Kandep Wheat Project K4.1 million to be probed again

The issue regarding the missing K4.1 Million for the Kandep wheat project has slowly resurfaced again. The current situation while observing from outside is that, the experts from China who were there before managing the project are no longer there. The once well know and pride of Kandep, "Kandep flour" band supply has ceased which evetually lead to the drop in cultivation of wheat by local farmers. The reason being that the factory has not been in operation due to a reason not known at this stage. The General understanding is that, if there was any funding at all made readily available, the operation could have continued. Refer related news publication by the meida as below being reported on the same matter at different times.

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Ipatas: K9mil for wheat, coffee missing

Source: The National, Thursday 22nd March 2012

ENGA Governor Peter Ipatas yesterday claimed in parliament that more than K9 million for agriculture projects in his province has gone missing.
Ipatas said a cheque for K4.1 million for the Kandep wheat project and another K5 million for coffee projects in Enga had been delivered to the respective districts with no developments taking place. The money, he said, had all gone missing.
He said the cheques had been delivered by the former Somare government when they attended the National Executive Council meeting in Enga in 2009.
But, Ipatas said, the two projects had been abandoned for the past three years with no report tabled.
He asked Agriculture and Livestock Minister Sir Puka Temu to explain what had happen.
Ipatas said he had raised the issue before but nothing had been done.
Sir Puka said he was unaware if a report had been filed and that he would consult his department and report to Ipatas.
He said he could instruct investigators to find out how the funds were used.
Sir Puka also indicated referring the matter to the Task Force Sweep team

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Kandep wheat project to be probed

Source: Post Courier, June 22, 2011

A K4.1 million given for a wheat project in Don Polye’s Kandep electorate which “evaporated somewhere” will be “thoroughly investigated” along
with other complaints on agriculture funds expended with little or no evidence of projects on the ground.
That was the commitment from Agriculture Minister Ano Pala in Parliament yesterday when responding to a question from Enga Governor Peter Ipatas
regarding the funding of the wheat project.
The K4.1 million was allocated to the district during the 2009 cabinet meeting in Wabag, despite protests from Mr Ipatas. He asked Mr Pala if he
could send his officers to Kandep to investigate the use of the funds as it was allocated under the agriculture sector program funds.
“Despite some protests from myself as Governor of Enga during the NEC meeting in Wabag, various sectoral cheques were handed to districts.
“Among those distributed, one was a K4.1 million cheque for a wheat project in Kandep,” Mr Ipatas said.
He said the wheat project was an initiative of the former Kandep MP Jimson Sauk, which was later taken over by the Provincial Government and the
Chinese Government through a bilateral aid arrangement.
But Mr Ipatas said he opposed the direct allocation of K4.1 million to the district at the time due to lack of capacity and proper planning.
“Now, this is 2011, that money that was given to the district seems to have evaporated somewhere,” the Governor said.
“Minister, because the cheque was released out of your agricultural sector fund, I wish to ask you to institute an investigating team to Kandep
and establish where the funds are and if there is a wheat program that is ongoing in Kandep in Enga Province,” he asked Mr Pala.
In response, Mr Pala said it was his first question since he was appointed as Minister for Agriculture which brought some laughter among MPs and
ministers … “this is an interesting questing because I am not aware of the subject matter that is being raised in this question”.
“But this is very important because it highlights expenditure of public funds which all constitutional authorities should be answerable for and
if this kind of funds is being spent and there is no evidence of its existence, then the public ought to know. This government is concerned
about it, everybody talks about corruption, abuse and failure of government systems to account for public funds.
“I think the problem exists all over the country, funds have been allocated, funds have been spent, and in many cases, there is no evidence or
little evidence of activities on the ground and I want to assure the Parliament and the public that this matter will be thoroughly investigated.
“This is an example of our commitment to ensure that where public funds have been spent and my ministry is made aware of it, we will
investigate.
“This is the first time I heard of this and I will refer it to my department to do a thorough investigation into the whereabouts of this fund
and to see if it has been spent and where the project is,” Mr Pala said.

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Revive Kandep wheat project

Source: yutok, Post Courier, May 27, 2011

KANDEP District, home of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Migration Minister, Don Polye, has bigger land mass equivalent to Markham that has the potential to be turned into massive and intensive agriculture areas. The Kandep wheat project, which was initiated some 15 years ago by Chinese government, has massive potential to address food security in PNG and has potential to produce extra and can be exported overseas.
If this wheat project is revived into its full, high and extensive scale, it can stop the importation of wheat and flour overseas and, wheat can be sold in very cheaper prices that are affordable to majority of our household. Currently, according to statistic report, PNG is spending more than K350 million for importing wheat flour alone. I think Kandep has the high potential to withheld the K350 million from leaving overseas and can bring in extra K350 million into PNG. However, up until now, the Kandep Wheat Project is sitting idle up there for more than 15 or so years. I would like to ask Mr Polye whether he has any contingency plan to revive the project. I don’t think you have forgotten or deliberately neglected to revive the precious Kandep Wheat Project but due to your ministerial and other district commitments, the wheat project’s priority is on the delay list. This will help mitigate in wider scale the soaring food prices hitting PNG nowadays and in future
Please, consider immediately to revive the wheat project before the Election 2012 comes in to disturb it.
Scotty Pindao,
Kandep District

