Links
If links in the newsletter do not work properly, copy and paste the URL into your browser and press Enter. Be sure to copy the entire link, as it may wrap to the next line. If this still does not work please send an email to the newsletter advising of the broken link.
Do you have a web site or link to a PNG related area on the WWW? If so do you want it mentioned here? Then use the submission form by clicking here
External links - while PNG Gossip Newsletter will not sell your email address to others many links on this web site lead to other sites that may may not have the same policy regarding your valuable email address. Be careful when handing over your email address.
PNG in the News
The Vision Thing: PNG's Government Unveils the Future -- http://giaman.com/pg/?54333f
Counting in PNG's Kandep by-election further distracted by violence -- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=50682
Plastic, Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgery - Vital Aesthetic -- http://molwillie.blogspot.com/2009/12/body-piercing.html
The best young Aussie rules players in Lae have been tested checked and are ready to shine at the Coca Cola AFL PNG talent camp in Goroka -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/3607
Coppermoly (Kimbe) exploration to start soon -- http://giaman.com/pg/?6ddec7
A foreign woman in her 70s has been robbed and raped in the Madang. Police have rounded up 20 suspects who are now in custody -- http://giaman.com/pg/?a80ef7
Exxon Mobil Corp. will receive $3 billion in financing from the U.S. Export-Import Bank for a natural gas project in PNG that would be the largest foreign investment in that nation's history. -- http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=arezoQtDswmI
InterOil: PNG Well Flowed At Record Rate -- http://giaman.com/pg/?1a1ab3
Oxfam responds to further cholera outbreak in PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?cc246e
PNG Blogs
Trip up to Kundiawa -- http://northwestrambler.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/trip-up-to-kundiawa
TruPela: PNG Bloggers that I follow -- http://www.trupela.com/2008/08/08/png-bloggers-that-i-follow
Becky's PNG experiences: Riley -- http://drbeckywallace.blogspot.com/2009/12/riley.html
Malum Nalu: University of Goroka supports World AIDS Day Celebrations -- http://giaman.com/pg/?ab0db3
Messersmith: The Day That Kar Kar Volcano Did Not Erupt -- http://giaman.com/pg/?5ac63e
Karkar: more on the eruption that wasn't -- http://giaman.com/pg/?d08b68
The Freys in PNG: Thanksgiving in the village -- http://giaman.com/pg/?a97bc2
The Freys in PNG: Lawn Mowers -- http://pngfrey.blogspot.com/2009/12/lawn-mowers.html
The Travel Bug TV -- http://thetravelbugtv.com/?page_id=160
Looking Through Another's Eyes: A Buzz in the Air -- http://charlyeinpng.blogspot.com/2009/11/buzz-in-air.html
Northwestrambler's Blog - Mt Wilhelm Part 1 -- http://giaman.com/pg/?c8e830
Northwestrambler's Blog - Mt Wilhelm Part 2 -- http://giaman.com/pg/?0e0a01
PNG Money
Brief History of Currency in PNG -- http://www.bankpng.gov.pg/images/stories/currency_history.pdf
Traditional Shell Money by Art Pacific -- http://giaman.com/pg/?7f014f
Official Central Bank Web Site -- http://www.bankpng.gov.pg
Brief History of the Central Bank -- http://giaman.com/pg/?6aac0f
Images -- http://giaman.com/pg/?7a61e5
Old PNG Coins -- http://giaman.com/pg/?2a95b2
PNG Paper Money -- http://www.kcshop.com/foreigncurrency/PapuaNewGuineaCurrency.htm
Modern Money -- http://www.michie.net/pnginfo/moni.html
World Bank Notes -- http://www.banknotes.com/pg.htm
Building a Mobile Money Network in PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?e02743
Money - Pre-Independence -- http://numismondo.net/articles/png.htm
Misc PNG Links
Ex Kiap Forum -- http://giaman.com/pg/?5cf130
PNG Tourism Survey results -- http://giaman.com/pg/?218377
Lonely Planet, Hotels & Hostels, Seaview Hotel, Wewak -- http://giaman.com/pg/?e55e51
Travels through the Sepik -- http://images.rca.org/docs/letters/archivedletters/abbas809.pdf
PNG from the Air -- http://rodthomas.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/png-from-the-air-2/
News Items
Photo Award
Melbourne "The Age" photographer, Jason South has won a coveted Walkley awards - Australia's leading prize for journalism. Jason's photographs were taken around PNG.
