Nambawan Super invests in Kokopo hotel industry

The historic site of Queen Emma’s residence at Ralum near Kokopo in East New Britain will soon become an impressive three-storey hotel called Gazelle International.
Construction work started early this year on the multimillion kina hotel which is jointly owned by Nambawan Super which has majority shareholding, plus Airways Hotel and East New Britain provincial government.
The owners of the new development have taken into account the invaluable historical significance of the hotel site and have modeled the design of the hotel to reflect as much as possible Queen Emma’s original house.
This included renovating the original steps of the Queen Emma residence as a draw card and a major tourist attraction.
The steps are still located on the hotel property leading towards the golf course.
The hotel will comprise a reception, lobby shop, coffee lounge, restaurant, bar and poker machines all on the ground floor, while a total of 52 rooms make up the two upper floors.
Other amenities will include a resort pool, and a separate conference building which will seat up to about 150 persons.
In recent years, an influx of people have been attracted to Kokopo for conferences and a real need for good facilities have been unavailable to cater for their needs.
The builders for the hotel are Lamana Development Limited while the architect is Peter Kubli of Cairns.
According to the builders, the Gazelle International Hotel is designed to cater for a mix of customers, international tourists as well as conference people and weekenders.
All rooms will have spectacular views over-looking the blue waters of Blanche Bay and looking up to the green hills of Kokopo.
Building material for the hotel is mostly from PNG and via PNG suppliers.
Specialised equipment and furnishings are imported from various countries.
The Hotel which is expected to be completed early 2010, will bring about greater employment opportunities creating jobs for around 60 people, and will also
contribute to boosting the province’s economy through the development of tourism.
The hotel project managers agree: “Kokopo is a significant economic centre in Papua New Guinea plus it has an enormous untapped tourism potential.
“Rabaul, before the volcanic eruptions was held in high esteem as the most beautiful town in the country.
“We believe Kokopo will continue to expand, and with its unique mix of natural wonders, will attract people to visit this beautiful part of the world.”
Managing director of Nambawan Super, Leon Buskens said the new hotel investment should not be seen as competing with existing accommodation facilities but rather complementing them as the hotel was pitched at another segment of the market.
The larger conference room facility compared to the accommodation will mean
sharing of rooms within the Kokopo market
Mr Buskens said: “We are looking also at spreading our investments outside of Port Moresby and Lae where the investment returns are sustainable.
“The principle of partnership is one of long-term strategic value with the Lamana/Airways group which means that we are tapping into a proven and quality local brand with international standards, while the provincial government business arms bring local content and business alignment with provincial governments.
“Already one such model is operating in Alotau, in the Alotau International Hotel. “Likewise, the fund is also looking at the other centres to create a local hotel chain
with international quality standards.”
He added that the partnership provided much needed training and development of local people as well as expertise in international hotel management services through the Airways/Lamana group.
Conversely, the involvement of provincial governments provides local representation and content.

Marimari Lutheran church fundraising continues

The all-woman fundraising committee at their dinner last Friday

Rev Somi Setu makes a point at the fundraising dinner

Fundraising for the proposed Gordons Marimari Lutheran Church in Port Moresby is progressing well with another successful corporate fundraising dinner at the Grand Palace Restaurant last Friday.
The dinner was well attended by about 400 people, who paid K200 each, with pledges totaling about K43, 700 made.
The fundraising committee is made up of an all-woman crew, who since 2006, have raised about K300, 000 of a targeted K1 million.
Work on the proposed Marimari church building, designed by Rumbam Engineers, is expected to start in 2011.
“We started this fundraising activity in Oct 2006,” committee chairman Dennie Milan said.
“Up to now, we have raised about K300, 000.
“The committee is made up of all women.
“Hopefully, in 2011, we should set up the foundation.
“The target is K1m.”
Mrs Milan said the annual corporate dinner was the major fundraising activity of the last three years.
“Other church activities are a church fete, and a food fair where we cook different types of food and sell,” she said.
“We also have a special basket in front of the church every Sunday, where church-goers can make their offering.”
Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG Southern region president Rev Somi Setu commended women fundraising committee members for their hard work over the years.
“We know that women can do great thing,” he said.
“It was about 10 years ago that the project was launched.
“It’s quite a long journey that the (Marimari) congregation has taken to come this far.
“Rome was not built in a day.
“It took many years for this city to be built.”
Those who made pledges during the dinner included Rumbam Engineering (K10,000); Kelly Naru (K8,000); Mondo Clothing (K6,000); Savo & Grace (K3,500); Dr Joseph Pagelio and family (K3,000); Sed Limited and Dr Korimbom (K2,000); Paul Mawa Lawyers (K2,000); Mr Kit Moya (K2,000); Gabriel Samol and family (K2,000); Rev Somi Setu and family (K1,500); Pacific Software (K1,000); Wendy Mawa (K500); and Thomas Laka (K200).

