No control of Lae road works, says chamber

By MALUM NALU

 

The Lae Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has expressed concern at the” near dictatorial control” of the Lae Roads development by contractors.

It also wants to see the Lae Urban Local Level Government (LULLG) honor its agreement to maintain roads in the city.

Roadworks along Markham Road, Lae, next to the rugby league ground. The problem with the multi-million Lae roadworks is that many of the contractors have done a half-baked job, resulting in a major investigation.-Pictures by MALUM NALU

Chamber president, Alan McLay, said yesterday the control of roads by contractors was leading to a whole range of detrimental issues, including:

•Unannounced and unnecessary lengthy closure of roads for reconstruction which has lead to congestion;

•Unnecessary cutting of trees for ease of construction which affects not only the beauty of the city but also relief from the hot sun;

•Pedestrian crossings in wrong and dangerous locations;

•Road marking in wrong and inappropriate paint which is difficult to see and quickly wears off; and

•Lack of erection of appropriate and easy-to-see street signs.

“The LCCI would like the LULLG to make an effort to honor its agreement to maintain the roads in the city, especially the industrial roads that were graciously rehabilitated by AusAID over a decade ago and the residential road,” McLay said.

“It would be wonderful to have the old ‘pothole gangs’ back on the roads, attacking the potholes before they develop into major impediments to the traffic,” he said.

“We note that the first recommendation of the report on the Lae City Roads Rehabilitation Project (LCRRP) was for the establishment of a provincial management unit (PMU).

“We would like to see the PMU established, which would consist of local stakeholders, to manage the Lae roads project, to give the roadworks that vital Local and professional input, that is sadly missing from the project at the moment. “

McLay said the chamber was pleased to see work recommencing on Lae roads after the projected was halted for investigation last year.

“We are pleased to see the work re-commencing on the Lae Roads under the Lae Roads Rehabilitation Project that was halted after the investigation last year,” he said.

“We are happy to see a further K100 million allocated in the 2013 budget, which should see the completion of the major trunk roads in the city.

" The benefits of a good roads system to business is enormous : punctuality of staff and less dust related diseases  equals  less absenteeism; speedier vehicle movement  equals less delivery time; less vehicle maintenance and replacements; less crime due to slowed down vehicles, etc.”

Future of PNG deep sea mining uncertain

UPI

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- The future of deep-sea mineral mining off the coast of Papua New Guinea faces uncertainty.

 Canadian company Nautilus Minerals' Solwara 1 Project in the Bismarck Sea off PNG, embroiled in disputes over funding as well as questions over environmental and social effects, has come to a halt after two years of development, Inter Press Service reports.

 Nautilus Minerals has referred to Solwara 1 as the world's first commercial seafloor copper-gold project and launch of the deep-water seafloor resource production industry, while "maintaining an environmentally and socially responsible approach."

 Last month, Nautilus announced it was terminating construction of its $407 million seafloor production system.

 Nautilus said the PNG government has a contractual obligation to pay approximately $75 million associated with a 30 percent investment in the project.

 "The state disputes this interpretation and Nautilus cannot continue to (exclusively) fund the build of the Solwara 1 equipment," Nautilus told IPS.

 The PNG government, in issuing a license to Nautilus in 2011 to mine Solwara 1, had agreed to take a 30 percent stake in the project and co-finance it. But in June 2012 the PNG government carried out a legal process to determine if it was obligated to contribute to funding Solwara 1.

 "We were paying for it all ourselves and it was becoming too costly," Michael Johnston, Nautilus' chief executive officer told SciDev.Net. "We were at an expensive stage of the build. We were spending US$3 million or US$4 million a week. For a company of our size, we couldn't continue to pay for that ourselves."

 PNG's previous government had preferred to take equity in most resource projects, says Colin Filer, an associate professor at the Australian National University. But the new government which came to power in August 2011 -- after Nautilus was issued a license for the project -- has taken a more strategic approach, Filer said.

 Meanwhile, environmentalists have called for more careful consideration of deep-sea mining.

 "Another 10 to 15 years of marine research really needs to be done so that we better understand the deep marine ecosystem before we embark on deep-sea mining," Chalapan Kaluwin, professor of environmental science at the University of Papua New Guinea, told IPS.

