Links
National Capital Botanical Gardens
Situated within the vast campus of the University of PNG in Port Moresby,
the National Capital Botanical Gardens are one of the prime tourist attractions
for the country. The Gardens have 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.
Well known for its extensive collection of PNG orchid species housed in large
greenhouses the gardens have large orchid houses for orchid hybrids producing
cut flowers for the own flower shop. The web site is located at -- http://www.ncbg.org.pg
Taklam Guest House
The Guest House, actually it is now called Taklam Lodge and Tours, was originally
located in Rabaul but was relocated to Kokopo after the twin volcanic eruptions
destroyed Rabaul in 1994. They commenced operations in 1990 offering a home
away from home service. A web site is located at -- http://www.taklam.com.pg/
PNG Manufacturers Council
The Manufacturers Council of Papua New Guinea -- http://www.pngmade.org.pg/
-- The Manufacturers Council is a non-government organisation, established
in 1991, to promote the manufacturing and downstream processing sector within
Papua New Guinea.
PNG Religious Web Sites
The web site for Papua New Guinea Church Partnership based in the United
Kingdom is located at -- http://hometown.aol.co.uk/pngcpluxton/PNGChurchPartnership.htm.
This was formerly known as the New Guinea Mission - Supporting the Anglican
Province
Here is a quote from one of the pages on the web site --
Many people who live in remote areas in PNG do not receive any medical treatment.
The first ever doctors in Koinambe (an area of malnourishment in the Jimi
Valley) returned to UK in July 2002. VSO's Chris and Toni Rolles were able
to visit people where they live - sometimes two days walk across difficult
terrain. PNGCP recruit, Dr. Susanne Alzinger, returned from Oro Bay to Zurich
fifteen months ago....
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
Telephone Management
If anyone is in PNG and looking for a good telephone management system for
their Ericsson, Telikom Oki, Panasonic, NEC or possibly other PABX then I
suggest taking a visit to MATRYX -- http://www.matryx.com.pg.
This PNG system boasts over 100 customers within PNG. The company can also
offer web development and various IT services. It is also associated with
the PNG Business and Tourism Directory located at -- http://www.pngbd.com
Real Estate Agents
Arthur Strachan (Lae) -- http://www.arthurstrachan.com.pg
Century 21 -- http://www.century21.com.pg/
and http://www.siule.com.pg/
Kohoy Real Estate -- http://kohoyrealestates.tripod.com/
L.J Hooker -- http://www.ljhooker.com
Ray White Real Estate -- monian@online.net.pg
Strickland RE -- http://www.sre.com.pg/
The Professionals -- http://www.theprofessionals.com.pg
Institute of Directors
The PNG Institute of Directors has revamped its website with the help of
an AESOP Volunteer, Peter Griffin . It is an excellent introduction to PNG
company law and related governance issues it can be found at -- www.pngid.org.pg
Bill Purcell's Website
Bill, a pilot with many years of experience in PNG, has sections of his web
site dealing with Tok Pisin and PNG Aviation in General with special areas
on Missionary Aviation Fellowship, PNG Airstrips, Humour and even some airline
related humour. This site located at -- http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/billsview/
-- has more than mentioned above so my tip is to visit and take a good look
around.
His section on PNG airstrips carries the following disclaimer. PNG Airstrip
Data is published only as a guide to pilots in matters helpful to operations,
such as GPS settings, wind characteristics, and surface conditions. The PNG
AIP-AGA is the legal document governing aviation operations.
National Capital
The National Capital District covers an area of 225 square kilometres located
on the southeast coast of the main island of Papua New Guinea at latitude
9 degrees 29 south of the Equator. The web site is located at -- http://www.ncdc.gov.pg
Prime Minister
The Prime Minister's web site is located at http://www.pm.gov.pg/pmsoffice/pmsoffice.nsf
but some of the information is well and truly out of date. For example
the site made mention of the PNGBC (Papua New Guinea Banking Corporation)
but this organisation no longer exists. It has been taken over by the Bank
South Pacific.
News Items
Preferential Voting
The first past the post way of voting in the national elections has been
replaced with Limited Preferential Voting (LPV) for the next elections. This
will mean that a candidate will now have to have the biggest group of supporters
sharing their vote for him or her. At the moment it is possible for a person
to win, for example, with 1/20th of the total vote for the election simply
because there are over twenty candidates contesting the election for that
area and they have polled the most votes. This has meant that often the majority
of voters have voted for other than the winning candidate.
