EDDIE TANAGO
| Act Now

PORT MORESBY - A new report calls for urgent action by Papua New Guinea and overseas authorities to address long standing issue related to illegal logging, human rights abuses and environmental harm.

The report, published by community advocacy organisation Act Now and the Jubilee Australia Research Centre, focuses on Forest Clearing Authorities (FCAs), a type of logging licence.

EDDIE TANAGO
| Act Now!

The government needs to ensure assure that millions of dollars
given to MPs are used for legitimate projects, not stolen
for personal use (Bing AI generated image)

PORT MORESBY – We at Act Now welcome the Papua New Guinea government’s announcement of extra funding for the Department of Implementation and Rural Development (DIRD) to allow the physical inspection of district projects funded under the Service Improvement Program.

Physical inspections will assure the government that the multi-million dollars handed out to PNG's members of parliament are used for legitimate projects and not diverted for personal use.

KEITH JACKSON

Illegal logging of old growth forests is too often accompanied by dirty law cases against people trying to do the right thing (Bing AI Image Creator)

NOOSA - A criminal charge of identity theft against the heroic Act Now campaign manager Eddie Tanago has been struck out by magistrate Paul Puri Nii in the district court at Waigani.

Eddie is one of Papua New Guinea’s prominent civil society advocates, a man of courage and integrity, who has been hounded by corrupt public servants as he tries to protect PNG’s forests against criminal loggers.

DDA WATCH
| A branch of the Act Now! civic advocacy group

PORT MORESBY – The new corruption perceptions index (CPI) figures, released on 11 February by Transparency International, highlight Papua New Guinea’s failure to deal with widespread corruption.

PNG is classified as having a ‘high perceived risk of corruption’ which has shown ‘no meaningful progress’ in anti-corruption efforts. It is the worst ranked country in the Pacific Islands region and ranks 127th out of 180 countries globally.

EDDIE TANAGO
| Act Now!

At an ACT NOW! media conference Eddie Tanago (left) talks with Paul Barker of the PNG Institute of National Affairs

PORT MORESBY - Transparency International recently released its 2024 Corruption Perception Index revealing that Papua New Guinea is still languishing in 127th place out of 180 countries with a CPI score of 31 out of 100, the worst in the Pacific region.

At least in part, this abysmal result reflects PNG’s complete failure to tackle widespread forest crime, despite the establishment of the Independent Commission Against Corruption and repeated promises from the government.

KEITH JACKSON

Image by Reporters Without Borders (RCF)

NOOSA - In 2024, Act Now, one of Papua New Guinea’s few community-based advocacy organisations, was subjected to no less than three pernicious SLAPP lawsuits instigated by a Malaysian logging company.

SLAPPs (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation) are used by politicians, public officials, big companies and wealthy individuals to intimidate and harass journalists, campaigners and human rights defenders.

KEITH JACKSON
| Generated with AI assistance from Claude

NBC's Steven Mase (right) interviews Eddie Tanago (Act Now)

NOOSA - Eddie Tanago, the prominent campaign manager of the Act Now public advocacy organisation, has been charged by Papua New Guinea police under the Cybercrime Code Act.

It is alleged that Tanago published defamatory remarks on social media in an article about the managing director of the PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA).

EDDIE TANAGO PAINE
| Act Now

PORT MORESBY - A concerning analysis by community advocacy group Act Now has revealed that almost all District Development Authorities (DDAs) in Papua New Guinea are failing to make crucial information available thereby hindering governance, accountability and service delivery.

Despite each District receiving K20 million annually for service and infrastructure improvements, as of July 2024 the analysis reveals that, of 96 DDA’s across the country:

HUBERT NAMANI
| President, PNG Law Society

PORT MORESBY - The escalating lawlessness and violence in Enga Province, as well as other hotspots across the country, has reached an unprecedented and dangerous level.

It is now critical that the government exercises its constitutional authority under Section 204 of the Constitution to issue a call-out of the PNG Defence Force in aid of the civil power.

MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad

The kaikai mahn are integral to political corruption in PNG (Image by Transparency International)

PORT MORESBY – A while ago I asked followers of Academia Nomad on Facebook what they call ‘kaikai mahn’ in their language.

I received a long list of local names attributed to kaikai mahn. Just shows how popular the kaikai mahn community is.

