I just caught a bus to work which drove past the
Papua New Guineans, not only in
The country’s new television station (refer to story below) will be launched by Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare in Wewak later today.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Papua New Guinea Independence celebrations in full throttle
Monday, September 15, 2008
Happy 33rd Independence Anniversary, Papua New Guinea
Happy 33rd
Yes, indeed, we have gone through some very trying times since September 16th, 1975, and it is all too easy to be a Doubting Thomas, an eternal pessimist.
But hey, let’s all be happy, as this is all our day!
A Happy 33rd Independence Day to all you Papua New Guineans living, studying and working overseas; all you wonderful people of this great land; as well as all our many friends from all over the world.
God Bless Papua New Guinea real good!
Plans underway to celebrate World Food Day in October
‘World Food Security; the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy’ is the theme for the 2008 World Food Day to be observed next month.
The Department of Agriculture and Livestock, in an official statement, advised all stakeholders, government and agricultural agencies, provinces, non-government organisations and the public to make preparations to celebrate the event on October 16.
The statement said that a collaborative effort was required by all stakeholders to join the Department of Agriculture and Livestock in organising various activities to promote and create awareness on WFD and the theme.
The activities can include agricultural field days, farmer displays, agricultural shows, cultural and sporting events, workshops, poster and art exhibitions and others.
The annual observance of WFD by PNG is part of the global commitment to increase public awareness and understanding of the problems of hunger and poverty and emerging global issues such as climate change and bioenergy that will impact on food security.
According to Food and Agriculture Organisation, more than 850 million people worldwide suffer from hunger and malnutrition and global initiatives have been launched to reduce this figure.
The WFD is an opportunity for everyone to come together and reaffirm their commitment to address food insecurity and other associated problems in a collaborative and participatory manner with national, international, local communities and NGOs.
The 2008 theme highlights the importance of climate change and energy situation on agriculture and food security and the need for proper management of natural resource base and the environment to sustain agricultural productivity for food production and income generation to ensure food security for a growing world population.
DAL has urged government departments, agricultural agencies, NGOs, provinces, business houses and the public to join hands and celebrate WFD in their local communities on October 16 or thereafter.
Preparations are also underway for the official WFD celebrations to be held in conjunction with an agriculture road show at Bogia in the
The local community is all geared up and is working hard to organise the two-day event to celebrate World Food Day, Rural Women’s Day and promote agriculture potential and opportunities all at the same time.
Muruks win the SP Cup for third consecutive year
In case you haven’t heard as yet, Mendi Muruks yesterday took out the SP Cup rugby league grand final for the third consecutive year with a resounding 34-14 win over Mount Hagen Eagles.
Young Papua New Guineans meet New Zealand All Blacks in Brisbane
I received an email today from my old buddy and ex-Aiyura school mate, Chris Taukuro, who is based in Brisbane with wife Katherine and family.
Chris sent me pictures of New Zealand All Blacks Mils Muliana and Kevin Mealamu with his daughter Sarah Taukuro and her cousin Alu Amini.
“Hi Malum,
“If you can use these photos, here is a photo of Mils Muliaina and Kevin Mealamu with Sarah Taukuro, my daughter, and her cousin, Alu Amini.
“I was very sad to hear of Chris Kaines passing last month!! He was a dear brother!!
“Have a good day brother.
“Best regards.”
- A Happy 33rd Anniversary to Chris, Katherine and all the expatriate Papua New Guineans all over the world and I hope you can return home before you get too old!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
New TV station for Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guineans will receive a special gift when the country celebrates its independence anniversary on September 16.
They will be able to switch on to a new free to air television service with more local content and programmes—thanks to government.
NTS (National Television Service) will telecast live giving a choice to Papua New Guineans to watch a new TV service, hence provide competition to PNG’s only commercial TV station, EMTV.
EMTV is owned by Fiji-based Yasana Holdings, also owners of Fiji TV.
NTS will be operated and managed by PNG’s National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) of which PINA (Pacific Islands News Association) president, Joseph Ealedona, is managing director.
Since independence in 1975, successive PNG governments have recognised the need to have a national television service in PNG.
In 1981, PNG NEC (National Executive Council) approved in principle the introduction of a television service of which NBC was to undertake a feasibility study on the technical, engineering, financial, management and programming aspects of the project. The process was not concluded due to the 1982 national elections.
The 1981 NEC decision was resurrected in 1989 and NBC was directed to initiate the processes to realise the service.
