Links
http://www.duncalfes.com/pngscn.htm
-- Duncalfes Online photographs of PNG.
http://www.toowrite.com/comp6/0861.shtml
-- This is the link to a "Too Write" essay based around the Tambul
Nebilyer electorate of PNG.
http://ukarumpa.org/ukarumpa_times/Default.htm
-- Ukarumpa Times
http://www.birdlife.net/species
-- Search this site for species of birds threatened in PNG.
http://www.vso.org.uk/png/culture.pdf
-- PNG Culture
http://www.em.com.pg -- Eco Tourism Melanesia
http://www.aalpas.com.pg -- Austral
Asia Line Project Asia Service.
http://www.newguineapacificline.com
-- New Guinea Pacific Line
http://www.steamships.com.pg --
Steamships Shipping Agencies
Are Pterosaurs Still Living
This web site is advertising a video about the sightings of ROPEN's in PNG
-- http://www.laattorneyvideo.com/nonlegal/pterosaurs/ropen/
-- As surprising as it may seem to some people, the best explanation for
these sightings is that at least one type of pterosaur (aka pterodactyl) still
lives on some of the islands of Papua New Guinea.
Email Contacts
* Tailors
Kokoda Tailoring and Kokoda Collection can be contacted at -- kokodatailoring{@}daltron.com.pg
PNG tailoring -- pngtailoring{@}daltron.com.pg
Bismil Trading -- bismil{@}datec.com.pg
* Printers
Star Printing -- starprinters{@}thenational.com.pg
Times Printing -- timesprint{@}daltron.com.pg
Treid Print -- sales{@}treidpacific.com.pg
Superannuation Funds
The Association of Superannuation Funds PNG (ASFPNG) has a website located
at -- http://www.asfpng.org.pg -- ASFPNG
is an industry body established in 2002 by interested industry participants
with the common goal to protect superannuants retirement savings within a
regulated environment whilst fostering a competitive industry.
News Items
Next Newsletter
The first newsletter, in July, may be delayed by a day or more depending
on travel commitments. Sometimes I have been able to juggle work and family
commitments around the newsletter and other times I have not. Lets see if
the next newsletter is one of those times.
Rain
Port Moresby has had more than 24 hours of almost non-stop rain. It started
raining at about 5pm on Thursday and as this newsletter is being finalised
at 8pm Friday it is still raining in the city. Solar hot water heaters have
not had a chance to heat up and the ever-present Port Moresby potholes are
getting deeper and deeper.
Weightlifting
Weightlifter, Dika Toua, has re-written the record books in the 53Kg division.
Toua, competing in a test event, set a new Oceania Senior and Junior record
in the snatch. She managed to lift 78.5 Kg beating the previous record held
by Seen Lee of Australia by half a kilogram. She managed to break her own
record of 100 Kg in the clean and jerk by 2.5 kilogram. Her total weight lifted
was 180 Kg. Her previous record of 175 Kg equalled the Oceania record held
by Natasha Barker of Australia set at the Manchester Commonwealth Games.
Car Info Request
A person in Australia is attempting to fill in some missing details about
the history of a car he is restoring.
The car, only 1 of 60 exported from the United Kingdom, was originally a
white 1968 MGC GT. In its lifetime it has been repainted light brown and was
red at the time of purchase. It has been determined that the car was originally
shipped to PNG from the factory. Does anyone know anything about this car?
If you do have any information then please send it to -- Steve Gaal at
PO Box 51, Clarinda Victoria 3169, Australia.
Horse Racing Machines
The banned horse racing gaming machines seem to be having trouble dying.
A group calling itself Operation Rausim Horse Racing Machine is on a campaign
to get rid of the machines. The legality of the machines has been in question
and National Court Judge, Cathy Davani handed down a decision saying they
were illegal but an appeal to the Supreme court had Judge Salamo Injia saying
that the decision to have the machines destroyed without any recompense appeared
to be an error on the face of the record. Whatever the case some machines
are still in use although they have been moved away from the public eye.
Post Courier
The Post Courier newspaper has started delivering five copies of its paper
to jails where the company has charters for delivery of the paper. This means
that prisoners at Buimo in Lae, Keravat in East New Britain, Bihute in Goroka
and Baisu in Mt Hagen will now be able to read the papers and keep abreast
of current events whilst serving time.
Jails in PNG
The following is a list of some of the prisons in operating in PNG supplied
by Uve.
