THE Autonomous Bougainville Government received its 2011 establishment grant of K15m from the National Government yesterday. Minister for Bougainville Affairs Steven Pirika Kama handed the cheque to ABG President John Momis in Buka yesterday. The first K100 million “promised” to Bougainville under the K500 million package should be released in this year’s National Budget. Further, the ABG has asked for an increase in the Bougainville’s recurrent budget, an annual allocation from the National Government for next year, according to Mr Momis in an interview in Buka yesterday. Mr Kama reiterated the commitment and the partnership from the O’Neill-Namah Government to Bougainville. Meanwhile, Mr Momis thanked the National Government for honouring its commitment and releasing the K15m, although 11 months later. Mr Momis said that most of this grant would be used to repay monies diverted from other projects and continue to fund peace process and development activities in the region. “Bougainville was reduced to basic humanity and these K15 million grant was a means for us for development, implement autonomy and working towards referendum,” he said. Although the ABG needed more money to develop its region, Mr Momis assured the K100 million if released this year would be used for planned impact projects already in preparation by the ABG and its administration.
09.11.2011 Source: Post-Courier
Call to fund peace effort By Melanie Toliken
THE people of Manetai in the Eivo/Torau Constituency are calling on the Autonomous Bougainville Government to a fund peace and reconciliation project in preparation for the re-opening of the limestone mine. According to their member Melchior Dare, the Emai chiefs passed a resolution to hold high impact reconciliation for consultation and negotiations towards securing a joint venture partnership arrangement to re-open mine by early 2012. ”The necessarily process such as land mediation, dispute on the landownership title has been resolved by the Emai chiefs and now we are calling on the Autonomous Bougainville Government and its administration through the Division of Peace to immediately assist to fast track high impact peace and reconciliation among the surrounding communities of limestone area,” said Mr Dare. He said that a request had been made to the Division of Commerce and Trade through the Investment Promotion Authority to advertise the Manetai Limestone Project in the IPA website and media to attract one to two foreign investors to bid for the project. He added that by 2012 the people of Manetai and the ABG should secure a joint venture partnership to re-open the limestone mine. “The project will greatly contribute to the region by boosting its economy as well as improving social livelihoods,” said Mr Dare.
09.11.2011 Source: Post-Courier
Seaweed project for atolls
THE Bougainville Executive Council has endorsed a pilot seaweed farming project for the Bougainville Atolls and other coastal communities in the region. Since the National Fisheries Authority banned the sea cucumber industry in 2009, those people who depended heavily on the business to sustain their daily needs, were financially affected. The seaweed farming project was approved after the Autonomous Bougainville Government Minister for Primary Industry presented a policy submission based on the Feasibility Study Report on the seaweed farming in the Solomon Island. Seaweed is an important commercial food, especially in Asian and European countries and it is one of the highly priced commodities in the world markets in Asia, America, Africa, and Europe. Seaweed project is an effective alternative economic development activity in the Atolls and coastal communities.
09.11.2011 Source: The National
ABG gets K15m state grant By STEPHANIE ELIZAH
IMPACT projects for the Autonomous Region of Bougainville will be implemented under a K15 million restoration and development grant from the national government. Bougainville Affairs Minister and South Bougainville MP Steven Kamma Pirika yesterday presented Bougainville President John Momis with a bank statement as proof of the funds being deposited into the ABG account. Momis said the K15 million grant was from an agreement between the national government and ABG in the Bougainville peace agreement signed in 2001. He said the funding would help with the rebuilding of roads, infrastructure and sorting out the Bougainville administrative divisions. The president said the ABG would continue with its peace-building and weapons disposal initiatives and that it was talking with the PNG, Australia and New Zealand governments on building the technical and intellectual capacity of Bougainvilleans. In thanking the PNG government, Pirika urged both governments to work together for the betterment of the people of Bougainville.
09.11.2011 Source: The National
Mining boom
THE mining and petroleum industry is the biggest employer in Papua New Guinea in the past six years. The industry came close to doubling its workforce from 18,000 to 30,000 between 2003 and 2010.These figures were disclosed byMichael Uiari, the Oil Search general manager in PNG in charge of commercial, legal and stakeholder management. He was speaking last Friday to journalists in Port Moresby about the industry’s benefit to PNG’s economy. The main projects in the pipeline are the PNG LNG project, Yandera, Ramu nickel, Wafi Golpu, Frieda River and Gulf LNG. There are a number of grass roots exploration projects in both mining and petroleum also employing a lot of workers in the fields. Projects commissioned into production during this period are Simberi and Hidden Valley mines. Uiari said a growing number were hired in the exploration phases, smallscale alluvial mines and contractors and joint ventures being set up. He said the industry was an integrated industry made up of exploration, evaluation, development and production, using a wide range of services and support industries, indirectly giving jobs to more people. They were mainly employed by aviation, drilling and drilling suppliers, seismic contractors, analytical laboratories and technical services of all types. Others were involved in expediting and logistics, earthmoving and trucking sales and contractors, shipping of all types, port services, supply of motor vehicles and tyres, wholesaling and retailing of fuel, general merchandise, white goods, equipment, tools, food supplies and catering, maintenance and servicing contractors of all types, accounting, legal, engineering, surveying and other professional services, provision of accommodation including hotels, office and private rental residences, technical and vocational training and security. “These groups benefit because our industry consumes goods and services from every aspect of our economy,” Uiari said. The PNG LNG project alone currently employs 6,600 local workers compared to a maximum of 3500 projected before construction. At the peak of construction in the second half of next year, total employment is expected to jump to 15,000 people – local and foreign combined. The economy is expected to grow by a “low double-digit” this year which is expected to translate to significant increases in employment in contrast to 2009 when the economy grew by only 4.5% due mainly to the global financial crisis. Uiari said the financial and other benefits provided by the resource projects were diverse and substantial including employment, royalty via the state, taxes, dividends, tax credit schemes, education and training, business and agricultural development, health programmes and services, community facilities and other infrastructure. He said an estimated K1.47 billion in taxes was paid to the government last year. Uiari said royalties alone during the past five years had totalled K1.1 billion calculated at the rate of 2% each from the mining and the petroleum sectors.
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