Lae set to become tuna capital of Pacific

By MALUM NALU

Lae is set to become the tuna hub of the Pacific with four large multi-million tuna plants to be established at Malahang over the next couple of months.

While progress of the much-mooted Pacific Marine Industrial Zone outside Madang has somewhat slowed down because of landowner and non-government organisation issues, it is all systems go in Lae, with supportive landowners and provincial government.

Four large tuna plants – Majestic Seafoods, Dong Wong, Nambawan Seafoods and Hali Sheng – are set to make Lae their base.

Majestic Seafood’s’ K80 million new tuna canning  is facility expected to be opened over the next two months and will create at least 2,000 jobs for local people.

A new building at the new Majestic Seafoods’ facility at Malahang.-Picture by MALUM NALU

When in full production, it will create at least 5,000 jobs altogether for local people.

In the first phase of the project, in which 200 metric tonnes of tuna a day will be produced, up to 3,000 people will be employed, and in the second phase, in which 380 metric tonnes of tuna a day will be produced, up to 6,000 people will be employed.

Majestic Seafoods is a company put up by three major companies composed of Frabelle Fishing Corporation of Philippinnes, operating in PNG as Frabelle (PNG) Ltd; Philippine-based Century Canning Corporation; and Thailand-based Thai Union Corporation, a subsidiary of Thai Union Frozen Products PCL (TUF).

Thai Union is the second-largest tuna canner in the world, while Century Canning is the biggest canner in the Philippines.

Dong Wong is a Korean company; Nambawan Seafoods is made up of Trans Pacific Journey Corporation and TSP Marine of the Philippines; and Hali Sheng is from Mainland China.

All three will be involved in tuna loining.

These add to the two already established canneries in Lae, Malaysian-owned International Food Corporation which produces the popular Besta canned mackerel, and Frabelle of the Philippines.

Morobe provincial administrator Kemas Tomala told The National in Lae that these developments, coupled with the US$700 million Lae port development, would make Lae the tuna capital of the Pacific and one of the largest tuna centres in the world.

“You can say that Lae is becoming the hub of fishing in PNG and in the Pacific,” he said.

“Yes, the fishing industry is interested in Lae and Morobe provincial government, provincial administration, and land owners are doing everything possible to ensure that the industry prospers in Lae and provides employment

“We are grateful that the national government is working with the Asian Development Bank to develop the new port in Lae.

“That will help us in our bid to make Lae the fishing hub of the Pacific.

“We are already moving in that direction.

“The biggest thing in PNG’s favor (tuna) is the access to the European Union market.

“All the investors are coming to PNG because of the access given to PNG by the European Union.”

Kemala said the tuna plants would also benefit other spin-off industries.

“We will be expecting other new investors,” he said.

“Apart from the canning of tuna, there will be a lot more downstream processing.

“This includes manufacturing of cans, packaging and other support that will come along with the tuna canneries.

“In a lot of ways, we are grateful that commercial investors have shown confidence in the commercial environment in Lae.”

New Morobe Governor Kelly Naru welcomed the latest inclusion to Lae’s commercial scene -   Majestic Seafoods’ K80 million new tuna cannery outside Lae, - which will employ at least 5,000 people when in full operation.

“My own view is that I approach the growth and development of the city and province with an open-door policy,” Naru told The National.

“I’m a team player and I want to allow economic growth, and investment, as part and parcel of this city and province.

“I’m happy with the fisheries projects and others coming into the province because they will create economic growth, employment, and cut down law and order problems.

“I believe in investments and I believe there’s a lot of potential to attract all different kinds of investment.”

Papua New Guinea currently boasts the largest fisheries zone in the Pacific at an area of 2.4 million sq km.

 The country landed 749,000 tonnes of tuna in 2010, some 17% of the world’s catch.

Under the EU deal, PNG’s canned tuna has been granted permission to enter the EU market duty free, and imports to the continent − which reached 15,600 tonnes in 2010 − are expected to double in this year.

 Papua New Guinea has also been permitted to export fish to the EU from outside its own territorial waters, allowing investors to source fish elsewhere and process it in PNG.

Governor, administrator keen on investments in Morobe

By MALUM NALU

Morobe Governor Kelly Naru and provincial administrator Kemas Tomala are both keen on bringing in more investments into Lae, the industrial centre of Papua New Guinea, and the province as a whole

Naru and Tomala said the investment climate had never been better, especially with development of the Lae port and other resource developments such as the giant Wafi-Golpu mining prospect, and Morobe was assured of a good future.