- Bomana in Port Moresby, NCD also for Central
- Buimo in Lae, Morobe Province
- Baisu in Mt. Hagen, Western Highlands Province
- Keravat in Rabaul, East New Britain Province
- Bui-Iebi in Mendi, Southern Highlands Province
- Bihute in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province
- Biru in Popondetta, Oro Province
- Bundaira in Kainantu, Eastern highlands Province
- Boram in Wewak, East Sepik Province,
- Vanimo in Vanimo, West Sandaun province
- Daru in Daru, Western Province
- Ningerum in Kiunga, Western Province,
- Beon in Madang, Madang Province
- Barawagi in Kundiawa, Simbu province
- Giligili in Alotau Milne Bay Province
- Hawa in Tari, Southern Highlands Province
- Wabag in Wabag, Enga Province
- Lakiemata in Kimbe, West New Britain Province
- Kavieng in Kavieng, New Ireland Province
- Manus in Lorengau, Manus Province
Oro Jail
Two prisoners have died and four more are in Popondetta Hospital following
a typhoid outbreak at Biru Jail. It is believed that as many as 40 prisoners
were affected but only eight were admitted to hospital following an inspection
by health officials. Only six of the eight prisoners had typhoid.
Aviation Rumour
It has been rumoured that an airline based in PNG has been hit with a compensation
claim because its aircraft fly over a community school at least twice a day
and possibly four times. The school is claiming that the students are affected
by noise pollution. An investigation has revealed that the school, in the
highlands, is situated next to the main highway and has a coffee mill across
the road. The airline has donated a few books to the school. The question
that I think has to be asked is "is this the way that students are being
brought up these days?" I suppose you could always say that the school
is giving them a good grounding in claiming compensation for services that
surely are bringing good things to and from the province. Of course I get
woken every morning when the planes start taking off in Moresby. Maybe the
whole of Moresby could claim compensation from all the airlines for sleep
deprivation! Air Niugini, in particular, seems to test its noisy F28 engines
for hours at a time at all hours of the day and night.
Operation Open Heart
Australia has once again dug deep and helped to find K400,000 for Operation
Open Heart at the Port Moresby General Hospital. The money will be used for
the project as well as help to buy essential medical equipment for the hospital
for use during the operations scheduled for August. About 20 health professionals
have been travelling to PNG every year since 1993. During their two-week stay
they have usually been able to perform around 35 life saving open-heart operations.
Witchcraft Deaths
Police in Tabubil have charged four people for double wilful murder and in
the process uncovered a secret witchcraft society that they suspect of being
behind some bizarre murders in the town over recent years. Police evidence
allegedly suggests that in two separate cases the four murdered and then extracted
organs from the body. The four will be charged under the Criminal Code and
not the Sorcery Act.
PNG Defaults On Debts
PNG has defaulted on paying several necessary world association dues recently.
As an example it has failed to pay the International Coffee Organisation so
its right to vote has been suspended until the money is paid. The country
has received reminders in October 2003 and March 2004. The country has also
failed to pay fees due to the World Trade Organisation in Geneva and the Commonwealth
Secretariat based in London.
Telikom PNG
The acting Managing Director of PNG has been accused of approving a K9 million
deal with the Israel based Gilat Satellite Network Company. The project that
has called into question the integrity of the company concerned would see
the upgrading of the Gerehu Satellite Earth Station and the building of 500
satellite earth stations around PNG. Alarm bells have been ringing for ages
over this project that will cost the country so much money but it would appear
that no one in authority has heard them.
Lae
The National Court in Lae has had to suspend all cases until the fifth of
July due to a shortage of judges to hear the cases.
Bullet Proof Vests
Police are reviewing the case of an Asian man caught in the possession of
two bullet proof vests, two hand grenades, a number of 7.62 mm ammunition
and a number of 5.66 mm ammunition. Police, performing a routine vehicle check,
found the goods in his car.
New Britain Palm Oil
New Britain Palm Oil Limited has hinted that it will make a big before tax
profit of K125 million this year. The company is hoping that it will be able
to make up to one million tonnes of palm oil this year.
Air Niugini
Air Niugini is almost ready to return the borrowed Regional Jet (RJ70) to
National Jet Systems in Australia and take on board a hired Fokker F100 until
its own Fokker F100 is ready. Cabin crew have been trained on the Fokker and
have been ready for several weeks. Because the plane is being leased from
Australia the cabin crew have had to pass a "Responsible Serving of Alcohol"
course conducted at a Technical and Further Education College in Australia.
It appears that the Air Niugini F100 is not yet ready so a Fokker from Alliance
will be used. The Fokker will be used to do all flights from Cairns to Port
Moresby and also used on some of the Port Moresby to Lae flights.
Governor General
It is hoped that Sir Paulias Matane will be sworn in as Governor General
after the court case by losing candidate Sir Pato Kakaraya was thrown out
by the Supreme Court. The tentative date for the swearing in ceremony has
been set for the 29th of June and the Cabinet Secretary has already left the
country to have a meeting with Buckingham Palace and secure the Queen's approval
of the appointment.
Gun Survey
The Australian Government through AusAID is funding a survey of firearms
in PNG. This is the second time that a small arms survey has been funded by
Australia in recent times. The first survey was carried out by a non-government
organisation based in Geneva.
