Links
http://www.treehouse.com.pg -- Tree
House Village -- For those who want a truly tropical style accommodation package
then I suggest the exotic Tree House Village. The village is about 15 minute
along the scenic Buluminski Highway from Kavieng in the New Ireland province.
If anyone wants further details then please write to Tree House Village PO Box
351 Kavieng, PNG. Phone +675 984 2666 / facsimile +675 984 2693 or email albeck@global.net.pg
http://www.pomcci.org.pg -- Port Moresby
Chamber of Commerce
http://www.icd.org.pg -- PNG Institute
of Directors
http://www.rotary.org.pg -- Rotary
Club of Boroko
http://www.foda.org.pg -- Friends of
Disabled Association
The East New Britain Chamber of Commerce and East New Brisbane Tourism Bureau
has a web site at --- http://www.eastnewbritain.com
http://www.training-toward-maturity.org/about.html
-- Training Towards Maturity in PNG.
News Items
Walk For Life
The Price Waterhouse Coopers 2002 Walk for Life Corporate Challenge was held
recently in Port Moresby over a 4.85 kilometre course to raise funds for the
Sir Buri Kidu Heart Foundation. The Papua New
Guinea Tourism and Business Directory has devoted pages and pages of photographs
to the event. These can be found starting at http://www.pngbd.com/forum/t4675s.html.
The Papua New Guinea Tourism and Business Directory
actually entered a team of mudmen in the Walk for Life.
For those of you receiving the html version of this newsletter a picture
is shown below with a link to all the photos at PNGBD.COM.
For those receiving the text only newsletter you can see the solitary photo
at new/g021103.html
(mirrored at http://www.png-gossip.com/new/g021103.html)
but my suggestion is to visit the forum at http://www.pngbd.com/forum/t4675s.html
and see all nine pages. I am not sure how many photographs there are in all
but I would estimate over 80. Thanks to "aussie" and pngbd.com
for permission to reproduce the photos.
Police Infrastructure
Many buildings used by the police force in the Port Moresby area have had
a facelift. Gerehu, McGregor and Kila barracks, Bagita police houses and the
Boroko, Morata and Hohola police stations have all received attention as part
of an AusAID project to upgrade key police infrastructure throughout the country.
Maintenance and upgrading work has begun at the Tomaringa police barracks
in East New Britain. The barracks were closed for an indefinite period recently
due to the deteriorating conditions that were deemed to be a health risk.
The total cost of the maintenance work is around K70,000.
East New Britain
The following has come from the East New Britain Tourism Bureau -- http//www.eastnewbritain.com
From the 11th to the 14th of November 2002, there will be a team of eleven
(11) Russian personnel from two TV companies and two tour wholesalers visiting
East New Britain (ENB) province. A Promotion / Marketing Officer will accompany
the team from the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority.
The team will be here on a familiarisation tour of ENB to collect first-hand
information on ENB as a tourist destination for the Russian market. The team
will cover the Rabaul sector from the 11th to the 12th November. Hamamas Hotel
has offered free of charge accommodation for the team. On the morning of the
13th of November, the team will leave Rabaul to spend one night in Kokopo.
The ENB Tourist Bureau is coordinating this familiarisation trip but are hoping
for some assistance from all tourism industry members to secure the Russian
tourism market for next year.
Hospital Bills
It has been reported that prominent people who have had a stay other than
in the public wards at the Port Moresby General Hospital have not paid their
bills. The hospital has had to send in the debt collector in an attempt to
collect over K265,000. Final letters of demand have been sent out to people
who should be in a position to pay the higher costs of the intermediate wards.
Education Costs
The cost of educating children will be higher next year with the reintroduction
of an education subsidy rather than free education.
UPNG
The University of PNG has launched a legal aid program. The program will
be co-ordinated by the School of Law. Chief Justice Sir Arnold Amet launched
the Legal Education and Awareness Program (LEAP) recently. The School of Law
will be offering free legal services to the public through this legal aid
scheme.
