‘Invest in clean water’

PAPUA New Guinea needs to invest in options that will prevent people from getting sick, Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS Jamie Maxtone-Graham says, The National reports.
He made the statement at the International Water Association development congress and exhibition in Malaysia in recognition of the importance of preventing sicknesses through the use of clean water.
Maxtone-Graham is accompanied by a team of technical experts and is eager to learn about international best practice examples of sustainable water and sanitation policies and management.
They will use the opportunity to form a policy document on water and sanitation management.
Maxtone-Graham said conventional medicines and the use of pharmaceutical medicines could alleviate only 40% of the world’s health problems and “if PNG invests in sanitation, clean water, education and proper hygiene, 35% of the population can be protected”.
“It is about economics and making smart choices,” he said.
“I want to be innovative and learn about the options available in order to make an educated choice.”
He said prevention was more profitable than treatment and water and good sanitation were the basis of preventive medicine.
“We are fortunate our water supplies have not reached the polluted levels of industrialised countries so we need to look at policies and legislation to protect these precious resources,” he said.
The conference brings water professionals from developing countries to address water and sanitation issues with a specific focus on solutions.
It is aimed at linking people from different regions and organisations with different approaches to water and sanitary service delivery in low and middle income countries.

Senior public servant slapped with four more charges in relation to Tiensten and Wartoto

By JACOB POK

A SENIOR civil servant facing misappropriation charges has been further slapped with four similar charges relating to the awarding of K10 million to Travel Air Ltd in March, The National reports.
William Sent, the suspended first assistant secretary of the infrastructure and economic division of the National Planning and Monitoring Department, was again charged yesterday with one count each of abuse of office, official corruption, misappropriation and conspiracy to defraud.
It brings to six the total charges against him.
The arrest was carried out by members of the Investigation Task-Force Sweep tasked by the government to investigated allegations of corruption in the National Planning and Monitoring department.
It is alleged that Sent had used his position in the department to assess and approve for payment a proposal by Travel Air, a business owned and operated by Kokopo businessman Eremas Wartoto.
He allegedly conspired with the then acting department secretary, Ruby Zarriga, then national planning and monitoring minister Paul Tiensten and Wartoto to facilitate the payment.
It was further alleged that he did so knowing that it would redirect funds earmarked in the 2011 development budget as airfreight subsidies for the benefit of rural communities in PNG that are serviced only by existing third level airlines and that he did so knowing well that the proposal was defective.
Sent was arrested on a court warrant on Saturday afternoon as he was about to board a flight to Mt Hagen and detained until a court bail could be organised for him.
He is expected to appear in court for mention today.
Task Force Sweep chairman, Sam Koim said the criminal process had commenced and Sent remained innocent until proven otherwise in court.

East New Britain urged to address sex crimes

A COMMUNITY leader has described East New Britain as a “sick society” with the prevalence of sexual crimes against minors and incest cases, The National reports.
He called on all East New Britain leaders, including Governor Leo Dion, to start clamping down on sexual crimes.
The community leader claimed to be a relative of a victim who was raped and sexually assaulted by a 60-year-old man who has since been sentenced by the Kokopo National Court to 21 years in jail.
He asked that his name be withheld to protect the identity of the victim.
He said leaders of East New Britain had been very quiet about the increasing number of incest and sexual crimes.
“East New Britain is a sick society where sexual crimes, including incest, have been allowed to go out of hand,” he said.
He said police should fast-track complaints against leaders which had been gathering dust in police offices. He said leaders seemed to be above the law.
“There is one law for everyone and leaders are not above the law,” the leader from Taubar said.

‘Cannibal’ appears in court as pre-trial date set for Dec 12

A MAN who killed his nine-day-old adopted baby by eating it alive made a brief appearance in the Waigani National Court to obtain his trial date, The National reports.
Rex Timoku Paijawi yesterday appeared in court neatly dressed in a pair of long, black trousers, a sky-blue long sleeved shirt, with a tie and shoes.
Paijawi could hardly be recognised as the hand-cuffed person with the ‘deathly look’ when he first appeared at the Waigani Committal Court in May.
Paijawi, 35, from Purani Village, Hela, is charged with wilful murder after allegedly biting off the infant’s head on Feb 3 at the Wanbin settlement in Tabubil, Western.
Police had alleged witchcraft, cannibalism and insanity against him.
However, yesterday he appeared a different man, apparently due to psychiatric help.
When the judge called him, he responded by standing up and saying “yes your honour” on what the court had put to him.
He seemed to have a clear conscience.
He was seen talking to other people on remand in court and seemed to smile at them.
Yesterday, the state lawyer told the court that pre-trial statements of the matter were not ready because reports from the psychiatric hospital had yet to be obtained.
The court was told that the report had been requested for and would be made available soon.
Justice Panuel Mogish set the next hearing date for Dec 12.

