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Hi, thanks for your comment. The answer is in the sixth paragraph. The allegations on the ABC program cast doubt on the integrity of the bidding process that led to the awarding of the PNG ports operator contract to ICTSI. One of the ports that ICTSI now operates in PNG is the Lae port. And the Lae port upgrade is, I understand, is the biggest component of the AIFFP PNG Ports investment. So, my concern is around what will happen to the Australian-funded upgrade of Lae port once it is complete. Will the upgraded port be operated by ICTSI? Will there be another bid? Will it depend on the outcome of the inquiry? Hope this clarifies.

Hi, in this article the fact check does not implicate AIFFP with the case of corruption with PNG Ports. The AIFFP was established on 1 July 2019, somewhat 2 years after the contract was signed with PNG Ports in 2017 (ref. 2). Clearly cannot see the nexus between the two. Please explain as I see no connection. Thank you Stephen. The following are excerpts: Ref. 1 'The AIFFP was announced by former Prime Minister Morrison in November 2018 and became operational on 1 July 2019', (ref. https://www.aiffp.gov.au/about) ref. 2 'The ABC’s Background briefing and the OCCRP revealed questionable payments involving then top PNG Ports officials Fego Kiniafa and Stanley Alphonse around the time a major contract was awarded to a multinational ports operator, ICTSI in 2017' (ref. https://islandsbusiness.com/news-break/marape-orders-corruption-watchdog-to-investigate-png-ports/)

I, Mr. Martin Itamai, from Bougainville, and I am interested to know more about the concept of carbon market in Papua New Guinea.

Well, how about Harry Humphrey who held the MP seat for Talasea Electorate in WNBP for a long time and then his son Peter Humphrey who held the Regional Seat for WNBP before Muthuvel. There are also other foreign/expatriate MPs that are not mentioned in this blog.

Very good article I enjoyed reading it. The main problem needed to be solved is deep inside of us and it needs people who are wise. We have brilliant people who are well educated yet our attitude is beyond what we have in hand. Most can talk nicely and act like they have professional heart but in reality they are the ones who fail to implement. Therefore PNG needs to get back to its roots and see if we have lost our values in the midst.

Malcolm 'Kela' Smith (late) was the other naturalized citizen to hold the EHP regional seat for a few terms. There's a confusion with the name 'Henry Smith' who I believe was a local Goroka man who represented the Goroka Open seat.

Thankyou for sharing this article, was an interesting read.

Hi Michael! Thank you for sharing your wonderful blog. It's good that you shared your experience surveying Bougainville Island’s village agriculture. It's sad that the landowner received small money but big work in growing a crop. I'm glad that I discovered the language "Bikpela wok na liklik mani" meaning “big work but small money.” We can't blame the villagers if they give up on selling their crops due to the small income they get despite the big work.

Impressive article, enjoyed reading it. Thanks for shedding light on this topic.

Andrew and Kingtau, you are right. A relative of mine recently visited eastern Rossel island in Milne Bay province, where he met with the community. They informed him, they had no teacher for their elementary school, and no aid post or health worker. As a result, their children did not get an elementary school start to their education, and the community lived and died in the absence of basic health services. In my experience, without significant help, this community has little prospect of breaking out of this cycle. Without an elementary school education their children have little chance of competing with their peers from grade 3 at community school, assuming of course they get to one in the first place. And without the most basic start to their formal learning there is little prospect of any of them rising through the school system, to obtain the tertiary training needed to drive change in their communities. In 2012 more grade 12 school leavers from Gordons secondary school received offers to take up places at tertiary institutions than all the grade 12 school leavers from Western province combined. There is your disadvantage. Experience has shown that schoolteachers and community health workers posted to remote settings they did not grow up in, rarely stay – and understandably so. The only people likely to stay in such settings, are ones who were born and raised in those communities in the first place. And therein lies the problem. Progress in rural settings is invariably dependent upon communities being able to educate their talent to tertiary level. In this regard, they are at a serious disadvantage to their urban cousins. Under these circumstances, they have little hope of supporting their children through the education system with the prospect that some will return as teachers, community health workers or with other skills to serve their own people. Since provincial governments, do not have the finances or transport resources to support teachers, health workers and community policemen in remote settings, it is up to the people to find ways to break this cycle of development inertia. Only then will they have the mechanism to educate their talent and move forward together. I have seen how this can be done, through rural economic empowerment, especially of women. With vision and buy in from communities it is possible to allocate some of the benefits from economic empowerment to support the delivery of essential services. However, the process is not “sexy,” it is long and slow, and there are no fast bucks in it for those who are so inclined. It requires a strong focus upon equity across communities, especially upon women who are the care givers and educators. It requires competent coordination and management. It is not appealing to elected leaders with their eyes on short term cycles and it doesn’t attract funding. I am convinced this area of development needs a great deal more attention. If it were forthcoming the results could be a revelation.

Need for a change in Marape led Government.

Thanks Kingtau for sharing about your village – it is quite sobering. This (rural decline and the fact that young people who are growing up in this situation of lack of opportunity for basic government services, including education) is worrying and scary.