Bougainville News 9/10/97 id BAA13681; Fri, 12 Sep 1997 01:25:39 -0400 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Source: VIKKI@lexsun.law.uts.edu.au Wed Sep 10 02:43:22 1997 PNG NATIONAL NEWSPAPER 10/9/97 Wednesday, September 10 ==================== Solomons to join peace talks PORT MORESBY: Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands have announced a united approach to solving the Bougainville crisis, with the Solomons to attend the next round of peace talks in New Zealand. Prime Minister Bill Skate said after meeting his Solomons counterpart Bart Ulufa'alu that the two countries would now cooperate as "true Melanesian brothers". The new relationship would be extended to other economic and political issues, he said. "We will show the world that we are capable of solving our problems using our own Melanesian way," Mr Skate said. PNG had also agreed to let the Solomons attend ongoing peace talks to solve the Bougainville crisis which developed out of the Burnham declaration reached by the island's warring parties during talks in New Zealand in June. More talks are scheduled for later this month and next month. Mr Skate has committed himself to attend the leaders talks in October. The Solomons would be given observer status. "I have also agreed with my Solomon Islands counterpart to make an historic joint visit to Bougainville during Christmas this year as a manifestation of our commitment to finding a peaceful and lasting solution to the Bougainville problem," Mr Skate said. - AAP ================= Zeming vows to restore discipline PORT MORESBY: Defence Minister Mao Zeming has reaffirmed his determination to restore discipline and stability in the Defence Force. Mr Zeming said in a statement that he was aware of the problems affecting the force and necessary steps had already been instituted to address them. He said the measures included the reconvening of the Sandline Inquiry with the extended terms of reference, the convening of the PNG Defence Force General Board of Inquiry and the court martial. "We're committed to clean up the mess and will leave no stone unturned, but we will do so step by step and carefully," Mr Zeming said yesterday. The General Board of Inquiry resumed on Monday and was adjourned to Oct 6 pending the review of the terms of reference of the new Sandline Inquiry. Mr Zeming has urged inquiry chairman, Justice Timothy Hinchliffe, to defer the proceedings to prevent any unnecessary confusion in view of the Sandline Commission of Inquiry and the court martial proceedings against five officers. "I'm of the view that there is room for confusion with certain terms of reference of the Sandline Inquiry impinging on our own inquiry," he said. Mr Zeming said he was also of the view that to run both inquiries at the same time may cause unnecessary confusion and disruption to the smooth operations of the force. The Defence Act empowers the minister as the convening authority to commission or decommission the inquiry. Former Defence Minister Mathias Ijape set up the inquiry on July 15 under the Defence Force Act to investigate all aspects of administration and command and control of the Defence Force and Defence Department before, during and after the Sandline crisis. Mr Zeming also stressed that as minister responsible, he had a paramount task to clear all allegations and accusations leveled at the Defence Force over the years to restore credibility and confidence in the force. Meanwhile, visiting Defence Force barracks outside Port Moresby for the first time since taking over, Mr Zeming said maintenance will take up 60 per cent of the force's budget this year. The Minister told officers at the Igam Barracks outside Lae last week that he would be focusing on tightening expenditure controls during his term. Mr Zeming who was accompanied by Defence Secretary Stephen Raphael and Defence Force commander Brigadier General Leo Nuia called for cooperation to solve the problems faced by soldiers. "I'm here not to make promises but to make a commitment ... we have to put our heads together and make tougher decisions," he told the officers. =============== Narokobi backs Melanesian unity K10m Govt aid for Solomon Islands hailed PORT MORESBY: The Opposition will support any move to straighten and consolidate the solidarity of the Melanesian countries in the region. It has also suggested the standardisation of the Melanesian Tok Pisin, an establishment of a Melanesian Bank and sharing of human resources as part of a move to build a true Melanesian spirit and identity. The Opposition also supports a Solomon Islands proposal to establish a 'Federated State of Melanesia' which visiting Solomon Islands Prime Minister Bart Ulufa'alu suggested during a state dinner in his honour at Parliament House on Monday night. Meeting Mr Ulufa'alu officially yesterday, Opposition Leader, Bernard