Monday 22 October 2018

The cost-benefit analysis of hosting APEC meeting by PNG in 2018


The cost-benefit analysis of hosting APEC meeting by PNG in 2018.
Rationale
Most Papua New Guineans don’t know what is APEC and yet to learn the advantages and disadvantages of APEC and hosting of APEC in our country. That is the reason why, many people are crazily supporting politicians like Bryan Kramer who has ulterior political motives for negating the plans and procedures of successfully hosting APEC Meeting in Port Moresby.

In here I have put together several good-bad analysis of hosting APEC Meeting by several intellectuals, which I felt are necessary for Papua New Guineans to read at this time, and that should start with understanding of what is APEC, who are the APEC members and brief history of APEC.

What is APEC?
Asia Pacific Economic Coorporation (APEC) is a regional economic forum in Asia-Pacific region. The forum initially started as an informal dialogue of economic leaders in 1989 in Canberra, Australia. It was formally established in 1993 with 12 members, but currently APEC has 21 member economies: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong S. A. R., Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam. Three organizations—Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC), and South Pacific Forum (SPF)—hold observer status (Source: APEC Website).

APEC Vision as reflected on ‘Bogor Goals ’is to achieve Free and Open Trade and Investment in the Asia-Pacific by 2010 for Developed Economies and 2020 for Developing Economies. Tariffs and other measures hindering competition are to be removed whilst on the other hand, other areas of Economic Integration are likely to include Standardization of Customs and International Trade Documentation.

The current theme centers on Economic Integration, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth. PNG joined APEC as a full member in 1993. However, it has not been a very active member until APEC approved Somare government’s proposal to host the meeting in 2018.

So here we are and we should ask if this APEC worth It? It is also important that we understand the advantages and disadvantages of being a member of APEC.

In the following passage, I laid out the views of Mr. Francis Hualupmomi [Francis''Email] who is a Political Scientist and PhD Candidate in Public Policy at the School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. He holds a BA in Political Science and Public Policy and Management (UPNG), BA Honours in Political Science and International Relations (UPNG), Master of International Politics (Jilin University, P.R China) and Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Policy Management (Melbourne University). He personally views the advantages and disadvantages of hosting APEC in Papua New Guinea as follows.



ADVANTAGES OF APEC
“APEC is often referred to as the most dynamic engine growth of the World’s Global Economy driven by its trade and investment value and contribution. This holds true for its population of about 2.8 billion people which represents approximately 57% of the world's GDP and about 49% of the World Trade (as of 2013). This suggests that developing countries stand to gain increasing benefits.

1.       ‘First, APEC’s informal approach of dialogue and collaboration encourages more participation compared to other rules-based economic forums/organisations.
2.       ‘Secondly, not only will they benefit from the development of procedures, policy frameworks and systems to deal with contemporary issues ranging from transparency and governance to financial sector reform and customs procedures but the opportunity to learn new skills and best practices from other economies.
3.        ‘Third, they are able to set agendas and have much say, just like any other bigger players in the forum.
4.        ‘Moreover, it is becoming clear that the exponential growth in the region will continue to reduce poverty across the region with deepening trade and investment. For instance, over the last two decades, we have observed that there has been a reduction in poverty and growing middle class as real GDP doubled from USD 16 trillion in 1989 to USD 31 trillion in 2013.
5.        ‘Finally, developing countries will benefit from APEC’s effort in integrating the region’s economies and promoting trade while addressing sustainability and social equity which would start in 2020. In it, PNG has upper hand as a host nation.

                Some of these initiatives are: Promoting Regional Economic Integration and Trade;  Making it Easier to Trade Across Borders;  Making it Easier to do Business Faster Customs Procedures;  Structural Reform;  Connecting the Region; APEC Business Travel Card;  APEC Supply Chain Connectivity; A Sustainable Future for the Asia-Pacific;  Environmental Goods List; Increasing Energy Efficiency and Renewables; Inclusive Growth: Ensuring Everyone is On Board (Nurturing Small Businesses, Enhancing Social Equity in the Region)”, viewed F. Hualupmomi (2018).

DISADVANTAGES APEC
“While the advantages seem highly beneficial there are also some disadvantages of developing countries being part of APEC.
1.       ‘Firstly, it seems advanced countries will continue to benefit more than developing countries due to the advanced technology and technical know-how that enhances their competitive and comparative advantage power. Small economies such as PNG will continue struggling to find their niche in the regional value chain.
2.        ‘In addition, it appears that some of the “Bogor Goals” of APEC have not been achieved to date. This suggests that there is no guarantee that developing countries’ agendas expressed through high-level policy goals will be achieved. This is largely attributed to the complexity of geopolitics and interaction of other forces influencing the value chain.
3.        ‘Lastly, the rule of corporate giants will continue to influence the value chain in the long run as it seems. Giant corporations’ interests will be politically driven at the institutional level; they will be the ‘winners’ at the expense of developing countries”. (F. Hualupmomi (2018))

Is Hosting of APEC Worth It?
“The question of whether APEC is worth hosting it by the PNG government in 2018 is necessary at this time when the country is facing an economic problem. Experiences from other member countries such as the recent host, Philippines suggest that the benefits will outweigh the cost initially invested. For instance, Philippines as a host of two APEC meetings (1995 and 2015) is currently experiencing a growth rate of 8% as a result of heavy investment in between those years.

