Bogia bug threatens copra yield

By ANGELINE KARIUS

 

COPRA production could be drastically affected by up to 80% from the effect of the Bogia coconut syndrome, The National reports.

Provincial adviser Savi Godfried said the disease could easily wipe out most of the production yield from the coconut industry in the province.

He said the insect causing the disease was yet to be identified and authorities were awaiting the results of samples sent to Australia and the United Kingdom for testing.

“Our scientists are working to find the cause of and solution to the disease,” he said.

Godfried said the disease, which spread from one coconut tree to another, could prove costly to the rural farmers.

“Their chidren’s school fees, medical and food sources will be affected,” he said.

The coconut trees affected have their leaves turn brown, lose the nuts and the crown eventually falling off.

A public notice had been issued to warn locals of a possible epidemic.

Godfried said trees bearing betelnut and bananas had also been affected by the mysterious bug.

Meanwhile, the cocoa pod borer has spread to Karkar Island.

“Gradually, it will affect plantations along the North Coast,” Godfried said.

“Our current strategy is to empower communities to consider the application of pest disease management.

“The best practice management to improve cocoa condition in respective location includes cutting grass, digging drains, pruning shades, pruning cocoa trees, regular harvesting of dry pods, regular removal of dry and disease pods and burying infected pods.”

Police raid homes, attack villagers

 By JEFFREY ELAPA

 

POLICE, in their campaign against alcohol-smuggling, have left hundreds of people homeless and others injured during raids in the Margarima district, Southern Highlands, yesterday, The National reports.

District chief Kerry Mamai Lero said more than 100 homes and trade stores were raided and properties destroyed during the raid at Hiri in the lower Waghi local level government.

He said the raid started at the Olam villages and ended at Wapulaka village, a distance of about 10km.

Lero said the people had been left homeless and he asked for assistance, describing the situation as a “disaster”.

Attempts to get comments from provincial police commander Supt John Anawe in Tari were unsuccessful.

Police Commissioner Anthony Wagambie, when contacted last night, said he was not aware of the incident.

It was believed that the series of raids was conducted by armed policemen based at the LNG project site and at Tari.

The attack was said to be in retaliation for the recent burning of a police vehicle allegedly by locals.

Lero said the vehicle-burning incident took place when six Margarima policemen, in civilian clothes and allegedly drunk and led by station commander Snr Const John Sali, were returning from Mendi and were confronted by two youths.

He said an argument started and the local youths, who were also drunk, burnt the police vehicle.

He said while the youths were also at fault, the families and traders in the district should not be blamed for the incident.

Lero said the villagers had even volunteered to help police detain the youths who had allegedly burnt the vehicles.

Police sources, however, claimed that on the day of the vehicle-burning incident, more than 19 youths, armed with weapons and led by a local teacher, had stopped the police vehicle. Others joined them and overturned the vehicle before burning it.

Police said the villagers were angry that the officers had confiscated 150 cartons of beer from traders in the area.

Police had been conducting regular patrols in the area following a ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol put in place by the provincial executive council.

Hela leaders have condemned the vehicle-burning, saying it was the first time civilians had turned against police.

This was the second incident involving beer smuggling in the province this year.

An earlier incident resulted in the death of a policeman at Kaupena in Ialibu after a group of officers had intercepted villagers illegally transporting beer over the Kaguel River.

The body of the officer was found on the banks of the Purari River a few months later.

Meanwhile, reports from Mendi said people were still consuming alcohol despite the province-wide ban.

Opposition urges caution on Manus asylum seekers

The Opposition today called on the Government to treat with caution Australian government's indication of using Manus as the asylum seekers' processing centre again.

Deputy Leader of Opposition and Bulolo MP Sam Basil said that limited enforcement capacity in key authorities like customs, police, Port Services Ltd and immigration had resulted in reports of illegal immigrants arriving onshore in PNG and disappearing.

"Given our nation's vulnerability, bringing in active asylum seekers to Papua New Guinea poses a real threat of having unknown illegal immigrants escape into the nation," Basil said.

"Both Australian and PNG authorities must discuss intensely and intimately the potential dangers and implication of re-using the Manus processing centre before a final decision is made.

"The last thing Australia – and PNG – needs is to allow unidentified potential terrorists, guns-for-illicit drugs smugglers or even people smugglers to escape and build hives in Papua New Guinea."

The Bulolo MP said that he appreciated the economic returns this could mean for Manus and other commercial suppliers in the country.