.............................................................................Opening of Kandep Wheat Project

Thank you for the wheat project
Source: Viewpoint, Post Courier, December 13, 2000

I WANT to congratulate and thank Jimson Sauk, MP for Kandep, for initiating a wheat project and finally opening a new factory in Kandep.
You have proven to be yet another thoughtful leader who had created history in the development of Papua New Guinea after 25 years of Independence.
I congratulate and thank you on behalf of the people of Kandep and PNG for initiating the development of PNG’s first successful wheat project and opening of its factory. While the Department of Agriculture and Live-stock was still carrying out research on producing wheat in PNG, you have been able to successfully negotiate with the Chinese Embassy to start the project in 1997 and now, the advancement in the project is good. As a result, the factory was opened to process wheat for consumption.
In addition, the invitation of some of the most important national leaders and dignitaries to officiate at the opening is also commendable. Most important people such as the Governor General, Sir Silas Atopare, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister and Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Live-stock, representatives from the Chinese Embassy, other MPs and the media team was well co-ordinated.
My credit goes to those MPs and the delegation who officiated at the opening of the factory. This delegation of very important people signifies success, support and the importance of the project.
Furthermore, Kandep is a place where there is no cash crops and mineral resource development. The development of the wheat project and opening of the factory is very important to the Kandep people.
I believe many parents are very happy indeed because they will be able to generate some cash to pay their children’s school fees starting next year.
Member, you deserve heaps of praise and thank you for a job that is well done!

Self Satisfied
Kandep, Enga

Think big and wisely when choosing leaders

Source: The National, Wednesday 21th March 2012

THE decisions we make at the polls will affect our political, social and economic destiny for the next five years and beyond.
The awareness and education must intensify in the remaining months leading to the election in June.
The kind of government we have next will depend on the kind of lea­ders that we, the voters, choose.
As a democratic society, people of all walks of life will be exercising their freedom to compete for the 109 seats and among them, there will be black sheep.
It is up to the voters to screen and analyse all the candidates, both on party lines and as individuals, before eliminating them one by one until the best three are left.
Out of the three, we must prioritise in order of our preferences before we actually take up positions in the queue at the polling stations.
We do not have to screen all candidates, but select the best five and screen their education qualifications, work experiences, religion, visions, aspirations as well as their social, economic and political backgrounds.
People have to be wary of so-called master sanaps, who are poli­tical rejects that break election rules out of desperation.
They are the ones that accumulate arms and instigate election-related violence and tribal wars that result in the destruction of innocent lives and property.
For us to develop and advance in politics, not only must we elect the best leaders but we must also change our corrupt and traditional practices.
We must put aside our family connections, clans and tribal links, our feuds and rivalries, our personal grudges and immediate personal wants and needs.
We must do away with our wantok system and the kisim na givim or get-and-give habits.
We must refuse cash handouts from candidates because bribery deludes our minds and makes us stumble in our choice of leaders.
We must stop enrolling ghost names and do away with so-called campaign houses, which are no­thing more than brothels and gambling dens.
If we do not change our mentality, we will continue to depend on Australia and other foreign agents.
It is up to us to change for the better.
The opportunity to elect leaders comes once every five years and we cannot afford to abuse it.
The decisions that we make in June will affect our well-being, and that of our children, communities, electorates, provinces and the country as a whole for the next five years and beyond.
We must think big, think national and act saliently.

Francis Níi
Kundiawa

PM admits to failure in promoting tourism

Source: The National, Thursday 22nd March 2012

THE country’s tourism industry is suffering from a lack of government financial assistance and law and order issues, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill told parliament yesterday.
He said his government, through the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority, was trying to encourage tourism.
He said the government was increasing national and internal security by recruiting more policemen and had declared several “tourist towns”.
He said these were towns where international visitors could fly straight to the provinces, by-passing places like Port Moresby and other trouble spots.
O’Neill said a number of expatriate hotel managers in the country had been summoned to the Department of Immigration over their alleged racist and discriminatory attitudes.
“If there is evidence of racial slander on citizens by foreigners, then, they are in the wrong country and they have to go back to where they belong,” he said.
Wewak MP Dr Moses Manwau had told parliament that certain hotel managers in the country had been using racist language and showed a lack of respect for
citizens, including leaders.
He asked what the government was doing to improve the tourism industry.
Manwau also wanted to know what measures were in place on the recruitment of foreign managers when there were many Papua New Guineans around who were capable of managing such facilities.
O’Neill said racially discriminatory remarks and actions would not be tolerated