High court runs short of judges

By SAMUEL RAITANO

THE Supreme Court in Waigani has been short of judges this month, according to Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia, The National reports.
He said five judges, including himself, had taken the month to work on the decision of the East Sepik provincial executive Supreme Court special reference to be delivered on Dec 9.
Eight other judges were out of the province on duty.
Waigani has been left with only four judges.
Sir Salamo, who chose to help litigants in court yesterday, said some judges should be available after Dec 9 and 12.
It is understood that after the Dec 9 ruling on the East Sepik reference, the same five-man bench will hear the contempt case against Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah and Attorney-General Dr Allan Marat on Dec 12.
Yesterday, most cases listed before Sir Salamo were adjourned to dates after Dec 12.
Sir Salamo said given the number of Supreme Court cases and requirements that some cases would need more than one judge to preside over, some matters were likely to be heard next year.
Meanwhile, about 70 new lawyers will be admitted to the bar on Friday.
They are graduates from the University of Papua New Guinea who have acquired practising certificates from the Legal Training Institute.
An attempt to confirm the number of the new lawyers with LTI director Pauline Mogish was unsuccessful.
LTI yesterday confirmed preparations were under way for Friday’s admission to the bar.

UN: Violence against women, girls rife at Gordon market

By SHIRLYN BELDEN

THE United Nations in Papua New Guinea has reported that violence against women and girls is rife in Gordon market, National Capital District, The National reports.
A scope study conducted in December last year found that women, girls and children “do not have the safety and enjoyment of the market space”.
The report was revealed by UN Women yesterday at a workshop on ‘Safe Cities Free of Violence against Women and Girls’ programme in Port Moresby. 
Sixteen groups from the UN Women agency conducted interviews with market users and found that there were high levels of violence experienced by women and girls, transactional sex including minors, women and girls were the most vulnerable to violence and sexual violence, high level of extortion, the market being a violence risk area because of the lack of maintenance and planning, fear and anxiety was prevalent among all users, no trust in police and other city and market authorities, wantok system was rife for the gain of safety, lack of social cohesion, no social responsibility and ownership and lack of amenities.
UN Women is working closely with the National Capital District Commission, the Royal PNG Constabulary, NCD Governor Powes Parkop and other relevant authorities, NGOs, community leaders and donors to address these problems in the market.  
The UN Women suggested ways to counter the problems and they include: Revise the market management structure, increase citizen’s responsibilities, establishment of market management monitoring units, establishment of proper referral mechanisms, new revenue collection system, community engagement and more police patrols in the market.
The research survey was part of the global Safe Cities Free of Violence against Women and Girls programme which aims to:

• Reduce sexual harassment and sexual violence against women and girls in public places;
• Enable women and girls to move freely and safely and increase their ability to exercise such rights to enjoy such spaces;
• Increase access, freedom of movement and citizen’s responsibilities to keep public spaces safe and clean; and
• Increase social cohesion to prevent and reduce all forms of violence in market places.

In this programme, the UN Women will work effectively at the grassroots level to seek ways to help reduce violence on women and girls and the community.
PNG is the first country in the Pacific to adopt the Safe Cities programme, which was launched in India last Nov 25.

Extension concept helps women farmers

The contracting out of agricultural support services has had a positive impact in helping women farmers.

This extension approach, now known as the Smallholder Support Services Expansion Project, has supported many women farmers in the provinces.

President of the PNG Women in Agricultural Development Foundation, Maria Linibi, highlighted the success of the project at the International Conference on Innovations in Extension and Advisory Services held in Nairobi, Kenya, last week.

Linibi was one of the keynote speakers and presented her paper 'Innovations in Extension and Advisory Services: Mobilising Women Farmers and Making a Difference to Food and Livelihoods' to over 400 delegates from all over the world.

The SSSEP was first piloted in the Eastern Highlands and Morobe provinces by the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and one of its objectives was to address the constraints faced by the women farmers in accessing and receiving agricultural services and extension support.

Linibi said that the concept had spread to other provinces and the PNGWIADF has taken it on board to assist women in disadvantaged rural areas. 

She said donor agencies and non-government organizstions have provided support to PNGWIADF in facilitating support services to women farmers.

PNGWIADF is a voice for the women and advocates for more participation of women in agricultural development.

It encourages women from all fields to share their knowledge and skills to support other women. 

The foundation assists the womenin implementing their agricultural activitiesaimed at improving livelihoods, income generation, improving food security, addressing non-employment of youths and women and gender and HIV/AIDS.

“We are helping women or empowering women by building their capacity, training them, linking them to funding sources, developing their business skills, and facilitating knowledge sharing and learning.," Linibi said.

"Capacity building is conducted with the support ofs everal national and international research and development organisations.”

The agricultural extension services are ineffective, considering that about 85% of the population isd ependent on agriculture for their livelihood in the rural areas of the country.

However, the introduction of the pilot project to test a new approach which focused on contracting out of support services has created many new opportunities, and PNGWIAB is one farmer group that is utilising the methodology to help the women.

Linibi said as a result,  increasing numbers of women smallholder farmers have received some form of support in a range of activities including food security, livestock, nutrition, food processing, floriculture, animal husbandry, basic bookkeeping, credit and others. 

Women farmers have also organised themselves into groups under the PNGWIAF umbrella and can have access to and network with national, regional and international partners.

“Local service providers in the form of expert farmers are readily available and have demonstrated competence in training other local farmers in improved production practices,” Linibi said.

She said a database for women farmers had also been created,  linking women to policy, research,donor partners and other stakeholders.

Linibi told the conference that the extension concept had worked well in PNG and suggested that other countries should try this system.