Meeting a stepping stone for women in agriculture

By DAISY TANIOVA PAWA

 

THE PNG Women in Agriculture Development Foundation’s (PNG WiADF) two-day discussion in Lae on Tuesday and Wednesday should be a stepping stone for women in Agriculture, for the development of this nation.

The importance was stressed with the participation of farmers in forming their strategic plan.

The plan would provide an opening for the foundation to seek assistance from government organisations and donor agencies.

Initiator of the foundation, Maria Linibi, said she recognised that the majority of PNG's population, of over 85%, lived in the rural areas and their livelihood was dependent on agriculture and related food activities for food production and income.

Mrs Linibi said that studies had shown that women in PNG did the majority of work in agriculture.

“That was why it was important that the capabilities of women in agriculture be enhanced so that there can be improvement and development in the standard of living in PNG,” she said.

The talks attracted organisations and dignitaries from around the country and abroad to speak about the challenges women faced in agriculture development and how they could be assisted in overcoming these obstacles.

The PNG WiADF was formed in 2007 and today has 24 affiliated groups from 13 different provinces.

Mrs Linibi said the foundation committed itself with passion to pursue and implement policies that were conducive to investments in human resource development, research and infrastructure to achieve food security.

She said the foundation would encourage generation of employment and income among women and promote equitable access to productive and financial resources.

Mrs Linibi said the foundation recognised the importance of food security for sustainable agriculture, floriculture, fisheries, forestry, other natural resources and rural development.

She said the sustainable development policies of the foundation would go into promoting full participation and empowerment of women, and equitable distribution of income and access to necessary social services such as education and health.

The foundation recognises that improving the quality of life for women can have an enormous effect on society because of the multiple roles women have in raising children, in education and as stewards of natural resources, to provide for their families.

Yesterday’s discussion was the highlight of the event where the women participants were able to air their grievances and establish networks with other stakeholders and partners who provided support and alternatives to the foundation’s effectiveness.

It was also an opportunity for the women in agriculture to showcase their produce by setting up stalls outside the Allan Quatermain Hall of the National Research Institute in Bubia.

Do Australian politicians care about what's happening in Papua New Guinea?

From John Pasquarelli

Since PNG gained its independence in 1975, all sides of politics have barely been interested in what is happening to one of our closest neighbours. Now that the huge Exxon-Mobil LNG development has been signed off, PNG is entering a dramatic phase in its modern history as it becomes a big player in the international energy market. A Communist Chinese 747 recently landed in Port Moresby, discharging passengers in military uniforms and suits – to sign up lucrative contracts for the supply of LNG to China. PNG politicians and their acolytes will rush to gorge at the money trough whilst many PNG villagers will make do with their A$250 annual income.

Southern Highlanders whose lands carry the oil and gas, are flooding into Moresby as a cargo cult hysteria builds and PNG faces more pressure on its demoralised Police and Military forces. Twelve violent criminals recently walked out of Moresby's Bomana prison accompanied by a PNG woman posing as a human right lawyer! - the possible involvement of senior police and politicians is doing the rounds in local markets and the media – not the best PR for a country where there will be a huge influx of foreigners to work on the project. Do Australian politicians care?

Work starts on Wabag police cells

Renovation work on the condemned Wabag police cells in Enga province started on Monday, and would take about four weeks to complete, The National reports.Porgera gold mine developer, Barrick (PNG) Ltd, is renovating the seven cells, doing extensions, replacing the sewage system, connecting water and electricity supplies and adding two more security razor wire fencing to the existing one due to numerous breakouts by detainees, usually by digging through the cell floor shown here by acting provincial police commander Chief Insp Martin Lakari and his policemen. The police cells were condemned by the health authorities in 2006. It all started with Wabag resident judge Justice Graham Ellis and his court staff scrubbing the cells on alternate Sundays.-Nationalpic by JAMES APA GUMUNO.

Calls blocked

Mobile networks fight over rates and payments

 

THE public could be hit with communication and power blackout heading into the long Easter holiday because of disputes between the phone companies and upgrade work at a power facility, The National reports.

