Fuel flows to Mount Hagen

Fuel is again flowing into Mount Hagen.

InterOil announced the resumption of deliveries into the region following the re-opening the Highlands Highway near Mindina.

For almost a fortnight, a section of the Highway was closed to heavy vehicles because of damage caused by a landslip.

InterOil Products Limited General Manager Peter Diezmann said the company’s regional fuel depot had run dry of both gasoline (ULP) and diesel.

“Supplies into Mount Hagen have been disrupted since late February and there have been no deliveries at all for the past 12 days.

“The region was in dire straits and for more than a week the entire community was without fuel.

“It’s a situation that no one in Mount Hagen would ever want repeated”.

“The people of the Highlands were left stranded by a combination of weather and the perilous state of repair of the roadway.”

Mr. Diezmann said a convoy of three fuel tankers arrived at InterOil’s Mount Hagen Depot early yesterday (Thursday).

Two of them each carried a load of 40,000 litres of much-needed diesel fuel.

The third tanker was laden with Jet A-1 bound for the Kagamuga aviation facility.

Four more tankers are currently en route to Mount Hagen.

Three are carrying diesel and the other ULP.  These tankers will begin discharging their loads today (Friday)

InterOil and its major haulage contractor have put together a recovery plan to restore normal stocks to the regional depot.

“Hopefully we’ll be carrying our full inventory within the next fortnight”, Mr. Diezmann said.

“However this is dependent on there being no future road closures of this major highway.

“Hopefully the recent repairs will ensure the Highway remains in a safe and sound condition, regardless of the weather:”

 

For further information

 

Susuve Laumaea

Senior Manager Media Relations - InterOil Corporation

Ph: (675)321 7040

Mobile: (675) 684 5168

Email: susuve.laumaea@interoil.com  

 

 

Papua New Guinea MPs out of touch with reality

By IAN TAUKURO

 

What was your reaction to the news in both dailies today that our MP's have voted themselves a hefty increase for housing and vehicle allowances? Was it shock? Exasperation? Or, all of this and more?

Well, I'm just as outraged as you my brother's and sisters!

For one thing, don't you think it is an appalling act in light of the flooding disaster in the highlands which has affected many people there? (As I understand it relief supplies and assistance in general for the affected people is quite slow in getting to the affected areas.)

I mean, how can the king eat cake when his people are starving? (Imagine the MP's in the Australian parliament voting themselves a pay rise while the Victorian bushfires raged!) 

Yes, once again, our MP's have demonstrated that they are truly out of touch with the rest of us who do hard time day in, day out.

In the rarefied air of that plush Haus Tambaran, they are snugly cocooned, isolated even and, as a result, rendered oblivious to the real life situation in PNG. Just take a look around the place ... our children's schools are falling apart, the roads in our country remain in a perpetual state of disrepair and our nurses, who only want a few more kina for their efforts, keep getting the run-around from the government.

Add to this the low morale of the entire public service as a result of ineffectual management, low pay, no housing, etc, and you have the makings of a civil service on the verge of collapse.

While this deplorable state of affairs goes on and on and on, billions of kina that could be used to improve the situation lie unused and, hopefully untouched too, in trust accounts.

What really gets me about what the MP's have done is that they have the power to regulate the housing industry/market through legislation so that prices and rentals are made more affordable for everyone but, no, they choose the easy and convenient way out: more pay in their wallets so they can afford an apartment in Touaguba and perhaps a Humvee too!

I was going to end my email here and send it off into cyberspace for you all to read and digest but I happened across the item in The Drum of the Post-Courier about an MP seen playing computer games on his laptop while parliament was in session ... Enough words! Somebody please take a flamethrower to that building ... NOW!!!!!

 

Ian

 

 

Papua New Guinea MPs' perks up

Housing, car allowances to increase by 42-50%

 

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

 

MEMBERS of Parliament are set to give themselves a 42% rise in accommodation allowances and a further 50% increase in vehicle allowances, The National reports.

The 35th Report of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) presented to Parliament on Wednesday afternoon by SRC member and Public Service Minister Peter O’Neill, on behalf of the Speaker, recommended the increase to Parliament.

The Speaker is chairman of the SRC.

Members will vote on the measure soon.

Mr O’Neill, on behalf of the SRC, said the report related to the accommodation allowance which, from complaints that had been received, was far below the amount charged by real estate companies and, as a result, many MPs end up staying with wantoks in the settlements whenever they come to Port Moresby. Mr O’Neill said the SRC, through its contacts, had established that the recent increase on charges for rental accommodation imposed by real estate companies was around 42%.

