Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698054812047.pdf (Papua New Guinea)
DAY SEVEN ___________________ Thursday 18 July 2013 DRAFT HANSARD ___________________ Subject: Page No: QUESTIONS ................................................................................................................................................. 2 SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS – EXTENDED TIME FOR QUESTIONS.................................................................................................. 15 TREATY DOCUMENTS – AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION AND THE PREVENTION OF FISCAL EVASION WITH RESPECT TO TAXES ON INCOME – PAPERS AND STATEMENT – MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF PAPER ................................................................................... 21 MOTION BY LEAVE ................................................................................................................................... 24 TREATY DOCUMENTS – MOTION TO WAVER SECTION 117(3) OF CONSTITUTION ................................................................................................ 24 MOTION BY LEAVE ................................................................................................................................... 25 SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS – REARRANGEMENT OF BUSINESS ................................................................................................... 25 TREASURY BILLS (AMENDMENT) BILL 2013 ........................................................................................ 26 SUPERANNUATION GENERAL PROVISIONS) (AMENDMENT) BILL 2013 .......................................... 27 ATTORNEY–GENERAL (AMENDMENT) BILL 2013 ................................................................................ 28 CRIMINAL CODE (AMENDMENT) BILL 2013 .......................................................................................... 32 MOTION BY LEAVE ................................................................................................................................... 42 CRIMINAL CODE (AMEDNMENT) BILL 2013 – RESCISSION OF MOTION .................................................................................................................. 42 PAPUA NEW GUINEA NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR UNESCO – AN ENHANCEMENT CAPACITY BUILDING – MINISTERIAL STATEMENT – MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF PAPER ............................................................... 42 ADJOURNMENT ........................................................................................................................................ 50 DAY SEVEN Thursday 18 July 2013 The Speaker (Mr Theo Zurenuoc) took the Chair at 10 a.m..
There being no quorum presented, Mr Speaker stated that he would resume the Chair after the ringing of the bells.

Sitting suspended.

Mr Speaker again took the Chair at 10.30 a.m., and invited the Governor for Western, Honourable Ati Wobiro to say Prayers: ‘God, we acknowledge your presence and your authority over our lives again this morning.

We commit today’s deliberations into your hands oh God that you will take full control but we will be aware of your presence in this.
We acknowledge you Lord and master of this Parliament.

We commit to you our Speaker.

Thank you God for his live and for his family.

We pray that you will bless them, and we pray God that you will continue to bless him with wisdom.

Thank you for our Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and all the Ministers and members of this House.
Father God we pray that you will give us oneness of purpose, oneness of heart to God, and to realize that we are here to bring development and improvement to the lives of your people in this country.

So God I pray that you will give us special divine wisdom and understanding as we deliberate on important issues.

Thank you Father God for your hand upon our lives and in the last few weeks Lord thank you for the important Laws and amendments and decisions that we have made.
We pray that you will help us to implement them for the benefit of your people.

We pray for the people of this country, we commit them into your hands God that you will protect them and bless them.

And Lord for our administration in different provinces God that they will work with us the leaders so that we might make great progress.

Amen.’ 1 QUESTIONS Mr GARRY JUFFA – My questions are directed to the Minister for Lands and it is in relation to a land portion 341 in Oro Province.
Portion 341 was unlawfully consolidated to portion 940 Millin Sangara.

This portion of land was originally designated for Agricultural Lease purposes, somehow it was unlawfully acquired by a former politician who then sold it to a logging company that intends to build a giant supermarket and sell garbage as is the trend in the country.
I put a stop to this because it was unlawful and illegal and advised the Lands Office that they are not to make an attempt to come and rezone that land without notifying my PEC.

I am now informed that it has been granted to this company to continue work for commercial purposes by the lands and physical planning board.

There are many interested parties who are working with them to do this.

They are helping to sell this country.


My question is: Do the Lands and Physical Planning Board have the authority to just dish out land without rezoning and without consulting the Provincial Government who represent the people of the province and their interest?

If so what law allows it?

Will the Minister advise as to what process has been made to take stock of all land assets and having placed an electronic system of management and control to protect this very vital assets of our people.
As it is there is a significant amount of effort being made to grab land illegally with complete disrespect for our laws.

Can the Minister also advise if his department has any enforcement capacity to investigate and prosecute the numerous acts of land theft taking place and to enforce the laws his department administers.

If not, why?
If not, why?

Does the Minister has any plans to conduct an audit of all land assets throughout the country to determine what land has been stolen illegally taken and what can be done about this?

Mr BENNY ALLAN – I would like to thank the Honourable Governor of Oro for asking these questions.

Mr Speaker - 2 02/07 Mr Speaker, firstly, in relation to any land allocated for agricultural, recreational or for any special purpose should not be converted to other purposes.
The land sector stipulates that if a certain land is allocated for a special purpose then it has to go through the process and get the approval of the Physical Planning Board before it can change its status.

In this instance where portion 341 and 940 for agricultural purpose being converted to commercial use is something that I am not aware of and that needs to be investigated.
Mr Speaker, I want to assure the honorable Governor that I will find out with my officers in charge on how this portion of the land which was meant for agricultural purpose has been converted to commercial use.

I will reply to him in detail on how this has come about in writing.

In relation to the second question; whether or not the physical planning office has the authority to convert certain land for other purpose?
Yes, physical planning section is responsible for all the physical planning work to be done on any portion of the land that is regarded as state land but with the approval from the lands board.

The third question relation to whether or not the department has an electronic system in place to keep records of all the land?

Yes, we are at the moment working on a computerized system called the Lagish System, where all the manual files are being transferred to this new system.
And by November this year (2013) we should be done and it will be in operation.

Once the system is in full operation we will keep track of all the corrupt dealings within the lands department.

There are altogether 26 system to be installed and only 4 yet to be completed and once this is done the system will be in full operation.
For instance, if someone applies for a land all the records will be recorded and once that person comes to check on the status of the application it will automatically indicate where his or her application is.

The fourth question as to where we have an investigation team within the department?

No, we don’t but there is an audit team within the department but it’s not that effective at the moment.

But we need to resource them so that they can carry out their work properly and to the expectation.
The fifth question in relation to audit of land in the country; we have all provincial officers to come up with all the vacant lands in the country.

So we have started auditing in the nations capital.
3 03/07 Whilst on that the department needs funding to be able to carry out all audits of vacant land that we have in the country, as you can see in Port Moresby and other centers there are squatters on state land and they have been on these land for many years and have put up permanent houses and other improvements on these land and it is very difficult to remove them.
But that is not saying that they will remain there, if someone applies for that particular land and it is given to a company or an individual and those people will have to move so I want to inform Papua New Guineans who are residing on state land to start preparing to move out.

State land must always be regarded as belonging to the state.
There are some landowners who claim that after 99 year lease has expired it goes back to the customary land owners, it does not work that way, it remains a state land and it is part of the three per cent state land that we have in the country and once the 99 years lease expires it does not go back to the customary land owners, it remains with the state.
At the moment we are doing land audit trying to find out how much state land we have and once we have all the list we will be able to advertise for the public to apply.

In the meantime we are working with the NHC, trying t o identify UDL in Port Moresby, and give it to the Housing Committee so that it can put up houses for our public servants and our citizens.
The other problem that we have in the department is that we need to collect rentals, in NCD we have K74 million outstanding in land rentals and we need to collect them, because the companies who owned or were given the titles do not come up to the department to pay the rentals or have changed their addresses, so when we send them their bills it does not reach them so we need to Mr Joe Suagi – Point of Order!

He is trying to make a statement the question has already being answered.
Mr SPEAKER –Your Point is in order!

Minister, you can terminate from here.

Dr ALLAN MARAT – My questions are directed to the Minister for Finance.
On the 6th of February 2013, a warrant authority was issued by Treasury for K8 million to be paid to the 4 East New Britain Provincial Government that is DSIP and I understand that K2 million was paid to Pomio, another K2 million to Kokopo and another K2 million to Gazzelle as for Rabaul District, only K1 million was released and that was the only DSIP fund that has been released to Rabaul district until now.

The Minister knows how much he has released to the other members of Parliament.
(1) To whom have you released that K1 million (2) If you have not, then under what Constitutional or other legal justifications have you withheld DSIP funds from Rabaul District?

The Rabaul District has voted for the passing of this budget and we have to be treated as part of a united Papua New Guinea.

04/07 Mr DON POLYE – Mr Speaker, let me answer the Honourable Member for Rabaul in this manner.

As you know, our annual financial circle is based on cash projections.
Firstly, let me start from the start that the DSIP program is not a concessional grant.

The learned lawyer come politician must read his concession and understand that the only concessional grant we have is the District Support Grant.

DSIP is a direct intervention by this Government to seek money from Waigani and put them straight into districts.
As I have said time in time out in Government Caucus that not all the districts have received equal amount of money; some have received more and some have received less.

Until this point in time, we are updating our accounts to see which districts have received more, and in line with the cash availability, we will disburse more.

Some districts have received K4 million while some districts have received as low as K1 million.

As I speak, not one district in the country has missed out on the DSIP funds.
The amounts have varied but the DSIP funds have been remitted to all the districts and K1 million that the learned Member is talking about has been remitted directly into his district treasury.

Early or late next week depending on the availability of funds, his district will see the benefit of the DSIP funds intervention made by the O’Neil-Dion Government to his district.
We respect the fact that he occupies a very important district in this country and the people of Rabaul will not be missed in these appropriation of funds as I always say in my public speech so far that by the end of this fiscal year, the K10 million entitled for Rabaul District will 5 go to him whether through district treasury or through district programs so the people people will Rabaul will still receive K10 million worth of development this year.
Mr SASINDRA MUTHUVEL – I direct my question to the Minister for Sports and National Events.

