PNG Now magazine: April/May 2022

INSIDE:

ISSUE 09 | April/May 2022

SPECIAL HOME SECTION

SINGING PNG’S PRAISES NGAIIRE ON LIFE, MUSIC AND LOVE OF COUNTRY

+ SPORT | CARS | FOOD | HIRI MOALE | PNG MONI

Welkam!

One of the things that makes Papua New Guinea special is the way its traditional cultures often sit side by side with the trappings of the modern world.

While technology and other features of modern life can bring convenience and comfort, many of the Papua New Guineans featured in this issue of PNG Now speak to us about the importance of maintaining strong ties to traditional culture and acknowledging the past.

Singer Ngaiire, now an international success, speaks candidly on Page 20 of how she misses her homeland and culture, and how she has tried to make them part of her music, especially for her latest album, 3. PNG is the “engine room from which I draw inspiration,” she says.

The new Hiri Queen, Raila English, also talks about the importance of promoting traditional culture on Page 24. Her interview is followed in this issue by Godfreeman Kaptigau’s beautiful photos from this year’s Hiri Moale Festival, a celebration that has its origins deep in PNG’s past.

In Milne Bay, master sailors Justin and Sanakoli John are also doing their best to preserve traditional culture. They’ve set up a school to teach boys and girls how to make traditional canoes, which you can read about on Page 36.

Even that most modern of institutions, the APTC cookery school in Port Moresby, gives its students space to use their favourite traditional ingredients in their food, even as they are taught the very latest food preparation techniques and trends from overseas.

While change is all around us – the first generation of electric vehicles has hit the streets of Port Moresby (see Page 46) and modern homes are getting more and more sophisticated (see our special ‘PNG Home’ section from Page 49) – perhaps it’s time to reflect that PNG has a unique opportunity to have the best of both worlds.

That’s certainly what this magazine is about – celebrating the best of PNG, both old and new.

www.pngnowmag.com Join the PNG Now conversation on Facebook facebook.com/ pngnowmag and Instagram @pngnowmag.

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 3

CONTENTS UP FRONT

Notable quotes 06 Breakfast with boxer and artist Hazel Laing 08 Vox Pop: What food reminds you of home? 10

Ngaiire 20

On life, music and love of country

AROUND TOWN

Cultural gallery, great cakes, coffee school, new book about Port Moresby and more 12–17

PEOPLE

The wisdom of Gabriel Pepson, former PNG ambassador 18 Meet the Hiri Queen 24

CITY GUIDES

All the best that POM and Lae have to offer 32

ELECTIONS

Everything you need to know 34

CULTURE

Lessons in traditional canoe building 36 PNG statue sells in Paris for K7.29 million 37

FOOD

Review of the Bootless Bay restaurant at Loloata Island Resort 41

SPORT

Locker Room Chat with cricketer Hiri Hiri 44

WELLBEING

Get physical with water exercises 45

MOTORING

PNG’s first electric cars 46

PNG MONI

Business news at a glance, CEO survey and more 57

4 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

42

KUMUL JOINS HUNTERS

Tommy Butterfield’s new off-field role

26

PNG Now is a free magazine produced by Business Advantage International Pty Ltd in association with

FOCUS

The Hiri weekend in pictures

Distributed by Pascoe Promotions, Port Moresby © Copyright 2022, Business Advantage International and contributors. All rights reserved. www.pngnowmag.com Join the PNG Now conversation on Facebook facebook.com/pngnowmag and Instagram @ pngnowmag.

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Cooking class 38

Back to school for PNG’s budding chefs

EDITORIAL ADVISORY TEAM Penny Burns, Aaron Chin, Leanne Jorari, Sylvia Pascoe CONTRIBUTORS Richard Andrews, Dean Arek, Mary Aseari, Paul Chai, Samara Clifford, Ruby Gamoga, Bronwen Gora, Leanne Jorari, Robert Hamilton-Jones, Amy Jones, Godfreeman Kaptigau, Lemach Lavari, Gabriella Munoz, Carmel Pilotti, Peter Schofield (designer), Daniel Wala, Sally Woollett (proofreader)

SPECIAL HOME SECTION

49

EDITOR Robert Upe editor@pngnowmag.com

Buying a house, homeware trends, kit homes, loans and new developments

COVER: Ngaiire, photographed by Samara Clifford. See our story, Page 20.

Proudly printed in Papua New Guinea

by BizPrint

At work with 62

Dulux paint expert Gertrude Kautu APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 5

THEY SAID IT My three keys to success are to have integrity, commit your life to God, and to work hard. You will be rewarded.

- GABRIEL PEPSON, FORMER PNG AMBASSADOR TO THE EUROPEAN UNION, PAGE 18

6 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

It means so much to be the Hiri Hanenamo Queen. It means respect, courage, empowerment, acknowledgement, and an obligation to my people.

- RAILA ENGLISH, NEWLY CROWNED HIRI QUEEN, PAGE 24

The opportunity to be a part of the PNG Hunters is an opportunity too good to refuse.

The values, vision, and leadership in place at the Hunters cemented my decision.

- TOMMY BUTTERFIELD, NEWLY APPOINTED HEAD OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS FOR THE SP PNG HUNTERS, PAGE 42

Conversation

BREAKFAST WITH …

HAZEL LAING BOXER AND ARTIST

BY CARMEL PILOTTI | PHOTOGRAPHS: GODFREEMAN KAPTIGAU

What is a usual breakfast for you after training?

I usually go for fresh fruit, or local veggies left over from dinner the night before – my diet is mainly plant based.

great teachers and they sold me on it.

What’s your breakfast drink?

Sometimes it’s green tea but it depends on how I feel; if the energy is low it’s coffee. I usually get a coffee at the Ela Beach Hotel bakery after training at the beach.

What have you ordered this morning?

It’s a long black with honey, seasonal fruit and a fruit roll with marmalade jam (from the Salt Restaurant breakfast buffet).

You’re an artist of two forms, visual and martial. How did you come to partake in the two?

When I was a child I didn’t draw a lot, I’d write more in a journal.

When I turned 13 I realised that the words couldn’t quite capture my feelings. So when I discovered paint and brushes it just stuck, and it was like a meditation because there was no-one else involved in it; it was just me channelling whatever I was bringing to the world. With the competitive side of boxing I felt I was out of my comfort zone at first, but then I fell in love with the art of boxing. In 2018 when I joined Tru Warrior (TW), Tala and Tomasi (TW Founders) were just 8 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

With my first fight, I was really scared.

I was thinking, what the hell have I got myself into?

What is one thing you love about each of your chosen art forms?

I can’t really describe what I love about visual art, and that’s what I love about it. You just have to look at it and it will invoke something in you. I guess it’s the subtleties of art that I’m drawn to. With (visual) art it’s the flow and surrender, and with boxing it’s the refinement and strategy.

When you’re in a fight you have to think, even when you’re tired, so I definitely love the strategy.

Do you feel these two contrasting paths you’ve taken provide some kind of balance in your life?

With boxing you have to know the rules and with art there’s no rules – so yeah I feel like that’s the yin and the yang.

Tell me about your first fight – what is it like to face an opponent for the first time?

With my first fight, I was really scared. I was thinking, “what the hell have I got myself into?” I instantly started to panic when my coach showed me my opponent.

But the survival instinct kicked in. I think I was more worried about other people’s opinions and whether I’d perform, and not necessarily about whether I’d be hurt. At first, all the technique I’d learned went out the window,

but then I calmed down and I was able to use some strategy rather than letting emotion control me.

What motivated you in your choice to take up boxing?

Definitely personal growth. It gives me an environment to grow with the pressure.

Tell me about your visual art.

What inspires your pieces?

My emotions always provide the biggest inspiration.

What are some other things you are passionate about, and what is next for you?

I’m really passionate about healing in any way, or form. I have a drive to bring healing for myself and others to whatever spaces I enter. Doing that through art will be the next step for me in my journey. With the self-defence, the empowerment it gives, especially to women, is a form of healing.

Salt Restaurant is at Ela Beach Hotel, with all-day dining and an upstairs bar with beach views. Open from 6am. See coralseahotels.com.pg.

Opposite: Seasonal fruit and a fruit roll from Salt Restaurant.

Above: Hazel Laing, prefers a plant-based diet.

Left: Laing with one of her artworks.

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Vox Pop

WORD ON THE STREET

BY MARY ASEARI

What food reminds you of home?

VICTOR GAMINI 21, marketing director, Oro

The food that reminds me of home is fish. Growing up in the coastal area of PNG, fish was a staple protein for many of us. Every time I get the chance to eat fish, it brings back childhood memories, and of course home.

NAPHTALI ALU 51, foreman, Central

CHRISTINA STEVEN 23, self-employed, Southern Highlands

Mumu kaikai reminds me of home. Mumu is a traditional way of cooking vegetables in a pit with hot stones. This way of cooking is mostly done in the highlands region of PNG. When I see people cooking sweet potatoes and pork in a pot in the city it reminds me of my village and of how we used to do mumu. But I think mumu from a pit with hot stones is more delicious than from a pot.

For me, the food that reminds me of home is mango. I have fond memories of being a boy, climbing mango trees in the village with my mates. We would enjoy a sweet juicy mango on sunny days.

FRANCESCA FUALE 49, teacher, Sandaun

As a proud woman from the Sandaun Province, the food that reminds me of home is one that is synonymous with the Sepik region, and that is nangu. Nangu is a traditional dish that is made from mixing sago with water to make a porridgelike mixture. My favourite is nangu dipped in chicken or fish soup. One taste and I’m back home in my mum’s haus kuk, watching her cook this beautiful meal.

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JEANELE EWANDE 21, student, Kentucky, US

The food that reminds me of home is aibika greased in heavy coconut cream, with chicken and vegetables like taro and banana. This is the type of food that my whole family contributes to cooking on Sundays. Most Sundays we’d drive to Erap to visit my dad’s younger brother and his family, where we’d cook the food. Erap is filled with the ingredients needed for this dish. It’s a dish that brings the whole family together. I miss it.

