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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
For information about betel nut / buai pay a visit to -- http://www.nisbett.com/herbs/a/areca056.html or http://www.chempex.com/areca_nut.htmhttp://www.pngtravels.com -- Tourism Promotion Site.
http://www.pngtravel.com/ -- the site of Travel World located at 1324 State Street - Santa Barbara, California, Phone 805 963-6521
The unofficial Port Moresby High School site is located at http://www.maipng.com/pomhi/
http://www.pngportal.com and http://www.pnggateway.com. A new portal / gateway to PNG. Not yet as good as PNGBD -- http://www.pngbd.com
Papua New Guinea Institute of Accountants -- http://pngia.org.pg/
News Items
Recent Walk for Life photo (click for more)
Lawn Bowls
The Goroka Bowling Club has introduced a new competition aimed at restoring interest in bowling. The club has been in decline for many years due to mismanagement of funds and misappropriation of stock.
Billfish Competition
The East New Britain Game Fishing Club is hosting its annual Billfish Competition from the 23rd of November to the 1st of December 2002. The competition will be run as per the National Titles concept, with subtle islands flavour amendments. All registered game fishing club members in PNG can partake in vying for the total K8000 prize money. Further information can be obtained from organizing committee members John Lau jaslau@yahoo.com or 982 9188; Lynn Woolcott lynbert@global.net.pg or 982 8488; Mik Plumb blakes@global.net.pg or 982 2094; Richard McLaren thefish@daltron.com.pg or 982 1144; and Fiona van de Linde kt@global.net.pg or 982 9766.
Fuel Prices
The price of fuel has gone up again.
Diesel will increase by 3.5 toea a litre to K1.79 a litre, kerosene by 4.9 toea a litre to K1.43, and avgas by 33.4 toea a litre to K1.60.This last round of increases has not seen petrol go up. (Currently K1.967 per litre)
Quote
I think this is an appropriate quote considering the current financial state of PNG.Foreign aid: The transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.
[I don't know who said this, do you?]
Student Drinking
The Police at Kiunga, Western Province have arrested four students for drinking in public. The Grade 12 students over did their end of school year celebrations.
Religious Freedom
The Catholic Church has called on its members to refrain from making inflammatory comments about the religious views of others.
Navy Games
Later this month the PNG Defence Force Maritime Unit will be hosting a sea war-game, code-named "Paradise 2002" in the waters of Manus province. Three Pacific patrol boats and three Royal Australian Navy patrol boats will take part in the exercise. Australia is providing funds for the exercise under the Defence Co-operation Program.
Body Builder
The Lae Biscuit Company has come good with K3,000 to assist local bodybuilder, David Mugarenang, represent PNG at the Oceania Championship in Western Samoa from the 13th to the 18th of November 2002.
Cruise Ships
Milne bay will host two visiting cruise ships this month. The Clipper Odyssey will visit Watts (Kwaraiwa) Island on November 12, Kitava Island on November 13, and Laughlan (Budi Budi) Islands on the 14th of November. The other cruise ship is the Hanseatic, which is on a world cruise and will enter PNG waters from Wewak down through to Kiriwina (Kaibola Beach) and Kitava Islands on the 14th of November, Iwa and Gawa Islands on the 15th of November, and Salamo (Fergusson Island) on the 16th of November before leaving PNG waters.
Clipper Odyssey
The Clipper Odyssey has picked up more than 100 passengers in Port Moresby to start its cruise through the Pacific ending in Noumea on the 25th of November. This is the fourth time the ship has visited PNG waters. http://www.worldwildlifefund.net/travel/listings/pdfs/melanesia.pdf
Pomio Power
The Palmalmal administrative centre (Pomio) will soon have 24-hour electricity supply after a cheque was presented to PNG Power (Elcom) by the MP for the region. Currently the area only has electricity for less than 12 hours a day.
Power Lines
Power lines have started to disappear after the Yonki power supply to Mumeng-Bulolo and Bulolo (connecting from Nadzab) were switched off after a major flood that hit Mumeng early this year destroyed pylons. Apparently people are climbing the pylons and cutting the lines with bolt cutters to sell the cable to scrap metal dealers.Important bronze metal plaques telling the significance of a monument at the Bulolo-end of the Markham River Bridge have also been removed and it can only be guessed that this has also been sold to the scrap metal dealers.
In Port Moresby people are cutting telephone cables and selling this to scrap metal dealers. This has resulted in many telephone subscribers being without the telephone for weeks at a time.
Rice
The People's Republic of China have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for agricultural co-operation between PNG and the Hunan Province of China. Both parties have reached an understanding in the area of hybrid rice growing.
Special Education
The special education centre in Lae has been presented with a cheque for K3,598.50 to help with the daily running of the centre. The money came from a donation by the Lae technical college. The Lions club of Lae also took the opportunity to donate 62 cartons of library books including textbooks to be distributed to schools throughout the country.
