Police warn locals against roadblocks

Source: The National, Wednesday 22nd Febuary 2012

AEPANDA and Lyamala villagers, in the Laiagam district of Enga province, have been warned not to disrupt transportation by setting up road blocks.
Provincial police commander Martin Lakari issued the warning yesterday after the villa­gers chopped trees down to block a 3km section of the Wabag-Porgera road, bringing traffic to a standstill on Monday.
Chief Supt Lakari said more than 100 policemen had to be called in to clear the roadblock between Aepanda and Lyamala.
Police, using axes, chainsaws and dump trucks needed nine hours to remove the trees from the road.
Lakari said the road belonged to the government and the villagers did not have any right to block it and cause inconvenience for road users.
They were proper procedures to follow if the villagers had any grie­vances with the Works Department on road improvement payments.
Taking the law into their hands would not help solve any problem and would create another problem, Lakari said.
The villagers had blocked the road to protest the prolonged delay by the Works Department in paying them for improvements to the road.
Lakari said the assessment on the improvements on the sides of the road were carried out by the Works Department when construction began two years ago, but so far no payment had been made.
He said the villagers held a secret meeting on Sunday and on Monday morning they chopped down trees growing by the roadside.
Police will now monitor the area and will arrest anyone setting up a roadblock.

Porgera locals invest in coffee

Source: The National, Wednesday 08th Febuary 2012

THE people of Porgera in Enga will now focus on rehabilitating and generating income from coffee apart from awaiting royalty payments from the Porgera gold mine, the country’s biggest.
The people decided to come up with this idea because once the gold was finished they would switch to coffee as another major resource that could help them earn a living.
With the gold mine in place, people – especially landowners – have been depending on royalties from the mine but that benefit would end when the gold runs out.
Porgera cooperative society chairman Thomas Kulara said coffee must become the next main resource for people.
He said  to make this plan become successful the national and provincial governments, Porgera Joint Venture (PJV) and  Porgera Development Authority (PDA) must fund and support cooperative societies in the district so they can help the people when the mine wound down its operation.
Kulara said funds and support needed to be given to the coffee growers through the cooperative societies so that that could help maintain the cash flow and the lives of the people.
Kulara said whatever funds and support given would be very important.
The people needed the government, PDA and PJV to come to their aid to promote coffee in the district.
Porgera was very fertile and could produce more coffee once support was being given to it.
Kulara said this sustainable development plan to grow coffee was taken by the people themselves and that was why they wanted the government, PJV and PDA to come to their aid and fund it.
He said such plans and funding must be in place because maintaining the cash flow and building up the economy was important to the people and the country

SHP leaders’ greed make citizens poorer

Source: The National, Wednesday 22nd Febuary 2012

I AM disgusted and frustrated with Southern Highlands leaders who are leading our province.
This rich province is going to the dogs due to a lack of quality leadership and people are dying in villages, with no roads and clinics for proper treatment.
Some do not even have a toea in their pockets because there is no  accessibility to town or market to sell their produce.
Mendi is filthy and full of potholes, with street sellers everywhere.
Being a leader means to be a servant and not worry about how much you will earn as an MP.
We must pray hard because a true leader comes from God, one who does not take bribes
or pay for votes. I am sorry for Southern Highlanders.
Lord, please inspire our leaders to serve.