FYI

AROUND TOWN

BY CARMEL PILOTTI, RUBY GAMOGA, ROBERT HAMILTON-JONES | PHOTOGRAPHS: GODFREEMAN KAPTIGAU, DEAN AREK & SUPPLIED BY EDGE CAFE

Big crowd for cultural gallery With a focus on cultural artefacts and locally made products, the APEC Haus Cultural Gallery drew a big crowd on the last Saturday of February. It featured paintings, carvings and other traditional crafts, mainly from the KiriwinaGoodenough district of Milne Bay. Despite the rainy weather, vendors arrived in droves for the opportunity to showcase their art to potential buyers.

Besides art and craft, another huge part of Papua New Guinean culture is food, and event-goers had a chance to experience the unique cuisine of the region, which is not so readily available out of Milne Bay Province.

Events such as this were 12 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

frequent before the pandemic, however, since the first wave of COVID-19 hit the shores of the nation’s capital there have been very few. It was a hopeful sight to once again see the popularity of the cultural gallery.

The event was organised by Joyce Grant, who has nominated as a candidate for the KiriwinaGoodenough seat in the upcoming national elections. (See our guide to the elections on Page 34.)

The day’s cultural showcase led to a gala dinner the same night, also at the APEC Haus, showcasing fashion from local designers and entertainment by Mereani Masani CP

Art and craft, showcased at APEC Haus.

A piece of cake It’s Friday morning and Edge Cafe, waterside at Harbour City, is buzzing. The customers at the outside tables are mostly having informal meetings. With its pleasant, tranquil setting plus easy parking, it’s not hard to see why this place is so popular with the business community and nearby residents alike.

A new range of homemade cakes are another reason the cafe stands out.

We tried a chocolate muffin, dotted with soft caramel. Edge claims its cakes are “made for the soul” and I concede this could well be Port Moresby’s best muffin.

The cafe’s most popular confections at the moment are the chocolate brownie (dipped in real chocolate) and the carrot cake (with dainty lemon frosting).

If you’ve reached your coffee quota for the day, there are also

Homemade cakes at the Edge Cafe, made for the soul.

great freshly squeezed juices.

RHJ Edge Cafe, Harbour City, open daily from 7am, facebook.com/ edgebythesea

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Around Town

Above: Participants in the barista training course.

Left: One of the delicious brews poured at Deborah’s Country Cafe.

Finding coffee bliss Without exaggeration, I can say that the best cup of coffee I’ve had was made at a recent barista training session at a little-known hideout at Port Moresby’s Unity Mall, Deborah’s Country Cafe.

Creamy, rich, aromatic; the first whiff triggered those feel-good endorphins just before the heavenly first sip.

The barista training session was run by Pacific Horticultural & Agricultural Market Access Plus program (PHAMA) in partnership with the PNG Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC), and was started to help women SME owners to improve their coffeemaking skills.

The training includes everything from being able to identify quality beans, to understanding the roasting process, brewing, steaming and, finally, cupping.

The superb coffees we sampled were accompanied by lip-smacking pineapple tarts and I left wondering why I hadn’t known of Deborah’s before. This SME cafe, owned by three women business partners, is certainly a must visit.

PHAMA provides practical and targeted assistance to Pacific Island countries in the management and regulation of primary and value-added products.

There have also been barista training sessions in Goroka, Lae and Mt Hagen. CP APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 15

Around Town

Year of the Tiger celebrated To celebrate the Chinese Year of the Tiger, the Cathay Club Lion Dancers put on a spectacle at Port Moresby’s Vision City Mega Mall recently.

Steady rhythms beaten out on the traditional lion drum, accompanied by the clashing of cymbals, created an atmosphere of anticipation through which the traditions of a thousand years echoed, and the lions ruled – expelling evil spirits and bringing good fortune to those they visited.

Groups of captivated onlookers followed the dancers through the mall, phone cameras held aloft.

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Performers from the Cathay Club at Vision City.

The Cathay troupe carried out the three-hour performance with unwavering fervour, visiting each shop that had an offering or gift, which they traded for a few minutes of leaps, pirouettes and playful theatrics as a blessing.

Cathay’s creative performance director, Pyan Ng, told PNG Now that the troupe started training for the performance last November.

The finale was spectacular, with the explosion of strings of firecrackers suspended from the mall entrance roof. CP

Moresby’s history laid bare in cheeky coffeetable book Did you know that where present-day Illusions stands there used to be a nightclub called Sirocco, named after the yacht of one-time Papua New Guinean resident and infamous Hollywood actor Errol Flynn?

What about the fact that early Motuans, alleged descendants of Lapita-trading travellers, built their villages along Port Moresby’s shoreline not just because they had no traditional land ownership, but also because they thought the water divide protected them from Koiari sorcerers inland?

These are the types of stories, otherwise lost to history or arcane academic journals, penned in the new coffee-table book and part-time travelogue Eda Moresby (Eda is Motuan for ‘our’).

The book is by moonlighting author and history maven John Brooksbank. The idea for the collection was suggested to him over a morning catch-up with friends at Duffy Cafe: because he talked extensively about Port Moresby’s history in his writerly stints, why not collate the stories into a book, they asked?

“Sorry for not being more erudite,” Brooksbank laughs, when asked if there was some other reason to the compilation. There isn’t. Only, hopefully, the reciprocal delight of his readers.

The characters and anecdotes in Eda Moresby are entertaining, scandalous and surprising – even

by PNG standards – and the reader is guided, with vivid imagery and Brooksbank’s tongue-incheek commentary, through the city’s haphazard development from prehistorical trading hotspot to colonial outpost, to World War 2 base, and presenttime ever-growing capital.

Oldtimers, Australians, the mixed-race diaspora (who constitute many of today’s movers and shakers) and anyone interested in the ‘unofficial’ version of Moresby’s beginnings and development

will particularly enjoy the special sections on street names (many roads are named after early administration officers), landmarks (derived from Motu-Koita words butchered by Caucasian accents) and the not-of-her-time exploits of mysterious Irish writer Miss Grimshaw. RG Eda Moresby is K250 and is available through eda. moresby@gmail.com.

WHERE TO FIND US

PNG Now has extensive distribution in cafes, hotels and other social hubs.

In Port Moresby, this includes Duffy outlets, Airways Hotel, The Hilton and The Stanley (cafes), Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry, CHM at Vision City, the POM City Markets and Harbourside Night Markets.

In Lae, it can be picked up at the Lae Chamber of Commerce and the Lae International Hotel.

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 17

People

WISDOM

GABRIEL PEPSON FORMER PNG AMBASSADOR TO THE EUROPEAN UNION

BY CARMEL PILOTTI | PHOTOGRAPHS: GODFREEMAN KAPTIGAU

Gabriel Pepson was born the first of three children in Kimininga in Western Highlands Province in 1956.

He went to school at Koglamp Primary School, Mt Hagen High School, and then the University of Papua New Guinea to study economics in 1974.

His first job was with the Department of Finance in 1978 where he worked under the late Sir Mekere Morauta.

He went on to work for the Office of International Development Assistance (OIDA) where he became Director in 1991.

He was posted as Ambassador to the European Union in 1995 18 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

where he served for 10 years until his return to take up the position of Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade. He retired in 2010 and now sits on several boards and serves as a member of the UPNG Council, and Chancellor of the Institute of Business Studies.

Pepson unsuccessfully contested the Western Highlands regional seat in 2007 and the Moresby North West seat in the 2021 byelection.

One of my earliest memories is being taken to school in 1964 by my mother to be enrolled. I didn’t want to leave her. When the English headmaster came to take me to the other children I cried and held on tightly to my mother.

A boy from my village was brought to talk to me, and I was told other boys from my village were there and I would not be lonely. That was the beginning of my schooling.

My two mentors were the late Sir Mekere Morauta, who was my first boss in the Department of Finance, and the first Chief Secretary to Government, Mr Robert Igara. In my early years, the public service was a disciplined, professional and respected authority. Institutions of government maintained good governance and never indulged in corruption. Sir Mekere enforced these virtues in me. Mr Robert Igara became my boss at

the OIDA – he was also a very disciplined man, down to earth and an effective manager who always had foresight on policy and management matters ahead of other executives. His ascension to the post of Chief Secretary was a natural progression. Like Sir Mekere, he was a role model who upheld the virtues of the public service. He was a man of high integrity and he enforced standards on those below him.

He is a close friend to this day.

My message for young Papua New Guineans is to always uphold integrity. You have to think about your children’s future; this culture that is now creeping in does no good for anybody.

If I was giving advice to my younger self, I would say whatever you do, execute it to the best of your ability, and produce the best because you will be handsomely rewarded.

And, even if others don’t respect you, respect yourself.

Gabriel Pepson: “Never open your mouth and say or do anything until you have all the facts.”

Dream big because you can only go as far as your dreams.

Important lessons I have learnt in life are to never open your mouth and say or do anything until you have all the facts. Also, that you will not be disappointed if you remain focused and work hard. Dream big because you can only go as far as your dreams.

My three keys to success are (1) to be a person of integrity; people will respect you, both good and bad, and doors will naturally be opened for you. (2) Commit your life to God, and let God be the foundation of your family, career, and everything else, and it will all fall into place.

(3) Work hard and you will always be rewarded.

I’m inspired by helping others in desperate need.

If there is anything I would change in my life it would be entering politics earlier in life so I could have made a positive impact in the development of PNG. It is the political leadership that determines the destiny of the country.

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People

SINGING PNG’S PRAISES NGAIIRE ON LIFE, MUSIC AND LOVE OF COUNTRY

BY PAUL CHAI | PHOTOGRAPHS: SAMARA CLIFFORD

As a young girl growing up in Lae, Ngaire Laun Joseph – now known simply by the stage name Ngaiire – would wait for her mum to return from trips to Australia with a very special gift for her. Her mum would bring one of the compilation CDs that was attached to Smash Hits teen music magazine and Ngaiire would then wear it out in her CD player, absorbing all the information that she could about the music and artists.

“I also had a Mariah Carey CD, and I would replay and replay it and try to imitate her voice. I would read the CD leaflet cover to cover and study the producers and songwriters,” she says.