Prime Minister Somare in March 2007 directed NBC again to initiate the processes on NTS.
On September last year during the opening of PNG’s 8th parliament, Somare reiterated his call for the introduction of the TV service for PNG. A taskforce was established and progress so far has been successful, according to Ealedona.
The first phase will make it possible for
SP Cup grand final today
Papua New Guinea's premier rugby league competition, the SP Cup, has its grand final in Port Moresby this afternoon between 2006 and 2007 champions Mabey & Johnson Mabey Muruks against Bintangor Mount Hagen Eagles.
I'll keep you posted on the outcome.
I'll keep you posted on the outcome.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Whale shark beached up on Iokea
,+Osley+Paru+and+Maurice+Kairu+with+the+whale+on+the+beackfront+of+Iokea.+Nationalpic+by+THOMAS+AUHAVA.-705884.JPG)
Villagers from Iokea in the Gulf province were surprised to find a whale shark beached up on their shores last Sunday morning.
Thomas Auhava, curator of the
Pictures taken by Mr Auhava show a whale shark with white spots on its back.
“It’s about 6.5m long and 2m wide,” he said.
“It couldn’t get out because of shallow water.
“It’s still alive.
“It was just waiting for the tide to push it out.”
Iokea villagers took a ride on the back of the beached whale last Sunday.
Are you a follower of this blog?
Hi guys and gals from all over the world,
I’d like to know who enjoys reading this blog, and you can tell me and the world that you’re a fan by signing up at right.
This feature has just been rolled out by Blogger.
Happy reading and I look forward to hearing from you!
Malum
I’d like to know who enjoys reading this blog, and you can tell me and the world that you’re a fan by signing up at right.
This feature has just been rolled out by Blogger.
Happy reading and I look forward to hearing from you!
Malum
Where are these pictures from?
I received these old pictures of
Malum
Morocco jails king insult blogger
Mohammed Erraji's family claim he did not receive a fair trial
It is an offence to disrespect the king under Moroccan press lawsA Moroccan blogger has been jailed for two years for showing disrespect to the monarchy, say the man's family, BBC reports.
Mohammed Erraji, 29, was convicted after writing an article claiming King Mohammed VI's charitable habits were encouraging a culture of dependency.
There has been no official comment on the case, but rights groups claim Erraji did not have a fair trial.
A BBC reporter says criticising the king is an offence in Morocco and the royal family remains a taboo subject.
Morocco has previously caused international outrage with its treatment of internet users.
Earlier this year, Fouad Mortada was sentenced to three years in prison for creating a false profile on the internet site Facebook using the identity of the king's brother.
He received a royal pardon following protests from internet users around the world.
'Disastrous'
Erraji claimed in an internet article that the king's charity towards Moroccans was stifling development by encouraging people to be lazy.
It happened so quickly that all his rights were flouted
"This has made the Moroccans a people without dignity, who live by donations and gifts," he wrote.
The BBC's James Copnall in the capital, Rabat, says he was particularly critical of the practice known as grima - giving lucrative licences to run taxis and other transport in exchange for begging letters.
Erraji said this did not happen in developed countries, where hard work rather than begging is rewarded.
He was arrested by the authorities last Friday and accused of "lacking the respect due to the king".
In court on Monday, he was given a two-year prison sentence and fined 5,000 Dirham ($630:£356).
One relative, who claimed to have been present at the trial, said Erraji had not had a lawyer and that the judgement took only ten minutes.
"The judge passed sentence very quickly but we couldn't hear what was being said. He had no opportunity to explain himself," said the relative, who asked not to be named.
He told Reuters news agency that Erraji was in poor health and was just a "free thinker who simply wants the best for his country".
The blogger's brother told the BBC the sentence was disastrous for his family, as Erraji is the only one with a regular income
'Totalitarian'
Human rights groups have criticised the verdict and demanded that Erraji be released.
It is an offence to disrespect the king under Moroccan press laws
Reporters Without Borders said the trial was "worthy of the most totalitarian states" and the Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH) said the basic elements of a fair trial were not respected.
"It happened so quickly that all his rights were flouted," said Khadija Riyadi.
A Facebook group and an internet site http://www.helperraji.com/ have been set up in support of Erraji.
Our correspondent says Erraji's best hope of freedom could lie in a pardon from the very man whose policies he criticised.