“But, what are the likely benefits of hosting APEC in PNG despite the current economic situation?
1.       First, is that benefits outweigh the cost in the long run? This implies that there is an opportunity cost; in the immediate term the cost will seem exorbitant but over time benefit will accrue.
2.       Second, there are immediate returns through increased economic activities during the time of the event. For instance, there will be increased investment from tourists and businesses so as the creation of jobs.
3.       Third, not only will it bring returns in the immediate term but also restore the credibility of the state in hosting future high-level meetings. At the same time, investment in the meeting will boost our socio-economic infrastructures such as modern university facilities and improve our security and defence capability and capacity.
4.       As far as the long term benefits are concerned, this meeting will increase and deepen PNG’s trade and investments in the region. This will further be boosted by labour and skilled mobility, technology and knowledge transfer and financial transfer.
5.       SMEs are expected to benefit in this multi-relations.
6.       Socially, it will help increase collaboration and cooperation in combating governance and transparency and climate change issues.
7.       Another important point is that not only will PNG showcase its unique culture and tradition in the region but as an emerging Pacific leader it will fulfil the Pacific dreams of connecting the small island countries to the bigger APEC community through Pacific Islands Forum and Melanesian Spearhead Group. If that is well executed, there is a high possibility for PNG securing its full membership in ASEAN”, F. Hualupmomi (2018) viewed logically.

Conclusion

‘The analysis suggests that the opportunity cost of hosting 2018 APEC Meeting would accrue moderate returns in the immediate term and higher returns in the long term despite high cost in the short term.
The hosting of APEC is a strategic decision of the government based on calculated risks. Since it takes time for investments to maximize returns, vibrant leadership and effective good governance system is highly necessary. Political disturbance at this time would not only embarrass PNG’s international credibility but also jeopardize the opportunity to host future high-level meetings and access to other regional and global forums/organisations’, F. Hualupmomi (2018) concluded.

Therefore, as Papua New Guineans, let’s be united, be corporative and be supportive to our government to ensure 2018 APEC Meeting in Port Moresby is delivered successfully without mere disturbances. I personally do not like Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill nor other like-minded MPs in the NEC or Opposition, however, this APEC 2018 Meeting is for the worthy course-it is the turning point whether to make or break and I personally disagree the unnecessary and untimely strikes, protests, etc. The reputation as an APEC Member has built in the long run, thus, such decision by Bryan Kramer, Gary Juffa, Allan Bird and others to have APEC Meeting disturbed is a pure jealousy over government powers, perks and privileges and will not help Papua New Guinea in the long run all. Papua New Guineans must refrain from supporting such people.




Sunday 7 October 2018

PNG OLDIE CLAIMING BIG MAL MENINGA HIS BIOLOGICAL SON

This old Papua New Guinean men originally from Eastern Highlands Province has caught the world by surprise, revealing that the iconic Rugby League great and current Australia Kangaroos' couch, Mr. Mal Meninga is his biological son after long 50 years of slumber. I quote here as it was presented on the Facebook by someone known as  To Robin
Mr. Yamu Kofi from PNG


A peculiar man Mr. Yamu Kofi now aged 85 old, illiterate had kept the story secret for 50 years now revealed to the world. He recalled his early Australian colonial days since he worked in Bulolo Forestry Plantations Company in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. During the colonial days in 1958 and 1960 working as plantation labour and part-time House boy or general hand for his European masters. He also worked as House keeper in his early twenties.
"Big" Mal Meninga

He recalled that Mr. Malcolm or Norman was his boss that time. It was around Christmas period during the school holiday that Mr. Malcolm daughter named Miss Leona who arrived from Australia who fell in love with Mr. Yamu and after couple of times she enticed him with nude play boy magazines photographs when they were alone in the house which he was working. And finally they had affair on several occassions, the daughter of Mr. Malcolm became pregnant. The parents of Miss Leona admitted that she been sleeping with Mr. Yamu Kofi couple of times.

The parents then summoned Mr. Yamu to Bulolo district court and charged 1 year with hard labour in prison. After serving this term in prison, Mr. Yamu then went back to his home village Farm in Eastern Highlands Province. Mr Yamu still remembers the daughter of Mr. Malcolm who gave him a note with contact details and a photograph of herself. Tht was the last time he saw the lady.

