Post Courier, Friday February 13, 2015

Extreme

drug resistant TB reaches Port Moresby; Western Province a disaster

TB time bomb TICK TICK TICK

BY ISAAC NICHOLAS

TUBERCULOSIS (TB) is rising rapidly in Western Province that the whole population is at risk while the cost to effectively bring the serious health issue under control keeps rising.

Health Minister Michael Malabag told Parliament yesterday the number of cases was rising rapidly with Western Province now having the highest number of drug resistant TB in PNG and have sought Australian assist-

ance to address the issue. Mr Malabag said TB cases reached 234 by December 2014, with the three districts of South, North and Middle Fly seeing a double in TB notification rates since 2011.

“As of December 2014, 153 drug resistant TB patients are on second line anti-TB treatment in Western Province. This number includes 11 extensively drug resistant TB cases.

Mr Malabag said drug resistant TB is a particularly dangerous form of the disease

Economic time bomb

It costs K8,400 to treat a drug-resistant TB patient. This goes up to K38,000 a patient for extensively drug-resistant TB

that is very difficult to treat is is expensive.

“Treatment is expensive and present funding is inadequate,” Mr Malabag said. He said a course of treatment for drug resistant TB is around K8,400 per patient but this rises up to K38,400 per patient for extensively drug resistant TB.

“Rapidly rising infections means rapidly rising treatment costs,” he said.

CONTINUED PAGE 4

15,000 +

15,000 new cases of TB recorded yearly

Potential Impact

Southern region affected, other regions under threat

NCD is TB hot spot

NCD accounts for five per cent of PNG’s population, but contributes to 25 per cent of total TB cases in the country.

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY: Raunchy

movie to premiere in Port Moresby cinema > Page 3

NCD is the most important and visible ‘TB hotspot’ with TB case notification rates that are nearly four times higher than the national average (1200/100,000 population) and that are consistent over the years. It is also a key transmission ‘hot spot’ that could act as an epidemic amplifier

O’Neill and Abbott refresh closer ties

Index

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NEIGHBOUR

Tony Abbott has survived the snap leadership vote this week within his coalition government. Importantly, his survival re-emphasizes, among many pressing domestic issues, that Australia is our neighbour and a great friend; our ties do back a long way and has remained very strong, something we can and will continue to build on.

Like the unpopular Abbott, his PNG counterpart Peter O’Neill has weathered half-hearted, feeble threats this week to his continuing leadership and foothold on a coalition government which only he knows best to lead, control and keep together in the face of adversity.

Both Abbott and O’Neill have come through unscathed but bigger and more serious challenges beckon. For one, O’Neill has the Papua question to contend with despite Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Rimbink Pato’s “clarification” to his Indonesian counterpart on the PM’s sympathetic sentiments on “our Melanesian brothers and sisters”.

On the other hand, Abbott has been close, meeting with O’Neill only last week in Canberra, allowing the two leaders the opportunity to discuss issues of mutual interest and issues that affect the region. They include the Australian aid programme and its realignment with PNG’s development priorities in the light of drastic drop in oil prices, the Manus regional processing centre for the 50 asylum seekers wishing to become PNG citizens, the progress of the PNG LNG Project and Elk-Antelope prospect, and trade and investment opportunities.

O’Neill no longer has the grace period to protect himself from an impending no-confidence motion but he has the numbers to survive this life of Parliament. Don Polye and company simply do not have the numbers to be a serious threat to the PNC leadership.

This was made clear on the floor of Parliament this week at the first session of the year. But it is worrying that for the first time since his grip on power there has been dissent among the Government ranks starting with Sir Michael Somare’s expected move to the middle benches followed by Northern Governor Gary Juffa’s expulsion and Sukar’s Ken Fairweather’s defection to the Opposition.

The implementation of his key policies – enough to keep the rest of the rank and rank loyal to his coalition – includes free education and health care, rebuilding infrastructure, modernising police and defence forces and investing in oil, gas and minerals projects to secure economic and financial future. These have been welcomed far and wide.

Twelve months ago the contentious issue between the two countries was PNG’s persistent call to Canberra to relax visa restrictions for its citizens. Port Moresby wanted the same visaon-arrival policy that it accorded Australians arriving in the PNG.

Following a flat refusal from foreign minister Julie Bishop earlier PNG announced that it was lifting its policy from March 1, last year, and Australians must have a visa before entering PNG – until Canberra bows down to our wish! Maybe it is timely to reopen talks on the issue which we have no firm ground to stand on.

We hope Tony Abbott can go one step further in the not-toodistant future and offer the visa-on-arrival policy to reciprocate the PNG arrangement. Whatever the outcome on this thorny issue, one thing is for sure – at the end of the day Papua New Guinea welcomes Tony Abbott back as leader although battered and bruised from the licking his party suffered in the Queensland state election.

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Tamate sworn in as new public solicitor

BY SAMUEL RAITANO

PAPUA New Guinea has a new Public Solicitor to head the office that assists the common people to seek legal redress to their complaints.

Jim Wala Tamate was sworn into the office yesterday by the Deputy Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika before other senior staff from the offices of the Attorney General, Public Prosecutor and the National and Supreme courts.

Mr Tamate replaced Frazer Pitpit, who had served the

longest term in office for the past 12 years. Tamate’s six year term will end on January 2021. After the signing of instruments by Tamate at the Alternate Dispute Resolusion office in Waigani, Sir Gibbs said the office was “funded by the people for the people.” Salika said the functions of the office should be without fear and challenged Tamate to lead from the top. He also commended Mr Pitpit for his outstanding job in leading the team. “Put

your head up, that you have served your people with distinction,” Sir Gibbs said. Justice and Attorney General Department Secretary Lawrence Kalinoe welcomed Mr Tamate to the office, saying that they have every confidence that he would discharge his duties well.

He thanked Mr Pitpit for his services, and in growing the Public Solicitors office from being a branch of the Attorney General office to an entity of its own boasting 170 staff.

Mr Pitpit said he accepted the decision by the appointing authority to have Mr Tamate on board as the new Public Solicitor.

He said he was happy to exit and challenged other public office holders not to claim a position as their birthright and fighting “tooth and nail” to keep it.

He indicated that there were wide range of responsibilities in that position and challenged Mr Tamate to continue on with effectiveness in service delivery to the ordinary people.

Tension headaches are often related to stress, depression or anxiety. Approximately 90% of all headaches are classified as tension.

JIM Wala Tamate being sworn in as the Public Solicitor by Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika(seated) as former Public Solicitor Frazer Pitpit looks on. Picture: MARK TALIA

LIKE BOATS SAILING ACROSS

Raunchy movie to premiere in cinema

A FILM that the whole world is talking about this week because it is made up of 20 minutes of sex in its 100-minute running time is coming to Port Moresby. Advertised throughout the week by a Port Moresby cinema as “coming soon”, Fifty Shades of Grey premieres worldwide today , on the eve of Valentine’s Day.

The newspaper advertisement does not show clearly the PNG Censorship Board classification but one website suggests that Fifty Shades of Grey features more sex on screen than the 100 raunchiest films released in 2014 put together, making it the most erotic mainstream movie in a decade.

Such movies would normally carry an “X” rating in

The bottom line

the drum

FED UP

PNG Power Ltd is making enemies all over the country with their erratic supply of electricity. In Buka, residents are fed up with the long blackouts every single day. They are asking what is going on.

VULGAR

CITY users have taken to social media to slam the SOE. Even those with strong religious background didn’t hold back. One of them used a bad word five times in a sentence before apologising for being vulgar!

DRESS UP

THE media responded well to the dress code warning from the National Parliament security management yesterday. Some of them walked in with suits which raised eyebrows

CRUISE

YOU are jailed for 12 months for kicking up a tantrum over macadamia nuts! This is real. Korean Air heiress Cho Hyun-ah was jailed for disrupting a flight over the way her nuts were served.

TOP EXPAT

THE recent Drum on the woes of the National Weather Service caught the eye of a descendent of a pioneer expat who manned a remote weather station. It was a laborious task but the expat did it with passion and efficiency.

PNG or be banned altogether. Actor Jamie Dornan, who plays main man Christian Grey, says in an interview he “does not believe it is pornographic or even erotic”, Mail Online reports. The “raunchiest of the decade” accolade has been awarded

Fifty Shades after website Mr Skin, which ranks films by amount of sex scenes, released the data seen by the Sunday Times.

Fifty Shades Of Grey, which stars Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele and Dornan as the BDSM-loving Christian Grey, is one of the most eagerly awaited films of the year, and its trailer has already been viewed more than 45 million times on YouTube.