Clean up our town

Source: yutok, Post Couireir, March 21, 2012

Three weeks ago we were in Goroka, the capital of Eastern Highlands Province.
We were very impressed with the cleanliness of the town but we found that much of the infrastructure in there needed improvements. For instance, that road network was falling to pieces in many places and the town authority needed to do something about it.
And we are sure, the Goroka Local Level Government will use the K15 million that was presented by the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to reseal all the roads and clean up the drainage system.
A week later we were in Kundiawa, the provincial capital of Chimbu Province, and what we saw was sad. The town’s roads had gone to the dogs although the people had cleaned up the place in preparation for the visit by Mr O’Neill.
Last weekend, we travelled to Kerema, the capital of Gulf Province, and we also found that the town roads were in a very bad state. We hope that the K10 million that was given by Mr O’Neill will be used properly to fix the roads.
It is true that not only Goroka, Kundiawa or Kerema are in this condition. All our major towns and district stations are run down. We are told by many people that in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, the towns around Papua New Guinea were the pride and joy of the people.
All the roads were in good condition, the lawns were cut and kept neat and tidy and flowers and trees were growing in the right places. Everything was in their right places.
Things went wrong in the last 30 years. Very slowly the roads were falling apart, the bushes growing around the perimeter of the town were slowly moving in and were threatening to over run the towns and the people who were living there were quick to cut down the bushes and make their gardens.
We believe there are several reasons why the towns are going this way. Governments at all levels may have changed their priorities and have neglected their duties to look after the towns, including allocating funding to maintain those infrastructure and town services were not provided by the National Government or when the funds were given, the money was misused. Or there may not be good managers to run the affairs of those towns.
The situation with our towns have developed into a state where it will cost the Government millions of kina to rebuild everything and bring our towns back into shape.
It is pleasing to note that the PM is handing out money to the local authorities to fix their roads in the towns. It is important that the Government continues to provide money to first fix the roads and then all other services in the towns.
We need not remind the Government that the towns are the gateway to the provinces and this is where visitors come to when they visit a province. The first impression that they get of the towns speaks volumes for the place and people they are visiting.
It is also good for the people who live in the provinces. It is important that they must take pride and joy in their towns, for this will go a long way in building their confidence about themselves, the government system we have in the country, the government and the local authorities.

PM stresses need for good leaders

Source: Post Couirer, March 21, 2012

By PETER KORUGL

The Hiritano Highway starts from Port Moresby and ends at Kerema town, making the capital of Gulf Province, the only provincial capital in Papua New Guinea to be connected to the nation’s capital.
The highway is being rebuilt and very soon, the trip between Port Moresby and Kerema will take about three hours, a big improvement from the five hours it is taking at present.
“We will make sure that the highway will be sealed to prevent soil erosion and damage due to the constant rain. Once the highway is sealed, it will last for sometime,” Prime Minister Peter O’Neill who flew into the town on Monday told a gathering of up to 3000 people.
The rebuilding of the highway is not the only good thing Gulf Province has got going for itself. Ten kilometres west of Kerema town, a major infrastructure is being constructed, which is the talk of the province at present. By 2015, the first export of LNG gas is expected from the Gulf LNG project from there.
Another major project is the K2 billion Purari Hydro Project, which when completed, is expected to produce energy that will power the entire country and even Australia.
These are among several major multi-million kina projects that are in the pipeline which places Gulf Province in a unique position, like no other province in PNG.
“Gulf and Southern Highlands provinces are in a unique position. They are home to some of the world class resource projects and we just have to make sure that the benefits are managed well.
“Look at Southern Highlands. It has been exporting oil for the last 20 years but there is nothing on the ground to show for it. This is because of poor leadership,” Mr O’Neill said.
Mr O’Neill may be making a general comment but his comments rang true for Gulf. Political infighting between various political leaders over the years has taken its toil on the province.
“Our leaders are not working together. The two Open MPs are not working with the Governor and the Local Level Governments,” a keen observer told this newspaper.
It was obvious also that the political infighting has also impacted on the public service. Public servants are divided in their loyalty and that has been the case for some time.
“We need public servants who must remain committed to their jobs and serve the government of the day. As human beings they have the right to political association but they should not bring this to work,” a senior public servant said.
Provincial administrator Orisuru Avai has a big task on his hands to hold the public service together to deliver much needed services to a province, divided by huge rivers, swamps and mountains filled with huge tracks of virgin rain forest.
“With the closure of the only bank, our people are facing a big problem. Small businesses are closing down because doing business in Kerema is tough,” Mr Avai said.
For a province that has produced two prime ministers, two governor generals and a lot of highly educated men and women, the struggle to break free from the “least developed province” tag is continuing.
Today, it has set five key goals as its pillars to come out of this struggle. They are integral human development, health and education, social welfare, economic and infrastructure development.

