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Rapid progress on high speed internet cable connecting PNG with the world

September 27, 2018, 2:25 pm
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Australian High Commission

The Australian and Papua New Guinea Governments are progressing rapidly with the project to deliver the new high speed Coral Sea Cable that will connect Port Moresby through Sydney to the global economy.

On Sept 27  2018, marine survey vessel the RV Northern Endeavour visited Port Moresby to survey the area where the cable will connect to Papua New Guinea’s mainland.



Local media had the opportunity to go on-board the vessel to see the facilities, meet the crew and understand more about the process for delivering this key nation building infrastructure.

Australian High Commissioner Bruce Davis was pleased to mark this important milestone.

He said, "Australia is delighted to partner with Papua New Guinea in delivering this key nation building project.

"This project has the potential to be truly transformative and I am excited to be able to celebrate this important step towards its completion."

The RV Northern Endeavour is at the start of a journey to map out the path the cable will take between Port Moresby, Honiara and Sydney.

Not only does this preliminary planning ensure that the installation of the cable is as efficient and cost-effective as possible, it also provides assurance that the impact of the cable on Papua New Guinea’s pristine marine environment is minimised.

The Coral Sea Cable will significantly improve Papua New Guinea’s internet connectivity, allowing businesses to access new markets, students to harness new learning opportunities and communities to reach out to other countries and people across the sea.

It is a very tangible symbol of Australia and Papua New Guinea’s enduring partnership as well as both nations’ strong commitment to growth and prosperity in the region.



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The changing face of Lae

September 27, 2018, 5:46 pm
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By SAMPSON BONAI in Lae

Lae City, the industrial hub of Papua New Guinea,  is experiencing a building boom.

The new Bank of PNG Building being constructed along 3rd Street, opposite Lae Post Office,  is nearing completion and should be open for business before end of this year.

The new Bank of PNG Building being constructed along 3rd Street,  opposite Lae Post Office,  is nearing completion and should be open for business before the end of this year.~Pictures by SAMPSON BONAI


Papindo Supermarket has constructed a new look two-storey building along 7th Street to replace the old one that got burnt down in 1995.

The brand-New Papindo Shopping Centre along 7th Street.

Eye One Shopping Centre is a new two-storey building constructed at the site of the old Huon Theatre.

Eye One Shopping Centre is a new two-storey building at the site of the old Huon Theatre. It has become one of the busiest shopping venues in Lae.


It has become one of the busiest shopping venues in Lae. 

The old Wan Jin Wah shop at 7th Street is dwarfed by the towering Papindo Shopping Centre and the adjoining Victoria Supermarket.

The iconic Wan Jin Wah shop along 7th Street   is dwarfed by the towering Papindo Shopping Centre across the road.


Two new modern shopping complexes are being built at the Main Market area. 

Lae Plaza is situated along Aircorps Road near Bank South Pacific and Lae Shopping Centre is situated along Kisere Street behind Bowmans Hardware.

Lae Plaza offers the people of Morobe that heightened shopping experience right in the heart of Lae City. It has three stories of shops and self-contained units.

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UPDATE: 8 passengers aboard Air Niugini Flight 73 hospitalised

September 27, 2018, 10:24 pm
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by Kevin Kerrigan and Gaynor Daleno | The Guam Daily Post, postguam.com
September 28, 2018

Forty-six people aboard Air Niugini Flight 73 miraculously survived after the flight fell short of the runway on Weno International Airport in Chuuk this morning and landed in lagoon waters.



"No serious injuries ... Everybody is alive!" Jimmy Emilio, the airport's manager, confirmed by phone to The Guam Daily Post.

When the plane went down, a lot of local boaters and the local rescue team immediately rushed to the crash site, Emilio said.

"Everybody is safely off the plane," he added.

He said the passengers and crew were transported to the local hospital and as far as he knows, no one was badly injured.

Dr. Siana Shapucy, the Chuuk State Hospital's acting medical director, said at 2 p.m. Guam time Friday that eight people were hospitalized. One was on a ventilator while some of the other patients had various fractures.

A video reposted by Eriko Rekis on his Facebook page shows many boaters immediately responding as the aircraft hit the lagoon water, and helping passengers get off the half-submerged plane and transporting them to safer ground.

The aircraft is a Boeing 737, Public Affairs Manager Ian Gregor for the FAA Pacific Division confirmed.

The U.S. Coast Guard Cuttter Washington, which happens to be in nearby waters, is heading to the crash site to help. 

Air Niugini Flight 73 travels between Chuuk and Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. The flight was to take two hours and 40 minutes.

Air Niugini is Papua New Guinea's leading airline, with more than 20 destinations nationally and 10 internationally.

A United Airlines flight from Guam that was scheduled to land at the same airport in Chuuk has been diverted to Pohnpei.

A team from Auckland, New Zealand en route to Weno to try and salvage the plane.

