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
Misc Sites
Binatang Research Centre -- http://www.entu.cas.cz/png/index.html
Moore Printing -- http://www.moore.com.pg
The PNG Institute of Valuers and Land Administrators -- http://www.pngivla.org.pg/index.htm
The PNG chapter of Transparency International -- http://www.transparencypng.org.pg
Kenmore group of companies -- http://www.kenmore.com.pg
ConXions -- http://www.conxions.com.pg
-- (also Ericssons PNG)
PACOM -- http://www.prosec.com.pg/pacom
PNG Pacific Mobile Communications -- http://www.tiare.com.pg
PNG Telecommunications Authority -- http://www.pangtel.gov.pg
PNG Telikom -- http://www.teklikompng.com.pg
RAD-TEL Communications Sales and Services -- http://www.radtel.com.pg
TE PNG -- http://www.tepng.com
Matryx -- http://www.matryx.com.pg
Life Insurance Corporation (PNG) Limited -- http://www.lifeinsurancecorp.com.pg
Education Related Links
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.ac.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.ac.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
Divine Word University -- http://www.dwu.ac.pg
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
Lonely Planet
The Lonely Planet Guide to PNG can be found at -- http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/australasia/papua_new_guinea/
Surfing PNG
Surfing information for PNG can be found at the Surfing Association
of PNG website located at -- http://www.surfingpapuanewguinea.org.pg/home.htm
-- and -- http://www.surfing-waves.com/travel/papua_ng.htm
-- The Tourism Promotion Authority December 2003 Newsletter also had
an article on surfing PNG at -- http://www.pngtourism.org.pg/news/newsletters/newsletterdec.htm
Moresby Arts Theatre
The Moresby Arts Theatre has a web site located at -- http://www.mat.org.pg/home/home.html
-- The Moresby Arts Theatre or MAT is a 90-year-old non-profit organisation
that aims to encourage and promote the Arts in Port Moresby. MAT owns
a substantial asset - the Moresby Arts Centre. The centre is comprised
of a two hectare block of land that includes serene garden areas, a
purpose built theatre, café, bar, foyer area and a pottery workshop.
It is located in Waigani, next door to the New Zealand High Commission,
close to Parliament, the National Museum and the Library.
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 that 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
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
Yarka's Bill
Karpa Yarka, the MP from Lagaip-Porgera, has withdrawn his controversial
bill to amend the leadership code so that the provisions to dismiss
a politician who had been found guilty of an offence for three years
would be removed. There was overwhelming opposition to the bill from
Transparency International and the public,
New K100 Note
The Finance and Treasury Minister, Bart Philemon, has launched a new
K100 note and K1 coin at the Parliament House State function room recently.
The note was printed by Note Printing Australia, a subsidiary of the
Central Bank of Australia, and a Canadian company minted the K1 coin.
Mr Philemon also said the one toea and two toea coins would also be
withdrawn in the next couple of months and the only coins that would
be in circulation would be the five toea, 10 toea, 20 toea, 50 toea
and K1 coins
Parliament House
Telikom PNG recently pulled the plug for non-payment of outstanding
bills disconnecting Parliament House from the outside world. It has
been reported that Parliament owes Telikom about K575,000 in outstanding
telephone bills. Parliament has been allocated K59 million in the 2006
Budget, an increase of K5 million from the 2005 budget.
PNG Budget
The 2006 PNG Budget described as "a lacklustre budget" by
the Opposition has been passed. The Opposition Leader, Peter O'Neill,
said the budget concealed the country's poor fiscal position, and gave
misleading expenditure figures. The Finance and Treasury Minister, Bart
Philemon, said the reply from Opposition Leader Peter O'Neill had many
criticisms of what were not in the 2006 budget without actually saying
what he would do if he were in government.
PNG Information Technology
Currently PNG is rated one of the lowest among other Pacific Island
nations in telecommunication that comprises of the fixed line segment,
mobile and Internet segment and television segment and the lowest fixed-line
density. PNG has 700 payphones, by far the lowest per capita phone coverage
of all Pacific nations. PNG also ranks with the lowest in internet penetration,
less than one per cent of the population, while its internet access
costs are among the most expensive in the Pacific Island Nations States.
PNG also ranks among the lowest of television receivers in the PINS
with a TV penetration accounting for only eight per cent of the population.
Shell PNG
The Shell Fuel Company has indicated that it wishes to sell off its
operations in the Pacific Islands. Shell has high growth areas in India
and China. The sale of assets in a relatively small market as the Pacific
will help to expand operations in the high growth areas. It has been
hinted that InterOil PNG may buy Shell PNG. InterOil recently took over
the operation of all BP outlets in the country. The company also operates
the only oil refinery in PNG.
Kutubu Landowners Dispute
Police were called in recently to prevent a fight amongst Kutubu landowners
over how K1.2 million in project funds should be distributed. The landowners
are upset because some of the payout has already been earmarked to pay
bills incurred by directors and landowners who went to Port Moresby
to negotiate for the funds. A company official said that out of the
K1.2 million payout, K400,000 was put aside for projects in the district,
K400,000 was paid to the company Irakorahi Investment to cover its operational
costs, and K400,000 paid to the creditors.
