P.N.G. Gossip Newsletter - 16 Sep 2004

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PNG Gossip Newsletter Meri Milne Bay

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Papua New Guinea Gossip Newsletter


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PNG Gossip Blog

 

 

 

Neo Melanesian

"Pidgin English"
tok pisin english
de day
tede / tude today
asde yesterday
minit minute
aua hour
wik week
wiken weekend
fotnait fortnight
mun month
yia year
apinum afternoon
apinum early evening
belo kaikai noon
bihain last
bihain later on
longpela taim long time
monintam morning
nait late evening
nait night
sampela taim seldom
secon second
taim long san daytime
taim time

 

 

Remember that this mailing list is mainly meant for people who have an interest and already know a little bit about the people and geography of Papua New Guinea. The PNG Kina, which is mentioned from time to time in this newsletter, is currently worth around 29.75 - 30.25 United States cents but varies on a daily basis.

If you are really keen on finding out what the Kina is worth a currency converter for most world currencies can be located at http://www.michie.net/pnginfo/moni.html

Want to find out more about Papua New Guinea? Try searching at http://www.michie.net/pnginfo and http://www.michie.net/png_faqs. The PNG Business and Tourism Directory located at http://www.pngbd.com is also an excellent place to look for PNG information.

For those who are not so familiar with the geography of Papua New Guinea I suggest taking a look http://maps.expedia.com and then click on the find a map option. Go to this link for a quick start to a link to a map of Port Moresby. http://www.michie.net/pnginfo/pom-map.html

Also remember that the accuracy of the information in this newsletter should not be relied upon - it is, after all, a gossip newsletter.



Links

PNG Business and Tourism Directory



PNG Business and Tourism Directory -- http://www.pngbd.com -- This web site is probably the most useful stopping point for anyone interested in finding out more about PNG. Many businesses use the website on a daily basis to find out the exchange rate as the rates on the website are updated by the banks on a regular basis throughout the working day but the website offers more than that. The best way to find out what it has is to visit the site.



New Web Site



The Pacifca group has a new web site located at -- http://www.pacifica.com.pg. Pacifica covers Human Resource solutions and marine services.



Hope World Wide



Hope World Wide PNG -- http://www.png.hopeww.org/index.htm



Miscellaneous Sites



The unofficial Port Moresby High School site is located at -- http://www.maipng.com/pomhi/

The Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce website can be found at -- http://www.pomcci.org.pg

The PNG Institute of Directors has revamped its website with the help of an AESOP Volunteer, Peter Griffin. It is an excellent introduction to PNG company law and related governance issues it can be found at -- http://www.pngid.org.pg

Papua New Guinea Institute of Accountants -- http://www.pngia.org.pg

Rotary Club of Boroko and Papua New Guinea -- http://www.rotary.org.pg

Friends of the Disabled Association -- http://www.foda.org.pg

Frontier Travel -- http://www.frontiertravelpng.com.pg

Grafitti Signs -- grafitti@datec.net.pg

Scuba Adventures - Kavieng, New Ireland province -- http://www.scubakavieng.com -- +675 984 1244

Nathalie Le Riche-Reimann's artistic web site can be found at -- http://www.picturetrail.com/leriche



South Pacific Exports



If you need that hard to get part for your electrical / communications gear or even a special tool send email to Peter Goleby at < sp.exports@bigpond.com > - he might just be able to help you out or at least point you in the right direction. Peter claims he will attempt to get anything legal for you so long as he can add a small amount to cover his own costs.



Real Estate Agents Association



The PNG Real Estate Agents Association, a non-profit making organisation operation under the laws of Papua New Guinea has a site located at -- http://www.reaa.org.pg/news.htm



Wartime Link Error



A few links in the last edition have disappeared. Unfortunately I have not been able to trace them. Can any one find where these ones have gone? -- www.onthenet.com.au/~vetnet/wewak.htm -- Wewak and surrounding area during World War II

Another missing one was -- www.onthenet.com.au/~vetnet/newguine.htm -- Information about Salamaua, Wau, Battle of the Bismarck Sea, 3rd Division, Nassau Bay, Salamaua Falls, Huon Peninsula Campaign, Lae, Finschaffen, Sattelberg, Shaggy Ridge, Saidor, and Madang during World War II

And yet another one was -- www.onthenet.com.au/~vetnet/papua.htm -- The Coral Sea, Kokoda Trail, Japanese land in Papua, Imita Ridge, Gona, Buna, and Sanananda during World War II

Here some replacement links that do work (hopefully) -- Shaggy Ridge; a famous fight, high in the mountains of PNG -- http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battles/ww2/shaggy-ridge.htm

Australian War Diary, WW2, The Pacific, New Guinea, Shaggy Ridge -- http://www.minerva.com.au/austwardiary/warriors/army/ww2/pacific/shaggy%20ridge.htm -- and in general -- http://www.minerva.com.au/austwardiary/warriors/warriors.htm

The Buna, Gona & Sanananda Campaigns -- http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battles/ww2/gona-buna-san.htm


 

News Items



PNG Independence Day



PNG gained Independence from Australia on the 16th of September 1975 - 29 years ago today.