Nobody has asked questions to him so far.

Mr Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister what he is really doing about the violence in sports, especially, after the bloodshed in Wabag during the sports event.

Mr JUSTIN TKACHENKO – Mr Speaker, I thank the Governor for this very important question when it comes to sport here in our country.
What happened three weeks ago in Wabag was an absolute disaster when it comes to especially rugby league our country where one person was killed near Wapenamanda and three vehicles were burnt by the opposite team, and it was an absolute disgrace.

I must admit that this happened after the game and not before the game or while the game was on, and it all came down to alcohol related problems.

Now, alcohol unfortunately when it comes to sport is a total no-go zone.
You cannot mix alcohol and sport together because it just does not work, and alcohol is basically the root of all evil when it comes to sport in our country.
So this Government and my Ministry have to make a stand on this and I have already spoken to SP Brewery to look at ways of basically getting alcohol out of sport in Papua New Guinea because we cannot continue to have this violence as a result of drunkard alcoholic idiots and that’s what it is all about because at the end of the day, what we are looking at – Mr SPEAKER – Honourable Minister, can you withdraw that word?
Mr JUSTIN TKACHENKO – Mr Speaker, I withdraw the word but I will call them alcoholic imbeciles.

But the most important thing is that when you are drunk and you do not know what you are doing, so how can you mix alcohol and sports.
So one of the areas we are looking at is to totally ban alcohol in any of the sporting events and sporting arenas or the – 6 05/07 In any of the sporting events and sporting arenas or any of the new sporting facilities that we will be building throughout the next couple of years for the Pacific Games because families and people go to these places to enjoy the sport; enjoy the game and not be bothered by drunkards or other people causing a nuisance because they are full of alcohol.
So we need to look at how the stadiums are incorporated in this sort of situation where they have a wet or dry area and ensure that at the end of the day we don’t have these reoccurring problems when it comes to violence in sport because 99 per cent of the time its alcohol induced.

So, we’ll be talking to different sporting codes, foundations and federations to move forward in s big way to ensure that alcohol has not relationship with sport whatsoever.

And that is very, very important.


So, the most important things is, as I said, we have to combine together, its us leaders working together with the different sporting associations and sports to ensure that this is taken forward in a bigger and better way.

And to make sure that this incident in Wabag never happens again.

I just want to make sure that people understand that the person that was killed was from Wapenamanda.

The killing was not in Wapenamanda, it was in Wabag so I apologise for that.
But the most important thing is that sport in our country will not tolerate alcohol and our government will not tolerate it at all.

And I will work tirelessly to ensure that we fix this problem for the benefit of the sport and everybody else.

Mr DE KEWANU – Thank you, Mr Speaker for recognizing the people of Mendi, my question is directed to the Minister for Planning, Honourable Charles Abel.
It is in relation to a presentation that was done at the State Function Room yesterday by Dr Glen Mola and the Parliamentary Committee on Population and Gender.

It gave an alarming picture of what would appear to be, not a time bomb but basically something.

Whilst we are addressing law and order, this problem would appear to, not cripple, but it made us to wake up to the trends and levels of population growth in the country.
It is estimated to be about 2.7 per cent to 3.0 per cent which is quite alarming and looking at his presentation he said that in the next 20 years you are most probably looking at the population doubling.

7 (1) So, when you have a growing population coupled with unequal services, education, health and any other services that you can think of, so in our planning, how are we going to plan for an increasing population?
(2) How are we going to strategise, as there should be some in correlation with the population growth.

(3) So we have to do some things now rather then later so that when we budget we should incorporate the trends in which the country is going in terms of population growth.

(4) So, what are the strategies or plans that the government has in terms of addressing that as an issue now rather then later.
So if you can tell this honourable House and the people of this country because it was reported in the Post Courier as an issue for this government and for us to address Mr CHARLES ABEL – Thank you, Mr Speaker and I thank the honourable Member for Mendi, De Kewanu for his very, very important question.

Mr Speaker, we had a very detailed presentation yesterday in the State Function Room from Professor Mola highlighting to us the issue of population growth.
And in particular, all the relevant issues that arise around an uncontrolled rate of growth in our population.

So, whether we come from LLGs or towns the issue of population growth is becoming obvious to us.

Whether you are trying to get on a taxi or a bus, or line up in the queue at the bank or the health centre – 06/07 Mr Speaker, it is either you lining up in the queue at the bank or whether you at the health centre or you are in the village.
You would experience all the conflict that is down there and we start arguing about ever decreasing land size.

Mr Speaker, we were very pleased to have Dr Mola coming to Parliament with other NGOs to highlight the issue land to us and I was pleased to see the Prime Minister there too, the Minister for Treasury and many Members of Parliament were there too.

Dr Mola is not new to State Function Room to present this information to us.
8 We all know that the problem is there and the Government is not taking it seriously enough to address it.

In any Government Planning we must understand fundamental issue, which, I have said many times in my Ministerial Statement regarding national development issues on the Floor of Parliament.
In many of those statements, one of the fundamental issues when comes to development is what is driving the demand in terms of development, for instance the need for classroom and health centres et cetera to all the other services in Government.

Mr Speaker, fundamentally it comes back to the demands from the people that we are feeding because we allow the population to accelerate and increase in an alarming rate that we are not managing.
So, it is important that when we make plans we must critically consider this issue and address it before it gets out of control.

Traditionally, we tend to identify the problem and try to address the symptom of the problem.

A classical example is law and order situation, that is, what is the cause of law and order problem.

It is basically of unemployment and youths on the streets in urban and rural areas who are not engage in doing something worthwhile for their lives and living.
In addition, they are not properly engaged, educated and when they come from a home or a family where there is too many children and their parents are absent, they do not have that foundation, it then translate into law and order problem.

We must not depend on law enforcing sectors to address this issue or debating on this matter, rather, we must look at the underlying causality of this matter.

Moreover, in light of this issue, one of the problems is the population growth which is growing out of control.
Population is a critical issue which must be considered critically because at the rate it is growing is serious.

We cannot sustain each life by digging the resource that we currently have in supporting us to supply services to them.

Therefore, in our plans we need to get back to the basic to revisit these underlying causalities.

This Government is doing the review of the development strategic plan, as we speaker, and we are trying to introduce this new strategic approach to the planning process.
We’ve got to recognise what is happening in the world and have they being cautious about such issues.

How are they related to the impacts on environment, sustainability and how it relates to responsible economic development.

We need to have an economic development that leaves a future for our children.

9 Mr Speaker, if we are looking at the short term cycle, we will end up damaging the environment, climate, very foundation of the economic of the future and the future of our children.
We need to recognise the changes that are taking place so that, we can position ourselves to handle the situation of population growth portion to economic growth.

I believe, the way we are going to sustain our living through harvesting resources is destroying our environment and in the end we are not sustaining our environment.

Thus, in the review of this strategy plan, we are trying to elevate this realisation.
Whilst we continue to address the immediate problem before us, we are focusing on the long term strategic plan to look after our children.

So, by year 2020, we would want to retain a lot of our environment, which would give us a foundation for the economy of the future when the rest of the world would be looking for clean air, water, ecology, conduct research and the hidden valley in the environment, we would have retained a lot of it.
We would have already built and sustain it because we have managed and controlled our population growth.

Mr Speaker, our Government has recognised this and it is adjusting it through a long term plan by elevating issues such as population, sustainability and responsible development, we cannot just continue to drive primary resource exploitation because it is very easy to do it like picking a fruit from a tree.

07/07 This is easy to do because it is like picking fruit from a tree.
The problem with this approach is that you are destroying the tree itself.

This is what the Minister for Environment and Conservation has been saying over and over again.

We have to understand the true long value of our environment and we have to manage it by tweaking those variables to ensure that our economy is sustainable for the country.
I for one have been saying that Papua New Guinea can lead the world in this matter if we position ourselves properly through the coalition of Rainforest Nations and other such organisations.

We can be the one to lead in this type of economy.

We must stop focusing on the old ways of doing things.

We have to adjust ourselves and when the rest of the world sees that we want to position ourselves in this way then they will assist us to create this economy because it makes good sense to do so.
10 Everyone else is talking about this because they have mostly destroyed their environments and have pursued the old path.

We on the other hand do not want to copycat them and we must be smart about it.

Papua New Guinea can lead the way in this and create some excitement and news.

This is what we are going to do through the revision of our strategic development plans.

I am very glad that the Member has given me an opportunity to speak about this because I am very passionate about it.
I have spoken about this at the University Of Papua New Guinea the other day and at the State Function Room, and I keep talking about it.

The Prime Minister now has begun some initiatives regarding the population control in terms of providing incentives because we need to start addressing this issue now.

It is one thing to create the policy, which we are doing this year but in next year’s budget we going to come with some specific initiatives to start to address this issue.
We are starting with initiatives under contraception particularly targeting our younger women population.

Mr SPEAKER – I will interrupt you Honourable Minister, I think you have answered the question.

Mr CHARLES ABEL – Thank you, Mr Speaker, as I said, I am very passionate about this issue and I thank the Member for raising this matter.

Mr WERA MORI – Thank you, Mr Speaker, I thank you for recognising the 50, 000 people of Chuave.

My questions are directed to the Minister for Works.
Mr Speaker, my first question pertains to alternative routes.

Many a times, sections of the Highlands Highway get closed.

I am sure that the government is embarking on identifying alternative routes for sections like the problematic landslip prone Daulo Pass.

