MPs exchange punches

Source: The National, Thursday 23rd Febuary 2012

By JEFFREY ELAPA

A DISAGREEMENT in parliament yesterday ended with a brawl outside the debating chamber, leaving Sumkar MP Ken Fairweather nursing a bloody face.
Housing Minister Fairweather and Middle Ramu MP Ben Semri, a former fisheries minister now sitting with deposed prime minister Sir Michael Somare’s group in the middle benches, had a heated exchange over the lack of services for the people. Both represent electorates in Madang province.
It was sparked off when Fairweather interrupted Semri’s speech to parliament.
Semri was speaking on issues involving Middle Ramu Block One, saying his people needed services when  Fairweather broke in to ask what he was going to deliver to the people in Middle Ramu.
Semri made a rude hand gesture at Fairweather who responded by standing up and trying to remove his tie while calling Semri out for a fight before walking out of the chambers.
An angry Semri then shocked
parliament when he shouted out: “You white bxxxxxd.”
Lae MP and Public Service Minister Bart Philemon raised a point of order and asked Semri to withdraw his unacceptable parliamentary language, which Semri did.
Deputy Speaker Francis Marus said leaders should be mindful not to use unparliamentary language.
Deputy Prime Minster Belden Namah also described the language as unprofessional and should not be used against each other by MPs.
Semri told parliament he had been angered because Fairweather had tried to remove his tie for a fight.
Fairweather returned to the chamber a few minutes later as parliament began voting on the bill to create 22 reserved seats for women.
Semri walked out of the chamber with other MPs who did not want to vote on the bill.
When parliament adjourned, Semri waited for Fairweather on the second floor of Parliament House and blindsided Fairweather with a punch which saw the Sumkar MP suffer a minor cut to his face.
Both men then removed their ties and exchanged punches for a couple of minutes before other MPs stepped in to separate the two members of parliament.
Earlier, an argument had also developed between Semri and Higher Education Minister David Arore but
was defused by other MPs

Govt must be lauded for K480m road project

Source: yutok, Post Courier, February 15, 2012

IT gives me great pleasure to read of the announcement by the Minister for Works and Transport Francis Awesa to fund the upgrading and sealing of the Kandep-Mendi and Laiagam-Porgera roads under the Multi-Finance Loan contract which is co-funded by the Asian Development Bank and the PNG government.
The constituency is home to a world class gold mine managed by Barrick Gold and after 25 years of contributing millions of Kinna to the public purse, it is high time these neglected roads were improved.
I am very grateful to the O’Neill-Namah government for making these two historic projects worth K480 million a reality.
It will not doubt contribute to sustained economic growth for the agriculture and mineral sector in the long term.
Thanks are also due to the proponents behind the projects in the Kandep MP Don Polye and the Member for Lagaip-Porgera Philip Kikala.
We commend you all on making this a reality.

Stephen Kikala

Related posts: http://kandepmyhome.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/credit-should-go-to-mp-joseph-not-polye.html
                                  http://kandepmyhome.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/k480m-road-funding-welcome-news-for.html

Below are photograph of the road connection where this money will be used

Laiagam Niung junction, road will take the right to Kandep

 Road will pass through Lyian road, this is section of the lyian mountain

Road will pass through Kandep station here

 Beyond Kandep station towards southern end is another junction, on the right is to margarima and on the left is the road link to Mendi.

At Kimblam is the final junction and both of these road leads to Mendi town. With this funding, it will take the route on the right via kondo, lakalap, winja, sopa and reach map in mendi where these two roads meet again.

Road will pass through Warakamb, Winja in Kandep

Photo courtesy of http://davidlupton.smugmug.com/Papua-New-Guinea/Mendi-Kandep

This is Sopa bridge where road will pass through - Photo courtesy of http://davidlupton.smugmug.com/Papua-New-Guinea/Mendi-Kandep

This is section of road after descending biiwiri mountain in lai-valley - Photo courtesy of http://davidlupton.smugmug.com/Papua-New-Guinea/Mendi-Kandep


This is bii-wiri mountain where road will pass through - Photo courtesy of http://davidlupton.smugmug.com/Papua-New-Guinea/Mendi-Kandep

