Links
Milne Bay
The Milne Bay Tourism website can be found at -- http://www.milnebaytourism.gov.pg
Discover in Milne Bay the charm and beauty of a peace loving people blessed
in abundance with natural environment of pristine waters and varied landforms,
unique flora and fauna, vibrant cultures and living traditions.
PNGBD
While you are looking at Tourism websites do not forget the Papua New Guinea
Tourism and Business Directory located at http://www.pngbd.com.
Golden Years
For everyone who has spent some time in PNG and knows the PNG culture I fully
recommend the book called "Golden Years" by Keith Buxton. To find
out more about the book please visit Keith's website at http://www.keithbuxton.com
or write to PO Box 3102 Pallas Street Post Office, Maryborough Queensland
4650, Australia. The book costs AUD$26.00 per copy and postage within Australia
is calculated as being AUD$7.00. Postage to PNG, Oceania, Asia and New Zealand
is AUD$11.50. Postage to other parts of the world is AUD$15.00 per copy. Don't
forget to let Keith know that you read about it in the PNG Gossip Newsletter.
Coffee Festival
The 3rd Papua New Guinea Coffee Festival & Trade Fair has been set for
May 2 and 3 in scenic and idyllic Goroka, capital of the Eastern Highlands
of PNG -- http://www.pngtourism.org.pg/special/coffee%20festival.htm
-- png.gold@global.net.pg
Tiki Turtle
Tiki Turtle Eco Adventure is a unique experience on the live aboard "Tiki
Turtle, a 38', 6 berth catamaran operating out of Kavieng, New Ireland Province
-- http://www.tikiturtle.com -- tikiturtle@global.net.pg
Diving
Diving Papua New Guinea on the elegant live aboard MV Golden Dawn offers some
of the finest dive sites and diving in Papua New Guinea. PNG dive itineraries
include the Eastern fields in the Coral Sea, Milne Bay and Northern PNG, Wewak.
-- http://www.mvgoldendawn.com.
Other websites that may interest divers are
Vabukori Village
The people from Vabukori Village in Port Moresby are putting together a rather
nice website located at http://www.vabukori.com.
News Items
PNG Media Council
The PNG Media Council has reaffirmed its fight against corruption at a recent
general meeting of the organisation. Representatives from The National, EMTV,
Post-Courier, Word Publishing, Kalang Advertising (FM100), National Broadcasting
Corporation and PNGFM have agreed to combine their efforts and continue to
fight corruption.
Naturalised Citizens
The Foreign Affairs Minister, Rabbie Namaliu, told Parliament that if all
the current applications for citizenship were granted then PNG would have
a total of 1246 naturalised citizen.
PNG Collapse
A report prepared for CIS (The Centre for Independent Studies) -- http://www.cis.org.au
-- has said that PNG is on the brink of collapse like its neighbour the Solomon
Islands. The report made it in to many papers overseas in Australia and it
has upset the PNG politicians. The report has adopted the view of collapse
because: -
+ The PNG economy has stagnated and the outlook for growth is bleak;
+ PNG's social indicators are too low and disproportionate to its natural
resources
+ Population growth is far outstripping growth of the economy
+ PNG has structural imbalances that have not been corrected since Independence
+ Declining living standards accompanied by severe and prolonged degradation
of public institutions; and
+ Systemic and systematic corruption and nepotism coupled with inability
to prosecute those responsible.
The full report can be found at http://www.cis.org.au/IssueAnalysis/ia30/ia30.htm
and is based on a CIS roundtable discussion, 'Australia and Papua New Guinea:
Where to Now?' held on the 4th of December 2002.
Terrorism
The PNG Parliament has ratified nine International Conventions and Protocols
on terrorism. The conventions focus on two main areas; the suppression of
the financing of terrorism and denying terrorists a safe haven from which
to operate.
Health Retrenchment Exercise
The current health retrenchment exercise in the Menyamya District is seen
as being counterproductive because it has created a lack of staff in the eight
aid posts in the area. Most of the employees retrenched were young and still
productive.
PNGDF
In a bid to improve the image and profile of PNG internationally the PNG Defence
Force (PNGDF) has been thinking of engaging troops in the peacekeeping efforts
of the United Nations. This would also assist the National Government to fulfil
its international obligations as stated in Section 202 of the National Constitution.
