Malum Nalu

Thursday, May 17, 2012

In Port Moresby today: Thursday, May 17, 2012

The good, the bad, and the ugly of Port Moresby as captured through my camera lens today.
May they inspire you towards working together for a better Port Moresby and Papua New Guinea.
Enjoy.

This lady is placing cans on the road at Hohola for vehicles to flatten. All pictures@MALUM NALU

Two ladies and cans at Hohola

A taxi takes a free card wash at a Hohola drain

Car wash...gratis!

Holiday Inn extension

See how clean the streets are without the curse of buai pekpek!

I'd rather have more peanuts sold on the streets than buai!

Buai pekpek and other litter outside Mobil Service Station, Waigani!

A dramatic change as buai selling is stopped outside BSP Waigani

One thing I've noticed over the last couple of days. especially on my beeline to work, is that the streets are clean and there's not that much buai pekpek. I met this group of young fellas sitting outside BSP Waigani today and they told me ...that they've been given special orders by City Hall to ensure that there is no buai selling in public places. Good start, however, people are still spitting away uncontrollably like machine guns!

Outside BSP Waigani today minus buai

Chock-a-block along Spring Garden Road!

Vehicle trying to join the main Spring Garden road

Traffic along Spring Garden Road

A lonely street sign

Garden City, Boroko

Outside Garden City, Boroko

Street scene, Boroko

Outside Boroko police station

An enigma: When will this 'fresh food market' at Boroko open?

5-Mile roundabout

I like this signboard at 5-Mile

Road works at 5-Mile

Along National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) studios, 5-Mile

Beauty of nature at 5-Mile

Road works at 5-Mile

Looking down towards Sioni Kamu Church from 5-Mile

Crowd waiting anxiously for PMVs at bemobile bus stop, Waigani

Afternoon traffic along Waigani Drive

ANZ: Growth outlook for PNG looks strong

By MALUM NALU
The growth outlook for PNG remains strong, supported by government spending, commodity prices and the construction of the LNG project, according to the ANZ Pacific Economic Quarterly report released yesterday (Wednesday), The National reports.

The LNG project site outside Port Moresby… ongoing construction of the LNG project should continue to support projected growth of 7% in 2012.-Nationalpic by MALUM NALU

It also highlighted that political tensions had eased as the national elections approach.
“The construction of the LNG project, government-donor funded projects and strong private sector activity growth saw employment grow 6.2% year-year-on in Q4 (fourth quarter) 2011,” the report said.
“Credit growth slowed to 6.8% year-on-year in Q4 2011 compared to 10.6% previously.
“Though slowing growth is having a lesser impact on inflation, the central bank is concerned by high levels of liquidity from increased government spending and foreign currency inflows that may potentially threaten price stability.”
The report said high liquidity concerns saw the central bank endeavour to tighten monetary policy in Q1 this year through new central bank bills and an increase in banks’ cash reserve requirements, from 1% to 7%.
“However, the tightening approach did little to arrest a decline in interest rates: the 28-day bill rate stood at 2.40% at March-end and declined to 2.24% in early May,” it said.
“The kina has appreciated 3.9% against USD (US Dollar) so far this year.
“Inflation pressures will ease further if businesses pass on the currency’s strengthening to consumers.
“Recent political tensions have eased on the government’s commitment to issue writs on May 18 to be followed by a five-week election campaign.
“While the economic outlook for 2012 remains positive, softer commodity prices may result in a budget deficit.
“Government spending and ongoing construction of the LNG project should continue to support projected growth of 7% in 2012.
“We anticipate interest rates to remain under downward pressure, unless the central bank imposes further tightening measures.”

The street that Sir Mekere Morauta forgot!

By MALUM NALU

Welcome to my street...Notice that our road at Hohola 4 has completely gone, an instantaneous drain when it rains.
The paradox is that Moresby North West MP Sir Mekere Morauta has been doing big things for PNG, however, can't do little things like patch up this road.
Unfortunately, we'll have to suffer, as Sir Mek has thrown in the towel and won't be contesting this year.
He would have lost, anyway, it it would have been poetic justice for our long-suffering denizens to kick your butt!
Sir Mek (he told parliament on Tuesday) will be relaxing on his big boat, fishing and sipping red wine while we continue to suffer.
I doubt if the suffering of our children will bother your conscience, and besides, you're far removed from us in your ivory tower at Touaguba Hill.
Enjoy your red wine, Sir Mek!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

In Port Moresby today: May 16, 2012

Pictures from in and around Port Moresby today, especially around the Hohola and Waigani area in Port Moresby.
Enjoy.