K7b claim against State thrown out

Source: Post Courier, March 21, 2012
By TODAGIA KELOLA

A MASSIVE K7 billion claim against the State by landowners from Pogera Gold Mine for alleged environmental damage has been thrown out by the National Court.
The landowners from Lower Pogera and their association, the Pogera River Alluvial Miners Association, had taken Pogera Gold Mine, Barrick (Niugini) Limited, Secretaries for Environment and Mining, Mineral Resource Authority and the State for alleged failure in controlling mine waste disposal system and its monitoring and reporting system at the Gold Mine which has resulted in the plaintiffs suffering grave environmental damages and that its effects will last for a long time within the next 100 – 1000 years.
The plaintiffs in their writ of summons claim that such pollution amounts to unreasonable interference or denial of their peaceful use and enjoyment of the Porgera River system, they claim that the mine has totally polluted their water in that it has become poisonous, unclean, dangerous and that such conduct is an interference in their livelihood since its commencements and shall be for many years.
Last Tuesday, lawyers acting for Mineral Resource Authority, Namani and Associate Lawyers through Hubert Namani made an application to dismiss the claim in its entirety.
The application was supported by Pogera Joint Venture and all parties were heard on the application.
Justice Derek Hartshorne, who presided over the matter, adjourned to Wednesday and he ruled that the proceedings is dismissed and awarded costs against the plaintiffs.
Observers outside the court stated that it was a relief that the application was made because if it would have gone the plaintiff’s way the State will have to fork out the amount.

Porgera gets K90,000 for poultry

Source: The National, Wednesday 21st March 2012

By ELIAS LARI in Porgera

MORE than K90,000 worth of chicks and bags of stock feed have been delivered to the Porgera-Paiela people of Enga province to start a poultry project.
The pilot project aims to develop entrepreneurs in the province.
The funding was made available by the Porgera and Paiela Cooperative Society with the support of the Lagaip-Porgera Agriculture Cooperative Society.
The Porgera and Paiela Cooperative Society is one of the eight cooperative societies affiliated to the Lagaip-Porgera Agriculture Cooperative Society.
Lagaip-Porgera MP Philip Kikala gave K3 million to the society to fund affiliated societies in a bid to develop his electorate.
Twenty-two people in Porgera and Paiela received support to start poultry businesses.
The Porgera and Paiela Cooperative Society will help boost production, with chickens to be processed at the Laiagam factory.
Porgera Cooperative Society chairman Thomson Kulara said this was part of helping people in the village become involved in business activities.
 “It only needs concentration in order to achieve your dream. You have to set up your target and each day you must plan well. Commit your time and that is where you will succeed,” Kulara said.
Two days of training was conducted by the Porgera Joint Venture community planning and development officer Samuel Mandiu.
Volunteer Tipinini Kairik and law and order working committee coordinator Nickson Pakea said the aim was to get all stakeholders to work together.
He said the Porgera gold mining had only nine years of operation left and people in the area had to find ways and means of earning an income

New HIV cases cause concern

Source: Post Courier, March 21, 2012

By Michael Koma

COLLECTIVELY there are 14 to 16 new cases of HIV infection in Chimbu Province every month and this is “very scary because by 2050 almost everyone in the province will be HIV positive if this tendency continues.”
Provincial HIV/AIDS response co-ordinator Nick Apa revealed this in an exclusive interview in Kundiawa yesterday .
Mr Apa said the Provincial HIV prevalence Rate was 0.21 per cent while that of the Sexual Transmitted Infections (STI) was 0.14 per cent.
He said: If the current trend continues the 300,000 or so population of this province (Chimbu) will be greatly affected after four decades so everyone must not be sceptical but do something to contain HIV transmission at all costs.”
Last month, National AIDS Council Secretariat Director Wep Kanawi flew to Kundiawa and signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the provincial AIDS committee, the Chimbu Provincial administration and the Division of Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs which will see the decentralisation of powers from the national level to the province.
The Chimbu government had underpinned the activities of the provincial AIDS committee with annual budgetary allocations over the past five years.
Recently, the National AIDS Council allocated K60,000 which would be used to improve facilities at Sinesine’s Koge Health Centre and Kilau Health sub centre in a bid to create space for HIV Counselling and Testing (HTC).
Mr Apa said the remote Karimui/Nomane District had generously assisted his office with logistics and even committed financial resources for HIV/AIDS activities in that district.
“It would be appropriate if the Sinesine/Yongomugl’s administration follow suit by making available funding and logistical support,” said Mr Apa.
The provincial administration has recently created seven positions for district HIV/AIDS response co-ordinators under its restructure. The positions are now occupied by qualified personnels after their applications were screened by the Provincial Employment Authority.