Asked if he felt he had lived up to E L James’s fantasies,

Dornan, 32, told the Sunday Times Culture supplement: “Nobody can walk in and embody what she wants. It doesn’t exist.

“But I hope I’m the closest thing. I hope I’m a good enough actor, and it’s passable.” The father-of-one also said that although the film is sexual, he does not believe it is pornographic or even erotic.

“I just wouldn’t use the word ‘erotic’ – it brings up different ideas for me. I just think we tried to make a good picture, you know?”

The series of three Grey books written by Londoner James, 51, has reportedly sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 52 languages.But Port Moresby movie-goers can rest

assured that movie critics who sneak previewed Fifty Shades of Grey on Tuesday reckon the James novels were far more explicit. They were frustrated that it was too light on the sex, with one critic pointing out that lead Jamie Dornan mostly keeps his pants on.

In a barrage of reviews published Tuesday night, most of those who sat down with the raunchy adaptation ahead of its 13 February release date lamented its ‘run-of-the-mill’ lovemaking, Mail Online reports.

“One critic pointed out that sex only makes up 15 minutes of the two-hour runtime. Another pointed out that there are no visible genitals, no orgasms – and not that much nudity,” it reports.

ALOTAU are you ready?

P&O cruise liner Pacific Dawn leaves Brisbane for Milne Bay this Sunday.

Alotau will be its first port of call in a 15-day cruise. Hope the urban LLG fixed up the vandalised war memorial.

SETTLERS

NOT sure if City Hall noticed the small group of people who set up camp next to the Kone service station. They were recently evicted from the coastline. Are they building a new settlement?

DANCE SUPPORT the cause and raise awareness on violence against women. This year’s global event One Billion Rising – Dance for Freedom is on again. Be at Ela Beach tomorrow at 10 am close to Ela Beach Tower.

REMOVE IT

DEAFENING silence from the NCDC on the use of Unagi oval as a temporary bus stop. It has become an eyesore and should be removed before the start of the 2015 Pacific Games.

ILLEGAL

EXPERTS are suggesting the Education Department boss and his minister don’t have the powers to abolish or impose school project fees. They say take a closer look at the National Education Act.

PENGEE: thedrum@spp.com.pg

Mawsynram in India is noted as being the wettest place on earth is with over 11 meters of rain falling every year.

PASSENGERS hanging on for their life as a Land Cruiser negotiates its way across the fast flowing, flooded Pangara River in South Bougainville. With the continuous heavy downpour in the province this month, rivers are flooded everyday. Picture: JACOB IENU

NUT RAGE

Church health services get funds

NELLIE SETEPANO

CHURCH health services have applauded the government for committing to save unfunded health church run facilities and cater for additional positions within its health sector.

More than K120 million will go for staff salaries and more than K28 million will be used for operations.

A total of 375 new positions have been funded, bringing the overall total to 3290 government funded positions.

Also 162 health facilities will be funded. Last year, an assessment was carried out by the Department of Health on all church health facilities and discovered a number of unfunded church services and positions.

A total of 27 Christian denominations operate these facilities ranging from rural hospitals to health centres and aid posts. CHS has a staff establishment of almost 4000 trained health workers.

From these, 3290 positions are funded by the government while the rest are paid by churches.

This is good news for

Church Health Services as elated chairman Wallace Kintak and church leaders that have been vocal over the years for the government to fund staff salaries and facilities. “Our God has answered our prayers for the need CHS has been waiting for many years,” he said.

He said for the first time in the life of church health services, the government has taken such an action to approve funds.

“This important decision will go a long way to impact the health and lives of our people in many rural areas of PNG,” Mr Kintak said.

Only last year, the Government through the State-Church Partnership program, announced the funding. This year, that commitment is being realised with the arrival of the first lot of grants.

IN OCTOBER last year Prime Minister Peter O’Neill officially launched a national awareness campaign as part of the ongoing fight against tuberculosis. The campaign targeted various locations nationwide, but specifically in areas hit the hardest such as the National Capital District, Gulf and Western provinces. Post-Courier file picture

Govt scrambles as TB scare reaches new levels

MR Malabag said traditional development partner Australia has announced an increased commitment which will bring their support to tuberculosis in Western Province to A$44.7 million by 2016 and 2017.

Australia has also agreed to support the international recruitment of a chief exec-

utive officer for Daru hospital which has been approved by Department of Personnel Management and which is in progress.

Mr Malabag said an enhanced tuberculosis emergency response would be finalised today, and will be presented to Cabinet.

The key elements of this emergency response strategy are: to appoint a sen-

ior PNG doctor to coordinate response activities in Western Province, implementation of infection at Daru General Hospital; establishing temporary patient accommodation; establishing communitybased Tuberculosis care in South Fly; and targeting response to extensive drugresistant Tuberculosis.

He said the joint activi-

ties with the Australian government underway on the ground will include providing Tuberculosis and health experts, health outreach involving the Medics Queen – a sea ambulance – for outreach and patient transfers, funding 10 positions for doctors, district Tuberculosis officers, and health outreach staff, construction of a new 22 bed

Tuberculosis ward for Daru General Hospital and providing $1.3 million for procurement of additional effective Tuberculosis drugs.

Mr Malabag was responding to questions from South Fly MP Aida Ganasi who said in Parliament that “time is running out” if urgent response is not taken by Government and Health Department.

THE two extreme forms of tuberculosis are now being treated at the Port Moresby General Hospital.

The multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MRD-TB) and extreme resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) patients were being treated, chief executive officer Grant Muddle said.

“PMGH has pulimonary TB, multi-drug resistant TB and extreme drug resistant patients,’’ he said.

Mr Muddle said the hospital has a separate TB ward for patients who are stable. Those with acute conditions would be cared for in the main hospital wing.

The new 60-bed ward will be opened on February 26.

Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR) is a type of multi-drug resistant TB that is resistant to a number of first-line TB drugs.

MRD TB is caused by an organism that is resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampin, the two important anti-TB drugs.

Extreme TB strands spreading Lae TB patients

locked out

TUBERCULOSIS (TB) patients in a major suburban health centre in Lae have been denied access to their medication by nursing staff.

It was reported that the TB clinic at Milfordhaven Health Centre has closed its doors due to unknown reasons, leaving TB patients without their TB treatments.

This newspaper visited the health centre at Milfordhaven and confirmed patients queuing up to be attended to by the TB nursing staff.

A group of TB patients said they had been turning up at the clinic each day as early as 8am only to find the TB clinic door close.

They said this has gone on for sometime now without anyone notifying the patients the reasons behind the closure of the clinic.

I gave dad 14 more years to live Wereh tells LOs to stop demands

BY GORETHY KENNETH

AN aspiring 39-year old Central Province doctor and mother of two yesterday told of how she gave her father 14 more years to live by donating her kidney to him in 2001.

Collin Travertz has been the secretary for the Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs Department for more than 10 years.

During his years in the public service, Mr Travertz fell ill and was diagnosed with kidney failure and was on hypertension drugs for three years until his daughter, Joy Arore Travertz, decided to donate one of her kidneys to him.

He lived on for 14 more years from her daughter’s kidney until it collapsed in late 2013 and for one year and three months he was on dialysis treatment until his passing last Saturday.

When one of his kidneys failed and the family decided to do a transplant, there was one problem, there

was no-one that had the same blood type as his as he was the only one in the family despite having step brothers and sisters.

But his daughter Joy, who is now an aspiring medical doctor who lives in Port Moresby with her husband and family, put her hand up to save her father. She was 25 years old when she agreed to donate one of her kidneys to her father. Her mother Okotai Travertz is a nurse and together all of them travelled to Australia to do the kidney transplant.

“I managed to give my kidney to my daddy because I wanted my father to be alive for my brothers and sisters, my brother and sisters were very small. “And because I loved my daddy so much, and if I can give my kidney to my father in 2001, I am so honoured my daddy survived 14 more years to be with us,” she said, adding that she is living with one kidney and is determined to live for another 30-40 years.

Climate changes pose risk to infrastructure

THE Office of Climate Change and Development says extreme climatic events, such as the recent flooding made worse by climate change, continues to pose a great risk to national infrastructure.

OCCD executive director Varigini Badira explained that the recent extensive rainfall was caused by the El Nino south oscillation (ENSO), which was the variation in sea surface temperature around the Pacific Ocean.

However, the impact of ENSO was no doubt bigger

At a glance

CLIMATE EVENTS: THE Office of Climate Change and Development reiterates that extreme climatic events, such as the recent flooding made worse by climate change, continues to pose a great risk to national infrastructure.

