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PNG News Links
World's first deep-sea mine project edging closer to reality -- http://giaman.com/pg/?eef387
PNG tourism 'expensive' -- http://giaman.com/pg/?6ee3ae
PNG Government urged to address HIV-related violence seriously -- http://giaman.com/pg/?20b7dd
Security beefed up at Port Moresby's 5 Mile -- http://giaman.com/pg/?141512
Morobe to register new schools -- http://giaman.com/pg/?9e3b29
Women sidelined by candidate fee hike -- http://giaman.com/pg/?0d2295
Madang Clinic Affected by Electricity Cuts -- http://giaman.com/pg/?8a6a15
Defence Force beating investigated -- http://giaman.com/pg/?0acc88
Polye visits displaced Morata residents -- http://giaman.com/pg/?2d8d0f
Digital revolution in PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?5087a6
Children in PNG suffer more from family Sexual Violence -- http://giaman.com/pg/?f848ba
PNG opposition leader calls for "honest" take on Papua -- http://giaman.com/pg/?f10cb5
Misc. Links
NBC PNG TV Schedule -- http://giaman.com/pg/?61da99
PNG families walk up to one week to attend Mass in unfinished Mt Hagen Cathedral -- http://giaman.com/pg/?ef0848
Rad-Tel Building up in flames -- http://giaman.com/pg/?3c47c6
UN Continues UN4U Program -- http://giaman.com/pg/?9e55e3
Team PNG Fun Day -- http://giaman.com/pg/?99ccf4
Crowdfunding campaign hopes to raise funds to upgrade Port Moresby women-only buses -- http://giaman.com/pg/?302965
International languages to be taught at Pausa Secondary -- http://giaman.com/pg/?9c96f0
Basketball - Another Level -- http://giaman.com/pg/?895ebc
Fairtrade Fever Hits Kiwi Shoppers and Farmers Are Winners -- ://giaman.com/pg/?1d2a04
PNG bound Chinook excites aviation fans in Cairns -- http://giaman.com/pg/?5250ab
News Items
Lae High-speed Internet
Seeto Kui Wii services MyNet has introduced 4G-LTE high-speed internet access for people in Lae. The service came into being after the company faced continuous internet problems with internet service providers. Since launching the MyNet Wifi services last year, it has never looked back.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?513fa3
Lae city development planned -- http://giaman.com/pg/?a78798
Maybank Robbery Files Missing
The Waigani Committal Court has issued directions to the lawyer representing a man, who was allegedly involved in the K5.9 million Maybank robbery of 2013, to make copies of his files and bring to court. Magistrate Cosmas Bidar told the lawyer representing defendant, Willie Allan, to make copies of his client's files or hand up brief for the court and police prosecution because his files could not be found in the court registry. The files went missing after he escaped from custody.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?63c401
World's Leading Airport Hotel
The Airways Hotel in Port Moresby has won the World's Leading Airport Hotel for 2016. The hotel beat the other nominees -
Barcelo San Jose Palacio, Costa Rica
Costa del Sol Wyndham Lima Airport, Peru
Hilton Frankfurt Airport, Germany
Hilton London Heathrow Airport, England
Hilton Mexico City Airport, Mexico
Hilton Miami Airport, Florida, USA
Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel, China
Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The Ritz-Carlton, Marina Del Rey, California, USA
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?25ebb8
See also the Airways Hotel website -- http://www.airways.com.pg/
Logging Fight
A Papua New Guinean villager's six-year battle to stop logging around his home has won him an international human rights award and given him the chance to lobby the United States Government for help.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?8998d4
Ottio Eyes Raiders
He only moved to Australia last year, but Raiders cult hero Kato Ottio says he is ready to slot into Canberra's star-studded backline should an opportunity present itself. The 22-year-old Papua New Guinean was a standout in the Intrust Super Premiership last season, scoring 29 tries from just 23 appearances on the right wing to earn a spot in the competition's Team of the Year.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?1b219d
PNG Industrial Park
China has agreed to spend nearly $4 billion to build a giant industrial park in the Papua New Guinean jungle, the island nation's treasurer said recently. Investors from Shenzhen, China's third largest city, have signed a memorandum of understanding to build a series of processing and manufacturing plants at two industrial parks in West Sepik province, a dense jungle region 30 kms (20 miles) from the Indonesian border, the treasurer, Patrick Pruaitch, said in a statement emailed to Reuters.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?96a4c2
Anti-corruption Setback
A letter to Prime Minister Peter O'Neill on the morning of 16 June 2014 started off what would become the most controversial anti-corruption story in the history of Papua New Guinea. The then Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga requested O'Neill to attend a police interview on allegations of fraud regarding payments of an estimated $28 million (K71 million) by the State to a national law firm, the Paul Paraka Lawyers. But the scheduled interview that day never happened. Read more by following the link below.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?e2e29e
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm, Australian Rugby League Club has produced an interactive map showing where its 33 players come from. They come from four different countries, four different Australian states/territories and from 30 junior rugby league clubs. One player, Justin Olam, hails from Kundiawa, PNG.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?c5ac1f
Service Delivery Program Costs
Finance Minister, James Marape, said the Government needs K50 billion to carry out all service delivery programs in PNG. He said this during the Finance Departments announcement of the Public Finance Management Act 2016 in Port Moresby.