Mul Pem Komo
Via email

Dealing with water woes

Source: The National, Friday 17th Febuary 2012

IT’S Monday morning. Josephine is awakened by her mother to go and fetch water at a main tap located not far from where they live.
Quickly Josephine runs to the main tap to fill two big containers with water to use to bath and make her morning tea.
It’s a daily routine for Josephine who lives in a settlement in Port Moresby to fetch water for the family to use.
“Living in a settlement is tough and one must be strong to put up with the challenges that come with living in a settlement.
“And one of those challenges is getting water because everybody used to get water from one tap and sometimes the pressure is low and sometimes there is no water at all,” said Josephine mother.
On Tuesday this week Eda Ranu facilitated a water vending seminar aimed at encouraging people especially those living in settlements to pay for the water they use.
Josephine’s mother was one of the many participants that attended the seminar and open forum the next day to learn more about the new concept Eda Ranu was going to bring into the settlements.
“I like the concept because it’s going to be organised and I know we will never have problems with access to water.
“At last we won’t be accused for using free water because now we will be paying for the water we  use,” she said. 
 Water supply in Port Moresby has come a long way. Archives tell of the system being built in 1950s. Since then the network from source to treatment plant to distribution system and to the customer taps has increased tremendously.
History also records that billing users was practiced until people’s attitudes changed dramatically during the transition phases of the city’s administration starting from ANGAU through to ward systems, city council and the interim NCDC days.
Lack of proper organisation and monitoring, breakdown of control and malpractices in management led to the collapse of bill collection and residents of NCD enjoyed free water during colonial days.
Port Moresby is home to people from different cultural backgrounds (800 plus different languages) that perceive, value and manage water differently.
Some even claim to own water because the source is on their customary land (60-70% of land in PNG is still customary owned).
Others claim to be landlords after occupying a certain piece of land over a long period of time and authorities are unable to remove them.
Meeting the grossly over populated national capital’s water and sanitation needs as a result of rapid rural-urban drift is a daunting challenge but one upon which Eda Ranu strives on to challenge itself to be innovative and consumer cost effective.
Chairperson of Association of Small Scale Water providers and founder Ms Elsa Meija from Philippines was the guest speaker at the seminar and open forum and spoke to water committee members about her experience in the water vending business.
Meija told the water committee members from the settlements about the water vending concept using the Philippines scenario.
Meija who started supplying and distributing water in 1997 to 50, 000 plus people in urban and rural settlements in the Philippines said the secret of water vending was total participation by the whole settlement community.
She said her company called the Impact Water Workers and Development Corporation (IWADCO) project impact areas were health, education and gender.
Meija said not only must the water vender go out and supply water and collect fees but must also assist the community with projects that will benefit the community.
Water vending in principle is retailing by contractors to consumers in selected communities arranged through a Water Vending Agreement (WVA) signed between the principle water supplier Eda Ranu and selected water vendor for a particular community such as a traditional village or a settlement within the city’s boundaries upon receipt of an invoice.
As a retailer the water vendor will pay Eda Ranu through the community.
The retailer will then put up a markup within the range as stipulated in the WVA and collect from consumers.
The water vendor will manage and be in total control of water consumed in the selected communities and enforce appropriate measures to ensure consumers comply with the conditions as set out in the WVA.
The water vending concept is a business venture and could be operated by an individual or a group.
The water vendor shall be a duly registered company with the Investment Promotion Authority with an operating bank account and an operating office and manpower with the appropriate plumbing skills to provide the services required by Eda Ranu.
 Eda Ranu CEO Billy Imar when opening the one day seminar in Port Moresby pointed out that one of their major challenges to date is Non Revenue Water (NRW) which accounts for about 60% of the total production or total inflow into the city’s supply and distribution system.
He said that minimising and maintaining optimum levels of water distribution after some NRW reduction projects and turning the NRW into revenue water is a gigantic problem that Eda Ranu faces everyday.
“Evident contributing factors are illegal connections within state leased properties and unbilled supply to settlements and traditional villages although there are laws in place to guide these.
“Currently enforcing the laws is a huge problem and an on going task of water mains disconnection is being carried out on an as reported basis particularly within sub divided areas with state leased titles.
“A project or a major exercise was started in December 2010 that ran only for a few months.
This was to have been implemented to cover an entire suburb of Gerehu however due to security reasons it has been put on hold,” said Imar.
The ever increasing problem of squatter settlements and illegal occupation of state land and customary land has put a demand on Eda Ranu’s services.
Imar said other customary land occupation involves land sale agreements between landowners and private individuals of which a remarkable increase had being noted in recent times.
“It generates a problem where there is no established regulation or policy to regulate such practices whereby the state or the authorities can enforce and facilitate whenever demand for basic services are requested by private individuals, a classic example of this is the Taurama Valley area.
“We do face some setbacks or hindrances in educating the general public (water awareness), Conservation Action Plan, under estimated future demand for water and lack of liaison and collaboration with government authorities to address the issues faced by settlements.
“Eda Ranu like other SOEs is looking at innovative ways to convert the non revenue water in peri-urban areas into revenue water in consultation with the World Bank’s Water and Sanitation programme.
“Eda Ranu aims to achieve its water and sanitation service targets as set out in the millennium development goals,” said Imar

