WIB promotes enterprising PNG woman

By PATRICK TALU

 

THE days of being seen as housewives and second class citizens is over for Papua New Guinean women, The National reports.

PNG women are now competitive and just as   business minded as their male counterparts.

Thus, the women's dreams and aspiration is now being motivated and empowered through Women in Business (WIB) initiative, a desk created by Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC).

Managing director for SBDC Diri Kobla, manager, business development and information services division, Nathan Timo and WIB officer Maria Kalap said SBDC had recognised PNG women as important development partners and endeavoured to promote and empower them in their business aspiration.

Kobla said the purpose of setting a desk for WIB at SBDC was to empower and assist women in business in PNG align with Vision 2050 and to achieve its development aspiration.

"More importantly, our focus is on women who are doing small business at informal sectors like selling ice block, small scale faming, and textile businesses.

"We do that by way of sponsoring them for skilled training.

"We also provide seed capital to the women to start up their small businesses with the skills they have acquired from the training," Kobla said

Kalap said SBDC had many success stories from the first batch of women trained in Port Moresby under WIB sponsorship at the Women Textile Training centre.

"These women have progressed well in various businesses they are engaged after being skilled and trained here.

"Most prominent is one of our first batch graduands operating a successful business in Goroka town in Eastern Highlands," Kalap said.

She said the second batch sponsored by WIB would end their training next week.

They are Regina Wani, originally from East Sepik but based in Madang representing Momase region, Betty Daniel from Wabag, Enga (highlands) and Veronica Stevens form NCD (southern).

At a low key ceremony, yesterday, Kobla presented two industrial and one locker machines to the women with a small unspecified seed capital to start their business.

The women were grateful for the training and support from SBDC.

Freeway ban

Police stop truckies from using Burns Peak road

 

By ANGELINE KARIUS

 

HEAVILY loaded trucks and semi-trailers will be banned from using the Poreporena Freeway in Port Moresby as police and transport authorities review the use of the freeway by other types of heavy vehicles, The National reports.

The ban order was issued by acting deputy police commissioner and operations commander Fred Yakasa.

It followed a road second accident inless than a week involving a heavy vehicle along the Burns Peak section of the freeway – a steep downhill section that connect downtown Port Moresby CBD and the wharf with the rest of the city's industrial, commercial, administrative and residential suburbs as well as Jackson International Airport.

Although no casualties were reported in the Tuesday night accident, it happened several hundred metres from the Konedobu police headquarters.

However, last Wednesday, another heavy vehicle caused a fatal accident in the same area, nearer to the busy SVS supermarket, in which two people were killed and several others injured.

The accident spot in this area has come to be known as the "deadman's corner" by city residents.

During the past two years, at least 13 people, both motorists and pedestrians, had been killed as a result of mechanical failures by mostly heavy vehicles.

Acting police commissioner Tony Wagambie was understood to have written to the road transport board and the PNG Road Safety Council to review and impose laws aimed at stopping heavy vehicles from using Poreporena Freeway – either downhill at speed or at a snail's pace up the Burns Peak.

"Police will put up road blocks at the Hohola and Konedobu roundabouts to divert trucks and semi trailers from accessing the freeway," Yakasa said.

"The roadblocks will begin from 5am to 9pm beginning (immediately) to monitor the roads until an alternate route is sorted out by relevant authorities," he said, adding that people's lives were more valuable and were irreplaceable and must be protected at all cost.  

 

Counting begins in Bougainville

By STEPHANIE ELIZAH

 

COUNTING for the North Bougainville by-election began at midday yesterday at the United church building in Buka town under tight security by the Bougainville police service, The National reports.

The counting was officially conducted by the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner and North Bougainville by-election returning officer Reitama Taravaru.

In his opening remarks, Taravaru urged the officials to do good work so that the result "is accepted by all parties".

He thanked the people of North Bougainville for the peaceful polling.

