Sogeri remains an absolute delight

By MALUM NALU

Sogeri, for many years, has been a means of escaping from the sweltering heat and scorched landscape of Port Moresby.

Laloki River at Sogeri

While Moresby is dry as a bone for over six months of the year, Sogeri, invariably, is moist and green and its mountain air cooler.
The mountains, foothills, forests, savannah woodland, rivers and streams have long captured the imagination of many.
It goes without saying that when one goes to Sogeri, one returns to the city very much relaxed, and reinvigorated.
Sogeri is a chance for residents of Moresby – often disparaged (rather unfairly) as one of the “world’s worst cities”- to get away from the stresses of the capital.
It is quite ironic that, 30 minutes drive from Moresby, can be found one of the many jewels in Papua New Guinea’s crown.

Flooded Laloki River cascades down Rouna Falls.

We owe Sogeri, and the local Koiari people, a big word of "thank you" as it is the Laloki River on their land that supplies water and electricity to Port Moresby.
In fact, the whole drive from Port Moresby to Sogeri, particularly from Bomana War Cemetery onwards, is spectacular and breathtaking, that I often why not that many people – apart from Kokoda trekkers and tourists – visit this part of the country.

Laloki River at 15-Mile.

I feel an attachment to Sogeri, as my father, the late Mathias Nalu, trained to be a teacher here in 1956 in the same group as Michael Somare, Paulias Matane, Alkan Tololo and other great men of the country.
Many close friends and family members of mine have attended the national high school at Sogeri over the years, an unforgettable experience.
Beatrice Grimshaw, the Irish writer, traveler and close friend of Sir Hubert Murray, the lieutenant – governor of Papua from 1908-1940, had a cottage built for herself overlooking the falls at Rouna, where, amongst other things, she might enjoy the “excellent health” that she had observed in the other white residents of the district
It was Grimshaw, in fact, who described Sogeri as “one of the most beautiful places in the world”- a view that any former national high school staff or student will subscribe to.
Last Friday, I travelled to Sogeri with Tanja Meijer, who had travelled halfway around the world from Ireland to revisit her beloved childhood home at Itikinumu rubber plantation.
With Meijer was Australian Alan Cullen, another child of the colonial era, who grew up in Port Moresby from 1950-1970, and for whom Sogeri was a playground.
All the way from Port Moresby to Sogeri, Cullen, 60, and Meijer, 51, point out their old stomping grounds like excited children.
We later enjoyed lunch and coffees at Kokoda Trail Motel, a delightful home-away-from-home overlooking the meandering Laloki River, that would test the best hotels in Port Moresby.
The Sogeri Road runs close to the Laloki River, between the twin spurs of Hombrum Bluff and Varirata, passing the popular drinking hole, the Bluff Inn, on the left.
A little further, on the right, can be seen the old tin smelter's works, set on the kunai-grass slopes a few hundred metres from the road.
Known as the Sapphire Mine after a nearby creek, this group of workings has also been called Errol Flynn's Tin Mine.

Remains of Sapphire Mine at 15-Mile, said to be stomping grounds of 1930s Hollywood star Errol Flynn.

Local folklore claims he worked the mine in the 1930s.
Lying at 600m and 46km inland, Sogeri is much cooler and greener than Moresby.
Sogeri Road leaves Sir Hubert Murray Highway near the airport and follows the Laloki River, climbing above the gorge with a view of spectacular Rouna Falls.
Soon after the falls, a road to the right leads to Varirata National Park.
There is some pleasant walking here, with a network of trails, grassy picnic areas and shelters with barbecues, and lookouts giving fine views to Port Moresby and out to sea.

Looking towards Port Moresby from Rouna.

