Senior lawyer slams PNG Government over Mining Meet in Sydney

 Why PNG government brings a PNG mining conference to Sydney when Port Moresby is ready after APEC 2018?

• an “extravaganza” waste of limited public money
• It undermines PNG’s sovereignty
• It undermines resource ownership facts in PNG

PNG Mining Conference in Sydney. 

A senior practising lawyer has slammed the Government for continuously holding the Mining & Petroleum Conference in Sydney, Australia – this year’s being the 15th.
He describes it as an “extravaganza” waste of limited public money, it undermining PNG’s sovereignty, and it also undermines resource ownership facts in PNG. 

Paul Mawa of Paul Mawa Lawyers posted in his Facebook page this week saying “We just successfully held the APEC Meeting here in PNG. The facilities like the APEC house and five star hotels are here on our shores to convene the Mining and Petroleum Conference in Port Moresby. The Mining and Petroleum Conference is not as big as the APEC Meeting. 

“The minerals, oil and gas are on our soil. The foreign investors have always come to PNG even before independence, to do seismic, exploration and development of our mineral and hydro- carbon resources in PNG. The real genuine landowners are here, not in Australia. The current and potential equity partners and all stakeholders (such as financiers, etc) in the development of our mineral, oil and gas resource projects have always come to PNG to invest. What are we trying to promote in Sydney and who are we trying to attract in Sydney?

“The biggest and logical question is why convene another expensive conference in Australia? What is the economical rationale for staging this Mining and Petroleum Conference in Australia? Please anyone in the "know" should educate me on this. I may have a tunnel vision of the economics of staging such a conference in Sydney.

“How many so-called Ministers of State, Vice Ministers, Members of Parliament, their secretarial and support staff, Department heads and Chief Executive Officers of Statutory Authorities and State Owned Enterprises, Members of Board of Directors of State Owned Companies are flying down to Sydney for this Mining and Petroleum Conference, who is meeting their expenses and was it all necessary? 

Sydney mining conference in progress.

“Are they all needed in this conference? In other words, will they present some important seminar or presentation on the Mining and Petroleum Policy and Law in Papua New Guinea? This trip is nothing more than a holiday sight-seeing and fun filled trip for many so-called political and business leaders of our country. 

“In simple terms, how much money has been expensed on air fares, hire cars, accommodation and traveling allowances? Who is paying for this extravaganza? This is a complete waste of public money and resources. This is a clear case of mismanagement of the people's money and demonstrates this clear lack of prudent management and fiscal discipline.

“This country is literally bankrupt and insolvent. Let's be honest and true to ourselves and our people. We are living on borrowed money. Please let us not pretend in the eyes of the international community. Let us live within our means at least for once.

“Our people are dying from curable diseases like malaria, typhoid, TB, pneumonia etc because there are no drugs in public hospitals and district health centres, our child and infant mortality rates are some of the highest in the world, our people are living below tolerable poverty lines, our schools are run -down and most classrooms are overcrowded . There are insufficient teaching materials and no proper teachers houses. I can go on and on and describe the sad state of affairs of our country but I guess these are obvious and common problems that all our people are fully aware of.

Port Moresby APEC center

“Any responsible government in the world focuses on the social welfare of it's people first. The basic and fundamental reason for prioritizing people's social welfare is found in the founding principles of our Constitution. This country is for the people, of the people and by the people. 

“Without people, there can be no government and no country. Let us try to think about our forgotten people in forgotten places and be responsible. Those of us in positions of trust and accountability must remember that God loves his people and nature will always smoothen the rough edges all the time,” Mr. Mawa said.