Links
PNG Diving
The following is sample of some of the many web sites dealing with diving
in PNG. It is not a complete list and if you would like your organisation
mentioned in this newsletter please let me know.
Dive Discovery -- http://www.divediscovery.com//png/
Mike Ball Dive Expeditions - Scuba Diving the Great Barrier Reef, diving...
-- http://www.mikeball.com/
Diving Liveaboards and Diving Resort Packages in Papua New Guinea ... --
http://www.divingtravel.com/png.htm
Scuba diving Milne Bay, PNG. Liveaboard dive charters. -- http://www.png-diveboat.com/
Diversion Dive Travel -- http://www.diversionoz.com/en/png.htm
Peter Hughes Diving, Star Dancer -- http://www.peterhughes.com/phstar/starmain.htm
Merchant Vessel FeBrina -- http://www.febrina.com
Tufi Dive Resort and Telita Cruises -- http://www.tufitelita.com/index.html
Some more dive related links
http://www.underwaterphotos.com/tiata2.htm
http://www.cathychurch.com/png.html
http://www.worlddive.com/phgal/png/pngpix.htm
http://www.blueseacharters.com
Miscellaneous Sites
The unofficial Port Moresby High School site is located at -- http://www.maipng.com/pomhi/
The Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce website can be found at -- http://www.pomcci.org.pg
The PNG Institute of Directors has revamped its website with the help of
an AESOP Volunteer, Peter Griffin. It is an excellent introduction to PNG
company law and related governance issues it can be found at -- http://www.pngid.org.pg
Papua New Guinea Institute of Accountants -- http://www.pngia.org.pg
http://www.rotary.org.pg -- Rotary
Club of Boroko and Papua New Guinea
http://www.foda.org.pg -- Friends of
the Disabled Association
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 < 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.
Bougainville Link
This site, By Edwin O. Booth, is dedicated as a resource to the Veterans
of WW II and their families and friends... and to the native citizens of Bougainville
who assisted the Americans in WW II. Special attention is given to personnel
of the Americal and the 37th Infantry Divisions. It offers a generous selection
of publications related to the Islands as they were in the old days, as well
as updates on current information and facilities. -- http://www.geocities.com/edbooth_1/
Milne Bay
The Milne Bay Tourism website can be found at -- http://www.milnebaytourism.gov.pg
Discover in Milne Bay the charm and beauty of a peace loving people blessed
in abundance with natural environment of pristine waters and varied landforms,
unique flora and fauna, vibrant cultures and living traditions.
Masurina Lodge - Alotau
Masurina Lodge is the oldest hotel in Alotau. For many years it was the only
hotel. The website to visit for Masurina Lodge is --http://www.masurina.com
-- and not -- http://www.masurina.com.pg
-- The .com.pg site is a mess when viewed with my version of Internet
Explorer (v6) and virtually unreadable. The straight .com site is much
better and is now the official site. The site is linked to the Marlin 1 dive
boat charters website located at -- http://www.marlin1charters.com.au/
-- The Marlin 1 site claims that you can see the best of coastal PNG from
the Safety and Comfort of a well equipped and surveyed live-a-board charter
boat.
Napatana Lodge - Alotau
Napatana Lodge is the first eco-tourism lodge in Alotau. It is a traditionally
built pole house that has been made from tropical timbers. The lodge reflects
Milne Bay architecture, demonstrating traditional building skills by local
craftsman -- http://www.napatanalodge.com
Kulau Lodge - Rabaul
http://www.global.net.pg/kulau/
-- Kulau Lodge Beach Resort is located only 12 minutes drive from Rabaul along
the beautiful North Coast Road.
Ambua Lodge
Located in the Tari Gap area, Ambua Lodge borders on pristine mid-montane
rainforest at the beginning of the valley grasslands. This location promises
the visitor eternal spring weather and magnificent views of the Tari Valley.
-- http://babs.com.au/ambua/index.htm
News Items
NASFUND
The National Superannuation Fund is ready to pay members a 12.5 percent interest
payment beginning at the end of February. This is after announcing that the
profit after tax for the year 2003 was K53.02 million.
Ramu Sugar
Ramu Sugar will plant a total of 10,000 hectares of oil palm in the Ramu
Valley with as much as 2000 hectares of that total expected to be planted
by the year 2006. The oil palm seeds have been purchased from New Britain
Palm Oil.
PMGH Board
Sir Brian Bell has been re-elected as the chairman of the Port Moresby General
Hospital Board by the Department of Health. Other members of the board are
Kaii Dagam (Health Dept Rep), Epeo Tanda (local business sector), Pastor Tony
Dalaka, Dr Simon Mete (public Hospital Staff) Sose Tamarua (community rep),
Kathy Johnston (local community) and Dibili Dleya (also local community).
