First Kairuku-Hiri rice committee meeting a success

By SOLDIER BURUKA of DAL

The first formal meeting of the Kairuku-Hiri rice committee in the Central province has been successfully conducted.

The committee, formed under the auspices of the Central province commercial rice project being planned for the Kairuku-Hiri district, was held at Agevairu on Nov 14.

A project consultant with the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, Andrew Kavana, who was also chairman of the meeting, said there was a good turnout, especially by the chairmen of the four area committees from Mekeo, Roro, Aroa and Vanapa/Brown River.

Also in attendance were representative village chiefs, incorporated land group chairmen, and officials from DAL and Central provincial administration.

Kavana said that a wide range of issues were discussed including the special agriculture business lease (SABL), formation of ILGs for the purpose of participating in the project, progress and importance of land mobilisation in project sites.

He advised the meeting that a team tasked to mobilise land was still processing ILG registrations at Aroa, while the land investigation report was expected to commence soon after.

Kavana also informed the meeting that the project needed to prepare and complete a human resource data for the purpose of employment during the project period.

 Copies of DAL’s work plan and the draft deed of agreement were distributed to the area committee chairmen for their comments.

Among the comments made during the meeting were that awareness on the project must continue to be carried out at all levels of the community, including awareness of ILG matters.

The committee was also asked to provide resources to enable the representatives to perform their tasks.

Paul Aisa, who represented the Kairuku-Hiri MP, stressed that the project was an important one for the district; however, the issues relating to land matters must be sorted out to avoid problems in the future.

He added that only landowners who were prepared to release their land for the project should be involved in the negotiations between the government, investor and community.

Information and communication needs to be improved for agriculture

From SOLDIER BURUKA in Suva

A workshop is currently underway in Fiji to discuss how Pacific Island countries can improve their information and knowledge management to meet agricultural challenges.

 Papua New Guinea participants from Department of Agriculture and Livestock and National Agriculture Research Institute are attending the four-day workshop.

 The objectives of the workshop are to consider new dimensions in information and knowledge management for contributing to rapid agricultural innovation to meet the complex needs of agriculture in the Pacific, to promote greater involvement and participation of organisations and institutions with ‘Coherence in Information for Agricultural Research for Development’ (CIARD), to promote use and application of Web 2.0 and social media in providing information to users in agricultural innovation and market chains, especially through participatory and ‘open’ information and communication management models.

 Information and knowledge management is generation, processing, dissemination and effective use of information and knowledge for innovation to meet current and emerging challenges in agricultural development, is a challenge in itself for the Pacific.

 The small farm sizes, scattered nature of farms, infrastructural limitations, the need to cope with increased global competitiveness in agricultural commodities as also adapting to climate change and loss of agricultural biodiversity add further complexity to managing information and knowledge.

 With limited resources for research and innovation and for information management to meet these complex needs, Pacific countries need to effectively use all useful and relevant information and related resources available locally and globally for agricultural innovation.

 Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and other partners have organised the workshop which was officially opened yesterday by Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Primary Industries, Col Mason Smith.

 Smith mentioned the importance of developing the agriculture industries using relevant and accurate information and knowledge management and urged the participants to come up with solutions on improving the system.

‘Health workers, teachers deserve better'

HEALTH workers and teachers should be given extra for their work because they are the only public servants serving in remote areas, The National reports.
Governor for Western Dr Bob Danaya believes that they should be rewarded more than other government officers.
Danaya addressed members of the PNG Peri-operative Nursing Society during the end of a two-day conference in Port Moresby last week.
He thanked its workers for the hard work they do to save lives, saying they were invaluable to the health system.
He said he had to secure sponsorship for the society to encourage nurses to share ideas about their work.
Member for Moresby South, Dame Carol Kidu, who also supports the society, commended the nurses.
“You all are the unsung heros and we are proud of you all,” Dame Carol said.
The president of the society, Eunice Laim, said it was a humble beginning for the society when it was formed in 2004 with 45 members.

Five in K1.4m heist charged as city cops gear up for festive season

FIVE suspects have been charged in connection with a K1.4 million heist from a major retail shop in September and the theft of firearms, The National reports.
And police especially in the National Capital District have stepped up patrols and surveillance as the festive period approaches.
NCD metropolitan commander Supt Joseph Tondop said detectives had arrested five so far, including a former soldier and a private security guard.
They are looking for the others who included a female. Their identities are known to police.
“We have so far picked five suspects and also know the identities of the other suspects including a female from Central,” he said.
He said they were also looking for a woman who drove one of the getaway vehicles.
Tondop  believes that the former member of the PNG defence force was the master-mind of the whole operation. The security guard is believed to have leaked inside information on the movement of cash by the company to the bank.
The getaway driver took the robbers from the scene and drove to Tubusereia village along the coast where the loot was shared. Police believe the driver  then headed back to the city by dinghy through Taurama beach.
The money, all in cash, was reportedly the weekend’s takings for the City Pharmacy Ltd’s chain of stores.
Tondop said the CPL’s weekend takings were kept by a security company in its safe awaiting its transfer to the bank when it opens on Monday.
Tondop said the company vehicle taking the money to the bank was held up by the suspects at Hohola.
After a week of investigation, the prime suspect (former soldier) was arrested and K31,000 recovered.
Two of the eight firearms were recovered plus four of the vehicles used during the robbery.
Tondop has warned criminal elements planning such activities during the festive period to think twice before undertaking such illegal activities.

