Links
For those interested in the stamps and postal history of PNG please visit
-- http://www.communigate.co.uk/york/pps/index.phtml
Government communications website -- http://www.communication.gov.pg
-- advertised as the end to the information drought by the governement.
http://www.pngtravels.com -- Tourism
Promotion Site.
http://www.pngtravel.com/ -- the site
of Travel World located at 1324 State Street - Santa Barbara, California,
Phone 805 963-6521
Papua New Guinea Institute of Accountants -- http://pngia.org.pg
Shipping Links
http://www.aalpas.com.pg -- Austral
Asia Line Project Asia Service.
http://www.newguineapacificline.com
-- New Guinea Pacific Line
http://www.steamships.com.pg --
Steamships Shipping Agencies
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.
Misc Links
http://svc015.wic118dp.server-web.com/www/html/1509-home-page.html
-- The Law and Justice Sector website has been developed to provide easy access
to information and services provided by the agencies and partners within the
sector. The sector strategy focuses on the implementation of positive change
associated with the many aspects of law and justice within PNG. A shortcut
to the site can be found at -- http://www.lawandjustice.gov.pg
http://www.justice.gov.pg -- The Department
of Justice and Attorney General delivers a diverse range of services that
contribute to a just, safe and secure social environment for all people living
and working in Papua New Guinea.
http://www.datec.net.pg/~phowley/
-- Restorative Justice - Papua New Guinea Style web site
http://www.postcourier.com.pg/misc/b3recs1.pdf
-- Australian Report on PNG Aid (Post Courier)
http://www.pngonline.gov.pg -- Papua
New Guinea Government Online
http://www.upng.ac.pg -- University of
PNG
http://www.bankpng.gov.pg -- Bank
of Papua New Guinea
http://www.pngembassy.org -- Embassy
of Papua New Guinea to the Americas, Washington, DC
http://www.pngtourism.org.pg --
Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority
http://www.unitech.ac.pg/ -- Papua
New Guinea University of Technology Home page
http://www.pngbd.com/ -- Papua New Guinea
Business Directory and Tourism Information
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/papua_new_guinea.html
-- PNG Maps, County Maps, Historical Maps
News Items
Coming Events
2004 Morobe Show -- 30th and 31st of October
2004 West New Britain Tavur show -- 8th to the 12th of October in Kimbe
Air Niugini - Fokker F100
The replacement Air Niugini Fokker F100 painted in Air Niugini colours carrying
the rego of P2-ANA has arrived and had its first commercial flight on the
27th of September 2004. The leased Alliance plane, painted in Alliance colours,
has been returned. For those who are interested and the record, Captain Geoff
Hartnett and First Officer Tim Sheen carried out the ferry flight to position
P2- ANA from Brisbane to Cairns on Sunday the 26th of September and Captain
Mike Rosier along with Alliance Training Captain Ian Lesch operated the 1st
revenue service -- PX091 from Cairns to Port Moresby on Monday morning the
27th of September.
Governor General
After many failed attempts at electing a Governor General Sir Paulias Matane
was eventually elected to the position. Sir Paulias has now left PNG heading
for London to be invested by Queen Elizabeth II. Sir Paulias left PNG wearing
what has become his trademark sulu but on October the 13th it has been tipped
that when he presents himself to the Queen at Buckingham Palace he will be
wearing a pair of trousers and a traditional English great coat without a
hat.
InterOil
The BP service stations in Port Moresby have received a change of name and
are now selling fuel under the InterOil banner. Other BP service stations
around the country will also receive a change of signage in the near future.
Religion
It has been four years since the census so the figures shown below may be
out of date but they are the only figures available.
Christian
- Anglican -- 166,046
- Evangelical. Alliance -- 266,598
- Evangelical. Lutheran -- 1,001,005
- Roman Catholics -- 1,391,033
- Salvation Army -- 10,377
- SDA -- 520,098
- United -- 591,458
- Pentecostals 440,904
- Baptist -- 130,987
- Other Christian -- 415,592
Other Religions
- Baha'i -- 15,409
- Church of Christ -- 20,516
- Jehovah's Witness -- 20,625
- Other Religion -- 15,857
The total population for the 2000 PNG Census was -- 5,140,476
The above figures show Christians totalling 4,934,098, Other Religions -
72,406, No Religion - 30,733 and Not Stated -- 103,239 for a total of 5,140,476
Air Transport Squadron
The PNG Defence Force Air Transport Squadron (ATS) has readied a plane and
a helicopter to help transport primary produce to the various PNG markets
for sale due to the poor condition of the roads to many of the outlying areas
of PNG. Many places are only 10 to 15 minutes flying time from major towns
but due to the rugged terrain they are several days walk or several hours
drive if the roads were in good condition away.
Unfortunately the ATS has lost many of its pilots and engineers to commercial
aviation. Some have left for better pay and others have been retrenched. The
situation is so serious now that the planes are ready but they may not be
able to fly unless some pilots are found.