 "We don't understand enough about the potential impacts of this deep-sea mining project on marine biodiversity, fisheries and coral reefs, as well as people and communities," Kaluwin said.

 Nautilus says it holds more than 193,051 square miles of "highly prospective exploration acreage" in the western Pacific including the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu and Tonga, as well as in international waters in the eastern Pacific.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2012/12/19/Future-of-PNG-deep-sea-mining-uncertain/UPI-99071355943404/#ixzz2FY8Z7iLy

Butibam village landowners sign multi-million kina agreement

By MALUM NALU

 

Landowners from the six clans of Butibam village, Lae, last Saturday signed an agreement to work together with their company, Butibam Progress Ltd, in a multi-million kina contract to supply gravel to the Lae Port Tidal Basin Project.

Last Saturday’s signing follows an initial agreement signed last month between China Harbour and Butibam Progress Ltd for supply of gravel.

Butibam Progress Ltd chairman Paul Gware signs the agreement on behalf of the company as managing director Peter Kesu Sayama and clan leaders look on.

Leaders of the six Butibam clans – Agactuc, Wapiguhuc, Busurum, Apo, Tumata and Gwatu – signed the agreement last Saturday at the Melanesian Hotel.

Clan leaders and Butibam Progress Ltd management toast to the signing of the agreement.

Butibam Progress managing director Peter Kesu Sayama said the agreement bound the company together with China Harbour.

“Initially, we signed an agreement with China Harbour for supply of gravel for the Lae Port Tidal Basin Project,” he said.

Butibam Progress Ltd managing director Peter Kesu Sayama

“This one binds the landowners with Butibam Progress Ltd.

“It shows to stakeholders that we are all working together.

“It gives the green light for Butibam Progress Ltd to go ahead with business.

“We landowners have been mere spectators to business developments in Lae over the years.

“We have not been participating in business.

“This is our commitment to work together.

“For too long, we have not had this kind of opportunity.”

Kesu Sayama said supply of gravel to the Lae Port Tidal Basin Project would serve as the springboard for new business opportunities around Papua New Guinea as major infrastructure projects required gravel.

“We’re very optimistic about what is happening,” he said.

“It’s working in line with the vision of our company.”

Kesu Sayama also agreed with Morobe Governor Kelly Naru’s statement at the Ahi Festival last month that Ahi people had been missing out on business opportunities in Lae.

“We’ve been missing out big time,” he said.

“We have not been productive.

“People from outside have been coming in and coming in.

“We really need to raise up ourselves now.

“We’ve missed out big time on a lot of opportunities.”

Economist Dhenny Benson said: “There are so many resources in Lae.

“Lae City is a resource centre where landowners must be involved.

“Butibam Progress Ltd has been reorganised as a landowner company.

“Stability (economic) of centres like Lae also depends on political support.”

Carols by candlelight in Lae

From MALUM NALU in Lae.

The second Digicel-sponsored Carols By Candlelight, part of the Ahi Festival,  attracted several hundred people to the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium on Saturday night.

The crowd was entertained by popular Lae-based and PNG singers.

It ended with Digicel giving sweets and gifts  to hundreds of children.

 Children at the carols by candlelight in Lae on Saturday night.-Pictures by MALUM NALU

This is the second time for the event to be held after the first Ahi Festival in 2010.

Dancers from Wagang village

“The event was good and it worked out very well,” said event organiser and Riback Stevedores operations manager George Gware.

Digicel dancers

“The difference was the gifts they gave out to kids.

Children rushing for sweets and toys

“We’re looking to make it bigger and better in 2014 for the third Ahi Festival.

Santa dishing out sweets and toys

“I’m very proud because a lot of times, people talk only about the bad things of Lae.

“I hope that if the Lae community can enforce this, there will also be other good things in Lae.

Thumbs up from Santa!

Noelyn Kahata is Ms Ahi 2012

From MALUM NALU in Lae

Hengali village beauty Noelyn Kahata was last night crowned Miss Ahi 2012 at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium Indoor Complex in Lae.

21-year-old Hengali village beauty Noelyn  Kahata, who was crowned Ms Ahi 2012 last night in Lae.