PNGDF Barracks
The bill to upgrade and carry out maintenance work at the various PNG Defence
Force barracks around the country has been estimated to be about K50 million.
Lae Housing
The governor of Morobe Province has petitioned the National Housing Commission
in Lae to give away low-cost houses to the current legal tenants. Most of
the low-cost houses throughout the province and indeed through out the country
have not been maintained for more than 10 years.
Lae Technical College
JICA - Japanese International Co-operation Agency - has donated four surveying
machines valued at K47,916 to the Lae Technical College's Building and Civil
Engineering department. The equipment is vital for student training to prepare
them for the changing demands in surveying.
Problem Based Learning
It has been stated that the method used to train PNG doctors is not something
new thing. This method of teaching has been going on since 1972 in other parts
of the world. The methods have been under attack by what seems to people reluctant
to change from what was the more traditional methods used in PNG previously.
Problem Based Learning is used in countries such as Canada, Netherlands and
the Newcastle University in Australia. It involves students becoming involved
in the teaching rather than just listening to a lecturer.
Social Alcohol Model
The Police force has incorporated an education program on drinking alcohol
responsibly into its community policing programs. The social alcohol model
concept better known as "sam" is to be part of its community-policing
program.
Bomana Jail
The Laloki River is threatening to erode away the walls of the jail. The jail
is already under the threat of being closed due to the unhygienic conditions
of the jail and the escape of 25 prisoners recently.
Port Moresby Hospital
The Port Moresby General Hospital has closed many of its outpatient clinics
and will only attend to in-patients. If an in-patient can be treated at home
with medicine etc then they will be sent home as the hospital does not have
enough funds.
Mobile Medical Clinic
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has spent about K20,000 to
put a mobile medical clinic on the road in the Central Province of PNG. The
clinic is a caravan towed by a four-wheel drive vehicle and doctors and nurses
from private clinics in Port Moresby are manning the clinic on a voluntary
basis.
High Airfares
Members of Parliament have been challenged to improve the economy so that
air travellers can ultimately afford the rising costs of airfares. The airfares
are unlikely to come down unless the value of the Kina appreciates against
the main currency that is used to purchase and maintain aeroplanes.
Leadership Tribunal
Justice Hinchliffe will inquire into misconduct allegations against two Members
of Parliament. they are Mendi MP Michael Nali and Tewae-Siassi MP Mao Zeming.
Election Petition
The election petition by Father Robert Lak against Western Highlands Governor
Paias Wingti will proceed to trial after a ruling by Presiding judge and Deputy
Chief Justice Sir Mari Kapi.
The National Court has thrown out an election petition brought against Pomio
MP Paul Tiensten by former MP Francis Koimanrea in Kokopo.
Potatoes
Potatoes grown in the highland have been identified as suffering from the
"blight fungal disease". The disease is common in Asia and has recently
been discovered at Sirunki in Enga Province. The disease has since spread
to other parts of Enga such as Laiagam, Kandep and Wapenamanda.
Lae
Four armed robberies and a spate of other incidents have the residents of
Lae worried. Lae Metropolitan Police Commander, Simon Kauba, has said that
armed robberies were not on the increase. He said the robberies were the work
of opportunists and not professionally planned robberies.
Nadzab / Lae
Nadzab is currently the airport used as the provincial airport for the people
of Morobe. Years ago it was the small airstrip in Lae town itself. The PNGDF
even had its airwing located at Lae. After the closure of the airport in Lae,
Air Niugini continued to use the airport for its sales office despite it being
some walking distance from town. Some people considered the runway too short
for F28 aircraft without major extensions. The Civil Aviation Minister is
probing into whether a move back to Lae from Nadzab would be feasibly due
to the major law and order problem along the highway to Nadzab after he received
an enquiry from the Morobe Governor.
Madang Evictions
The on again off again evictions of people from squatter settlements in Madang
may go ahead on the 17th of March if the Madang administration's application
to set aside the 7th of March restraining orders is successful. Over 1400
settlers have been identified as being legitimate workers in Madang and land
has been set aside to relocate these people.
PNGBC Sale
It has been revealed that the suspended managing director of the PNG Mineral
Resources Development Corporation (MRDC) had held serious discussions with
ANZ Bank in Melbourne Australia as a potential partner in a possible PNG Banking
Corporation take-over.
