Post Courier, Thursday January 15, 2015

STATE OF KEREMA SHOCKS AUSSIE LEAGUE LEGEND

LOCKYER SAD: PAGE 2

PRIME SUSPECT IN LAE SHOOTING IDENTIFIED

CITY HALL GETS TOUGH ON PROPERTY FENCES

City clinic chaos Hospital shuts gate over reports of change in management

BY MAUREEN GERAWA

GEREHU Hospital was yesterday closed over reports that a private health care provider will take over the management of the hospital.

When a Post-Courier pho-

tographer and reporters took pictures of the empty hospital grounds and the closed gate, they were physically and verbally abused by angry security guards who demanded that the pictures taken be deleted before they could be allowed to leave.

The security guards eventually forced the photographer to delete the pictures.

Later on, when the provincial gealth adviser for National Capital District Health Services Dr Gary Ou’u was contacted, he said the hospital staff were react-

ing to a newspaper article which stated that Pacific International Hospital had won a tender to run Gerehu Hospital.

“There’s a bit of confusion because of the news article. I was on leave but I was called in because of that,” Dr Ou’u

said. He said members of his management team went to the hospital after lunch to ensure that the staff continued to provide service.

He said St John PNG was running Gerehu Hospital until October 1, 2014, when it was transferred to NCD

Health Services, which had put in an interim management team to oversee it. It is headed by Dr George Gende, formerly a chief surgeon at the Port Moresby General Hospital.

CONTINUED PAGE 2

A LONE security guard mans the gate at the hospital after it reopened late yesterday. His colleagues had earlier assaulted our photographer who went to take pictures

Serve the sick with care and compassion

PAPUA New Guinea has made progress in recent years addressing some of our health challenges but accessing quality services in both urban and rural communities continues to dog authorities.

Tackling malaria – a killer disease which five years ago affected one in every five in PNG – was a major achievement when it was brought down to two in every 100. The World Health Organisation (WHO) attributed the drop to global and regional efforts as well as increased funding.

The HIV/AIDS infection rate in PNG has moved from a generalised epidemic to cluster groups comprising female sex workers, men having sex with men and the transgender. The intervention programs run by the health authorities now target this high risk population but overall the rate of infection continues to increase.

The O’Neill Government has earmarked K1.8 billion in its 2015 National Budget on healthcare as it looks to continue to roll out its free and subsidised health policy initiative to Papua New Guineans in cities, towns and the districts. The funding confirms health as a priority area for the Government but the quality of services that ordinary Papua New Guineans expect from medical workers and confusion over recent policy decisions continues to frustrate the people.

Towards the end of last year services at the Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) came under scrutiny, specifically its accidents and emergency unit after patients and guardians raised concerns through this newspaper. Similar concerns were echoed by Lae residents of services at the Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae. Over the festive period, a mother and her unborn child died at the Nonga General Hospital in the East New Britain, compelling the grieving family to post pictures of the deceased and her baby on social media. The post went viral and triggered a public outcry from all corners of the country with other Papua New Guineans coming forward – through Facebook – to tell of their mistreatment at the hands of health workers.

The Health and HIV/AIDS Minister Micheal Malabag recently ordered an investigation into the Nonga General Hospital deaths.

We welcome the intervention by Mr Malabag and look forward to the findings of the investigation. However, we must bring his attention to the confusion over the status of the Gerehu Hospital, in light of reports of its takeover by private company Pacific International Hospital (PIH). St John PNG ran the Gerehu Hospital until last October when it was transferred to the NCD Health Services and then reportedly put on tender, which the PIH has won under the Government’s public private partnership policy.

Due to a lack of clear direction from the Government, NCD Health Services staff closed the doors of the facility yesterday to the public, ensuring thousands of Port Moresby residents missed out on vital health services. The staff and frustrated members of the public wrongly harassed and abused our staff when they went to cover the story. While it is always wrong to shoot the messenger, the brief confrontation should not deflect the public scrutiny that health workers have come under in recent months over the quality of services they provide to Papua New Guineans. We expect them to treat the sick with care and compassion.

The

bottom line

Index

Asia news .............................41

Bougainville Today ..............18 Business ..........................19-22

Classifieds .......................45-51 Comics ..................................44 Highlands Post.....................15 Home news...............4-9, 12-13 Islands Post .........................17

Mamose Post .......................16 Pacific news .........................40 Southern Post ......................14 Sport ................................54-55 Stars ......................................44 Sudoku .................................44 The drum ...............................3 Turf Guide .............................52 World news...........................42 Yu tok ...............................10-11

How to contact us

EDITOR

Alexander Rheeney

Ph: 309 1021

Email:rheeneya@spp.com.pg

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Paula Speakman

Ph: 309 1044

Email: pspeakman@spp.com.pg

CIRCULATION MANAGER

Bala Babaga

Ph: 309 1013 Fax: 321 3284

Email: bbabaga@spp.com.pg

DELIVERY INQUIRIES

Ph: 309 1102

Email: bbabaga@spp.com.pg

CLASSIFIEDS

REGIONAL OFFICES

Lae: Franco Nebas Ph/fax: 472 4683. Email: fnebas.spp@global.net.pg

Kokopo: Grace Tiden

Ph: 982 9186. Fax: 982 9147. Email: gracetiden@gmail.com

Mt Hagen: Johnny Poiya. Ph: 542 2602. Fax: 542 3039. Email: posthagen.spp@global.net.pg

Buka: David Lornie

Ph: 973 9188

Fax: 973 9170

Email: davelornie@ digicelpacific.blackberry.com

Kerema shocks league legend

BY FRANKLIN KOLMA

AS the saying goes in Tok Pisin, “Kerema, yu no save, yu yet kam na lukim”, which simply means “Kerema is unknown and best discovered for oneself”.

Indeed when Australian rugby league legend Darren Lockyer made a discreet entry into the country on Monday for a brief stay in the Gulf capital, he was taken aback at the sheer neglected state of Kerema.

The former Australian, Queensland and Broncos captain said he was deeply moved at how friendly the people are despite the shocking state of the town.

“I love how they smile and wave genuinely despite the obvious lack of infrastructure,” said Lockyer.

“I was told on the way over that Kerema is a little different than most other provincial centers but to see it for myself is truly sad.”

Lockyer, who retired from professional rugby league in 2011 and has since been involved in various business ventures around Australia, was in Kerema to raise awareness on mineral sand prospecting that was

currently being undertaken by mineral exploration company, Mayur Resources, in Malalaua and Orokolo Bay. He is head of the company’s business affairs.

On his arrival in “K-Town” as it is known, he was taken for a brief drive around the town upon which he was given a thorough look at the infrastructure decay of an otherwise abundant and beautiful province.

He said unlike other provincial centres he had visited such as Madang, Lae and Mt Hagen, Kerema looked less like a town and more like a station.

Did you know that the sexiest curve of your body is your smile?

“There are some evident of road works being done and machinery and helicopters are seen to be operating so this suggests some infrastructural development is being done.

“It is just an eye-opener for me to see a provincial capital linked to the nation’s capital by road in such a degraded state,” said Lockyer.

He encouraged the provincial government to be ensure that more was done to improve the livelihoods of the people and to ensure that basic health services are provided.

309 1175, 309 1174, 309 1088

www.postcourier.com.pg NEWS

Ph 309 1021 or email editorial@postcourier.com.pg

Hospital shuts gate over report

FROM PAGE 2

DR Gende also said in a separate interview that his staff were reacting to the news over PIH managing the hospital, but he informed them that this was not official yet.

“Everything is back to normal. Staff did not understand this but services will continue,” said Dr Gende, adding also that some staff members were refusing to accept that change was possible,” he said.

PIH is one of two organisations that have applied in response to a newspaper advertisement by the Health Department, showing their interest to manage Gerehu hospital.

It won the tender under the Government’s public private partnership policy, but no date has been set on when the transfer would take place.

Dr Gary, however, said that the National Executive Council had approved a submission for the hospital to be elevated to a level 5 hospital and be run under the Public Hospital Act 1994, making it a referral hospital.

Hee said the Government had allocated K9 million for the hospital in its 2015 budget which NCD health services will be using to expand the hospital and include important services it currently does not have.

MR Lockyer enjoying the hospitality of the Gulf people.

NO CARE IN THE WORLD

Police identify Lae woman’s shooter

BY FRANKIY KAPIN

A PRIME suspect in the shooting death of Lae woman driver Moanna Pisimi on January 1 has been identified by the police investigation team from Port Moresby, headed by director of crimes Peter Guinness.

Mr Guinness did not say whether the suspect was a serving policeman or a security guard who was involved in the high speed car chase through the streets of Lae, which eventually led to the shooting at back road in Malahang industrial centre.

He said Lae Metropolitan Superintendent Iven Lakatani would make the announce-

The bottom line

the drum

NO POWERS

PORT Moresby motorists have welcomed the Transport Department’s announcement that its officers don’t have powers to arrest or charge drivers. One driver revealed on social media he cut out our story, got it laminated and placed it on his vehicle dashboard.

READ IT

THE laminated article is placed under the windscreen that has the vehicle registration and safety sticker details. Let them read it when they stop me to check for registration details, he says. It sounds like a smart move.

K12 NOTE

ONE shop customer in Bougainville got away with

and Madang provinces and fishing and bird-watching in Lake Murray. PNG is the only Pacific Islands destination on the list.

POWERFUL

THE 2015 Papua New Guinea Women’s Forum scheduled for March this year will pack a punch. Among the speakers is Rear Admiral Cari Thomas, one of the highest ranking officers in the US Coast Guard. She’s the commander of the 14th Coast Guard District covering Hawaii, American Samoa, Japan and Singapore – an area spanning over 12 million square miles.

CHINGLISH

THIS has to be the PNG

At a glance

INNOCENT: The accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

ONUS: It is upon the prosecution to prove the guilt of the accused.

STANDARD: The prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that it is the accused who actually committed the crime.

ment on the arrest of the suspect once all investigations were completed by the end of the week.

Not giving much information about the investigations,

Mr Guinness said police were able to identify the prime suspect in the killing.

Ms Pisimi was reportedly driving at high speed, prompting a chase by the Guard Dog Security inspection vehicle and a police unit.

The chase started at Dragon night club at downtown Lae and passed Lae central police station on Coronation Drive, along Huon Road then to Cassowary Road to China Town, China town police station and to Malahang.

It was past the Majestic Seafood Tuna factory that the vehicle driven by the victim was stopped and fired on.

Since the Moana Pisimi shooting death, a string of

deaths have hit Lae city, totalling 11 since January 1.

Morobe police commander Kaiglo Ambane said a woman, Nanai Muti, from Kabwum district of Morobe Province was the latest victim.

She was stabbed by another woman on the left breast while in asleep at her house at Tanam, outside Lae, last Thursday, police said.

Mr Ambane said the suspect, also from Kabwum, was still at large.

Police are also investigating reports of a man being killed at Talair Compound and his body dumped in the Bumbu River and two brothers died from drinking methylated spirit.

this: making a purchase using a “K12” banknote. The banknote was made up of torn K10 and K2 polymer notes, joined with a sticky tape and declared legal tender!

PNG UP

THE country’s attraction as a tourism hotspot appears to be on a roll. Late last year British veteran rocker Sir Mick Jagger paid a visit followed by some Aussie TV personalities. Recently PNG made it into Lonely Planet’s 2015 bucket list of must-see destinations.

VISIT US

NOW we hear the country is on the New York Times’ “52 Places to go to in 2015”!

The article highlighted boat cruises in the Milne Bay

version of Chinglish! Spotted at a construction site in Western Highlands was this notice: “Please do not speak while face on dishes direction. You ‘slaver’ might spill on the food”.

SLAVER

WE ARE not sure what the contractors meant when they used the word “slaver”. Maybe they meant “saliva”? But then how can one’s saliva start dripping onto his or her food unless they are ogling a nice dish nearby.

NO JETTY

IS THERE any truth in reports that the jetty at East Cape in the Milne Bay Province is underwater? It is a scenic part of PNG and the loss of the jetty won’t do the locals or visitors any favours.

PENGEE: thedrum@spp.com.pg

Although the Stegosaurus dinosaur was over nine metres long, its brain was only the size of a walnut.

IF YOU CAN’T BE THERE WE HAVE THE NEXT BEST THING, CATCH ALL THE ACTION ON QUALITY COLOUR TV FROM BRIAN BELL

THESE children turning a rusting car into their playground at Two-Mile hill in Port Moresby. People in this settlement are under increasing pressure to move out and make way for development.

Single mother wins SP promo

BY FRANKLIN KOLMA

CALL it what you will but it is definitely a 2015 New Year blessing for this single mother.

Down on her luck, mother of one, Sylvia Demas was overwhelmed when given a K200,000 second chance at life after a lucky win of the SP Lager under the cap promotion.

The 22-year-old mother from New Ireland and Gulf could not hold back her tears when receiving the cheque at the SP Brewery’s Brew Kettle bar in Port Moresby.

“This money is not so much about my life saviour – it is for my daughter, who I have struggled to raise for the past two years,” Sylvia said.

It took one attempt, one bottle cap, one number and one text which cost 55 toea to win K200,000.

Sylvia’s story is just about the same for most unfortunate single mothers in Papua New Guinea who are left with no job, no money, no home but with children and are expected to survive on the streets.

Dropping out of high school, Sylvia struggled to make ends meet.

Between an unplanned pregnancy and abandoned by her partner, the young woman fought to stay afloat for the sake of her two-yearold Macey.

Thanks to the SP Brewery competition – her life will never be the same again.

“This would all change now,” the young mother said at the presentation.

Sylvia explained that she was all the more dumbfounded by the fact that she

K50 fee dispute clouds scheme

BY FRANKIY KAPIN

STUDENTS eligible for the Morobe Provincial Government (MPG) Gerson-Solulu scholarship scheme and attending the University of Technology (Unitech) in Lae will be required to pay K50 to get the sponsorship.

At a glance

WINNER: 22-years-old single mother Sylvia Demas from New Ireland and Gulf.

HER STRUGGLES: Between an unplanned pregnancy and abandoned by her partner, the young woman fought to stay afloat for the sake of her twoyear-old daughter.

SAVING GRACE: Thanks to the ‘K200,000 SP Lager Under the Cap Promotion’, her life will never be the same again.

LUCKY SHOT: She had taken a bottle cap from a SP beer bottle and texted the number under the bottle cap only once as per the competition instructions.

PARTICIPANTS: Thousands took part in the competition but only one winner was drawn and that was Ms Sylvia Demas.

had only made one entry to this competition.

She had taken a bottle cap from a SP beer bottle and texted the number under the bottle cap only once as per the competition instructions.

“I had made 15 attempts in the last promotion and was unsuccessful and so was not keen on trying again,” Sylvia said.

“Last month, my uncles were drinking and I decided to take one bottle cap from a bottle and give it one try just for the fun of it.”

She said she had forgotten about it and when first contacted by the brewery, she thought that her uncles were playing a joke on her.

Thousands took part in the competition but only one winner was drawn and that was Sylvia Demas.

TRAFFIC OFFICERS ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT

Police chief thanks community

BY OGIA MIAMEL

ACTING provincial police commander for Western Highlands, Timmeaus Korada has thanked the public in Mt Hagen for their help in cash and kind toward the funeral of late officer, Allan Aini, who was murdered by locals late last year.

Mr Korada thanked all those who helped in the apprehension of the suspects.

He said team spirit among

police officers in the province is high.

“The boys have come back and teamed up to work after the incident,” he said.

“As long as I am the acting PPC, I will do everything in my power to ensure Western Highlands Province is peaceful and quiet,” Mr Korada said.

He also said one of his officers collapsed recently and was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead on

arrival. He said late officer Moses Makop was from Koge village outside of Hagen town and his body would be laid to rest once returned from the funeral home in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province.

Meanwhile there was also a car accident last night at Kalakai market near Mt Hagen Secondary schoo.

Mr Korada said he is yet to confirm details of the accident with traffic officers.

According to the president of the Morobe Unitech students Association, Ixzara Bakung, the fee is stipulated under the Morobe Students Union constitution but was forgone for a number years and only revived this year (2015).

But the provincial chairman of education Andrew Genna said the fee is illegal.

“The Gerson-Sololu tertiary scholarships awarded to eligible students charging an application fee of K50 in 2015 is alleged to be illegal,” Mr Genna said.

Ixzara explained that initially, when the scheme was introduced, a fee of K100 was incorporated as constituted to cater for the union’s work in addressing the plight of every Morobe Tertiary Associations throughout the country.

He said until two years ago when Kelly Naru’s government took office the fee was never paid by applicants.

Robin Tualang, the Morobe Unitech representative in the provincial government, said the fee imposed has been revived by Morobe Unitech student executives and only affects students attending Unitech and not the other tertiary institutions.

Mr Tualang said unless and until the fee is paid, the recipient of the scholarship cannot be guaranteed assistance.

“Failing to pay the K50 means no Gerson-Solulu scholarship in 2015 for Morobe students attending Unitech,” he said.

Mr Genna said those in charge of the scheme are yet to present to his office the 2014 report of the utilisation of the scheme funding and other components of assessment.

He said to date there is no report as required by his office for the Provincial Executive Council to make adjustments to the scheme and as such the imposing of the K50 cannot be guaranteed.

Central Province teachers gear up for 2015

BY DONALD WILLIE

AS the academic year nears its kick-off in two weeks time, the Central Provincial Education Board has completed its appointment of over 3000 teachers to serve in rural areas.

With the free tuition policy implemented three years ago, the number of enrolment of students in the rural Central has increased, bringing the teacher-student ratio from 1:40 to now 1:45.

The bottom line

Appointment officer Tony Upa said with 1069 elementary teaching positions, 1,300 primary schools, 645 high schools and 249 TVET teaching positions available for the Central Province schools, almost all the positions have been filled and ready for the school year 2015.

Once posting for teachers are done, the teachers then fall into the responsibility of the schools where welfare and accommodation is taken

At a glance

RATIO: With the free tuition policy implemented three years ago, the number of enrolment of students in the rural Central has increased, bringing the teacher-student ratio from 1:40 to now oneis-to-forty-five.

TEACHERS: Central provincial education board completed its appointment of over 3000 teachers to serve in rural Central.

care of.

“Many teachers are fronting up searching for vacancies to teach here as accommodation

Most of the dust in your home is actually dead skin!

is a main issue in many other areas,” Mr Upa said.

Emilyn Bera is one such hopeful teacher hoping to

teach in the Central Province as she said they are well looked after, especially by the community. She had taught in the province for eight years but moved to another province with her partner due to his work, but has now returned and would like to teach there again. Another reason why many teachers prefer to teach in the Central Province, as revealed by David John of Iobuna Kouba Primary School along the

Sogeri road, is that the relationship with the community members in many rural Central is very good.

“The community and parents are very supportive of the teachers, especially in the remote areas,” he said. Meanwhile, acting education adviser Phillip Alu said the standard of teaching in the province has improved with exam statistics showing good results, but problems such as transportation remain.

A ROAD safety inspection officer checks vehicles passing through a roadblock in the nation’s capital. Public complaints against such road blocks have promoted National Road Safety Council chief Nelson Tereme last week to defend his officers, saying they have played a big part in keeping city roads safe from accidents by keeping unroadworthy vehicles off the roads.

City authority to enforce fencing law

BY TONY SII UPNG Journalism Student

THE National Capital District Commission (NCDC) will issue notices today on city residents and businesses that have failed to comply with the city’s fencing requirements.

Fences which did not meet the standards would be pulled down or legal action taken, deputy city manager for regulatory services Kenneth Atasoa said yesterday.

Mr Atasoa said the NCDC is serving the mandatory statutory notices under the Physical Planning Act as a follow-

At a glance

NOTICES: The National Capital District Commission (NCDC) will today be issuing notices to residents and business houses that have failed to comply with the city’s fencing requirements.

ACCEPTED FENCING: Galvanised steel chain wire mesh fences, steel and lattice fences, concrete piers with in-fill picket panels such as those built on stonework and have a height of 2.4m from ground level.

PROHIBITED FENCING: Solid fencing or use of sheet metal fencing panels, timber palings and roofing sheet products.

up to warning notices to those who had not complied with the city’s fencing policy.

Fences accepted are galvanised steel chain wire mesh

fences, steel and lattice fences, concrete piers with in-fill picket panels such as those built on stonework and have a height of 2.4 meters from

ground level.

“Solid fencing (brick or kalabond) or use of sheet metal fencing panels, timber palings and roofing sheet products are banned,” he said.

“The notices we will be issuing tomorrow are mandatory and enforceable by the national court for those affected to comply.

“We hope that those who will be affected respond positively so we will not have to go down that path,” Mr Atasoa said in an email to the PostCourier

He said fences prohibited under the policy were prone

Cleanliness campaign to resume in NCD

to graffiti and vandalism and were outlawed for all residential, public institution and commercial properties, along the main arterial roads or at locations which have an interface with the public domain. However, industrial properties are allowed to use sheet metal fencing around their property provided that the fences are landscaped except for those in frontier major roads.

The fencing policy was introduced in 2006 but was not implemented until late last year when city hall gave notice of its implementation.

SHIP ASSIST

Manus asylum seekers on hunger strike

HUNDREDS of asylum seekers are refusing to return to their compounds as they protest in the Australian-run detention centre on Manus Island, Radio New Zealand International reports.

The Refugee Action Coalition says the protest began on Tuesday morning when issues with running water meant the asylum seekers could not shower.

It says tensions have been

rising in recent days as most of the asylum seekers approach 18 months of deten-

tion on Manus Island and at least one protester has stitched his lips shut.

An asylum seeker in the Mike Compound on Tuesday said more than 220 people did not eat breakfast and lunch, and he expected more would join yesterday.