NPF Inquiry
A copy of the NPF Inquiry has been given to the Prime Minister who has vowed to make the report public. The man most wanted by the inquiry, former NPF Board chairman Jimmy Maladina's failed to give evidence, despite being asked numerous times in the last two years to return to PNG and give his side of the story. H is currently in Australia.
School Fees
Two students who tied up and robbed a man to pay for their school fees have been released on a suspended sentence. The sentence was lenient due to the fact that the boys had returned what they had stolen and shown remorse for what they had done.
Melanesian Discover
The MTS Discoverer is undertaking a special series of cruises beginning on the 22nd of November when the ship sails to Rabaul making a stop at the Witu Islands enroute. After a short stay in Rabaul the vessel will depart on the 27th of November for Buka Passage in Bougainville where it will remain in Bougainville for four days cruising the Province. This is the first time a cruise ship has visited Bougainville for many years.Between the 10th and the 20th of December the MTS Discoverer will be available for special Christmas dinner and luncheon cruises in and around Port Moresby.
Hohola Mosque
It is believed that there has been an attempt to set fire to the Islamic Society of PNG's mosque located in the Port Moresby suburb of Hohola recently. An intruder is alleged to have started the fire after entering the premises through an opening in the iron fence.Islam has been practiced in PNG for more than 20 years. Currently, there are more than 500 Papua New Guineans and 400 expatriate Muslims living in PNG.
Port Moresby
The new Chairman of the National Capital District Commission (NCDC), Jack Pidik, is attempting to clean up the image of NCDC. Mr Pidik has said that Port Moresby has become a sad state of affairs over the years and the pride of being a resident of PNG's capital is no longer there.
Small Scale Business
The Oro provincial government will focus on small-scale businesses next year by helping to distribute vanilla cuttings, seedlings and fishing gear to villagers through the Village Economic Development Scheme. Each adult per village household in Oro will be given K1,000 worth of vanilla cuttings or fishing equipment depending on where they live.
Forest Authority
The Managing Director of the National Forest Authority, David Nelson, has been summoned to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). He has already failed to make an earlier appearance and if he fails to attend upon summons he will be in contempt of the PAC but Parliament as well.
Logging
The Public Accounts Committee has ordered the National Forest Authority to deport foreigners in the logging industry that are doing the work that a PNG person could do. Some of the logging companies employ foreigners in positions that have been localised many years ago.
Sustainable Development Program
The former Chief Secretary, Robert Igara, has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of the PNG Sustainable Development Program Limited (SDPL). He is the company's first chief executive officer. The Government of Papua New Guinea and BHP-Billiton established the PNG Sustainable Development Program Limited jointly last year. It now owns the 52 per cent shares held in Ok Tedi Ltd previously held by BHP-Billiton.
East Sepik Police
The police in East Sepik province are suffering due to a serious shortage of funds and vehicles. The Wewak police station, the biggest in the province, does not have adequate vehicles to attend to trouble spots, mostly along the Sepik Highway and other rural areas.
Ombudsman Commission
The Ombudsman Commission owes a total of K1.4 million in outstanding rental to the real estate agency, LJ Hooker, for the premises it occupies in the Deloitte Tower, Port Moresby. Staff have been locked out of the office recently due to the problem that had been caused the Department of Finance not paying the rent on time. LJ Hooker are agents for the owners (NASFund). The Ombudsman Commission wants to take over the payments of the rent so that mistakes do not happen again in the future.
East Timor
The man formerly in charge of the National AIDS Council (NAC), Dr Clement Malau, has taken a new and challenging role as the health project manager in East Timor. As the project manager, Dr Malau manages the project that is supported by that East Timor Trust Fund. Dr Malau has nine international staff working under him from Russia, Australia, Poland and Britain.
Security Issues
The former National AIDS Council director, Dr Clement Malau, has said that a major campaign should focus on security and violence issues within PNG. He said the campaign should look at why "in other nations, it is safe for young women to walk around at night" but it isn't in PNG.
TST Gerehu
Two security guards were shot dead during an armed hold-up of the TST store in the Port Moresby suburb of Gerehu. No arrests have been made.
NISIT
The National Institute of Standards and Industrial Technology (NISIT) has opened its new premises and launched a development plan for the years 2003 to 2007. NISIT provides technical support to commerce, trade and industrial development in the country.
Coral Sea Classic
The 2003 Coral Sea Classic, which consists of inshore and off shore yacht races from Townsville to Cairns and then onto Port Moresby, has been launched by the Royal Papua Yacht Club. The event is run every two years.
Court Sentencing
The National Court has handed down a suspended sentence of three years to a 19-year-old boy for armed robbery and the unlawful use of a motor vehicle. The overall sentence is concurrent at three years and the boy's parents must arrange for him to attend the College of Distance Education to complete grades 7 to 10.
Insurance Surcharge
Due to the depreciation of the Kina Air Niugini has had to increase the September 11th insurance surcharge to PGK15.00 effective from the 12th of November 2002.