Mohammed Erraji, 29, was convicted after writing an article claiming King Mohammed VI's charitable habits were encouraging a culture of dependency.
There has been no official comment on the case, but rights groups claim Erraji did not have a fair trial.
A BBC reporter says criticising the king is an offence in Morocco and the royal family remains a taboo subject.
Morocco has previously caused international outrage with its treatment of internet users.
Earlier this year, Fouad Mortada was sentenced to three years in prison for creating a false profile on the internet site Facebook using the identity of the king's brother.
He received a royal pardon following protests from internet users around the world.
'Disastrous'
Erraji claimed in an internet article that the king's charity towards Moroccans was stifling development by encouraging people to be lazy.
It happened so quickly that all his rights were flouted
"This has made the Moroccans a people without dignity, who live by donations and gifts," he wrote.
The BBC's James Copnall in the capital, Rabat, says he was particularly critical of the practice known as grima - giving lucrative licences to run taxis and other transport in exchange for begging letters.
Erraji said this did not happen in developed countries, where hard work rather than begging is rewarded.
He was arrested by the authorities last Friday and accused of "lacking the respect due to the king".
In court on Monday, he was given a two-year prison sentence and fined 5,000 Dirham ($630:£356).
One relative, who claimed to have been present at the trial, said Erraji had not had a lawyer and that the judgement took only ten minutes.
"The judge passed sentence very quickly but we couldn't hear what was being said. He had no opportunity to explain himself," said the relative, who asked not to be named.
He told Reuters news agency that Erraji was in poor health and was just a "free thinker who simply wants the best for his country".
The blogger's brother told the BBC the sentence was disastrous for his family, as Erraji is the only one with a regular income
'Totalitarian'
Human rights groups have criticised the verdict and demanded that Erraji be released.
It is an offence to disrespect the king under Moroccan press laws
Reporters Without Borders said the trial was "worthy of the most totalitarian states" and the Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH) said the basic elements of a fair trial were not respected.
"It happened so quickly that all his rights were flouted," said Khadija Riyadi.
A Facebook group and an internet site http://www.helperraji.com/ have been set up in support of Erraji.
Our correspondent says Erraji's best hope of freedom could lie in a pardon from the very man whose policies he criticised.
Google celebrates 10th anniversary
Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin,+Eric+Schmidt+and+Sergey+Brin+on+the+cover+of+Time+magazine.jpg)
Google heavyweights Larry Page (back), Eric Schmidt and Sergey Brin on the cover of Time magazineInternet giant Google celebrated its 10th anniversary last Sunday, having gone from a struggling company renting space in a garage to one worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
It was a far cry from September 7, 1998, when two young men named Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded a company that would transform the whole world, including Papua New Guinea.
Theirs is a story that young Papua New Guineans may want to emulate as our country celebrates 33 years of independence next Tuesday, September 16.
In 2006, while transiting through Singapore, I bought a biography of Page and Brin’s biography at Changi Airport and have been a fan of them since.
Page and Brin, both 35 now and worth nearly US$19 billion apiece, have become international icons admired by millions of people all over the world.
Millions of people all over the world, including PNG, use services such as Google’s world-famous search engine, GMail, YouTube, Maps, Games, Blogger, AdSense and a new web browser called Chrome just released last week.
When Page and Brin founded Google Inc. on September 7, 1998, they had little more than their ingenuity, four computers and an investor's $100,000 bet on their belief that an Internet search engine could change the world.
It sounded preposterous 10 years ago, but look now: Google draws upon a gargantuan computer network, nearly 20,000 employees and a $150 billion market value to redefine media, marketing and technology.
Page, a University of Michigan graduate, and Brin, a University of Maryland alum, began working on a search engine — originally called BackRub — in 1996 because they believed a lot of important content wasn't being found on the Web.
At the time, the companies behind the Internet's major search engines — Yahoo, AltaVista and Excite — were increasingly focused on building multifaceted Web sites.
Internet search was considered such a low priority at the time that Page and Brin couldn't even find anyone willing to pay a couple of million dollars to buy their technology.
Instead, they got a $100,000 investment from one of Sun Microsystems Inc.'s co-founders, Andy Bechtolsheim, and filed incorporation papers so they could cash a check made out to Google Inc.
In a nod to their geeky roots as children of computer science and math professors, Page and Brin had derived the name from the mathematical term "googol" — a 1 followed by 100 zeros.
