Links
PNG Flying - You Tube
Air Niugini TV Commercial -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIDx6-z_mAs
Boris flying in PNG -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eF6NSkjTGU
Fane Approach -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuaIF-jsctE
Bush Pilot Papua New Guinea Rabaul to Hoskins -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR4ItPhaJzQ
Mission Aviation Fellowship - Tabubil take off -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATqzyVYbZSg
Operation PNG Assist -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hkNcS4obFk
RAAF C130 Operation PNG Assist -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPivo8Vw6E8
RAAF C-17 Operation PNG Assist -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0nLlYQX3oU
Air Niugini Fokker F28 Take-off - well half of the takeoff! -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSzCRpqhia0
Jacksons Airport, Port Moresby -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZQ89NKtUkc&NR=1
PNG Blogs
Clutter is Our Friend -- http://www.messersmith.name/wordpress/2008/07/08/clutter-is-our-friend/
What's With the Jokes? -- http://www.messersmith.name/wordpress/2008/07/13/whats-with-the-jokes/
Orchids at Dawn -- http://giaman.com/pg/?4377a0
sailing -- http://jhudson1984.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!A02390708974BF4!328.entry
Misc Links
Red Leaf -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/morealtitude/2657234629/
Dive beautiful PNG - World class diving at Lissenung Island Resort, Kavieng, PNG -- http://www.lissenung.com
PNG Surfing -- http://www.smh.com.au/news/papua-new-guinea/dads-who-wax-lyrical/2008/07/09/1215282891268.html
Frontier comments on Australian and PNG's decision to block mining near the Kokoda Trail -- http://giaman.com/pg/?add67c
CWA Welcomes Back Eunice with a Colourful Party -- http://giaman.com/pg/?4ab502
News Items
World Youth Day
Two people from near Kundiawa are reported as having to sell their pigs to be able to attend the World Youth Day in Sydney.
see -- http://giaman.com/pg/?d08a30
Watchout Crims
PNG police have been ordered to shoot on sight any citizen committing a crime while wearing a police uniform. Gari Baki, PNG's top policeman, announced the tough measure after a weekend robbery in which criminals wearing police uniforms stole two million kina from the Bank South Pacific (BSP) at Madang in PNG's north east. Deputy Prime Minister, Puka Temu, announced 3.2 million kina for a special police task force to address PNG's latest crime wave.
see -- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=40821
see also - Solomon's police alarmed at PNG shoot-to-kill approach -- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=40881
Police Commissioner Gari Baki has said his order for police to shoot and kill criminals in police uniforms should not be misconstrued or taken out of context by human rights advocates.
Associated stories -- http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/07/2296490.htm -- http://giaman.com/pg/?20b10e
Indonesian Intrusion
The Solomon Times has reported possible international border violations by fully-armed Indonesian soldiers into PNG. In one such incident, PNG army personnel said the Indonesians defaced a cement PNG border monument at Wutung by spray-painting it with their 408 battalion symbol. Angry PNG police and soldiers could not retaliate as there were no specific rules of engagement in place. Instead, all they could do was face the Indonesians and order them to leave PNG soil.
see -- http://solomontimes.com/news.aspx?nwID=2085 -- also -- http://giaman.com/pg/?c11ea9
Kakadu Naval Exercise
PNG Defence Force patrol boats HMPNGS Seeadler and HMPNGS Moresby have left Port Moresby for Darwin, Australia, to participate in the Kakadu regional naval exercise. Kakadu is a biannual event hosted by the Royal Australian Navy and, this year, 17 nations from the Pacific and Indian oceans will take part for three weeks. The contingent will be accompanied by Defence Force chief of staff, Capt Alois Ur Tom.
Madang Obstetrics Ward
The obstetrics ward at Madang's Modilon General Hospital has been ordered closed by Madang Town Authorities. The orders follow a recent examination carried out by a team of health inspectors in which the building was found to be hazardous. New and expectant mothers are expected to share just one shower and toilet. The situation with water is so bad that taps in the labour section are no longer working and nurses are using water fetched from a flushing toilet tank to wash their hands.
see full story -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20080711/news09.htm
Alternative Fuel
Mobile Phone company, Digicel, is carrying out trials on using coconut fuel to power its mobile phone network on Bougainville. Digicel have contracted a Buka-based engineering firm to carry out a pilot scheme of using the fuel. Digicel is also experimenting with other environmental friendly power sources such as solar power to run mobile radio sites. Many people on Bougainville already use coconut fuel as an alternative to diesel for their vehicles due to the shortage of all fuel during the Bougainville Conflict.
Chinese Investors
Several Chinese investors have shown an interest and made commitments to invest in PNG's booming economy in sectors such as mining, tourism, forestry, airlines and general manufacturing industry. The Shanghai Airlines Marketing Manager said the airline is looking at the possibility of establishing new flights direct from Shanghai to Port Moresby as part of the company's aim to expand international networks
see -- http://giaman.com/pg/?f9254a
Fuel Subsidy
Motorists and boat owners in the country will see a reduction in fuel prices from the first of September. Acting Prime Minister Dr Puka Temu announced in parliament a reduction in the excise tax payable on fuel.
As of the 1st of September:
* The price of diesel will be around 14 toea per litre cheaper
* The price of petrol will be around 39 toea cheaper and
* The price of kerosene to be around five toea cheaper.
Diesel is currently around K4.30 per litre, K4.38 for petrol and K4.06 for kerosene.
It is expected that fuel will continue to rise.
The Opposition say the move to reduce excise rate on diesel fuel, unleaded petrol and abolish excise tax on outboard motor fuel "zoom" would only benefit 10 per cent of the country's people. They claim 80 per cent of the rural population would not benefit from the announcement and that the Government should have done something about the prices of basic goods and services instead.
