Yasi vents fury on Popondetta

* Dam busted
* Taps run dry
* Police on alert

By JASON GIMA WURI

A lone villager crossing the Bango River which had provided Popondetta residents water until Wednesday when it flooded its banks and washed away the temporary dam. Part of the wire fencing at right is what is left of the dam. – Picture by JAMES WILA

POPONDETTA in Northern is without water after the Bango River flooded its banks and washed away the town’s dam following heavy rain since Wednesday night, The National reports.
Reports said rain was still pouring yesterday with local police stepping up patrols to deter opportunists and looters.
The National Weather Service had confirmed that the heavy rains experienced in Popondetta and other parts of Oro and Milne Bay were directly related to Cyclone Yasi.
Weather service acting director forecasting and warning centre Jimmy Gomoga yesterday said Popondetta, the Owen Stanley Ranges and Milne Bay’s Misima and Rossel Islands were experiencing rain bands.
Gomoga said: “This may also suggest continuous rain in the days ahead.”
Oro provincial disaster office acting coordinator Lawrence Baisa said the town’s water supply had been cut off after the dam was destroyed.
He also reported the flooding of Kausada village along the North Coast but there was no casualty.
“The flood waters have risen to post levels with every good gardens destroyed.”
Baisa said the creek next to the St Margaret’s School of Nursing was flooded but there were no reports of any infrastructural damages.
“Although the Girua River is flowing dangerously fast, the bridge and airport have not been affected,” he said.
The provincial administration was arranging a vehicle for Baisa to visit the affected areas and assess the damages.
Popondetta police station commander Insp Noboya Zozowa had instructed his men to stay on full alert following rumours of possible looting and other crimes.
PNG Water technicians were understood to have retrieved the main raw water pump and were trying to get it repaired.
“While that is going on, there will be no water supply for the township for an indefinite period,” Baisa said.
“Fortunately, we have not received reports of any casualties.”

TWL, Lynden ink JV deal

By PATRICK TALU

 

PAPUA New Guinea’s biggest prime and logistic mover Trans Wonderland Limited (TWL) will venture into air and sea transport services to meet the growing logistics demand from the PNG LNG project and other new resource developments in the country, The National reports.

This was revealed yesterday by TWL managing director Larry Andagali during the signing of a deal with one of world’s leading logistic movers – Alaska-based Lynden Logistics.

Lynden Logistics’ country manager Greg Vaughan lauded TWL’s plan and said: “From PNG we can build a sustainable global business.

“We are looking forward to the possibilities of developing a sustainable multimodal transport business and providing the best possible services in PNG and the Australasia region.

“It’s perfect for us to begin here in PNG and I have no doubt we can achieve that,” Vaughan said.

The companies signed the deal that would pave the way for them to develop an integrated transport and logistic company for fast, efficient and quality services to clients and explore other opportunities in the Australasian region.

Andagali said the deal marked yet “another significant milestone for TWL in its quest to becoming a truly integrated transport and logistics company”.

“I admire the commitment and determination for Lynden Logistics in developing a world-class company from its humble beginning as a two-truck company some 60 years ago.

He said Lynden and TWL have some parallel in history as both companies started small then grew with resource based development project.

“We also have an opportunity to use this relationship to explore benefits derived from setting up well-managed landowner future funds like Alaska Permanent Fund.

TWL, with a fleet of more than 70 prime movers and growing rapidly, makes the joint venture the biggest road transport company in PNG.

Meanwhile, Education Minister and Chairman of the Hela Transitional Authority James Marape commended TWL for achieving success as a landowner company.

Marabe has urged all the LNG project area landowners companies to unite for successful business ventures.

Constantinou is BSP chairman

BANK South Pacific has a new chairman, and he is Kostas Constantinou, The National reports.

Chief executive officer Ian Clyne announced that Constantinou was elected unanimously after Noreo Beangke stepped down during a special board meeting of the directors yesterday.

Constantinou had been a director of BSP since April 2009.

