Comments

Thanks Minister Hawke for this informative post. PACER plus aims to integrate the market for goods, services, and capital for the PIF region. While this could raise total PIF-GDP, some industries in selected quarters (nations) will suffer. Getting these import-competing industries (and their beneficiaries) onboard will require assistance with adjustment to minimize the costs of dislocation. Missing from PACER Plus are mechanisms for such assistance. Missing as well are mechanisms to better integrate the labour market of the PIF region. RSE (for New Zealand) and SWP and PLS (for Australia) are side agreements that could be absorbed within PACER Plus. These side-agreements have allowed workers from the islands (plus Timor-Leste) to work in Australia and New Zealand, but a lot more could be done – as for goods and services – to ease mobility of workers throughout the PIF-region. The gains from a deeply integrated labour market are likely to be larger than those for goods and services.

Thank you for bringing this book to our attention - I will seek it out. I would like to comment though on your reference to "smaller, more boutique outfits" - sometimes, these are hard-working, long-standing local civil society organisations, including small and medium-sized women's organisations who are struggling to stay afloat in the current context of aid implementation. And by the way, I have observed several occasions where these organisations have invested in training local staff, who are then coaxed by higher salaries into the ‘implementariat’. I would like to respond also with a poem - written in 2015 - and written in anger, inspired partly by spurious donor M&E requirements: WE’VE WON! WE’VE LOST! We fought long and hard to have our voices heard Through the years, we struggled and learned We made alliances with those in power We found the feminists in government camps, And some of us worked hard from within We searched our souls and our lives To make sure we walked the talk Human rights, a family and a world without violence We marched side by side and spoke our truth We believed the rhetoric of partnership We danced the logframe tango, we did the M&E And we remember those feminists, women and men Who created a space for us We took that space, we defined it, we were credible We believed in ourselves, we believed in them! We changed the space, we changed our world, We won! Resources for gender equality! Money to address men’s violence against women Policies, money, theories of change, money, research, money Value for money, outcomes – demonstrate or die. But you need them all, and in proper order, with diagrams! Short-term, medium-term, long-term, what-next-term? Spoon-feed them – social change is NOT linear! Change is MESSY – that is the point of the theory of change. What you count now, may not really count. Are the feminists within crowded out by gender experts? Experts, more experts – but whose knowledge counts? We fought against controlling behaviour by men, To be controlled? Never believe anyone who calls themselves an expert. There is a new game to learn, new boxes to tick, The goal posts move – and they move with each new guru If it looks like colonialism, smells like it, tastes like it, FEELS like it It IS colonialism! Yes, it dresses as gender expertise, It masquerades as neutral, technical and professional It has years of experience in many countries, here and there “We are doing this to make you stronger” Smash the pretence – it is patronising, it is colonialism! Do this, it makes no sense – or you don’t get the money. Thank me, ask me for advice, keep quiet – or you don’t get the money. Change your analysis, anything can be “best practice” – just don’t criticise them! Whose experience counts? Whose knowledge counts? We’ve lost!

Thank you for publishing this. The UPNG programme worked wonders, but there is only so much you can achieve from the outside with young, enthusiastic lecturers. In my view, all universities must produce employable, work ready graduates, which is not the same as job ready. In order to turn around PNG universities, the guidelines of the Namaliu/Garnaut 2009 report, the independent review of the PNG universities is still valuable: improve governance by reducing council, and focus on academic quality before increasing enrolment again. At V-C at UNITECH we developed a strategy focusing on internationalization and professional accreditation of programs, converting IT capabilities into strengths, and partnerships with strong industrial and academic partners. Efficiency was another key goal, but that is per definition not a strategic goal. Corruption, admission and academic corruption has to be stopped, existing faculty must be offered opportunities to do a PhD (between 2014-17 we sent 27 abroad) and the university's reputation must be enhanced so that fully qualified lecturers with work experience at world-class universities can be attracted. Digitalization, professional accreditation and training to stimulate student-centred and competence based teaching must be vigourously undertaken. At UNITECH from 2014 to 2017 we did an annual graduate employment survey 5-6 months after graduation. We found only 40% had formal employment. Development studies and management graduates did relatively well, much better than economics graduates. We also had monthly breakfasts with industrial training coordinators and employers of our graduates.

A very important question Sarah. Recently I went on the look out for Women economist's across the Pacific and asked male economists I knew across a number of agencies. Interestingly, a number were named who we just never hear of, working in development banks, financial Institutions, governments, etc. across the Pacific. For instance Maiava Atalina Emma Ainuu-Enari was appointed Governor and Chairperson of the Board of the Central Bank of Samoa (CBS) in 2011 and remains so...these women economist's seem to work quietly in the background, not taking up that space to articulate on public policy, financial issues through the media, etc as men do. Be great to hear more from and of them, so greater number of women get that due representation but other younger one's get encouraged to take up that space. But yes that sex-disaggregated data would certainly give us a clearer idea in PNG and beyond. The newly launched SPC data Hub maybe a start.

Yes, it is the same in PNG - in the report linked at the end of the first paragraph I mention that the number of female economics graduates is typically just 10-25% of the total cohort. That said, the response rate of women to the survey was higher, and the employment rate for respondents is likely much higher for respondents than non-respondents - which suggests better employment rates. If you want any further information please feel free to send me an email rohan.fox@anu.edu.au

The study doesn't provide any sex-disaggregated data - can it be made available? Women tend to be under-represented in economics. Research conducted by the European Central Bank confirmed quite different career trajectories for male and female economists resulting in a lack of diversity in leadership and decision-making positions in central banks and other institutions. It would be interesting to know if this trend is the same in PNG.

Thanks Mike, bad precedent set by parliament, running to court seeking interpretation.

The reasons behind high internet prices in PNG are multiple but you can choose from wide range of options that suits your mobile broadband needs.

Thank you for the enlightment.

Michael, this is a great piece. I did manage to pick out an institutional and procedural sway regarding your piece. This is interesting since it goes to the heart of defining and explaining PNG politics with regard to the issue discussed. Great job.

I also have questioned them esp for paying taxes ranking as well. for example, 1a. First of all, the website is reporting accurate data for Singapore (per cent of profit tax only 2% (according to the report) compare with their statutory tax rate 17%), so we ask them please share with us the factors which are depressing the profit tax % for Singapore, making it extremely competitive regionally. 1b. We also would appreciate it if the World Bank could share with us the mechanics by which countries are able to lower their % of profit tax. We are aware that multiple factors are at play but if you are able to go into specifics for each country, in particular, that would be very grateful. 1c. Case assumption to use to evaluate each country is not suitable (and may be favourable to some). If it is about capital gain exemption from selling property. Should the sale of land be added to the scenario in order to evaluate and compare the % of profit tax? Since not every company sells parcels of land every year (it is a one-time special event), should it be included as a normal operation to measure the CIT tax rate? (Assumption: at the beginning of 2015, the company owns two plots of land but sells one of these plots at a profit at the beginning of the following year). 1d. For some countries, the Doing Business report about total tax time for some countries, reports no change in the period between 2008 and 2017 (10 years), even though e-filing and e-payments are helping taxpayers to submit their returns online and to pay the tax owed more quickly. Thus, I agree that the report and the mechanisms used should be reviewed again esp by third parties.

Really appreciate the post as it clarifies doubts clouding around the happening with parliament sittings and the judiciary