Category Government of Bougainville

ABG Government and her Elected leaders. Short History of Bougainville.

Jul 11 2014

Bougainville News: Bougainville Government is entitled to fisheries 5 million kina revenue says Momis

 

png_fishing_waters
BY JENNIFER NKUI

The Bougainville Peace Agreement provides for the Autonomous Bougainville Government to receive the revenue that the National Government derives from fisheries in Bougainville waters and in the 200Km extended economic zone associated with Bougainville.

This was revealed by the ABG president Chief Dr John Momis in a press statement on Monday saying the revenue will be minus the costs of collection.

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He said for several years now the ABG has been negotiating about how to calculate the fisheries revenue payable to Bougainville.

He added that until now we have made very little progress. Chief Momis said the National Government has now agreed to pay the ABG an initial K5 million by August 1 this year.

He said in addition, it will provide the ABG with detailed information on fishing licenses and fish catch data to enable calculation of the fisheries revenue due to the ABG.

He said the ABG has made it clear that debts will be paid from the date of establishing the ABG in 2005.

Meeting Pic by Stephanie Elijah

Jul 10 2014

Bougainville Education News :Book-Gain-Ville boosts access to books with e-reader project

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“The kindles has changed the lives of our teachers and students forever “

James Tanis Ex-President of Bougainville and founder of Narinai Elementary School in the Panguna District.

Book-Gain-Ville boosts access to literature with e-reader project

Originally published http://www.bougainville24.com/

Our thanks to Leonard Fong Roka for support and promotion of Bookgainville

An Australian man, so affected by a trip to bring e-readers to students in a remote Panguna village, has launched an initiative to improve literacy throughout Bougainville.

Colin Cowell started the Book-Gain-Ville project in Australia with the support and guidance of the Indigenous Reading Project.

Cowell’s original visit with 20 kindles was to the Narinai Elementary School in the Panguna District, the home of former Bougainville president Mr. James Tanis. Here the Book-Gain-Ville project was launched and welcomed to the community with dancing, singing, speeches and slaughtering of two pigs to mark the importance of the occasion.

“Travelling around I saw broader need across the whole island, so we have added ten more sites for trial of the Book-Gain-Ville initiative,” Mr Cowell said.

“By the end of June 2014 we hope to have over fifty kindles in ten pilot schools and over the next few years I would like to see over one thousand kindles in Bougainville schools with the support of all the local level governments.”

Cowell, who hails from Canberra, Australia, has 24 years of experience working with and training Aboriginal communities across Australia and stated that the key to the Book-Gain-Ville project is sustainability.

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“We now have in place at the Arawa Women’s Training Centre the support technology and trained staff to take this project forward in years to come,” Cowell said.

“Guiding this project on the ground is a leadership group lead by James Tanis and group of teachers and IT volunteers.”

“The Kindles with up to 1400 books inside cost $99.00 and a lot of communities including the pilot sites have already begun fundraising to buy extra kindle on top of our donations.”

Update 11 July 2014

We are packing another 40 Kindles in Canberra to send to Bougainville on Monday 14 July

kindles

Colin Cowell is no stranger to Bougainville having lived there some 40 years ago and return he spent the whole month of May travelling the length and breadth of the island.

He met his old friends like Linus kunokong from Buin and visited cultural shows in Siwai, South Bougainville; visited tourism development sites across the island and even participated in the Bougainville Remembrance Day, May 17, in Arawa.

He will be returning soon to Bougainville with more kindles In September after shipping in July (see above)

More information about the project is available at www.bookgainville.com

 

 

Bookgainville Project on Bougainville PNG

 

 

Jul 9 2014

Bougainville News : President Momis to PNG Government “show me our money”

 

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“The Panguna Mine funded PNG’s development from 1972 to 1989. Now, at the Peace talks, the PNG Government agreed to fund Bougainville’s restoration through a guaranteed share of PNG’s development budget,” President Momis said

Financing the Autonomous Bougainville Government according to the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the PNG constitutional laws is not a new program or an option for the National Government.

ABG President Chief Dr John Momis made this bold statement during the Joint Supervisory Board Meeting in Kokopo last Friday as he pointed out the National Government’s lax attitude in funding the ABG’s Restoration Development Grant.

“My Cabinet and I are getting more and more annoyed when we hear National Government officers and sometimes minister speaking of Bougainville’s requests for funding of the RDG as though these are new claims,” the President said.

“Our government’s entitlements are written into the Constitution of Papua New Guinea. Each government may share some blame for not getting this right from 2005, but that does make the provisions any less relevant,” he added.