For as long as she can remember, Ngaiire wanted to be a singer, but her early life was filled with a lot of moving and upheaval that, at the time, felt like distraction but would turn out to be inspiration.

From Lae she moved to New Zealand, then she moved back to Papua New Guinea to live in Rabaul, just in time for the twin eruptions of the Vulcan and Tavurvur volcanoes. She lost contact with her mother after they fled the volcanic eruption and was only reunited with her after her mum put out a call across the radio.

After meeting back up with her mother, it was back to Lae once again, then a permanent move to Australia. But throughout it all Ngaiire has maintained a deep love for her home country.

“I would say that they are the best childhood memories that one could possibly wish for,” Ngaiire says of her early life in PNG. “I remember Rabaul being paradise for me and my family. It was always filled with laughter and 20 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

Anyone who has been to PNG for a significant amount of time will know that the country gets under your skin.

Singer-songwriter Ngaiire’s music is saturated with her experiences growing up in PNG.

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 21

People weekends at the beach with my grandmother in Nonga.

“I got to experience what it felt like to be around family, and not just siblings and parents, but grandparents and aunties and uncles and cousins, and experience what it felt like to be a part of ceremonies and witness sing-sing groups; I miss that a lot.”

Not that she hasn’t been keeping herself busy.

After moving to Lismore in 2000, Ngaiire enrolled in Central Queensland University to study jazz where she discovered a love of Sarah Vaughn and Ella Fitzgerald. In 2004 Ngaiire was discovered herself, via the TV singing competition Australian Idol, which led to gigs with the band Blue King Brown and producer Paul Mac before launching her solo career.

Her first album, Lamentations, was released in 2013 and the follow up Blastoma (named for her cancer battle as a child) came in 2016.

But it is her third album, titled simply 3, that she is most proud of as it fully explores her experiences as a Papua New Guinean woman.

“Papua New Guinea completely saturates my work, I can’t get away from it because PNG is quite a mammoth entity in itself,” she says. “Anyone who has been to PNG for a significant amount of time will know that the country gets under your skin in a way that people don’t really expect, and for someone who is from PNG it is the engine room from which I draw inspiration.

“One of the things I have carried into my music is the subject around death and how we celebrate that within our cultures in PNG. I often wondered how I had this obsession, and now I know where it comes from. When I look back a lot of things are centred around celebrating the lives of people once they pass on, from art to music to kai.

“All three of my albums have at least one or two songs about people who have passed on in my family and it is my way of having that ceremony for myself here in Australia, while not being able to do that with my community and my family back in PNG.” But 3 goes even further, with Ngaiire having made research trips back to PNG to Goroka in the Eastern Highlands with the purpose of trying to capture the essence of the country in her songs – but she soon realised the mammoth task she had set herself.

“What is Papua New Guinean?” she laughs. “And how do you tell someone what that is, because PNG is 800 mini nations itself and not just one identity.

So, it became more about my journey as a Papua New Guinean woman.”

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Performing live to me is as important as breathing.

Rather than capture what PNG is, she instead focused on what it meant to her, and the result is a passionate, personal set of songs that explores everything from female sexual identity in PNG to the strong women that have always surrounded Ngaiire.

Another unexpected result was that she realised it was time for her to return home. Plans were made and then upended by COVID-19, but she still insists a return to PNG is on the cards with her husband and four-year-old son.

“I miss the heat, I have really bad psoriasis and every time I go back to PNG my skin rejoices and completely clears up,” she says. “It is one of those things that makes you go ‘I am connected to this country and even my body is telling me I must be here’.

“I miss family, I miss the drama that comes with being around family, I miss the ebbs and flows of relationship with family and the politics. It can be a headache, too, but I miss how alive PNG feels.

They (Papua New Guineans) are very much a people that live outside, and it is one of the things that I found strange when I moved to Australia. I remember saying to my mum ‘where are all the people?’ because I could not see anyone out on the streets or on their porches.”

First, however, is the chance to tour 3, after releasing it in the middle of the pandemic. Ngaiire is known for her live performances, and she is passionate about taking to the stage.

“Performing live to me is as important as breathing and it has been really difficult this past two years,” she says. “The first lockdown in Sydney we were all ‘it’s a bit exciting’ and then the reality started to kick in and I just realised how grey everything became because we self-therapise on stage.

“When I can’t get on stage and work things through, I must do it in a different way and as performers we are conduits for other people in the audience to process their emotions; and people have not been able to process that. It is like a co-dependent relationship, and it has fractured, and it will take a lot of time to get it back to where it was.”

Ngaiire’s new album 3 is available on vinyl or digital. You can buy the album and keep up with news on Ngaiire’s tours and recent information at ngaiire.com.

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 23

People

MEET THE HIRI QUEEN

BY CARMEL PILOTTI | PHOTOGRAPH: GODFREEMAN KAPTIGAU

The Hiri Hanenamo Quest is more than just a beauty pageant, it’s about cultural heritage. The 2021 Hiri Hanenamo Queen, Raila English, says it’s the greatest honour to represent her people after winning the crown in February.

“It has always been a dream to participate in the Hiri Hanenamo; my mother always dreamed of it too, so I represented both her and my step-mother as well, and their villages of Tubusereia and Pari,” English tells PNG Now. With her father from a third Motu-Koita village, Hanuabada, English, 21, feels she took home the crown for all three, albeit officially representing Pari, where she grew up.

English says that despite challenges due to her father being ill and her concern for him, she was put at ease to go through with the competition with his encouragement and blessing.

She recalls her experience working alongside the other nine Hiri Hanenamo contestants of this year’s quest, saying, although they were supposed to be rivals, the women formed strong and valuable bonds during their time together.

Taking on this obligation, she has a vision to create a 24 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

platform for the inspiration and empowerment of women, and promote opportunities to support, connect and grow women in business.

“I am motivated and enthusiastic about this because it enables us to promote our culture on a whole other level.

“The passion, the love for our culture and the traditional heritage of our ancestors is truly amazing, therefore I am putting myself out there for the future generation of women to be courageous and be willing to learn about and promote our culture.”

English has a love for the sea and hopes to work in the maritime industry, while another long-term goal is to own and run her own beach resort.

For the next year, she will represent the Motu-Koitabu people as a young spokesperson and ambassador on the public platform.

“It means so much to be the Hiri Hanenamo Queen. It means respect, courage, empowerment, acknowledgement, and an obligation to my people,” she says.

Photos of the Hiri festivities, Page 26

Raila English, crowned the 2021 Hiri Queen in February. The quest was meant to go ahead last year but was delayed because of COVID-19.

Focus

HIRI WEEKEND

THOUSANDS COME OUT TO CELEBRATE A TRADITION

BY CARMEL PILOTTI | PHOTOGRAPHS: GODFREEMAN KAPTIGAU

After being postponed late last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hiri Moale Festival finally went ahead on a sunny weekend in Port Moresby in February.

It was attended by thousands of people who watched vanagi (canoe) racing, the arrival of the lagatoi (a double-hull traditional sail boat), and the crowning of the Hiri Queen.

The lagatoi, was sailed in to Port Moresby from the coastal village of Manumanu.

The 35-man crew sailed the traditional vessel smoothly into Ela Beach, escorted by boats and jet skis of the Papua New Guinea Water Police.

Ela Beach (previously known as Era Kone) is the original port-ofcall of the historical Hiri trade expeditions.

In the old days, village women would gather at the water’s edge to receive the travellers at the end of their voyage. They would sing songs of welcome, and also of lament for those who did not return.

This spectacle was replicated at the festival, where the captain and crew were also welcomed by the chairman of the Motu-Koita Assembly, Dadi Toka Junior.

The beach was packed with local families, and some curious foreigners who blended in effortlessly with the festive crowd. Music from the main stage and boom boxes filled the 26 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

air, making the atmosphere fun and welcoming.

Festivities moved to the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium on the second day of the festival for the Hiri Hanenamo Quest.

Hiri queens from 10 MotuKoitabu villages were judged on their cultural knowledge, a performance portraying the return of the lagatoi, their dance technique, their dance technique, and their traditional tattoos.

Head judge and renowned PNG playwright, Nora Vagi-Brash, tells PNG Now: “The pageant is not about looking for a beautiful girl, it’s about culture and what they remember of our history.”

Taking home the overall title of Hiri Hanenamo 2022 was Raila English, 21, from Pari village.

She was greeted by a throng of excited supporters when she came off stage – an indication of the significance of the Hiri Queen to the Motu-Koitabu people.

Witnessing the ceremony, along with thousands of spectators, was the Governor General, Sir Bob Dadae, NCD Governor, Powes Parkop, and Managing Director of major sponsor Steamships, Rupert Bray.

Sponsors of this year’s event included PNG Air with air tickets, Digicel with smartphones and Gemini Jewellers with a gold and two silver lagatoi pendants. Total prize money was K17,500.

Above and right: Women from Manumanu village welcome a lagatoi at Ela Beach. The festival was staged in February, after being delayed in 2021 because of the pandemic.

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 27

Focus

Above: Hiri queens at the celebrations.

Right: The chairman of the Motu-Koita Assembly, Dadi Toka Junior, receives a gift of bananas from lagatoi captain (Baditauna) Guba Ume.

28 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

Above: The lagatoi Boge Bada makes its landing at Ela Beach.

Left: Spectators on the beach had great weather for the Hiri events.

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 29

Focus

Above: A dance group performing at the Hiri Hanenamo Quest.

Left: Elevala Hiri Hanenamo, Duba Aileen Hitolo receives an award for cultural knowledge.

30 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

Left: Performing the Koe for the judging event.

BSP VISA DEBIT CARD

When using your VISA Debit Card, simply 'Touch & Go' for convenient and safe contactless payments.

www.bsp.com.pg

Our Bank. Our People.

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 31

THE PORT MORESBY GUIDE CAFE CULTURE

GALLERY

☛ The PNG National Museum and Art Gallery at Waigani has artefacts from all 22 PNG provinces, some dating back to the 1800s, museumpng. gov.pg.

