Links
Warning:
PNG web sites seem to come and go. The fact of life is that it costs
money to host a web site 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 web site 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 web site. -- The PNG
Gossip Newsletter.
Mention
of a website or service does not necessarily mean that this newsletter
endorses the website or service
Lands Dept Site
The Department of Lands and Physical Planning have launched a new website
that can be found at -- http://www.lands.gov.pg
-- The management of the Lands Department hopes that the site will enhance
the department's efforts to inform investors, government institutions
and the general public of the roles, responsibilities, procedures, processes
and the overall working of the department.
Dive Boat Web Sites
http://www.bomatu.com/MVTiata.htm
-- MV Tiata
http://www.chertan.com/ -- MV
Chertan
http://www.febrina.com/ -- MV
FeBrina
http://www.pngtourism.org.pg/png/export/sites/TPA/diving/mvpsport.htm
-- MV Paradise Sport
http://www.mvgoldendawn.com
-- MV Golden Dawn
http://www.peterhughes.com/star/Star_dancerindex.shtml
-- MV Star Dancer
Melanesian Institute
The Melanesian Institute is an ecumenical institute that researches,
teaches and publishes on all aspects of Melanesian culture. A web site
can be found at -- http://www.mi.org.pg
Forest Industries Association
PNG Forest Industries Association -- http://www.fiapng.com
-- This site is designed and implemented by Wolfgang and is a CyberMasta
Web Site -- http://www.cybermasta.com/portfolio.htm
Misc Sites
If you want to find a Yahoo Group that deals with Papua New Guinea
then I recommend that you visit this link -- http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=papua+new+guinea&submit=Search
-- with any luck you will find a whole list of groups that may interest
you.
The Yahoo regional directory on PNG is located at -- http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/Papua_New_Guinea/
Official web site of the PNG National Olympic Committee -- http://www.oceaniasport.com/png/
Inside Papua New Guinea -- http://www.insideoceania.com/html/papua_new_guinea.html
-- this site has links to current news and stories about Papua New Guinea
usually from sources outside PNG.
PNG Forest Conservation News -- http://forests.org/png
The Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce website can be found at -- http://www.pomcci.org.pg
The Web Site for the PNG Institute of Directors gives an excellent
introduction to PNG company law and related governance issues it can
be found at -- http://www.pngid.org.pg
PNG Institute of Accountants -- http://www.pngia.org.pg
Rimbunan Hijau (PNG) Group -- http://www.rhpng.com.pg/
UMW heavy equipment supplier -- http://www.umw.com.pg/
The main PNG Tourism website can be found at -- http://www.pngtourism.com.pg
The Milne Bay Tourism website can be found at -- http://www.milnebaytourism.gov.pg
The Morobe Tourism website can be found at -- http://www.tourismmorobe.org.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.
Sports Sites
PNG Rugby League -- http://www.rleague.com/nations/png
PNG Aussie Rules -- http://www.afl-png.com
South Pacific Motor Sports Club -- http://www.spmsc.org.pg
The Motor Sports Club also has sub-pages dealing with -- go karting,
snooker, game fishing and speedway. Visit the -- http://www.spmsc.org.pg
-- web site and navigate from there.
Game Fishing -- http://www.gfa.com.pg
Royal Papua Yacht Club -- http://www.rpyc.com.pg
PNG 2005 Squash International -- http://www.squashsite.co.uk/png2005.htm
News Items
Medical Symposium
The 41st Medical Symposium started yesterday in Goroka. The symposium
is using the Auditorium at the University of Goroka. It is believed
that about 400 scientists, medical doctors and health workers from PNG
and overseas will attend the weeklong symposium. The symposium will
also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the PNG Medical Journal.
The Goroka Base Hospital donated K10,000 towards the running of the
symposium.
Police IT
Thanks to assistance from the Australian Government the Human Resources
section of the police force now has over 20 computers to help with the
payroll including leave applications, salary and recruitment processes.
The Australian Government upgraded the information technology system
at a cost of K4 million while the constabulary did K380,000 worth of
renovation work to the centre.
Police Rules
It has been claimed in a report by Ms Zama Coursen-Neff of Human Rights
Watch that boys and girls are being shot, knifed, kicked and beaten
with gun butts, iron bars, wooden batons, fists, rubber hoses and chairs
by police. The report also says that children are also routinely detained
with adults in sordid police lock-ups and denied medical care. The senior
researcher for Human Rights Watch's children's division says that extreme
physical violence is business as usual for the PNG police force.
