PNGBLOGS

COUNTRYSIDE Many art lovers will know the name Mathias Kauage. Hail from Miugi in the Simbu Province; he produced hundreds of abstract paintings that depicted the changes in our country. Focusing largely on social changes, his works would normally feature a carving like figure immersed into adapting to the changes before them. One of his celebrated works resides in the headquarters of one of PNG’s iconic landmarks, Brian Bell Plaza Boroko. The name of the piece is Bikpela Balus. A rich turquoise blue covers the outer part where it depicts the open skies while towards the center of this masterpiece, a colourful Douglas DC 3 Aircraft is packed with carving like figures, obviously passengers onboard this flight. Expressions of optimism and fear are apparent, but one does senses a general emotion of anxiety. Perhaps it’s to do with defying gravity, the cramp interior of the plane but I sense it is what lies at the end of the trip. That is indeed is the great mystery. For 35 yea

Australian Broadcasting Coporation The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) says there are still many hurdles to face before an overseas hydro-electricity plant can be connected to the state's north. Yesterday, Premier Anna Bligh signed a memorandum of cooperation with Papua New Guinea (PNG) delegates to begin investigations into a proposed underwater connection to a renewable energy source. Origin Energy is planning to bring the power to Australia within a decade via an undersea cable and transmission line to Weipa, providing a large supply to electricity to the Cape and the far north. The State Government is hoping the multi-billion dollar project in PNG could eventually link back into the national electricity grid in Townsville in the north. QRC chief executive Michael Roche says the growth of Queensland's industries relies heavily on guaranteed energy into the future. "We obviously need to overcome any of the economic, technical and other challenges but I think a lot of

Australian Broadcasting Coporation The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) says there are still many hurdles to face before an overseas hydro-electricity plant can be connected to the state's north. Yesterday, Premier Anna Bligh signed a memorandum of cooperation with Papua New Guinea (PNG) delegates to begin investigations into a proposed underwater connection to a renewable energy source. Origin Energy is planning to bring the power to Australia within a decade via an undersea cable and transmission line to Weipa, providing a large supply to electricity to the Cape and the far north. The State Government is hoping the multi-billion dollar project in PNG could eventually link back into the national electricity grid in Townsville in the north. QRC chief executive Michael Roche says the growth of Queensland's industries relies heavily on guaranteed energy into the future. "We obviously need to overcome any of the economic, technical and other challenges but I think a lo

By SAM BASIL MP As soon as I arrived on a delayed flight from Port Moresby yesterday morning I received a call from our operator Mr. Jack Maso that his daughter a teacher Ms Lis Maso from Wagau Primary School is having complications from child birth. The road situation into Buang LLG has been severely affected by the continuous rain with many sections of the road washed out or covered with mud. That morning also we got reports that parts of the Munanung section Armco was washed out and the only way to help in such cases was to fly into Buang. I asked my accounts officer Ms Mirriam Nork to enquire with helicopter companies in Lae to negotiate an urgent medivac operation and we eventually settled with Manalos Aviation Limited the owner Mr. Jurgen was willing to help for K4800.00 I drove into Lae’s old airport and hopped onto the helicopter the chopper looked weird but I later found out that this helicopter is the safest in the country why? It has two engines therefore you can rule

By SAM BASIL MP As soon as I arrived on a delayed flight from Port Moresby yesterday morning I received a call from our operator Mr. Jack Maso that his daughter a teacher Ms Lis Maso from Wagau Primary School is having complications from child birth. The road situation into Buang LLG has been severely affected by the continuous rain with many sections of the road washed out or covered with mud. That morning also we got reports that parts of the Munanung section Armco was washed out and the only way to help in such cases was to fly into Buang. I asked my accounts officer Ms Mirriam Nork to enquire with helicopter companies in Lae to negotiate an urgent medivac operation and we eventually settled with Manalos Aviation Limited the owner Mr. Jurgen was willing to help for K4800.00 I drove into Lae’s old airport and hopped onto the helicopter the chopper looked weird but I later found out that this helicopter is the safest in the country why? It has two engines therefore you can rule

