Marape wastes no time in getting down to work for PNG
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Marape wastes no time in getting down to work for PNG
PORT MORESBY: Tari Pori Member of Parliament (MP) James Marape, who was sensationally elected as Papua New Guinea (PNG)’s 8th prime minister on Thursday (May 30, 2019), wasted no time in getting down to work.
The following day, he named an eight-member caretaker Cabinet.
Barring any unforseen delays, Marape is likely to announce his full Cabinet this week.
PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below a few news reports, including a preview of sorts, published by The National for our readers to digest:
Marape win a ‘political tsunami’
By JEFFREY ELAPATARI Pori Member of Parliament (MP) James Marape’s election in the 111-member Parliament as Papua New Guinea (PNG)’s 8th prime minister on Thursday was nothing short of a “political tsunami” of sorts.
Excluding the Speaker Job Pomat, only eight MPs voted against Marape with one abstaining. Marape received the support of 101 MPs.
The seven MPs who voted for former premier and Moresby North West MP Sir Mekere Morauta were James Donald (North Fly), Gary Juffa (Northern Provincial), Kerenga Kua (Sinasina-Yongomugl), Dr Allan Marat (Rabaul), Belden Namah (Vanimo Green Open), Peter Numu (Eastern Highlands Provincial) and Ian Ling-Stuckey (Kavieng).
Madang MP Bryan Kramer abstained from voting.
After Pomat adjourned Parliament session to June 5, Marape took a well-deserved breather in the afternoon teeing at the greens.
After all, Marape and all MPs had been locked in five weeks of political horse trading, holed up in two camps – the Opposition MPs in Laguna Hotel and the Government in Crown Hotel.
Papua New Guineans were kept at the edge and in suspense in the run-up to the election of the prime minister, with MPs switching from one camp to the other and back again.
In the election on Thursday, when Pomat called for the MPs to nominate candidates for the premiership, the Government camp nominated Marape.
The Opposition responded with an unprecedented move by nominating Peter O’Neill (Ialibu-Pangia), who resigned as premier on Wednesday.
The shocking nomination was made by Opposition leader Patrick Pruaitch and seconded by Namah. O’Neill accepted the nomination.
But Marat threw the spanner in the works of the Opposition by nominating Morauta.
O’Neill then responded by informing the House and Pomat: “… I thought the Opposition did not have a candidate … I will withdraw my nomination.”
That paved the way for a straight fight for the Chief Executive of PNG with Marape’s 101 to eight-vote mauling of Morauta.
No one doubts Marape will have his hands full in trying to steer PNG into a peaceful and prosperous developed nation for Papua New Guineans.
And, time is not in his side as PNG would be in general election mode from mid-2021 to 2022.
That means Marape will have only about two years to make his government programmes and policies positively impact the people.
He is expected to unleash a reformist economic agenda to transform PNG into a fast growing economy, focusing on implementing fiscal measures and policies to spur the agriculture and mineral resources sectors to benefit some 8.4 million people – some 85 per cent of them who are still dependent on agriculture.
Marape was not only a strong critic of the K43 billion Papua LNG project, he resigned as Finance Minister to protest the deal inked by the O’Neil Government.
He had in April questioned an agreement with French oil company Total that allows Total, Oil Search Ltd and ExxonMobil Corp to begin work on Papua LNG.
In his maiden premier address in Parliament, Marape said he would focus on “taking back our economy” and proposed an overhaul of mining, forestry and fishing laws.
“We will look into maximising gain from what God has given this country from our natural resources. I have every right to tweak and turn resource laws for my country, then it will empower my citizens as well,” he said in his speech amid cheers and applause from MPs.
Marape told reporters in a press conference: “We are not here to break legally binding project agreements. If we find any project agreement … that has not fully complied with prescribed provisions of law, then we are open to reviewing and scrutinising them.
“We are not about breaking laws. We are about honouring existing laws.”