The alternative route identified was the Kamaligi section where the road goes through Kamaligi to Unggai and Unggai to Movi which also links up with Chuave.
Mr Speaker, as I am speaking now, there is an ongoing work carried out by Shorncliff from Chuave to Fomu and in a month’s time they will demobilise and go elsewhere finishing their contract.

11 (1) Can the Department of Works or the ADB consider varying the contracts to Shorncliff so that they can be able to put in an old weathered road from Fomul to Movi and Unggai as an alternative route?
My second question relates to work conducted under the HSRP, which I was involved and subjected to in the media in recent times.

Mr Speaker, my question therefore, is a simple one.

We had done an audit regarding the K54 million that was paid out for the Chimbu road sections between 2005 and 2007 of which K9 million was paid within the 40 metre corridor.

Another K41 million was paid out outside of the 40 metre corridor which we have a record of and is also well documented by the Department of Works.
To add to that, K24 million was stolen between Port Moresby and Kundiawa.

(2) Will the Department of Works and or the police who are after me also institute an investigations into the K21 million that was paid outside of the 40 metre corridor?

08/07 Mr FRANCIS AWESA – Thank you Mr Speaker, I thank the honourable member for Chuave for these two important questions.
In relation to the first question, on whether we can vary the existing contract that is on the job undertaken by Shorncliff from Chuave in the Chimbu province to Kamliki in the Eastern Highlands province.

This is a proposed new route; I want to state here that if the contract is within 10 percent of the original value of the contract that is possible but if it exceeds the 10 percent it is not possible because it has to go back to public tenders.
I want to show everybody that it’s not within my powers to vary contracts and give extension for contracts to contractors in excess of the contract value.

This is why my departmental head has been sidelined, because the contract value of one of the roads in NCD exceeded 40 percent of the original value of the contract so that is the reason why this gentlemen has been subjected to the Fraud squad and further investigations so I am not willing to entertain that.
The government already has procedures and policies in place; you can’t exceed the value.

I do not think we will bury that contract because I believe the answer to the honourabler members question is in relation to the varying the contract to up to between K2.5 million to K7million and I think this would be exceeding the original value so it has to go back to the public tenders.
I’m very sorry to say this but that is the position and as to whether the department or the national Government has any 12 other funds from pristine road maintenance programs like we used to have before, we do not have such funds this year so I am unable to assist in this regard.

Further more regarding the Chuave, Movi to Kamilik as the proposed alternative route, Mr Speaker, I want to assure the honourable member that this particular section of the Highlands highway is already under investigation.
We have allocated more than K30 million to do feasibility studies for different sections of the Highlands highway and definitely that is one of the sections that’s already been funded so when the feasibility study is completed we will know the cost and then the government will have to make a decision on whether to proceed or not .
That is the same thing we are doing in relation to the section of the road from Kundiawa and linking up towards Migindi because the section of the road between Kundiawa and Magiro bridge up to Kerowagi bridge has always had problems .

We are also looking at a bypass and the other bypass is to avoid the continuous landslips we are facing on the Daulo section on the highlands highway.
I want to assure the honourable member and all the other members from the region that this government is seriously addressing that problem which has been neglected for very long The second question in relation to the ….. time.

09/07 K54 million was allocated for land compensation in the Simbu Province through the Highlands Highway Road Program.

Everyone is talking about that money and you know that this is one of the most controversial money that has been spent.
Some of it was put to good use while most of it was squandered.

I am not in a position to advise the House of what has happened because this is a subject of further police investigation.

In relation to this matter one gentleman and few others have been arrested.

They are now in court and therefore, I cannot pre-empt the Court’s decision in this matter so I will leave it for the courts and the police to deal with this matter.

Thank you.

Mr JAMES LAGEA – Thank you Mr Speaker.


I would like to direct my question to the Minister for Forests and Climate Change.

My question is in relation to carbon trade.

Between 2007–2010 there was a lot of talk and interest about climate change.

13 There are 14 LLG in Karamui in Simbu Province sharing the boarder with Kikori and Baimuru.

These electorates are surrounded by forests.

There are no road links to government services.


My people relay only on their forests and as there have been interest and a lot of talks about carbon trading, and how it will benefit the people, in doing so they have registered ILGs, so what is the status of the Climate Change Office?

I believe there were consultants engaged who attended many oversea trips but up until now we have not heard anything yet.
Can the Minister inform the people of Papua New Guinea of the status of the Office and the so-called Carbon Trading activity?

Mr PATRICK PRUAITCH – I thank the Member for Kagua Erave for his question.

Since 2005 there was an interest because the so-called carbon cowboys were actively trying to manipulate it.

The Office of the Climate Change was established under the leadership of the Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare’s Government unfortunately, no leadership role was provided.
So when O’Neill/Dion took Office, I was appointed Minister for Forest as well as Climate Change.

We have undertaken to formulate a policy which will be finalized at the end of this month for Cabinets approval.

Again, based on that policy - 10/07 Based on that policy, legislative framework will be crafted and will be brought to Parliament in the near future.

After we pass this legislation, we will carry out work on Climate Change.
Mr Speaker, the legislation will cover some policies on how we will deal with the issue of Carbon Trade so we know what we are talking about and what we will be doing.

So until we have legislation and the policies in place, we will carry out this work but I want to assure the Member and the Parliament the work is in progress and we are hoping to get the legislation in place before the end of the year.

Mrs JULIE SOSO AKEKE – Thank you Mr Speaker for giving me this opportunity to raise my questions.
I wish to direct my questions to the Minister for Attorney-General and I want the Minister for Police to take note.

14 SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS – EXTENDED TIME FOR QUESTIONS Motion (by Mr Nixon Mangape) agreed to – That the so much of the Standing Orders be suspended as would prevent the time for questions without notice this day being extended by 20 minutes.
Mrs JULIE SOSO AKEKE – My questions to the Minister for Attorney-General relates to the alcohol related problem resulting in deaths alluded by the Minister for Sports during sporting events.

Alcohol also contributes problems to many other areas, for instance drunkards harass mothers in the markets.

Many times during community sports in the districts, alcohol consumption leads to tribal fights as well.
It has also contributed to unwanted pregnancies, unplanned pregnancies, underage pregnancies and many adulterous relationships where husband leaves his family and goes away with other women for six months or two years and the first time mothers are left stranded.

Many of our school children high schools and primary schools are consuming alcohol now.

Apart from alcohol sold by licensed retail outlets, people are also drinking home brews and smoking marijuana which is illegal.
People are making home brews and growing marijuana plants for sale and I wonder whether we have laws governing these illegal activities.

If we have such laws, can we look into it and enforce the law so that it can punish such illegal activities in our provinces?

My second question relates to alcohol trading in the country.
Individual provinces are trying to enact laws alcohol in their provinces but illegal activities like black markets, smuggling and trafficking is prevalent so can the National Government look into this and legislate a blanket law for the country and reduce the trading hours for the liquor retailers?

Mr KERENGA KUA – Mr Speaker, I thank the Governor for Eastern Highlands for her good questions.
There are two kinds of alcohol we consume in the country and one is the 15 licensed alcohol and the other is the unlicensed one.

With the licensed alcohol, we consume it under regulations – 11/07 With licensed alcohol, we consume it under the regulations but when it comes to policing and enforcement most of the time people fail with the trading of licensed alcohol.
This is the situation where we seriously pick up on and that responsibility comes back to each one of us leaders here on this floor of Parliament, to all the police personnel, Governors and all the legal licensing commissioners of the provinces because it is one of the delegated functions and the National Government is not responsible for alcohol trading anymore.

This function has been delegated to each provinces so the provincial authorities take control of the alcohol trade.
They must step up and take charge of the responsibility and monitor trading; whether people are trading alcohol under the terms and conditions of the annual license or not.

There is money to be made for all the provinces who are issuing on alcohol trading so they must concentrate on this because they stand to benefit from the fees they make from licensing and regulating it as well.

On the other hand if the traders are not following the conditions of the license then they have to be strict.
They must enforce the conditions by cancelling, suspend, fine and take them to court or do what you have to do to make sure that trading of alcohol is within the rules that the National Government has set.

The other issue of unlicensed alcohol production, sales and consumption; its now becoming a growing phenomenon throughout PNG.

The knowledge has increased rapidly and as we learn a lot of good things, we also learn a lot of bad thing.

People know how to make alcohol and gun as well.


So its all part of that learning process and this is the society we live in and we can’t expect that everything will be perfect.

But there is that phenomena out there where production of homebrew is multiplying rapidly.

So we need to again take that responsibility; I do not want to point finger at any body.

It’s the responsibility of all of us.


I think that we voted leaders must set good example; most of us here a drunkards, smoke and chew betelnut and do all this unhealthy things.

All these bad habits have started back at the house and our children have seen it and now they are following their footsteps by drinking beer because the father has been drinking.

So how will you tell the voters to tow the line because 16 have shown the children the bad habits and they will follow and likewise to the mother.
How are we going to teach the community the good way, we can laugh about it but the cracks of the matter is this we must set good example.

We must walk the talk and I appeal to all the leaders in here not to drink beer.

If you want to question me in Parliament then firstly we will start here by not drinking beer.

MR SPEAKER – Minister answer the question.


Mr KERENGA KUA –The answer to the question is that we need to lead by example if we want to eradicate this problem in our society of the evils produced and resulting from the consumption of both legal and illegal alcohol we must lead from the front and that’s what I’m trying to say.

And then we’ll go out there and ask the rest of the people in our country to do so likewise.

And the message will be taken seriously.


With the penalties as I said before in relation to some other questions which have been raised earlier.

