Busy Png Cabinet
pp. 11-133 · Read in the full issue
From a Port Moresby correspondent An annual bill of $3O million for he Army was more than PNG could [fford, Chief Minister Mr Michael >omare said after a Cabinet meeting lad agreed on the position to be aken by PNG in resumed talks on lefence with Australian officials.
Cabinet had agreed that planning
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after independence should be on the basis of a defence force separate from the police, Mr Somare said, but it was unlikely that a third battalion would be raised for the defence force.
Facilities and services would be shared with other government agen cies such as civil defence and the fire services whenever practicable.
Papua New Guinea has adopted a set of principles covering a new mining policy which will be incorpo rated in legislation. Main points in the new policy are a tax of about 50 per cent on profits from large mines, elimination of long tax holi days, a proportion of royalties for landowners, options for the govern ment to buy into major mining ven tures, use of locally produced goods and services in mining projects, and training and employment of local people in mining projects.
The government has accepted an offer by the Peru Government to provide technical help in developing the OK Tedi copper mine near the junction of the borders of Papua, New Guinea and West Irian. They will advise on geological, engineer ing and financial aspects of a pro posal by Kennecott Corporation to develop the mine.
PNG’s Transport Minister Mr Bruce Jephcott has warned European owned trucking companies that their businesses would be “localised” if their drivers were involved in attacks on weighbridge station officers.
The warning came after a weigh bridge officer had alleged that two officers were shot in the legs on the Lae road near Goroka by a Euro pean riding “shotgun” on a truck.
The shooting was said to be one of many incidents in a war between truck drivers and weighbridge officers attempting to stop trucks to weigh them. Overweight trucks have been blamed for breaking up the road surface.
Helicopter Res C U E.—An
irmy helicopter from Lae was called n to rescue 12 people from a launch vhich was breaking up in heavy seas • n Mitre Rock, near loma off the north :oast of Papua about the middle of tfay. Eight men, three youths and >ne woman were in the launch, the ►0 ft Kauri. No one was injured, >ut the launch was badly damaged md unsalvageable.