Enga calls for probe into govt properties

Source: Post Courier, March 21, 2012

By RAMCY WAMA

THE Chairman for the Enga Provincial Government Land and Housing Pisara Pambai urged the both the National Government and the Provincial Government to investigate serious allegations concerning provincial government buildings and land lost through corrupt deals in the province worth more than K6 million.
Mr Pambai, in a statement, called on the Government to urgently fund and send an investigation team to investigate Government buildings and land lost through corrupt deals by officers from the National Lands Department and National Housing Commission.
He alleged that people in Enga have scanned and forged signatures of the Commissioner of the Lands Title, the Surveyor Generals, and the NHC Managing Director and the National Housing Minister and the officers from the headquarters to accept bribery and make such deals.
“Officers in Waigani and Tokarara have accepted bribery and give titles illegally to occupants claiming to be public servants of Enga Provincial Government.
“The Enga Provincial Administration has lost houses and land worth more than K6 million through corrupt and fraudulent means,” Mr Pambai said.
He said the alleged public servants had bypassed the Enga Provincial Government and the Provincial Lands and Physical Planning Division and the Provincial Allocation Committee in the province.
“In my capacity as the chairman for the provincial housing and lands strongly condemn these thieves and those public servants involved should be charged and prosecuted. People have seen fit to demolish EPG houses and put up their own buildings without the approval of the Provincial Building Board’s approval. They refused to pay rental bills to the Government and moved into the houses illegally,” Mr Pambai said.
He said the alleged public servants went to the extreme of forging signatures and scanned land title documents and resold the titles of the EPG built houses and resold.
“Officers at the headquarters have assisted the alleged public servants in the practice and the people of Enga are suffering. EPG has lost houses in Wabag Town, Laiagam, Wapenamanda and Porgera districts. Therefore, the Government must intervene to prevent millions of kina of the province lost through such corrupt deals,” Mr Pambai said.
He said the houses and the land were given away in a ‘give away scheme’ so the Goverment must act quickly before all the government properties in the province would be lost in corrupt practices

Nominations predicted to increase

Source: Post Courier, March 21, 2012

By Simon Eroro

NOMINATIONS for the 2012 National Elections is predicted to grow by 10 percent compared to 2007 nominations.
One of Papua New Guinea’s first real estate expert Charles Yariyari who spent five years working in Australia with the Professionals, the biggest real estate company in the Australasia Region said the increase will largely be contributed by the economic boom in the country.
Mr Yariyari said in 2002, there were 2836 nominations – the country expected that Limited Preferential Voting (LPV) would reduce the number of candidates in that year’s election, however compared to the 2007 figure of 2726; there was only a slight decrease which showed a drop of 4 percent.
He said in the 2007 National elections, the highest nomination was from the Eastern Highlands Province with a total of 357, followed by Morobe 259 and Chimbu 254 nominations.
“I recall comments by at that time by the Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen who said “it is interesting to note that there was a real major change in the number of nominations received in this election”.
Mr Trawen’s comment was like predicting the future – the pace our county is going in terms of development aspects, nominations will increase by 10 per cent,” Mr Yariyari said.
Mr Yariyari also tipped Northern Province to repeat its record in 2007 by recording the high number of nominations in its Regional and two Open seats with 155, compared to, much larger provinces this election.
He said Northern recorded a high number of nominations for a small province compared to much larger provinces like Western Highlands and Eastern New Britain Provinces while Manus recorded the lowest number of nominations at 32.
In 2007;
* Eastern Highlands - 357
* Chimbu – 254
* Morobe – 259
* Madang – 209
* Southern Highlands – 202
* Northern – 155
* Western Highlands - 141
* Central - 141
* East Sepik – 141
* Enga – 140
* Gulf – 122
* West Sepik – 115
* Western – 108
* Milne Bay - 84
* West New Britain – 68
* NCD – 62
* East New Britain - 56
* New Ireland - 41
* Bougainville - 39
* Manus – 32
Mr Yariyari has tipped Southern Highlands, Morobe, Eastern Highlands and Northern to top the list of nominations respectively and while Manus and New Ireland to remain at the bottom of the list for 2012 election nominations.
He has urged Papua New Guineans to vote with their own conscience and not for the love of material things.

Managing waste is lucrative business, says academic

Source: The National, Wednesday 21st March 2012

WASTE management is now a multi-million kina business and private companies and business-minded individuals can take it up to make mo­ney, a researcher says.
Nalau Bingeding, a research fellow at the National Research Institution, made the comments in Port Moresby yesterday while giving his recommendations on solid waste management to the Public Accounts Committee.
Bingeding said there was already interest in the issue but “there is a need to facilitate the idea to get the momentum going” and encouraged the NCDC to take it up as a business.
“Waste management is no longer a service that is to be delivered by municipal authorities through the use of goods and services tax,” he said.
“Waste management is now a lucrative business and people can start trading greenhouse gases on the carbon markets and generate electricity for sale.
“I have been approached by a member of a prominent business family in Port Moresby on the issue of waste management as a business.
“I was approached by a LNG customary land owner from Tari to assist him on the same issue,” he told the inquiry.
“To have a clean Port Moresby, we need a good waste management system that is environmentally-friendly, economically viable and socially acceptable.”

