Links
The official website of the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion
Authority can be found at -- http://www.pngtourism.org.pg
The Milne Bay Tourism website can be found at -- http://www.milnebaytourism.gov.pg
An interesting web site dealing with Rimbunan Hijau, PNG's biggest logging
company can be found at -- http://www.rimbunan.forests.org.au
-- It makes interesting reading.
http://www.jiema.hp.ms -- Jay Ma's web
site -- A genuine PNG Blog.
FAQ's about Missionary Aviation Fellowship -- http://www.maf.org.au/info/faqs.php
Education Web Sites
http://www.ibs.com.pg -- International
Business Institute
http://www.iea.ac.pg -- International Education
Agency
http://www.iti.com.pg -- PNG International
Training Institute
http://www.pngmc.ac.pg -- PNG Maritime
College
http://www.pta.com.pg -- Pacific Training
Academy
http://www.unitech.ac.pg -- PNG University
of Technology (Lae)
http://www.uog.ac.pg -- University of Goroka
http://www.upng.ac.pg -- University of
PNG
http://www.workersmutual.com.pg
-- Computer Training
News Items
Medical Licences
Practicing pharmacists, technicians and pharmacies have been warned that
all practicing licences must be renewed before the 30th of March otherwise
they will be practicing illegally. Since the PNG Pharmacy Board was established
in 2001 all individuals engaged in handling or selling medical devices, cosmetics
and medicinal products on their premises must ensure that they have a practicing
licence to do so.
Records show that there are currently 58 pharmacy outlets, 132 pharmacists
and 52 pharmacy technicians licenced in the country.
Central Province Health
Parliament has voted and approved a change in the National Capital District
(NCDC) laws to allow a greater amount of money collected as Goods and Services
Tax (GST) by the NCDC to go towards Central Province. Central Province has
said that the money will be used to boost health in the Province. It is anticipated
that this will lessen the need for people from Central Province to visit the
Port Moresby General Hospital. Currently people from the four Central Provinces
(Goilala, Kairuku-Hiri, Rigo and Abau) are flocking to the Port Moresby General
due to a lack of facilities in Central.
NCDC currently collects about K150 million in tax a year. The new law requires
the NCDC to pay ten percent of this to the Central provincial government,
three percent to the Gulf provincial government and two percent to the local
landowners of Port Moresby, the Motu-Koitabu.
PNG Tourism Expo
The PNG Tourism Promotion Authority in conjunction with the PNG Tourism Industry
Association will stage a tourism expo in March. The three day expo will be
held at the Holiday Inn in Port Moresby starting on the 5th of March. The
expo will be titled "Lukim PNG Nau" and it is hoped that it will
encourage local tourism. Although PNG is one of the best countries in the
world to visit many people both national and expatriate have not set foot
outside their own little area. It is hope the expo will attract these people
to parts of the country that they have never seen before. For those people
who will be able to attend there will be a gate fee of K2.00 per person.
Tourism Training
The Tourism Promotion Authority has embarked on a training program aimed
at training tourism stakeholders. The course has been put together by the
Tourism Promotion Authority and the Australian Targeted Training Program.
Tourism Promotion
After many years with the Tourism Promotion Authority Eri Singin a one time
acting CEO of the company has been given the flick. Eri spent many years giving
valuable service to the Authority by heading the Madang office.
Fly River
The Fly River (Western Province) provincial budget for 2004 has been given
the nod of approval by the Finance and Treasury Department. The budget totalling
K62 million reflects a 15 percent increase over the 2003 budget. The budget
priorities are law and order, health and education.
Manus
The Governor of tiny Manus has thanked the World Bank for providing funding
for the upgrading and sealing of selected roads in the province. The project
will cost the World Bank in excess of K30 million. Many roads, particularly
the Manus Highway has been allowed to deterioted for many years and as a result
it has been virtually impossible to pass along some of it. Manus with a land
area of 2,100 sq kilometres is PNG's smallest province.
PNG FAQ's
Here are some of the more common frequently asked questions that keep cropping
up.
What is the land area of the provinces in PNG?
