Links
Warning: PNG web sites seem to come and go. The fact of life is that it costs money to host a web site (try -- http://pngwebhost.com -- for an excellent, reliable but cheap deal) 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 then mention that you heard about them from this web site. -- The PNG Gossip Newsletter.
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Misc Links
PNG Leaders Incensed Over Australian Minister's Comments -- http://giaman.com/pg/?7c0301
Kairuku-Hiri District web site -- http://www.kairukuhiri.gov.pg
Tales of the South-West Pacific - Part one of an essay series by Mike Feeney -- http://www.aerohub.co.nz/?p=97
Great photos from around New Britain above and below water -- http://www.oceanicexpeditions.org/photosvideos/oe2007/best157/index.html
PNG NGO calls for more resources in rural areas -- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=41007
The Space Between -- http://www.flightofideas.co.uk/png/?p=16
A Papua New Guinea leader says education not legislation the key -- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=41051
Economy Has A 'Fragile Base' -- http://giaman.com/pg/?a9d6e5
The Alotau - Milne Bay - Canoe Festival -- http://giaman.com/pg/?ab7f63
PNG Blogs
Volcano scenes -- http://rabauldailyphoto-jules.blogspot.com/2008/07/volcano-scenes.html -- also see -- http://rabauldailyphoto-jules.blogspot.com/2008/07/holiday-is-over.html
The PNG National Museum and Art Gallery -- http://giaman.com/pg/?efb24e
Puyallup Team Makes Progress on Volunteer House -- http://giaman.com/pg/?c881b7
Downstream processing of peanuts in the country -- http://giaman.com/pg/?c6d914
Malalo celebrates 100 years -- http://malumnalu.blogspot.com/2008/07/malalo-celebrates-100-years.html
Goroka and Eastern Highlands Province -- http://giaman.com/pg/?a4bb0e
A father of nine has been arrested and charged in connection with fraud at the Internal Revenue Commission (IRC). -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/072408/nation6.php
Three Papua New Guineans and how their Blogs are helping the country -- http://giaman.com/pg/?93996e
University Links
Pacific Adventist University -- http://www.pau.ac.pg/
University of Goroka -- http://www.uog.ac.pg
University of PNG -- http://www.upng.ac.pg
University of Technology -- http://www.unitech.ac.pg
University of Vudal -- http://www.uov.ac.pg/ -- this site has been under construction since 2006!??
News Items
Border Incident
Normally it is incidents along the PNG Indonesian border that make headlines but this time it is the refusal of entry to Canada for eight young PNG dancers on a cultural exchange trip that has enraged PNG officials. The trip of a lifetime gone wrong for the eight has led the PNG PM to prepare a written complaint to his Canadian counterpart, Stephen Harper, and PNG's foreign minister will raise the issue at the United Nations.
The Governor of the Eastern Highlands Province who helped to organise the trip has said if the PNG government does not get satisfaction, Canadians wanting to do business with PNG could find doors closed.
see -- http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=674980
and -- http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/07/21/papua-dancers.html
Zeeman Ocean Challenge
A Dutch rower has arrived in Rabaul after rowing his canoe for 291 days across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. He was heading for Brisbane, Australia these had to be abandoned when the mighty ocean would not let him so he had to set a course for PNG instead.
see -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/072208/nation10.php
and -- http://giaman.com/pg/?f177d3
Cannabis Bust
Drug smugglers have been apprehended by Police and the Australian Customs service when they ran out of petrol crossing the Torres Strait. One hundred kilos of cannabis, grown in PNG, was recovered and 13 people were arrested.
see -- http://giaman.com/pg/?8369e8
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer in Tok Pisin:
Papa bilong mipela
Yu stap long heven.
Nem bilong yu i mas i stap holi.
Kingdom bilong yu i mas i kam.
Strongim mipela long bihainim laik bilong yu long graun,
olsem ol i bihainim long heven.
Givim mipela kaikai inap long tude.
Pogivim rong bilong mipela,
olsem mipela i pogivim ol arapela i mekim rong long mipela.
Sambai long mipela long taim bilong traim.
Na rausim olgeta samting nogut long mipela.