Wallabies are common and birdlife is plentiful.
The next road left, marked by the Kokoda monument, goes to Owers’ Corner and the start of the Kokoda Trail.
McDonald’s Corner and Owers’ Corner, further in from Sogeri, have always been a favorite place for many residents of Port Moresby.
They are famously known as the beginning of the Kokoda Trail and are visited by hundreds of tourists, mainly Australians, every year.
Enjoying a cold beer after a hard couple of days on the Kokoda Trail has always been part of the routine for these trekkers.
A family picnic at Owers’ Corner under the blue sky, white clouds, majestic mountains and lush, green environment is a moment to treasure.
Crystal Rapids, where you can picnic and swim for a small fee, and Sirinumu Dam are along the next road right, or continue straight ahead to Sogeri.
Sogeri, in Kairuku-Hiri open electorate, supplies fruits and vegetables to local markets, supermarkets, restaurants/hotels and large companies throughout PNG.
The Pacific Adventist University (PAU) at 12-Mile produces quality farm products like banana, water melon, corn, aibika and pawpaw.
Sogeri Primary Produce located in Sogeri is the largest in the Pacific.
This modern hi-tech hydroponic farm grows and supplies lettuce and tomatoes to the city residents and mining, oil and gas companies.
Livestock and poultry is farmed and bred at various locations.
Koitaki Farm is the second largest cattle farm in the country.
It provides fresh beef carcass and meat supplies to the city freezers, butcher shops and the local market.
Boroma Limited at 14-Mile breeds and provides quality hog carcasses and Hagen Planters located at 15-Mile, specialises in piggery and ducks.
Hugo Canning Company located at 15-Mile is the supplier of Ox & Palm corned beef, Boston, Hereford and a distributor of Ocean Blue tinned fish.
Rubber is mainly grown at Itikinumu.
Coffee is milled by a nationally-owned company, Koiari Holdings, which manages and operate the only coffee mill in the the Southern region.
Vanilla is grown on small scale.
There is a prospective gold mine at Mt Bina in Koiari.
Landowners are in favour of commencing operations, whereas, other Koiari people are concerned about its impact on the Kokoda Track and the environment.
Sogeri National High School holds a special place in the education history of PNG.
The school began in 1944 when commander of ANGAU (Australia New Guinea Administrative Unit) Major General Basil Morris decided to set up a ‘central school for teaching natives various trades’ on Sogeri plateau outside Port Moresby.
Established at the former site of the 113 Australian Convalescent Depot, the school was blessed with mild climate and green environment that was a stark contrast to the hot and dusty Port Moresby only kilometers away.
The history of Sogeri has been recorded in a 342-page book titled Sogeri – The School That Helped To Shape A Nation by former schoolteacher Lance Taylor.
My father, the late Mathias Nalu, was in the last teacher-training course Sogeri would offer in 1956 and included a “top notch bunch of trainees”, which included Enos Baloiloi, Lohia Boganu, Vela Kila, Bobi Livinai, Paulias Matane, Aisea Taviai, Alkan Tololo, Ronald ToVue, Waterhouse Wai Wai and Michael Tom.
Michael Tom emerged from Sogeri in the 1960s as Michael Somare.
Teacher John Newnham recalls that the class of ‘56 was “an absolute delight to teach.”
Likewise, magical Sogeri remains an absolute delight, to this very day.

Laloki River at Rouna after cascading down the falls.

Papua New Guinea commits K10 million for Japan recovery

By PATRICK TALU

PAPUA New Guinea yesterday gave K10 million to disaster stricken Japan, The National reports.
Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Don Polye presented a cheque for the amount to his counterpart, Takekai Matsumoto, to help the Japanese government in its recovery process after the double disasters in March left 130,000 survivors homeless.
Polye, who flew to Japan over the Easter weekend, called from Tokyo on Monday night to say his visit was to officially convey condolences and sympathies for the relatives of 14,358 people who had lost their lives and 11,889 others who are unaccounted for in the earthquake and tsunami that struck the country on March 11.
Polye said he conveyed the condolences on behalf of the people PNG to the people of Japan and their government.
He told the Japanese PNG treasured its bilateral relations and would work to make it better.
“I have come here to show solidarity, goodwill that PNG treasures Japan as an important bilateral partner,” Polye said by phone.
“PNG is a close friend of Japan and as a show of friendship and solidarity, the PNG government has committed K10 million to help Japan recover and restore damage done to infrastructure and homes during the double catastrophic disasters in which more than 20,000 people have lost their lives.”
While in Japan, Polye also negotiated trade and investment opportunities between the two nations.
He reportedly made contact with Sanko-Bussan, a family-owned Japanese company engaged in the commercial fishing business which had agreed to build a loin tuna factory in Port Moresby while other investors had indicated to invest in clean energy, agriculture and technology sectors.
Sanko-Bussan operates a fleet of about 90 fishing vessels in the Pacific.
Polye, during the signing of the investment promotion protection agreement (IPPA) yesterday with his Japanese counterpart in Tokyo, invited potential Japanese investors to consider investing in PNG.
“This IPPA signing is timely and very significant as it protects the high profile of Japanese investments to grow in PNG.
“The IPPA is not a contractual obligation but it gives Japan the assurance and confidence that their investments in PNG are well assured, promoted and protected.
“The IPPA signifies PNG’s commitment to Japanese investments and gives them assurance and confidence that PNG is supportive and protective of their investments,” Polye told The National from Tokyo.
He said the second part of the IPPA signing was for a diversified area in particular tourism, fishery, agriculture, and information and communication technology (ICT).
Polye said the Japanese were interested in investing in agriculture, fishery, ICT and PNG government had to make their investment environment conducive for them.
“One of my aims is to attract more investments in PNG so that it helps our economy,” the Kandep MP said.