Section of road before reaching biiwiri mountain while travelling from mendi - Photo courtesy of http://davidlupton.smugmug.com/Papua-New-Guinea/Mendi-Kandep

Photo courtesy of http://davidlupton.smugmug.com/Papua-New-Guinea/Mendi-Kandep

This is the Meland bridge and up the top is meland village - Photo courtesy of http://davidlupton.smugmug.com/Papua-New-Guinea/Mendi-Kandep

Section of road before reaching Map 1 village - Photo courtesy of http://davidlupton.smugmug.com/Papua-New-Guinea/Mendi-Kandep

Wara Wapul bridge - Photo courtesy of http://davidlupton.smugmug.com/Papua-New-Guinea/Mendi-Kandep

Wara Mendi bridge at query - Photo courtesy of http://davidlupton.smugmug.com/Papua-New-Guinea/Mendi-Kandep


Section of road after leaving tende junction where road leads to upper mendi and Karints - Photo courtesy of http://davidlupton.smugmug.com/Papua-New-Guinea/Mendi-Kandep

Will finally reach the existing road in Mendi, this is Mendi hospital and towards the edge of the photograph is the junction as was mentioned in previous photograph.

 This is Mendi airport

Improving water supply

Source: Business, Post courier, December 14 ,2011

THE Ramu Nico installation team.

MINING company Ramu Nico is opting for alternative means of delivering water to the mine site in Madang.
The company recently installed a water powered water pump from Lae-based company LIFEasy TRU and now has a reliable and consistent means of filling their once empty water tanks.
Robert Wang, a company spokesman said that in the past Ramu Nico had no way of capturing the shallow water flow from the nearby river but the new water pump has changed all that. “This water pump works with no fuel, no kerosene or diesel and no engine, and only needs a 0.5 metre supply head to pump the water to our tanks. It can withstand heavy flooding, and if there is no water flowing, it will not break down. This pump is perfect for the PNG rural people,” Mr Wang said.
The water powered water pump sells at K15500 per unit plus fittings, pipes and other accessories.
LIFEeasy TRU boss Roy Bird said that the mining company had since ordered their second water powered water pump after seeing the results from the first one.
Mr Bird said both pumps will be supplying water to new houses built for relocated villages that are at the mine site.
“I believe that this type of water pump will be sold extensively throughout Papua New Guinea,” said Mr Bird.
He added he was confident the water pump will suit all rural applications in PNG.
“There are many good things about this pump, but one of the best is that it pumps 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at no cost. The pumps are easy to install and require no ongoing maintenance.”
LIFEasy TRU is also a supplier of solar lighting products.
Said Mr Bird: “ Using the free energy from the sun means there is no flame, and the lanterns do not heat up, so there is no fire risk and are safe for even young babies to touch without getting burnt. The lights and lanterns have no moving parts and will not breakdown. We have many dealers in PNG selling our products for us and earning their own income at the same time.”
LIFEasy TRU has a special offer for dealers which will run until the end of January, and every lantern sold will come with a free head lamp. “These new headlamps will suit many applications, from hunting and night fishing, to security firms and health clinics.”

Commitments not met: Polye

Source: News, Post Courier, December 09, 2011

TREASURER Don Polye was questioned in Parliament yesterday over millions of kina commitments he made in the previous regime on road projects in the Highlands and Mamose regions which have not been honoured.
Ungai-Bena MP Benny Allen during Question Time asked Treasurer Polye to explain in Parliament why commitments made to the roads in the Highlands (Goroka) worth K5 million for Bena-Ramu shortcut road and the K1.6 million Goroka-Lame roads including the K25 million Kordu commitment for the Koiaris have not been paid to date.
Mr Polye admitted he had made those commitments and explained that K173 million counterpart funding had already been allocated and these roads should receive their funds from that allocation.
On the same note Polye was also taken to task to explain his commitment on the Wantoat-Kabwum road by Markham MP Koni Iguan.
He also advised funding for roads have been allocated and should be released in due course.

