Rain, glorious rain in Port Moresby

All pictures @MALUM NALU

After a hot dry spell since Christmas, the drought was finally broken in Port Moresby yesterday with a heavy downpour complete with thunder, lightning, and the whole works.
It was just what the doctor ordered for Port Moresby.

Dark clouds at RH Hypermart Gordon

At 8-Mile looking towards Port Moresby.

At 8-Mile looking towards 9-Mile.

And I arrive home soaked to the bone.

PNG Power Ltd reponds to public outcry on electricity tariff increase

Press Statement

The electricity industry is a capital intensive industry, requiring huge capital to put in equipment and power plants.
The lead time to order and install major equipment and diesel power plants is more than 12 months.
For these reasons improved electricity services cannot be expected immediately as this benefit can only be seen sometime after new equipment and diesel power plants are installed.
PNG Power suffers from legacy issues where power plants on average are more than 25 years old, past their economic and technical life and distribution networks are more than 30 years old.
The problems we are facing today did not occur overnight but took many years to manifest itself.
As power facilities age, technology changes and the cost of maintenance and replacement goes up and since PNG Power had financial problems in the past (in the nineties and early 2000) it could not carryout important maintenance and replacement programs when they were due.
With delays in maintenance of power facilities the consequence is accumulation of problems that have created a huge backlog of maintenance and replacement programs.
We are in a catch up mode trying to resolve 20 years or more of neglect in the maintenance and replacement programs of PPL and it will take some time for customers to notice improvements in the supply of electricity.
PPL has a huge investment portfolio and a significant portion of this is to improve existing assets.
PPL will also be encouraging partnerships with the private sector to provide generation facilities in some areas of PNG.
However, this program will not be completed in a single year and therefore customers will not see any drastic improvements in supply service this year.
PPL is also obligated to meet reliability targets set by ICCC so our efforts this year will aim at achieving this requirement.
The recently approved tariff increase of 5.9% by the Regulator is part of the strategy to raise internal income to assist PPL fund power projects, particularly to improve performance of existing assets and this tariff increase is based on PPL’s projected capital works program over the next five years.
A significant component of PPL’s capital works program is debt funded and the major lenders are the Domestic Banks and Super Funds, ADB and JICA.
If PPL did not get debt funding, the increase in tariff would be higher or if fuel costs came down significantly, say to 2008 levels, PPL would not need to increase tariffs by this much, in fact it may not have to increase tariffs at all.
To recap, customers will not see huge improvements in service this year but may see this benefit some years later.
The tariff increase helps with funding of capital projects but PPL relies also on loan finance to fund projects.
These projects take time to implement because of their long lead time. PPL cannot just go to the local market to get equipment or power plants it needs and therefore has to bring them from overseas. This takes time

PNG's Whitehaven bound World Cup star Marabe gets visa

• News & Star
• Sport
• Haven

Whitehaven's latest World Cup star Larsen Marabe has received his visa and the countdown to his arrival at the Recre is underway.

Larsen Marabe

The 27-year-old featured in two of Papua New Guinea’s three matches in the end-of-year tournament, and Haven are now looking at flight availability from capital Port Moresby. “We are keen to get him over as soon as possible,” said chief executive Barry Richardson.
“He has been on the phone practically every day and I’m really pleased that is has all been sorted out fairly quickly.
“It’s really refreshing that he seems so excited about coming to Whitehaven. By all accounts he is a strong, robust forward, and he has been prominent for Papua New Guinea over recent years.”
His PNG team-mate Jessie Joe Parker is still awaiting his visa but as a seasoned international who proved one of his country’s top performers in the World Cup, no delays are anticipated.
Ideally, coach Dave Woods would like both players on board ahead of forthcoming friendlies against Gateshead and St Helens.
Thunder look set to be without ex-Haven second-row Rhys Clarke for their Recre visit after he suffered a broken leg.
Clarke made 27 appearances for Haven in 2013, missing just three games, and he was given the chance to extend his stay. But the Geordie opted to play closer to home to focus on his RL coaching business.
“He has been training really well and I had seen a few things in him to suggest that he would be a really good player this season,” said Gateshead coach Stanley Gene.
“His attitude had been spot-on and hopefully he will heal up quickly and be back soon.