OCCD DIRECTOR: Varigini Badira explained that the recent extensive rainfall was caused by the El Nino South Oscillation (ENSO), which was the variation in sea surface temperature around the Pacific Ocean.

and distorted by the global warming. According to the findings of the Pacific climate change science program funded by the Australia government,

there would be a high probability that rainfall over the period of 2010-2030 would increase by 6 -16 per cent for November-April. “During the periods of November to

April, increased rainfall and flooding will devastate existing drainage infrastructure that have not catered for climate change,” Mr Badira said.

He said the changes in the amount of rainfall would also affect the performance and operation of water systems.

When the rainfall increases, it will put pressure on urban drainage system while the sewerage systems will become more difficult to operate and maintain if the rainfall continues adding the risk of infectious

BY SAMUEL RAITANO

WORKS Secretary David Wereh has called on the landowners of the section of Highlands Highway affected by a landslip to refrain from asking for compensation and to let maintenance proceed.

Mr Wereh said a company had a three year long term contract to maintain the section of Highlands Highway between Watarais to the Eastern Highlands, Chimbu border but disturbances by local landowners had resulted in routine road upgrade not carried out, causing the landslip at Kompri.

“The landslip is the final result of people preventing maintenance to the road on a timely basis,” Mr Wereh said.

He said the deterioration of the road was not on the part of negligence by the department.

He said the people were unreasonable and making unnecessary claims for compensation for the road which is a national asset servicing the bulk of population in the highlands region.

He said officers from the department left for the scene on Wednesday and he expects Defence Force and police personnel to be on site for the work to progress.

disease and exposure to chemicals is high during periods of heavy rain falls.

“Increases in the intensity of floods will also result in the contamination of water sources and may increase the incidence of waterborne diseases.

“There is a serious need to account for the potential impacts of climate change effects on rain water runoff in designing management systems and infrastructure by utilising green infrastructure such as urban forests, parks and gardens,” Mr Badira said.

DR Joy Arore Travertz and her mum Sr Okotai Travertz with their father and husband Collin Travertz’ photo frame at their Port Moresby residence yesterday.

The Musalman is the world’s last handwritten newspaper in the world.

MR Wereh

A HELA group has petitioned Prime Minister Peter O’Neill for cabinet not to appoint a new administrator until peace and reconciliation ceremony between Nipa and Tari people is held.

Hela Gimbu Association that claims to be the mouthpiece of the Hela people in their petition to the PM are claiming that a Nipa person from Southern Highlands has been shortlisted for the position of provincial administrator.

Chairman of Hela Gimbu Association Damien Arabagali said in a statement that the people of Hela have demanded for a peace and reconciliation ceremony with the Nipa people of Southern Highlands before any appointment of a new provincial administrator.

He said theassociation, which is the official voice representing the people of Hela, has petitioned the Prime Minister for the peace ceremony before NEC appoints a Southern Highlander to become administrator.

“We implore you to please direct the Minister for Public Service Sir Puka Temu to re-advertise the Hela provincial administrators and proceed with the peace and reconciliation ceremony first.

“It took us 40 years to fight for a Hela province and we have plans that gave us energy to fight this long for a separate province. God gave us the Hela province and those of us who fought for a Hela province since 1972 are spectators.”

Mr Arabagali also called for the appointment of a association executive to be care-taker administrator.

“Hela is the host of the PNG LNG project and the garden of PNG, is it asking too much?” he said.

“Our desire for a transparent and democratically elected leaders and a public service that consist of career servants to serve my beloved Hela people.”

The bottom line

Party founder gives flag to new leader

BY GORETHY KENNETH PANGU Pati life member

and former prime minister Sir Michael Somare officially handed the Pangu Pati flag to the new party leader Sam Basil in Parliament yesterday.

It was a historical gesture and Sir Michael said it was good to hand over the flag to another son of Morobe, where Pangu Pati was born.

The Pangu party or Papua and Niugini Union Pati, is a political party which was founded in June 1967 by Sir Michael Somare, Sir Albert Maori Kiki and Sir Barry Holloway.

At a glance

ONE MAN PARTY: At the moment, the PANGU PATI has one one man in Sam Basil, the Member for Wau/Bulolo and the deputy Opposition leader.

FOUNDERS: Sir Michael Somare, Sir ALbert Maori Kiki and Sir Barry Holloway.

MISSING OUT: PNG will be without its founding political party, the PANGU Pati as it heads into its 40th year of independence this year.

Sir Michael served as Prime Minister and as the leader of Pangu Pati from 1972 to 1980 and from 1982 to 1985.

In 1985, Paias Wingti led a faction of the party to split with Sir Michael and Mr

Greed breeds ignorance to those in need.

Wingti won a no-confidence vote against Sir Michael, succeeding him as prime minister.

In 1988, Somare was replaced as leader of Pangu by Sir Rabbie Namaliu who

EAST Sepik Governor Sir Michael Somare has called for the grounding of all Air Niugini aircraft to sort out the pilots’ salary crisis.

Sir Michael said that it was a serious matter for Public Enterprises and State Investment Minister Ben Micah and Air Niugini to tell the truth about what was happening. He claimed yesterday that the airline had breached international and the flight safety regulations therefore all flights must be grounded to sort out the mess.

Sir Michael said he was concerned about safety issues when he learned that Air Niugini did not give proper information to the International Civil Aviation Organisation, which is responsible for air traffic control and flight path clearance.

“I am also calling on the Civil Aviation Authority to step in as this matter regarding shortage of pilots is not only a domestic flight issue but also an international safety issue,” Sir Michael said. He said the pilots’ issue was serious and must be addressed immediately.

Gulf politics heats up

DEPUTY Prime Minister Leo Dion has appealed for commonsense to prevail among leaders of Gulf Province so that governance can be instilled.

served as prime minister from 1988 to 1992.

Sir Michael led the National Alliance Party for 10 years until last year when he stepped down and bestowed the leadership to Aitape Lumi MP Patrick Pruaitch.

Yesterday Sir Michael said that the original flag was designed in 1967 by the late Sir Cecil Abel and himself after Sir Peter Lus talked him into leading Pangu in 1968 when he first got elected.

“This is a symbolic gesture, Bulolo or Morobe for that matter is where Pangu Pati was born so I humbly present the flag to you,” he told Bulolo MP Sam Basil.

Mr Dion, who is Inter-Government Relations Minister, said in Parliament yesterday that the Gulf governor’s issue was before the courts to deal with it first before the Government could have a say. He was responding to questions raised in Parliament by Kikori MP Mark Maipakai who wanted to know what the Government was doing about the acting Governor position now that Regional MP Havila Kavo was convicted.

“The matter is before the court which will address it and advise through the Attorney-General office,” Mr Dion said. He urged Mr Maipakai to unite provincial leaders and work together.

SIR Michael Somare (left) handing over PANGU Pati flag to Sam Basil.

Wereh: K1bn to be spent on roads

BY MEROLYN TEN

MORE than K1 billion will be spent on targeted 4200km road projects in PNG for this year alone, says Works Department secretary David Wereh.

Speaking at the leadership summit last week, Mr Wereh said based on the road maintenance work charted by region and the given figure to spend, Momase will be receiving 41 percent of the road maintenance budget while Highlands will receive 37 percent, followed by Southern with 16 percent and New Guinea Islands with 6 percent.

YES! TIME FOR A SPIN!

Leader commends PM

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill’s clear stance on free West Papua movement has been welcomed by the West Papua People’s Consultative Committee-PNG (WPPCCPNG).

The chairman of WPPCCPNG, Pastor Bas Fairio welcomed the PM on behalf of the pro-independence organisation in PNG and West Papua yesterday. He appreciated the announcement the PM had made during the leadership summit last week.

“Prime Minister Peter O’Neill remains on record the only Papua New Guinean Prime Minister who has

clear knowledge, sincerity, understanding and boldness to tell the truth about the suffering of the people of West Papua,” Pr Fairio said. He also thanked and acknowledged the many years of continuous support given to them by the Vanuatu Government, the NCD

Governor Powes Parkop, Northern Governor Gary Juffa and other parliamentarians who have joined.

Pr Fairio said he is thankful to them because they have been the main driving force promoting the PM’s recent announcement, which only confirmed the increas-

Government plans new city transport system

BY ISAAC NICHOLAS

THE government is planning to establish a state-owned national transport system to cater for the increasing population and traffic in Port Moresby.

Transport Minister William Duma told parliament that the Department of Transport has plans to transform the transport industry in the city.

“There are plans to enter in arrangements where we deal with our stakeholders who own PMV buses and taxi services. We will approach them and invite them to agree to taking up shares with a company which we propose will be owned by the state.