http://giaman.com/pg/?6d8fec -- and -- http://giaman.com/pg/?c1b4fc
Poverty in PNG
Catholic priest Fr Jude Ronayne-Forde says the number of vulnerable people, including widows and orphans in PNG is increasing with no sign of Government support for them. Fr Jude said 47 per cent of the school-aged children were not in school. He also questioned whether there would be enough classrooms and other facilities built for children before they arrive in large numbers early in the new year to find themselves without classrooms or desks.
Gas Deal
Sinopec, also known as China Petroleum and Chemical Corp., is China's second-biggest oil and gas company and Asia's biggest oil refiner by volume has signed a 20-year contract with Exxon Mobil Corp. to buy gas from PNG. The contract calls for Sinopec to buy some 2 million tons of gas per year, which it will import through a terminal in China's eastern port of Qingdao.
Parliamentarians Resign
Three members of parliament have resigned from the Parliamentary Bi-Partisan Committee investigating the anti-Asian riots in protest over the ousting of chairman Jamie Maxtone-Graham. The three are deputy chairman Theo Zurecnuoc (Finschhafen), Vice Minister Public Service Anthony Nene (Sohe) and Sam Basil (Bulolo).
The three committee members announced their resignation from the committee at a press conference at Parliament House where Mr Maxtone-Graham revealed that his committee was about to expose the involvement of certain politicians in questionable activities with certain people of Asian origin. Mr Maxtone-Graham warned the Government that there was a time bomb waiting to explode and the National Government needed to find solutions quickly.
Mt Hagen to Mendi
Transport and Public Service Minister Peter O'Neill has had to intervene and ask landowners to open up the Highlands Highway after being blocked for several days. The blockade of the highway started late November after it was alleged Works secretary Joel Luma wrote a letter to landowners that they would be paid by the 26th of November and after no payment was received, landowners blocked the part of the highway.
Full story -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/3637
Previous story - Highway to PNG oil project blocked by disgruntled landowners -- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=50568
Telikom PNG
The new Information Communication Technology (ICT) Act 2009 has been passed by Parliament in November. The new Act means that Telikom will lose its exclusive rights as the general carrier licence-holder in PNG. This paves the way for better competition in the mobile telecommunication market.
TV's for MP's
While many in PNG can not afford to put food on the table or send their kids to school the 109 Members of Parliament have taken delivery of television sets promised to them by the Speaker Jeffery Nape earlier this year. The delivery of the TV's comes only days after the arrival of the controversial Falcon jet for Air Niugini, bought by the Government. The Member for Bulolo, Sam Basil, has described the TV purchase as a waste of public money.
In PNG the 60 inch plasma televisions have been valued at approx K20,000 each. Meanwhile the air conditioning system in the B Wing at Parliament house has not worked for over two years and overall the house continues to deteriorate with little maintenance being carried out.
Motor Vehicle Insurance Payout
The Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited will have to pay about K4.4 million to Yama Security Services (YSS) in damages for breach of contract.
full story -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/3598
Solar Power
The recently launched solar power loans project will allow the purchase of solar power kits for PNG homes through flexible, low interest loans with no bank fees from the ANZ Bank and the Nationwide Microbank. The project is an initiative of the World Bank and has been developed to improve the livelihood of citizens and increase the use of renewable energy within the country. Many people currently use kerosene for lighting, an unhealthy and expensive item, simply because they do not have access to power.