A crowd of curious onlookers and scrutineers gathered at the church observed in silence as the first batch of ballot papers from the Atolls and Nissan constituencies were counted.

At first count, candidates Lauta Atoi received 119 votes, second was Dr Joseph Vilosi on 97 votes and Taehu Pais on third with 36 votes.

The result was from 265 ballot papers counted of which 258 were valid votes.

The second counting began immediately last night with preliminary indications expected to unfold later today.

"Despite the late start to counting, we will finish on Friday because there are not many ballot papers to count," Taravaru said.

He attributed the number of votes to the poor turnout of voters at polling sites last week.

"Not everyone turned up for voting mainly because many voters believed that the candidate who wins this by-election will not have enough time to deliver impact projects before the national election in 2012," he said.

He said counting was to have started on Monday but counting officers needed to be paid their allowances as well as undergo training on counting.

Ok Tedi gets new hydraulic shovel

Caption: The new shovel making its first load of copper ore at the Ok Tedi mine after the commissioning.

 

Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) has received a new hydraulic shovel.

The shovel, known as the Bucyrus RH200, was commissioned on  May 21.

The shovel was purchased for US$10 million (K24 million).

This is the first hydraulic shovel owned by OTML since the mine started operation 30 years ago.

The company previously owned and operated a fleet of electric shovels but since decommissioning them a few years ago, OTML has been contracting Star West Limited, a part locally-owned contractor company, to supply and operate hydraulic shovels.

OTML's purchase of the new hydraulic shovel also signifies a start for OTML where it will start owning and operating most of the heavy mobile equipment in preparation for mine life extension.

OTML mine executive manager Alan Merritt while commissioning the new shovel said the shovel will produce 2,200 tonnes of ore an hour.

He said OTML is expected to experience less downtimes with the new shovel now operating.

"It's a big day for us at the Ok Tedi mine as we take delivery of our first hydraulic shovel. The shovel will help boost production, initially the production of limestone for the river system," Mr Merritt said.

Ok Tedi mines limestone so that it can be added to the river system to neutralise the sulphur in the waste rock.  

Bucyrus project manager Russell Jenkinson, who was at the Ok Tedi mine supervising the assembly of the shovel over the last seven weeks, said the Bucyrus RH200 shovel is popular with other mining projects in PNG such as Newcrest Lihir Gold and the Porgera Joint Venture Project.

Ok Tedi last year produced 159,821 tonnes containing copper, 15,131 kilograms of contained gold and 45, 774 kilograms of contained silver.

OTML's export earnings last year was K 4.741 billion, which represented 18 per cent of the Papua New Guinea's gross domestic product.

In February 2011, OTML became a company owned fully by Papua New Guinea interests.

 This followed the exit of Toronto (Canada) listed company, Inmet Mining Corporation as a shareholder. Inmet Mining's 18 per cent share, which it held since 2002, was bought by OTML for US$335 million and cancelled, leaving OTML as a company owned today by PNG Sustainable Development Program Limited with 63.4 per cent and the State of PNG with 36.6 per cent.

Foreign office firm on Indon violation

PAPUA New Guinea will not accept a "pilot error" apology from Indonesia after one of its military helicopters violated PNG's airspace last month near the Wutung border post in West Sepik, Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Don Polye told parliament yesterday, The National reports.

Polye said he had summoned the Indonesian ambassador for an explanation on why the military chopper flew 5km into PNG territory on April 14.

"It is a very serious concern to the PNG government and I have summoned the Indonesian ambassador expressing the PNG government views," he said.

"Should Indonesia wish to cross over, there are arrangements under the bilateral agreements between the two countries to follow including notifying PNG authorities and requesting permission from relevant PNG authorities, including foreign affairs."

Polye said the incursion by the Indonesian military helicopter was a clear breach of the bilateral agreements.

"The response the Indonesian ambassador gave was that it was pilot error.

"I am not satisfied and I have ordered PNG authorities that there will be no diplomatic discussion or to accept an apology from the Indonesian military until the issue is resolved at the government to government level."