National Anthem



Since it is Independence Day here is the PNG National Anthem.

Arise all you sons

Oh arise all you sons of this land
Let us sing of our joy to be free
Praising God and rejoicing to be
Papua New Guinea
Shout our names from the mountains to the seas
Papua New Guinea
Let us raise our voices and proclaim
Papua New Guinea

Give thanks to the good Lord above
For His kindness, his mercy and love
For this land of our fathers is free
Papua New Guinea
Shout again for the whole world to hear
Papua New Guinea
We're independent and free
Papua New Guinea



National Flag



Who designed the flag of Papua New Guinea?

Susan Karike (Now Mrs Huhume) then a seventeen-year-old attending Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School on Yule Island designed the National Flag in 1972. The flag was officially raised at Independence Hill on the 16th of September 1975. The PNG Frequently Asked Questions knowledgebase needs you help. The database -- http://michie.net/png_faqs -- is growing but it still does not meet all the needs of the people who use it, if you are knowledgeable about PNG and think you can help then please contact this newsletter.



Health Graduates



PNG is leading Fiji in the number of health graduates according to the head of the Fiji School of Medicine. He said that Fiji trained many doctors but they go into private practice or leave Fiji to work in other countries



Kagamuga Airport



The Prime Minister, Michael Somare, has officially opened the improvements to the Kagamuga Airport, just outside Mt Hagen. PMV's travelling from Mt Hagen to the airport were able to double their fare and charge passengers K1.00 per trip. The runway at Kagamuga has been extended to 2190 metres and a fully loaded Fokker F28 can now land. It has been stated that the Fokker F100 would be able to use the airport if trees were trimmed in the vicinity,



PNG Airports



Part of the annual K700 million funding package from Australia via AusAID will be used to improve 15 major airports around the country. Some of the funding will also be use to improve wharves around the country.



Robbers Beware



Robbery has become so common in many parts of PNG that the victims are now becoming fed up and taking out their anger on opportunistic robbers. Yet another report has come in of the robbed turning on the robbers and inflicting serious injuries on them. In recent incidents the robbers have definitely come off second best.



Cancer Unit



Pleas have been made by the deputy Dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences to re-establish the cancer radiotherapy unit in Lae. The unit has been closed for many years and cancer patients in the country have no hope of getting local treatment.



Maprik Radio



An FM radio Station for Maprik, East Sepik Province may soon become a reality after two politicians donated K80,000 towards the cause.



Tokarara High School



The Bank South Pacific (BSP) has donated 15 computers to Tokarara High School. BSP has also recently donated six computers to Sogeri National High School and Iarowari High School outside Port Moresby. The majority of school students in PNG do not have access to computer technology.



PNG Passports



The PNG Cabinet has approved a submission to improve the security features of PNG passports ti ensure the authenticity of it and prevent tampering. Foreign Affairs is currently issuing identity certificates to people travelling to Australia and New Zealand rather than passports. They are only issuing new passports to people travelling to Europe and only once tickets have been sighted. New passports will be issued as soon as the security features have been incorporated into the passport design.



Mining Loss



The government could lose K120 million worth of funding in European Union funding because the Department of Mining has not implemented the establishment of a Mineral Resources Authority to replace the Department of Mining. In the past PNG has jeopardised many loans by not complying with terms and conditions. Many organisations are willing and able to help PNG but it would appear that due to political and bureaucratic incompetence and neglect the loans are forgotten about and lost.



Coming Events



PNG Independence Day -- Today 16th September
Tufi Cultural Festival -- from the 17th to the 19th of September 2004
The International School of Lae Craft Show -- Saturday 18th September.



Medical Symposium



The annual PNG medical symposium has been successfully run in Port Moresby. Medical personnel from all over PNG and from Australia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and the United States of America attended the symposium that was held from the 6th to the 10th of September. The theme this year was "Medical and Health Issues".



NBC



The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has been accused of, in a AusAID report, "lacking focus" in their core business of broadcasting. The report - the PNG Media Development Initiative report - says the current program format used by the NBC is "extremely outdated" and "there is limited knowledge by management of NBC's audience or market share". The report went on to slam the broadcaster by saying that the NBC "has a bureaucratic, process-orientated culture that is slow to deliver decisions".



Keravat High School



Over 20 students from Keravat National High School in East New Britain have been suspended for their alleged involvement in cult activities. The students have been suspended for two weeks just as they prepare themselves for the national examinations. The Education Department Secretary issued instructions to schools earlier this year to take tougher penalties against students involved in cult activities in an effort to deter and halt the problem.



Horse Racing Machines



The illegal horse racing machines are in the news again. This time one of them has supposedly burst into flames while paying out to a customer causing thirty-five people to become homeless. The fire started in a trade store and spread to four houses at Erima in Port Moresby. School students have lost all their schoolwork and workers have lost references, certificates and tools of trade in the fire.



