Polye cancels K100m projects

WORKS Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Don Polye has halted development projects worth about K100 million in his Kandep electorate after a tribal fight claimed six lives and caused destruction to properties, The National reports.

In making the bold decision, the Minister is sending a clear message to his own people: change your ways or miss out on government services.

Of the six people killed in the fight, four were women who were chopped to death, something which angered Polye and prompted him to terminate the projects.

School children were also victims, with warriors burning down three newly constructed double classrooms.

Mr Polye said the fighting was not election related. It is two groups fighting after an argument over pandanus. He said both groups were his political supporters.

“This is absolutely unacceptable especially the killing of the women and the tribal fights is right in the middle of the Asian Development Bank funded road project,” he told reporters yesterday.

The two ADB funded road programmes totaling over K50 million terminated are the Kandep to Keapal road and Keapal to Laiagam road

Other district service improvement programmes for the district have also been suspended.

All the projects initiated in the electorate total about K100 million.

He said he had decided to terminate these projects until the people came to their senses.

The projects were halted after consultations with the ADB and the Works Department.

Mr Polye said other programmes that would be affected were the Kandep town road upgrading, Nassam Bridge project, feeder roads, agriculture seedling distribution centre and DSIP funded classrooms for schools.

“I am challenging my people that if they want to see services continue they must make decision to stop tribal war.”

Mr Polye warned that he would not hesitate to do the same for areas where people continued to destroy and did not provide a conducive environment for development.

He said it was difficult to bring in these services and appealed to the people to take ownership of the law and order issues.

“We must change our attitude. We must make tough decisions to change a mindset. People who are hostile and do not appreciate services must lose it. I will not encourage work until my people come to their senses.”

Prime Minister to launch women expo tomorrow

Caption: Janet Sape ... big exposure for women

 By DOREEN POLOH WAIM

THE PNG Women in Business (WIB) exposition, set to open in Lae tomorrow, has attracted women entrepreneurs nationwide who want to showcase their businesses, The National reports.

The expo will focus on different business ventures, skills, talent and provide information on how to start a business venture.

Venue of the expo, which runs until Sunday, is at the Sir Ignatius Kilage stadium.

WIB president and businesswoman Janet Sape said the major highlight of the opening would be the expo’s official launch by Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare.

According to Mrs Sape, the event had attracted more than 200 participants, including individuals from the informal and formal sectors, groups and business houses.

The PNGWIB and the City Mothers Business Foundation was formed to represent all women with the purpose of establishing a micro-finance institution to help women, both in the formal and informal sector, with their business.

The keynote speaker for the day will be Minister for Commerce and Industry Gabriel Kapris.

Morobe Governor Luther Wenge will grace the event

Value adding technologies for women at Lae expo

Caption: NARI information sharing at an exhibition at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium in Lae last year

 

By SENIORL ANZU of NARI

 

Women attending the inaugural PNG Women in Business Expo in Lae this weekend will have the opportunity to learn about becoming small entrepreneurs through agriculture.

The National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) in Lae will showcase simple technologies on “adding value” to locally available food resources.

Such displays and exhibitions will be on food processing technologies and livestock development.

NARI staff at Bubia and Labu near Lae will also share new and improved ideas and information on these technologies with interested women.  

The food processing technologies will include jam making using local fruits such as pineapple, flour from sweet potato or kaukau, pops and sweets from sago, and biscuits using cassava.

Women at the three-day expo at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium will also see a demonstration on proper methods of preparing different legume crops such as mung beans and peas for human consumption.

Legumes can substitute fresh meat since they contain an average of 25% protein.

 Legumes with vegetables and staples are a good and nutritious diet for the children.

The livestock programme will share new findings on developing broiler chicken feed using locally available food stuff such as kaukau and cassava.

Poultry farmers in PNG can improve the profitability of village broiler production using such food resources.

Feed rations can be developed using cassava with high energy concentrates and sweet potato with low energy concentrates.

Besides, a demonstration on milking goat will be arranged.

The publications unit will display and sell booklets of a range of new and improved agricultural technologies on food crops, emerging food and cash crops, livestock and resource development issues.

NARI will participate for entire three days starting on Friday during the opening.

 

 

 

 

APEC to hold Ministerial Meeting on Food Security

Issued by the APEC Secretariat

Hiroshima, Japan, 24 February 2010 – While indicators suggest that the Asia-Pacific is recovering from the recent economic crisis, APEC is keeping an eye on food security. 

