Transcript
NAKIKUS KONGA: It's actually pulled back development in the provinces, and especially the rural areas in terms of government's social obligations to roads, schools, health and the list goes on. The power pulls back to Port Moresby. So what we have done with the new autonomous government of East New Britain, it is more or less empowering the people in two areas, the provincial government in three areas: one is politic; the other one is the administration; and the economy, finance. Otherwise we are a still an integrated part of Papua New Guinea.
JOHNNY BLADES: Are you saying in effect that East New Britain for instance will be able to manage its own finances rather than Waigani? I mean like development or projects...
NK: That is very right. It's an important part of this exercise. Like governments, you know, since 43 years of independence, we have good, conducive policies, but you know but with policies it can become just rhetoric when we don't support it with finance and enhance it with (indecipherable) for people in the rural areas in terms of service delivery.
JB: You mentioned politics as well, how does that effectively work?
NK: Politics relates back to things like for example my direction for work now is going to be different to New Ireland and others. These other provinces are full of available resources like gold and gas and so forth. I am here, no. So when I say politics, we will, through the provincial government, we will make some changes in those areas like finance. The World Bank, they'll be established in my province. Now that is politics, part of growing finances, the economy. Before, there was certain restricted business activities, only for nationals. But when the 'Look North' policy was introduced in 1992/93 it takes away those restricted activities. And also it was a policy concept for the national government that every investor coming in to here, especially on small and medium enterprises, they must forgo the 30 percent to my people.
JB: So those Malaysian logging companies for instance in your province, are they going to be paying out more to your people now? There have been so many problems around their presence...
NK: Precisely, this is as I say politics. I have to make some decisions regarding finance and controlling them. You see, the forestry animal - I call it an animal - the forestry animal in Papua New Guinea, it has become a very big controversy. The introduction of SABLs (Special Agricultural Business Leases) some ten or fifteen years ago, that's really spoiled our people. And our people are getting less for their resources, especially with the land. Investors they can have the money, but more equally important, my land is very important. They can have the money, but without the land, my land or my people, they can only use the money... For this reason, I am going to be fighting for a bit more benefit frmo the oil palms, the forestry and everything for my people.
JB: Is it fair to say that provinces like yours want more autonomy because you feel you can get better results for your people by having more control?
NK: That's it. Having more control of my people. Like, the national government, they're going around with this concept of service delivery, schools and so forth, where everybody in the province and throughout the country are looking at the central government as the milk producer, they produce the milk for all of us. Whereas in my province, my new concept as of yesterday onwards is that I have to grow my local economy. That's my vision, my dream I have now. That is the policy of my government. I've warned my people down there, it changes now. Because I believe that growing the local economy, they will be the ones who contribute meaningfully for themselves, the local people. And when they are successful in their own families and so forth, they will contribute meaningfully to the provincial government itself. So I will create my own money here, taxes and so forth. And by doing that, if my province is successful, it will contribute meaningfully to Papua new Guinea in terms of taxes and other revenue collection for the national government. I live with the hope that I will be collecting here myself from taxes, like for spirits and all that, toll fees on vehicles and everything. And also I have to empower my public servants now, to work together with (relevant agencies) so we monitor the import of things coming to my harbour from now on. And then I will make sure the logging companies - logging companies especially with big trucks and the drivers and big machine operators - they pay their taxes and licenses to the provincial government of East New Britain.