When the Bougainville Peace Agreement was being negotiated the National Government’s finances were in a poor state and the National Government argued it could not afford to provide the massive sums needed to fund recurrent costs adequately and to restore infrastructure and service in Bougainville in what is now known as the Restoration and Development Grant.

The National Government team offered the Bougainville parties the rolling five-year average formula based upon the 2001 National Public Investment Program.

Their argument was that as Papua New Guinea’s economy improved Bougainville would benefit in the same proportion as the rest of the country, in other words the proportion of the National Development Budget would remain roughly the same as it was in 2001 and the rationale was primarily based around a concept of fairness.

“The Panguna Mine funded PNG’s development from 1972 to 1989. Now, at the Peace talks, the PNG Government agreed to fund Bougainville’s restoration through a guaranteed share of PNG’s development budget,” President Momis said

Under the RDG;s formulae proposed by the ABG’s share of the domestically financed Public Investment Programme will be around two percent but the formulae proposed by the National Government Bougainville’s share of the Development Budget will reduce dramatically to one third of the share it was in 2001.

Since the creation of Bougainville’s autonomous arrangement the RDG has remain stagnant at K15 m per year.
The President asked that the JSB seek to agree the RDG formulae and that the ABG want the 2015 paid at the correct rate to maintain services in Bougainville.

He also recommended that the respective Chief Secretaries of both governments sit down and agree on the appointment of a suitable mediator and arbitrator

Jul 6 2014

Bougainville News: Bougainville Government radically structures its government ministries to meet current and future needs.

 

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Reported by Anthony Kaybing New Dawn FM Bougainville News

The Bougainville Executive Council has made the decision to radically structure its government ministries to meet its current and future needs.

This follows the establishment of the Autonomous Bougainville Government’s own Public Service that now operates under its own law within Bougainville.

Kabu House

 

 

ABG President Chief Dr John Momis made the revelation during the Joint Supervisory Body Meeting between the ABG delegation headed by President Momis and the National Government delegation headed by the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Leo Dion, in Kokopo, East New Britain Province this Friday (040714).

“This is the first restructure of the Bougainville Government Ministries and the Administration since 2005 and the number of ministries has been cut to 15, thirteen members of the Cabinet will have only one ministry, and only one minister will have two ministries.

This will enable all Ministers to focus their efforts on one government priority area,” the President declared.

With the new structure in place the ABG Ministries will now be as follows;

  1. Presidential portfolios:
  2. Administrative Services
  3. Treasury & Finance
  4. Justice
  5. Police and Corrections
  6. Mineral Resources & Energy
  7. Technical Services
  8. Lands & Physical Planning and Environment & Conservation
  9. Health
  10. Education
  11. Community Government
  12. Communities, Women, Youth and Culture
  13. Sport and Youth
  14. Primary Industry
  15. Commerce and Tourism.

The Bougainville Senior Appointments Committee (BSAC) will be responsible for the appointment of the Chief Secretary (formerly the Chief Administrator) and Head of the Public Service and Senior officers including departmental heads.

The Acting Chief Secretary will work with each minister to prepare a recommendation to the Bougainville Senior Appointments Committee for an Acting appointment for each department and directorate and all permanent appointments will be made within six months to start from 1 January 2015.

“The ABG has already taken practical steps to implement these new ministerial arranges that enforces the new Bougainville Public Service Act,” he said

The President also said that there were to be two new Ministries that will be created that sees the creation of a Ministry and Department of Police and Correctional and the Ministry and Office of Sports and Youth.

President Momis went on to reveal that the Bougainville Administration will have 11 departments headed by Secretaries and four Offices headed by Directors who will be the equivalent to a secretary of a department.

 

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Jul 6 2014

Bougainville News: President Momis proposes new arrangement for engagement with PNG Government

 JM PO

Reported by Anthony Kaybing : New Dawn FM Bougainville News :Picture above PNG Prime Minister on recent visit to Bougainville

The Autonomous Bougainville Government has called for the abolishment of the National Coordination Office of Bougainville Affairs (NCOBA).

The ABG made a proposal last year that NCOBA and its roles and functions should be reviewed and a joint review on Bougainville’s Autonomy Arrangements, now endorsed by both the ABG and National Government also recommended this.

The ABG is of the view that NCOBA should be replaced with a different entity that can better coordinate the efforts of the Bougainville’s state of affairs while also acting as a go-between the ABG and the National Government.

A proposed idea is that a Bougainville Government representative office be based in Waigani and to be managed by a Director and staffed by Bougainville public servants to undertake coordination and advocacy with the National Government its departments and agencies.

