Page 10 - IB Jan 2018

2018 Outlook Samoa watch PM’s health scare P12
Comeback Pohiva back in hot seat P18

SPORTS OPINION

Challenging year for O’Neill

By Samisoni Pareti On the economy, 2018 will show how
the Prime Minister and in particular his
PNG Treasurer, Charles Abel work on address-
PETER O’Neill starts 2018 on a high ing the government’s cash flow challenges
note with the country’s supreme court that in 2017 saw civil servants going with-
removing the threat of court action that out their salaries for weeks on end and in
has been hovering over his head since one particular incidence, being locked out
2014. With his arrest warrant for offi- of their offices for non-payment of rent.
cial corruption quashed, the PNG Prime As explained by PNG correspondent
Minister can now concentrate on what Sam Vulum on page 23, Abel has proposed
is poised to be a crucial year with his public spending cuts to address the cash
hosting in November of APEC that is the Bougainville Referendum Commission. flow issues, although he says budget
likely to bring to Port Moresby leaders O’Neill is fully aware of the need to tread for health and education remained the
of this 21-member organisation that will delicately on Bougainville, and whatever same. PNG was one of four countries of
most probably include American Presi- his government does, he will be careful the Pacific that the United Nations’ World
dent Donald Trump and Prime Ministers to avoid reopening the wounds of old Economic Situation and Prospects 2018
Shinzo Abe of Japan and Justin Trudeau that plunged his country into 10 years named as economies “expected to grow
of Canada. of bloody conflict with Bougainville at a steady pace.”
Economists are attributing the flurry “The positive outlook is supported
of construction activities in the lead up militants. Observers say it is the call by continued growth in revenues
for independence by Bougainville that
to the APEC Summit as a key contribut- is influencing the PNG’s Government from the agriculture, mining, fisheries
ing factor in the 2.2 per cent economic position on West Papua, the landmass and tourism industries. Given high
growth rate projected for PNG this year. it shares its land borders with. O’Neill commodity dependence, however, the
The O’Neill Government is also hoping This will be important for O’Neill as growth prospects of these economies
to see the progress of the controversial 2018 will also see him takeover as chair remain highly susceptible to commodity
Solwara 1 seabed mining project this of the Melanesian sub-regional grouping, price and weather-related shocks,” the
year. Despite opposition from local the Melanesian Spearhead Group. Under UN report said.
community groups who are backed by the chairmanship of Solomon Islands’ The other countries named with PNG
NGOs in Australia, the Nautilus Mineral Manasseh Sogavare, the MSG became in the above report are Kiribati, Solomon
owned project seeks to mine gold and a strong advocate for the independent Islands and Vanuatu.
copper in the Bismarck Sea, in PNG’s aspirations of West Papuans, although This new year will also reveal how
northeast waters. O’Neill with his Fijian counterpart, Frank O’Neill handles the aborted refugee pro-
On the political front, the proposed Bainimarama did all they could to thwart cessing centre on Manus Island in the
referendum for independence by its au- Sogavare’s efforts in their belief that Indo- country’s northern sea borders. With
tonomous region of Bougainville looms nesia’ sovereignty over West Papua ought PNG’s supreme court ruling the process-
large for O’Neill as this is scheduled to to be recognised and respected. ing centre illegal, and his government’s
take place next year, or before 2020. Number-wise, the man looks comfort- forceful removal of about 600 remaining
Already the Prime Minister has warned able in parliament although the August men from the now closed processing centre
of the need for the autonomous region to 2017 elections reduced his People’s near Lorengau, the treatment of the refu-
work closely with his administration to National Congress Party’s majority. Only gees has won O’Neill nor his Australian
ensure that preparatory work including 27 of his members won their seats, but counterpart, Malcolm Turnbull no friend
the adoption of a budget is completed O’Neill has been able to shore up his among human rights defenders. His
well before the referendum. Late last numbers with the support of a number of handling or non-handling of the alarming
month, PNG’s Post Courier newspaper smaller parties and independents. So much rate of violent incidents against women
named former New Zealand Prime so when the vote for PM was taken last and curbing the torture of people women
Minister Helen Clark as among names August, O’Neill had little trouble winning mostly who are accused of sorcery would
that have been proposed to be chair of also be closely followed in 2018.
the vote 64 to 40.

Fiji in 2013 to seek a fresh mandate from the pushed back to August and sources now
This year will be the year Frank Baini- electorate. No one yet knows when elec- say August has been ruled out too.
marama as the former military commander tions will be held. There were talks that As leader of his Fiji First Party, Baini-
will be required by the constitution that Fiji would be going back to the polls in marama as Prime Minister has confirmed
he himself imposed on the island nation March this year, then it was supposedly that he is ready to lead his party into the

10 Islands Business,, January 2018