National Research Institute to carry out study into Goroka Show

By MALUM NALU

Goroka Show organising committee has commissioned the National Research Institute to carry out a study into the socio-economic benefits of the show to Goroka, Eastern Highlands province and Papua New Guinea.

The committee will pay for NRI researcher Ronald Sofe, who is also from EHP, to carry out the study.

This was agreed to at a meeting last Thursday between NRI’s outgoing deputy director of research Dr Musawe Sinebare, who is the new Education Secretary, Sofe and committee members Tom Solepa and Wilson Thompson.

Sinebare was said was probably the first time that a show committee had engaged the NRI to do such a study.

“This is probably the first time that a show committee has approached us to do a case study of a show,” he said.

“The idea is good.

“There’s no point having a show when we don’t know the economic benefits to the province.”

Solepa said despite Goroka having the oldest show in Papua New Guinea, there were no proper records or tangible assets.

“It (Goroka show) has a very long history,” he said.

“However, despite its length of existence, there’s nothing tangible on the ground.

“I see that there’s a need to get a structure in place, which is something that we’ve talked about at committee level.

“The whole idea is to have information and data available.”

He gave K5,000 as first installment payment to NRI to carry out the study.

Solepa thanked Prime Minister Peter O’Neill for the K700,000 contribution to the Goroka Show this year, which he said would go a long way towards self-sustainability in future, including the study by NRI.

Sofe is expected to complete the research before he travels to Australia for further studies in 2012.

APEC Ministers agree on enhanced trade, green growth, regulatory reform

 Honolulu, United States, 11 November 2011 – APEC Ministers today committed to concrete actions to strengthen economic integration and expand trade, promote green growth and advance regulatory convergence and cooperation to achieve economic growth in the region.

At the end of their annual meeting, chaired this year by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, APEC Ministers released a joint statement outlining specific initiatives to advance the three priority areas.

Photos / Video

“Global trends and world events have given us a full and formidable agenda, and the stakes are high for all of us.” said Secretary Clinton in her opening remarks.

 “We are each trying to generate balanced, inclusive, sustainable growth that delivers good jobs for our citizens; economic, social, and environmental progress for our nations; and shared prosperity for this region.” 

 In their joint statement, Foreign and Trade Ministers agreed to actions on integration and trade, including by addressing next-generation trade and investment issues that a future Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific should contain.

 “APEC has traditionally been a laboratory for some of the best and newest ideas in global commerce.  We believe the outcomes of this year will keep APEC’s agenda on the cutting edge for the next 20 years.  We want to ensure that new regional agreements anticipate and address 21st century issues relevant to business in the region,” said Ambassador Kirk.

 “We also have successfully addressed challenges that small and medium-sized businesses face when doing business in the region,” said Ambassador Kirk when he discussed the outcomes of the APEC Ministerial Meeting at a joint press conference today.

 Trade Ministers also discussed the Doha Development Agenda and released a standalone statement emphasizing “our collective deep concern regarding the impasse that now clearly confronts” the agenda and the reality that a conclusion of all elements is unlikely in the near future.

 They committed to approaching the World Trade Organization trade negotiations “with a view to fresh thinking and a determination to begin exploring different, innovative and credible approaches.”

 Ministers also reaffirmed and extended their commitment through 2015 to refrain from raising new barriers to investment or to trade in goods and services, imposing new export restrictions, or implementing WTO-inconsistent measures in all areas.

 APEC Ministers acknowledged the uncertain global trading environment, including signs of increased protectionist measures, which continue to be a matter of serious concern.

 Other areas targeted for action include: improving supply chain performance by establishing de minimus values that exempt shipments from customs duties; promoting trade and investment in environmental goods and services; and strengthening good regulatory practices by ensuring internal coordination of rule-making, assessing the impact of regulations, and conducting public consultations in APEC economies. 