He is a prominent businessman in PNG and is chairman of Airways Hotel and Apartments Ltd, Airways Residences Ltd, Lamana Hotel Ltd, Hebou Constructions (PNG) Ltd, a director of Gazelle International Hotel Ltd, Heritage Park Hotel Ltd in the Solomon Islands and Grand Paci_c Hotel Ltd in Fiji.

Constantinou was also a director of POMSoX-listed Airlines PNG Ltd and ASX-listed Oil Search Ltd.

Clyne, on behalf of the board, congratulated Constantinou on his appointment as BSP chairman.

He said Constantinou was a well regarded and successful businessman in PNG, and that he would bring a wealth of experience to the role of chairman of BSP.

Constantinou and Clyne both expressed their gratitude to Beangke who had been a director of BSP since August 1993 and chairman since May 1994.

During that period, Beangke was instrumental in the development of BSP as a PNG-owned commercial bank following the exit of National Australia Bank as owner of BSP in 1993, which ultimately led to BSP amalgamating with PNGBC when PNGBC was privatised in 2002.

Beangke provided leadership and vision during this period and also oversaw the development and implementation of BSP’s Paci_c strategy that led to BSP operating in Niue, the Solomon Islands and Fiji.

Beangke would remain on the board as a director.

Tom Fox was also re-elected as deputy chairman.

 

 

Teacher report finds flaws in selections

By DULCIE OREKE

 

A NEW National Research Institute report yesterday found evidence of flaws and corrupt practices in the teacher appointment process in PNG, The National reports.

The report stated that although, there were guidelines to appoint teachers in the Teaching Service Act of 1995, teachers were appointed illegally.

The study conducted in eight provinces, two from each region highlighted some teachers being appointed through nepotism, bribery and by force.

“This contributes to corruption, lack of accountability and transparency and failure on the part of the appointing authorities to effectively and efficiently manage the process of teacher appointments,” the report read.

It was pointed out that teacher appointment process continued to be a concern among teachers, parents, board of management and governors throughout the country.

“The education gazette is always late, the appointment of teachers is not done before the end of the year and teacher resume late for duties.”

It was also revealed that teachers who were eligible for higher level positions were rarely notified of the outcome of their application.

An example was a 2009 case where teachers in East Sepik who applied for promotional positions were informed about their outcome of their applications in October 2010, which was already late to take up their appointment.

The report also identifies the following;

* Factors contributing to teachers’ refusal to take up teaching appointments;

* Actions teachers take when take when they are given positions for they apply;

* Actions appointing authorities take when teachers refuse to take up their appointments;

* Factors contributing to teachers late resumption of teaching duties; and

* Problems associated with the resumption of duty process.

 

 

Judge wants court to look and smell good

By JULIA DAIA BORE

 

THERE is one thing I do not like, and that is body odour, said National and Supreme Court judge Justice Ambeng Kandakasi, in a courtroom filled to capacity with lawyers and their clients who were present for the alternate dispute resolution (ADR) mediation session yesterday morning, The National reports.

Kandakasi dropped this bombshell when announcing that the mediation session would continue later in the afternoon at the smaller ADR centre mediation facility which he said would prevent overcrowding and disruption to the air ventilation system

That is said was common knowledge in any overcrowded courtroom situation.

The judge, therefore, asked that only lawyers and a limited number of clients should come for that afternoon session and not like the big turnout earlier in the day.

In saying that he appointed to begin at 3pm.

Kandakasi also pointed out to the lawyers present that lawyers must dress up according to their profession’s ethical dress standards. 

“We need to raise the standards of lawyers dress,” he said, adding that he had raised these issues in the past and he would do so again.

“I will not hear any lawyer who is not appropriately dressed.

“Your appropriate dress is white shirts and black trousers, not brown trousers.

“Ensure that your shirt is tucked in neatly into your trousers.

“For those of you who chew betelnut, make sure there are no stains.

“I do not want to see stains on your white shirts or bibs – they must be clean.