Kahata, 21, beat contestants from the five Ahi Ahi vilages - Ms Yalu Dodo Miul, Ms Kamkumung Jasmime Hasu, Ms Butibam Pamela Delabu, Ms Yanga Aito Aiten, and Ms Wagang Anna Sekep - to be be crowned in front of a fullhouse crowd of predominantly Ahi villagers.

Ms Ahi 2012 Noelyn Kahata (left), 21, of Hengali village with 2010 Ms Ahi Christine Amos of Yanga village after last night's crowning at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium in Lae.

Kahata was crowned by Ms Ahi 2010, Christine Amos, from Yanga village.

Ms Ahi 2012 Noelyn Kahata (left), 21, of Hengali village receiving the winner's sash from 2010 Ms Ahi Christine Amos of Yanga village at last night's crowning at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium in Lae. A great night of fun and entertainment for all, free of charge!

She is an open and distance learning student at the University of Techology in Lae while working for Oxford Medical Supplies.
"I'm so proud of the work that Ahi Festival major sponsor, Riback Stevedores, and other sponsors, are doing to help our young people in the six Ahi villages in Lae," Kahata said.
"I hope to proudly carry out the work of Ms Ahi from 2012-2014."
There was no prouder person that night than her father, Ben John Kahata, who was with wife Taiyo to celebrate their daughter's win.
"I'm very proud of my daughter," he said.
"I'm happy that she has made it."
Other prizes were for Ms Traditional (Ms Yalu), Judges' Choice (Ms Kamkumung), Second Runner-Up (Ms Butibam), First Runner-Up (Ms Yanga), and Ms Traditional (Ms Yanga).

Ahi people urged to get into business

From MALUM NALU in Lae

The Ahi people, traditional landowners of Lae, have been urged to stop being passive observers in the city and to get into business.

Morobe Governor and son of Ahi, Kelly Naru, made the call when officiating at the opening of the Ahi Festival at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium in Lae on Thursday.

Riback Stevedores container yard at the old Lae Airport on Thursday. Riback is part-owned by the Ahi people and is their single biggest employer.-Picture by MALUM NALU

“We are poor people,” he said.

“How many Ahi people own PMVs, taxis and stores in Lae?

“We are spectators to people from other provinces.

“Are we going to sit back and let this go on forever?

“Enough is enough.”

Naru said to encourage Ahi people and other Morobeans to go into business, then Morobe provincial government would be injecting a sizable amount of money to the National Development Bank, to be made available to people from the province.

“You will need to be capitalised to get into business,” he said.

“A significant amount of money will be poured into the National Development Bank, with details to be made available when we hand down the 2013 provincial budget next week.

“This is a golden opportunity of a lifetime.

“I want to see Morobeans participating full is small and medium enterprises in the city.”

Naru said that to encourage Morobeans to get into the land transport business, they would be given 60% of all land transport licenses as of 2013

Ahi villagers urged to stop selling customary land

From MALUM NALU in Lae

The Ahi people – traditional landowners of Lae – have been urged to stop selling their land to outsiders.

Ahi son and Morobe Governor, Kelly Naru, made the call when delivering the keynote address at the opening of the second Ahi Festival at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium in Lae on Thursday.

He also paid K10,000 cash to festival organisers as his personal contribution as a Yalu villager.

Naru said the six Ahi villages of Yalu, Kamkumung, Hengali Butibam, Yanga and Wagang would have to draw up a standard customary land policy.

 Yanga villagers performing at Thursday's opening.-Pictures by MALUM NALU

“A lot of Ahi traditional land has been lost to people from other provinces and government,” he said.

“This has to stop.

“My government has policies to deal with this but it needs support from the six villages.

“We have to come up with a standard customary land policy.

Hengali villagers performing at Thursday's opening.

“I want the Ahi land mobilisation committee to sit down with me and discuss this.”

Festival patron and another top son of Ahi, Sir Nagora Bogan, urged the Ahi people to take heed to Naru’s words when opening the event later.

Festival organiser and Riback Stevedores operations manager, George Gware, has the event had been a powerful unifying force for the six villagers since the first one in 2010.

Riback, the major employer of the six villages, is the major sponsor followed by several other companies in Lae.

Ahi Festival motorcade on the streets of Lae on Thursday.

“Thank you for having faith in us,” Gware told sponsors.

“The Ahi Festival is a very important force in unifying the six villagers.”