The remarkable spike in food prices between 2007 and 2008 and the subsequent global economic crisis highlighted the fragility of food security.  In 2009, the undernourished population exceeded one billion people; and estimates indicate that to accommodate a world population of more than 9 billion by 2050, agricultural output must increase by 70 percent.

In a meeting today, Senior APEC Officials discussed key challenges to food security in the region including: improving productivity, nutritional value, and the resilience of crops and livestock; improving human resource capacity in agriculture; bolstering confidence in trade and the ability of global markets to meet food demand; management of natural resources; management of fisheries, aquaculture and marine resources; and improving infrastructure in areas such as irrigation, transportation and storage.

APEC Officials will invite other key stakeholders including business people and food security experts to discuss these issues at an informal dialogue to be held when Officials next meet in Sapporo in May.

Based on these discussions an agenda will be formulated for APEC’s first ever Ministerial Meeting on Food Security.  Food issues have been included in APEC priorities and activities for some time but, today, are more important than ever:

§         Two-thirds of the undernourished population in the world resides in the Asia-Pacific region and more than one third of them in APEC economies;

§         APEC membership includes major players in international agricultural trade, both in exports and imports;

§         Increased food demand attributed to population growth and changes in dietary patterns in the region could bring about instability in the balance of food supply and demand;

§         The extent of interdependence for food is increasing in the Asia-Pacific region due to expanded agricultural trade;

§         Some APEC economies have already experienced social instability – such as food protests and riots – during the food price spike in 2007 – 2008; and

§         Natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis that can affect food supply occur frequently in the Asia-Pacific region.

The first APEC Ministerial Meeting on Food Security will be held on 16–17 October in Niigata, Japan. An APEC Action Plan on Food Security, containing specific projects and initiatives, will be developed during the meeting.

 

For more information, contact:

Carolyn Williams at cdw@apec.org or at (65) 9617 7316

Linda Carroll at lac@apec.org or at (65) 9647 4847

 

Nasfund profit

Members in for 15% windfall

 

 MORE than 300,000 working Papua New Guineans, members of superannuation fund Nasfund, will see their savings increase by 15% starting today, The National reports.

Nasfund joint chief executive officer Ian Tarutia announced the good news yesterday when declaring a net profit (after tax) of K205.617 million for 2009.

This simply means that if you have K10, 000 in your savings, you can expect a windfall of K1, 500.

“In fact, it is happening now as our systems are down to allow crediting into members’ accounts,” Mr Tarutia said.

As of midday yesterday, Nasfund shut down its normal daily operations to allow crediting to take place for its 126,812 active and non-active 186,222 members, including Eda Super contributors. Normal operations would resume today.

In total NasFund is crediting K213.5 million to the members’ accounts on the back of the fund’s excellent gains in the equity portfolio.

While the 15% interest rate was good news for members, NasFund cautioned members not to expect another double-digit return this year.

Last year, members received 8% after the record 37% in 2007, 10% in 2006 and 29% in 2005.

Mr Tarutia said Nasfund was cautious with this year “on the back of what is happening in the international economy.”

“The international environment remains uncertain at this point in time and there is potential for a double dip recession,” he said, adding indications were that this year’s rate may be slightly higher than the predicated 9.5% inflation rate.

He said the 15% rate came about as a result of last year’s financial results. These included: a net profit (after tax) of K205.617 million; net asset value of K1.7 billion; and in the other highlights the fund grew by 21% (compared to 19% in 2008) with the number of active employers that the Fund has is 1,784 representing a growth of 7.5% over last year; 123 employers’ net going into the fund; and active membership base as of Dec 31 was 126,812 members.

Mr Tarutia said Nasfund staff, management and the board were pleased with the results, adding the Management Expenditure Ratio (MER) was 1.12% down 0.13% from 1.25% in 2008.

“MER measures the efficiency of the fund…basically what we spent in administering the fund and the total asset value. This compares to 1.25% in 2008 so as we are growing and becoming more efficient in the use of assets in administering the organisation,” Mr Tarutia said.

In withdrawals the fund paid out K125.584 million to 55,846 members through unemployment, housing advancement, particle withdrawals, retirement and redundancy, among others.

The contributions (inflows) from employers by way of member and employer contribution contributed to K232.7 million,” he said.

The gains in equity portfolios were in New Britain Palm Oil Ltd, Lihir Gold Ltd, and Oil Search Ltd, as well as gains on the currency rate contributing K127 million.

Mr Tarutia said the unlisted portfolio contributed K14 million to the portfolio and the overall net gain despite a decrease in Bank South Pacific and Credit Corporation which contributed K68.5 million, flows came from dividends from interest payments on loans and from profit income.