“The commission does not always increase the accommodation allowance whenever there is an increase in rental charges, however, in this instance because of the difficulties being experienced by leaders in securing reasonable accommodation in Port Moresby, the commission had decided to recommend an increase along the same level as imposed by the real estate companies,” Mr O’Neill said.

The second matter that the report dealt with related to vehicle allowance.

Mr O’Neill said the SRC was aware that the type of vehicle (a Mazda 929), upon which the vehicle allowance was originally determined, was no longer sold in Papua New Guinea.

“This meant that another vehicle type will need to be determined in order to update the allowance base. This will be done in due course.

“In the meantime, Mr Speaker, the commission has decided to recommend an increase of 50% on all vehicle allowances.

“I recommend the report to the honourable Members of the House.”

According to figures taken from the SRC determination of 2007, released on July 1, the Prime Minister, Speaker, Deputy Prime Minister and Opposition leader and ministers enjoy a vehicle allowance of K49, 500 and drivers get K7, 150 annually.

This will now be increased to about K75, 000 and drivers’ pay to increase to about K12, 000 per annum.

Vice-ministers, chairmen of parliamentary committees and the deputy Speaker are now receiving an official vehicle allowance of K42, 075, which will increase to about K63, 000.

MPs receive a vehicle allowance of K24, 750 each and that will increase to K40, 000.

For accommodation, the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Speaker and leader of Opposition currently receive K1, 400 a week, which is likely to increase to around K2, 100 a week.

Ministers and chairmen of parliamentary committees get K1,200 a week, deputy Speaker, vice-ministers, deputy chairmen of committees get around K900 a week while Opposition and Government whips get K800 a week.

Ordinary MPs receive around K700 a week and will see an increase of 42% with the recommended increase in accommodation allowances.

 

Eastern Highlands vegetable farmers get a new depot, thanks to New Zealand

Captions: 1. The Nomari Fresh Food Marketing Depot after the opening. 2.  FPDA general manager Ambassador Aiwa Olmi, New Zealand Deputy High Commissioner Alistair  Crozier and other invited guests at the opening. 3. New Zealand Deputy High Commissioner Alistair Crozier cutting the ribbon to officially open the Nomari Fresh Food Marketing Depot.

By GARY FAGAN of Fresh Produce Development Agency

RURAL vegetable farmers in the Mando area of Eastern Highlands province no longer have to worry about the difficulties of getting their fresh produce to market.
They now have a new fresh food marketing depot in the village at which they can easily sell their produce.
 Nomari fresh food marketing depot came about with the assistance of the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA).
 FPDA is a government-funded agency responsible for developing a commercially-orientated supply chain of fresh food, and mandated to improve the performance of the fruit and vegetable industry by providing expert assistance in the area of training, research and information.
 “It’s a dream come true and something that we have waited for a long time,” said farmer Veronica Wasari.
“My problems are now over.
“I don’t have to worry anymore about the hardships I face in finding transport to take my fresh produce into Goroka town markets.
“I can sell them right here in my village.”
The depot was officially opened by the New Zealand Deputy High Commissioner Alistair Crozier.
He was accompanied by Therron McIvor, a representative from the Foreign Affairs Pacific Division of the New Zealand (NZ) High Commission.
Mr Crozier his government over the last few years had been assisting PNG in terms of funding such projects to develop its fresh produce industry.
He said so far New Zealand has supported about 200 PNG students to undertake studies in various disciplines in different educational institutions.
“We want to help the people of Papua New Guinea, however, you have to be committed in what you are doing before we can be able to assist you,” Mr Crozier said.
 “The New Zealand aid is like a seed planted in the ground and it is up to you to look after it and make it grow and bear fruit.”
 Outgoing FPDA general manager Ambassador Aiwa Olmi challenged the people to allocate land if they wanted to see development in their province.
He said FPDA had been trying to set up a permanent headquarter in Goroka but was unable to do so because there was no available land.
In 2007, the Nomari fresh food marketing depot started with a handful of youths, led by now chairman of the depot Rocky Aimo, with the idea of keeping the youths away from illegal activities and get them in living meaningful lives.
With support from FPDA, in terms of providing training on farming techniques, helping them to source markets and later guiding them to secure a funding of K47, 000 from NZ Aid, the group was able to construct the depot.
Mr Aimo first started off as a village extension worker attached to FPDA.
He said the depot would serve as a fresh produce chilling and storage facility.
Mr Aimo said so far the depot had shipped over 200 tonnes of fresh vegetables. 
From the money raised, the depot was able to buy a new truck to transport fresh produce to Lae to be shipped to South Seas Tuna in Wewak.

