen in Boroko applauded as he declared a crackdown on corruption and a determination for PNG to do more of itself – “we do not need foreigners to export logs,” he said.

“You have a prime minister who expects nothing in return for giving state contracts. All we expect is for you to do your fair bidding at the right price and get your job done”.

Marape is well aware that corruption is already deep-rooted in government systems and eating into every aspect of established society.

No prime minister has addressed the cry by the people to address corruption and law and order problems as openly as he did in this opening declaration.

It is more than 10 years since long-time PNG businessman Sir Ramon Thurecht disclosed that a ‘30% syndicate’ of bureaucrats and politicians existed that solicited businesses for a 30% cut before work could start.

“It is extremely difficult, if you win a contract, to get your money. This has happened to us,” he said.

It was shameful at the time that no politician or bureaucrat stepped forward to counter such a serious allegation coming from a respected citizen.

It demonstrated that the people entrusted to steer PNG were either ignorant or deeply involved in corrupt deals to enrich themselves.

At the time, Sir Ramon, former chairman of the PNG Manufacturers Council, said that “graft and corruption [has] permeated both the bureaucracy and the political level”.

He said businesses would not speak out because of fear the bureaucrats and politicians would retaliate but warned that if the problem was not curbed could lead to businesses closing down.

But now, Marape has set out to reverse the situation and give hope to every citizen and investor that people will operate within the confines of the laws of this country.

It seemed that Marape’s maiden unscripted speech was resonating from an orchestra conducted by the prime minister from the chambers of Parliament House and the sound of sweet music flowed out to soothe the people.

It floated through the valleys deep, over the mountains high, over the savannah dry and over the deep blue oceans to the people glued to their TV sets, radios and mobile phones.

It was a clear message of hope, unity and reconstruction.

It is still early days but the people already seem to accept that the member for Tari Pori is the type of leader PNG needs.

Marape says he will maintain regular contact with the people though his Facebook space.

He has just seen the power of social media through the activities of the member for Madang, Brian Kramer, who effectively used it to play a major part in the downfall of Peter O’Neill.

A young James Marape and his wife

Marape also appears to possess the traits of at least two world leaders – former US president Barack Obama and Australian prime minister Scott Morrison, both of whom are Christians and both of whom married the girl they first met as teenagers and have remained with since.

Marape is the first Seventh Day Adventist prime minister of PNG while Morrison is the first Pentecostal prime minister of Australia. Obama was born a Muslim but was seen as a ‘progressive Christian.

Last Sunday, Marape thanked people for their prayers because he believed God had made it possible for him to ascend to the highest position in the land.

“The former PM’s resignation, my election and all associated events took place under God’s watch; hence I am greatly burdened to ensure the right thing is done for all citizens,” he said.

“In ten years, this country must be the Richest Black Christian Nation.

“That is because we have all the natural resources - gold, copper, iron, coal, gas, oil, nickel, timber, tuna and fish, agriculture, tourism and culture, biomedicine and research, water, fresh unpolluted air and more.”

He said he has a band of likeminded leaders sitting on both sides of the house who will cooperate to grow the economy in a safe and secure environment conducive for all citizens to live honest productive lives.

Marape is adamant he will promote local businesses to benefit from the resources sector by winning contracts to develop PNG.

“I will ask National Procurement Commission to polish the contract ceilings so contracts under K10 million are strictly for citizen and local companies and contracts above that threshold will have local partnership involvement,” he said.

“To local SME and contractors, we have a special incentive plan for you in this mid-level, tidy your company books, pay your honest tax and if you want to go the next phase of your business, we will inject very soft term loans (possibly 5% repayment rate over 40 year period). Be prepared to be part of our program to resuscitate our businessmen and women.

“To multi-national companies who operate in our resources sectors, I am not here to chase you away but to work with you so that we can add value to the benefits that emanates from the harvest of our natural resources. I request you all to assist me as to how we must grow my Papua New Guinea economy.

“I look forward to your interventions and I have a fresh team of PNG advisors looking into all our resource laws and I am putting you all on notice that laws will be tailored for implementation when our country moves past 50 years of independence in 2025.

“Presently all projects agreements that are in compliance and congruent to all our laws will be honoured.

“We are here to protect our genuine foreign investors who can respect our laws as it is now and our intent of policy and legal regime shift into the future.

“To all young educated PNG citizens, I will be asking few of our leaders including myself on your views about Taking Back PNG to interface and pick your thoughts.

