Links
Warning: PNG web sites seem to come and go. The fact of life is that it costs money to host a web site (try -- http://pngwebhost.com -- for an excellent, reliable but cheap deal) 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 then mention that you heard about them from this web site. -- The PNG Gossip Newsletter.
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 send an email to -- pngnewsqueue @ pnggossip.com
Superannuation Funds
The Association of Superannuation Funds PNG (ASFPNG) has a web site located at -- http://www.asfpng.org.pg -- ASFPNG is an industry body established in 2002 by interested industry participants with the common goal to protect superannuants retirement savings within a regulated environment whilst fostering a competitive industry.
Expat Pages
http://www.expatsradio.com/
http://www.expatsreunite.com
Magic Mountain
Magic mountain beckons -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/112806/w7.htm -- and --
http://toyotalandcruiser.blogsautos.com/index.php/2006/12/02/magic-mountain-beckons
United and Divided Christianity
When PNG achieved independence in 1975 its leaders declared Christianity to be the national religion. Indeed, census data indicated that by 1980 almost all adults professed to be Christians. Read on -- http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2472/is_2_14/ai_105657581
Popondetta
A database of photographs, descriptions and locations of WWII wreckage remaining in Popondetta, Oro (Northern) Province can be found at -- http://httpw.pacificwrecks.com/provinces/png_popondetta.html
Popondetta has not changed much in the last 30 years. It is rather dilapidated and grubby -- http://www.greygum.com.au/PNG/Pop.htm
More photographs -- http://www.pngaa.net/Photo_Gallery/Neil_Lucas/popondetta/index.html
Port Moresby Rotary
Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. In more than 160 countries worldwide, approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 30,000 Rotary clubs. The Port Moresby Rotary Club has a web site located at -- http://www.pomrotary.org.pg -- Do not forget to visit the official Rotary Against Malaria web site as well -- http://www.ram.com.pg
News Items
NBPOL
West New Britain-based New Britain Palm Oil Limited (NBPOL) has announced that it will continue its plantation expansion program next year with about 2000 to 4000ha in land already made available, At the same time they are assisting the surrounding local smallholders to develop oil palm plantations, from which additional fresh fruit bunches will be supplied to NBPOL for value-added processing.
Hagen Market
The recently opened Mt Hagen Market has been vandalised by people from a local tribe near the market that say that they have been overlooked for job at the new market. The market was a K7.5 million gift from the people of Australia. The actions have been condemned by all especially the mothers who sell goods at the market. The market managers have described the vandals as having the attitude of pigs and dogs.
Forestry
The former treasurer Bart Philemon has said that the forestry industry is the most corrupt -- http://www.missionandjustice.org/?p=3210
Guilty Politicians
Two politicians have been found guilty by a leadership tribunal. MP Charlie Benjamin from Manus was found guilty of all 19 misconduct in office allegations against him while the MP for Markham, Andrew Baing, received a recommendation for dismissal. Mr Baing was found guilty on three of the five allegations made against him. -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20061221/thhome.htm
New Judge
Judicial and Legal Services Commission has recently appointed Derek Hartshorn to the National and Supreme Courts of Papua New Guinea. Mr Hartshorn was appointed as a replacement to Justice Don Sawong, who resigned earlier this year.
MV Milne Bay
A claim seeking damages of K300 million has been lodged in Australia against an Australian company for the loss of projected profits with the removal of MV Milne Bay from PNG waters back to the Philippines. Adsteam Marine Ltd, a major shipping company in Australia says the claim is ridiculous and would be vigorously defended. The claim has been lodged by Peninsula Shipping Lines Pty Ltd.
Christmas Star
The Christmas Star normally put up on Signal Hill at Murray Barracks by the Defence Force has been missing from the Port Moresby skyline.
Reader Ross Eastgate OAM has the following information in relation to the Christmas Star on Signal Hill.
The star was a feature of Signal Hill when I was posted to the then 800 Signals Squadron as a brand new Duntroon graduate in 1972. Ssgt Bob Crawford and his PNG sidekick Sgt Gillie used to put it up. They ran the squadron's Line Troop. The squadron had two name changes in my time in it, first to PNG Signal Squadron, then PNGDF Signal Squadron. They also had a cross which went on the Hill at Easter. Both were stored in the troop store inside Murray Barracks main complex. The Squadron HF transmitters were on the hill immediately behind what is now the engineer compound, and they fed cables to the aerial on Signal Hill. Our receivers were at Taurama Barracks.</
Cocoa Pests
Cocoa production in the Aitape district of the West Sepik province is being affected by the cocoa pod borer. Officials are debating whether the pest is the cocoa husk borer or as the growers suspect the cocoa pod borer in the meantime the problem is getting worse and affecting more growers near Aitape.
Cashew Nuts
The Rigo area of Central Province is successfully growing cashew plants. The main product gained from cashew trees is the cashew nut but the cashew apple is also used and favoured in other countries such as Brazil. In Goa, India the cashew apple is used to distil liquor called "feni". Unlike other tree fruits the cashew nut is external to the fruit.
PNG Prisons
Here is a list of prisons known to be operating in PNG. The list has been supplied by Uve.