The following is needed annually -
K20 billion to maintain 20km of roads around the country in one year;
K16 billion to deliver medium scale health to eight million people on a ratio of K2,000 each.
K6 billion to educate 3 million students nationwide at an average of K2,000 per child
K800 million expenditure for every K100 expenditure per citizen (8 million)
K5.2 billion expenditure on public salaries and administration cost at K200 million per fortnight.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?67fa5b
Direct Townsville Flights
Direct flights between Port Moresby and Townsville, in Australia, will be a reality by March, with national carrier, Air Niugini, set to announce a biweekly service. The Townsville Bulletin understands the airline will launch a twice-a-week service using Fokker 70 aircraft in March, with the possibility of more frequent flights if there's enough demand.
-- http://bit.ly/2hC2Exa
Air Niugini Appeal Dismissed -- http://giaman.com/pg/?53753d
3% Teacher's Pay Rise
Around 57,000 government employed teachers will receive a 3 per cent pay increase on base salaries from the 1st of January 2017, while they also retain their other allowances, according to an agreement signed recently. The agreement, signed by the Teaching Service Commission, PNG Teachers Association and the Personnel Management department in Port Moresby, applies to only teachers employed by the commission and teaching in schools recognised and regulated by the Education department. The agreement is for the period from 2017 to 2019.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?a133c4
PNG Air
PNG Air have announced that the airline's 5th brand new ATR 72-600 aircraft (P2-ATD) has arrived in Port Moresby. The addition of another brand new ATR to the airline's fleet will provide even greater options for travellers and more opportunities to fly on PNG's newest aircraft.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?21e7e5
Inflight entertainment for PNG Air customers -- http://giaman.com/pg/?a69aed
India Offers Loan
The Indian government is offering Papua New Guinea a loan of US$100 million (K317.6 million) at 1.75 per cent interest. High Commissioner to PNG Nagendra Kumar Saxena said the loan was for a grace period of five years. "The Indian government has offered this loan to the Papua New Guinea without having any specific project in mind," Saxena said recently.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?12af27
Hela Fighting
The Governor of Hela Province, Francis Potape, is calling on the region's chiefs to stop fighting and return to peace talks. Two warring tribes in the Highlands province have forced schools and banks to close, and public servants and business owners have stayed at home for fear of their safety.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?f2b1c4
PX Balus Social Club
Ten staff from Air Niugini's Balus Social Club paid a surprise visit to sick children and staff at Port Moresby General Hospital's ward 1B recently, delivering Christmas gifts.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?fbacda
Attempted Interpol Break In
Port Moresby police are investigating an attempted break-in at the Interpol office located at the police headquarters in Konedobu.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?297002
SP Hunters
With only 12 weeks left before the start of the 2017 Intrust Super Cup competition the SP Hunters have gone through one of their toughest training camps to date.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?21caa3
Gerehu to Baruni Lights
Over 200 road side light posts along the newly-built Gerehu to Baruni road in Moresby Northwest need to be re-cabled to function properly. It was found that the State paid K20,000 for each light at K12,000 per light post and K8000 per installation. Investigators said that as a result of the 200 vandalised light posts, the repair costs would be K4 million.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?c1c64c
Port Moresby Planning Concerns
The Special Parliamentary Committee on Public Sector Reform and Service Delivery has raised serious concerns about the overall lack of planning and management in Port Moresby city.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?bd4078
PNG Needs Health Specialists
The question of whether the country should have more specialist doctors, is a concern for the improvement of primary health care. Dr. Mathias Sapuri, a former dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of PNG, was concerned about this, saying: "investments must target training for more specialist doctors in areas like neurology and many others.:"
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?2f51e3
Empower People Outside Capital
Former Prime Minister, Sir Julius Chan, says the country could be headed for trouble if people continue to feel they lack control over their own destiny. As governor of New Ireland province he has for some years been calling for provinces like his to be granted more autonomy to manage their own resources and wealth.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?09f446
The Good Samaritan
In PNG, a country marked by dense jungles, perfect waves, and tribal violence, medevac pilot Mark Palm tries to balance lifesaving with a fanatical surfing life.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?ae2f54
UPNG Could Shut
The management of the University of PNG says it will close it down unless promised government funding is received. The university teaches about 17,000 students at its two campuses in Port Moresby.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?8ad60d
Bank South Pacific
PNG's largest bank, Bank South Pacific (BSP), is heading towards a listing on the Australian Securities Exchange through investment bank UBS, with a float expected to be worth at least $1 billion.