They especially welcomed the latest inclusion to Lae’s commercial scene.  Majestic Seafoods’ K80 million new tuna cannery outside Lae, which will employ at least 5,000 people when in full operation.

The main building of Majestic Seafoods’ K80 million new tuna cannery at Malahang outside Lae.-Nationalpic by MALUM NALU

“My own view is that I approach the growth and development of the city and province with an open-door policy,” Naru told The National.

“I’m a team player and I want to allow economic growth, and investment, as part and parcel of this city and province.

“I’m happy with the fisheries projects and others coming into the province because they will create economic growth, employment, and cut down law and order problems.

“I believe in investments and I believe there’s a lot of potential to attract all different kinds of investment.

“My administration is happy to work with and talk with investors who want to do business in Lae.”

Tomala predicted a bright future for Lae and Morobe province over the next 100 years, especially with the development of the Lae port and Wafi-Golpu.

“The economy of Morobe in general is looking good,” he told The National.

“In terms of the next 100 years or so, it will be a very bright future, based on current trends in business investments in Lae.

“We’re looking at the fishing industry, general downstream processing in Lae, and manufacturing industries coming in.

“We also have the new port coming in, which will propel a lot of investments coming in.

“We’re also looking at the mining sector, especially the Wafi-Golpu projects which comes on stream in 2014-2015.

“This will be major economic investments that will trigger off a lot of commercial investments in Lae.

“At the moment, we’re advised that it (Wafi-Golpu) will be around for 40-60 years, so this is going to be a major investment in its own right.

“This will trigger off a lot of commercial investments in Lae.”

Kemala said economic activities were also planned for the Markham Valley including agri-business, power generation and others.

He said companies from neighbouring provinces such as Madang were using Lae to conduct business as well as use the Lae port, which augured well for the city and province.

Kelly Naru: Morobe people have spoken

By MALUM NALU

New Morobe Governor Kelly Naru says the people of the province have spoken by voting out his predecessor Luther Wenge after 15 years in office.

“You have to get the people of Morobe to answer that,” he said at his first press conference at Melanesian Hotel in Lae last Friday since being elected as Morobe Governor.

Morobe Governor Kelly Naru making a point at his press conference last Friday.-Picture by MALUM NALU

“What has happened is that people have not seen change for the better, and in their right mind, they have decided that my former brother (Wenge) would have to accept early retirement.

“And that’s what they’ve done.”

Naru said law and order was a major stumbling block to development in Lae and Morobe province, and made reference to Wenge’s court cause against Australia’s Enhanced Cooperation Programme (ECP) in 2005, which saw Australian policemen and women ordered out of PNG.

“Believe me, I will not go to court and chase ECP out,” he said.

“We have to begin addressing law and order problems in the city.

“I believe that policies and law-enforcement agencies are here to help us.

“There are people who are here to help us, how how can we chase them out again?

“This is something that I don’t like.”

Naru said successive governments over the years had failed to address the law and order problem in Lae.

“Law and order is a major concern in Lae City,” he said.

“Successive governments have tried to address this, but they didn’t address it well.

“To me, the problem of law and order in Lae is still there.

“We have to find some ways and means of addressing this.

“Law and order is part and parcel of a package.

“We have to address law and order not on a piecemeal basis, but with other issues such as unemployment, youth, women, religion.

“I will sit down with our leaders and we will try to address this problem of law and order.

“I will invite all stakeholders together so we can address the problem.

“If we can create economic growth and business activities in which youths can be engaged, then obviously we will minimise problems of law and order.

“Hopefully, we can address the issue, not in total eradication, but in minimising law and order problems we have in the city.”

New K80 million tuna cannery to be opened in Lae

By MALUM NALU

Majetic Seafoods’ K80 million new tuna canning facility at Malahang outside Lae is expected to be opened over the next two months and will create 2,000-3,000 jobs for local people.

When in full production, it will create 5,000-6,000 jobs altogether for local people.

People lining outside Majestic Seafoods’ cannery at Malahang outside Lae last Friday hoping to secure a job.-Nationalpic by MALUM NALU

In the first phase of the project, in which 200 metric tonnes of tuna a day will be produced, up to 3,000 people will be employ, and in the second phase, in which 380 metric tonnes of tuna a day will be produced, up to 6,000 people will be employed.