Snake Bite
Research by David Williams, a postgraduate student at James Cook University
in Australia, has shown that 200 people die of snakebite in PNG annually.
This makes PNG one of the countries with the highest mortality rate from snakebite.
In the Mekeo region of Central province 14 out of every 100,000 people die
from snakebite making this region the third highest any where in the world.
The majority of deaths in PNG are caused by the taipan. Most people believe
that the Papuan Black causes the most deaths but there have only been two
reported cases in recent years.
Fraud Squad
The new office building for the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Squad
has been officially opened by the Prime Minister in Konedobu. AusAID funded
the new building to the tune of more than K7.3 million over a three-year period
and also furnished the premises with 17 computers and accessories, two new
heavy-duty photocopiers, new office furniture and three new vehicles (already
supplied last year). During the opening Mr Somare said that many of the buildings
built in the past have been allowed to rot due to bad and filthy habits of
the population. He gave examples of people chewing and spitting betel nut
in the buildings and surrounding areas.
Betel Nut Links
For information about betel nut / buai pay a visit to -- http://www.nisbett.com/herbs/a/areca056.html
-- or -- http://www.chempex.com/areca_nut.htm
NASFUND Savings And Loans
Membership of the National Superannuation Fund (NASFUND) Savings and Loans
Society has increased its membership to 8,000 since its inception last year.
Adding this figure to the number of original members on the first day the
society now has 17,774 members. The society is currently working on a new
website to help promote the products and services that it can offer to its
members.
Superannuation Funds
The Association of Superannuation Funds PNG (ASFPNG) has a website located
at -- http://www.asfpng.org.pg -- ASFPNG is an industry body established in
2002 by interested industry participants with the common goal to protect superannuants
retirement savings within a regulated environment whilst fostering a competitive
industry.
Population Control
The need for family planning is a major issue for PNG. Health education and
infrastructure are some of the other main issues that need to be addressed
by the government and non-government organisations. Population growth has
rapidly overtaken the government's ability to build classrooms for students.
Overseas Investment
Investment in PNG is often delayed or cancelled altogether due to a perceived
lack of good governance and law and order problems but a Canadian oil and
gas company, Cheetah, has opened its offices in Port Moresby. Cheetah Oil
and Gas currently has five exploration projects going on in PNG.
Republican Move
The National Alliance party of Sir Michael Somare would consider a move to
become a republic for PNG. Sir Michael made the announcement at a party convention
held on the weekend. The comments were the comments of the Prime Minister
and not those of the party who have not had time to decide the policy of the
party on the matter.
PNG Corruption
The Australian High Commissioner to PNG, Michael Potts, has said that the
World Bank has identified corruption as the single greatest obstacle to economical
and social development in PNG. Corruption has been estimated to cost PNG up
to a sixth of the PNG gross domestic product and as much as half of the PNG
tax revenue. Research by the World Bank has indicated that countries that
tackle corruption and improve their rule of law can increase their national
incomes by as much as four times in the long term and child mortality can
fall as much as 75 percent.
Kavieng Cocoa
A village chief and deputy chairman of the Niu Ailan Co-operative Association
has called on the New Ireland provincial government to allow the direct export
of cocoa from Kavieng. The majority of cocoa sold in New Ireland is exported
from the East New Britain province.
Real Estate Prices
Without seeing these properties readers will not really have an idea of whether
the price is good or bad but from time to time I get asked how much does property
cost in Port Moresby so here goes.
For Sale
20 x 2 bedroom units in Boroko -- K2.7 million
11 x 1 bedroom unit Gordons -- K350,000
3-bedroom house in Port Moresby -- K650,000
3-bedroom apartment Pacific View Apartments -- K270,000
3-bedroom unit in Port Moresby -- K325,000
Rental Properties
3-bedroom apartment Kermadec St Port Moresby -- K1,700 per week
3-bedroom unit Chester St Port Moresby -- K1,300 per week
3-bedroom unit Gabutu -- K600 per week
3-bedroom unit First Heritage Building Waigani -- K1,300 per week
4 bedroom executive unit -- Waigani Islander Village -- K2,00 per week
Of course if you contacted some of the real estate agents mentioned below
or visited their web sites you would get a far better idea of what is available.
Real Estate Agents
Arthur Strachan (Lae) -- http://www.arthurstrachan.com.pg
Ashton Brunswick -- mailto:ashtonsbruns@daltron.com.pg
Century 21 -- http://www.century21.com.pg
-- and -- http://www.siule.com.pg
City Homes Real Estate -- http://www.cityhomes.com.pg
Kohoy Real Estate -- http://kohoyrealestates.tripod.com
L.J Hooker -- http://www.ljhooker.com
Parklane Real Estate -- http://www.parklane.com.pg
Ray White Real Estate -- mailto:monian@online.net.pg
Strickland RE -- http://www.sre.com.pg
The Professionals -- http://www.theprofessionals.com.pg
The Drum
The famous Post Courier Column "The Drum" has been in the electronic
age for sometime now. For all of those people who are familiar with The Drum
you can now email titbits of gossip to -- thedrum@spp.com.pg
-- or you can still send a facsimile message to +675 320-1781. For those not
familiar with The Drum then I suggest taking a look at the Post Courier website
located at -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg
-- and follow your nose to "The Drum".
