P.N.G. Gossip Newsletter - 3 Nov 2002

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PNG Gossip Newsletter Meri Milne Bay
Welcome to the Papua New Guinea Gossip - 4 Nov 2002

A very special welcome is extended to any new readers. If you have comments or suggestions to make then please use the contact form.

C O N T E N T S

 

Articles for this newsletter

To send a message for submission to the PNG Gossip Newsletter -- please use the contact form

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 20 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

 

 

Neo Melanesian

"Pidgin English"
Tok Pisin
English
hap area / place
hap half
hap pas seven half past seven
hap san i kamap / or es east
hap tok quotation / statement
hapim halve
hapka utility
kolsinglis sweatshirt
kom comb
komputa computer
kon corn
kona corner

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 Directory 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.google.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


http://www.treehouse.com.pg -- Tree House Village -- For those who want a truly tropical style accommodation package then I suggest the exotic Tree House Village. The village is about 15 minute along the scenic Buluminski Highway from Kavieng in the New Ireland province. If anyone wants further details then please write to Tree House Village PO Box 351 Kavieng, PNG. Phone +675 984 2666 / facsimile +675 984 2693 or email albeck@global.net.pg

http://www.pomcci.org.pg -- Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce
http://www.icd.org.pg -- PNG Institute of Directors
http://www.rotary.org.pg -- Rotary Club of Boroko
http://www.foda.org.pg -- Friends of Disabled Association

The East New Britain Chamber of Commerce and East New Brisbane Tourism Bureau has a web site at --- http://www.eastnewbritain.com

http://www.training-toward-maturity.org/about.html -- Training Towards Maturity in PNG.


 


 

News Items


 

Walk For Life

The Price Waterhouse Coopers 2002 Walk for Life Corporate Challenge was held recently in Port Moresby over a 4.85 kilometre course to raise funds for the Sir Buri Kidu Heart Foundation. The Papua New Guinea Tourism and Business Directory has devoted pages and pages of photographs to the event. These can be found starting at http://www.pngbd.com/forum/t4675s.html. The Papua New Guinea Tourism and Business Directory actually entered a team of mudmen in the Walk for Life.

For those of you receiving the html version of this newsletter a picture is shown below with a link to all the photos at PNGBD.COM.

For those receiving the text only newsletter you can see the solitary photo at new/g021103.html (mirrored at http://www.png-gossip.com/new/g021103.html) but my suggestion is to visit the forum at http://www.pngbd.com/forum/t4675s.html and see all nine pages. I am not sure how many photographs there are in all but I would estimate over 80. Thanks to "aussie" and pngbd.com for permission to reproduce the photos.



Police Infrastructure

Many buildings used by the police force in the Port Moresby area have had a facelift. Gerehu, McGregor and Kila barracks, Bagita police houses and the Boroko, Morata and Hohola police stations have all received attention as part of an AusAID project to upgrade key police infrastructure throughout the country.

Maintenance and upgrading work has begun at the Tomaringa police barracks in East New Britain. The barracks were closed for an indefinite period recently due to the deteriorating conditions that were deemed to be a health risk. The total cost of the maintenance work is around K70,000.



East New Britain

The following has come from the East New Britain Tourism Bureau -- http//www.eastnewbritain.com

From the 11th to the 14th of November 2002, there will be a team of eleven (11) Russian personnel from two TV companies and two tour wholesalers visiting East New Britain (ENB) province. A Promotion / Marketing Officer will accompany the team from the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority.

The team will be here on a familiarisation tour of ENB to collect first-hand information on ENB as a tourist destination for the Russian market. The team will cover the Rabaul sector from the 11th to the 12th November. Hamamas Hotel has offered free of charge accommodation for the team. On the morning of the 13th of November, the team will leave Rabaul to spend one night in Kokopo. The ENB Tourist Bureau is coordinating this familiarisation trip but are hoping for some assistance from all tourism industry members to secure the Russian tourism market for next year.



Hospital Bills

It has been reported that prominent people who have had a stay other than in the public wards at the Port Moresby General Hospital have not paid their bills. The hospital has had to send in the debt collector in an attempt to collect over K265,000. Final letters of demand have been sent out to people who should be in a position to pay the higher costs of the intermediate wards.