GOVERNOR ALLAN BIRD
| Academia Nomad

Boram General Hospital

WEWAK - First of all, let me acknowledge that the National Capital District, Gulf and Central Provinces need level 5 hospitals and they should get them.

This will take pressure off Port Moresby General, which is full of patients mostly from Central and Gulf provinces.

EDDIE TANAGO
| Act Now!

PORT MORESBY - Prime Minister James Marape spoke of the importance of preserving Papua New Guinea’s tropical rainforest in his address to the United Nations General Assembly last Friday

Yet  his government is doing nothing to stop widespread illegal logging, in particular the abuse of agricultural clearing licences.

Marape has described PNG’s rainforests as vital to PNG and to the global community.

EDDIE TANAGO
| Act Now!

PORT MORESBY - While the Papua New Guinea government has been dramatically increasing the amount of funding pumped directly into each District, there is an appalling lack of transparency about how those public funds are being used.

An analysis by community advocacy group Act Now reveals that just 24 of 96 Districts have lodged financial acquittals for 2022 or 2023 and none of those acquittals are publicly available.

PORT MORESBY - Community advocacy group Act Now! says a new logging operation in Milne Bay Province could be yet another example of a bogus agriculture project being used as cover for a large-scale forest grab.

The new logging operation began on Sideia Island earlier this year as part of the Loani Bwanabwana Integrated Agro-Forestry Project.

MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad

PORT MORESBY - Reports of criminals being paid K300,000 for the release of hostages is troubling, but not a surprise. In Papua New Guinea, we pay for everything.

Our politicians bribe electoral officials to win elections. Prime ministerial candidates pay other politicians to join various camps to form government. When prime ministers underperform, they pay other politicians to keep them in power.

MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad

Publicly criticising the judiciary is usually a bad idea.
(Bing image inspiration created by by AI)

PORT MORESBY – The recent arrest and refusal of bail for social activist and political commentator Samson Komati arrest is reminiscent of Bryan Kramer’s arrest before he became an MP. Bryan was an activist and a prolific social media commentator on politics and related matters.

Under two prime ministers, Papua New Guinea has become a place where social media activists are arrested and jailed.

EDDIE TANAGO
| Campaign Manager, Act Now!

PORT MORESBY – The community advocacy group, Act Now, has urged the Papua New Guinea government to stop the ongoing abuse of agricultural clearing permits being used as a cover for large-scale logging.

Forest Clearing Authorities are routinely misused to facilitate large-scale illegal and unsustainable logging.

MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad

After the cyclone the flood (Generated with AI, 1 April 2024 0804 am)

PORT MORESBY – The history of disaster response in Papua New Guinea is fraught with delays, inefficiency and corruption.

Under the Public Finance Management Act, tendering processes are suspended when a disaster is declared to ensure the response is faster. And this opens the door to corruption. How?

ANTHONY WAGAMBIE JNR
| Academia Nomad

Anthony Wagambie Jnr is well known as a corruption fighter and one of the most respected police officers in Papua New Guinea.  Following the 10 January riots he was one of a number of senior police officers who were demoted and transferred, in his case from the Port Moresby to Bougainville as Deputy Commander.  There was an immediate wave of support for Wagambie throughout the country.  In response Wagambie wrote this reflection on his commitment to policing....

__________

BUKA - I grew up as a son of a police officer. I am the first born son of Anthony Wagambie Snr. He was then an Inspector of Police based in Lae and my mum, Mrs Elizabeth Wagambie nee Saun was a paediatric nurse at Angau Hospital.

ALLAN BIRD
| Facebook | Academia Nomad

The police hierarchy warn possible prime minister Allan Bird of death threats even as they move his trusted police commander to a distant post (Facebook)

Allan Bird has been nominated to succeed prime minister James Marape in a forthcoming vote of no confidence

WEWAK - Am I desperate to be prime minister of Papua New Guinea? Short answer is no. But someone needs to step up and seriously address the issues which are destroying our country. Those problems will not fix themselves.

Since my nomination, I have been advised by a deputy police commissioner that my life is under threat and the police are monitoring the situation.