“To all our citizens, we are prepared to work, can I ask of you one thing?

“Give me a good law and order environment, stop crime, stop tribal fights (my Hela, please), stop torture of mothers and daughters, stop corruption at all levels, honour time by being punctual, do little things like stop littering and spitting the red stain of betel nuts.

“Let’s all contribute. I am willing to make few hard calls going forward as the chief servant of my country, Papua New Guinea.

“Keep a look out in this space as from time to time I will communicate with the nation using this medium. Please forgive me if I don’t reply as you all will outnumber me but at least you read my thoughts.

“Those of you who want to work with me please align here or offer me better solution to make PNG the Richest Black Christian Nation on earth, where no child in any part of our country is left behind.”

If all or some of what Marape says is achieved within 10 years, he will compare well with Moses of the Old Testament who brought the Israelites out of slavery from Egypt to live in the land God promised.

And God gave this land to the people of the people with rich natural resources.

Go to this link for more: https://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2019/06/marapes-pledge-of-hope-reassurance-to-the-people-of-png.html

Marape promises to rebuild country in first address to PNG

By Jamie Tahana, RNZ Pacific Journalist

Papua New Guinea's newly-installed prime minister vowed to reconstruct the nation in his first major speech to the country, promising tax reform, an economic overhaul and a rebuild of the public sector.

In an 18-minute State of the Nation speech ahead of the State of Origin rugby league match on Wednesday night, James Marape, in a crisp white shirt and fresh blue suit, sought support from in front of an image of the country's flag.

It's been a week since the Hela MP and former finance minister took over from Peter O'Neill, winning the support of a convincing majority of parliament. Since then, Mr Marape's announced a seven-member caretaker cabinet that excludes Mr O'Neill.

But it was the 8 million people of Papua New Guinea whose support Mr Marape was trying to win on Wednesday night.

"As I took office and started to look into where we are as a nation, I realised the challenges before us are so big, so huge," Mr Marape said in his address, which was televised nationwide.

"It will require the effort of everyone, starting from members of parliament as well as all public servants and every citizen to rally together."

But Mr Marape also stressed PNG's blessings and opportunities: its envious natural resources - oil, gas, minerals, fish and forestry - and its diverse and youthful population.

But the country's challenges are also immense. Many of those resources have been exploited to the benefit of few locals, which has sparked growing frustration and even conflict in some Highlands areas. The national economy is struggling, the health and education systems are on their knees, and law and order remains a perpetual issue.

To begin to address this, Mr Marape promised an overhaul of government services and the public sector.

"When a mother goes to hospital, she must know that there's a doctor waiting to serve her. When a child goes to hospital, there must be medicine available," he said.

"As I speak, I know challenges in those sectors remain big.

"Our infrastructure is very bad and run down. We have great work ahead of us … and the expectations of the nation is so big."

One of Mr Marape's first actions as prime minister was to launch into the resource sector, immediately announcing that he would review the laws governing resource sectors.

One of the main catalysts of Mr Marape's defection from the last government was when Mr O'Neill signed an agreement for a Liquefied Natural Gas project in the Southern Highlands with the French energy giant Total.

Mr Marape is also understood to be frustrated at how little there is to show for the other major LNG project in PNG, which is based around his home province of Hela.

But in his address on Wednesday, Mr Marape struck a more conciliatory note, saying he did not intend to chase industry away, but asserting that reforms were needed to ensure benefits are spread more evenly.

"Genuine investors in our country are very very much welcome," he said. "But I've been speaking very very strongly to gain more for our country."

James Marape (centre) the newly elected prime minister of Papua New Guinea. 30 May 2019James Marape after being elected prime minister of Papua New Guinea Photo: PNG prime minister's office media
Mr Marape also promised to diversify the economy and to promote economic development outside of the capital, Port Moresby. He said his government would seek to find each province's strength - be that resources, industry or tourism - and to develop it.

He also promised a crackdown on Papua New Guinea's rampant corruption.

One of Mr O'Neill's greatest controversies was his establishment of the anti-corruption unit Taskforce Sweep.

But when that unit sought an arrest warrant against Mr O'Neill, he moved to have it dissolved. He also never followed through on a promised Independent Commission Against Corruption.

"I will not be hiding anyone behind my government," said Mr Marape. "What has happened in the past will not be hidden by my government."

"Everyone - including leaders - stands before the rule of law."