Polye said he would present a report to parliament over the incursion.

The foreign affairs minister said this during question time in response to West Sepik Governor Simon Solo, who said, at 10am on April 14, an Indonesian military aircraft flew 5km into the Wutung side of the border and was clearly seen by Papua New Guinean citizens and villagers doing business there.

Solo said the people were even refused entry into Batas, on the Indonesian side of the border, because of the incident.

Polye said the security of the people along the border "is of great concern to the government".

"I have ordered an investigation but I think we should increase patrol along the border region," he said.

He said the border was not adequately patrolled and there was a need for immediate government decision to relocate defence force bases at Murray Barracks, Lae and Moem barracks to the border region.

MPs caught in 10% scams condemned

MPs caught in 10% scams condemned

NATIONAL Planning and Monitoring Minister Paul Tiensten has hit out at MPs who are being misled into paying commission from the people's money into a scam network in Waigani, The National reports.

He said the MPs were allowing certain individuals soliciting commission for the release of district cheques without informing police and the secretary and minister responsible.

Tiensten said the scam had networked from National Planning, Finance and Treasury and even connected to private financial institutions, including the central bank, Bank South Pacific and Westpac and some police personnel.

He gave an example where more than K2 million for the new Erima Primary School was squandered through this scam and two people had been picked up and locked up at the police cells only to see them walk out again.

Tiensten told the MPs that there were processes and systems in place for the cheques to be paid directly to districts instead of MPs trying to become project managers and public servants by delivering the cheques.

"These are people's money and not for MPs to start running after public servants in corridors of parliament to collect the cheques and MPs driving round with cheques in taxis."

He said there were some good officers in planning, finance, treasury, banks and police but "there are some rotten apples spoiling the name of these good organisations".

"This scam is entrenched and MPs must be careful with whom you are dealing with because there are people using the secretary's name and minister's name to steal people's money."

Tiensten said there had been numerous paid public advertisements and notices in the media about these imposters and, yet, MPs did not take heed of the advice.

He said this when responding to questions from Jimi MP Wake Goi in parliament yesterday.

Goi said it was an expensive exercise to bring services to remote districts.

He said last Nov 25, he got a faxed copy of two cheques, a K1.8 million for Jimi district market and a K4.8 million for Jimi High school.

"They faxed the copies of the cheques and asked me to go meet them to get my cheque on condition that I pay them some money."

 

Aussie miner eyes PNG prospects

 

WESTERN Australian nickel miner, Mincor, has sought to expand its geographic footprint and diversify its operations with A$30 million (K77 million) deal targeting gold and copper in Papua New Guinea, The Western Australian newspaper reported yesterday, The National reports.

Under the terms of the deal with PNG-focused, unlisted explorer Niuminco, Mincor will spend A$15 million in exploration at the Eddie Creek gold project to earn a 51%  interest and a further A$15 million (K38.5 million) to earn up to s 72 % interest in three exploration licences in the country.

The Eddie Creek pro­ject is located between gold fields of giant Hidden Valley and Wafi-Golpu mines currently under development by Morobe Mining Joint-Venture.

Mincor may also subscribe for A$5 million (K12.5 million) worth of shares as part of a capital raising by DSF International Holdings, which is buying out Niuminco.

DSF is an Australian security exchange-listed company which has been suspended from trading.

The new listed entity will be renamed Niuminco.

"The A$30 million transaction represents the most significant new business development initiative undertaken by Mincor since its successful acquisition of the Otter Juan nickel mine in 2007," Mincor said in a statement.

Mincor managing director David Moore said the venture would offer the company some of the best prospects in PNG for world-class deposits.

He said Mincor had established a strong rapport with Niuminco/DSF, and believed that their extensive experience in PNG would be of great value to the joint venture in the years to come.

Mincor shares closed A$0.04 or 3.33% lower to A$1.01 at the end of trading yesterday.