Man gets 21 years for raping niece

SEXUAL abuse of young children in East New Britain is very prevalent, a national court judge says, The National reports.
Justice Salatiel Lenalia said that in sentencing a 60-year-old man from central Gazelle to 21 years in jail for raping and sexually assaulting his niece.
In 2009, the victim was in Grade 10 when the man began to sexually abuse her.
Between July 1 and 15, 2010, the man raped her.
Lenalia said women and young girls in Papua New Guinea and even male infants were at the mercy of those who called themselves protectors.
For the charge of sexual assault, the man was sentenced to three years and for the rape charge, he received 18 years.

PNG Power signs K17m Yonki deal

PAPUA New Guinea Power Ltd signed a K17 million contract with Daiho Corporation to mark the start of civil works of the Yonki Toe Dam hydro power station last Friday, The National reports.
Company chief executive officer Tony Koiri said the project was expected to take at least 12 months and the Daiho engineering team had already begun preparatory works.
“Daiho will work closely with PNG Power and Nippon Koei, who are in charge of the project,” he said.
“The construction of the 18mW power station was initially contracted to a Chinese company in mid-2008 but because of their non-performance, PNG Power terminated the contract in March 2010,” Koiri said.
He said PNG Power then took over the project and contracted Japanese firm Nippon Koei to provide advice on technical issues and quality assurance, including technical guidance and support in the electrical and mechanical works.
“The project, which costs K75 million, is expected to be completed by February 2013, but it could most possibly take less time,” Koiri said.
 Daiho project manager and team leader Masamichi Inoue thanked PNG Power for signing the contract and urged it to work in close cooperation to complete the project.

NAQIA to improve import permit system for food importers

The National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority is working to improve its services to businesses and the public on issuing of import permits.

Representatives of business houses and the public listen to the NAQIA presentation.Pictures by AARON UFORTY of NAQIA

Importers of foodstuff and other goods of plants and animal origin have been advised of proposed changes to come into effect on Jan 1 next year.

NAQIA will provide an option for regular, large-volume importers to plan and apply for multiple entry permits valid for up to six months.

A multiple entry permit system will be beneficial to importers, as it will reduce the number of permit applications and amount of time spent on lodging numerous applications at nearly the same cost.

NAQIA acting managing director Andrew Yamanea explained the new system during a meeting with over 50 representatives from business houses, government and the public last week. 

Yamanea addressing the meeting with importers at Hideaway Hotel in Port Moresby last Friday.

Yamanea said the roundtable meeting discussed issues relating to multiple entry permit to imports of food stuff, including groceries of both plant and animal origin, stock feed, rice, flour, fresh fruits and vegetables, UHT milk, noodles, malt, frozen meat and poultry products and other goods of plants and animal origin into PNG, as stipulated under the NAQIA Act 1997, Plant and Disease Control Act, and Animal and Animal Disease Control Act.

Yamanea, who was impressed with the large turnout, said applications for the permits would be limited to clients who imported a specific product on a regular or frequent basis, and would only be for the products that were from a NAQIA-approved source and deemed to be of low bio-security risks.

He said that due to increase in business activities in PNG, NAQIA realised that the current system needed to be reviewed to ensure that it was simpler, there was reduced workload, and payment procedures were also streamlined.

Currently, some importers are applying for permits almost every week, meaning that there is a lot of paperwork involved.

NAQIA, in making the changes, wants to cut down on this workload to enable its staff to concentrate on other important tasks.

Yamanea reiterated during the meeting that NAQIA was mandated to protect the country from unwanted animal and plant pests and diseases and therefore the action was in the best interest of the government, the people and the business sector.

He said PNG was now facing increased business activities due to the PNG LNG project and other developments and must be vigilant in its quarantine and protection roles.

The features of the multiple entry permit include: duration of six months validity; consignments will be subject to normal inspection and charges for inspection and permit fee shall apply which are inclusive; items deemed as low bio-security will be considered; and items deemed as high bio-security will be excluded, such as live organisms of any type, items must be from a NAQIA-approved source.

NAQIA will have the right to review the current multiple entry import permit if the health status of the items changes.

Yamanea said the meeting was successful and he urged importers and the public with any queries to contact NAQIA office for further clarification.