Pig Theft
A man accused of stealing pigs in Mt. Hagen has been slowly tortured and
murdered. His body was speared with hot metal rods and he had his testicles
and penis cut-off before he died from loss of blood at the Mt. Hagen General
Hospital. Relatives of the victim have gone on a rampage destroying houses
and other property belonging to his alleged attackers.
Caritas Girls School
The Caritas Girls Technical School in Port Moresby has held a successful
cultural day recently. One of the favourites was the performance by the Milne
Bay students of the Tapioka Dance. The cultural event also saw students from
Central, East New Britain, East Sepik, Gulf, Manus, Morobe, North Solomons,
the Highlands Provinces and even West Papua (Irian Jaya).
Deloitte Tower
Three of the upper floors of Deloitte Tower were flooded recently when a
water pipe is believed to have broken. The water seeped through the 14th floor
to the two floors below affecting offices belonging to the World Bank and
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. The total cost for the damage has not been calculated
as many things are still drying out.
Port Moresby International
The Port Moresby International School at Boroko East was robbed recently.
The robbers fooled security guards by wearing a variety of Pom High School
uniforms. Once inside the finance area of the school the robbers knew all
the names of the office staff so it is suspected that the robbery is an inside
job. The criminals did not manage to take much as the school had banked the
most of the cash that passes through the office.
Personal Tax Increase
The Finance Minister, Bart Philemon, has denied reports that there would
be increases in personal tax in PNG. Philemon has said that there's a need
for a reduction in government¹s spending, but essential services like
health, education, and law and order will not be affected. He will present
his budget in the first week of Parliament in two weeks time
Sir Alkan Tololo
Sir Alkan Tololo has passed away at the age of 73 in Port Moresby on the
26th of August. He leaves behind his wife, Lady Nerrie, three children and
five grand children.
Air Niugini
Air Niugini has announced that it will take delivery of two Dash 8 aircraft
in November. This will bring the Dash 8 fleet to three and allow the much
older F28 1000 series to be retired. The F28 4000 series will continue to
fly while Air Niugini looks at a replacement for them. The extra Dash 8's
will allow the airline to move forward with its National pilot training scheme.
Emergency Aircraft Exercise
After five to six years without conducting any safety exercises the PNG Civil
Aviation Authority (CAA) has been able to conduct an emergency exercise at
Jackson's Airport in Port Moresby recently. The exercise tested the readiness
of the CAA Fire rescue service, National Disaster and Emergency Services,
Port Moresby General Hospital, St John Ambulance, the civilian fire service,
the police force and the Transport Department's Air Safety investigation division.
The Australian Government came to the aid of PNG in helping to conduct the
exercise.
Works Department
After more than two months without electricity the Works Department in Port
Moresby has had the power reconnected after paying over K65,000 in debts owed
to the electricity company, PNG Power. Some of the offices where able to be
supplied limited power from standby generators during the period without power.
2003 Hiri Moale Festival
The annual Hiri Moale Festival held in Port Moresby, in conjunction with
Independence Day celebrations, has had to be cancelled to allow the city council
to make various outstanding payments for goods and services. One of the payments
is for the new roadwork being done and completed around Port Moresby.
Port Moresby Roads
Healey Parade - the road that follows the sea from Koki to Ela Beach has
been officially opened by the city council. What was once a two-lane road
taking traffic towards town is now a four lane divided road allowing traffic
to travel to and from the downtown Port Moresby area.
2003 Budget Deficit
The government is searching for K150 million to make interest payments on
the money it has had to borrow domestically to fill in the gaps due to delays
in obtaining K140 million from the Asian Development Bank and the expected
K200 million from the sale of State owned assets. The Ombudsman Commission
would not be touched in the search for the money.
Manus Detention Centre
The Manus Detention Centre will not be used until further discussions are
held between the Australian and PNG governments in October. The Australian
Government built the centre to cater for the 356 refugees refused entry into
Australia until their status as refugees was verified.
Chemotherapy
The women of PNG and particularly those in Port Moresby can now have access
to chemotherapy thanks to the efforts of a Chinese doctor attached to the
Port Moresby General Hospital. The doctor is one of ten doctors from China
who have been based in the Port Moresby Hospital on a two-year contract.
BSP
The Bank South Pacific has listed successfully on the Port Moresby Stock
Exchange (POMSoX). The PNG public can how have an opportunity to invest in
the bank along with the bigger corporate investors. The bank is hoping that
there will be a strong demand for the shares.