Treacherous crossing

Source; The National, November 24 2011

By PORENI UMAU

DRESSED in red striped shirt, tucked in blue Levis denim jeans with brown leather dress shoes protecting his Erave nurtured feet, he cut out a city figure, found in high places in Port Moresby.
This was emphasised with a dark spectacle, perched on his forehead with the handles embracing two ears, on the edges of a neatly trimmed hair dressed over a round head.
Nason Yawake comes from Imane village, Aiya Local Level Government area in the Kagua district, Southern Highlands Province. Yawake is a heavy equipment fitter at Lihir Gold mine and on his recent break, he helped take a dead relative home. Yesterday, he came to the Post-Courier to extend the cry of his people, who have been denied better services since Independence.
People from the same area like Yawake take the plane from Port Moresby to Mt Hagen and travel by road to Kagua. An agonising three hours walk to Imane awaits to test your city tickled feet and pot bellied frame. It is a very long tough walk through tough terrain and the fast flowing icy Erave River, that claimed many pigs, destroyed coffee and food gardens and even claimed many lives as it meanders and flow past many villages in this part of the country.
VILLAGERS cross the mighty Erave three times at different sections but their only source of linkage, the three foot bridges, to the warmth of their homes have been disjointed and the arch mesh net wire structures have been damaged by the tough weather and different weights they have supported.
When transporting his dead relative over these three footbridges, Yawake was hit with emotion at how his people have to risk their lives to get home or access services. These three bridges were built by the people and have been there for over 36 years. He brought the cries of his people calling on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and in his own words, ‘PM O’Neill, you are from Pangia, please feel sorry for the last Kewapi people’. Yawake appealed to the PM to look into the plight of his people, who need three decent, safe and secure new footbridges.
He looked me in the eye and smiled and as we parted, a firm handshake, stronger than the three faltered footbridges over the Erave River, indicated that at least he brought the cry of his people to Port Moresby. Outside the midday Konedobu heat, he said he was glad he had conveyed the hearts’ cry of his people.

Give health and education a priority

Source: yutok, Post Courier, November 24, 2011

THE United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) four and five say that by the year 2015 all nations which are signatories to the MDGs should “ Reduce child mortality” and “ Improve maternal health” in their respective countries.
In the Pacific, all countries have done well except Papua New Guinea- the largest island nation in this part of the world.
It may be argued that none of the smaller island nations have the size of the population that PNG has and that may be a justifiable reason.
But the fact is that successive governments in PNG have not been consistent in implementing the MDGs – let alone making a start since signing the accord with other world leaders in New York.
Our public health system has continued on a downward trend for decades and yet very little has been done to stop the downward deterioration.
Despite political rhetoric by governments over the years, the reality out in the bush everywhere is one of despair. Health centres, aid posts, even main hospitals are barely staffed, lack many essential medical drugs and equipment, no access to take emergency cases to hospitals and operate in total isolation with no back up support even from provincial health services.
If there is one public policy area of Government that needs to be urgently addressed now it is the public health policy. The system that was set up to deliver basic health services to the majority of Papua New Guineans in the rural areas – as well as thousands in the urban centres – is simply grinding to a halt.
Thousands of newborn and babies under the age of five years have yet to be vaccinated against various diseases either because of lack of the vaccines or because of denial by health staff.
The Angau Memorial Hospital children’s clinic is closed and children cannot be treated for all kinds of sicknesses. Mothers taking their babies there for vaccinations are told to go somewhere else for the vaccines. Those arriving at urban clinics are told there are no vaccines.
Health authorities in Morobe and Lae in particular need to wake up from their long sleep and see what is happening to the children.
Out in the remote areas, the situation is worse but there is no way of knowing the truth about the extent of the problem.
Our story yesterday about mothers using torches to light up the labour ward at the Gusap Health Centre in the Madang Province highlights the extent of the crisis in the remote areas.
Motherhood is supposed to be safe. The Department of Health and the United Nations Office in Port Moresby launched a big campaign years ago to promote safe motherhood in this country. But what positive outcomes have come out of that campaign? Zero!
What a shame. Maternal mortality is a serious health issue in PNG and yet little is being done to reverse the current trend. Mothers are dying when they are not supposed to be. Even their babies are dying when they are not supposed to be.
The Department of Health at the national level appears to be in perpetual management crisis at the very top and that is not helping the situation on the ground for this country. Health and education need to be placed before the National Executive Council and Parliament for closer scrutiny because both hold the key to the future of this country. Without Government giving health and education of our children a top priority, PNG will remain a nation of poorly educated and unhealthy population, unable to meet the challenges of nation building.