A Port Moresby rhapsody

Luxury cruise liner Rhapsody of the Seas sailed into Port Moresby last Saturday with more than 2,000 tourists and berthed for 12 hours, allowing its passengers a taste of Papua New Guinea.
The visit marked a milestone for PNG tourism as it was the largest number of tourists to visit our shores at a single time.
More than 1,000 tourists disembarked and boarded about 60 hired buses for a tour of the city.
Other activities included a huge craft market staged within the wharf’s premises, organised by the Tourism Promotion Authority.
The cruise ship sailed in from Cairns, Australia, carrying with it tourists from all around the world who flew in to Australia for a cruise around the South Pacific.-Pictures courtesy of FRANK ASAELI of PNG Ports Corporation
 

Law on mining and Anderson's lies

By James Wanjik, Former Secretary for Mining

 

THE PATRIMONY the Chamber of Mines and Petroleum and its Executive Director and a co-foundation board member of a counterfeit regulator of mines in Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) Greg Anderson had on mine-related issues in PNG are and will be increasingly questioned and challenged by leaders. No law and lies of Greg Anderson will stop the wind of change that is turning into a tornado.

Time was when law and lies of the miners and their Chamber were taken as gospel truth. No more.

While the current debate on Resource Ownership Bill before Parliament is in my considered view not properly and carefully stated, it is rather a matter for PNG leaders and the people of this country to decide whether a change in mineral policy and law is needed or not.

Greg Anderson is a foreigner meddler in a PNG people’s issue of their national heritage. None is more daring as his dangerous law and lies on the law on mineral ownership and regulation of mines.

I am known and either loved or loathed for my legal knowledge, experience and skills in mineral and hydrocarbon law, policy and practice in PNG.

Greg Anderson knows that. Had he and Graeme Hancock now at World Bank in Washington been dealing with other resources lawyers they would have silenced them with any number of inducements. One just has to look at MRA and its offshoot the new Department of Mineral Policy and Geological Hazard (DMPGH). The truth is out.

The mineral resource ownership issue is supposedly the responsibility of the new DMPGH to address but it is in a conflict of interest. Likewise, the matter of regulation is supposedly for the MRA to deal with. The influence Greg Anderson has in MRA and DMPGH and the moneys put in the MRA till and World Bank Loan for DMPGH put together by Graeme Hancock in late 2005 and early 2006 and put in MRA to avoid PNG’s procurement law tells of huge fraud and corruption in mining business.

Having an informed debate is an absolute necessity. PNG lawyers must take serious interest in mining law, policy and practice. Making money for pride and ego will not replace our way of life. Land, resources and people have symbiotic relationship since time immemorial. Blood bound them and land cemented them. Resources and their utilisation were for communal and tribal purposes and livelihood.

Greg Anderson comes from a culture of private and individual progress. It is a double for Mohammad Bashir and Greg Anderson to choose a worthless title; “Private resource ownership ‘bad’” and give a bad law and lies Anderson is known for.

I have a number of experiences Greg Anderson and Graeme Hancock have been involved in to undermine my assistance to the mining industry.

MRA is a bad law for PNG. I warned the Government and the Government listened to Greg Anderson and Graeme Hancock. I paid with position, pay and privileges.

I advised Graeme Hancock and Kuma Aua the then Secretary for Mining and now PNG’s Ambassador to South Korea in Seoul that Bougainville is different from other provinces that it has mining powers since 2001 Peace Agreement.

Instead of exempting Bougainville from the MRA law, Graeme Hancock, Greg Anderson and other co-advisers to the former Minister for Mining Sam Akoitai convinced him to present to the Cabinet and Parliament MRA Bill with 9 clauses and 15 issues on Panguna mine.

If I had not warned the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), MRA would have seen Bougainville walk right back to the Panguna mine-related crisis.

The ABG leaders confided in me that Akoitai had lied to them about me. On 10 December 2008 two village elders from Buin in South Bougainville met me on arrival in Buka airport car-park. They had come from Buin just to see who I was and to let me know that Akoitai had been to their area and used my name to be the President of Autonomous Region of Bougainville. Akoitai lost after the Buin people knew the truth.

In 2000 I had been appointed Acting Director for Mining at which time I was also heading an inter-agency team on a number of new policies. Among these the key ones were Offshore Minerals Policy, Mine Closure and Sustainability Planning Policy, Marine Scientific Research Consent Regime and Regional Maritime Boundaries Project Technical Group. The Marine Scientific Research Consent Regime was a success. The Maritime Boundaries Project is also a success.

The Offshore Minerals Policy and the Mine Closure and Sustainability Policy were hijacked by Graeme Hancock without notice. Offshore Minerals Policy was up to now delayed by Graeme Hancock. I approached the lawyers engaged by the World Bank. They said this would require huge work. It was revealed subsequently that the moneys for the work on the Offshore Minerals Policy were moved to other areas of World Bank operations. It is a mystery.

Mine Closure and Sustainability Planning Policy and the “Bill” for it was done. Politics of miners did not see it realised. Their view was one of undermining people of PNG. The view of the miners was PNG was not about end of mining at some point in time. Mine Closure Planning was a bad policy that would confuse people of PNG was the patronising position of the miners. As a Papua New Guinean driving this policy I knew that I was exposing one of the most important issues of under development that had eluded PNG for decades of mining.