What remains of our street at Hohola 4.-All pictures@MALUM NALU

My good mate Dominic Krau and his missus walking along our street in Hohola this morning. Notice that our road has completely gone, an instantaneous drain when it rains. The paradox is that Moresby North West MP Sir Mekere Morauta has been doing big things for PNG, however, can't do little things like patch up this road. Unfortunately, we'll have to suffer, as Sir Mek has thrown in the towel and won't be contesting this year

My photo of the day. A betelenut seller cleans up all the buai pekpek and other litter made by inconsiderate arseholes outside Mobil Service Station, Waigani, before plying her trade

Holiday Inn

Sun play over Waigani

bemobile bus stop, Waigani

Walkway along Waigani Drive

BSP Wagani

bemobile bus stop

The place is looking much cleaner thee days

Walking down Waigani Drive

Crossing Waigani Drive

A roadside corn garden along busy Waigani Drive

A roadside corn garden along busy Waigai Drive

A clean market

Sunlight over Waigani

Outside The National newspaper office

I love the plants outside The National office

Duma denies terminating Gulf LNG Project

By MALUM NALU
Petroleum and Energy Minister William Duma yesterday (Tuesday) denied that the government had terminated the Gulf LNG Project, The National reports.

Duma at the PNG LNG site outside Port Moresby last Friday.-Nationalpic by MALUM NALU

He, however, confirmed that the government had served warning on InterOil about deviating from the Gulf LNG Project Agreement of December 23, 2009.
Duma made the denial when asked to comment on stories widely circulating on the internet that his department planned to cancel approval for InterOil’s “US $6 billion liquefied natural gas complex but it was confident the project could be saved”.
InterOil said the government had no right to end the agreement and that it had the support of Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, who faces an election June.
Duma, in reply, said he represented the government in his capacity as minister for petroleum and energy.
“We (government) are only warning InterOil that they are deviating from the project agreement,” he told The National.
“If they continue to deviate serve notice, through to termination, if you continue to disregard us.
“If InterOil are saying that they’ve been terminated, that’s not the case.
“We are only warning them, we are not terminating them.
“We have not cancelled the project.
“We’ve been urging them for the last two years to get the project up and running before the 2012 elections.
“I’ve been very patient.”
The Gulf LNG Project was signed with much fanfare just before Christmas in 2009.
Following approval of the agreement by the National Executive Council on December 10, 2009, Duma and acting Governor-General Dr Allan Marat signed the agreement securing PNG’s second LNG project.
The signing was witnessed by then Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare.
The agreement sets fiscal terms for a 20-year period, which include a 30% company tax rate and certain exemptions applicable to large scale projects of this nature.
It also provides for a 20.5% ownership stake to be held by the PNG government’s nominee, Petromin PNG Holdings Ltd.
A further 2% ownership stake will be taken by landowners directly affected by the plant.
All that, however, is now at stake.

Government seeks to terminate InterOil's Gulf LNG project

By MALUM NALU

The government has served notice on Liquid Niugini Gas Ltd LNGL) – a project company jointly owned by Pacific LNG Operations Ltd and InterOil Corporation - that it intends to terminate the Gulf LNG Project Agreement of December 23, 2009, The National reports.
LNGL has been given 180 days (six months) as of last Friday to show cause as to why the agreement should not be terminated as the government accused it of deviating from the project agreement.
Petroleum and Energy secretary Rendle Rimua dropped the bombshell in a notice of intent to terminate the LNGL project agreement delivered to InterOil on Monday.
He also made it clear that LNGL did not have either one of three compulsory licenses, hence, should not go around making public statements.
According to the notice, LNGL had, by its conduct, demonstrated that it “has no intention of taken any steps under the project agreement (PA) in relation to the project”; and “is instead seeking to progress the Gulf LNG Project”.
“After 180 days, if we don’t resolve this, we will terminate the project agreement,” Rimua told The National yesterday (Tuesday).
“We are still waiting for them (LNGL) to reply.
“Really, they (LNGL) haven’t done anything (about the project agreement).
“As far as the government is concerned, the minister (for Petroleum and Energy William Duma) is the one who signed the project agreement.
“All notices are served by myself, nobody else.”
Rimua said the decision to serve notice on LNGL for project deviation was made after lengthy consultation between senior bureaucrats and lawyers.
“It’s been a team effort,” he said.
“We looked at it very carefully before we made a decision.
“The onus is on them (LNGL) now.
“They have to come good now, renegotiate, whatsoever.
“We’ve told them time and time again and it’s reached this stage.
“Government has made a decision that it doesn’t accept that.
“That’s always been our position since 2009.
“We’ve been telling them that they’ve been deviating from the project agreement.
“State has finally come up and said that we’ve had enough.
“We’ve issued notice because they are deviating.
“The project agreement is between them and us.
“In this case, we don’t like what they are doing.”
Rimua said LNGL did not have either one of three compulsory licenses.
“The project currently does not have a license,” he said.
“What they will require is three forms of license: Petroleum Development License (PDL); Pipeline License (PL); and Petroleum Processing Facility License (PPFL).
“That’s the first problem.”
LNGL, according to its website, has been established to build and operate a gas processing facility delivering LNG and on-shore LNG processing in PNG.