Education Costs

The cost of educating children will be higher next year with the reintroduction of an education subsidy rather than free education.



UPNG

The University of PNG has launched a legal aid program. The program will be co-ordinated by the School of Law. Chief Justice Sir Arnold Amet launched the Legal Education and Awareness Program (LEAP) recently. The School of Law will be offering free legal services to the public through this legal aid scheme.



Battle of Milne Bay

The 60th anniversary of the Battle of Milne Bay has come and gone. A group of veterans from Australia have travelled to PNG for the dedication of a K3.8 million World War II memorial at Milne Bay, where in August - September 1942 Australia inflicted the Japanese Army's first land defeat. This was probably the most decisive battle for PNG and Australia during the Second World War but it is often overlooked for the Kokoda Trail Campaign.



South Pacific Games

Fundraising has begun in earnest for PNG's participation at the 2003 South Pacific Games in Fiji. The Prime Minister's Celebrity Walk has been set-down for the 8th of November followed by followed by the Trukai Fun-Run auction on the 6th of March, the Prime Minister's Corporate Golf Challenge on April 4 and the Trukai Fun Run on May 4.



Sogeri National High

The National Capital District and Central Province police commander, Geoffrey Vaki, has blasted student drunkenness and bad behaviour at Sogeri National High School. He said this after a clash between policemen and High School students at the educational institution outside Port Moresby recently. Sogeri has had a proud academic and leadership tradition but the conduct the recent student intake has disgusted many people.



Wantok Radio

The newest FM radio station - Christian orientated Wantok Radio Light 93.9FM - has initiated a Share-a-thon and is inviting Christians to donate K2 each to achieve its aim of "Covering the Nation for Christ".



Port Moresby Water

The Koiari landowners have now turned on the water after turning off a main tap supplying water to the city of Port Moresby. Many of the city residents living in the higher areas are still suffering from a lack of water. The water is also used to generate electricity so the whole of Moresby has been experiencing blackouts during the problem. The thermal generators at Moitaka and Kanudi can only meet about 50 percent of the city's demand for electricity.

Port Moresby gets its water from Sirinumu dam that was built on land traditionally owned by the Koiari people.



Polling Problems

The initial verdict of the Community Coalition Against Corruption has reported that there was no secrecy in the secret ballot polling, intimidation was rife and the Common Rolls were a mess resulting in more than twice the number of enrolled voters voting. Curiously, this final figure excluded many registered voters who were turned away at the polling booths.

It also reported that in one area where the 2000 National Census reported that was only 800,000 eligible voters around 1.5 million people voted.



Sir Michael Somare

The Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, has recently met with world leaders to put forward major issues affecting Papua New Guinea and the region at the two-day APEC meeting in Mexico.



Pari Market

A market is soon to be completed at Pari village just outside Port Moresby. A market upgrade program for the whole of Port Moresby is being fully funded by the European Union; the overall project is worth K1 million.



Kutubu Oil

An agreement has been reached with the Southern Highlands landowners to reopen the Mubi valve station that had been closed for a week. This will mean that oil will flow again in the Southern Highlands.



Political Parties Merger

Two of the smaller parties in the Government have merged under a new name. The Pipol's First Party founded by Value Added Tax opponent, Morobe Governor Luther Wenge, and the United Party headed by Goroka MP Bire Kimisopa have joined forces and named their new merger as Pipol First United Party (PFU). The Registrar of Political Parties has said the merger is illegal and would not be recognised.



InterOil Refinery

The parts for the InterOil oil refinery have left Houston in USA and are on the way to PNG. The 1000-tonne shipload of complex pipes and machinery is scheduled to arrive in around the middle of December. It will take about 12 months to assemble all the parts and then the refinery will be able to process up to 32,000 barrels of crude oil a day. This will produce enough petrol and diesel to satisfy the whole of the PNG market with surplus over to ship to other countries in the region.



CAA Board

The Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Don Polye has sacked the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) board. The board members have been given 14 days notice of their termination.



The Kina

The PNG Chamber of Commerce has expressed serious concern at the substantial decline of the kina as it dipped below $US0.20 recently.