National Library
The National Library, an independence gift from Australia, is suffering and
is in dire need of some tender loving care. The library houses the PNG Collection
a very valuable collection of items about PNG. The air conditioning units
in the library and the separate ones for the PNG Collection have not work
correctly for many years meaning that the historical archives, including valuable
film footage of early PNG, is in grave danger of being lost for ever. Not
only are there problems with the air-conditioning but also the building is
thought to have had a design defect allowing water to damage the eaves and
leave large gaping holes behind. This has meant that the schoolbook warehouse
section of the library is often flooded.
Holiday Travel
Teachers who normally have to wait for tickets to be prepared and sent out
to them for annual leave travel will now be able to make their own travel
plans. The move aims to minimise the problems associated in the past with
the leave tickets of teachers. Each teacher will now receive cash into his
or her accounts at the end of each year. Rather than having one centralised
group doing this laborious task each teacher will now have to arrange his
or her own travel. For teachers in remote areas this may mean more of an inconvenience
than the previous scheme especially if their accounts are miles from where
they are working.
Garden City
A regular reader mentions the following about smoking at Garden City in Port
Moresby. It proves that it can be done if an effort is made to police the
issue.
Quote
Once again I believe it is all down to education
coupled with supervision; you may or may not be aware that in Garden City
we outlawed smoking on 3 of our 5 levels (car park and ground floor being
the only areas permitted now). I am not saying this is 100% foolproof BUT
we have been able, with close monitoring, to ensure that the majority of smoking
is permitted ONLY on those areas mentioned.
End Quote
Forensic Policing
A recent tour of Queensland State Police headquarters in Brisbane, Australia
by the Internal Security Minister has highlighted the fact that PNG does not
have any real high technology forensic policing ability. This lack is hindering
the fight against crime in PNG. The visit to Queensland has prompted the PNG
Government to explore ways of improving the plight of the Royal PNG Constabulary's
crime investigation techniques.
Hospital Water Bill
The Port Moresby General Hospital owes over K1.7 million to Eda Ranu the
provider of water in Port Moresby. The bill has been allowed to build up over
several years and the hospital is making attempts to reduce the amount of
money owing.
Port Moresby Hospital
The Port Moresby General Hospital has received medical equipment and supplies
from the Port Moresby Rotary Club. The equipment and supplies was donated
by the Rotary Club in Geelong, Victoria, Australia and included an ultrasound
machine, X-Ray equipment and a maternity bed. The donation also included K200,000
worth of surgical gloves, drainage tubes, theatre gear, 33 parcels of sheets,
pillowcases and blankets and other assorted items to be used by the Operation
Open Heart program.
Pirate Attack
It would appear that pirates are operating in PNG waters as close to Port
Moresby as the Port Moresby Harbour. An expatriate man accompanied by his
children was harassed by them recently. The family was followed by a black
painted dinghy as they motored back to the Royal Papua Yacht Club and it is
believed that the pirate vessel fired a shot at the boat of the fleeing family.
It has been suggested that the black boat may have also been used in the hold
up of the Ela Beach Liquor Barn recently and the attempted theft of a tender
from a vessel in the harbour.
Recovered Firearm
A firearm stolen from a security guard during a recent break and enter at
the National Forestry Authority office has been recovered with the help of
community leaders and peace and good order committee members from Morata and
Six Mile. The weapon was handed over to the community leaders via a second
party as the suspects fear for their lives and are still in hiding. Other
attempted boat related robberies have been reported recently in the Moresby
area.
Misappropriation
Former Deputy Prime Minister and Member of Parliament, Michael Nali has been
charged with misappropriation. A leadership tribunal has found him guilty
of misappropriating K50,000, receiving K610,000 in electoral funds and depositing
them into own private bank account from which he paid out over K400,000 in
unverifiable cash payments. The fraud squad has charged him with the misappropriation
of the K50,000.
Bougainville Constitution
The third draft of the Constitution for Bougainville is almost ready to be
started. Sir James Frazer, a constitutional draftsman, is in Bougainville
to finalise the second draft and start work on the first working draft of
the third draft.
Hiri Hanenamo Quest
The Hiri Hanenamo Quest, usually associated with the running of the Hiri
Moale Festival, has received a donation from politician Bill Skate. The amount
of K3,000 was handed over at the launch of the quest held at Pari Village
just outside Port Moresby. Traditionally the Hiri Hanenamo Motuan beauties
would dress in colourful bilas to receive their brothers, uncles, cousins
and fathers as they returned from the long Hiri trading trip to the Gulf region
on lagatoi canoes.
Koiari Tarata
The Secretary of the Treasury Department, Koiari Tarata, has died in Brisbane
on the 23rd of June. Mr. Tarata had flown out to Brisbane on the 3rd of June
with his wife for a medical review of a kidney problem. The Prime Minister,
who is in Maputo, Mozambique, has sent his condolences to the family. Mr tarata
was at the centre of an uproar by the Parliamentary Public Account Committee
when it was found that the government had paid his medical bills from Treasury
Department money. His signature appears on the newer currency notes in circulation
around PNG.
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
.gif)
.jpg)
View
PNG Gossip Newsletter Archive