Pineapple processing in South Fly

Captions: 1. Participants of the pineapple training workshop at Daru High School. 2. A participant from Dimiri village (left) and South Fly agricutltural officer Ginoi Waina trying out the grating and filtering stages of making pineapple juice. 3. Dimiri participants and trainers posing for a group photo after the pineapple processing training at Daru High School. 4. Isidora Ramita of NARI showing the formation of pineapple jam jelly during one of the demonstrations on fruit processing.

By JOSEPHINE YAGA      

Fruit farmers in Western province can now produce their own juice and jams from pineapple, thanks to National Agriculture Research Institute for training on food processing which was conducted recently in Daru.
Thirty fruit farmers in the Dimiri area of Moreheard LLG, South Fly district, attended the two-day training conducted by NARI food technologist Isidora Ramita.
It was facilitated by James Ernest of NARI Laloki and Ginoi Waina of division of agriculture, South Fly.
It was part of the Morehead Food Security Support Project funded by PNG Sustainable Development Programme and NARI in 2008.
Mr Ernest said commercial production of fruits and vegetables was increasing in some parts of PNG.
 However, during post-harvest and delivery to markets, there is substantial lose of produce due to over ripening or rotting and careless handling.  
He said fruit producers generally lacked the skills and techniques in proper processing, preservation and adding value to their produce.
Mr Ernest, who is also the coordinator of this technology transfer project, noted in the training report that pineapple farmers in the Dimiri community planted some 26,000 pineapples as an income generating project initiated by the villagers themselves.
The pineapples were harvested and sold at the local market in Daru town for K 2 to K4 a fruit but the villagers could not sell all the harvests, resulting in a huge lose due to over ripening.
After identifying the problem, NARI organised the raining workshop last December.
Mr Ernest said the project provided an alternative by training the producers the simple food processing technologies on making pineapple juice and jams.
 It was also aimed at reducing transportation cost and adding value to the produce which can be sold to earn higher income or extended storage for later use.
He said one of the key components of the project was to provide appropriate farmer trainings to enhance skills and knowledge of the rural people both in farming practices and simple food processing technologies.
The participants stated that the training was the first of its kind to be conducted in Daru, particularly in the South Fly, and asked for more.
 According to Mr Ernest, the participants also raised concern about the importance of the training and the need for the trainers and facilitators to have ample time doing awareness of such training to attract more number of potential participants. 

Landmark decision on old Lae airport

Caption: Jubilant Butibam leaders Jonathan Benjamin, Jonathan Saing, Sam Abel, Ali Isaac, Garett Kissinh, Barry Way, Thomas Peleli and lawyer Frankford Dagina.

The Supreme Court today handed down a landmark decision on the controversial old Lae airport land by rejecting an application to stay order taken out by Ahi landowners from Butibam and Kamukumung villages against the Morobe provincial government and the State.
The court noted that the landowners had not been adequately compensated for all anguish and turmoil they had gone through over the years,
It has long been a sore thumb in Lae as Morobe Governor Luther Wenge and his administrator Patilias Gamato fought a war of words both within and out of court against the villagers.
Just a couple of week ago, things came to a head at the old Lae airport, as old Butibam women were manhandled and beaten by Lae police.
Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika, in a short one-page decision, refused the application of the Morobe government and its illegal LEC/LEH Joint Venture Ltd.
Village elders from Butibam and Kamkumung, flanked by their lawyer Frankford Dagina, hailed the Supreme Court decision as a huge victory for their people, who they said had been robbed of their birthright.
They included outspoken Butibam leader Garett Kissing, Ahi Landowners’ Association president Jonathan Saing, general secretary Ali Isaac, Butibam village chairman Jonathan Benjamin and Apo clan leader Sam Abel.
In the National Court, the provincial government was claiming the whole old Lae airport land, under a five-year urban development lease (UDL), which expired on Feb 26, 2009.
The landowners successfully fought in court to dismiss that case, and from which, the provincial government provincial government appealed to the Supreme Court.
“The Morobe provincial government was seeking to stay that order of Feb 13, 2009, on the basis that Morobe provincial government and LEC/LEH Joint Venture have a contract for construction of an access road within the old Lae airport for K3 million,” Mr Dagina said.
“On Monday, March 16, the matter was heard and it was adjourned to today for a decision.
“The Supreme Court had refused the application to stay on this basis:
•       LEC/LEH Joint Venture Ltd is not registered with the Investment Promotion Authority;
•       The five-year UDL had expired on Feb 26, 2009; and
•       The Morobe Provincial Government was in continuous breach of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the State and the landowners signed in 1999.
“In making the decision, the court noted that the landowners are yet to be adequately compensated for the land, pursuant to the Constitution and relevant Acts for the whole of Lae land.”
Emotional Butibam leaders said: “This land issue goes back a very long time.
“It has been through God’s grace that this matter has finally been sorted out, and we are seeking an end to all of this, as after all, we are the legitimate landowners of the old Lae airport and the whole of Lae City.
“We are seeking that the government address our current situation.
“The people of Butibam and Kamkumung really appreciate the decision of the Deputy Chief Justice and the Supreme Court today over the old Lae airport land.
“It is a victory for the oppressed and it’s a victory that gives the people the value of ownership, which has been deprived of us for several decades up to now.
“The people of Butibam and Kamkumung today acknowledge that there is justice, there is fairness, and there is a process that has never been shown in such a way until today.
“Amidst all the legitimised corruption of the Morobe provincial government, we invite the Somare/Temu government to come in and develop Lae City with the direct involvement of the landowners.”