Think big and wisely when choosing leaders

Source: The National, Wednesday 21th March 2012

THE decisions we make at the polls will affect our political, social and economic destiny for the next five years and beyond.
The awareness and education must intensify in the remaining months leading to the election in June.
The kind of government we have next will depend on the kind of lea­ders that we, the voters, choose.
As a democratic society, people of all walks of life will be exercising their freedom to compete for the 109 seats and among them, there will be black sheep.
It is up to the voters to screen and analyse all the candidates, both on party lines and as individuals, before eliminating them one by one until the best three are left.
Out of the three, we must prioritise in order of our preferences before we actually take up positions in the queue at the polling stations.
We do not have to screen all candidates, but select the best five and screen their education qualifications, work experiences, religion, visions, aspirations as well as their social, economic and political backgrounds.
People have to be wary of so-called master sanaps, who are poli­tical rejects that break election rules out of desperation.
They are the ones that accumulate arms and instigate election-related violence and tribal wars that result in the destruction of innocent lives and property.
For us to develop and advance in politics, not only must we elect the best leaders but we must also change our corrupt and traditional practices.
We must put aside our family connections, clans and tribal links, our feuds and rivalries, our personal grudges and immediate personal wants and needs.
We must do away with our wantok system and the kisim na givim or get-and-give habits.
We must refuse cash handouts from candidates because bribery deludes our minds and makes us stumble in our choice of leaders.
We must stop enrolling ghost names and do away with so-called campaign houses, which are no­thing more than brothels and gambling dens.
If we do not change our mentality, we will continue to depend on Australia and other foreign agents.
It is up to us to change for the better.
The opportunity to elect leaders comes once every five years and we cannot afford to abuse it.
The decisions that we make in June will affect our well-being, and that of our children, communities, electorates, provinces and the country as a whole for the next five years and beyond.
We must think big, think national and act saliently.

Francis Níi
Kundiawa 

Link Kandep first, Polye

Source: Briefs, The National, March 13, 2012

I refer to the Works Minister’s recent proposal to build a four-lane Highlands Highway. I urge him to fix the ring roads in Kandep first before upgrading the Highlands Highway. He must build the Mendi-Tap-Kandep road, Kandep-Lai Valley road, Kandep-Margarima road and the Laiagam-Kandep road.

Muniah Ker-Momde, Wabag

King Solomon’s treasure in Enga

Source: yutok, Post Courier, October 13, 2010

This is an invitation to any interested Hydrocarbon and Minerals prospecting and exploration company that Tundaka in Kandep electoratate Enga Province the home of DPM Don Polye is sitting on gas and oil, gold and diamond.
This place has a long unique history and has a cave there and it’s only accessed by a certain tribe that lives around there.
Apart from these people, any animal including humans who go near this area normally dies or suffer mental illness.
This place is the source and heart of oil and gas that is now found in Tari and gold in Porgera and Mt Kare. It is also the source of all the river network system in the country, Fly river, Strickland river, Purari river and Sepik river. We the landowners of this place kindly invite you to come to this place to see for yourself.
This is not just mere talk but real. It contains more and even bigger than current gas and oil in Tari or Gulf and gold in Porgera and Mt Kare.
We suspect the missing King Solomon’s treasures and mine is in there. You are most welcome there.

Tundaka Asples.
Hohola Suburb POM

Uni graduate says thank you

Source: Highlands Post, Post Courier, January 16, 2012

A UNIVERSITY student in Enga Province has set history to formally host a graduation ceremony celebration of achievement in his village.
Stanley Amos Langap of Wage Local level Government Council in Kandep District acknowledged those that contributed to pay for his school fees including the Enga Provincial Government and Porgera Gold Mine.
The party was held at his Longop village in Kandep District last Friday and attended by Enga Governor Peter Ipatas and his people.
Mr Langap told his people at the small gathering that his graduation ceremony was to celebrate his achievement with his family members, relatives, community including minor and major sponsors.
It is believed that such ceremony may be the first of its kind in the Enga Province or in the Highlands region and the country as a whole.
Mr Langap has set a phase in Enga Province for other students in the future to follow his footstep and do the same.
Mr Langap is one of the students that benefited from Mr Ipatas’ government policy from primary school to university.
He said it was good to acknowledge the Enga Provincial Government for introducing the policy that benefitted many students and he was proud that he was one of them that benefitted from the policy, adding without the policy he do not know whether he would have come this far or not.
Mr Langap is a final year Bachelor of Science, major in chemistry and biology and will graduate in March 30 with a degree.
He said the purpose of the celebration was to acknowledge those that contributed both in good and bad times to raise him so that they would feel proud because their hard work was not wasted.
Mr Langap said the National Government was now adapting Enga Provincial Government policy to introduce free education this year and the National Government must credit Mr Ipatas for his wisdom and foresight in developing the human resources of Enga.
Enga Governor Peter Ipatas told the people that he was proud to see Mr Langap for hosting such graduation celebration party in his village and invited those that helped him to come so that they could be acknowledged.
Mr Ipatas further said Mr Langap was one of the products of his government education policy and this was a big pleasure for him because his government policy had worked out.
He said many students had benefited from the free education policy but not one of them had come back to the province and honoured their families, communities and government.
Mr Ipatas urged other students to commit themselves to give more time with their education study hard because there was no ending in education.
He also pledged K50, 000 for Langop Primary School, an ambulance for Langop Health Centre and handed over a Toyota 10-seater land cruiser for Kandep district education services through Enga Children’s Trust Funds

