Well-known Papua New Guinea Henry Kila died at 2pm yesterday from a suspected heart attack.
Mr Kila was a well-known insurance man, leading sports personality and a prominent figure in government and private sector relations.
Monday, January 04, 2010
LNG projects open floodgates for massive building and construction boom in Papua New Guinea
The green lights for the two massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in Papua New Guinea (InterOil pictured above) has opened the floodgates for a massive building and construction boom to take place all over the country.
The US$15 billion (K42b) PNG LNG project last Dec 8 got the okay from project developers Esso Highlands Ltd, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil Corp and partners Oil Search Ltd, Santos Ltd, Nippon, Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC), and Eda Oil.
Just before Christmas, the Project (Gas) Agreement for the US$6b (K17b) Elk/Antelope LNG project from
Prominent building commentator George Tipping, a past president of the PNG Institute of Builders, must have had a crystal ball in hand when he boldly predicted last year that the approval of the LNG projects would be the impetus for a massive building and construction boom never before seen in this country.
“What does the future hold for the building and property industry in PNG?” he said then.
“The following prediction excludes the impact of both Exxon Mobil and Interoil LNG plants and is based on supply and demand and other influences that are occurring now as well as known planned projects.
“Despite the internal impediments of higher interest rates, inflation, hesitation by some PNG investors due to the global economic conditions (GEC), slow National Capital District Commission and utility service providers’ approvals, it is my prediction that the current building and property boom will continue at a high level of activity, particularly for large projects.
“How long will this boom last? That is the hard question to answer.
“My crystal ball suggests we have another three to four years before the boom slows to more-manageable levels.
“However, if the Exxon Mobil LNG project is confirmed, then we will have a scenario of a much larger building and property boom making the current boom seem small by comparison.”
Port Moresby's fountain of youth
All over
For instance, at Gerehu Stage Two, a fountain was opened on Christmas night by Mr Parkop to a spectacular display of fireworks.
This was the second such fountain after the first one at Five-Mile.
Last year, two year basketball courts and two volleyball courts went up, which gave young people something useful to keep them occupied.
Towards the end of 2008, playground facilities were set up, bringing so much joy and enjoyment to children.
The NCD Commission spends a lot of money on facilities, and the least we can do, as responsible citizens, is to have a sense of ownership and take care of them.
Such facilities also keep our young people occupied and away from a life of alcohol, drugs, and crime.
Chinese style assassination attempt in Port Moresby
By JULIA DAIA BORE in The National,
TWO Chinese nationals have been arrested for attempting to murder a prominent
The suspects currently behind bars at the Boroko are from
Both men cannot speak any English or Tok Pisin although police said one of the suspects worked in a
Police yesterday also said both suspects’ entry into the country is also under investigations.
The businessman who escaped with injuries to his arm is Jason Tan, the managing director of Erima J-Mart.
Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Awan Sete told a media conference yesterday Mr Tan was shot at five times as he was driving into his home at Paga Hill in
Sete said Mr Tan unknowing drove into the driveway of his home.
As he approached his home at about 3.30pm last Saturday, two gunmen concealed themselves in the vicinity and fired five shots at his car.
One bullet from one of the five shots wounded Mr Tan on his arm, Mr Sete said.
The gunmen escaped in a car.
Mr Tan immediately alerted the police and a mobile squad intercepted the suspects at Baruni.
Two semi automatic handguns and ammunitions were found in their vehicle.
Changjiang Gao, 36, and Xue Zhufu, 38, were charged with attempted murder and are awaiting court appearance.
Mr Sete said: “This latest incident confirms the existence of Asian Triad operatives in
He said one of the firearms was registered to an individual whom they refused to identify. He said they were checking the ownership of the second gun.
Police are using an interpreter to interview the suspects.
The Chinese Embassy has been informed of their arrest.
He added that this attack comes a few weeks after assassins’ attempt on the country’s Chief Ombudsman Chronox Manek, “indicating that criminals are being used to assassinate people. I reassure residents in
Mr Sete commended his men for the quick response to apprehend the suspects and also called upon the public with any information on the incident to assist the police.
Metropolitan superintendent Fred Yakasa said he was worried about a new trend in crime in which people were being paid to kill.
“It is a frightening situation. It is involving Asians against Asians, or Asians using Papua New Guineans to kill.”