Transport Woes
PMV owners and taxi operators in the National Capital pulled their services off the roads recently in Port Moresby. Many Public and private sector workers were forced to walk to walk and many school children stayed home while the few who turned up at respective schools were sent home as most schools closed for the day.
Western Highlanders, who control most bus and taxi services in the city took the action to show respect for three of their taxi drivers, killed recently at Laloki just outside Port Moresby.
The transport issue is not confined to Port Moresby. Hundreds of school children and workers were either late for work or retuned home late as PMV buses operating between Wewak and Yawasoro refused to operate on Monday. (14 July) see -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/071508/nation6.php
The national airline has had major troubles transporting the Post Courier around the country and passengers haven't had much luck either. From personal experience my family has been stuck in Port Moresby for several days on route to Goroka as plane after plane has been cancelled leaving the airline having to pick up the accommodation bill for many passengers in transit.
Air Niugini's chief executive officer, Wasantha Kumarasiri, has announced the airline will base a Dash 8 aircraft in Madang to service the Mamose and Highlands ports on a daily basis. The Madang-based Dash 8 aircraft will operate between Madang, Goroka, Mt Hagen, Wewak, Vanimo and Lae with overnights in Wewak on Tuesdays and Thursdays while the aircraft will return to Madang on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Port Moresby Chess
BTW If you happen to be in Port Moresby and are looking for a game, there is a regular chess group that meets at the Round House Restaurant in Boroko, from 1:30pm on Saturday afternoons.
Also see an associated story located at -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/071408/sport15.php
World Bank
A team from the World Bank recently visited the Eastern Highlands and they were told national grants don't leave enough for development projects.
Miss World Australia
The Adventure Kokoda Niusleta for July 2008 reports that the 2007 Miss World Australia title holder, Caroline Pemberton, walked the Kokoda Trail Anzac trek - certainly a different catwalk to the one she had been used to for the previous 12 months. Caroline even celebrated her 24th birthday while walking the track at a village called Abuari where she received a sing-sing she will never forget from the guides, carriers and the villagers. -- http://www.carolinepemberton.com.au
Don't forget the Kokoda Blog at -- http://blog.kokodatreks.com
Coffee Prices
Over 2.5 million people depend on the PNG coffee industry so current favourable high prices are important to the economy of the country. The Chief Executive Officer of PNG's Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC), Ricky Mitio, has encouraged coffee farmers to take advantage of these prices to harvest all their coffee, process and sell it.
Coffee Industry Weevil
Coffee in Simbu province is at risk of Oribius weevil, an insect pest damaging coffee beans. The pest has shifted from being a minor pest to a major pest. Simbu province is the third major coffee producing province in the country accounting for up to 900 tonnes of coffee worth about K50 million.
see -- http://giaman.com/pg/?e2cab3
Price Waterhouse Coopers
Accounting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) has announced a major revamp of its management and operations in PNG.
see -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20080715/business01.htm
Smart Traveller Update
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller advisory service has updated the web site page about PNG located at -- http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Papua_New_Guinea
Parliament Punch-up
Treasurer Patrick Pruaitch and Forest Minister Belden Namah were allegedly involved in a scuffle at Parliament House recently. It is understood the two politicians were pulled apart as Mr Pruaitch, the former forests minister, took offence at accusations by Mr Namah regarding recent newspaper reports surrounding a $US40 million logging scam. It has been reported previously an amount of $US40 million was sitting in a Singapore account and belonging to a minister. Both Mr Pruaitch and Mr Namah come from West Sepik Province.
Loitering Act
Police metropolitan superintendent Fred Yakasa has said police will be enforcing the Loitering Act adding citizens would be held accountable for their actions. People found to be loitering in public places will be arrested and charged in a bid to curb crime.
The National Capital District's fight against crime has been given a K2.697 million boost by the Government.
Mt Hagen
Radio Australia reports that garbage continues to pile up in Mount Hagen, the provincial capital of the Western Highlands province, as it has not had a garbage collection service for around six months. The management of the Mount Hagen City Council has been called on to step down following the deteriorating state of the city's waste disposal. The issue has become so apparent that roads in some parts of the city are crammed with rubbish and traffic flow is being hindered.
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200807/s2301831.htm
Tolai Warwagira
The annual Tolai Warwagira was officially launched last Wednesday drawing more than 50 participating stalls from local groups and business houses to the Takubar sporting field in Kokopo, East New Britain.
see -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20080711/news10.htm
The festival runs for 10 days with the National Mask Festival to kick off today - 16th July.
Coming Events
14th National Mask Festival - 16th - 19th July 2008 - Rabaul, East New Britain
Goroka Show held on the 13th and 14th of September 2008. See -- http://giaman.com/pg/?ff9344
PNG Tourism Expo -- September
Hiri Moale Festival -- September
PNG Independence Day Celebrations -- 16th September
16th September - NBC to launch its National TV Station.
Medical Symposium -- September 2008 -- http://www.medsymp.org.pg
Morobe Show -- 18th and 19th of October -- the Show is held on the weekend closest to the full moon in the month of October each year in Lae, Morobe Province. -- http://www.morobeshow.org.pg
Milne Bay Canoe Festival -- always held during the first weekend in November.
2008 Kokoda Reunion Dinner - Friday, 7 November 2008 - Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney.
Anti Corruption Day - 9th December 2008
Arafura Games - 9 to 17th of May 2009 -- http://www.arafuragames.nt.gov.au/
Do you have an event that you want advertised? Send email to -- PNGNews[@]pnggossip.com
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