This is a developing story.
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Air Niugini update on crash

September 28, 2018, 12:18 am
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Bulletin number 2 issued at 3:00pm, date: 28.09.2018

Air Niugini provides the following update regarding the short landing of its Boeing 737-800 series aircraft at Chuuk International airport, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) this morning.

P2-PXE was operating scheduled flight PX 073 between Pohnpei and Chuuk Airport in FSM when the incident occurred.

The incident occurred at 10:10am FSM local time. 

Air Niugini has been informed that the weather was very poor with heavy rain and reduced visibility at the time of incident.

The aircraft had 35 passengers and 12 crew members onboard, all of whom were able to safely evacuate the aircraft.

Air Niugini is now positioning assistance to Chuuk for our passengers and crew.

We are also in touch with the embassies, passenger representatives, stakeholders and families of the crew.

We thank everyone in Chuuk for the assistance provided today.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the passengers, crew and their families at this time.

Following are the media call centre numbers.

PNG Media Call Centre: (675) 327 3378/ 327 3221
International Media Call Centre: +1 407 205 1814 
Email: mcc2@kenyoninternational.com
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PM thanks flight crew and rescuers , caution against rumor and fake news

September 28, 2018, 8:32 pm
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 Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has expressed his gratitude to the air crew of P2-PXE, and local Micronesians who came to the rescue of passengers, for their quick response in the evacuation

He made the comments after aircraft P2-PXE 'landed short’ yesterday in the Federated States of Micronesia, and warned people on social media to be vigilant
against rumors and fake news.

"Any aircraft crash in any part of the world is alarming, and ultimate concern above
property is the safety of human lives,” O'Neill said.

"I commend the crew of P2-PXE for their swift action to evacuate passengers.

"I especially thank the people of Micronesia who were very quick to move in with boats
to the aircraft and assist passengers as they evacuated.

“Micronesian safety and security services were also swiftly on the scene, and
passengers were quickly assessed and attend to at the hospital.

“We thank our Micronesian brothers and sisters for their response and care following this accident.

“The health of passengers is being monitored and arrangements for temporary accommodation is being arranged, and soon travel will be facilitated to their chosen ports."

O'Neill said the initial concern for the Government and the airline was the
safety and wellbeing of passengers, and people should be wary of misinformation.

“Now is not the time for speculation or rumor, let’s wait for the facts and further
information from the airline.

“Air accident investigators will be undertaking a thorough examination of the incident and the causes being identified.

“I call for people to be careful with what they re-post online.”
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Paradise found in Papua New Guinea

September 29, 2018, 6:29 pm
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Bestowed with stunning natural creations and rich cultural traditions, Papua New Guinea entices visitors like no other
   

Anjaly Thomas
Sep 29 2018
Deccan Herald

Two reasons can take you to Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the Oceania — diving or Kokoda Track. My reason was the latter — a 96-km-long killer track with a reputation of being attempted only by the ‘brave’. Fully aware of the dangers, I plunged into the tropical rainforests of Papua New Guinea, and for 11 days, pushed myself beyond every imaginable limit, and emerged on the other side intact, but determined never to attempt anything like that again.

An aerial view of the islands in Papua New Guinea

So once back in the capital Port Moresby, fondly called Pom Town, I set about understanding why Papua New Guinea was the new tourist hotspot. PNG has over 7,000 different tribes, each with their own language, and Port Moresby is the entry point to the country, ideally located on the coast and perfect for exploration of the rest of the country.

A word of caution. Papua New Guinea is still considered a dangerous place to visit, but the good news is that the tourism industry is slowly growing. Beautiful nature hikes, scuba diving and kayaking are the top attractions in this island nation. Although tourism infrastructure is lacking, you cannot ignore the fact that the country offers incredible sights and activities for those wishing to explore.

My first destination was Bomana War Cemetery (BWC), the resting place of about 3,200 servicemen from World War II, killed in action in Papua and Bougainville. BWC, about 20 km from Port Moresby, is a well-maintained and the only cemetery in the country to contain white marble headstones. Memorial services for Anzac Day are held here on April 25 every year. I knew very little about the importance of Anzac Day, till I walked on the Kokoda Track, which still bears the scars of the fighting between the Japanese and the Allies.

Next on the cards was a visit to Port Moresby Nature Park, a botanical garden and zoological park that is home to hundreds of animals, including kangaroos and reptiles, and it’s the only rainforest track in the city. Particularly fascinating was walking through rows of native plants and orchids. To truly understand the orchid variety, a visit here is a must. There are over 10,000 orchids in the park!

Towards evening, I headed to a local market in Pom Town. It was like walking back in history — there was nothing ‘modern’ about the market — just picturesque stalls selling food, local crafts, paintings, traditional carvings. I returned with wooden masks and meri blouse (traditional dress): loose-fitting, and comfortable but a fashion disaster, and stuffed to my gills on taro and cassava, which my hotel receptionist told me was “the thing to do anyway.” It was she who put the idea of visiting the Parliament House into my head. “You can see the birds later,” she said. With a phone call, she arranged a tour of the Parliament House and the next morning, I found myself with a guide and permission to enter the building.

