DAL’s deputy secretary Francis Daink refutes claims of “double dipping

By SIMON ERORO

THE deputy secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Lives-stock (DAL) Francis Daink (pictured left) has denied media reports that his suspension is based on allegation of ‘double dipping”.

Mr Daink was referring to a daily newspaper (The National) report on Wednesday last week which had alleged two deputy secretaries of DAL, Mr Daink and Steven Mombi were suspended by acting Secretary Daniel Kombuk for double dipping with their housing and motor vehicle allowances.

Mr Daink speaking to The Sunday Bulletin said; “all these allegations are false as the sole intention of the acting secretary and his cohorts, and those behind raising the allegations was to blacklist us for the position of the DAL secretary we have applied for.”

“For instance, I never ever received the vehicle allowances using Public Investment Program (PIP) funds. I knew this would have been a criminal offence although I had the opportunity when I was the acting secretary of the department,” Mr Daink said.

Mr Daink said the only payment he received was the vehicle allowance approved by the Department of Personal Management (DPM) and it was the backdated allowance which is the difference when there was DPM – approved increases in the new allowance rate as well as other allowance for senior contract officers.

He also called on the media to do justice by verifying any allegations properly before publicity and running a media trial without facts.

The daily paper further reported that the pair were suspended on June 28, 2019 with five charges laid against them, for which they had being given seven days to respond.

Mr Kombuk is also quoted stating DAL disciplinary committee would meet and decide what course of action to take on the two officers and that he would “crack the whip on other directors and senior officers who are also involved in this”.

After receiving complaints from the deputy secretary about this media publication, this newspaper has now confirmed with DPM of a letter dated 29 August, 2018 (a copy obtained), signed by Ms Taies Sansan then acting secretary clearing the amount due to them as their allowances.

The letter addressed to the personal manager Mr Rova Ravu on the offline claims cleared for payments identified three senior officers including the two allegedly suspended with the department (DAL).

The letter read, “Please note that in consistent with National Executive Council (NEC) Decision No: 71 of 2017, the claims for the vehicle allowances cannot be paid using the current Pay Ending (PE) budget, however, your agency is advised to liaise with Department of Treasury to secure a source of funding to settle this missed vehicle allowance payments.”

Mr Daink also said similar false allegations were published on the social media (Facebook) by a Francis Tavatuna and that goes to show how desperate they were out to taint his professional reputation with the department.

“The position of the secretary does not belong to anyone, including myself. I have acted in the position for so many times and now that the position is vacant…we have all decided to apply.

“However, for one to try and fabricate allegations against another applicant is below the belt. Allow the government to follow its due processes to appoint a fit and proper person to drive the department forward,” Mr Daink said.

NCDC signs landmark affordable housing deal

Governor Parkop putting the ink on the agreement in Fiji's Nadi in front of Thomas Jacobs who is the country manager for PNG and the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand.

By JOE GURINA

PORT Moresby city residents in the nation’s capital will enjoy a transition of accessing large scale affordable housing targeted for low and middle income families.

This is made possible through a land mark singing between the National Capital District Commission and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a sister organisation of the World Bank and member of the World Bank Group on Thursday in Port Moresby.

At the signing, NCDC Governor Powes Parkop said it is a project tied in partnership with the IFC to ease the growth of informal settlements. Parkop initially signed the agreement in Fiji infront of Thomas Jacobs who is the country manager for PNG and the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand.

According to government statistics, over 45 percent of the 370, 000 residents of Port Moresby live in informal settlements without security of title or access to basic infrastructure, such as water, sanitation and power.

“The project will target both low and middle income-earners through a mix of single unit family dwellings and affordable flats. We need to encourage greater housing density in a way that is culturally appropriate, and with adequate amenities for people,’’ Parkop said.

He said the pilot project will complement other measures that we are now undertaking to tackle Port Moresby’s housing crisis.

“Nearly 48-50 percent is unplanned settlements. And I have been trying during my tenure upgrading settlements into suburbs. I can’t rest as the Governor of the city and I am determined to put an end to settlements in the city with the project initiated with partnership with IFC,’’ Parkop said.

He said past governments have tried a lot of different strategies to increase the amount of affordable housing on the market, but the need just continues to grow.

He said the new Housing Minister Justin Tkatchenko has suggested that it was time for the government to look at new approaches in the housing sector.

Parkop said through this pilot project, IFC will help open up the market for green, climate-resilient affordable housing by drawing on the resources and expertise in the private sector.

IFC Public Private Partnership Coordinator Lazarus Kenni thanked NCDC to come on board with the partnership arrangement to address housing crisis in the city.

He said it is important to look for solutions to overcrowding in informal settlements since PNG is one of the fastest growing populations in the world whilst addressing the issue was of great resolutions.

Court finds election of WNB governor illegal

By SIMON ERORO

JUSTICE David Cannings has ordered the election of the Member for Talasea Open Francis Maneke on the 18th of June, 2019 as new governor for West New Britain Province illegal.

The Sunday Bulletin has obtained copies of the court orders handed down last week Friday (28th of June 2019) at the Waigani National Court in Port Moresby.

The plaintiffs in this matter OS No. 401 of 2019 challenging the election of the Member for Talasea as the new governor of WNB are both the deputy governor Lawrence Mango and Member for Kandrian Gloucester Open Joseph Lelang.

