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Category: Sir Mekere Morauta

  • Long term plan needed for underlying PNG problems, says academic

    By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist

    Academic Andrew Anton Mako says the Papua New Guinea’s systemic dysfunction was plain to see in the rioting and looting throughout the country’s main cities two weeks ago.

    That rioting was sparked by a protest by police after unannounced deductions from their wages.

    It led to a riot causing the deaths of more than 20 people, widespread looting and hundreds of millions of dollars damage to businesses.

    Andrew Anton Mako of ANU
    Andrew Anton Mako of ANU . . . “the government and the policymakers really need to take a comprehensive approach.” Image: DevPolicy Blog

    The government, which declared a two-week long state of emergency, put the wage deductions down to a glitch in the system.

    Mako, who is a visiting lecturer and project coordinator for the ANU-UPNG Partnership with the Australian National University’s Development Policy Centre, said that the rioting would not have happened if the system was working properly.

    “That information could have been transmitted through the system so that not only the police officers, but other public servants would have been assured that there was a glitch in the system, and then they would return the money in the next pay,” he said.

    Symptom of major problems
    “I think that information could have been made available to the officers quickly and the protests should not have happened.”

    He said it was not an isolated event but a symptom of major problems facing the country.

    “The government and the policymakers really need to take a comprehensive approach in addressing that,” Mako said.

    He said that in the administration there were entire areas where little development or reform had happened in a generation.

    The last attempt to look at the government machinery was more than 20 years, under Sir Mekere Morauta, but since then “there hasn’t been any sort of reforms to improve governance, improve public safety, efficiency, and all that.”

    Mako believes if the work of Sir Mekere had been continued the country would not be facing the problems it is at the moment.

    What reforms are needed
    Mako said the government needs to know it faces major issues that cannot be resolved quickly — they will need to think in terms of years before reforms can be bedded in.

    “It’s not going to be easy, they have to really work on it for a number of years. They will have to come up with a reform agenda work on it for the next four or five years.”

    Up to now, Mako said, politicians have just dealt with the symptoms, rather than addressing the underlying issues, such as unemployment.

    He sees the high crime rate as being closely linked to the lack of work opportunities, along with high inflation and the failure of wages to keep pace.

    “The focus has to be on the sectors that create jobs. So over the last few years, over the last decade or so, a lot of focus has really been on the resources sector, the mineral, petroleum and gas sector.

    “Those sectors are really called enclave sectors and they have really limited linkage with the broader sectors of the economy,” Mako said.

    “So the mineral sectors do not create a lot of jobs. A lot of the jobs [there] are done by either machines or highly skilled workers. So it is the sectors like agriculture, like fisheries, like tourism, forestry, those are the sectors really, really create jobs.”

    Mako added the government should be focussing on investing in, and developing policies, in these traditional sectors, enabling many of the unemployed, especially the young, to find work.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.


    This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • PNG statesman Sir Peter Barter a strong supporter of the free press

    OBITUARY:  A personal reflection by Scott Waide in Lae

    Australian-born former PNG cabinet minister and Madang businessman Sir Sir Peter Leslie Charles Barter, 82 — 1940-2022

    Papua New Guinean political giant Sir Peter Barter, who died in Cairns on Wednesday, was a strong supporter of the free press and media development. He personally supported generations of students from Divine Word University.

    Watson Gabana and I and many others who came later were beneficiaries of that support.

    On one occasion, we travelled with Sir Peter to Long Island and Karkar to visit health centres and aid posts. He gave me his camcorder to use.

    At the time, MiniDVs were the latest on the market and rare. No TV station was using them yet.

    As a 19-year-old, I was over the moon! I didn’t shoot enough footage.

    Or at least Sir Peter didn’t think I did. He scolded me in the chopper then gave me advice. It stuck. Don’t waste time. Don’t waste money. Don’t waste opportunities.

    Sure enough, I never got a chance to go back to Long Island. But the experience made an indelible mark.

    My first insights
    It gave me my first insights into the workings of PNG politics, its flaws and the failures of service delivery mechanism.

    On Long Island, Sir Peter was furious. He, as Madang Governor, was angered by the fact that the people were neglected and the health system just didn’t work.

    “It’s out of sight, out of mind,” he fumed. “As long as nobody complains, none of this will be resolved.”

    He stormed off towards the beach with the village councillor led in tow.

    It was a statement that has remained true for service delivery in PNG — “Out of sight, out of mind.”

    As much as it seems improper and out of line, the politician gives much needed visibility to issues of importance.

    Sir Peter was an avid photographer. He used his photography to document the Bougainville peace process and the collection and destruction of small arms in Tambul-Nebiliyer and the Southern Highlands.

    Plight of the Manam people
    He filmed the Manam volcano eruptions and gave unique insights into the plight of the Manam people while at the same time conducting rescue operations for men, women and children.

    His sometimes dry sarcastic sense of humour was legendary.