Please vote wisely in the 2012 national elections

Source: The Weekender, Post Courier, February 03 - 04, 2012

We see what our MP has done for us the past five years. . . nothing! It is too late to talk about what our MP hs achieved. My advice for this elections is think about who you want to choose to be your mandated leader beyond this year. Choose wisely by voting capable people who can bring about tangible development to your door steps. Obura/Wonenara desperately needs educated man and women to be given a go. We are living in a booming technological world where the right people must be chosen for the right job. Please, vote wisely in this general election because your life is in your hand.

Credit should go to MP Joseph, not Polye

sourec: yutok, Post Courier, March 7, 2012

I REFER to a Stephen Kikala’s letter (PC 15/02/12) commending the Member for Kandep Don Polye as being the proponent of the multi-million kina Mendi-Kandep Road Project. Kikala got his facts all wrong.
He is writing out from the blues or conveniently using this road project to lure votes for Mr Polye in the coming elections. The people of Kandep do not know who Don Polye has been representing in the National Parliament for the last 10 years as there is nothing tangible to show for in Kandep. He held senior portfolios like the Acting PM, Deputy PM, Works & Transport and now Treasurer but he has deliberately ignored this vital road linking Mendi and Kandep. The people of Mendi and Kandep are no longer fools.
The proponent of this road project is the first-term member for Mendi Open, Isaac Joseph. Three years back it was only a “paper road project”. Mr Joseph contributed K3 million as a counterpart funding – the main pre-requisite to accessing the funds. Leaders who put upfront counterpart funding are given priority to access these ADB funds. I was then the Projects Coordinator for Mendi Open. We had sleepless nights and walked in and out of the ADB Offices just to get this road project off the ground. We wrote several letters to Mr Polye to share the cost of the counterpart funding because the road would run through his home village but never received any response.
All credits are in order and due firstly to the O’Neill-Namah Government and Mendi Open MP.
George Kowi, Lake Popol

K480m road funding welcome news for Kandep

yutok, Post Courier, March 06, 2012

PEOPLE of Kandep have been recklessly neglected by politicians for the past 10 years while serving their own interests. The Laiagam — Kandep road has become dangerous to the people of Kandep. The road has never been upgraded for the last 10 years, putting the public and the travellers at risks. People have to push their trucks and PMVs through the slippery roads, bare and rundown bridges.
There was an announcement of K100 million funding through ADB during Somare-Polye regime in 2010 to upgrade Laiagam-Kandep road but it was diverted elsewhere for some reasons known to themselves with people celebrating in vain.
I thank the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, Mendi MP Isaac Joseph and Works and Transport Minister Francis Awesa for taking this initiative to fund the Kandep-Mendi road. The announcement of K480 million projects through ADB funding has made the service-hungry people of Kandep extremely excited because it will link up services.
Tokap, Kandep

Tribe urge to stop attack on travellers

Source: The National, Wednesday 07th March 2012

A LEADER of the Yoponda Melep Karange tribe has urged members of the rival Yoponda Laima tribe to stop attacking innocent travellers on the road.
The two tribes at Walya in Wapenamanda district, Enga province had been fighting over the ownership of land where a checkpoint was located on the border with Western Highlands province.
The fight started last year and continued into this year resulting in the deaths of nine people.
Stanley Pingina of the Melep Karange tribe, based in Western Highlands with some of his tribesmen, said in Mt Hagen yesterday the fight was over.
Pingina said he and his cousin Win Kungil from Laima, had an argument over the land and fought.
He said it resulted in the killing of nine people and damage to property worth millions of kina.
He appealed to neighbouring tribes such as Yakuman Kumbaskam, Min and Yambarain Pausa, who allegedly helped Kungil and his tribesmen during the tribal fight, to feel free to travel into Mt Hagen and back.
He said what had happened early this year was in the past.
On February 27, he slaughtered 12 pigs and spent K17,000 of his own money to thank his people who helped him.
Pingina said during the ceremony at Tambul district, witnessed by the peace and good order committee and police officers in Mt Hagen, he declared a ceasefire and discouraged his people and supporters from attacking their rival tribesmen.
He told his men to allow them to move around freely.
He appealed to the rival tribes not to set up roadblocks at Walya and attack his tribesmen or innocent Western Highlanders travelling on the road.
Pingina said they were innocent people who had nothing to do with their fight.
He urged them to allow the peace process to take its course so they could resolve the matter