I kept my professional integrity unlike other lawyers only because Graeme Hancock could not buy my nationalism and national pride. He knew this from the time of my transfer to the Department of Mining from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet in March 1998.          

I was using my own private vehicle to and from work and for work runs and Graeme Hancock seeing other nationals’ vulnerability in similar situation as the one I was in tried his bait but I had been in a Senior Management position before that so I told him that I was not in a Senior Management position at the Department of Mining to be entitled to an official vehicle or an allowance in lieu.

Graeme Hancock told me that he could do it with ease. That was when Graeme Hancock knew that I had been using my own vehicle since 1992 to and from work and for work runs. During those years not once at any time have I asked or even been paid for use of my private vehicle for work.

In 2001 when I applied for the Director for Mining position I was the most qualified and experienced national among the applicants.

Graeme Hancock knew that I was the most feared professional. If I had won the position he would not have had the ease that he had from 2000 – late 2005 and first quarter of 2006.

In late December 2005 the lobby for the position of Secretary for Mining had intensified in Cabinet. Graeme Hancock had his hope in Kuma Aua dashed when the Cabinet knew of total incompetence in mineral regulation.

Graeme Hancock then tried his very best to get to Bougainville and into Panguna mine on a K 6 million Letter of Engagement. He would probably now know that I advised the Government not to proceed with the Letter of Engagement. Lot of leaders would have lost their integrity if I had not given the advice.

Akoitai did not know that I had landed the Secretary for Mining on 8 December 2005. He was not interested in the Department of Mining by then.

Akoitai was arrogant and egoistic so much so he allowed Graeme Hancock who was a master at manipulating laws, leaders and public servants to manipulate and control him. So Akoitai got Speaker of Parliament to certify the MRA Act 2005 on 23 December 2005.

After the Prime Minister had resumed duties Akoitai advised the Head of State to commence operation of the MRA Act 2005 on 24 January 2006 backdated to be effective on 1 January 2006. This the Minister for Mining had no power to do. It was a fraud on Prime Minister’s powers. Fraud is a legal ground to void the MRA.   

Prior to my appointment as Secretary for Mining I warned the Government to remove Kuma Aua as Secretary and Graeme Hancock as his adviser. Kuma Aua had no support from the Government. Graeme Hancock was now powerless. When I became Secretary for Mining I gave him notice under his consultancy contract that he should be preparing to leave as I as the Supervisor of the World Bank Loan at the Mines Department would not be recommending renewal of his contract. Graeme Hancock left in a most humiliating way five days prior to expiry and without a project closure report. Auditor General’s Office and their contracting auditors tried in vain to have me release Graeme Hancock from legal and financial implications on his project management of the World Bank Loan at the Department of Mining. Any thorough audit will show that I nailed Graeme Hancock at his game.

Now Graeme Hancock will regret influencing Nellie James, Philip Samar, Shadrach Himata, Ron Gawi, Janet Amean, Stevie Nion and Valentine Kambori and Joshua Kalinoe for removing me in December 2006 and the subsequent smothering of the Department of Mining in 2007. Politics of MRA has only been in the simmers. It will reach boiling point very very soon. When it does the MRA will blame the moles of World Bank and the moles will expose Graeme Hancock for manipulating and controlling them.

Waiting on God paid off. We won gold medal.

 

Papua New Guinea thrashes Tonga

Papua New Guinea gave a rugby league lesson to Tonga with a 44-14 thrashing in their SP Brewery Pacific Cup rugby league game at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby yesterday.
The Kumuls will face the Cook Islands in next Sunday's Pacific Cup final and will be confident of winning through to next year's Four Nations in front of a vocal home crowd.
Led capably by their UK-based contingent of Menzie Yere, Jason Chan and John Wilshere, the Kumuls held a 20-4 halftime lead and racked up another 24 points after the break.
The sheer class of PNG showed all over the paddock through the UK trio, fullback David Mead, halves Dion Aye and Keith Peter, props Rodney Pora and James Nightingale, hooker Jay Aston, backrowers Chan and Siegfried Gande, and lock Jessie Joe Parker,
Tonga struggled to hold their defensive line in the Port Moresby heat and was unable to create any real penetration, despite the best efforts of captain Seleti Mateo.
The local boys, with a patriotic home crowd behind them, opened up their account just five minutes in the game when the stylish Yere, later named man-of-the-match, raced over for a centre try goaled by Wilshere for a 6-0 lead.
The Mate Ma’s replied with a 12th minute touchdown to centre Sione Tonga, the first of his hat-trick, but it was all one-way traffic after that as the Kumuls piled on tries through Chan (20min), centre Anton Kui (27min) and David Mead (39min).
The avalanche continued in the second half as PNG added further tries to replacement backliner Jessie Joe Parker (42min), Mead (50min), Yere (64min) and replacement backliner Charlie Wabo (67min), all goaled by Wilshere, for an unassailable 44-4 lead.
Wabo was a crowd pleaser when he entered the field and had the crowd cheering every time he had the ball.
The Kumuls looked set the pass the half-century, however, slowed down in the last 11 minutes to allow Tonga, one of the hardest tries for his country, to run in tries in the 69th and 78th minutes.
PNG 44 (Yere 2, Mead 2, Yere, Chan, Kui, Mead, Wabao tries; Wilshere 4 goals) bt Tonga 14 (Tonga 3 tries; Eddy Paea goal). Scrums: Tonga 7-5. Penalties: PNG 5-4.