 Secretary Clinton also hosted a High-Level Policy Dialogue with Ministers, senior officials and business leaders on reducing disaster risk and strengthening economic resiliency, in the wake of the Japan earthquake and tsunami, floods in Thailand and other recent natural disasters in the region.

 Ministers issued a standalone statement calling on officials to work towards improving disaster resiliency, including by working with businesses to develop specific tools to help them prepare for natural disasters.

 Secretary Clinton hosted a second High-Level Policy Dialogue on open governance, which, along with transparency, is critical to economic competitiveness, leading to sustainable economic growth.

 “We share the belief that markets, trade, and investment are vital to our prosperity,” Secretary Clinton said. “So today, I look forward to hearing from everyone about ways we can continue to build an enduring regional economic architecture that is open, free, transparent, and fair.”

 Releasing a standalone statement, Ministers said good governance should continue to be an APEC priority, taking stock of the group’s recent efforts to promote good governance, encourage ethical business practices and fight corruption.

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For more information, contact: Augustine Kwan +65 9831 0717 at ak@apec.org or Trudy Harris +65 9898 3710 at th@apec.org or Michael Chapnick +1 (202) 262 8306 at mc@apec.org

Details about APEC meetings, events, projects and publications can be found at www.apec.org or www.apec2011.gov. You can also follow APEC on Twitter and join us on Facebook.

PNG woman farmer to represent Pacific region at international conference

Maria Linibi

 A prominent women farmer will represent Papua New Guinea and the Pacific region at a major international agriculture extension conference in Kenya.

Maria Linibi, president of the PNG Women in Agriculture Development Foundation, has been chosen as one of the key speakers at the conference to be held from November 15-18 in the Kenya capital, Nairobi.

Linibi and her husband have developed their own farm and she has used the experience gained there to stimulate and encourage other women farmers.

This has been done in trying circumstances.

The former public servant has trained many women farmers, organised them into groups, and also pioneered the production of plant-based organic products such as oil and locally-medicated soap, amongst others.

Linibi, one of PNG’s outstanding role models for women farmers, will be among more than 20 ministers of Agriculture and some 400 leading global experts in agriculture development who will gather at the Hilton hotel for the four-day conference.

The conference titled ‘Innovations in Extension and Advisory Services: Linking Knowledge to Policy and Action’ will discuss issues relating to the neglected sector of agriculture extension and advisory services, and seek support from government agencies, private sector, other stakeholders to strengthen linkages between agriculture knowledge holders and policy makers and millions  of struggling smallholder farmers in developing countries.

Agriculture extension and advisory services are viewed as essential to equipping farmers with the information, knowledge, confidence, tools and technologies they need to meet a daunting challenge: doubling food production on over the next few decades to keep pace with rapidly rising populations – even as climate change radically alters growing conditions.

The Nairobi meeting will focus on mobilising the national, regional and global knowledge networks needed to help farmers choose from a wide spectrum of productivity-enhancing and other innovations and access resources for meeting market requirements to compete in a constantly changing globalised world.

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) is the major sponsor of the conference and is also meeting the costs of the PNG participant.

O'Neill appeals for calm

From SUSUVE LAUMAEA in Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu, Fri, Nov 11:  Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has given assurance that Papua New Guinea will not be reduced to a nation under constitutional crisis.

Mr O’Neill has appealed to citizens and residents to remain calm and impartial in the current situation between the executive government and the judiciary.

“There is no reason for citizens and residents to fear collapse of the rule of law or to speculate about the onset of a constitutional crisis.

 “Nothing like that will or shall happen under my watch,” Prime Minister O’Neill said in statement released from Honolulu, Hawaii today, where he is attending the 2011 Asia Pacific Economic Summit for Asia-Pacific leaders hosted by the United States Government.

 Mr O’Neill’s appeal follow Cabinet’s decision on Thursday to suspend Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia on the basis of a police report  alleging improper conduct against him.  