Another option that was raised was the creation of A Bougainville Affairs Ministry, unlike the present ministry that is aligned to NCOBA or there could be a small Bougainville Affairs office within the Department of the Prime Minister and National Executive Council (Policy Division).

ABG President Chief Dr John Momis believes that the proposed arrangements can manage its engagement with all National Government departments and agencies and work effectively and efficiently.

The current state in which NCOBA operates has come into question due to the fact that it has not been as effective and efficient as the ABG and bureaucracy along with the people can see fit.

During the JSB Meeting of this year in Kokopo, the ABG has asked the National Government that the entity be disbanded and allow for the creation of a new entity that will have both influence of governments and allow for clear liaisons between the two governments.

New Dawn FM understands that the best time NCOBA was seen as working was under the former Director, BILL DIM who is now in New Zealand.

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Jul 3 2014

Bougainville News: Does the PNG Government currently owe the Autonomous Bougainville Government over K200 million ?

PM PNG
 

“The PNG government will continue to honour its commitment in releasing K100 million annually for the remaining four years.

The national government in 2012 made a commitment to allocate K500 million over a five-year period, to rehabilitate infrastructure throughout Bougainville.

However, despite the first K100 million funding being released, last year (2013), nothing much has been done there,”

PNG Prime Minister Hon. Peter O’Neill said in a recent radio interview (see below)(picture above traditional welcome to Bougainville February 2014)

The Papua New Guinea National Government currently owes the Autonomous Bougainville Government over K200 million under the Restoration Development Grants.

This was revealed this week (30 June 2014) by the ABG president Chief Dr John Momis during the opening of a double classroom at Tilowa Primary School when he was talking about the transfer of powers to the Council of Elders

He told the people who gathered for that special occasion that this money under the Bougainville Peace Agreement belongs to Bougainville but the National Government was underpaying us.

He said after calculations were made, ABG found out that the National Government owes us over K200 million.

The president said if ABG gets that money, they will then look at ways to help the Council of Elders

in terms of increasing their funds.

He explained that in this way, the Council of Elders will be empowered to look after their own law and order issues, education

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill today (6/02/14) expressed the National Government’s gratitude towards the leaders and people of Bougainville for their kind welcome and generous hospitality, during his delegation’s recent visit to the region.

He said this during an interview on the FM100 Talkback Show, in Port Moresby and outlined the government’s commitment to assist Bougainville with infrastructure rehabilitation funding.

“The government will continue to honour its commitment in releasing K100 million annually for the remaining four years.

“The national government in 2012 made a commitment to allocate K500 million over a five-year period, to rehabilitate infrastructure throughout Bougainville.

“However, despite the first K100 million funding being released, last year (2013), nothing much has been done there,” Prime Minister Hon. Peter O’Neill said.

The Prime Minister said the monetary allocation was committed entirely to rehabilitate the rundown infrastructure throughout the region.

He also said the funding allocated last year was given to the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) and it is solely responsible for acquitting the funds.

“There are also Special Resolution Grants sitting in trust accounts that need to be spent on upgrading infrastructure there,” Prime Minister Hon. Peter O’Neill said.

He said with the history of the crisis and loss of lives it was important for the national government to go back and engage with the people of Bougainville and apologize traditionally for all the hardship created, not only for Bougainville but for PNG as well. “I believe these issues could have been better managed before it got out of hand.

“It has been an eye-opening experience for a national government delegation which I led into the region recently,” Prime Minister O’Neill said.

He thanked the ABG, particularly President Chief Dr John Momis and his Cabinet, along with the four MPs of Bougainville for their partnership and dedication in putting aside their differences and working together to move Bougainville forward.

“I also met with the President of the Me’ekamui Government, Philip Miriori, and other leaders including the Panguna landowners like Laurence Daveona and Sam Kaona,” Prime Minister O’Neill said.

The Prime Minister reiterated that the government still respects the Arawa Peace Agreement signed in 2001 and looks forward to implementing it. “Our aim of going to Bougainville was to try and restore government services in the region.

“We want our hospitals to be functioning well in Bougainville, the roads upgraded and sealed, and the Aropa Airport reopened,” the Prime Minister said.

“The government has already opened the Port in Kieta and has re-established PNG Power to distribute power throughout Arawa town,” Prime Minister Hon. Peter O’Neill announced.

The president of the autonomous Papua New Guinea province of Bougainville, John Momis, says his government is considering suing the national government for what he says is its failure to meet the terms of the Peace Agreement.(Interview July 2013)

He says the lack of money is stalling preparations for the referendum on possible independence, which is a key part of the Bougainville Peace Agreement.