Reuters had quoted Isikeli Taureka, chairman of Kina Bank and a former oil and gas executive at Chevron and InterOil, in a text statement: “He (Marape) was finance minister so (he) understands need for clarity and stability in policies.
“I believe he is rational and seems to lean towards respecting and grandfathering current agreements.”
On agriculture, Marape said that engaging in downstream food processing and manufacturing activities were the way forward to benefit farmers.
In an exclusive interview with The National in mid-May, Marape said he supported the US$600 million (K2.03 billion) PNG-China Integrated Agriculture Park Project if it followed “proper economic rationale” and there is “a return on our investments”.
The parks, to be located at Korofeigu in Eastern Highlands and Highlands’ Agriculture Training Institute (HATI) in Western Highlands, will be funded under China’s Belt Road Initiative (BRI).
“I (only) have issues when there are no direct returns on investments to our country,” he added.
With the global economy getting ever sluggish by the day, fuelled by the seemingly unabated US-China trade war, it is indeed going to be a tall, challenging and daunting task for Marape to transform PNG into a vibrant economy for Papua New Guineans.
Excluding the Speaker Job Pomat, only eight MPs voted against Marape with one abstaining. Marape received the support of 101 MPs.
The seven MPs who voted for former premier and Moresby North West MP Sir Mekere Morauta were James Donald (North Fly), Gary Juffa (Northern Provincial), Kerenga Kua (Sinasina-Yongomugl), Dr Allan Marat (Rabaul), Belden Namah (Vanimo Green Open), Peter Numu (Eastern Highlands Provincial) and Ian Ling-Stuckey (Kavieng).
Madang MP Bryan Kramer abstained from voting.
After Pomat adjourned Parliament session to June 5, Marape took a well-deserved breather in the afternoon teeing at the greens.
After all, Marape and all MPs had been locked in five weeks of political horse trading, holed up in two camps – the Opposition MPs in Laguna Hotel and the Government in Crown Hotel.
Papua New Guineans were kept at the edge and in suspense in the run-up to the election of the prime minister, with MPs switching from one camp to the other and back again.
In the election on Thursday, when Pomat called for the MPs to nominate candidates for the premiership, the Government camp nominated Marape.
The Opposition responded with an unprecedented move by nominating Peter O’Neill (Ialibu-Pangia), who resigned as premier on Wednesday.
The shocking nomination was made by Opposition leader Patrick Pruaitch and seconded by Namah. O’Neill accepted the nomination.
But Marat threw the spanner in the works of the Opposition by nominating Morauta.
O’Neill then responded by informing the House and Pomat: “… I thought the Opposition did not have a candidate … I will withdraw my nomination.”
That paved the way for a straight fight for the Chief Executive of PNG with Marape’s 101 to eight-vote mauling of Morauta.
No one doubts Marape will have his hands full in trying to steer PNG into a peaceful and prosperous developed nation for Papua New Guineans.
And, time is not in his side as PNG would be in general election mode from mid-2021 to 2022.
That means Marape will have only about two years to make his government programmes and policies positively impact the people.
He is expected to unleash a reformist economic agenda to transform PNG into a fast growing economy, focusing on implementing fiscal measures and policies to spur the agriculture and mineral resources sectors to benefit some 8.4 million people – some 85 per cent of them who are still dependent on agriculture.
Marape was not only a strong critic of the K43 billion Papua LNG project, he resigned as Finance Minister to protest the deal inked by the O’Neil Government.
He had in April questioned an agreement with French oil company Total that allows Total, Oil Search Ltd and ExxonMobil Corp to begin work on Papua LNG.
In his maiden premier address in Parliament, Marape said he would focus on “taking back our economy” and proposed an overhaul of mining, forestry and fishing laws.
“We will look into maximising gain from what God has given this country from our natural resources. I have every right to tweak and turn resource laws for my country, then it will empower my citizens as well,” he said in his speech amid cheers and applause from MPs.