“We will change the system such as we have big buses owned by one nationallyowned company servicing the routes and maybe two or three specific taxi companies so that they are properly licenced and that the drivers’ behaviour are

properly monitored,” the transport minister said.

“We are thinking about introducing a system similar to the ones you find in Australia, which we hope to have in place before the 2018 APEC meeting.”

Mr Duma said the Government

ing level of understanding, acceptance and readiness of PNG and the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) leadership signalling their readiness for Independence.

“Prime Minister O’Neill is expressing the real honest feelings of the Melanesian people of PNG and the MSG sub-regional nations of the Pacific Islands, where his announcement at the allimportant national leaders summit is strategic, directional, mandatory and far weighted.

“Therefore, it must be carried out by all agencies of government and support groups in PNG to mean

official PNG government approval and endorsement in finding an end to our 54 years struggle,” he said.

Committee adviser John Tekwie said to advance into an amicable solution, the only way forward was for the NEC to endorse the new policy on West Papua.

Mt Tekwie said it should be based on his (O’Neill’s) intention as announced, which would then be translated into a special act of parliament on the West Papua self determination issue to provide proper legal covering for all agencies to work with the MSG and Indonesia in a friendly way.

Mr Wereh pointed out that the 2015 priorities would involve both maintenance and upgrading of national roads, including Hiritano, Magi, Buluminsky, Ramu to Madang, Highlands Highway, Sepik Highway, Enga Highway and East West New Britain Highway with a total cost of K1023 million under the Asian Development Bank.

“At the same time, the maintenance and replacement of national bridges would commence with the construction of 600m of major bridges on the Hiritano, Magi, New Britain Highway under ADB, along with the construction of the 400m bridges in Oro under the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade-Australia, with a total cost of k81.3 million,” Mr Wereh said.

“The maintenance and rehabilitation of provincial roads will also be carried out, involving the improvement of the Highlands core road network.”

is aware that many PNG citizens own these small PMV and taxi businesses and all stakeholders will be consulted to reach a common ground.

He said most of them have welcomed the idea but have to be involved in those ventures through shareholding proposals, which when complete will need Cabinet approval.

He gave the assurance that Papua New Guinean small businesses will all be consulted to ensure they are not bystanders in their own land.

He was responding to questions from NCD Governor Powes Parkop who said Port Moresby is a growing city that will reach a population of over 1 million by next year.

“Our people own PMVs that are running the city up till now, but PMVs cannot be able to provide adequate services for the growing and expanding city,” Mr Parkop said in his question.

THIS furry friend was seen enjoying the cool Port Moresby breeze recently. Unlike his other pals, he is one lucky fellow to go raun raun with his owners.

Picture: KENNEDY BANI

Prime

Minister Peter

O’Neill

... has boldness to tell the truth about the suffering of the people of West Papua.

BAS FAIRIO Port Moresby

PNG Law society condemns attack

BY LEONNIE WAYANG

THE Papua New Guinea Law Society is “extremely concerned” over the assault on lawyer McRonald Nale by a group of people relating to a case he was working on.

It said Mr Nale, a member of the PNG Law Society, is an officer of the Court and “like all other lawyers is merely a facilitator of dispute resolutions.”

The PNG Law Society said in a statement that such unlawful practice in the premises of the courts was uncalled for and should attract the harshest of punishments as these people had no respect for the courts, the rule of law and lawyers.

“We condemn such criminal actions in the strongest terms possible, urge law enforcement agencies to immediately look into the matter, apprehend those involved and charge them accordingly and let the due process of the rule of law take its course,” it said.

“Such acts of harassment, intimidation and threats are tantamount to perverting the course of justice and a gross disrespect of the role of law, its agents and the due process of disseminating justice.

“This matter should not be taken lightly to prevent future occurrences of such criminal acts within the very precincts of the courts

Kopaol apologises to court for assault on lawyer

BY SAMUEL RAITANO

ROBERT Kopaol, who was accused of assaulting a senior lawyer on Monday, has apologised to Justice Bernard Sakora, who presided over the case which later caused the commotion outside Waigani National and Supreme Court on Monday.

At a glance

LAW: The law of Papua New Guinea consists of the Constitution, ordinary statutes enacted by Parliament or adopted at Independence from overseas (together with their pendant regulations) and judge-made law.

PNG LAW SOCIETY: In a statement said that Mr McrRonald Nale is an officer of the court and like all other lawyers is merely a facilitator of dispute resolutions.

CONCERN: The attack of their fellow lawyer McRonald Nale who was assaulted on Monday.

and on officers of the court.”

Mr Nale was assaulted within the premises of the Waigani courthouse on Monday by an aggrieved group.

The group was understood to be made up of supporters of former politician Robert Kopaol, who were not impressed by the lawyer’s arguments in court. They had accused Mr Nale of lying to the court on behalf of his client.

In the meantime, Mr Nale has filed a complaint with police against the group.

Furthermore, the court registry has also indicated to lay contempt charges as well against the perpetrators, according to media reports this week.

TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL PNG INC.

SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING

Transparency International PNG (TIPNG) is preparing for its Special General Meeting to endorse amendments to its Rules of Association. The amendments were discussed during its Annual General Meeting in June last year 2014.

The Special General Meeting will be held on TUESDAY 24TH

FEBRUARY 2015

Venue: INA Conference Room, 2nd Level IPA Haus, Konedobu

TIME: 2:30pm - 4:00pm

TI PNG members are requested to get in touch with us to update your contact details for meeting documents to be sent to you.

If you or your organization has not renewed your membership for 2015 or you are interested in becoming a member, contact the TIPNG office immediately.

Call us on 320 2182, 320 2188 or 7192 4250 and speak with Yvonne Ngutlick.

Email: comstipng@gmail.com

Authorized by the TIPNG Board Secretary John Karani

Man in lawyer attack to appear in court

THE person who assaulted a senior lawyer at the Waigani National and Supreme Court area on Monday has been arrested, charged and released on bail yesterday.

Robert Kopaol was arrested and charged with one count

of unlawful assault at Boroko Police station in NCD. He was released on K300 bail as his matter was categorised under summary offences.

Mr Kopaol is expected to make his first appearance in

the District Court.

Meanwhile, National and Supreme Court registrar Ian Augerea said he has asked for reports from relevant people regarding the incident and will take necessary action on the matter.

Kopaol, who is understood to have been arrested, charged and released yesterday by police, said it was not his intention to disturb the court process or to harm the lawyer. He said he was deeply sorry for the behaviour of his supporters.

“I strongly condemn my supporter’s behaviour and have already informed those directly involved to voluntarily surrender to police,” Mr Kopaol said.

He said he was ready to assist the police in their investigations into the matter.

Meanwhile Philip Wari, chairman of the peace mediation committee in the issue before court, has called for calm amongst youths and supporters. He said the issue in court only needs sensible thinking and proper talks in order to settle and no one should take the law into their own hands.

He called on the other party to understand the grievances Mr Kopaol had and to work together for the good of all.

I condemn the attack my supporters behaviour ...

ROBERT KOPAOL Port Moresby

Former cop: Implement death penalty

A FORMER senior policeman has called on relevant government agencies to fully implement the death penalty as passed by parliament.

Former assistant commissioner Giosi Labi made the call in light of more opposition to the death penalty.

“If the death penalty is implemented then so be it,” he said.

He made reference to the penalty to be long coming for Papua New Guinea as justice for law abiding citizens.

He said critics of the death penalty could not continue to go on saying that PNG is a

Christian country. Mr Labi said either way, Christians are the ones killing, raping, stealing, robbing and brutally murdering citizens.

“I welcome the imposing of the death penalty in PNG,”

said the former policeman. He said objections on grounds of human rights are also against the odds to allow the death penalty to be lifted in PNG.

He said Papua New Guineans continue to die brutally in the hands of senseless murderers without consideration of their rights.

MR Labi recalled in 2001 when he was still in the constabulary and had to put up with the murder of a young policeman from Mt Hagen brutally chopped like a pig into pieces and dumped in a rub-

bish bin at Kopiago station in Mendi, Southern Highlands.

He said the officer was murdered whilst on duty, leaving behind his wife who was pregnant at that time with their first child.

“Does this young man (policeman) deserve his rights to be considered?” he said.

There are 13 prisoners on death row expected to be executed within the year after Cabinet had endorsed guidelines for the death penalty as announced by Justice Secretary Lawrence Kalinoe earlier in the month.

Lawyer calls on legal fraternity to uphold judicial system

BY FRANKIY KAPIN

IT IS up to members and employees of the legal fraternity to ensure that the wheel of justice keeps turning. These people include judges, magistrates, lawyers, and prosecutors, police, Correctional

Services and defence and administrative staff, principal of Gamoga Lawyers Karo Gamoga said at the opening of the 2015 legal year in Lae earlier this week.