AAP Climate change expert Ross Garnaut has defended the decision of mining companieswith which he has been involved to use a controversial method of releasing mining waste into rivers and the ocean in Papua New Guinea. Professor Garnaut, who conducted the Rudd government's 2008 climate-change review, was the chairman of Lihir Gold, a mining company taken over by Newcrest Gold last month. He is also a director of OK Tedi Mining Limited, another company that operates in PNG. Last week the ABC's 7.30 Report aired a report about Lihir and OK Tedi's practice of using deep sea tailings placement (DSTP) at two separate mines. The Lihir project, under Newcrest, is set to produce 1 million ounces of gold a year on Lihir Island, 900 kilometres north of Port Moresby. OK Tedi extracts copper, gold and silver from its remote Star Mountains operation in PNG's Western Province. According to the ABC report, OK Tedi discharges 56 million tonnes of metalliferous waste into local river sy

AAP Climate change expert Ross Garnaut has defended the decision of mining companieswith which he has been involved to use a controversial method of releasing mining waste into rivers and the ocean in Papua New Guinea. Professor Garnaut, who conducted the Rudd government's 2008 climate-change review, was the chairman of Lihir Gold, a mining company taken over by Newcrest Gold last month. He is also a director of OK Tedi Mining Limited, another company that operates in PNG. Last week the ABC's 7.30 Report aired a report about Lihir and OK Tedi's practice of using deep sea tailings placement (DSTP) at two separate mines. The Lihir project, under Newcrest, is set to produce 1 million ounces of gold a year on Lihir Island, 900 kilometres north of Port Moresby. OK Tedi extracts copper, gold and silver from its remote Star Mountains operation in PNG's Western Province. According to the ABC report, OK Tedi discharges 56 million tonnes of metalliferous waste into local river sy

ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE HERE ON PNGBLOGS,  HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY PNG

ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE HERE ON PNGBLOGS,  HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY PNG

SAM BASIL MP P arliamentarians who have been mandated to represent their constituents are being intimidated and mistreated by their equally represented members of parliament who are in the executive arm of the legislature whom we know as ministers. While I also speak on behalf of some members of parliament who are still awaiting their developmental grants especially the DSIP funds that we all know was recently dished out to only the members of parliament from the government benches or who supported the government during the recent no-confidence attempt. The finance officers in Waigani have confirmed last week Thursday 09.09.10 that all remaining cheques of K2m especially for the opposition members of parliament was signed and released to the Finance minister’s office and are in his possession. So far all DSIP cheques from this eight parliament were physically handed out by the then Finance Minister Patrick Pruaitch, Acting Finance Minister Hon. Arthur Somare, once by the Prime Minister

SAM BASIL MP P arliamentarians who have been mandated to represent their constituents are being intimidated and mistreated by their equally represented members of parliament who are in the executive arm of the legislature whom we know as ministers. While I also speak on behalf of some members of parliament who are still awaiting their developmental grants especially the DSIP funds that we all know was recently dished out to only the members of parliament from the government benches or who supported the government during the recent no-confidence attempt. The finance officers in Waigani have confirmed last week Thursday 09.09.10 that all remaining cheques of K2m especially for the opposition members of parliament was signed and released to the Finance minister’s office and are in his possession. So far all DSIP cheques from this eight parliament were physically handed out by the then Finance Minister Patrick Pruaitch, Acting Finance Minister Hon. Arthur Somare, once by the Prime Min

Mike Toole Comparisons with South Africa thankfully prove wide of the mark. IT IS indeed rare that a good news story on Papua New Guinea is published in the Australian media, so it was pleasing to read in The Age a report that HIV infection rates may be declining. Media reports on the HIV epidemic in PNG have often used emotive terms such as ''catastrophic'', ''scourge'', ''crisis'', and ''alarming''. In 2007, think tank the Centre for Independent Studies published a report that predicted that ''if present rising infection trends persist, 18 per cent of the population could be affected by 2010 and 25 per cent could be affected by 2020''. Comparisons with South Africa thankfully prove wide of the mark. IT IS indeed rare that a good news story on Papua New Guinea is published in the Australian media, so it was pleasing to read in The Age a report that HIV infection rates may be declining. Media reports on the

Mike Toole Comparisons with South Africa thankfully prove wide of the mark. IT IS indeed rare that a good news story on Papua New Guinea is published in the Australian media, so it was pleasing to read in The Age a report that HIV infection rates may be declining. Media reports on the HIV epidemic in PNG have often used emotive terms such as ''catastrophic'', ''scourge'', ''crisis'', and ''alarming''. In 2007, think tank the Centre for Independent Studies published a report that predicted that ''if present rising infection trends persist, 18 per cent of the population could be affected by 2010 and 25 per cent could be affected by 2020''. Comparisons with South Africa thankfully prove wide of the mark. IT IS indeed rare that a good news story on Papua New Guinea is published in the Australian media, so it was pleasing to read in The Age a report that HIV infection rates may be declining. Media reports on the