- National Capital and Central, 29,940 sq kms
- Oro Province, 19,827 sq kms
- Milne Bay Province, 14,000 sq kms
- Morobe Province, 34,500 sq kms
- Madang Province, 28,000 sq kms
- Eastern Highlands, 11,706 sq kms
- Simbu Province, 8,476 sq kms
- Western Highlands, 8,288 sq kms
- Southern Highlands, 25,988 sq kms
- East Sepik, 43,000 sq kms
- West Sepik (Sandaun), 36,000 sq kms
- East New Britain, 15,500 sq kms
- West New Britain, 21,000 sq kms
- New Ireland, 9,500 sq kms
- Manus Province, 2,100 sq kms
- North Solomons Province, 9,400 sq kms
- Enga Province, 10,790 sq kms
- Western and Gulf Province, 135,000 sq kms
More PNG Frequently Asked Question can be found at -- http://www.michie.net/png_faqs
-- If you can help expand the FAQ's then visit the site and leave a message.
If you find a question with an incorrect or outdated answer please also let
the site owner know.-- png.faqs@michie.net
Diving Award
An American magazine with a circulation of 50,000 worldwide has given their
Readers Choice Award to PNG. The Rodale's Scuba diving Magazine is the largest
dive publication in the United States and each year the readers are asked
to vote for their favourite destination.
Atlas Steel
Over 70 workers are on strike at Atlas Steel just outside Port Moresby. They
are staying away from work in protest over the dismissal of 19 colleagues
recently. Atlas Steel is a part of the large Kenmore Group and two other Kenmore
companies have indicated that they will join the Atlas Steel workers protest.
Indonesian Warships
Two Indonesian Warships have completed a successful visit to Port Moresby.
The sailors on the ships were greeted by the famous Tapioka dance of the Trobriand
Islanders. Many residents were able to view the ships up close. The ships
were in PNG under a bi-lateral cooperation agreement between PNG and Indonesia.
Morobe Crime
There has been an upsurge in criminal activity in many parts of the Morobe
province. Eight gold miners from Wau were recently held up as they were returning
from Eddie's Creek by criminals armed with shotguns and bush knives. Also
an expatriate manager was robbed and shot just outside Lae as he was returning
to Bulolo from Lae.
Buimo Jail
Some prisoners currently located in the Buimo Jail, Morobe Province will
be moved to other jails around the country due to the need to undertake repair
work at the jail. More than K1 million has been allocated by the Correctional
Services for the repairs. The work should start this week and will include
upgrades to the existing coking facilities, cell blocs and night toilets as
well as rainwater tanks. A new guard house for the female and juvenile areas
will be built.
Aussie Police
The Australian Police coming to PNG to help the local force will be involved
in criminal and fraud investigations and prosecution of suspects under the
five-year assistance program to PNG. There has been debate in parliament as
to who would be the first to be prosecuted under the assistance program; I
would imagine that many a thicked skinned white-collared criminal in PNG would
not even be worried about that remark.
The arrival of the police from down under has been delayed due to legal and
insurance issues. The first batch of police have visited Port Moresby but
have now gone back to wait for the completion of the legal framework and other
issues.
Defence Guns
Air Niugini staff have discovered a shipment of stolen PNG Defence Force
guns destined for Goroka. Six high-powered guns, with serial numbers matching
those stolen from the Defence Force, and 120 rounds of ammunition were discovered
by cargo staff when they become suspicious that the weight of the shipment
didn't tally with what was declared on the documentation. The guns were retrieved
with help of police and are currently being held by Boroko Police.
Boroko Market
Second Hand clothes vendors at Boroko Market have had a slight reprieve from
the city council (NCDC). The NCDC had decided to change the market back to
a food market after many years operating as a second hand clothes venue. The
NCDC has delayed he work so that the existing vendors can sell clothes to
raise money to pay 2004 school fees.
Ela Beach International
The Ela Beach International School will no longer be used by students. It
will be come an administration block for the International Education Agency.
In recent years the school merged with Murray International School causing
a headache for many parents who had to drop some children off at Ela Beach
and then others of at Murray and then drop high school students off at POM
high especially during the many and prolonged road works around town.
Autonomous ENB
The East New Britain provincial government is preparing to adapt an autonomous
system of government. The people of East New Britain have been waiting for
a long time for the agenda to be put through cabinet and then debated properly
in parliament. It is felt that the elected members of parliament from East
New Britain are spending much of their valuable time debating issues not related
to ENB. To help speed the issue along prominent people are working on the
system.
Jackson's Airport
Civil Aviation has decided to do all the maintenance themselves at Jackson's
airport. This covers electrical, mechanical, communication electronics, air
conditioning and building management systems. The job was preciously sub contracted
to a company called SimTec. SimTec rose out of the Fletcher Morobe management
team who supervised the building of the terminals at Jackson's airport. Most
companies are outsourcing and CAA are going the other direction saying that
they will save two thirds to three quarters of the costs they paid to SimTec.