Residents in Port Moresby are expected to suffer the most, with the Rouna 2 power station expected to shut down over much of the holiday period for work to be carried out.

The dispute over interconnection rates between the mobile phone companies surfaced again this week, with Digicel blocking off traffic, making calls from bemobile to Digicel impossible.

Industry sources monitoring the mobile activities yesterday said bemobile customers were hard hit, with Digicel blocking 95% of traffic.

Some callers had to try a number of times to get through, causing a lot of frustration.

Digicel said yesterday it was having issues with bemobile and Telikom with regard to who was going to pay for outstanding mobile invoices.

Digicel said both had denied liability and, therefore, Digicel had not received payments for service (interconnection) provided since June 12 last year.

It said the outstanding payments amounted to “several millions of kina”.

“Digicel cannot be expected to keep providing services indefinitely when bemobile is unwilling to even engage in discussions around mobile interconnect, outstanding mobile payments and, indeed, have expressly denied liability,” Digicel said in response to questions about why interconnect calls were blocked.

But bemobile sources said the current contractual relationship was with Telikom, meaning Telikom pays the interconnect fees owed for mobile to mobile calls and sms.

They said Digicel served Telikom with a demand for payment for K2.5 million at the old interconnect rates, and later withdrew this demand.

The sources said Digicel withdrew the demand because it could not invoice on the old rates, and did not want to state the new rates as doing so would be seen as acceptance of the new interconnection rate.

Digicel has recently gone to court to challenge the new rates introduced by the regulator ICCC, but lost the challenge.

Digicel claims it operates a bigger network, and is losing money on the new interconnection rates being applied.

Telikom and bemobile disagree, and argue that termination rates should be further reduced, as is the trend around the world.

Interconnection rates have dropped about 50%, down to 26 toea (peak) and 22 toea (off peak) per minute, from 46 toea to 42 toea per minute.

The rates were set by ICCC last December.

Industry sources say a drop in interconnection rate will mean cheaper calls for all mobile users.

At present, Digicel has the larger share of the mobile market. It controls about 80%.

When contacted about the dispute and the blocking of calls, Communications and Information Department secretary Henao Iduhu said he would meet all three parties to try to resolve the dispute.

Officials at ICCC could not be reached for comments.

 

Bad roads delay work on LNG

EARLY works on the multi-billion-kina PNG liquefied natural gas (LNG) project are running behind schedule, the delay caused in part by the deteriorating state of the Highlands Highway, The National reports.

An official with Esso Highlands (PNG) Ltd, the subsidiary of ExxonMobil, said equipment and machines for early works for Australian company Glough Curtain Joint Venture (CCJV) were still sitting idle at the wharf in Lae waiting for affected sections of the highway to be repaired and freed up before the equipment and machines could be transported to the project site.

One of the worst affected parts is at Kalguwi village, near Kagul River, on the border of Western Highlands and Southern Highlands provinces.

Yesterday, a policeman attached with the Kaupena-based police highway patrol unit 17 reported that more than 100 trucks and cars were stranded at either side of the highway at Kalguwi.

He said that section of the highway had fallen into a state of complete disrepair and while light four-wheel-drive vehicles were being pushed and pulled to negotiate the landslip and the huge crater-like potholes up the slopes, heavy vehicles were unable to cross.

Police highway patrol units have been working around the clock to control traffic and ensure locals do not take advantage of the situation to harass commuters.

Imbonggu community leader Pius Alopea said The National.

Government should immediately look into repairing this section of the highway as it was becoming a national disgrace.

Mr Alopea said many vehicles had developed mechanical problems on this section of the road while the flow of goods and services into Southern Highlands had been greatly affected.

Mr Alopea said with the current wet season in the region, the road condition would only worsen unless the authorities do something.

 

College suspects typhoid outbreak

CLASSES at the Mt Hagen Technical College in Western Highlands province were suspended on Monday due to a suspected outbreak of typhoid, The National reports.

According to unconfirmed reports from student sources, about 60 students contracted what they believe to be typhoid.

The figure is likely to increase after all 400 students, lectures, support staff and their family members went for a voluntarily blood test yesterday.

