PAPUA NEW GUINEA - THE BEGGING BILLIONAIRE

By Lydia Aniso - FACEBOOK

Recently, I witnessed in dismay a tirade by a white man in the first class cabin of a mid-size airplane, admonishing another first class passenger, a Papua New Guinean male, for “begging” for his seat.

*What is wrong with you Papua New Guineans? All you do is beg, beg, beg for everything!! You can beg all you want; I am not going to give you my seat.*

Tempers finally cooled down, and the aircraft took off.

*Unfortunately, I was sitting next to this white man who, a few minutes ago, had insulted my whole race.*

With nothing else to do, I turned and asked him “What was all that about”?

Apparently, the Papua New Guinean man was travelling with his “wife”; they had been seated in 1st class on separate rows, and apart.

The man had asked this white man to exchange his seat, so the couple could be close.

The white man had refused, but the Papua New Guinean man had persisted with numerous “I beg you”; which eventually took the white man to his boiling point.

“So what would it have cost you to exchange your seat?” I asked.

His response, the essence of this article was this:

“I booked my flight the last minute, and got the last 1st class seat available, this one. This means it was also available to this man, if only he had asked to be seated close to his wife. He did not, but now comes “begging” for what WAS DUE HIM in the first place.”

“That still shouldn't get your collar up”, I said.

“You may be right; unfortunately, I have just finished a month long negotiations with your ministers and government officials over your God-given mineral rights, and what my oil and gas company should pay.

I come to your country, see all this poverty everywhere, with wealth right under your feet.

Your own government gives only foreign companies the rights and privileges to rape and steal your country blind.

For a few thousand dollars, your government officials allow these foreign companies to walk away with:

(a) Perpetual tax holidays

(b) Duty free imports

(c) Bloated capital and operational investment costs

(d) under-declared mineral output

(e) minimum wages for local employees doing all the work, but FAT salaries and expense accounts for foreigners who do almost nothing

(f) exaggerated cost of shoddy school blocks and boreholes instead of meaningful royalty to local land owners and communities

(g) destruction of local farm lands with pitiful resettlement payments

(h) pollution of local drinking water

(i) destruction of local infrastructure, etc.

My bosses had counseled me at a briefing before my departure. I was asked to watch the interview of Sir John Guise on “Neo-Colonialism”. Then I was told: “be prepared, and the first, to offer the negotiating team:

(a) a few thousand dollars each

(b) a center, or a 6-room school block, or a few bore holes for the community; and there will be no mention of the usual above 10% royalties, or an actual government oversight of our operations, or adequate resettlement compensations, etc.”

I did not believe my bosses since I, a mere high school graduate, was coming to deal with officials with masters and degrees.

Imagine my shock and disappointment when these officials, instead of demanding what is INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTABLE COMPENSATIONS AND ROYALTIES for their country and communities, only accepted the 3% royalties, and with ALL KINDS OF GIVEAWAYS, and then came to me later BEGGING me to deposit “something” in their foreign accounts (numbers written on pieces of paper). I do not want to hear the phrase “I beg you” again.

The irony here is that these so called educated people, after negotiating away their countries wealth, and depositing their “something”s into foreign banks, turn round to go and BORROW their own money from the IMF, World Bank, or “Donor” countries/ “Development Partners”.

It amazes me that your intelligentsia, ministers, Prime Minister's, who have studied, or have travelled overseas, still don't get the idea that “THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH”. THERE ARE NO “DONOR COUNTRIES” OR “DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS”. THE FOREIGN MINING COMPANIES TAKE YOUR MINERALS FOR NEXT TO NOTHING, DEPOSIT THEIR HAUL INTO THEIR BANKS, AND THEN TURN ROUND TO LOAN THE SAME TO OUR GOVERNMENTS, AGAIN WITH RIDICULOUS CONDITIONS SUCH AS “NO SUBSIDIZED” BASIC EDUCATION.

Surely, companies like Exxon and Newcrest are contributing to our economy, I offered.

“At what price? Have you been to Tari town recently to see the devastation and destruction of once a beautiful city? Exxon has over 800 sq. km concession in Hela; what did Tari town get in return for Exxon's ANNUAL revenues of Billions? Almost NOTHING!!

This is exactly what your first Governor General was talking about in “Neo-Colonialism“. Have you watched his documentary? He asked me.

I was ashamed to answer “No”.

“I don't blame you; none of your “educated” officials at the negotiating table had watched it either.

That documentary ought to be a must-watch in your schools and colleges, so that you can understand how foreign companies and governments strive to rob you blind, just as before. Only this time, their methods are cloaked in one-sided “agreements” with the connivance of your “Educated” Managing Directors, Ministers, and Prime Ministers.

“How can you accuse our officials of complicity?” I asked defensively.

Has your media asked why your minister keep defending the mining companies.

THE BIG COMPANIES LIKE, NEWCREST ARE NOT EVEN ASHAMED TO CONNIVE WITH YOUR GOVT OFFICIALS TO SIDESTEP TALKS WITH LANDOWNERS AND SIDESTEP PAYING THE INCREASED 7% ROYALTY. THEY ARE PAYING THE 5% BASED ON ANCIENT GOLD PRICE OF $300.00/OZ INSTEAD OF THE CURRENT WORLDWIDE PRICE OF $1500.00/OZ., SHORTCHANGING YOUR PEOPLE $75,000,000 in the process.

Unfortunately, your negotiating officials are happy to giggle to the foreign banks with their thousands, accompanied in some cases by “Honorable”s and“Sir”s.

Even the Chinese are getting in on the act, albeit ILLEGALLY.

They are buying off businesses and prime land, AND YOUR MINISTER RESPONSIBLE LOOKS ON UNCONCERNED.*

Your media is just as bad. With buffet lunches or dinners and a few Kina in their pockets, your print media become the propaganda machines of these mining companies.

They tout the few boreholes and the 6-room schools, but leave out the callous treatment of local employees and residents, and the destruction of the environment.

The airwaves are SILENT on all this. FACEBOOK IS THE LONE VOICE FOR THE PEOPLE.

Why don't your media speak up by broadcasting and educating the masses, especially the officials that:

(a) THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT APPROVE OF FOREIGN COMPANIES ROBBING THE INDEGENES FULL BENEFITS OF THEIR GOD GIVEN MINERAL AND OIL DEPOSITS.

(b) Before 1980, foreign mining companies in PNG could not hold more than 40% interest in their partnership with the government; now the PNG govt. holds ZERO percent, while they hold 100%,; and therefore do not account to any authority.

A 50% annual return on investment (ROI) for the first 7 years, is generally considered EXCELLENT.

Foreign mining/ oil companies in PNG, are PERPETUALLY hauling away over 400% return on their investments, without any regard to the plight of the indigenous.

I feigned sleep, so he stopped talking. I was actually reflecting on all that he had said.

I realized that YES, we had become too “give me, give me”; “I beg”, “I beg you”; “My Christmas present”; “Give us something for water”.

I am reminded by this my brother's analogy. His cat will “meow” for some food, usually crumbs, in his bowl outside.

The bowl of food will attract the resident mice. One would think the cat would opt for the juicy mice, NOO!!!

He would lay there and watch the mouse eat all his food, and then come back “meowing” for more crumbs.

WE WATCH OUR OFFICIALS GIVE AWAY OUR GOLD, OIL, BAUXITE, DIAMOND, ETC FOR THEIR MEAGRE KICKBACKS, WHILE WE WALLOW IN POVERTY.

IT IS TIME WE WAKE UP FROM OUR SLUMBER, AND TAKE WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY OURS AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE.