PNG firms overlooked- again

PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill is angry over assertions that the flow of benefits to indigenous Manus people has been poor under Australia’s Pacific Solution. During PNG’s Budget session last week local Manus MP Ronnie Knight suggested that Manus businesses were not being awarded contracts for the construction of the permanent regional processing centre at the Lombrum Army base on the island, as agreed to under the July 2013 Refugee Resettlement Agreement (RRA). A review of the resettlement deal is set for July 2014 but PM O’Neill says that the trickling benefits to the local community reflects ‘a blatant abuse of trust’ between partners Australia and Papua New Guinea. He says he will write to Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to raise the issue with her.

This article was written by

Dulciana Somare-Brash

Dulciana Somare-Brash has Bachelor Degrees in political science & international relations, and law from James Cook University. Her experience in politics and development ranges from employment with ABC/Radio Australia in Port Moresby, and later as Senior Research Officer at the Australian High Commission there. Most recently Dulciana has been PiPP's deputy executive director and director of operations in PNG.

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