PNG Lotto
After many years without a winner and the first division prize money slowly
approaching K3 million a lone person has won. The first division prize of
K2.937 million was won on the Monday draw conducted on the 1st of September.
The 41 year old public servant winner wishes to remain anonymous so he doesn't
discover an instant family.
Provincial Shows
The Goroka Show is set for the weekend just before Independence Day. It will
be held from the 12th to the 14th of September. Independence Day is the 16th
of September. PNG gained independence from Australia on the 16th of September
1975. The Morobe Show (Lae) is set for the 11th and 12th of October.
Maritime Safety
The Department of Transport is establishing a national maritime safety authority
to help improve maritime safety and marine pollution. The authority will be
a self-funding, non-profit making statutory authority. The Department of Transport
has secured funding from the Asian Development Bank and AusAID for the project.
Defence Force
The Secretary for Defence has confirmed that he has uncovered K27 million
worth of false claims for goods and services that have not been provided by
the claimants.
Attorney General
The PNG Attorney General has been referred for prosecution for alleged "improper
receipts" and "failure to furnish annual statements". The Ombudsman
Commission has referred the Attorney General to the Public Prosector for further
investigation.
Walk For Life
A successful Walk For Life coordinated by PriceWaterhouseCoopers has raised
over K70,000 for the Sir Buri Kidu Heart Institute. Over 1000 people walked
and 891 of these were registered with two of them being international trekkers
about to attempt the Kokoda Trail.
Air Niugini won the shield for having the most entrants. Telikom PNG previously
won this.
Cheshire Homes
Cheshire Homes, an establishment that looks after many disabled people in
Port Moresby, has a new security fence. A resident, Jason Thomas, cut the
ribbon surrounded by the Minister for Social Welfare and Development, Lady
Carol Kidu, the Australian High Commissioner to PNG and the Cheshire Homes
board chairman.
PNG Folktales
One Thousand One Papua New Guinean Nights:
Folktales from Wantok Newspaper
Translated and Edited by Thomas H. Slone
One Thousand One Papua New Guinean Nights is a two-volume collection of folktales
that were originally published in Papua New Guinea's Wantok newspaper. The
folktales were in Tok Pisin, the Pidgin English language of Papua New Guinea.
This two-volume collection presents the complete set of 1047 folktales published
between 1972 and 1997. This book represents one of the largest general collections
of Papua New Guinean folktales. All of Papua New Guinea's provinces and approximately
35% of Papua New Guinea's 700 language/culture groups are represented. The
first volume includes the introduction and 550 folktales; the second volume
includes the remaining folktales, indices, a glossary, a set of maps and a
gazetteer. The folktales have been extensively indexed by author, village,
original language (or culture group), province, flora and fauna, and folklore
motif.
This book is available directly from the publisher at -- http://THSlone.tripod.com/masalaipress.html
and from Amazon.com -- http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=abibliogrofmelan&keyword=slone+papua&mode=books
barnesandnoble.com -- http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=slone+papua
and bamm.com -- http://www.booksamillion.com/ncom/books?type=keyword&find=slone+papua&x=6&y=6
Further information about the book and a couple of sample stories can be
found at -- http://THSlone.tripod.com/1001PNGnights.html
A sample story from Milne Bay, reprinted with permission of the author, can
also be found at -- http://www.michie.net/pnginfo/1001.html
Thomas H. Slone is a staff scientist at the University of California at Berkeley.
Inflation
In the June quarter of 2003 the Consumer Price Index only rose by one percent.
This was due to the decrease in basic food items such as rice and flour. The
price of fresh fruit and vegetables also decreased in all towns except for
Rabaul. The one percent figure compares with 6.9 percent fort the March quarter.
39th Medical Symposium
Doctors and nurses have converged on the Holy Trinity Teacher's College in
Mt Hagen to attend the 39th PNG Medical symposium. The main theme for the
symposium was HIV/AIDS Epidemic in PNG. More than 500 people from the medical
fraternity have turned up to participate. A keynote address was given by a
World Health Organisation representative.
World Bank
The World Bank has suspended a K156 million Forestry Conservation Project
because the Government of PNG has not complied with various legal requirements.
The World Bank is upset over the lack of compliance in dealing with three
timber authority projects. They are the Aiambak-Kiunga project, the Vailala
Timber Project and the Wauvi-Guavi Timber Project.
PNG Media
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