Mr Marape also used his State of the Nation to give a glimpse into the days leading up to the toppling of Mr O'Neill, when he rallied rapidly defecting government MPs at Port Moresby's Laguna Hotel.

"Many of them cried in front of me, many of them cried with me," Mr Marape recalled. "They cried not for themselves but for the betterment of our country."

"They were offered money, they were offered jobs, but they resolved to remain to the change that we want to see for our country."

But while Mr Marape's lengthy speech was big on promises and visions for the development of PNG, he offered little clue on how exactly he would do it.

There was also no mention of Bougainville, the autonomous region that is due to vote for independence later this year.

Still, Mr Marape's speech struck notes of reconciliation and optimism, and he ended with an appeal for the people of PNG to work with him and to hold him to account. He also appealed for civil servants to do their jobs and for politicians to put the country first.

And then, finally, it was time for the rugby league.

"Enjoy the State of Origin tonight," he said. "I will not tell you which team I support."

"I support Team PNG."

Go to this link for more: https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/391374/marape-promises-to-rebuild-country-in-first-address-to-png

Bright future for Tari-Pori’s young

By MALUM NALU - The National Weekender

IN March this year, a glimmer of hope sprouted from the swamps of Tari, Hela, to give a new lease of life to its young men and women.
The K30 million Hope Institute, a project of Tari-Pori MP and Finance Minister James Marape and funded by district funds over the last three years, came alive with hundreds of visitors to witness the signing of agreements with the University of PNG and Department of Education.
Then Higher Education Minister Francis Marus witnessed the signing of the agreement between Marape and then UPNG Vice-Chancellor Prof Albert Mellam.
The institute also signed an agreement with Susu Mamas to provide health care support to Hela mothers, while another agreement was signed between National Agriculture Research Institute and the Hela United Church to bring about agriculture development.
The partnership with UPNG will ensure arts, science and accounting are taught at the institute with options for tourism, computing and other courses relevant to cottage industries in Hela.
UPNG will also run its matriculation programme at the institute to prepare school leavers for colleges and tertiary education.
The occasion also saw the presentation of the registration certificate of Hope Institute as a registered Flexible Open Distance Education (FODE) centre.
Secretary for Education Dr Uke Kombra, when presenting the certificate, acknowledged Marape as the champion of FODE and Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) when he was the Education Minister from 2008 to 2011.
Tari-Pori children and youths in their green uniforms turned up in numbers to witness the signing ceremonies that would usher in a brighter future for them.
Marape said his vision had become reality with lecturers and course programmes now in place, 20 lecture halls, an administration building, library, modern accommodation facilities for 380 staff and students, mess for 800 people, and kitchen.
Earlier this month, I revisited the institution, and was amazed at the transformation that had taken place.
A Fijian chief executive officer, four Indian teachers one of whom is a woman, and a handful of national teachers have run the institution since its launching.
Fijian CEO Henry Rabuku, a lawyer and former soldier, says 5000 people had expressed interest in attending classes this year with 600 starting.
“We had 500 students with another 100 for adult literacy,” he tells me.
“We will have classes from Grade 7 to Grade 12.
“Those who cannot make it under the education programme through FODE will go on to the TVET programme.
“Grade 12 students will be channelled through to the UPNG programme or on to other institutions.
“We are now starting to get Grade 7 through to Grade 12 students into the classrooms.
“Next year we are expecting the enrolment to go up to 2000.”
Rabuku says people who had missed out on education for the last 20 years, due to the ongoing law-and-order situation, were lining up to enrol.
“Because of this, from May until December, we were running basic English classes just to get them back into the classroom,” he says.
Marape is adamant that the institute will live up to its name and be a beacon of hope for Tari-Pori and Hela.
“The interesting stream we have is adult literacy,” he tells me.
“Two weeks ago, I visited a class, and was fascinated to see young adults who did not speak English at all, speaking English.
“Many of the problems here in the valley are because of people not educated in the modern education system, and are not spiritually grounded also.
“We have four compulsory programmes at the Hope Institute.
“Students must go through the learning modules we have for them, cultural teachings, Christian teachings, and must all be computer-conversant.
“The programme is also about character building.
“We will not just give them a certificate from our school.
“They must also learn to be good citizens.
“That will emanate from the cultural courses we run, as well as Christian courses.”
Marape says it is a big investment by Tari-Pori geared towards rehabilitating young citizens of the district to make them better through education.
“We are hopeful that we will give them skills for life,” he says.
“The programmes we run are with the view that law-and-order doesn’t have an overnight solution.
“Law-and-order is a mindset thing.
“Here it involves the cleansing of the mindset of an entire generation.
“Lack of modern education, lack of cultural education, lack of Christian education have created what we have today. Hope Institute is a starting point for Tari-Pori district to bring in all our young men and women, cleanse them, purify them, motivate them, and lead them towards a path of success.
“Everyone must subscribe to good behaviour.
“There will be no engagement in criminal activities or tribal conflicts.
“Next year will be the starting point to create missionaries of peace in our valley.
“I see it as a rehabilitation centre for my district to help those who have been left behind.
“I’m excited.
“Since 2013, I’ve spent about 50 per cent of my time, just to get this place up and running.
“We have four Indian teachers and we’re still in the process of recruiting more teachers.”
It’s not all bad news in Tari-Pori.
The institute is indeed shining a light on the people of Tari-Pori, after many years in the darkness, and giving them a hope for the future.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/bright-future-tari-poris-young/