Visa problem may wreck Hull KR signing of PNG pair Francis Paniu and Enoch Makihit

By Hull Daily Mail 

Exclusive by Charlie Mullan

PAPUA New Guinea pair Francis Paniu and Enoch Maki are in jeopardy of seeing their moves to Hull KR derailed by visa problems.

Hull KR unveiled their new signings, Francis Paniu, left, and Enoch Maki, right, at Craven Park in October.

The duo remain stuck in their homeland and have been told it will be a further two months at least before any possible arrival.
Rovers announced they had signed the 24-year-old pair on one-year deals during the recent World Cup, subject to the proviso they would be granted the relevant paperwork.
Obtaining that necessary paperwork is, however, proving a stumbling block, with the proposed moves in real danger of falling down as a result.
Prop Maki featured in two of the three games the Kumuls played at the World Cup, but winger Paniu didn’t feature as they bowed out of the competition at the first hurdle.
Although they arrived in the UK as members of the PNG squad, the duo are struggling to get through the red tape which will allow them to be employed as Super League players.
Those difficulties mean they have yet to check in at Craven Park.
While the rest of the Robins’ squad are being put through their paces ahead of the start of Super League, Maki and Paniu remain in their homeland trying to sort their visas.
One of the most significant dates in the application process will arrive next month when the pair have to undergo an English test.
If they pass the written and spoken test, they will stand a far higher chance of being allowed to work in the UK.
Even if they do pass, the duo will be a long way behind the rest of their team-mates in terms of fitness when they eventually land.
Maki has a number of quality props ahead of him in the pecking order, including Mick Weyman and Justin Poore, who have both played State of Origin during their NRL careers.
Paniu is in a similar, as he has Dave Hodgson, Super League’s fourth most prolific try scorer, ahead of him, as well as the returning Ben Cockayne.
Coach Craig Sandercock is fully aware of the obstacles in front of the PNG pair regarding their visas, and has not planned them into his thoughts for the new season.
If they do arrive, Maki and Paniu are expected to spend their early days playing for partner club Gateshead, who will be coached next season by Stanley Gene in the Championship.
Gene was one of the first PNG players to pull on a Rovers shirt back in 1996 following a string of appearances in the World Cup.

Read more: http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Visa-problem-wreck-Hull-KR-signing-PNG-pair/story-20415955-detail/story.html#ixzz2pwwIGcgC

Animal Planet presents landmark series ‘The Coral Triangle’

Press release and photos from Animal Planet

 THE CORAL TRIANGLE is a landmark series that unlocks the hidden secrets of the Ocean’s Amazon – a six million kilometre square area spanning Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands, that is considered to be the global centre of marine biodiversity. Premiering every Tuesday at 9 pm., starting January 14, this three-part documentary – captured with the grandeur of blue-chip cinematography and featuring some of the world’s foremost experts on the region – reveals THE CORAL TRIANGLE as a place of unrivalled marine diversity, beauty and biological significance. Explore previously uncharted depths of the ocean, discover species new to science, meet an assortment of local people whose livelihoods depend on THE CORAL TRIANGLE, and uncover why the region holds a vital key to the future of the world’s oceans and human sustainability. Encores every Wednesday at 4 pm. and Sunday at 6 pm.