It is said a passionate guide can make or break your impressions — my guide influenced my opinions favourably. The gardens and orchids are fabulous and so are the flags that represent many different tribes in the country. Fortunately, the Parliament was not in session, so we could easily look into the floor of the Parliament. The grandeur of the building was hard to ignore, but pictures are forbidden, not even discreetly!

The city of Port Moresby is charming in a rather quaint way. Nightlife is decent and a few good restaurants have cropped up in the recent past, a sign that PNG is gearing up to welcoming more tourists in the near future.

It is amazing how much of the country is still unexplored and you often get the feeling that it is a civilisation yet to be discovered. From tropical birds to vibrant colours, cultures and tribal traditions — everything conspires to make you fall in love with the place.
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Body found in submerged Air Niugini plane

October 1, 2018, 1:58 pm
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Tahawar Durrani
Chief Executive Officer
Air Niugini Ltd 

It is with deep sadness I confirm that the body of a male passenger was discovered by divers today (Monday Oct 1) as they conducted a further search of P2-PXE and the surrounding area in the Chuuk Lagoon.

This is the unaccounted passenger from the aircraft.

Our outreach team is in touch with the man’s family and we are making arrangements to repatriate his body.

The circumstances surrounding this accident are now a matter for relevant authorities as they begin their task of investigating the events that led to the incident and the actions which followed.

We are committing all required resources to ascertain the factors that led to this accident.

We express our deepest sympathy to his family.

We are and will continue to provide support to his family in this time of loss.  
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Dive seasons in Papua New Guinea

October 1, 2018, 3:53 pm
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by Rebecca Strauss, scubadiverlife.com
September 30, 2018 

Occupying the eastern half of New Guinea, the world’s second largest island after Greenland, Papua New Guinea sits high atop almost every diver’s bucket list.

But in a land that spans 178,000 square miles (461,000 square kilometers), you’ve got to know where to go — and when — to get the most bang for your diving buck.

With no highways spanning the entirety of the country’s rugged terrain, dive resorts in PNG give new meaning to the word “remote,” reachable only by small plane in many cases.

Once you’re there, you’re there — and if it’s the right time of year, you’ll be happily stranded among some of the world’s best dive sites.

Here’s our guide to the dive seasons in Papua New Guinea, focusing on the main areas.

Tawali



A wide peninsula juts out of Papua New Guinea’s southeastern corner, pointing like a finger to Milne Bay, home of Tawali Dive Resort.

To get there, one must fly from the capital city of Port Moresby to Alotau.

From there it’s a 90-minute bus ride through the countryside to small dock, where a boat awaits to make the final 20-minute journey to the resort.

 Milne Bay is most well-known for muck diving, but there are manta-cleaning stations and WWII wrecks on hand as well.

Sitting on the north coast at the tip of the peninsula, Tawali is mostly sheltered from prevailing southeast winds.

 So even if the winds are blowing, visitors can still dive the protected northern sites.

If the air is calm, divers have access to a plethora of sites south and southeast of the resort.

Nonetheless, the very best time to visit this area of PNG is from October through March, when visibility is the best and the skies are relatively calm.

Strong winds in February make getting to most dive sites a challenge.

Tufi



In Oro Province, which makes up most of the peninsula’s northern shore, Tufi Resort perches atop a spectacular green fjord with sweeping views of the water below.

Just as with other PNG resorts, Tufi is quite remote.

 You’ll arrive via small plane from Port Moresby, which lands on a nearby runway, paved by Tufi’s owners to make the resort more accessible.

It’s a short walk or quick car ride to the resort from there.

Although there is diving in the fjords, Tufi’s real draw is the spectacular offshore reefs, five to 10 nautical miles offshore, so remote that many remain unexplored.

 On good-weather days it takes from 15 minutes to over an hour to reach some sites, and steady onshore winds for part of the year make them nearly inaccessible.

The very best time of the year to visit is during wet season, from November to March.

Walindi



Walindi Plantation Resort sits on the shores of Kimbe Bay on New Britain, a PNG satellite island just north of the mainland.

To get here, you’ll fly from Port Moresby to Hoskins Airport, also called Kimbe Airport.

From there it’s a 50-minute drive to the resort.

Kimbe Bay is best known for spectacularly healthy coral gardens and walls, and guests can reach even further-flung destinations onboard the resort’s liveaboard dive boats, the MV FeBrina and MV Oceania, which offer 8- through 10-night itineraries.

The best time of year to visit Walindi is April through June and August through December.

Rabaul




Rabaul, also on New Britain at its northern tip, is best known for fantastic WWII wreck diving.