The Constitutional and Law Reform Commission is currently reviewing all the laws in so far as they deal with penalties.

And all the penalties that we have belongs to the 1970s, they are no longer constant with inflation and we shall multiplied many fold over the last 38 years or so.
They also no longer reflect the increase in the law and order situation so it no longer serves as a deterrent.

12/07 I continue to read in the paper people being fined K100 or K200 for alcohol related offences but it does not have any effect on them because that afternoon, they go and celebrate at the bar again.
Mr Speaker, the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission has already been tasked to look at all the legislation and not just the Criminal Code or the Summary Offences Act including any legislation that has to do with alcohol trade and consumption so that the penalties will be increased.

And I am putting all of you on notice because we will be reintroducing Corporal Punishment.

Some people would have to be dealt with pretty harshly in the public domain so that it serves as a serious deterrent.
We cannot on the one hand scream about the escalation of law 17 and order problem and continue to deceive ourselves by introducing penalty that does not serves as a deterrent at all.

Therefore, we are going to introduce these legislations in due course and I expect that if all of you are really seriously concern about the law and order problems because of alcohol.

I expect that you will support it and toughen it up because the other things we have tried have not worked.
So I am giving the notice now and you will not say I didn’t inform you.

You have several months to think about it, reconcile your beliefs with your maker because you will be voting on lit positively.

So it is a serious issue dealing with it as far as I am concerned from Department’s perspective but all other departments and especially us as leaders, we must also do what we can within our powers to contain this scourge of alcohol related crimes.
Mr JIM KAS – I direct my question to the Minister for Finance and I want the Ministers for Forest and Fisheries respectively to take note.

My question is in relation to the levies that we are supposed to collect from the investments that have been done in the provinces for instance, bookmakers, forest and fish export levies.

Mr Speaker, I believe that IRC calculates export earnings which are charged from the provinces.
For example, in Madang, we have bookmakers business, we export logs and fish and we expect levies from these investments but the IRC does the calculation and to date, all these levies which are supposed to be coming to the province is not happening.

We do not know what kind of mechanism the IRC and the national departments responsible for these levies are doing.
Right now, I have been struggling to get the bookmakers levies from IRC and the Department of Finance but it is difficult so if the Minister knows how I can access these levies, can he inform Parliament and the people of Madang how we can access them from the various departments?

Mr JAMES MARABE – Thank you Mr Speaker and I thank the Governor for Madang for this very important question that relates to levies and especially levies that are due to his province.
Let me assure that Governor that I will look into this matter and if there are any outstanding levies that are due especially the bookmaker’s levy that he is alluding to, it will be remitted into his provincial government treasury quickly.

18 Mr WILLIAM POWI – I direct my question to the Minister for Health and it is in relation to the provincial health authority concept that the Department of Health is piloting out throughout Papua New Guinea.
I understand that there four pilot provinces that are undertaking this concept.

13/07 Mr Speaker, I have written to the Minister for Health to roll out the provincial health authority thing in Southern Highlands, on behalf of the Provincial Government.

We have taken stock of the minimum requirement to roll out the provincial health authority concept in our province.
I want to ask the Minister whether the Health Department is prepared to roll out this provincial health authority concept throughout this country.

Mr MICHAEL MALABAG – Mr Speaker, I wish to greatly thank our last Papua good person, the Governor of Southern Highlands for your giving this question.

Mr Speaker, the provincial health authority legislation is a major government policy initiative to improve health services management, coordination and implementation at the provincial level.
I am thankful that the governor asked that question because we are now in the process of combining rural health services together with the provincial hospitals.

And recently, governor, I have signed four agreements with the provinces of Enga, Sandaun, Manus and West New Britain provinces.

That’s four but that is in addition to the currently operating ones such as Eastern Highlands, Milne Bay and Western Highlands Provinces.
My Governors, just to answer your question very simply, Southern Highlands, Jiwaka and Hela are in the planning stages so, my Governors, we will signed the agreement before the year ends.

Mr BENJAMIN POPONAWA – My supplementary question to the Minister is in regard to Tambul Rural Hospital.

It was selected to participate in the rural hospital programme in the last government.

I think you are aware of it because you are nodding.
19 Since then, tenders have been called and so much has gone on but nothing has eventuated.

I have allocated some funds from my DSIP but it is still in your department.

When I am enquiring or ringing up they are telling me that there is some holdup in your department somewhere.

Tenders have gone out a long time ago and I thing there is some bureaucratic red tape in the tendering process or so, I really don’t know.

It has been awarded, I have heard but these are hearsays only.
Can you, at least find out and see what the status of Tambul Rural Hospital is because I’ve already done my part, I’ve already given my counterpart funding and I am waiting on your department?

Mr MICHAEL MALABAG – Thank you, Mr Speaker, and also the honourable Member for Tambul-Nebilyer.
The hospital also comes under the provincial health authority in Western Highlands Province and I have spoken to the good Governor of the province who has indicated that it is not only Tambil-Nebilyer but also Dei that is in the making and all those will be towards the end of this months.

I’ll take your question on board and try and fast track it from the Secretary for Health.

Mr KOI TRAPPE – Thank you, Mr Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister for Communications.
So far the government has put through many good programmes to move the country forward and I believe that many of our people in PNG do not have access to information and many are illiterate.

On that note, the Kundu Service of the national government is the body that has the mandate to disseminate these government programmes.
I want to ask if you department can accommodate the dissemination of very important information so that our people in the rural areas can see the direction their country is heading towards and what agenda their government is pursuing.
20 Yesterday, the information we received from Dr Glen Mola, as alluded to by the Minister for Planning, many of our people are not aware of the consequences of these events and many people are being polygamous at a very young age resulting of multiple offspring which shows we are definitely sitting on a time bomb.

Mr SPEAKER – Have you asked your question?

Mr KOI TRAPPE – My question is, if NBC can take ownership of these programmes and roll-out awareness and disseminate information of the Government?
14/07 Mr JIM MININGTORO – Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for Anglimp-South Vahgi for his very good question.

In regard to the Kundu2, it is a gift that the former Prime Minister, Grant Chief Sir Michael Somare had given in 2008 during the Independence with a funding of K30 million.

Mr Speaker, basically I would say that the money given by the Government to roll out this Kundu2 programme did not come good and we did not roll out the programme.
However, we received K9 million which was used to roll out only 8 provinces.

Therefore, the Kundu2 is having difficulties rolling out its programme to other provinces but we are putting submission to the Government already for some funding so that, we could roll out this Kundu2 to broadcast vital information to all the rural areas of this country.
TREATY DOCUMENTS – AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION AND THE PREVENTION OF FISCAL EVASION WITH RESPECT TO TAXES ON INCOME – PAPERS AND STATEMENT – MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF PAPER Mr RIMBINK PATO (Wapenamanda – Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade) – I present the following paper pursuant to statute: 21 ‘(a ) Agreement Between the Government of the Independence State of Papua New Guinea and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to taxes on income.
(b) Agreement Between the Government of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to taxes on income.’ I ask leave of Parliament to make a statement in connection with the papers.

Leave granted.

Mr Speaker, Double Tax Treaties serve a number of purposes they facilitate international trade and investment between parties, allocate taxing jurisdiction between the contracting parties and counter tax avoidance and evasion.
Mr Speaker, they are therefore, essential tools for promoting economic development among contracting parties and States.

The aim of a Double Taxation Treaty is to ensure profits generated by business entity over treaty partner from an investment or business operation in the other treaty partner are not taxed twice by the tax authority of the both countries.

In essence, therefore, Mr Speaker, tax payers avoid being doubled tax on the same income.
This is facilitated by the tax authority of the home country over business entity by the allowance of tax credits to that business entity in the country to which the agreement relate.

Mr Speaker, Doubled Taxation Treaty also ensures that the investors from the Tax Treaty Partner Countries are not discriminated in a manner or method over assessing their taxes but treated as same as residence of the other treaty partner country.
Thereby providing reasonable element of legal and fiscal certainty framework and detour tax evasion by mutual co-operation and facilitation of tax payer information amongst the three partner countries through exchange of relevant information.
22 15/07 Mr Speaker, Double Tax Treaty negotiations are usually conducted in accordance with taxation rules established by the OECD and the United Nations model for Double Taxation Agreement Convention as well from applicable rules in each of the countries affected by the tax treaty.

For the PNG-Indonesia negotiations the PNG Model Treaty of 2002 was used and for the negotiation with the Government of New Zealand the PNG Model of 2011 was utilised.
The PNG model contains a hybrid of the United Nation’s model favourable for developed countries as well some unique taxation rules reflecting our domestic taxing system.

Mr Speaker, it normal practice for treaty negotiations for both countries to negotiate tax rates that may be marginally lower than the domestic rates for the purpose of encouraging investment, but at the same time maintaining the right to share the taxation of such investments in a reasonable manner.
Mr Speaker, therefore in this regard, some taxing rights of either of the countries are negotiated to maintain those taxing rights which each country consider essential.

For instance, like the PNG Foreign Contractors Tax as provisions on technical fees are important as they enable PNG to tax overseas consultants whose income is sourced from PNG.

Nevertheless, for those who perform for short periods and usually operate without a fixed office or branch in PNG are accused.
This clause and technical fees are quite unique to PNG as the determining factors to ascertain detection rights outside of the source of income concept of residency and permanent establishment.

Therefore, Mr Speaker, as these agreements have a treaty status formal ratification by Parliament is required under section 117 of the Constitution.

This is so that they take legal effect and binding on our country.
They will then form part of the national or the domestic laws of PNG when the tax is enacted in July for the Income Tax International Agreement Act 1987 by the National Parliament.