Well done dad

By MALUM NALU - The National 

A BEAMING James Marape was welcomed back to Port Moresby yesterday by his wife and three sons after being declared the winner of  Tari-Pori Open seat in Hela.
The three-time MP hailed his victory – the first in this election for the ruling People’s National Congress Party led by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill – as a “strong testament to my people’s desire for maturity, stability and continuity of leadership”.
Wife Rachael and sons Sabbath, James and Roy were on hand to welcome him back at Jackson Airport when he arrived from Tari.
He said the big show of support by his people was because of the work he had done for them in the past 10 years.
“My people have chosen an experienced hand so that what we’ve started as a province and a district continues, irrespective of the contrary views that many may hold in as far as the election is concerned,” he said.
“The district’s mandate is a verdict confirming the need for political stability and continuity.”
Marape was declared as Tari-Pori MP by returning officer Jack Walara at 11.30am yesterday after the elimination process on Saturday.
He polled 30,192 to finish way ahead of independent candidate Johnny Pokaya Philip (14,556) and People’s Progress Party’s Justin Haiare (7924).
“My votes in the 2012 election totalled 18,776,” he said. “Today, it is at 30,000-plus. It confirms that when you put in the hard effort as far as doing the work that you’re supposed to do in the electorate, people respond by giving you votes in huge numbers.”
Marape paid tribute to the people of Hela.
“The good thing that has emerged amid the many negativities that surround the 2017 election is that Hela people showed up in huge numbers – beyond 80 per cent – at their respective polling places,” he said.
“Tari-Pori has been delivered, Koroba-Kopiago and Komo-Margarima are being delivered and winding down their counting, with declarations expected in my two sister electorates in the next two to three days, as well as the Hela provincial seat.
“Hela’s election preparation has been spot-on by the election team on the ground.
“I thank the election team and security for the work that they have done.”
An elated Marape said Hela had shrugged off the negative views to deliver a successful election.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/well-done-dad/

Papua New Guinea PM says resources reforms will take years

By Tom Westbrook - Reuters

SYDNEY (Reuters) - New Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape doubled down on his plans to earn more taxes from the gas-and-gold-rich country’s natural resources sector on Wednesday, but said major reform would not take effect for years.

That will come as a relief for oil giants such as France’s Total SA and ExxonMobil Corp which have done deals and were wondering if Marape would put them up for review.

Marape, a former finance minister, had the firms on notice last week when he was elected and promised he would be “taking back” the economy after the resignation of his predecessor, Peter O’Neill.

In an address broadcast around the rugby-league loving archipelago as thousands tuned in for the State of Origin match, a big derby in Australia screening afterwards, he promised to review resource laws in a “very, very big way,” but not quickly.

“While I’m speaking on natural resources, many of our corporate citizens amidst us will feel a little bit doubtful or will feel a little bit intimidated, will feel a little bit insecure,” he said.


“But you must not feel that way ... I’m looking at 2025 in which we will migrate to a new legislative framework.”

Marape had sparked months of political chaos in the South Pacific archipelago when he quit as finance minister over the government’s handling of a gas agreement struck in April with French oil major Total SA.

He rode a wave of discontent over that deal, and an earlier one with ExxonMobil Corp, into the top office, triggering a new round of scrambling - this time from commodity firms clamoring to meet and lobby him.

Mark Bristow, chief executive of the world’s second-biggest gold producer, Canada-listed Barrick Gold Corp, traveled to the capital, Port Moresby, to negotiate an extension to a large mining lease expiring in August.

