Links
International Australian Rules Football Cup website --
http://www.iafc.org.au/intlcup.html
Internet Service Providers
Daltron -- http://www.daltron.com.pg
Data Nets -- http://www.online.net.pg
Datec -- http://www.datec.net.pg
Global Technologies -- http://www.global.net.pg
Computer Companies in PNG
Able Computing -- http://www.able.com.pg
Daltron -- http://www.daltron.com.pg
Data Nets -- http://www.datanets.com.pg
Datec -- http://www.datec.com.pg
HT PNG (formerly High Tech Industries) -- http://www.hightech.com.pg/
Global Technologies -- http://www.global.net.pg
Stationery Suppliers
Theodist -- http://www.theodist.com.pg
News Items
Milne Bay Show - Alotau
The following has been supplied by Gretta from Napatan Lodge about activities
in Milne Bay especially the Milne Bay Alive Show where a number of activities
have been planned. Apart from the normal traditional dance, choirs, peroveta
singing and traditional string band (not electrical) there will be drama,
traditional beauty competition for kids, a fashion parade, displaying local
"haute couture", flower arrangement competition, a novelty raft
race (sabotage with style) and war canoe and sailing canoe races. We are expecting
six traditional kula craft to sail in from Esa'ala. The theme for the show
will be the environment. There will also be agricultural items on display,
plus a heap of novelty races and fun games for kids.
Alotau will be a hive of activity before the show. The week before that (7th
Sept) is an arts and craft market that should last the week. The Doctors'
Symposium, with over 400 doctors expected to be in attendance, will start
on Monday 9th and go until the 13th. The Alotau Community have been working
consistently to raise the money to fund it.
Priestly Politics
The first of possibly many Catholic priests, who contested the 2002 elections,
has been suspended. Father Andrew Bili was suspended by Bishop Henk Kronenberg.
Air Niugini
The much awaited for Boeing B767 arrived with very little fanfare last week.
The plane has now taken over all the routes previously flown by the Airbus
A310. The Airbus will now be flown to the Mojave Dessert and mothballed. It
is hoped that one of the airfreight companies will take over the plane. The
Boeing is seen as a make or break effort for Air Niugini. Air Niugini will
be releasing a new schedule on the 1st of September to allow for the sharing
agreement with Qantas on routes to Australia.
Post Courier
The PNG Post Courier -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg
has won the inaugural President's Award of the Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers
Association (PANPA) that has a membership of over 300 newspapers in 14 countries.
The paper was also given a high commendation in the category of community
promotions for its war on corruption campaign.
Privatisation
The sale of government assets has been put on hold whilst the new government
assesses the situation. The sale of Telikom has also "frozen". The
Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, has directed the caretaker Privatisation
Minister, Bart Philemon, to halt the privatisation process for the time being.
In the new cabinet it would appear that there is no minister looking after
privatisation so you can only assume that the roll will be taken by the PM.
Sir Michael said that the concept used in the sale of government assets was
for quick money, which was the wrong concept. He said he was also concerned
that the negotiations for the sale of the country's flag carrier Air Niugini
must go through the right procedures.
Sacred Heart School
The Sacred Heart Community School in Hohola has lost eight classrooms in four
blocks valued at K600,000 due to a fire that occurred over the weekend. The
cause of the fire is not yet known. The National Capital District Commission
(NCDC) has said that it will build two double storey classrooms for the school.
It is estimated that the new classrooms will take three months to replace
and the funding for the building of the new classrooms will come from the
NCDC's five-year infrastructure program.
Porgera Mine
The mine has experienced a K80 million production revenue loss due to election
related problems. The mining and petroleum sectors earn 80 percent of the
total export earnings for PNG annually. This equals about K3 billion in total
annually from the two industries. During the election period, about 14 power
pylons supplying electricity from the Hides Gas Project in Southern Highlands
to the Porgera mine were damaged. Emergency generators have not been able
to provide the full power capacity. The destruction of the electricity pylons
had meant that the mine's gold processing operations have had to be shutdown.
Electoral Commissioner
The Ombudsman Commission has referred the Electoral Commissioner to the courts
for possible charges over the sale of waste paper that benefited his own company
rather than the government.