“What the nation has been watching and experiencing since August 2 is a healthy democratic display of the legislature, the executive and the judiciary proactively exercising their respective constitutional and independent roles as the three arms of government.

“That being so, the gravest development we must all expose, oppose and depose is the intrusion by all three arms of government into the affairs of each other.

“One arm of government must not unilaterally usurp the powers and authority of the other and vice versa.

“The executive government’s collective right to make national interest decisions – including decisions relating to members of the judiciary collectively or individually in the interest of transparency and good governance  -  through the National Executive Council should not be usurped by the threat of warrants of arrest for members of the NEC.

“This threat, as has occurred in the judiciary’s issuance of warrants of arrest on Friday for the Attorney-General and Justice Minister Allan Marat and Acting Prime Minister Belden Namah, is a very dangerous precedent,” the Prime Minister said. 

“This must never be allowed to happen or escalate into open confrontation between the judiciary and the executive government in our country.

“Let us allow the rule of law to take its natural course without undue influence and threats.

“No one should link Sir Salamo’s suspension with the Supreme Court proceedings into the legality and constitutionality of my election as Prime Minister and that of our government on August 2.  “Both are separate matters altogether.

“I appeal to all parties for maturity and commonsense to prevail and to allow the due judicial and legal processes to take their normal course in the allegations against Sir Salamo and the proceedings against our government’s legitimacy and constitutionality.

“The nation has an executive government in office and I assure all citizens and residents that we will continue to exercise good governance, discharge our parliament-mandated role to make and execute sound national interest decisions and govern the nation assertively, accountably and inclusively. 

“The stability of our nation and the welfare of our people outweigh the personal interests of individuals.

 “No individual is above the law and that applies to all citizens irrespective of status, professional or social standing.

 “The allegations for which the National Executive Council has seen fit to suspend the Chief Justice are unrelated to his role as chair of the Supreme Court proceedings into the events of August 2,” Prime Minister O’Neill said.

“The allegations against Sir Salamo are unfortunate occurrence. They were brought to the attention of the former government by agencies of State including the police but were not acted upon.

“Our government has now attended to that pending matter.

 “These turn of events relating to the Chief Justice does not prevent him from handing down judgments on cases that he has presided over – including the judgment on proceedings related to the events of August 2 - prior to his suspension by the NEC on Thursday,” Prime Minister O’Neill said.

Japan provides technical support to Papua New Guinea smallholder rice

Smallholder farmers can expect more government support in the promotion of rice production in the rural communities.

This follows the recent signing of phase two  of the Smallholder Rice Promotion Project between the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Benjamin (right) Tsuji (centre) and Samuel congratulate each other after the signing of project documents.

The three-and-a-half-years project, starting this month, will cost around K7.2 million.

The project is a follow on from phase one (1) which had been successfully implemented from 2003 to 2008, particularly in the Madang and East Sepik provinces.

The purpose of the project is smallholder rice farming extension by applying and improving the model farmer approach and its support system in the target provinces.

Under the project, the three main activities will be to improve the implementation structure of rice extension services of model farmer approach and its support system, by conducting supplementary training for model farmers and improving the monitoring system.

Other activities will be to improve the existing mechanical milling services of public and private milling service stations, and to strengthen the implementation of rice policies by DAL’s Food Security Branch and Rice Extension Unit.

DAL acting secretary Anton Benjamin said during the signing held recently that the project has already made an impact in the provinces where it was trialled and he was confident that it would bring more success to other areas.

The project in utilising the model farmer approach will enhance rice production in the rural communities where rice is becoming a main food staple for village households.

He said DAL and relevant agencies were committed to working with JICA to promote smallholder rice production and thanked JICA for helping to address some of the constraints affecting rice development in PNG.

JICA resident representative, Takashi Tsuji, said he was pleased to participate in the signing of the agreement and stressed that JICA would continue its efforts to support the PNG government in promoting smallholder rice.

He said the concept had proven that model farmer approach was sustainable, and it was also aligned to the PNG government policies including Vision 2050.