    Two decades later, I found myself at the Madang Resort restaraunt, arguing with the chef about the pizza that didn’t have the ingredients that were promised on the brochure.

    Sir Peter walked up behind me and asked what the problem was. I promptly directed my complaint to him (the owner of the pizza joint). He quickly responded: “Please give the whinging journalist what he paid for.”

    We went away happy and began another discussion with him about the drop in tourism numbers in Madang and PNG.

    Long live the Knight!

    Scott Waide is an independent Papua New Guinean journalist who contributes to Asia Pacific Report.


    Sir Peter Barter passes on.                                                   Video: EMTV

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • The bleak and black covid year that shook Papua New Guinea to the core

    ANALYSIS: By Patrick Levo in Port Moresby

    In all of the meandering years in the life of Papua New Guinea, 2021, which ended on Friday has to be it.

    The colours were there, the love and laughter were there, the sadness, emotions, losses, highs and lows, the bleakness of our long-suffering population and blackness of ethereal poor governance were all intertwined with making 2021 standout.

    In a nutshell, 2021 will be remembered as the year that shook PNG to the core.

    The biggest and most enduring life changer was covid-19. Like a thief in the night, it descended on our lives. It robbed our children of their innocence. It stopped our businesses dead in their tracks. It stole our bread. It stole the breath of our nation builders.

    This year, we will still be waking, walking and wandering with covid-19. It was and is the most tumultuous health issue ever, hovering over the gardener in a remote valley to a bush driver in a town to a business executive in the city.

    Big or small, rich or poor, we all face the same anxiety.

    Covid-19 was on everyone’s lips and in everyone’s ears. It is a global event that is still unraveling and we cannot predict what it holds for us in 2022.

    The Kumul will fly
    Now you can’t go anywhere without a face mask. But we must rise to the occasion. We must be resilient like our forefathers. We must face it. The Kumul will fly.

    So many of our fathers and forefathers left us over the past year. Men, who walked and talked with giants, whose dreams and aspirations – covid-19 or not – we must carry in our hearts and move forward. That is the challenge that awaits our bones in 2022.

    Sir Mekere Morauata (2020), Sir Pita Lus, Sir Philip Bouraga, Sir Paulias Matane, Sir Ramon Thurecht, Sir Ronald Tovue and the Chief of Chiefs, GC Sir Michael Thomas Somare.

    One could only wonder as we wandered, tearfully from “haus krai” to the next mourning house. Why?

    In one swoop, 2021 took our history book and shook the knights of our realm out of its pages.

    Men whose colourful and storied existence led to the birth of our nation. How said indeed it is that a country loses its foundation so suddenly. Shaken to the core.

    While mainland PNG mourned the loss of Sir Mekere, Kerema MP Richard Mendani, Middle Fly MP Roy Biyama and recently Middle Ramu MP Johnny Alonk, Bougainville was not spared.

    The island is reeling from losing its Regional MP Joe Lera and just two weeks ago, Central Bougainville MP Sam Akoitai. Our leadership shaken to the core!

    Historic year for PNG
    This is also a historic year for PNG. Sixty-four years after Sir Michael shook his fist at Australia and demanded: “Let my people go,” Bougainville has done the same, voting overwhelmingly to secede from PNG in a referendum.

    Two weeks ago, its president declared: “Let my people go!” Shaken to the core!

    Ethnic violence — 1000 tribes in distress with violence becoming an everyday happening, Tari vs Kerema, Kange vs Apo, Kaimo vs Igiri, Goi vs Tari, threatening the very fabric of our unity. Our knights in their freshly dug tombs would be turning in their graves.

    Family and Sexual Violence against women and children and the ugly head of sorcery related violence.

    I mean, how dare we call ourselves a Christian nation and tolerate such evil? How dare you men accuse our women, mothers, sisters and daughters, and murder them in cold blood?

    What more can we, as a newspaper say? We have spent copious amounts of sheet and ink, more than enough on these issues, we have raised our anger, we have commiserated with those in power about these issues. The message is not getting through to the men of this nation. Where have all the good men gone?

    Spectre of ‘pirate’ Tommy Baker
    Law and order wise, the name Tommy Baker raises the spectre of piracy, armed robbery, shootouts with law enforcement and a million kina manhunt that has failed to corner Baker.

    Until he was shot dead by police, the self-styled pirate was still out there in Milne Bay, hiding, abiding in time, waiting to strike again.

    The Nankina cult group on the Rai Coast and its murderous rampage also shocks us, as a reminder of the Black Jisas uprising gone wrong, two decades before.

    Add the consistent and constant power blackouts in the major cities and towns. This is hardly a sign of progress, especially when the management of the major power company PNG Pawa Ltd has been changed three times!

    However, yes, we need to remember this too. In our topsy turvy perennial spin, some of the major positive developments need to be mentioned.