“All of us we are standing under the shelter in my compound and we never go back to our room until we die. Thats the message of my compound

asylum seekers in here,” the asylum seeker said.

“The other thing is we have been threatened by security, ‘if you do any other demonstration or any kind of protest like this, we will deport you’,” RNZI reports.

Meanwhile, reports from Australia say the asylum seekers had been warned that PNG police could move in to end their protest.

The Refugee Action Coali-

tion said the threat of police action had added to the fears and tension at the camp.

An Australian Immigration Department spokesman said claims that transferees at the processing centre were involved in food and fluid refusal were incorrect.

The department confirmed that a number of transferees were engaged in a peaceful protest within the centre, and the centre remains calm.

Although music can be hard to define, it is often described as a pleasing or meaningful arrangement of sounds.

PORT Moresby shop owners who fail to keep their premises clean will be forced to close shop when the National Capital District Commission premises cleanliness campaign resumes next week. NCDC chief health surveyor Isowa More said the campaign initiated last November was to educate and inform shop owners about their responsibilities to cleanliness and hygiene under the Public Health Act and Food Sanitation regulations.

He said several shops were put on notice and given 14 days to improve on the cleanliness. “So far 69 notices have been issued to shop owners for compliance, some have complied while those not complying will be targeted when the exercise resumes. “Three shops have been closed but reopened after complying while one remains closed for non-compliance,”

Mr More said.

He said addressing the hygiene and cleanliness of the premises under the premises cleanliness campaign could contribute to prevention of communicable diseases such as TB which was on the rise in Port Moresby.

Mr More said the campaign was part of the general cleanup awareness leading up to the Pacific Games in July.

The requirement of the Public Health Act relating to cleanliness of premises also extends to the physical appearance of the premises like a fresh coat of paint and revamping of signboards.

Swedish firm opens office in Mt Hagen

BY TONY SII UPNG Journalism Student BY OGIO MIAMEL

BIMA, a Swedish world leading mobile micro-insurance provider, has opened an office in Mt Hagen yesterday, bringint to two its offices in the country.

Its product, called the “family life” is a life insurance that any healthy person between the ages of 18 to 60 can register to insure themselves using their Digicel mobile numbers. It opened its first office in Port Moresby last year July.

Bima director Simon Schwall said they saw that life insurance was not accessible to everyone in Papua New Guinea but only the rich could afford it. He said because of these reasons they brought their service to make life insurance accessible and affordable to everyone in the society.

Mr Schwall said registration is free and simple; there is no paper work involved. He said to register one has to call Digicel number 70908162.

We have been threatened by security ...

ASYLUM SEEKER Manus

TUGBOATS, although small in size, play a very big part in ensuring that large vessels and their cargo make it safely to dock. This tugboat is slowly manoeuvring this rather large container ship into Port Moresby’s Fairfax Harbour. Picture: TARAMI LEGEI

K10m in power debts paid up

BY ISAAC NICHOLAS

NEARLY K10 million has been collected so far in outstanding electricity bills since the declaration of the state of emergency a week ago.

SOE controller Tom Ur, pictured, who gave the update on the emergency yesterday, said the reaction by customers to the SOE was very encouraging.

Mr Ur said since the start of the SOE, cash flowing in had been continuous and by the end of the week should amount to more than K10 million.

He said Digicel was the first major private sector customer to pay in K2.2 million while other centres reported positive reaction from consumers with Madang collecting K1.3 million and 200 default notices issued and a further K3.6 million expected this week.

He said Lae collected K1.3 million, Vanimo got K55,000, Wewak saw a collection of K167,000, Goroka collected K93,000, Mt Hagen K22,000 and Kokopo K101,000.

Mr Ur said for outstanding government bills, which were in millions, would be paid directly by the Department of Finance to PNG Power.

He also caution critics especially politician not to spread rumours and causing anxiety among the public that the Defence Force and Police will get involved.

He said so far no troops have been called out to assist as most areas which the operations identified as tough areas, people in those areas have come for-

Union considers SOE as comical

THE PNG Trade Union Congress says that there is a need to impose a state of emergency in order to collect unpaid bills.

General Secretary of the PNG Trade Union Congress John Paska said it is rather comical that any nation should see the need to resort to imposing a state of emergency in order to recover unpaid debts or deal with illegal connections.

“It’s simply unheard of and we may the first modern democracy to do so,” he said

“There are laws governing debt collection, compliance and penalties in place that should be exhausted.

“Pursuing debt collection through the legal avenues available would net PNG Power Ltd the amounts owing through property acquisitions and the proceeds from sale of such properties, interests payments and a freezing of bank accounts to access funds made possible through court orders against offenders.”

He said of even more serious concern to us is the fact that it sets a very dangerous precedent for the imposition of State of Emergencies over just about any issue in the future.

ward voluntarily and it was encouraging.

“The nature of the operations is very clear, we have acquired a leaking ship and we are in the process of identifying the leakages and plugging it and at the same time we are going out recouping money that the company should be bringing in to its cash flow so that it can continue to operate.”

“The issue of threat especially on those people illegal consuming power, illegally connecting power, generating power illegally, our message is for them to come forward and do the right thing, if they apply force and resistance, that is when we look at what appropriate force to use depending on the level of threat .If you have made mistakes, come and we correct it don’t misuse power at the expanse of those good people.”

NEW CITY HALL

“There is a potential despot lurking at every corner now and in the future. They would be welcoming this window of opportunity with glee,” he said.

“We must exercise diligence, prudence and foresight at the highest levels to guard against sowing the seeds for harvest of such despots in the future.

Irrespective of how this SOE may be justified, the question is not what happens now but rather what happens tomorrow. Money may be recouped now but at what price to our democracy in the future.

“In addition SOEs always have the propensity of transgressing on individual, human and democratic rights. Unions have a long history that is littered with brutal accounts of blatant abuse and suppression of workers rights. We therefore do not take State of Emergencies lightly at all.”

Finance dept calls MPs to acquit fundings

BY ISAAC NICHOLAS

THE Department of Finance has called for the acquittal of public funds spent last year before new funds are released.

It has called on Members of Parliament to acquit their 2014 district services improvement program funding.

Finance Minister James Marape in a media conference yesterday called on heads of government departments, provincial governments, local level governments

and other public bodies to furnish various reports as required by the Public Finance (Management) Act. He said under law heads of departments and other public bodies are required to submit to the Minister the following; A detailed Report on investment performance and returns for the preceding year (2014), Management Plan setting out objectives and strategies for 2015; and By June 30 this year, a performance and management report of the

organisation’s operations for 2014.

“An organisation that does not furnish the Reports and Financial Statements to me as required by the Act will be dealt with in line with the various sections of the PFMA including withholding half the money to the organisation and referral to the Public Accounts Committee for failure to comply with the Act.”

“I can no longer entertain complacency and slackness by the heads of organisations in furnishing the required reports on time.

a higher frequency than humans, allowing them to hear noises that we can’t.

Minister Marape said the time has come for him to put his foot down and get the heads of government organizations to be responsible and accountable.

“I am also calling on my fellow Members of Parliament to submit their reports on how they spent their 2014 DSIP and PSIP before they ask for their share in 2015.”

He said he had already directed his Departmental head to instruct all heads of organizations to submit their reports on time as required by law.

JAMES Marape

THE new NCD hall at Waigani in the nation’s capital is coming along nicely. The building stands adjacent to the old office.

Papua New Guinea on climate change hotspot impact list

PAPUA New Guinea has been grouped with sub-Saharan Africa as some of the worst places to live as our planet warms up.

Climate change experts this week released maps of the world revealing the worst and best places as different countries prepared to cope with the effects of climate change.

In the maps, 192 countries are ranked by their “vulnerability” and “readiness”, to produce an overall judgement on their fate.

The results reveal that Scandinavian countries are among the most likely to survive – but areas of sub-Saharan Africa would be hardest hit. So too would PNG, ranked 166, and its South Pacific neighours the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Micronesia, Nauru, Tuvalu and Samoa.

London-based company The Eco Experts has revealed the countries best-equipped to cope with climate change on a map. Scandinavian countries like Norway and Finland, and also the UK, Australia and New Zealand scored highly. Green is best, scaling down to red being worst.

The maps were created us-

Drifters coming home at last

A PAIR of New Ireland fishermen who survived more than three months adrift in the Pacific will return home today after recovering from their ordeal, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

The men, Michael Bolong, 54, and Ambrose Wavut, 28, were picked up off Micronesia on November 23 after setting sail in mid-August on a fishing trip from remote Tanga Island, 1600km to the south, AFP reports. A third man, Wavuts father-in-law Francis Dimansol, did not survive the epic voyage, dying three weeks before his companions were rescued, the IOM said.

The Micronesian government described the survivors as in fine health when they were picked up by a passing tuna boat, needing only a short stay in hospital for observation.

Since then, they have been living in the capital Pohnpei while officials have made arrangements to repatriate them.

The Geneva-based IOM said it was paying for the pair to fly home today, using a discretionary fund set aside to help stranded migrants in urgent circumstances.

It said they initially ate rice and flour after finding themselves adrift with no fuel.

But their supplies lasted only two

weeks and they had to find their own food, fashioning a makeshift spear from a pot handle and nails.

At one point, they wrestled a 1.8m shark onto the deck, adding it to a diet of fish, turtles and the occasional coconut that floated by their boat.

In a statement, the IOM said that sometimes the men would go three days without food.

“Twice they came close to rescue but were missed by passing fishing boats,” the organisation said.

The International Organisation for Migration is an intergovernmental organisation.

It was initially established in 1951 as the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM) to help resettle people displaced by World War II.

As of December 2013, the IOM has 155 member states and 11 observer states. –

ing data from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, USA, known as the ND-Gain Index.

They took into account location, terrain, pollution rates and national resources when calculating which countries would be most affected.

Jon Whiting, of The Eco Experts warned: “Hurricanes, earthquakes, blizzards, droughts and flooding are all real dangers for some of these areas, and this is compounded by a lack of national strategy to counteract the effects.” Burundi, Chad, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo produced some of the lowest scores, meaning these countries will be the biggest victims of weather disasters.

Asia, which included Oceania, has a wide range of scores for different countries, owing to the vastly different climates and levels of infrastructure in various countries. Surprisingly, PNG’s neighbours Australia and Indonesia (99) comes out fairly well in the map, while Melanesia bloc neighbours Fiji (95), Vanuatua (101) and the Solomon Islands (141) fared better than us.

MICHAEL Bolong and Ambros Wavut after being rescued and coming ashore in Pohnpei in November last year. FMS Information Service photo.

The drifters came close to rescue twice but were missed by passing boats ...

IOM Geneva

Goilala leader backs bishop

COMMUNITY leader Peter Normai has thrown his support behind a call by Catholic bishop of Bereina Rochus Tatamai for the Government to assist the struggling people in the remote Goilala district of Central Province.

Mr Normai said the call this week by Bishop Rochus was timely and should be heeded by those in authority.

He said Goilala MP Daniel Mona had been ill for the past seven months but has recovered and the people of Goilala should have a better idea soon as to the affairs of the district.

“We the people have been struggling and we don’t know who is running the affairs of the district in the past seven months on the MP’s behalf,” Mr Normai said.

He said the road conditions have worsened recently due to continuous heavy rain, resulting in several road accidents.

Mr Normai said the bad weather had also hampered service delivery.

“Representatives from the MP’s office should come out clear as to how they would address the issues and who would take the lead in attending to the people’s needs in the absence of the MP,” he added.

He said the people of Goilala have the right to know and should be informed promptly on the affairs of the district.

According to Mr Mona’s office on Tuesday, the MP had fully recovered and was expected to resume his electoral duties at the end of this month.

In his absence, his office had settled outstanding contractors and resumed unfinished

Student’s body found in morgue

BY BENJAMIN KUMAN

UPNG journalism student

A STUDENT who had come to Port Moresby to sell water melons to help pay for his school fees has been found dead.

A relative, Patrick Aihi, said they found the body of Peter Aihi Biro at the Port Moresby General Hospital morgue after a six-day search.

He had been staying with relatives at the Six-Mile Air Niugini village at the time of his disappearance.

At a glance

GOILALA: Is a district of Central Province in Papua New Guinea. It is one of the four administrative districts that make up the province.

BISHOP’S CALL: For the government to assist the struggling people in the remote Goilala district.

COMMUNITY

projects from last year. One of the projects this year was the presentation of 350 solar powered lights for three LLGs which were bought for K150,000 before the Mr Mona became bed-ridden.

“We will deliver to the people of Goilala,” Hoko Asi, the MP’s executive officer said, as they cleared outstanding payments which the Goilala joint district planning and budget priorities committee had approved last month.

Bishop Rochus had said on Tuesday basic services such as health, education and pastoral presence were needed in these areas.

He said missionaries, public servants as well as ordinary people have died over the years while trying to provide services to the people up in the mountains while travelling on light planes.

He said while the Church was present in the Goilala area, it was not capable of delivering all the needed services due to limited resources and the geographical circumstances of the area.

ALL HANDS ON DECK

THE Kookuburra fly over in Port Moresby is slowly but surely taking shape with workermen now slotting into place large cement slabs as part of the wall that will support the road that will be running across. This section of the fly over is leading to the Waigani area. Picture: KENNEDY BANI

Mr Aihi said 16-year-old Biro was from Bereina, Central Province, and would attending Grade 10 this year at the Mainohana Secondary School in the Bereina area.

Police reports revealed that five suspects, believed to be neighbours, are being detained for questioning and they are looking for a sixth suspect.

NCD Metropolitan Superintendent Andy Bawa has called on the residents of Six-Mile to assist police arrest the suspect who is avoiding police investigations.

Mr Bawa also appealed to public help in the death of former newspaper journalist Harold Farapo whose body was found in Tatana last Saturday.

He said no suspects had been identified, adding police were still gathering information but would appreciate more public cooperation.

Mr Farapo’s death had shocked the community around which his body was found.

North Fly MP commits K200,000 to road project

NORTH Fly MP Boka Kondra has committed K200,000 to Tawap Kamen Investment Limited to build a 10km road from Miningere to Kimokpin village in Ningrum local level government in North Fly district, Western Province.

The ground-breaking ceremony yesterday was witnessed by District Administrator Dume Woo, Deputy DA

responsible for LLGs Robert Alphonse, Ningrum local level government president Kawuk Konmok and his officers, executive officer of the Governor Diawun Bonai and people of Markumnai, Miningere, Kimokpin, and locals in and around Ningrum LLG. The road project is partly funded by Fly River Provincial Government at a cost of

K86,763, while North Fly MP committed K200,000 and more funding will be sought from other sources in the district to complete the road project.

The road project will be built by Tawap Kamen Investment Limited starting this year.

According to Ningrum LLG President Kawuk Konmok the road project is very important to bring development to

the people. He said accessibility is very important and by building this road the people will return to their own land to farm and make use of their land and resources. The construction of the 10km road from Miningere to Kimikpin is likely to cost a total of K5 million when it is completed.

PNG steps up preparations for APEC 2018

BY GORETHY KENNETH

PAPUA New Guinea will be sending for the first time two people for a six month program at the Asia Pacific Economic Corporation (APEC) Secretariat in Singapore in mid-February to prepare for APEC 2018.

And as PNG seriously prepares to host APEC 2018, East New Britain, Morobe, Madang, Eastern Highlands, Milne Bay, New Ireland, Cen-

The bottom line

tral provinces and the National Capital District have been earmarked to host a series of meetings in 2018, which will also include sectoral ministerial meetings.

APEC is a process, and in 2018, PNG will play host to international delegates from the 21 member APEC economies during a series of meetings from December 2017 to November 2018.

These series of meetings will commence with the in-

formal senior official meeting (ISOM) in December 2017, to be followed closely by SOM1 in January/February 2018; SOM2 in May 2018, and the APEC Leaders Meeting in November 2018.

“The years leading up to 2018 will be very challenging for PNG as its Committee on APEC Policy Issues (CAPI) will need to work overtime to draft and recommend to Cabinet the policy priorities and deliverables for 2018,” APEC

Secretariat revealed.

“As it stands, these deliverables will be centered on the Government’s economic enablers of education, health, law and order, infrastructure investment, and freeing up land for economic development.”

Papua New Guinea is yet to host an APEC meet since 1993 and this was mainly due to funding constraints, capacity, and the infrastructure required to host such a

mammoth gathering of international participants during the course of a year.

Since the announcement in Bali, Indonesia, in October 2013 by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill of Papua New Guinea hosting APEC in 2018, there has been a quick but steady rush by government departments to get the ball rolling.

Their engagements in the APEC process have taken a sudden twist for the better in the last 18 months or so.

Nearly 12 months down the line the PNG APEC Secretariat had produced a strategic plan for APEC PNG 2018 and Cabinet in its Decision No. 266/2013 approved the Operations Plan (OP PLAN 2018).

The OP PLAN 2018 included the establishment of the National Organising Committee on APEC PNG 2018 (NOC-2018) chaired by the Prime Minister himself and its seven supporting Committees.

The Earth experiences millions of lightning storms every year.

Alcohol turned back at border

By JOHNNY POIYA

THREE container of alcohol worth nearly a million kina was rejected entry into Jiwaka and Mt Hagen by police manning the checkpoint in Kumbal on Tuesday.

As the grace period prior to the alcohol ban in Western Highlands and Jiwaka Province ends next Monday with a total ban to be imposed on the same day, police manning the checkpoint near the Chimbu Province are turning back truckloads of alcohol trying to gain entry into the interior highlands provinces.

During the early hours of Tuesday, assorted alcohol worth K400,000 for a lodge in Mt Hagen and K100,000 worth for a lodge in Minj were told to go back to Lae and have the purchased money returned to the owners.

Another container loaded with Banz produced “Mountain Wine” returning from Lae with a large number of wine was also told to return to Lae. It will be a different story as of

next week as all alcohol will be confiscated.

A total alcohol ban will began for Jiwaka and Western Highlands Provinces as of Monday. A grace period began on the 1 December 19 to January 19 this year.

All the highlands provinces, except for Chimbu and Eastern Highlands will be covered by total alcohol ban as of next week for an indefinite period.

Jiwaka Provincial Police Commander Joseph Tondop yesterday said those trying to transport alcohol into the provinces to quit or if they have trucks waiting in Lae, kindly dispose the alcohol and get their money back.

“We’ll not be easy as of Monday because all alcohol will then be confiscated and returned to the state.” Supt Tondop said. He appealed to trucking firms not to transport alcohol into the provinces because they would also be held accountable for facilitating smuggling of alcohol into the banned provinces. The ban will also cover hotels, motels and lodges, he said.

SUBMERGED

AT this time of year, most places in the Islands region experience windy conditions and heavy rain causing floods and rising sea levels. This picture shows part of the road at Morokea in the West New Britain Province leading to oil palm areas submerged because of continuous rain. Most areas from Hoskins to Talasea have been affected by the heavy downfall. Picture: NICOLE JOHANNES

Liquor ban upsets hotels

BY SIBA MESA

HOTEL and motel owners in Western Highlads are upset of the liquor ban circular that was given by the police and approved by the Western Highlands and Jiwaka Provincial Liquor Licensing Board to clear out all beer stocks before January 19.

The circular was delivered before Christmas to hotels and motels in the province in which the WHP Governor Paias Wingti, Jiwaka governor Wiliam Tongamp, the police heads and the community have all agreed on.

Highlander Hotel regional manager Peter Howe expressed his frustration saying that no opinion was heard from Hotels and business houses perspective before making the rush decision to impose total liquor ban.

He said there was no better understanding between all sectors in the province; “we need to work together with existing authorities and make a fair decision for a long term benefit.

“I am upset and disappointed of the way the ban is being introduced,”said Mr Howe.

KAVIENG NEGLECTED

I AM referring to the subject which appeared in the Post-Courier on Friday December 5, 2014 by our Middle Ramu MP Assik Tommy Tomscoll. We have been neglected and missed the government’s basic services like roads and bridges for the past 39 years. This is the time that our MP must take action to link this road all the way to Simbai and Kovon. However, the first three years have gone and the two years that remain is not long enough to complete this road.

We have been watching the end of too many years and have never seen any government basic services in our remote areas. It seems that our MP will be playing the political thing that is not right for the Middle Ramu people in Madang Province.

LAWSUIT THREAT

THE School of Law, at the University of PNG, will face a court challenge sooner or later with senior student John Kriosaki on its chronic culture of discrimination and admission processes, hindering students f rom studying law at the university. Could anyone in their right frame of mind explain why we are continually f aced with so much discrimination by senior academics at the School of Law?

Is the Minister for Higher Education Science and Culture, Malakai Tabar aware of the discriminating practice of lecturing while having their own private law firm without teaching f ulltime at the university?

I will proceed with a lawsuit of K2.5 million for damages against the Law School and UPNG for its gross negligence and unprofessionalism,

JK- Wewak, East Sepik Province

Lae police needs shakeup

I AM looking for a middle-aged woman from Nonga in Rabaul, East New Britain Province. Her name is Niuta Toule and she used to work at the operating theatre at the Nonga Base Hospital. If someone knows where she is, please ask her to call me on 7350 3517.

George Arua

THE lawand order situation in Lae is really getting out of hand. Police in Lae need a major shake up as the policemen and women are too slack and not doing enough.

You hardly see police presence in the streets.

It appears that there is no command and control, policemen and women are lost, no team work and lack discipline. The only police car you see in Lae are Task Force cars. Where are the others?