He wished DAL and its stakeholders every success in implementing the project saying JICA would provide much-needed technical advisory support services and hopefully many rural farmers could benefit.

Department of National Planning and Monitoring’s acting FAS – FAD,  Koney Samuel, who also signed the document, reaffirmed the government’s commitment with counterpart funding to be provided.

National AIDS Council alarmed at drug shortage

Chairman of the National Aids Council, Sir Peter Barter is saddened and disappointed that People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in Papua New Guinea, on ART (Anti Retro Viral) treatment have suffered the indignity of having no drugs available to them at the sites where they are accessed.

He has described the situation as a national emergency as lives of people are at risk. He called on all stakeholders including international agencies to ensure ART procurement is maintained at a high level of efficiency

Sir Peter along with other council members are alarmed that people, deserving of the treatment, that is life long, are being denied the services through shortage of supplies.

As a show of this concern, he has directed the NAC and its secretariat of the moral duty as mandated coordinating authority to give as much support and assistance to the National Department of Health to ensure swift action is taken to remedy the situation.

Following discussions with the Minister for Health & HIV/AIDS, Jamie Maxtone -Graham and acting secretary for health Pascoe Kase, Sir Peter has directed the National Aids Council Secretariat to work with the NDoH and other  stakeholder partners to a ensure a rapid resolution of the drugs shortage.

The chairman maintained the council’s stance and message for patients on ARV, is that this medication should be adhered to daily and is for the life of the PLHIV.

“The Council rejects the notion in yesterday’s Post-Courier report that PLHIV on ART can have a drug holiday because of the dangers of drug resistance,” he said.

“This is technically, medically and morally wrong as between 200-500 lives as a conservative estimate are placed unnecessarily in danger because of wrong and irresponsible medical advice.”

Sir Peter emphasised the urgency of getting people back on treatment rather than waste time pointing fingers.

“Whilst it is important to know how this shortage occurred, it can be done later, firstly we need to locate a shipment of drugs that have either arrived, or about to arrive and get them to those needing treatment,” he said.

“The next step is to procure drugs for the short and long term and in doing so establish how the shortage occurred.

“I personally will not rest until everyone is back on treatment and I am confident the minister and acting health secretary will do all possible to overcome this terrible situation.”

School head: Quality of English poor

By SALLY POKITON UPNG journalism student

A SCHOOL principal says the poor standard of English used by students during the Grade 12 examinations should be a concern to everyone, The National reports.
Jubilee Catholic Secondary School principal Bernadette Ove describes the quality of English on the Grade 12 answer sheets throughout the country as very poor.
She made the comment during the school’s Grade 12 graduation ceremony yesterday.
Ove said the quality and standard of written and spoken English had drastically dropped in the country, with very poor English written by students on the examination answer sheets.
And she said the extensive use of mobile phones by students was partly to blame for the drop in the quality of English.
She said the kind of language they used in sending text messages on the mobile phones was affecting the way they write in school.
She said the kind of language young people used on cell phones was very poor and that was portrayed in their writing during exams.
 “The quality of English used made it extremely hard for the teacher markers to understand,” said Ove.
Ove told students that English was an universal language and that the type of English they used would reflect on the kind of marks they would get at the end.
Marking of the country’s OBE pioneer Grade 12 examination papers is taking place at the Grandville motel and is expected to finish today.
Meanwhile, NCD Governor Powes Parkop said the free education policy would see overcrowding in some schools in the country.
He was addressing students at the Jubilee Catholic Secondary School’s Grade 12 graduation ceremony at the Don Bosco Technical Institute.
Powes urged the students to enhance the skills and knowledge they had learnt in their 12 years of education to become professionals and contribute to nation-building even if they did not make it to university level.
He challenged the 139 graduates to be entrepreneurs and wealth creators in the work force by creating employment for themselves and not merely employees and beneficiaries of the public and private sectors.