‘Take back PNG’, what it means

By CHRISTOPHER PAPIALI

TAKE back PNG!  Not many of us realised this when some of our political leaders spread this catchphrase through social media. 

This catchphrase has motivated people to think about how they can be actively involved in all decision making processes. It was certain patriotic MPs who discussed this, and we owe them.

Take Back PNG is connecting gender equality, Violence Against Women and Girls, Racism, mistreatment in the workplace, Time mismanagement, bias, nepotism, and the vicious cycle of corruptive actions undetected that have never been prosecuted and addressed using all available processes and institutions.

We have scores of patriotic MPs who have stood firm to promote this catchphrase and the man behind this is Hon. Gary Juffa, governor for Oro Province. 

He has sieved the popular debate on how parliament can address contentious issues. He spoke with principles and this was a nationalist ideal - a platform he stood on when he first entered parliament.

And when VONC agenda moved the nation a month ago, Allan Bird, Bryan Krammer, Kerenga Kua joined the barking race.

The idea was to take back business and political leadership and decision making from foreigners. It was viewed that Peter O’Neill was serving his own self-interest, appetite for greed and power, and not the benefit of the country. Peter O’Neill separated good from the bad, loyal from fretful, having hands on all major state entities, LNG agreements, loan financing, borrowing, and others.

Seven years of uninterrupted rule and the MPs saw this was too far as Peter O’Neill was seen to be pushing the country to the brink of collapse and so the 95% of all MPs rose to the VONC period and redirected the parliament wheel.

The popular view was to change the O’Neill government and it has been done on the floor of parliament. There is fresh air now and the nation is watching and monitoring political decisions on major contentious issues.

Take Back PNG, involves sector wide approach, having hands over key sectors of the economy and government systems and making sure interest of the people come first. It does not involve a political party, cronies, or a business partner benefiting while disadvantaging everyone.

But a more profound approach is to revisit the resource laws and more importantly the SME Policy 2016 and see if there are areas the government can intervene to empower local people to actively engage in business and trade.

When the focus is on resource use and maximisation, there is a need to examine both the Oil and Gas Act 1998 and Mining Act 1992. These laws have brought about arguments whether or not minerals and petroleum resources lying six feet below the surface of the land belong to the state.

We can also study arguments raised by late Ambassador Peter Donigi. The gist of Donigi’s argument has been consistent over the years where PNG resource owners and the rest of us have become bystanders and the profit going overseas. He said at least 49% of all natural resource development projects should be owned by the landowners  and the state playing the facilitator’s role.

Meanwhile, SME Policy Plan 2016 outlines “PNG economy is still largely owned and controlled by outsiders. Ninety percent of the economy in the formal sector is owned by foreign businesses operating in PNG at the present. This is an issue as most foreign company earnings are remitted out of PNG. To change this scenario, PNG citizens must be supported and encouraged to engage in more than the non-formal sector”.

Prof Musawe Sinebare writing in his book “PNG Vision 2050: A critique for the Development of Papua New Guinea says “Where we have been saying it is impossible a task, we must now learn to ask, how can we make it possible?”

Issac Opehema on his Fb profile page stated some very harsh but revealing statements in these words Take Back PNG is a joke. PNG politicians are not like Iambake Okuk who is the visionary leader. All of them are false so called Christians and wolf wearing the sheep clothe”. 

Issac comes out clear when he says this government should make balanced decisions instead of seeking economic recovery package from European Union, Price Waterhouse Cooper and other multinational organisations.

Above all, we want to make sure we create a Smart, Wise, Fair, Healthy, United and Happy Society by 2050. This dream has been set and we are all moving forward aiming this. This comes about if unequivocal support is provided to this government when it attempts to do something for the greater good of us all.

One prominent good, and of course development good, is strengthening NID Project.

Few days ago, we have reached one million people stored on the NID database, and we all should continue registering as it will improve the accessibility of population data that will provide the yardstick to measure service delivery.

When 9 million peoples’ data are centralised the national government can be able to deliver trouble free national elections, do provincial government budget appropriations, increase research activity, providing the enabling environment for active NGO participation and tourism market.

But a more resounding Human Development Index identifier would be to put all 9 million people on government’s Social Welfare Benefit Scheme. This scheme has to be introduced to curtail law and order problems, minimise rural to urban drift, reduce violence against women, and support the SME sector.

The Social Welfare Benefit Scheme should have a national budget appropriation between K10 billion or even more and from our analysis it will stimulate SME growth, as there will be more economic activities in all 22 provinces.

Prior to the implementation and policy framework surround Social Welfare Scheme, the government’s efforts to strengthen and support NID is crucial. It is NID that will pave the way for this prudent scheme to materialise.

Take Back PNG, is referring to empowering people to live proactive lives and the national government has the prerogative to do that when money is given back to the people. For example, K1000 per citizen per fortnight or month should be initiated under the Social Welfare Benefit Scheme.

What happens when a rural mother receives K1000 in the village? She is able to use for basic survival things which include soap, cooking oil, medicine, protein, and so on. And with the little left over, she can engage in informal business activities by selling ice blocks, soft drinks, cooked food, etc…  We are actually creating small –medium sized free economic zones that the people can claim ownership and benefit as there will be cash flow. This is wealth creation, where PNG citizens can own the economic sector.

Further, in a village cluster of 600 people and if all them are registered on NID then they automatically receive K6,000 (600 x K1000/person). And the K6,000 per fortnight or month can be budgeted properly to purchase water tanks, walkabout sawmill, etc….

If we are empowering the people, there is no need for the voters to follow their MPs around and have that mindset where everything will be done by the member, or the government will do for us. We are transforming the cognitive illusions of the people to think otherwise.

Becoming rich and wealthy nation in 10 years could be a thing of the future and none existent unless drastic reviews are done on how services are delivered to the grassroots, with more austerity, empowering the grassroots to be part of the policy drive.

Don Polye when quoted in Post-Courier (2010) stated: “We must re-culture, re-mould, re-direct our focus. We must visualise the future with more determination and drive and achieve our aims more aggressively, we have to speak the language of globalisation, creativity, innovation and transformation. National interest and progress must come before self, greed, and mediocrity of the old ways”.