Mr Speaker, New Zealand and Indonesia will therefore have to go through similar processes in their own countries to enable these tax treaties to legal effect and become part of the domestic legal framework.
23 Mr Speaker, the agreements will come into force after all formalities in this regard have been completed in those two countries including the necessary chances or amendments that are made to our Income Tax International Agreement Act 1987, Which will enable the treaty to take legal effect domestically and allow the Internal Revenue Commission to start the application of the terms of the treaties.

Thank You, Mr Speaker.

Debate (on motion by Mr James Marape) adjourned.


MOTION BY LEAVE Mr JAMES MARAPE (Tari – Minister for Finance) – I ask leave of the Parliament to move a motion without notice.

Leave granted.
TREATY DOCUMENTS – MOTION TO WAVER SECTION 117(3) OF CONSTITUTION Mr JAMES MARABE (Tari – Minister for Finance) – I move – That in accordance with Section 117, Subsection 5(a) of the Constitution this Parliament wave Section 117, Subsection 3 of the Constitution which requires a treaty document to presented to the Parliament for at least 10 sitting days before Papua New Guinea as a party in so far as that provision applies to rectification of: a) Rectification between the Government of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.
b) Agreement with the Government of New Zealand and the Government of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.

24 16/07 Motion – That the question be agreed to – put.

The motion requiring an absolute majority as required by the Constitution, Mr Speaker ordered that the bells be rung.

The Parliament voted the Speaker (Mr Theo Zurenuoc) in the Chair – Motion so agreed to.
AYES – 57 NOES – 1 MOTION BY LEAVE Mr JAMES MARABE (Tari – Minister for Finance) – I ask leave of the Parliament to move a motion without notice.

Leave granted.

SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS – REARRANGEMENT OF BUSINESS Motion (by Mr James Marabe) agreed to – That so much of the Standing Orders be suspended as would prevent Notice Nos.

47, 52, 48 and 78 of Government Business being called on forthwith.
25 17/07 TREASURY BILLS (AMENDMENT) BILL 2013 First Reading Bill presented by Mr Don Polye and read a first time.

Second Reading Mr DON POLYE (Kandep – Minister for Treasury) – I move – That the Bill be now read a second time.

Thank you, Mr Speaker, this Bill clarifies the authority under which the Minister for Treasury can issue Treasury Bills and for related purposes.
The proposed amendments to be made to Section 2 of the Treasury Bills Act on the issuance of Treasury Bills are based on the following grounds.

Specified authority to borrow, it is necessary that the restriction on the power of borrowing is specified clearly in the Act so as to align with the Constitution under Section 209 which requires raising of funds to be authorized by this Parliament.
Specified borrowing purposes, to guard against the risk of abuse the borrowing power is restricted by a statement of the purpose for which the minister can borrow.

This means the purpose for which the minister will issue treasury bills is specified clearly and the reasons why the treasury bill should be issued is stated.

Provide a clear definition of loan in relation to the issuance of the treasury bill.
A loan raised by the State refers to a loan agreement or debt security, in this case a treasury bill in which the State has borrowed money in accordance with an Act of Parliament.

Subsequently, this definition is reflected in Section 1 of the Act and gives a clearer meaning on the interpretation.

Mr Speaker, I commend the bill to the House.

Debate (on motion by Mr James Marape) adjourned.


26 SUPERANNUATION GENERAL PROVISIONS) (AMENDMENT) BILL 2013 First Reading Bill presented by Mr Don Polye and read a first time.

Second Reading Mr DOB POLYE (Kandep – Minister for Treasury) – I move – That the Bill be now read a second time.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, the Bill allows for wider membership, particularly for self employed and informal sector employees who are not subject to mandatory superannuation contributions provision by promoting voluntary savings for retirement.

18/07 The Bill allows for non-citizens to voluntarily contribute to an authorised superannuation fund in Papua New Guinea.
The Bill also allows for multiple fund managers including offshore managers for authorised superannuation funds due to the substantial growth of superannuation assets and for better ratification of investment portfolios especially in relation to overseas investments.

And finally the Bill also makes other minor technical amendments to the existing legislation.

Mr Speaker, I commend the Bill to Parliament.

Motion – That the question be now – agreed to.


Motion – That the Bill be now read a second time – agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

27 Third Reading Leave granted to move the third reading forthwith.

Mr DON POLYE (Kandep – Minister for Treasury) – I move – That the Bill be now read a third time.

Motion – That the question be now put – agreed to.

Motion – That the Bill be now read a third time – agreed to.

Bill read a third time.


Sitting suspended from 12 noon to 2 p.m.. 19/07 ATTORNEY–GENERAL (AMENDMENT) BILL 2013 First Reading Bill presented by (Mr Kerenga Kua) and read a first time Second Reading Mr KERENGA KUA (Sinasina-Yonggamugl – Minister for Justice and Attorney General) – I move – That the Bill be now read a second time.

Mr Speaker and Members of this honorable Parliament, it gives me great to present to you the Attorney-General Amendment Bill 2013.
28 In accordance with Standing Orders of Parliament this Bill was distributed and has been on notice since 27 March 2013.

This Bill is meant to amend the Attorney-General Amendment Bill 1989 to establish at law the office of the State Solicitor, who is the mandated legal advisor to the state and to clearly set out his functions and responsibilities.
The office of the State Solicitor is currently established under the general provisions of the public service management act 1995 for the establishment of the officers.

As a consequence there have been instances were the mandate of the State Solicitor have been undermined and even questioned when legal advice has been provided.
Mr Speaker, the State Solicitor plays a very important role in the delivery of legal service to the State, which includes Government Departments, Provincial and Local Level Governments and armed department agency or instrumentality of the National Government or a Provincial Government and incudes those bodies set up by Statutory or Administrative Acts for Government or official purposes.
The current functions performed by the State Solicitor include but its not limited to the provision of legal services on matters of Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, all commercial transactions involving the State, all international commitments made by the State and all areas of the law where it affects the conduct of State business.
And other major function of the State Solicitor relates to the provision of legal clearance on all matters affecting the State such as for agreements that seek to bid the State and legal clearance on propose laws and regulations or enactment of laws and regulations.

The State Solicitor is also required under several legislations to be an ex-official member on several Government Committees and Boards.

And example is that of Central Supply and Tenders Boards.
The State Solicitor in discharging his functions and responsibilities always has the interest of the State at the foremost and projects this interest when dealing with any legal issues that affects the State business.

Given the increase in investments in the country due to major projects such as the PNG LNG projects, the role of the State Solicitor in facilitating such projects is even more crucial.
The office of the State Solicitor should therefore be given the prominence through clear legislative backing so as to ensure that not only the State Solicitor at as to its legal advices and services but also seeking to conduct business with the State.

29 20/07 Mr Speaker, the Bill will establish the Office of the State Solicitor in the Attorney- General Act 1989 and will also clearly define that his appointment follows that as outline in the Public Services Management Act.
The Bill also seeks to clearly outline functions and responsibility of the State Solicitor so as not only to give the legal mandate as legal advisor but also clarify to its client, the State and those intending to do business with the State that they must not bypass the Office of the State Solicitor when conducting State business.
The Bill also seeks to clarify the functions of the Attorney-General and State Solicitor in that the Attorney-General is the principal legal advisor to the Ministers and the NEC on legal issues but the State Solicitor is responsible for the provision of legal advise to the State.

Therefore, when Ministers request advice from the State Solicitor, the State Solicitor will then provide its advice in consultation with the Attorney-General.
Furthermore, the Bill also empowers the Attorney-General in consultation with the State Solicitor to issue legal service directions in relation to the use by the State on any legal services provided by the State Solicitor.

One other important aspect of the Bill relates to the definition of the term ‘State’.

The Bill serves to clarify this so that there is no confusion as to who may utilise the legal services of the State Solicitor.
Mr Speaker, because of the important role that the State Solicitor performs on behalf of the State through the provision of legal services, the Bill also ensures that this Office is subject to the Leadership Code.

Mr Speaker, and Members of this Parliament, I know that you will agree with me in acknowledging the important role that the State Solicitor performs for the government and the State as a whole and seek your support to ensure that this important Bill is passed.
With that, I commend the Attorney-General (Amendment) Bill 2013 to this Parliament.

Motion (by Mr James Marabe) agreed to – That the question to now put.

Motion – That the Bill be now read a second time – agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

30 In Committee Bill by leave, taken as a whole.


Mr KERENGA KUA (Sinasina-Yonggamugl – Minister for Justice and Attorney- General) – I move – That the following amendment be made: ‘Section 6, new sections 13(a) to 13(e)’ functions of the State Solicitor in sub-section 1, delete the words and figures ‘despite Section 8 subsection 4’ Amendment agreed to.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.

Bill reported with an amendment; reported adopted.


Third Reading Mr KERENGA KUA (Sinasina-Yonggamugl – Minister for Justice and Attorney- General) – I move – That the Bill be now read a third time.

Motion – That the question be now put – agreed to.

Motion – That the Bill be now read a third time – agreed to.

Bill read a third time.

31 21/07 CRIMINAL CODE (AMENDMENT) BILL 2013 First Reading Bill presented by Mr Kerenga Kua and read a first time.
Second Reading Leave granted to move the second reading forthwith.

Mr KERENGA KUA (Sinasina-Yongomugl – Minister for Justice and Attorney- General) – I move – That the Bill be now read a second time.

Mr Speaker people smuggling and trafficking in persons is a global phenomenon and a highly lucrative organized crime that flourished in the face of weak laws and penalties.