Marape told reporters in a press conference: “We are not here to break legally binding project agreements. If we find any project agreement … that has not fully complied with prescribed provisions of law, then we are open to reviewing and scrutinising them.
“We are not about breaking laws. We are about honouring existing laws.”
Reuters had quoted Isikeli Taureka, chairman of Kina Bank and a former oil and gas executive at Chevron and InterOil, in a text statement: “He (Marape) was finance minister so (he) understands need for clarity and stability in policies.
“I believe he is rational and seems to lean towards respecting and grandfathering current agreements.”
On agriculture, Marape said that engaging in downstream food processing and manufacturing activities were the way forward to benefit farmers.
In an exclusive interview with The National in mid-May, Marape said he supported the US$600 million (K2.03 billion) PNG-China Integrated Agriculture Park Project if it followed “proper economic rationale” and there is “a return on our investments”.
The parks, to be located at Korofeigu in Eastern Highlands and Highlands’ Agriculture Training Institute (HATI) in Western Highlands, will be funded under China’s Belt Road Initiative (BRI).
“I (only) have issues when there are no direct returns on investments to our country,” he added.
With the global economy getting ever sluggish by the day, fuelled by the seemingly unabated US-China trade war, it is indeed going to be a tall, challenging and daunting task for Marape to transform PNG into a vibrant economy for Papua New Guineans.
PM: Play by the rules
PRIME Minister James Marape has warned there will be no room for shady deals in the awarding of state contracts, telling bidders and public servants to “play by the rules”.
He said in a statement those who wanted to offer inducement to him, his cabinet ministers and public servants through offers in favour of government contracts, should forget it.
He expects “nothing in return for awarding state contracts”.
“All we expect is (for companies to) do your fair bidding with (the) right price. And get your job done,” Marape said
“I will instruct the new justice minister to bring (to Parliament for approval the) Independent Commission against Corruption (ICAC Bill), in the first instance. So let us all play by the rules going forward.”
He advised contractors to “earn your money to limit as per the work scope”, and public servants and politicians to “earn your salary and don’t ask for special favors”.
“It must start now if it hasn’t started yet,” he said in a statement.
“I will ask the National Procurement Commission to polish the contract ceilings where contracts under K10million are strictly for citizens and local companies. Contracts above that threshold to have local partnership involvement also.”
In a message to companies in the country’s resource sector, he said “I am not here to chase you away but to work with you so that we can add value to the benefits that emanates from the harvest of our natural endowment”.
Marape plans to meet officials from key resources sector who he wants to advise him on how to develop the economy.
“I look forward to your interventions and I have a fresh team of PNG advisers looking into all our resource laws,” he said.
He is also putting everyone “on notice” that laws would be tailored for implementation in 2025 “when the country moves past 50 years of independence”.
“Presently all projects agreements that are in compliance and congruent to all our laws will be honored,” he said.
“We are here to protect our genuine foreign investors who can respect our laws.”
He plans to look into the civil service “to ensure those leading them or working in the rank and file have a belief that they will meaningfully contribute to making Papua New Guinea a truly wealthy country as it supposed to be, where quality health, quality education and quality infrastructure and effective law and order system secure our country”.
Marape said the caretaker cabinet he had come up with was to “appreciate the political structure the government has”.
“But this week I will fill in ministers I assessed that can work in key sectors for productivity and not just for politics convenience,” Marape said.
He urged all citizens including those in his Hela province to stop tribal fights, killings, corruption at all levels and “honor time by being punctual, do little things like stop littering and spitting the red stain of betel nuts”.
He said in a statement those who wanted to offer inducement to him, his cabinet ministers and public servants through offers in favour of government contracts, should forget it.
He expects “nothing in return for awarding state contracts”.
“All we expect is (for companies to) do your fair bidding with (the) right price. And get your job done,” Marape said
“I will instruct the new justice minister to bring (to Parliament for approval the) Independent Commission against Corruption (ICAC Bill), in the first instance. So let us all play by the rules going forward.”
