Links
PNG Recipes
Learn to make dishes featuring coconut, fruit, vegetables, and
fish -- http://www.michie.net/pnginfo/recipe1.html
Some more recipes from Papua New Guinea can be found at -- http://www.anahitagallery.com/ahrecipe04.html
And another site with some PNG recipes is at -- http://archive.elca.org/countrypackets/png/recipe-print.html
Misc Links
Embassy of Papua New Guinea in the Americas -- http://www.pngembassy.org/
Important and useful information from the US State Department for US nationals
or anyone visiting Papua New Guinea is located at -- http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_996.html
Papua New Guinea Tourism and Business Directory -- http://www.pngbd.com
An array of statistics and information collated from several US Government
agencies about PNG can be found at CIA -- The World Factbook -- Papua New
Guinea -- https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pp.html
An Introduction to Papua New Guinea. Contains an extensive history of the
Papua New Guinea islands. Includes the geography and climate of the island.
-- http://www.interknowledge.com/papua-newguinea/
The Lonely Planet World Guide has information on Destination Papua New Guinea
--- http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/australasia/papua_new_guinea/
Botanical Gardens
Situated within the vast campus of the University of Papua New Guinea in Port
Moresby, the National Capital Botanical Gardens is one of the prime tourist
attractions in the country. -- http://www.ncbg.org.pg
-- The Botanical Gardens has a huge collection of plants from all over PNG
as well as many plants from other parts of the world. These include many palm
species, bamboos, heliconias, cordyline, pandanus, native trees and shrubs.
National Mapping Bureau
The home of the National Mapping Bureau is located at -- http://www.natmap.gov.pg/
-- a division of the Department of Lands & Physical Planning.
The National Mapping Bureau is responsible for providing Papua New Guinea
with mapping products and services. The Bureau sells a wide range of paper
and digital map products, provides GIS and GPS data and services including
data capture both in the field and in the office along with printing and consultancy
services for the Private Sector and Government Bodies.
National Mapping Bureau
P.O. Box 296,
Waigani, N.C.D.
Papua New Guinea
Phone: (+675) 327 6459, 327 6467, 327 6967
Fax: (+675) 327 6460
E-mail: natmap@datec.com.pg
Religious Websites
Pioneer Bible Translators -- http://www.pioneerbible.org.pg
Port Moresby Diocese of the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea -- http://www.portmoresby.anglican.org
United Pentecostal Assemblies of PNG -- http://www.upcpng.org
Catholic Church of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands -- http://www.catholicpng.org.pg
Religious Television Association -- http://www.rtapng.com.pg
Ukarumpa Mission Station -- http://www.ukarumpa.com
News Items
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is on the increase in PNG. This is despite the fact that there
is a cure for the disease. The increase is attributed to people being careless
with their hygiene and those with the disease not completing the prescribed
treatment.
Fuel Prices
The price of fuel in PNG has gone up. This time the price increase is blamed
on the Iraqi war and trouble in Venezuela. Petrol in Moresby is now K2.25.2
per litre. Diesel is K1.83.9 and kerosene is K1.54 a litre.
Bougainville Withdrawal
Many of the ex-combatants who served on Bougainville are concerned that there
has been no customary reconciliation between the Defence Force and the people
of Bougainville.
Arafura Games
Due to the fear of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome the Arafura Games, held
in Northern Territory, Australia, have been called off. The games were scheduled
to run from the 18th to the 24th of May.
South Pacific Games
The PNG South Pacific Games preparations received a donation of K50,000 from
traditional sponsors South Pacific Brewery. Eight lucky people will also win
a free trip to the twelfth games to be held in Fiji from the 28th of June
to the 12th of July.
Speedway
Racing at Moitaka Speedway gets under way today (26th April). Many cars have
been seen in various garages around town with a mad rush to get them ready
in time.
MV Morning Glory
The MV Morning Glory, a coastal vessel, has sunk near Kimbe Island about
24 nautical miles from Kimbe Bay. The Cape Gloucester Local Level Government
operated the barge. A dive boat operated by Walindi Resort rescued the crew
from the barge. (http://www.walindi.com).
Roadworks
The Port Moresby road works are moving along slowly. Many residents are still
complaining of excessive dust and are now concerned that it may take another
twelve months to finish the work.