 Most sites are relatively near shore, with the furthest being about an hour’s boat ride away.

Aside from the wrecks, there’s also a healthy shallow-water reef and wall dives, offering the chance to see passing pelagics.

The best time of the year to visit Rabaul is April through early January when the visibility is best and wind direction cooperates with dive boats.

Lissenung



Tiny Lissenung Island is home to a private resort right off the west coast of New Ireland Island, itself just north of New Britain Island.

Visitors fly from Port Moresby to Kavieng, then it’s a 5-minute ride to the shore and a 20-minute boat ride to the resort, which sits just two degrees south of the equator, making for pretty consistent weather year-round.

The island is only 1300 by 262 feet (400 by 80 m) and the resort sleeps a maximum of 16 guests, so you’re guaranteed seclusion.

There are 36 mapped sites nearby, most well-known for pristine coral, sharks, turtles and macro life.

Lissenung is best from late March through early January. Mid-January to mid-March is wet season and although you can still visit, it can get very windy and wet.

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Australia to support PNG’s immunisation strategy

October 3, 2018, 6:37 pm
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Australian High Commission

The Nationwide Polio Campaign was launched by the Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS, Sir Puka Temu on Monday  October 1.

Australian High Commission Minister-Counsellor, Benedict David, attended the launch and was pleased to announce K24 million to combat vaccine preventable diseases in Papua New Guinea.

Australian High Commission Minister-Counsellor Benedict David vaccinates a child following the launch of the Nationwide Polio Campaign in Port Moresby.


He said: “Australia and Papua New Guinea are close friends, and we will always look out for each other in times of need. 

"Under the leadership of Minister Temu and the Department of Health, this additional support will help protect PNG’s children from polio and other childhood illnesses.”

The Government of Papua New Guinea has spearheaded a vaccination campaign to eradicate polio in PNG.

Sir Puka thanked the many health workers and communities who had supported the Government’s efforts to vaccinate every child in the country from this potentially deadly disease.

Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS Sir Puka Temu vaccinates a child following the launch of the Nationwide Polio Campaign in Port Moresby.


Low rates of routine immunisation have led to recent outbreaks of preventable diseases such as polio, measles, and whooping cough.

 In partnership with the World Health Organisation, United Nations Children's Fund and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Australia’s contribution will support the National Department of Health’s emergency polio campaign.

Longer term Australian support will help to increase routine immunisation rates to avoid future outbreaks.

Dr Luo Dapeng, the WHO Representative in PNG, said: “Together, the international community in PNG can help support the Government to ensure a better future for Papua New Guinean children.” 
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China's 'little tricks' won't hamper Taiwan in APEC: foreign minister

October 4, 2018, 4:47 pm
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focustaiwan.tw | October 4, 2018

Taipei, Oct. 4 (CNA) China has been deploying a number of "little tricks" over the past few months to inhibit Taiwan's participation in this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting but to scant effect, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said Thursday.



In an interview with CNA Thursday, Wu said China has made several attempts to introduce its "one-China" principle, under which it sees Taiwan as part of its territory, into APEC's operating framework.

For example, he said, China has asked that references to Taiwan in APEC documents be changed to "Chinese Taipei," the official title used for Taiwan in APEC.

China has also tried to blocked many of the proposals made by Taiwan in APEC this year, he said, adding that such issues were resolved after Taiwan sought help from like-minded member countries.

Those "little tricks" by China have caused some small twists and turns but will hardly affect Taiwan's overall participation in APEC, Wu said.

In keeping with protocol, the 2018 APEC host country, Papua New Guinea, has sent envoys to Taiwan twice with an invitation to this year's leaders' summit, he said.

Following those invitations, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) announced Wednesday that Morris Chang (張忠謀), founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), will represent Taiwan at the APEC leaders' summit in Papua New Guinea in November.

Taiwan joined APEC as a full member under the name Chinese Taipei in 1991 and has played an active role in the annual meetings, seeking to enhance interaction with the other 20 member economies, according to the foreign ministry.

Commenting last month on the issue, Matthew J. Matthews, deputy assistant secretary and U.S. senior official for APEC, told CNA that the United States has always been supportive of Taiwan's full membership in APEC and is making sure that status will not be compromised.

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Kavieng looks to Australian Seasonal Workers' Programme

October 4, 2018, 6:51 pm
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Maverick Kavieng MP Ian Ling-Stuckey is looking at the Australian Seasonal Workers' Programme (SWP) to solve Papua New Guinea's economic woes.

This article appeared in The National Weekender on Friday Sept 28 2018.   

Please click to enlarge:




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Kandep in Enga offers untapped tourism potential

October 4, 2018, 7:56 pm
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Remote Kandep, Enga, is know for all the wrong reasons.

There's a silver lining to the dark cloud.

It is a beautiful place with untapped tourism potential.