Kingdom na strong na glori, em i bilong yu tasol oltaim oltaim.
Tru.
Domestic Interconnection
Telikom PNG has lost an appeal relating to domestic interconnection rates between its network and the network of competitor Digicel. Not only did Telikom lose the appeal but it has been instructed to pay appeal costs as well. Telikom believes that it will pay Digicel nine times more in tariffs charged with inter-connection than what Digicel will pay Telikom for use of its fixed lines to call mobile phones and vice-versa.
Telikom pays Digicel 46 toea/minute during peak hours for calls made from fixed lines to Digicel's mobile phones and 40 toea/minute during off-peak hours.
Meanwhile, Digicel pays five toea per minute to Telikom during peak hours and three toea during off-peak hours.
Stamp Collectors Wanted
Venkatachalam Subrahmanyan is a stamp collector from overseas who would like to exchange with collectors in PNG. He is also interested in coins and bank notes. Contact the newsletter for his address -- http://pnggossip.com/misc/ctc.html
Captured Escapee
Police have captured alleged bank heist mastermind -- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=40999 -- and -- http://nancysullivan.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/07/gotcha.html
It has been reported in The National that escapee William Kapis was lying in pain at the Boroko cells, National Capital District, without receiving medical attention.
see -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/072208/nation40.php
However it has now been reported by the Post Courier that he is now receiving attention. The most wanted man in two of the major bank robberies, (Kerema and Madang BSP) and the Metal Refinery Operations hold-up is suffering from gunshot wounds to both his legs and is receiving medical attention at the cell block.
see -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20080724/news02.htm
His wife and father-in-law were both brought to the Boroko police station and questioned. His wife appeared at the Boroko District Court for mention.
see -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20080724/news01.htm
PNG police officers charged -- http://giaman.com/pg/?d4b942
Kapis has been charged with the Madang bank robbery -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/072508/nation11.php
PM Time Wasting
Justice Ambang Kandakasi has described Prime Minster Sir Michael Somare's legal proceeding to stop the Public Prosecutor's office from referring him to a leadership tribunal as a waste of costs and resources. His lawyer has defended his client's move to go to court at this stage of the referral of alleged misconduct in office charges due to the nature of the office that his client occupies.
Rumour or Fact?
A major airline operating within Australia will be flying to PNG maybe as early as September this year. The airline has the money and more reliable, modern equipment to give both Air Niugini and Airlines of PNG a run for their money.
Air Niugini Woes
Problems with Air Niugini aircraft have left about 600 Papua New Guineans stranded in Sydney, Australia -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/072408/nation1.php -- however it seems that the airline did everything possible to get the stranded people home as an executive of the Catholic Bishops Conference in Port Moresby, Fr Nick Degroot, commended the tremendous support of Air Niugini and everyone who assisted to get the youths and pilgrims back home especially since Wednesday was a public holiday in PNG.
Bishop Burgess of Wewak, East Sepik province said: "Air Niugini staff in Sydney and Brisbane bent backwards to ensure the pilgrims stranded were well looked after and fed. Air Niugini ensured we all had three meals."
NCDC Savings
Port Moresby Governor, Powes Parkop, has said that City Hall managed to save more than K18 million in the first 12 months since the general election in 2007. The savings have been made through greater control of the financial purse strings. The savings will be put towards road maintenance and to upgrade health and educational facilities in the National Capital.
Governor Parkop has vowed to make Port Moresby city a better place for children to live in and a benchmark for other provinces to follow.
National Council of Women
The PNG National Council of Women (NCW) has been given a portion of land to build a convention centre. The block of land now legally belongs to the NCW.
It has been reported that more than 50% of PNG women do not have access to either television, newspapers and magazines or the radio, while those who do are just a minority of the population.
Pay Problems
Public servants on the Department of Personnel Management (DPM) payroll without a file number have been facing pay difficulties. DPM Secretary Margaret Elias says "If you are just employed and don't get a file number against that position, then you will not be paid." The Secretary for Finance (Gabriel Yer) has said that all public servants should be paid whether through the existing Concept Payroll system and for those who are not in the system, the Finance Department will find a way to make sure that they were paid.
