Links
Wewak Guest House
A new web site developed by Michele at Bluefin Consulting Ltd is now online
advertising the Wewak Guest House -- http://www.wewakguesthouse.com
Bill Purcell's Site
I slipped up with Bill's website mentioned in the last edition. I advertised
an old address (URL) that he no longer uses. Bill's aviation site can now
be found at -- http://www.billpurc.com/aviation.htm
-- Bill is a pilot who has flown many, many hours in Papua New Guinea. For
all of you who have lived in PNG and dealt with Pidgin he has a short article
on that very subject at -- http://www.billpurc.com/tokpisin.htm
Bill is in the process of selling his house and he has dedicated his homepage
to the sale. If you are interested in purchasing a house in Eatons Hill in
Queensland visit his homepage at -- http://www.billpurc.com
National Disaster Centre
A web site for the National Disaster Centre has come on line recently . It
can be found at -- http://www.pngndc.gov.pg
-- worth taking a look.
Budget Travel
http://www.budgettravel.com/png.htm
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free web based encyclopaedia and the information it has on
PNG can be located at the following web address -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua_New_Guinea
Internet Service Providers
Originally there were five Internet Service Providers distributing the bandwidth
allocated by the government body Tiare. This has been reduced to four. Bandwidth
into and out of PNG has been hampered with the "loss" of an Intelsat
satellite. Bandwidth has been reduced to 75 percent making it very difficult
for people to access their favourite websites. The four surviving ISP's are
-
Daltron -- http://www.daltron.com.pg
Data Nets -- http://www.datanets.com.pg
Datec -- http://www.datec.net.pg
Global Technologies -- http://www.global.net.pg
Tourism Offices
http://www.tourismmorobe.org.pg
-- Morobe Tourism site
http://www.milnebaytourism.gov.pg
-- Milne Bay Tourism Site
http://www.pngtourism.org.pg --
Main Government Tourism Site
Papua New Guinea Tourism and Business Directory -- http://www.pngbd.com
http://www.eastnewbritain.com
-- East New Britain Tourism Promotion Web Site
http://www.tourismwestnewbritain.org.pg
-- West New Britain Tourism Promotion Web Site
News Items
Telikom / Econet
Econet Wireless has taken the government to court over their failed bid to
buy Telikom. Econet asserts that the Government of PNG unlawfully terminated
the contract for privatisation of Telikom and claim that they were the successful
tenderer after satisfying all requirements set by the Independent Public Business
Corporation. Econet are claiming over K1.6 billion in costs and damages for
the alleged breach of contract. Econet claim that the damages are calculated
at US$524 million. This is the estimated value of the Telikom transaction
over a period of 20 years based on today's value.
Tok Pisin Dictionary
This country and its education system has been without dictionaries for thirty
years. The only dictionary of Melanesian Pidgin to English and English to
Melanesian Pidgin has been out of print since the 1970's. Now, The Jacaranda
Dictionary and Grammar of Melanesian Pidgin by F. Mihalic S.V.D. is available
again in 2005. This 375-page dictionary is a vital tool in the education process
of training people to speak, read and write the Melanesian Pidgin language.
This trusted and concise dictionary that has an excellent Grammar of Melanesian
Pidgin section in the front, along with twenty-three Word Group sections at
the back:
Schoolroom Terms; Anatomical Terms; Physiological Terms; Diseases and Sickness;
Medicines, Remedies, Nursing; Carpentry and Building Terms; Mechanics and
Engineering; Nautical Terms; Fish, Fishing and Sea foods; Animals, Insects,
Hunting; Birds; Plants and Trees with their Scientific Names; Fruits, Vegetables,
Gardening; European Foods; Household Terms; Clothing: Native and European;
Terms used by New Guinea Police relating to Courts and the Law; Doctrinal
Terms; Ethical and Moral Terms; Biblical Terms; Names of Books of New Testament;
Liturgical and Worship Terms; Liturgical Feasts and Seasons
This dictionary can be yours now for under K20 per copy.
Order today at -- ssaholt @ datec.net.pg
-- or phone Steve Aholt in Goroka at +675 732-2164
The number of copies is limited so order today.
Law Awareness Book
Stanley Kuli Liria has produced a book to raise awareness of the law for
non-legal professionals. It has been written to be as simple as possible.
The book explains the rights, freedoms, court processes and other basic areas
of law which the grass roots people need to understand to appreciate relations
and interaction with others in the society. The author comes from the Southern
Highlands Province of PNG and is a practising lawyer. -- http://michie.net/pnginfo/law.html
PNG Poet
A poet from PNG has been nominated by the American based International Society
of Poets as amateur poet of the year. The poet, Benjamin Vali, is an instructor
at the Timber and Forestry Training College in Lae. The nomination puts Mr
Vali in the running for a $US20,000 prize.
