Links
Warning:
PNG web sites seem to come and go. The fact of life is that it costs
money to host a web site 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 them
mention that you heard about them from this web site. -- The PNG
Gossip Newsletter.
Mention
of a website or service does not necessarily mean that this newsletter
endorses the website or service
Air Niugini UK
Flight Directors in the United Kingdom have recently opened the -- http://www.airniugini.co.uk
-- web site on behalf of Air Niugini. If you are overseas this may be
a faster option to look for information about Air Niugini rather than
struggle with the bandwidth limitations with trying to access a PNG based
web site.
National Capital Web Site
A new web site for the National Capital District Commission (NCDC)
can be found at -- http://www.ncdc.gov.pg/home.html.
-- The NCDC is responsible for looking after the National Capital of
Port Moresby.
National Economic & Fiscal Commission
The web site for the National Economic and Fiscal Commission (NEFC)
can be found at -- http://www.nefc.gov.pg
-- The NEFC is an independent constitutional advisory body of the State
of PNG. The web site is intended to provide information about the NEFC,
the system of intergovernmental financing arrangements in PNG and other
fiscal matters regarding the 19 Provincial and 312 Local-Level Governments.
Other Links
- Department of Treasury and Finance -- http://www.treasury.gov.pg
- Bank of Papua New Guinea -- http://www.bankpng.gov.pg
- Internal Revenue Commission -- http://www.irc.gov.pg
- Government of PNG online (other agencies) -- http://www.pngonline.gov.pg
Luke Lucas
Luke Lucas has a web site at -- http://lukesnewplace.com.
-- Many people will remember Luke from the time when he was the
Electoral Commissioner for country.
Kokoda Trek
From time to time the Kokoda Trail pops up in one-way or another.
It seems to be the one thing along with the Highland Shows, the
towns of Madang and Rabaul that are mentioned frequently by tourists
wishing to come to PNG. The trail or track is well known for its
part in the fight between the Allies and the Japanese in the Second
World War but nowadays it has become "the" walk to do
in PNG. There are plenty of other walks that are possibly better
but perhaps the Kokoda walk is the benchmark for physical endurance.
Many operators offer the Kokoda Trail complete with carriers to
help with the necessary food and camping equipment. Here are some
of the operators starting with my favourite, -- http://www.kokodatrail.com.au
-- run by Gail Thomas at PNG Business and Tourism Directory -- http://www.pngbd.com
-- of course it is up to the reader to make their own choice when
choosing any tour company.
If you are interested in walking the Kokoda Trail then please read
the following account -- http://www.kokodatrail.com.au/forums/index.php?showtopic=218
Jane's PNG
Jane's Papua New Guinea web site -- A pictorial insight with comments
on Papua New Guinea traditional culture, art and history. Contains
a series of excellent photographs and can be located at --
http://www.janeresture.com/png_home/
News Items
Rotary Cup Day
Rotary is running a fundraising Melbourne Cup day luncheon on the 1st
Tuesday in November. For th9ose not in Australia or close by countries
the Melbourne Cup is always run on the 1st Tuesday in November.
Residency Visa
PNG has introduced a new category of visa to cater for long-term residents.
Several categories exist and the main ones are -
- Business Owner with investment income
- Working Resident
- Skilled Professional
- Other Melanesian Spearhead Group Countries
- Retired Person (over 55)
- Spouse (of PNG Citizen)
- Dependant
As far as I know all of the above require the person to have resided
for at least five years in PNG before becoming eligible for the visa.
I also have no idea of how much the visa will cost but if anyone is
interested I have seen adverts in the paper by Port Moresby Ever Clean
of PO Box 8545, Boroko, PNG -- email -- taurekamaryp@daltron.com.pg.
Broken Key
Heard a rumour that a couple of pilots are red faced at the moment.
After all the passengers had disembarked in a provincial capital the
pilots did their customary walk around to kick the tyres etc and then
broke the key off in the lock when trying to get back into the cockpit.
By the time the company they work for was able to get a spare key to
them a local locksmith had managed to use the broken key to break and
enter the aircraft. Hear the company has sent south for staff to go
into a $2 shop and buying magnetic key boxes to stick up under the wheel
well of all aircraft! So much for increased security!
Worst City
Port Moresby has managed to come out on the bottom of the best cities
to live-in in the world once again this is becoming an annual occurrence.