A tribute to Jack Remus Nawatz (September 9th 1983 - October 25th 2004)

Caption: Jack and the gang on the weekend of Morobe Show 2002

We buried Jack at home in Butibam village, Lae, on Tuesday, November 2, 2004, under one of those typically-beautiful November afternoons.

He had just turned 21 that September, had a pretty Manus girlfriend and a bouncy seven-month son, and was eagerly looking forward to graduating from the University of Goroka in 2005 and becoming a music teacher.

All these hopes and dreams, however, were cruelly snuffed out like a candle in the wind when Jack’s heart gave way at the Port Moresby General Hospital on the night on Monday, October 25, 2004.

Jack Remus Nawatz, elder son of my sister Alison and her husband Goromp Nawatz, was born with a heart defect in Lae on September 9, 1983.

It was something that doctors hoped would go away over time; however, this was not to be.

Alison and Goromp were then studying at the University of Technology in Lae and I remember the unparalleled joy that Jack brought into our lives.

Since the two were busy at school, Jack’s grandparents – my mum and dad – looked after Jack as one of their own.

I remember that time in November 1983 when Jack was to be baptised at the Ampo Lutheran Church in Lae.

My elder brother David, who had just graduated a day earlier from Aiyura National High School, sacrificed graduation parties to be with us for the day.

We were all at Ampo Church on Tuesday November 2^nd, 2004 – exactly 21 years later - for Jack’s funeral service.

It was David who read the eulogy – a far cry from 1983.

There is a picture somewhere in one of my old albums, of David and me carrying Jack the day of his baptism in 1983.

We carried his coffin that day.

Despite his short life on this earth, Jack brought so much joy and happiness into our lives.

He was never a strong child, because of his heart defect, and wasn’t actively involved in sports like many of his peers.

He would have made a very good basketball player – all six feet, four inches of him.

Jack, however, found his forte: music.

A very talented musician (Jack could play a variety of musical instruments) since his primary and high school days in Lae, Jack decided that this is what he must study.

In 2002, he went to the UOG, to take up his first year of studies.

I was then living and working in Goroka, with my wife and two sons, and Jack became very much a part of our young family.

Unfortunately, we had to leave Goroka in mid 2002 because my three-year work contract was up, and we left Jack behind.

He remained, and together with some of his best mates, formed a band that often performed at the University of Goroka.

I never realised how good a musician he was until last year, when I was up there for a weekend, I got to watch him play at a concert.

There couldn’t have been a prouder uncle!

In 2004, because his Manus girlfriend Evelyn was pregnant with their son Steven, the young couple was ejected from permanent accommodation by the seemingly-draconian University of Goroka administration.

They rented a backyard shed, down the hill from the university, and continued to look after their newborn baby while going to school.

Jack, with his weak heart, continued to trudge up the steep hill leading to the UOG – something that often made him sick.

In 2004, while in Goroka for the PNG Coffee Festival & Trade Fair, I fell very sick and was admitted to Goroka Base Hospital.

It was kind-hearted Jack and his UOG mates who looked after me.

I promised them drinks at the end of the year – this will never be now.

In September 2004, Jack turned 21.

In October, he came to Port Moresby after final exams, and started complaining of chest pains and shortage of breath.

He was admitted to hospital, with a smile on his face for all family and friends who visited.

He was discharged, however, fell ill again was readmitted to hospital where the heart problem which had plagued him all his life finally claimed him.

I took a picture of Jack and his son Steven in Goroka in May 2004.

I took a look at the picture and was reminded of the Lion King, where Musfasa showed his son Simba the world, and said: “You are part of the never-ending circle of life.”

Au revoir Jack!

Papua New Guinea thrashes Tonga 44-14 in Pacific Cup rugby league

Papua New Guinea has just thrashed Tonga 44-14 in their SP Brewery Pacific Cup rugby league game at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby today.
Full details to come.