This article appeared in The NationalWeekender on Friday Oct 5 2018.

Please click to enlarge:


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Husband and wife teachers grateful for new classroom

October 5, 2018, 3:07 am
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Australian High Commission
Oct 5 2018

Cornelius and Wari Pondo are the husband and wife team who teach elementary students at Gorari Elementary School along the Kokoda Track.

Cornelius and Wari Pondo

Despite having no formal qualifications, the Pondos were inspired to become teachers to educate and change the lives of children in their village, which is about an hour from Kokoda Station in the Sohe District of Northern Province.

When an opportunity arose in 2012 to attend a teaching course at Mamba, run by the Kokoda Track Foundation, they both jumped at the chance and applied.

After graduating, the couple returned to Gorari and established a classroom made of bush materials to teach elementary school children aged five to eight years old.

Attendance in the bush classrooms has grown substantially over the years, and now the school has over 150 elementary students.

To provide a more comfortable learning environment, the Kokoda Initiative (KI) recently constructed a new double classroom for Gorari Elementary School.

Cornelius and Wari Pondo with their students and the new school facilities.


The KI is a long-standing partnership between Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Mrs Pondo said both classrooms were being used for elementary grades at the school.

One room is used for her Prep and Grade 1 classes, while the other is used by the Grade 2 class taught by her husband.

“When the classroom was built for our elementary grades, it really assisted us because previously our students were sitting on bare earth,” said Mrs Pondo.

“With the new classroom, I am able to teach students from morning until afternoon, even when it is raining, and students also have proper desks and chairs.

“Thank you to the Australian Government for these new classrooms, as they are having a great impact on the lives of these students, and will help them to have a brighter future.”
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The revival of Garaina

October 5, 2018, 5:49 pm
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By SAMPSON BONAI

We arrived at remote Garaina on Independence Day 2018.

The closed down Garaina Tea Plantation now standing idle in thick kunai grass with no sign of life.~Pictures by SAMPSON BONAI


People  greeted us when we disembarked from chartered North Coast Aviation Britten Norman Islander aircraft and walked over to the airstrip hangar at Garaina station.

They welcomed us as we carried our bags to the small hangar.

The 20-minute flight from Wau on a fine day gave us an opportunity to glance down from the aircraft to see the mountains separating Waria Valley from Wau.

The towering Owen Stanley Range at Garaina

We flew over the Biangai mountains.

 We could see Lake Trist glittering under the mornng  sun.

Lake Trist as seen from our Britten Norman Islander.


We later flew over the Biaru and Waria mountains before we saw Waria Valley in front of us.

A local man and Grace Memorial Secondary School  principal,  Zukua Koito, who was sitting next to me excitedly pointed out of the window.

We flew over Onora airstrip near the two villages of Sikemu and Kapiso.

Garaina station was in front  of us.

The expatriate pilot steadied the plane as it slowly towards Garaina airstrip and landed safely on the grassy strip.

Locals came rushing to the airstrip and welcomed us in their local Gusamanie language that is widely spoken by the people from Waria Valley.

We grabbed our bags and returned their warm welcome by responding "dzobe".

Wau-based policemen and two local guides arrived and led us along the track towards the LLG headquarters and the soccer fields.

Forty-eight soccer teams participated in the weeklong Waria Valley  Unity Cup Soccer Tournament.

Arihe (men) and Au (women) took out the top accolades and K1000 prizemoney.

Major sponsor and PNG Cocoa Board chief executive officer Boto Gaupu congratulated the winning teams.

PNG Cocoa Board CEO Boto Gaupu (right) with Arihe men's soccer team which took out the 2018 Unity Cup Soccer Tournament


He said next year's event would be even  bigger and better.

"We will launch the Waria Valley cocoa project next year," he said.

"Agriculture Minister Benny Allan and other senior Goverment officers from Waigani will be in Garaina to witness the launching programme."

At Garaina, one other track leads to the primary school, shops, health centre and the closed Department of Agriculture and Livestock office.

Garaina Health Centre which provides  services to the people of Waria Valley

Two shops with Bank South Pacific Eftpos machines, owned by locals and located near the health centre,  continue to provide public servants and local people with basic store goods.

One of the two shops in Garaina that serves public servants and the local people


The goods are flown in by air.

 It's very costly to buy a packet of sugar or rice.

The track then connects further down the road and leads to the local government council area.

The old road that connected Garasa and Bapi villages is now closed and had been turned into bush tracks.

The power line and the generator that used to supply electrocity to the station had also broken down and stands idle.

The people still mention the name of former council manager, John Orebut, who served in Waria in the 1990s.

They described him as the "best council manager of Waria LLG".

The towering Owen Stanley Range right in front us at Garaina runs from Waria all the way to Northern and Milne Bay provinces.

The lawn around the Waria LLG headquarters,  council manager's house, two patrol officers' houses, police barracks area and deteriorating RSL Club house are kept clean at all times.

