Comments

Unfortunately it seems we have continued down this path of elections marred with violence and fraud in 2022. PNG continues to regress at the hands of leaders interested in lining their pockets. What can we do to turn the tide?

I believe the root cause is how we perceive ourselves to be better more in relation to others. If we can be able to see ourselves equal to others regardless of our pride then I believe we can have respect for one another. In this way we can live in peace and harmony.

Thank you Wadun and Nikunj for your comments. Among the PACER Plus shortcomings is the absence of an investor/state dispute settlement (ISDS) process. I have previously commented on this absence and the concomitant need for an investor to rely on diplomatic espousal when things go wrong. PACER Plus could have been improved by including within the agreement arrangements similar to those adopted by the Singapore Convention on Mediation (SCM). ‘Mediation’ and ‘conciliation’ are near inter-changeable terms in this context. The SCM process and rules lack the quasi-juridical character of an ICSID arbitration. Inclusion of an SCM type process would likely have overcome Aus MFAT hesitancy to include ISDS within the investment chapter and would, I think, have been regarded as more culturally acceptable within the PIF context. Fiji was the second country after Singapore to sign the SCM. Fiji ratified the SCM on 12 September 2020. Australia, Palau and Samoa have signed but have yet to ratify the SCM. NZ and other PIF countries have not yet signed. If a revised PACER Plus were to include such arrangements and/or the PIF countries were to sign and ratify the SCM there would then be no need to plumb the depths of Export Finance Australia in order to determine their policy on subrogation. And rank and file members of political parties in Aus and NZ and elsewhere who view ISDS arbitrations as a trespass on their and any nation’s sovereignty might also be pacified. Vailala

Frederick, I have yet to read your Report. However, comments from your readers summarizes it up. I just have three points to make which you may have already mentioned in your Report. 1. It shall be noted and mentioned that only few MPs and Council Presidents make wise use for the intended purpose thus serving their communities. 2. It shall be noted and mentioned that majority of MPs are stuck in-between; spend some and keep some for their pockets stating miscellaneous expenses. 3. The Office of DIRD who is responsible for its execution in facilitation, monitoring, evaluation and acquittal is nothing but in a total farce. It can be noted also that becoming an MP or a Council President is the passage to being an overnight millionaire so it can be taught of as a do or die (tit-for-tat) during campaign rallies. I, in my honest opinion see that these funds be not scraped but be scrutinized right to the very brim that they have a one hundred percent accuracy and definitely we can do that with the belief of serving our motherland.

Glad to hear the information was useful Alice. All the best for the important work you are doing to support survivors at the community level.

Indeed you did Wadan! So many of us argued for PACER to include services and investment components and to be fair the New Zealanders were on board and so were many Australian technocrats. But alas the Australian MFAT only wanted a goods agreement which is almost utterly pointless and certainly not worth the political and financial capital they put in. Although to be fair - Fiji also went against many elements of labour mobility arguing for only unskilled labour access which caused a degree of division. A whole book could be written about why PACER was a textbook exercise in how not to conduct trade negotiations in the Pacific - but nobody would read it anyway 🙂

Only Australia and NZ can assist the South Pacific countries in saving the USP. I taught rule of law there and anti-corruption.

Politics in PNG is recognition of wealth, leadership, unity, courage and strength and participate in it over time. This things are not for exchange neigther bought and sold. PNG culture of politics be carved into constitution. Certain criteria be met to be eligible. Democracy does not provide every need of all societies. Some branches of total democracy be pruned. Politics related violence will be minimised for most will know who is eligible, who are contesting and who is winning. Thank you.

I now have some clear points as to how best I will assist my clients and those fellow women folks who are surviving domestic violence in my community.

Another month, another US official visit to turn the tide against chinese influence of the solomon islands: Exclusive: Sherman, Kennedy to visit Solomons, where fathers fought and U.S. now vies with China https://www.reuters.com/world/sherman-kennedy-visit-solomons-where-fathers-fought-us-now-vies-with-china-2022-07-24/

I agree with the 'effective aid' approach thinking. This area needs more thinking and conversations within the Australian aid community but also with PNG nationals (who may have something to say on this), contributing into that conversation. I think this ('effective aid' before 'more aid') may be the best way to support PNG with the aid dollar and help it from being lured and dragged, even unwittingly, into other potentially damaging relations into the future. For some time now, I have been thinking and wondering whether some aid intervention should take place to trigger sustainable economic activities "at the district levels" as targeted projects. I am thinking of a program which I may call "DEES"--district economic endowments survey. Why DEES? Because at the moment, most districts do not have economic development plans based around sustainable economic projects/programs (they only base them around DSIP!). For most, this would be agriculture based programs, but, exactly what/which agriculture program? For which particular mass market? This, I think, is what DEES may help uncover. DEES would be a rapid survey that would identify the actual economic endowments of a district and link the development of those endowments to mass markets (actually, only one or two major economic market-linked projects per district based upon their identified endowment/s). The survey would identity the best markets available, nationally & internationally, and the supply chains for them. As it is now, people in the districts of PNG try to get into anything they can try, hoping to generate income for families. Many trials and efforts go to waste as the market is not there to demand their agriculture produce. This is what the DEES would help to alleviate: a mass market would be found for them, including the supply chain and a dedicated management team put in place as part of the DEES Project to provide technical support such as advice on supply chain matters, price, basic business skills, quality, extension services, new international market entry regulatory/compliance issues, etc. Thus, DEES is one area I would recommend the Australian Government and DFAT and the Australian Aid Community to consider carefully. In my view, it has the potential of triggering real, sustainable market and demand-driven economic impetus at the district levels where majority of PNG people live. Once we do that, we are on our way to 'economic security for PNG families' especially the majority in the rural areas. Once PNG families find economic security, I feel that, they may be more able to speak up against and oppose leaders' corruption, oppose government plans to bring in questionable developers & their questionable mega projects and so on. Families' economic security will give independence to individual families. They (or we) do not need to await handouts from leaders who in turn will control our political behaviour (current general situation in PNG). In short, the PNG leaders are capitalizing on the "economic vulnerabilities" of the PNG families. And some external entities already know this and are jumping in via their collaborators within PNG. Thus, in my view, one of the best possible aid investment is through "economic empowerment and economic security for the majority of PNG families." I believe DEES, when compared against other aid investment vehicles, provides one of the best roadmaps going forward.

Hi Bob I am Dr Robert KO, an ophthalmologist, one of those trained by our eye HERO Dr Garap. Thank you so much for the positive comments. Now at Port Moresby General Hospital, we are more equipped with necessary equipment for improved services. Over the last few years, our cataract surgical rates have increased and outcomes have also improved. Thanks to all our partners for continual support in eye care provision in Papua New Guinea