GOVERNMENT CANDIDATE FOR GG NOT QUALIFIED

PNGEXPOSED BLOG

Papua New Guinea’s acting Governor General, Michael Ogio, has a history of dubious involvement in controversial illegal logging deals and is not a fit and proper person for the role as Head of State.

As Forest Minister, Michael Ogio, frequently ignored the law to grant illegal access to vast areas of Papua New Guinea forests to some of its most notorious logging companies. He also handed the loggers unlawful tax concessions and defied the law and proper process to protect their interests.

As Forest Minister Ogio also refused to comply with the Morauta government’s attempts at forest reform and consistently breached government policy to favour his logging friends.

As revealed by PNG Forest Watch back in 2002, Ogio’s ‘trail of shame’ includes:

• Granting an unlawful 10-year extension of the huge Wawoi Guavi Timber Permit to Rimbunan Hijau against the advice of the Forest Authority and in defiance of the National Forest Board

• Giving three unlawful tax exemptions for the illegal Kiunga Aiambak logging project operated by Concord Pacific

• Giving three Ministerial Directives to the National Forest Board to ignore proper procedures and unlawfully award the Josephstaal logging concession in Madang Province

• Issuing an unlawful Timber Authority (TA 1-08) for a huge Timber Authority in Western Province against the advice of five Government Departments

• Taking no action against the Forest Authority Managing Director, Thomas Nen, for allowing illegal logging in Pondo and Tuwapu

Ogio breached the government’s Forestry Action Plan to allow logging in Inland Pomio, Pondo and Lak; breached the government’s Moratorium on new logging concessions; and consistently tried to manipulate the position of Managing Director of the Forest Authority – making 6 different appointments to the position between January and April 2002.

Michael Ogio was dumped from Parliament in the 2002 National election, after 15 years as an MP, but returned five-years later. He is currently the Governments candidate for the vacant GG post.