The Morobe Provincial Government headed by Governor Kelly Naru, local Member Loujaya Kouza, the Police Commissioner and his senior officers and the National Government should

come together and look at ways to boost police morale including better housing, police mobility, office equipment and increasing manpower. Lae is the second city and some important consideration should be given to Lae police. Improved police accommodation is high on the list of priorities which would do a world of good for policemen and women. Vehicle allocation and increased manpower are next on the priority list. Those police office who have served more than 10 years should be transferred to other parts of the country. More police recruits from Bomana Police College should be sent to Lae to beef up police present in the city

Morobe authorities just cannot sit back and ignore the rising law and order situation in Lae, thinking the Police Department will create miracles.

It is a fact that law and order problems is having a detrimental effect on businesses. We hope our leaders in Morobe and the National Government will come up with a long term strategy to minimise the law and order situation. The recent announcement by the Lae Member to support police investigation in the death of late Mrs Moana Pisimi is the way forward and worthy of praise.

Zomaga Ve Lae

May Tap!

Simbai/Kovon people

Leading health experts, including the World Health Organisation, voicing opposition to comments against vaccination on social media.

WRITE TO US Text us on 208

IPA fee rise an SME setback

Letter of the day

THE public notice put out last December by the PNG Investment Promotion Authority (IPA), with regard to increased fees on annual returns and deregistered companies, is clearly against the efforts to promote Small to Medium Enterprises (SME) development spearheaded by the Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry.

There is no justification as to how these increased fees will support and promote local SMEs. In fact most of the genuine local SMEs with good prospects have outstanding annual returns to compile and submit simply because guidance and advisory services on the part of state agencies charged with this function are performing at minimum.

According to the public notice, the annual returns increased to K500 for exempted companies and K1000 for reporting companies from the current K50.

Fees for late annual returns increased to K500 (for lodging within one month after the expiry date of the time prescribed) and K1000 (for lodging one month after the expiry date of the time prescribed) from the current K150. Fees for reinstatement of deregistered companies increased to K3000 plus K1000 (for

every outstanding annual returns). The new fees will apply effective February 2, 2015.

IPA should refrain from charging these fees on those local companies who have yet to operate businesses. There are several companies with assets on prime land with titles under their names but deregistered with outstanding annual returns running for several years simply because they have yet to physically operate business. Where will the money come from to settle these fees – from wages or the informal market proceeds?

In my view, the increase in fees is injustice to most of those aspiring local SMEs struggling to genuinely break into the world of business. Most are faced with financial illiteracy, some successful SMEs have failed to maintain their cashbooks as I am aware of successful companies owned by semi-educated persons who are reluctant to spend money on annual returns.

While the much talked-about SME master plan and SME policy of the Government is targeted at promoting local participation in growing the economy, the two Government entities – IPA and SBDC (Small Business Development Corporation) – responsible for facilitating the implementation of this policy seem to operate in isolation, doing

Text us on 208

HOW MUCH TO PAY

their own things tucked well away from struggling entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, most local SMEs are operating in chaos and confusion, generally lacking guidance and direction.

The other issue of cottage industries and reserved business activities have been taken over or rather given away to citizens of the oriental who enter our world equipped with the simple know-hows and capable of maintaining consistency in business.

On the contrary, ordinary citizens are equipped with the know-how of trading betelnut and cigars beside oriental businesses and we do that with aggression and at times against authority – a demonstration of our willingness to do business like our oriental friends.

In order for progress to be made, skills development in the SME is important for aspiring local entrepreneurs. Readily available and easily accessible advisory services for successful entrepreneurship is lacking throughout our nation. This calls for IPA and SBDC to wake up from their slumber and perform to impact the economy through serious local SME development.

Concerned citizen

Public servants must pull socks up

PUBLIC servants really should pull their socks up. I agree with Chief Secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc on this (Post-Courier front page, Tuesday Jan 13, 2015).

I especially loved his comment: “Filing of performance reports is easy and there is no reason for any delays and if there is any delay I will just say they are lazy. It is not hard. They owe it to the people of PNG.” Even though his comments were

10 years ago

directed at departmental heads and chief executive officers, the idea applies to everyone.

It is our right as taxpayers to have access to services you are supposed to provide, weather it be health, education or others.

We are now in January, the first month of 2015. I hope for the good of this country that different departmental heads and their staff are willing and able to turn over a new

leaf: Out with the old, in with the new. Get off your backsides, start doing something good.

It aches me to think that my hardearned income, which gets heavily taxed every fortnight, is catering for the whims of incompetent people. Thank you Sir Manasupe, it’s about time.

Papua New Guinea

CAN ICCC or someone reiterate the charge of how much we, public transport commuters, should be paying to get around. I am sick of paying the “direct” – as the PMV crew puts it – rate of K1 to go to Four-Mile/ Boroko to Gordon, Downtown, Manu Autoport, Seven-Mile etc. With the recent oversupply of oil leading to a drop in fuel prices, someone please tell us now hamas stret lo bus fare

POLICE SMUGGLERS?

WHY are a lot of police personnels, in marked and unmarked vehicles, patrolling the Hiritano Highway between the section of Aigavaru Ishu junction and Laloki betelnut check point? Is the buai ban in the city attracting police officers who, under the pretext of enforcing the law, actually escorting or smuggling buai into the city? The police hierarchy at Konedobu must seriously keep tabs on their officers, especially the law enforcing vehicles used. I believe there are jurisdictions outlined in police operations so the fact that NCD police are patrolling the Central part of the highway should raise serious questions. Is the Central Provincial Police Commander aware of this?

NCD Governor Powes Parkop recently announced that his intelligence team disclosed names of individuals and groups smuggling betelnuts into the city. So can the Governor confirm if the city police are also involved in the betelnut smuggling network?

Highway frequenter

“LAS PELES”

AS a citizen of New Ireland Province, the host of two world class mines, a lot is left to be desired about the state of the provincial town of Kavieng. The town has not seen any real infrastructure development. The

state of the road infrastructure in the heart of the town is built on a reef or something akin to that.

People talk about potholes in town but these potholes are not potholes any more, they are like craters that make driving on the beach road f to the hospital almost impassable at times. It is a fact that motorists have learnt to cope and not complain. The silence on the part of our leaders is deafening at this stage. The road to the hospital is indeed a great risk for patients who are in great pain or women in labour. The rough ride on this part of the road on vehicles and ambulance is an added risk to their prevailing health condition. This section of the road needs quick attention if there are political leaders who are there to physically see and consider the state of the bad roads infrastructure in the town of Kavieng and improve them. Just like the bad state of infrastructures in Kavieng town, the people of New Ireland badly need their elected leaders to do something about the pride of Kavieng and return it to its scenic state, when we did not need much controversy over who should build and maintain the roads.

Gerard Passingan

SEWER PROBLEMS

PERHAPS the authority responsible for maintaining Port Moresby’s sewerage system should also declare a state of emergency, the city’s sewers and septic systems are outdated and pose serious health risks to people. This issue is as old as the country. Our sewer systems can no longer support the population growth of the city. Many sewer stations in the city are currently overflowing onto the main roads, streets and residential areas. Even busy parts of our CBD stink.

Can somebody please sort this sh** out! Orlando

The Government commits K2m to kick-start nation-wide fundraising to assist Asian tsunami victims. Jan 5, 2005

The recent measles outbreak is because of inadequate coverage to protect against the virus having been transported into the country from outside...

Belhat wans

Maru welcomes mobile squad 20

LAW and order must be maintained for development changes to take place.

Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry and MP for Yangoru-Saussia, Richard Maru, made these remarks during the welcome reception for the police mobile squad 20.

The event was organised by the East Yangoru LLG president Jeffrey Wafi, held at the LLG council chamber in Yangoru on Sunday.

Mr Maru told the MS 20 members they are here to look after the interest of Yangoru-Saussia District – their number one priority, then East and West Sepik and Papua New Guinea as a whole.

“We are sick and tired of having law and order problems in this district. We want investors to come invest in some of our major economic impact projects,” Mr Maru said.

Community awed by sand prospector

BY FRANKLIN KOLMA

PEOPLE living in the Ihu area of Orokolo Bay in Gulf Province have expressed gratitude to an Australian mineral exploration company for its informative approach in dealing with the community.

Mineral resource company Mayur Resources was praised by the people of Ihu for an exciting information session that saw legendary Australian rugby league star Darren Lockyer share a day with the remote community informing the people of the company’s activities as well

as meeting fans.

The former Australian, Queensland and Broncos captain and now head of Mayur Resources business affairs arrived at the secluded bay on Monday where he spent a

night before disembarking on Tuesday.

Although the main purpose of the visit was to let the people know what the company was doing in the area, time was also given for fans to meet and greet the iconic rugby league star.

Mayur Resources Exploration manager Thomas Charlton, who was part of the visiting team, said during a meeting that it was the company’s foremost intention to remain transparent in all its activities.

“Our company’s visit is to build and strengthen the link

between the people and our company so that future dialogue can occur,” Mr Charlton said.

During the meeting, he told village elders and ward councillors that the company would be prospecting for iron sands, the sands used to make industrial grade iron and steel.

He explained that the process of exploration would allow them to establish exactly how much of the resource could be found and whether there is enough to be mined.

When asked on the environmental damage that might

occur if mining commences in future, the people were pleased to learn that only 10 per cent of iron sands mined are used. Mr Charlton explained that the rest of the sand is put back, leaving an almost untouched land area.

Mr Charlton also made it clear that they would only be prospecting ancient beach sands that are now inland.

“We are not interested in the current beach sands, they are environmentally important to the area, we only prospect what is not significantly needed to the current environmental conditions.”

He said these major impact projects includes the Alexander mine and the multibillion kina Sepik Plains oil palm project.

Mr Maru told the policemen that their presence in the Yangoru-Saussia electorate will help minimise law and order issues.

The minister said criminal incidents must decrease in Yangoru-Saussia district so people can live in a peaceful and safe environment with no law and order problems.

Mr Maru also made an appeal to the MS 20 members to be tough and diligent when dealing with law and order issues.

Mr Maru said there will be no more mediations held in the village as he wants all law and order issues to be sorted out at the police station.

He said with mediations, most of the suspects get away with their crime and also they continue doing the same offence because they were never punished with the same intensity of the they commited.

“Criminals must face the full force of law,” Mr Maru said.

The electorate is known for its lawlessness and the police presence will help reduce that, Mr Maru said.

Kondra: OTML shares will be equally divided

MINISTER for Culture, Arts and Tourism, Boka Kondra, says the 33 per cent share of OTML will be equally distributed through consultation with the people, stakeholders and parties involved.

He said this while addressing public servants in Kiunga yesterday.

“We have taken back what is rightfully ours and now we will work as a team to distribute the shares to the people equally,” he said.

He stressed there will

The bottom line

be no one-man-decisions on how and how much share each party will get, this will come after consultation with every individual in the district and province.

He said most people who have suffered in the name of Ok Tedi have gone and now the time has come for us to enjoy what rightfully is ours.

Mr Kondra said the national Government has heard the cries of it’s people and advise us on how to distribute the shares, it is upon us to sit work

together and distribute the shares for everyones benefit.

Mr Kondra thanked Prime Minister Peter O’Neill for doing the right thing – giving the people of Western Province their well deserved mine back.

He said our struggles and hardship has been paid and we now own 33 per cent – the biggest share of OTML.

“The mine residing in my electorate has contributed, if not, been the catalyst for development

in Papua New Guinea, and now we are getting it back,” he said He added that he is ready to work with the Governor, the Fly River Provincial Government, and the people of North Fly and Western Province to distribute the shares equally.

The Ok Tedi mine is an open-pit copper and gold mine located near the headwaters of the Ok Tedi River, in the Star Mountains Rural Local Level Government of the North Fly District.

Until the nineteenth century, solid blocks of tea were used as money in Siberia!

OROKOLO Bay locals welcoming former Broncos captain Darren Lockyer, who is now the head of Mayur Resources business affairs. Picture: FRANKLIN KOLMA

We prospect what is not needed by the environment condition

THOMAS CHARLTON

Orokolo Bay, Gulf Province

AN aerial view of the giant Ok Tedi mine. Picture supplied

One missing in Gulf waters

BY DENYSE KALAU

ONE person is missing from a dinghy which was on a betelnut buying trip in Gulf Province when it sank in rough seas.

Western Province Police Commander Silver Sika said yesterday that three passengers survived the accident, which happened on December 24 in Baimuru.

Mr Sika said one of the survivors is an escapee from

At a glance

ACCIDENT: On December 24 last year involving four people on a 23-foot dinghy which left Daru in Western Province at about 6am headed for Ihu in Gulf Province to by bags of betelnut when they were reported missing in rough seas.

SURVIVORS: Three passengers, one of which is an escapee from Daru wanted for stealing a dinghy belonging to a businessman.

INVESTIGATIONS: Police will travel to Baimuru next week.

Daru. He said a man, believed to be from the Highlands had recruited three people

from Kiwai Island, Western Province, on Christmas Eve to accompany him on his

PINEAPPLE SEASON

IT’S pineapple season and this lad, Jerry Joe from Laloki, was busy on the city streets selling his pineapples to motorists at Waigani. The fruit was going for K10.

Search still on for escapees

KIUNGA police in the Western Province are in search of five escapees who escaped from the Kungia police cell early this month.

According to Western Provincial Police Commander Silver Sika, the men had dug their way out and dashed to freedom right under the nose of police officers who were on guard duty.

Mr Sika said the men took advantage of the continuous rain in the area and decided to dig up the wet earth from the outer part of the cell block and escape. He said the escapees were known to police and would be recaptured soon.

Meanwhile, one escapee who fled the Baisu prison in Mt Hagen with 32 others was recaptured in Porgera, Enga Province.

A joint-operation operation involving police and correctional service officer captured some of the fugitives.

Seven people were arrested also for harbouring the escapee. The escapee was identified as Warape Kuku of Karik Village in Porgera. He was one of the 33, mostly Engan prisoners who escaped from Baisu jail on December 31.

Highlands Police Commander Teddy Tei said Kuku, who was in remand at Baisu, charged with wilful murder in 2012, was recaptured in his village. He said seven Engan’s living near Baisu jail were also arrested last Wednesday and charged with harbouring criminals.

Police also confiscated a shotgun during a raid of their houses. Mr Tei said 31 of the escapee were from Enga and were still on the run.

buai-buying trip along Gulf coastal villages.

He said the four left Daru in a 23-ft dinghy about 6am, headed for Ihu, Gulf Province, to buy 70 bags of betelnut when they were reported missing in rough seas and wet weather. Three managed to swim ashore and alerted villagers who reported the matter to the Baimuru and Daru police were notified last week, Chief Insp Sika said. He said Daru police would

travel to Baimuru next week to investigate the accident and recapture the escapee Peter Wamero, who is wanted for stealing a dinghy belonging to a Western Province businessman.

Mr Sika has appealed to dinghy owners to be wary of rough seas and bad weather and not risk taking long trips.

Western Province is the largest and most remote province in the country, with few roads and travel by river and

air made difficult by the high cost of fuel. More than 200,000 people are spread over three districts – 97,000 square kilometres – comprising 21% of PNG’s total land mass.

The Province covers 99,300 km² and is the largest province in Papua New Guinea by area. There are several large rivers that run through the province including the Fly River and its tributaries including the Strickland and Ok Tedi rivers.

If you have a story to tell, call us on 309 1042, or email cgware@spp.com.pg

RSPCA warns of animal trafficking

The RSPCA of PNG has called upon the media to support PNG wildlife by not showing images of animals that have been caught for sale in the newspapers.

RSPCA committee member Hellen White said the capture of animals for sale is a form of animal trafficking which should not be promoted and in some cases was actually illegal.

“Sometimes we see images in the newspapers of animals that have been caught, have been placed in tiny cages, or tied up with the media given reference to the captor hoping to sell the animal or portraying the image in a positive way,” she said.

“We beg the media to help us save PNG’s wildlife by not publishing these images as it sends the wrong message to our children that we think it is ok to cruelly treat our wildlife. It is not ok.”

The staff of RSPCA said we should not accept the practice of catching our unique and precious wildlife as a means of income and raised that many native animals were actually protected under the Department of Environment and Conservation’s Fauna Protection Act and as such it was actually illegal for people to catch, kill and sell

Govt gives K2m for centre upgrade

THE National Government, through the Department of National Planning and Monitoring, has given K2 million to Kiunga Vocational Training Centre to build and upgrade its infrastructure.

these animals. This applied to animals including birds of paradise and tree kangaroos.

Ms White said although some of the animals sold on the streets may not yet be listed as endangered, if we act now we reduce their chances of becoming extinct and ensure their survival for future generations to come.

Port Moresby Nature Park has also put their support behind RSPCA’s campaign and is set to hold an awareness day with RSPCA as one of the attending organisations at the end of February as part of World Wildlife Day.

“Whilst we understand that in the remote parts of PNG the capture of animals to feed ones family is a basic necessity, what we are seeing is people in developed areas turning animal capture into a business,” said the park’s general manager McGeorge.

“What people need to remember is that that animal for sale actually represents many more that died in the process of being caught and kept in cruel conditions without proper food and water.”

“PNG’s wildlife deserves better.”

Best animal companion

IN August, 2014, Ella and her siblings, along with their mother, were surrendered to the Port Moresby animal pound.

The reason they were surrendered was that the owner had one too many dogs. Ella is now 23 weeks old. She enjoys cuddles and is an active puppy. She takes well to commands and we believe can be trained quite easily.

Ella, like all the animals

who go through the RSPCA Adoption program, has been de-wormed, vaccinated and will be neutered before she joins her new family.

If you think Ella is your animal companion and would like to meet her, contact us on 7196 0436, 7198 2200, fax: 325 6833 or email your enquiries to rspca@rspca.org.pg

North Fly MP Boka Kondra, who is Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, announced this to the principal and teachers of KVC in the presence of North Fly district administrator Dume Woo, deputy provincial administrator Gull Golgom and Ningrum local Level Government president Kawuk Konmok.

Mr Kondra said the funding was given with the understanding that the name of the vocational centre would be changed from Kiunga Vocational Training Centre to Regional Vocational Institute.

“The national Government’s priority is education, and we are working towards improving education infrastructure and build this school into a model school in Southern region,” Kondra said.

He said Kiunga is becoming a service centre with many economic developments coming and the world is focusing now on Western Province especially North Fly.

He said the Government would continue to support education and provide more in the years to come.

KVTC principal Peter Onogo said the money would be used to build teachers houses.

He said teachers had been living in run-down houses in the school.

School gets district support

RIGO MP and Minister for Justice and Attorney General, Ano Pala, has allocated K150,000 to build a new double classroom for Gomore Primary School, in Rigo District.

The long overdue commitment by Rigo MP for the rural school will for the first time see a new double classroom built for the school which is an eye shore school at the road side of Magi Highway. Unfortunately learning facilities for the school just next to the road side, a 35 minutes drive out of capital city of PNG, Port Moresby, has deteriorated over the last 30 years. The consequences have been faced by children with the drastic drop in the academic results and very poor results.

The Rigo MP’s first secretary Basil Vere, had a rare meeting over the weekend with Gomore Community School board

and school project committee and finalised the plans for the construction of the double classroom which will be build from the funds that has been allocated from Rigo District, District Support Improvement Program.

Mr Vere advised the board members and the project committee that the Rigo MP wants a permanent structured building and it has to last for many years for children’s learning purposes.

He further urged them to acquit all the expenditure because funds will be released from the public accounts.

The school board is expected to receive the K150,000 at the end of the month of January or beginning of February.

Gomore Community School chairman, Mr Avosa Godua, commended Rigo MP’s first secretary Mr Vere, for coming up with the initiative to meet with the board and project committee at Gomore village, which now proves the Minister’s commitment to deliver services to the people at their door step.

“We thank the member’s office for such a great commitment and it is for the first time Gomore Community School has received such support from the member’s office. We have a time frame and we will deliver a new classroom sooner.

ELLA was surrendered to the Port Moresby animal pound on August 2014 and is now 23 weeks old. She enjoys cuddles and is an active puppy.

The owner had one too many dogs and so surrendered Ella RSPCA

Port Moresby

We thank the member’s office for such a great commitment...

AVOSA GODUA Gomore village

If you have a story to tell, call us on 542 2602, or email posthagen@spp.com.pg

Teen killed by falling tree

A TEENAGE girl was killed and several others seriously wounded by a tree felled by strong winds in Tinspai, Tambul District of Western Highlands Province on Sunday.

Fourteen-year-old

Waldamp Kuni, a grade six student, was in front of her house with her siblings when the tree fell on top of her and killed her instantly. Three other relatives are battling for their lives at the Mt Hagen Provincial Hospital.

TInspai councillor George Tennis said two other children were critically injured and many others received light injuries by several other trees that fell all over the village.

Mr Tennis said many other kids playing under the tree fled when it fell but the trio ran straight to where the tree was falling.

The Highlands region is experiencing unprecedented strong winds and floods. Many food gardens are being destroyed by the deadly weather.

PUBLIC servants in the Kutubu area have been warned not to abuse government vehicles.

The strong warning was drummed home by Kutubu local level government president John Kila.

At the cost of over one million kina, the Kutubu LLG purchased three new vehicles to assist public servants perform their duty.

It was the first time for the Kutubu LLG president to deliver the vehicles purchased through the LLGSIP funds.

Of the three vehicles, one

At a glance

WARNING: Public servants in the Kutubu area have been warned not to abuse government-plate vehicles

COMMITMENT: The Kutubu LLG presented K20,000, an outstanding commitment, to the Kutubu Kundu and Digaso Festival Committee

JOHN KILA: Kutubu Local Level Government President.

NEW VEHICLES: At the cost of over one million kina, the Kutubu LLG purchased three new vehicles to assist public servants perform their duty.

OIL SEARCH: The operator of Kutubu Oil Project.

was allocated to the rural hospital and another one to support police operations. For the police force,

it was an additional vehicle to compliment the work of Highway Patrol 19 based at Moro, which was recently

purchased from NipaKutubu DSIP funds.

