PNGBLOGS

AAP Wartime heroes who fought off Japanese invaders in Papua New Guinea have been honoured as November 3 was unofficially declared Kokoda Day to commemorate the day victory was declared on the famous track. Australians must never forget the contribution of Australian troops and local carriers - the legendary Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels - former RSL NSW president Rusty Priest said at a ceremony on Wednesday to mark 68 years since the WWII campaign. The Papuans were vital to the survival of Australian soldiers fighting along the Kokoda Track in 1942. <iframe id="dcAd-1-4" src="http://ad-apac.doubleclick.net/adi/onl.smh.news/news/breakingnewsnational;cat=breakingnewsnational;cat1=national;ctype=article;pos=3;sz=300x250;tile=4;ord=9.9866624E7?" width='300' height='250' scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" allowtransparency=&quo

AAP Wartime heroes who fought off Japanese invaders in Papua New Guinea have been honoured as November 3 was unofficially declared Kokoda Day to commemorate the day victory was declared on the famous track. Australians must never forget the contribution of Australian troops and local carriers - the legendary Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels - former RSL NSW president Rusty Priest said at a ceremony on Wednesday to mark 68 years since the WWII campaign. The Papuans were vital to the survival of Australian soldiers fighting along the Kokoda Track in 1942. <iframe id="dcAd-1-4" src="http://ad-apac.doubleclick.net/adi/onl.smh.news/news/breakingnewsnational;cat=breakingnewsnational;cat1=national;ctype=article;pos=3;sz=300x250;tile=4;ord=9.9866624E7?" width='300' height='250' scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" allowtransparency=&

Howdy Readers and Follows of PNGBLOGS.COM. Thanks so much for choosing the time to come here to read and discuss issues and news facing our great Country Papua New Guinea.  Today November 4th 2010 marks our 1st Anniversary. We hope we can be around for another year.  Our Forum is up and is located at the bottom of the front page. As always if you have a story or want to write for us please submit your document 500 words or less to the editor: pngblogs@gmail.com or e-mail Paul at Paul.Reinbara@gmail.com  Thank you so much., God Bless you all, have a safe Holiday and see you all in the new year. Terry

Howdy Readers and Follows of PNGBLOGS.COM. Thanks so much for choosing the time to come here to read and discuss issues and news facing our great Country Papua New Guinea.  Today November 4th 2010 marks our 1st Anniversary. We hope we can be around for another year.  Our Forum is up and is located at the bottom of the front page. As always if you have a story or want to write for us please submit your document 500 words or less to the editor: pngblogs@gmail.com or e-mail Paul at Paul.Reinbara@gmail.com  Thank you so much., God Bless you all, have a safe Holiday and see you all in the new year. Terry

AP U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday warned the people and government of Papua New Guinea that human rights conditions must improve if the impoverished South Pacific nation, awash in rape, domestic violence and police brutality, is to develop. The first secretary of state to visit the country in 12 years, Clinton also urged government officials in the capital, Port Moresby, to embrace a robust anti-corruption agenda amid concerns that a windfall from a massive natural gas find and vast mineral deposits will fuel already widespread graft and make matters worse, especially for women and children. Without proper oversight and accountability, human rights activists and others fear revenue from mining and a $15 billion Exxon Mobil gas project could overwhelm the rural country, populated by more than 800 indigenous tribes. "If they are not handled the right way, they can actually end up making a country poorer rather than richer," Clinton said. She noted t

AP U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday warned the people and government of Papua New Guinea that human rights conditions must improve if the impoverished South Pacific nation, awash in rape, domestic violence and police brutality, is to develop. The first secretary of state to visit the country in 12 years, Clinton also urged government officials in the capital, Port Moresby, to embrace a robust anti-corruption agenda amid concerns that a windfall from a massive natural gas find and vast mineral deposits will fuel already widespread graft and make matters worse, especially for women and children. Without proper oversight and accountability, human rights activists and others fear revenue from mining and a $15 billion Exxon Mobil gas project could overwhelm the rural country, populated by more than 800 indigenous tribes. "If they are not handled the right way, they can actually end up making a country poorer rather than richer," Clinton said. She no

Dr Lusove Ngomo I  have been following the debate on the Pacific Medical Centre. The more the people express their disapproval, the more stubborn the health ministry becomes. Among the many comments, health workers are the ones making the loudest noise as their mark of disapproval.  Most are professional people at the end of the health service delivery system who feel the pinch of not being adequately resourced. They are often forced to make do with whatever little they have. Often they have to improvise to save lives. Most, if not all health facilities, are either understaffed or underfunded as revealed in a case study and published in the The National (Oct 19). Even if funding is available, accessibility is cumbersome, courtesy of long and unnecessary financial procedures. It is quite ironic for a learned doctor like Dr Paison Dakulala to aggressively defend this ambitious project. He was a clinician before being appointed to his current position. Therefore, he should know all th