Originally, BSP was derived from the National Bank of Australasia, based in Port Moresby.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?ef901f
NCDC Water Crisis
For the third day in a row much of the Nation's Capital has suffered from a lack of water. PNG's state water utility for servicing the capital, Eda Ranu says it's working overtime to restore full water supply after a leakage in its water main trunk.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?f6616d
Gerehu General Hospital
The recent launch of the Gerehu General Hospital in Port Moresby is a milestone for the country's health system. The Gerehu Clinic was declared a public hospital by the Health & HIV/AIDS Minister, Michael Malabag two years ago and is now operating as a public hospital in the National Capital District.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?3b7c73
PNG's Orphans
Donna Harvey-Hall MBE is setting up a care facility for orphans in rural PNG, and is calling on the community to lend a hand. Ms Harvey-Hall owns property at Wau, south of Lae, and plans to open the facility next month for 24 children aged 3-8.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?9965e8
Sustainable Development Goals
Representatives from the United Nations in PNG advocated for the Sustainable Development Goals in Port Moresby schools reaching over 1,200 students ranging from grade 1 to grade 12. The United Nations in PNG will continue the programme in 2017. Schools interested in participating should contact the Communications Specialist at the United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office (UNRCO) Ms Chika Kondoh on Email: chika.kondoh@one.un.org
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?6d878c
Frieda River Copper Project
After nearly 50 years on the drawing board, the latest backers of Papua New Guinea's $3.6 billion Frieda River copper project say the time may finally be right for the giant mine - even if some hurdles remain.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?829d25
Frieda River Project is located in the provinces of Sandaun and East Sepik in Papua New Guinea. It is one of the biggest copper and gold deposits found in the Asia-Pacific region. -- http://giaman.com/pg/?4489a1
PNG Coal
PNG's government is considering coal-powered energy options, with the Mineral Resources department this year directing ten million kina towards exploring the sector.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?76359a
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.
Christmas Day - 25 December 2016
Boxing Day - 26 December 2016
New Year's Day - 1st January 2017
Men's and Women's Longboard World Championship Tour Tupira Surf Resort, Madang province - 18th - 25th March 2017
Petroleum and Energy Summit - 2017
Good Friday - 14 Apr 2017
Easter Sunday - 16 Apr 2017
Easter Monday - 17 Apr 2017
Queen's Birthday - 12 Jun 2017
National Remembrance Day - 23 Jul 2017
Independence Day - 16 Sep 2017
Pacific Mini Games - Vanuatu 2017
Christmas Day, Monday 25 December 2017
Boxing Day, Tuesday 26 December 2017
2018 - APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit to be held in Port Moresby -- http://giaman.com/pg/?a3e64e
Port Moresby Craft Markets - Laguna Hotel - 1st Saturday of the month (9 am - 2 pm), PNG Arts - 2nd Saturday of the month (9 am - 2 pm), Holiday Inn - 3rd Saturday of the month (9 am - 2 pm), Ela Beach - 4th Saturday of the month (6 am to 12 pm)
Do you have an event that you want advertised? - Use the submission form located at -- http://www.pnggossip.com/misc/ctc.html
PNG Media
Interested in having your own Web Site? Worried about the cost? It may be cheaper than you think. Take a look at pricing at the PNG Web Hosting site. Sites with space for unlimited data storage and data transfer per month start from less than US$5.00 per month. -- DOT COM Domains from US$9.00 per year. All plans come with 24 hour a day / 7 day a week ticket / phone support
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