Highlands Highway

The road maintenance along the Highlands Highway is progressing. Maintenance work had been completed for sections of the highway between Yonki and Goroka town in the Eastern Highlands Province and more maintenance work is continuing from Asaro Bridge to Daulo, Watabung at the border of Eastern Highlands and Chimbu Provinces to Chuave, and Wara Chimbu in Kundiawa to Mindima.



Chimbu Province

The Police in Chimbu Province are keeping a 24-hour close watch on all road infrastructure projects currently underway in the province. They are making sure that the construction work in the areas are not vandalised by the local landowners or criminals. The road projects are important to the province and police are ensuring that there is no interferences.



Poker Establishments

The National Gaming Control Board has approved new bylaws that now make it compulsory for all poker machine gaming sites to meet higher standards. The new bylaws impose standards with regard to floor space, ventilation, lighting, security, the availability of food and drinks, especially non-alcohol drinks, and non-gaming entertainment.



Prison Escape

70 prisoners have escaped from Baisu jail in the Western Highlands province. One of the escapees is a convicted prisoner while the rest are remandees who had been jailed for committing crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, break and enter, stealing and many other crimes. The escape took place when all the warders and other staff members had gone to town to collect their pay.



Frost and Drought

Many areas of PNG are currently experiencing frost and drought conditions. At the moment these
have been described as "minor" and not as critical as the one experienced in 1997. It is hoped that rain will fall in December to help alleviate the problem in Moresby. The frosts in October caused only minimal to moderate damages to some isolated pockets of garden areas along the fringes of the valley basins and floors in Tambul, Nebilyer, Kandep, Sirunki and Upper Mendi areas.



Genetic Testing

It has been announced that the University of Technology's biotechnology centre in Lae can carry out DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) testing. Most hospitals in the country could not afford such technology and they have had to turn away clients who have requested tests. Hospitals from around the country have been invited to use DNA facilities. Some hospitals have already taken up the offer.



Missing US Sailors

Two women reported missing in the Hermit Islands west of Manus over a week ago have been found alive and rescued by the local people. The two women from USA were rescued and helped ashore after their 34-foot sailboat 'Banshee' hit a reef. The boat has been recovered and is undergoing emergency repairs in the Hermit Islands. It will be towed to Lorengau and Lae for full repairs.



Lae Kofi Houses

Youth members in Lae have gathered to discuss plans to better organise the Community Kofi Haus concept. Most of the youth have turned away from criminal activities and have been able to set up 400 'kofi hauses' or mini stalls around the city and settlements to sell various items ranging from ice blocks, soft drinks, betel nuts and cigarettes and lollies rather than resort to criminal activities. Unfortunately some unknown people have burnt some of the stalls down recently.



Children's Literature

A workshop has been held on the proposed PNG Children's Literature Award scheme. The office of Libraries and archives made a submission to the National Library and Archives Board (NLAB) for the establishment of a PNG Children's Literature Award in 2001. The purpose of establishing such an award is to promote children's literature in the country. This will be an opportunity for PNG writers for nationwide recognition of their talent and work. It is hoped that the awards scheme is able to get under way.



Porebada Village

As the residents of Port Moresby are rapidly running out of water the 8,000 villagers of Porebada, Central province, have celebrated the long overdue return of the water supply to their village outside Port Moresby. It has been nine years since the villagers have had running water in the village. The K20,000 project upgraded the existing pipeline and installed three tanks that are now supplying water to 10 taps in the village.



Mumeng - Morobe Province

Thirteen young adults, most of them from Zenag village near Mumeng government station in Morobe province, have surrendered to the local police in Mumeng. Zenag villagers have constantly assaulted farm workers at a nearby poultry farm and stole chickens from the farm, something, which they readily admitted yesterday.



World Barbarian Rugby

The World Barbarian Sevens (WBS) won the rights to use the Papua Rugby League ground this weekend pushing out another competition.



Port Moresby Bush Walking Club

Graham Maskiell has asked the following question --

I am seeking a contact for this group if it still exists.
I would appreciate any information.

Many thanks Graham Maskiell

 

If anyone knows an answer please respond to this newsletter and I will pass the message on to Graham.

 





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-- THE END --

Some of the above 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 use the contact form.





Created 3 Nov 2002
Updated 13 Jun 2003

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