☛ Duffy (pictured), three locations in POM, excellent coffee, bakery items, duffypng.com. ☛ Edge by the Sea, marina outlook, alfresco, at Harbour City, facebook.com/edgebythesea. ☛ Jeanz Cafe, great vibe, at the new Gordons Plaza, gordonsplaza.com. ☛ Rainforest Cafe, surrounded by living tropical rainforest wall at The Stanley Hotel, thestanleypng.com. ☛ Deli KC, all-day, particularly good lunches poolside at the Airways Hotel, airways.com.pg.

CATCH UP

OUR FAVOURITE BURGERS

☛ Alibi Bar & Grill, a happening spot at Harbourside, great steaks, facebook. com/AlibiPNG. ☛ Port Moresby Yacht Club, where you can enjoy a sundowner as the yachts bob in the water. Non-members need to be signed in by a member, rpyc.com.pg. ☛ Mojo Social, a hip spot for after-work drinks any night of the week, facebook. com/mojosocialeatdrink.

☛ The Buffalo Burger with two beef patties, melted cheese, gherkin, caramelised onion and aioli is one of the best-loved hamburgers in Port Moresby. There are four Buffalo Burger stores in POM, including the town store in Hunter Street. The Dirty Burger now has three outlets in town (Ela Beach, Boroko and Gordons). Be sure to try the crunchy chicken burger with sweet pickles.

EATING LOCAL ☛ For traditional localstyle PNG cuisine try the Mumu restaurant (pictured) at the Hilton Hotel, hilton.com, and the Sanctuary Hotel and Spa where Chef Donald David is cooking up a storm with his aigir, thesanctuary hotelpom.com.

OUR FAVOURITE FINE DINING

☛ Bacchus Restaurant at Airways Hotel has just re-opened after extensive renovations.

OUR FAVOURITE JAPANESE

☛ The new Daikoku at Harbourside has a sizzling-hot teppanyaki menu, Tel. 7111 0425.

OUR FAVOURITE ASIAN

☛ Anna’s Kitchen, in Waigani, for Vietnamese cuisine and French pastries, Tel. 7068 1766.

OUR FAVOURITE PIZZA

☛ There’s great debate about the best pizza in POM, but we’ve settled for the pepperoni at Mojo Social in the heart of Harbour City, facebook.com/ mojosocialeatdrink. It’s K50 for eight slices of pepperoni smothered in napoli sauce and mozzarella. Highly recommended are Mr Mike’s Pizza, Enzo’s Pizza and Yellow Captain’s.

DISCLAIMER The hotels, bars, cafes, restaurants and other businesses and activities listed in this guide have been selected on merit, chosen by PNG Now writers.

32 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

☛ The Southside Fitness Centre at Koki has modern equipment and fitness classes, facebook.com/pg/ssfcpom. ☛ The Royal Port Moresby Golf Club has 18 holes, accepts non-members (there’s a dress code) and hires equipment, royalpomgolf.com. ☛ Free programs and activities from yoga to kickboxing are available through the Active City Development Program, activecityportmoresby.com.

MARKETS ☛ Laguna Hotel Craft Market (first Saturday every month), Moresby Arts Theatre Craft Market (second Saturday), POM City Market at the PNG National Museum and Art Gallery (second Saturday), Holiday Inn Craft Market (third Saturday), Ela Beach Craft Market (last

BEST OF LAE ☛ Stay at Lae International Hotel, with expansive grounds, pool, gym and restaurants, laeinterhotel. com. The Crossroads Hotel also has lush grounds, pool and restaurant, facebook. com/crossroadshotellae.

The Lae Travellers Inn provides an affordable and comfortable option, Iti.com.pg.

☛ Meet up at Soul Sista’s Cafe for great coffee, juices, burgers and pies. Located at Brian Bell Plaza in Montoro Street. Hotel Moroboe has panoramic views with fresh juices, waffles and coffee, hotelmorobe.com.

☛ Eat at Lae City Hotel, which has an excellent range of Asian and western dishes, laecityhotel. com. Classic fare and fantastic Indian dishes are served at Kokomos at the Lae International Hotel, laeinterhotel.com.

Bunga Raya, at the Golf Club, is Lae’s most famous Chinese restaurant, facebook.com/ bungarayarestaurant.com.

☛ As PNG Now went to press, plans were coming together for Laefest from May 20–28.

The week-long community event includes art, craft and environment displays, a water safety program and the Rosso Cup bike race. It is an initiative of the Lae City Authority, supported by the Lae Chamber of Commerce.

Saturday), POM City Market at the PNG National Museum and Art Gallery (second Sunday). ☛ Dates for the Harbourside Markets and Motu-Koitaba Market events are being varied due to COVID-19 restrictions. For updates see pascoegroup.com/ events.

LATE & LOUD

☛The Lamana Gold Club has a reputation as the ‘party capital’, with resident DJs, live music stations and international artists, lamanahotel.com.pg.

☛ Sundowners at Lae Yacht Club, laeyachtclub.com.pg and Lae Golf Club, Facebook. com/laegolfclub.

NATURE

☛ The Port Moresby Nature Park has 550 native animals and hundreds of plant species in beautiful gardens, and cafe, portmoresbynaturepark.org.

STAY HERE

GET PHYSICAL

☛ Ela Beach has space for joggers; the volleyball and basketball courts are free for public use.

☛ Airways Hotel, one of the best in the Pacific, close to airport, airways.com.pg. ☛ The Stanley, luxury accommodation adjacent to Vision City Mega Mall, thestanleypng.com. ☛ Hilton Port Moresby, 15 storeys of typical Hilton comfort, hilton.com. ☛ The Sanctuary Hotel and Spa, most spacious twin-share rooms in Port Moresby, handmade furniture, walk-in bird enclosure, thesanctuaryhotelpom.com. ☛ Grand Papua, a centrally located premium hotel with plenty of executive options, grandpapuahotel.com.pg. ☛ Holiday Inn Express, affordable, in Waigani, ihg.com.

The listings are not meant to be comprehensive and are not based on commercial considerations. They represent what we like.

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 33

Politics

ELECTION EXPLAINER

BY LEANNE JORARI

Every five years, one of the country’s biggest events rolls around: the Papua New Guinean national election.

When PNG Now went to press, official election dates had not been announced, but the election period will be between April and July.

And this year’s election will be an auspicious one, especially as the country and rest of the world try to live more normally with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local banks have projected a boost in the economy during the election period, predicting a surge in cash flow for goods and services during this time.

CA F E B A KERY COF F EE ROA STE R SP ECIA LTY COF F E E DUFFY CAFÉ LOCATIONS GABAKA ST, GORDONS HARBOURSIDE PRECINCT, TOWN POM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

34 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

HOW IT WORKS

The country has 45 registered political parties that will endorse 111 candidates to contest for the 89 member seats and the 22 governor seats. So, all together over 5000 candidates, including the hundreds of independents (not represented by a party), all vying for office.

THE VOTING SYSTEM

PNG uses the Westminster system, with multiple parties working together to form a coalition government after the Governor General invites the party with the highest number of elected candidates to form government.

The first-past-the-post voting system was previously used, but in 2002 the preferential voting system was enacted into law and used during the 2007 national election and 2008 local elections.

With the preferential voting system, voters have a choice of three candidates to choose from and must mark their first, second and third choices.

During eliminations, a candidate is declared elected after they receive over 50% of preference votes.

ELECTION INFORMATION

The best place to collect information about the election is to visit the PNG Electoral Commission website pngec. gov.pg or facebook.com/ pngelectoralcommission for information about candidates, where you can go to get enrolled to vote, and a lot more. Nongovernment organisations such as Transparency International also promote awareness about voting.

01 02 03 04 05 06 07

Issue of writs

Nominations open and campaign starts

Candidate nomination period

WHO CAN VOTE?

Enrolment is open to citizens of PNG who are 18 years of age or older and have lived within an electorate for six months or more.

HOW, WHERE AND WHEN TO VOTE

In past elections, voting venues have often been in the centre of a major town or city. The PNG Electoral Commission often uses public institutions to set up voting booths. At the time of going to press, polling venues for the 2022 election had yet to be announced.

THE PROCESS

The elections begin with the issuing of writs and ends when writs are returned.

End of candidate nomination

Campaign period

WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT

In the history of the nation, only seven women have served in Parliament. This low rate has prompted for the push to have reserved seats available for women in Parliament. Many, however, have opposed this proposal with the argument that all candidates should campaign and win fairly without an added advantage.

Recently, one of PNG’s most influential political figures, Enga Governor Peter Ipatas, and the party he founded, the People’s Party, endorsed four women candidates to contest all the seats in the country’s capital Port Moresby. The announcement has already made waves in the country as this is an unprecedented move.

Polling and counting period

Return of writs

THE ELECTION MACHINE

The country’s new Electoral Commissioner, Simon Sinai, oversees the country’s elections.

He will oversee engaging staff in the 22 provinces of the country, including the 89 districts of the country. The task will include the provision of vehicles, fuel and air transfer by planes and helicopters.

This will include security forces, both the PNG Defence Force and Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.

The PNG government has passed a budget of almost K600 million for the polls – K400 million for administration and K194 million for security.

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 35

Milne Bay brothers Sanakoli (foreground) and Justin John in their element.

There is a great need to teach our youth our culture.

Culture

PLAIN SAILING

BROTHERS TEACHING TRADITIONAL CANOE SKILLS Milne Bay master sailors, Justin and Sanakoli John, are famous for completing the world’s first circumnavigation of the Island of New Guinea in a traditional sailing canoe in 2017. This was a daring expedition covering 6300 kilometres and 13 months at sea that aimed to promote the country internationally and inspire the youth of PNG. PNG Now chats with Sanakoli John about the brothers’ new project, the Pasana Group.

What is the Pasana Group?

It is a canoe-building school.

We want to teach Papua New Guinean boys and girls the skills of their forefathers while promoting sustainable fishing practices.

Why are canoes important for people in Milne Bay? It is a way for us to fish and go to 36 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

market and make money. When you have a canoe, you can travel for free and feed your family. In Milne Bay culture, we also have sailau (sailing canoes) that we use in Kula trade, to exchange Bagi and Mwali necklaces.