Mr. Yamu Kofi is now appealling to the family, Mrs. Leona the mother and Big Mal Meninga to contact him immediately to solve the mysteries quickly with God's guidance and blessing before he die. Mr Yamu Kofi is praying that the good Lord will help him out to obtain the DNA test to prove the public or the world that big Mal Meninga his Papua New Guinea biological son and he believes that the mother Mrs. Leona is still alive and living in Australia.

For general info contact Sova Pisae on 
Mobile +675-7035 3637 (Could't read properly)
E-mail: bigmalsearch@gmail.com 


DOCUMENT THAT WAS POSTED ON FACEBOOK BY To Robin

Monday 9 July 2018

Impediment to Development in Hela.

Impediment to Development in Hela.

Photo Source: Design for new Hela Hospital by SPENCER PELEG KLEINHAUSE Architects

Posted by Huliax Kuali on Hela Political Forum (Official)

Hela Province is made up of only three districts with huge landmass and more population. We have 1 Teachers College, 4 Secondary Schools and technical school with few high schools. Looking at roads, currently we have 3 major roads within Hela vicinity namely; Margarima to Tari (approx 45km), Tari to Koroba enroute Kopiako (approx 80/100km) and Tari to Komo (approx 70km). However, smaller ring-roads are countless like incomplete Homa-Tari Road and Margarima -Kandep road.

 We have 1 General Hospital followed by few Health Centers and Sub Health centers.
Then we have 1 main police station at Tari and a CIS facility up at Hawa with about 2-3 police posts in Koroba, Komo and Margarima.

Next is the 2 Airports and other domain airstrips that we have. The only Hydro we use to have is now seen to be run-down.

If we look closely into how all those facilities came into existence, we would realise that most of themwere built during the "70s and 80s". During those days, Hela had few or less knowledge of "Money" and not forgetting tribal warfares. Our fathers and forefathers had never demanded for their land given away to establish such facilities. They wanted services for the sake of us now.
Hence, we are crying for services and developments such as roads and bridges, electricity, police stations, schools, health care centers and many more to be named. Our baby province can improve and build such infrastructures but the onus is on us and our clansmen. I'm now trying to establish the facts to the "Impediments to Hela's Development". I don't want to talk about tribal fighting as one of the core reasons. The core impediment is the "Accessive Compensation Demand"
Yes by law, compensation to improvements, land surface damages and other environmental damages can be compensated according to the Valuer General's Rates but look at what our own people doing when machines move into sites to do excavations and earthworks. Even lately, people want compensation for the current exisisting facilities on their land. This is evident by some parts of roads from Tari to Ambua has not been widened due to such accessive compensation demands.
If only we educate our own people to allow developments to take place without further compensation demands, Hela will change. Change in Hela will be triggered by change in our people's attitudes.
Our elected 4 MPs can deliver such services but will we allow contractors to carry out the works? Even if a rival contractor carries out the works, will we let them on our land?
Our 3 MPs and the Governor are not only key players in Hela's development but rather our people too must play key role in allowing developments to take shape.
Its now "give and take". Give land and take service. Hela province is just a small province that can have a slide change in development only if we do away with compensation demands.

Let's all stand together for better Hela tomorrow. Let's all make Hela Never be the Same Again!

EXPLANATION ON STUDENTS WHO MISSED OUT ON 2018 HELA GOVERNOR'S SPONSORSHIP






GOOD NIGHT HELA, the students and parents. Hela Undialu Education  Foundation (HUEF) have looked into almost 99% of students throughout Papua New Guinea without favoritism or nepotism. As we all know, Hon. Philip Undialu (Undialu Philip) is a single governor for entire Hela people regardless of political affiliations, regional groupings, or category or rather classification of institutions. All institutions from famous University of PNG down to unknown Worklink PNG Ltd at Department of Works, in Boroko were looked into. We paid fees for students in Bible colleges as well.

However, in order to make HUEF efficiently deliver its purpose, and to avoid fluctuation of unnecessary numbers in each institution, we set a very important condition, and we repeatedly posted and text, and that was,

"students in those nominated institutions (89 of them) must be enrolled with their own upfront payment and must be in the school by April 2018".

Thus, when the coordinators visited, the students who were enrolled and in the class/lecture rooms were officially confirmed on our list for Sponsorship. In there, we interrogated students in those schools and when all agreed that name(s) of students who were not in their school, were deleted forthwith. Period! Some students, applied for second semester without paying upfront fees, but we didn't allocate funds for these groups of students, because we were not sure whether they will actually attend studies in 2nd semester/intake or not, and that's not questionable!