The United Kingdom based Economist Intelligent Unit (EIU) in its "liveability"
survey of 127 cites around the world has given Port Moresby a 66 per
cent ranking placing in it in the same "worst" category as
the Algerian capital Algiers.
Commonwealth Games Baton
The Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton Relay has made its way around
PNG (58th stop over) on its way to the Commonwealth Games. Several organisations
geared up to make sure that as many people as possible participated
in the relay. The baton is a high-tech device with built-in tracking
technology so that everyone is able pinpoint the baton's location via
the internet, where supported by satellite coverage.
The baton even has a built-in camera that can be used to broadcast
pictures. For more details please visit the Melbourne Commonwealth Games
web site -- http://www.melbourne2006.com.au.
-- The Melbourne 2006 Queen's Baton Relay is the world's longest, most
inclusive relay, travelling more than 180,000 kilometres and visiting
all 71 nations of the Commonwealth in one year and a day. The baton's
journey symbolises the unity and shared ideals of the Commonwealth of
Nations, and enables communities beyond the host city to share the Games
celebrations. It also serves a functional purpose in carrying Her Majesty's
'message to the athletes' from Buckingham Palace in London to the opening
ceremony.
Kuru
The study into "kuru" is coming to an end in the Okapa District
of the Eastern Highlands. The disease claimed the lives of over 2500
people in 1957. It is believed that the transumption of family members
at funerals was the main cause of the spread of the disease. In the
past relatives ate those who died in a ritual of mourning for the deceased
out of a love for the deceased. Kuru is a disease that affects the brain.
Females and children were the main participants of such feasts.
Ela Beach Craft Market
The Ela Beach Craft Market held on the last Saturday morning of each
month is a good place for residents and tourist to look for a bargain.
Usually a traditional dance group will perform sometime in the morning
to entertain the visitors to the market.
Tourism Levy
With the increase in fuel costs dive boat operators are considering
introducing a fuel levy. Some operators have felt a K5000 to K15000
increase in fuel costs especially those with bases in Australia. Big
companies may be able to keep the levy fairly low but smaller operators
may have to increases costs considerably to allow for the fuel price
increases. Operators with bookings in advance have said that a floating
tax would be the way to go because with many tourists making bookings
many months or even a year in advance there was no way of knowing what
the fuel costs were going to be. Airlines have already imposed fuel
levies to offset the increases. All the operators agreed that they would
not compromise on safety to save costs.
PNG Diving Sites
The following is sample of some of the web sites dealing with diving
in PNG. It is not a complete list and if you would like your organisation
mentioned in this newsletter please let me know. If company is listed
and the details have changed also let me know so it can be fixed.
New Anglican Bishop
It has been announced that on the 10th of October, 2005, the Anglican
Church of PNG elected Father Joe Kopapa to be the next Bishop of Popondota
Diocese.
Disgraced Diplomat
Another PNG diplomat has disgraced the country and had to be recalled
back home after an incident outside a hotel with some prostitutes. The
women created a scene when the diplomat refused to pay for services
rendered. It is also alleged that he then slept in his diplomatic car
outside the hotel until some of his staff, alerted by hotel staff, attempted
to take him home. The diplomat had thoughtfully locked the car from
the inside so staff had to find a duplicate key to get in. It has also
been reported that the diplomat had abused high commission staff earlier
in the day after a clean up of the office.
Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel
The Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel Statute that was located and vandalised at Jack
Pidik Park 5-mile in Port Moresby has been moved to a new location along
side the new Healey Parade from Koki to Ela Beach. When the new road
was made it was created by reclaiming some of the sea to make the road
straighter. This left the old bottom-winding road as a reserve. The
old road has now disappeared and in its place is a fenced war memorial
with car parking spaces complete with Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel and several
adjacent courts for games such as netball, volleyball and basketball.
The footpath between Koki and Ela Beach has become a popular walking
track for residents of Moresby.
Manus Detention Centre
The tiny province of Manus has agreed to give its full support to the
Australian and PNG governments to extend the agreement covering the
asylum facility at Lombrum. The Provincial Administrator, Wep Kanawi,
said that the facility was better then the one on the Island of Nauru
and could be used for as long as the governments needed the facility.
The first group of 300 asylums seekers detrained on their way to Australia
several years ago who were detained in Manus have all left after being
assessed as to whether they were true asylums seekers or not. Manus
benefited under the original agreement because Australian AID is currently
rehabilitating three high schools and three primary schools under the
agreement.