You focus on young people.

Why is this?

We teach both youth and adults, but our country has one of the highest youth populations in the world, so there is a great need to teach them our culture, so they know where they come from and can provide for themselves.

What do your students think of the canoe classes?

People are happy and tell us they want to build a second and third canoe. And new people are asking “when will you come and teach?”

How are you implementing marine conservation in your class?

Our close-by reefs have less fish now, so we must give them a rest.

People must fish in proper ways and not target fish such as parrot fish and sharks. That’s why we wish to partner with other marine organisations.

What is next for the Pasana Group?

We want to partner with other sailing groups and are planning a yearly mini canoe festival here at Nuakata, together with the tourism authority. We have started a fundraiser on Facebook and are now looking for sponsors that will help us preserve Papua New Guinea’s cultural traditions.

Learn more about the Pasana Group at facebook.com/pasanagroup.

Culture

SURREAL VALUE

NEW IRELAND STATUE SELLS FOR K7.29M

BY RICHARD ANDREWS | PHOTOGRAPH: CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD

their preoccupation with dreams An historic winning bid of €1.8 and worlds beyond reality. million (K7.29 million) for a “Dreams played a key role in ceremonial wooden statue has the Surrealist philosophy,” says drawn international attention to Christie’s African and Oceanic art the significance of New Ireland’s specialist, Victor Teodorescu. culture and its influence on “Surrealists found the Western art. confirmation of their own artistic Sold by Christie’s auction house approach, based on the reality in Paris, the 140-centimetre Uli of dreams and not on rational figure led sales among Papua thoughts,” he says. “They saw New Guinean statues, masks and in these sculptures a source decorative objects in a recordof inspiration for the breaking auction of African fundamental departure masks and Oceanic works from the Western of art. traditions of rationality The statue was part of and logic.” an early 20th century Carvings in the British collection by Wilhelm Museum particularly Carl Friedrich Wostrack, fascinated Henry a German colonial Moore, considered officer stationed in one of the most Namatanai. Other important collectors included 20th century Franz Boluminski, artists. Closely stationed in connected with Kavieng, who the Surrealists, donated more Moore began than a thousand studying Malangan pieces New Ireland to German sculptures in the museums.

1920s and they Their boxes of became a strong artefacts and wild influence on his tales back home colleagues. helped spread The European interest movement’s in New Ireland’s leader, Andre art beyond the Breton, and ethnographers.

The 140-centimetre Uli other prominent The elaborate, statue that was sold by members owned multi-meaning Christie‘s auction house and exchanged sculptures appealed in Paris.

New Ireland statues to the Surrealists and

The statue was part of a collection

by Wilhelm Carl Friedrich Wostrack, a German colonial officer stationed in Namatanai. used in funerary and fertility rites.

A century later, New Ireland’s influence continues.

Controversial New York artist Jeff Koons melted down a collection of 67 guns owned by Hollywood actor Sean Penn to create Uli – a metal sculpture inspired by an original Uli statue.

According to the story, Penn was persuaded to give up his arsenal about seven years ago, when he was dating fellow Oscar-winner Charlize Theron, an anti-gun activist.

(Ironically, she later played Furiosa, the heavily armed War Captain in the Mad Max movie Fury Road.)

Commissioned by Penn, Koons’ sculpture was sold at a charity auction for K4.94 million ($US1.4 million). Not bad, but well short of the real thing.

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 37

Food

COOKING CLASS

BACK TO SCHOOL FOR PNG’S BUDDING CHEFS

BY CARMEL PILOTTI | PHOTOGRAPHS: GODFREEMAN KAPTIGAU

We encourage creativity and give them (the student chefs) space to use local ingredients.

CHEF CHRISTOPHER LOKEI

Being on top of your game is vital in the highly competitive food industry, which demands an elite level of creativity and innovation.

At the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC) in Port Moresby, commercial cookery trainer Chef Christopher Lokei aims to equip his students with the confidence required to re-enter the trade with new vigour and preparedness.

“Candidates are not newbies,” he says. “They’ve had some form of experience as dishwashers or line cooks, so they have an idea on the 38 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

basic operation of a kitchen – what we do is nudge them in the right direction.”

There are 25 study units, completed over six months, undertaken by students to give them the knowledge to operate in a commercial food environment.

One of the units even teaches them skills in high culinary art.

“We show them modern techniques so they are right up there with global trends,” Chef Christopher says.

“An oven, for example, is thought

Above: Chef Christopher Lokei.

Above left: One of the students plating up a meal at the cooking school.

Right: PNG students are dishing up meals that are right up there with global trends. This one is beef fillet with sweet potato fondant, roast root vegetables and a red wine reduction.

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 39

Food

Top: A dessert of fried guava pie with miso caramel butter and sour cream ice cream.

Above: A student in the kitchen pays attention to detail at the APTC cookery school.

40 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

of in terms of baking and roasting but if you understand your equipment you can also steam in the oven, proof your breads and you can sous vide (the process of vacuum-sealing food in a bag, then cooking it to a very precise temperature in a water bath), which is trending in many kitchens around the world.

There are tasting events open to the public at the APTC’s Aria Restaurant throughout the year where you can try some of the culinary school’s finest creations.

I sampled octopus soused at 77 degrees in a sealed bag packed with various seasonings for five hours. The octopus was lightly grilled and served with a breadfruit puree and coconut.

The breadfruit, usually smoked on open coals or cut up and fried in Papua New Guinea, was used in this dish as a puree.

“It’s just something the guys (students) came up with,” Chef Christopher says. “We try to get a hint of localisation in there; we encourage creativity and give them space to use local ingredients.”

For dessert, I sampled guava pie served with miso caramel butter and sour cream ice cream – a local twist to the pear pie, with an ingredient abundant in the country.

Getting apprentices ready for the workforce goes beyond skill and creativity for Chef Christopher.

“As a Papua New Guinean, I put a lot of effort on mind set – we do industry consultation and we often hear that there are absenteeism and punctuality issues. So we emphasise to our students that they need the right mind set for this profession,” he tells PNG Now. “If someone is not cut out for this industry, they’ll stick out like a sore thumb – there are a lot of stars here; they just need to be moulded,” he says.

Food

REVIEW

BOOTLESS BAY RESTAURANT LOLOATA ISLAND RESORT

BY ROBERT HAMILTON-JONES | PHOTOGRAPHS: SUPPLIED BY LOLOATA

Port Moresby’s very own island retreat serves up an authentic Indian feast.

I had last visited Loloata Island Resort 15 years earlier, and the contrast could not have been starker. On my original visit, the place was all about the world-class diving – the island is surrounded by no less than 29 separate dive sites – but the facilities were basic and somewhat tired.

In 2019 it was transformed into a luxury island resort with its natural assets complemented by tasteful accommodation (including waterfront suites and over-water villas), three conference rooms and great food.

The resort’s main all-day restaurant, the Bootless Bay, is in the elegant main resort building.

This is not just open plan, but also open air to make the most of the island setting. The atmosphere is relaxed and informal, but also calm and comfortable.

Head chef John Gomes was born in India, so it is no surprise there is an enticing ‘Indian and Tandoor’ section on the menu. We decided to share the tandoori chicken tikka and the butter chicken.

Though the latter was specifically recommended, I was a bit hesitant as this dish can often be sweet and bland. Here, on the contrary, it had a rich, fresh flavour deriving from a subtle blend of spices, and just a touch of heat. Cooked in an authentic Indian clay pot tandoor, the chicken tikka was

Above left: Butter chicken.

Above right: Loloata’s pool area outside the restaurant. Left: A chicken katti roll.

TEL. 710 88000 ONLINE loloataislandresort.com OPEN: Daily. Breakfast 7–10am.

Lunch: 12–2.30pm. Dinner 6–10pm.

STYLE Relaxed open-plan resort setting. The menu is wide-ranging, but the Indian dishes are the star of the show.

GO-TO DISH Butter chicken BYO No PRICES Indian dishes K49–69; pizza K55; burgers K65; baos K39; softshell tacos K40; desserts K39.

succulent and as good as I’ve had.

Vegetarians are also well catered for with the mixed veg curry and the yellow dal tadka.

The rest of the menu is wideranging, from pizzas and burgers to salads and tacos, while incorporating local ingredients like barramundi, seafood and fresh vegetables.

Given everything Loloata has going for it, the food did not need to be quite this good, so I was even more impressed that it was.

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 41

Sport

FORMER KUMUL JOINS HUNTERS

BY ROBERT UPE | PHOTOGRAPH: SUPPLIED BY SP PNG HUNTERS

Retired rugby league great Tommy Butterfield is playing an important off-field role for the SP PNG Hunters this season.

Butterfield was appointed as the team’s Head of Football Operations in late February, after calling time on his highly decorated playing career last year.

He spoke to PNG Now about his new role, and life after retirement as a player.

What does your new role involve?

I’m working in the background to ensure the football department can focus solely on preparation and games, and day-to-day support for the players when required.

What did you learn from your playing career that will help you in this role?

The ability to relate to players and understanding the ups and down of rugby league.

Are you based in Queensland with the team?

I am fortunate to live in Redcliffe, so I am operating from the Gold Coast Performance Centre where the team is staying for this year’s competition.

What has it been like transitioning from player to management?

While I was playing, I completed a bachelor’s degree

TOMMY BUTTERFIELD THE PLAYER

☛ PNG Test debut for the Kumuls in 2017 ☛ Four Queensland Cup grand final appearances for Redcliffe Dolphins and Easts Tigers ☛ Stepped back from rugby league in 2018 to focus on his career in aged care and diversional therapy ☛ Returned to the Queensland Cup to play two games for the Hunters in 2021

42 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

Along with his success as a player, Tommy brings with him more than 10 years of experience working in managerial capacity in residential care. He has a unique skillset and will be an asset to the club.