Xinhua TIANJIN, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- China encourages its enterprises to expand investment in Papua New Guinea, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said here Monday while meeting with the country's Prime Minister Michael Thomas Somare. "China is willing to enhance cooperation with Papua New Guinea in major sectors of agriculture, forestry, fishery, energy, telecom and transport," Wen told Somare, who came to this north China' s port city Tianjin to attend the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2010, also known as the Summer Davos. Wen congratulated Somare on his country' s 35th anniversary of independence, believing that Papua New Guinea would make more achievements in its social and economic development. As a friend and partner of Pacific island countries, China will continue to provide assistance within its capacity for this region' s development, Wen noted. Somare said Papua New Guinea valued the friendly ties with China, and firmly adhered to the one-China policy.

Xinhua TIANJIN, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- China encourages its enterprises to expand investment in Papua New Guinea, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said here Monday while meeting with the country's Prime Minister Michael Thomas Somare. "China is willing to enhance cooperation with Papua New Guinea in major sectors of agriculture, forestry, fishery, energy, telecom and transport," Wen told Somare, who came to this north China' s port city Tianjin to attend the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2010, also known as the Summer Davos. Wen congratulated Somare on his country' s 35th anniversary of independence, believing that Papua New Guinea would make more achievements in its social and economic development. As a friend and partner of Pacific island countries, China will continue to provide assistance within its capacity for this region' s development, Wen noted. Somare said Papua New Guinea valued the friendly ties with China, and firmly adhered to the one-China policy.

Hi Folks, Terry here saying hi to all you guys following or reading this Blog, we now have a permanent forum site for this Blog and it is at www.pngforum.org Feel free to register and post your thoughts on issues affecting you or the country, Unlike other forums we intend to keep this forum open but personal attacks/slang will be censored, Thanks and spread the word. PNGFORUM.ORG (Linked on the right ) T.D.BUNPAI 

Hi Folks, Terry here saying hi to all you guys following or reading this Blog, we now have a permanent forum site for this Blog and it is at www.pngforum.org Feel free to register and post your thoughts on issues affecting you or the country, Unlike other forums we intend to keep this forum open but personal attacks/slang will be censored, Thanks and spread the word. PNGFORUM.ORG (Linked on the right ) T.D.BUNPAI 

OP/ED THE PNG gas agreement was signed between the state and ExxonMobil in May 2008. At that point, it was almost certain that a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project would become a reality, at least in so far as the government was concerned. Along the way, several other agreements were negotiated and signed, including the two benefits sharing agreements, finalisation of markets, the environmental impact study, front end engineering and design, execution planning, project financing, gas marketing and all the regulatory and permitting work including community and landowner consultation and financial closure. Despite all that, two years on and PNG is still struggling to get sub-contractors organised for the project and is critically short on manpower. Already, there is talk about recruiting welders from neighbouring Fiji and even heavy equipment operators from overseas. This would indicate to us that the government was so concerned with getting the project off the ground that it neglected

OP/ED THE PNG gas agreement was signed between the state and ExxonMobil in May 2008. At that point, it was almost certain that a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project would become a reality, at least in so far as the government was concerned. Along the way, several other agreements were negotiated and signed, including the two benefits sharing agreements, finalisation of markets, the environmental impact study, front end engineering and design, execution planning, project financing, gas marketing and all the regulatory and permitting work including community and landowner consultation and financial closure. Despite all that, two years on and PNG is still struggling to get sub-contractors organised for the project and is critically short on manpower. Already, there is talk about recruiting welders from neighbouring Fiji and even heavy equipment operators from overseas. This would indicate to us that the government was so concerned with getting the project off the ground that it neglected