Upper Lagaip people cry for better road

Source: yutok, Post Courier, November 16, 2011

THE road between Laiagam and Kandep, leading to the home of Don Polye the Minister for Finance is really in a bad stage.Even the mighty Land Cruisers are struggling to travel on the road.

The poor people in the rural areas of Upper Lagaip River and Kandep district are suffering badly when they use the road to market goods or go to the hospital and other services at Wabag or the Porgera towns.The colonially built road and bridges have completely worn out and people of the areas are confused who will step in to fix them.The road is part of the Highlands Highway leading to Kandep and feeder roads built to Southern Highlands or upper Mendi.

There are thousands of people using this road but it is becoming inaccessible and most of them are badly affected.Mothers in labour and sick childrens are dying at homes, garden produce are rotting away and small business are suffering.Mr Polye’s plan to build a road has not eventuated and the people’s rights to service and use of good roads is denied. When will we enjoy good roads and bridges in the rural areas where the bulk of the population are?

Chief Mukali
Upper Lagaip

PM: Improve lives of rural people

Source: Post Courier, Thursday  October 27, 2011

Since taking office in August this year, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill continues to make his mark by visiting many remote areas of the country to assure people of his government’s commitment to restoring long- neglected services.
“Our government cannot deliver miracles in this short time but we have identified several priority areas that we will concentrate on to improve the livelihood of our people,” Mr O’Neil said in Menyamya on Sunday.
“These priority areas are free Education, improved quality of healthcare, efficient delivery of law, order and justice services and improved development and maintenance of economic infrastructures,” he said.
When delivering his address at Menyamya station Morobe Province, last Sunday, Mr O’Neill said human resources development is vital in most developing countries.
That is why the O’Neill Namah government has put free education amongst its top priorities.
Mr O’Neill said the government will strengthen the education system in 2012 with an additional budget allocation of K400 million on top of the initial free education appropriation of K300 million in last month’s supplementary budget.
He said health is another priority area which the government is closely looking at to ensure basic services such as the delivery of medicines reach all the districts throughout the country.
Maintenance of law, order and justice is important in fighting corruption in the country. Mr O’Neill said his government will continue to investigate and weed out corrupt people and lock them behind bars if they are found guilty of misusing public monies earmarked to deliver vital services to people out in the rural communities.
The Prime Minister committed K12 million for a Hydro power supply plant and assured the people that his government will find K20 million in the 2012 budget to upgrade the road from Menyamya to Lae

Tari bridge yet to be rebuilt

By ANDREW ALPHONSE

IT is nearly 10 days since the Alua river bridge in Tari, Hela Province, had collapsed, but there has been no effort made to rebuild it.
The local Hela people have also called for a by-pass to be built along with the new bridge, but to date, this request had fallen on deaf ears.
Local people are frustated that the delay in the re-building of a new bridge has disrupted the flow of goods and services to Hela. Traffic has also been severely disrupted. As supplies run low in Tari, the prices of goods in the main shops in Tari have also increased.
Small light trucks, including 4WD vehicles are using the Hulia loop road as a by-pass to get into Tari from Mendi but these vehicles and travellers are also falling victims to numerous illegal road blocks by locals who are demanding money from the trucks before they are being allowed to pass through.
Semi- trailer trucks cannot travel on the Hulia road and are still stranded on either side of the bridge.
The collapse of the bridge on Oct 13, 2011, has not affected the supplies to the multi-billion kina PNG LNG project sites because the developer ExxonMobil has engaged two huge Hercules 130 aircraft to fly the supplies direct from Nadzab airport in Lae to Tari. The two Hercules 130 aircraft, leased out from Lynden Brothers Aviation in Canada, land at Tari airport everyday to deliver heavy equipment like huge steel containers, building materials and other supplies.
Tari based international contractor Curtain Brothers PNG Ltd and Trans Wonderland Ltd, the landowner company, are jointly delivering these supplies to the LNG project sites at Komo, Nogoli, Kobalu, Hides 1 and Hides 4 when unloaded from the Hercules planes.
A TWL employee said yesterday that the operation of the LNG project was not affected as the two huge planes were flying in the supplies unlike the long-time it takes to carry the goods along the Highlands Highway.

