Links
Warning: PNG websites seem to come and go. The fact of life is that it costs money to host a website and there is not much return on the outlay to most businesses in PNG. If you do click on a link and use the services or even have some comments to make then please contact the people at the relevant website and let them know so they at least know that someone has gained some value from their efforts. If you are so inclined them mention that you heard about them from this website. -- The PNG Gossip Newsletter.
ICCC Web Site
The Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) has officially launched their new web site. The website will hopefully help the ICCC carryout a greater awareness of consumer rights and business responsibilities under the provisions of the ICCC Act and other relevant legislation. The website can be found at -- http://www.iccc.gov.pg -- Consumers will now be able to lodge complaints online.
National Disaster Centre
Can be found at -- http://www.pngndc.gov.pg
Airlines
Airlink PNG -- http://www.airlink.com.pg
Air Niugini -- http://www.airniugini.com.pg
Airlines of PNG -- http://www.apng.com.pg
Shipping Links
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
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
Real Estate Agents Association
The PNG Real Estate Agents Association, a non-profit making organisation operation under the laws of Papua New Guinea has a site located at -- http://www.reaa.org.pg/news.htm
PNG Institute of Directors
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
Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce
The Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce website is located at -- http://www.pomcci.org.pg
South Pacific Motor Sports Club
The South Pacific Motor Sports Club web site 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.
Education Related Links
Note : Korobosea Boroko East has a new web site launched only recently
-- http://www.koroboro.ac.pg
Ela Murray International School -- http://www.elamurray.ac.pg
Institute of Banking and Business Management -- http://www.ibbm.com.pg/main.html
Institute of Business Studies -- http://www.ibs.com.pg/
International Business Institute -- http://www.ibs.com.pg
International Education Agency -- http://www.iea.ac.pg
Korobosea and Boroko East School -- http://www.koroboro.ac.pg
Pacific Training Academy -- http://www.pta.com.pg
PNG Basic Education Development Program (BEDP) -- http://www.bedp.sagric.com/
PNG Curriculum Reform Implementation Project -- http://www.pngcurriculumreform.ac.pg
PNG International Training Institute -- http://www.iti.com.pg
PNG Maritime College -- http://www.pngmc.ac.pg
PNG University of Technology (Lae) -- http://www.unitech.ac.pg
POM Institute of Matriculation Studies -- http://www.pims.ac.pg/
Tabubil International Education Agency School -- http://www.tis.ac.pg
The International School of Lae -- http://www.tisol.ac.pg/
University of Goroka, Eastern Highlands -- http://www.uog.ac.pg
University of PNG -- http://www.upng.ac.pg
Workers Mutual Computer Training -- http://www.workersmutual.com.pg
News Items
Institute of Business Studies
The Institute of Business Studies has held its 6th graduation in Port Moresby. 245 students graduated with certificates, diplomas and bachelor degrees.
Tactical Response Unit
The tactical response unit (TRU) has been disbanded. The quiet disbanding was a sad end to a unit that has a long history in the fight against crime in Port Moresby and elsewhere - a force that drove fear into some of the most hardened criminals in Port Moresby.
Border Surveillance
A lack of adequate funding is crippling the country's ability to look after its land and sea borders with Australia and Indonesia. The Defence Force is unable to provide surveillance due to funding issues. This means that the borders are virtually open to gun and drug smuggling by criminals. It has been suggested that the many logging ships could easily smuggle in guns across the borders without being detected.
Workers Mutual Insurance
A third independent audit will be conducted of the Workers Mutual Insurance (WMI) Company to make sure that the first two are correct. In the past, there were audits performed by KPMG and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu but the board and management of WMI have disputed the reports.
National Research Institute
The Waigani District Court has cleared the former director of the National Research Institute.
Police had charged Dr Boeha and two other persons with misappropriating K300,000 belonging to the institute. Senior District Court magistrate Allan Kopi cleared the director of the misappropriation charges and ruled that: "There is no evidence of conspiracy by Dr Boeha to defraud the State, and there is no evidence of misappropriation".
