Links
If links in the newsletter do not work properly, copy and paste the URL into your browser and press Enter. Be sure to copy the entire link, as it may wrap to the next line. If this still does not work please send an email to the newsletter advising of the broken link.
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 use the submission form by clicking here
External links - while PNG Gossip Newsletter will not sell your email address to others many links on this web site lead to other sites that may may not have the same policy regarding your valuable email address. Be careful when handing over your email address.
PNG in the News
Nape faces arrest over funds misuse -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20120503/news05.htm
Smith honours war dead in PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?6a5392
PNG inquiry finds MV Rabaul crew skipped safety -- http://giaman.com/pg/?609df0
More disruptions expected in PNG capital -- http://giaman.com/pg/?42e001
Rabaul Queen inquiry continues hearing evidence -- http://giaman.com/pg/?2a75d8
World Tuna day launch in Alotau -- http://giaman.com/pg/?00357a
Man charged with offering bribe -- http://www.pnginusa.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=5787
Misc PNG Links
Montevideo Maru -- http://giaman.com/pg/?8d4667/
Window into a hero's past -- http://giaman.com/pg/?31dc7e
The story of the last Magpie to die at war -- http://giaman.com/pg/?2ea0e7
Hidden financial mess -- http://www.pngindustrynews.net/storyview.asp?storyid=8682100
Pacific using new media to cover disasters -- http://australianetworknews.com/stories/201204/3488206.htm
Kokoda Track - for troops the Trail was the "Track" -- http://giaman.com/pg/?9893b9
Lae International Hotel -- http://www.linkedin.com/company/lae-international-hotel
Her wildest imagination -- http://giaman.com/pg/?1e2de8
Tufi Experience -- http://tufi-experience.com
PNG Blogs
Goroka Show launching -- http://giaman.com/pg/?9f5c12
Alotau has new K700,000 fish market -- http://giaman.com/pg/?53f66d
Visit PNG -- http://visitnewguinea.blogspot.com
PNG Blogs -- http://www.pngblogs.com
PNG Exposed Blog -- http://pngexposed.wordpress.com
Images
Tavurvur Volcano, Rabaul -- http://giaman.com/pg/?507ded
Air Niugini -- http://www.fokker-aircraft.info/airniuginipics.htm
Some interesting images here -- http://www.messersmith.name/wordpress/tag/air-niugini/page/2/
General PNG Images -- http://www.pbase.com/chris67/papua_new_guinea
News Items
Rabaul Queen
The man who led the disaster response to the sunken MV Rabaul Queen, says the country needs to provide more resources if it wants to improve how events like that are handled. The sinking of the ferry is PNG's biggest maritime disaster.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?b2e6f6
Languages of PNG
The National or official languages of PNG are Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin and English.
The number of languages listed for Papua New Guinea is listed as in excess of 800. I have seen figures claiming this to be as high as 832. Of those, 823 are living languages and 9 are considered to be extinct.
An interesting article is located at -- http://www.krysstal.com/langfams_other.html -- It deals with language families and mentions the Rotokas language - Rotokas is spoken in Papua New Guinea on the Island of Bougainville by approximately 4,300 people and it has the fewest sounds of any language, 11 (compared to the 44 or so of standard English). These 11 are made up of five vowels and six consonants: A, E, I, O, U, B, G, K, P, R, T. - can you imagine that - a language with only 11 sounds. Six of those are used in the name of the language.
See also -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotokas_alphabet
It has been reported that PNG has one language for every 900 square kilometres of the country or roughly one language for every 350 square miles for those readers who don't use the metric system.
NCD Ring Roads
The National Capital District Commission (NCDC) has submitted design and costing to the present government for funding or approval for the Commission to secure loans to build roads to help ease the traffic congestion around Port Moresby. Plans include roads from Gerehu to Eight Mile, Nine Mile and 14-mile exiting at Bautama for the Magi Highway; a road from Sir John Guise Drive through Erima and on to Jackson's airport via a flyover and another ring road would go from Tokarara to Badihagwa. Yet another road would go from Boroko Drive to Six-Mile and Jackson's airport. Funding required would be in excess of K900 million.