Later they would raise a total of about $26 million from family, friends and venture capitalists to help fund the company and pay for now-famous employee perks like free meals and snacks.
Even after Google became an official company in 1998, the business continued to operate out of the founders' Stanford dorm rooms.
Like Google's stripped-down home page, the company itself had a bare-bones aesthetic.
Page's room was converted into a "server farm" for the three computers that ran the search engine, which then processed about 10,000 requests per day compared with about 1.5 billion per day now.
The headquarters were in Brin's room in a neighboring dorm hall, where the founders and Silverstein wrestled for control of another computer to bang out programming code.
Within a few weeks after incorporating, Google moved into the garage of a Menlo Park, California, home owned by Susan Wojcicki, who became a Google executive and is now Brin's sister-in-law (Google bought the house in 2006).
Jump back to today: The company occupies a 1.5 million-square-foot headquarters called the "Googleplex" — as well as two dozen other U.S. offices and hubs in more than 30 other countries. And its search engine — believed to index at least 40 billion Web pages — now runs on hundreds of thousands of computers kept in massive data centers around the world.
The company holds commanding leads in both the Internet search and advertising markets.
It processes nearly two-thirds of the world's online search requests, according to the research firm comScore Inc., and sells about three-fourths of the ads tied to search requests, according to another firm, eMarketer Inc.
The dominance has enabled Google to rake in $48 billion from Internet ads since 2001.
Google hasn't hoarded all of that money: the company has paid $15 billion in commissions to the Web sites that run its ads during the same period, helping to support major online destinations like AOL, Ask.com and MySpace as well as an array of bloggers like me.
Perhaps Google's biggest test in the next decade will be finding a way to pursue its seemingly boundless ambitions without triggering a backlash that derails the company.
"You can't do some of the things that they are trying to do without eventually facing some challenges from the government and your rivals," Danny Sullivan, who has followed Google since its inception and is now editor-in-chief of SearchEngineLand, told FOXNews.
Google's expanding control over the flow of Internet traffic and advertising already is raising monopoly concerns.
The intensifying regulatory and political scrutiny on Google's expansion could present more roadblocks in the future.
If the harping eventually inspires rules that restrict Google's data collection, it could make its search engine less relevant and its ad network less profitable.
To protect its interests, Google has hired lobbyists to bend the ears of lawmakers and ramped up its public relations staff to sway opinion as management gears up to conquer new frontiers.
"Google will keep pushing the envelope," predicted John Battelle, who wrote a book about the company and now runs Federated Media, a conduit for Internet publishers and advertisers.
"It's one of the things that seems to make them happy."
In the latest example of its relentless expansion, Google has just released a Web browser to make its search engine and other online services even more accessible and appealing.
Not every peripheral step has gone smoothly, though; several of the company's ancillary products have flopped or never lived up to the hype.
Extending Google's ubiquity to cell phones and other mobile devices sits at the top of management's agenda for the next decade.
But the lengthy to-do list also includes: making digital copies of all the world's books; establishing electronic file cabinets for people's health records; leading the alternative energy charge away from fossil fuels; selling computer programs to businesses over the Internet; and tweaking its search engine so it can better understand requests stated in plain language, just like a human would.
"Google is the oxygen in this ecosystem," Battelle said.
The company hopes to inhale even more Internet advertising from the biggest deal in its short history — a $3.2 billion acquisition of online marketing service DoubleClick Inc. that was completed six months ago.
Google also is trying to mine more money from its second-largest acquisition, YouTube, the Internet's leading video channel.
YouTube is expected to generate about $200 million in revenue this year, an amount that analysts believe barely scratches the video site's moneymaking potential.
Eventually, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt wants the entire company to generate $100 billion in annual revenue, which would make it roughly as big as the two largest information-technology companies — Hewlett-Packard Co. and IBM Corp. — each are now.
This year, Google will surpass the $20 billion threshold for the first time.
Schmidt, 53, who became Google's CEO in 2001, seems determined to stick around to reach his goal.
He, Brin and Page have made an informal pact to remain the company's brain trust through 2024, at least.
It was a far cry from September 7, 1998, when two young men named Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded a company that would transform the whole world, including Papua New Guinea.
Theirs is a story that young Papua New Guineans may want to emulate as our country celebrates 33 years of independence next Tuesday, September 16.
In 2006, while transiting through Singapore, I bought a biography of Page and Brin’s biography at Changi Airport and have been a fan of them since.