Open seats cut back to 89

Source: The National, Thursday 23rd Febuary 2012

PARLIAMENT has unanimously passed legislative amendments to reduce the Open seats from 110 to 89 in accordance with the Constitution.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill who introduced the second reading of the bill got the support (79-0 votes) to make amendments to the organic law on national and local level government elections.
He said the amendment was a follow-up to the previous amendment to retain the provincial seats for governors
standing in the 2012 election.
O’Neill said the constitution, when it was amended in view of removing the provincial seats, also increased the open seats from 89 to 110.
He said the amendments would ensure there were no less than 89 open electorates and no more than 120 open electorates.
He said once the population increased and there was a need for more representation, new open seats could be created

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

Marape resigns from NA party

Source: Highlands news, Post Courier, February 21, 2012

By PORENI UMAU
TARI-Pori MP James Marape yesterday announced his resignation from the National Alliance (NA) Party.
When announcing his decision to cut ties from the NA Party an emotional Mr Marape expressed sadness for a party where he was a senior member, and rose to deputy leader of the party and was a senior minister.
But he said that duties as chairman of the Hela Transitional Authority had taken precedence over his own personal political interest.
Mr Marape said that his resignation was accepted by the Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare during the NA meeting last Sunday.
He then requested for the Speaker to find him a place as an Independent MP, with views of working closely with Prime Minister O’Neill’s Government while awaiting formalities of his resignation to be completed by NA and the Office of Political Parties and Candidates.
He has also indicated support for the Peoples National Congress (PNC) Party.
“I am indicating a strong support for the PNC Party because of the Prime Minister O’Neill’s view on key infrastructures in the Southern Highlands Province and Hela, including the long outstanding road construction and sealing from Mendi to Kopiago,” Mr Marape said.
He also said that with his role as chairman of Hela, he must enter into discussions with chairman of the National Executive Council and Prime Minister, which has caused his move to take his place at the negotiation table for Hela.
“They are important outstanding issues like discussing the splits of Hela and Southern Highlands assets. This includes the proceeds from the Liquefied Natural Gas project which is currently under Southern Highlands Provincial Government,” Mr Marape said.
He said that these discussions must take place before the writs were issued in April.
“Because of these outstanding Hela issues, I now take my place in the middle bench to offer support to Prime Minster Peter O’Neill,” he said.
Mr Marape was education minister in the former somare -Abal Government

Maintain hospital facilities — CEO

Source: Highlands Post, Post Courier, February 15, 2012
By JOHNNY POIYA

The chief executive officer of Wabag General Hospital Salan Eri has questioned the logic in Enga Governor Peter Ipatas’ push for the construction of a new provincial hospital.
While Governor Ipatas is speeding up ground works and land payment for the hospital, the man responsible for the existing hospital is not happy and opposes the whole idea of a new hospital.
The Enga Provincial Government last week made a payment of K8.9million to landowners for the acquisition of the land on which the new hospital would stand.
Mr Eri has so far written two letters to Governor Ipatas, Enga Provincial Administration, Health Secretary and National Planning, opposing the idea of a new hospital and called for refurbishment of the existing hospital. His calls have fallen on deaf ears.
“Why is the Governor so adamant on a new hospital when all existing facilities in the province are totally run down? If we really care for the health of the Enga people, we should maintain and upkeep the existing facilities.” Mr Eri said

In line with this article...........