Mr Kila told the people that in the past, vehicles for the district were misused, a situation he doesn’t want repeated.

He told the people to work together to develop the Pimaga government station.

With assistance from Oil Search, the operator of Kutubu oil project, the station is slowly seeing changes. The company was represented by the general manager for external and

Workers warned not to misuse state vehicles Group strives to clean Hela

BY RIODAN BEGUSHAR

Hela is striving to be a better and safe province for others to come do business and live despite its unwelcome tag as a lawless province.

An awareness campaign carried out by an organisation known as the Hela Community Right Voice Organisation (HCRVO) to fight the escalating law and order problems in the province coincided with the Hela Provincial Government’s funding of security operations recently.

The group raised awareness against the carrying of illegal fighting weapons in towns, markets and other public places in the province and to make sure that people respect law and order.

The awareness was conduct-

Why would they demand the government and the MP for money when they are trying to deliver service to the people? This inhuman attitude needs to stop.

DICKSY TASI (COMMUNITY LEADER) Kagua Erave, Southern Highlands

ed at two districts in the province, one at the Tari Pori electorate and the other one at the Komo Margarima electorate.

The HCRVO is also engaged in cleaning up Hela capital Tari in the evenings to ensure the town is clean for business

the next day.

Chairman of the HCRVO

Thomas Palme extended his appreciation to the Tari Urban LLG lord mayor Ken Arawi for supporting the group.

He said funding support from the LLG was used on hire vehicles, loud hailers, fuel and allowances to the male members of the group involved in cleaning up the town.

“HCRVO will proceed with its awareness campaigns and clean up the town to ensure trouble free and clean township this year so that developers, investors and small and medium entrepreneurs will enjoy the environment that would want to invest in,” Mr Palme said.

He said the organisation will also help police to maintain law and order in the province.

community affairs, Willie Kupo.

As vehicles without Oil Search Permits are not allowed into the project area, Mr Kila pleaded for special consideration to be given to the rural hospital ambulance.

Also on that day, the LLG presented K20,000, an outstanding commitment, to the Kutubu Kundu and Digaso festival committee.

The local level government administration also made a commitment to purchase a vehicle for the committee soon.

Tambul is a high altitude area where crops such as corn, banana and three crops are not grown. Because of this, not many food gardens were destroyed in the freakish winds.

The incident occurred in Kulgump Kui, one of the most fertile vegetable lands in the highlands.

The strong winds have also over the recent months continuously disturbed electricity lines resulting in continuous blackouts. Many business houses have raised concerns on the continuous blackouts.

PNG Power says disturbances on the lines caused the blackouts.

Police warned the people to take extra precautions.

THE police force got an additional vehicle to compliment the work of Highway Patrol 19 based at Moro, which was recently purchased from Nipa-Kutubu DSIP funds.

Buimo records lowest number of escapees

ONLY nine inmates escaped from Buimo jail last year, says jail commander Judy Tara.

This, according to Superintendent Tara, is the lowest recorded number of escapees for Buimo and it reflected a harmonious year last year and she would like it to be maintained .

Mrs Tara told Morobe Governor Kelly Naru that despite having a staff strength that is below 100 and looking after 700 plus inmates, they had done well.

Governor Naru commended Mrs Tara and her officers and asked them to ensure 2015 is also a successful year for Buimo in terms of less escapes and improved harmony in the jail.

But the governor couldn’t have asked for it at an opportune time when the jail is a closed camp due to fighting amongst prisoners.

Heavily armed correctional officers are patrolling the perimeter fences of the prisons after a fight erupted amongst prisoners.

Dropouts given second chance

THE education division of Morobe Province will engage the flexible open and distance education program to grade eight students who are not accepted in the formal system of education to continue their studies.

Morobe provincial planning adviser for the department of education Keith Jiram says the province has been experiencing an increase in the number of dropout students over the past couple of years and nothing has been done.

“The department of education has come up with a new strategy that will help all the students by giving the schools two separate acceptance letters for the continuing students in the formal system and those that will not continue,” Mr Jiram said.

He said 10,661 grade eight students sat for the national examination last year but only 4000 students are eligible to continue to the secondary level this year and the rest were left out for not meeting the 70 per cent cut off mark set by the Department of Education.

Rural health centre left inoperative

BY HAIVETA KIVIA

A SUB-HEALTH centre built through the initiative of the Busamang villagers has been left high and dry by the Huon Gulf District and the Morobe Provincial administrations.

Busamang village is located along the picturesque beaches of Salamaua local level government area of Huon Gulf District.

In 2012, through the initiative of its educated elites, they sourced funds from the Department of National Planning to build a sub-health centre in the village.

The facility was completed early 2013 and is supposed to service the people of Busamang, Gwado, Wakop, Bumatu, Buasi, Yamap, Buakap, Wamusi and other hinterland villages but it has not been operational due to many factors.

One of the factors is that it has no staff to run its operations and it has no white goods and medical equipments and furniture for its operations.

Many of these factors lay with the Huon District administration and its health sector and the Morobe health division and it has baffled the local people, why these government divisions are not factoring the

sub-health centre into their plans since 2012.

The people are questioning why the facility is lying wasted and when will the Morobe provincial administration and Huon District act to make it operational.

Public servants on holidays at Busamang during New Year were not happy that Huon Gulf district was wasting an asset that was gifted to them through the initiative of the villagers.

A senior public servant, who wishes to remain anonymous in fear of repercussions, said Huon district did not waste any money building the infrastructure and all they had to do was to factor that into the Morobe rovincial administration restructure in 2012 and when additional positions were advertised last year.

Another took pictures of the facility and will use it to argue the villagers’ case in this year’s Morobe provincial health meeting.

“It was a waste of the people’s effort and not good enough on the administrations’ part,” he said.

Calls placed to the Huon District administrator went unanswered all of yesterday and messages left with human resource of the administration were not returned.

MOROBE Governor Kelly Naru chatting with Buimo jail inmates.

A RECONCILIATION ceremony is expected to take place this year between the family of murdered Australian Colonial Government administrator Jack Emmanuel and the men responsible for the murder and their families.

The event will involve the Australian and Papua New Guinea governments, the East New Britain Provincial Government and the people of Kabaira and neighbouring villages along the north coast of Rabaul.

The ceremony is will eventuate in July this year, 45 years after the Rabaul district commissioner was stabbed to death on August 4, 1970 at Kabaira village. His death was believed to be related to land issues around the Kabaira area. There are also those who believe the slaying of Emmanuel contributed to the early attainment of self government in 1973 and eventual independence in

Gazelle MP helps with tuition fees

GAZELLE MP and Minister for Higher Education, Malakai Tabar, will continue his school fee assistance program this year with another K300,000.

Mr Tabar has been supporting students from Gazelle District with their tuition fees to universities, colleges and technical schools for the past three years.

This year his office, through the district administration, has again allocated another K300,000 to assist parents in meeting their children’s school fees. The program is intended only to help parents who pay part of their children school fees, not to provide 100 per cent support.

The program was initiated primarily to promote standard and excellence amongst students from the district who were attaining higher education.

It was also initiated to support the parents after the cocoa pod borer infested the cocoa industry on the Gazelle Peninsula which had a major impact on the parents’ ability to meet their children’s school fees, especially at the tertiary level.

As well, tough economic times were making it more difficult for parents to meet the ever increasing tuition fees for universities and other tertiary institutions.

Since becoming minister for Higher

Education, Research Science and Technology, Mr Tabar has continued to call on students from his electorate and East New Britain Province as a whole to take more interest in the areas of science and mathematics in order to get into the country’s universities and study to become engineers, doctors and pilots.

Also since becoming minister, Mr Tabar has called on the ENB Governor, Ereman ToBaining Jr, the Deputy Prime Minister Leo Dion and Rabaul MP Allan Marat to form a provincial scholarship scheme particularly for university students and students who qualify to study abroad.

To date this has not eventuated however, each of the MPs from the province have their own programs operated at their districts.

Mr Tabar said a lot of students from the district and the province were entering universities in the area of social science and he particularly wanted to see a shift away from this direction.

Last year, the member provided school fee assistance to 105 students from the district who attended university, colleges as well as some privately run institutions.

Mr Tabar plans to increase funding for this program from next year onwards.

Funeral Notice

1975. Five men were jailed at Bomana prison over the killing. Two of the imprisoned men have passed away while three, including the man who stabbed the district commissioner, are still alive and are involved in the preparations for the reconciliation. They were all released from prison in the mid 1980s.

Gazelle MP and Minister for Higher Education, Malakai Tabar, is spearheading the reconciliation ceremony and has already held initial talks with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Australian High Commissioner Deborah Stokes. He said both were very supportive of the idea. Mr Tabar met with the relatives of the perpetrators and the people of Kabaira as well as surrounding wards recently to kick start the preparations for the event. A working committee was formed to organise the ceremony.

LATE MOANNA B PISIMI

This is to inform relatives and friends on the Funeral Program of the late MOANNA B PISIMI that;

Wed 14/01/15

- Body leaves Lae international Hospital and overnights at Butibum Village— Barnanga Residence.

Thur 15/01/15

- Funeral Service at St Andrews Lutheran Church — Ampo.

Time: 10:00 am—11:00 am.

Followed by light refreshments at the Pisimi Family redence at one mile, Beech street — Boundary Road and body overnights thereafter.

Fri 16/01/15

- Body departs for Mt Hagen and further transported by road to Walu Wali villlage, Ialibu, SHP.

Sat 17/01/15

- Vilage Haus Krai continues.

Sun 18/01/15

- Village Haus Krai continues and at 1:00pm body laid to rest.

For further Information contact: Mr. Thomas Ponah Pisimi—71171835 or Mr. Kepo Pisimi—71198923

MINSTER Tabar chatting with elders from Kabaira village during the meeting to form a committee for the reconciliation ceremony.

If you have a story to tell, call us on 982 9186, or email postrabaul.spp@global.net.pg / or call 973 9188, email postbuka.spp@global.net.pg

Landowners to receive certificates

LANDOWNERS who are part of the proposed oil palm project in Torokina are due to receive their Incorporated Land Group (ILG) certificates.

Hakau Investment Limited (HIL), the developer working in partnership with the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the landowners, will see that the project gets off the ground and this will see the first 25 hectares of land to be used for the oil palm project cleared.

The project will be established in eight ILGs of Torokina that include Begho, Deki, Kavia, Keari, Simia, Naka, Tobo and Rabatsi and out of these groups two of them have already received their certificates.

Managing director of Hakau Investment Limited Fabian Chow and his officers will be accompanied by Department of Lands director of ILG, Iruna Rogakila and his delegation.

They were due to arrive in Buka yesterday and will pay a courtesy call on the ABG President John Momis, the Chief Secretary, Monovi Amani and the CEO of ABG Commerce department Mr Albert Kinani.

Today they will meet with the ministers responsible with the presentation to be done in the afternoon.

ARAWA INFORMAL SECTOR

Hellen

year, most mothers sell goods

Local claims Chinese ship cash out of B’ville

BY SEBASTIAN HAKALITS

A FORMER combat-

ant in Siwai district of Bougainville has raised concerns of Asians involved in shipping cash out of Bougainville.

Mr Isaiah Tapiau fronted up at the Post-Courier office in Buka and expressed his concerns, saying that he used to work for one of these Asians as the owner was married to his (Tapiau’s) cousin sister and he has witnessed his in-law leaving Bougainville every month

with bags of cash.

The in-law, who goes by the name of Michael, married Mr Tapiau’s sister in Rabaul when she was attending school there.

He said the Asians marry Bougainvillean women only to use them to set up business in the region but don’t treat them as their wives.

He said Michael, first came to Bougainville in 1999 and set up a small retail store registered under his sister’s name, over which she has no control now.

Mr Tapiau said Michael

had started small with one little store which has now grown to four with eight other Chinese, who are all related to him, assisting him in taking care of the operation of the stores.

He said Michael has a Chinese wife who, with one of his children, are manning one retail shop.

The other shop is manned by his in-law and his wife while the other shop is looked after by his brother and his wife. All the stores are located in Buka town.

“My sister has been given

a vehicle, a house built for her in Siwai and she is on the highest payroll but she totally has no control over the running of the stores,” Mr Tapiau said.

He said retail shops, fastfood and other small to medium enterprises should be done by the locals and not the Asians.

“They should be invited to do industrial and manufacturing business in Bougainville instead of venturing into the type of business locals can do,” he said.

Mr Tapiau said while he

Strong wind hits mountain village

was working with his in-law he had seen many corrupt practices and claimed that he was told by his in-law that he (Michael) dose not believe in the Bougainville Constitution.

Mr Tapiau appealed to the Autonomous Bougainville Gouvernment to look into this matter before it gets out of hand.

He also warned other Bougainvillean women about getting married to these Asians, as they are only interested in making money on their land.

Women group to assess B’ville’s economy

BY SEBASTIAN HAKALITS

THE Bougainville Women’s Federation has been engaged to assist the Bougainville Education Department to undertake the economic sector activity and gender analysis.

The women’s group is a non-profit organisation and it strives to eliminate discrimination against women and girls and promote equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries in the development of the country and

more particularly in terms of human rights, humanitarian action, peace and security.

The women’s group will assess the projected level of economic activity and access to formal and informal employment opportunities

for men and women in all sectors of the Bougainville economy to 2016 with focus on women and girls and special attention given to their needs in accessing technical vocational education training (TVET).

Executive officer of

the group Mrs Barbara Tanne said the research funded with money drawn from the Government Implementation Fund (GIF) will focus particularly on the Panguna mine prefeasibility and feasibility development phase (2014-2016.

STRONG wind has hit the Pavaire village in the mountains overlooking Arawa in Kieta district of Central Bougainville on Tuesday.

According to a report from the site, most of the gardens were destroyed by the wind that is currently experinced throughout the Pacific islands.

Since the slopes of the mountains face towards the sea, the wind came along the slopes with sustained strenght and destroyed food crops such as bananas, taros and others.

Report stated that some of the gardens were destroyed by falling trees.

Good Samaritan Natural Disaster Volunteers (GSNDV) got the news from the village and sent up a food supplies to help the victims in Pavaire village. They supplied a good amount of store goods to sustain the victims for longer period.

SUCH markets are one of the core income earning methods in Papua New Guinea. It is a way in which many people make their income daily. Pictured are two mothers,

Kavatai (right) and Judith Marie marketing at the auto port area in Arawa town in Central Bougainville. At this time of the

and other stuff to raise money for the school fees of their children. Picture: JACOB IENU

Report: Growth for PNG, Asia Pacific will pick up

PAPUA New Guinea’s economic growth is projected to pick up among six major economies in the Asia Pacific region.

A report just released this week by the United Nations (UN) stated that, “growth in Asia-Pacific developing economies will pick up moderately in 2015”, including PNG.

According to a statement released by UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); prospects for growth would be better if supported by much-needed structural reforms, and could also be boosted by lower oil prices that are an opportunity to mobilise resources for inclusive and sustainable development.

ESCAP said developing countries in Asia and the Pacific are forecast to grow at an average of 5.8% this year, up from 5.6% in 2014, driven by improved economic performances in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Korea and Thailand from an updated forecast by its Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2014 year-end update.

The report also highlights that growth in the region remains below pre-crisis levels.

Structural reforms in India and Indonesia are projected to help increase their growth to 6.4 and 5.6%,

At a glance

UNESCAP: UNESCAP is the regional development arm of the United Nations and serves as the main economic and social development centre for the UN in Asia and the Pacific.

ESCAP: Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific say prospects for growth would be better if supported by much needed structural reforms, and could also be boosted by lower oil prices that are an opportunity to mobilise resources for inclusive and sustainable development.

respectively, from 5.5% and 5.2%, respectively, in 2014.

Growth in China is forecast to hover around 7% in 2015 consistent with the ongoing economic rebalancing.

A decrease in regional inflation this year to 3.5% from 3.9% in 2014, offers room in some regional economies for loosening monetary policies to support growth, indicates the Year-end Update, which was unveiled by UN Under-SecretaryGeneral and ESCAP Executive Secretary Dr Shamshad Akhtar.

“Despite improved prospects

many developing economies in the region face structural constraints which have kept them from realising their growth potential. Infrastructure shortages remain acute and growth has not translated into enough decent jobs,” Mr Akhtar said.

The steep decline in oil prices in recent months may be the start of a longer-term trend and will have a significant, yet varying impact across the region.

The Year-end Update estimates that for energy-importing countries, a $10 (K26) per barrel fall in the oil price in 2015 would translate into an increase in GDP growth of up to 0.5 percentage points.

However, it could reduce growth in the Russian Federation, a net energy exporter, by 1.1 percentage points and deprive neighbouring Central Asian countries of $1.7 billion (K4.2billion) in remittances from nationals working in the Russian Federation.

While a recovering United States economy will support growth in Asia-Pacific exporting economies, slow growth in the eurozone and Japan will be a challenge as will be China’s moderating growth.

ESCAP also alerts the region to brace for capital outflows following an expected raising of interest

rates by the US Federal Reserve although this could be buffered to some extent by new financial injections by the eurozone and Japan.

ESCAP also projects higher growth in all Asia-Pacific subregions in 2015, except North and Central Asia where it is expected to decline to 0.2 from 1.0% in 2014, mainly due to the difficult outlook for the Russian Federation.

Among the growth drivers in the region, Thailand’s economy, after the sharp slowdown to 0.8% in 2014, is forecast to grow by 3.9% due to increased short-term consumer and investor confidence following the end of the protracted political instability.

On the constraints of the economies, ESCAP estimates that likely capital volatility in 2015, triggered by developed world monetary policies could slash Asia-Pacific GDP growth by up to 0.7% points, advocating sound macroeconomic management and macroprudential policies to address this.

Mr Akthar further stated that declining global oil prices are a valuable opportunity for Asia-Pacific economies to reduce fuel subsidies that account for a large share of national budgets in many countries in the region.

Oil tumbled 5% to near six-year low

OIL price has tumbled 5% to near six-year lows before recovering ground on Tuesday, and Brent briefly traded at par to the U.S. crude for the first time in three months as some traders moved to take advantage of ample storage space in the United States.

Traders were searching to store the glut of oil, which has knocked prices down 60 per cent in the last six months. So far this week, Brent has lost 7% and U.S. crude 5%.

Brent LCOc1 settled down 84 cents at $46.59 (K121.17) a barrel, after falling to $45.19 (K117.52), its lowest since March 2009.

The U.S. crude CLc1 closed down 18 cents at $45.89 (K119.34), after hitting an April 2009 low of $44.20 (K114.95).

Oil tumbled earlier after big OPEC producer United Arab Emirates defended the group’s decision not to cut output to boost prices.

Losses were pared by a flurry of short-covering toward the close, as players moved to cash in on profitable short positions, traders said.

The arbitrage between Brent and the U.S. crude traded at parity for the first time since October, with both markets touching $46 a barrel at one point.

Traders said the benchmarks converged as limited storage on land for Brent forced traders to look for storage in the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery point for the U.S. crude.

U.S. onshore storage tanks for

crude are barely a third full, showing the highest vacancy rate since the government’s Energy Information Administration began its bi-annual survey of tank farm capacity in 2010. Some said the convergence was not sustainable because the narrowed arbitrage attracted foreign imports.

In the case of Brent, some of the world’s biggest traders booked supertankers to store at least 25 million barrels at sea in recent days in hopes of profiting later if prices recover.

At least 11 very large crude car-

riers (VLCCs) have been reported booked with storage options, shipping sources and fixture lists show, rising from about five vessels at the end of last week. Each VLCC can hold a maximum of 2 million barrels of oil.

Price differentials for the U.K. North Sea Forties crude weakened on Tuesday, pressured by an abundant supply in the Atlantic basin.

The U.S. government said domestic oil production will rise by 200,000 barrels per day in 2016, the slowest rate of growth since 2011, reflecting the impact of plunging

Nigeria’s four largest cities still have only six shopping malls. The bottom line

prices on drilling.

Traders continued to wonder when the price rout would end.

“Despite the magnitude of the selloff, there are no indications anyone knows what the bottom is,” said Gene McGillian, senior analyst at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut.

The industry group American Petroleum Institute (API) late on Tuesday reported that U.S. crude stocks had risen 3.9 million barrels last week.

Gasoline and distillate stockpiles also rose, the API said. - Reuters

Market Snapshot

$A drops back below 81 US cents

SYDNEY: The Australian dollar has fallen below 81 US cents in reaction to sharp falls in the price of copper amid growing concerns about global economic growth.

At 1700 AEDT on Wednesday, the local currency was trading at 80.93 US cents, down from 81.56 cents on Tuesday.

The Australian dollar was trading as high as 81.90 US cents in late morning trade.

But with overnight falls in copper prices being mirrored in Asian trade, the local currency dropped in the early afternoon.

At 1700 AEDT the Australian dollar was at 94.78 Japanese yen, down from 96.77 yen on Tuesday, and at 68.63 euro cents, down from 68.96 euro cents.

The slide in the copper price adds to weaker prices for oil and iron ore.

RBC fixed income and currency strategist Michael Turner said moves in the Australian dollar were a little hesitant, but once it fell past recent lows of around 81.30 US cents it dipped sharply.

“The Australian dollar has not recovered from the shellacking it took courtesy of copper,” he said.

“The battler is doing just that ahead of Thursday’s employment report.”

December employment figures will be released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday, with the market expecting no change in the unemployment rate of 6.3 per cent.

Bond futures prices strengthened as the copper price fall contributed to another fall on the local share market.

At 1630 AEDT, the March 2015 10-year bond futures contract was trading at 97.475 (implying a yield of 2.525 per cent), up from 97.430 (2.570 per cent) on Tuesday.