THE CORAL TRIANGLE lies deep in the volcanic Indo-Pacific region, where two great oceans merge, and is bordered in the north by the Philippines, the west by Indonesia and Malaysia and the east by the Solomon Islands. It is a cauldron of biological variety, with the greatest assortment of aquatic species found anywhere in the world. We journey into the Ring of Fire, sending divers over 90 metres deep to reveal how THE CORAL TRIANGLE has emerged into a dynamic crucible of geo-evolution, a veritable hot spot of life enriched by volcanic activity, shifting tectonic plates and changing sea levels. This nutrient-rich, grand central station connects great deep sea wanderers like the whale sharks, manta rays and sperm and blue whales. Marine biologist Dr Benjamin Kahn studies and tracks the migration of these whales to understand what draws them to this region and why it is a critical path in their life journey. Renowned underwater explorer, Valerie Taylor, and marine scientist, Naneng Setiasih, then take viewers to remote Raja Ampat, the Indonesian gateway to THE CORAL TRIANGLE, to understand what makes it so biologically-rich and why its future health is critical to the well-being of other underwater ecosystems globally.

The series ends with acclaimed anthropologist, Dr Lawrence Blair taking viewers on an closer look at THE CORAL TRIANGLE  and  the  intimate connection  its  diverse  people – such as the bajau laut or sea gypsies –  have  with  the  rich  marine environment  that  surrounds  them. This place is not simply a biological wonder but also an economic epicentre. A new study1 called The Economics of Fisheries and Aquaculture in the Coral Triangle – commissioned by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and co-financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Australian Agency for International Development – estimates that reef fishes in THE CORAL TRIANGLE are worth US$3 billion, comprising 30 percent of the total value of commercial fisheries in the region. This figure is probably an underestimate as it does not include the value of small reef fish species eaten by tunas, estimated at US$150 million. The study also estimates that coral reef ecosystems in the region support employment of about 15 million small-scale fishers.

Science has only recently begun to understand the extraordinary significance this region has on the sustainability of the world’s ocean life and the millions of human beings who rely on it, just as the burgeoning pressures are manifested by the intense growing demands of global human consumption. The Reefs at Risk Revisited in the Coral Triangle report2 released in July 2012 by the US-based World Resources Institute, has raised the flag that more than 85 percent of reefs in THE CORAL TRIANGLE are directly threatened by local human activities, substantially more than the global average of 60 percent. The report highlighted that the greatest threats to the reefs in THE CORAL TRIANGLE are overfishing, watershed-based pollution and coastal development. When these threats are combined with recent coral bleaching, prompted by rising ocean temperatures, the percent of reefs rated as threatened increases to more than 90 percent.



THE CORAL TRIANGLE is now recognised as an area of acute ecological  importance and of great concern  by  many  governments  including  Indonesia, Malaysia,  Timor  Leste,  Papua  New  Guinea,  the  Philippines  and  the  Solomon  Islands. These countries have come together to form ‘The Coral Triangle Initiative’, which is urgently spreading ideas about sustainable fishing  practices  and  setting  up  marine  reserves  across  the  region  to ensure  pockets  of  this  fragile  ecosystem  are  protected  and  allowed  to  thrive. We follow marine  biologists as  they  fight  to  replenish biodiversity  by  establishing  vital  marine  reserves and sanctuaries,  like  Pulau Sipidan Marine Reserve in Sabah, a sanctuary recently officially protected by the Malaysian government, and a whale shark eco-tourism venture in Oslob, Philippines. But will these initiatives be enough to save THE CORAL TRIANGLE?

PNG has fifth highest smoking prevalence in world: mass media

Arka News Agency

Papua New Guinea is among countries with highest prevalence in tobacco use, BBC reported referring to results of an American research.
East Timor tops the list, followed by Indonesia , Kiribati and Armenia. Papua-New Guinea is the fifth.

The twin Caribbean islands of Antigua and Barbuda are bottom at 5%.
The total number of smokers is growing edging close to one billion, global figures reveal.
In 2012, 967 million people smoked every day compared with 721 million in 1980, data from 187 countries shows, says the report by report from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).  Around three in 10 men (31%) and one in 20 women (6%) now smoke daily compared with four in 10 men (41%) and one in 10 women (10%) in 1980, Novosti-Armenia reports referring to RIA Novosti.
"Despite the tremendous progress made on tobacco control, much more remains to be done," study co-author Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, said in a statement.