bemobile and Digicel draw battle lines

Source: The National, Wednesday 07th March 2012

By BOSORINA ROBBY

DIGICEL says contrary to what bemobile is saying, its off-peak rates are already at 79 toea.
“The 79 toea is Digicel’s off peak rate (per minute) for off-net calls to Telikom and bemobile,” it said in a statement yesterday.
“These rates apply from 8pm to 8am everyday and whole day during the weekends.”
The issue of off-net call rates was raised by bemobile in an effort to get its competitor to reduce its off net rate from its current K1.70 per minute.
bemobile’s chief commercial officer Alan Barry said last week that compared to bemobile’s 79 toea per minute off-net rate, this was anti-competitive and monopolistic in practice, leaving an uneven playing field.
He said because of the high of-net rates, bemobile had written a submission to National Information and Communication Technology Authority (Nicta) in January last year to hold a public inquiry, looking specifically at the off-net calls and SMS from Digicel to customers of bemobile.
bemobile proposed that Nicta should recommend that the Communications Minister make a retail service determination (RSD) that imposed a cap of 99 toea per minute on the retail price that Digicel may charge for calls to bemobile customers.
It also suggested a separate cap of 25 toea per message on the retail price that Digicel may charge for SMS messages from Digicel customers to bemobile customers.
Nicta found that the evidence provided by bemobile in support of its claims against Digicel was not compelling and did not warrant a public inquiry.
However, having drawn an issue to Nicta’s attention, the agency undertook a preliminary examination of its own and concluded that there were matters that warranted being tested and considered further through a public inquiry process.
This was issued in November last year and closed last December, after receiving feedback from bemobile, Digicel, Telikom and the public.
Preliminary results led Nicta to reach the following tentative conclusions:
g The relevant market is the market for off-net call and SMS services by the retail customers of the mobile network operators (even though the complaint that initiated this inquiry related only to calls from Digicel to bemobile customers);
g There is a prima facie case that Digicel had SMP in the relevant market;
g There is no prima facie case of either anti-competitive cross subsidy or predatory pricing by Digicel in the relevant market;
g Nicta had insufficient evidence to form a view on whether or not Digicel was engaging in excessive pricing (that was, pricing in excess of costs and a reasonable return that may constitute an abuse of SMP); and
g Nicta had insufficient information to form a view on whether or not Digicel is engaging in anti-competitive price discrimination.
Digicel CEO John Mangos said this week Digicel continued to participate into this ongoing enquiry with NICTA, but it seemed that bemobile was unaware of the facts around the pricing and the consultation which they were currently taking part in.
“It should also be noted that bemobile charges K2 per megabyte for data which is up to 10 times the industry average in PNG,” he said.
 “And bemobile has received considerable concessions from Nicta with regard to network rollout, which represented a massive reduction on their commitment to invest in PNG.
“Digicel has already completed the most-stringent rollout obligations as attached to its licence from Nicta and continues to invest in new areas for voice, SMS and data.
 “Real value and commitment is bringing communications to areas which have no communications and Digicel continues to focus on this.”

Polye’s removal raises questions

Source: The National, Wednesday 07th March 2012

THE recent demotion of Don Polye is the beginning of Peter O’Neill’s downfall because he paved the way for O’Neill’s appointment as prime minister.
With numbers, Belden Namah successfully moved to have the prime minister’s office declared vacant due to Sir Michael Somare’s absence.
He then nominated O’Neill as prime minister and was duly installed.
These leaders from two of the greatest parties, PNG Party and the T.H.E. Party are the very pillars on which the current government stands on.
This is a wakeup call now for them to be cagey of O’Neill as their coalition poses a political threat.
Even before Polye’s de­motion, most of Na­mah’s decisions were re­jected, reversed or rescind­ed by O’Neill.
Yanjop Siaa Kelya
New Zealand

The State of Marient Constituency in Kandep today

This is a photography display of the current state of the Marinet Constituency in Kandep district, Enga province. These photograph were taken when the author visited the area during the 2011 Christmas holiday and new year period. It specifically focuses on the condition of infrastructure development that has taken place and the stage it is in at the moment. This the home to the most senior state minister and founder of "Triumph Heritage Empowerment (T.H.E)" party, Honorable Don Pomb Polye. These photos will show how much he has delivered for the simply grassroots who have been so loyal to him both in good and bad times since 1997 elections.

STATE OF THE ROAD NOW

STATE OF SCHOOLS NOW

 Kolopa Elementary School

 Kambiya Elementary School

Last Karints Elementary School

STATE of HEALTH SERVICES

 Current state of Kambiya Sub-Health Center in Mariant constituency. 

 Current state of the building where patients are being treated.

STATE OF CHURCHES

 Marinat Catholic Mission

 Wamandak CAF church

 Kambiya Apostolic Church.

From all these photos, one can conclude how the most basic services have reached the people and how they have changed. The author was unable to make it to momode, pura, segin, last wert and the road going to Gini, to kondo, lakalap, winja etc. and the other two constituencies of Wage and Lai. One can even conclude the state of the other two constituencies.