Barrick and China’s Zijin Mining each owns 47.5 percent of the highlands’ Porgera mine, which Barrick said has paid 4.2 billion kina ($1.2 billion) in taxes and royalties since it began operations in 1990.

Oil Search Ltd, a partner in Exxon and Total’s multibillion dollar liquefied natural gas developments, has scheduled a meeting for next week, a spokesman said.


Marape’s remarks imply, as Total has said it expects, that April’s contract will be honored, but the changes he again forecast envisage a tougher approach in future.

“(I’ll be) looking to ensure that the oil and gas sector is beneficial to our country as well as our investors,” Marape said.


“We’ll be looking at the mining sector to ensure that our gains ... are growing.”

Go to this link for more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-papua-politics/papua-new-guinea-pm-says-resources-reforms-will-take-years-idUSKCN1T60FY

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – ONE OF THE BIGGEST LAND GRABS IN MODERN HISTORY

Posted on Global Witness

Global Witness has been documenting the Papua New Guinea government’s failed response to one of the largest land grabs in modern history. In recent years roughly 12 per cent of the country has been annexed to timber and palm oil companies using a leasing system intended for small-scale agriculture. Three years after a national inquiry was launched into allegations of widespread fraud and illegality surrounding the acquisition of this land, the government has taken no meaningful action to defend its citizen’s rights to their land and halt the wholesale destruction of rainforests of global importance.

Our briefing paper documents:

• Government inaction – The government has failed to stop any logging operations under Special Agriculture & Business Leases, even where an official investigation recommended they be cancelled. 
• Breakdown in law and order – Logging and exports continue unabated and with the support of local police and forest authorities in the one operational Special Agriculture & Business Lease the government has cancelled. 
• Failure to complete review of leases – More than three years after committing to review the legality of these leases, around 40% have not been reviewed, including the three largest timber exporting operations. 
• More logging authorized – The National Forest Board continues to issue and renew permits to log and clear rainforest under this leasing system, ignoring community complaints and the government’s own decision to repeal it. 
• Timber grabbing – Many Special Agriculture & Business Leases have been used for industrial logging rather than their intended purpose to promote agricultural development. These leases now account for nearly a third of the country’s total log exports, with an export value of roughly US$100 million a year. 
• Total impunity – No government officials or companies involved in the abuse of these leases have been prosecuted or sanctioned where evidence of criminality or negligence was uncovered by an official investigation.

Go to this link for more: https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/land-deals/papua-new-guinea-one-biggest-land-grabs-modern-history/

Gulf landowners welcome PNG PM's stand on resource laws

Posted on Radio New Zealand

Landowners in Papua New Guinea's Gulf province have welcomed the new prime minister's stand on resource laws.

James Marape said his government will review the country's resource laws which he described as outdated.

Mr Marape and other MPs resigned from the Peter O'Neill-led government in April after it signed with French company Total for the $US13 billion Papua LNG gas project in Gulf.

They cited concerns that landowner interests were being undermined in the agreement, and that the O'Neill government had rushed the deal through without meeting mandatory requirements.

The high-level opposition to the project agreement has resonated with local landowners in Gulf Province.

The Purari Development Association general secretary Roy Daniel Evara said the agreement is flawed because the developer has dictated terms to PNG.

"The agreement itself did not comply to very critical pre-conditions of the Oil and Gas Act, which is the guiding pillar for the industry. An agreement should never dictate to the pillars of the country's laws. It should only conform and comply with it."

Roy Daniel Evara said the agreement's provision for 2 percent equity for them was not enough.

Much of the discourse among MPs around last week's change in leadership in PNG was about the need to address the uneven benefits from the country's abundant resource wealth

Landowner communities in Mr Marape's province, Hela, have been frustrated for several years over the lack of promised benefits from the country's first LNG project, operated by Exxonmobil, which is also a partner in the Papua LNG Project.

"We do not intend to chase away our investors. They're here to stay, we encourage them," Mr Marape said.

"But we will look into maximising gain from what God has given this country, from our natural resources. This leadership is all about placing this country in the right place in taking back our economy."

Mr Marape has borrowed the Take Back PNG mantra from Oro Governor Gary Juffa.

Mr Juffa argued the country isn't truly independent because foreigners control its economy, saying PNG's MPs need to devise laws that enable the country to take true ownership of its economy.

Go to this link for more: https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/391273/gulf-landowners-welcome-png-pm-s-stand-on-resource-laws