Waria LLG Manager Pagau Arubidza with his son standing in front of his house at Garaina Station

Waria LLG headquarters lawn is kept clean and the office block is always manned


The cool climate and fertile soil makes Waria Valley one of the best areas to grow cash crops such as coffee, cocoa and tea.

The Garaina tea plantation now covered in tall bushes


The area is an tourist destination.

More guest houses need to be set up at Garaina and surrounding villages.

The local people are very friendly and always look after visitors and government officers passing through their villages with accommodation and food.

Waria Valley will soon transform into one of the biggest cocoa-producing area in Bulolo and Morobe.

A cocoa nursery in Bulolo


More local people will venture into various business activities to sustain their lives when cocoa production begins.

Tourism will be one area the local people can venture into.

They can build guest houses in the villages for tourists visiting their area for trekking, birdwatching and various other activities.

Finally the day arrived for us to return back to Wau.

I packed my bag, said goodbye to my new friends and walked to the airstrip to the rest of our team travelling back to Wau.

"Aipo",  all my new-found Garaina friends.



 See all of you again next year for a bigger and better soccer tournament to coincide with  launching of Waria Valley Cocoa Project.
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Trainer: Security guards must be properly trained

October 8, 2018, 12:57 pm
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By SAMPSON BONAI

SECURITY companies in the company have been urged to properly train their guards.

Aviset Security and Training Solutions trainer Max Ananuka, who trained six Mainland Holdings'  security guards on the basic use of batons last week, said many security firms were operating illegally without providing proper training to their static guards.

Aviset Security and Training Solutions' trainer Max Ananuka (right) demonstrating basic drill on how to fend off knife attacker using bare hands at the Mainland Holdings Graham Goudie Training Centre at 6 Mile in Lae last Thursday.~Pictures by SAMPSON BONAI

"The security firms should comply with the National Security Authority by-laws to provide basic baton and weapons training to their guards to use while providing security services to their respective clients," he said.

"Many security firms are operating illegally around the country.

"They have not met the standard set by the National Security Authority to provide baton and weapon training to their guards."

Ananuka commended Mainland Holdings for complying with the National Security Authority regulations by engaging a locally-owned registered security training solution company to train their guards in the past three months.

He who was a former police special services division trainer for 15 years and holds a level 4 training certificate.

Ananuka said he had conducted two trainings already on the use of baton and access control.

Aviset Security and Training Solutions trainer Max Ananuka (right) demonstrating  how to use a baton to defend himself from an attacker at Mainland Holdings' Graham Goudie Training Centre at 6-Mile in Lae last Thursday.

This is the third batch of guards to undertake basic baton training.

"I thank the company for realising the importance of providing training to its security guards on the use of batons at their workplace," Ananuka said.

"We are looking forward to continue to provide training to upskill the guards to enable them to perform their duties more professionally."

The one-day baton training was witnessed by Mainland Holdings' security supervisor William Wareka.

Mainland Holdings security manager Jacco Haasbrolk congratulated the guards for undertaking the baton training.

Six Mainland Holdings security guards with Avisat Security and Training Solutions specialised trainer Max Ananuka (centre) after the completion of basic baton training at Mainland Holdings' Graham Goudie Training Centre at 6-Mile in Lae last Thursday.


He thanked Aviset Training and Training Solutions for providing the training.

He said the security guards wuldnow be using batons as their weapons at their workplaces.

"We will continue to send more of our guards to attend similar training as we increase the number of our security guards,"Haasbrolk said.

Aviset Security and Training Solutions managing-director Willie Gumaim thanked Mainland Holdings for engaging his company trainer Ananuka train the guards on the basic use of batons.

"It is very important as the company has to comply with the National Securities Authority regulations to properly train their guards on the use of batons to empower them to perform their duties more effectively,"he said.

"I would like to see more security companies operating in Lae use our training company to facilitate their training on the use of batons, as it is the legal weapon for security companies.

"We are the only registered and recognised company in this country who are specialised in conducting such training programme

"We also provide training on the use of firearms to ensure the specialised guards providing escorts have permits for using it.

"The baton is part of the uniform of security guards.

"They should be trained on how to use the baton while executing their duties as it is allowed under the laws of this country.

"Our training company is fully registered with Investment Promotion Authority and National Securities Authority to provide various types of security training from the use of batons and firearms.

"We have highly-skilled, trained and certified former police and defence force officers who have attended various trainings in PNG and Australia and are qualified to provide security training to the various companies in PNG."

The retired police chief inspector and former contingent commander of Bougainville operations and Sandline Crisis operations commander, added that the regulating security body should carry out checks on all the security firms in PNG.

This is to ensure they have fully complied with the amnesty period which ended in February to provide proper training to all their guards.

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There is hope of reviving Garaina tea

October 8, 2018, 2:16 pm
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Commentary by SAMPSON BONAI

LIFE used to be good for many school children in remote Garaina, Bulolo,Morobe.

