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Date Posted: 00:19:08 02/17/00 Thu
Author: Anonymous
Subject: The fallacy of the Bougainville Autonomy.

The 1988 -1998 war has implications for Bougainvillians in conflicting dimensions. The political solution, which is taking much of the efforts of the Bougainvillians', will only be the icing on the cake, so to speak. Efforts needed to increase commercial enterprise, capital formation, and social order, needs more than political rhetoric.

Why do I say this?

An environment exists where the PNG government is unable to participate fully in both the negotiation and in providing the goods and services. Bougainvillians cannot continue to follow the strategy of reminding the government its responsibility, because that will not work. Politics aside, Bougainvillians themselves must initiative the structures for extractive resources to finance itself state operations. I see the most essential needs in the island's economic base and market mechanisms, job creation, rule of law, goods and services and anything else to show that Bougainville has the capacity to fund its state budget. Without these anything else will be futile and waste of money and effort. The recent Tanis delegation to Port Moresby in one example of one wasted trip as has been others including the meetings held on Bougainville territorial waters. Bougainvillians cannot expect to proceed ahead if they are inclined to be treated by the national government within the minimum effort as the national government currently gives to the other 19 provincial governments. They must find their own money!

On the case of home-brew, everyone see this phenomenon as problem rather than something that the island can develop to a profitable alcohol industry. Those who die from its consumption and being involved in anti social behavior are in the minority. The same can be said about the manufacture of home made guns. I am not saying that they should continue with this activity, but the fact they were able to manufacture guns, means that they could reproduce imported technology if given the right materials. Much has been written about the byproducts of coconut to run diesel engines, kerosene, cosmetics and food. There have also been cases of the uses of cocoa byproducts (what's the scientific name belong wara belong cocoa?) for laundry purposes etc. Then what about the thousands who received training and gained valuable experience with BCL and other companies as metal fabricators, engineers, surveyors, construction workers and so on, but are currently under utilized. A case of a solid cottage industry, you might say. As economic alternatives, I think these are viable activities and can be profitable too. Obviously these things have other applications in the post war Bougainville.

My argument is that so far Bougainvillians efforts has all being political rhetoric. The political attention towards the solution has weighed heavily towards the long drawn debate on the politics and little on economic concerns. There are no champions for self sustaining Bougainville and entrepreneurialship among the groups and individuals in the BPC and the other political forces. There are quite whispers about developing a viable economic base. Not one has suggested how the four MPs could use their allocation of the slush funds to support meaningful business enterprise on Bougainville or have the sum built into the Bougainville development program.

Finally, so much has been spent on the political meeting that so little is left for the extension service. Consider how much the state spends on the number of chiefs, officials of Area authorities and the officials of the provincial bureaucracy who front up at Buka based guest houses for accommodation and feed. Consider also the increase in the guest house industry which effectively caters for the above clientele. That much could have been put to the extension services. It has been almost four years since the cessation of all hostilities and yet much of the rural outback remains closed to Arawa. If the extension service was quickly put into operation many cocoa trees of the hybrid variety would be nearing the first harvests by the beginning 2001.

As for local initiatives like home-brew I'll say get a brewery factory going so that the stuff can be done properly and sold and reduce the deaths. Home-brew or not, there will always be social problem on Bougainville but to blame it on home brew is too simplistic a view. The social effects of the ten years war will continue for many years, even if you ban manufactured alcohol on the market.

Secondly, establish cocoa processing factory on Bougainville to process the various byproducts as mentioned elsewhere in this paper.

Thirdly, restructure the wages structure and the pricing mechanism to attract manufacturing houses to the island. A comparatively low production price on Bougainville as opposed to the higher indexes on the mainland could be considered.

Most importantly recruit the most able minds and achievers to get some of these ideas worked out properly and implemented as a way of assisting the efforts of the PNG government and the external aid agencies. I would go for the staffing of the Bougainville Policy and Planning Secretariat with developmental minded people.

I have made my point!

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