PNG Weather
People in Bougainville, East and West New Britain, New Ireland and Manus have
been warned to expect a very dry period by the National Weather Service worse
than the drought experienced in 1997. People have been warned to conserve
water and store as much as possible. Some people in the small atolls, such
as Pororan Island, are now running low on food because of the dry season.
Weather
If any reader is interested in the weather at various locations around PNG
then visit http://www.wunderground.com/global/NG.html
and http://weather.yahoo.com. Both
sites give a summary of the weather for such locations as --
Opposition Leader
In a twist, not unusual in PNG politics, Sir Mekere Morauta is the new Opposition
leader and although he resigned as leader of PDNM he has also been re-elected
as leader of the former PDM MPs under the umbrella of a provisionally named
National Development Party (NDP).
His first aim will be to ensure that they form an effective Opposition and
an alternative to the Government.
U-Vistract
The dishonest activities of the organisers of the U-Vistract pyramid scheme
are now back in the headlines. Officials of the PNG Central Bank have swooped
on the "unlicenced" premises of the so-called Royal Reserve Bank
of Papala and confiscated documents and equipment. Despite having the word
"bank" in its name the organisation, made up of investors in the
now defunct pyramid scheme U-Vistract, is not a registered bank. Central Bank
officials have described the operations of the unlicenced and so-called Royal
Reserve Bank of Papala as "deceitful". The "bank" refuses to close and has thrown court orders into the gutter.
Aussie Rules Football
The PNG Mosquitoes have so far been very successful in the AFL International
Cup despite being transported from warm PNG to cold Melbourne, Australia.
The next game, PNG v Nauru, could be a tough one because Nauru won at the
Arafura Games last year.
The PNG players, however, were able to beat Nauru yesterday (22 August) by 24 points so now they are into the Grand Final against Ireland. The game will be played tomorrow night (24 August) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as a curtain raiser to the Richmond / Collingwood clash.
Aussie Prime Minister
The Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, said that the new PNG government
must continue to pursue economic reforms. Australia is by far PNG's biggest
aid donor, giving assistance of some A$350 million (K700 million) per year.
George Brown Day
The 15th of August is the day in 1875 that the Methodist Missionary, Dr George
Brown first arrived on the Duke of York Islands in East New Britain. Over
a 1000 people gathered at the George Brown Memorial Church in the Port Moresby
suburb of Gerehu to celebrate the event.
Refugees
The Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, has ruled-out taking more asylum seekers
than what was originally agreed to by the Morauta government into the Australian
processing facility on Manus Island. The Australian conservative government
led by John Howard considers the Manus camp, along with a similar processing
centre on Nauru, as key elements of its policy of preventing asylum seekers
from reaching Australian shores until properly investigated for entry to Australia.
PNG Independence Ball
The Australian (Victorian) version of the PNG Independence Ball will be held
at the Prahran Town hall, in Melbourne, on the 14th September from 7pm till
1am. Tickets are now available; please contact Weka Tarr after hours on +61
3 9803 4066 with the number of ticket you want.
The cost of the tickets are
- members & students - $40.00
- non members - $50.00
- under 16 - $20.00
Melanesian Cup
The Melanesian Cup soccer tournament set to be played in the Solomon Islands
next month has been cancelled due to the worsening civil disorder in the Solomon
Islands.
Government Challenges
The Governor-General Sir Silas Atopare has said during the official opening
of the seventh Parliament, that PNG faces hard times ahead. Some of the challenges
will include economic hardship, corruption, unemployment, huge tax burdens
and increasing law and order problems.
Bougainville Diving
Over a dozen divers from Australia, New Zealand, France, United States of
America and Germany have been in Bougainville diving on war sites and other
interesting spots. The divers are on a Thai vessel, the first tourist vessel
with world-experienced divers that have been to the province since the Bougainville
crisis 12 years ago.
Commonwealth Games
It may be old news now but the PNG Swim team needs to be mentioned here as
during the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, they smashed eight PNG age and
open records. The team of Ryan Pini, Ben Wells and Anna-Lisa Mopio set new
marks in two senior, four open, and two age-group events.
Commonwealth Games Bid
The founding chairman of the Air Niugini seven-a-side World Barbarians Rugby
Football Union, Soiat Williams, has called for PNG to make a bid for the Commonwealth
Games. Taking such drastic action would mean that PNG would have to plan on
a bigger scale its sporting component in realising its economic goals. Mr
Williams said sport is now viewed as a major economic activity worldwide.
