Comments

Mobile phones have been used to commit very serious crimes around the country. For instance, the Tari and Porgera massacres. Those who are not registering are intentionally doing so. We cannot continue to loose lives and properties by extending. We have to stick to the timing. Any and everyone willing to register must from up to any registration post to do so.

Glen, Ok Tedi landowners now own 33% of the mine. Ok Tedi paid more than 3hundred million as dividend to the government last year. The landowners are benefitting more then what they used to. OTML spent billions (still) to manage the pollution created by foreign entity. There are undeniable evidences of clear regrowth along the corridors of the Fly river system. It will take several decade but it is work in progress. FYI with the covid 19 lock down OTML has managed to exceed its recovery when 99% of the expatriate had already left the country over 2 months ago. Also, the same shut down PNG nationals from nationally owned companies have been rotating between the two mines (otm & pjv) to carry out critical maintences on all the major mill equipment for over a decade. I firmly believe that we are ready as a nation to own and operate such mines so long we do it without breaking any laws. How can you and I assist strategicaly in making this become a reality?

Any indication when this bubble could be implemented? September? December? 2021? And would Australians have to self isolate for 14 days upon return from Fiju?

Steve, with that argument why would any travel bubble be formed at all? Presumably, the more it will be used the greater the incentive to have a travel bubble. Hence, the strongest incentive is for Australia to form a bubble with NZ, and vice versa. But then, if there is going to be a bubble with the Pacific (and ANZ have already said they want to include the Pacific), the numbers suggest Fiji has the strongest case, followed by Cook Islands.

What is less clear is Australia and NZ’s incentives to include Pacific island countries into their bubble. After all they may prefer if their citizens spend money at home to support their hard hit tourism industry rather than abroad. Perhaps an investment by AU/NZ to demonstrate regional leadership and solidarity in a time of growing Chinese influence?

Samoa, please! Massive back and forth with NZ. Much aid and other projects from Aus.

The economic arguments from the Cook Islands point of view are already very strong, but from a health risk perspective it make sense for NZ to include the Cook Islands perhaps earlier than the other two, given the lack of any cases, proportional application of testing and no transit options outside of the Auckland-Rarotonga airlink.

The Papua New Guinea Minister for Communications & Information Technology, Hon. Timothy Masiu, has announced that the registration deadline for mobile phone SIM cards in PNG is now July 31st this year. After that date, unregistered mobile phones in rural and remote areas will not work. The extension is due to coronavirus. For more information, see this news article: https://www.thenational.com.pg/register-sim-cards-public-told/

Thanks both. I really hope the scheme can be expanded to include our Pacific Island neighbours. Yes, labour mobility should be factored into the design, where we have scheme that works well and where risks have been identified and managed. But so too should risks in some countries where controls around passport sales or citizenship sale may not be as strong as they should be, and which could provide a back door entry from people who might otherwise struggle to get a visa from their country of origin.

Thanks for this Peter. The term 'snatched' is not ours - we were reporting what others (in the sector) were saying. I tend to agree with you - and our article supports your position. There has been industry concern, even outrage, from time to time over the ways in which the Government has interacted with the mining sector (Paias Wingti's decision which we cite here for example), but it hasn't stemmed the flow of investment or slowed the industry significantly. We are concerned though with some of the potential effects on locals of these decisions: they could potentially be left with little but a few crumbs and an environmental and social mess.

Great to hear from you Fritz! Couldn't agree more with your sentiment.

I absolutely agree Richard Curtain, we need a plan for the amazing pacific labour workers to be able to travel to australia under both the SWP and PLS (and also for those currently stuck in Australia to return home to see their families). The economic cash benefits that these programs bring home to their pacific countries is such a huge benefit. Much needed cash is injected into the local communities to keep the schools and businesses operating. to quote the gorgeous Jacinda "a travel bubble" that includes Aus, NZ and the pacific is what we should be aiming for. lets develop a set of 'clear & strick guidelines now so that we can easily transition into the transferring workers within our Pacific bubble. My current solomon workers are wondering when they will be able to return home to their families but they are also weighing up the fact that they may not be able to return to australia for the next season which will impact the future of their families, villages and greater community they support by bringing their hard earned Aussie cash home.