Abal vows to equip PTB

By PATRICK TALU

 

THE acting prime minister has given the revived plant and transport board (PTB) his full backing and wants it fully operational to seal all 9,000km of national roads in Papua New Guinea by this year, The National reports.

Assuring 20 provincial works managers to revive PTB following a request they made at recent a consultative meeting, Sam Abal, who is also works minister, said he would honour their request and build the capacity of PTB.

However, he set the road-sealing timeframe for this year.

“The national government will fund and upgrade PTB and build its capacity in all provincial works divisions,” Abal told the managers and senior Department of Works staff.

“You are at the forefront and the government will equip and build your capacity through revitalising the PTB so that the rural majority can access services through a decent road network.

“People are dying due to lack of road link. It is our priority to connect them with services.

“I am with you and we will build the capacity in terms of manpower, equipment and other resources required to revive PTB,” Abal said.

The acting prime minister said he had written to Treasurer Peter O’Neill to make funds available to revamp PTB nationwide.

During the consultation yesterday in Port Moresby, the works managers also briefed the acting prime minister about their strengths, weaknesses and their areas of need.

Emphasising the need to revive the PTB, most provincial managers said they were capable of sealing the 9,000km of roads if they had the financial capacity to do so.

 

 

McGregor cops put up blockade

By ANGELINE KARIUS

 

THE alleged removal of a police vehicle used by director for Special Services Division (SSD) David Manning has infuriated members of the division who set up a blockade to possible security threats within its divisional headquarters at McGregor barracks outside Port Moresby, The National reports.

In the light of SSD’s refusal to hand over a number of weapons to the task force. 

According to a senior sgt major who requested anonymity, a retrenched police senior inspector and two former SSD members tailed director Manning’s five door Toyota Landcruiser vehicle from Bomana Police College into the barracks.

He said Manning’s driver, also a policeman, was held at gunpoint after parking in front of the headquarters car park at around 9pm and 10pm.

He said the driver was asked to give up the keys to the vehicle but refused.

“He was punched by both suspended colleagues on both sides of his ears and kicked when he fell onto the bitumen.

“The senior inspector then removed the keys and drove away in the Landcruiser including two weapons which were in the vehicle,” he said.

He said the driver then called the officer who claims a blockade was set up until daybreak the next day. 

It is understood that the senior inspector involved flew with the contingent that left for Vanimo, West Sepik, to conduct border patrol operations yesterday.

“To our understanding this is a hold-up that took place here.

“We want to know who gave the directives and issued orders to retrieve the vehicle in the middle of the night.

Asked if there was a mutiny looming in the division, he added “we are intact”.

“There is no mutiny and there is no stand-off but only frustration over the alleged incident.

“The public and investors can be assured that there are no such claims as mutiny in the division.

“We are here to serve the RPNGC Commissioner of the day,” he said.   

SSD director is currently on sick leave for an indefinite period.

The National was told that the vehicle was later located at Police Headquarters in Konedobu.

The keys and weapons were handed over to NCD Met Supt Joseph Tondop.

NCD Met Supt could not be reached for comments regarding the blockade and related matters.

 

 

Report: Salt solutions low

By ELIZABETH MIAE

 

ORAL rehydration salts (ORS) are badly needed in large quantities for distribution to all established ORS points in Western including the new ones that would be set up, The National reports.

This is one of the main points highlighted in a situation report by the province’s cholera response committee on Monday.

The report stated that there was an excessive amount of Hartmann’s solution (IV fluids) and that they (committee) did not need any more.

“In fact, a lot of Hartmanns will need to be sent back to Port Moresby for re-supply elsewhere,” the report said.

Last month about 6.5tonnes (374 boxes) of IV fluids were flown by the PNG Defence Force Casa aircraft from Port Moresby to Daru.

According to Health Department surveillance officer Berry Ropa, the supplies were made available by the department upon an assessment report by the response committee.

Even Governor Dr Bob Danaya said the fluids were “most important” as it saved people’s lives however the latest situation report stated the opposite.

The report stated that IEC materials (posters) were needed inside and outside of the hotspot areas.

“Utensils for boiling water (we propose 10l pots) are needed in the Bamu/Gama/Turama River areas. The task force will be purchasing 1,600 of these to distribute along with water containers.

“This estimate is based on the at risk population of this area of approximately 14,000 people with an average family size of eight.”

The committee also pointed out that more water containers were needed in all hot spot areas while another 10,000 collapsible narrow neck 10L water containers for distribution.

“Until appropriate safe water supplies are established in the river communities of this province, storage of boiled water is the choice option that will reinforce the public health and risk communication messages of boiling water and using/storing it for use.”

The deaths are 330 with no new cases reported since Dec 24 while the number of cases was 3, 564 as of last Thursday.