So, we didn't forget any single school, from which student(s) applied. We have a single student faraway in Raihu (Aitape) CHW, we have a single student in Aiyura Aircraft Maintenance (Kainantu) , we have a student in Minerva Training Institute (POM) , we have students in Highlands Youth Training & Rehabilitation Centre (Jiwaka) , we have students in Innovative Training Centre in Simbu, we have students in St. Gerad CHW(Central), etcetera. Mind you, those are not well-known schools and some of you may get to know them for the first time from here, lol. We have turned every stone, and looked for our Hela students rather than students looking for us to sponsor them. In our coordination work, we had Hela our heart.

Therefore, if we missed some students, may it/they be as a result of one of the following the reasons:


  1. they may not have applied for Sponsorship;
  2.  they may have applied, but was not present in the school when coordinators visited, and School mates confirmed about him/her;
  3. they may have applied for second semester/intake, which we didn't allocate funds for them;
  4. the students are found to be on corporate sponsor. The students under corporate sponsors were advised that their fees are fully met by their sponsors. However, such CS students in PNGUoT were recognized for their help in supporting day students.
  5. by human error, which is natural can be understood.


Hela brothers and sisters should understand that 2018 HUEF is just a start and it will continue next year and beyond. As such, starting is difficult, but only few selective appointed coordinators tried our very best to diligently deliver our Governor's policy for the first time, you know! Please, I beg you to have some good feeling towards our work. If we didn't do the job properly this year, perhaps other people can be replaced to carry out the task to deliver this ongoing and very vital policy. However, regardless of who is/are coordinating HUEF, or who is the governor for Hela, the very obvious bottom line is, our students from Hela must be educated through this Sponsorship, provided our province is crippled with numerous social problems impeding our poor parents from meeting high fees.

Finally, I'd like to ask any individual or group of students who may missed out due to the above four (4) reasons, to please let us know in writing through this email  Inquiries no later than [30th June 2018] .

And further, I beg you to stop grumbling on FACEBOOK because, any negative arguments on Facebook can be misinterpreted as political propaganda. I guess, I made myself very clear. Good night.

Source: HUEF Facebook Page

Sunday 8 July 2018

PUZZLE-LIKE PROCESS FOR UNDIALU & POTABE COURT BATTLE


Photo Courtesy of Loop PNG
By Tarali T. Hibuya

The ending is not tomorrow, not next week Monday, not next month, not next year! Hela people, the fact is both parties (Potabe and Undialu) are yet to sell their life in the name of power in this battle of courts. It is a battle fought in a puzzle-like tunnel, where exit is difficult to be  envisioned.


The selling of their cloak in the form whatever valuable they possess to buy the sword is not done yet fully. Or in Huli we say "Anda koki, karo koki, onene koki, wanene koki, tindi koki imaru napi wene yako". Or we used to say in Huli again: "Manda Mandipu la koki, Ayu Ekarila koki" are yet to be done or in progress as we speak. The analogy is like Selling your cloak and buying a sword, to die by sword!

Potabe's successful "Petition Trial" and Undialu's Slip Rule Appeal cases at Waigani battling tooth-for-tooth and eye-for-an-eye may wade through very long puzzle-like and slippery trail .

Appeal after appeal can eventuate, adjournment after adjournment can occur and finally, the final result is most likely to be handed down in 2022 as I foresee.

Meanwhile, all powers vested upon Hon. Philip Undialu by the 300K plus people of Hela province and and powers of HPG are not stripped off by these court processes. The services and all other developments could flow, but only this nation's political and economical situations, on top of natural and our own made disasters at home, are somewhat slowing or hurdling the processes of development in our province down.

However, just like a dim light in a dark tunnel, the sealing of road started at Idiawi near Angore through ExxonMobil and Oil Search Tax Credit Scheme, and the Hela Undialu Education Foundation paid K3.5 million fees to PNG Tertiary Institutions for Hela students. Further, the Hela Health Authority and Tari Hospital's Emergency building processes are in final stages of completion. Many peace mediations are taking place among warlords in Hela as well, as we speak here, and many rays of lights beginning shine in the dark Hela!

Therefore, may I ask each one of us not to loose hope and trust in our duly elected governor, Hon. Philip Undialu. He is whom Late Governor Agiru blessed on dieing bed. He is the one our forefathers foretold (Kelote Igiri Honabi) to lead. And he is the one whom Hela people have chosen through democratic ballots. He is not a lier, but an honest leader. He is not that cursed, but blessed leader. He is not a desperatö, but a prophesied leader.
For better, or for worse. For Prosperity or for doom and gloom. For whichever destiny destined for Hela, it will all be realised when prophesied leader leads, and that's none other than our governor, Hon. Philip Aja Undialu.

I beg each one of us to support him in prayers, because our destiny lies in his leadership. Be patient and let's hold on to our psychological optimisms and believe in the deliverance of our needs through his political leadership, with the help of our God Almighty Takaliwape, because patience is virtue.

Likewise, to those who support the other faction, hold on to your hope as well because, anything can happen after five (5) years as I see, or sooner as you may see.