Fuel Prices
It had to happen. Fuel prices in PNG have risen considerably. The price
of petrol in Port Moresby has soared by an incredible 27 toea per litre.
There are 4.54 litres to an Imperial gallon and about 3.785 litres to
the gallon they use in USA. Don't ask me why the US gallon is a different
capacity to the Imperial gallon and the spelling of litre is liter -
that is just one of the beefs about having to try and do business on
the Internet and then that is only considering English speakers what
about all the other languages? Anyway petrol in Moresby is now approximately
K3.16, diesel is K2.41 and kerosene is K2.38 per litre. The costs in
other areas are usually more expensive although this time diesel and
kerosene have been pegged at the same price in Moresby and Lae Morobe
Province. For example in Lae, petrol is K3.33, diesel K2.48 and kerosene
K2.44 per litre.
PNG Languages
If you are interested in PNG languages then you may have some fun finding
them at the Language Museum web site. For example the Wedau language
of Milne Bay Province is documented at -- http://www.language-museum.com/encyclopedia/w/wedau.php
Gazelle Power
People located in resettlement estates in East New Britain have been
given access to electricity. The people were resettled after the town
of Rabaul and surrounding villages were devested by the twin volcanic
eruption many years ago. The European Union funded the power project
and was completed in time for the 30th Independence celebrations.
Mortality Rate
It has been reported by the Executive Director of the United Nations
Population Fund that approximately 2 women die every day from pregnancy
or complications during childbirth in PNG. The Executive Director said
this is due to the country's "societal values" which had not
changed much in decades.
Gender Imbalance
Despite some women being promoted to positions of responsibility in
PNG there is still a huge imbalance between the sexes in the country.
Literacy levels for females have improved by ten per cent from a previous
census in 1990. Other education and job positions have improved over
the years but still not to an acceptable level because it is usually
on an ad hoc, half hearted and lacking in direction basis.
Hailstorm
Parts of the Western Highlands have been hit by a hailstorm. Many food
gardens were destroyed during the storm that has been estimated as having
affected more than 10,000 people in Hagen central. A 30-minute storm
starting at about 4:30 pm blew the roof off many houses.
Books
The School That Fell From The Sky - is a book about how a WWII pilot
came back to help the villagers that helped hide him from the Japanese
Army during the war. The pilot, Fred Hargesheimer was lost and alone
behind enemy lines after one of the engines on his Lockheed Lightning
P-38 was shot by the enemy causing him to have to eject from his craft.
The second edition of this book is available from PNG Printing in Port
Moresby. I am not sure what it costs with postage to overseas but I
would imagine USD10 - 15 would cover an airmailed copy to your post
box.
Sir Pita Lus
Sir Pita Lus who was given a golden handshake of K500,000 for serving
his electorate for more than 20 years when he failed to win back his
seat in the 2002 elections is upset because he was not considered for
the recently announced Logohu awards presented by Princess Anne. He
has even alleged that Sir Michael Somare lied that he was going to be
one of the recipients of the awards. Sir Pita had flown with his wife
from Maprik to Port Moresby to receive the award only to find out that
his name was not on the list.
Coming Events
PricewaterhouseCoopers Corporate Challenge is on again on the 23rd
of October 2005. The challenge helps to raise money for the Sir Buri
Kudu Heart Foundation. The winner last year managed to run the course
in just under 17 minutes with the last walker being clocked in at 80
minutes. The course starts at the Ela Beach School and travels along
Ela Beach until climbing up and over Lawes road passing Sir Hubert Murray
Stadium coming back into town past Steamships and St Mary's Catholic
Church before returning to the school and the finish line.
Rotary Melbourne Cup Day Fund Raising Luncheon -- 1st November 2005
The Milne Bay Canoe and Kundu (drum) festival will be held between
the 4th and 6th of November this year.
Miss PNG Crowning night was going to be the 26th of November 2005 but
has now been advertised as the 3rd of December at the Crowne Plaza in
downtown Port Moresby. For more information about the 2005 Miss PNG
Red Cross Society Charity Quest or your intention to support the Quest
please call the Quest Coordinator Ms. Aiva Tamate at the PNG Red Cross
on telephone 325 7016 or 325 8577 or fax 325 9714.
Air Niugini Ball - 1st December 2005 at the Crowne Plaza in downtown
Port Moresby/.
Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games -- March 2006.
2006 - April 8th to the 16th -- National Game Fishing Titles
PNG 31st Independence Anniversary - 16 September 2006
PNG Media
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