GOVERNOR ALLAN BIRD
| Thanks to Academia Nomad

Timely reminder to the Australian people about where their aid money goes: PNG prime minister James Marape addresses the Australian parliament this week sporting a K340,000 ($US90,000) Audemarc Piguet wristwatch

WEWAK - I will not be the lookout, standing guard while the riches of Papua New Guinea are plundered. My conscience will not allow it.

I remained in government hoping that this government would solve our cost of living crisis, our power crisis, our FX [foreign exchange] crisis, our law and order crisis and our employment crisis.

PAEOPE OVASURU

Sad Wednesday [Bing Image Inspiration Feed]

PORT MORESBY - Last Wednesday the tenth of January started off like any other day in Port Moresby.

As the sun rose, workers made their way from home and street vendors put their goods on display.

At Gordons market, the mothers from Brown River accompanied truckloads of fresh garden produce. Outside, the usual crowd of loiterers went about their business, whatever that was.

KELA KAPKORA SIL BOLKIN

PORT MORESBY - As a child growing up in the mountains of Simbu, mourning and burial rites were special occasions regardless of the status of the dead person.

After the funeral, the widow of the dead man and her children could live normal lives and continue to use the land and assets of the deceased.

ARIANNE KASSMAN
| CEO, Transparency International PNG

PORT MORESBY - As the end of 2023 settles, it’s time to turn the page and raise the sails of anticipation for the year ahead.

But before embarking on a new year, we should take a moment to reflect on our small wins and learnings that propelled us through a season of collaboration, advocacy and unwavering momentum.

KEITH JACKSON

NOOSA, QLD - On Tuesday 31 October, an unusual full page advertisement appeared. It advised of the reinstatement of Alfred Rungol to his job as a divisional general manager of Papua New Guinea’s Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA).

Rungol’s responsibilities include CCDA’s international negotiation and reporting obligations as well as the measurement and verification of PNG’s climate change efforts. That’s quite a role in a country with an economy that is so resource-dependent.

Sir Gibbs Salika GCL KBE CSM OBE (Supreme Court of PNG)

MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad

PORT MORESBY - Are the District Development Act (DDA Act) and the Kumul Consolidated Limited Act (KCL Act) unconstitutional?

At the recent national development forum organised by the Consultation, Implementation, Monitoring & Implementation Council, Papua New Guinea’s chief justice, Sir Gibbs Salika, called both acts “bad laws.”

Photo-illustration by Bing.com

NEWS DESK
| Act Now

PORT MORESBY - The unlawful use of forest clearing authorities as a cover for illegal large-scale logging by foreign-owned companies in PNG has been further exposed in a new report from by Act Now!

The report focuses on the Mengen agriculture project in East New Britain Province and reveals how Malaysian logging company, KK Connections, committed to establish forest plantation and agriculture projects if it was given a forest clearing authority (FCA).

NEWS DESK
| Act Now

PORT MORESBY - A new Timber Legality Risk Assessment published by civil society organisation Act Now concludes that there is a very high risk that almost all logging occurring in natural forest areas in Papua New Guinea is illegal.

The assessment is based on a comprehensive review of all the available literature, including reports of official government inquiries, court cases, international organisations and civil society groups.

MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad

WAIGANI - While many people have celebrated Paul Paraka's recent 20-year gaol sentence, a crucial aspect remains overlooked: there’s no K162 million in Paraka’s bank accounts. Nor is the K162 million he stole accounted for in any bank.

KEITH JACKSON

Panguna copper and gold mine, 2021 - the end of the rainbow for Australian (and the world's) con artists

NOOSA - Bougainville president Ishmael Toroama has firmly stated his government will not allow foreign investors on Bougainville to breach its laws to exploit its people and resources.

Toroama made the statement after the Bougainville Executive Council decided to refuse two mineral license applications from the Paruparu Joint Venture, a partnership between Wyndale Holdings and local company Karatapo Resources.

TONY DEGEN

The plantation homestead before and its demolition by villagers angry at the PNG government's land use practices

MADANG – I’m an investor in the Papua New Guinean agricultural and livestock industry and purchased a state agricultural lease on the north coast near Madang.

By August last year, I had paid all the required fees and charges like stamp duty and assured myself that the title was clear.

GENEVIEVE BENN & BIANCA SCHMIDT

SYDNEY – A program to minimise the impacts of gun violence and spread of illicit weapons in Papua New Guinea has been established by Macquarie University in conjunction with Armed Incident Management (AIM).