Markham District
The remote Wantoat Primary School in the Markham district has received a
donation of K15,000 made available by the Markham Joint District Planning
and Budget Priority Committee. The money will be sued to purchase an electric
typewriter and a photocopier.
Wheel Chairs
The World Wheel Chair Foundation (WWCF) has given more than 400 wheelchairs
disabled people in PNG through the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints.
SARS
The Port Moresby General Hospital chief executive officer, Dr Alphonse Tay,
has expressed his concern that recent reports by the media on Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) have created panic amongst the general public.
Dr Tay has urged the media to be cautious when reporting on SARS.
SARS - Masks
There has been an unprecedented demand for surgical masks. City Pharmacy
in Port Moresby has said the company was selling surgical masks - the type
being used in other countries by members of the public to protect themselves
from SARS.
Staff at Rabaul urban clinic in the East New Britain province have also begun
wearing masks as a precaution.
SARS - Nurses
Nurses from the Port Moresby General Hospital have started wearing facemasks
while attending to patients. The nurses are wearing surgical masks as a precaution.
There have been no reported cases of SARS yet at the hospital or at any other
hospital in the country.
Life Sentence
A man from Oro Province has been given a life sentence for a highway heist
and the killing of a man in the Markham Valley along the Highlands Highway
on the 25th of October 2001.
Oro Province Feud
Northern province (Oro) police have charged a senior doctor with insulting
Governor Bani Hoivo earlier this week, when Mr Hoivo allegedly tried to obtain
the doctor's permission to send a patient to Port Moresby. The Popondetta
Hospital has been closed to all but emergency cases until the dispute / feud
is resolved.
Marijuana
The Kerema District Court has sentenced five people to 12 months imprisonment
at Bomana jail with hard labour for possessing and cultivating marijuana another
suspect was warned and dismissed by the court.
Port Moresby Hospital
A blaze has destroyed the home of two family residences in the grounds of
the Port Moresby General Hospital. The house had been turned into two units
and housed two families of Health Department workers.
Lae - Easter
Easter in Lae saw the body of man recovered at the mouth of the Markham River
and a young woman was pack-raped at Speedway on Easter Sunday afternoon. These
two incidents blemished an otherwise peaceful Easter celebration in Lae. The
Holy Week was marked by church service and celebrations commemorating the
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Moresby - Easter
Easter in Port Moresby appears to have passed peacefully for most people.
It would appear that only a handful of car accidents tarnished the long weekend.
Central Province - Easter
Both the Hiritano and Magi highways were reported to have been quiet over
Easter.
Parliament Speakers
Parliament Speakers from the Pacific Island countries are to meet in the
national capital - Port Moresby from the 28th of April to the 1st of May.
This, the third Forum Presiding Officers Conference (FPOC), will focus attention
on legislative reforms undertaken by various parliaments and congresses since
the second FPOC.
Southern Highlands Province
The Prime Minister has announced that the province would be divided into
three regions west, central and east, each with a deputy administrator to
improve the effectiveness of the administration of the province and this Government
will seriously look at the possibility of creating a new Hela Province given
the right environment.
The Australian Government is contributing K3 million towards the cost of
running the Southern Highlands Supplementary Elections.
Many people attempting to make a last minute dash to reach the Southern Highlands
from Port Moresby have found that the Dash 8 aircraft run by Air Niugini has
been booked to capacity for over a week.
Southern Highlands Security
A former Southern Highlands premier has appealed to the National Government
to consider extending the deployment of security forces in the Southern Highlands
Province for six months after the election.
Elite squads of mobile police are protecting the Southern Highlands as the
elections in the province progress. Mobile squads are guarding Hides and Kutubu
oil fields with help from the PNG Defence Force.
The people responsible for maintaining security in the Southern Highlands
Province for the supplementary elections have been told to take good care
of their vehicles. Police Assistant Commissioner Tony Wagambie has told his
men that there is no money to buy new vehicles or spare parts as they prepared
to depart for operational areas in Mendi.
Southern Highlands - Mendi
Police from Lae have been deployed to Mendi to assist with the supplementary
elections for a month. The policemen have been tasked to assist at polling
stations if problems arose and not to take part in any disorderly activity
as scrutineers.