National Party vows to fulfil Teine’s dreams

THE National Party will fulfil the vision and dreams of its leader, the late Joe Mek Teine, president David Yak said yesterday, The National reports.
While expressing shock at the death, Yak said the passing of the member for Kundiawa-Gembogl would not diminish and discourage the party.
“Indeed, it should en¬courage the party to go out full swing in next year’s general election and win more seats,” he said.
He said this was the dream of Teine and the party executives and supporters would not let the dreams and vision set by their parliamentary leader pass away with him.
He said Teine had put the party in order and had been preparing the party policy and plans for the elections when he passed away.
Yak said the party executives and supporters throughout the country were in shock because they did not believe such a thing would happen.
He said Teine’s death was a big blow to the party and its supporters but that would not prevent his executives from carrying out the work he had initiated as parliamentary leader.
He said Teine was an honest, committed and dedicated leader, who had the heart to serve his people in the electorate, province and country.
Yak said Teine had a big vision to bring the party back to its old glory days.
His father had occupied the same seat for some time in the old House of Assembly 25 years ago.
Since Teine is a sitting MP, funeral arrangements will be done in consultation with parliament.
Meanwhile, Enga Governor Peter Ipatas and Public Service Minister and Esa’ala MP Moses Maladina have sent their condolences to the family and people of Kundiawa-Gembogl.
“I knew him as a hard working, honest, humble and a very committed leader who loves to serve the people not only from his district but the people of Chimbu and Papua New Guinea, his passing is a great loss to all of us,” Ipatas said from England where he is accompanying Governor-General Michael Ogio for his investiture ceremony.
“I extend my heartfelt sympathy and condolen¬ces to the immediate family members, relatives and people of Kundiawa-Gembogl, Chimbu and Papua New Guinea.”
Ipatas said it was a great loss for the people of highlands region as Teine made “significant contributions towards the legal fraternity, business, politics and governance of this country”.
Ipatas brushed aside rumours he had died as well.
People’s Party deputy president Douglas Makana Ivarato confirmed Ipatas had accompanied Ogio to England.
“It is rumours being spread by people with a vested interest,” he said.
Ipatas sent condolences as well to the relatives of the late Madang administrator Joseph Dorpar, who died during Easter weekend.
In his message, Maladina said: “On behalf of the people of Esa’ala, I would like to extend our great sadness over the death of a great man.”
He described Teine as “a good man, a peace-maker and God-fearing leader who had brought Chimbu together as one people”.
“The late Teine provided stable leadership to a province that has produced and lost some of our greatest leaders.
“We have now lost another great leader,” Maladina said.
Maladina said Teine and his team had been in the process of seeking people’s views and making major legislative reforms.
He said the death of the late MP was a set-back for the Law Reform Commission and called on the commission to complete the work started by Teine.
Teine collapsed at 10pm last Saturday and was rushed to hospital where attempts were made to revive him from an apparent heart attack.
He died at 11am on Monday at the hospital.

Port Moresby runs out of water and power, as landowners pull the plug

City residents warned of load shedding and water cuts


By ANGELINE KARIUS and SAMUEL RAITANO

PORT Moresby is bracing for the worst with Koiari landowners turning off the city’s water supply and shutting down all Rouna hydropower stations starting yesterday, The National reports.



NCD Governor Powes Parkop paying respect to Ruth Umuia, widow of late Umuia Koeari, who was killed at Hohola last weekend.