Buying ambulance is not development

Source: The National -Friday, October 21st 2011

MANY Papua New Guineans do not understand the meaning of development.
Many think development has come to their villages when their MPs build a double classroom, buy a truck, ambulance or grader.
This is not development and this is certainly not service.
Development means what we can see in the context of economy, social well-being, education, health, infrastructure, accessibility, competency and environmental protection.
Since Independence, PNG claimed to be a Christian country and yet we read in our dailies about court cases relating to fraud, rape, murder, misappropriation in office, and other offences.
If one is truly Christian, he or she must portray in all aspect of life the virtue of “fearing God”.
Most of the time, elected leaders fooled the people by claiming to have brought development to their doorstep like building a classroom or buying an ambulance.
While this may be good, how can the district become economically independent from a classroom or an ambulance?
Will it help the social life of a disabled person?
Are there roads for the people to sell their garden produce such as ve­getables or coffee so they can become economically independent?
Are road, bridges, health centres and schools being maintained?
Is the environment protected for future generation?
These are some of the things we need to see our leaders bring to us.
As a Christian country, we must embrace the scripture “Love of money is the root of all evil”.
Nowadays, money settles everything in life and everything is related to money.
To put it simply – no money no talk? Is that how we have prioritised money?
With the general election around the corner, will money determine who gets elected into parliament?
When we have sold our votes for money, we are unlikely to see development heading our way.
Many of us had done this and we are blindly blaming our elected leaders instead of blaming ourselves for the lack of development.
If we regret what we have done in the past, then let us learn from that mistake and stop selling our votes cheaply.
I call on the people of Daulo to forget what we have done in the past and look ahead by giving the mandate to someone who can bring development to the district.

Gideon Wagi Mutono
Port Moresby

Use LNG money to build infrastructure

Source: The National - Monday 17th October, 2011

THE LNG project has all the attri­butes to become a world-class gas project.
Let me qualify the reasons for my statement.
First, the project entails more than US$15 billion in direct capital investment and ExxonMobil, a world leader in the energy business, is dri­ving this project.
Second, the project is built based on a 10 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of natural gas reserves with a LNG plant capacity of about seven million tonnes per annum.
Third, our gas is of premium qua­lity that contains no impurities such as sulfur.
Fourth, all the rich liquids such as LPGs (cooking gas) will be spiked into the LNG stream and sold as LNG to fetch the premium price in the robust Asian LNG market.
Fifth and most importantly, the LNG project is a huge gas project with a “big oil project inside its belly” because of the significant volumes of recoverable condensates of premium quality that will be produced concurrently with natural gas during the operation of the project.
What does this mean?
The LNG project has a robust cash flow and a relatively shorter netback period.
Investors and lenders simply love this sort of projects.
Most importantly, the LNG project provides a good opportunity for the first time for PNG’s petroleum industry to benefit from the foundation and infrastructure that ExxonMobil will build.
PNG’s upstream petroleum exploration sector will benefit from the LNG in-field infrastructure and the main gas transmission pipeline and other facilities.
The project will generate an unpa­ralleled demand for massive capital investment in transportation and public infrastructure because of the corresponding increase in new business and economic activities in all other sectors of the economy fuelled largely by the economic multiplier effects of the project.
I call upon the government to abandon the sovereign wealth fund concept and do not see the logic of keeping large sums of money in an offshore account when basic and strategic national infrastructure is shamefully and shockingly absent or deteriorating at the moment.
The government must seize this opportunity by riding on the project by investing heavily in building quality and permanent national infrastructure nationwide.
There is an inherent need for world-class railway and road network systems to be considered, funded and developed to open up new economic opportunities for our citizens.
A Sepik-Highlands-Gulf-Central-Port Moresby-Lae-Madang railway network system must be considered and funded by the government.
I do not think having all the re­venues from the LNG project flowing back into the national economy would trigger inflation in a significant way if a large proportion of those revenues are injected in large and impact projects such as major national infrastructure projects and these projects managed in a prudent way.
The sovereign wealth fund concept would have been good only if more than 95% of PNG’s infrastructure requirements were already fully met.
Unfortunately, this is not the case.
Our people deserve world-class and state-of-the art infrastructure projects in the transportation, education and health sectors.
The LNG project offers a unique and special opportunity for our go­vernment to seriously look at investing heavily in infrastructure pro­jects.
This is the only way our people are given real economic hope.
K. Koya
Ialibu