Mr Gamoga referred to the wheel of justice as a mechanism comprising all members

of the judicial system.

He said it starts with the arresting officer to the committal hearing, the sentencing, appeal, National Court and Supreme Court.

“The wheel of justice will not turn if we don’t implement it,” Mr Gamoga said.

“If we do not do our job the system stops and the people who depend on us will be affected.”

He challenged his colleagues to make the system work by ensuring they played their part as a component to the wheel of justice.

THE markings on a road is vital for the safe movement of traffic. There are many types of road markings that are used for controlling, warning guiding and informing drivers. This contractor is marking the Gordon section of the Poreporen Highway with barrier lines that prohibit overtaking. Picture: KENNEDY BANI

I welcome the imposing of the death penalty in PNG ...

GIOSI LABI Lae

Jailed MP in more trouble

FORMER Pomio MP Paul

Tiensten, currently in jail for misappropriation, has been found guilty of three more offences relating to a K3.4 million that was earmarked to rehabilitate a run-down plantation in East New Britain Province.

Mr Tiensten, who was flown to Kerevat from Port Moresby, appeared before National Court Judge Panuel Mogish who made the ruling in a packed Kokopo National Court room yesterday. He was charged with one count of official corruption, one count of obtaining goods by false pretence and one count of misappropriation in 2013.

The court heard that Mr Tiensten was given a project proposal for the rehabilitation of the Karlai Plantation in Pomio District, East New Britain Province, in 2008 by the director of Mesu Investment Limited. After attending a ceremony in the area when he was the minister for National Planning and Monitoring, he had

lodged a proposal with the department, which went through normal screening process and was approved for funding.

The court heard that a Bank of PNG cheque for K3.4 million under the Department of National Planning and Monitoring dated March 22, 2009, was then issued for payment to Mesu Investment Limited.

However, the cheque was not given to Mesu Investment but to Tol Port Services, the court was told.

Justice Mogish said the direction to re-issue the cheque of K3.4million originally intended to rehabilitate Karlai Plantation

and conferred to Tol Port Services was dishonest and corrupt.

“I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that when the accused directed the reissue of the cheque to Tol Port Services, knowing he was a director and shareholder of the company, he abused his authority as minister for National Planning and Monitoring,” Justice Mogish said.

He said there was undisputed evidence before the court that all the transactions from Tol Port Services and ANZ Bank account were used by other persons for purposes other than the rehabilitation of Karlai plantation.

“I am sure he was acting dishonestly because I can see no reason why a seasoned politician of his intelligence and experience would not have appreciated, as rightminded person would have done, that what he was doing was dishonest,” the Judge said.

The court will hand down the sentencing in April.

SUPPORTERS of Potape leaving the courthouse.

Potape asks court for bail

BY SAMUEL RAITANO

JAILED Komo-Margarima

MP Francis Potape made his final submission in the Supreme Court yesterday to ask for bail.

The four grounds to his bail application included his medical condition, responsibility to the people of his electorate, the court decision sentencing him to imprisonment he claimed was not quite proper, and

that in such cases as his, the time one will spend in jail before being able to appeal against a sentencing was nine months and he had a possibility to appeal successfully when out on bail.

Outside court, Mr Potape’s lawyer Justin Hayara said his client was sentenced to two and a half years in jail, but if was granted bail, could successfully appeal against his conviction.

Mr Potape submitted that

whilst being imprisoned, there is no guarantee of appropriate medical assistance. Meanwhile, a large crowd of supporters were present outside the court room. According to a supporter, Mr Potape’s health case has caused anxiety among them given the recent passing of Goilala MP Daniel Mona. The court is expected to hand down its ruling on the bail tomorrow.

Knowing he was a shareholder of the company, he abused his authority...

PANUEL MOGISH Kokopo

Polye disputes purchase of EMTV

THE Opposition is against the Government’s acquisition of private television network EMTV through Telikom PNG at a cost of K27 million.

“Television is an important mode of communication to satisfy the entertainment, education and information needs for our people,” Opposition Leader Don Polye said.

“The Government’s involvment in media business portrays high prospect of compromise with the independence and objectivity of news and other programs.”

He is urging the Telikom board to review its decision for the transaction.

Mr Polye said it was economically unjustifiable for the Government to involve in any businesses.

“Any government in the world is primarily obliged to provide necessary services like electricity, communication, transport infrastructures and other development to accelerate economic activities,” he said.

Mr Polye said the Opposition’s view was that the public-private partnership was a way forward for state investments.

EVICTION WORK IN PROGRESS

EVICTION work is currently underway on this piece of land known as the Begesin compound in the Ahi LLG area of Lae district, Morobe Province. According to Lae police, the evicted land is state land bought off by the Homestate Corporation a few years ago. Despite evacuation notices being given to settlers for the past two years, they’ve refused to move and are still living there. However, locals of Begesin origin from Madang Province are claiming that they are yet to be paid the sum of K203,000 by Homestate Corporation. The week-long eviction exercise of the Begesin Compound in Yanga village started on Tuesday and is closely monitored by Lae police. Picture: FRANKIY KAPIN

Aust to back PNG

BY DONALD WILLIE MINISTER for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Boka Kondra, says

there is strength and confidence in working in partnership with Australia to develop culture and tourism activities of the country.

Mr Kondra yesterday met with the Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Deborah Stokes, to discuss ways forward.

“We are the closest friends of Australia and dialogue between us should be consistent and for this reason, we have come together to discuss the Kokoda Trek, cruise

ships, and other developments,” he said Ms Stokes in response to Mr Kondra said Australia had a lot in common with PNG’s portfolio and added that Australians are a big source of tourism in Papua New Guinea.

“We hope to see more Australians come here not only on cruise ships but for trekking and to see the beautiful parts of PNG that are really unrivalled in the world,” Ms Stokes said.

She informed Mr Kondra on the project to improve and develop the National Museum and Art Gallery, including the

40th Independence anniversary exhibition which will open on September 16.

The Australian representative spoke highly of the national museum, describing it as a great national treasure for PNG with so many rich cultural features.

“We are working in partnership with the Tourism Minister and the museum and its board of trustees to strengthen the museum. That’s something we will be working on as priority this year,” Ms Stokes said.

She announced they will be engaging some activities both for short and long term,

to work on an exhibition that will feature some works that have never been seen before by the public.

They also spoke about the film industry and the potential our country has where the Australian Government has collaborated with the University of Goroka on the production of Pawa Meri

Mr Kondra said this industry is fairly new to our country, but announced that he will be travelling to Hollywood soon to sign agreements with film companies to come into PNG to work together with us to shoot films. He hopes this will give us some experience.

PUBLIC

SAMSON CLINTON AND PHIC DISTRIBUTORS ARE NO LONGER ASSOCIATED WITH PLUMTRADE IN ANY WAY AT ALL, AND ANY TRANSACTIONS MADE BY HIM AND PHIC DISTRIBUTORS ON BEHALF OF PLUMTRADE WILL NOT BE HONOURED.

Association: Govt must revisit laws

PAPUA New Guinea Teachers Association is calling on the Education Department to be guided by existing education laws – the Education Act 1983 –when directing schools not to charge project fees.

This act (currently in revision) spells out the functions of common fees imposed on parents or guardians of students.

Students without classrooms

BY NELLIE SETEPANO

THE ongoing issue over non-payment of contractors for work done under the rehabilitation of education sector infrastructure (RESI) program in the nation’s capital has affected schools earmarked on the program.

Among them is the biggest secondary school in the nation’s capital, Gerehu Secondary in Moresby Northwest.

Gerehu secondary is badly affected by incomplete school infrastructure. As

a result, students enrolled this year will be using the school hall and available space for learning.

The school started off the academic year last week with more than 200 students short of proper classrooms to learn in.

Six classrooms, including eight offices and two stand alone staff houses, are lying idle and incomplete.

This is a result of an on-going issue over non-payment between the Education and Finance departments and contractors for work done

under RESI program.

Students numbering 240 will be using the school hall for learning while the practical skills and home economics classes will be done on open benches outside.

This is because classrooms originally intended to house these rooms are transformed to normal classrooms to cater for more students.

“This is significantly affecting the start of the academic year for our students,” principal Martin Kenehe said.

“A lot of students are

knocking on our door but we can only take enough depending on space.”

Even so, 16 of the 64 teachers are living in settlements.

Mr Kenehe told this paper yesterday that the school’s enrolment this year stands at 2262 students. The school is still enrolling this week as it takes in students for Grade Nine and Grade 10 through the Flexible Open Distance Education.