Australian Advisers
It is believed that Australian advisers, that will take up senior positions
in the PNG Government under the Enhanced Co-operation Program, will be heading
for Port Moresby either this or next week. Eight officials will initially
take up positions in the PNG departments of the Treasury, Finance, Personnel
Management, Customs, Foreign Affairs and Immigration. The program was announced
by the PNG and Australian Governments last December and aims to improve law
and order and economic management in the country. Almost 300 Australians will
be deployed to work side by side with PNG counterparts - many of them located
in the Royal PNG Constabulary.
Kainantu Gold
With construction work on the US$30 million Kainantu gold project expected
to start this year there has been a rush of job applications being submitted
to the Highlands Pacific office in Kainantu. The mine will be a small-scale
operation similar to the Tolukuma mine in Central Province producing about
120,000 ounces of gold per annum and employing 240 workers at the mine site.
Kosher Fish
Another multi-million Kina tuna loining plant will be set up in Madang to
can fish in the kosher way for the Jewish market overseas. Apart from competing
for labour resources the factory will not compete with the existing RD Tuna
factory in Madang who do not prepare fish in the kosher way. The Prime Minister,
Michael Somare, has just officially commissioned another tuna plant in Wewak,
East Sepik province on Saturday the 14th of Feb.
Horse Machines
Despite efforts to remove the many horse racing machines seen around the
streets of Port Moresby they are still being used by school age children.
A senior government official has called on the Police Minister to explain
why the machines are still being operated. The National Executive Council
has outlawed the machines and the National Gaming Board wants them removed.
It is claimed that the owners of the machines are making as much as K150 a
day from every machine and paying no tax on that profit.
DNA Testing
A district Magistrate at Tabubil has ordered that a DNA test be performed
to determine whether two employees of Ok Tedi Mining are the fathers of two
children. The results of the DNA Tests, performed in Melbourne, Australia,
should be ready after 10 days.
Joyce Bay
The cleanup at Joyce Bay previously known as Kila Kila Horse Camp is continuing
with the weekends set aside for a major clean-up of the area. The people have
also cleared a suitable area to operate a local market.
Strong Family
Attention all ex Lae residents of many years ago! The PNG Business Directory
has just received a message from Todd Strong and it is worthwhile to repeat
it here.
Quote: Hi My Name is Todd Strong and my family lived in Lae for 23 years.
I am just sending you an email to ask if you would kindly post a message on
your website to all the friends of my Brother Brett Strong son of John and
Jillyan Strong with myself the second child Todd and Rhys the youngest of
the Strong clan.
Brett and I were both Bulae Babies then went to L.I.H.S and left in 1989.
Brett moved to Denver U.S.A in 2000.
This is just to let anybody who knew him know, that he died on the 28th of
May 2003 of Chronic Myloid Leukaemia. My parents would love 2 hear from anybody
who knew Brett who lived in P.N.G at the same time as us.
We have lost contact with so many people it would be great to hear from them
again. Dad was the manager of S.P. Brewery. Thank you. Todd Strong (any feed
back would be great)
<toddstrong70 @ hotmail
. com> or <masterstrong70
@ hotmail . com>
End Quote
Public Trust
A National Court Judge has said that the trust of the people of PNG once
had in their public officials has been dissipating at an accelerating rate.
He added that public money and public assets were unfortunately no longer
considered safe in the hands of public officials. He also said that second
and third parties could easily negotiate government cheques stamped "not
negotiable". See the next item on Tax Fraud. I wonder what comments those
remarks will bring from the public service?
Tax Fraud
A budget officer based in Lae with the Internal Revenue Commission (IRC)
has been arrested and charged with the misappropriation of K26,000 belonging
to the IRC. The person concerned had allegedly submitted a claim to buy housing
materials using the normal government orders and claim forms. A government
cheque was raised and then converted into a Bank South Pacific cheque for
the same amount. The new cheque was taken to a hardware store and used to
purchase housing items worth K19,940.34, which were intended to be shipped
to the accused home village. The accused has also made false claims for ghost
names on the government payroll taking the total amount defrauded to about
K26,000.
Tax Payments
The Public Accounts Committee has heard that Air Niugini has paid the Internal
Revenue Commission back taxes amounting to K9.6 million in December 2003.
The PAC was also told that Air Niugini has already filed its 1999 and 2000
tax returns and that the 2001 return was lodged on Thursday last week (12
Feb 2003).
Fokker F100
Air Niugini has scheduled a Fokker F100 to do the Cairns - Port Moresby routes
before the concession given to the aging Fokker F28's expires in early April
this year. The F100 is capable of carrying 100 passengers but Air Niugini
has indicated that they will configure the plane with a business class section
and limit the number of seats to around 80. The F100 will also be flown to
Lae to maximise the use of the plane. Planes flown solely in PNG do not get
a chance to maximise the possible number of hours flown because of failing
navigational aids and a law and order problem. Most flights are conducted
during daylight hours only and maybe as much as another eight possible hours
of flying time are lost.