Battle of Milne Bay
The 60th anniversary of the Battle of Milne Bay has come and gone. A group
of veterans from Australia have travelled to PNG for the dedication of a K3.8
million World War II memorial at Milne Bay, where in August - September 1942
Australia inflicted the Japanese Army's first land defeat. This was probably
the most decisive battle for PNG and Australia during the Second World War
but it is often overlooked for the Kokoda Trail Campaign.
South Pacific Games
Fundraising has begun in earnest for PNG's participation at the 2003 South
Pacific Games in Fiji. The Prime Minister's Celebrity Walk has been set-down
for the 8th of November followed by followed by the Trukai Fun-Run auction
on the 6th of March, the Prime Minister's Corporate Golf Challenge on April
4 and the Trukai Fun Run on May 4.
Sogeri National High
The National Capital District and Central Province police commander, Geoffrey
Vaki, has blasted student drunkenness and bad behaviour at Sogeri National
High School. He said this after a clash between policemen and High School
students at the educational institution outside Port Moresby recently. Sogeri
has had a proud academic and leadership tradition but the conduct the recent
student intake has disgusted many people.
Wantok Radio
The newest FM radio station - Christian orientated Wantok Radio Light 93.9FM
- has initiated a Share-a-thon and is inviting Christians to donate K2 each
to achieve its aim of "Covering the Nation for Christ".
Port Moresby Water
The Koiari landowners have now turned on the water after turning off a main
tap supplying water to the city of Port Moresby. Many of the city residents
living in the higher areas are still suffering from a lack of water. The water
is also used to generate electricity so the whole of Moresby has been experiencing
blackouts during the problem. The thermal generators at Moitaka and Kanudi
can only meet about 50 percent of the city's demand for electricity.
Port Moresby gets its water from Sirinumu dam that was built on land traditionally
owned by the Koiari people.
Polling Problems
The initial verdict of the Community Coalition Against Corruption has reported
that there was no secrecy in the secret ballot polling, intimidation was rife
and the Common Rolls were a mess resulting in more than twice the number of
enrolled voters voting. Curiously, this final figure excluded many registered
voters who were turned away at the polling booths.
It also reported that in one area where the 2000 National Census reported
that was only 800,000 eligible voters around 1.5 million people voted.
Sir Michael Somare
The Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, has recently met with world leaders
to put forward major issues affecting Papua New Guinea and the region at the
two-day APEC meeting in Mexico.
Pari Market
A market is soon to be completed at Pari village just outside Port Moresby.
A market upgrade program for the whole of Port Moresby is being fully funded
by the European Union; the overall project is worth K1 million.
Kutubu Oil
An agreement has been reached with the Southern Highlands landowners to
reopen the Mubi valve station that had been closed for a week. This will mean
that oil will flow again in the Southern Highlands.
Political Parties Merger
Two of the smaller parties in the Government have merged under a new name.
The Pipol's First Party founded by Value Added Tax opponent, Morobe Governor
Luther Wenge, and the United Party headed by Goroka MP Bire Kimisopa have
joined forces and named their new merger as Pipol First United Party (PFU).
The Registrar of Political Parties has said the merger is illegal and would
not be recognised.
InterOil Refinery
The parts for the InterOil oil refinery have left Houston in USA and are
on the way to PNG. The 1000-tonne shipload of complex pipes and machinery
is scheduled to arrive in around the middle of December. It will take about
12 months to assemble all the parts and then the refinery will be able to
process up to 32,000 barrels of crude oil a day. This will produce enough
petrol and diesel to satisfy the whole of the PNG market with surplus over
to ship to other countries in the region.
CAA Board
The Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Don Polye has sacked the Civil
Aviation Authority (CAA) board. The board members have been given 14 days
notice of their termination.
The Kina
The PNG Chamber of Commerce has expressed serious concern at the substantial
decline of the kina as it dipped below $US0.20 recently.
Highlands Highway
The road maintenance along the Highlands Highway is progressing. Maintenance
work had been completed for sections of the highway between Yonki and Goroka
town in the Eastern Highlands Province and more maintenance work is continuing
from Asaro Bridge to Daulo, Watabung at the border of Eastern Highlands and
Chimbu Provinces to Chuave, and Wara Chimbu in Kundiawa to Mindima.