Sineboudalili
Can anyone help out this reader? In 1980 I bought a wonderful children's
book at the Port Moresby airport. It was a folktale and the name sounds like
"Sina Buda Lilly". We lost the book many years ago and want very
much to replace it. Can you tell me if there is still a book that tells the
story of "Sina Buda Lilly"
Thank you very much,
Bob Beckler
Here is one answer from Nori at Air Niugini -- the book is about a lady called
'Sineboudalili'. Don't think the book is available these days. Nori even went
to the trouble of checking with a good contact at the National Library and
she has confirmed that it is out of print.
Does anyone know where a copy of 'Sineboudalili' can be found? For a story
about Sineboudalili try -- http://www.pngbd.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3703
Coming Events
Legal Year -- The official opening of the 2005 legal year will be on the
1st of February. A Church service will be held at the Korobosea Seventh Day
Adventist Church.
Mining Conference -- PNG's premier mining conference will be held between
the 23rd and 25th of May at the Lae International Hotel. This will be the
seventh Geology, Exploration, and Mining Conference. For further information
please contact the PNG Chamber of mines -- conf
@ pngchamberminpet.com.pg - Telephone +675 321 2988 and Facsimile +675
321 7107.
Pokies Govt Payout
Over a period of nine years the pokies have collected K900 million from players.
Of this the government has been a winner and collected K522 million, provincial
government have had a small share (K48 million), gambling operators (K106
million) and site owners (K223 million). Port Moresby is the unofficial gambling
capital of PNG with the most money being lost by the players. Players are
losing an estimated K6 million a month in Moresby.
Here are the figures outlaid since the machines were officially introduced
in 1995
1995 - K6.7 Million
1996 - K57 Million
1997 - K77.5 Million
1998 - K86 Million
1999 - K106 Million
2000 - K100 Million
2001 - K106 Million
2002 - K110 Million
2003 - K116 Million
2004 - K128 Million
Illegal Immigrants
A crackdown on illegal immigrants around the country has seen authorities
lock up 10 individuals in Madang and several others asked to produce work
permits. Officers from the Internal Revenue Commission, Immigration and police
questioned the alleged illegal immigrants. The 10 were locked up because they
as they could not produce any papers to say they were legally residing on
the country while the others claimed that their passports and other supporting
documentation was in Port Moresby for processing. Similar stories are being
echoed from other provinces around the country.
Cancer Equipment
Chewing Gum Company, Wrigley PNG Limited, have donated K20,000 to the Angau
Memorial Hospital towards the purchase of cancer detecting equipment. The
money will go towards the purchase of a laparoscopy. A total of 15,000 cancer
cases are detected each year and half of these are associated with cancer
of the mouth attributed to the chewing of betelnut with lime.
Bomana Break Out
Officials have put down a break out from Bomana jail, just outside Port Moresby,
to negligence responsible for guarding the prisoners. 65 prisoners dashed
for freedom on the 18th of January. Two officers have already been suspended
as an inquiry into the jailbreak gets underway and it is expected that more
officers will face disciplinary action. Only 10 escapees have been recaptured
so far and the bodies of two have been found near the Laloki River. It is
believed that they may have drowned while trying to escape by swimming across
the flooded river.
Weightlifting Record
Dika Toua has won gold at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney
last weekend. Competing in the women's 53 Kilogram class Toua lifted 110 Kg
in the clean and jerk to grab gold after managing only 75 Kg in the snatch.
The clean and jerk bettered her own Oceania record of 107 Kg set only recently
and is a new Commonwealth record.
PNG Swimming
In a recent newspaper report young Krystal Babao (17 year old) has said that
she is happy to have a clean swimming pool going on to say that in PNG the
pool is frequently closed because it is not safe to swim in the local pool.
Krystal was down in Australia for the five-day Youth Olympic Festival.
Air Niugini
The Chairman of the Air Niugini Board of Directors, Mr Joseph Tauvasa, has
presented a cheque for K100,000 to the Hon. Dr Puka Temu, Minister for Lands
and Chairman of the Nation-wide appeal for the National Government's drive
to raise funds for the Tsunami disaster.
Air Niugini also presented K50,000 to Caritas PNG for the Manam Volcanic
Disaster appeal. Mr Tauvasa said that the Directors, Management and Staff
share the grief of the relatives of victims affected by the recent tsunami.