Police Sackings
Many motorists have felt the pinch and had to put up with police asking
for "on the spot" fines or donations when stopped at the all
too common disorganised police roadblock around the National Capital
but a group of eight police have been sacked for asking for K50 from
a UNDP official at a roadblock in Port Moresby. Police are supposed
to issue infringement notices to offenders and not collect money from
them.
Port Moresby Speed Limit
The blanket Port Moresby speed limit is 60 Kilometres per hour (about
37 miles per hour) but motorists regularly flaunt that limit along the
Poreporena Highway that links Port Moresby Jackson's airport to downtown
Port Moresby cutting through part of Burns Peak. The National Road Safety
Council (NRSC) has said it would not impose that rule along the highway
as it has been built to a much higher standard than the other roads
in the city. The NRSC did not, however, say what speed limit would be
suitable for the highway. There was also no comment from police. The
highway, opened several years ago, has very quickly become one of the
busiest roads in the National Capital cutting many minutes off the trip
from the airport to town.
Human Rights
People attending a workshop in Madang have been told that often, in
PNG, people who speak out about human rights issues in the country are
regarded as stirrers, troublemakers or loud moths. This is because human
rights are not widely understood in the country. The aim of the workshop
is to train trainers to work equally with the victims and the offenders
about the different issues that are affecting the rights of people in
the country. The workshop has been funded by the Ombudsman Commission.
ECP
Australia has accepted that the Enhanced Cooperation Program (ECP)
will go ahead without any immunity for Australian Officers. The Australian
Assisting Police (AAP) will return to the country but in vastly reduced
numbers and they will be employed in strategic positions within the
Royal PNG Constabulary including the National; Fraud and Anti Corruption
Unit, attachments to assist provincial police commanders, police station
commanders as well as training at Bomana Police College. 43 ECP personnel
not attached to the police force but engaged in government departments
remained in the country after the major ECP force left earlier this
year.
Cancer
The PNG Governor General has said that 80 percent of cancer patients
face a death sentence due to inadequate treatment. Sir Paulias Matane
said cancer did not always lead to a death sentence because many well-known
people who had money and went overseas had survived the dreaded disease
with treatment not available in PNG. There are 15,000 new cancer cases
detected in PNG each year.
Air Fares
Along with airlines around the world Air Niugini has had to increase
airfares due to the increase in the price of oil. The fuel surcharge
on international flights has increased from USD46.20 to USD57.75 per
sector this is similar to what other overseas airlines have had to implement.
On domestic sectors the price has increased to K42 from K30. Air Niugini
claims that it has been mindful of the fact that airfares are rapidly
going beyond the capacity of the general PNG public to pay any more
and tried to keep the domestic increase to as low a figure as possible.
Public Service Commission
It has been claimed that the chairman of the Public Service Commission
has been paid more than K500,000 in motor vehicle allowances of which
more than K300,00 was in excess of the correct entitlements. The chairman,
Jerry Tetaga, has denied the claims and claims that some of the payments
were made in lieu of his leave entitlements. He has also claimed that
they were for backdated payments for 2001.
Leadership
A call by the Lagaip-Porgera MP to change Section 27 of the organic
law on Duties and Responsibilities of Leadership has come under fire
by several organisations as well as from some members of parliament.
The MP has proposed changes to the law that dismisses office holders
if they are found guilty of misconduct in office changed so that it
excludes politicians. The Transport and Civil Aviation Minister, Don
Polye, has condemned the proposed changes and said that it would only
promote a breakdown in leadership and honesty, integrity, transparency
and accountability. Western Province Governor and Transparency International
are some of the others that have condemned the changes to the law. The
PNG Law Society has described the proposal as dangerous and ill advised.
Goroka Hospital
A company based in Goroka has helped with K100,000 to refurbish a medical
ward at the Goroka Base Hospital. The New Guinea Highlands Coffee Export
company (NGHCE) has formally handed over the medical ward to the hospital
management committee. The money used was made available from the sale
of coffee to the US Based Starbucks Coffee Company. Last year the NGHCE
spent over K80,000 to renovate the surgical ward.
Loloho Gold
Over 1000 people have rushed to Loloho in Bougainville with the hope
of finding gold. People have been filling copra sacks with dirt and
then washing them in the local rivers in a bid to find gold.
PNG Ambassador to NZ
The new PNG ambassador to New Zealand has been welcomed by the New
Zealand Governor General in Wellington. Former Speaker of the National
Parliament and Wewak MP Bernard Narokobi was one of six diplomats to
present their credentials to the NZ Governor General.