They attended school, wore good clothes and ate decent meals every day.

The children living with their parents, spend time with their peers,  playing, splashing in the river or hunting for birds in the surrounding bushland.

Life was was for them when their parents and many other local people earned a decent income working for Garaina Tea Plantation and Factory.

Garaina Tea Factory now standing idle and covered in tall kunai grass at Garaina station.~Pictures by SAMPSON BONAI


However,  all this came to an abrupt end, when the plantation and factory closed suddenly.

Their parents were told that their employment would cease with immediate effect.

The factory could no longer produce any more tea as there was no money to offset the overhead production costs.

Garaina Tea Plantation is now covered in thick bushes


The future of the innocent children and their parents turned bleak.

The local people returned back to their villages.

They resorted to subsistent farming to sustain their lives.

Children walked long distance to attend school everyday.

The forced closure of the tea factory  brought misery upon their lives.

Millions of kina been allocated by Morobe Provincial Government every year for  operations of the factory disappeared into thin air due to mismanagement over the years

Garaina Tea, which had gained international popularity as one of best organic teas, now stands idle.

What had happened is now history.

The tea plantation and factory needs to be revived with funding to get it off the ground and into production once again

A separate company has to be incorporated as a business arm of Morobe Provincial Government to manage operations of the tea plantation and factory.

The introduction of cocoa into the valley and the revival of Garaina tea will greatly boost the economy of Garaina.

It  can become and agriculture hub of Bulolo, Morobe and Papua New Guinea.

Add tourism and Garaina is onto a winner.
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Future lawyers receive training in commercial law

October 8, 2018, 6:56 pm
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Australian High Commission

Access to commercial law expertise in Papua New Guinea is set to improve after close to 80 aspiring lawyers received training in modern commercial litigation practise from a team of judges and lawyers recently.

Trainee lawyer Sharon Peri makes a point of law during a discussion at the Commercial Litigation and Advocacy Workshop at the LTI


Seventy-eight students, including 34 women, from the Legal Training Institute (LTI) were given instruction in key areas of commercial law during the four-day workshop, including how to apply for court injunctions and how to prepare for trial and mediate on commercial law cases.


The workshop was developed and led by a team of 11 judges and lawyers from the Queensland Bar Association in consultation with LTI staff.


This is the sixth workshop of its kind after its initiation by Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia and Justice Logan in 2013, to help meet PNG’s rapidly growing need for skilled commercial lawyers.


Speaking at the workshop’s closing, the Chief Justice encouraged the students to consider practising commercial law, and praised Justice Logan and the Queensland Bar team for volunteering their time and expertise.


Similar sentiments were shared by Queen's Counsel, Mal Varitimos who said he saw “great potential” in those attending the workshop, and urged them to seize the opportunity to “make a positive contribution to the administration of justice, the rule of law and the people of Papua New Guinea”.

He said about 600 PNG law students had received instruction in commercial law advocacy since the workshop’s inception five years ago– more than half the number of lawyers currently certified for practise in PNG.

Representing the Australian High Commission, Law and Justice Counsellor, Gina Wilson said it was particularly pleasing that an increasing number of women were embarking on a career in law.


Sharon Peri was one of the students who successfully completed the course, and found the practical nature of the sessions to be very useful, complementing other training she received at the LTI.

The workshop was supported by the Australian Government through the Justice Services and Stability for Development Program.

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Australian support for sexual and reproductive health in communities across PNG

October 8, 2018, 7:23 pm
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Australian High Commission

Health clinics run by faith-based organisations across Papua New Guinea are integrating services, facilities and resources to better serve the primary health care needs of communities.

A blood sample is taken from a young woman at Anglicare’s Begabari Clinic

In partnership with the National Department of Health, Australia is supporting Catholic Church Health Services (CCHS) and Anglicare to widen the health services offered at standalone sexual and reproductive health clinics across 18 provinces.

Sr Julie Bamban stands in front of antiretroviral medication at the CCHS-run St Joseph Freinademetz clinic in Port Moresby

This is a true partnership, with Australia funding staff salaries and operations of facilities, PNG Government paying for medicines, and the Catholic Church Health Services providing facilities.

Graham Apian is the project manager at CCHS who is overseeing the integration process at the organisation’s 22 health clinics across Papua New Guinea.

Community Health Worker, Johnson Tipora, consults a patient at Anglicare’s Begabari Clinic


“Integration involves combining HIV clinics with primary health care clinics, so that people just visit one place, and no longer need to visit separate clinics for health care.

For example, a pregnant woman with HIV should only need to go to one clinic, not two, for her needs,” said Apian.

The Begabari Clinic in Port Moresby is one of two health facilities run by Anglicare that is expanding its focus to provide a broader suite of services.