Page and Brin, both 35 now and worth nearly US$19 billion apiece, have become international icons admired by millions of people all over the world.
Millions of people all over the world, including PNG, use services such as Google’s world-famous search engine, GMail, YouTube, Maps, Games, Blogger, AdSense and a new web browser called Chrome just released last week.
When Page and Brin founded Google Inc. on September 7, 1998, they had little more than their ingenuity, four computers and an investor's $100,000 bet on their belief that an Internet search engine could change the world.
It sounded preposterous 10 years ago, but look now: Google draws upon a gargantuan computer network, nearly 20,000 employees and a $150 billion market value to redefine media, marketing and technology.
Page, a University of Michigan graduate, and Brin, a University of Maryland alum, began working on a search engine — originally called BackRub — in 1996 because they believed a lot of important content wasn't being found on the Web.
At the time, the companies behind the Internet's major search engines — Yahoo, AltaVista and Excite — were increasingly focused on building multifaceted Web sites.
Internet search was considered such a low priority at the time that Page and Brin couldn't even find anyone willing to pay a couple of million dollars to buy their technology.
Instead, they got a $100,000 investment from one of Sun Microsystems Inc.'s co-founders, Andy Bechtolsheim, and filed incorporation papers so they could cash a check made out to Google Inc.
In a nod to their geeky roots as children of computer science and math professors, Page and Brin had derived the name from the mathematical term "googol" — a 1 followed by 100 zeros.
Later they would raise a total of about $26 million from family, friends and venture capitalists to help fund the company and pay for now-famous employee perks like free meals and snacks.
Even after Google became an official company in 1998, the business continued to operate out of the founders' Stanford dorm rooms.
Like Google's stripped-down home page, the company itself had a bare-bones aesthetic.
Page's room was converted into a "server farm" for the three computers that ran the search engine, which then processed about 10,000 requests per day compared with about 1.5 billion per day now.
The headquarters were in Brin's room in a neighboring dorm hall, where the founders and Silverstein wrestled for control of another computer to bang out programming code.
Within a few weeks after incorporating, Google moved into the garage of a Menlo Park, California, home owned by Susan Wojcicki, who became a Google executive and is now Brin's sister-in-law (Google bought the house in 2006).
Jump back to today: The company occupies a 1.5 million-square-foot headquarters called the "Googleplex" — as well as two dozen other U.S. offices and hubs in more than 30 other countries. And its search engine — believed to index at least 40 billion Web pages — now runs on hundreds of thousands of computers kept in massive data centers around the world.
The company holds commanding leads in both the Internet search and advertising markets.
It processes nearly two-thirds of the world's online search requests, according to the research firm comScore Inc., and sells about three-fourths of the ads tied to search requests, according to another firm, eMarketer Inc.
The dominance has enabled Google to rake in $48 billion from Internet ads since 2001.
Google hasn't hoarded all of that money: the company has paid $15 billion in commissions to the Web sites that run its ads during the same period, helping to support major online destinations like AOL, Ask.com and MySpace as well as an array of bloggers like me.
Perhaps Google's biggest test in the next decade will be finding a way to pursue its seemingly boundless ambitions without triggering a backlash that derails the company.
"You can't do some of the things that they are trying to do without eventually facing some challenges from the government and your rivals," Danny Sullivan, who has followed Google since its inception and is now editor-in-chief of SearchEngineLand, told FOXNews.
Google's expanding control over the flow of Internet traffic and advertising already is raising monopoly concerns.
The intensifying regulatory and political scrutiny on Google's expansion could present more roadblocks in the future.
If the harping eventually inspires rules that restrict Google's data collection, it could make its search engine less relevant and its ad network less profitable.
To protect its interests, Google has hired lobbyists to bend the ears of lawmakers and ramped up its public relations staff to sway opinion as management gears up to conquer new frontiers.
"Google will keep pushing the envelope," predicted John Battelle, who wrote a book about the company and now runs Federated Media, a conduit for Internet publishers and advertisers.
"It's one of the things that seems to make them happy."
In the latest example of its relentless expansion, Google has just released a Web browser to make its search engine and other online services even more accessible and appealing.
Not every peripheral step has gone smoothly, though; several of the company's ancillary products have flopped or never lived up to the hype.
Extending Google's ubiquity to cell phones and other mobile devices sits at the top of management's agenda for the next decade.