The NCD Governor wants to build a tollgate at the entrance to the National Capital District where vehicles belonging to the nearby LNG project cross from Central province. The Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project is exempt from paying Goods and Services Tax (GST) and GST is one of the main revenue earners for the NCD. He also wants to amend the Motor Traffic Act so that money collected for motor vehicle licences and registration by Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited (MVIL) in Port Moresby is put towards the upkeep of the roads.
Economic Growth
A spokesman from Melbourne, Australia based company Business Advantage International says there's plenty of optimism about investing in Papua New Guinea despite recent political turmoil.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?dbc439
Air Niugini
The National Airline is phasing in a new Departure Control System (DCS) to be followed by a new Reservations system. Society International Telecommunications Aeronautical (SITA) in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, hosts the present DCS and reservation's system. The new system will be hosted in The United Arab Emirates (Mercator in Dubai) and is used by several major airlines including Emirates.
The first location to see the new Departure Control System will be Jackson's Airport at Seven-Mile, Port Moresby followed by Lae (Nadzab) and other airports around the country.
Elections
It has been estimated that over 4000 people will contest the elections. This figure may reach 5000 for the 109 vacant seats before the final figures are known when nominations close on the 24th of May. Each candidate will have to pay a fee of K1000. On top of that each candidate will have to buy campaign materials to have a decent chance of being elected.
Over 4,000 political hopefuls line up in PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?282e4c
Cairns Real Estate
The North Queensland Registrar of Titles in Cairns has complied a list of properties owned by PNG politicians. At least five politicians have bought K24 million worth of property in the Cairns area with the most expensive property estimated to have cost AUD3.8 million. Australian newspapers have reported that PNG residents were the largest foreign investors in the Far North of Queensland.
-- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20120503/news01.htm
Kai Kai the Buai
http://www.rogerclarke.com/WM/Kai.html -- leads you to "kai kai the buai" - A tok pisin / English parody of Waltzing Matilda. It is an interesting site and well worth a few minutes of your time.
Electoral Commissioner OK
The Electoral Commissioner, Andrew Trawen, has been given the green light stay on and see through the general elections to the end. There was doubt raised by the O'Neill Government over whether Mr Trawen was eligible too old the post due to his age. The Electoral Commission Appointments Committee - chaired by Prime Minister Peter O'Neill - had met and resolved to allow Trawen to continue in office.
-- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/32318
Chaotic Roundabouts
The following is from the Post Courier's "The Drum" column. -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg
The traffic situation at the Erima Roundabout near our international airport is absolutely chaotic. At night it can take drivers an hour to negotiate this area. Wonder how many people have missed their flights because of this . We all know NCD have plans to build a flyover over the area onto Kookaburra Street linking to Waigani at the Sir John Guise Drive and that is commendable . But it is a long way away. Meanwhile the deplorable state of the road surface on the roundabout is the real cause of congestion here and can be fixed in the interim. And please NCD Roads, don't do the job during the day. Pick a time during the night or on a Sunday so you don't make the problem worse.
Egg Standard
The Papua New Guinea Poultry Industry Association (PIA) has adopted a resolution stating that PNG eggs being sold in the market should have a "Best Before Date" or what is called the "Used By Date". The association agreed to adopt a 35-day "Best Before" date for PNG eggs. This is consistent with the Australian and New Zealand standards.
-- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20120503/news02.htm
City Pharmacy Profits
The City Pharmacy group of companies has recorded an audited profit before tax of almost K22 million for the 2011 financial year. This is a massive increase of over 60 percent on the corresponding 2010 figures.
Namah to Challenge Roll
Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah plans to challenge in court the validity of the electoral roll. Namah and his lawyer Greg Shepard told a media conference that the Electoral Commission was using the 2007 common roll - with one or two names added to inflate the roll for 2012.
-- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/32316
Mosquito Habits
Just like you and I mosquitoes feed when hungry. Malaria carrying mosquitoes have had to adapt to the introduction of insecticide treated bed nets biting earlier in the evening in an attempt to have a feast of human blood. Research by the PNG Institute of Medical Research indicates that nearly 50 percent of the population sleep safely under a treated bed net.
