Sources said financiers had voiced concerns over the negative publicity surrounding Eastern Highlands Gov. Malcolm Kela-Smith’s allegations that the office was illegal.
Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare was also very concerned about such negative publicity, especially from a member of the senior coalition partner in government, it was believed.
The prime minister, who had been in the forefront of the climate change agenda and who personally pushed for the creation of the office, had described the allegations as “irresponsible,” the sources said.
OCCES executive director Dr. Theo Yasause has written to Kela-Smith, saying that the OCCES is legally set up by the NEC.
In a letter dated Feb 19, Yasause said that by cabinet decision No. 107, the NEC appointed him executive director with the responsibility of setting up the office.
“We have so far set up an office from scratch,” he said. “We have set up appropriate divisions within the new office in accordance with our international treaty obligations, staffing the same (office) with highly qualified Papua New Guineans,” Yasause said.
“At the same time, we have attended to the country’s international obligations with this office now being established as the designated national authority as a requirement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for clean development mechanism projects, as well as reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation projects.”
Yasause said a team was working on a national climate change plan, a PNG REDD plan, a climate change trust fund, a climate change legislation, advisory boards and financial audit and reporting plans, taking into account the technical complexities of the new opportunities that climate change had brought on the world.
“This legislation will then launch the office of climate change as a separate legal entity, and what shape and how that happens will be a matter for Cabinet and, ultimately, Parliament, including yourself as the governor for Eastern Highlands, to deliberate on soon,” he told Kela-Smith in the letter.
“This office and the government will not pander to big businessmen driven by self interest, or international organizations coming in to rip the people off.”