Concept Software has recently advertised in the local press that they are not happy with the way DPM has been running the payroll. Concept Software has been asked to explain allegations it made against two government departments.
see -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20080724/news04.htm
Concept has alleged that certain officers in DPM and Finance departments have tried to divert portions of public servants pay into separate bank accounts.
Exchange Rates
Approx exchange rates for PNG Kina
US $ 0.3685
Aust $ 0.3783
NZ $ 0.4828
UK Pound Stg 0.1846
Japan Yen 39.22
Sing $ 0.4969
Euro 0.2322
HK $ 2.8659
Can $ 0.3705
Swiss fr 0.3749
Kokoda Permits
Kokoda Track Authority chief executive officer Warren Bartlet has reported that some overseas and local companies have been trekking the Kokoda track between Central and Oro provinces without proper permits. Mr Bartlet said fees collected from the trekking permits would be used on approved community development projects.
The Kokoda Track Authority office has closed and will remain so until a new management board is appointed. The previous board was disbanded when some of its members were charged by police with the alleged misappropriation of more than K100,000 belonging to the authority.
The rugged and mountainous 96km World War II track stretches between Kokoda and Ower's Corner near Sogeri.
HIV Testing
Executive Director of the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Michel Kazatchkine has said that PNG has made significant progress in scaling up HIV/AIDS testing and counselling services, as well as expanding antiretroviral drug access, during the past few years.
see -- http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115577.php
Kriket Nite
The inaugural Kriket Nite organised by the PNG Cricket Board raised more than K30,000 towards player placements in Australia and New Zealand.
see -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20080724/sport03.htm
Vanimo Hospital
Vanimo Hospital has been the first hospital in the country to be awarded five stars under the Health Sector Improvement Plan (HSIP) program. The standards were introduced in 2000 and the ratings began in 2001 with Vanimo receiving the five stars in June 2008. The 20 provincial hospitals in the country are eligible to be surveyed. Most of the hospitals currently are rated as four stars.
The hospitals are rated on
* Patient care,
* Leadership and management,
* Human resource management,
* Infection control,
* Environment beautification and,
* Management information system.
Moresby Water
The National Capital District (NCD) is in for a spell with limited water as PNG Power does work on the Hydro-Electric scheme. Residents of NCD and Motu-Koitabu villages have been told to expect low water pressure or no water at all in their homes. The provider of water in the NCD, Eda Ranu, has been forced to close the Mt Eriama's water treatment plant and cut water supply to houses in NCD and surrounding areas. NCD and Motu Koita villages have been advised to store water for use until the third of August.
Port Moresby Weather -- http://giaman.com/pg/?adb543
Kokopo Weather -- http://giaman.com/pg/?8460cf
Over 200 tenants at the Waigani Hostel owned by the National Housing Commission (NHC) have been without water for a month after Eda Ranu disconnected water supply to the area due to non-payment of bills.
Oil Search
Oil Search Limited has posted a record first half year revenue earnings of K1.266 billion.
The company's historic earnings is a 52 per cent increase from the previous corresponding period. Average oil prices for PNG crude increased by 44 per cent on the first quarter of this year to $US133.63 (K362) per barrel.
Coming Events
Goroka Show held on the 13th and 14th of September 2008. See -- http://giaman.com/pg/?ff9344
PNG Tourism Expo -- September
Hiri Moale Festival -- September
PNG Independence Day Celebrations -- 16th September
16th September - NBC to launch its National TV Station.
Medical Symposium -- September 2008 -- http://www.medsymp.org.pg
Morobe Show -- 18th and 19th of October -- the Show is held on the weekend closest to the full moon in the month of October each year in Lae, Morobe Province. -- http://www.morobeshow.org.pg
Milne Bay Canoe Festival -- http://giaman.com/pg/?ab7f63 -- always held during the first weekend in November.
2008 Kokoda Reunion Dinner - Friday, 7 November 2008 - Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney.
Anti Corruption Day - 9th December 2008
Arafura Games - 9 to 17th of May 2009 -- http://www.arafuragames.nt.gov.au/
Do you have an event that you want advertised? - use the submission form located at -- http://pnggossip.com/misc/ctc.html
PNG Media
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