Koiari landowners, protesting the killing of one of their youthful leaders on April 19 and the attempted murder of another in 2000, demanded immediate payment of K1.5 million in compensation before the water and power are turned back on. PNG Power and Eda Ranu have begun advising the public of heavy load shedding and water supply restrictions affecting all parts of the city of more than 300,000 inhabitants.
While PNG Power conducts load shedding exercises on electricity supply, Eda Ranu will be restricting water supply to give a fair distribution of the limited amount of water available at the Bomana pumping station to NCD residents.
PNG Power has indicated the load shedding exercise will be carried out for an indefinite period until the power stations are reopened.
With the shutdown, PNG power can only generate 76 megawatts (MW) of electricity while the NCD’s demand is 94MW.
Eda Ranu can produce 60,000 litres per day from the Bomana pumping station, which is insufficient to meet the NCD’s demand for 145,000 litres daily.
In a city where water and electricity supply are intermittent at best, this action will create near panic situations in many parts.
Five clans of the Koiari people, who control the headwaters of the Laloki River and the land where the Rouna hydropower projects are located, yesterday presented a two-part petition to NCD Governor Powes Parkop demanding compensation for the death and attempted murder and for a negotiation of a memorandum of understanding.
The compensation component includes:

*K1 million for the killing of Umuia Koeari at Hohola on April 19;

*K500,000 for the attempted murder of Andrew Bali in 2000 at the Gordon market;

*All settlements within 20m of the killing apart from government offices be removed and the cost met by the NCD; and

*For NCD to meet cost of landowners for the duration of protest.

The landowners also demand that:

*Government releases electricity supply business back to the Koiari people;

*A significant equity in Eda Ranu is given the Koiaris;

*Government to seal all national and feeder roads in the area;

*PNG Power supplies power free of charge to all Koiari households and businesses and state institutions on Koiari land;

*A separate Koiari electorate be created;

*Parkop and MP for Kairuku-Hiri Paru Aihi establish a commission of inquiry into all traditional lands in Port Moresby; and

*Government to upgrade Iarowari High School to technical school.

Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal said last night that the government was prepared to discuss issues including equity participation in Eda Ranu and PNG Power, education and infrastructure but did not touch on the compensation claim.
Abal reactivated the interagency task force to be coordinated by the Department of the PM and NEC to address issues such as those raised by the Koiari landowners.
He said: “It is not wrong to petition the government regarding development issues. Some grievances are genuine which the government is willing to talk with the landowners but it is wrong to break the law to bring these grievances to the attention of the government.”
The acting prime minister warned the landowners of a standing 2006 restraining court order which may be served to prevent shut down of electricity and water installations.
Abal assured city residents that the government was doing all it could to restore electricity and water supply to the city.
According to chairman of the Koiari landowner group, Bagua Watti, until their demands are met, Rouna reservoirs 1, 2, 3, and 4 will remain closed.
He said failure by the government to honour the signed MoU had led to the existing land issues.
“We want answers before I hand over the keys to you (respective agencies). You better address these issues,” he said.
Parkop has assured the people that the commission would not hesitate to evacuate illegal settlers in the city.
He said the aim of his office was to beautify and create a peaceful city for everyone but, unfortunately, people had fallen victim to a minority.
“These senseless killings must stop,” he said.
Aihi, who is also Higher Education Minister, has assured the people that he would do his best to voice their grievances and bring their demands to the Somare-Abal government.
NCD Central command divisional commander Fred Shekiot confirmed that investigations into the killing were continuing.

Will the 2012 election be" same old, same old," all over again?

By JOHN FOWKE

I have two friends who intend to stand; one an ex-MP, the other a mature man with much valuable experience, but not politically-active in the past.
Both are graduates of UPNG.
I know their electorates reasonably well and find the prospect of their candidature very interesting and encouraging.
Both are honest and positive men with good track-records.
What will happen?
Is it likely that a solid and united block of idealists who are determined to return PNG to a land of fair-shares and opportunity- for-everyone will emerge and lead?
A group of MPs within which there is a determination to see that justice, good health and a basic education are available to all citizens?
Basic conditions in the world of 2012, and conditions which this society has a right to expect.
Conditions which may be provided in this increasingly-wealthy country?
How may such a trans-tribal, trans-provincial unifying representative group emerge and coalesce?
The Christians, members of a potentially trans-tribal interest group, have tried and failed.
One hopes they will try again.
Is my suggestion, made in The National newspaper late last year, regarding the adoption of the LLG system as the foundation of national politics worth consideration by intending candidates?
As is now widely-accepted, a "party-system" imposed upon a classless, landowning society has been an incumberance; a matrix for the rise of a dissatisfied and increasingly resentful electorate.
 In a society which has remained socially-classless and universally-landowning, with a commonality of interest and hope for the future, the first indigenous class to emerge and show its strength and influence as a unit above the commonality is the political class, which has appropriated much for itself to the loss and neglect of the mass of the people.
Even the best-known politicians have made statements recognising this as a problem.
How may a society which is completely divorced from knowledge and influence with the first indigenous social class it has ever seen, get out of the shadow of a shady and selfish party-system and into direct, positive, productive contact with its mausmen, its direct representatives, the MPS?
Is such a set of questions and considerations worthy of the attention of this blog's readership?

