PNG LNG training facility opens doors

A NEW vocational training facility was opened yesterday at the Port Moresby Technical College (PomTech) by Esso Highlands Ltd, operator of the multi-billion-kina liquefied natural gas project, The National reports.

The Port Moresby construction training facility represented an investment of K150 million to train up to 1,000 Papua New Guineans a year for employment with the project during its four-year construction phase.

Managing director of Esso Highlands Peter Graham said the training facility was an important milestone for the LNG project.

“The men and women who are trained here will play a vital role in the construction of the LNG plant and associated marine facilities,” he said.

Graham added that their training would be certified to international industry standards and the skills they acquired would enable them to compete for employment opportunities beyond the construction period of the project.

Minister for Higher Education Michael Ogio said Esso Highlands and its LNG partners had shown confidence in the nation.

He said the training facility, and the expertise developed, would create long-term value for PNG and its skilled workforce. 

He said upon completion of the project in 2014, the training facility would be given to the PNG government to become part of PomTech.

Ogio also announced the government’s allocation of K15 million to rehabilitate existing PomTech facilities.

Skills Tech Australia will coordinate the construction training facility.

 

 

Concerns over Daru water conditions

THE PNG Sustainable Development Program Ltd (PNGSDP) is concerned with the water and sanitation conditions in Daru Island, Western, The National reports.

In 2006, the PNGSDP approved its support, funded a feasibility study and committed K26 million as well as offering technical expertise to the PNG Waterboard (PNGWB) to rebuild the Daru water supply and sewerage system given the serious health risks being faced on the island due to the inadequacy of these services.

Last year, PNGSDP seriously concerned about the severe health hazards and the ongoing delay to the re-construction increased its commitment towards the rehabilitation of the entire town water and sewerage system to K52 million by offering PNGWB a K26 million grant as well as low-cost loan of K26 million.

It acknowledged that the Daru water supply and sewerage system, which services the town, is owned and operated by the PNGWB, and the PNGSDP continued to regularly approach the PNGWB to partner with it to improve the facility as a matter of urgency.

“With the presence of cholera now in Daru, it is absolutely urgent that we partner to rebuild the Daru water supply and sewerage system to ensure the health of the people on the island is not further put at risk,” PNGSDP chief executive officer David Sode said in a statement.

“We are again requesting the PNG Waterboard to act urgently to rebuild the Daru water supply and sanitation system, utilising funding and technical assistance offered by PNGSDP, for the future health of the people of Daru,” he said.

However, the World Health Organisation representative in Daru, Geoffrey Clark, told visiting media representatives two weeks ago that the town’s water supply was not the source of the cholera which had claimed more than 30 lives since it was first reported on the island on Nov 11.

He also said the disease was under control and the islanders were responding well to the awareness campaigns that had been carried out.

PNGSDP is currently working with key partners including the WHO, Western cholera emergency response team, provincial administration, Health Department and AusAID, providing logistical support as requested for the cholera outbreak response initiative.

Meanwhile, PNGWB managing director Patrick Amini said they were in the business of providing clean and safe water.

“In this connection, it advises that its ongoing water treatment and surveillance operations, ensures safe drinking water to all its customers, including residents of Daru Island.

 “We have taken measures including increasing the chlorine dosage levels, daily surveillance of our piped systems, regular tests and checks on our water supply system to ensure that the water remains safe for human consumption,” he said.

Santarina brings cheer

South African girl Megan Potgieter, 11, dressing up a Christmas tree at the Tembari Children Care (TCC) centre last Saturday.
Later, she played Little Santa to children by distributing toy car models for the boys, Barbie-like dolls for the girls and chocolates, candies and canned drinks for everybody.
Megan, her parents Andre and Sharon, brother Francois (right) and South African compatriots Elaine Blignaut and Marina Furstenberg made a visit to the centre to bring early Yuletide cheer to the 114 Tembari children, with some help from friends in Port Moresby.
Megan attends primary school at Lydenburg in South Africa.
Potgieter said they made their Christmas presentation early as they were flying to South Africa soon for the Christmas holidays.
Tembari is an orphanage day-care centre at the ATS Oro settlement at 7-Mile outside Port Moresby. – Nationalpic by ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

PNGRFL divided

Northern and Islands zone affiliates hold AGM in defiance of deferral

 

THE Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) has yet another court battle looming after affiliates from the Islands and Northern zone held the originally proposed annual general meeting in Lae on Sunday, The National reports.

 This was in apparent defiance of an earlier edict by PNGRFL interim committee chairman John Numapo and chief operating officer Joe Tokam, who deferred the Nov 28 AGM to Jan 30.

But the Islands zone affiliates led by East New Britain rugby league president David Carroll said they were only following a court order in assembling for the meeting.

The gathering duly elected Bryan Kramer as the only nominee for the position of chairman present.

This was chaired by Momase police regional legal officer Chief Insp Richard Sarendou.

However, Sunday’s event have been roundly criticised by PNGRFL committee members – and nominees for the chairmanship – John Numapo and Gary Juffa.

Numapo described what transpired in Lae as an illegal gathering and that it did not represent the majority of affiliates around the country.

“The meeting was not legal. Most leagues around the country have not yet completed their affiliation requirements so how can we have a quorum for an AGM?”

He said the majority of leagues in the highlands were still in the process of affiliating and that was why he and Tokam had called for an adjournment of the AGM to January.

Numapo claimed the deferral was constitutional saying as interim committee chairman he had the power to defer the AGM or if the affiliates gathered did not form a quorum, which is 50% plus one of affiliated leagues. 