Although people smuggling and trafficking in persons are separate offences, the two are closely linked.
People smuggling refers to the facilitation of a person’s illegal entry into another country and thus always occurs over an international border.

By systematically undermining immigration laws and regulations people smuggling is a crime against the State and a threat to national security.

In contrast trafficking in persons is a crime against the person and involves the recruitment and movement of a person through the use of coercion and deception for the purposes of exploitation.
Mr Speaker, trafficking in persons can occur domestically, that is within one country or internationally, that is, between two or more countries.

Victims of trafficking in persons are subjected to both physical and psychological 32 23/07 The newspaper articles reflected major concerns over the security threat posed by the movement of people across the PNG borders, and the thousands of irregular immigrants living in PNG and whose exact total number is unknown.
Concerns have also been raised in the implications of this population on Papua New Guinea’s economy as illegal migrants do not utilise the legal banking system nor re-invest their profits in the country.

Furthermore, the proposed legislation will complement and strengthen the government’s commitment to addressing trans-national crimes and illegal entry into PNG.

The proposed legislation is not only timely but also implements Papua New Guinea’s international commitments.
Mr Speaker, at the regional level, Papua New Guinea is an active party to initiatives such as the Bali Process on people smuggling, trafficking in persons and related trans-national crimes, the Asia Pacific Group on money laundering and the Pacific Immigration Directors Conference.

The proposed legislation is consistent with the PNG Government’s adherence to these initiatives.
The proposed amendment will also fulfill Papua New Guinea’s international commitments as a signatory to relevant international conventions, and in particular: 1.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948); 2.

The Convention On The Elimination Of All Forms Of Discrimination Against Women; 3.

The Universal Periodic Review; 4.

The International Labour Organisation Convention 182; and 5. International Labour Organisation Conventions 29 on forced labour.
Additionally, the Department of Justice and Attorney-General and the department of Foreign affairs are currently considering ratification of the United Nations Convention Against Trans-national Organised Crimes two of its three optional protocols specifically on trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants.
The proposed legislation will crucially enhance the management of persons travelling through the country’s international borders consequently reducing the number of illegal migrants entering and operating in Papua New Guinea.

It will strengthen current initiatives by the government to address trans-national crime and directly respond to and fulfill the request for assistance raised by law enforcement and border patrol officials and agencies.
33 The status of Papua New Guinea will also be elevated on a global scale by enacting the propose legislation to address these crimes and fulfill its international commitments and recommendations.

Mr Speaker, with that I now recommend this draft legislation to this honourable Parliament.

Motion – That the question be now put – agreed to.

Motion – That the bill be now read a second time – agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Third Reading Leave granted to move the third reading forthwith.
Motion (by Mr Kerega Kua) proposed – That the Bill be now read a third time.

Mr PETER O’NEILL (Ialibu-Pangia – Prime Minister) – I too would like to also commend the Minister for his hard work in bring this Bill to Parliament because people smuggling is becoming major international concern throughout the world.

Mr Speaker, I am very pleased that we are attending to some of these issues like introducing these Bills that the international community wants us to introduce.
We have been sitting on many of these Bills for quite some time and not living up to our international obligations in rectifying some of these conventions, and agreements that we signed.

24/07 Mr Speaker, I also would like to commend the Minister for Foreign Affairs also table some treaties that we need to ratify.
Treaties and conventions and things that we as a member of the international community agree to at official levels and of course leaders levels but somehow 34 we don’t seem to translate them into bills and of courser other necessary approvals that this Parliament require.

In this particular case the people smuggling is really a issue that is now becoming too familiar in many communities throughout the world.
Many developed countries are now facing this, where it leads to child prostitution, kidnapping and the so forth.

Before we encounter many of these problems I think we need to make sure that we have legislation in place that can punish people who are conducting these kinds of activities in our country.

Mr Speaker, right now within the region, we are seeing many illegal immigrants coming through, and we don’t know how they have come through.
We also find in the region especially in the Pacific because of our weak border securities and our lack of infrastructure to facilitate border patrols we will continue to face this into the future so it is important that we have tough laws that can be implemented so that we can safe guard our own country and our people’s interest .
Mr Speaker, I think this Parliament ought to support the minister’s Bill that is being proposed, I think it is necessary now that lot of people within the communities around Asia Pacific Region within the Middle East region are focusing on Pacific particularly Australia, and New Zealand as a desired destination for residence and citizenship.
Mr Speaker, once that has taken place PNG become a conduit for people to try and enter those destination and we need to lift our surveillance and intelligence network that will enable us to save our country and our peoples interest as I have stated earlier.

Mr Speaker, I comment the Minister for the good work and I look forward to supporting him in this Bill, thankyou.
Sir PUKA TEMU (Abau – Minister for Public Service ) – Thankyou Mr Speaker, I also rise to speak in support of the Bill presented by the Honourable Minister for Justice and Attorney General and take the queue from the Prime Minister in commending the minister highly.

In a very short time he has brought in a lot of Bills for Parliament to look at and they are adding into the high number of bills that this Parliament has passed in the last twelve months.

Honourable job is doing a super excellent job.


On this issue as a Minister as eloquently said and supported by the Prime Minister, recently the Honourable Member for Manus informed this country that there are two legged and four legged animals found in one of the islands in Manus and this is part of this equation.
Papua New Guinea is a very strategically placed country in this 35 part of the Western Pacific region, there are also network of the internet and the IT technology the world is watching and they are now seeing that PNG is a very good destination.

Yesterday the Professor Glen Molar presented an issue with the Minister we have debated on it, the rise in population.

We are stretched, the land issues and the services are being stretched and this is a very important bill for us to pass.
We now must find our place in the global market place and at the same time must make sure that we ring our nation in terms of security.

This is one of those fences that we are putting up to make sure that we are not used as a dumping ground either for products that have very poor value or standards or human beings that are trying to find their way in the world.
We really have to make sure that we have the necessary legislation to manage all these smuggling whether it’s human or fauna and flora smuggling or money laundering.

We must now have laws and as the Prime Minister rightly said we must have institutional ability to monitor.
25/07 We have been well known in our region for developing very, very good national development policies supported by national legislation but our failure has always been the inability of our institutions of State to implement, and monitor them.

So I believe, immediately after we pass this legislation and once you certify it we need to undertake a major domestic awareness programme.
We must now arm our key people such as our Defence Force, our Police Force, our Border Liaison Officer and our NAQIA and all those institutions which are responsible for protecting our country, its people and our fauna and flora.

One of the challenges is we have not done that.


I would want to see in the country, after the Bill is passed as law and certified, we need to how move around the country and find our who is illegally settling, how many have come to Manus and those border provinces such as Milne Bay, Bougainville and Western Province.

How many of those illegal immigrants are here and how are we going to handle them.
And I am glad that we are now having a legislative instrument through this law to make sure that we handle these global issues proficiently, professionally and properly.

I commend the Minister.

It is the right thing to do and I call upon all the stakeholders in the country to take charge of it now.

Awareness must go and all the stakeholders must go out and we must also harness the technology available to provide surveillance of our borders.
36 There’s a lot of technology available now with our bilateral and multi-lateral partners as well.

And because we are signatories to some of these international conventions I am sure, as the Minister has rightly said, we will harness the technical support that is required for us to maintain an excellent surveillance system in the country so I commend the Minister and I know that everyone will support the Bill that is now before us.
Mr GARRY JUFFA (Northern) – Thank you, Mr Speaker, I want to just make a few comments and remarks here.

Firstly, I’d like to thank and commend the Attorney-General for his magnificent and significant effort to bringing this Bill before us.

And I would not hesitate in supporting it and I would encourage all other Members to do so too.

I also want to add onto what the Prime Minister said, and he is absolutely correct.
Immediately after 9/11 all nations signed up a convention on transnational crime and Papua New Guinea failed completely to establish any of those laws.

The only law that was actually brought was the law on proceeds of crime.

None of the other laws that would in any way combat or check or address transnational crimes were ever passed or brought before Parliament.

So I am very grateful.

I say this with a lot of emotions because I was at the forefront of fighting transnational crime in this country.
I was one of the officers who were responsible for dismantling the Horse Race Machine, an illegal gambling syndicate.

We dismantled that syndicate and deported Xen Zubiao and Steven Ng, transnational criminals that were operating in this country.

But, there are many who are still here.

At the airport I intercepted five Thai women who were being smuggled to Japan but we didn’t have the laws to do anything about that.
We could only remove them from the person who was smuggling them and send them back to Thailand.

Nothing could be done about this people and this terrible crime that was being committed.

When I was an intelligence officer, we did an operation monitoring the movement of persons who were employed in Papua New Guinea who had a syndicate of pedophiles who were accessing our children in settlement and villages for sexual purposes.
The syndicate still exists, 37 they are still here and are still doing this with impunity.

And all our efforts to bring these laws to Parliament failed.

No one was listening to us.

The law enforcing agencies, the practitioners knew that Papua New Guinea was ripe for transnational crimes.

The order is drugs and arms, human smuggling and – 26/07 Human smuggling and trafficking are third on that list of the most lucrative transnational crimes that occur in any part of this world.
In smaller nations than Papua New Guinea for instance let us look at the other pacific island nations; nations that are smaller than Hohola Gerehu suburbs.

These countries have already passed these laws.

They did it almost immediately after the 9-11crisis and we have failed until now.

The Attorney-General and I have been involved in a number of these instances, and we came up with that exasperating conclusion.
I am glad to see that we are both in Parliament taking that fight on and we have a very supportive Government which I want to commend them for making that effort.

A lot more needs to be done.

We need to track drugs and find out what is happening.

Papua New Guinea is a transit point right now for methane path manes.

