Take up PNG infrastructure jobs, M'sian firms urged
From Sharen Kaur
bt@nstp.com.my


April 12 2007


ISTANBUL: The Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is encouraging Malaysian companies to participate in infrastructure projects worth billions of dollars in the developing country.

First Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Willie Ako said there are some 600 Malaysian companies operating in Papua New Guinea in the areas of logging, food and beverage, and retailing comprising consumer products such as electrical, textile and household items, but they could expand further in the construction and infrastructure development of the country.

"Looking at the huge investment Malaysia has made in Papua New Guinea, it would be appropriate for Malaysian firms to develop the infrastructure of the country in partnership with the (Papua New Guinea) Government," Ako told Business Times at the Pacific Summit here on Sunday.

He said Malaysia can assist in developing Papua New Guinea, especially in technological infrastructure such as bridges, ports, airports and road development, and building construction comprising high-rise hotels, apartments and government buildings and schools, which are still lacking.

After years of decline and national deficit, Papua New Guinea has been bolstered in recent years by a general rise in commodity prices and government control on spending.

The country is rich in natural resources, including minerals, timber and fish, and produces a variety of commercial agriculture products. The minerals, timber and fish sectors are dominated by foreign investors.

It has a population of over six million people and growth rate of 3.7 per cent and per capita gross domestic product of US$855 (RM2,950) as at 2005.

The country consists of 20 per cent of flat land, with rainforest mountains and rivers covering the rest of the country, which is made up of a mainland known as Port Moresby and about 600 islands.

Ako said that Papua New Guinea has up to 4,000 airports and airstrips to connect with the islands and about 100 ports and 110 low-rise hotels currently.

He said there is an urgent need to establish the infrastructure of the country and the Government is looking North and eyeing Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, India, Pakistan and Singapore to help with the development.

"Malaysia's investment in Papua New Guinea is second to Australia and currently accounts for some US$3 billion (RM10.4 billion). We plan to form a smart partnership between Malaysia and Papua New Guinea where both countries can enjoy a better relationship economically and politically through the kind of arrangements, which can be long term," he said.

Ako disclosed that Malaysia and Papua New Guinea have been doing business together for many years but have never talked about mechanical and engineering or infrastructure prospects.

He pointed out that this was because Malaysian companies have always been more engaged in timber, food and beverage and the retailing indistry.

He added that there are more Malaysian firms planning to invest in Papua New Guinea but it was to carry out business in the related fields.

"We need Malaysians in the oil palm sector which is also booming here. Papua New Guinea is rich with natural rainforest, which could be equivalent to Borneo and the Amazon forest in Brazil.

"Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's visit to Papua New Guinea in 2004 signifies the kind of investments Malaysia has in the country and the vast potential still available here," he said.

always rot coming from waigani, when will we ever learn?

Just awhile back a colleague and I were talking about the "lost decade", thats when japans economy collapsed. He, from Japan, particularly and repeatedly used some terms to describled the bubble economy as stimulated by transfer of knowledge. These are "fusion" of the East and West and "assimilation" of foreign experts. Both Fusion and assimilation are very strong words however in the japanese world, it means just that. They fused western ideas with strong indigenous strengths and they assimilated every foreigner who came to japan and compelled them to conform to japanese culture ways. This process of assimilation, to my japanese colleague, was one of the significant factors contributing to the bursting of the japanese economy. He belives more assimilation was done rather then collaborating and sharing.

Anyway, my point is that whilst our representative from the foreign ministry continues to encourage the international community to invest in PNG, he has not seen how to build the institutional infrastructure to obtain and share knowledge which can equip our nationals to be competitive with the foreign companies. Its a one way street so as to speak. By definition the one-way street is known as exploitation, I hope however, that pngeans rise to the occasion of the coming foreign business competition and innovatively motivate themself to be successful as partners in this developement.

cheers

This is so so true.

And I always say this and will say this again. We as a nation have a low self-esteem. We are so easy to criticise and riddicule our own experts and even exploit our own poor people. Will this kind of attitude build a nation??

I had a teacher from Nigeria who always told me: "gold in a white man's hands is gold but not in a black man's hand". This simple statement says a lot about our attitute and the running of our country.