“Competitions have just wound down in most places and we need to give everyone an opportunity to participate in the AGM,” Numapo said.

However, the Islands and Northern bloc countered by saying all its leagues had followed a court order dating from July which was agreed to by disputing factions of the PNGRFL power struggle.

“We are merely following a court order that directs that the AGM be held no later than Nov 30 and if the others want to dispute that, then let them take it to court,” Carroll said.

He added that if the majority of affiliates in the Islands and Northern zones could fulfil their requirements, then why was it that the Highlands and Southern were lagging behind?

But Numapo has already questioned how many leagues are actually affiliated saying the number was four which he said was a true representation of the leagues in PNG.

He further called for the deferral to be respected and for all interested nominees along with leagues to attend the AGM next year.

Meanwhile, the resolution reached at Sunday’s meeting is currently before a judge (named) who is expected to rule on the original date which was adhered to as per the court order.

 

 

Bougainville mine 'to reopen next year'

BCL shareholders laud breakthrough with landowners

 

THE European shareholders of Bougainville Copper (ESBC) have welcomed the breakthrough achieved by the Panguna landowners’ conference in Buka regarding the re-opening of the Panguna mine, The National reports.

This historical decision was reached on Sunday when landowners agreed to re-open the mine towards the end of next year.

ESBC president Axel Sturm said they were very satisfied with this outcome.

“This gives Bougainville the chance to recover financially from all suffering in the last 20 years.

“I am very grateful to the Minister of Bougainville Affairs Fidelis Semoso that he finally pushed things cogently forward by organising this conference.

“We are also glad that the Autonomous Bougainville Government assisted in this important undertaking,” he said.

Sturm said he appreciated Semoso’s courage to face this sensitive issue “without any fear or prejudice”.

“Next year would bring giant investment to the island and many people who are jobless now would soon find work,” Sturm said.

“This makes me very happy especially for the young generation on Bougainville who would benefit from the decisions on this historic weekend,” he said.

 

 

Madang is 'cowboy country'

A PASTOR conducting Sunday sermon and members of his congregation were assaulted, his church destroyed and at least 10 PMV buses sustained various damages after drunk youths went on a vehicle-stoning rampage near Madang, The National reports.

Yesterday, Madang police chief Supt Anthony Wagambie warned of a police raid to flush out the culprits hiding in the problematic settlements at Mero bridge, on the road leading out of town towards the Bogia highway.

Police said the churchgoers were innocent victims of a group whose bus had been stoned and were in hot pursuit of those responsible who had fled in the direction of the church and had gone into hiding nearby.

Madang police station commander Snr Insp Steven Kaipa said after a fruitless search for the stone throwers, the angry mob turned on the churchgoers, attacking them and assaulting the pastor after dragging him from the pulpit.

He said the nearby community then took the law into their own hands, throwing stones and missiles at town-bound PMV buses, damaging at least 10 of them.

In retaliation, bus operators and their relatives, numbering about 200 and armed with various weapons, converged at Jomba police station to say they were raiding Mero and Public Tank settlements, home to mainly Sepik River migrants.

Kaipa said police had to cool tempers but warned that tensions were still high, adding that another stoning incident would turn into an all-out ethnic clash at these settlements.

Wagambie agreed, saying something drastic must be done about the Public Tank and Mero settlers.

He recalled a similar incident last month when more than 15 cars were damaged by stone-throwing youths in the area, resulting in police raiding the settlements to round up suspects.

Police believed Sunday’s attack was sparked by a group of youths from the settlement who had been drinking homebrew. Some in the group stoned a passing 8A bus, owned by a Western Highlander, heading to town from Sagalau market.

Wagambie claimed that the Sepik settlers were known for harrassing, attacking and robbing motorists and passengers using this section of the North Coast road.

He said police knew the names of three suspects and were looking for them.

Early this year, Madang Governor Sir Arnold Amet also called for zero-tolerance from landowners in a bid to evict squatters in light of rising criminal activities.

In 2000, his predecessor James Yali carried out a mass eviction on settlements in the town area.

Last week, Wagambie and Sumkar MP Ken Fairweather announced that a five-member special response unit would patrol the North Coast highway.

 

 

Councillor compares his K50-a-month to an MP's pay rise

By JAMES APA GUMUNO

 

A COUNCILLOR from the Southern Highlands said the K50 he received as a monthly allowance from the government was a joke, The National reports.

Former council president for Lake Kopiago local level government and current councillor for Kopiago station Tom  Pakale told The National in Mt Hagen yesterday that councillors and national parliamentarians carry the mandate of the people, but their monthly allowance was a joke compared to what MPs get.

Pakale, who claimed to speak on behalf of 16 other councillors back in the remote Southern Highlands’ Kopiago district, said the councillors were finding it very hard to survive on a K50 allowance with the increasing prices for goods and services.

He said councillors in this remote district spent K60 on PMV fares one way into Mendi to collect their monthly allowances.

Pakale said they would spent K120 to travel long distances just to collect K50 every month, which is a joke and an insult to the councillors.

He said councillors were grouped in the third tier of government and lived and dealt directly with the people and, therefore, faced more challenges and headaches than national parliamentarians.

But their allowance did not commensurate with their responsibilities.

Pakale said it was not fair to the councillors when parliamentarians, provincial administrators, chief judge, deputy chief judge, chief magistrate and others classified as appointed officers, who were on good pay and privileges, had a pay increase by 52.08%.

He said for fairness, all councillors must paid K150 or K200 a fortnight.

He said they too have families to look after and children to send to school.