SP PNG HUNTERS CEO, SCOTT BARKER

Tommy Butterfield, Head of Football Operations for the Hunters.

in Sport and Exercise Science, which ultimately led to my first job in aged care (in Queensland) as a diversional therapist. This led to me implementing and coordinating a wellness centre for seniors. After four years I transitioned into managing a retirement village, which led to my last role as village general manager. My upbringing with my family in Alotau and the values that I followed throughout my football career have supported my progression in my working life. The opportunity to be a part of the PNG Hunters is an opportunity too good to refuse. The values, vision and leadership in place at the Hunters cemented my decision.

How tough on the players is the relocation to Queensland?

The players and staff have made a big sacrifice to relocate to Runaway Bay for the entire season, so it’s important they have support.

Butterfield in action during his playing days.

PNG Now: What are your expectations and hopes for the team this season?

To cultivate a good vibe around the team and for the playing group to be happy and proud of its performances.

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 43

Sport

LOCKER ROOM CHAT HIRI HIRI CRICKETER

BY LEMACH LAVARI | PHOTOGRAPH: LEMACH LAVARI

Making the Papua New Guinean team to play Bangladesh in PNG’s first ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup tournament is something that all-rounder Hiri Hiri says he will “cherish forever”.

Hiri was part of the Barramundis team, which for the first time ever qualified for an ICC T20 Cricket World Cup, hosted last year in Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

Hiri Hiri on …

The highlight for me was catching former Bangladesh skipper, Mushfiqur Rahim for five runs. I was fielding at deep square, and he belted the ball towards me.

It popped out of my hand, but I was able to grab it and make the catch.

The vibe of World Cup cricket is different, and I was a bit nervous when I was up to bat, but after my first run I was able to shake off the nerves and continue playing my game.

Before every big match I get a teammate to bowl at me so that I can go over my shots.

FOR THE RECORD

If we’re fielding, I get to bowl at a teammate. This helps prepare me mentally before I go onto the pitch.

When I first represented PNG, I was part of the PNG Under 17 team, the Hebou Geckos, at the 2012 ICC East Asia Pacific Region Junior Championship in Fiji.

The dream to one day become a Barramundi was something that motivated me to work hard on improving my game. I started playing cricket around the age of 10, playing in the street with other kids in my community; also, watching cricket on TV influenced me a lot. I loved watching India’s Sachin Tendulkar, and would try to copy him whenever I had a bat in my hand.

To achieve anything, we must have role models or people who we can aspire to become like; this helps us dream and I think that is important.

Name: Hiri Hiri Age: 26

Local competition: Port Moresby Cricket Association Local club: Hoods Cricket Club Favourite PNG food: Rice and Ox & Palm corned beef Favourite PNG musician: Steve Lahui

44 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

The Barramundis are currently in training for ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup qualifiers, scheduled for July.

Fitness

GET PHYSICAL

LOOK GOOD, FEEL GREAT WITH THIS WATER WORKOUT

BY BRONWEN GORA

Water workouts are right in style in America, and Papua New Guineans can get into the act with the Poolfit app designed by Florida-based fitness professional Mark Grevelding.

“People who work out in water can exercise longer and with more intensity,” says Grevelding. “This improves muscular endurance and stamina, which helps you to move better.”

Other benefits can include fast-tracked weight loss, increased cardiovascular health, and improved core strength and bone density.

SIX SIMPLE WATER WORKOUTS Warm up walking in waist-deep water as fast as possible for five minutes. Throw in some high knee steps and walk backwards.

01

Sidestep for 20 steps in one direction, then return. Do two sets for a total of 80 steps and increase as you get fitter.

02

Jump as high as you can in waist-deep water. Start with 20 jumps and rest for 20 seconds.

Repeat three times for a total of 60 jumps and increase as you get fitter.

03

Tread water using legs and arms for 20 seconds, and rest for 20 seconds. Repeat three times and increase as you get fitter.

04

Get the app

The Poolfit app is a globalfirst, instructor-led, fitness streaming service/app that delivers aquatic exercise routines for all fitness levels.

Follow any of Poolfit’s 115 professional in-water workouts performed by professional instructors. Download from the App Store, Google Play or poolfit.tv. First month free, then US$15.95 per month.

Cancel anytime.

Where to make a splash

If you don’t have access to a private pool at an apartment or hotel, head for Taurama Aquatic & Indoor Centre.

Check with the centre on opening times for the pool because they have been affected by COVID-19.

Workouts can also be done at the beach. Head to your favourite strip of sand and quiet water, such as that at Tutu Beach Resort.

Holding a kickboard, kick up and down the pool. Start with 150 metres and work up from there. You can alternate kicking styles with a flutter kick with legs extended, and a frog kick, which replicates how a frog swims.

05

Do some laps. Try breaststroke or freestyle.

Swim 50 metres, rest for 20 seconds and repeat five times.

06

Any new fitness program should be started under supervision of/with advice from a qualified instructor, or a doctor if there are health conditions.

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 45

Motoring

FIRST ELECTRIC CARS ON PNG STREETS

BY RUBY GAMOGA | VAN PHOTOGRAPH: SUPPLIED BY ASTRA SOLAR

Papua New Guinea’s first plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) – two cargo vans and a passenger bus – have appeared on the streets of Port Moresby.

The vehicles have passed test drives with flying colours.

“We were really impressed,” says Christian Lohberger, founder of clean energy company Astra Solar, which imported the Keyton cars in March under a partnership with Leasemasters PNG, local operator of the global Hertz car rental franchise.

“We drove down Poreporena Freeway and up Dauga Drive at Touaguba Hill, one of the steepest roads in Port Moresby. There were no problems at all,” he says.

In fact, the EVs were lighter, had no smells or toxic fumes and had better acceleration than petrolpowered vehicles, he says. Even a road trial with the addition of 500-kilogram steel weights surprisingly didn’t impede performance.

“It was actually harder moving all the weights in and out than it was to drive the car,” jokes Lohberger.

He says PNG drivers won’t want to return to petrol cars once they have tried an EV. PNG is inching closer to the possibility of more EVs on the streets as they already look set to become the norm in places such as China and Europe by as early as 2030.

“It’s just a more enjoyable experience,” Lohberger says of driving an EV. One of the features of the EVs is regenerative braking, an energy-saving mechanism that allows the EV to use the wasted energy from the process of slowing down to top up its battery charge. “You can drive up Poreporena Freeway and use 2% of your charge and then when you coast back down, using only gravity, you can recoup almost as much,” Lohberger explains.

There is also the possibility, much further down the line, of bi-directional charging, where the EV is used to power households, in the event of a blackout.

Lohberger says: “An EV is basically a huge battery with wheels and a motor. So, we see a situation

46 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

We drove along one of the steepest roads in Port Moresby. There were no problems at all. In fact, the cars were lighter, had no smells or toxic fumes and had better acceleration than petrolpowered vehicles. where someone with an EV drives to work in the morning and then plugs it into their power point so it charges up. Then they drive home at night and plug it into the house. If the power goes off, they switch to the EV and run from that, even for the whole night, while still having enough to get back to work in the morning.”

Not only is this cleaner and more efficient, but the cost savings over time are also huge since oilpowered generators are expensive to run, especially with oil barrel prices now at record levels.

EVs are particularly useful for rural areas where only hydropower or solar is present and it’s difficult to

Above: One of the first electric vehicles in Port Moresby.

Opposite: Electric vehicles are expected to be the norm in Europe by 2030, but already in Paris there are numerous charging stations.

bring truckloads of diesel in. “There are also security issues around storing diesel, with people trying to steal it. EVs eliminate all that,” says Lohberger.

It is all very early days but with the government’s recent repeal of tariffs on EV imports to support the transition to a greener economy, PNG car dealers, many of whom represent brands that already have EVs in their line, may soon introduce them to markets.

Lohberger says the cargo vans may retail for under K100,000, which is comparable to a petrol vehicle of the same make and performance. The cost of a ‘full tank’ might also be under K50, for use over three to four days.

For now, though, with PNG just at the beginning of the transition to EVs, Astra Solar and Leasemasters PNG will import the cars to rent out to corporate clients, especially those with a sustainability focus and extensive delivery needs. “What we’ll do is lease the cars to them, initially for six months, and they will operate them in their fleet,” Lohberger says.

“We’ll install a battery charger at their compound or warehouse, and we’ll handle all the maintenance.”

The cost for this lease, which is inclusive of hire, maintenance, insurance and registration, might be K4000 per month, which, though 30% more than for a similar petrol model, can be offset markedly in the savings in fuel and maintenance over the car’s lifetime.

Furthermore, the environmental and health benefits, at a time when the world is reeling from the effects of climate change and a pandemic, more than make up for the jump. Use of EVs in Southern California, it has been proven, have led to a 4% reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions, one cause of acid rain and respiratory issues.

There are no plans at this stage to sell direct to consumers, Lohberger says. He is working as part of the government’s new eMobility taskforce to develop policies and regulations to encourage the use of EVs, with support from the Climate Change and Development Authority. The taskforce has stakeholders in the Department of Transport, PNG Power, The National Energy Authority and the private sector.

Lohberger adds: “One of the concerns for new EV drivers is being stuck somewhere and not being able to charge, which is why we’re focusing now just on the commercial market, as they generally know where they’re going and how long they’re going to be driving for.”

However, they are in talks with petrol stations and major supermarkets to see if chargers can be installed at their outlets to help that issue. “This way, people can do their shopping and have a reserved carpark where they can charge their car – maybe for free,” Lohberger says. “This’ll be good for them and supermarkets, too, because it attracts customers.”

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 47

HOMEWARES

| KIT HOMES | LOANS

51

THE JOYS OF BUYING A HOUSE

50

KIT HOMES, POPULAR AND AFFORDABLE

52

GADGETS, FURNITURE & TRENDS FOR HOMEMAKERS

54 54

WHAT YOU NEED FOR A HOME LOAN NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 49

Home/Kit & Prefabricated Designs

EASYBUILD HOMES

BY CARMEL PILOTTI / PHOTOGRAPHS: GODFREEMAN KAPTIGAU

Kit, modular and prefabricated homes have been a blessing for many Papua New Guineans over the years.

With the high cost of living, the ease of obtaining your dream home with these quicker building options at a lower cost is attractive.

They have also suited the common trend in the country of buying blocks of land and building later.

