Transcript
FATHER SIMON DUMARINU: My energy will be around implementing the Bougainville Peace Agreement because the time is against us and we are running out in the time frame that is set between the government of Papua New Guinea and the autonomous region of Bougainville.
DON WISEMAN: There have been issues haven't there. I have spoken just recently with President John Momis and he is concerned that the funding he believes is due to Bougainville under the Peace Agreement is not coming through and that's holding up development. Is this how you see it as well?
SD: Yes that is the issue before us. As we are coming in we are looking at it, speeding up the implementation of the Bougainville Peace Agreement on the ground. The good transition towards the referendum.
DW: You are within the national government now. What sort of support are you getting from the people at the top?
SD: The first thing is they appointed me into this position as Minister of Bougainville Affairs - that's part of it and as we organise ourselves - we are in the process of organising our department and then we line up our implementation direction.
DW: One of the critical things about is that Bougainville has got to be economically viable at that time, so in less that two years it has got to effectively create a working economy doesn't it? Do you think that can be done in that time?
SD: yeah Bougainville has got the resources to work on it and support ourselves and eventually we will need to pick us up, someone has got to help us along the way, possibly New Zealand or other --yeah, as part of, as part of the peace agreement, they are partners in this process. So we will be looking maybe at others to support us along the way and of course PNG - they have got the responsibility to undertake this process.
DW: The ABG and a lot of other parties on Bougainville are very keen to resume mining, they are very keen for the Panguna mine to re-open. Is that the way , you think, that the development should go?
SD: At the moment I am not looking along that line, especially with the mining at the moment. I have been going along with the process of implementation which has to go ahead and to start up the mining at this point in time - people are still confused, need awareness and other things need to be done before people are in a proper position in order to make a proper decision in regards to those issues. Yes the leadership [ABG] is pushing, they have got their own priorities in the way they see it, but I think on the ground people are still not clear yet.
DW: Do you think there should be more emphasis on those other sectors, like agriculture, tourism?
SD: Yeah we will be looking more at the moment, to the government of the day in Papua New Guinea is looking to agriculture, tourism. There is more emphasis there at the moment so I will be more on that line because I have to maintain the Peace Agreement there on the ground. I am looking at the more peaceful direction we can follow for the way for Bougainville.