Alua bridge collapses

Source: Highlands Post, Post Courier, Tuesday October 18, 2011

By ANDREW ALPHONSE

VILLAGERS in Tari that live near the collapsed Alua river bridge yesterday called on the multi-billion kina PNG LNG project developer ExxonMobil and the State to immediately rebuild their bridge.
Spokesman and former Wabia councilor Andaija Tobani said the Wabia and Dabaraba villagers call on ExxonMobil and the State to construct a new bridge over Alua and the nearby Kawini rivers. Mr Tobani said the Alua bridge was built in the pre-colonial era by then Australian Army civil engineers. He said the bridge was never meant for heavy trucks and the continuous use of the bridge by semi-trailer trucks with tonnes of heavy equipment, machinery and other materials bound for the LNG project sites at Hides, Nogoli and Komo have forced the bridge to lose its grip and collapse.
Mr Tobani said last year, civil engineers from ExxonMobil and its international contractor Clough Curtain Joint Venture (CCJV) visited the bridges and after checking the condition of the bridge, told the locals that they would erect a new one.
However, Mr Tobani said early this year, the ExxonMobil and CCJV engineers returned and reversed this decision and instead told the landowners that they would not construct a new bridge rather build beams from underneath to contain the weights.
He said the locals opposed this idea and told the engineers to go back and return with their first plan to build a new bridge.
Last Thursday morning, the 30 metre long bridge collapsed after a huge truck loaded with aggregated gravels bound for the LNG project forced the bridge to unearth at both ends and plunge into the river. The truck belongs to Tari based international contractor Curtain Brothers (PNG) Ltd. Curtain Brothers supply crushed river bed and limestone gravels to ExxonMobil at Nogoli, Hides and KomoLNG sites from its Tari operations.
Only light 4WD vehicles and PMV trucks are using the detour route, the Hulia loop road, travelling at the back of Tari Secondary School to Dauli Teachers College before getting back on the highway at Yangome. When the road is becoming unsafe, local youths are putting up illegal roadblocks at several sections and demanding passing vehicles for hefty fines. Police had physical confrontations last week with these youths to clear the roads but it is still continuing.
Two civil engineers from CCJV, who are doing civil and engineering work with the LNG project at Komo and Hides, visited the site and made an assessment of the collapse. One of the CCJV workmen said work at the LNG project would be disrupted.
The source said with the collapse of the Alua bridge, ExxonMobil is likely to use the Hercules 130 aircrafts and would no longer use the Highlands Highway.

Fix the Okuk Highway

Source: yutok, Post Courier, Thursday October 13, 2011
Starting from the Southern Highlands Province, the Okuk Highway runs through the Highlands, linking Mendi, Wabag, Mt Hagen, Kundiawa and Goroko to Lae and Madang in the coast.
Life in the highlands, as the people know it today, depends on this 600km highway. Every day, trucks move produce from the highlands, including coffee and tea to the coastal ports while goods and supplies move to the highlands provinces, feeding more than two million of the country’s population and businesses, including resource projects in the region.
The region is also home to the giant Porgera gold mine in Enga, the gas and oil projects in the Southern Highlands and Hela provinces and coffee and tea. The PNG economy has depended on these commodities and resource developments to fund its budgets and, as the Government continues to depend on the revenue generated by these resources. The Highlands Highway, in short, is a national asset and is the lifeline of the most populous region of this country as well as PNG.
Built in the 1930’s and upgraded in the early 1970’s, the rugged terrain, tropical rainfall and high temperatures have made travelling on the highway tough on vehicles. At many places, whole sections of the highway have slipped into the gorges, rain water have washed away other sections, potholes have grown bigger and bigger by the day on, yet, many other sections. Travellers on the Okuk Highway will testify that this highway, once the pride of the nation, is in shambles now.
We have been told that it will cost about K2.4 billion to rebuild the highway and an annual budget of over K50 million to keep the highway in good condition all year round. The cost has appreciated to that level because for a very long period of time, the National Government had provided adhoc funding for much needed repairs to the country’s most important road asset. It may be true that the Government never had a maintenance program in place for this highway or all other major highways in the country.
This adhoc funding continues to add needless suffering, anxiety and frustrations to people and businesses in one of PNG’s most populous and economic regions. The plight of Ramu Agi Industries Limted, the sole producer of PNG sugar clearly demonstrates that business is not well on the highway.
Trucks moving goods and supplies to the region are facing, not only the daunting task on the highway but criminal activities. Communities living along the highway are helping themselves to the supplies the trucks are moving on the highway that the drivers cannot stop anywhere, even to relive themselves, for fear of being robbed. Trucking firms have reported high incidences of vehicle breakdown and attacks on drivers on the highway, while accidents on the highway have claimed many lives over the years.
We, as a country, cannot continue to blame the police for every crime committed on the highway. The police are doing their best but everybody is aware that police resources are stretched to limits at the moment, with the demands from the PNG LNG project and the general crime situation in the country. It is time the Okuk Highway gets the attention it deserves from the Government. The O’Neill-Namah Government must demonstrate its leadership in this matter now and give serious funding to this road. The piece meal funding the highway has been getting every year for maintenance is not enough. We call on the Government to seriously provide K1 billion or more in the next two years to fix the highway once and for all. This is essential and the Government cannot go wrong here.