The March 2015 three-year bond futures contract was at 97.950 (2.050 per cent), up from 97.940 (2.060 per cent).

The Australian dollar in earlier trading had edged higher as traders waited upon the release of important economic data.

FUEL depots and pump stations in PNG are benefiting from the drop in oil prices. Picture: TARAMI LEGEI

Lae challenges still remain

BY ABRAHAM AVEDIBA

MANY businesses in Lae generally fared well in 2014 but there remain a few challenges that need to be sorted out this year.

Lae Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) president Allan McLay revealed this during an interview with the Post-Courier this week.

“There’s the issue of the reconstruction of all roads in the city, where three to four contractors are working on the road at the same time, and there’s considerable amount of disruptions in the normal flow of traffic,” he said.

“And there’s also stress being experienced along the Milfordheaven Road, because there are lots of potholes, and this consumes a lot of travelling time for port related business that export and import goods.”

Mr McLay also made reference to the Highlands Highway from Lae to Nadzab to be a hassle for businesses that have been air freighting their goods, due to the construction work on the road.

Continuous power blackouts and the sudden drop in fuel

and cash commodity prices were also noted to be other major issues that businesses had had to deal with in 2014.

However, Mr McLay mentioned that the recent opening of the new wharf had seen a huge number of goods coming in from within the country and abroad, and this was a positive sign of growth for business in the province.

He said despite these and other minor problems, the future of many the businesses in and around the city, looks promising.

Mr McLay made also reference to the Lae tidal basin project highlighting positive impacts that it would have on businesses operating in Lae.

“There’s no doubt Lae Port, being centrally located with better facilities, would experience an increase in movement of cargo through Lae destined for PNG or other countries.

“And also with the tidal basin development, there’s been land-fill in the swamp area around the current port, and part of the arrangement is for this area to be available for port related businesses.

“So when that happens, we

would see a sufficient amount of land available for, more businesses to operate on.

It was also mentioned that for this year, LCCI will continue its Asian Development Bank funded project, on HIV and gender-based violence programs to the private sector.

Furthermore, the chamber will continue to conduct dialogue with the government and the sub-contractors that are working on the roads.

“Since power-blackout is a major issue, we’ve already started to work with PNG Power on their current exercise to have all businesses pay-up their outstanding dues.

“And we will also work closely with them in establishing alternative methods of providing power to the business community,” Mr McLay continued.

Meanwhile, the chamber is looking at ways to improve the Lae community safety network and by doing so they will be establishing a toll-free crime stoppers number for city residents to use with the aim of deterring criminal activities.

BANK OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Banker wins Brian Bell promo

BRIAN Bell this week announced the winner of its nationwide Christmas family giveaway promotion.

Bank officer Annette Naita, based in Port Moresby, was the happy recipient of the prize worth K25,000 which included a wide range of products covering white goods, outdoor and camping gear, small appliances, kitchen utensils, dinner sets, a huge 60 inch LED TV and much more.

The promotion which

PUBLIC NOTICE

started in October and into the festive season also included consolation prizes worth K10, 000 each for three winners. They were Rebecca Kwagaila of Gerehu, Ignatius Talania of Goroka and Paul F. Ali of Gordons.

There were a total of 70 Star Vision 32’ LED televisions that were given away weekly over a period of 10 weeks nationwide.

Brian Bell also introduced the ‘Double Your Chances Promotion’ into the Na-

BEWARE OF MONEY SCHEMES & SCAMSUSE YOUR MONEY WISELY, DURING 2015. DON’T LOSE IT TO FRAUDULENT MONEY SCAMS.

The Bank of Papua New Guinea (the Bank or Bank of PNG) continues to warn the public to be cautious and avoid placing their hard earned cash with promoters or agents of fast money schemes and scams. These fast money schemes/scams are illegal and fraudulent. People who place their money with promoters or agents of these money schemes/scams risk losing their hard earned cash. Be smarter than them, and use your money wisely during the festive season.

The Bank is aware of certain individual(s), agents or groups operating in many parts of PNG who ask innocent individuals to invest their cash in their operation with a promise for a hefty return of 100-2000% on their investment. They also claim that a huge sum of their money, gold or investments in Treasury bills and bonds (often in billions/trillions) is held by the Bank of PNG and is awaiting clearance for immediate payment.

The Bank is also aware of recent scams using mobile phone text and email messages, fraudulent documents with the signatures of Governor of the Bank of PNG, name of the prime Minister, Government Ministers and politicians, winning of lotteries and prizes, request for upfront fees for facilitating access to funds held in offshore accounts and other fraudulent means. These are all different types of scams which are illegal and fraudulent.

Be advised that the Bank of PNG does not deal with financial transactions for any individuals or private groups. The Bank only deals with financial transactions for the Government and licensed financial institutions in

tionwide Christmas Family Giveaway which started on Thursday December 4, 2014. This allowed any shopper who spent K50 to get 2 entry forms to get into the draw.

Ms Naita, when commenting on her win, said it was perfect timing for her family because they had just recently moved into their new apartment and her prize would complete her home. She said she enjoys shopping at Brian Bell during the festive season.

PNG. Do not send money for upfront fees to any nominated accounts locally or overseas, and avoid giving money to individuals and groups that promise to pay high returns.

If you have given your money to these schemers, you should report those individual(s) to the Police, or demand your money back from them.

REMEMBER: DO NOT PLACE YOUR MONEY WITH ILLEGAL FAST MONEY SCHEMES AND SCAMS. YOU SHOULD USE THE SERVICES OF LICENSED FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ONLY. BE SMART,USE YOUR MONEY WISELY DURING 2015.

WISHING ALL THE PEOPLE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA

A PROPEROUS HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015

GOD BLESS PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Authorised by:

Loi M. Bakani Governor

ANNETTE Naita (right) being congratulated by Brian Bell Brand Ambassador Jane ToKilala when receiving her winning package.

Local miner expands operations

ANITUA Mining Services (AMS) is moving its services into two other provinces, according to the company’s newsletter NCS Gardona.

“It’s an exciting time for AMS with two new operations in Manus and Bougainville.

“Not only are we generating new business off Lihir” says AMS general manager,” Mark Edwards

Mr Edwards said, “we are

also making sure that we get maximum usage of our equipment, some of which would otherwise not be utilised on Lihir with the shrinking of Newcrest’s operations there.”

Together with local firm Pusinai Quarry, AMS has formed a new company called Pusani Ltd.

The company will be primarily involved in produc-

ing crushed materials from a quarry located in the Polomou area of Manus, with the materials being used both in some major projects as well as routine road maintenance projects.

Crushing is expected to commence since the necessary equipment have arrived on site while staff are in the final stages of the quarry bench work preparation.

At the request of Bougainville business, AMS has dispatched some of its excess machinery to Arawa to commence a full scale crushing operation to be located between Kieta and Aropa.

AMS will be supplying both equipment and expertise in crushing and road works to facilitate the timely and efficient development of Bougainville and to nurture Bou-

gainville business.

An important by product of this new project is that AMS trainers will also be providing highly valued training to the local workforce many of whom have not been in paid employment for significant periods of time.

As with the Manus project a new company named Eastrac Ltd has been formed between AMS and a local business.

PanAust cuts more than 180 jobs

SYDNEY: Gold and copper miner PanAust is cutting 182 jobs and will further shrink its workforce later in the year.

The job cuts will come from across the company’s business, which is headquartered in Brisbane and has operations in Laos, Papua New Guinea, Thailand and Chile.

The 182 job losses represent five per cent of the company’s staff, and are expected to reduce its annual costs by about $US15.5 million ($A16.77 million).

Further staff reductions will occur later in 2015 through natural attrition and as employment contracts expire, PanAust said on Wednesday.

“It is always a difficult decision to reduce staff numbers,” managing director Fred Hess said.

“These organisational changes are necessary to ensure our operations continue to remain competitive, and reflect the company’s priorities in 2015 of efficiency optimisation at existing operations and advancing the Frieda River Project towards a development decision.”

PanAust bought an 80 per cent stake in the prospective Frieda River copper and gold project in PNG in August 2014, and a feasibility study is expected to be completed in late 2015.

The company has been reviewing its operations with the aim of streamlining its business so they are sustainable.

Sportswear shop opens in Moresby

BY FRANK GENAIA

A SPORTSWEAR shop is ready to give sports codes and business houses quality clothing.

Tau Sportswear PNG managing director Steven Francis Pihau said this last Friday during the opening of the shop.

The shop is located in Boroko, Bird of Paradise Building arcade, shop 7.

In a small ceremony attended by media, police, Australia-PNG Business Council executive director Douveri

Henao, colleagues, family and friends, Mr Pihau attributed his success to his family.

“I wouldn’t have opened this shop if it wasn’t for my family, especially my dad’s side of the family,” Mr Pihau said. He was emotional and paused for few moments. His family has been behind his struggles from day one till last Friday when the shop opened for the first time.

“The story of Tau Sportswear PNG is a long story.

“In short . . . I went and saw the owner of Tau Sportswear in Fiji and I put forward the

idea of opening a TAU Sportswear company in PNG.

“It was simply my idea so he agreed and here I am with Tau Sportswear PNG,” Mr Pihau said.

Tau Sportswear PNG; a 100% locally owned company is embarking on selling and producing quality sports outfits for all kinds of sporting codes in PNG.

Mr Henao congratulated Mr Pihau and encouraged his family to help run the shop.

“Mr Pihau’s success will come from you (family) if you work and support him.

“The first few months will be hard but as a family you work and support him,” Mr Henao said.

He spoke of his personal experiences, how it has been a struggle to start one’s business given the struggling business environment PNG offers. “I admire Mr Pihau’s courage to venture into this clothing entrepreneur.

“This is the first of its kinds for a local and I wish him and the family all the best,” he said.

Tau Sportswear PNG offers quality sport wears for all

codes in the country.

They design sportswears or corporate (tailormade).

Mr Pihau said Tau Sportswear PNG is the sole distributor of Tau Sportswear Company based in Fiji.

Tau Sportswear company is a giant in the Pacific and this is the first time a franchise under Mr Pihau has opened in Port Moresby.

TAU Sportswear are also based in Melbourne, two outlets in New Zealand, Wellington and Auckland, Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga and now Papua New Guinea.

Mr Hess said the company is now in an even better position to meet the challenges of falling commodity prices. Further details on the progress of the company’s review will be provided in a quarterly business update on January 29.

PanAust made a profit of $US28.1 million in the first half of 2014, down 28 per cent from a year earlier. Its shares dropped 14 cents, or 9.7 per cent, to $1.305.

PNG’s Frieda River Project comprises four copper-gold deposits and several prospects along a 10-kilomtre trend. The initial development project is focused on the large Horse-Ivaal-Tukai (HIT) porphyry deposit..- AAP

AUSTRALIA-PNG Business Council executive director Douveri Henao (right) cuts the ribbon to open the shop while Tau Sportswear PNG managing director Steven Pihau (in black) looks on

It’s an exciting time for Anitua Mining Services with two new operations in Manus and B’ville...

NCS GARDONA Newsletter

ITI specializes in business, IT

BY MARILYN PAUL

WITH the 2015 school year starting, International Training Institute (ITI) is no exception with more students enrolling for the first semester and as such the registration and enrolment is extended although the academic year kicks off on January 19.

A total of 1, 300 offer letters have been issued to students who applied for the first semester intake.

ITI offers a total of five Certificate and nine Diploma and Advanced Diploma courses. Last May 2014 the Office of Higher Education granted ITI full institutional accreditation as it reached its 15th year of education provision in the country.

With this the institution is now looking to offer Degree in Accounting soon.

ITI Cooperate and Marketing manager Semi Rose said the Institution offers both day and evening classes.

Since most working class people are also interested in the courses offered. For the evening classes there are drop

offs with security escort to ensure the students make it home safely.

ITI is the only Institution which offers night classes with transport drop off Services with minimum installment fee.

She said they have 17 weeks for each semester with the first falling on January and the next intake in June and final in October.

The head office is based in Port Moresby with centers in Lae, Rabaul, Kimbe Kokopo and Bougainville. With more requests coming in, it is now set to open another center in Kiunga very soon to assist the Western province students.

Ms Rose said ITI has Full time course and Distance Education and corporate short training courses for students and working class people.

Certificate courses require Grade 10 certificate with Passes in English and mathematics.

For Diploma course requirement is Grade 12 certificate with C or above in English and Mathematics from recognized schools or institutions includ-

ing matriculations centers.

For Advanced Diploma in Accounting requires a successful completion of Diploma in Accounting course form ITI or from recognized private and government institutions.

“We not only educate the students we give them counseling as well. We sit with students and find out what they want to become and what they are good and assist them to pick the courses that will benefit them and make them successful”.

We have also Student Support Department who are in charge in sending our deserving graduated students to undergo OJT -on the job training to all our corporate clients ,this is also a way of assisting students to find employment” she said.

We are proud to inform that 70 percent of our graduates get employed.

Ms Rose said in that way they encourage the students to give their best academically. Most of the time they get requests from the cooperate clients for ITI to provide them its best students.

BUNDLE INCLUDE: 1. Pillow, 2. Blanket & 3. Mattress

Back to school finds at City Pharmacy

IT’S school time again! And what’s more exciting than shopping for school supplies?

Well, guess what? City Pharmacy just made it more exciting for parents and kids to do their shopping of school paraphernalia! There are wide variety of choices to choose from on bags, pencil cases, school shoes, notebooks, writing materials, socks and a lot more!

To complement the school paraphernalias, parents should not forget to buy hand sanitizers, baby powders, alcohol, kiddie relaxer kits, lice shampoo and a lot more so that school kids will surely smell nice and clean when they start schooling!

So, head down to any City Pharmacy outlets nationwide and check out the latest school supplies and other offerings!

HOLIDAY WITH BOOKS

THERE are lots of school paraphernalia available at City Pharmacy outlets nationwide.

CITY Pharmacy staff displaying some of the school stationary products available.

THESE children on Bougainville spent some time during their holidays to visit the public library to read books.

Goroka Grammar School

Enrolment 2015

Goroka Grammar School will be open, during normal office hours, for enrolment throughout the holiday period with the exception of Christmas Day & New Years Day. The school office will not open at weekends. Staff will also be available to deal with enrolment enquiries from January 2nd onwards. Students in grades 8, 10 & 12 scored outstanding results in the 2014 National Examinations with a number of grade 12 students selected to Tertiary Institutions. For a high quality academic education contact Goroka Grammar School.

GOROKA GRAMMAR SCHOOL

P.O.Box 1494

GOROKA, Eastern Highlands Province

Telephone: (675) 532 2559

Email: staffggs@gmail.com

Website: www.gorokagrammarschool.com

Director of Education: Paddy Kelly

Principal: Nelson Huanaromo

School prepares for 2015 classes

THE Goroka Grammar School is announcing that it is open for enrolment for the 2015 academic year.

The schoo is situated in the heart of Goroka town, the capital of Eastern Highlands Province. It is located towards the end of Garden Street opposite the Goroka town Seventh Day Adventist Church.

The school enrols students from Play School to Grade 12. The school enrols over 200 students. The school has excellent boarding facilities which are situated within the school itself and also has a multi-purpose sports court. The school was established in January 2001, enrolling 62 students under the guidance of the founding principal Paddy Kelly. It was officially opened in November 2002 by the then Governor-General of Papua New Guinea Sir Silas Atopare. The school has experienced a lot of changes since then.

Goroka Grammar School’s mission statement is to recruit well-qualified, competent teachers with high standards of personal behaviour, to uphold a disciplined, safe, secure

educational environment for grades play to 12.

School facilities include up-to-date computer laboratory with internet connection, a new purpose built library and excellent facilities. In addition to a strong academic programme, Goroka Grammar School also offers a wide range of extra-curricula activities; some in partnership with other renowned institutions from the local community.

A unique feature of Goroka Grammar School is the in depth and regular reporting to parents regarding student’s performance. Comprehensively written reports are sent home termly to parents and guardians.

Educational programmes at Goroka Grammar School are comparable with international standards and the best in PNG, despite its fees being lower than other similar institutions. Goroka Grammar School also supports the preservation of the best of traditional PNG cultures.

In addition to facilities for its fulltime students, Goroka Grammar School runs a Distance Education Center in partnership with UPNG.

GOROKA Grammar School students during a science class. GGS website THIS file picture shows teachers of Carr Memorial School in NCD during their preparation for the school year in 2014. Teachers in schools throughout the country commence a week before classes resume.

Advertising: 309 1115 or email ksibona@spp.com.pg

Editorial: 309 1107 or email kialaw@spp.com.pg

Block of units - Sale offer

BLOCK

of units at Rainbow Village: K1.3 MILLION (NEG)

This block of units is now available for sale. It is newly renovated, fully furnished, fully corporate tenanted, rightly located, fairly priced, currently income generating units attracting more than 13 percent ROR and can help you realise your dreams.

The units are; 1x 4 bedrooms brick structure downstairs, 1x 3 bedrooms upstairs, 2x 1 bed sitters separately built, and a tucker shop stacked away safely in the front. The units are only 2 minutes walking distance to main Rainbow market, Stop n Shop, Mobil Service Station, main bus stop and the big rooster.

We want to be your “Real Estate Company of Choice” as we are not an agent but a developer and so you might have it for a good negotiated price as we believe in “willing buyer & willing seller” situation. Your right investment decision should add flavour in celebrating this Christmas with your family, friends and tribe. Hurry before someone else picks it up this Christmas. Contact us on our mobile numbers 70834925/70015581 or email: walnutre14@gmail.com for more information.

RAINBOW VILLAGE - GEREHU

CAIRNS

Your dream home package

CAIRNS - Safe and secure: Start a prosperous and blessed New Year by educating yourself to create “Money while you Sleep” with Robert SmithAustralian First Realty (AFR) founder. Build your dream home in Cairns.

FEATURES:

Four air-conditioned bedrooms, master bedroom with ensuite and walk in wardrobe, media/theatre room and fully landscaped - built in less than four months by our builder. House packages stages 1,2 and 3 have all sold out.

Now the final stages 4 and 5 are selling fast! Do yourself a favour for Christmas present to the family and create wealth for future education.

Buy your house & land package

today with AFR. Close to Schools, Hospitals, James Cook University and only 7 minutes to Cairns City Centre. One Stop Shop, Call or Email Robert Smith AFR Founder for an information pack. Be Very Quick Wantoks to build dreams.

A$1,000 deposit and you choose your land and house plan, we then open up an Australian Bank account. You are in control, always 100% transparent & confidential. Our very successful New House & Land Package’s Plans are available with a total input of K250,000. That is all you need to Invest in Cairns. The market is on its way up.

Australian First Realty is a One-StopShop be it Wealth Creation for future

and the education of your children or New House & Land Package. Either FIRB approved commercial properties or acreage subdivisions we do it all with our network of introducing you to our Builders, Lawyers, Bankers, Immigration and opening up Australian Bank Account and enrolling children in School. Cairns is Port Moresby’s & PNG’s closest trading partner.

Cairns has hit the jackpot with future $8.5 billion Aquis Resort planning to go ahead in the region. AFR Founder Robert Smith says get ready to make money in Cairns but be quick, very quick. Build your dream home in Cairns at Redlynch Gateway Central, across the road from Shopping

Centre, Sports Centre, Public Transport and minutes away from public & private schools, beaches and Cairns C.B.D. 66 new houses are being built, half already SOLD and another 10 taken with deposits. K250,000 to make your dream come true. Redlynch land now selling stage 2: $1,000 AUD Deposit. With 30 years practice, check & see your agent has experience!

With Australian First Realty you will be the Winner. Our AFR Client P.N.G nationals Testimonials to Back up our AFR History last 30 years in PNG. The Guru of Real Estate Donald Trump U.S.A told Robert “Money while you sleep”. AFR will get you on the right track as Robert has been travelling to

JUNE VALLEY

PNG centres over many years helping wantoks ONE – STOP – SHOP. Create wealth for future generations – Most of all Education. We are open over festive season 24/7 days, see our new display home

Contact us now for more Info on gathering Tools for your Success.

Contact Robert Direct: Best email: robert@australianfirstrealty.com.au

Best Office # +617 4031-1770 Mobile +614 1877 2221

A.F.R. H.Q. 171 Bunda St CNS Opp Rlwy – Next time you are in Cairns Call in and Discuss your Future Wealth Creation over PNG coffee with Robert Direct: 72173866 – The FounderMoney While You Sleep.

Vacant land deal

THIS piece of residential vacant land (house burntdown) measuring 443 square meters located at the back of Ororo Primary School at June Valley is now available for urgent Sale. The land has a clear title with existing services connected. The land is now selling for K120,000 Negotiable (CASH BUYERS ONLY). For inspections & for full listings, call Homeland Realty on: 7233 5703

IF YOU are in the need to lease an office and are looking at around 135sqm then you are in luck. Available for lease from March 2015, Harbour City, Konedobu, Port Moresby.

Price on Application

Contact Mutien Mays of Strickland Real Estate now to Secure; Phone: 320 0944, Mobile: 7005 3289 or Email: mmays@sre.com.pg

A SPACIOUS, fully furnished, and newly renovated semi-detached unit is available for lease in Gordons 5, Port Moresby. It is located in the corner of Ugava and Kitogara Street, just five minutes drive away from shopping malls, POM airport, and city restaurants. This 3 bedrooms unit has split level with 3 toilets and 2 shower rooms including an En-suite in the masters’ bedroom. It has ample and partly covered vehicle parking spaces. Gate is electric operated. We provide 24 hours security, back-up water & power. Furniture are new. A 42” LCD TV and microwave are included. Rate is K2,800/wk plus GST. Please contact CHM Group on 3010500 and look for Joselito (mobile: 72493404) or Ham (mobile: 70903033). Or email joselito@chm.com.pg or chi@chm.com.pg.