While the hearts of many Papua New Guineans went out to those who were devastated
by the tsunami, Air Niugini also acknowledge the plight of the Manam people
affected by the volcanic eruption.
Mr Tauvasa said as a good corporate citizen, Air Niugini cares about the
people in Papua New Guinea and the global village. He said it was a humanitarian
obligation to make a generous donation to help rebuild the lives of survivors.
"Although this is a modest donation, we wish this donation to go a long
way in assisting the survivors rebuild their shattered lives".
Goroka Rotary
The Rotary Club in Goroka has donated nine wheelchairs to physically challenged
people at the Gouna Shopping Centre recently. Over 150 people attended the
presentation. There are 20 more wheelchairs will given out to people that
need them. The Wheelchair Foundation and Rotary International Foundation donated
the wheelchairs. The Candy Shop in Goroka donated free ice cream on the day.
Death Penalty
The report on the death penalty is almost ready to be given to Cabinet for
consideration. PNG currently has laws supporting the death penalty but it
does not have any mechanism, both regulatory and physical buildings and equipment
to implement the death penalty. Some PNG people have already been sentenced
to death and their cases are in various stages of appeal.
Maprik Radio
The FM radio station intended to serve the area around Maprik should be able
to swing into operation shortly after the Civil Aviation Authority gave permission
for the station to erect an 80-metre tower to hold the antenna. It is intended
that the radio station will be used to communicate health, education and agriculture
programs to farmers in the area.
Oil Refinery
The InterOil oil refinery just outside Port Moresby is running in full swing.
It is capable of refining oil from various sites around the country not only
the oil produced at Kutubu.
Children Travel Free
Air Niugini has introduced, with conditions, a special adult fare that allows
one child to travel free of charge. The child must travel on the same flight
as the adult.
HIV/AIDS in PNG
The following article has been reprinted from Jane's Newsletter and is about
HIV/AIDS -- http://www.janeresture.com
Of increasing concern is the evidence that Papua New Guinea is in the grip
of a burgeoning AIDS epidemic on a scale already being compared to that experienced
in some African countries. Official records point to just under 9,000 people
having been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea, but some health authorities
have estimated that the numbers could be as high as between 50,000 and 80,000.
Indeed, Australian experts have predicted that more than one million people
may have the disease in six years. In a country with a population of about
5.4 million, this is a frightening statistic.
Sadly, it is the women of Papua New Guinea who seem to be most affected.
For example, in the 15-29 year old age group, twice as many women have been
infected as men, according to 2003 statistics from Papua New Guinea's National
AIDS Council Secretariat. More than one in every 100 pregnant women has tested
positive to the virus. The main cause of infection is heterosexual transmission
followed by parent-to-child transmission.
Indeed, 90 percent of Papua New Guinea women have contracted AIDS from their
husbands. The women know that their husbands have more than one partner but
they do not know who the other woman is and, if they talk about it, they can
be beaten up. Sadly, these women simply have no control over their sex life.
http://www.janeresture.com/png_home/index.htm
HIV/AIDS Update
PNG has over 9000 confirmed cases of HIV/AIDS out of a population of approximately
5.5 million. This is the highest number of confirmed cases in the Pacific
region. It has been reported that 14 people die of AIDS every day at the Port
Moresby General Hospital and a further 115 new cases are diagnosed every month
at the same hospital.
Coconuts and Tearooms
Do not forget to try and get a copy of an excellent book that covers an attempt
by one person to record some of the history of coconuts, tearooms and Rabaul.
The book, called appropriately Coconuts and tearooms, covers the eruption
of the volcanoes around Rabaul in 1937 and the preface covers the reason why
Pat's book is of extreme historical value. In 1942 the Japanese invaded Rabaul
and destroyed irreplaceable records. I recommend that you somehow get to a
library and grab a copy of the book titled "Coconuts and Tearooms"
by Pat Boys. National Library of New Zealand ISBN 0-473-01724-5
It is copyrighted in 1993 but covers a six-year period in the 1930's. The
book started out as ten foolscap, single-spaced pages that Pat's mother had
written about her experiences. With this meagre beginning an a keen interest
to preserve a little bit of the history of the Rabaul area and helped by over
200 photographs taken by her father Pat has been able to produce a wonderful
140 plus page book. The only complaint I could find about the book was that
I wish the photos were in colour! Now if I could only buy a plantation for
the price mentioned in Pat's book but using the money I earn today without
subtracting anything for inflation!
Ramu Highway
As reported in a previous edition of the PNG Goss. The road between Madang
and Lae was cut recently. Work is progressing towards clearing the blockage
so that traffic can return to normal. The road also serves as an alternative
access point to the highlands from the coast.
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