More graduates with no jobs

Source: yutok, Post Courier, Wednesday October 12, 2011

THE issue of unemployment facing new graduates and school leavers is a problem in PNG.
It affects the young and academic elite of this country. Most of them have spent years of their education in college, tertiary and university and graduate with diplomas, degrees, masters and Phds.
Unfortunately, the system cannot accommodate their wish for employment. Such is the case every year for graduating students.
Even the students before graduating from university knew too well that getting into a formal employment sector is a hard tussle.
Even while studying overseas, some students make contacts with friends, family members and relatives back home to be on a lookout for jobs that are being advertised in papers and some of them even apply prior to returning.
But it’s a pity our employment system both in government and private sector cannot recruit all of them.
It’s the struggle to search for employment every year. There are many untold stories of our young graduates who are still waiting for job opportunities.
It’s a sad tale for the country and qualified elite. Each year, the country sees hundreds of students dropping out of the formal education system.
And each year, there are good number of students completing their education. These two groups of people want jobs but it’s a challenge finding one.
Those graduating with good qualification are the most affected because despite their papers, there is very little opportunity to use their knowledge and skills.
For many questions are racing across their minds, asking why there isn’t much opportunity available. Government is blamed for not providing enough opportunities.
This is also the same in the private sector. Unemployment problems continue to affect this country.
Unemployment is an issue that needs to be properly addressed, but how its going to be addressed is a matter for debate?
It needs all stakeholders getting involved in discussions to find solutions.
Something must be done and it’s time the country needs to act before it’s too late.Frank GOI,
Auckland, NZ

Dept focuses on service delivery

Source: The National - Tuesday 11th October, 2011

By ABIGAIL APINA

THE Department of Works plans to move the country forward, Minister for Transport and Works Francis Awesa says.
Opening the department’s 28th Field Staff conference in Kokopo yesterday, he said to enable this and the overall objective of the PNG Vision 2050, it required institutions such as the department to deliberate on concepts and elaborate on mechanisms to ensure an effective and efficient management and implementation regime that could deliver on time and cost value.
He said it was important for the department not to lose focus of its responsibility in ensuring a safe and trafficable network of roads and to maintain and regulate the building industry.
He said Papua New Guinea had entered into the zone that placed greater demands on getting the basic and fundamental issues right.
“That requires the Department of Works to step up and ensure fundamental priorities are delivered,” he said.
He said to achieve that, the department’s strategies had to be
concentrated on the eventual outcome.
“The department has to first improve and correct whatever resources are available,” Awesa said.
He said it was important that the department prepared a workforce that could address the present circumstances without losing sight of long-term goals.
He said the Vision 2050 required the department to be a fore-runner in providing and enabling a nourishing environment for greater social and economic attainment.
He challenged provincial works managers to expand this concept to other provinces