The New Cabinet
The Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, has announced a new-look Cabinet of
19 newcomers who will work with nine other experienced members of Parliament.
- Sir Michael Somare - Prime Minister
- Dr Allan Marat - DPM and Minister for Trade and Industry
- Lady Carol Kidu - Minister for Welfare and Social Development
- Bart Bhilemon - Finance/Treasury
- Dr Puka Temu - Public Service
- Sinai Brown - National Planning and Monitoring
- Patrick Pruaitch - Forestry
- Sir Peter Barter - Inter-Government Relations
- Michael Laimo - Education
- Don Polye - Transport and Civil Aviation
- Sasa Zibe - Minister for Environment and Conservation
- Yawa Silupe - Internal Security (Police/CIS)
- Alphonse Morial Willie - Science and Technology
- Mark Maipakai - Justice
- Robert Kapaol - Lands and Physical Planning
- Andrew Baing - Fisheries
- Alois King - Culture and Tourism
- Peter O'Neill - Labour and Industrial Relations
- Peter Oresi - Correctional Services
- Moses Maladina - Agriculture and Livestock
- Gabriel Kapris - Works
- Ben Semri - Communications and Information
- Yarka Kappa - Defence
- Melchior Pep - Health
- Sir Moi Avei - Petroleum and Energy
- Sam Akoitai - Mining
- Sir Rabbie Namaliu - Foreign Affairs and Immigration
- Yuntuvi Bao - Housing
- Speaker of Parliament - Bill Skate
- Opposition Leader - Sir Mekere Morauta
Nursing School
The Nursing School in Lae has received the major share of a recent K2.1 million
financial donation by the New Zealand Government. The assistance was originally
given to the Papua New Guinea Department of Health and the Lae School of Nursing
has been allocated K1 million, approved by the department for improving nursing
services in areas of education and training. The school funds will be used
to improve the competency level of nurses through training and to help with
the upgrading of training materials and facilities.
Missing Guns
The police in the Southern Highlands are investigating the loss of firearms
by soldiers and police apparently under the influence of liquor. The men caused
a disturbance at a village and threatened to shoot some of the villagers so
they retaliated by attacking the armed soldiers and policeman and disarming
them. The peaceful villagers have returned the firearms.
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is concerned that the new Forestry Minister has committed to pushing
through ten new logging operation projects by the end of the year.
Rabaul
The East New Britain Provincial Government has committed to helping various
national government bodies such as the Fire Service, National Works, Police
Department, Magisterial Services and the Rabaul Volcanic Observatory in the
province. The provincial government has provided the financial assistance
in a bid to strengthen their operations in the province.
Rabaul Duty Free
The Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Allan Marat, who is also the Minister for Trade
and Industry believes that declaring the port of Rabaul a duty-free free will
be the first move to re-develop Rabaul and it would also pave the way for
more businesses to return to the area. Declaring the Rabaul port duty-free
would mean all goods and materials arriving at the port for local consumption
would be exempted from import duty but goods transported out to Kokopo or
other areas would still be subject to import duty except for goods destined
for the Ulaveo Industrial Centre.
Lae
Boyamo Sali, a former Member of Parliament for Lae, has been elected as mayor
of Lae city, replacing Toffamo Mionzing.
PNG/Australia Gas Pipeline
United States energy giant ExxonMobil has recently said it was in advanced
talks with potential customers in the long-delayed $US3.5 billion PNG to Australia
(Queensland) gas pipeline. It is hoped that the PNG gas is the most competitively
priced gas supply available in Queensland. If successful the PNG gas project
is expected to be able to make the first deliveries of gas in 2006.
PNG Media
If a friend has given or sent you a copy of this newsletter
and you would like to keep receiving free copies then please visit http://pnggossip.com/news/index.html
for instructions on how to join the list.
Articles for this Newsletter
If you think you have a PNG page worth mentioning then please click here.
To send a message for submission to the PNG Gossip Newsletter
queue then please click here
Some of the above are courtesy of Liz and her friends at the University of
Technology in Lae. http://www.unitech.ac.pg
.gif)
.jpg)
View
PNG Gossip Newsletter Archive