Dr Lusove Ngomo I  have been following the debate on the Pacific Medical Centre. The more the people express their disapproval, the more stubborn the health ministry becomes. Among the many comments, health workers are the ones making the loudest noise as their mark of disapproval.  Most are professional people at the end of the health service delivery system who feel the pinch of not being adequately resourced. They are often forced to make do with whatever little they have. Often they have to improvise to save lives. Most, if not all health facilities, are either understaffed or underfunded as revealed in a case study and published in the The National (Oct 19). Even if funding is available, accessibility is cumbersome, courtesy of long and unnecessary financial procedures. It is quite ironic for a learned doctor like Dr Paison Dakulala to aggressively defend this ambitious project. He was a clinician before being appointed to his current position. Therefore, he should know

  Ash Pemberton Owners of the Hidden Valley gold mine in Morobe province, Papua New Guinea, have tried to silence critics of the environmental damage created during the mine’s construction, Little Green Palai said on October 25. Members of campaign group Union of Watut River Communities (UoWRC) have been issued restraining orders by owners Morobe Mining Joint Venture (MMJV). The owners demanded they stop spreading information about the mine's impact on the community and environment, the article said. The MMJV is jointly owned by Newcrest Mining of Australia and South African company Harmony Gold. The Hidden Valley mine sits at the headwaters of the Watut River. The river is a crucial source of food, water, transport and recreation for local people. The Minerals Policy Institute said many complaints have been issued against MMJV over heavy sedimentation along the river as a result of mine construction. People have complained of damage to food gardens and tree crops, as well as erosi

  Ash Pemberton Owners of the Hidden Valley gold mine in Morobe province, Papua New Guinea, have tried to silence critics of the environmental damage created during the mine’s construction, Little Green Palai said on October 25. Members of campaign group Union of Watut River Communities (UoWRC) have been issued restraining orders by owners Morobe Mining Joint Venture (MMJV). The owners demanded they stop spreading information about the mine's impact on the community and environment, the article said. The MMJV is jointly owned by Newcrest Mining of Australia and South African company Harmony Gold. The Hidden Valley mine sits at the headwaters of the Watut River. The river is a crucial source of food, water, transport and recreation for local people. The Minerals Policy Institute said many complaints have been issued against MMJV over heavy sedimentation along the river as a result of mine construction. People have complained of damage to food gardens and tree crops, as well as

OP/ED Finance Secretary Gabriel Yer and Treasury Secretary Simon Tosali have been slapped with contempt of court charges. They will appear in the National Court soon ( a date is yet to be set), but when they do appear, they will have to explain why they were not able to pay a sum close to K12 million to property owners in Chimbu, in a matter that the same court had awarded damages 19 years ago. A group of village leaders representing the clan in the legal proceedings is in Port Moresby and together with their lawyer, they have served the contempt of court charges against the two men, in an effort to force them make the payment, which they claim is well over due. The action by this group has come about because of the delay by the state to pay for damages or destructions caused by its agents. This is just one of the many judgments that the state has suffered in court cases involving citizens in the country. Lawyers have informed this newspaper that judgments suffered by the state in cour

OP/ED Finance Secretary Gabriel Yer and Treasury Secretary Simon Tosali have been slapped with contempt of court charges. They will appear in the National Court soon ( a date is yet to be set), but when they do appear, they will have to explain why they were not able to pay a sum close to K12 million to property owners in Chimbu, in a matter that the same court had awarded damages 19 years ago. A group of village leaders representing the clan in the legal proceedings is in Port Moresby and together with their lawyer, they have served the contempt of court charges against the two men, in an effort to force them make the payment, which they claim is well over due. The action by this group has come about because of the delay by the state to pay for damages or destructions caused by its agents. This is just one of the many judgments that the state has suffered in court cases involving citizens in the country. Lawyers have informed this newspaper that judgments suffered by the state in

The FINANCIAL The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Australian Government will support a $24 million project to help rural communities in Papua New Guinea access credit and financial services. The Microfinance Expansion Project is expected to generate jobs and boost growth in some of the country's poorest and most isolated regions. Lack of access to finance is a major constraint to rural development in Papua New Guinea. ADB estimates that only 15% of the population has access to formal or informal banking facilities, and many parts of the country still use a non-monetary barter system for transactions. "This project will help rural areas move from a subsistence to a modern cash-based economy and in the process it will increase incomes and reduce poverty by stimulating informal business activity," said Robert Wihtol, Director General of ADB's Pacific Department. According to ADB, the project will extend and build on the experiences and lessons learned from ADB'

The FINANCIAL The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Australian Government will support a $24 million project to help rural communities in Papua New Guinea access credit and financial services. The Microfinance Expansion Project is expected to generate jobs and boost growth in some of the country's poorest and most isolated regions. Lack of access to finance is a major constraint to rural development in Papua New Guinea. ADB estimates that only 15% of the population has access to formal or informal banking facilities, and many parts of the country still use a non-monetary barter system for transactions. "This project will help rural areas move from a subsistence to a modern cash-based economy and in the process it will increase incomes and reduce poverty by stimulating informal business activity," said Robert Wihtol, Director General of ADB's Pacific Department. According to ADB, the project will extend and build on the experiences and lessons learned from AD