 

Breaking news on election of governor general

Michael Ogio now governor general with 64 votes, Pato Kakarya 22 and informal votes 8

Coffee

By JEFFREY MANE FEBI

Blossom! blossom! in June. Crowds
They stand to proclaim their renewals
And invite bees onto many a pearly stage
Then yellow their limbs with their jewels
As bees in hype and dance engage

Some begin to bow under jovial load
As green gold replaces many a pearly stage
This transformation, bees, send to hive
With gentle persuasion to kindly disengage
Then they, a day of colour prepare to revive

Then masses upon masses, more beautiful
Load grey brown branches and between
Weary green leaves paint them shiny red,
O red! pleasant red! signal to convene
Hurry! please hurry! Or they’ll shed!

Papua New Guinea talent hits the world stage

By MALUM NALU
Papua New Guinea talent hits the world stage next month with the world premiere of Dschunglkind (Jungle Child), a German-made movie, which was shot in the jungles of Malaysia last year and features a large PNG cast of over 80 people.

Poster of the movie with Papua New Guinean McPolly Koima, who plays the chief of the Fayu, hugging young Sabine Kuegler (played by Stella Kunkat)

The US$25 million film will have its world premiere in Berlin on Feb 17 and will then be distributed throughout the world, including PNG, by Universal Pictures with English sub-titles added.
Trailers of the movies are available on YouTube and are also being widely-circulated on social networking sites such as Facebook by proud Papua New Guineans.
German film production company, UFA Cinema Germany, conducted auditions throughout PNG for actors and actresses and then brought them to Malaysia for three months last year to do the filming.
The film, based on a bestselling German book of the same name, tells the story of Sabine Kuegler and her missionary parents and how they go to live in a remote jungle area of West Papua, Indonesia, among the recently-discovered Fayu, a tribe untouched by modern civilisation.
It is her remarkable true story of a childhood lived out in the jungle, and the struggle to conform to European society that followed.
Dschunglkin, first published in 2005, is the story of how an exotic, touching, and unique childhood leads into the drama of a woman who longs to revisit her ‘homeland’ with the Fayu.
Group leaders David Taem and Calextus Simeon, who led the large troupe of PNG actors – men, women and children – to Malaysia last year, said today that it was an achievement that the whole country should be proud of.

David Taem (left) and Calextus Simeon show a trailer of Dschunglkind (Jungle Child), today.-Picture by MALUM NALU

Only a handful such as Markham Galut, McPolly Koima, Brown Sinbebe, Chris Urio and David Kaumara were experienced actors while the majority were novices.
An emotional Taem, who led the recruitment drive in 2009, said Jungle Child would show PNG talent on the world stage, as well as dispel what many “Doubting Thomases” said two years ago.
“To see this come to reality after three years of lobbying for UFA Cinema to shoot the movie inPNG, and use our actors, is a dream come true for me,” he said.
“There were many ‘Doubting Thomases’ who we have now proven wrong.
“We Papua New Guineans have some brilliant actors.
“This picture will be distributed by Universal Pictures and should set the foundation for PNG.
“It should contribute significantly towards the development of the film industry in PNG.”
Simeon, an established PNG filmmaker who helped the German team in production of the movie, said Jungle Child was a milestone for the film industry in this country and augered well for the future.
“For the first time, in terms of the PNG film industry on the international scene, you see Papua New Guineans right from the beginning to the end,” he said.
“They play a crucial part in the movie.
“The main story is there, but you see the sub-plots, which are based on the characters that evolve as the story unfolds.
“The most-amazing and heartwarming thing was the performance of the children, who really set a benchmark.
“I see it as a sacrifice for the next generation.
“It’s all about setting the scene for the next generation.”

MRA launches online shop for its publications

By BOSORINA ROBBY

 

MINING investors, government departments and mining stakeholders can now buy any Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) publications through its newly-launched online shop, The National reports.

Launched yesterday, the online shop uses a secure electronic payment gateway, the ANZ eGate, or an eCommerce facility technology that allowed MRA to securely accept and process online customer payments by credit card and provided customers the option of paying in their preferred currency.

The items in the online shop included geological maps, geophysical and geochemistry data and other internal publications.

MRA acting managing director Philip Samar said the partnership between MRA and ANZ hoped to expand on this facility to include online payments for service, administrative and other statutory fees such as tenement application fees and licences.

Samar said the range of merchandise would also cover MRA T-shirts and umbrellas, as well as technical publications.

According to MRA technicians, the ecommerce facility was designed to allow potential clients to buy anything they wanted from the online shop in the comfort of their offices or homes worldwide.

Clients would need to login, fill in the required details, order their item and pay for it with a Master or Visa card.

Processed through ANZ, this was a safe and secure way to make purchases as it would only be the card holder and their bank who knows their numbers and passwords.

With six currencies available, including the Japanese yen, clients would need to pay a K75 flat rate on top of the item before receiving their order in 64 days.

MRA is meeting with DHL to arrange for a faster and efficient delivery system.

ANZ’s relationship manager public sector Kingsley Anakapu explained that although this type of technology was relatively new in PNG, MRA became the second organisation to sign up after Datec last year.

He said this showed how the business environment was growing in PNG.

The address for the online shop is www.mra-shop.com .