Links
For information about betel nut / buai pay a visit to -- http://www.nisbett.com/herbs/a/areca056.html
or http://www.chempex.com/areca_nut.htm
http://www.pngtravels.com -- Tourism
Promotion Site.
http://www.pngtravel.com/ -- the site
of Travel World located at 1324 State Street - Santa Barbara, California,
Phone 805 963-6521
The unofficial Port Moresby High School site is located at http://www.maipng.com/pomhi/
http://www.pngportal.com and http://www.pnggateway.com.
A new portal / gateway to PNG. Not yet as good as PNGBD -- http://www.pngbd.com
Papua New Guinea Institute of Accountants -- http://pngia.org.pg/
News Items
Lawn Bowls
The Goroka Bowling Club has introduced a new competition aimed at restoring
interest in bowling. The club has been in decline for many years due to mismanagement
of funds and misappropriation of stock.
Billfish Competition
The East New Britain Game Fishing Club is hosting its annual Billfish Competition
from the 23rd of November to the 1st of December 2002. The competition will
be run as per the National Titles concept, with subtle islands flavour amendments.
All registered game fishing club members in PNG can partake in vying for the
total K8000 prize money. Further information can be obtained from organizing
committee members John Lau jaslau@yahoo.com
or 982 9188; Lynn Woolcott lynbert@global.net.pg
or 982 8488; Mik Plumb blakes@global.net.pg
or 982 2094; Richard McLaren thefish@daltron.com.pg
or 982 1144; and Fiona van de Linde kt@global.net.pg
or 982 9766.
Fuel Prices
The price of fuel has gone up again.
Diesel will increase by 3.5 toea a litre to K1.79 a litre, kerosene by 4.9
toea a litre to K1.43, and avgas by 33.4 toea a litre to K1.60.
This last round of increases has not seen petrol go up. (Currently K1.967
per litre)
Quote
I think this is an appropriate quote considering the current financial state
of PNG.
Foreign aid: The transfer of money from poor people in rich countries
to rich people in poor countries.
[I don't know who said this, do you?]
Student Drinking
The Police at Kiunga, Western Province have arrested four students for drinking
in public. The Grade 12 students over did their end of school year celebrations.
Religious Freedom
The Catholic Church has called on its members to refrain from making inflammatory
comments about the religious views of others.
Navy Games
Later this month the PNG Defence Force Maritime Unit will be hosting a sea
war-game, code-named "Paradise 2002" in the waters of Manus province.
Three Pacific patrol boats and three Royal Australian Navy patrol boats will
take part in the exercise. Australia is providing funds for the exercise under
the Defence Co-operation Program.
Body Builder
The Lae Biscuit Company has come good with K3,000 to assist local bodybuilder,
David Mugarenang, represent PNG at the Oceania Championship in Western Samoa
from the 13th to the 18th of November 2002.
Cruise Ships
Milne bay will host two visiting cruise ships this month. The Clipper
Odyssey will visit Watts (Kwaraiwa) Island on November 12, Kitava
Island on November 13, and Laughlan (Budi Budi) Islands on the 14th of November.
The other cruise ship is the Hanseatic,
which is on a world cruise and will enter PNG waters from Wewak down through
to Kiriwina (Kaibola Beach) and Kitava Islands on the 14th of November, Iwa
and Gawa Islands on the 15th of November, and Salamo (Fergusson Island) on
the 16th of November before leaving PNG waters.
Clipper Odyssey
The Clipper Odyssey has picked up more than 100 passengers in Port Moresby
to start its cruise through the Pacific ending in Noumea on the 25th of November.
This is the fourth time the ship has visited PNG waters. http://www.worldwildlifefund.net/travel/listings/pdfs/melanesia.pdf
Pomio Power
The Palmalmal administrative centre (Pomio) will soon have 24-hour electricity
supply after a cheque was presented to PNG Power (Elcom) by the MP for the
region. Currently the area only has electricity for less than 12 hours a day.
Power Lines
Power lines have started to disappear after the Yonki power supply to Mumeng-Bulolo
and Bulolo (connecting from Nadzab) were switched off after a major flood
that hit Mumeng early this year destroyed pylons. Apparently people are climbing
the pylons and cutting the lines with bolt cutters to sell the cable to scrap
metal dealers.