Chimbu Province
The Police in Chimbu Province are keeping a 24-hour close watch on all road
infrastructure projects currently underway in the province. They are making
sure that the construction work in the areas are not vandalised by the local
landowners or criminals. The road projects are important to the province and
police are ensuring that there is no interferences.
Poker Establishments
The National Gaming Control Board has approved new bylaws that now make
it compulsory for all poker machine gaming sites to meet higher standards.
The new bylaws impose standards with regard to floor space, ventilation, lighting,
security, the availability of food and drinks, especially non-alcohol drinks,
and non-gaming entertainment.
Prison Escape
70 prisoners have escaped from Baisu jail in the Western Highlands province.
One of the escapees is a convicted prisoner while the rest are remandees who
had been jailed for committing crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, break
and enter, stealing and many other crimes. The escape took place when all
the warders and other staff members had gone to town to collect their pay.
Frost and Drought
Many areas of PNG are currently experiencing frost and drought conditions.
At the moment these
have been described as "minor" and not as critical as the one experienced
in 1997. It is hoped that rain will fall in December to help alleviate the
problem in Moresby. The frosts in October caused only minimal to moderate
damages to some isolated pockets of garden areas along the fringes of the
valley basins and floors in Tambul, Nebilyer, Kandep, Sirunki and Upper Mendi
areas.
Genetic Testing
It has been announced that the University of Technology's biotechnology centre
in Lae can carry out DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) testing. Most hospitals in
the country could not afford such technology and they have had to turn away
clients who have requested tests. Hospitals from around the country have been
invited to use DNA facilities. Some hospitals have already taken up the offer.
Missing US Sailors
Two women reported missing in the Hermit Islands west of Manus over a week
ago have been found alive and rescued by the local people. The two women from
USA were rescued and helped ashore after their 34-foot sailboat 'Banshee'
hit a reef. The boat has been recovered and is undergoing emergency repairs
in the Hermit Islands. It will be towed to Lorengau and Lae for full repairs.
Lae Kofi Houses
Youth members in Lae have gathered to discuss plans to better organise the
Community Kofi Haus concept. Most of the youth have turned away from criminal
activities and have been able to set up 400 'kofi hauses' or mini stalls around
the city and settlements to sell various items ranging from ice blocks, soft
drinks, betel nuts and cigarettes and lollies rather than resort to criminal
activities. Unfortunately some unknown people have burnt some of the stalls
down recently.
Children's Literature
A workshop has been held on the proposed PNG Children's Literature Award
scheme. The office of Libraries and archives made a submission to the National
Library and Archives Board (NLAB) for the establishment of a PNG Children's
Literature Award in 2001. The purpose of establishing such an award is to
promote children's literature in the country. This will be an opportunity
for PNG writers for nationwide recognition of their talent and work. It is
hoped that the awards scheme is able to get under way.
Porebada Village
As the residents of Port Moresby are rapidly running out of water the 8,000
villagers of Porebada, Central province, have celebrated the long overdue
return of the water supply to their village outside Port Moresby. It has been
nine years since the villagers have had running water in the village. The
K20,000 project upgraded the existing pipeline and installed three tanks that
are now supplying water to 10 taps in the village.
Mumeng - Morobe Province
Thirteen young adults, most of them from Zenag village near Mumeng government
station in Morobe province, have surrendered to the local police in Mumeng.
Zenag villagers have constantly assaulted farm workers at a nearby poultry
farm and stole chickens from the farm, something, which they readily admitted
yesterday.
World Barbarian Rugby
The World Barbarian Sevens (WBS) won the rights to use the Papua Rugby League
ground this weekend pushing out another competition.
Port Moresby Bush Walking Club
Graham Maskiell has asked the following question --
I am seeking a contact for this group if it still exists.
I would appreciate any information.
Many thanks Graham Maskiell
If anyone knows an answer please respond to this newsletter and I will pass
the message on to Graham.
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 ../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
use the contact form
To send a message for submission to the PNG Gossip Newsletter
queue please use the contact form
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
22
Sep 2002