Significant amounts of these drugs are being manufactured in the South-East Asia and transited through Papua New Guinea.

This is happening.
This is happening.

They are not being consumed here although the consumer market in Papua New Guinea is starting to grow in nightclubs.

We already have young underage girls between the age of 13 and 17 who are operating in the nightclubs as hostesses.

Hostesses are merely a guise for prostitution.

Many of them are drugged beyond the point where they know what is happening.

This sounds like in the movies but it is true and the media does not report on it because they have no idea.
The drug problem in Papua New Guinea is quietly growing and when drugs become cheap and affordable for the ordinary person, we will have a major problem on our hands.

And including all the social problems that go with it, it will reap our societies apart.

We are already seeing problems with drugs and home brews in our rural communities as well as urban centres.
But when we see what we call designer drugs hit our streets, I guarantee you that we will have enormous problems that we will not know what to do.

38 Transnational crimes are very sophisticated crimes so do not be fooled.

These criminals are very intelligent people and they are not your normal criminal that you imagined that is running around that looks like a criminal.

These criminals wear suits, carry briefcases and use modern technologies.
They are very clever because they have the money to hire best lawyers and accountants.

When I dismantled the illegal gaming syndicate in Fugue Village upstairs operated by Kim Ho San, we found K20 000 in his possession and deported him.

This was during an intelligence operation that we conducted.

It was a very successful operation because we had good intelligence agents and we did that with a combined effort from the Police Mobile Squad Division.
The reason why it was successful was because nobody knew about the operation until the last five minutes and I was in-charge of that operation.

Such syndicates are still operating in the country and they are involved in illegal logging, fishing and mining, and many of them have now legitimised their businesses and they have stretched their tentacles and they are operating nationwide.

And they are finding means and ways to compromise authorities but we are unaware of what is happening.
They have settled here in Papua New Guinea and taken hold and very soon if we are not careful, they will control our economy.

This is frightening but it is true.

In order for us to succeed beside passing all these laws, we must develop the capacity and capability to address these crimes effectively.

We must have the trained manpower.

It takes a certain type of skill to investigate transnational crimes.
You cannot get an ordinary run of the mill investigator or a uniformed policeman and suddenly make him investigator to investigate transnational crimes.

You cannot get a lawyer or an accountant and imagine that he is going to be an investigator.

No, these are very specialist skills and the people who have the experience, who know how to conduct these investigations and have substantial knowledge about the information technology and how to detect transnational crimes, how to identify the perpetrators.
You cannot distinguish them easily because many of them are running legitimate businesses and you are looking at credit card and identity fraud.

They are doing it.

One of the characters that we deported was selling PNG passports in Hong Kong for – 39 27/07 We deported for selling PNG passports in Hong Kong for $30 000 each, many of those passports are still being used.
They are not going to use them PNG but use them abroad and they enter into countries like Canada, New Zealand and England, where we have privileges to enter those economies without visa.

That’s what happening in regards to transnational crimes; it will find means and ways to compromise authorities such as Government institutions, public servants, law enforcement entities and even leaders.
We put a stop to a number of people becoming citizens who are involved in transnational crimes and I hope that this effort is made again.

I would suggest that myself and Richard Terry; we established a transnational crimes office at Bomana, which still exist now.

And I would propose that the new divisions that are to be created come under that office and that office has direct link the pacific transnational crimes office in Samoa and can interact with the United Nations office of drugs and crime.
You need international partners to fight this war.

Did you know that the five largest and most powerful revenue generating entities in the world are illegal drug cartels and after those five you will see Microsoft, Coke, IBM and et cetera, ahead of them are these drug cartels?

And they involve themselves in restaurant businesses, logging operations, real estate and they are everywhere.

They find an economy that is weak and doesn’t have these laws.
And doesn’t have these enforcement capacity or capability and they go in there and quickly accumulate assets and obtain land and run legitimate businesses so that they can lauder their illegal money in these economies and that’s what happens.

And because we don’t have a vibrant intelligent community and modern national security policy in place we are unable to detect what is happening.
They are operating under our radar and then collecting much needed revenue and shipping offshore taking advantage of the very fact that we have very weak banking laws.

Our banking laws do not prevent capital flight.

That is one of the reasons why our economy never seems to be growing for the ordinary Papua New Guineans.

Or it’s doing well but for whom?

We need to tighten our banking laws.

The financial intelligent unit for instance, where is it operating out of?
Right now its operates under the police but correctly it should operate under the Central Bank.

And it should be empowered so that they powers to reach into the commercial banks and stop, freeze accounts when and where necessary.

And prevent the flight of people who are involved in this crime and cease assets on behalf of the people.

That’s 40 what we need to do and we need to develop this capacity and capability but I am confident that this Government is doing that.
I can see it happening and I am proud to be part of this and I stand to support my Attorney General and I will be whole heartedly behind him in everything he does in so far as transnational crimes are concerned.

I would like to suggest that we promote the laws to protect our children, laws against sex predators.

Anyone who is found involved in these crimes must not be given special treatment.

They must be jailed in this country and serve their term and punished.
Because right now what is happening and this is the frightening fact.

Did you know that most of the foreigners that commit crimes in this country are never actually punished?

What happens to them is that we send them to Bomana and then suddenly their diplomatic missions go and secure their release and off they go with impunity and they absolutely pay nothing to this country.
We have to stop this if you commit a crime in many of the South-East Asian countries, serious crimes like this you will have to pay and rot in one of the jails.

But in PNG it appears that the law is only there for Papua New Guineans.

So we have got to change the situation as well.

So these are just some of the suggestions that I have from my practical experiences.
Conducting investigations into transnational crimes is a serious business and it will take a lot of money and resources and we need good people who know what they are doing and who are loyal, honest and well trained.

Only then can we protect this economy, thank you very much.

28/07 Motion – That the question be now put – agreed to.

Motion – That the Bill be now read a third time – put.
The Bill requiring an absolute majority of 56 Members as required by the Constitution, Mr Speaker ordered that the bells be rung.

41 The Parliament voted (the Speaker, Mr Theo Zurenuoc) in the Chair – The Bill lapsed.

AYES – 52 NOES – 0 MOTION BY LEAVE Mr JAMES MARABE (Tari – Minister for Finance) – I ask leave of the Parliament to move a motion without notice.

Leave granted.
Leave granted.

CRIMINAL CODE (AMEDNMENT) BILL 2013 – RESCISSION OF MOTION Motion (by Mr James Marabe) agreed to – That vote on The Bill today be rescinded and made an Order of the Day for the subsequent sitting.
29/07 PAPUA NEW GUINEA NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR UNESCO – AN ENHANCEMENT CAPACITY BUILDING – MINISTERIAL STATEMENT – MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF PAPER Mr GISUWAT SINIWIN – Thank you, Mr Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to address the Chair for allowing me to address the people of Papua New Guinea through this Floor of Parliament.
42 As Vice Minister for Education responsible for UNESCO matters in the country I wish to present to the Parliament my ministerial statement on: Establishment of the Autonomous Office of the Papua New Guinea National Commission for UNESCO, My attendance of the 192 UNESCO Executive Board Meeting representing the 17 Pacific Island nations including Papua New Guinea in Paris, France from the 14th to 26th April 2013, The O’Neill-Dion Government reimbursing participating programme funds owed to UNESCO, UNESCO General Conference Meeting in November 2013, Proposed visit by the Director-General of UNESCO, Her Excellency Madame Irana Bakova in August 2013 in response to our government’s invitation, however, the visit has been deferred to a later date due to prior commitments on the calendar, and; Other matters as set out in the UNESCO Medium Term Strategy 2008 to 2013 which were also discussed at the Executive Board Meeting.
Mr Speaker, Papua New Guinea is a member of UNESCO which consists of 198 member states who form the network to foster development agenda affecting member states.

National Commission operates in all member states of UNESCO and is considered a truly global family which includes a vast network of stakeholders, partners and experts.
The National Commission offers a challenging advantage to the organization within the United Nations system and I quote, ‘each member state shall make such arrangements as suit its particular conditions for the purpose of associating its principal bodies interested in educational, scientific and cultural matters with the work of the organization, preferably by the formation of a national commission broadly representative of the government as such bodies’, article 7 of the UNESCO Constitution.
Mr Speaker, the Papua New Guinea National Commission for UNESCO therefore aims to promote peace and mutual understanding through intellectual cooperation through governmental and non governmental agencies and organizations playing a partnership role in implementing policies, programmes and activities relating to the four fields of competency in education, science, cultural heritage and communication and information.
Mr Speaker, national commissions are national entities set by the member states or a state government as per article 11 of the UNESCO Constitution.

The national commission has the 43 functional and legal independence or autonomy to draft laws and policies which complement national government development goals and objectives, hence can be passed or adopted by the Parliament through the national commission board of the governing body.
Papua New Guinea National Commission for UNESCO is mandated to support, develop and implement both the UN and the governments’ policies and programmes in cooperation with key government agencies to add value in the delivery of goods and services.
Mr Speaker, in 2011, during the UNESCO General Conference which coincided with the election of the UNESCO Executive Board Members, the government of Papua New Guinea endorsed the Minister for Education responsible for UNESCO matters as a candidate to contest the Pacific Seat which was left vacant by Fiji in 2009.

30/07 PNG was unanimously voted in with 152 votes, an absolute majority of the 198 Member States.

This is the type of recognition that Papua New Guinea receives at the international arena.
This is in regard to the election of our current Speaker, Mr Theodor Zurenuoc was elected as the Director of the Board.