But the lengthy to-do list also includes: making digital copies of all the world's books; establishing electronic file cabinets for people's health records; leading the alternative energy charge away from fossil fuels; selling computer programs to businesses over the Internet; and tweaking its search engine so it can better understand requests stated in plain language, just like a human would.
"Google is the oxygen in this ecosystem," Battelle said.
The company hopes to inhale even more Internet advertising from the biggest deal in its short history — a $3.2 billion acquisition of online marketing service DoubleClick Inc. that was completed six months ago.
Google also is trying to mine more money from its second-largest acquisition, YouTube, the Internet's leading video channel.
YouTube is expected to generate about $200 million in revenue this year, an amount that analysts believe barely scratches the video site's moneymaking potential.
Eventually, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt wants the entire company to generate $100 billion in annual revenue, which would make it roughly as big as the two largest information-technology companies — Hewlett-Packard Co. and IBM Corp. — each are now.
This year, Google will surpass the $20 billion threshold for the first time.
Schmidt, 53, who became Google's CEO in 2001, seems determined to stick around to reach his goal.
He, Brin and Page have made an informal pact to remain the company's brain trust through 2024, at least.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
More memories of another day
Road to Brandi Beach, East Sepik province. Picture by John Nitz.
Bulolo Valley, Morobe province, 1961. Picture by John Nitz.Are you a follower of this blog?
Hi guys and gals from all over the world,
I’d like to know who enjoys reading this blog, and you can tell me and the world that you’re a fan by signing up at right.
This feature has just been rolled out by Blogger.
Happy reading and I look forward to hearing from you!
Malum
I’d like to know who enjoys reading this blog, and you can tell me and the world that you’re a fan by signing up at right.
This feature has just been rolled out by Blogger.
Happy reading and I look forward to hearing from you!
Malum
Memories of another day
Goroka Show 1961. Picture by John Nitz 
Goroka Show 1961. Picture by John Nitz.
Goroka Show Mt Hagen Boys. Picture by John Nitz.
Hawain River School, East Sepik, 1961. Picture by John Nitz.I received these old pictures of Papua New Guinea from Jason Nitz in Australia, who received them from his uncle.
"Malum, some photos as promised – I have only just found these on a CD as we’re packing to move to Melbourne.
"They have all been labelled correctly as per my uncle’s notes.
"Look forward to hearing from you soon.
"-- Regards, Jason."
Monday, September 08, 2008
New Erima school launches fundraising drive
+hands+over+K2,000+to+fundraising+committee+chairman+Jeff+Kelage.+Nationalpic+by+WILLIAM+WILLIANDO..jpg)
Pacific Corporate Security Services director Jacob Kaupa (left) hands over K2,000 to fundraising committee chairman Jeff Kelage.New Erima Primary School in the National Capital District has taken it upon itself to raise funds to rebuild classrooms destroyed by fire in April last year.
A fundraising committee, led by deputy chairman of the school Jeff Kelage, has been set up to raise the estimated K2 million necessary to rebuild the classrooms.
Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane has been invited to launch the fundraising drive at the school on Friday (September 12).
Pacific Corporate Security Services, through its director Jacob Kaupa, has got the ball rolling by donating K2, 000.
“The school was established in 1990,” Mr Kelage said,
“It has an intake of 1600 students annually.
“In April last year, two two-storey buildings housing eight classrooms and four office blocks, including the head teacher’s house, were destroyed b y fire.
“Another two-storey building next to it, housing four classrooms, has been condemned by the Building Board as unsafe.
“So all in all, the school now is without 12 classrooms.
“Nearly 600 students are affected: four Grade 4’s, for Grade 5’s and four Grade 6’s.
“They are now using makeshift classrooms under rain trees.
“Some of them are attending classes under rain trees.
“The National Department of Education assured us that these buildings would be replaced within three months.
“They told us that in April last year.
“Three months passed, and now it’s over a year, but nothing has been done.
“We are right next to the Department of Education but nothing has been done.
“What we’re doing now is that the board has decided to go on a major fundraising campaign.
“We will officially launch the fundraising campaign on the 12th of September.
“The launching will be officiated by the Governor-General.
“We have started sending out letters of appeal.
“This is where Pacific Corporate Security Services has come in.
“They are the very first to come in.”
Mr Kaupa said his company had decided to assist the school after being informed of its plight by Mr Kelage.