Principal John Kiele said the results of the test would be made available today.

He said many students were complaining of typhoid symptoms when classes were suspended.

Mr Kiele said a team from the provincial health disease control visited the college and checked the dormitories, water tanks, supplies and collected blood samples from the students, staff and their family members.

He said that typhoid was caused by water, but was too early to point fingers at who is to blame.

Mr Kiele said that the cause of the problem would be revealed after investigations were complete.

He said the water problem was an on-going issue and this was not the first time the college had been affected by typhoid.

He said many of the students suspected to be infected with typhoid, were given medical treatment, however, no students were admitted at the Mt Hagen Hospital.

Mr Kiele said the suspension of classes would be indefinite.

The staff of Mt Hagen General Hospital, who tested blood samples, did not release any information when approached by The National.

They said the test conducted was confidential and they were not allowed to release the results to the media.

 

Gregan hails Genia

Caption: Queensland Reds captain Will Genia getting ready to pass the ball against the western Force in round five of the Super 14 earlier in the month. Genia was praised by former Wallabies scrumhalf George Gregan as being better than him and on his way to greatness.

Papua New Guinea could be looking at its first international sporting great, The National reports in its March 31 edition.
PNG has had several of its sports men make a name for themselves overseas and be considered among their code’s best competitors.
Marcus Bai in rugby league, Stanley Nandex in kickboxing and Mal Michael in Australian Rules spring to mind but 22-year-old rugby union scrumhalf and current Queensland Reds captain Will Genia could set a new benchmark for Papua New Guineans making it big on the international sporting scene.
One of Australia’s greatest halfbacks, George Gregan, has hailed incumbent Wallabies No.9 Genia as a superstar with more skills than him.
Such has been the meteoric rise of the young man who comes from Abau in the Central province who did not start playing rugby until senior high school.
Genia at a nuggety 82kg burst onto the international scene last year and after just 11 Tests, Gregan is touting him as a future Wallaby leader.
Pound for pound Genia is the strongest Australian rugby player, benching 172kg.
“He’s got a lot more skills than me,” Gregan said of Genia.
“He’s bigger, stronger and he can kick a lot further. I’m a dinosaur compared to him. He’s got a good head on his shoulders.
“I like the way he plays. He has time and space to do things, which is a sign of a real quality player.”
“He’s only 22 and has heaps of improvement in him. That’s what’s exciting.”
They are big wraps from the Zambian-born Bledisloe Cup-winning captain who also won a World Cup in 1999, played 139 Tests for the green and gold, and 136 games for the Brumbies, which included two Super 12 titles in 2001 and 2004.
You would trust his judgement as far as halfbacks go.
Gregan will long be remembered for his gritty determination which was highlighted by his infamous Bledisloe Cup-saving tackle on Jeff Wilson in 1994.
He turns 37 in April and will continue to play professional rugby for Suntory in Japan, under Eddie Jones, until mid-February next year.
Gregan was full of praise of Genia, whose potential was also noted by Reds coach Ewen McKenzie who made him captain this year.
“I think that leadership has really helped him go from strength to strength,” Gregan said.
“He is a very good player who understands the game. He’s very skilful and makes good decisions under pressure. He takes care of his forwards, has a very good pass and knows how to change his game when the opportunity presents itself.”
Some have gone as far to say Genia is the next Gregan.
“He’s is his own man, and he’s doing a great job. He also picked up the game late which shows how much talent he has,” he said.
PNG Pukpuks coach Billy Rapilla added further accolades on Genia saying he was effectively the world’s best scrumhalf on current form.
“He’s the best halfback right now and you can’t argue with Gregan’s opinion.
“Will is playing some very special rugby and his profile is rocketing off because rugby union is a truly global sport played in over a 100 countries,” Rapilla said.
On whether Genia’s accomplishments merit being rated above Bai’s and Michael’s Rapilla was circumspect.
“You really can’t compare Genia’s achievements to Marcus or Mal. You’re not comparing apples to apples, these are different sports,” he said.
“Leading sports icons in PNG have excelled in sports that have had good to great following like rugby league but there’s no denying that Genia could be headed for greatness in rugby union.”