“I do not want to see you sweating and puffing when you arrive to present yourselves in court; this is not a nightclub but a court,” the no-nonsense judge told the civil courtroom 10, which was filled to capacity with lawyers and their landowner clients who were present to hear the LNG-related mediation session yesterday.

 

Parents swap foodstuff for school fees

Chimbu scheme proves a success

 

By VERONICA FRANCIS

 

School fee is the main problem all parents in rural and urban centres face nowadays with the high cost of living.

However, for parents in Chimbu they were fortunate with the introduction of a scheme in which fresh produce and livestock were given to the schools as payment for school fees for their children.

According to Chimbu Governor Fr John Garia, the scheme was successful and had been running for two years.

This year will be the third year, adding the schools and especially parents were very cooperative.

He said it was difficult for parents to meet the standard required fee upfront, therefore the scheme allowed them to bring vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, greens and livestock such as pigs and cows to the schools in exchange for school fees.

Garia said the vegetables and livestock were weighed and charged at a normal retail price against the school fees.

He added that parents could bring in supplies over time until they meet the required amount.

“This scheme has worked successfully for both the parents and the school. The schools run all year and have surplus at the end while the parents are not burdened to look for cash,” he said.

Garia said that Chimbu had the lowest school fee rate because of good management.

“Most schools in the province have no management problems and the records are good because they do quarterly checks to make sure everything is running smoothly,” he said.

He said the idea was to maintain the strength of human resource, adding that sometimes students missed out and did not further their education because of school fee problems.

Garia said that with no natural resource to dwell on, Chimbu focused on developing its human resource and would continue to do so.

 

 

Abal denies saying 'LNG was rushed'

DEPUTY Prime Minister Sam Abal yesterday said the PNG gas agreement is a well-considered document that will stand the test of time, The National reports.

He refuted claims and inferences that the whole gas agreement and processes had been rushed.

Abal said he had used the Tok Pisin word “hariap” to describe the process of negotiation and signing of the gas agreement in May 2008 in order to secure the 2014 market window, “and this was wrongly reported as a statement that the project has been rushed”. “This is unfortunate.

“I was certainly not trying to suggest that the government has rushed finalisation of the gas agreement, but wanted to convey that we needed to get on with the task of concluding the agreement in a specific time frame,” the deputy prime minister said.

“As a senior member of cabinet, I was aware that the negotiations took a year to conclude and I am confident that it will stand the test of time.”

He said the chronology of events leading up to the financial close and beginning of full execution of the PNG LNG project clearly showed no “rush” in the project.

The gas agreement was negotiated from 2007-08. Gas agreement signing took place in May 2008. Licence-based benefits sharing agreement (LBBSA) was negotiated from 2008-09. BSA was signed in May 2009 and UBSA thereafter in December 2009.

The final investment decision was reached on Dec 8, 2009. Financial close and beginning of full execution took place in March last year.

“The gas agreement is a well-considered document.

“It was essentially negotiated by a team of senior bureaucrats with key economic ministers and the ministerial economic committee endorsed all significant progressive documents with concurrency of the full cabinet,” Abal said.

He said cabinet was always aware that there would be significant benefits to all PNG stakeholders if sales from the LNG project could target a perceived global supply shortfall in the 2013-14 period and “this is what we achieved”.

“Those who follow international trends, particularly since the global financial crisis, would be aware that experts are now forecasting the possibility of a glut in LNG supplies from around 2017.

“Many Australian projects are now in a race to try and beat the deadline.

“In PNG’s case, we have concluded sales for our production at exceptionally good terms starting from 2014 because we remained schedule-driven despite the many challenges we face.”

The deputy prime minister said it was unfortunate that because of news stories suggesting the agreement had been rushed, others were now claiming the gas resources had been “sold cheaply”.

“That is erroneous reasoning without the basis of depth and objectivity,” Abal said.

He said government statements had clarified that this was not the case and international commentators and analysts had embraced the PNG agreement as a model for other countries to follow.