He advised contractors to “earn your money to limit as per the work scope”, and public servants and politicians to “earn your salary and don’t ask for special favors”.
“It must start now if it hasn’t started yet,” he said in a statement.
“I will ask the National Procurement Commission to polish the contract ceilings where contracts under K10million are strictly for citizens and local companies. Contracts above that threshold to have local partnership involvement also.”
In a message to companies in the country’s resource sector, he said “I am not here to chase you away but to work with you so that we can add value to the benefits that emanates from the harvest of our natural endowment”.
Marape plans to meet officials from key resources sector who he wants to advise him on how to develop the economy.
“I look forward to your interventions and I have a fresh team of PNG advisers looking into all our resource laws,” he said.
He is also putting everyone “on notice” that laws would be tailored for implementation in 2025 “when the country moves past 50 years of independence”.
“Presently all projects agreements that are in compliance and congruent to all our laws will be honored,” he said.
“We are here to protect our genuine foreign investors who can respect our laws.”
He plans to look into the civil service “to ensure those leading them or working in the rank and file have a belief that they will meaningfully contribute to making Papua New Guinea a truly wealthy country as it supposed to be, where quality health, quality education and quality infrastructure and effective law and order system secure our country”.
Marape said the caretaker cabinet he had come up with was to “appreciate the political structure the government has”.
“But this week I will fill in ministers I assessed that can work in key sectors for productivity and not just for politics convenience,” Marape said.
He urged all citizens including those in his Hela province to stop tribal fights, killings, corruption at all levels and “honor time by being punctual, do little things like stop littering and spitting the red stain of betel nuts”.
Marape to appoint full Cabinet this week
PRIME Minister James Marape is expected to appoint a full Cabinet this week consisting of MPs who “can share the vision with me, those who believe we can do it”.
“I have a band of like-minded leaders sitting on both sides of Parliament and we are driving an agenda to grow the economy in a safe, secured, and educated country where all citizens are making a honest productive living and all have equal opportunities as our constitution in 1975 envisage,” he said.
He appointed a caretaker cabinet on Friday to run the show until he announces a full Cabinet.
They are:
“I have a band of like-minded leaders sitting on both sides of Parliament and we are driving an agenda to grow the economy in a safe, secured, and educated country where all citizens are making a honest productive living and all have equal opportunities as our constitution in 1975 envisage,” he said.
He appointed a caretaker cabinet on Friday to run the show until he announces a full Cabinet.
They are:
- Tari-Pori MP James Marape (Pangu) – Public Service, Public Enterprises and State Investments;
- Telefomin MP Solan Mirisim (Pangu) – Foreign Affairs, Defence, Commerce and Industry, Civil Aviation, Fisheries and Forest;
- Yangoru-Saussia MP Richard Maru (PNC) – Finance, Petroleum and Energy, Inter-Government Relations and Community Development;
- Bulolo MP Sam Basil (MAP) – National Planning, Health, Housing, Communication and Information Technology and Higher Education;
- Kainantu MP Johnson Tuke (PPP) – Mining, Transport, Culture and Tourism, Correctional Services and Environment, Conservation and Climate Change;
- Esa’ala MP Davis Steven (PP) – Justice and Attorney-General, Labour and Industrial Relations, Agriculture and Livestock, Lands and Physical Planning;
- Mendi MP Michael Nali (PNC) – Works, Bougainville Affairs, Immigration and Border Security; and,
- Alotau MP Charles Abel (ODP) – Treasury, Education and Police.
They were sworn in by the Governor-General Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae at Government House.
“I will fill in ministers (full cabinet) I assess can work in key sectors for productivity and not just for political convenience,” he said.
“There will be a healthy mix in my cabinet for good performance based on talents and experiences.”
“I will fill in ministers (full cabinet) I assess can work in key sectors for productivity and not just for political convenience,” he said.
“There will be a healthy mix in my cabinet for good performance based on talents and experiences.”
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