-- http://www.pngimr.org.pg -- http://www.pngimr.org.pg/IMR02.24April12WorldMalariaDay.pdf
Land Transport "Fines"
Land Transport Division traffic enforcement manager Herman Wakia has said drivers and passengers should not pay cash to its traffic enforcement officers. All offenders must ask for a traffic infringement notice when they are booked and pay at the various cash offices around the country within seven days. Wakia said under the Motor Transport Act, police traffic officers and transport inspectors were the only authorised people who could issue infringement notices.
-- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/32288
K50 Note
The Bank of Papua New Guinea has announced the release of a reprint of the K50 polymer banknote. The note will be the same as the existing one except for the signature of the new Governor of the Bank - Mr. Loi M. Bakani replacing the previous Governor.
Cocoa Hybrid
The Cocoa Coconut Institute, through the agriculture innovation grant scheme, has funded a project in Manus to help cocoa growers. There is now an opportunity for cocoa growers in Manus to test cocoa hybrid and improve production after the Cocoa Pod Borer pest was detected there in early 2010.
-- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/32262
SHP Hydro
An up to 120 Megawatt hydroelectric plant is to be set up along the Tagari River at the Hewaii Falls in the Southern Highlands province at a capital cost of US$263 million. The actual Megawatt capacity of the plant will be determined after a feasibility study has been made. The system is set to be bigger than the system at Yonki. The design will include a 15 metre high weir, a 2.7km tunnel and three or four turbines.
Stranded Filipino Workers
A total of 55 stranded overseas Filipino workers have returned to Manila from Papua New Guinea. The workers were hired as land and sea-based crew members of a fishing company in Manus. However, the company was unable to start its fishing operations due to documentation problems, leaving the crew members stranded and unpaid.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?a65f20
Press Freedom
Peter O'Neill has promised to maintain freedom of the press if re-elected. O'Neill said he will be cautious about implementing new media laws, and will push only those that bolster press freedom. But the PM says a changing media landscape, with the growth of internet, mobile access and social media, will see future governments passing laws to "expand and expound" on media freedoms.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?d45960
Coming Events
Note: please verify any date mentioned as dates change and events can sometimes get cancelled. Of course I may also put down a wrong date.
Oil Search AGM - 8th May at the Crowne Plaza
2012 Milne Bay Critter & Adventure Expeditions with Bob Halstead & Graham Abbott
Alotau-Adventure Diving-Kimbe Bay: 15th May 2012 to 30th May 2012
-- http://diving4images.com/trips/milne-bay-critter-cruises
South Pacific Export PNG Golf Open - May 2012?
Walk Against Corruption -- 27th May 2012
National Elections - Scheduled for June 2012 - when will they be held?
Solomon Islands welcomes you to the 11th Festival of Pacific Arts -- http://www.festival-pacific-arts.org.sb. -- from 1st to 14th July 2012
Mt Hagen Show - 11th and 12th of August 2012
Samarai and Milne Bay Reunion - Rydges Oasis Resort, Caloundra, Australia between the 7th and 9th of September 2012 -- http://www.loosenuts.com.au/www/index.php -- http://www.facebook.com/groups/121192744602253/
Fifth PNG Games, Kokopo, East New Britain - 17th to 30th November 2012
Pacific Mini Games - Wallis and Futuna 2013
2013 Pacific Netball Series (hosted by Fiji)
Full Pacific Games - PNG 4th July to 18 July 2015 -- http://giaman.com/pg/?081f78
Pacific Mini Games - Vanuatu 2017
Do you have an event that you want advertised? - Use the submission form located at -- http://www.pnggossip.com/misc/ctc.html
PNG Media
If a friend has given or sent you a copy of this newsletter and you would like to keep receiving free copies then please visit -- http://www.pnggossip.com/news/index.html -- for instructions on how to join the list.
Articles for this Newsletter
If you think you have a PNG page worth mentioning then please click here and use the submission form
To send a message for submission to the PNG Gossip Newsletter queue please click here and use the submission form.
.gif)
.jpg)
View PNG Gossip Newsletter Archive