Majestic Seafoods is a company put up by three major companies composed of Frabelle Fishing Corporation of Philippinnes, operating in PNG as Frabelle (PNG) Ltd; Philippine-based Century Canning Corporation; and Thailand-based Thai Union Corporation, a subsidiary of Thai Union Frozen Products PCL (TUF).

Thai Union is the second-largest tuna canner in the world, while Century Canning is the biggest canner in the Philippines

Operations and project manager Cristito Andrade said work on the project started in September 2010 with the first phase nearing completion.

“This will be the biggest canning project in the country,” he said.

“We will be producing canned tuna and processed loins.

“The project cost around K80 million.

“The major components are the building itself for the plant.

“For the first phase of our project, we will employ 2,000-3,000 local people.

“In the second phase of the project, we will employ 5,000-6,000 local people.

“We will increase production from 200 metric tonnes a day to 380 metric tonnes a day.

“We are targeting to open the plant in the last quarter of this year, around October or November.”

Andrade said recruitment had started early so that women could be trained on how to process tuna.

“Our human resources department has started hiring local women because we want to train them before actual production starts,” he said

“Eighty per cent of the catch will come from PNG waters while 20% will come from other suppliers.

“It will be unloaded at our main port of Lae.

“From the boat, it will be transported in insulated trucks to Malahang.

“We will sell 80% of our produce overseas and 20% on the local market.

“Most will go to the European Union, while the rest will go the the USA, Middle East and Japan.”

Andrade said the benefits would be enormous for the local economy.

“It will greatly benefit the local economy,” he said.

“Firstly, the labour, in which many local people will be hired.

“Then there are the spin-off businesses which will emerge as a result of this project.”

Speakers says he will serve people of Finschhafen

Speaker and Finschhafen MP Theo Zurenuoc says his primary role is to serve the people of Finschhafen, and then his other role as Speaker.

He said this last Friday during his maiden official visit to Morobe province as the Speaker of the 9^th National Parliament, since his election on August 3.

Zurenuoc was welcomed by traditional dancers at Nadzab Airport before being driven to the Melanesian Hotel in Lae, where he had breakfast with Governor Kelly Naru, provincial administrator Kemas Tomala, and public servants.

Zurenuoc (centre) with Governor Kelly Naru (right) and provincial administrator Kemas Tomala at the Melanesian Hotel in Lae last Friday.-Picture by MALUM NALU

He was at home in Finschhafen at the weekend.

“I take my hat off to my beloved people of sweet Finschhafen for the confidence in my leadership and returning me for the second term as their leader,” he said.

“I will not allow my primary role as your elected Member of Parliament be absorbed or submerged into my other role as the Speaker.

“Brethren, stay assured that I will remain Member for Finschhafen, in the first instance, and then the Speaker of National Parliament.

“I will strive to deliver much-needed services to our people to improve their lives.”

Zurenuoc said he would remain neutral in performing his duties serving both the government and opposition, “thus leveling the playing for constructive debating of issues and proposed bills to ensure that Parliament, as a collective body, passes good laws for the benefit of our people”.

“Such practice, however, has been missing in our struggling democracy in the last decade and I will set out to restore some level of confidence in the office of the Speaker and National Parliament.

“This is because in order to meet the development aspirations of our people, I believe Parliament should function as a single functioning unit with a common vision whilst sharing views, experiences and ideas on development issues.”

Zurenuoc said his predecessor Jeffrey Nape had occasionally frustrated the opposition by preventing it from debating and asking questions of public importance.

“Therefore I, as the Speaker, also pledge to not only restore confidence in the office of the Speaker of National Parliament, but also to open up the highest decision-making house to our people,” he said.

“…I will continue to keep our people abreast with the developments and during my tenure, I am confident that our efforts will pave the way for a stronger and more-open Parliament in the days to come.”

Cebu City: your home-away-from-home

By MALUM NALU
 

Cebu City, where Air Niugini is commencing twice weekly flights, is the oldest city in the Philippines.

It is part of Cebu, a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands.

A well-kept Cebu street

Cebu is one of the most-developed provinces in the Philippines, with Cebu City as the main centre of commerce, trade, education and industry in the Visayas.