PNGEXPOSED We alerted readers several days ago to the malevolent plans of the World Bank to push for the establishment of sweat shop factories in Papua New Guinea [ read more ]. Now the Bank has gone public with its intentions, advertising in the media for a lawyer to draft the legislation that will allow the establishment of Special Economic Zones. Apparently oblivious to the blatant Colonial implications and completely contemptuous of Papua New Guinea’s own democratic procedures, the World Bank is advertising for a lawyer to draft legislation for Papua New Guinea before Parliament has even debated whether such legislation is desirable or needed. Normal process would dictate that should Parliament decide Special Economic Zones are a good idea then it would be the job of Papua New Guinea’s public service to draft a policy and subsequent legislation. But the World Bank clearly has no time for such niceties and is happy to run a bulldozer through notions of independence and

PNGEXPOSED We alerted readers several days ago to the malevolent plans of the World Bank to push for the establishment of sweat shop factories in Papua New Guinea [ read more ]. Now the Bank has gone public with its intentions, advertising in the media for a lawyer to draft the legislation that will allow the establishment of Special Economic Zones. Apparently oblivious to the blatant Colonial implications and completely contemptuous of Papua New Guinea’s own democratic procedures, the World Bank is advertising for a lawyer to draft legislation for Papua New Guinea before Parliament has even debated whether such legislation is desirable or needed. Normal process would dictate that should Parliament decide Special Economic Zones are a good idea then it would be the job of Papua New Guinea’s public service to draft a policy and subsequent legislation. But the World Bank clearly has no time for such niceties and is happy to run a bulldozer through notions of independence and

AAP September 09, 2010 CLIMATE-change expert Ross Garnaut is linked with two companies accused of using a controversial method of releasing mine waste into rivers and the ocean in Papua New Guinea. Professor Garnaut conducted the Rudd government's 2008 climate-change review which urged action on the issue, including an emissions trading scheme. But the economist also chairs Lihir Gold, a mining company which has merged with Newcrest Gold, and he is a director of OK Tedi Mining Limited. Lihir was the subject of a takeover bid by Newcrest Mining and Prof Garnaut will relinquish his $US300,000 ($A327,225) role as a result of the merger. The Lihir group is set to produce one million ounces of gold a year on Lihir Island, 900km north of Port Moresby. OK Tedi extracts copper, gold and silver from its remote Star Mountains operation in PNG's Western Province where it reportedly discharges 56 million tonnes of metalliferous waste into local rive

AAP September 09, 2010 CLIMATE-change expert Ross Garnaut is linked with two companies accused of using a controversial method of releasing mine waste into rivers and the ocean in Papua New Guinea. Professor Garnaut conducted the Rudd government's 2008 climate-change review which urged action on the issue, including an emissions trading scheme. But the economist also chairs Lihir Gold, a mining company which has merged with Newcrest Gold, and he is a director of OK Tedi Mining Limited. Lihir was the subject of a takeover bid by Newcrest Mining and Prof Garnaut will relinquish his $US300,000 ($A327,225) role as a result of the merger. The Lihir group is set to produce one million ounces of gold a year on Lihir Island, 900km north of Port Moresby. OK Tedi extracts copper, gold and silver from its remote Star Mountains operation in PNG's Western Province where it reportedly discharges 56 million tonnes of metalliferous waste into local rive

OP/ED The National INTERNATIONAL travellers last fortnight disembarked at the domestic terminal at Jackson Airport and had to walk all the way in the blazing sun back to the international arrival lounge. The reason: Every available space at the international parking area was taken up by an international-bound aircraft. This is not a one-off thing. It is a sign of things to come. Congestion is a very real challenge for planners and it had better be addressed now before it becomes a problem. Airport space is just one of many issues, many of which had been raised in this space more than once already. Little Papua New Guinea is about to be introduced to the big world. There is going to be a rude awakening and it is happening right now before our eyes. None of it should really come as a surprise. When the government started talking about the LNG project, and the billions of kina that was going to be pumped into the country, planners should have taken to the draft table and looked at everyth

OP/ED The National INTERNATIONAL travellers last fortnight disembarked at the domestic terminal at Jackson Airport and had to walk all the way in the blazing sun back to the international arrival lounge. The reason: Every available space at the international parking area was taken up by an international-bound aircraft. This is not a one-off thing. It is a sign of things to come. Congestion is a very real challenge for planners and it had better be addressed now before it becomes a problem. Airport space is just one of many issues, many of which had been raised in this space more than once already. Little Papua New Guinea is about to be introduced to the big world. There is going to be a rude awakening and it is happening right now before our eyes. None of it should really come as a surprise. When the government started talking about the LNG project, and the billions of kina that was going to be pumped into the country, planners should have taken to the draft table and looked at eve