Air Niugini
Demand for Air Niugini flights has increased and the airline has announced
extra flights over the Christmas period. The national airline had scheduled
an additional 120 domestic flights for the coming season from the 5th of December
to the 25th to meet the demand. The extra flights will serve most PNG domestic
destinations, including the first ever Fokker F100 services to Manus
and Alotau, currently, the Fokker 100 flies to Lae, Mount Hagen, Rabaul
(Tokua) and Hoskins only.
Forged Certificates
School authorities have said to check school certificates closely to
ensure that they are not forged documents. They also said that a photocopy
of a certificate should never be accepted as genuine. Details of Grade
10 and 12 results should always be crosschecked with the Measurement
Services Unit (MSU) database. Certain features are incorporated into
recent certificates. Since 1995, all genuine certificates have had a
raised embossed Department of Education seal on the bottom right hand
corner while in 2002 the seal also had the year on it. Further the genuine
certificates have the word "Original" in faint large letters
printed on the back.
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 borrow a copy of the
book titled "Coconuts and Tearooms" by Pat Boys. National
Library of New Zealand ISBN 0-473-01724-5. I believe it is getting very
difficult to find a new copy.
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!
Airlines of PNG
Airlines of PNG -- http://www.apng.com
-- are offering one-way airfares from Port Moresby to Cairns, Australia,
in a Dash 8 aircraft, for K299 plus K359 worth of taxes every weekday
. Airlines of PNG are able to offer movies on board the Dash and all
flights (north and south bound) are coordinated to connect with Jetstar
-- http://www.jetstar.com.au
-- and Virgin Blue -- http://www.virginblue.com.au
-- flights in Australia. Airlines of PNG are also offering a more flexible
fare for K449 plus K359 worth of taxes every weekday
Budget Worries
After the passing of the 2006 PNG budget some organisations are worried
that they have not been allocated enough money by the government. The
Ombudsman Commission has expressed concerns because they requested K10.5
million and only received a little over K9 million to do its job.
The Governor for the Eastern Highlands has also expressed concern about
cuts to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in his province.
Governor Mal Smith has hinted that the money allocated to the NBC will
do little more than pay the salaries of the staff at the radio station.
He said that the province relies heavily on the radio. He has also criticised
the reduction in the Civil Aviation allocation for 2006.
Judicial Threat
The Justice Minister has condemned a recent threat by individuals against Justice
Mark Sevua. Justice Sevua, who was in Buka, was only four days into an expected
three week visit to the island when he had to cut short his stay after individuals
claimed that a National Court sitting was illegal and any decisions made would
also be illegal. Bougainville has recently been granted a degree of autonomy
by the adoption of its own constitution by the PNG National Government.
Lighthouse Worries
PNG people living in coastal areas of the country have been urged to
protect and not destroy lighthouses and other marine lights. The Milne
Bay Provincial Administrator said that the destruction of lighthouses
would have adverse effects on the social and economic development of
the country. Without lights ships could run aground causing damage to
the marine environment. Marine navigational aids provide safety for
sea freight and passenger services as well as help to safely distribute
goods and services throughout the Maritime Provinces. Milne Bay has
37 lighthouses within the province and for the first time for many years
most are now operational. In fact 92 percent of the lighthouses have
recently been maintained.
Snakebite Training
It is hoped that with the introduction of a new training programme
at the Medical and Allied Health section of the Medical Faculty of the
University of PNG snakebite victims will now have a better chance of
survival than what they currently have. The training program is the
first of its kind to ever be offered in a developing tropical country
anywhere in the world. The course amongst many, many things includes
first aid management of patients in remote areas and patient assessment
and diagnosis. The inaugural course saw 62 people from eight provinces
taking part. Volunteer lecturers from PNG, Australia and New Zealand taught
the course at the University of PNG. 90 participants, from seven provinces,
attended a second course held at Divine Word University in Madang.
Coming Events
1st December -- World AIDS Day
Air Niugini Ball - 1st December 2005 at the Crowne Plaza in downtown
Port Moresby.
2nd December 2005 -- PNG Petroleum Seminar. Hideaway Hotel, Port Moresby.
More details via email from -- conf@pngchamberminpet.com.pg
Miss PNG 2005 Crowning night -- the 3rd of December at the Crowne Plaza
in downtown Port Moresby. For more information about the 2005 Miss PNG
Red Cross Society Charity Quest or your intention to support the Quest
please call the Quest Coordinator Ms. Aiva Tamate at the PNG Red Cross
on telephone 325 7016 or 325 8577 or fax 325 9714.
Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games -- March 2006.
8th of April to the 16th of April 2006-- National Game Fishing Titles
PNG 31st Independence Anniversary - 16th September 2006
PNG Media
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