COUNTRYSIDE Albert Veratau and Garry Juffa represent two clashing ideologies. Veratauism consist of building the code by forging strong relations with a major partner who will provide financial and technical support. It reached the echelons of our relations with Australia when former PM Rudd pulled strings to get the ball rolling on the NRL contemplating a 2015 entrant for one of our teams. Even at the operational level we saw a mass injection of technical assistance. Whole bunch of blokes flooded our shores brining goodies. The Pacific Cup saw a full team of dim dims in everything. From setting up the PA system, touch judges, promotion and marketing consultants and even water boys. Why even the great Adrian Lam looked far and wide in the great southland for Kumuls. Recruiting them from the North all the way to the south and boy they put on a show. Trashing every pacific country that came our way. It was something and Veratauism had prevail in bringing the code much needed atte

CHRIS BARRETT THE release of $4 million of Australian taxpayer funding to Papua New Guinea rugby league is on hold indefinitely while a bitter power struggle for leadership of the game in the country persists. As the Kumuls line up for the second game of their Four Nations campaign, against New Zealand in Rotorua tomorrow, the administration in Port Moresby remains crippled by a dispute between rival factions that has ventured from the boardroom to the courts and back. The uncertainty over the future stewardship of the PNG Rugby Football League has prompted AusAid, which is a partner in the lucrative package to PNG league with the Australian Sports Commission and the ARL, to continue to delay delivery of the funding 14 months after it was allocated and announced by then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. There are hopes that the year-long dispute between former chairman Albert Veratau and Gary Juffa, the PNG customs commissioner, will be resolved at the PNGRFL's annual general me

PNGBLOGS Bulolo MP Sam Basil went on NBC yesterday to tell the people of Watut River Communities to refrain from signing any statutory declaration of such from Morobe Mining JV and the Morobe Provincial Government until our lawyer’s advices about its future implications as the Mp believes that it may jaepodise future lawsuits from the locals and the District Administration. Bulolo District JDP&BPC recently passed a K150,000.00 funding to fund a Toxicologist from Australia who have already identified locations for sampling. Mr Basil also urges affected people of Huon Gulf to convince their local MP & Minister for Health Hon. Sasa Zibe or the Governor Hon. Luther Wenge to fund the Huon Gulf section side of the affected river system as it is a very expensive exercise which needs a joint effort from all concerned parties. His office has not been informed by the MMJV officials about the past method of compensation exercises including the recent compensation payouts and the future i

PNGBLOGS Bulolo MP Sam Basil went on NBC yesterday to tell the people of Watut River Communities to refrain from signing any statutory declaration of such from Morobe Mining JV and the Morobe Provincial Government until our lawyer’s advices about its future implications as the Mp believes that it may jaepodise future lawsuits from the locals and the District Administration. Bulolo District JDP&BPC recently passed a K150,000.00 funding to fund a Toxicologist from Australia who have already identified locations for sampling. Mr Basil also urges affected people of Huon Gulf to convince their local MP & Minister for Health Hon. Sasa Zibe or the Governor Hon. Luther Wenge to fund the Huon Gulf section side of the affected river system as it is a very expensive exercise which needs a joint effort from all concerned parties. His office has not been informed by the MMJV officials about the past method of compensation exercises including the recent compensation payouts and the futu

VICTOR MENALDO Papua New Guinea is a small island nation in the South Pacific (Oceania), a region of the world that contains 29 countries and dependent states covering approximately 9,000,000 sq km (3, 475,000 square miles), with a population of about 35.8 million.  It made news today when the NY Times reported today that Papua New Guinea could be the next victim of the so-called resource curse . In 2014, ExxonMobil is scheduled to start shipping natural gas through a 450-mile pipeline, then on to Japan, China and other markets in East Asia. But the flood of revenue, which is expected to bring Papua New Guinea $30 billion over three decades and to more than double its gross domestic product, will force a country already beset by state corruption and bedeviled by a complex land tenure system to grapple with the kind of windfall that has paradoxically entrenched other poor, resource-rich nations in deeper poverty. Let’s examine the claims made by the NY Times. First, the Times

VICTOR MENALDO Papua New Guinea is a small island nation in the South Pacific (Oceania), a region of the world that contains 29 countries and dependent states covering approximately 9,000,000 sq km (3, 475,000 square miles), with a population of about 35.8 million.  It made news today when the NY Times reported today that Papua New Guinea could be the next victim of the so-called resource curse . In 2014, ExxonMobil is scheduled to start shipping natural gas through a 450-mile pipeline, then on to Japan, China and other markets in East Asia. But the flood of revenue, which is expected to bring Papua New Guinea $30 billion over three decades and to more than double its gross domestic product, will force a country already beset by state corruption and bedeviled by a complex land tenure system to grapple with the kind of windfall that has paradoxically entrenched other poor, resource-rich nations in deeper poverty. Let’s examine the claims made by the NY Times. First, the T