He said this was one biggest disappointment with the slowness of the RESI

program. He hit back at the education hierarchy for not being on the grond to see what was happening in the schools, yet it talked about quality education.

He asked how schools could produce quality education when the department was failing on its part to deliver to schools.

Meanwhile, contractors that did education related works for the past three years and more continue to camp outside the Education Department office, wating for their payments.

This call comes amid many schools charging project fees despite a directive from Education Minister Nick Kuman and education secretary for all public schools not to impose project fees. PNGTA general secretary Ugwalubu Mowana said this week that the education ministry and the department must revisit a national education board 2009 resolution on project fees which specifies the existence and functions of such fees and not divert from stipulated laws.

The association wants the department to spell out the guidelines of the tuition fee-free spending and if it catered for the project fee component.

Mr Mowana said not all schools would have money intended for their planned projects.

A CLASSROOM at Gerehu Secondary School that is incomplete because of non-payment to contractors. Picture: KENNEDY BANI

Quick thoughts

WORK TOGETHER

I AM tired of hearing women talking about empowerment and equality and yet, they themselves are suppressing and oppressing the women around them with their bullying tactics, unjust domination and emotional manipulation. Equality and empowerment would come much faster and cleaner if they would cease practising a warfare of words against their own sisters. The gravest threat to the advancement of women is not the domination of men but rather the inability of women “leaders” to remain united long enough to see their shared core objectives realised. Humble yourselves, work in harmony, and God will heal your land.

Rev Stephen Michael Leach

ANY RELIEF FOR US?

SINCE the black day, Thursday July 12, 2014, when residents at Erima Wildlife were evicted, no leader has turned up to address them. They were removed from their homes to make way for development. They are like nomads; men, women, the old and young. Does Labi Amaiu or NCD Governor Powes Parkop care? Is this the “Melanesian Way”? Since all residents were scattered, more than 100 students lost their education, not to mention people losing faith in tomorrow. Their houses are gone without any positive word from the developer, NCDC. PM Peter O’Neill has assured us of relief but the question is “how” and “when”. Days have turned into weeks, weeks have turned into months. Don’t let old men die cursing you.

Concerned NCD resident

CHECK SCHOOL

CAN the Education Minister send in a team to inspect all schools? There is a primary school with the largest number of students in the Nine-Mile, Bomana area, which I am sure gets the biggest cut of subsidy. Yet the state of the classrooms there are terrible.

Parent

Looking for someone?

I AM looking for Greg Nigel Philemon of Alotau (Woodlark Island) who resides somewhere in Port Moresby. If anyone knows him or knows his where about, please call me on mobile phone: 739 21 259 or 714 83 395.

Kwekweina Maiwori

Buai chewing nonsense

WAKE up Papua New Guineans from our lack of reasoning and common sense must prevail over how serious we are in controlling tuberculosis (TB).

We have read the massive media campaigns, headed by the Prime Minister regarding the fight against TB. We also hear and read about the issues as expressed by our Australian neighbour. We see organisations like Digicel and NCD Governor Powes Parkop launching programs in an effort to reach remote areas to combat the disease.

A lot of money is used in the campaigns but yet we let chronic betelnut chewers spit their wastes everywhere and on anything. For

example, the new cement roads of Lae City are a complete disgrace. The capital city of Port Moresby looks like a dump in some places and Kokopo town, the much-talked about “model province” is no different.

Something is drastically wrong here. Are we that sick when it comes to sound judgment? Even our leaders are no better.

Can someone tell the difference between supporting good health and the very causes that contribute to killing millions in PNG? Of course we can control poverty if that is related. But for goodness’ sake, stop buai in cities because they contribute to the spread of TB. How many more expert doctors like Dr Glen

Mola do we need to alert us to the issue?

We look stupid appearing in the media about TB and yet are prepared to find better ways to allow buai trade to continue. Please don’t even appear in any more campaigns about Ebola if this is the stupidity we usually portray.

Lae City now needs tonnes of chlorine to clean the ugly buai spit stain on the cement roads. Save some chlorine to clean those buai mouths too.

Legislate against buai in all city limits. The choice is either buai money for lazy people or our graves.

Peter Potit Lae

WRITE TO US Text us on 208

God is the right judge

I REFER to the death penalty law as reported in our daily newspapers.

It is a tough decision for the Prime Minister of a Christian nation to implement death penalty to execute human beings created by God in His likeness.

We were created by God to live in this world according to His will and purpose. The government is ordered by God, as a caretaker of our physical lives, to provide social services, security and apply disciplinary actions to law breakers as long as we exist. They cannot take away lives.

But due to negligence and ignorance of the people, whose main purpose of living is to serve the Lord, use their bodies for evil purposes. However, the punishment for our disobediences or evil acts has been pronounced by God to be presented to us on the last day of this world (Revelation 22 11:12).

Our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified as a free gift of sacrifice as

payment for our evil deeds, sickness and problems. He demonstrated the directive to change our evil ways of living and be saved in God’s Kingdom. He will be coming the second time to judge and condemn every soul for their evil actions or sins. The Prime Minister or anyone from this world cannot execute any life, but apply disciplinary actions to punish them as ordered by God, and let God judge and condemn them for their evil doings on the last day. “How painful it is to the Lord when one of his people dies!’’ (Psalms 116-15).

The death penalty of eternal death has been declared by God to punish

Stop stereotype against Hulis

HULIS are hard workers, skilful and organised.

In 1935 former explorer Jack Hides led an expedition into the Hela Huli land and was amazed to see that Hulis were more organised and living in fenced hamlets. Hulis were not living a nomadic life but were seen to have made gardens like people at Kuk in Western Highlands Province.

Mr Hides was fascinated by the Hulis’ way of life and named Huli land as Papuan Wonder Land. Hides Gas at Mt Gigira is being named after him. Hulis should not be seen as TNTs (Tari Nogat Tingting).

In the 1950s and 1960s, Hulis had developed most of the copra, cocoa

10 years ago

Text us on 208

those who do evil and do not obey His word in the Bible while living their lives in this world. The breath of life was given by God, so it cannot be taken away by the laws of the Prime Minister or anyone on this earthly kingdom.

The PM should seriously reconsider his decision and pray to God if what he will be doing is right. Who will be responsible for the lives executed when this world comes to an end? (Ezekiel 3:17-21, Ezekiel 33:8-9).

NO ONE IN OFFICE

Can the Department of Labour clarify if there is a labour officer in Kiunga, Western Province. The office exists in the provincial government office complex (Aewe Ambip). However, one is wondering if there is a staff manning it. This office seems to be permanently locked; curtains from the inside covering the transparent glass wall is making it difficult to see if a human being is inside. Such public office should be visible to the public. Employees from private sectors are turning up with grievances but turned away as the office is never open. This important office must be opened. Can the provincial authorities or Department of Labour look into this and ensure this office functions? If people who are supposed to administer this office are not doing their job then we want to see some drastic action.

AB Kiruk – Kiunga

POOR SERVICE

and rubber plantations in the coastal areas as well as coffee and tea plantations in the highlands. Hulis had worked hard and developed most of the big urban centres we see today for a few pounds and dollars. Papua New Guinea should thank the Hulis for their hard work and not regard them as TNTs.

Many cultures have died and are no longer practised today. Hulis take pride in their unique cultures and traditions. They have placed Papua New Guinea on the world map with their Huli Wigmen. Tourists are attracted annually to see the neverdying cultures of the Hulis. They should not be seen as TNTs.

Hulis are naturally gifted in many

academic fields and discourage cheating. Hela Hulis now are pilots, engineers, doctors, lawyers, accountants, lecturers and teachers. Many Hulis are serving overseas and within in different fields. Hulis are not TNT but intelligent people.

PNG should thank Hela for the prophetic gas which will ignite the world and benefit us. For the gas, Hulis did not ask for millions of kina but only asked for a separate province (Hela). Hulis are not greedy and not TNT.

DEATH PENALTY GODLY

The death penalty is godly. God had used it in the Old Testament era in the form of stoning and burning. Why are some people saying it is ungodly? Don’t forget, at the end of the world, God will give the biggest death penalty ever to disobedient human beings. If the government which God ordains doesn’t do, He will still do it. Some people are burning in hell right now. They are receiving their death penalty while we are arguing that God will be angry if we impose the death penalty in PNG.

Johnson Apamumu – WNB

WHY COMPENSATION?