 "I also recognise the gesture of goodwill this can be to Australia as the largest developmental partner and investors over the years to PNG," he added.

"However, what I fail to understand is why Australian does not want to use its own vast landmass and offshore islands, backed by a superior police, military and naval force, to process the asylum seekers who, after all want to enter Australia.

"Naturally, they should be contained and processed in Australia instead of Australian Government trying to enlist and endangering a smaller developing country like ours.

"At the end of day, a foothold in PNG is a terrorism beachhead that Australia would not want.

"Isn't that the reason for Australia's role in the Second World War in our seas, shores and jungles?

"I urge the PNG Government to weigh all issues related to this carefully and ensure that national interest and national security plays a paramount role in the final decision they make."

APEC launches ASPIRE prize for innovative scientists

Issued by APEC Industrial Science and Technology Working Group

Singapore, July 27, 2011 – To encourage innovation in the Asia-Pacific region, the APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education (ASPIRE Prize) will be awarded in September 2011 to recognise young scientists who have demonstrated a commitment to both excellence in scientific research, as evidenced by scholarly publication, and cooperation with scientists from other APEC economies.  This year’s theme is “green growth,” one of the priorities for APEC USA 2011.

Ambassador Muhamad Noor said that the ASPIRE Prize builds upon APEC economies’ efforts to actively promote environmentally-sustainable economic growth and their desires to help member economies successfully transition to a clean energy future.

 

“APEC is an important facilitator for the best scientific minds from both sides of the Pacific Ocean to work on the region’s most pressing issues including climate change, energy efficiency  as well as sustainable forest management,” said Noor.

 

“Science and technology is a field with infinite possibilities. More often than not, the best innovations and solutions come about when people from diverse backgrounds are brought together.”

 

APEC encourages the development and application of industrial science and technology that improves the quality of life, while safeguarding the natural environment and achieving sustainable development.

 

APEC Industrial Science and Technology Working Group (ISTWG) Lead Shepherd, Wan Zaharah Wan Mohamad, said that the ASPIRE prize is a symbol of APEC’s commitment to promote innovative research and development, knowledge sharing, and scientific collaboration in the region, which hosts some of the world’s largest rainforests and marine resources.

 

“The ASPIRE prize will provide much needed recognition to the best scientists while continuing to nurture young scientists in the APEC region,” said Wan Zaharah Wan Mohamad. “We hope that the ASPIRE Prize will help raise the visibility of world-class research now being conducted by scientists in the developing APEC member economies,” she said.

 

Each APEC member economy is invited to submit one nominee under the age of 40 for the ASPIRE Prize.  The winner will receive prize money in the amount of $25,000 and is expected to be honoured at the Joint Ministerial Meeting on Energy and Transportation to be held September 12-13, 2011, in San Francisco, California.  U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu is expected to award the ASPIRE Prize. The ASPIRE Prize is sponsored by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and Elsevier.

 

For more information on submitting nominees, please contact Mr. Luis Enrique Vertiz, APEC Industrial Science and Technology Working Group Program Director, APEC Secretariat, at lev@apec.org. Nominations will continue to be accepted until 1 August 2011.

 

# # #

For more information, contact: Ai Ghee Ong at +65 6891 9671 or oag@apec.org or Michael Chapnick + 65 6891 9670 or mc@apec.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

InterOil provides Gulf LNG project update

InterOil is not in the business of testing new technology nor will it ever use Papua New Guinea as a “guinea pig” for new technology testing, says InterOil chairman and CEO, Phil Mulacek.

Mulacek stressed today that all technology incorporated in InterOil’s Gulf LNG project in PNG’s Gulf of Papua was proven and was chosen after a rigorous assessment process.

He also said that InterOil already had world-class operators in its Gulf LNG project development team to develop and deliver a high quality world-class project for PNG.

“InterOil’s project management team includes experienced operators from major oil companies who have been responsible for world-scale LNG projects,” Mulacek said.

The InterOil CEO was responding to statements attributed to PNG’s new Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Minister Potape in a press articles published in PNG’s two daily newspapers, The National, on Tuesday and in the Post-Courier yesterday.

Mulacek confirmed that InterOil had made substantial progress on its Gulf LNG Project in the past 17 months.

“InterOil achieved critical mass in its contingent resource estimate on February 16, 2010 with the independent resource assessment certifying a best case estimate of more than 8 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas and associated condensate.