Fun Park
The National Capital District Commission (NCDC) is expected to endorse the
K7.4 million Fun Park project. The project is the brainchild of Bill Skate,
the National Speaker of Parliament.
It is expected that the Fun Park will have an outdoor cinema, picnic pavilion,
water slide, an auditorium, children's playground, mini golf and much more.
New US Envoy
President George W Bush has chosen Robert Fitts, the political adviser for
the US Southern Command at MacDill Air Force Base, as the new US ambassador
to Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.
HIV/AIDS Fight
Leaders from all sectors, including government officials, are expected to
attend regional workshops organised by the Public Sector Reform Advisory Group
(PSRAG) and the National AIDS Council. The focus of the workshop is to get
the message across to the people and don't rely only on the National AIDS
Council (NAC) to carry out an awareness campaign on the epidemic.
HIV/AIDS
PNG is on the brink of losing a large number of its young people if they
are not protected from HIV/AIDS. 6103 people have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS
since the first case was reported in 1987 and the most affected were between
the ages of 20 to 34, which was the economically productive age bracket. The
leading cause of death at the Port Moresby General Hospital in the medical
ward is AIDS related. The world scenario was no different to PNG - of the
40 million people throughout the world that had the virus; 11.8 million of
those were people between the ages of 14 to 24.
Chinese Government
The new Chinese Ambassador to PNG, Li Zhengjun, has presented his credentials
to the Governor-General Sir Silas Atopare.
Harbours Tariff
The PNG Maritime Workers Industrial Union is upset at the move by PNG Harbours
Limited to increase its port tariffs by 15 per cent.
Paradise Magazine
Paradise magazine is published for Air Niugini as the Air Niugini in-flight
magazine. The annual subscription rates for six issues of the magazine including
postage are: In Papua New Guinea - K50, Australia - K75 or AUD $40 - Rest
of the World - US $40.
Email: delta@daltron.com.pg
Captain Peter Sharpe
Another pilot is leaving Air Niugini after many years of service to the airline
and the country. Captain Peter Sharpe MBE will leave PNG shortly after clocking
up over 25,000 hours of flying, 60,000 take offs and landings and over 60
million flown miles. Captain Sharpe is the first and only life member of the
PNG Airline Pilots Association.
Forged School Certificates
The Forging of school certificates is a serious problem but the Education
Department does not have the resources to prosecute people. The Director of
the Measurement Services Unit, Peter Bridger, has said that as a result those
caught were allowed to go. He said employers had found forged certificates
and informed MSU but the department could not do anything to have people prosecuted
because of lack of resources.
Medical School
The School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Port Moresby has been allocated
K7.7 million to improve facilities for the nursing program from AusAID. The
money will be used to construct a new academic building and to refurbish the
existing nursing health sciences buildings built in the late 1950's.
Kavieng Fire Truck
The New Ireland Provincial Government has praised District 9600 of the Rotary
Club for its delivery of a fire truck. The truck will be used to help contain
fire hazards in the provincial capital of Kavieng.
BSP
The Bank South Pacific (BSP) has announced a K54.7 million profit after taking
over the PNG Banking Corporation (PNGBC). The Bank has also announced a dividend
of 42.64 toea per share. Profit is expected to rise further during this year
and the dividend rate was expected to rise from last year's 33 percent to
40 percent this year and 70 percent next year.
Highlands Highway
Trucking companies and the Road Transport Association have cancelled all
operations into the Highlands region following threats by landowners along
the Wara Tamba and Wandi sections of the Highlands Highway. The companies
have called on the government to address all the issues along the highway.
Madang Apples
A councillor of the Raikos District at Angumburami village in the Finisterre
Ranges has managed to grow 200 apple trees. The trees began life from six
seeds picked up from a rubbish bin at Ramu Sugar in 1986. The first harvest
saw apples the size of marbles harvested but now the apples are the size of
a fist. The councillor is unable to bring the apples to Madang town due to
the lack of roads. He sells them for between 10 and 20 toea at the local market.
Enga Province
The European Union has funded and education project in Enga Province at a
cost of over K4 million. The project will comprise of two houses for teachers,
a double story four room classroom, one double classroom, nine new toilets
and showers, two laundries, one girls' dormitory, an assembly hall, a mess
hall suitable for 800 people with a kitchen and a completely new sewerage
and water supply system with two reservoir tanks for the Wabag Secondary School.
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