NEW DAWN ON BOUGAINVILLE

100622 MINISTER DENIES TEN MILLION KINA FOR SIARA KOREPOVI ROAD
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The ABG Minister for Technical Service, HON DR.JOE KIM SUWAMARU has denied having knowledge of a TEN MILLION KINA funding earmarked for the upgrading of the Siara/Korepovi road in the West Coast of Bougainville.
He told the ABG Parliament this week that he only knows about a FOUR MILLION KINA allocated for three bridges on this road.
The Minister made these comments when replying to questions from the ABG member for TEWA, HON.CHARLES KAKAPETAI who questioned the Minister if these TEN MILLION KINA was in the Technical Department which looks after roads.
Member KAKAPETAI said that this TEN MILLION KINA funding was recently announced by the Member for North Bougainville, HON WILLIAM NAKIN and the Regional member for Bougainville, HON PETER TSIAMALILI JR at a launching ceremony in Kunua.
Member KAKAPETAI questioned why this project has not started since these two leaders assured the people that funding has been secured and ready.
He said it has been two weeks since their announcement and people are now questioning if this was an election commitment that may not happen has promised.

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080622 TECHNICAL OFFICERS SHORT IN DEPARTMENT SAYS MINISTER.
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The Minister for Technical Services, HON DR.JOE KIM SUWAMARU said that his Department is short with engineers to carry out scoping for roads as required by Bougainville.
He said his Department has recruited a Secretary and is in the process to recruit officers required to carry out specific jobs for the Department.
The Minister made these comments when responding to questions raised by the member for Selau HON PAUL CHEUNG for the technical department to get its engineers to scope feeder roads in his constituency.
The member said that monies have been budgeted but requires scoping so that work can be tendered for implementation.
He said last year he hired private engineers to scope two feeder roads that were upgraded.
The Minister said that once recruitment is completed his department can go out and carry out scoping for their feeder roads.
DR.SUWAMARU also highlighted funding as one obstacle that make the job difficult.

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281021SUWAMARU WANTS BOUGAINVILLE TO SUPPORT OWN PROGRESS
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The ABG Minister for Technical Services and member for Kopii, Honorable DR.JOE KIM SUWAMARU said that Bougainville has to learn to support its progress rather than relying on handouts from donors.
Speaking at the KUBU Power house this afternoon, DR.SUWAMARU thanked the Australian government and the people of Australia for their continuous support to Bougainville this time with the Purchase of bigger Generators for both ARAWA and BUKA, the Minister said Bougainville must learn to create its revenue and work on these issues instead of relying too much on donors.
He said that the ABG was working on an energy policy that will address power issues in the region.
DR. SUWAMARU said that the South West highway into Buin through Panguna needs bridges as people especially sick die whilst waiting for the floods to go down.

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221021 MINISTER TALKS ON THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTRE AND HOW THEY CONNECT TO THE SIX BENCHMARKS ANNOUNCED BY THE ABG PRESIDENT.
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The Minister for Technical Services and member for Kopii constituency, Honorable DR.JOE KIM SUWAMARU explained on Physical infrastructures and how they are connected to the governments six benchmarks announced by the TOROAMA/NISIRA government when they took office.
They are Governance, Social Services, Economic Development, Human resources development, Quality of life and Law and Order.
The Minister relating these benchmarks to physical infrastructure said that Physical infrastructure is the foundation for the flow or transactions of physical goods and services and due to the technology age, Digital goods and services like the Digicel and Telikom Communications Towers where mobile communication can enable transactions, financial transaction, communications that can support Socio economic developments that can support governance through e learning and other such support.
And with communications Doctors in towns can communicate with Nurses in district health centres concerning patients instead of transferring sick who can be treated locally.
He said with communication, people can be well informed to make development changes in their communities improving standard of living and can also minimize criminal activities in the communities.
He said physical infrastructures are also roads, airports sea ports and bridges that support the movement of goods and services to reach people in the towns and districts.
The Minister said that it is the responsibility of all citizens to make sure these physical infrastructures are looked after so that services can flow to the people in the most remote areas of Bougainville without interruption.
He said if our people can understand their roles and responsibilities in their communities, Bougainville will be okay.
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2201021 MINISTER ON ROADS AS PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURES
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The ABG Minister for technical services and member for Kopii constituency in Siwai, Honorable DR.JOE KIM SUWAMARU says there are seven actors in the maintenance and building of feeder roads and trunk roads and bridges in the Autonomous Bougainville Region.
Four actors are the four National Government members, North, Central, South Bougainville and the Regional member who have their own programs.
The other three actors are the Department of Works, ABG Technical Services with Transport Sector Support Program with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs (TSSP).
He said that three major contractors currently on Bougainville are DEKENAI, COVEC and RAIBRO with many local subcontractors.
The Minister mentioned incidents where some contractors have not completed already paid jobs in the past that continue to slow the progress of our road networks in Bougainville.
He said all players must play their part so that physical infrastructures through roads and bridges can be fully utilized by all to support the six bench marks of the government.
The Minister said that he was concerned many small subcontractors were not properly registered with IPA and have Tax codes to pay tax to the Government.
He encouraged them to comply and continue the good work that they are doing to support the development of Bougainville.
Minister SUWAMARU encouraged small contractor to combine their resources under Bougainville consortium bid for much bigger contracts.