“Since then, InterOil has entered various framework agreements, contingent on final investment decision (FID), on infrastructure and facilities with a start up capacity of 5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) in 2014 and potential expansion up to 10.6 mtpa, being the capacity referenced in the 2009 LNG Project Agreement with the government of Papua New Guinea,” Mulacek said.

He said InterOil was in the process of informing Minister Potape and his advisors, as it routinely does with the relevant PNG Government departments and advisors, on the structure and economics of the company’s Gulf project.

“This is a project aimed at bringing benefits to stakeholders, including the people of Gulf province and PNG, as soon as possible.

“We look forward to working with Minister Potape to bring the government and the people of PNG an economically-advantaged, modern LNG project as early as possible.

“InterOil believes that none of the technology proposed for the Gulf LNG project is new, being rather the use of existing technologies in new efficient configurations.

“The specific type and size of floating LNG facility fixed at a jetty InterOil will use its well within the operating envelope of existing floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels, and is a viable and economically-favourable option to accelerate LNG production from the project,” Mulacek said.

The PNG Government has previously provided statements of support and endorsed a separate floating LNG project being explored by State-owned Petromin prior to the appointment of the Minister to his current role over a month ago.

InterOil has operated in PNG since 1995, and proudly employs some 800 people throughout the country in its current operations.

 

Footnote: About InterOil

InterOil Corporation is developing a vertically-integrated energy business whose primary focus is Papua New Guinea and the surrounding region.

 InterOil’s assets consist of petroleum licenses covering about 3.9 million acres, an oil refinery, and retail and commercial distribution facilities, all located in Papua New Guinea.

 In addition, InterOil is a shareholder in a joint venture established to construct an LNG plant in Papua New Guinea. 

InterOil’s common shares trade on the NYSE in US dollars. 

 

Polye: NA constitution under threat

By JEFFREY ELAPA

 

MEMBER for Kandep Don Polye said the National Alliance party caucus meeting in Goroka this week was not about fighting over the leadership but to comply with the party constitution, The National reports.

He said it was important that the party's constitution was upheld.

Polye said a deliberate breach of the constitution happened last week when the parliamentary wing of the party decided to elect Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal as the NA deputy highlands leader.

Polye said he was given a 30-day notice on July 4 as the deputy leader to call a meeting. However, he said the 30-day notice was to have expired on Aug 4. Therefore, he was calling the meeting this week in compliance with the constitution.

"All NA parliamentary members, executives, ordinary members and the administrators are obliged to follow the party laws.

"I do not condone the breaching of any laws including the national constitution as well as the party constitution. To break them means destroying democracy and good governance," he said.

He said there had been a disregard for the party's constitution and required that a meeting be called for members of the NA party to correct the wrong.

"I do not see any reason why the MPs should not attend. I am not calling them to vote for me," he said.

Meanwhile, Lands Minister Lucas Dekena said a meeting held between some of the members yesterday decided that because most of them would not make it to Goroka, the meeting this week should be postponed to allow everyone to attend.

He said many of them had not been aware of the Goroka meeting until they read about it in The National yesterday.

He said the acting prime minister would be attending a funeral at home and other members of parliament were away overseas.

However, a media statement from the prime minister's office yesterday claimed that the NA highlands leaders had confirmed their decision last week to appoint Abal as their deputy leader.

The statement named five MPs who asserted to the change in leadership in Port Moresby yesterday. They included Sani Rambi, Dekena, Benjamin Mul, Miki Kaeok and Abal.

Speaking from Mt Hagen, Western High­lands Governor Tom Olga said the leaders were standing by their decision last Wednesday.

When contacted yesterday, Mul said he did not want to be dragged into the issue and suggested that it was a matter for Abal and Polye to settle

Census officers threaten to burn forms

CENSUS officials in Lae have threatened to burn completed forms and pads in their possession if they are not paid their allowances, The National reports.

They are calling on  Morobe provincial administrator Kemas Tomala to sort out the matter urgently.

Interviewers at Lae’s ward six area covering the suburbs of East and West Taraka were outraged after they were not paid last Thursday.

They said they had completed their seven-day survey last Thursday and were expecting to be paid.

They met at the ward six council office yesterday and claimed there was poor management of the census operation in the city.

They were supposed to be paid the standard allowance promised to them during their training last month.

They underwent a five-day training for the surveying exercise in which they were promised to be paid K125.

But at the conclusion of the survey, the interviewers got only K95 while their supervisors got K110.

Ahi local level government interviewers have also been waiting for the last two weeks to be paid.