Comments

Very eloquent and inspiring. Thank you Lucas for your contribution.

i require post poll verdict in karema region in png

It would be useful to also bring investors/fund managers on board with this push. Country-by-country-reporting and the disclosures that EITI calls for would help reduce the risk of negative surprises for investors. It would make for a better informed market.

Thank you Bal. There is no quick fix solution to addressing the issue you have highlighted. As you know such developments have their tentacles stretched out right to the top echelon of power in PNG. Unless and until there is political drive and will we can only watch as this nation plunder under the control of foreigners. At some stage there were signs of it but somehow it has faded with time so to speak. If I can correctly recall a special taskforce operating under what was termed as "Operesen Rausim Alien" some years back were on the trail arresting and deporting illegal foreigners however that somehow vanished with not a single report been furnished on the operation. Inaddition, the SME Policy and Masterplan does set out parameters to safe guard PNG owned micro-enterprises however the challenge will always be about implementation. For instance, SME policy has not been allocated any funding interms of activities in 2017 budget and it is highly likely that this trend will continue in the 2018 and 2019 budget due to the APEC where a large chuck of government funding will be exhausted. Yet this should not stop relevant agencies from putting in place relevant mechanism to addressing this sorts of issues. SME Corporation (The government lead agency to implement the SME Policy and Masterplan) and the Ministry of Commerce, Trade & Commerce working in partnership with the Department of Community Development & Religion should look at setting up a working committee to look into addressing this issue. Key to this working committee should be the engagement of Department of Labour & Industrial Relations, Department of Immigration, Customs and IPA to ensure compliance and control. Right now foreign entities are taking up business space that should have been "reserved for Papua New Guineans".

Thanks for the summary - very useful!

Right on point Bri! The potential for mischief cannot be underestimated.

Hi Allan, I am not sure what you mean in terms of the issue but it did evidence tolerance which is a positive thing as argued in the article. A Head of State often has a limited role with even lesser influence on the process of constitutional amendment.

Thank you Busa for an important contribution. Meaningful investment into the informal economy can have significant influence. Recently though, there are reports of foreign nationals also participating in the informal economy i.e. running trade stores, selling road side goods etc. Maybe as a result of the unregulated informal sector. Wonder if this should be of concern.

Seneca made a comment 2000 years ago "Religion is considered by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful" Samoa please reject this.......it will open the door to all sorts of mischief...... you cant protest against God.......if the leaders of your country decide to make rules based on biblical laws then bit by bit freedoms that are taken for granted will be eroded....

The very limited funding for Sub Saharan Africa is very short-sighted. Many of the countries have acute needs. Some Australian private sector investment is flowing, but Australia as a whole risks missing out on the trade and investment opportunities that will arise as SSA grows.

What happens when the head of state is a Baha'i as was the case with the late Malietoa?

Thanks Janet - good to read you again.