The other factor I always mention is that right now, PNG is divided. People follow their blood line and would easily do a favor for a wantok even if that favor is illegal. That, I think is one the basis for the level of corruption in our country. The concerpt of a nation seems to be a foreign concerpt. People readily identify themselves with their province or region rather than as a country. Only when you go overseas, you see the big picture.

And the troubling thing to me is, expartriates coming into PNG are fully aware of these divisions, the local hatred or jealousy or whatever it maybe. I think they are using that for their own benefit. While we are fighting among ourselves, they are making millions!

The Japanese are very proud of their long history and culture. When London was just a small town, Tokyo was a major metropolitant city with over 1 million people with proper functioning schools, government (not in the morden sense) and economics. Their ocean going ships that travelled between China and Japan were much more stonger than the Europeans. The only problem was, all this was never recorded into secular history for you and me to learn about them in our high school history lessons. Remember history is always written by the victorious, not the loser. The East therefore was a mystery.

PNG was however regarded as "uncivilised" and "primitive" and needed to be "christianised". We may have been "uncivilised" by today's definition but we had our own civil laws, obligations, ethics, morality and common sense that govern our traditional societies.

I think we PNGeans should not be so gulliable and embrace everthing that is given to us. But judge everything by our conscience and moral standards.

One of the tragedy of being "christianised" I think is that it made us drop our own traditional values for "outside values". Though one may argue that some of our traditional values, though not Christian, had principles of Christian teachings.

Yes Dr Who,
we have to keep in mind that "Western Civilization" as we know it, is a fairly recent development.

China was already a complex, highly developed, cultured, and sophisticated society, by the time of the "Warring States". (About 800 -900 BC). Even though I did a classical education course at Seondary School, we really did not learn much about this in history classes. I don't know precisely how far back Chinese civilization goes, but they were a thriving civilization when my ancestors (the Scots) were warring savages.

So, the upshot of all this is. Is the "western" mode of society, government, and beliefs, the best way to go for PNG? As an Australian, it would only be hubris for me to advise you how to go in this matter. This is for you guys to decide.

As someone else said. "The missionaries came to the South Pacific to do good. AND THEY DID VERY WELL INDEED."

Wish I had said that......Ralph.

Interesting indeed.

From my opinion, I believe there are 3 points to the issue that Wanjik posted and the subsequent discussions;

1. Confidence in PNGeans Expertise by our leaders and Capacity Building
2. Trust in Foreigners by PNG
3. Innovation - Free and open mindness

From experience in japan shared earlier by kolwan, there has to be geniune understand, collaboration and sharing of knowledge for tangible and sustained growth. Most importantly there has to be harmony between foreigners and locals within PNG for nation building, not a kind of this is our bar, you should not be here kind of underlying feeling. Something words are not spoken to transmitt whether you are welcome to this area or not. Too many global lessons are far to vivid to fall into the same trench of despair.

Dr. Who has correctly pointed out, on too many occasions out national leaders have neglected "in-house" experts and opted for foreign experts. It is good to bring in overseas expert, however, capacity building is a key, for SUSTAINABLITY, I am sure, Mr Hamilton would agree with me on this. The arguement of self-confidence has lead to the discussion of our heritage, and that I share is a proud melansian heritage.

The powers of Rome, in the like of Ceaser and Otavian(700BC), Persian by Cyrus the great (550bc) the chinese Xia Dynasty(4200BC) the designers of the wheel, clock etc..., the first records of agriculture Turkey (4700BC). China (5000BC) and Papua New Guinea (9000BC). I am puzzled, shall we name a Sophisticated Empired that existed in PNG during that era. Maybe the Kuk empire?? The point is, in humanity we look to our past to find strenght, as son of my father and my grandfather, I look to their achievements, the achivements of my pedigree to draw inspiration.

But in the midest of this, we recognise the agility and the impressive strategies employed by the western powers, innovative, creative and agressive. As Ralp correctly pointed out, western power is young, but highly adaptable and advanced.

Finally, my outlandish opinion, civilisation, by western definition, is still young, who knows, we might discover in many milleniums time that the most efficient way to live in harmony, sustainable, and coevolving and self-indestructive manner, the "primitative" way of life might be the pinnacle of human society.

Lae,
Unitech