Cook Islands late try sinks Fiji

A sensational corner try two minutes from time elevated Cook Islands to a thrilling 24-22 win over Fiji in their SP Brewery Pacific Cup rugby league game at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby yesterday.
Vocal, flag-waving Fiji supporters were singing a dirge for Cook Islands when winger Dominic Peyroux smartly latched on to a well-placed kick from pivot John Ford to score the winner.
Fiji was leading 22-20 at that stage with the game seemingly won when it was grabbed from them by Peyroux with the dexterity and precision of a ballet dancer.
The conversion attempt was unsuccessful, however, the game was in their bag as the Cook Islanders took off their jumpers and entertained an appreciative crowd with song and dance.
Cooks Islands led for most of the match, however, the never say die Fijians fought back to level the scores 20-20 with a 73rd minute try to centre Mike Ratu, goaled by pivot Wes Naiqama, to set the stage for a thrilling finish.
After shocking Samoa in Cairns last weekend, Cook Islands came in with all guns blazing and with tries to forward Tinirau Arona and halfback Daniel Fepuleai, the first of which was goaled by Fepuleaia, strolled to an early 10-0 lead.
An initially disorganised Fiji got its act together midway into the first half with consecutive tries to winger Akuila Vate and backrower Lepa Naga, the second goaled by Naiqama, to level 10-10 at the break.
A domineering Cook Islands opened up the second stanza with a goal to Fepuleai in the 44th minute followed by tries to Peyroux (49min) and Fepuleai for a 20-10 lead before Fiji stepped on the high gear.
Tries to winger Vate (67min) and Ratu (73min), both goaled by Naiqama, including the second from the corner, saw Fiji in front for the first time and the game looking as good as won.
Singing Fiji supporters were suddenly quite when Peyroux leaped into the air for the winner.
Cook Islands 24 (Peyroux 2, Fepeleai 2, Arona tries; Fepuleai 2 goals) bt Fiji 22 (Vate 2, Naga, Ratu tries; Naiqama 3 goals). Scrums: Cook Islands 9-8. Penalties: Fiji 3-1.

Cook Islands bt Fiji 24-22 in Pacific Cup rugby league

Cook Islands yesterday took out the first game of the SP Brewery Pacific Cup rugby league in Port Moresby with a nailbiting 24-22 win over Fiji.
Full story and pictures to come.
Papua New Guinea plays Tonga today.

First pictures of the Cook Islands v Fiji game

Band entertainment after the game

Cook Islands celebrate with a song and dance

Part of the grandstand crowd at the Lloyd Robson Oval

Pacific Cup kicks off in Port Moresby this weekend

The 2009 SP Brewery Pacific Cup, the newest rugby league competition on the international calendar, is scheduled to be held in at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby.

 The competing teams are Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tonga.

The four Pacific Cup matches will be played at Lloyd Robson Oval on October 24-25 October and October 31 October.

 The Pacific Cup final will be played on November 1.

The winner of the 2009 Pacific Cup will compete in the 2010 Four Nations tournament.

Momentum continues to build around the newest event on the international rugby league calendar, with SP Brewery’s announcement of sponsorship a strong show of corporate support from the host nation.

SP Brewery has been a driving force in developing rugby league in PNG, highlighted by a 21-year commitment as naming rights sponsor for the country’s premier competition.

The SP Brewery Pacific Cup is set to attract unprecedented radio and television audiences for a Pacific Nations Rugby League tournament with coverage into the UK, Australia and throughout the Pacific.

 

World Bank has conflict of interest on Bougainville

By James Wanjik, Former Secretary for Mining

 

BOUGAINVILLE is fortunate to have mining powers unlike other provinces in Papua New Guinea.

 However, having mining powers is one thing.

 Having the capacity to exercise that power is another.

Since 2001 when Peace Agreement was executed, Bougainville has mining powers.

Only consequential actions were required.

Thus the National Parliament approved the constitutional amendment in about 2003.

Subsequently the Autonomous Bougainville Constitution of 2004 was approved.

From 2004 the ABG was in a position to promulgate mining policy and pass law.

However, in 2005 the National Government through Parliament passed the Mineral Resources Authority Act 2005.

It has nine sections and 15 issues dealing with Panguna mine.

This is contrary to the Constitution of PNG.

It is likened to giving with right hand and taking it all back with left hand.

 MRA is that left hand.

The MRA in turn confused the National Government and the ABG.

This confusion resulted in the National Government and the ABG signing a 15- step Alotau Pact on 31 March 2008.

 It was a political pact.

It politicised ABG’s mining powers.

The confusion is the MRA.

It is on Bougainville in breach of the Constitution of PNG.

The combined readings of sections 288 and 290 of the Constitution of PNG vests mining powers in the ABG as the legitimate government on Bougainville.

The ABG would have been overrun by the MRA had it not been for kind hearts of PNG.

Now MRA is politicising PNG Government.

It has not approved World Bank Loan yet we hear.

The World Bank was responsible for creating MRA.

Graeme Hancock was the World Bank consultant who drove World Bank agenda in PNG.

Now Graeme Hancock is with the World Bank.

 Graeme Hancock also advised former Minister for Mining Sam Akoitai on MRA.

He was at the verge of being engaged on Letter of Engagement to be a consultant adviser to the government on a K 6 million package.

MRA, World Bank and Graeme Hancock have huge conflict of interest.

ABG would be advised to beware. K20 million it is promising is a loan.

ABG will be nailed with loan conditions like it nailed PNG under its previous loan.