We are reaching out in hopes that people will want to work with us on this issue and aid us in tackling the injustice which gun violence and illicit arms causes in PNG.

MICHAEL TAM

"Papua New Guinea needs brave men and women with clever minds and loud voices to rise
against the few who are corrupting our government and sucking our people’s money"

PARI - Shamefully, the US-PNG Defence Cooperation Agreement was signed by PNG defence minister Win Bakri Daki and US secretary of state Anthony Blinken at APEC Haus on 22 May.

This was despite nationwide protests urging prime minister PM Marape to both sack former foreign minister Justin Tkatchenko and not sign the security pact.

The Marape government never respects the people of PNG.

GRANT W WALTON AND SINCLAIR DINNEN

‘Papua New Guinea: Government, Economy and Society’ by Stephen Howes & Lekshmi N Pillai (eds), ANU Press, 2022. Link here to all content in the book including chapters, contributors, citations and figures and tables. This extract is from Chapter 4 ‘Crime and Corruption’ by Grant W Walton and Sinclair Dinnen

CANBERRA - Many people consider that corruption in Papua New Guinea is a key threat to social and economic development.

GRANT W WALTON & SINCLAIR DINNEN

‘Papua New Guinea: Government, Economy and Society’ by Stephen Howes & Lekshmi N Pillai (eds), ANU Press, 2022. Link here to all content in the book including chapters, contributors, citations and figures and tables. This extract is from Chapter 4 ‘Crime and Corruption’ by Grant W Walton and Sinclair Dinnen

CANBERRA - For outsiders as well as many citizens, crime and corruption are viewed as significantly curtailing the fulfilment of Papua New Guinea’s development goals.

'We Must Put The People First'

DANNY ANDREW

KANDEP - In recent mass media news reports in Papua New Guinea, concerns have been raised by senior officials in various government agencies that governance systems are failing.

This is serious enough in itself but especially bad for PNG as a developing nation seeking to achieve its developmental goals as enshrined in Vision 2050.

A plan is hatched (not in the public interest)

KEITH JACKSON

NOOSA - Despite its rich and extensive natural resource base, which should make the task of national development, Papua New Guinea has been steadily dragged down over the last 30 years by a toxic blend of volatile politics and entrenched corruption.

A complex political situation intensified by corruption, cronyism and fluctuating strategic alliances have significantly hindered economic progress and contributed to societal challenges.

'Kramer Out' says the Post-Courier. 'Not so fast' says the corruption-fighting minister dismissed by a Leadership Tribunal

BRYAN KRAMER
| Facebook

Thanks to Phil Fitzpatrick whose scouring of social media revealed what he termed Bryan Kramer's “defiant response” to judge Lawrence Kangwia and senior magistrates Edward Komia and Josephine Nidue, sitting as the Leadership Tribunal which last week dismissed Kramer as a minister and parliamentarian - KJ

PORT MORESBY - Late Wednesday afternoon of 24 May 2023, a copy of a notice giving effect to my dismissal from office as the member of Madang Open was circulated on social media.

It was purportedly issued by the Governor General’s Office [and], given the errors on the face of the document, many raised the question whether it was genuine or fake. 

Author and PNG Attitude contributor Daniel Kumbon with Bryan Kramer, Papua Hotel, Port Moresby, 2017

KEITH JACKSON

NOOSA – The prominent Papua New Guinea journalist Scott Waide has said “the judiciary has come back hard” on former police minister Bryan Kramer who was sacked as the Member for Madang Open in a notice signed by governor-general, Sir Bob Dadae, on Wednesday.

Kramer had faced a Leadership Tribunal after he was accused of a number of charges including one of deceiving and misleading the court by submitting fabricated documents and two of scandalising the judiciary after publishing posts on Facebook implying a conflict of interest by chief justice Sir Gibbs Salika.

Michael Kabuni - "We hope this case sets a precedent, so citizens can continue to hold their leaders accountable"

MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad

PORT MORESBY – It seems that the Papua New Guinea Ombudsman Commission has received “an avalanche of complaints from the public” in relation to the Justin ‘Primitive Animals’ Tkatchenko issue and that it intends “to treat each complaint accordingly”.