The position of the governor of the province became vacant after Sasindran Muthuvel was appointed as State Minister in the Marape – Steven Government in the recent Vote of No-Confidence against the former Prime Minister and Member for Ialibu-Pangia Peter O’Neill.

Mr Muthuvel was appointed Minister for State Enterprise.

Justice Cannings also ruled that Minister Muthuvel who is named as the first defendant in this matter perforce of Section 19(4) of the Organic Law on Provincial Governments and Local Level Governments continues in office as governor of the province until the election of the new governor.

The court ordered that he is authorised to perform all the powers, functions, duties and responsibilities of that office including chairing the meeting of the provincial assembly to elect the next governor.

The court further ordered that the WNB Provincial Assembly shall proceed forthwith to elect the new governor as required by and in accordance with Section 21(1) of the Organic Law on Provincial Governments and Local Level Governments in compliance with the Standing Orders of the WNB Provincial Assembly.

Meanwhile, Mr Lelang speaking to this newspaper confirmed his lawyers are considering appealing to the Supreme Court to interpret the Organic Law as it relates to the governor and his powers under section 19(4) and other relevant provisions of the Organic Law as it relates to section 19(1)(b).

This newspaper is also reliably informed lawyers representing the plaintiffs are preparing to file contempt proceedings against Member for Talasea and others who were involved in his illegal election as governor.

National census to begin in 2020

By JOE GURINA

THE country’s fifth national census is fixed for July next year (2020), according to National Planning Minister Richard Maru.

In his parliamentary statement delivered for the Census 2020 preparation on the floor of parliament last week, Maru said it was important that the government needs to have collective figures with current population and housing statistics to enable the government to make informed decisions and formulate and implement key development policies.   

“Our last census reported 7.1 million as the total population of the country, but the population is constantly changing overtime. The Census 2020 is the avenue to help us establish concrete statistics for the country’s population moving forward for the next 10 years,’’ he said.

He said the census 2020 will be the basis to which “we will formulate and implement our development polices and priorities.’’

“Our development partners, the private sector and other key stakeholders will also rely on these statistics to support the country’s development aspirations,’’ he said.

He said in the last 10 years, a lot has changed in the social, economic and demographic landscape of our country.

“And our country cannot rely on statistics from the past census but must be on par with current population and housing statistics to enable the government to make informed decisions.”

He said planning and distribution of service delivery in the last ten years have been challenging because of changing social, economic and demographic factors.

“Census taking is not easy task but it is worth undertaking for effective planning and equitable distribution of essential services to every Papua New Guinean. Our responsibility from both sides of the house is to provide the utmost support to ensure that the Census 2020 is a success.’’

He said the National Statistical Office under his Ministry will undertake the Census 2020 operations which will involve a whole of government approach.

“This includes setting up of the National Census Steering Committee and various sub-committees comprising of key and relevant departments, line agencies, development partners and private sectors.’’

He said similar approach will be applied at the provincial level to oversee and have provinces, districts, LLGs, wards, villages and every citizen taking ownership of this process.

Maru said by the first quarter of 2022, the Census reports will be published and evaluation of the census operations will be conducted with the final report produced. 

He said the projected implementation cost for Census 2020 stands at K200 million which will be expanded from 2019-2022 to sufficiently cover all operational costs under the project.

He said this funding requires the support of this Government including key development partners.

Prime Minister James Marape will officially launch the 2022 National Population and Housing Census on July 13, 2019.

Resource Owners Federation welcomes FIFO ban

Resource Owners Federation President Jonathan Paraia.

By NOBERT KOKE

THE Resource Owners Federation of Papua New Guinea (ROFPNG) has commended Minister for Immigration and Border Security Petrus Thomas to ban Fly-in-Fly-out (FIFO) work roster system used by the extractive and other industries in the country.

In welcoming the decision, the resource owners believe that billions of kina leaving the shore of PNG will remain and circulate in the country.

The FIFO practice has seen Papua New Guinea lose billions of kina in disposable income and other benefits over many decades to foreign countries.

President Jonathan Paraia said, “This practice was first introduced by OK Tedi, Porgera and Lihir mines which has not only seen the loss of disposable income of the employee but has also denied the project area of social, economic and infrastructure development which could have improved the life style of the citizens of those areas and the country generally”.

He further said that the resource owners of this country have persistently complained about the FIFO system to successive governments for decades through the media and other media platforms but no action was ever taken.

“There was not action taken by any government to ban the system, for reasons only they can explain. It is their deliberate negligence that has seen the loss of billions of kina to the country.

“The Federation has not yet identified any country in our region, which allows foreign employees to work in their countries on a Fly-in-Fly-out basis. Instead the foreign workers are required to live in the countries of employment with their families for the duration of their employment contracts.

“This requirement ensures that the country and its community in which the foreign employees work benefit from the disposal incomes of those workers. For example, some Papua New Guineans work and live in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Africa and other countries, but they do not fly-in-fly-out from Papua New Guinea on regular basis,” Paraia said.

He added that the Federation expects that the proposed policy, if adopted will see a significant development.

“We will see quality infrastructure in housing, health, education and commercial facilities, to service none fly-in-fly-out communities of employees who will now live and spend their disposable incomes within the country thus, boosting our economy,” Paraia concluded.