Forest Minister Grilled on Logging Permit for Malaysian Firm

***********************************************

PAPUA NEW GUINEA RAINFOREST CAMPAIGN NEWS

***********************************************

Forest Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises

7/25/96

OVERVIEW & SOURCE by EE

Interestingly, _The National_ newspaper of PNG, which is owned by

multinational logger Rimbunan Hijau of Malaysia, printed the following

article relating parliamentary questioning of Forest Minister Baing

granting of timber concessions to the Malaysian firm Frontier Holdings.

Apparently a timber permit has been issued for Ihu district of Gulf

Province despite allegations that timber negotiations were secretive and

illegal (normal really). This item was posted in econet's reg.newguinea by

the UPNG Journalism department. It is exciting to see the increased

informational flow out of PNG from local groups.

g.b.

*******************************

RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:

/** reg.newguinea: 348.0 **/

** Topic: 145 Evara grills on logging **

** Written 9:40 AM Jul 25, 1996 by drobie@pactok.peg.apc.org in

cdp:reg.newgui

nea **

Title -- Evara grills Baing on logging permit for Malaysian firm

Date -- 24 July 1996

Byline -- None

Origin -- Niuswire

Source -- The National (PNG),24 July 1996

Status -- Unabridged

--------------------

EVARA GRILLS BAING ON LOGGING PERMIT FOR MALAYSIAN FIRM

PORT MORESBY: Deputy Opposition leader Roy Evara questioned Forests

Minister Andrew Baing in Parliament last week on the issuing of a permit to

a Malaysian logging company in the Ihu district of Gulf Province.

Mr. Evara asked Mr. Baing whether the company, Frontier Holdings, which was

earlier opposed by the Forest Department, has been given a concession in

Epea in Mr. Evara's electorate.

"I have on record a letter from the former Forests Authority managing

director, Jean Kekedo, that the permit given by the late Jack Genia as

Forests Minister was illegal and improper and the Forest Department had no

knowledge of where the permit originated from. Why was the minister and the

government so secretive about it ? Mr. Evara asked.

Mr. Evara said the company was now operating without the knowledge of the

provincial authorities, himself or the people of the project site and asked

if the government was aware of it.

Mr. Evara said: "For the last three years I have demanded during question

time and in my letters that the directors of this company be deported

because of so much corruption and bribery. They have used the people of my

electorate to fight the new developers that went into the area to create a

situation that in the end they will be the only people to develop the area

by 'hook or by crook'.

"Why hasn't the government deported Ms Lilly Chew and the other officers

which I have been naming for the last three years through the former

foreign minister, now Prime Minister ?"

Forests Minister Andrew Baing said he would give a written reply to Mr.

Evara's questions as they (questions) were quite substantial to answer

verbally at one time.

###RELAYED TEXT ENDS###

This document is a PHOTOCOPY and all recipients should seek permission from

the source for reprinting. You are encouraged to utilize this information

for personal campaign use; including writing letters, organizing campaigns

and forwarding. All efforts are made to provide accurate, timely pieces;

though ultimate responsibility for verifying all information rests with the

reader. Check out our Gaia Forest Conservation Archives at URL=

http://forests.lic.wisc.edu/forests/gaia.html

Networked by:

Ecological Enterprises

Email (best way to contact)-> gbarry@forests.org