“I totally condemn the actions of a few individuals who want to serve their own interests by burning down classrooms that serve the Five, Six, Seven, Eight and Nine-Mile communities, Moitaka Wildlife and ATS,” he said,
“As a community leader, I request that those responsible be brought to justice.
“We, as parents and concerned citizens, should not only rely on government to rebuild the school.
“I appeal to parents, communities, business houses and any person out there who wants to assist in one way or another, to help put these classrooms back.
“Having said that, Pacific Corporate Security has donated K2, 000 to assist the fundraising committee.
“Like any other school in NCD, that school has been looked down upon since last year, when they lost two of two of their double classrooms and the third one has been condemned by the Building Board.
“With that, I’d like to thank the school board, the principal and the management for taking up the initiative to do the fundraising to do the building themselves, rather than waiting for the government to do that."
A fundraising committee, led by deputy chairman of the school Jeff Kelage, has been set up to raise the estimated K2 million necessary to rebuild the classrooms.
Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane has been invited to launch the fundraising drive at the school on Friday (September 12).
Pacific Corporate Security Services, through its director Jacob Kaupa, has got the ball rolling by donating K2, 000.
“The school was established in 1990,” Mr Kelage said,
“It has an intake of 1600 students annually.
“In April last year, two two-storey buildings housing eight classrooms and four office blocks, including the head teacher’s house, were destroyed b y fire.
“Another two-storey building next to it, housing four classrooms, has been condemned by the Building Board as unsafe.
“So all in all, the school now is without 12 classrooms.
“Nearly 600 students are affected: four Grade 4’s, for Grade 5’s and four Grade 6’s.
“They are now using makeshift classrooms under rain trees.
“Some of them are attending classes under rain trees.
“The National Department of Education assured us that these buildings would be replaced within three months.
“They told us that in April last year.
“Three months passed, and now it’s over a year, but nothing has been done.
“We are right next to the Department of Education but nothing has been done.
“What we’re doing now is that the board has decided to go on a major fundraising campaign.
“We will officially launch the fundraising campaign on the 12th of September.
“The launching will be officiated by the Governor-General.
“We have started sending out letters of appeal.
“This is where Pacific Corporate Security Services has come in.
“They are the very first to come in.”
Mr Kaupa said his company had decided to assist the school after being informed of its plight by Mr Kelage.
“I totally condemn the actions of a few individuals who want to serve their own interests by burning down classrooms that serve the Five, Six, Seven, Eight and Nine-Mile communities, Moitaka Wildlife and ATS,” he said,
“As a community leader, I request that those responsible be brought to justice.
“We, as parents and concerned citizens, should not only rely on government to rebuild the school.
“I appeal to parents, communities, business houses and any person out there who wants to assist in one way or another, to help put these classrooms back.
“Having said that, Pacific Corporate Security has donated K2, 000 to assist the fundraising committee.
“Like any other school in NCD, that school has been looked down upon since last year, when they lost two of two of their double classrooms and the third one has been condemned by the Building Board.
“With that, I’d like to thank the school board, the principal and the management for taking up the initiative to do the fundraising to do the building themselves, rather than waiting for the government to do that."
Fuel prices “the cheapest in months”
Port Moresby: THE retail price of fuel provided from InterOil’s Port Moresby refinery has fallen for the second consecutive month.
The reduction applies to the full range of fuels and includes kerosene, gasoline, diesel, zoom and jet fuel.
InterOil President Bill Jasper described it as “a continuation of last month’s positive and most welcome trend”.
“Kerosene prices are at their lowest level in four months”.
“Diesel hasn’t been this cheap since April and gasoline prices are at their lowest since March”.
“In fact, this is the largest single price drop since late last year”.
He said the recently announced September pump prices reflect the decreased demand for crude oil and refined fuels on the international market.
It also follows an increased output of OPEC nations.
Mr. Jasper described it as “the classic demand and supply equation”.
“The greater the international demand, the higher the price … but when demand eases, prices begin to stabilize and then fall”.
“It is good news but underlines the degree to which domestic fuel prices are the mercy of international forces”.
“Again it is evident that the major factors controlling local prices are external to our (PNG) economy”.
“Neither we, the Government nor the ICCC can control these forces. Often we cannot even predict just how far the pendulum will swing”, Mr. Jasper said.
“However, the current downward trend will be welcomed by governments, businesses and private consumers.”
“After months of pain our customers now have some relief”.