“And all that combined to the K205 million that the Fund recorded,” he said.

The audited annual report will be published and the members’ statements will be issued starting next week.

MPs to play region cards

GOVERNMENT sources, including some backbenchers have tipped that regionalism may play a “deciding” role in the imminent vote-of-no-confidence by the Opposition, The National reports.

The pending Supreme Court decision on the validity of the Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates (OLIPPAC) was adding more intrigue to the political climate facing the MPs and ministers, a source said.

“With the events of the past few weeks in the National Alliance camp, the announcement of the reshuffle and the notice by the Opposition to pursue a vote-of-no-confidence, word is that MPs are starting to align into regions,” the source added.

The announcement of a major Cabinet reshuffle by the Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and the National Alliance politics and infighting suggest “the NA is becoming very unstable”. 

“Right now in the NA, there is also intense lobbying, as factions from all regions want to gain support on who will replace Sir Michael when the time comes,” the source said.

“Each region, has its own leader and will want that person to replace Sir Michael, NA is not together at this time.”

Political scientist Dr Alphonse Gelu said since 2002 NA had proven to be a formidable group that was highly cohesive as a political party but warned that “the only danger to NA’s cohesiveness would be the leadership issue that would definitely lead to some disagreements and imminently the splitting of the party”.

Several backbenchers on the condition of anonymity said they were “observing cautiously” and weighing out the situation and agree that the strength in numbers from regions may play a role, if the vote-of-no-confidence occured.

Parliament is expected to sit next Tuesday at 2pm. 

Opposition leader Sir Mekere Morauta put Sir Michael on notice last week stating that the time was right for a vote-of-no-confidence in the Prime Minister and the ruling National Alliance Party.

“There is definitely a great deal of unhappiness in the National Alliance camp and it’s causing a rift between its coalition partners,” Sir Mekere had said last week.

The Government source echoed this and said this has trickled to the backbenchers. 

“MPs are no longer talking portfolios but are talking numbers, because it is only on the floor of Parliament that a new Government will be formed, and they must play their cards right to be on the winning side,” he said.

 

Rapist caught at 9-Mile

Convicted rapist Duma Kerowa (pictured)  was recaptured at 9-Mile settlement in Port Moresby yesterday, The National reports.

 POLICE caught escapee number seven yesterday, a day after nabbing number six.

 Convicted rapist Duma Kerowa, one of 12 prisoners who walked out of Bomana jail in January with alleged bank robbery mastermind William Nanua Kapris, was recaptured at 9-Mile settlement in Port Moresby yesterday.

 After receiving a tip off, police and warders involved in the special security operation surrounded a house located near the 9-Mile clinic and arrested Kerowa at 9.45am.

 The escapee appeared petrified and was trying to flee when he was shot on his shin and taken to the Port Moresby General Hospital for treatment.

 Kerowa, 39, from Chuava in Simbu province, was convicted in Dec 2005 and is serving a 25-year jail term for abduction and rape.

 According to police intelligence, Kerowa was planning to catch a plane to Simbu to “hide” when authorities were notified.

 Policemen involved in the operation said the escapee also attempted to rape a young girl at 9-Mile settlement yesterday, before he was caught.

 When The National arrived at the 6-Mile police station, Korowa was accompanied by alleged high-profile bank robbery suspect Kito Aso who was recaptured near Morata on Monday afternoon.

 The prisoner (Korowa) was in agony from the gunshot wound he sustained and his bandage was soaked in blood as he was being transported to the Port Moresby General Hospital.

 Korowa’s recapture brings the total number of those recaptured to seven after Jan 12.

 It is still uncertain as to when those recaptured so far- William Nanua Kapris, James Pari, John Siko Wel, John Peter Plesman and recently recaptured Korowa and Aso- would be facing their escape from lawful custody charges in court.

 Remandee Oliver Ben Gabi, who was the first of the 12 to be recaptured around Sogeri, appeared in court on Jan 26 and got a 6-month sentencing at the Boroko district court.

 Gabi’s earlier imprisonment as a remandee before the escape was for being an accessory to the BSP bank robbery in Madang.

 Police Commissioner Gari Baki, in a statement yesterday, reassured the public that police special operations would continue round the clock to recapture remaining escapees from jails around the country.

 He said the public showed its interest to fight against crime.

 Mr Baki said the consecutive arrest of some of the country’s dangerous prison escapees reflected on the dedication, commitment and professionalism of police personnel engaged in the special operation