Comments

Good point Warren. You know of the failures then because you were a kiap, weren't you? My late father who worked for the colonial administration in the '60s and early '70s always said 'PNG was not ready for independence'. Independence in 1985 or even 1995 would have prepared PNG very well to make the most of the land and natural resources we have because the populace would have been well-educated. An educated populace keeps its politicians in line, demands governance and accountability etc. Right now, having a 50% illiterate populace is of great benefit to the politicians. They don't respect their voters. They take advantage of them. Change is generational for this rich yet poor and corrupt country.

Thank you, Matthew. Sir Mekere, not only had strong ethics and integrity, but he also had the knowledge and the financial expertise and experience to run the country, unlike current pretenders who continue to take advantage of the ill-education of the populace to build empires for themselves. In any decent country, the top bloke would have resigned on the 10th of January. Australian State Premiers, New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern and others resigned from public office when their character was slightly questioned. PNG does not have politicians and bureaucrats with character and integrity who will simply step aside when things go wrong under their watch. Why? They are power and money-hungry. They are corrupt so they must hang on to ensure they are not investigated. I knew Sir Mekere and Lady Roselyn personally. Sir Mekere ran in a different league - the most intelligent PM PNG ever had. Re the Connect PNG project - which I believe is funded by grants - there is much talk about how work contracts have been and are given to companies owned by the current members of the government or their wantoks. Peter O'Neill alluded to that in his interview with the 7:30 Report recently but the ABC did not pick up on the tip. Papua New Guineans on the street know where the money is going in this project. With lack of maintenance funds and law and order issues on the highways, how is this Connect PNG project going to benefit the country? Grants for Connect PNG project are indirectly paying for Marape to remain in power as he pays off MPs to stick with him. Are the grant providers asking Marape for accountabiity of these funds?

I am very sorry for the passed away of Peter McCawley. I just knew this info and feel very sad. He is really a very "down to earth" person, a very kind person, not only for his works but really he is in the real world. I made a book with him and he didn't want to put his name as first author, even almost all information came from him and all information is really real, he didn't want to hide even it is close with politics. I was so impressed with his personality who is humble, helpful and friendly. Not many people can compare with him, he is really special man, he is really big man but never think he is big. Rest In Peace, pak Peter...I pray for your best place next to Allah and ask Him to take care of you...

Thanks and appreciate. A very informative and thought provoking insight in the events of Black Wednesday. The widespread looting experienced on Black Wednesday are caused by the unemployed who do not pay a single tax to the government. The PMJM's notion to implement the Vagrancy Act in support of NCD Governor Powes Parkop is simply a knee jerk reaction. What the Pangu led Government should prioritise is to get all unemployed youths roaming our cities to work on the land. It is now back to the Government to identify huge acres of farm land to rollout massive agriculture projects such as cocoa, rice, tapioka for ethanol feul, large scale plantation pine and teak, hybrid coconut, banana plantations for export, coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, etc. These projects will allow our unemployed to be fully engaged, and they will in turn pay their fair share of taxes to the government. The Government must cease borrowing from offshore financiers such as ADB, IMF and World Bank. In order to service these loans, the Government will continue to tax its own citizens for debt servicing. Reconsider foreign investors that the government provides tax holidays for certain period of time. Our LNG shipments exported for debt servicing but retain certain percentage to government as revenue so that it does not tax its own citizens. My humble take on the events of Black Wednesday.

I come from Cloudy Bay area of Abau district in Central province. We as local population would be very happy to set up landowners owned carbon trading corporation. I would very much seek expert advice on I mobilize local people to the task. very much appreciate additional information to see start the project in 2024.

Thank you for the insight Mr. Mako. This Tax Compliance update (January 1 2024) is now hitting the private sector. The government of the day has announced the removal of tax rebate option from the tax tables in the most recent budget. It has already taken effect in the payrolls.. With high inflation at this time..

Well stated here. 7 backbenchers have already moved over now it's the time for a real leader to show his or her people if he really represent thee people in their respactive electorates and Provinces ..PNG is ranking the most corrupt..

Find time to send media's to locate those woman being raped while looting was happening, and make documentary for the history, not your publicity only,

Ministers and politicians come and go every 5 years, the real engine room is the public service and the policies that dictate how they perform png needs to have a serious restructuring here.

Further to Mr Mako's analysis, the economic and social injustices is not any excuse or reason to burn and loot. The businesses are not the cause of the economic woes endured by the citizens. PNGians can't stand up for the greater good. Fighting against corruption and white collar crimes. Lack of service delivery. High crime rates. Murder and rape of women and girls. These are issues the citizens should direct their energy and attention at. Not burning and looting innocent businesses.

A major problem hindering the economic development and the employment opportunities is that the registration of customary land has not been achieved. This should have commenced by the Australian administration at least a decade before Independence in 1975. Look at what the British administration achieved in Fiji years before Fiji independence. In the 1960s the ANU in Canberra with Australian academics and selected upcoming PNG educated elites, discussed the possibility of community land tenure and registration so that landowners and investors could develop land with secure title and be able to obtain bank loans via mortgage. This never eventuated because of the fear registration could mean loss of the land to outsiders. Now look at what situation PNG is in with landowners selling parcels of land to other tribes or individuals for a quick financial gain resulting in less land available for the fast growing families requirements. These new unregistered owners can be seen negotiating deals in hotels and coffee shops with foreigners to operate a company and business with the foreigner having 49% equity with the "landowner" holding 51% equity but usually little involvement in the management or operation of the company. In the 1980s the Land Group Incorporation Act (ILG) was legislated, initially to involve customary landowners in resource developments of mining and oil and gas extraction and benefits. Rarely was a survey conducted of these ILG land areas and the registration of these ILGS through the Dept of Lands was abysmal. ILGs could not mortgage their land for bank loans. As well as all the problems detailed in the above paper, there is no mention of the unregistered Customary Land issue. If the Australian Government had adopted the Fiji land registration model approach in PNG some 10 to 20 years before Independence, PNG could have had large commercial agricultural and industrial development throughout many parts of the country and PNG may not be facing many of the current problems. Landowner identification, survey, documentation and registration could have commenced using Government officers (Kiaps) of the Department of District Administration in conjunction with the Department of Lands. Land issues are a major concern in PNG and must be addressed as a high priority.

Hi Minetta, Thank you for this insightful blog piece. It is interesting to note from your research that mainly unemployed women present at the FSVU's. This is contrary to the DHS survey results that shows high levels of self-reporting of DV by more educated women. https://devpolicy.org/rethinking-perceptions-of-spousal-violence-in-png-20230222/ There could be a number of explanations for this but should be of concern for all of us is that, generally that we have high levels of interpersonal violence in PNG regardless of socio-economic background. This is why your research is very important because it provides an insight into the demographic of people who are accessing the FSVU service and confirms that the 'formal' system of justice is one that not all survivors choose as a pathway to addressing their concerns. I agree with your conclusion that gender based violence is preventable. I have written about it here https://blogs.griffith.edu.au/asiainsights/gender-based-violence-in-papua-new-guinea/ and elsewhere. Thank you again for sharing the findings of your study. I look forward to learning more about your research.