Pipes And Drums



The pipe and drum band of the First Royal Pacific Islands Regiment (1PIR) is to be resurrected. The band based at Taurama barracks just outside Port Moresby has not been heard for many years when the many of the band were retrenched. The commanding officer of 1PIR has recently sought assistance to purchase six sets of bagpipes to revive the band. Australia has also offered to help retrain the retrenched band members and train new members. It is hoped that the band will be able to start practicing in October.



Bank South Pacific



The Bank South Pacific has announced an after tax half year profit of K45.5 million and its total assets have grown to be worth K1.9 billion. The increase in profits is attributed to an intensive transformation in 2004, prudent expenditure controls, stringent balance sheets and liquidity management.



On The Spot Fines



The National Capital District and Central Divisional Commander has ordered his men to stop collecting K50 On-the-spot fines from street sellers. He was acting on complaints from three women who were fined for selling betel nut, cigarettes and ice blocks. The women were issued a National Capital District Commission (NCDC) receipt for the money but the commander said he would investigate whether this is legitimate or not. Officials from NCDC said there was no arrangement with police to collect fines from sellers on behalf of the Commission.



Illegal Copies



People travelling to USA have been warned not to take pirate copies of music cassettes, video tapes, photocopies of US magazines, medical publications etc as they will not be allowed to enter USA and they will have their visa cancelled. Even one piece of a pirated item is enough to deny the carrier entry to USA.



Public Service Cuts



The National Executive Council has approved a 10 percent cut in Public Servant numbers by 2007. The cuts would save around K75 million in 2007 based on projections of salaries paid to public servants. Ad-hoc reductions in public service numbers in the past have not worked so it is hoped that a better approach is made for this exercise.



Millionaire?



A former National Gaming Board chairman has been found guilty of misappropriating more than K3 million of public funds but has only been sentenced to nine years of imprisonment with hard labour if he doe not repay K1 million of the misappropriated money within 18 months. He was also placed on a good behaviour bond for five years and has to perform community work for five years under the supervision of a probation officer. There was no evidence that any of the misappropriated money was applied to the benefit of the guilty party. The key player in the misappropriation was the former Registrar of the Gaming Board, Paul Aisa who was at the centre of the cashing of 41 cheques. The Judge carrying out the sentence said that the people that appointed the accused, a man with no qualifications to carry out the job, should be held responsible in this case it would be the Finance Minister and the National Executive Council.



Chimbu Police



Police in Chimbu have had to buy fuel from their own pocket because they are rationed 30 litres of fuel three times a week and that amount is not enough for the police to monitor the whole province.



Telikom Sale



The sale of Telikom to Econet Wireless is going to be reviewed immediately following criticisms in the media and parliament. An independent audit team made up of people from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsui in Australia will conduct a full review. An agreement was signed with another proposed purchaser to buy Telikom in July 2002 but it has been reported that this agreement expired. On the surface this original deal seems like a better package for PNG.



Electric Bicycle



Lohberger Engineering are assembling bicycles in PNG with electric motors. The bicycle is capable of cruising for up to 45 kilometres on a fully charged battery at 20 kilometres per hour. The bicycle also has pedals that can boost the speed even further depending on how well your legs can push. To recharge the battery takes approximately five hours. I have seen them advertised for K1350. If you are interested then contact -- ernestl@lohberger.com.pg -- for more details.



Real Estate Agents



Arthur Strachan (Lae) -- http://www.arthurstrachan.com.pg
Ashton Brunswick -- ashtonsbruns@daltron.com.pg
Century 21 -- http://www.century21.com.pg and http://www.siule.com.pg
City Homes Real Estate -- http://www.cityhomes.com.pg
Kohoy Real Estate -- http://kohoyrealestates.tripod.com
L.J Hooker -- http://www.ljhooker.com
Parklane Real Estate -- http://www.parklane.com.pg
Ray White Real Estate -- monian@online.net.pg
Strickland RE -- http://www.sre.com.pg
The Professionals -- http://www.theprofessionals.com.pg



Home Brew



The general manager of South Pacific Brewery has said that alcohol is a major cause of violence in the country but blames home brew, as being the major form of alcohol causing the problem. He said that people are able to consume or sell their home brew with little fear of being caught or prosecuted. He said that some home brew had an alcohol content of 70 percent and his SP product only had 4.5 percent.



University of Vudal



Sir Julius Chan has been installed as the new chancellor to the University of Vudal in East New Britain province. Dr. Philip Siaguru has been appointed as the new vice chancellor. Dr. Siaguru is currently the academic pro vice chancellor at the University of Technology in Lae and will not take up his position until early next year. The university is based around an agricultural discipline. Sir Julius replaces the former Chancellor, the late Sir Alkan Tololo.






PNG Media


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-- THE END --

Some of the ways of saying "that's all" are courtesy of Liz and her friends at the University of Technology in Lae. http://www.unitech.ac.pg

If you can add to this list then please send email to PNG-News@pnggossip.com

 






Created 16 Sep 2004
Updated 16 Sep 2004

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