I have spent about four weeks sorting out my NSCL funds in Lae. I’m annoyed by the poor customer service provided by a leading million kina institution (Nasfund). I come in every morning and stand in the long line for four to five hours and all they say is “come back tomorrow”. That message has been repeated for four weeks and I feel that service delivery systems/procedures have to be overhauled. NASFUND members also gave the same story. To make the situation worse, the air-conditioner system was not working properly. The room was very small; a potential breeding ground for diseases. We are living in a world where things are changing in the name of fast service delivery. How can a multimillion kina organisation still use old methods? It’s about time managers and directors of Nasfund wake up from their slumber and be proactive for a change.

Frustrated Nasfund member

What is wrong with our friends up in the Highland region? Every time there is a landslip at any section of the national highway or a trunk road, they quickly demand compensation? It is a natural event that causes damages to the land; there is no need for compensation. Period! The authorities should not provide any service to such groups of lazy people who demand compensation. It is good that plans are now underway to outlaw this compensation syndrome. It should be made illegal for anyone to claim compensation for any public road damaged through natural causes.

S S – Waigani

EHP SYSTEM IN MESS

I am an Eastern Highlander who is worried about the education system in his province. The Education Division in Eastern Highlands is in chaos and needs an overhaul of the administration staff there. Why is the provincial government not intervening in the tussle between education advisors?

Peter Akori

Telikom Ltd to pay a group of Southern Highlands landowners K23,000 for accommodating a repeater station on their land. Feb 3, 2005

The Pacific Games is an economic activity Pacific Games is an economic and would stimulate the economy of the and would stimulate the economy of the country and that is why the O’Neill-Dion country and that is why the O’Neill-Dion government is investing heavily on the Games government is on the Games infrastructures.

Finance Minister James Marape Finance Minister James

Anointed Christian Port Moresby

Daniel Pokoraija Tumbiari Piripu village, Hela

Asylum seekers’ safety important

FOREIGN Affairs and Immigration Minister Rimbink Pato has reaffirmed that the safety of asylum seekers at the Manus regional processing centre is of paramount concern for the Government.

Mr Pato made this point to Australia’s Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Peter Dutton during their recent meeting in Port Moresby.

He said the PNG Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority (PNGICSA), and the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection, had together addressed safety issues in returning normalcy to the centre following the recent protest.

Mr Pato said both organisations continue to work together on the regional resettlement arrangement for the asylum seekers.

“We are proceeding with the interim settlement arrangements for asylum seekers and aim to conduct public awareness campaigns on refugee settlement.

“This will include details on how refugee settlement can be best implemented in the Papua New Guinea context before redrafting the national refugee settlement policy for the Cabinet’s endorsement”.

Mr Pato noted that 30 more asylum seekers had been processed, bringing the total to 80.

They have been determined to be resettled in PNG once the refugee settlement policy was in place.

He said the transition to resettlement had begun after nine asylum seekers qualified their full refugee status, left the processing centre at Lombrum for the East Lorengau transit centre for further resettlement to other provinces in the country.

MAKESHIFT DORMITORY

Govt told to look after citizens’ priorities first

THE Government must look after the interest of its own citizens before taking on the responsibilities of other countries.

The call was made by the chairman of the PNG Rehabilitation Centre, Brown Kapi, as a response to recent news of resettlement of asylum seekers on Manus.

“The Australian Government seemed to have dumped them here and now the responsibility of processing and settling them in is all focused in PNG.

At a glance RESPONSIBILITY: The Government must look after the interest of its own citizens before taking on the responsibilities of other countries.

BROWN KAPI: He is the chairman of the PNG Rehabilitation Centre.

RESETTLEMENT: The general understanding was that they would just be processed here but now they will be resettled in Papua New Guinea.

“The majority of our citizens go without basic services and now we have extra people added to our population who we know very little about,” he said.

Mr Kapi said in the preliminary arrangements, the intentions of the Governments were not made clear and public but only now with the way the

situation is being handled these developments have been revealed.

“The general understanding was that they would just be processed here but now they will be resettled in Papua New Guinea.

“Will this happen to the countless asylum seekers who come into this country?” he said.

Mr Kapi said although Australia is going to fund the resettlement program, any adverse social and security effects will be solely detrimental to PNG and not Australia.

“It is as if those at the top, who have made these choices, have ignored our sovereignty as a nation and gone ahead with these decisions,” he said.

Mr Kapi said the many asylum seekers who are to resettle in the country will no doubt take up opportunities that our Government should have made available for our own people with jobs, education and services.

“We can only hope this will be sorted quickly so we can deal with the issues of our own people,” he said.

Security summit successful

LAST week, a delegation of five senior Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary officers led by Assistant Commissioner Jim Wan, travelled to Brisbane to participate in high level discussions after the G20 summit that was held in November 2014 in Brisbane, Australia.

The summit was a great success and involved more than 6000 police and 2000 military personnel. The PNG delegation included the NCD Metropolitan Superintendent Andy Bawa.

The Australian Federal Police partnership program in PNG funded the visit and sent two of its members to accompany the group.

The purpose of the visit was to engage in a ‘lessons learned’ discussion following the G20 security and law enforcement operation conducted by the

Queensland Police. The visit involved stakeholders – the Australian Federal Police and Australian Defence Force.

The delegation spent a day at the Brisbane Airport viewing the management of airport operations including VIP movements.

Mr Wan said: “The visit to the Brisbane Airport was extremely relevant to the operations that Port Moresby’s Jacksons International Airport will expe-

rience during the upcoming major events, especially the APEC summit in 2018.”

AFP Inspector Peter Withers said the visit to Brisbane was only one part of the support the AFP is offering the Constabulary to prepare for major events.

“For some time we have been actively engaged with the police and military planning group in Port Moresby. Everyone realises there is a lot of work to do to prepare for the Pacific Games, APEC and other events.

The AFP is very happy to assist to develop the capability of the Constabulary in this regard” Inspector Withers said.

The PNG delegation also visited key Queensland Police units including the G20 task force, traffic operations, the communications centre and the intelligence unit.

IT’S not all good for the St Paul Tunuru Vocational School in Bougainville where students are sleeping

in the workshop

due

to

lack of

space

in

their

dormitories. Pictured are some students with their beddings and mosquito nets in the workshop. Picture: JACOB IENU

The visit to the Brisbane Airport was extremely relevant

JIM WAN Port Moresby

Modernization of National Parliament”

THE ROLE OF JUDICIARY

Know Your Parliament with Hon. Theo Zurenouc, MP.

Welcome to “The Role of Judiciary”, which is our topic for discussion today. Last week, we looked at the “Standing Orders of Parliament”.

THE ROLE OF JUDICIARY

The primary role of the judiciary in society is to assist in delivering justice or to administer justice. The Judiciary of Papua New Guinea is one of the three arms of government including legislature and the executive. Judiciary is a powerful and an independent institution. The Chief Justice is the head of the Judiciary and presides in the Supreme Court and has administrative responsibilities for that court.

The Chief Justice of Papua New Guinea is Sir Salamo Injia.

The judiciary performs certain other function too. These functions may be judicial in character but some of these functions are non-judicial in nature. Following are some of the judicial and non-judicial functions performed by the judiciary.

(1) Judicial Functions:

Firstly, the primary function of Judiciary is to interpret the law. For example, when a dispute is brought before a court, it is the responsibility of the court to ‘determine the facts’ involved. The usual manner in which the courts determine the facts is through evidence given by the contestants. Once the facts have been established, the court proceeds to decide what law is applicable to a particular controversy or circumstance. So the major task of the judiciary is to ‘determine’ the facts of laws and to apply them to particular circumstance.

(2) Law-making Functions:

Secondly, the judiciary while interpreting the existing laws also performs the role of lawmaker. It may sound surprising, but ‘judge-made’ laws are common to all systems of jurisprudence. Such occasions arise when the provisions of the existing laws may be ambiguous, or sometimes two or more laws of a particular government appear to be in conflict under a given circumstance.

Herein the judiciary plays an important role in determining what the law is and when two laws apparently conflict, which shall prevail.

(3) Guardianship of the Constitution:

Thirdly, judiciary is the guardian of the Constitution. When there is conflict in jurisdiction and authority occurs, the judiciary becomes the umpire and regulates the legal actions of the executive governments. In case the laws made by Parliament through the executive government conflict with the constitutional provisions, the judiciary is empowered to declare the relevant legislation illegal.

(4) Protector of the Fundamental Rights:

Fourthly, the judiciary also act as the defenders of the individual’s right. Such role of the judiciary is important as it prevents the individual’s rights from being violated. An individual need not wait until harm is done to him. If he had, sufficient reasons to believe that attempts would be made to violate his ‘rights’ he could approach the courts for protection.