With Graeme Hancock at the World Bank, ABG will need strong leadership to get assistance.

Graeme Hancock knows how to manipulate laws, leaders and public servants to have his way.

 Under the previous loan Graeme Hancock was exempted from paying any tax on consultancy fees. He failed to submit a project closure report.

He left five days prior to end of his consultancy contract to avoid embarrassment and political powerlessness.

Till Graeme Hancock is out of PNG, MRA will be a proxy for World Bank.

Graeme Hancock and MRA are World Bank moles in PNG.

 

Papua New Guinea ranked 56th in the latest press freedom rankings

By Reporters Sans Frontières in Sri Lanka Guardian

(October 20, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian): Political power grabs dealt press freedom a great disservice again this year.
A military coup caused Fiji (152nd) to fall 73 places. Soldiers moved into Fijian news rooms for several weeks and censored articles before they were published, while foreign journalists were deported.
In Thailand, the endless clashes between “yellow shirts” and “red shirts” had a very negative impact on the press’s ability to work. As a result, the kingdom is now 130th. Two Asian countries were included in the index for the first time: Papua New Guinea (56th), which obtained a very respectable ranking for a developing country, and the Sultanate of Brunei (155th), which came in the bottom third because of the absence of an independent press.
The authoritarianism of existing governments, for example in Sri Lanka (162nd) and Malaysia (131st), prevented journalists from properly covering sensitive subjects such as corruption or human rights abuses.
The Sri Lankan government had a journalist sentenced to 20 years in prison and forced dozens of others to flee the country.
In Malaysia, the interior ministry imposed censorship or self-censorship by threatening media with the withdrawal of their licence or threatening journalists with a spell in prison.
War and terrorism wrought havoc and exposed journalists to great danger.
Afghanistan (149th) is sapped not only by Taliban violence and death threats, but also by unjustified arrests by the security forces.
Despite having dynamic news media, Pakistan (159th) is crippled by murders of journalists and the aggressiveness of both the Taliban and sectors of the military.
It shared (with Somalia) the world record for journalists killed during the period under review.
The Asian countries that least respected press freedom were, predictably, North Korea, one of the “infernal trio” at the bottom of the rankings, Burma, which still suffers from prior censorship and imprisonment, and Laos, an unchanging dictatorship where no privately-owned media are permitted.
The media in China (168th) are evolving rapidly along with the rest of the country but it continues to have a very poor ranking because of the frequency of imprisonment, especially in Tibet, Internet censorship and the nepotism of the central and provincial authorities.
Similarly in Vietnam (166th), the ruling Communist Party targets journalists, bloggers and press freedom activists over what they write about its concessions to China.
In the good news section, Maldives (51st) climbed 53 places thanks to a successful democratic transition while Bhutan (70th) rose another four places thanks to further efforts in favour of media diversity.
Asia’s few democracies are well placed in the rankings. New Zealand (13th), Australia (16th) and Japan (17th) are all in the top 20.
Respect for press freedom and the lack of targeted violence against journalists enable these three countries to be regional leaders. South Korea (69th) and Taiwan (59th) fell far this year.
South Korea plummeted 22 places because of the arrests of several journalists and bloggers and the conservative government’s attempts to control critical media.
The new ruling party in Taiwan tried to interfere in state and privately-owned media while violence by certain activists further undermined press freedom.

Opposition withdraws motion of no-confidence

Opposition Leader Sir Mekere Morauta announced today that he and Bulolo MP Sam Basil had written to the Speaker withdrawing the motion of no-confidence in the Prime Minister dated July 28, 2009.  

Sir Mekere said:  “We have withdrawn the motion because we do not have confidence in the integrity of the process being used by the Government to ‘consider’ the motion. 

“We have heard from reliable sources in government that the private business committee will reject the motion, allegedly on some technical ground.”

Sir Mekere said that to avoid this, the motion had been withdrawn and that the Opposition had requested the Speaker to provide urgent advice on the alleged ‘defects’ of the motion. 

“We want the Speaker to tell us what we should do to satisfy the private business committee, so that we can submit a new motion that will conform to the committee’s ‘requirements’,” he said.

“At the same time we shall seek legal advice on the issue of the process of tabling a motion of no-confidence in the Prime Minister.

Sir Mekere said that since last week he had been seeking an appointment with the Speaker and the Clerk to verify the information about the Government’s intention to prevent the motion from being tabled, but had not been successful in getting an appointment.

“We do not want to fall into the game of dirty tricks being played by the Government to block the motion, so we decided to withdraw it and put the Government on the spot by asking the Speaker to advise us,” he said.

“The Speaker and the Clerk must remember they are not the servants of the Government.

“They serve the Parliament, which means they are obliged, legally and morally, to advise the Opposition.”

 

I see a rainbow in the sky

I caught this wonderful rainbow in Port Moresby last Sunday when returning to work after watching the rugby league grand final.

