Articles Search

INEFFICIENCY

By Brian Gomez

SYDNEY, Australia (November 30, 1999 – The National)---Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta has signaled that today's budget for year 2000, the first he has framed, would be "the most austere that has ever been brought down in PNG."

The Prime Minister also signaled that only six priority areas will receive increased funding in the 2000 budget. They are Health, Education, Infrastructure Maintenance, Agriculture, Law and Order and Revenue Generation.

All other departments and agencies will receive the same allocation as they did in the Supplementary Budget this year.

Sir Mekere said he would deliver "a balanced budget" that would also represent "an unremitting attack on waste, inefficiency, mismanagement and malpractice."

In a speech at the Fifth PNG Mining and Petroleum Investment Conference in Sydney delivered on his behalf by Mining Minister John Kaputin, Sir Mekere said: "We have no money to throw away on non-...

Arawa, Bougainville

Media Release November 27, 1999

BOUGAINVILLE REVOLUTIONARY ARMY MONITORING GOVERNMENTS ACTIONS CLOSELY

The Bougainville Revolutionary Army said today that it would be monitoring the actions of the PNG Government very closely in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to throw out the suspension of the Bougainville Provincial Government.

(See: Suspension Of Bougainville Provincial Government Is Illegal: PNG Supreme Court at http://pidp.ewc.hawaii.edu/PIReport/1999/November/11-30-02.htm.)

Speaking from Arawa, two BRA leaders, Chief of Defense Ishmael Toroama and Secretary Robinson Asotau, placed Papua New Guinea on notice that its responses to the Court decision could well determine the future of the Peace Process.

"The BRA is committed to the Peace Process but we are equally committed to resolving the problems of Bougainville...

NOUMEA, New Caledonia (November 29, 1999 - PINA Nius Online)---The commander of the New Caledonian Armed Forces (FANC), French general Xavier de Zuchowicz, will leave travel to Dili, East Timor later this week to inspect the New Caledonian-based French contingent currently taking part in the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET).

De Zuchowicz, who recently was appointed FANC head, also will hold talks with the INTERFET commander, Australian general Peter Cosgrove.

Forty military personnel from New Caledonia have been posted in East Timor since September.

France's total participation in INTERFET numbers 400.

Included in the French mission are an airborne surgical group in Dili, several frigates and light transport vessels and Hercules C-130 transport planes shuttling between Dili and Darwin, Australia.

In January, 9,000 men under United Nations command will take over the INTERFET project.

This bulletin was produced by the Pacific...

CELEBRATION

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (November 30, 1999 – Radio Australia)---A committee of the American Samoan Fono (legislature) has recommended that 23 people, including several politicians, be investigated for their alleged involvement in overspending on a national celebration last year.

The committee reported that the budget for the territory's Golden Jubilee Celebration was exceeded by more than 600 percent.

The original budget was US$ 100,000, but the celebration wound up costing more than US$ 620,000.

After a series of hearings, the House of Representatives Investigative Committee released a 400-page report accusing officials of perjury, theft, fraud and dereliction of duty.

Among those accused by the committee of wrongdoing are the Jubilee Chairman Senator Moaaliitele Tuufuli -- now suspended by the Senate -- and a former Legislative Financial Officer, Velega Savali, who has since been fired.

The committee alleged that the pair...