Millions spent on APEC while grassroots struggle continues
27 October 2018
JOHNNY BLADES |Dateline Pacific | Radio New Zealand Pacific
AUCKLAND - In the roadside markets of Port Moresby, vendors struggle to earn a living in a city with few job opportunities.
Tau Ligo, a young father selling foodstuffs, said he worries about his kids' future.
"Just because of the APEC, they're doing up the roads,” he said. “We need doctors at the hospitals, schools are not being upgraded. Classes are over-populated, there's not enough teachers. We should be having more teachers in government schools."
Lucy, who is frying lamb flaps on a grill, talked about the improved roads and big new buildings.
"It's good for the city but I'm not sure for the people living in the city. A lot of people are having an economic crisis. Companies are breaking down. There's been redundancies, I've noticed," she said.
2018 has been a year of crises for PNG that have included deadly tribal violence, political unrest, a polio outbreak and natural disasters.
However, the government has poured its focus into preparing for APEC, arguing it will open up trade and investment opportunities and put PNG on the map.
But there's been a public outcry over the government's recent purchase of 40 new Maseratis and hundreds of other other luxury vehicles for use in transporting leaders at the summit.
Speaking to RNZ Pacific last month, before the Maserati deal became known, New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the government had to help PNG take its chance to unlock its enormous economic and social potential
"To enable PNG to pull this APEC hosting role off, yes we are giving them $15 million,” Mr Peters said, “but it's a serious investment in helping them to better advertise who they are and what they are and how they can be of functional assistance to all of APEC and that's what is so important."
The former governor of New Zealand's Reserve Bank, Allan Bollard, is the chairman of the APEC secretariat.
He said hosting APEC is thrusting PNG into the limelight.
"I think it's offering them leadership on the very big world stage and a way to influence how APEC goes during potentially quite a difficult year with evolving trade frictions between US and China, and some other issues around ASEAN as well,” Mr Bollard said.
But discussions at this international event won't touch the lives of most of those in PNG.
An opposition MP Bryan Kramer warned that the government is borrowing beyond its means and spending in the wrong area.
"It seems we're not focussing on our priorities and that is the welfare of the people. If we continue to focus on infrastructure at the expense of the people, eventually society is going to break down."
Meanwhile, Australia is deploying about 1,500 military personnel to Moresby for the summit as PNG's security forces are considered too under-resourced to control crime in the city, let alone ensure security at a major event.
I don't know how accurate this information is but I received it in an email this morning. (It originated from Jack Nambari on Facebook - KJ)
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The Mechanical Condition of the 40 Maserati Vehicles
1. The 40 Maseratis have no software to make them go, so Maserati experts have flown from Australia to install it. At additional expense.
2. The Maseratis have constant electronic connection to the factory in Italy, but PNG internet speed is not sufficient for them to work.
3. A full time mechanical team has to be here during APEC to keep them running. All extra expense.
4. The diesel in PNG is unsuitable and will bugger the engines, turbo and catalytic converters.
5. The eventual buyers will have to pay all import duties.
6. There is no warranty on the cars.
7. The World Bank have told the PNG government that unless there is a very good explanation for these cars, a loan of USD100 million will be withheld. Good stuff.
8. Since Trump has pulled out of attending and US vice-president Pence will stay in Cairns and fly in and out for one day in POM, the American team has been reduced from 1,600 to 400. This has meant that the PNG government has leased and paid for a cruise liner which will be empty.
9. The Hilton Hotel was opened last week – string quartets, acrobats, three tenors and other carnival acts were there. The Governor of Western Province made a very good speech apparently. But he ended it with: ”As I look at this magnificent building I think about my people in Western sitting around the fire, scraping for food, suffering TB and dying of other diseases and with no electricity or medicine”. And walked off the stage."
Posted by: Philip Fitzpatrick | 27 October 2018 at 08:54 AM