Links
Do you have a web site or link to a PNG related area on the WWW? If so do you want it mentioned here? Then send an email to -- pngnewsqueue @ pnggossip.com
Aussie High Comm
From time to time the Australian High Commission revises its travel warning for Australians visiting PNG. The most up-to-date text can be found at -- http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Papua_New_Guinea
Newspapers
For the latest news about PNG visit the Post Courier web site at -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg -- or the National Newspaper web site at -- http://www.thenational.com.pg -- both offer up-to-date news about PNG. If you want to catch up on news it is also good to visit -- http://www.pngbd.com -- The PNG Business and Toursim web site.
The Post Courier has just increased its cover price from K1.00 per copy for delivery in Port Moresby to K1.20. Outside Port Moresby the new price for air freight copies is K1.70 - up from K1.50
More Blogs
http://lockfamilyramblings.blogspot.com/2007/01/wilting.html
http://sharminime.blogspot.com/2007/01/news-from-black.html
http://pngfords.blogspot.com/2007/01/2007.html
http://world-passenger.blogspot.com/2007/02/new-guinea-pacific-coast.html
http://cleanacleo.blogspot.com/
Lissenung Island Resort
P.O.Box 536 - Kavieng-N.I.P. Papua New Guinea - Phone/Fax ++675 984 2526 -- http://www.lissenung.com
Kabaira Dive Rabaul
Kabaira Dive Rabaul is a member of the PNG Diving Association and a family-owned and operated business that has been operating for the past 4 years. We would greatly appreciate inclusion of our website in your newsletter. -- http://www.kabairadive.com.pg
Swamp Ghost
The Swamp Ghost has been the centre of much controversy over the attempted movement of the old World War II Boeing B17E Bomber from what should have been its final resting place to overseas. Read about the history of the aircraft by visiting -- http://theswampghost.com/
Misc Links
The Kokoda Track Foundation has been established in recognition of the assistance given to the Australian Diggers during the Pacific War from 1942 - 1945 by the people of PNG including the 'Fuzzy-Wuzzy Angels' and the Koiari and Orokaivean people living along the Kokoda Track. The Foundation has a web site located at -- http://www.kokodatrackfoundation.org
Tree House Village -- http://www.treehouse.com.pg --For those who want a truly tropical style accommodation package then I suggest the exotic Tree House Village. The village is about 15 minute along the scenic Buluminski Highway from Kavieng in the New Ireland province. If anyone wants further details then please write to Tree House Village, PO Box 351, Kavieng, PNG. Phone +675 984 2666 / facsimile +675 984 2693 or email albeck@global.net.pg
Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce -- http://www.pomcci.org.pg
PNG Institute of Directors -- http://www.icd.org.pg
Rotary Club of Boroko -- http://www.rotary.org.pg
Friends of Disabled Association -- http://www.foda.org.pg
The East New Britain Chamber of Commerce and East New Brisbane Tourism Bureau has a web site at --- http//www.eastnewbritain.com
http://www.pitic.org.au -- Pacific Island Trade and Investment Commission.
The PNG chapter of Transparency International has a web site located at -- http://www.transparencypng.org.pg.
Port Moresby Golf Club has a web site that can be found at -- http://www.pomgolf.org.pg.
2007 Elections
The elections are coming. To keep track of them then I suggest book-marking the Electoral Commission web site and visiting it occasionally -- http://www.pngec.gov.pg
Business Directories
http://www.pngbd.com
http://www.ipa.gov.pg/
http://www.apngbc.org.au/
http://www.nationwidepngpages.com
http://www.coffeecorp.org.pg/
http://www.datec.net.pg/dir_web_business.htm
News Items
Sorcery Murders
Police in Papua New Guinea say four women, believed by fellow villagers
to have used sorcery to cause a fatal road crash, have been tortured
with hot metal rods to confess, then murdered and buried standing up
in a pit.
http://thinktrain.blogspot.com/2007/01/lets-make-this-history.html
http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Four-PNG-women-murdered-for-sorcery/2007/01/24/1169594352409.html
The Director of the Melanesian Institute in Papua New Guinea is warning
that the spread of HIV-AIDS there could lead to more claims of sorcery
and an increase in violence towards women.