Prime Minster's Search
Protestors in Port Moresby have petitioned the Australian government to pay compensation and formally apologise to Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare for the body search he underwent at the Brisbane airport last week. Sir Michael was searched and told to remove his shoes by airport security officers while transiting via Brisbane on his way back home from New Zealand, an action that angered the Prime Minister.
Money Scheme
A principal of a money scheme - Osaba Stock Limited - has had charge=s brought against him by the Bank of Papua New Guinea for collecting and accepting deposits without a banking licence. A total of 11 charges were filed against Osaba Stock Ltd for operating an illegal money scheme. The company was alleged to have lured clients to make deposits with promises to pay a 100% interest in return for their investments, which did not eventuate.
Port Moresby Water
Residents of Port Moresby had to once again suffer a lack of water recently. The supplier of water to the city, Eda Ranu, had to shut down some of the water main valves in the city because it has been claimed that PNG Power needed to carry out some urgent work on its electricity turbines at Rouna 2 hydro station.
PNG Nickel
It has been said that the US$650 million (K2 billion) Ramu nickel cobalt project will have no problem in finding a market and take advantage of high nickel prices. These remarks were made at the signing of the Ramu Nickel Master Agreement between the joint venture partners.
Sepik Highway
Criminal activity along the Sepik Highway has dropped to zero since June 2004 because of the efforts of voluntary community police.
Kiunga
The Court House in Kiunga has closed indefinetly due to a recent break-in. Thieves stole over K7,000 and court exhibits. They also caused considerable damage to the courthouse. Kiunga police have confiremed the arrest of three suspects and are currently carrying out further investigations into the break-in.
Guns
Reports have appeared in the local papers about how guns are smuggled into and out of PNG. Some reports say that they are smuggled in various containers such as sealed drums. Other reports have indicated that many leaders especially in the highlands region are involved in the smuggling.
Blood Service
The Saint John Ambulance has taken over the operation of the PNG Blood Service since August of last year and is known as the St John B;lood Servie. St John's took over the running of the Blood Service from the PNG Red Cross after the Red Cross handed back the service to the PNG Health Department. All blood collected is tested at the new Central Health Laboratory facility provided by AusAID at the Port Moresby General Hospital.
Malahang Clinic
The manufacturer of the Besta tinned fish brand, International Food Corporation, has delivered K7000 worth of medicine to the Malahang Clinic in Lae. Some of the drugs supplied included 12 boxes of Chloroquine phosphate, six boxes of quinine (300g), 48 packets of artermeter tablets and six boxes of amoxicillin capsules.
Mobile Police Battle
A mobile police squad have been accused of bashing two betel nut vendors with planks, fists and gun butts in Port Moresby. A senior police officer that came to the rescue of the vendors has been accused of obstructing the mobile squad. The senior policeman has said that there appears to be a serious discipline problem within the mobile squad.
Plastic Bag Ban
Major supermarkets are confused as to whether there is a ban on plastic bags for customers. The ban on plastic shopping bags was supposed to have come into effect on the first of April. According to previous reports by Environment and Conservation Minister, William Duma, the ban on plastic bags by retailers was set for the first and the first of June was set for manufacturers to stop making them. This seems to be the wrong way around as it would be logical to stop the manufacture first and then ;let the supermarkets and other shops phase them out as stocks run out.
PNG Power Apprenticeships
A 22 year-old woman from the Western highlands has been selected with 12 men from over 7,000 applicants to train under the company's four-year apprenticeship program. This is the first time that the power company has selected a woman to become an apprentice.
Northern Province
The Northern province police commander, Chief Inspector Teddy Tei, has been arrested and charged with misappropriating K3,870.80 of public funds. It has been alleged that Mr Tei and a Senior Constable cashed a cheque without authority, at the FMK shop at Boroko, National Capital District rather than pay for accommodation in Popondetta as it was intended. It has been alleged that the amount received was put to the officers' personal use. It is understood that the two cases are part of 60 cases of police official corruption that have been or are being investigated by criminal investigation officers from Port Moresby.