More from the islands of love

From the islands of love

The dancers in this troupe were selected from villages around Kiriwina (mainland Trobriand Islands) to raise funds for the Trobriand Islands Cultural Show to be staged next month.
The initiative was from the Kiriwina local level government president Jennifer Rudd and her 33 ward councilors, who decided to do something which would boost their tourism industry.
The plan is to raise at least K100, 000 in both Alotau and Port Moresby. -Pictures by ELIJAH D ELIJAH

Highlights from Sunday's bemobile Cup grand final

Highlights from Sunday's bemobile Cup grand final between Rabaul Gurias and Enga Mioks.
The Gurias took out the Auld Mug of Papua New Guinea rugby league 24-14. Pictures by AURI EVA of The National, Papua New Guinea's No. 1 daily newspaper

Prime Minister co-signed carbon credit certificates

Leader of the Opposition Sir Mekere Morauta has renewed his challenge to Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare to inform Papua New Guineans for which forest areas he co-signed carbon credit certificates in favour of an Australian-based company Climate Assist last year.

Sir Mekere said it was a very serious issue that demanded a full explanation by the Prime Minister. 

“Forest resources, whether they are flora, fauna, timber or potential carbon trading assets, belong to people, not to Michael Somare or the Office of Climate Change.

“People need to know what he has sold, to whom, for how much, and where the money is.”

Official documents bearing the PNG National Government crest show that Prime Minister Somare signed certificates for Climate Assist together with the suspended Executive Director of the Office of Climate Change Dr Theo Yasause and Director of Climate Assist Mr Gregory Thomas Corby.

A certificate was signed on 12^th June 2008 with Series Number A33, 000,001 to A39, 666,666 with the beneficiaries named as Climate Assist (PNG) Ltd and the Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Office (PNG).

It commits 6,666,665 metric tonnes of carbon credits with a maturity date of 01 January 2012 when the current Kyoto Protocol will end.

Sir Mekere said that the Prime Minister must tell the nation whether he signed this document or not.

 “Is it a forgery? 

“If it is not, he must tell the public why he has done this and which resources belonging to which landowners he has committed.

“Those landowners and the general public need to know.”

Another document obtained by the Opposition shows that the Ruthven Street Business Banking Centre of the Westpac Bank in Toowoomba Queensland is holding two carbon credit certificates in “safe custody” under Gregory Corby’s name.

 According to a letter written on 24^th September 2008 to Mr Edwin Price, Executive Manager of Climate Assist by a senior manager at that Westpac branch, the certificates were issued on 22^nd September 2008, each for 39 million metric tonnes of carbon credits, with Series Numbers C1 to C39 and B1 to B39.

The letter bears the common seal of Climate Assist PNG, an official stamp of the Westpac branch and is witnessed by a Justice of the Peace.

“Prime Minister did you issue these additional certificates to Climate Assist? 

“If you did not, who did? 

“With authority from whom? 

“And whose resources do they pertain to?”

Sir Mekere said that it was incumbent on the Prime Minister to tell the truth to the nation.

“He is yet to answer the 20 questions I asked him some months ago on climate change and related issues.

“He cannot continue to ignore or evade questions on important national issues, hoping that in time people will simply forget.”

 

Church corporate dinner

THE MARIMARI LUTHERAN CHURCH IN PORT MORESBY IS HOLDING A CORPORATE DINNER AT THE GRAND PALACE RESTAURANT ON FRIDAY, 23^RD OCTOBER, 2009 TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW CHURCH BUILDING.

 

ANYONE WISHING TO ASSIST CAN CONTACT THE CONGREGATION PASTOR, PASTOR GUNDU ON MOBILE NUMBER (675) 7693 5757, THE FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON, MRS DENNIE MILLAN ON (675) 710 55187 OF THE TREASURER, MRS SAMARITI GARAP KORIMBO ON (675) 720 51060.

 

TICKETS ARE GOING FOR K200 PER HEAD OR K2, 000 FOR A TABLE OF 10 PEOPLE.

 

Madventures in Papua New Guinea

By ERIN PICKARD

Hi Malum,
I work with Travel Channel's online community team and wanted to let you know that one of our shows, Madventures, will be featuring Papua New Guinea in a new episode, airing tonight, Monday 10/19 at 11pm E/P.
What is Madventures?
Madventures is on a quest to explore the most insane destinations in the world. Hosts Riku and Tunna are two fearless Finns who cross the globe carrying nothing but backpacks and cameras from the Himalayas to the African deserts, from Tokyo to Polynesia.
Riku and Tunna's adventures include meeting the world's last cannibals in Papua, uncovering the illegal bazooka business in Cambodia and doing rock-paper-scissors to see who has to eat monkey brains straight from the skull in the Amazon.
Papua New Guinea Details
This week in the all-new episode of Madventures, explorers Riku and Tunna get lost in Papua New Guinea’s darkest jungles, infested with crocodiles, missionaries and other merciless predators. The duo are on the search for mankind’s ultimate taboo with a particular question in mind: Is cannibalism still alive? You can catch the new episode TONIGHT, Monday, 10/19, at 11pm E/P on the Travel Channel.
Community
I hope you get an opportunity to watch the show and if you're on Twitter, connect here and let us know what you think! Also, I'm putting together a list of bloggers to keep individuals interested in receiving weekly updates filled-in on giveaways, show info, sneak peek videos, etc. Please let me know if you are interested in being on this list.
On a more personal note, I hope you do not find this email offensive. I try to reach out to people who would be interested to know that Madventures is featuring their area!