Tokua Airport
Air Niugini passengers travelling to and from Tokua (East New Britain) have
been given the run-around recently due to the inability of the civil aviation
authority to have adequate fuel in the electrical generating equipment. The
F28 jets require navigation aids to land at Tokua and without electricity
the planes can not land. It is believed that the lack of fuel for the generating
equipment has cost Air Niugini many thousands of Kina.
Five Month Break
Parliament has taken a five-month break. It has been adjourned until the
29th of June. The move has shocked many of the opposition MP's who were ready
to block the proposed vote to increase the safe period where a government
can not be ousted by a vote of no confidence from 18 moths to 36 months. The
opposition has declared that the move was to prevent the government embarrassment
by not being able to tally enough votes to pass the bill.
The Ombudsman Commission is critical of the long recess and others have said
that the five-month break is little more than a paid holiday for the politicians.
The move has also left people wondering what will happen about the vacant
position of Governor General for the next few months.
Goroka Hospital
The Goroka Hospital has received help from the South Pacific Brewery. The
brewery and staff members have donated K2,650 to the Goroka Base Hospital.
The money was raised through a walkathon initiated by the SP Brewery's Home
Resource Division. The money will be used to buy medicine and antibiotics
for the hospital.
Angau Hospital
Patients at the Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae are becoming frustrated as
they are being told that the hospital does not have the necessary drugs to
treat their illnesses. The Chairman of the hospital confirmed the problem
and said that the problem had existed for the past few years. Many of the
patients can not afford to buy the drugs form the local pharmacies so have
to do with out the medicine. The hospital is also short of chemicals to develop
x-rays so that is being limited to emergency cases only.
Cancer Unit
Steady progress is being made in getting the country's only cancer treatment
centre back up and running at Angau Hospital in Lae. The chairman of the PNG
Cancer Relief Society has indicated that thanks to the continued support of
the Morobe Governor, Luther Wenge on the issue, the Government has announced
that funds will be set aside to purchase new equipment. Air Niugini staff
in Lae have raised K1700 through the sale of tickets.
24th Lutheran Synod
More than 1000 people flocked to Aiyura National High School in the Eastern
Highlands for the official opening of the 24th Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church (ELC) in PNG . The Synod was opened by the ELC-PNG Assistant Bishop,
Kiage Motoro, on behalf of the head bishop, Dr Wesley Kigasung, who was unable
to attend.
ELC Hymn Book
The ELC (Evangelical Lutheran Church) in PNG has launched two new books at
the 24th Synod being held at Aiyura in the Eastern Highlands. One is a new
hymn book and the other is a concordance. These books will replace the old
books of praise and worship currently being used by the Church in PNG.
Real Estate Agents Association
The Real Estate Agents Association has advertised their web site. It is located
at -- http://www.reia.org.pg.
Real Estate Agents
Arthur Strachan (Lae) -- http://www.arthurstrachan.com.pg
Century 21 -- http://www.century21.com.pg/
and http://www.siule.com.pg/
Kohoy Real Estate -- http://kohoyrealestates.tripod.com/
L.J Hooker -- http://www.ljhooker.com
Ray White Real Estate -- monian@online.net.pg
Strickland RE -- http://www.sre.com.pg/
The Professionals -- http://www.theprofessionals.com.pg
South Pacific Motor Sports Club
The South Pacific Motor Sports Club has a web site designed by Wolfgang Bandisch.
It is located at -- http://www.spmsc.org.pg
-- For information about the car club, located along Waigani Drive in Port
Moresby, this is the site to visit.
Maprik Police
The police in Maprik district, East Sepik Province now have a new vehicle
donated by the Papindo Group of Companies. The Group donated K120,000 towards
the vehicle and the Minister for Works and the local member for Maprik, Gabriel
Kapris, donated K40,000 towards the vehicle.
South Pacific Exports
If you need that hard to get part for your electrical / communications gear
or even a special tool send email to Peter Goleby at South Pacific Exports
on -- sp.exports@bigpond.com --
he might just be able to help you out or at least point you in the right direction.
Peter claims he will attempt to get anything legal for you so long as he can
add a small amount to cover his own costs.
Shuttle Images of PNG
The following web site boasts 1,392 images of PNG from the space shuttle
-- http://rove.to/papua-new-guinea.
-- I had trouble accesing any of the images. Any comments from anyone?
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