Photograph below is state of Kambiya sub-health center in Mariant constituency in Kandep, Enga Province. Such much needed services has been for ever neglected in the remote part of Enga.

 Kambiya Sub-health center had long being neglected

Condition of the small storage room for medication supplies. Only the skeleton holds here.

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

Triumph Heritage Empowerment Rural Party

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Triumph Heritage Empowerment Rural Party ("T.H.E. Party") is a political party in Papua New Guinea. It was founded in 2012 by Don Polye, the then Minister for Finance.

Background

Polye had first entered Parliament in the 2002 general election, as a member of the National Alliance Party, the largest party in Parliament, whose leader Sir Michael Somare became Prime Minister. In August 2011, the NAP-led Somare government was brought down in a parliamentary motion of no confidence (while Somare was recovering from surgery in hospital), leading to a split in the party, between members who remained loyal to Somare, and others -including Polye- who joined Peter O'Neill's new government. In October, it was reported simultaneously that the party was expelling the latter, and that Polye had assumed leadership of the party. What had happened was a split, with two opposing factions both claiming to constitute the party. In January 2012, Polye purported to de-register the NAP, despite the existence of a rival faction. The members of his faction reconstituted themselves as the Triumph Heritage Empowerment Rural Party, ahead of the June 2012 general election. The new party was officially launched at the Granville Motel in Port Moresby on 23 January.

When three National Alliance MPs (Timothy Bonga, Sasa Zibe and Bob Dadea) chose to join O'Neill's People's National Congress Party rather than Polye's new party, Polye reportedly said "that the battle lines for the formation of new government after the coming elections were being drawn between his new party and O’Neill’s party", suggesting the two parties would become the major political forces of the country, eclipsing what was left of the National Alliance.

Values and policies

During his inaugural speech which launched the party, Polye said it would be "focusing on trying to restore Christian values, the churches to give counselling on the value of the family unit as family is the foundation of a stable society". It would also, he said, address the issues of "climate change, environment and wildlife conservation". The party would seek to promote a "diversified economy", and, in terms of foreign policy, would "modernise strategic partnerships". He added:

"I want a policy to improve the salary, working and living conditions for all professional public servants, a rural and urban housing scheme, strengthening the village court system through improving salaries and living conditions, strengthening existing delivery systems by DSIP, promoting gender equity, free education for all ages and to support technical skills."

In addition to the acronym it produces, Polye explained the name of the party as follows:

• triumph: "Everyone shall use their intelligence given by God to creatively triumph over all shortcomings, problems and obstacles";
• heritage: Papua New Guinea was a multi-cultural country, but family values were its common heritage and a source of strength;
• empowerment: "Everyone shall pursue people empowerment policies and programmes that enable our people by giving them the mental as well as the physical capacity and strengths to make independent personal choices and decision for themselves and their families".

Founding members

Upon its launch, the party reportedly included 22 MPs, including nine Cabinet ministers. Among its founding members were Jeffery Nape (parliamentary Speaker), Benjamin Poponawa, Alphonse Moroi, Mark Maipakai (Minister for Intergovernment Relations & District Development), Tom Olga (Governor of the Western Highlands Province), James Gau, Benjamin Mul, Andrew Mald (Minister for Community Development, Religion, & Family Affairs), Philip Kikala, Mathew Poiya, Pitom Bombom, Sali Subam (Minister for Sports), Sai Beseo (Minister for Correctional Services), David Arore (Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science, & Technology), Miki Kaeok, Yawa Silupa, Buka Malai, Michael Sapau (Governor of Manus Province), Ano Pala (Minister for Foreign Affairs & Immigration), Peter Humphreys and Leo Dion.

In addition to Don Polye as parliamentary leader, the party during its inaugural meeting chose Douglas Tomuriesa as party president, Bungtabu Brown as vice-president, James Kiele as secretary-general and Luke Kembo as treasurer.