Regards,
Erin Pickard

Room 214, Inc. on behalf of the Travel Channel
http://www.room214.com/
http://www.travelchannel.com/
http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Madventures

Government denying people their constitutional rights

Opposition Leader Sir Mekere Morauta today said that the decision by police last week to prevent the Salvation Army and the PNG Council of Churches from holding a march and rally in support of the United National “Stand Up, Take Action” campaign represented a very worrying trend.

“Why would anyone in authority prevent this rally from taking place?” Sir Mekere said. 

“All that these church and civil society representatives wished to do was to express their concern about poverty and Papua New Guinea’s lack of progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and to debate these issues.

“What is wrong with that? 

“We should be encouraging such debate. 

“But it seems the Government wants no public discussion of anything.

“Where is Michael Somare? 

“This is not the Michael Somare that Papua New Guinea used to know.

“Where have our democratic rights and freedoms gone under this Somare-NA Government?

 “This is yet another example of the trend of this Government of turning PNG into a Mugabe-type regime.

“The important institutions of state, like the police, are fast being turned into compliant tool kits by the government for its political interest.”

“Section 46 of our Constitution expressly provides for freedom of expression; Section 47 provides for the right to freedom of assembly and association; Section 57 provides for enforcement of these guaranteed rights and freedoms.

“Is it not the job of the Police to uphold our Constitution and our laws? “Their action to disallow the Churches’ rally is a violation of the Constitution.”

Sir Mekere said that a similar incident occurred last week, when police prevented a peaceful March from being held in Madang, to protest against the Marine Industrial Park to be built at Vidar.

 “The march had been approved by the provincial police authorities, but apparently a government minister complained to police headquarters, who overturned the decision and banned the march.”

Sir Mekere said the police hierarchy should remember they were not the political servants of the government. 

“The police force is an independent constitutional authority.

“But it seems the police are now completely at the bidding of the government, stifling debate and preventing citizens from expressing their views.”

“What are the government and the police scared of? 

The reason given for not approving the Madang march was that due to recent unrest over the position, power and conduct of some Asians, protest marches had been banned throughout the country.

“What nonsense!

“In whose interests is the country being governed?

 A foreign power? 

Foreign business interests? 

Illegal immigrants? 

“Certainly not for Papua New Guineans.”

 Sir Mekere said that Captain John Kerari of the Salvation Army had made a very forceful point when questioning the decision to ban the church rally when he said: “we do not want to be seen as humbugs; we were planning on a peaceful rally with prayer and singing.”  

Sir Mekere urged all Papua New Guineans to speak out and to insist on protection of their constitutional rights.

 

Rabaul Gurias beat Enga Mioks

Rabaul Gurias today took out the bemobile Cup rugby league grand final with a 24-14 win over Enga Mioks at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby.

In front of a capacity crowd, the men from the land of tubuans, dukduks and volcanoes gave a football lesson to the younger and less-experienced Engans in a game which was controlled by Australian refereeing legend Bill Harrigan.

The Gurias raced to a safe 14-0 lead at halftime, and although the Mioks staged a strong second half renaissance, time was not on their side.

Rabaul was first to score in the 13^th minute when prop Rodney Pora powered over near the posts, and with the extras from halfback Rolly Matalau, took an early 6-0 lead.

Matalau followed this shortly after with a penalty goal to push his side further to 8-0.

Enga was in sixes and sevens in the first half, allowing agro to creep into their game, which Rabaul capitalised on with another try to reserve forward Sam Ponda just before the halftime hooter, goaled by Matalau, to lead 14-0.

The Gurias shot to a seemingly-unassailable 20-0 lead in the 45^th minute with a corner try to winger Boas Ruru, which was goaled by Matalau.

The Mioks’ never-say-die attitude showed after that as they scored tried through winger Miok Anjo in the 49^th minute and prop Esau Siune in the 60^th minute, which was goaled by halfback Mai Tom, to trail 20-10.

Rabaul, with machine-like efficiency, drove the final nail into Enga’s coffin with a 71^st minute try to Ruru to complete his double.

The Mioks had some consolation on the hooter with a try to winger Jason Tali, however, it was all too little, too late.

Gurias’ hooker Sakias Kabange capped off a memorable day by being named man-of-the-match.

Governor General Sir Paulias Matane, who happens to be from the land of the Gurias, presented the inaugural bemobile Cup to Gurias’ captain George Moni as a prelude to celebrations.

The cup was delivered by helicopter to the paddock to be unveiled by its designer, 13-year-old Port Moresby student, Florence Metta.

A capacity crowd jam-packed the Lloyd Robson Oval to witness yesterday’s grand final.