Hermann Spingler, who is based in Goroka, in the Eastern Highlands,
says that unexplained deaths are often attributed to witchcraft in
parts of the Highlands.
He says that if people think a relative has died for no obvious reason,
they might launch a witch-hunt.
National Elections
Do voters select the right candidate for the job in the elections?
In many other countries it doesn't matter where a candidate comes from
so long as they are eligible for the post and bring good qualities
with them. In fact many voters overseas would not know or care where
their prime minister or president was born as it is inconsequential
to how they will be voting. In PNG many people vote for their wantoks
along ethnic lines, or the person giving out the biggest gifts before
the elections. They may even vote for the person making the biggest,
unsubstantiated promises before the elections especially if he or she
is from the same ethnic group or area of the country. It appears that
there is no sense of unity within the country. Even within the 800
different language groups there are different allegiances. The recent
fighting in the town of Mt Hagen has shown little but the ugly realities
of tribal, clan, family and personal interests.
It is hardly surprising that many people have lost interest in even
determining what candidate will be the best for the role. It can be
said that what usually attracts a voter is that the candidate is a
wantok and how much money or goods he has been able to give to his
voters rather than if he is the best person for the job or belongs
to the party with the best policies. With such divided loyalties could
PNG have a political or military coup similar to what has happened
in Fiji?
Marcus Bai
http://sport.guardian.co.uk/rugbyleague/story/0,,1998076,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=7
Marcus Bai, the former Leeds and Bradford wing, is to join the coaching
staff of Papua New Guinea for their tour of France next autumn.
The Kumuls will play two Tests against the French during a four-match
tour. They have also been mentioned as possible mid-season opposition
for Great Britain in July. Bai will assist the former Wigan scrum-half
Adrian Lam, the head coach of Papua New Guinea.
Lucrative Contract
PNG Gardener has reportedly won a K9 million a year contract to clean
up the streets and parks and gardens of the national capital. PNG Gardener
is owned by businessman and TV personality Justin Tkatchenko and his
wife Catherine. He intends to stand at the national elections under
the Pangu Pati banner, reportedly for the seat of Moresby South against
Dame Carol Kidu, who is the Minister for Community Development.
Telikom PNG
Telikom PNG has suffered another major outage in the Port Moresby
area due to yet another power surge hitting one of the local exchanges.
It took several hours for telephone technicians who had to work through
the night to be able to restore the service and several PABX could
not connect back into the network until another reset of equipment
in the Boroko telephone exchange the next day. After all this Telikom
had to do yet another reset of the equipment in an attempt to restart
equipment that had failed and did not restart correctly after the first
attempt.
Mobile Telephone Companies
Rumour has it that one of the players in the Mobile Telephone market
may have to pull out of PNG if the deal does not go through soon. Caribbean
company, Digicel, and Indonesian firm Dawamiba successfully tendered
to enter the PNG in an international tender conducted by the Independent
Consumer and Competition Commission between March and September 2006.
They were led to believe that they would be able to enter the market
from March this year as Telikom PNG had indicated they would relinquish
their exclusive licence. Telikom PNG has a licence that gives them
exclusive control over mobile telephones within PNG until later this
year.
Mobile Telephone Roaming
The ability for overseas mobile telephones to be used in PNG and PNG
mobiles to be used overseas is currently undergoing testing. The telephone
owner will then have the call billed back to wherever their home mobile
phone is based. It is hoped that this will soon be available for mobile
users in PNG travelling to selected overseas countries and mobile phone
users coming from Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia to PNG. As well
as being able to make and receive calls the user will be able to send
and receive SMS messages.
Vale Rick Warnett
For those that don't already know the PNG Gossip Newsletter recently
lost an often anyonmous contributor to the newsletter. Rick Warnett
died tragically a couple of weeks ago in Cairns, Australia. His contributions
and friendship will be missed.