Goroka Airport
I believe that the damaged navigation lights at Goroka Airport will be replaced
soon at a cost of K75,000. Having recently landed at Goroka and seen the condition
of the airstrip I wonder whether the F28's will ever fly back there. It appears
that the vandals have stolen the windsock and the pole it was on and the plane
I was in had to dodge a rather large pothole in the runway after it landed.
This is, of course, after ploughing through the grass that would make a mess
of an F28 jet engine. I hear that the Eastern Highlands Provincial government
have plans to purchase a 50 seat aircraft for about $US5.5 million before
the end of next month so maybe the government doesn't want F28's to return
to the province but I do not think that is the case?
Sinking Ships
It must be the time for ships to sink in PNG waters. The MV Benoma capsized
near Port Moresby recently. There were about 50 passengers on board at the
time of the mishap. The ten-metre MV Benoma was built locally to help the
people of Milne Bay travel to and from Port Moresby. The boat had been providing
a weekly service between the two provinces since the year 2000.
The MV Tara Spirit sank in Port Moresby this week and attempts are being
made to refloat it. The Tara Spirit went into service to help the people of
Gulf Province travel to and from Port Moresby only three months ago. The ship
became stuck on a sandbank on its maiden voyage to Kerema in the Gulf Province
in November last year.
Nickel / Cobalt Project
The Governor of Milne Bay has doubts about a recent project announced by
the PNG government that would see the mining of Nickel and Cobalt by a big
Chinese mining company. He has said that he wants to see the fine print in
the proposed project before he will be convinced that it will be a good deal
for PNG. He is concerned that giving away tax concessions to the Chinese company
will mean that the PNG government will lose out on any benefits that the project
might bring. He is also concerned that the Government's association with Taiwan
may sour the deal in the long run.
Public Transport
A group of taxis in Port Moresby now boast the fact that they offered a metered
service for customers. No longer will customers have to haggle a price to
get from A to B. The taxis can also boast the use of two-way radios to keep
in touch with their base. From memory this is taking the taxi services in
Port Moresby back to the early 1980's. The use of Jeepneys, from the Philippines,
has also been mentioned again but the National Land Transport Board has earlier
this month rejected an application for a car dealer's licence by a group believed
to want to bring the Jeepneys into PNG.
Lae Morgue
The morgue at the Angau Memorial Hospital has now been closed until further
notice.
Jail Breakout
There has been yet another breakout from the Buimo prison in Lae. This time
several of the prisoners have ended up in the Angau Memorial Hospital with
gun wounds and one has ended up in the morgue although with the morgue closed
it is not sure where the body is being held. The breakout happened during
a change of guards at the jail and it is believed that a hacksaw was used
to cut through the cell wall and the fence. It is thought that construction
workers repairing the jail's perimeter fence may have left behind the hacksaw.
Security Breach
A serious breach of international security was discovered on a flight to
Singapore recently. A passenger informed the cabin crew that he had accidentally
brought a handgun on board the flight. The cabin crew informed the captain
of the aircraft and the captain voluntarily secured the gun. The passenger
was refused entry to Singapore and brought back to Port Moresby where he was
detained in the police cells. The incident has severe repercussions for all
international travel because it leaves the question unanswered as to how a
gun can slip through all the security measures at the airport. Both Air Niugini
and the Civil Aviation Authority are saying very little about the incident
until a full investigation is completed.
A security company, believed to be contracted to perform checks at the airport
has said they can't comment because they are contracted to the relevant authority
that should be the ones to comment. As the gun carrying man was part of an
official delegation going to China, ahead of the visit by the PNG Prime Minister,
it has been assumed that he went via the VIP lounge and it has been alleged
that VIP'S seldom have there bags checked as thoroughly as normal overseas
travellers. That admission in itself has worried many regular travellers and
security officials.
Approx Exchange Rates
++ 0.3728 = Australian Dollar, AUD
++ 0.2950 = US Dollar, USD
++ 0.2300 = European Euro, EUR
++ 0.3864 = Canadian Dollar, CAD
++ 1.6951 = Danish Kronor, DKK
++ 0.4853 = Fijian Dollar, FJD
++ 2.2910 = Hong Kong Dollar, HKD
++ 13.1709 = Indian Rupee, INR
++ 31.02 = Japanese Yen, JPY
++ 0.4161 = New Zealand Dollars, NZD
++ 2.0197 = Norwegian Kroner, NOK
++ 16.36 = Philippines Peso, PHP
++ 0.4914 = Singapore Dollar, SGD
++ 2.0847 = Solomon Islands Dollar, SBD
++ 1.9233 = South African Rand, ZAR
++ 2,0810 = Swedish Kronor, SEK
++ 0.3614 = Swiss Francs, CHF
++ 11.3862 = Thai Bhat, THB
++ 0.1558 = United Kingdom Pound, GBP
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