This gives our Minister for Education responsible for UNESCO matters the mandate to represent PNG and our neighbouring Pacific Island Nations at UNESCO Executive Board Meetings on matters affecting PNG and the region as a whole.
Mr Speaker, I attended the 192nd UNESCO Executive Board Meeting representing the 17 Pacific Island Member State including PNG from the 14th to the 16th April 2013.

UNESCO Executive Board Meeting saw Member State representatives presenting papers on issues affecting their countries and regions.
I presented a paper containing eleven major issues affects the Pacific Region including extending our government’s invitation to the Director General of UNESCO, Her Excellency, Ms Irina Bokava to visit PNG this year.

Mr Speaker, my brief presentation include: 1.

Climate Change Implications.

Change of weather patterns against traditional predictions and observation is placing humanity in a position of bewilderment.
These changes in weather patterns are causing a rise in sea levels affecting coastlines, widespread natural disaster catastrophes with landsides, floods which are 44 common not only in the Small Islands State including the Pacific but world-wide.

This is causing server threat to the people’s livelihood.

The work of UNESCO Inert-governmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) should be strengthened, particularly with the four high level objectives and major actions of the IOC: 1.
The prevention and reduction of the impacts of natural hazards; 2.

Mitigation of the impacts of an adaptation to climate change and variability; 3.

Safeguarding the health of ocean ecosystems; and 4.

Management procedures and polices leading to the sustainability of coastal and ocean environment and resources.

PNG and countries of the Pacific are prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis and need special attention and focus by UNESCO.
The Governments of these countries are indeed of geo-hazard mitigation and preparedness and should be assisted in building necessary capacities.

2.

Media and Community Development.

Community radio projects are an encouraging development in the Pacific Region especially in PNG since they benefit people particularly in the remote areas inaccessible by modern government services.
Funding for the community radio projects in PNG had been supported by UNESCO through the International Program Development of Communication (IPDC).

Such programs should be supported and complimented by outsourcing technical expertise within the affected Member States to establish and build capacities at ta local level.

3.

UNESCO job attachment Programs.


UNESCO should recommend officers within the National Commission to be rotated compulsorily within Member States at least for an officer (s) biennially or on a four years basis to gain exposure, experience for effective implementation of UNESCO programs to enhance technical officer visits.
This would encourage members of developed nations imparting much skills and knowledge with developing nations and of course strengthen UNESCO bilateral relations under UNESCO competency fields.

4.

Participation Programs.

This segment of the UNESCO biennial development programs is very crucial to Member States since direct funding is allowed for development efforts.
45 31/07 Policies and guidelines governing this programme should be re-looked at with a view to impose tougher measures on developing and less developing countries (LDC) that are alleged to be mismanaging funds allocated under the participation programme (PP).

The PP should be increased up to US$ 200 per less developed countries and small state developing countries for tangible and important development programmes supported.
(5) The Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) programmes are key components of technical innovations for our vibrant and evolving economy.

Thus, my presentation to UNESCO specifically emphasised on specialised training to be offered under the UNESCO Assisting Fellowship programmes for students in small island states, and less developed countries to participate under the graduates and post graduate TVET programmes.
(6) The UNESCO global initiative on capacity building on education for all programme will end in 2015.

The former director general of UNESCO, Mr Koyshihoro Matasura visited the country in 2008 and made a commitment of US$1 million for literacy programmes in PNG, which was managed by our pacific cluster office in Apia, Western Somoa.

In collaboration with the National Literacy and Awareness Secretariat these funds were managed externally.
Therefore, he requested UNESCO to fund the TAFE Programme directly to host government’s national commissions.

I have mentioned the PNG Government’s drive to provide basic and free education for all students towards narrowing the literacy gap hindered by school fee problems.

Therefore, instead of ending the TAFE Programme in 2015 it should expand it with a much accessible format beyond 2015.
(7) The UNESCO Fellowship Programmes are very important UNESCO programmes especially for PNG and small island developing states.

Thus, the availability of the UNESCO Fellowship Programmes for both under graduate and post graduate programmes should be increased and be fully captured in existing MOUs.

(8) UNESCO should cater to have excess personnel available under the UNESCO volunteer scheme to especially volunteer in UNESCO mandated disciplines.
The least developed countries and small island developing states will tap in this aspect coming from the developed nations with technical and economic background to provide mush needed assistance where required in the UNESCO fields of discipline.

46 (9) Accessibility to clean water is a vital ingredient to hygienic living.
However, with side effects of global climatic changes and excessive deforestation programmes the one time accessible natural clean water supplies in the world have disappeared or have become contaminated.

Thus, this has increased water-borne diseases and inaccessibility to clean water.

The inaccessibility to clean water is a global which not only affects small island developing states.
Hence, I have spoken to UNESCO to assist in regions affected by climate change, and environmentally devastated regions and populous settings with the parameters of small island states’ cities in the Pacific region.

(10) Traditionally cultures barriers play a significant part in the deprecating of gender balance representation in many Pacific Island nations including other parts of the world.
32/07 Women and girls are given second class citizens in the decision making process thus avenues for women voices must be included by provision of the break down of the barriers without having much impact on the traditional cultural practices.

Decision and legislation makers must provide conducive avenues for women voices to be heard and protection of their rights.
The meeting was informed of our Government position in addressing severe penalties for violence against women so that women are not deprived of their basic rights.

UNESCO as the United Nations agency in the promotion of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) within member states provides and supports specifically ongoing women programs in countries does specialized training or majority support initiatives.

Number eleven, Mr Speaker, is violence against women.
In recent times, women and children all around the world have become vulnerable targets of abuse either through psychological humiliation, verbal or sexual abuse or through the extreme of torturing and killing.

Respect for dignity of a person is shadowed by frustration, selfishness and money.

Thus women are merely seen as toys or guinea pigs by men to fulfill their inner lustful desires.
UNESCO was advised through my presentation under each existing participation program through National Commissions to address violence against women by awareness programs and sponsoring legislation to give greater autonomy on women issues within the host member states with budgetary support programs.
47 Mr Speaker, my presentations were well received and of course a way forward resolution will be forth coming as a procedural with the implementation schedules and funding for various requests submitted when fully screened and approved by the UNESCO executive board screening committee.

Mr Speaker, Papua New Guinea became a member state of UNESCO on the 4 October 1976 and is as old as the Independent state of Papua New Guinea.
Since then it was operating as a policy unit within the Education department until three respective NEC decisions, decision number 63 in 2000, decision 14 in 2004 and decision 187 in 2006 established the autonomous state office of the Papua New Guinea National Commission for UNESCO.
For the last thirty plus years it has delivered much anticipated projects and programs through enhancement capacity building programs, supporting national Government development priorities in the areas of education science, culture, and information communication at no cost to the country as long as timely reports are done and furnished to the UNESCO.
Mr Speaker, from the binumeral 2004, 2005,2006 and 2007 whilst still the the education department the Papua New Guinea National Commission for UNESCO received a substantial amount of funding from projects that fail to provide the reports to Paris on time due to unforeseen circumstances in the hierarchy of the secretariat.

In 2008 when the PNG National Commission for UNSECO was elevated to the autonomous status, it carried forward the debt of K643000 owed to UNESCO.
The secretariat tried all means to reimburse UNESCO but became impossible until recently the O’Neill-Dion government reimbursed UNESCO the full amount of K643000 and this clearance will make it possible for more UNESCO assistance to reach our communities and support the national Government of Papua New Guinea Development priorities through the Papua New Guinea National Commission for UNESCO office.
Mr Speaker, we are now in the process of cleaning off the debts owed to UNSECO and the Secretariat as an autonomous office has the capacity to attend to more tangible development projects and programs to support the government development priorities as allude to in the Vision 2050, Papua New Guinea Development Strategy Plan 2010 -2030 and the Medium Term development Plan 2011-2015.
48 33/07 Mr Speaker, besides other regional and sub-regional meetings UNESCO operates on two major international conferences and these being the UNESCO General Conference and UNESCO Executive Board Meeting.

UNESCO General Conference occurs bi-numeral, every two years where all member states send country representatives and specialists in UNESCO’s four fields of competency.

The government funds the country’s participation which runs for three weeks comprising of other preliminary discussions.
Two thousand thirteen is a bi-numeral for UNESCO in which the UNESCO General Conference will take place in November.

I am about to finish now Mr Speaker.

When I attended the 192 UNESCO Executive Board Meeting I relayed our government’s invitation to the Director-General of UNESCO, Her Excellency Madame Irana Bukova to visit the country.

Her visit was scheduled for May 2013 but was deferred to August.

However, that has also been further deferred due to prior commitments on her calendar.
Mr Speaker, we are highly anticipating her visit and ground work preparations are well underway with a taskforce committee comprising government stakeholders and we await further indications from UNESCO head office in Paris, France when the country should host a world renown person such as the Director-General of UNESCO to further boost the bi-lateral relationship between UNESCO and the Independence State of Papua New Guinea.
Mr Speaker, this sums up my presentation as Vice Minister for Education responsible for UNESCO matters, and as such, as Deputy Chairman of UNESCO Commission for UNESCO on my attendance at the 192nd UNESCO Executive Board Meeting held from the 14th to 26th April 2013.

However, the next UNESCO Executive Board Meeting is due in October before the UNESCO general Conference in November 2013.
Hence the Minister for Education or I as the Vice Minister for Education can present to Parliament our attendance and issues raised at these two very important meetings together before we adjourned Parliament to next year.

Debate (on Motion by Mr James Marape) adjourned.

49 ADJOURNMENT Motion (By Mr James Marape) – agreed to – That the Parliament do now adjourn.

Parliament adjourned at 3.45 pm.. 50