“Among these are the many families that use a range of fuels for both domestic and travel purposes”, he said.
“It is also good news for our business”.
“Lower crude oil prices mean that less of our working capital is tied up in oil shipments and crude stocks in storage facilities”, Mr. Jasper said.
He said that consumers throughout the world were also benefiting for the current lower prices.
“We are part of the international oil-consuming community and whatever happens overseas also effects us here in Papua New Guinea”.
Mr. Jasper said that this month’s price reduction was no guarantee of future trends.
“Domestic fuel prices will continue to be determined by international forces”.
For further in formation and to arrange media interviews contact:
Susuve Laumaea
Senior Manager Media Relations InterOil Corporation
Ph: (675) 321 7040
Mobile: (675) 684 5168
Email: susuve.laumaea@interoil.com
The reduction applies to the full range of fuels and includes kerosene, gasoline, diesel, zoom and jet fuel.
InterOil President Bill Jasper described it as “a continuation of last month’s positive and most welcome trend”.
“Kerosene prices are at their lowest level in four months”.
“Diesel hasn’t been this cheap since April and gasoline prices are at their lowest since March”.
“In fact, this is the largest single price drop since late last year”.
He said the recently announced September pump prices reflect the decreased demand for crude oil and refined fuels on the international market.
It also follows an increased output of OPEC nations.
Mr. Jasper described it as “the classic demand and supply equation”.
“The greater the international demand, the higher the price … but when demand eases, prices begin to stabilize and then fall”.
“It is good news but underlines the degree to which domestic fuel prices are the mercy of international forces”.
“Again it is evident that the major factors controlling local prices are external to our (PNG) economy”.
“Neither we, the Government nor the ICCC can control these forces. Often we cannot even predict just how far the pendulum will swing”, Mr. Jasper said.
“However, the current downward trend will be welcomed by governments, businesses and private consumers.”
“After months of pain our customers now have some relief”.
“Among these are the many families that use a range of fuels for both domestic and travel purposes”, he said.
“It is also good news for our business”.
“Lower crude oil prices mean that less of our working capital is tied up in oil shipments and crude stocks in storage facilities”, Mr. Jasper said.
He said that consumers throughout the world were also benefiting for the current lower prices.
“We are part of the international oil-consuming community and whatever happens overseas also effects us here in Papua New Guinea”.
Mr. Jasper said that this month’s price reduction was no guarantee of future trends.
“Domestic fuel prices will continue to be determined by international forces”.
For further in formation and to arrange media interviews contact:
Susuve Laumaea
Senior Manager Media Relations InterOil Corporation
Ph: (675) 321 7040
Mobile: (675) 684 5168
Email: susuve.laumaea@interoil.com
Goroka school boys rugby league stages its grand final
By RUSSELL DEKA HARADA
Last Saturday afternoon, Goroka had fine weather and a cool wind blew through town as we awaited the grand final games of the Goroka (Eastern Highlands) school boy’s rugby league,
Many schools around Goroka district, Daulo and Ungai-Bena took part in this year’s competition with total 21 teams from community, primary, high, secondary and international schools fielding teams in Under 14, Under 16 and Under 18.
Our team Iufi-iufa Raiders Under 14 made it into this year’s grand final.
Last year we won the Under 16 grand final but this year lost in the semi-final last week.
Last year Under 14 drew in the grand final.
Iufi-iufa boys played with Goroka International School.
The GIS boys played very well in the first half and scored a centre try to lead 4-0 at halftime.
At the half time the board chair man of the school and the former team manager of the Goroka Lahanis, Himony Lapiso, told the boys: "Enjoy your game and play like this is your home ground.”
Our boys played beautifully in the second half, but the National Park field is not level, so it was difficult to score.
Around the 35-minute mark we scored a successfully-converted centre try to win 6-4.
Team coach Eddie ‘Three Wheel’ Tom is a disabled person who lost his right arm in a traffic accident, however, always says, “disability is my ability”.
Rintenbe High School beat Faniufa Primary School in Under 16’s while Faniufa Primary School beat Goroka International School in Under 18’s.
Selected boys will go on and play in Lae and Kimbe.
Hope they can show good ‘Nokondi spirit’ there.
I am an assistant team manager of the Iufi-Iufa school boys amd fully enjoy the games in ‘Kol Peles Goroka.
I would like to thank the organising team of the league.
I hope the competition continues for the long haul and provides future rugby league players to the nation.
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