Narokobi and others pledged support for the proposal. The issue of the 'Federated State of Melanesia' was among five other areas the Opposition put up as issues for discussion with the visiting leader of the Solomon Islands at their Parliament office. Other areas the Opposition raised for discussion were the standardisation of the Melanesian Tok Pisin language, human resource development, a Melanesian development bank (Bank of Melanesia), economic and cultural cooperation and Bougainville. Mr Narokobi said there was a need to standardise Tok Pisin and make it a common language for the Melanesian people. He said the establishment of a Melanesian bank and the sharing of human resources would be one way of the true Melanesian system of sharing things. The Opposition has welcomed the K10 million aid to the Solomon Islands for road projects. Mr Narokobi said it was time the Government started thinking about assisting smaller island nations within the region. The Opposition was reacting to Prime Minister Bill Skate's announcement on Monday that he would honor an undertaking by the former government to make the K10 million available for road projects in the Solomon Islands. Mr Narokobi said the aid should also cover other areas not just infrastructure development. "PNG receives more foreign aid and it is time we began to give to others. We do not have to wait for a good day when we will have plenty of money to give," he said. South Bougainville MP, Michael Laimo said he was thankful the government has realised the needs of the Solomon Islands. He said the Government should assist the Solomon Islands to help repatriate Bougainville citizens in the Solomon Islands. Mr Laimo said the Government should give more funds so the government of Solomon islands can help repatriate Bougainvilleans to their own island. ================= VAT 'will hurt major mines' By CLETUS NGAFFKIN PORT MORESBY: The proposed value added tax (VAT) will "penalise" four major mineral resource projects in the country, the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum says. The chamber's executive officer, Greg Anderson, told The National here yesterday that the four mining projects - Ok Tedi, Porgera, Misima and Tolukuma - will be forced to pay a massive K19 million on top of what they currently pay in taxes annually to the State. "We are very concerned that the four mineral resources projects will be severely penalised when value added tax is imposed as of Jan 1, 1998 because it will result in tax increases for the mining industry," Mr Anderson said. The Chamber was told in one of the several meetings held with the Internal Revenue Commission this year that VAT would be introduced only to widen the tax base. "We now end up with a disadvantage because of the introduction of VAT," he said. Mr Anderson said the four mining projects will pay K19 million more a year on purchase of goods and services for their operations. According to the Chamber, the various mineral resources projects are different so far as their locations and logistics are involved. But unless amendments are made to the proposed VAT legislation, the Chamber says mining companies will be forced to scale down operations drastically, reduce benefits enjoyed by local landowners, the respective communities and provinces as well as the national government and the country as a whole. "Mining companies and their suppliers of goods and services will be severely impacted by the VAT laws because of the amount of money they spend on purchasing heavy equipment and machinery and other community related projects to upgrade the living standard of the remote communities in each project area," he said. "We are very concerned about this. During several rounds of negotiations we had with the Internal Revenue Commission, we put forward the real financial impact on the mining sector and the four mineral resources projects under the new tax legislation, but we have not resolved it with the IRC. "We also put forward the mechanisms to further obtain tax neutrality for the mining sector but the Internal Revenue Commission has not accepted them." Under the new tax regime, the mining industry will not get any rebate on goods and services purchased overseas. During the negotiations with the IRC, the Chamber has requested the Government to amend certain clauses of the VAT legislation relating to purchase of goods and services overseas. Mr Anderson said that in general, the Chamber supports the introduction of VAT to achieve a wider tax base, but opposed higher taxes on the mining industry which was already making an enormous contributions to the State's revenue. (Ho hum) ============== For further information, please contact: Bougainville Freedom Movement PO Box 134, Erskineville. NSW. 2043 Australia Tel: (+61-2) 9558.2730 ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytpac-09.12.97-01:25:39-24860