AIDS Fight
AusAID wants to further assist PNG to help combat the spread of HIV/AIDS
in PNG but it is concerned that the effort will be wasted unless the PNG government
fully decides to engage itself in addressing the issue. The World Health Organisation
has estimated a HIV prevalence rate of 2 percent in PNG and this figure is
rapidly increasing.
Horse Race Machines
The saga of the horse racing / gaming machines drags on. The latest reports
indicate that a firearm was discharged during a dispute between two horse
race machine operators recently. Also a consultative meeting of relevant government
agencies was held last week to help address the effects of horse racing machines
on the lives of the people. It is hoped that the meeting between the police,
the National Gaming Board, the Internal Revenue Commissioner, the National
Intelligence Organisation, representatives of the Investment Promotion Authority
and the Department of Labour and Employment would help to pave the way to
dismantle the machines.
Bank South Pacific
The Bank of South Pacific has announced that it has opened a branch on the
tiny Pacific Island nation of Niue. This follows the final sale agreement
of the purchase of Westpac Banking Corporation's Niue assets and liabilities.
US - PNG
The relationship between PNG and USA has gone up a notch after US Secretary
of State; Colin Powell met with Sir Rabbie Namaliu in Washington, DC, USA.
The meeting is seen as a historic event as it is the first time a PNG Foreign
Minister has visited Washington since PNG gained independence from Australia
in 1975. During the meeting Sir Rabbie was able to brief Mr Powell on developments
currently taking place on the island of Bougainville and the status of the
peace process on the island. The reintroduction of the Fullbright scholarships
into PNG was also discussed.
Diving
If you are interested in diving in PNG then any of the following websites
may be of interest to you -
Masalai i Tokaut
Blowing the whistle on forestry corruption in PNG. Masalai i Tokaut has been
revealing the truth about the corruption and mismanagement in PNG's forest
industry since June 2002. Since then, the producers of Masalai have remained
totally anonymous in order to protect both themselves and their many sources
from the deadly payback of the forest industry. All these articles contain
referenced material or the supporting documents themselves. Visit the website
and read about and see how deep the rot of forestry corruption has struck.
The entire archives of the Masalai i Tokaut newsletter can be found at --
http://www.masalai-i-tokaut.com
Fish Exports
Exports of fish by professional fisherman located in Lae have increased despite
a decline over several years in the amount of fish caught by local fishermen.
Fish caught by local fishermen has steadily declined to about 50 tonnes annually
in recent years. Up until 1990 local fishermen were catching between 150 to
200 tonnes of fish.
West New Britain Show
About K95,000 was raised at a corporate fund raising dinner to help fund
the 2004 West New Britain Tavur Show. The show will be held over a five-day
period from the 8th to the 12th of October. This will be the first show in
PNG to be held for five days. Other commitments for funds have come in from
the West New Britain provincial government and some other unidentified sources.
PNG Police Force
The Royal Paua New Guinea Constabulary has received a donation of a motor
vehicle valued at K110,.000 from Eda Ranu the people responsible for looking
after the water supply in Port Moresby and the local Ford dealer, Niu Ford.
The new vehicle will be used by the National Capital District and Central
Police Commander, Tony Wagambie to help him work effectively with the Australian
Federal Police in PNG under the Enhanced Cooperation Program. He will also
be able to use it to check up on his men more frequently than he has been
able to do with his present vehicle.
2005 Public Holidays
The following public holidays have been announced for 2005.
New Year's Day -- Saturday 1 January
Good Friday -- 25 March
Easter Saturday -- 26 March
Easter Monday -- 28 March
Queens Birthday -- Monday 13 June
Remembrance Day -- I believe this will be celebrated along with ANZAC day
in April?
Independence Day -- Friday 16 September
Christmas Day -- Sunday 25 December
Boxing Day -- Monday 26 December
Special Holiday -- Tuesday 27 December
Silt in East New Britain
The build up of Silt in the East New Britain harbour of Simpson's Harbour
will soon be a major hazard to trading in the island province. The accumulating
deposit of mud on the seabed of the harbour will stop big ships carrying containers
of goods from docking at the wharf in East New Britain. The silt build up
has been the result of the eruption of the twin volcanoes of Vulcan and Tavurvur
over ten years ago in 1994. Mud flowing down the rivers and into the harbour
during the rainy season has also contributed to the problem.
PNG Media
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