PNG Games
The games may have finished but athletes have had great difficulties in returning to their own provinces.
Father Jailed
A father of three has been jailed for eight years with hard labour for manslaughter. The man's sentence was cut by three years and five months so he will serve four years and seven months at Baisu prison camp, despite a substantial amount of K70,000 cash, 150 pigs and two cassowaries already being paid in compensation. The father killed a man using a pocket knife.
AusAID Woes
The National reports that an audit has found the aid agency, AusAID, is afflicted with problems of transparency, accountability and a lack of communication capacity. Money spent by Australia on aid to PNG is often referred to as "Boomerang Aid".
Full story -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/3632
HIV/AIDS Drug Funding Drying Up
Every week young women come to the Friends Foundation in Port Moresby to eat a free lunch and to collect milk formula for their children. They're all HIV-positive and so are their young ones.
Full story -- http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/200912/s2762564.htm
See - PNG's HIV pledge on shaky ground -- http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/05/2762982.htm
See also - UN-backed report urges Pacific nations to scale up response to HIV/AIDS -- http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=33129&Cr=AIDS&Cr1=
Poll Counting
Voting in Goroka for the Kandep by-election continues despite problems. Former deputy prime minister, Don Polye, maintains a comfortable lead of over 2,000 votes. Election Commission employees say they will not allow the counting of ballot boxes until their outstanding allowances are paid. Writs for the Kandep seat must be returned to the Governor-General by the 11th of December.
see also - Count ballots in Enga not Goroka -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/3566
Kudjip Nazarene Hospital
The first baby has been born at the new Kudjip Nazarene Hospital in early November. The precious little girl weighed in at 3.525 kg (7lb 12oz).
See -- http://myers4png.blogspot.com/2009/11/first.html
and -- http://www.kudjipnazarenehospital.org -- Nazarene Hospital at Kudjip in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea is a mission hospital operated by the Church of the Nazarene, serving the people of PNG since 1967
PX Flights Delayed
Christmas is just around the corner and Air Niugini is already experiencing disruptions to flights. The delays have affected both domestic and international flights. Even the Boeing 767 has experienced delays. Customers can normally expect long queues at the check in counter over Christmas but usually not this early. There are not many places in PNG especially when departing from Port Moresby that a traveller can go without having to use an aircraft.
Coming Events
Christmas Day - 25 Dec 2009
New Year's Day - 1st Jan 2010
AFLPNG - PNG Scholarships / Under 18 Trials will be held in Australia. 8 x U18s are hoped to be provided with Country Queensland, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast Scholarships. -- February 2010
Women in Mining and Petroleum Conference - 22nd - 24th March 2010 - to be held at Divine Word University in Madang.
25th April 2010 - World Malaria Day. Malaria affects 90 per cent of the PNG population.
World liquefied natural gas (LNG) summit - Mid 2010
11th Mining and Petroleum Investment Conference - 6th to 8th December, 2010 - Hilton Hotel, Sydney -- http://www.pnginvestment.cia.com.au -- This web site is out of date showing information abut the 2008 conference.
Full Pacific Games - New Caledonia 2011
National Elections - Scheduled for June 2012
2012 PNG Games -- Kokopo, East New Britain
Pacific Mini Games - Wallis and Futuna 2013
Full Pacific Games - PNG 2015
Do you have an event that you want advertised? - Use the submission form located at -- ../misc/ctc.html.
PNG Media
If a friend has given or sent you a copy of this newsletter and you would like to keep receiving free copies then please visit -- ../news/index.html -- for instructions on how to join the list.
Articles for this Newsletter
If you think you have a PNG page worth mentioning then please click here and use the submission form
To send a message for submission to the PNG Gossip Newsletter queue please click here and use the submission form.
.gif)
.jpg)
View PNG Gossip Newsletter Archive