Important bronze metal plaques telling the significance of a monument at
the Bulolo-end of the Markham River Bridge have also been removed and it can
only be guessed that this has also been sold to the scrap metal dealers.
In Port Moresby people are cutting telephone cables and selling this to scrap
metal dealers. This has resulted in many telephone subscribers being without
the telephone for weeks at a time.
Rice
The People's Republic of China have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for
agricultural co-operation between PNG and the Hunan Province of China. Both
parties have reached an understanding in the area of hybrid rice growing.
Special Education
The special education centre in Lae has been presented with a cheque for K3,598.50
to help with the daily running of the centre. The money came from a donation
by the Lae technical college. The Lions club of Lae also took the opportunity
to donate 62 cartons of library books including textbooks to be distributed
to schools throughout the country.
NPF Inquiry
A copy of the NPF Inquiry has been given to the Prime Minister who has vowed
to make the report public. The man most wanted by the inquiry, former NPF
Board chairman Jimmy Maladina's failed to give evidence, despite being asked
numerous times in the last two years to return to PNG and give his side of
the story. H is currently in Australia.
School Fees
Two students who tied up and robbed a man to pay for their school fees have
been released on a suspended sentence. The sentence was lenient due to the
fact that the boys had returned what they had stolen and shown remorse for
what they had done.
Melanesian Discover
The MTS Discoverer is undertaking a special series of cruises beginning on
the 22nd of November when the ship sails to Rabaul making a stop at the Witu
Islands enroute. After a short stay in Rabaul the vessel will depart on the
27th of November for Buka Passage in Bougainville where it will remain in
Bougainville for four days cruising the Province. This is the first time a
cruise ship has visited Bougainville for many years.
Between the 10th and the 20th of December the MTS Discoverer will be available
for special Christmas dinner and luncheon cruises in and around Port Moresby.
Hohola Mosque
It is believed that there has been an attempt to set fire to the Islamic Society
of PNG's mosque located in the Port Moresby suburb of Hohola recently. An
intruder is alleged to have started the fire after entering the premises through
an opening in the iron fence.
Islam has been practiced in PNG for more than 20 years. Currently, there
are more than 500 Papua New Guineans and 400 expatriate Muslims living in
PNG.
Port Moresby
The new Chairman of the National Capital District Commission (NCDC), Jack
Pidik, is attempting to clean up the image of NCDC. Mr Pidik has said that
Port Moresby has become a sad state of affairs over the years and the pride
of being a resident of PNG's capital is no longer there.
Small Scale Business
The Oro provincial government will focus on small-scale businesses next year
by helping to distribute vanilla cuttings, seedlings and fishing gear to villagers
through the Village Economic Development Scheme. Each adult per village household
in Oro will be given K1,000 worth of vanilla cuttings or fishing equipment
depending on where they live.
Forest Authority
The Managing Director of the National Forest Authority, David Nelson, has
been summoned to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). He has
already failed to make an earlier appearance and if he fails to attend upon
summons he will be in contempt of the PAC but Parliament as well.
Logging
The Public Accounts Committee has ordered the National Forest Authority to
deport foreigners in the logging industry that are doing the work that a PNG
person could do. Some of the logging companies employ foreigners in positions
that have been localised many years ago.
Sustainable Development Program
The former Chief Secretary, Robert Igara, has been appointed as the new chief
executive officer of the PNG Sustainable Development Program Limited (SDPL).
He is the company's first chief executive officer. The Government of Papua
New Guinea and BHP-Billiton established the PNG Sustainable Development Program
Limited jointly last year. It now owns the 52 per cent shares held in Ok Tedi
Ltd previously held by BHP-Billiton.
East Sepik Police
The police in East Sepik province are suffering due to a serious shortage
of funds and vehicles. The Wewak police station, the biggest in the province,
does not have adequate vehicles to attend to trouble spots, mostly along the
Sepik Highway and other rural areas.