Missionary Aviation
Thanks to a donation of a GA8 Airvan aircraft by the PNG
Sustainable Development Program Limited Missionary
Aviation Fellowship now has
a fleet of 13 aircraft that can serve PNG. Mike Jelliffe, the General
Manager of MAF (PNG), said the new aircraft would be used to serve
many people in remote airstrips throughout the country. For many remote
areas MAF is the only link to the outside world apart from walking
for many days.
The PNG Sustainable Development Program is a joint initiative between
the Government of PNG and OkTedi
mine owners.
The aircraft is special one as it is the 100th
Airvan to roll off
the assembly line at Gippsland
Aeronautics in Victoria, Australia.
Thinking of Coming to PNG?
If you are thinking of coming to PNG it is recommended that you take
the time to read the following information on the PNGBD website --
http://www.pngbd.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2549
PNG Sports Federation
The PNG Sports Federation (PNGSF) once again is at the mercy of corporate
sponsors to get its athletes to the Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa, later
this year. The PNGSF will need over K500,000 to send a team to Apia.
Some of the events that are used to raise money for the athletes are
fundraising events are the Trukai Fun Run and PM's Corporate Dinner.
Another event is the Prime Minister's Golf Challenge at the Port Moresby
Golf Club. The challenge will be held in Port Moresby on the 23rd of
February, in Lae on the 13th of April and in Mt Hagen on the 15th of
May. The Prime Minister has made a special plea for corporate support
as the fundraising event was to support young sportsmen and women.
Tribal Fight
Waring clansmen have clashed on the Pope John Paul II sports oval
in Mt Hagen, Western Highland province. Opposing clan members armed
with bush knives turned the Pope John Paul Oval into a war zone when
their long-running tribal fight spilled into the city. The feud, between
rival clans in the nearby Nebilyer Valley, has been going on for 27
years. In 1984, Pope John Paul II addressed tens of thousands of highlanders
at the oval, appealing for permanent peace and an end to tribal warfare.
The Post-Courier newspaper has called on the national government and
Provincial Governor Paias Wingti, a former PNG prime minister, to show
leadership and put a stop to the tribal fighting.
http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=29828
Snake Bites
With what appears to be the start of the wet season in Central province
has led to an increase in the number of people presenting with snakebites
at local health centres and the Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH).
This has led to a critical shortage of the life saving anti-venom.
Many snake bite patients need to be placed on a ventilator and to help
ease the shortage of this equipment at PMGH the Medical Department
of Oil Search has loaned two ventilators to the hospital.
PNG Schoolboys Rugby
The schoolboy's rugby league has received K100,000 from Nestle under
the Milo brand to help develop and promote the sport in the country.
This is the third year that Nestlé's have sponsored the schoolboy's
rugby competition. The schoolboy league competition will start on the
14th of April at the first week of term two. About 7,000 plus schoolboys
are expected to register to play this year in their own local competitions
around the country with Port Moresby and Lae having the biggest number
of schools taking part in the competition.
http://www.rlif.org/article.php?id=1177
Gas Project
The deal to pipe gas from PNG to Australia has been scrapped. The
PNG Gas Project was going to be one of the biggest resource developments
ever contemplated for the country. The PNG Gas Project would have involved
transporting gas via a pipeline over 3,000 kilometres to customers
in Australia. If it had been constructed, the pipeline would have been
the longest in the Southern Hemisphere.
Coming Events
National Surfing Titles in Vanimo in mid-February 2007.
32nd Gaming Fishing Association of PNG titles will be held from the 1st to the 4th April
May Coffee Festival 2007 - cancelled due to 2007 National Elections.
Tufi Cultural Show, Oro Province -- 9th to the 11th June
National Mask Festival, Kokopo - East New Britain Province -- 12th to the 15th of July
International Orchid Spectacular -- 5th and 6th of August
Lukim PNG NAU Tourism Expo -- 9th to the 11th September
National Tourism Conference -- 12th September
Hiri Moale Festival, Port Moresby - National Capital District -- 15th to 18th of September
PNG 30th Independence Day Celebrations -- 16th September
Morobe Show, Lae -- 4th to 5th of November
The Milne Bay Canoe and Kundu (drum) festival is to be in November.
Do you have an event that you want advertised? Send email to -- PNGNews[@]pnggossip.com
PNG Media
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Articles for this Newsletter
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