That vote is likely in 2016 and Mr Momis told Don Wiseman Bougainvilleans need to be more self reliant or seek financial help elsewhere if the national government does not meet its commitments.

JOHN MOMIS: The people of Bougainville must realise that that event, that important political moment in the history of Bougainville is quite imminent. As a matter of fact, next year the ABG, their own house of representatives, will determine the actual date of the referendum. So whilst we’re experiencing a lot of problems in respect to assistance from the national government, we need to get ourselves organised and be more self-reliant, even in terms of sourcing funds from outside. Because we are not having a very successful engagement with the national government. They seem to be having no qualms or conscience and consistently breaching the Bougainville Peace Agreement. So the only way to motivate our people is to say, look, we have to be ready. It’s like saying the grand final date is on, and, whether we are ready or not, we have to play in the grand final. We made the commitment so we better get ourselves organised.

DON WISEMAN: When you say that the national government is breaching the peace agreement, there was a lot of good feeling toward the end of last year and the government came through with those very large commitments they had made. So are you suggesting there’s been a backtracking since then?

JM: There’s been quite a bit of backtracking, yes. Even last year the $100 million the government promised only came to us in November towards the end of the year. It doesn’t give us much time to implement, especially when the Bougainville administration doesn’t have the capacity. And this year, we haven’t go this year’s allocation yet. And the restoration and development grant, which is stipulated in the Bougainville Peace Agreement, which is sub-constitutionally guaranteeing the allocation of funds which should be given to us every year – they have been under paying us deliberately. We worked out that, in fact, the national government owes us something like approximately $188 million. That is the only guaranteed funding to Bougainville. They’ve been severely underpaying us.

DW: And that’s separate from the commitment of 500 million kina that was made?

JM: Yes, 500 million for the next five years – that’s a political commitment the national government made. Whereas the restoration and development grant is constitutionally stipulated. The national government has no choice but to give it. In fact, we are seriously thinking of taking them to court for such a massive breach, which creates a lot of doubt in the minds of Bougainvilleans about the national government’s goodwill

 

Jul 2 2014

Bougainville NEWS: Environment group offers $9m for biodiversity projects

 
Solomon Island farmers
Photo: Solomon Islands has some of the best examples of biodiversity in the Pacific (Wade Fairley: Flickr)
An environmental group is offering $US9 million in grants to help non-government organisations fund projects in Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.
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The International Union for Conservation of Nature says it wants to fund work that will protect biodiversity in the region.

The CEPF investment strategy for the East Melanesian Islands Hotspot has five strategic directions:

  1. Empower local communities to protect and manage globally significant biodiversity at priority key biodiversity areas underserved by current conservation efforts.
  2. Integrate biodiversity conservation into local land-use and development planning.
  3. Safeguard priority globally threatened species by addressing major threats and information gaps.
  4. Increase local, national and regional capacity to conserve biodiversity through catalyzing civil society partnerships.
  5. Provide strategic leadership and effective coordination of conservation investment through a regional implementation team

HOW TO APPLY LINK HERE

The IUCN’s Luisa Tagicakibau says there are countless habitats that need protecting and is calling for groups to submit proposals.

“These islands are highly biodiverse and hold exceptional cultural and linguistic diversity,” she told Pacific Beat.

“There are so many threats to these biodiversities, which are human induced and include increasing population, lack of awareness, unsustainable economic development.”

The IUCN is targeting 20 key biodiversity areas covering 1.5 million hectares.

“There are so many cultural and linguistic diversities at play in this region and because only a few people are speaking certain languages, they’re fast disappearing,” Ms Tagicakibau said.

“And that’s often leading to an increasing erosion of traditional knowledge and practices. These people are the real stewards of biodiversity.”

The money is being provided by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, which is a collaboration of seven different bodies including the European Union, the Japanese and French governments and the World Bank.

The IUCN says groups have until August 26 to submit proposals for funding.

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Jul 1 2014

Bougainville Education News: Bougainville teachers receive TOT training

 

Book Gain Ville School

 Bougainville school at Narinia Nagovesi SEE LINK

FROM PNG EDUCATION NEWS

THE Bougainville Education Department, in its effort to make schools have their own Behavioral Management Policy (SBMP), has undertaken the task of training teachers to document their own policies.

The Department has already given Training of Trainers (TOT) to elementary and primary school head teachers, their board of management chairman’s and village chiefs of Selau and Suir constituencies in North Bougainville.

The policy is to act as a guideline to promote a caring, safe and healthy environment for the purpose of improving students learning inside the school and within the community.

Last week saw another TOT training being conducted at Tekokni primary school in Suir which was attended by 43 participants from the area.