Ombudsman Commission
The Ombudsman Commission owes a total of K1.4 million in outstanding rental
to the real estate agency, LJ Hooker, for the premises it occupies in the
Deloitte Tower, Port Moresby. Staff have been locked out of the office recently
due to the problem that had been caused the Department of Finance not paying
the rent on time. LJ Hooker are agents for the owners (NASFund). The Ombudsman
Commission wants to take over the payments of the rent so that mistakes do
not happen again in the future.
East Timor
The man formerly in charge of the National AIDS Council (NAC), Dr Clement
Malau, has taken a new and challenging role as the health project manager
in East Timor. As the project manager, Dr Malau manages the project that is
supported by that East Timor Trust Fund. Dr Malau has nine international staff
working under him from Russia, Australia, Poland and Britain.
Security Issues
The former National AIDS Council director, Dr Clement Malau, has said that
a major campaign should focus on security and violence issues within PNG.
He said the campaign should look at why "in other nations, it is safe
for young women to walk around at night" but it isn't in PNG.
TST Gerehu
Two security guards were shot dead during an armed hold-up of the TST store
in the Port Moresby suburb of Gerehu. No arrests have been made.
NISIT
The National Institute of Standards and Industrial Technology (NISIT) has
opened its new premises and launched a development plan for the years 2003
to 2007. NISIT provides technical support to commerce, trade and industrial
development in the country.
Coral Sea Classic
The 2003 Coral Sea Classic, which consists of inshore and off shore yacht
races from Townsville to Cairns and then onto Port Moresby, has been launched
by the Royal Papua Yacht Club. The event is run every two years.
Court Sentencing
The National Court has handed down a suspended sentence of three years to
a 19-year-old boy for armed robbery and the unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
The overall sentence is concurrent at three years and the boy's parents must
arrange for him to attend the College of Distance Education to complete grades
7 to 10.
Insurance Surcharge
Due to the depreciation of the Kina Air Niugini has had to increase the September
11th insurance surcharge to PGK15.00 effective from the 12th of November 2002.
Ex Expats in Aussie
Jenny Hughes from NSW, Australia is looking for friends who worked in PNG.
Quote
My husband and I spent many years living in Papua New Guinea. I have been
searching the web for a group for expats living back in Australia. I would
like to find old friends.
End Quote
Miss PNG
Miss Galley Restaurant Yaku Ninich has been crowned as the new Miss Papua
New Guinea Red Cross 2002. She received her crown at a glittering function
at the Airways Hotel in Port Moresby. Miss Ninich managed to raise K71,414.61
for the work of the Red Cross. The Charity Queen, Katherine Tabuchi, raised
more than K77,000 for the work of the Red Cross. Overall the Miss PNG Contestants
managed to raise K241,225.11.
Some of the other prizes awarded on the night were
Miss Traditional - Katherine Tabuchi
Miss Photogenic - Rita Aisi
Miss Friendship - Rita Aisi
Miss People's Choice - Rita Aisi
Southern Highlands
The Southern Highlands Province elections have been delayed until April due
to the continuing law and order problems in the province and a lack of money
by the Electoral Commission. It has been estimated that K4.2 million is needed
to fund the exercise. It is expected that the delay will help to avoid any
trouble over the Christmas and New Year festive season.
Digital Mobile Network
The keep you guessing opening date for the Digital Mobile Telephone Network
has once again been mentioned as "soon". The Network was ready to
go long before the Y2K issue and was supposedly only waiting for a billing
system to be installed. It seems that as the date approaches more and more
excuses are rolled out to prevent the date getting any closer. It is understood
that the network has been working for several years now.
Medical Bills
According to documents obtained by The National (http://www.thenational.com.pg/1104/nation1.htm)
the government of PNG has footed a bill for more than K500,000 in personal
medical bills for Treasury Secretary Koiari Tarata for treatment in Australia.
Mr Tarata said his medical insurance would reimburse some of the money to
the State and the balance he would reimburse through salary deductions.
PNG Media
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Some of the above are courtesy of Liz and her friends at the University of
Technology in Lae. http://www.unitech.ac.pg
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PNG Gossip Newsletter Archive
22
Sep 2002