Asia-Pacific agricultural researchers awarded Australian Fellowships

Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, Bob McMullan, today presented the John Dillon Memorial Fellowship award to nine talented agricultural scientists and economists – including three from Papua New Guinea -  from the across the Asia-Pacific region

The Fellowship recipients are visiting Australia at the invitation of the Australian Government for leadership training and to make making valuable connections with Australians working in similar fields during their six-week visit.

“Each member of the group has shown potential to lead research institutes and agencies in our partner countries and will be important contributors to the global effort to fight poverty and secure world food security,”Mr McMullan said.

 “They have each won a John Dillon Fellowship, provided by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, ACIAR, for short-term leadership development opportunities in the area of agricultural research management, agricultural policy and extension technologies to people who are participating in ACIAR-funded programs.” McMullan said. 

The scheme is named in recognition of the late Professor John Dillon who made an outstanding contribution to international agricultural research and research collaboration.  

“This year we are once again hosting an impressive group of people who are doing important work on agricultural development in their countries in collaboration with ACIAR,” said ACIAR CEO, Peter Core.

“They are involved in a range of industries, such as the coffee industry in Papua New Guinea, cattle production in Eastern Indonesia, and in Pakistan’s horticultural industries.”

The group of John Dillon Fellows are in Canberra from 10-20 March, visiting ACIAR, the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation and eWater CRC at the University of Canberra. 

The remainder of the program has been specially tailored to their individual management training needs. 

“The Fellows’ six week visit in Australia commenced with management training at Mt Eliza Business School, and includes training in Canberra and Brisbane.  In addition the Fellows have had placements with Australian R&D organisations in Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra, Wagga Wagga and Sydney, to experience how they manage research in a changing environment,” Mr Core said.

“The John Dillon Fellowship scheme is just one aspect of the valuable capacity building work ACIAR does,” Mr McMullan said.

The 2009 ACIAR John Dillon Fellows include: 

·        Ms Wahida, Coordinator, Collaborative Research Division, Indonesian Center for Agricultural Socio Economic and Policy Studies, Bogor, INDONESIA

·        Dr Marsetyo, Senior Lecturer, Department of Animal Science, University of Tadulako, Palu, INDONESIA

·        Mr Handoko Widagdo, Acting Country Director, World Education Indonesia, Jakarta, INDONESIA

·        Mr Nelson Simbiken, Senior Research Scientist, Papua New Guinea Coffee Industry Corporation, Goroka, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

·        Mr William Kerua, Lecturer, Papua New Guinea University of Technology, Lae, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

·        Mr Don Yakuma, Program Coordinator Forestry, OK Tedi Development Foundation, Tabubil, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

·        Mr Chea Sareth, Deputy Head of Socio-economics and Science Division, Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA 

·        Dr Babar Ehsan Bajwa, Manager (Technical), Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board, Lahore, PAKISTAN

·        Mr Oupakone Alounsavath, Director, Planning and Cooperation, Department of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Vientiane, LAO PDR