This case, this saga, is different from any I’ve observed since I became interested in PNG politics. It has set itself apart from the rise of internet, and its temperamental grandchild social media, in making issues go viral.

As Justin Tkatchenko clings to office, can James Marape afford to cut loose this powerful figure?

MICHAEL KUBANI
| Academia Nomad

Supplementary information by Keith Jackson

PORT MORESBY – Following his 'primitive animals' abuse of social media critics, demands are growing for Papua New Guinea’s foreign minister Justin Tkatchenko to quit his ministry or even resign from parliament.

Other people are calling for his passport to be revoked and then have him deported.

A hostile crowd gathers in Kaugere, Port Moresby, after a young man was fatally knifed. The mob later torched several houses owned by Engan residents (Photo: Courtesy Hon Justin Tkatchenko's Facebook)

KEITH JACKSON

NOOSA –Papua New Guinea has underestimated its population by nearly half, research by United Nations and British experts have found.

Previous estimates, based on the last census 12 years ago, had put the population at about nine million.

Corruption: It's in Your Hands (https://www.freepik.com/free-photo)

MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad

PORT MORESBY - An Australian PhD student conducting research on corruption in Papua New Guinea met a group of youths in Port Moresby.

After a few exchanges he asked them: “What is the root of corruption?”

One of them pointed to the national parliament building, and said: “There lie the roots, the stem, the branches and the leaves of corruption.”

MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad

PORT MORESBY - On Easter weekend, Bank South Pacific unintentionally credited its customers an undisclosed amount of money due to a technological glitch as the bank attempted to update its systems.

After customers received notifications on their phones, about 30,000 people rushed to the BSP ATMs and withdrew an average K1,000 each.

Some people subsequently switched banks.

EDDIE KABUNI
| Academia Nomad

PORT MORESBY - The internet has brought about many benefits, including the ability to make money online.

However, it has also brought about an increase in scams that target people looking to make a quick buck.

Papua New Guinea has not been immune to these scams, with many people falling victim to fraudulent schemes that promise easy money.

MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad

PORT MORESBY - Golden Sun has now collapsed, leaving behind tens of thousands of Papua New Guineans heartbroken and maybe a good number broke.

What should Papua New Guineans learn from this?

Lesson 1 - Nothing is free

Used and abused so much, the phrase ‘nothing is free’ has become a cliché. Unless your parents are giving you money, nothing in this Covid-19 stricken world is free.

JUSTIN TAIM*

PORT MORESBY – A set-up calling itself Golden Sun is operating a Ponzi scheme in Papua New Guinea.

The scheme claims to be affiliated with big name Hollywood film production companies and sells the scam for fast easy money through bogus movie reviews.

The fake outfit claims to be working closely with Bank South Pacific. However the financial regulator Bank of Papua New Guinea recently released a public notice warning of unregulated entities operating within PNG.

The Australian newspaper speculates that the hostages were seized in this general area

KEITH JACKSON

NOOSA - Papua New Guinea's prime minister James Marape says his government is "at work" trying to free five hostages seized by a 20-strong armed gang yesterday.

The captives are believed to include an Australian archaeology professor and three students.

Centre, Jerry Ubase (Secretary, Community Development & Religion Department); right, Wesley Serber (Aramba Development Foundation); with  members of organisations working to prevent family and gender violence   (Lydia Kaia,  UNDP PNG)

NEWSLETTER
| United Nations Development Program PNG

PORT MORESBY - Wesley Serber is a man on a mission, determined to end the cruelty and abuse caused by sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV) in the remote communities of the South Fly region of Papua New Guinea.

A large number of sorcery accusation-related violence cases use glasman or glasmeri (akin to witchdoctors) to falsely and maliciously accuse men and women of sorcery for financial gain.

The royal commission was established and is being streamed live here: https://robodebt.royalcommission.gov.au/

COMPILED BY MAX OPRAY
| Schwartz Media

From time to time, when there’s something important to say, I give space in PNG Attitude for Australian politics. Each morning, Schwartz Media sends me a heads-up on the big stories of the day. This morning’s email brought with it sickening information about how a powerful segment of Australia’s public service, apparently working at the behest of senior politicians, had engaged in what would best be described as criminal behaviour. The passages underlined for emphasis are mine - KJ