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201021 DR SUAMARU TALKS ON THE ENERGY SECTOR
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The ABG Minister for Technical Services, Honorable DR.JOE KIM SUWAMARU today talked on the Energy sector in Bougainville and how the Government is trying to address the sector.
This is a follow up to what he explained to the Buka Business Association members at the recent Peaceful March in Buka against the services of PNG POWER in Buka.
DR. SUWAMARU talked on the Electricity an utility currently supplied by PNG POWER to PNG and Bougainville.
He also talked on the challenges, the initiatives being undertaken by the TOROAMA/NISIRA government to improve the services and also he touched on the MOU signed between PNG POWER and ABG in July.
DR. SUWAMARU said that since the protest march in Buka, the technical team has been working on a cabinet submission that if approved can be presented to the next JSB to get support and to establish a Bougainville Power owned by Bougainvilleans that can provide power, make profit and pay taxes to the ABG.
He said providing electricity was a lucrative business if done properly.

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121021MINISTER TO PRESENT GRIEVANCES TO BEC
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The ABG member for Kopi and Minister for Technical Services, Honorable DR.JOE KIM SUWAMARU has promised the members of the Buka Business Association that he will take their grievances to the Bougainville Executive Council.
Speaking in response to questions and comments by the BBA Members, DR.SUWAMARU said that he has noted their grievances regarding the power outages and will talk with the members of BEC to address these problems.
On the question of funding, he said he does not control finance but will pass the word to the Finance Minister and BEC if they can allocate some funds for Power.
He said the draft energy policy should be ready for presentation to cabinet before the end of the year and implementation should begin as early as January, 2022.

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081021BUKA BUSINESSMAN CALLS ON PNG POWER TO ADJUST POWER TARRIFF
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Buka Businessman and now the town Manager, FIDELIS SEMOSO has called on the PNG POWER to increase tariff for Buka consumers and make sure funds are kept in Buka to run the operations in Buka and no longer in Port Moresby.
Speaking at the Buka Business Association organized forum at the BEL ISI PARK today, MR.SEMOSO said that the business houses are prepared to pay extra charges as long as the power is uninterrupted.
He also called on the Minister for Technical Services, DR. JOE KIM SUWAMARU to talk with the ICCC to allow Bougainville to make these tariff changes for the good of Bougainville.
MR. SEMOSO said that it was very expensive running individual Generators as it is slowly killing Businesses.
He also called on the Minister to get the ABG pay some of GMTs’ bills so that they can supply fuel to PNG POWER in Buka.

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070521 BUKA NON COMPLIANT AIRPORT SAYS MINISTER
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The Minister for Technical Services Transport and Civil Aviation, DR. KIM SUAMARU says that the Buka airport is non-compliant as it is a short airport needing an extra 400 meters to make it able to accommodate bigger planes into the region.
He said due to the length currently the Forker-100 plane cannot carry the full 100 passengers.
DR. SUAMARU made these comments on New Dawn FM yesterday.
He said Air Niugini cannot pick the full passengers from Port Moresby and Tokua as it only carries 85 passengers instead of the full 100.
DR. SUAMARU said a plane starts to descend into the airport approaching to land from about Ten kilometres and because of the short airport it cannot do that so to compensate for this it must reduce the load capacity.
He said also on the western end of the flight path there are trees and also people building houses and also a Digicel Tower is also standing on the flight path which makes it impossible for the plane to make a full loaded plane land safely.
The Minister also said that these obstacles denies any possibility for the Buka airport to be extended by a further 400 meters.
He said the consequences for this non-compliance is the elevated costs by Air Niugini to make up for these empty seats that are not filled.
He also announced that the Bougainville Executive Council recently approved a Bougainville Regional Airline to be established.

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200421 ENERGY PROBLEM MUST BE ADDRESSED HEAD ON SAYS MINISTER
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The ABG Minister for Technical Services, DR. KIM SUAMARU says Bougainville continues to experience energy crisis over the past years and most recently and this must be addressed and solved.
He made this comments during the signing of an MOU between ABG and LENAPE/PATTERSON DEVELOPMENT GROUP to provide renewable energy to Bougainville.
He said the energy crisis has disrupted Businesses, Schools and Hospitals and the Government is motivated to work with these group to empower Bougainville to prepare her for Independence.
DR. SUAMARU said that he is happy that this agreement will enable the parties to roll out long term and short term energy projects throughout the region.
He said this will be based on the Solar technology and considering the Geographic situation in Bougainville this technology will really help our people.
Minister SUAMARU said that the Catholic Church Bishop of Bougainville has agreed to allow this projects to be roll out at Mission stations because they have land available everywhere throughout Bougainville.
The partners presented their proposal to the Bougainville Executive Council this morning.

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