The busy clinic serves the National Capital District and neighbouring Central Province, and treats around 1100 people living with HIV, with over 200 new patients each year.

While the clinic will continue to offer HIV and STI testing and treatment, it will also offer a range of other health services, such as antenatal care, child immunisation, family planning, and tuberculosis and malaria testing.

Sr Josepha Tametalong is the clinical specialist at Begabari and is pleased the clinic will be providing integrated health care.

“Mothers and children especially, and the general population, will now have a government recognised and accredited primary health care service, as this clinic will be upgraded to a Grade 3 clinic,” said Sr Josepha.

Many church and non-governmental organisations set-up sexual and reproductive health clinics in Papua New Guinea in response to the country’s HIV and AIDS crisis.

The Director of Anglicare PNG, Heni Meke, says it is time these specialist clinics provided a more integrated service to patients.

“Our clinics and health centres want to offer a ‘one stop shop’ service,” said Meke.

“These clinics are on the frontline of community health needs, where nurses and community health workers assess patients before they are referred to larger health facilities and hospitals.”

Integrating health services is expected to be more convenient for communities, and also provide improved health care and value-for-money for Provincial Health Authorities and the National Department of Health.

Anglicare’s Begabari clinic in Port Moresby and Newtown clinic in Mt Hagen are both currently being assessed to become government-accredited primary health care providers.

“We are looking forward to meeting government regulations, as this is very important to get proper access to other government services and sustainable funding,” explained Meke from Anglicare.

“We also need our own facility code so that we can be able to get our medical supplies from the national area medical store.”

In addition to providing more holistic services to patients, integration will also provide more comprehensive health data to the government in order to better target services to community needs.

“Previously we only fed HIV/AIDS and other STI statistics to the National Health Information System, but with the integration of other services, we are able to send health data on other diseases and infections that our nurses and community health workers attend to,” said Meke.

In preparation for the delivery of integrated primary health care, organisations have begun training clinic health workers.

Mentor training is being rolled out to build up a cadre of Papua New Guinean health workers who can not only deliver high quality services, but also mentor colleagues to improve their STI, HIV and sexual and reproductive health skills.

Sr Julie Bamban is a senior nurse at the CCHS-run St Joseph Freinademetz clinic in Port Moresby and participated in mentor training in 2017.

The training covered integrated health clinic processes and procedures, and how to monitor the progress of health professionals delivering integrated health care.

“It may take a bit more time for those processes and procedures to reach the clinics here in PNG, but realising that such innovations exist is a motivation,” said Sr Julie.

“The training really helped me understand in detail why I continue to do what I am doing.”

Since the training, Sr Julie has been holding mentoring sessions once a week with other nurses at the St Joseph Freinademetz clinic.

“I think there is a lot of progress for me as an individual and I am happy my other colleagues are grateful and adhering to the support I am offering.”
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Australia gives another A$6 million for polio in PNG

October 12, 2018, 6:03 am
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By Senator the Hon Marise Payne
Minister for Foreign Affairs
 Australia 

 The Australian Government will provide a further $6 million to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) to support the Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) to respond to the current polio outbreak.

In June 2018, the PNG Government declared a national public health emergency in response to confirmed cases of polio virus.

The PNG Government, along with key partners including GPEI, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have developed an outbreak response plan that includes mass vaccination rounds.

Australia’s contribution to GPEI will support the delivery of PNG’s polio response plan.

PNG is our closest neighbor, and a strong response is needed to protect both PNG’s and Australia’s health security.

Routine immunisation remains the most effective prevention for highly infectious diseases including polio.

The Australian Government is committed to the vital work of global polio eradication and has contributed $104 million to support the work of GPEI since 2011.
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The year of living dangerously in Apec City, Port Moresby

October 13, 2018, 3:09 pm
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by MALUM NALU

 I had a 9.30am meeting on Saturday Oct 13 2018 at Islander Village.

I call my faithful City Loop cabbie Albert Wangua (video below) to pick me up.



Near the Islander Village, I get a text saying 10am, so I get off at the service station, walk into the  Bank South Pacific ATM, withdraw K100, and walk into the fried chicken outlet.

Albert, who is parked outside BSP,  suddenly runs in, warning me to take care, as he'd seen some dangerous characters watching my every movement.

As I cross the road, unaware, this gang is following me.

Albert, now with another passenger, speeds towards Hohola, makes a u-turn, and shouts at me to jump on.

He points out the gang following me.

We go drop off the passenger at Boroko and Albert drives me back to Islander Village.

We pass the men who would have robbed me, perhaps killed me, waiting for another unsuspecting prey.

Albert, a committed Christian, says this is Divine Intervention.

That's a snapshot of living in Apec City.

Times are hard.

People are desperate.

Apec City is a very dangerous place to live and work in.

PS: Albert is the hero and a credit to City Loop. It pays to have a trusted cabbie, who in my case, may have saved my life.
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