Mr Yakasa said if these two suspects were not caught, people would have pinned the blame of the attack on Mr Tan on Papua New Guineans, and even link it to the anti-Asian emails that have been going around.
“This (murder attempt) could be linked to business jealousy. We have to be concerned about the trend.”
He said they have identified two names of suspects in connection with the attempt on Mr Manek’s life, and were continuing their investigations.
Rudd sits on hands while Papua New Guinea relations languish
By KEITH JACKSON in A PNG Attitude
AFTER AN energetic start to repair what was a fraying relationship between Australia and PNG, prime minister Kevin Rudd appears to be running out of puff.
Following his election a little over two years ago, Mr Rudd moved swiftly to renew ties between the two neighbouring countries.
He held out the hand of friendship to prime minister Somare and appointed PNG veteran, Duncan Kerr, to the Pacific Island Affairs portfolio.
But there are signs that fatigue has crept into the relationship.
Mr Kerr stepped down as parliamentary secretary in November and so far no replacement has been announced, even though the government had some months warning of the resignation.
Similarly, a new high commissioner to Port Moresby was expected to have been appointed more than a month ago, but the wires have gone strangely dead.
Australia's hapless aid agency AusAID has, inter alia, been recently taken to task by a Federal parliamentary committee and the subject of a critical report by the Australian National Audit Office without so much as a breath of comment from the government.
The civil situation in PNG, in a progressive state of decline despite an incipient resources boom, has so far not attracted any public commentary from the Australian government.
Meanwhile, the influence of the Chinese government grows rapidly in the Pacific, with PNG now looking to China to contest Australia's influence in the region.
And Somare saw fit to cock a snook at the Australian and New Zealand governments over Fiji, as a new and cavalier Melanesian brotherhood formed.
Pacific diplomacy Howard style was to look down on the islands from 40,000 feet as an interesting piece of geography on the way to the US.
Pacific diplomacy Rudd style seems to be to make sympathetic noises and then do nothing.
I hope I'm wrong and that a regiment of public servants is even now washing the Bateman's Bay sand from its hair ready to embark on a cunning plan to better equip the relationship for a robust future.
How green is Port Moresby
With the recent rains, Port Moresby is looking so green, and pretty as a picture.
This augers well for the year and all things point to a very good year for the capital city and Papua New Guinea as a whole.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
NARI wins three EU-ACP grant awards
By SENIORL ANZU of NARI
The projects under the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Science and Technology (S&T) Programme will be implemented in three Western Pacific Countries - PNG,
NARI Director-General Dr Raghunath Ghodake (pictured) revealed this last week saying “it has been a superb achievement by NARI to win funding for three capacity development projects in this highly competitive call from the European Union to the African,
“This is a Christmas present to PNG, NARI and its Western Pacific partners,” Dr Ghodake said.
“The ACP Science and Technology (S&T) Programme is an ACP-EU co-operation programme to support ACP countries in strengthening research, development and innovation as well as in formulating and implementing S&T policies for sustainable development and poverty reduction.”
A total of nine research and development (R&D) organisations from these countries will benefit from the initiatives.
The award winning projects are:
· Capacity development for research planning, programming and implementation in agricultural R&D institutions in PNG,
· Capacity development in conservation and utilization of invaluable plant genetic resources; and
· Capacity building in core research-related competencies and networking among staff of the agricultural research institutions.
Dr Ghodake said appropriate human resource capacity was essential for conducting and promotion of agricultural innovations for enhancing productivity, efficiency, and sustainability of the smallholder agricultural sector.
“However, most research and development institutions in the Pacific lack this capacity and the projects will address this problem,” he added.
While NARI is the project leader, the regional partners are the Solomon Islands Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and Vanuatu Agricultural Research and Technical Centre.
The project associates are the Fresh Produce Development Agency, Coffee Industry Corporation, Cocoa Coconut Institute, PNG Women in Agriculture Development Foundation (PNG), Kastom Gaden Association (
The projects will be co-ordinated from a newly-established office at the NARI headquarters in Lae with project offices in
The project call was open to national and regional science and technology organizations, universities, and research networks in 79 ACP member states, 27 member states, three candidate countries of EU, and the three member states of the European Free Trade Association.
“This is a unique achievement for PNG, NARI and its partners. We sincerely thank the EU-ACP S&T Programme for awarding these projects,” Dr Ghodake said.
The bid was made in March 2008.
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