Use Funds for our People's Benefit

Source: Letters, The National - Tuesday 11th October, 2011

THE practice by MPs to give cash from electoral funds to their electorates must follow procedures.
This will enable proper accountability and transparency of the use of these funds.
Direct cash handout is corruption which is no different from a government minister issuing cheques to the people or businesses.
A minimum of K10 million per district for a total of 89 districts amounts to K890 million every year and most of which are not properly accounted for.
There was hardly any transparency in the distribution of NADP funds in the past few years under the previous government.
If this government were to use these funds to up­grade or maintain our rural airstrips, our people in the remote villages will see real benefits instead of the many “verbal projects” we hear about but which never see the light of day.
Where competition in a certain area of the economy is already in place, there is no need for the government to get rid of it.
The politicians should now show the people of PNG that they mean business by using their money effectively for delivery of services, not to bring the country backward again.
Bob Makau
Port Moresby

K50m for rural electrification

Source: Home, The National, October 11 2011

By PISAI GUMAR
THE government has signed a K50 million deal with the PNG Power Ltd to implement a rural electrification programme in 89 districts over a five-year period.
The deal was signed by the Minister for National Planning and Monitoring Sam Basil and PNG Power Ltd chief executive officer Tony Koiri witnessed by the Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah at the remote Wagau primary school in Buang, Bulolo district, Morobe province, last weekend.
Koiri said K10 million would be spent each year for every five kilometres.
He said the rural electrification programme would benefit the Bulolo district not only to light up the rural villages but also to provide electricity for small cash-generating activities.
Another K560,000 was allocated to extend the programme from Sagayo to Bugiyau and Wagau villages.
Meanwhile, Telikom PNG Ltd chief executive officer Peter Loko said the Bulolo district under the leadership of Basil had spent K3.3 million to set up the VSat telephone communication systems linking local level areas with the outside world.
The areas covered by the VSat include Biaru, Garaina, Garasa, Kasangare, Bia-Waria,
Zeri, Mumeng, Sagayo, Upper and Middle Watut, Baiune and Baini.
The two latest recipients were Bugiyau and Wagau villages

Involve local communities

Source: 

The National - Thursday 06th October, 2011

PNG may have one of the best key authorities’ documents (KAD) in terms of health policies, structure and strategic plans of deli­vering healthcare services, and how the community can be involved in the Pacific region.
They are clearly outlined in the KAD such as National Health Plan (NHP) but, for decades, the health status of people has deteriora­ted from bad to worse compared to other smaller Pacific countries such as Fiji and Vanuatu.
The KAD clearly spells out how the healthcare services will be executed but, in most cases, are not enforced.
As a health management student, I see that community participation is vital in delivering quality healthcare services.
But this has been overlooked by the decision-makers in the health sector.
The objective of provi­ding any healthcare service is to improve overall health status of the people and to make basic health services accessible and affordable in remote areas.
Millions of kina have been invested in this sector by both the government and foreign donors but to no avail.
To better deliver this service, the government needs to review the KAD and include the participation of the local communities according to their needs.
Healthcare, like education, is a right for every PNG citizen and the 87% of our people living in the remote areas deserve to get quality health services.
Unfortunately, more than 50% of aid posts nationwide are empty.
The government, through the health department, needs to educate the implementers on the importance of KAD and how to interpret them in order to deliver quality healthcare services with responsibility and accountability.

Wakuc Essaya
Madang

Minister to build aid post

Source: Post Courier, Tuesday October 4 2011

By HAIVETA KIVIA

Papua New Guinea gained independence in 1975 and 36 years on, life hasn’t changed much for these children from Ikumdi village in Menyamya district, Morobe Province. They still wear grass skirts because they do not have access to money and shops. The rag t-shirts are mere special ornaments.They also do not have access to basic education and health service. Picture: HARLYNE JOKU

MINISTER for Culture, Art and Tourism and member for Menyamya Benjamin Philip has pledged to build an aid post and school for the Ikumdi people before the National Elections next year.
Ikumdi is tucked away in the corners of Morobe, Gulf and Eastern Highlands provincial borders but is part of Menyamya district, Morobe Province.
They have seen little or no development in their village since PNG gained Independence in 1975 and many of them are still dressed in grass skirts.
Mr Philip said past MPs forgot about the Ikumdi people and he wants to see that this changes while he is in parliament.
He said funding constraints were also making it hard for development objectives and projects to be realistically achieved