MALOLO ESTATE - 8 MILE

Perfect for families

AVAILABLE for lease at Malolo Estate is a three bedroom Standalone House. Securely fenced, with ample yard space this property offers your family comfort, privacy and peace of mind. This home features air conditioned rooms decent furnishings and fittings and a guest toilet for your visitors and relatives.

Now leasing at K 1,300.00 per week. Be Quick!!!

For Viewings Contact: Mutien Mays of Strickland Real Estate on: 320 0944, Mobile: 7005 3289 or Email: mmays@srecom.pg

yumi yet real estate ltd

P.O BOX 5242, BOROKO, National Capital District

Tel: 323 6979 Fax: 325 9676 Mobile: 7755 2594

Email: yumiyetproperties@gmail.com

Gerehu stage.2 roundabout

Gerehu B-7 Tumini Lodge

1. 7 x 1 bedroom unit @K1,000.00/fortnight, K2,000.00/per month (with air condition, TV, ceiling fan, fridge, stove (“Fully furnished & Self contained”)

2. 2 x 1 bedroom unit @K900.00/fortnight, K1,800.00/per month (with ceiling fan, fridge, stove (fully furnished & self contained)

Gerehu A Compound

1. 7 x 1 Bedroom unit @K800/forthnight, K1,600.00/ month

2. 2 x 2 Bedroom unit @K1,150.00/forthnight, K2,300.00/month

Gerehu B Compound – For Lease (Brand new units)

14x2 bedroom unit • @K1,250.00/fortnight, K2,250.00/per month (with medium veranda) (Fully furnished with white & brown goods-self contained)

18 x 2 bedroom unit • @K1,250.00/fortnight, K2,500.00/per month (with large veranda) (Fully furnished with white & brown goods-self contained)

8 x 1 bedroom unit • @ K900.00/fortnight, K1,800.00/ per month (fully furnished)

Waigani B-Top of TST Supermarket

1 x rooms @ K1,000.00/ per month, K500.00/ per • fortnight (common share facilities)

Waigani C-Top of TST Supermarket

3 x 2 Bedrooms unit @ K1,300.00/fortnight, • K2,600.00/ per month

KOROBOSEA

Value & comfort

NOW available for lease in Korobosea is a split level four bedroom fully furnished unit. With only two units in the property, yard traffic is kept at a minimum. In quiet, safe and secure location, back up power and water is provided to ensure that your tenancy is comfortable and stress free in times emergencies.

Leasing at K 2,700.00 per week.

Arrange to inspect now with; Mutien Mays of Strickland Real Estate on Phone: 320 0944, Mobile: 7005 3289 or email: mmays@sre.com.pg

RAINBOW SOHO SUITES

K 650 per week

Rainbow D'-Apartment

K 1,200 per week

Rainbow Villa (Ask for Sale)

K 2,000 per week

Rainbow Semi-D

K 2,000 per week

Rainbow Garden Lodge, Port Moresby

40110-184-11 40106-222-10

40107-092-10

BOGE LEO

MR P MOAIS

JIMMY ANTON

MR J KORUS

MR I PETER

ROSELYNNE SINGIMA

MR U BAYANG

MR A LONDARI

MRS M PARE

MR P NARAKOU

MICHAEL VERONICA

MS A TOKA

40108-738-11

40106-405-11

40112-351-10

40106-478-10

40112-278-12

40107-002-15

40108-210-10

40101-168-10

40107-874-10

40106-297-10

40110-513-10

40112-089-11

40104-348-11

40110-371-10

40106-910-10

MR M REUBEN

GERRY M BEWA

MICHAELANGRA SILAS

ANNA KOLAKO MS

IRORO PETER

MISS J AROGA

MISS N MARAVA

C GWABU

MR JEFF KOM

MR B NIKINTS

40103-332-11

40104-824-11

40106-822-10

40110-248-10

40107-033-11

40107-104-11

40106-975-11

40106-398-10

40102-589-12

40109-850-10

40112-235-10 40110-856-11

40108-325-10 40108-115-12

40109-661-12

40101-310-11

40106-509-10

40110-484-10

40104-526-10

40111-587-10

40109-578-11

40107-523-14

40258-917-10

40110-028-12

40104-494-11

40110-986-10

40108-678-13

40108-210-11

40107-002-14

40104-368-13

40106-218-11

40102-685-10

40103-310-10

40111-867-10

40193-636-11

40111-561-10

40110-304-11

40107-013-10

40110-650-11

40104-345-13

40102-273-11

40108-306-10

40105-079-11

40101-243-10

40131-033-10

40103-313-11

40107-681-11

40107-278-10

40104-966-10

40109-201-11

40108-015-11

40100-154-10

40102-725-13

40110-939-10

40110-249-10

40104-613-10

40108-790-10

40100-751-11

40110-299-11

40112-186-11

40104-413-10

40107-104-12

40107-976-10

40111-849-10

40103-364-11

40107-781-11

40106-645-10

40106-503-10

40111-362-10

40108-037-10

40109-581-12

40112-538-12

MRS MARUTHUAMALAYIL ELIZABETH

BUNGO JOE

PATRICK WAMA

MR A VUAL

LASIBORI BELYNDA

KAPA

MRS G HOLLANDD

LUCAS BARE

ARO TRADING

MR S DAYA

MR I & MRS P THAOA

MS A ESIRA

BISHOP BROS ENGINGEERING (WILLY)

KAIWA

CHUNG

MR WALLY KIONG

REV STEPHEN MICHAEL LEACH

MIAMIL JOSHUA

KURI

MR TUSULAN KALANG

MR G KOIT

L NAIME

MR GAIRO ORAI

MR H BEJ

MABI THOMAS

MR A IMANJAI

MR IPI PANGU

M APA

IMBOSI

LIPO

MR A GIDISA

L KUNUMA

OSBORNE

MR D WATU

MR B GAME

MR N MAHESHWARAN

U FAEG

WAMP

BURNS ANNOS

MR J KAVARO

MR E PIKUS YAGI

MR P EKAP

MR J HE

GINI GEORGE BEGAMA

MR MONGORU PAUL

MR T TOWA

A JUDY

MRS B SHARON

ARIKI GERESON

MR N I HAHU

MR DAVID DAMSON JEFFERY

MR PARI MOUI

MR MICHAEL APO

APA PAUL

P UGLO

DR S SIONI

MR B GIWE

SIKE MING

MR N KAPALE

RUKS RUK

A KALAI

MS W NAKIKUS

KAPRANGI

FOREST AUTHORITY B PIDIKIA

MR EWIH HERMAN

MS S SANGI

MR R DAVID

S KOPAN

MR J MAIPE

LAI

P ARI

MR P KAIMA

MR F A STEVEN

MR N DINDILLO

MR PETER SOGANA

MR K BENNY

TUKI

MR H KOO

KIMSON

MR P S KUNDA

PASTOR J AWA

J A OANIU

MR P KIAGE

40106-810-10

40104-931-10

40102-506-13

40102-988-10

40109-659-11

MR D RUING

MRS S GANDI

MR E TREVOR

J UNIDO

MISS REBAH HELEN HANEY

MS L SAMSON

MR N MATAGAR

A SENGERO

I WAVURI

DIGICEL [PNG] LTD

PIPOL FIRST PARTY INC

MR B MARTIN

MRS A AVOA

MR J WAKEPO

AVA

NATIONAL AGRIC RES INT LABU

MRS MAIK JUNE

G SUMI

S MAILENG

MR R WALAM

MR M MANGAS

J DAVID

MRS PAULINE DANIEL KANINI

G TUS

MR M B BERNARD

LITAU NALO

PR E R OPET

WAEKI THOMAS

M LEPILEPI

MR M MOSIE

MR P AUNIS

KOSUMB

NOVULU

MR E STANLEY

MR KATAKA VERONICA

NATIONAL HOUSING CORP

MR S MON

J G TAMIAN

MR MURRAY TATAENG

MR R ROBERTS

K TAU

CRAFTBUILD PTY LTD (IN LIQUIDATION)

MR M T IMONG

MR R CORTEZ

MAUSEN LIMITED

MR TALAKAM MICHAEL

MR M PUMCAPE

MR M ESDUMAE

T MUNANGKE

N BRUCE

TONGATA

A COURT

J AMBU

BORI JOSEPHINE MISS

MR T K YEP

KIPHY

MISS S WILMOT

HUONVILLE PRIMARY SCHOOL

MR N KAUPA

MR L GEWESA

MR EVOA PAITA

MR APANA RONALD

SIKI

MR A YENDOWUN

AMOSE KURI WANPIS TRAD

BONCAN NORMA

SHORNCLIFFE PNG LTD P/L

MR G MONDAVE

MR N TOLAUR

B B MATLAUN

M KEPI

MRS L ARNOLD

S TALIN

MRS A ESIRA

J MARK

TALNGA GEWI

K J WARU

SODIASI JOSEPH

MRS B TOESTAUFI

NEW CUSTOMER

MR J VANGUN

MR NIMO WALTER KAMA

MR A KUKOYA

T WALO

J MELA

MR NALKEL CHRISTOB

N L LAWEALE

KISAM

MR G MAKIS

MR D RUVA

DEGANU

SCHMIDT HERBERT

J SAWI

YUANTS

MRS KILALA RUTH

I GADEBO

CHEN MING

MR M AMBRE

L KOI

MR J GUSA

MR L RUPU

T B MARAGA

G AVALI

MRS E SEETO

MR B NALAU

JACKS ICE BLOCK

R RAILAKO

MISS M MAGO

P P AMERO

LAWRENCE CECIL

Medicare rebate cut faces foe

THE Federal Government’s cut to the Medicare rebate for short consultations looks likely to be blocked in the Senate.

From Monday, the rebate for appointments lasting less than 10 minutes will be cut from $37.05 to $16.95.

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) said in many cases doctors would have to pass the cost onto patients instead.

The Opposition and key independent senators have confirmed they will try to disallow the $20 rebate cut when Parliament resumes

next month. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the cut would be damaging for patients and the health system.

“Our position is unequivocal, it’s in black and white,” he said.

“We will oppose Tony Abbott absolutely changing the rebate system for our GPs, making it a lot harder and through this sneaky backdoor method.

“We will say to Tony Abbott ‘you are not going to damage the Medicare system if we’ve got anything to do with it’.”

With Labor joining the Greens to support a disallow-

ance motion, only another four votes are needed from the crossbench.

Independents Jacqui Lambie and Nick Xenophon have both declared they would support a disallowance.

Senator Xenophon said he believed the cut was terminal.

“I cannot in good conscience support these measures,” he said.

“The Government’s policy seems to be driven by the bean counters in Treasury and Finance, not by the health experts.”

-ABC news

SP SPORTS AWARDS 2015 NOMINATION FORM P 201 NOMINATIONFORM OMIN M M NOMINATION FORM

Conditions of the SP Sports Awards 2015

will only be accepted on this Official Nomination Form in respect to performance and achievements during the period January 1st to December 31st, 2014. There are twelve categories in the SP Sports Awards 2015, of which the following eleven can be nominated for:

Abbott backs free speech

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott says he “rather likes” the controversial cover of the latest edition of French magazine Charlie Hebdo, adding that “I believe in free speech - I absolutely believe in free speech.”

Charlie Hebdo has released its first edition since the massacre of its staff by Islamist gunmen in Paris, featuring on the cover a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed shedding a tear under the banner headline “All is forgiven”.

or intellectual disability who have performed outstandingly in 2014

9. Sports Official of the Year – For individuals who have excelled as a Coach, Referee/Umpire or Administrator in 2014

10. Sports Photo of the Year – For best photo taken in 2014 capturing a sporting moment at any level of sport

11. Sports Media Award – For media coverage of sport or a sporting event in 2014 by an individual, programme, organisation or online site

*People’s Choice of the Year - Public to be given opportunity to vote on which finalist from the first four categories they feel deserves to win this award Nominations can be submitted by anyone including national sporting associations, individual sportsmen and women, coaches, administrators, clubs, sports officials, the media and the public for any of the above awards.

The SP Sports Awards are for all sporting persons and bodies. The decision of the Awards Selection Committee is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Closing date for nominations in all categories of the SP Sports Awards 2015 is Wednesday 25th February, 2015.

Additional information on terms and conditions or criteria can be obtained from the:

PNG Olympic Committee Inc. on:

Telephone: (675) 323 0114 323 0108 or 71001063

Facsimile: (675) 325 1851 Email: alepani@pngoc.org.pg

Location: Telikom 4-Mile Compound, Boroko NCD

NOMINATION DETAILS

I would like to nominate________________________________________ (name) Of _________________________________In the category of_____________________________________________________ (eg Male Athlete of the Year)

IMPORTANT

Nominations MUST include supporting documentation describing major achievements in 2014 to enhance your nomination and forward to:

PNG OLYMPIC COMMITTEE INC.

PO BOX 467, BOROKO, NCD. 111, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Location: Telikom 4-Mile Compound, Boroko. NCD

DETAILS OF PERSON NOMINATING ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Name ________________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________

Phone/Contact Number ______________________________________________

“I rather like that cartoon,” Mr Abbott said today. I’m not sure that I would have liked everything that Charlie Hebdo produced, but this is a cartoon of the Prophet with a tear streaming down his face saying ‘all is forgiven’.

“That spirit of forgiveness is what we need more and more in this rancorous modern world.”

The cartoon has been condemned by some in the Muslim community, with a Perth iman branding it offensive and Egypt’s state-sponsored Islamic authority calling it an “an unjustified provocation against the feelings of 1.5 billion Muslims”.

The Islamic Friendship Association of Australia’s Keysar Trad is pictured on the front page of today’s Australian newspaper with a copy of the image.

Explaining his decision to be photographed with the cartoon, Mr Trad told The World Today he was very upset by the attacks in France, and even more upset by the suggestion that they were in any way justifiable by Islamic teachings.

“That’s a strong message to send out, that Islam is a religion of forgiveness and that devout Muslims are people who’ll forgive and people who would really rather resort to dialogue rather than violence to deal with grievances and to deal with anything that might offend us.”

Mr Trad said his gesture had the support of the majority of the Muslim community in Australia, but noted he had drawn some criticism from “certain sections of the community”.

“This just shows that we have our work cut out, we have to work within the community and outside the community to try and make sure that our values are well understood.

“Sometimes when somebody is offended so strongly by something, they don’t look at [the] details unfortunately.”

Mr Abbott has also rebuffed calls from some on his backbench to amend Australia’s racial discrimination laws, saying the Government was “not going to proceed with it at this time”.

In the wake of last week’s terrorist attack on the magazine’s Paris headquarters, two Liberal senators - Cory Bernardi and Dean Smith - called for the debate about free speech to be reopened. -ABC news

OPPOSITION Leader Bill Shorten has confirmed Labor will try to block a cut to the Medicare rebate. Picture: ABC/AAP

Elephant crushes cars

A WILD elephant has gone on an extended rampage in a Thai national park, crushing four cars including one with a family inside.

The bull elephant has harassed tourists in Khao Yai National Park over the past 10 days, local reports said.

In the latest incident, the elephant sat on the bonnet of the car belonging to a family who had just arrived in the park.

It then used its front legs to prop itself up before momentarily heaving its entire body on the car.

Local reports said the family was not hurt in the drama.

Park chief Kanchit Srinoppawan told the BBC the aggressive behaviour was the result of the mating season.

-ABC news

Pope: Pursue truth into Sri Lanka’s civil war

POPE Francis has used his first visit to Sri Lanka to call on the country to uncover the truth of what happened during its civil war, as part of a healing process between religious communities. He is the first Pope to visit Sri Lanka since the war between troops and Tamil separatists ended in 2009.

Soon after landing in Colombo, the pontiff appeared to make the case for a truth commission to investigate the 26-year-long civil war, an election pledge of the government voted into office last week.

“The process of healing also needs to include the pursuit of truth, not for the sake of opening old wounds, but rather as a necessary means of promoting justice, healing and unity,” he said, wearing a long garland of yellow and white flowers.

A 2011 UN estimate put the death toll from the final army

assault in the war at up to 40,000 civilians.

The Pope called for a more inclusive society in Sri Lanka, in comments that seemed directed at former president and wartime leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, who lost office after a resurgence in religious tensions.

“The great work of rebuild-

ing must embrace improving infrastructures and meeting material needs but also, and even more importantly, promoting human dignity, respect for human rights, and the full inclusion of each member of society,” he said.

“All members of society must work together; all must have a voice.”

Mr Rajapaksa is feted as a hero for ending three decades of war and presiding over a period of fast economic growth and infrastructure reconstruction.

However, he refused to allow a fully independent inquiry into alleged war crimes and presided over a period of growing repression of religious minorities as well as political opponents. His rule coincided with isolated attacks led by hardline Buddhist monks against churches and other Christian centres.

The Pope was greeted at the airport by president Maithripala Sirisena, who said the papal visit was a blessing for his new government.

Traditional Sri Lankan dancers and drummers lined the red carpet, along with around 50 costumed elephants.

Mr Sirisena, who took office

Indonesian corruption suspect

only days ago, has promised an independent domestic inquiry into the allegations of wartime rights abuses under his predecessor.

His new prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said before the election his government would also ensure a South African-style truth commission.

Only around six per cent of Sri Lanka’s 20 million-strong population is Catholic, but the religion is seen as a unifying force because it includes people from both the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamil ethnic groups.

Mr Sirisena pledged to protect religious freedoms and promote a new culture of tolerance on the island.

“My government is promoting peace and friendship among our people after overcoming a cruel terrorist conflict,” he said.

-ABC news

Japan approves record defence budget

JAPAN’S cabinet has approved a record 4.98 trillion yen (£28bn, $42bn) budget for defence spending, amid a long-running maritime dispute with China.

The new budget represents a 2.8% rise from the previous fiscal year. It marks the third year of increased spending after a decade of cuts.

New Defence Minister Gen Nakatani said it was needed to deal with the “changing situation” around Japan.

The money is expected to go towards patrol aircraft

and vessels. These include 20 maritime patrol aircraft, five crossover aircraft - which have both airplane and helicopter functionalities - and six stealth fighters.

The defence ministry is also planning to buy 30 amphibious vehicles and an earlywarning aircraft, which can detect vessels and other aircraft from a long distance.

The approval comes after last year’s successful push by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to reinterpret the country’s pacifist constitution and

allow the military to come to the aid of an ally under attack, which some of Japan’s neighbours saw as a move towards increased militarism.

Beijing and Tokyo are engaged in a bitter dispute in the East China Sea over islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.

The islands are controlled by Japan. But since the Japanese government purchased three of them from their private Japanese owner in 2012, a long-simmering row over their ownership has escalated

dramatically. Mr Nakatani, who was appointed defence minister in December, said on Sunday that “the situation around Japan is changing”.

“The level of defence spending reflects the amount necessary to protect Japan’s air, sea and land, and guard the lives and property of our citizens.”

He noted that Chinese naval ships were appearing more frequently near Japan’s waters and its fighter jets were being flown “abnormally close” to Japanese aircraft.

Mr Nakatani’s statements, made at a military drill for airborne troops, prompted criticism from China, which said its maritime activities were “completely legitimate”.

China has also seen a sharp increase in its official defence budget, which is more than two and half times larger than Japan’s.

The US has by far the world’s largest military budget, spending $600bn on defence last year.

-BBC news

THE powerful KPK said threestar general Budi Gunawan was being investigated for involvement in suspicious transactions.

“Gunawan has been named a suspect by the KPK for holding suspect bank accounts when he was the chief of the police’s bureau of human resources,” a KPK official, who declined to be named, said.

KPK chief Abraham Samad said they had been investigating Mr Gunawan since July last year.

Despite not yet being charged, the news is expected to end his chances of becoming police chief.

Mr Gunawan was an aide to former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is the matriarch of Mr Widodo’s party.

Mr Widodo on Saturday nominated Mr Gunawan to be promoted to head the national police.

When Mr Widodo became president he took the unprecedented step of asking the KPK to vet his cabinet picks, but did not seek similar action for his choice of police chief. -ABC news

BUDI Gunawan (top) was an aide to former Indonesian president Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Picture: ABC/REUTERS

A BULL elephant has gone on an extended rampage in Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park national park, crushing four cars including one with a family inside. Picture: ABC

POPE Francis is greeted as he arrives at the Colombo airport. Picture: ABC/REUTERS

‘We are coming, watch your back’

A GROUP declaring sympathy for the Islamic State jihadist group has hacked US Central Command’s Twitter account and YouTube page, posting internal military documents online.

The self-declared Cybercaliphate “is already here, we are in your PCs, in each military base,” the hackers wrote on the seized Twitter feed for Centcom, which oversees the US-led air war against the group in Iraq and Syria.

The Pentagon swiftly suspended the Twitter and YouTube accounts and said no classified material was breached.

HAITI’S PARLIAMENT DISSOLVED

PRESIDENT Martelly has the backing of foreign donors and the UN. Parliament in Haiti has been dissolved after

over a new electoral law. He now effectively rules the country by decree but his term of office runs out next year. Haitian opposition groups say they will continue months of street protests to try to force his resignation. Picture: BBC

Bodies strewn around after extremist attack

HUNDREDS of bodies, “too many to count,” remain strewn in the bush in Nigeria from an Islamic extremist attack that Amnesty International suggested Friday is the “deadliest massacre” in the history of Boko Haram.

Mike Omeri, the government spokesman on the insurgency, said fighting continued Friday for Baga, a town on the border with Chad where insurgents seized a key military base on January 3 and attacked again on Wednesday.

“Security forces have responded rapidly, and have deployed significant military assets and conducted air strikes against militant targets,” Omeri said in a statement.