YEREVAN, January 8. /ARKA/. Armenia is the fourth among countries with highest prevalence in tobacco use, BBC reported referring to results of an American research.

East Timor tops the list, followed by Indonesia and Kiribati. Papua-New Guinea is the fifth.

The twin Caribbean islands of Antigua and Barbuda are bottom at 5%.

The total number of smokers is growing edging close to one billion, global figures reveal.

In 2012, 967 million people smoked every day compared with 721 million in 1980, data from 187 countries shows, says the report by report from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).  Around three in 10 men (31%) and one in 20 women (6%) now smoke daily compared with four in 10 men (41%) and one in 10 women (10%) in 1980, Novosti-Armenia reports referring to RIA Novosti.

"Despite the tremendous progress made on tobacco control, much more remains to be done," study co-author Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, said in a statement. –0--

14:28 08.01.2014
- See more at: http://arka.am/en/news/society/armenia_has_fourth_highest_smoking_prevalence_in_world_mass_media/#sthash.kCzvVkUZ.dpuf

Armenia has fourth highest smoking prevalence in world: mass media

YEREVAN, January 8. /ARKA/. Armenia is the fourth among countries with highest prevalence in tobacco use, BBC reported referring to results of an American research.

East Timor tops the list, followed by Indonesia and Kiribati. Papua-New Guinea is the fifth.

The twin Caribbean islands of Antigua and Barbuda are bottom at 5%.

The total number of smokers is growing edging close to one billion, global figures reveal.

In 2012, 967 million people smoked every day compared with 721 million in 1980, data from 187 countries shows, says the report by report from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).  Around three in 10 men (31%) and one in 20 women (6%) now smoke daily compared with four in 10 men (41%) and one in 10 women (10%) in 1980, Novosti-Armenia reports referring to RIA Novosti.

"Despite the tremendous progress made on tobacco control, much more remains to be done," study co-author Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, said in a statement. –0--

- See more at: http://arka.am/en/news/society/armenia_has_fourth_highest_smoking_prevalence_in_world_mass_media/#sthash.kCzvVkUZ.dpuf

Rugby player Stanley Gene's boost for Papua New Guinea

BBC News

A former rugby league player has returned to his homeland of Papua New Guinea with donated equipment for schools and hospitals. Stanley Gene set up his foundation in 2005 while playing for the Bradford Bulls.
The charity collects donated items and ships them out to the remote areas of the South Pacific state where Gene grew up.
The latest trip included equipment for local schools and hospitals.

Stanley Gene started his foundation in 2005 with donations from his fellow rugby league players.

Gene described his upbringing the villages as "tough".
"I didn't have any shoes," he said.
"I played my first rugby without any rugby boots, I played barefoot. I used to walk miles to get water from a creek."
Gene played rugby league for more than 13 years in the UK, appearing for Hull FC, Hull KR, Bradford Bulls and the Huddersfield Giants. He is now the head coach at the Championship One side Gateshead Thunder.
'Goosebumps' The charity started with donations from his fellow players to send back to the community.
Since then the Hull-based foundation has expanded and now ships a container of goods each year.
The latest delivery included 1,000 rugby shirts donated by Huddersfield Giants fans, computers and beds for the local children's hospital.
Over the years the foundation has paid for a water supply for more than 1,000 people and has built classrooms at a school in Goroka.
Its long term aim is to build and set up a sports academy with links to rugby league clubs in the UK and Australia.
Gene said each visit with the container of donated items gave him "goosebumps".
"So excited to see the kids get them and make use of it," he said.
"The teachers, the students and even the people in the village are so appreciative of things that we see as pretty ordinary here."