Ex Expats in Aussie
Jenny Hughes from NSW, Australia is looking for friends who worked in PNG.Quote
My husband and I spent many years living in Papua New Guinea. I have been searching the web for a group for expats living back in Australia. I would like to find old friends.
End Quote
Miss PNG
Miss Galley Restaurant Yaku Ninich has been crowned as the new Miss Papua New Guinea Red Cross 2002. She received her crown at a glittering function at the Airways Hotel in Port Moresby. Miss Ninich managed to raise K71,414.61 for the work of the Red Cross. The Charity Queen, Katherine Tabuchi, raised more than K77,000 for the work of the Red Cross. Overall the Miss PNG Contestants managed to raise K241,225.11.Some of the other prizes awarded on the night were
Miss Traditional - Katherine Tabuchi
Miss Photogenic - Rita Aisi
Miss Friendship - Rita Aisi
Miss People's Choice - Rita Aisi
Southern Highlands
The Southern Highlands Province elections have been delayed until April due to the continuing law and order problems in the province and a lack of money by the Electoral Commission. It has been estimated that K4.2 million is needed to fund the exercise. It is expected that the delay will help to avoid any trouble over the Christmas and New Year festive season.
Digital Mobile Network
The keep you guessing opening date for the Digital Mobile Telephone Network has once again been mentioned as "soon". The Network was ready to go long before the Y2K issue and was supposedly only waiting for a billing system to be installed. It seems that as the date approaches more and more excuses are rolled out to prevent the date getting any closer. It is understood that the network has been working for several years now.
Medical Bills
According to documents obtained by The National (http://www.thenational.com.pg/1104/nation1.htm) the government of PNG has footed a bill for more than K500,000 in personal medical bills for Treasury Secretary Koiari Tarata for treatment in Australia. Mr Tarata said his medical insurance would reimburse some of the money to the State and the balance he would reimburse through salary deductions.
PNG Media
- Post Courier Newspaper -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg
- The National Online Newspaper-- http://www.thenational.com.pg
- PNG Tok Pisin Network-- http://www.tokpisin.net
- Chin H Meen (Music) -- http://www.chmsupersound.com
- EM TV (Television) -- http://www.emtv.com.pg
- Hitron (Cable TV) -- http://www.hitron.com.pg
- Pacific View Multimedia -- http://www.pvm.com.pg
If a friend has given or sent you a copy of this newsletter and you would like to keep receiving free copies then please visit ../news/index.html for instructions on how to join the list.
Articles for this Newsletter
If you think you have a PNG page worth mentioning then please use the contact form
To send a message for submission to the PNG Gossip Newsletter queue please use the contact form
- In Tok Pisin - em tasol
- Buka / Lonahan - tsek se (thanks Vicky)
- Dobu - kaioni - Thanks Lynette
- East New Britain / Kuanua - i tar par -- Thanks Dinah
- English - The end (finish) or that's all
- Madang / Manam Island - Imabu = Jacklyn - Unitech Clinic
- Milne Bay / Gapapaiwa - ikovi (thanks Ed & Catherine McGuckin)
- Milne Bay / Wedau - ikwa (finish) -- Thanks Jean
- Milne Bay / Wedau - lamna ava (that's all) -- Thanks Betty
- Misima - kaioni - Thanks Lynette
- Morobe / Boana / Gaing - Undung hogok = Girina - Elect Eng Dept Unitech
- Morobe / Finschhafen / Kalasa - Moya = Runeo - Mech Eng Dept Unitech
- Morobe / Finschhafen / Kote - Isawa = Julie - Recruitment Unitech
- Morobe / Finschhafen / Yabim - kitum (thanks Liz from ITS)
- Morobe / Kabwum / - zorig = Julie - Recruitment Unitech
- Morobe / Kaiapit / Markham - Insup = Fredah - Registry Dept Unitech
- Morobe / Markham / Nadzab- e men kaninin = Terry and Ericka 22 Sep 2002
- Morobe / Mumeng / Buang - Maya = Melissa - Habitat Unitech
- Morobe / Nawai / Bukawa - Pandi = Gali - Registry Dept Unitech
- Morobe / Siassi / Mandok Island - isob (thanks Liz from ITS)
- Morobe / Siassi mainland / Kaimanga - imap (thanks Liz from ITS)
- Morobe / Siassi mainland / Kovai - birisi (thanks Liz from ITS)
- Motu - dokona be inai -- Thanks Rex and Daera
- Nalik - tamine nuaa (Thanks MC and Greg Baker)
- Nara / kanawamo -- Thanks Scott
- New Ireland / Tigak - ne lakos (thanks Vicky)
- Rigo / mangam -- Thanks Scott
- Suau - aoini - Thanks Lynette
- Takuu (Mortlock) - tena koi -- Thanks Sione
- West New Britain / Kilenge - apuwa o (thanks Liz from ITS)
- West New Britain / Kove- nei-mau (That's finished) (Hanns)
- Wuvulu - na peluli -- Thanks Eva
- Southern Highlands / Ialibu / Imbonggu - da pora (Thanks Amos)
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.