Markham Bridge
The Japanese Government is considering a proposal to build a double lane bridge across the Markham River in Morobe province at an estimated cost of K40 million. The PNG Government has submitted a proposal to the Japanese embassy in Port Moresby that has been forwarded on to Tokyo for consideration. The K40 million double land bridge will replace the one that collapsed last year. It has been repaired, but it takes limited loads not exceeding 40 tonnes, which is seen as an impediment to businesses in the Wau / Bulolo area of Morobe province.
Governor General
The Governor General, Sir Paulias Matane and Lady Kaludia have left PNG to attend the Royal wedding between Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles. Due to cost constraints only two other people will accompany the Governor General.
Wasted Potato Seed
Thirty tonnes of potato seeds that have been imported from Australia for use by farmers in the highlands region have been dumped because they were allowed to rot at the Lae wharf. The seeds were waiting for inspection by the National Agriculture Quarantine Inspection Authority (NAOIA) but due to delays seed potatoes rotted before they could be released. The containers arrived in mid-February and were inspected by NAQIA on the 15th of Feb with a second inspection on the 18th of Feb 18. Soil and seed samples were taken during these inspections and sent to the NAQIA laboratory in Port Moresby for further tests. The tests were not conducted until mid-March.
Eastern Highlands Potatoes
The Eastern Highlands Province has allocated K60,000 from its budget to help train potato growers and to help distribute blight resistant seed potatoes in the province. It is hoped that this will help to reduce the problem caused by potato blight.
Correctional Services
Retired Correctional Services officers in Morobe province have called for an inquiry into the management of their superannuation funds. This is because they were not receiving any monthly pension from the fund.
Fishing
The National Fisheries Authority and the Small Business Development Corporation have combined resources to help local fishermen become business owners and operators. To help the two organisations have released a training manual titles "Start and Improve Your Fisheries Business".
The National
Does any one read the news at -- http://www.thenational.com.pg? I normally get a hard copy of the newspaper but being stuck overseas waiting for a Fokker F100 to come to Brisbane Airport a couple of weeks ago I decided to read a bit of the news in the Post Courier -- http://www.postcouriewr.com.pg -- and The National -- http://www.thenational.com.pg. I found the National to have all the links linking pages to be totally stuffed up. I finally have had time to look at this and it seems that all the links, from one page to the next, are incorrect. If anyone needs to read the paper online then they need to manually key in the correct URL. For example -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/0401/nation13.htm -- links to an article about Boroko Court hearing all drug-related cases. Clicking on the previous link on this page will take you to article 11 and the next link takes you to article 13. The one you are already viewing. The only way to get to the next page is to manually enter the link to article 12 or 14. This problem seems to be for all recent electronic copies of the newspaper.
Yumi Yet Bridge
There is still doubt over the Yumi Yet Bridge program that saw many bridges being built around the country with little thought about how the bridges were going to be maintained. There has even been talk about the Defence Force soldiers helping to build and hopefully gaining enough experience to maintain the bridges. The Treasurer Bart Philemon has said that the future of the Yumi Yet Bridge Programme would be based on recommendations from an ongoing independent review
UPNG Troubles
A court has ruled that the University of PNG has the power to take action against staff when it struck out an application by the National Academic and Non-Academic Staff Associations to prevent the University from taking any disciplinary action against Association members. Staff recently took action in an attempt to force the University to pay a K650 once off payment to members. The Court said that the applicants should take the matter to an appropriate tribunal to sort out the matter.
Pope John Paul II
The Apostolic Nunciature, the representative of the Vatican in PNG has opened a condolence book for people who want to send their condolences for the Pope. The book was opened for signing on Monday and closes today. (6th April). The Apostolic Nunciature is located in Port Moresby on Air Niugini Hill in Korobosea.
Flags around the country will be lowered to half-mast as Christians around the country joins hands to pray for and celebrate the life of Pope John Paul 2.
PNG Media
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