Tourists
Provincial authorities have been urged to plan well ahead to take full advantage
of overseas tourists attending cultural shows. In the past many shows have
been cancelled at the last minute inconveniencing tourists who have travelled
many thousands of kilometres to attend the event.
Tourism
The PNG Tourism and Promotion Authority has estimated that tourists bring
in over K200 million each year.
The PNG Tourism and Promotion Authority has warned that it will not allow
tourists to visit parts of the country if attacks on tourists continue. At
the moment foreign governments are stating that PNG is a bad place to visit
when it fact it is only isolated incidents that are causing major concerns.
Tourism Minister
The Culture and Tourism Minister, Alois Kingsley, has formally stepped aside
to face criminal charges laid against him in relation to an incident at the
Port Moresby Rugby League club last year (2002). He has been charged with
being in possession of a firearm under the influence of liquor and threatening
to shoot another person. Police have also charged him with assault and causing
wilful damage to property.
Bougainville Constitution
The Government has appointed a nine-member bipartisan parliamentary committee
to deal with the draft constitution and other matters raised by the Bougainville
Constitutional Commission.
Coca Cola
Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) PNG have purchased the brand names Golden Crush"
cordial, "Orchy" fruit drink and "Natures Own" distilled
water and related beverage manufacturing and merchandising equipment from
Laga Industries. The CCA PNG general manager said that the Laga deal was part
of a long-term strategy of CCA PNG to expand the business in PNG and provide
world class PNG made beverage products to consumers.
Oil Refinery
The Oil Refinery at Napa Napa has announced that it is set to start operations
at the end of this year when it refines its first crude oil at the new plant
site. The project has been valued at $US204-million.
Where is PNG?
For those who are not so familiar with the geography of Papua New Guinea I
suggest taking a look at this link for a quick start to a link to a map of
Port Moresby. http://www.michie.net/pnginfo/pom-map.html.
The map is from http://maps.expedia.com.
Western Province
Western Province shares two international borders - with Indonesia to the
west and Australia to the south - and has the largest land area (99,300sq
km) compared to other PNG provinces. Its population of 152,067 is distributed
into two people per square kilometre
Civil Aviation
Is it true the Civil Aviation Authority is thought to have every make of generating
set ever made at Jackson's airport? None of them are compatible with each
other in fact the two main generating sets at the airport are soon to be changed
because the third generating set, which was supposed to be fitted at the same
time as the other ones, is not compatible. Can you imagine the amount of money
that must be tied up in spares for all the different types of equipment?
Civil Aviation CEO
Just as Civil Aviation in PNG appeared to be stabilising the new chief executive
officer has had to go on three weeks leave due to a death in his family. The
acting CEO has been appointed from the Civil Aviation Board rather than from
the Civil Aviation structure to ensure some of the bad practices evident before
the new CEO took over do not resurface in his absence.
Kavieng Harbour
A Harbours Management Advisory Committee has been set up to ensure Kavieng
Harbour is kept free of pollution. This was announced at the official opening
of the new Kavieng long-line wharf recently.
Waigani Land Lease
The land leased to giant logging company Rimbunan Hijau at Waigani is currently
undergoing infrastructure development before the land lease expires in September.
The lease of the land was granted under much controversy four and half years
ago.
Buka Island
The people of Buka will have the ring road around the island sealed in 2004
with some maintenance being done this year to the existing road.
Angau Hospital
Angau Memorial Hospital has received K200,000 worth of medical equipment from
an individual -Audrey Gough of the United Kingdom with the help of her local
Rotary Club in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Mrs Gough was a tourist visiting PNG in
2000, and called into the Angau Memorial Hospital on a stopover in Lae. After
what she saw, she went home to UK and set up a fund she called the Angau Hospital
Fund.
Illegal Workers
Immigration officers are cracking down on foreigners working in the country
without the correct paper work. Three Chinese nationals have been questioned
about their work in a tuck shop at the airport. The Labour and Industrial
Relations Minister has ordered the eviction of foreign workers who do not
hold valid work permits.
Mobile Phones
The lastest date for the introduction of digital (GSM) telephones into PNG is the 2nd of May. Will this be the final date or will it be another couple of years?
PNG Media
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