Condé Nast Traveler Magazine named Cebu the 7th best island destination in the Indian Ocean-Asia region in 2007, 8th best Asian-Pacific island destination in 2005, 7th in 2004 and in 2009.

 It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands.

A clean, well-kept and respected walkway in Cebu…lessons for PNG

 Cebu is a long narrow island stretching 225km from north to south, surrounded by 167 neighbouring, smaller islands, which include Mactan, Bantayan, Malapascua, Olango and the Camotes Islands.

Mactan-Cebu International Airport, where Air Niugini is flying to, is located in Mactan Island, and is the second busiest airport in the Philippines after Manila.

Business between the Philippines and Papua New Guinea is likely to increase with the introduction of the twice-weekly Air Niugini Boeing 737-700 flights between Port Moresby and Cebu.

The writer, Mel Oplimo,, video cameraman Tapusi Kone and a Filipino friend relaxing at a roadside café in Cebu

On Monday, July 16, I had the privilege of being invited to be on the inaugural Air Niugini flight to Cebu.

The four-and-a-half-hour flight left Port Moresby at 3pm PNG time and arrived in Cebu to a grand welcome at after 7.30pm (5.30pm Cebu time).

The inaugural flight to Cebu included senior government officials, private sector representatives, senior management and board members of the airline.representatives of travel agencies, and history-making commercial passengers.

VIPs included Independent Public Business Corporation (IPBC) chairman Dr Thomas Webster, IPBC managing director Thomas Webster, and chief migration officer Mataio Rabura, among others.

We arrived in Cebu to a grand welcome at Mactan-Cebu Internattional Airport where we were accorded the full red carpet treatment, before being led to the VIP Lounge, where a reception was held.

A popular Filipino jeepney along a Cebu street

 Heavyweights in Cebu that night included president of RD Tuna Group Ritchie Rivera, managing director of Frabelle Fishing Francisco Tiulaurel Jr, Frabelle PNG Ltd president Augusto Natividad, owner of Kenmore Group of Companies Lucio Tan, chairman of Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority Manuel Roxas, Cebu City mayor Michael Rama, Lapu Lapu City mayor Paz Radaza. Mandaue City mayor Jonas Cortest, members of the House of Representatives, and PNG Ambasador to Philippines Chris Vihruri Jr.

All applauded the new Air Niugini flight, which apart from the Manila service, now makes it easier for the Filipinos involved in the LNG project, those in the fisheries sector and other businesses to fly direct to Cebu.

Air Niugini will have two direct flights from Port Moresby to Cebu every Tuesday and Friday.

The flight on Tuesday leaves Port Moresby at 5.50pm and arrives in Cebu at 8.20pm.

The flight on Thursday also has the same departure and arrival times.”

The commencement of this flight now brings to 10 international destinations, Air Niugini now operates to whilst it also marks Air Niugini’s second destination in the Philippines after the capital, Manila.

Cebu IT Park, which is well known for its cafes, restaurants and shops, as well as Wifi

Other international destinations include Cairns, Brisbane and Sydney in Australia, Honiara in Solomon Islands, Nadi in Fiji, Tokyo in Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong.”

Air Niugini chief executive officer Wasantha Kumarasi said in Cebu that night that the regular flights would boost business opportunities between the two countries.

“The Cebu route ensures convenience for the hundreds of Filipinos involved in the multi-billion dollar LNG project in Papua New Guinea, as well as those Filipinos in the fisheries sector and other industries,” he said.

“I am happy to see the president of RD Tuna Group, president of Frabelle PNG Ltd, and owner of Kenmore Group of Companies this evening.”

After that, we checked into the five-star Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, after which we had the chance to sample the nightlife of Cebu, a city that never sleeps.

Next morning, I had the chance to meet my good Facebook friend Mel Oplimo, whom I have talked with on the social network site but have never met personally.

He is a-Cebu businessman, who has business links with PNG, and was more than happy to show us around the city.

Several things struck me about Cebu, first and foremost that despite being home to many millions of people, the streets are so clean.

Cafes and restaurants are everywhere.

The shopping is excellent.

Interior of the Ayala Shopping Mall, one of the biggest in the Philippines.

Wifi is just about everywhere in the city, meaning free internet access, so I carried my laptop around with me and filed my stories and pictures from the streets of Cebu.