District head Baba Abba Hassan said most victims are chil-

dren, women and elderly people who could not run fast enough when insurgents drove into Baga, firing rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles on town residents.

“The human carnage perpetrated by Boko Haram terrorists in Baga was enormous,”

Muhammad Abba Gava, a spokesman for poorly armed civilians in a defence group that fights Boko Haram, told The Associated Press.

He said the civilian fighters gave up on trying to count all the bodies.

“No one could attend to the corpses and even the seriously injured ones who may have died by now,” Gava said.

An Amnesty International statement said there are reports the town was razed and

as many as 2,000 people killed.

If true, “this marks a disturbing and bloody escalation of Boko Haram’s ongoing onslaught,” said Daniel Eyre, Nigeria researcher for Amnesty International.

In Washington, U.S. State Department Spokesman Jen Psaki condemned the attacks.

“We urge Nigeria and its neighbours to take all possible steps to address the urgent threat of Boko Haram.

“Even in the face of these horrifying attacks, terrorist organisations like Boko Haram must not distract Nigeria from carrying out credible and peaceful elections that reflect the will of the Nigerian people,” Psaki said in a statement.

The previous bloodiest day in the uprising involved sol-

diers gunning down unarmed detainees freed in a March 14, 2014, attack on Giwa military barracks in Maiduguri city. Amnesty said then that satellite imagery indicated more than 600 people were killed that day.

The 5-year insurgency killed more than 10,000 people last year alone, according to the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations.

More than a million people are displaced inside Nigeria and hundreds of thousands have fled across its borders into Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria. Emergency workers said this week they are having a hard time coping with scores of children separated from their parents in the chaos of Boko Haram’s increasingly frequent

and deadly attacks.

Just seven children have been reunited with parents in Yola, capital of Adamawa state, where about 140 others have no idea if their families are alive or dead, said Sa’ad Bello, the coordinator of five refugee camps in Yola.

He said he was optimistic that more reunions will come as residents return to towns that the military has retaken from extremists in recent weeks.

Suleiman Dauda, 12, said he ran into the bushes with neighbours when extremists attacked his village, Askira Uba, near Yola last year.

“I saw them kill my father, they slaughtered him like a ram.”

–News.com.au

“Our initial assessment is that no classified information was posted and that none of the information posted came from CENTCOM’s server or social media sites,” said a statement from Central Command. -News.com.au

Danger in oxygen we breathe

OXYGEN in the air we breathe may play a significant role in triggering lung cancer, new research suggests.

Scientist’s in the US found rates of the disease decreased dramatically at higher altitudes, where the air is thinner.

Incidence fell by 7.23 cases per 100,000 individuals for every 1000 metre rise in elevation.

Tens of thousands of cases of lung cancer in the US would be avoided if the whole population lived about 3000m above sea level, the researchers said.

The results suggested “substantial evidence” for an inhaled cancer-trigger “tied directly to elevation”.

Writing in the journal PeerJ, the two American authors said: “Viewing our findings through the lens of the literature, atmospheric oxygen emerges as the most probable culprit.” Although oxygen is essential for life, it is also known to be highly reactive and potentially carcinogenic.

When cells in the body use oxygen to harness energy stored in food, they produce a dangerous natural by-product, oxygen free radicals. -News.com.au

10killed as battle for Donetsk airport worsens

SHELLING hit a passenger bus in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday, killing at least 10 people, and fighting intensified around the international airport in the city of Donetsk as separatists tried to oust government forces.

The bus attack near the town of Volnovakha south of Donetsk, which is the heart of a nine-month-old separatist conflict, further deflated peace hopes after talks between Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany ended without notable progress on Monday. ProRussian rebels seized parts of eastern Ukraine after Kiev’s Moscow-backed president was toppled by popular unrest.

“Ten people have been killed and at least 13 are wounded,” a regional Ukrainian administration spokesman said, add-

ing that the bus came under attack from rebels holding the town of Dokuchaevska further to the north.

He said the bus was carrying civilians from the coastal town of Mariupol through a government checkpoint. Separatist leaders denied responsibility for the shelling, saying the incident occurred at a rebel checkpoint.

Photographs showed the bus peppered by holes, as were seats inside it. A long trail of blood marked the road beside it.

Fighting intensified around Donetsk airport as prospects faded for a new big-power effort to end the conflict, which has cost more than 4700 lives and stoked East-West tension recalling the Cold War over Western accusations of Rus-

sian military backing for the rebels. Moscow denies this.

Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France scrapped plans to hold a summit in Kazakhstan later this week because of the

failure to implement a fourmonth-old ceasefire agreement fully and there was no sign of when it might be rescheduled. Reports from Donetsk said

a significant part of the airport’s multi-storey control tower - already a wrecked hulk with cabling and concrete dangling from it after months of shelling - had been destroyed.

After a night of attacks from separatists using Grad missile launchers, the rebels began firing from tanks on the airport’s new terminal, which was still being held by Ukrainian government forces, the Kiev military said in a statement.

“The Russian military and the terrorists have deliberately chosen the tactic of escalation of tension,” military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told journalists. One Ukrainian soldier had been killed and 10 wounded in overnight fighting.

The Sergei Prokofiev air-

port complex, opened to great fanfare by the now ousted president Viktor Yanukovich to mark the Euro 2012 soccer championship, has progressively disintegrated under months of fire and is now a shattered hulk.

But though it has not functioned as an airport since the onset of hostilities last April, with its runways cratered by shell holes, it has symbolic value for both sides and government forces have repelled repeated rebel attempts to dislodge them.

“After nine months of confrontation in Donetsk airport the (separatist) fighters have succeeded in bringing down the top (of the control tower) to the fifth floor,” Lysenko said. Stuff news

the failure of last-ditch negotiations

Remains of the fi ghting

30 Days Final Legal Demand Notice

DEPT 1432962 Rebecca Tofinga

Tarito Enterprises Ltd is a Finance company Registered under the Company Number 1-32238 IPA Registration No # B0055750 and has Tax File No #TC - 41243

Our Records show that the above customers have defaulted to repay their loan balances to Tarito. This is a result of Concept payroll ceasing deductions before the client loans are paid up for the Government employees and for sudden stops put by the Departments to deduct staff salary deductions when staffs have already taken loans from Tarito. Take note the loans have been paid out therefore the clients are obligated to repay the loans. The Individuals must therefore at all means, attempt to repay the loans they took in full (Principle + interest)

If you have settle your account and your name is wrongly appearing on this listing, you have our apologies. Kindly contact the staffs at Tarito Finance to clear your balances showing on record by showing proof of payment so that the records can be updated accordingly.

The above defaulting customers are still being charged default interest charges against your loan balances. After 30 Days of this notice, the above mention client’s names will be updated to the Credit Bureau. And legal action will be taken. All persons names mentioned here are asked to contact Tarito to resolve your accounts.

If you have any queries, you can contact Tarito Finance Staff at the contact address below:

Name Mobile Telephone Fax Email

Shanny Boli 71427481 3256675 or 3231818 3252849 tarito@online.net.pg

Robert Bade 73809479

Location 1 Murray Barracks - Office Suite No # - Near Ben Moide Club

Location 2 Section 75 Lot 3 Nuana Road – Gordons

Mauwi Tony Debt Collector Tarito

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 2x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 6 inclusive

Solution to puzzle SL0830

stars

ARIES

March 20 - April 19

It may seem that one particular individual or, perhaps, an organisation is determined to find fault with your plans. Actually, they’re just being thorough, and that means they’re reviewing the kind of details you tend to avoid unless there’s a problem. Annoying as this is, it also ensures these are dealt with.

April 20 - May 19

The New Moon, early next week, accents the structure of your life. It’s powerful, so much you may already have been exploring innovative ideas or changes. This isn’t just wise. The more you consider and learn about now, the better prepared you’ll be to make decisions when the time comes.

May 21 - June 20

As much as you enjoy discussing the pros and cons of various ideas and the plans they’d lead to, do it now and you’ll only confuse matters. Certain individuals are struggling with decisions about their domestic or working life, and need to settle on plans now. They’ve no time for debate.

June 21 - July 21

Ordinarily, discussing the concerns of others and answering their questions gives no cause for concern. But now you’re urged to be wary, primarily because one particular individual is looking for somebody to blame for their mistakes. Give them advice and they could try to pin the responsibility for their errors on you.

July 22 - August 22

Only recently you were locked in a struggle with one particular individual. It had become a bit of an obsession. Then, suddenly, things were settled. Now, in fact, you give it little thought. It’s the same with those matters currently so much on your mind. They, too, will soon become unimportant.

August 23 - September 22

On the 21st, your ruler Mercury begins one of its regular cycles of retrograde, or reverse, movement. The resulting confusion is annoying but can also be revealing. This is especially the case with those who try to conceal crucial facts. What they’re keeping under wraps could be exposed, and for all to see.

September 23 - October 22

For you, as a Libra, talking things through with others isn’t just important, it’s a vital part of decision making. Yet certain sudden and swiftly moving ideas or offers require a fast action. This forces you to realise you can, and sometimes should, make commitments without the input of others.

October 23 - November 22

Being a thoughtful, cautious Scorpio, plunging into situations about which you know little is out of character. Yet judging by the planetary activity between now and January’s close, that’s exactly what you’ll do, and in a number of situations. This begins now, and will prove far easier than you’d anticipate.

November 23 - December 22

Although you both work well with and enjoy the company of others, you tend to make decisions on your own. At the moment, however, certain individuals don’t just have worthwhile ideas, they’ve access to assets such the helpful advice or funds you could use. But you must first get them involved.

December 21 - January 19

Certain potential arrangements mean a lot to you. So much you’re prepared to confront issues that you’ve been sidestepping for ages. Challenging as this seems now, within a short while you’ll have put these behind you and, better yet, find you’re able to deal with other tricky matters more easily as well.

January 20 - February 17

Timing is everything. Or at least that’s the case when it comes to certain matters on the partnership front. The ideas or offers being discussed aren’t just good, they could turn long cherished dreams into reality. You need only be patient while things come together, as they will within days.

February 18 - March 19

A few days ago Mars, the planet of ego and courage, moved into Pisces. It remains there until late February, and during this period you’ll tackle numerous unspoken issues and, equally, discuss exciting new ideas with others. Promising as these are, put off any solid arrangements until you know more.

crossword: 10826 fl ash gordon phantom redeye blondie hagar

In loving memory of In loving memory of

INDEPENDENT STATE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA Mining Act 1992 Mining Regulation 1992

Act, Sec. 24, 36, 46, 55, FORM 8 73 & 88

Reg. Sec.8

APPLICATION FOR A TENEMENT

Application for: ALLUVIAL MINING LEASE

PUBLIC NOTICE

INDEPENDENT

APPLICATION FOR A TENEMENT

for: ALLUVIAL MINING LEASE

No: 751

of Applicant: PETER MALEX

for Notices: C/- KOEKAM (PM) HOLDINGS LTD, P.O Box 673, Mt Hagen, WHP

Period Sought: FIVE (5) Years

Proposed Locations for Warden’s Hearing: Pakaliliam

Date of Application lodged: 19/12/2014

Schedule

The land over which the tenement has been applied for is bounded by:a line commencing at: 5° 20´ 16.57

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS

Josiah, A’a iso sare haria kao, sare-sare foromai voa, Aro haikaeai vovea.

Lovingly

SECURITY & PROPERTY MANAGER

Being the point of commencement comprising a total area of 4.98

I certify that I have examined this application as required under section 101 of the Act, that I am satisfied that the requirements of this section have been met and that I have complied with the requirements of sections 103(a) of the Act.

date on which objections may be lodged with the Registrar under section 107(1) is 29/01/2015.

then to 5° 20´ 16.78 ´´S 143° 52´ 40.38 ´´E then to 5° 20´ 17.26 ´´S 143° 52´ 41.03 ´´E then to 5° 20´ 17.26 ´´S 143° 52´ 41.51 ´´E then to 5° 20´ 17.05 ´´S 143° 52´ 41.94 ´´E then to 5° 20´ 16.15 ´´S 143° 52´ 43.10 ´´E then to 5° 20´ 15.12 ´´S 143° 52´ 42.17 ´´E then to 5° 20´ 14.80 143° 52´ 42.74 ´´E then to 5° 20´ 14.46 ´´S 143° 52´ 43.01 ´´E then to 5° 20´ 14.91 ´´S 143° 52´ 43.64 ´´E then to 5° 20´ 15.45 ´´S 143° 52´ 44.19 ´´E then to 5° 20´ 16.57 ´´S 143° 52´ 44.25 ´´E being the point of commencement comprising a total area of 4.98 hectares.

I certify that I have examined this application as required under section 101 of the Act, that I am satisfied that the requirements of this section have been met and that I have complied with the requirements of sections 103(a) of the Act. The last date on which objections may be lodged with the Registrar under section 107(1) is 29/01/2015.

Warden's hearing:-

this day 09th of January 2015 STAN NEKITEL Registrar

Happy b/day TAHA ADRIAN. Lotsa luv frm big mumy H @ Lihir, aunty Magz, tatu Toderf & Paul in Pom. The Tawe’s of Nonga, Rab and Kakayan’s of Lae. God bless u as you grow up.

FUNERAL NOTICE

LATE LAVAI HILLARY

20 March 1984 - 08 January 2015 , 16 Jan 2015 4pm - Body arrives from Funeral Home, overnight at family home, Sabama. Sat 17 Jan 2015 8am - 9.30am viewing, 10am - 12.00pm - Funeral Service, Kaugere United Church, followed by burial at Kilakila Cemetery, Pari Rd. 2pm Refreshments at family home, Sabama.

CAR FOR SALE

NISSAN D40 DOUBLE CAB 2013 Model – less than 18,000kms - almost brand new. Unused last 12 months. K90,000 – current rego. Genuine enquiries only – 72124198

SELECTOR POSITION ADVERTISEMENT

Cricket PNG is the governing body for the game at both performance and development levels throughout PNG, representing the interests of both the men’s and women’s cricket.

The future of Cricket PNG is incredibly bright following the performance of the Men’s senior team in obtaining ODI status, Women’s team qualifying for the T/20 qualifying tournament, U/19 preparing to qualify for their 8th appearance in U/19 world cup in 2015.

PNG has obtained ODI status for the next three years and will be participating in the inter-continental cup tournament in that period.

However Cricket PNG’s succession planning is about identifying players who are not only ready to compete on the world stage now but in several years to come. If PNG is to realise its vision of obtaining the ODI status there needs to be a constant supply of world class players.

Cricket PNG is seeking National Selectors to help ensure PNG selects its best players ready to take to the world stage.

The selector position is a two year appointment and will be reviewed on annual basis commencing mid-February 2015. Cricket PNG national selection committee will consist of a Chairman of Selector and three selection committee members.

The position is a voluntary position, and will require to attend national selection meetings, announcement of teams, one-on-ones with players where applicable, which will usually take place in Port Moresby, at a representative match convenient to the other Selectors, or via phone or Skype.

If this opportunity interests you, please email a cricketing CV and a covering letter detailing why you believe you have the skills and experience to undertake this role. Please email to gregcampbell7@gmail.com or rugidikana@gmail.com

The closing date for applications is Friday 23th Jan 2015 at C.O.B.

Candidates who meet the criteria and are shortlisted will be required to attend an interview with the General Manager of Cricket PNG.

OUTAGE NOTICE TO RABAUL CONSUMERS

PNG Power advises consumers that it will carry out power interruptions to allow workmen to do urgent maintenance work on;

PLANNED

Date: WEDNESDAY 21/01/15

THURSDAY 22/01/15

Time: 8:30am - 4:00pm.

Areas Affected: - Villages between Tavui 1 and Tavui 3.

PNG Power regrets any inconvenience caused to consumers

Ombudsman Commission of Papua New Guinea

Review of Enabling Legislation Public Notice

The Ombudsman Commission of Papua New Guinea wishes to inform the general public that it is reviewing two (2) of its principal legislation that is the Organic Law on the Duties and Responsibities of Leadership and Organic Law on Ombudsman Commission.

The Commission is now distributing a Discussion Paper to gather feedback from the public as part of this review. The paper is to consider ways to review the current responsibilities and powers of OC and comes with a series of questions on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Commission.

Your feedback will assist develop a policy proposal to improve the work of the Commission.

Call into our Head Office at Deloitte Tower in Port Moresby or visit our Regional Offices in Mt Hagen, Lae and Kokopo to get a copy of the Discussion Paper.

Interested parties are invited to comment on this paper by writing to

The Ombudsman Commission PNG P.O Box 1831, PORT MORESBY NCD

Visit our website at www.ombudsman.gov.pg or Email legreview@ombudsman.gov.pg

For more information contact the Legislative Review Coordinator on 308 2635 or 308 2600

Authorised

by:

Joseph Molita Secretary to the Commission

Death Notice

Late Mr. Andrew Wanya

This is to inform family and friends of the passing of the Late Mr. Andrew Wanya on 09/01/15. He left us to be with the Lord at the Wewak General Hospital after battling a long illness. You are now perfect and whole. No more sick and pain. You are Home. We celebrate your gain. Sadly missed by wife

Naomi, children (Darlilah, Inahwu, Haidi, May Manna and Emmanuel) and 10 grandchildren.

For further information please contact :

Harry Juni (71620360) (Pom)

Peter Kambanei (71157826) (Wewak)

Darlilah Wanya (72811651).

INDEPENDENT STATE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA Mining Act 1992 Mining Regulation 1992

Act, Sec. 24, 36,46, 55,73 & 88 FORM 9

Reg. Sec.8

APPLICATION FOR EXTENSION OF TERM OF A TENEMENT

Application for: EXPLORATION LICENCE

Tenement No: EL1877

Name of Applicant: BISMARCK MINING CORPORATION (PNG) LTD

Address for Notices: C/- Whelan & Cook, PO Box 7332, St Kilda Road, Victoria, 8004, Australia

Period Sought: Two (2) Years

Nearest town or landmark (from published map): Lihir Island, NIP

Date of Application lodged: 29/08/2014

Schedule

The land over which the tenement has been applied for is bounded by:a line commencing at:

(30sub blocks).

I certify that I have examined this application as required under section 101 of the Act, that I am satisfied that the requirements of this section have been met and that I have complied with the requirements of sections 103(a) of the Act. The last date on which objections may be lodged with the Registrar under section 107(1) is 05/03/2015.

Being the point of commencement comprising a total area of 1275.9 sq km. (374 sub-blocks)

I certify that I have examined this application as required under section 101 of the Act, that I am satisfied that the requirements of this section have been met and that I have complied with the requirements of sections 103(a) of the Act. The last date on which objections may be lodged with the Registrar under section 107(1) is 06/02/2015

Being the point of commencement comprising a total area of 4.95 Hectare

I certify that I have examined this application as required under section 101 of the Act, that I am satisfied that the requirements of this section have been met and that have complied with the requirements of sections 103(a) of the Act.

The last date on which objections may be lodged with the Registrar under section 107(1) is 29/01/2015.

Act, Sec. 24, 42, 52, 70 and 85

Reg. Sec.7

INDEPENDENT STATE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA Mining Act 1992 Mining Regulation 1992

APPLICATION FOR A TENEMENT

Application for: ALLUVIAL MINING LEASE

Tenement No: 750

Name of Applicant: PETER MALEX

Address for Notices: C/- KOEKAM (PM) HOLDINGS

INDEPENDENT STATE OF PAPUA

Being the point of commencement comprising a total area

certify that I have examined this application as required under section 101 of the Act, that am satisfied that the requirements of this section have been met and that I have complied with the requirements of sections 103(a) of the Act. The last date on which objections may be lodged with the Registrar under section 107(1) is 29/01/2015.

Mining Regulation 1992

Act, Sec. 24, 35, 42, 52, FORM 8 70 & 85

Reg. Sec.8

APPLICATION FOR A TENEMENT

Application for: ALLUVIAL MINING LEASE

Tenement No: 718

Name of Applicant: PETER MALEX

Address for Notices: Koekam (PM) Holdings Ltd, PO Box 673, Mt Hagen, WHP

Period Sought: FIVE (5) Years

Nearest town or landmark (from published map): Pakaliliam

Date of Application lodged: 22/09/2014

Schedule

The land over which the tenement has been applied for is bounded by:- a line commencing at:

Being the point of commencement comprising a total area of 4.82 Hectare

I certify that I have examined this application as required under section 101 of the Act, that I am satisfied that the requirements of this section have been met and that I have complied with the requirements of sections 103(a) of the Act.

The last date on which objections may be lodged with the Registrar under section 107(1) is 29/01/2015.

hearing:-

4.79 Hectare

I certify that I have examined this application as required under section 101 of the Act, that I am satisfied that the requirements of this section have been met and that I have complied with the requirements of sections 103(a) of the Act.

The last date on which objections may be lodged with the Registrar under section 107(1) is 29/01/2015.

INDEPENDENT STATE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA Mining Act 1992 Mining Regulation 1992

Act, Sec. 24, 42, 52, 70 and 85 FORM 8 Reg. Sec.7

APPLICATION FOR A TENEMENT

Application for: EXPLORATION LICENSE

Tenement No: 2348

Name of Applicant: FRONTIER COPPER PNG LIMITED

Address for Notices: 120 TRANGUIL PLACE, STONEVILLE, WA, 6081, AUSTRALIA

Period Sought: Two (2) Years

Proposed Locations for Warden’s Hearing: Andewa

Date of Application lodged: 02/10/2014

Schedule

The land over which the tenement has been applied for is bounded by:a line commencing at: 5º 37 ‘S 148º 59 ‘E then to 5º 37 ‘S 148º 52 ‘E then to 5º 31 ‘S 148º 52 ‘E then to 5º 31 ‘S 148º 59 ‘E then to 5º 37 ‘S 148º 59 ‘E being the point of commencement comprising a total area of 142.99 sq km (42sub blocks).