    The giant Porgera Mine was shut down and promised to be reopened, Ok Tedi, Kumul, BSP and IRC all handed the government a gold card standard in millions of kina dividends.

    And the government has signed for a gold refinery in PNG for the first time.

    22 billion kina budget
    The passing of a 22 billion kina (about NZ$9.2 billion) budget. That is, in the finest words of my best friend Lousy, preposterous. Never before has the budget being built around such a humongous money plan.

    Spending is easy but raising it sounds very challenging. Therein lies the challenge.

    The most important part is to ensure this money plan reaches the unreached, that service delivery will go where the ballot boxes, somehow manage to reach on election days.

    One noticeable explosion of knowledge is the awareness of social communications platforms. For better or worse, Facebook has taken a stranglehold of the lives of ordinary Papua New Guineans.

    Communication around the country has changed overnight at the touch of a button or dial of a mobile phone.

    In sport – the heart of the nation missed a beat when star Justin Olam was overlooked in the Dally M awards. A major uproar in PNG and popularly support down under forced the organisers to realign the stars. Justin easily pocked the Dally M Centre of the Year.

    The good book the Holy Bible, says there is a season for everything. Maybe we are in a judgement season, being tried and tested and refined. Only we can come out of that judgement refined and define the course of our country – from Land of the Unexpected to the Land of the Respected!

    We will remember the 365 days of you, as the jingle fiddles our imagination, we were “all shook up!”

    Patrick Levo is a senior PNG Post-Courier journalist. Republished with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Sir Mekere, PNG’s straight shooting and reformist prime minister

    Former PM Sir Mekere Morauta … as Papua New Guineans come to grips with the void left by his death on December 19, the impact of his decisions at the turn of this century will continue to be felt decades into the future. Image: Loop PNG

    OBITUARY: By Scott Waide in Lae

    For many Papua New Guineans, Sir Mekere Morauta will be remembered as the straight shooting politician and the reformist Prime Minister, whose work came to be appreciated more than a decade later.

    Up until the 1990s, Mekere Morauta’s public life was rather low key.

    He thrived behind the scenes, helping to develop, shape and implement important government policies.

    He was the first graduate in economics from the University of Papua New Guinea and with it came important responsibilities both for his people and the country.

    In 1971, he began a career in the public service as a research officer with the department of Labour. A year later, he took up a job as economist in the Office of Economic advisor.

    When Papua New Guinea became  self-governing in 1973, the government of Chief Minister Michael Somare sought out its best and brightest to help run the young democracy.

    At 27, Mekere Morauta was thrust into a position of power and responsibility with his appointment as Secretary for Finance – a post he held for nine years.

    Important influencer
    He was always an important influencer in the banking and financial sector of Papua New Guinea.

    In 1983, he was appointed managing director of the Papua New Guinea Banking Corporation.  He held the position for another 9 years until his upward transition to a new job as the Governor of the Bank of Papua New Guinea.

    It was during this short stint as the central bank Governor that he shot to prominence as an outspoken enemy of the corruption that was infecting PNG government institutions.

    Sir Julius Chan was Prime Minister then and in a foreign documentary about corruption in Papua New Guinea, Mekere Morouta spoke out describing the rampant corruption and “systemic and systematic.”

    He was removed one year into the job.

    The period from 1994 to 1997 was politically turbulent.

    The international attention on government institutions and the corruption highlighted by key figures in Papua New Guinea, including Sir Mekere, caused many Papua New Guineans to demand a change in leadership and management.

    The seeds had already been planted.

    South African mercenaries
    In 1997, when the government of Sir Julius Chan opted to bring in South African mercenaries to end the Bougainville crisis, PNGDF commander Brigadier-General Jerry Singirok called for the prime minister to step down and riots broke out.

    It was months before the elections and when Sir Julius was voted out of office, a new group of political leaders, including Sir Mekere Morouta  were voted in.

    For the next three years, the country faced deep economic trouble.

    The decade long closure of the Bougainville mine, a severe drought and high unemployment and government institutions in desperate need for reform… this was the scenario in 1999 when Sir Mekere took over from Bill Skate as prime minister.

    In the next three years, Sir Mekere had the most impact on Papua New Guinea’s political and economic future.

    In 2000, the Mekere government introduced sweeping reforms in the finance and banking sector.  He introduced legislative reforms that strengthened the superannuation funds and banks, effectively eliminating much of the political interference that these institutions had long been burdened with.

    Through the reforms, Nasfund and other superfunds which were  on the brink of collapse, were revived and strengthened

    In the political sphere, constitutional changes were made to strengthen political parties and other institutions of state.

    As Papua New Guineans come to grips with the void left by Sir Mekere’s passing on December 19, the impact of his decisions at the turn of this century will continue to be felt decades into the future.

    Scott Waide is a leading Papua New Guinean journalist and a senior editor with a national television network. He writes a personal blog, My Land, My Country. Asia Pacific Report republishes his articles with permission.

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    This post was originally published on Radio Free.