Lloyd Hurrel, PNG coffee pioneer, dies at 95

By MALUM NALU
Papua New Guinea’s multi-million kina industry coffee industry has lost one of its pioneers, Lloyd Hurrell, who passed away on Tuesday last week in Australia, The National reports.

Hurrell…chairman of Coffee Marketing Board from 1964-1979

Hurrell, 95, was the pioneer chairman of the then Coffee Marketing Board (CMB) from 1964 to 1979.
“He was the leading coffee planter based in the Wau-Bulolo area and became the most influential and respected man in PNG coffee history,” said Coffee Industry Corporation chief executive officer Navi Anis.
“ The PNG coffee industry will miss a great man who has very much foreseen and paved the way for the multi-million kina industry coffee industry today that affects lives of ordinary Papua New Guineans that farm coffee.”
While serving as chairman of CMB, he contributed immensely in expending coffee plantings and promoting business enterprise for indigenous Papua New Guineans.
He was instrumental in setting up the CMB, then the Coffee Industry Board and also the Coffee Industry Fund (a stabilisation fund) in 1975.
His service to the PNG coffee industry was recognised in June 1969 with the award of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and in 1980, he was awarded the Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (CMG).
A framed photo (A3 size) of him still hangs today in the CIC board room which was named after him.
Lloyd Hurrell was born in Wingham, NSW and educated at Hurlstone Agriculture High School.
He trained as a teacher at the Armidale Teachers College (Australia) and taught in 1937 and 1938.
In 1939 he joined the Department of District Services and Native Affairs as a cadet patrol officer and was posted to Rabaul.
In February 1940 he joined the New Guinea contingent for Australian Armed Forces when World War II broke out and took part in the famous Kokoda Track campaign.
After the war he returned to his pre-war job as patrol officer, looking after Finschhafen, Menyamya and Wau in various periods.
In 1953 he resigned and began his life as a farmer.
He became deputy provisional chairman of the CMB, created in 1963 and after four months, he was elevated to the chairman’s post.
In the 1960 elections he won the New Guinea Coastal seat and became a member of the Legislative Council.

Today's buai pekpek (betelnut shit) in Port Moresby

With all the politics going on, noone seems to care four our city, which is getting filthier and filthier by the day through buai pekpek.
Tell me if you've seen a filthier capital city in the world than Port Moresby?

Outside Mobil Service Station, Waigani



It was good to see BSP Waigani clean today




BSP Waigani was clean as a whistle this morning!



The usual buai sellers outside BSP Waigani weren't there this morning

My favorite drain outside BSP Waigani

Diry walkways

Yuck!



Buai pekpek and rubbish everywhere!



Along Waigani Drive this afternoon

Plastics are choking Port Moresby to death

While politics is the flavour of the month, we are slowly, but surely, being chocked to death on all fronts by an insidious and ubiquitous creature...plastics, as seen in this drain along Wards Road, Hohola, this morning.
 Let them do political campaigning, I'm campaigning to ban plastics starting today and you can help me by emailing me your most-despicable plastic pictures to malumnalu@gmail.com, which I'll post on my blog, with full photo credits to you.
I don't want my kids to grow up in a plastic (and buai pekpek)-filled environment, and I'm sure that neither do you.
Our politicians won't don't it, our "public servants" at Department of Environment and Conservation won't do it, so let's do it ourselves!

Since noone wants to do it, I'm starting a campaign to ban plastics using my blog, which will feature pictures of the massive damage being done to our environment and health by plastics.

Drain at Hohola

Plastic-filled drain at Hohola

Do plastics rot?

On land as well

After rain, drains are filled with plastics

An ugly sight that must be banned!

Duma clears InterOil status on LNG project

By MALUM NALU


PETROLEUM and Energy Minister William Duma says the government did not direct Chevron to work with InterOil on developing the Gulf LNG project.
He said this yesterday (Wednesday) when asked to comment on a report in The National that Chevron was returning to PNG to partner with InterOil in developing the Gulf LNG project.
Chevron representatives were reported to have met with Treasurer Don Polye on Tuesday.
Duma said he neither met Chevron officials nor had a seen a project proposal from the company.
Chevron Niugini was the company that developed the Kutubu oil fields before selling to Oil Search in 1992.
Polye said Chevron’s comeback to partner to develop the second-largest LNG project in PNG was a positive assurance of investor confidence.
He said it was the government’s decision as per the Gulf LNG Agreement of 2009 that renowned or credible investors partner InterOil.
“I know (Don) Polye only encouraged Cheron to invest here,” Duma said.
“He did not direct or agree to Chevron working with InterOil.
“That is a commercial decision for InterOil.
“Also, in my case as Petroleum Minister, I can only invite and encourage any major oil company, whether it is Chevron, Shell or BP, to invest here and have a partnership with InterOil.”
Duma also said that Chevron could meet with any senior minister.
“I don’t think you should read much into what he (Polye) may or may not have said,” Duma said.

Today's buai pekpek (betelnut shit) in Port Moresby

I'm not stepping down from this fight until Port Moresby and PNG starts getting cleaner.

Buai sellers outside Mobil Service Station, Waigani

Area outside BSP Waigani

Drain outside BSP Waigani

Walkway outside BSP Waigani

bemobile bus stop, Waigani

Yuck! The perennial buai pekpek heap along bemobile bus stop, Waigani

Polye: Chevron is returning to PNG

By JEFFREY ELAPA
CHEVRON Niugini, one of the United States’ petroleum and gas giants, is returning to PNG to partner with InterOil to develop the second Gulf LNG project, Treasury minister Don Pomb Polye has revealed, The National reports.
He said he met with the representatives of Chevron Niugini yesterday who were here to look at the InterOil Gulf LNG project.
Chevron Niugini was the company that developed Kutubu Oil before selling the project to Oil Search in the 1990s.
Polye said Chevron’s comeback to partner to develop the second largest LNG project in the country was a positive assurance of investor confidence.
He said it was the government’s decision as per the agreement signed between the state and InterOil that renowned or creditable investors would have to be a partner to develop the Gulf LNG project because Interoil was a small company with no experience in the industry.
Therefore, he said the government was not behind any company but wanted a reputable and experienced industry player in the world to develop such a big project and to finish it without delay.
He said there were exciting times ahead for PNG because the currency was appreciating well against the US dollar and the Australian dollar.
He said his prediction of 8.7% GDP has gone up to 9.2%, a strong growth that was healthy for the country.
Polye said as the treasurer, he wanted to see the government manage the economy of the country well and spend funds according to the budget

O'Neill sworn in as PNG prime minister

By  Eoin Blackwell
AAP Papua New Guinea Correspondent
Peter O'Neill has been sworn in as Papua New Guinea's prime minister, ending a three-hour standoff with the acting governor-general, who had refused to conduct the ceremony.

Peter O'Neill

It was the third time Mr O'Neill, 46, has been sworn in as prime minister since he controversially took office from Sir Michael Somare on August 2 last year.
Earlier on Wednesday, acting governor-general Jeffery Nape refused to swear in Mr O'Neill, telling him he needed to study documentation from parliament.
An ally of Mr Nape, deputy speaker Francis Marus, earlier tried to stop Mr O'Neill from nominating for the post.
Mr O'Neill's deputy, Belden Namah, threatened to move a motion of dissent and Mr Marus relented.
Mr O'Neill was elected unopposed on a vote of 56-0.