I certify that I have examined this application as required under section 101 of the Act, that I am satisfied that the requirements of this section have been met and that I have complied with the requirements of sections 103(a) of the Act. The last date on which objections may be lodged with the Registrar under section 107(1) is 25/02/2015

Warden's hearing:-

Time Date Venue 10:00am 17/03/2015 Pureling Village

Dated at Konedobu this day 09th of January 2015

STAN NEKITEL Registrar

PUBLIC NOTICE

Being the point of commencement comprising a total area of 125.98 sq km (37 sub blocks).

I certify that I have examined this application as required under section 101 of the Act, that I am satisfied that the requirements of this section have been met and that I have complied with the requirements of sections 103(a) of the Act. The last date on which objections may be lodged with the Registrar under section 107(1) is 26/02/2015

Warden's hearing:-

Time Date Venue 10:00am 18/03/2015 Ora Village

Dated at Konedobu this day 08th of January 2015

3091088

STAN NEKITEL Registrar 3091175

IVESTMENT PROMOTION AUTHORITY

Papua New Guinea Associations Incorporation Act

Reg.,Sec. 2. Form 1

Notice of Intention to Apply for the Incorporation of an Association

I, Willie MARA, of Homa Paua Village, Tari Hela Province, Papua New Guinea person authorized by the committee of the association known as

HOMO JOKOLOP (MORAN PDL 6) PEOPLE’S ASSOCIATION INC.

5-101318

give notice that I intend to apply for the incorporation of the association under the Associations Incorporation Act.

The following are the details of the prescribe qualifications for incorporation as specified in Section 2 of the Act:

REFER TO AS1 BAR CODE # 79974 FOR DETAILS OF THE UPLOAD.

THIS Notice has been approved by the registrar of Companies. Dated: 13/01/2015.

The validation code for this Notice is ASSOCIATION39924837. To check the validity of this Notice Enter http://www.ipa.gov.pg/ pngassociations/verify/ 5-100894/ASSOCIATION-39924837.html in your Browser. Notice generated 13 January 2015 01:11 PM PGT

Note: A person may within one month after the publication of this notice, lodge with the registrar an Objection to the incorporation of the proposed association in accordance with Section 4 of the Act.

DEPARTMENT OF WORKS & IMPLEMENTATION OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill will launch Departnment Of Works 2015 Performance Target & Work Plan

Francise Awase Minister For Works

TO: ALL DOW CONSULTANTS

CONTRACTORS

DONOR PARTNERS

“RE- TENDR”

JACKSONS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

PUBLIC TENDER FOR THE PROVISION OF LANDSIDE SECURITY SERVICES

National Airports Corporation (NAC) is committed to providing the best safety, security, facilities and services to our customers and is undergoing a number of operational improvement programs to deliver an enhanced customer experience.

National Airports Corporation (NAC) invites sealed Tenders from suitably qualified Service Providers with the capacity for provision of the Landside Security Services.

All queries shall be directed through the Managing Director, National Airports Corporation Limited, PO Box 684, BOROKO, for Attention: Stuart Ainslie, Executive Manager, Port Moresby International Airport on telephone (675) 3244 4762 or via facsimile (675) 325 0833 or E-mail address: sainslie@nac.com.pg or alternatively vacaucau@nac.com.pg

Tender documents will be issued from the Office indicated below upon evidence of payment of a non-refundable fee of K500.00 per Tender document by Bank Cheque only paid to the NAC Finance Section located at NAC Office, 7 Mile, NCD. And for those who already submitted their tender, you are requested to re-tender again without a tender fee.

NAC PMIA Office

Level 1 Domestic Terminal

Port Moresby International Airport 7 Mile, Port Moresby

Tenders shall be lodged in the NAC Tender Box at the above location. The closing date for submission of Tenders is on the 30th January at 4:00pm. No late Tenders will be accepted.

Authorized by:

JOSEPH TUPIRI

Peter O’Neill Prime Minister

THEME: “UNVEIL THE ROADS REHABILITATION OF PNG’S URBAN, PROVINCIAL AND RURAL ROADS”

Department of Works will launch its capital & maintenance plan for the fiscal year 2015.

The launching will be held at Laguna Hotel on Friday 16th January 2015, 9.00am-12.00pm.

For your information, the Prime Minister Hon. Peter O’Neill will be the guest speaker and launch the work plan.

Please confirm your attendance to Ms Geua Konio and Mrs. Eseta Mane on contact numbers 3241114 & 3241110 or email: gkonio@works.gov.pg or emane@works.gov.pg

Acting

Managing Director and CEO

Randwick rides excite Shinn

HORCE RACE

BLAKE Shinn has ridden almost twice as many winners at Randwick this season than his nearest rival and has done so at the prolific strike rate of 26.56 per cent.

So when he tells you he’s got two horses he can’t wait to ride at headquarters this weekend, it’s time to prick your ears.

“I’m really looking forward to riding the two-year-old, Gigolo (Hyland Race Colours Plate),” Shinn said. “He’s a natural runner, very precocious and an athlete.”

The unraced Gigolo has finished second in both his trials but his trainer Chris Waller is renowned for keeping plenty up the sleeve for raceway.

Aussie’s PM XI falls short

CRICKET

COMETH the hour, cometh the Big Show.

It seems all Glenn Maxwell needed was a sniff of the World Cup to kick his form into top gear, after the brilliant all-rounder exploded against England at Manuka Oval on Wednesday night with a spectacular 136 from 89 balls for the Prime Minister’s XI.

In the end England were comfortable 60-run winners after the PM XI’s were all out for 331 in pursuit of a giant target of 392.

England were inspired by man-of-the-match Ian Bell, who posted an incredible century of his own - 187 from 145 balls.

But otherwise it was good news for Australia.

Maxwell has been out of sorts for the majority of the summer, as he struggled firstly with the criticism he copped for his ill-fated one-off Test against Pakistan in the

UAE, and then the emotional fall-out from losing Phillip Hughes.

But the same helmet Maxwell wore with head slumped in the UAE, he held aloft in triumph on Wednesday night.

It was a signature innings at No.3, featuring 20 fours and two sixes.

There was a special sense of timing about it as well, exactly one month out from the World Cup opener against the same opposition at the MCG on February 14.

The 26-year-old’s summer slump culminated in a Big Bash League game at the Gabba on December 28, when he was left red faced after shouldering arms to a delivery that cannoned into middle and leg stump to fall for a duck.

Critics began to question whether his World Cup spot was on shaky ground, but ever since selectors put their arms around their x-factor star and told him he was in their 15-man squad, Maxwell has freed himself from the

shackles that were holding him back.

On Saturday night he launched a sizzling 66 from 44 balls for Melbourne Stars, and on Wednesday night he set the nation’s capital alight with one of the most complete knocks of his career.

Against an England side that was full-strength apart from the resting Jimmy Anderson, Maxwell played every shot in the book as the swagger returned.

“We all know what Maxi’s capable of and to see him go out and do that is phenomenal,” said Australian fast bowler, Pat Cummins, who got through his six overs without incident. “For a player like him he needs that kind of confidence to go out and be quite fearless and I think we saw that tonight and hopefully he can carry on that good form and be fearless for the whole World Cup and triseries campaign.

“I joked around that because it wasn’t a TV game

there wasn’t any cameras so he didn’t bother going the reverse.“But he was very impressive.”

Maxwell’s match-turning ability with the bat and capacity to contribute valuable off-spin overs with the ball makes him almost a musthave in Australia’s best XI.

National selector Rod Marsh made it clear at the Australian squad announcement last Sunday that the panel had every faith in Maxwell:

“Maxi is Maxi,” Marsh said. “He’ll do well.”

And Maxwell responded in style.

His second six off Ravi Bopara over mid-wicket brought up Maxwell’s hundred off just 65 balls – for just the third List A century of his career. In one Chris Jordan over, Maxwell went 4, 6, 4, 2, 4, 1 –for a swag of 21, which also saw him reach 50 off just 32 deliveries.

There was the sheer power of a six over cover off one of

England’s best up and coming bowlers in Jordan, to go with the most exquisite timing to simply guide a good-length ball to the boundary in front of point.

However, at the end of the day, it was Bell’s giant ton – a record score for an Englishman in List A competition –which proved the difference.

Bell put on hundred-run stands with opening partner Moeen Ali (71 off 49) and No.3 James Taylor (71 off 77) to power England to an immense total.

Test veteran-cum Prime Minister’s skipper Chris Rogers chipped in with 20 off 28 in what will surely be his final ever match in coloured clothing – in a match where he also decided to make the most of captaincy privileges and defy his rather sad bowling record and roll the arm over for two overs – for 18 runs.

When Maxwell fell at 4-216 in the 29th over, the Prime Minister’s hopes of beating England were dashed.

In the TAB.com.au Handicap (1200m), Shinn will partner the Peter and Paul Snowdentrained Marianne, who will sport the combined colours of high-profile owners Max Whitby and Neil Werrett of Black Caviar fame.

“It’s funny to see the two sets of colours combined but what can you say about these two owners, they’ve put a lot into racing,” he said.

“Marianne showed a lot of class as a three-year-old and is now having her first start for the Snowdens.

“She gets into this race very well, has drawn well and trialled well. Her and Gigolo are my best rides this Saturday.”

Shinn turned down offers to ride in Melbourne during the spring to focus on winning the Sydney jockeys’ premiership.

Socceroos heading for Asian Cup quarterfinal

SOCCER

AUSTRALIA is edging towards an Asian Cup quarter final showdown with either Saudi Arabia or Uzbekistan after Wednesday night’s results plunged the two teams in to a head-to-head battle for second spot in Group B.

Saudi Arabia jumped to second in the group with their resounding 4-1 over North Korea at AAMI Park and will stay there with a draw or better against Uzbekistan at the same ground on Sunday.

But it’s China who is certain

to top Group B after their shock 2-1 win over the Uzbeks at Brisbane Stadium, meaning it will return to Brisbane to play a quarter final against Group A’s runner-up next Thursday.

The Socceroos are currently tied on six points with South Korea atop Group A, but are ahead on goal difference meaning even a draw against the Taeguk Warriors in Brisbane on Saturday night will be enough to see them finish on top. Doing so would lock

Ange Postecoglou’s men in to a quarter final with the

Group B runner-up in Melbourne next Thursday.

And Saudi coach Cosmin Olaroiu is confident it will be his team that advances to the knockout stages after its stunning return to form.

“Yes of course, if we don’t have confidence what do we have? But it’s important now to pass this moment very quickly,” Olaroiu said.

“We passed the game against China (last Saturday) now we have to forget this victory and think about the Uzbekistan game. “It will be different. It is a different team, a different

way of playing.

“We have to remain concentrated for the next game.”

Saudi Arabia has played Uzbekistan nine times, winning five and drawing another.

The Green Falcons will carry that positive record in to Sunday’s clash and also the knowledge it can improve further on Wednesday night’s commanding display.

“We played better (in the loss) against China,” Olaroiu said. “Today we made mistakes, more than the game against China, but we score.”

CHINA are on top of Group B

When a batsman scores 100 runs, it called a century and is considered an achievement. The bottom line

LEGA Siaka bowling for the Australian Prime Minister’s X1 yesterday. Siaka didn’t get any wickets but scored a quick-fire 27 off 15 balls. INSET-Australia’s PM XI team. Lega Siaka is seated far left.

JOCKEY Blake Shinn

Lega Siaka catches up with Aussie PM

CRICKET

PAPUA New Guinean star batsmen, Lega Siaka had the honour of meeting Australia’s Prime Minister, Tony Abbott MP at the official function of the Prime Minister’s XI Match in Canberra on Tuesday.

Siaka also rubbed shoulders with his team-mates which included Australian World Cup squad members, Glenn Maxwell and Patrick Cummins as well as the entire England Cricket Team who they will be playing today.

Australian cricket legend Mike Hussey withdrew from the match due to injury and was replaced by current Australian Test opening batsmen Chris Rogers who will also captain the side.

“I was very honoured and it was a privileged to meet the Prime Minister of Australia,” said the humbled PNG batsmen, Lega Siaka.

“I flew in yesterday afternoon from Melbourne and trained with the boys before going to the function. The boys have been very supportive and have looked after me.

My family back in Hanaubada organised a feast last night for my match today which I am very grateful for,” he said.

“I hope I get an opportunity to showcase my skills today, representing not only my family, friends, PNG Barramundis team-mates but the whole country,” concluded Siaka.

Siaka will become only the fifth international player outside of Australia to represent the PM’s XI since the annual match first took place in 1951.

The match between the Australian PM’s XI Team and touring England Cricket Team will be streamed live on www.cricket.com.au at 2:00pm AEDST today.

Australian Prime Minister’s XI Team: Chris Rogers (Captain) (WA), Cameron Bancroft (WA), Jason Behrendorff (WA), Matt Cordon (ACT), Pat Cummins (NSW), Jake

Tkatchenko: No time to waste

PACIFIC GAMES

SPORTS and Pacific Games

Minister Hon Justin Tkatchenko will remain ever determined to ensure delivery of the July 4, Pacific Games in Port Moresby.

“There is absolutely no time to waste,” Minister Tkatchenko affirmed yesterday while inspecting the Sir John Guise Indoor Complex.

“Every day, every hour is time we cannot afford to waste. Yes, the weather has not been on our side, yes there have been and will be issues in the process, but that is why we are constantly here at these venues, to remain on top of ongoing work. If there is anything that needs to be fixed, we can fix it on the spot, make the on-the-spot calls etc”, Minister Tkatchenko.

Doran (Wkt) (NSW), Peter Handscomb (VIC), Simon Mackin (WA), Glen Maxwell (VIC), David Moody (WA), Lega Siaka (PNG) and Mac Wright (12th Man) (ACT) England Cricket Squad: Eoin Morgan (Middlesex) (Captain), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Gary Ballance (Yorkshire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire), James Taylor (Nottinghamshire), James Tredwell (Kent), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).

“At this stage, I can quite comfortably say that our main venues are on target and thats as per our regular site visits and briefings with the contractors.”

Minister Tkatchenko and Planning Minister Charles Abel last week visited the Games Village, the Sir John Guise Stadium and Taurama Aquatic & Indoor Complex.

Minister Tkatchenko visited the Bisini Sports Grounds and the Sir John Guise Indoor Complex yesterday.

Barras dilemma

CRICKET

BY KILA NAO

THE Papua New Guinea cricket team will be made up of elite players from the successful Hebou Barramundis program.

However Cricket PNG is expected to give those fringe players the opportunity to maintain the long standing strangle-hold on the Pacific Games gold medal.

This is due to Barras preparing for the T/20 World Cup qualifiers slated for Scotland and Ireland in July as well.

The elite squad is currently in good shape with positive performances over the past 12 months to show cause.

The two events will be held about the same time in July and the coaches are working on strategies

MBS are volleyball champions in Arawa tourney

VOLLEYBALL BY ISHMAEL PALIPAL

VOLLEYBALL is the most popular game in most parts of Bougainville.

It is played by the majority other than soccer because of the landscape which is mostly mountainous.

Wisai is one of those places located in the mountainous area bordering Central and South Bougainville. And volleyball is their most played game.

The MBS volleyball club hails from that area and their performance is commended but they sadly they

missed out on the Bougainville volleyball squad for the 6th PNG Games in Lae last year.

A popular comment from the public was that the players from along the Laluai River should have been given a chance to represent Bougainville at the PNG games.

MBS beat the team from Bairima and Pokpok Island called Leta Kona in the final.

Both teams played well but MBS showed that extra determination to win.

The win proves MBS are the champions of volleyball in Bougainville.

MBS won K1400 in prize-money for

their efforts.

In the women’s division, Medics also retained their title beating Oripa to claim the winners prizemoney of K1000.

Volleyball coordinator Steven Baona took the opportunity to appeal to the local communities to organize competitions at the village level.

“This must be encouraged so that interest is maintained so that teams are prepared for tournaments in the future,” he added.

Meanwhile overall Baona commented that the tournament was a success and the players were satisfied and enjoyed the festivity.

ML Jaisimha and Ravi Shastri are the only Indians to bat on all five days of a Test.

bottom line

MBS captain receiving their prize money from the major sponsor Steven Ipiung during the STI Tournament closing at the Independence Oval in Arawa. Picture: JACOB IENU

LEGA Siaka with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott at the official function of the Prime Minister’s XI Match in Canberra on Tuesday.

I hope I get an opportunity to showcase my skills today, representing not only my family, friends, PNG Barramundis team mates but the whole country ...

LEGA SIAKA Canberra

Lockyer officiates at Gulf league match

RUGBY LEAGUE

BY FRANKLIN KOLMA

AUSTRALIAN rugby league legend Darren Lockyer graced the townships of Malalaua and Kerema in a rarely seen event for the Gulf Province.

The former Australian, Queensland and Brisbane Broncos captain arrived in Malalaua on Tuesday to officially kick-off the game between the two local teams.

The Malalaua Primary School field was packed to capacity as people poured in from as far as Makeo along

the Hiritano Highway, all eager to see the Australian legend up close.

Dawning green jerseys were the home team Mala Riders while the visiting Kerema lads wore blue.

The match started at 3pm and was played 25 minutes each half. Both teams evidently played their hearts out and the bone crunching tackles and hearty line breaks were only amplified all the more by the presence of the two-time NRL Golden Boot winner.

Although both teams looked equally matched, it was the

taller Kerema lads who managed four tries that went unanswered to end the game 20-0.

The highlight of the day however, was Lockyer’s presentation of the Man of the Match to Kerema’s Ilave Sapea who proved most promising both on and off the field as stated by Lockyer.

The 25 year old full back was given an official Broncos ball and other Broncos regalia and was urged to keep up his game.

In closing the event, Lockyer announced that he was im-

Ipatas Cup put on hold

RUGBY LEAGUE

BY FRANKIY KAPIN

THERE has been a glitch to the 2015 Coca-Cola (CCIC) Ipatas Cup.

After a successful opening of the challenge in Wau last weekend, the tournament has been put on hold indefinitely. This will mean this weekend’s scheduled provincial challenge in Goroka and Kundiawa will not go ahead.

CCIC CEO Timothy Lepa announced yesterday that a technical hiccup has forced the competi-

tion to be halted temporarily due to cost-cutting measures.

This is the first time after 15 years, the running of the biggest off-season league competition in PNG, that encompasses 128 teams form 16 centers has hit a snag.

Lepa said instead of running the provincial challenges encompassing the 16 centers over 4 weekends, it will now be staged within two weeks.

The Morobe challenge staged its first games last weekend while all other centers are yet to begin.

“The new approach will save

pressed with the sportsmanship and raw talent shown from both teams and hinted potential careers in future for a few of the players.

“I was astonished at the amount of skill being displayed especially in such a rural part of the country,” said the Aussie great.

“I have taken note of a few of the players and will be informing Broncos talent scouts of my findings,” he said in closing.

After the event, the field erupted as fans crowded around Lockyer for auto-

costs as agreed by all 22 coordinators in PNG,” said Lepa.

He claimed the CCIC is well organised with a professional approach that is formalised on signatures by participants.

He said by this week the CCIC management team will launch its new website that registers players online to avoid duplications and double-dipping by players.

graphs and a shaking of hands.

Lockyer’s visit was part of an awareness and information session being carried out by mineral exploration company Mayur Resources within the Malalaua area aimed at keeping the local community informed of their black sand prospecting operations.

Lockyer is the company Business Affairs Manager.

He spoke before the game about the drilling work being done in the area, highlighting the eco-friendly processes of mineral sand exploration.

NOW ONLY WAS K395

K299

11

new faces in Hunters 2015 squad

RUGBY LEAGUE

THERE are 11 new faces in the SP PNG Hunters 2015 squad.

In a media statement yesterday, Hunters coach Michael Marum named the additional players to the 26-man squad.

These players include exciting Tatana Island-based Kato Ottio, Port Moresby Vipers stylish winger Stargroth Amean, Lae schoolboys star Warren Glare, Goroka’s Philemon Kimisive, Lae Tigers form backrower Henry Wan, Hela Wigmen centre David Lapua, Lae Tigers half Atte Bina Wabo, NCD Suburban League’s JayJay Garisson, rangy Koiari product Bland Abavu and Kumul World Cup duo Ase Boas and Enoch Maki.

Maki has a lot to prove after being dropped early in the season last year.

Once tagged as the number one prop in the country, the Port Moresby Vipers frontman joins Esau Siune and Timothy Lomai in a small selected group of established front-rowers.

Those that have been retained for a second dig at the Queensland Rugby League’s elite Intrust Super Cup competition are, Adex Wera, Adam Korave, Brandy Peter, Edward Goma, Esau Siune, George Benson, Israel Eliab, Lawrence Tu’u, Noel Zemming, Roger Laka, Sebastian Pandia, Timothy Lomai and Willie Minoga.

Marum said depending on the Wartovo Puara Jnr and Thompson Teteh on a sixweek train and trial contract with NRL club South Sydney Rabbitohs, he is confident of the 2015 squad.

With the addition of the new players identified throughout 2014 we have a very strong and talented squad, he said.

Marum said it was promising to see some of their players being rewarded with NRL contracts and trials, as it now gives the next crop of players a chance to step up.

“The competition for spots is intense and we have seen a real lift in the quality of training,” Marum added.

“We have worked hard in the off-season and now with the pre-season and I know the players are looking forward to our first trial game against Ipswich on February 21,” he said. “Our 2014 Hunters are bigger, stronger and fitter,” he said.

FORMER NRL star Darren Lockyer mixes with Malalaua villages (inset) Darren Lockyer presents the man of the match, an official Broncos ball to Ilave Sapea after the promotional match between Kerema and Malalaua Raiders. Kerema won 20-0.