Road Rules
A report about a study done in 2003 and delivered recently by the Assistant
Police Commissioner Jim Andrews on behalf of the Police Commissioner
has revealed what most motorists already know and that is that most
Public Motor Vehicle (PMV) drivers in Port Moresby have never gone through
any form of driver training before getting their driving licences. Many
of the drivers surveyed indicated that they had learnt how to drive
by observing others. The report also said that about 80 percent of drivers
currently on the road knew how to drive motor vehicles but had little
idea of the road safety rules. A booklet has been produced to help people
learn the rules but unfortunately it has been produced in English -
a language not widely understood by the general population.
Independence
The Australian Governor General plans to travel to PNG this month as
part of the PNG 30th anniversary celebrations. The Aussie GG will visit
Wewak, Madang and Kokoda before taking part in the Port Moresby celebrations
on the 16th of September. His visit will also coincide with the 60th
anniversary of the end of the Second World War in PNG.
Port Moresby Water
Due to better management of leaks and illegal use of water Eda Ranu,
responsible for supplying water to Port Moresby has claimed that the
demand for water in Port Moresby has been reduced by 26 million litres
of water everyday. The water management project started in February
2004 and will end June 2006. The project has covered about 60 percent
of the water network so far. The reduction in water usage has benefited
Eda Ramu by a reduction in the amount of electricity used to pump water
and the amount of chemicals needed to treat the water. The reduction
will also mean that the existing water treatment equipment will be able
to be used for several more years before needing to be replaced.
National Library
The Australian Government will help with a facelift for the PNG National
Library. The library was Australia's gift at independence to PNG in
1975. Australia will also help pay for an exhibition rugby league match
between the PNG Kumuls and an Australian Prime Minister's XIII during
the Independence celebrations. The Australian team will be coached by
league legend, Mal Meninga with help from Brad Fittler.
PNG Investment
The Finance and Treasury Minister, Bart Philemon, has said that bureaucratic
inefficiencies at the Lands Department along with increasing prices
and transport costs are some of the reasons why investors are having
second thoughts about investing in PNG. Mr Philemon stressed that the
problem of acquiring land for business is often a long process that
frustrates investors. The long delay in processing documents also provides
opportunities for graft and corruption.
Miss PNG Quest
Local Toyota dealer, Ela Motors, have donated two 1995 Toyota Vistas
to the Miss PNG Red Cross event. One vehicle will be used as a prize
in the 2005 Red Cross raffle and the other will be given to the winner
of the Miss Charity title.
Previous Miss Red Cross Winners
The following people have won the title of "Miss PNG"
+ 1974 Miss Eva Arni was the first holder of the title "Miss PNG"
- Eva went on to win the Miss Asia Title.
+ 1975 Miss Eau Suve. Eau went on to win the "Best Traditional
Dress" award at the Miss Asia Quest.
+ 1976 Miss Sayah Karukaru
+ 1978 Miss Angeline Tukana
+ 1979 Miss Milly Misbut
+ 1980 Miss Mispah Alwyn
+ 1981 Miss Jennifer Abaijah
+ 1982 Miss Moi Eli
+ 1983 Miss Shannel Bray
+ 1984 Miss Patricia Mirisa
+ 1985 Miss Carmel Vagi - Miss Communications
+ 1986 Miss Anna Wild
+ 1987 Miss Harriet Warren
+ 1988 Miss Erue Taunao
+ 1989 Miss Joycelyn Leahy
+ 1991 Miss Marcia Muir
+ 1992 Miss Jennifer Lemeki
+ 1993 Miss Sharon Onsa
+ 1994 Miss Tania Doyle
+ 1995 Miss Imanakone Sioa
+ 1996 Miss Rita Stegman
+ 1997 Miss Lisa Linibi
+ 1998 Miss Helai Oala
+ 1999 Miss Roberta Ali
+ 2000 Miss Ephreddie Jubilee
+ 2001 Miss Olivia Wilson
+ 2002 Miss Yaku Ninich
+ 2003 Miss Cynthia Asi - Central (Miss MRDC)
+ 2004 Miss Ashwin Samson - Miss Warehouse
Coming Events
Medical Symposium -- on now 5th to 9th of September
PNG 30th Independence Day Celebrations -- 16th September 2005.
Hiri Moale Festival -- 15th to 18th of September 2005.
Goroka Show -- Independence Weekend (17th - 19th September)
Tufi Cultural Show -- 17th - 19th September
Morobe Show, Lae -- 15th and 16th of October 2005
The Milne Bay Canoe and Kundu (drum) festival will be held between
the 4th and 6th of November this year.
Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March 2006.
2006 - April 8th to the 16th -- National Game Fishing Titles
PNG Media
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