Also attractive is the wide range of designs that can be modified to one’s preference or to suit the number of family members, or type of family.

Home buyers with access to builders are opting for kit homes, and many more who do not are going for factory in-built modular homes that take just over a month to assemble.

50 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

Atlas Steel kit homes are solid and built to last. You can see them on display.

Atlas Steel’s very popular modular and kit homes come with steel frames, which the company says give homes a longer and maintenance-free life, with steel being fire resistant, durable and impervious to termites and the elements.

The lavish interiors are fitted with timber. The cabinetry is done

by Fletcher Morobe, with glass

The construction of prefab homes takes place on a factory floor, which is quality controlled.

from Quality Glass & Aluminium.

Atlas Steel also provides a variety of kit homes for different budget ranges, even village-style low-set homes, which are now on display at the company’s Cameron Road display site.

For homebuyers who prefer allwood structures, the PNG Forest Products NiuHomes range is the most extensive, with a whopping 30 models to choose from.

Three kit home categories cater for differing budgets, with the Residential at the top of the range, Suburban for affordable urban living, and the Haus Ples variety for rural or village living.

Rhodes PNG offers prefabricated homes, which have the bonus of being easily assembled without qualified builders.

But worry not about your house falling apart: with prefabrication, it is easy to maintain high construction standards.

Rhodes General Manager, David Cusick, reinforced this assurance at a Hausples Real Estate show where he said that most of the construction of prefab homes takes place on a factory floor, which is quality controlled.

Home/Buying

THE JOYS OF BUYING A HOUSE

BY RUBY GAMOGA | PHOTOGRAPHS: DANIEL WALA

Ten years after starting cake and catering business Tapioca Delight, couple Sioni and Ginia Sialis now have something else to their name: a beautiful three-bedroom home in the peaceful suburb of Edai Town.

The drawcards to living at Edai are proximity to work, security and cleanliness. Adds Ginia: “Visitors aren’t allowed into the residential, gated area if occupants don’t notify the guard.” Guards patrol regularly, so there is little worry of people breaking in and stealing – a marked difference to life in the city.

Another contrast is the lack of buai corner markets, an eyesore on many urban streets. “You can have a home-based business, but it must be inside the house.

No stalls are allowed outside,” Ginia explains. This adds to the quietness, because residents can be assured there will be no rowdy crowds around their premises.

The new homeowners moved in last September, 11 months after they paid a refundable deposit.

Their Edai unit has become their sanctuary and place of rest after a hectic workday.

“It’s just a relaxing feeling – unlike living in the same property with the business in Boroko,” says Ginia. “The business was always there. I would work until 2am the next day just preparing orders. It never stopped. Now there is that cutoff.”

Top: Sioni and Ginia Sialis outside their three-bedroom home in Edai Town. Left: The compact kitchen and dining area of the home. On the ‘Home’ section cover: Sioni and Ginia Sialis in their lounge area.

Of course, the couple doesn’t regret putting in the time to grow Tapioca into a successful business, with almost 25,000 followers across social media.

The business success allowed them to save for their house.

In 2018, they committed to living debt-free, paying off all outstanding loans and cutting back on unnecessary expenses so they could start planning for their home.

They were, as a result, able to pay the 10% equity upfront under the BSP First Home Ownership Scheme. ”The three secrets to our

success are our Christian faith, doing what we love, and financial discipline,” says Sioni.

Their open-plan unit came fully furnished with brown and white goods, but they added, among other things, floor-to-ceiling oatmeal-coloured curtains, airconditioning, and a back patio.

Century 21 Siule, their real estate agent, was important in this as they arranged inspections to help them get precise measurements for furnishings.

The new residents have plans to decorate further and want to add paintings to the off-white walls.

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 51

Home/Trends

HOME DECOR 10 HOT ITEMS

BY RUBY GAMOGA | PHOTOGRAPHS: DEAN AREK & SUPPLIED BY BRIAN BELL & FAIRPRICE

In a world where the home has become a place of rest, work and play, Papua New Guineans have been eager to make their houses work for them with everything from luxe furnishings to smart cooking appliances.

“They are buying bigger and smarter because the price point allows them to,” says Bill Doa Neill, Business Development Manager of Brian Bell Group, which has a good range of economical home brands.

PNG Now also talks to other companies in the home decor space, such as FairPrice Furnishing and Electrical, houseplant supplier Kako Cleaning and Beautification Services, and paint manufacturer and supplier Dulux to see what’s trending with the PNG homeowner market.

03 INDOOR PLANTS

01 SOFT FURNISHINGS

Linen sheets, throws and floralpatterned pillows remain popular, but rugs have been the star performer, says Neill.

“They have really picked up,” he says.

Christopher Elphick, a director at FairPrice, agrees that rugs are a popular seller.

02 BEDROOM FURNITURE

Indoor plants not only improve air quality and ventilation, but they can also help people feel more connected to nature. Winsome Nenewa, owner of Kako, says the crawling philodendron, the curiously named mother-inlaw’s tongue, the shade-loving polyscias and the arrowhead-shaped alocasia are in right now.

While the iconic K99 mattresses at FairPrice are still a hit, customers are also now going for bed ensembles that include headboards and nightstands. Neill says: “Ensembles really give you that full look.” While Brian Bell sells them as a kit, FairPrice gives you the option to customise your bedroom – whether that’s a TV cabinet, a wardrobe or bedside table – to the same colour as your bedframe. Middle-income Papua New Guineans are increasingly blending style and comfort, even if it costs more.

52 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

04 EXERCISE GEAR

The pandemic has highlighted the importance of health. According to Neill, treadmills are “flying off the walls” at Brian Bell.

He says the company had to start sourcing treadmills from an alternative international supplier because regular suppliers could not keep up with demand.

05 SMART COOKING APPLIANCES

It is no secret that Papua New Guineans love their food, and now they are also embracing modern kitchen gadgets such as air fryers. “They aspire to go to the kitchen and have the right products, at the push of a button,” Neill says. Brian Bell is meeting this demand with home brands such as Haus and Integrity.

06 SMART DEVICES

Other home brands Brian Bell has introduced are Starvision TVs and Staraudio boomboxes – both of which cater strongly to the increasing clamour for home entertainment options. “Our 19inch (Integrity) TVs, at K375, are the most popular,” says Neill.

09 BABY RANGE

07 WORK-AT-HOME EQUIPMENT

FairPrice says there has been an increase in sales of sewing machines (from K899) and chest freezers (from K899). “People have bought freezers to make and sell block-ice and sewing machines to make meri blouses or facemasks,” Elphick says.

Office desks have been another popular item for the home during the pandemic.

08 SHOE RACKS

Shoe racks are a surprise big seller at FairPrice. “Sometimes we are surprised by the popularity of home variety items we trial,” Elphick says. FairPrice shoe racks retail for K89.

The first world may have experienced a baby bust during the pandemic, caused by greater anxiety around futures and jobs, but if FairPrice’s baby furniture range Sweet Cherry is anything to go by, the story is different in PNG. There has been big demand for toy cars, baby bouncers, prams and cot playpens from FairPrice.

10 PAINTS

Dulux says that classic, muted off-white is a popular choice for interior walls, internal and external doors, trims and handrails. Offwhite is versatile because it goes with many decoration options. This domestic trend is also consistent with commercial clients.

Some photos used in this article are indicative only. Check in-store for actual styles and models.

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 53

Home/Finance & New Developments

NEW HOUSING IN THE PIPELINE

BY CARMEL PILOTTI | PHOTOGRAPH: GODFREEMAN KAPTIGAU

This year may be the start of a good period for potential home buyers in Port Moresby, with more housing developments in the pipeline.

Hausples General Manager, Tom Snelling, tells PNG Now that the National Housing Commission’s affordable homes project, Duran Farm, is back on track, with an MoU signed last December with five developers.

Snelling says there will be about 2000 allotments at the K7 million development at 8 Mile, with home prices ranging from K200,000 to K500,000.

Another 2200 houses will be coming onto the market over the next few years with the Tuhava

New housing developments, like the already-established Edai Town, are on the way for Port Moresby.

Town development at Napanapa, with prices ranging from K299,000 to K550,000.

“All houses are built with steel frames using modern materials.

Tuhava Town is a community based project which has a pool, bar, restaurant and beach front (among other facilities), and will have its own shops,” Snelling says.

Located on the Napanapa Road, a 30-minute drive out of Port

Moresby, the area is surrounded by retail shops and residential areas, making it safe and convenient.

Valkyrie Estate, at 8 Mile, has proved to be a hit, with properties already sold out – phase two is set to come online in the second quarter of this year.

Popular with small PNG families is the K480,000 two-bedroom high-set house on a 396 square metre plot. A three-bedroom high-set houses on a 396 square metre plot is K575,000.

WHAT YOU NEED TO GET A HOME LOAN

BY CARMEL PILOTTI

Mortgage broker Nou Asigau, of Asigau Mortgage Brokers, says there are three standard requirements to qualify for a home loan: security, serviceability and equity. If these requirements are met, lenders will look favourably on approving a loan.

“For a first-time home buyer, it is advisable to maintain your borrowing below K500,000,” he says. “This qualifies borrowers for first-time home loan rates

54 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

from lenders, and also exempts borrowers from stamp duty obligations within the confines of IRC’s approval.”

He says, for assessment against income, it is banking standard not to exceed 40% of your net income.

The minimum equity requirement for residential or personal occupation home loans is 10%.

Asigau says it is advisable to put in a little more in equity than required, as this reduces

the debt so that you can clear the loan quicker.

Home loan sources include BSP and Kina Bank.

BSP’s First Home Ownership Loan is the lowest fixed rate per annum at 4%, with a 10% equity requirement. A 1% establishment fee will also be charged by the bank.

Kina Bank has two loans suitable for first home buyers.

The standard home loan has a variable interest rate of 5.95% and the fixed home loan has a fixed rate of 5.47% for the first three years.

SCAM

ALERT!

Beware of online scams.

Learn how to protect your personal and financial information from online scams.

Westpac will never ask for your personal details.

Protect your personal information by;

• • • •

Always making sure your computer has up-to-date security software.