+ Bomana in Port Moresby, NCD also for Central
+ Buimo in Lae, Morobe Province
+ Baisu in Mt. Hagen, Western Highlands Province
+ Keravat in Rabaul, East New Britain Province
+ Bui-Iebi in Mendi, Southern Highlands Province
+ Bihute in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province
+ Bundaira in Kainantu, Eastern highlands Province
+ Boram in Wewak, East Sepik Province,
+ Vanimo in Vanimo, West Sandaun province
+ Daru in Daru, Western Province
+ Ningerum in Kiunga, Western Province,
+ Beon in Madang, Madang Province
+ Barawagi in Kundiawa, Simbu province
+ Giligili in Alotau Milne Bay Province
+ Hawa in Tari, Southern Highlands Province
+ Wabag in Wabag, Enga Province
+ Lakiemata in Kimbe, West New Britain Province
+ Kavieng in Kavieng, New Ireland Province
+ Manus in Lorengau, Manus Province
Uve recommends contacting the Correctional Services of PNG to verify if there are any more or whether some of the above have been shut down or reopened due to health risks etc.
Online Air Tickets
Air Niugini -- http://www.airniugini.com.pg -- has joined Airlines of PNG -- http://www.apng.com -- and is now offering online bookings 24 hours a day from the comfort of your own home for all of its domestic flights within PNG and for flights from Port Moresby to destinations in Australia and Singapore. Due to banking restrictions Air Niugini advises that flights into the country are not yet ready for sale over the Internet. The airline launched the booking engine at its Corporate Christmas party where one lucky guest won a Port Moresby to Brisbane and return. The only complaint heard on the night was that the demonstration and issuing of a ticket was too fast but I believe that was the intention. I must warn online bookers that due to Telikom bandwidth issues trying to book during a normal business day is not as fast as trying during the evening!
As mentioned in a previous newsletter DataNets PNG -- http://www.datanets.com.pg -- were instrumental in pushing the development of having the PNG Kina available for online transactions via the Westpac Bank -- http://www.westpac.com.pg/pacific/publish.nsf/Content/PFPG+HomePage -- other partners are SITA -- http://sita.aero -- and Direct Payment Solutions -- http://dps.co.nz/
Airlines of PNG is able to offer Port Moresby to two overseas destinations in Australia and Air Niugini offers Port Moresby to 20 domestic and four international locations. The airline also allows complex bookings i.e. Port Moresby - Lae, Lae - Rabaul, Rabaul - Hoskins, Hoskins - Port Moresby with stopovers in all locations. This requires the user to click on a "complex" link from the Air Niugini homepage.
Post Travel
It is now possible to not only buy stamps to send letters and parcels to domestic locations you can now visit the Post Office and book travel on Airlines of PNG. You can currently only visit Boroko Post Office to achieve this and only during working hours but Post PNG hopes to be able to expand the travel service to all major Post Offices in the future.
Mobile Fones
It appears that mobile fones are too popular and this popularity is causing many problems especially on Friday the busiest day of the week for people trying to make calls. Many Telikom customers have reported that SMS messages are being repeated and sent many times. Other customers are complaining about messages being sent at one time and then not being received for several hours. 35,000 successful calls are being made per hour on the busiest days of the week and Telikom is rolling out new sites as quickly as they can.
Coconut Accidents
Search this page for the word Alotau to find out about falling coconuts -- http://improbable.com/category/ig-nobel/page/2/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=6502774&dopt=Abstract
PNGFA
A vote of no confidence petition, complying with section 16 of the PNG Football Association constitution, has been prepared seeking support for a vote of no-confidence against president David Chung. The petition will be presented at the coming bi-annual Congress to be held in Kimbe next year. Chung confirmed that PNGFA had received the petition spearheaded by three major soccer associations Port Moresby, LFA and Lahi.
HTML Version
Did you know that there is an html version of this newsletter? The only real benefits are that links to other sites are coded into the html document so, if the link is still valid, it is simply a matter of clicking on the link. Some email clients do not convert links in the text version correctly and some readers have to cut and past the links into the browser. -- http://pnggossip.com/news/apply -- is the link where you can change your subscription.
Prostitution
Unfortunately because nothing is being done to address the issue of prostitution it has become a major social issue for PNG. Due to the poor economy the number of young girls taking part in prostitution is ever increasing simply because it is an easy way to earn money.
Aabon Holiday Units
For anyone travelling to Brisbane from PNG and looking for cheap accommodation then I recommend the Aabon Holiday units who have reasonably priced rooms available for one to many people. -- http://www.aabon.com.au -- for more information
State of Emergency Costs
The State of Emergency (SoE) in the Southern Highlands is proving to be an expensive exercise. A doctor has been hired at K100,000 a month to look after the medical needs of members of the SoE despite doctors being readily available in Mendi, Southern Highlands. Other costs are helicopter hire at K5,000 per hour, hire cars at K700 per day and even payment of allowances for officers operating out of Port Moresby who are still in Moresby.
Coming Events
32nd Gaming Fishing Association of PNG titles will be held from the 7th to the 16th of April, 2007
May Coffee Festival 2007 - cancelled due to 2007 National Elections.
PNG 30th Independence Day Celebrations -- 16th September 2007
Morobe Show, Lae -- October 2007
The Milne Bay Canoe and Kundu (drum) festival is to be in November
Do you have an event that you want advertised? Send email to -- PNGNews[@]pnggossip.com
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