Wafi-Golpu mine by 2016, says Harmony

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s Harmony Gold expects its proposed new US$3-billion Wafi-Golpu copper-gold mine in Papua New Guinea to come into production in 2016, The National reports.
Now in pre-feasibility stage in a joint-venture with Newcrest Gold of Australia, Wafi-Golpu is set to follow Harmony’s Hidden Valley copper-gold mine that came into production last September, also in a joint-venture with Newcrest.
“Even at this early stage, we can confidently say that Wafi-Golpu is going to be a mine. There’s no doubt about it,” Harmony Gold CEO Graham Briggs tells Mining Weekly Online.
The US$3-billion price tag is linked to mining taking place at a rate of 20-million tonnes a year.
However, current thinking is that actual output using the block-cave mining method may be 30-million tonnes a year, which would increase the amount of capital required.
The JSE- and NYSE-listed Harmony is committed to providing half of whatever capital is required.
Harmony Gold’s financial director Hannes Meyer said the high quality of the grade was positioning Wafi-Golpu as a relatively low-cost future mining operation.
Total cost of mining is expected to be US$25/tonne, against expected revenue of US$100/tonne to US$300/tonne, which makes it a high-margin business.
“It’s really capital insensitive,” Meyer said.
By 2014-15, when Harmony will have to arrange the capital for Wafi-Golpu, its South African Phakisa, Doornkop, Kusasalethu and other local projects will no longer be requiring high levels of capital and will begin generating strong cash flows, which will be able to underpin the financial requirements of the project.
Also, Wafi-Golpu has significant copper, which Harmony may use for commodity-backed financing for the project.
Meyer envisages that selling a third of the copper could provide between US$500 million and US$1 billion in project funding.
The anticipated profitability of the business also provides scope for the introduction of considerable debt into the financing structure.
“Equity will be the last route that we’ll pursue. We’ll explore all other avenues before we dilute shareholders,” Meyer said.
Harmony’s Hidden Valley mine is expected to produce at a rate of 280,000oz per year for the next 14 years.
The Wafi part of Wafi-Golpu is a gold-only resource and the Golpu part is copper-gold porphyry.
Continual exploration drilling since 2007 indicated the potential presence of 38 million oz of gold equivalent, with recent drilling unearthing an 883m strike at 5g/t to 7g/t gold equivalent.

Customs raises K1.9 billion for state

By JUNIOR UKAHA

THE Papua New Guinea Customs Commission has raised more than K1.9 billion in duties for the national government last year, commissioner Gary Juffa said last week, The National reports.
Speaking at a media conference in Port Moresby, while officially launching the customs annual report for last year, Juffa said despite constraints like lack of manpower, the organisation had posted an extra K273 million (16%) in revenue for the state, surpassing the government’s forecasted target of K1.7 billion.
Juffa said this was an increase of K416 million (27%) compared to revenue collected for 2009.
“The increase in revenue collection is primarily attributed to the increase in international trade volume, and enhanced compliance strategies employed by customs,” he said.
He said the revenue came from import duties, import GST, import excise, export duties and local taxes including inland excise and sundry collections.
“I would like to thank my executives for a wonderful job last year which resulted in the organisation raising more revenue than what was expected by the government,” Juffa said.
He said customs, as the entity responsible for monitoring the movement of goods in and out of the country, “will continue to protect the interests of the country and its people by detecting and preventing contraband products and dangerous and illicit materials from entering the country”.
He said the work of customs was not limited to enhancing border security but involved in protecting the community, facilitating international trade and commerce and collecting government revenue and trade statistics.
Juffa said this year would see customs embark on a number of projects including:

*Recruiting more staff;

*Relocating its headquarters and Southern region office to a new location;

*Building institutional capacity through specialists training and strategic management;

*Installation of two new container x-ray technology at the Lae and Port Moresby ports to detect contraband and dangerous materials; and

*The introduction of a wide range of customs user-pay service fees in accordance with the CUSTA trust instruments.