Password protect your computer when browsing Do not save credit card details on your browser Carefully research software before downloading them onto your computer.

MONEY | BUSINESS | REAL ESTATE | WORK

58

FUEL PRICES UP

Why we’re paying more at the petrol bowser

59

A ‘NEW’ BANK FOR PNG?

61

A BUZZ IN THE AIR

Credit Corporation aims for new territory

62

AT WORK WITH …

Dulux customer service manager Gertrude Kautu

Big plans for PNG honey

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 57

PNG Moni/News

PNG BUSINESS AT A GLANCE

BY STAFF WRITERS

Oil price rises hit PNG The rising price of oil will have a significant impact on Papua New Guinea this year, according to an industry expert.

“The movement up in oil prices is being felt around the world,” observes Hulala Tokome, PNG Country Manager and Director at Puma Energy, PNG’s largest oil importer and refiner.

There are several reasons behind the price rise, he says. The most obvious is the increased global uncertainty caused by Russia’s

Gas impact With Russia supplying 38% of the European Union’s gas market, the invasion of Ukraine may also have consequences for liquefied natural gas, PNG’s largest commodity export.

Analysts Wood Mackenzie are predicting “the invasion … will push the EU to question its dependency on Russian gas. New supply will take time to materialise and will see higher prices in the medium term. But LNG players in the US, Qatar and beyond are starting to gear up; as are pipe suppliers from Azerbaijan, the East Med (Mediterranean) and Norway.”

Given its distance from the 58 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

invasion of Ukraine.

But, he says, there were already pre-existing upward pressures on the oil price before the current conflict.

Tokome says Puma expects the oil price to continue its rise this year, driving up the price not only of petrol and diesel in PNG, but also aviation fuel.

“Locally, we’ve seen the price of fuel jump up by nearly 50 toea per litre just over the last couple of months,” he says. ‘It is most likely it will jump up by another 15 to 20 toea per litre,” he predicted in early March.

EU and the fact that most of its current gas is pre-sold to Asian markets, it is unlikely that PNG will suddenly find itself shipping gas to Europe. However, as David Lennox, Resources Analyst with Fat Prophets, says, the impact of an extended conflict in Ukraine could indirectly affect PNG’s gas sector.

A higher gas price, if sustained, would inevitably “bring about the faster development of not-so-commerciallyviable fields and trains”, he says. At the same time, if the EU switches from Russia to other large gas exporters such as Qatar, “this opens up other markets (such as PNG) to increase capacity”.

GDP growth The World Bank has published The PNG Economic Update: Navigating a Fragile Recovery and suggests the PNG gross domestic product (GDP) growth is estimated at 4% for 2022.

The growth is, in part, driven by the resources sector, in particular the much-expected reopening of the Porgera mine.

But whereas GDP growth looks better than in 2021, the report also says PNG’s economy medium-term will be “impacted by higher global uncertainty”.

“The biggest challenge for the PNG economy this year will be navigating a fragile recovery; this is particularly challenging while uncertainty remains high,” says World Bank Country Economist for PNG, Ruslan Piontkovsky.

Credit Corp banks on the future After over 42 years as a finance company in PNG, Credit Corporation (PNG) is planning to apply for a banking licence this year.

CEO Danny Robinson is focusing on taking Credit Corporation into new territory. “Our board have signed off on us becoming a licensed bank,” he reveals.

Currently, PNG only has four licensed banks – BSP, Kina Bank, Westpac and ANZ. That number almost became three last year, when Kina Bank unsuccessfully tried to acquire Westpac’s Pacific assets, in a deal ultimately rejected by PNG’s Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC).

Credit Corporation was a bidder for the Westpac business itself. It was also one of several organisations that opposed the buyout in its submission to the ICCC on the grounds that it would create a duopoly.

Now, it has decided to add to the competition in the banking sector by joining the fray itself.

“What we’ve done well in the past is we’ve banked the unbankable customer who is starting up a business but has been unable to get finance.

We’ve been able to support those people with equipment finance-type transactions and we’ve seen those businesses succeed.”

Typically, however, that is when those customers move on to a relationship with a bank.

“The natural progression for us is to continue to support start-ups through our typical finance products. But then, when they’re in a position to borrow larger amounts, or for longer terms, and can provide security, we can offer them a more holistic financial services package that would be similar to what the banks are providing.”

Robinson is hoping to have a banking license in place by the end of the year.

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 59

PNG Moni/CEO Survey

BUSINESS LEADERS HAVE THEIR SAY ON THE YEAR AHEAD Is this year going to be a good year for business in PNG? Are there going to be more jobs on offer, or less? Justin Smirk, Senior Economist at Westpac, has analysed the results of the PNG 100 CEO Survey, an annual survey that reveals how positive (or negative) PNG’s business leaders are feeling about the year ahead. He reveals his discoveries to PNG Now.

What is the PNG 100 CEO Survey?

Every year since 2012, Business Advantage International (publisher of this magazine) has asked the heads of PNG’s top companies about their expectations for the year ahead, and the major challenges they face.

I then analyse the survey’s results for Westpac.

The results give us an idea of how confident business leaders are about making profits, employing more people and investing more money in PNG’s economy.

The results also tell us which challenges are preventing businesses from doing better.

What do the results of this year’s survey tell us?

They tell us that PNG’s largest companies are more confident about business in 2022 than they have been for two years, which is encouraging.

Just over half expect to make more profits in 2022 than they did last year. Nearly half are expecting to invest more money in PNG this year than they did last year and employ more people.

Hardly any of them are planning to cut jobs.

60 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

PNG’s largest companies are more confident about business in 2022 than they have been for two years, which is encouraging. Just over half expect to make more profits in 2022 than last year.

COVID-19 restrictions, which What challenges are came fifth in this year’s survey. business leaders telling us they are facing?

Are the top challenges the There are some challenges that same every year, or do they always appear high up in the change? survey, such as the law-and-order The top challenges do change situation and unreliable utilities and sometimes because (power and water). things are improving in The top challenges mentioned PNG. For example, unreliable in this year’s survey were telecommunications were named ‘regulatory uncertainty’ the top challenge in 2019 but this (concerns about year were only eighth. changes to the laws and The shortage of foreign regulations that affect currency (US dollars) was business), law and order, the top issue in 2020, and ‘lack of government but this year was only capacity’ (concerns sixth. about the government’s On the other hand, ability to perform the regulatory uncertainty roles business needs it wasn’t even mentioned Justin Smirk, to do). in the survey four years Senior All these challenges ago and now it’s the top Economist were rated as more concern for PNG’s largest for Westpac. important right now than businesses.

PNG Moni/Agribusiness

A BUZZ IN THE AIR

BY GABRIELLA MUNOZ

Helping Hand Honey Producers (HHHP), Papua New Guinea’s second-largest honey producer, has long-term goals to increase honey production to meet rising local demand and to also export.

The business model of HHHP, based in Goroka in the Eastern Highlands Province, involves empowering rural families to produce ‘liquid gold’ for its Mountain Honey brand.

According to Managing Director Kelly Inae, this involves the company providing quality beekeeping training to farmers in the Highlands and Momase

He says imported regions, who can honey remains a then derive a competitor, but he steady income from explains that the apiculture. ongoing campaign So far, HHHP has ‘Support Local SMEs’ trained over 3000 bee is helping local honey. and honey farmers in PNG honey has PNG, Inae says. the potential to For its innovative earn a presence in business model, the international HHHP has won market, too, but Inae numerous awards, Kelly Inae with some says the industry including the ‘liquid gold’ in hand. requires additional 2021 Sustainable financial and technical Development Goals assistance.

Enterprise Award presented Inae is positive about the future. by the Junior Chamber “Despite the challenges posed International in Hong Kong.

by COVID-19, the awards have According to Inae, Papua New helped to put our business in the Guineans consume about 200 spotlight. We’re getting a lot of tonnes of honey per year. “Local interest from locals who want to honey producers can only supply be a part of our next beekeeping about 150 tonnes of honey per training.” year,” he explains.

APRIL/MAY 2022 PNG NOW 61

PNG Moni/CV

AT WORK WITH

CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER GERTRUDE KAUTU

BY AMY JONES | PHOTOGRAPH: GODFREEMAN KAPTIGAU

Gertrude Kautu, Dulux Group PNG’s Customer Service Manager, has just celebrated her 20-year anniversary with the company. She is responsible for overseeing customer service teams in Port Moresby and Lae. Dulux is PNG’s leading paint manufacturer and supplier. Globally, the Dulux Group has around 4000 employees and is responsible for some of the world’s most recognised brands.

Gertrude Kautu on …

Daily tasks On a day-to-day basis my work tends to involve managing our customer service teams and directly assisting our customers. I help them with their inquiries and solve any problems that they encounter. Generally, this takes place in Port Moresby, where I am based. However, I also regularly travel to our head office in Lae. Dulux’s Sales and Marketing Manager, Andrew Nyberg, adds: “Because of her experience, Gertrude’s product knowledge is second to none. We literally have thousands of products in the system and often rely on her to find the right one promptly.”

Technological advancement When I first started at the company, communications could be pretty unreliable. There were only a few select staff members

who had access to the internet.

We are now able to utilise a range of technological services to better the way that we conduct business. This is the biggest change I have witnessed in my 20 years with Dulux.

Early-career advice When you are starting out in your career, you must be prepared to work your way up the ranks. There is only so much that you can expect when you are new at a company.

By taking the time to prove yourself, you can become a valued member of the team. However, this does not happen overnight.

Memorable experiences During my time at Dulux, I have had the opportunity to travel. I attended a training course that ran at our regional head office in Melbourne. It was a great experience, although I was

By taking the time to prove yourself, you can become a valued member of the team. However, this does not happen overnight.

62 PNG NOW APRIL/MAY 2022

shocked by the cold weather.

Another notable memory that comes to mind is the time when I came across a sleeping partygoer on our office premises one morning. It was a very unexpected way to start the workday. There used to be a nightclub near our Port Moresby office and this man must have climbed our fence after a night out. Thankfully that nightclub has closed down now.