Joint meet rescheduled, says Makiba

By ZARA KANU LEBO

A MEETING of the Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) on Bougainville scheduled for yesterday was cancelled after “agendas were not furnished on time”.
Minister of Bougainville Affairs Manasseh Makiba confirmed that the meeting would now proceed this week.
The agenda was to have been prepared by the Joint Technical Team (JTT) last weekend.
“The restoration development grants, Bougainville Copper Ltd shares, and fisheries revenue sharing agreement were matters being dealt with by the JTT due to technical and legal complexities,” he said.
The JTT comprises department heads and technical professionals from the Government and ABG who held consultations before jointly drawing up the agenda for the JSB to deliberate on.
“The system in place through the JTT is transparent and allows for constructive deliberations from both sides before it gets to the political level.
“Any disagreements or issues relating to any sticky subjects are resolved at the JTT level.
“To suggest or imply that the Government of PNG is bulldozing matters or turning a deaf ear to any issue is mischievous,” he said.
The JSB, in its last meeting on July 13, agreed that the result of the Bougainville Referendum be tabled in Parliament.
Makiba and ABG Attorney-General and Minister for Bougainville Independence Mission Isikiel Massatt agreed to the terms of the sessional orders.
Prime Minister James Marape in a statement welcomed the Bougainville President Ismael Toarama and ABG leaders to Port Moresby ahead of the JSB meetings for this week.
Marape said the consultation meeting “will provide clarity on the procedural aspects, including the deployment of sessional orders required to present the referendum results before Parliament”.
“We are now at a juncture where Parliament will deliberate on the referendum results.
“I am well aware that 97.7 per cent of Bougainvilleans have voiced their support for political autonomy.”