The training was facilitated by Education Standard Officer, Mr Felix Sarimu, Guidance officer, Josephine Passingan and District Education Officer Mr. Ignatius Veromboe.

Mrs Passingan said the purpose of involving the chiefs, BOM and teachers is because there is a need for wider consultation to document the SBMP.

Acting Secretary of Bougainville Education Department, Mr Michael Meten, who attended the closing of the workshop last Thursday said the same problems that a child has in school is also being faced in the community.

“With the increase in number of students because of the tuition fee free education by the O’Neill/Dion Government, teachers now have a big responsibility to deal with,’ he said.

“Family problems also affects the child and teachers and the BOM must need to deal with that particular child and they must also deal with bullying, alcohol, smoking and chewing of betelnut in bigger students.’’

Mr Meten pointed out that every school needs to develop a policy to guide behavior in school and to help create a conducive environment for students, before adding that the policy will now be part of the Schools Learning Improvement (SLIP).

This week will see the participants from these two constituencies imparting on the training to their counterpart teachers during their in-service week and after that they must complete their documentation of the SBMP for launching on October this year.

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Bookgainville Project on Bougainville PNG

 

Jun 30 2014

Bougainville News Alert : Push for late 2020 Bougainville PNG referendum ?

Radio New Zealand  and RADIO Australia are reporting  that an advisor to the autonomous Bougainville government says Papua New Guinea’s national leaders will likely set the date for the Bougainville referendum on independence.

LISTEN RADIO Australia Interview

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Anthony Regan  (pictured above) says there’s been relatively little focus among PNG’s national politicians on the approaching window for the referendum, which is to be held between 2015 and 2020.

“And as that date has to be agreed between the two sides, Papua New Guinea can effectively set the date as late as it likes up until 2020 so I think there’s a sense in Port Moresby that that’s probably what will happen. Although Bougainville can of course request an earlier date, it’s most likely that it’s going to be late.”

Anthony Regan was in New Zealand last week to give a lecture on Bougainville at Victoria University.

He says as Bougainville moves into this critical phase, there will be a need for considerable help from the international community over the range of complex issues that need to be negotiated with PNG in this phase

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Jun 29 2014

Bougainville Tourism News July 2014 : Bougainville developing its tourism sector

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The resource-rich island of Bougainville is preparing to welcome more tourists after its decade-long civil war.

The Autonomous Region of Bougainville is hoping tourism will help it get back on its feet after a decade of civil war.

Tourism authorities on the island are launching an initiative aimed at selling the island to the world.

Bougainville also has a website featuring the many tourist experiences the island has to offer.

Lawrence Belleh is chief executive officer of Bougainville Tourism and organises many Festivals like the MONA  and Siwai Festivals (see image Below)

SEE BOUGAINVILLE TOURISM”s  NEW WEBSITE

He told Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat that the country has many attractions that will be a draw for tourists.

Audio: Lawrence Belleh speaks to Pacific Beat (ABC News)

“We have the still rawness in the natural environment and everything people would want to see especially with the ecotourism that is around here in Bougainville,” he said.

“The people here are very, very friendly.

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Mr Belleh says the island’s natural environment is still in tact after the 10-year conflict and is suitable for tourist activities.

“So many things like lakes, the mountains, the volcanos… you see crystal clear water everywhere, it’s good for diving, snorkelling, swimming, fishing,” he said.

Example of Ecotourism Manee Via Arawa

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Zhon Bosco : Bougainville Experience Tours

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Rotokas Eco tourism operators Follow on FACEBOOK

Rotokas

 

There remains much wariness among the locals over reopening the copper and gold mine because of what they experienced at the height of the civil war.

The mine, which was one of the world’s largest, was closed in 1989 after it caused the civil war on the island.

“One of the things we are trying to avoid is to reopen the mine and that’s the sentiment that we have here especially the people of Panguna where what they would like to do is to do tourism,” Mr Belleh said.

“Rebuilding their lives, they want to build it through ecotourism, that’s what people have openly said.”

A recently released film Mr Pip – which is set during Bougainville’s civil war period – has also generated global interest in the island.

The movie is based on a novel by New Zealand author Lloyd Jones.

“Some of the actors and scenes you see in the film is actually the experiences people had experienced during the height of the crisis,” Mr Belleh said.

The government is already seeing an increase in tourists and making room for them.

“There are so many things that are happening and because of the film, there are so many people now that are coming to see where the film actually took place,” Mr Belleh said.

“With the people as well, there are facilities that people are now building like guest houses.”

A good example the Arawa Visitors centre

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And the recently upgrade Kuri Village Resort in Buka

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