Oplimo says Air Niugini cannot go wrong as Cebu is the business and tourism hub of the Phillipines.

“We enjoy the splendor and beauty of Cebu,”he tells me.

Video cameraman Tapusi Kone, Malum Nalu and Mek Oplimo outside the busy Ayala Shopping Mall in Cebu

“Cebu is known for its semi-conductor industry, furniture industry, shipping, travel and tourism.

“Cebu is known as a rest and recreation area and most entrepreneurs and Chinese tycoons come from Cebu.

“Cebu is known as a tourism hub.

“It has been declared as one of the best destinations for tourism in Asia because of its pristine white beaches and hotel services.”

As much as I would have loved to stay on for a bit more, I could not do so, and had to travel back to Port Moresby on the return flight on Wednesday, July 25.

However, given my new-found friends in Cebu, such as Oplimo, his family and business associates, I can now feel very much at home going there.

Cebu is, indeed, my new home-away-from-home.

For further details on how to travel to Cebu, contact Air Niugini or your travel agent.

New book tells the story of the nameless warriors of PNG

By MALUM NALU
 

A new book, Nameless Warriors, launched on Remembrance Day on July 23 by former PNG Defence Force Commander and now PNG Ambassador to Indonesia, Peter Ilau, tells the story of the “nameless warriors” for fought for PNG during World War 11.

Nameless Warriors, written by Lahui Ako, describes the life of one of PNG’s last remaining WW11 veterans, Ben Moide.

Nameless Warriors: The Ben Moide Story is selling for K80 at UPNG Bookshop.

Fitting, it was launched on the 7^0th anniversary of the first engagement by PNG and Australian forces against the invading Japanese in WWII.

Out of the chaos and death that followed came the enduring heroism of the Kokoda Trail, and the special relationship that has bound PNG and Australia ever since.

One of the bloodiest campaigns of the Second World War began 70 years ago, on July 23, 1942

And it has forever sealed the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea.

It was on this day, in 1942, that Japanese troops landed on the northern coast of New Guinea and unexpectedly began to march over the Owen Stanley Ranges with the intent of capturing Port Moresby.

Had they succeeded, the mainland of Australia would have come under dire threat.

July 23 - Remembrance Day - marks the 70th anniversary of the first engagement between the opposing troops on July 23, 1942, and from that engagement, as the Australian force was progressively outnumbered, began the long fighting withdrawal over the Owen Stanley Range.

“We fought, but according to the bulk of the taubadas (white men), we remained nameless, we were just the native scout or the Papua guide to them,” Moide says in the book.

“Still, to the gallant few who addressed us by name, I owe them my undying gratitude for treating us as mates.

“But the fact remains, without the help of all those nameless warriors and carriers, who braved the sickness, rain, mud, hunger and despair and enemy of the campaign, all would have surely been lost.”

Moide ran away from home to join the Papuan Infantry Battalion at the age of 16 in 1940.

In July 1942, he was part of the PIB platoon that ambushed the Japanese at Awala.

The taubadas’s order to fire on the advancing enemy, and the ensuing action, propelled these mostly nameless warriors into the annuls of PNG history.

From Awala, from Kokoda to Deniki, to the Opi and Warriors rivers, and the Scarlet Beach landings, Ben Moide beat a busy track with his comrades before returning home in 1944 to act as a PIB instructor and final demob in 1945.

Life after the war proved difficult as the PIB veterans struggled to find their feet in a society that had passed them by.

But Moide perserveres and starts a family and legacy that saw him drive Administrator Murray for a while before he became Dr Gunther’s drives to the Waigani Swamp to spy out land for a learning institute.

Moide was a member of the Hanuabada rugby league build-up in the 1950s, was a member of the mighty Magani outfit in 1961-1962, and was employed with San Miguel and SP Brewery before retiring in 1991.

Nameless Warriors is one of the very few books written by Papua New Guineans on PNG wartime history, and should be embraced by everyone, especially this generation which continues to take their freedom for granted.

Author Lahu Ako, hailed from the large Motuan village of Hanuabada, in the Naational Capital District.

This is his third book.

His first was Upstream: Through Endless Sands of Blessing (2007), which was followed closely by A Logohu in China (2007).

Nameless Warriors: The Ben Moide Story. By Lahui Ako. University of PNG Press. Port Moresby, 2012. 246 pages. K80 from University of PNG Bookshop.