Then the courts would issue orders prohibiting such attempts until the rights of the parties were determined. Judiciary is the watchdog of rights and liberties of the people. The Supreme Court is empowered to protect the Fundamental Rights of the citizens.

(5) Supervisory Function:

Fifthly, higher courts are often assigned the task of supervision over the lower courts. The Supreme Court is responsible for the supervision of the lower courts.

(6) Non-Judicial Function:

Lastly, the judiciary in some countries may perform a number of non-judicial functions. Courts may undertake the administration of property in cases where the ownership of property in question is in dispute. Courts also assume responsibility for handling the affairs of minor children or lunatics. Courts may be authorized to issue and cancel certain licenses. Courts also may be authorized to grant citizenship to aliens.

Selection or Method of Appointment of Judges:

There are certain methods by which judge are selected. In Papua New Guinea judges are appointed by the executive government. But once appointed, the judges are independent of the influence of the executive.

The judiciary is an independent institution. It is a mechanism for the legal redress of disputes and prosecution of legal offenders as well. Apart from this, the judiciary at the higher level also interprets the Constitution and resolves disputes. It protects the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution and is the mechanism to seek recourse to constitutional remedies. It also strikes down any law that contravenes the Constitution in letter and spirit. Along with the legislature and the executive, it is one of the three pillars of Papua New Guinea democracy.

In the next article I will discuss the symbols of parliament.

Parliament website and SMS

Visit our website www.parliament.gov.pg to see the work of Parliamentary Committees, Profiles of MPs, legislative activities, chamber activities, annual parliament performance report and many more. To know more about your MP and his/her good work, text the MP,s first and last name to 70000300. For further information on parliamentary systems and process, email civieducation@parliament.gov.pg or Call Civic and Education Manager, Sarufa Haro on Ph: 3277448

Hon. Theo Zureneouc, MP Speaker of Parliament and Member for Finschhafen

Biscuit maker backs school cult efforts

BY FRANKIY KAPIN

PAPUA NEW GUINEA’s premium biscuit maker, the Lae Biscuit Company, has thrown its support behind the walk against school fights and cult practices among schools in Lae city.

LBC has taken the fight to condemn school fights and cult practices in Lae city by sponsoring a back to school seminar starting today.

Lae MP Loujaya Kouza will be the keynote speaker for the two-day seminar with the theme “knowing your purpose, value and potential in education”.

The seminar will end with a walk against school fights and cult groupings on Sunday morning.

The event is one of the first organised and facilitated by local events company, Inspired Multimedia Productions (IMP)

as one of its community obligations.

Program coordinator Mason Mai said the event is basically to get students’ focus back to school and away from the hype of out of school activities over the holiday, which might still be clouding their minds.

LBC marketing manager James Tamari said the company has come to realise the importance of the issue and is supportive of the concept taken to address it.

Mr Tamaris said LBC is keen to go further with their assistance of the program throughout the rest of the city given its success.

“It’s a community obligation that the company feels responsible to take part in,” said Mr Tamari.

He confirmed that as its sponsorship commitment, LBC has donated 250 branded T-shirts

and 25 cartons of its upcoming Toto brand biscuits.

Other speakers will include include Lae’s acting Metropolitant Superintendent Chief Inspector Timothy Pomoso, Igam Barracks commanding officer Peter Amos and other speakers from the Water PNG, Provincial Education Board and other stakeholders including NGOs and churches.

Mr Mai said a Buimo jail inmate doing his masters in communication while in prison will also be the highlight of the event.

The walk will start from the University of Technology gate and end at the Eriku oval at 5am on Sunday.

MR Mai is calling on the public and students in Lae city to join the Sunday walk as well the two days seminar at Unitech starting today.

Accountants get more training

A TWO-DAY training program to address employee performanace and skill improvement was run recently for accountants in Port Moresby.

The training, run by a training consultant, was for members of Certifified Practicing Accountants, PNG (CPAPNG).

Areas covered include quality client service and time management skills.

The outcome was successful. Participants’ involvement with setting individual improvement action plan through life goals and becoming productive at the workplace was a very crucial part of the training.

Future training will focus on skills’ gap in other areas including interpersonal skills, effective communication, client care, leadership and self-manage-

ment. CPAPNG national president, Daniel Biti also attended the workshop and encouraged the CPAPNG secretariat to continue to deliver quality services to its stakeholders, mainly the members of CPAPNG.

“Put into practical use what you have learnt over the last two days on client services and time management and continue to improve the level and quality of your services to the members,” he said.

CPAPNG was established under the Accountants Act 1996. It is the leading accounting professional body in PNG.

CPA PNG is run by a council which is made up of (president, vice president, treasurer and nine council members).

In addition there are two exofficio positions occupied by the

offices of the national Finance secretary and the PNG Auditor General.

CPA PNG’s core mandate is to provide training for Accountants to become fully certified and professionals in their profession.

Presently it has two regional offices (Lae and

and the head office based in Port Moresby.

Continuous training and improvement at work place is essential and necessary part of growth and development of our organisation.

Sony McWilliams, consultant trainer and assessor of McWilliams Training Consultancy, conducted the two day training workshop from January 15-16 at the CPA Haus on Paga Hill.

Kokopo)

FROM right: CPAPNG national president Daniel Biti with his senior staff Jack Walom (Kokopo branch manager), Vincent Kuma (Lae branch manager), Sonny McWilliams (workshop facilitator), Kevin Kepore (director academic), and Yuwak Tau (executive director).

Chamber calls for payment assessments

THE Southern Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Industry has hit out at the national Government and LNG developer ExxonMobil to make sensible risk assessments on the current method use to payout dividends.

The chamber called for independent assessments to be conducted on the ground to see whether the millions of kina in various dividends and royalty payouts were translated to developments on the ground in Mendi and Tari.

President of the chamber Berry Mini, while thanking the national Government and ExxonMobil for the completion of the PNG LNG project on behalf of local business operators in Mendi and the rest of the province, said the completion of the project and shipment of the LNG gas successfully to international markets marked a new economic era for the country but queried whether it would benefit real Papua New Guineans.

Mr Mini said indications were that the benefits from the LNG proceeds may not trickle down to the people as is the case with oil, gold, copper and other resources projects in the country.

“Whilst the PNG Government, the country, ExxonMobil and investors are enthusiastic to see the exciting

PNG LNG gas development taking shape, the smaller local business houses in the province, excluding the so-called landowner companies, are standing still and observing the entire process by-passing our doorsteps,” Mr Mini said.

“Many promises of business opportunities through ‘local content’ concept now appear to be ambiguous and deceptive.

“What stands from the licensebased benefit sharing agreement and umbrella-based sharing agreement are only known to PNG-LNG operator ExxonMobil, our local politicians and the bureaucrats in Waigani.

“Sadly, the local business operators in the province have a 20 plus years experience of ‘missed window of opportunities’ from Iagifu oil through Chevron Niugini Limited and later Oil Search Limited when it took over the operatorship.

“Mendi township remains same as before Chevron Niugini Limited step its foot in the province some decades back.”

He said there were no tangible benefits to the local business communities especially in-terms of assisting business growth that would see expansion of small centres into major towns.

‘Cop burned down my house’

AN elderly woman lodged a formal complain with the Goroka police alleging that a Kainantu-based policeman has torched her house after accusing her of causing his son’s death.

Sinesine mother Maria Bali reported that the cop (named) drove a police van to her kunai-thatched house in Kainantu town on December 18 last year and set her house ablaze with everything in it.

“I was in Goroka that night, my other sister and her spouse witnessed the unlawful action under the cover of darkness,” Mrs Bali said.

“I am now afraid to return to Kainantu, where I lived for many years, because he (policeman) might hurt me. I lost more than K6000 worth of household items in the blaze.

“Policemen are the custodians of our laws and should not be doing such illegal things to me.”

Mrs Bali, who was sobbing during the interview, desired justice to be served on the rogue cop.

Police sources in Goroka said they would launch an investigation into the incident and determine the next course of action.

MRS Bali sobbing as she gives an interview to journalists

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Hanuabada man wins retailer’s promotion

CITY Pharmacy and Stop and Shop ran a nationwide raffle promotion during the festive season last year from mid-November to December.

The raffle promotion featured a unique and highly desirable raffle prize that would provide a single winner with a once-in-alifetime trip for a family of four.

After tens of thousands of raffle entries from all participating stores all over Papua New Guinea, it had to boil down to only one winner.

“We are happy to announce, after a rigid raffle entry verification process, that the winner is Edea George, who shopped at our ground floor Town location in Port Moresby.”

Mr George, 56, is a regular shopper at Stop and Shop Town and lives in nearby Hanuabada Village with his wife and two children and their families.

Mr George was stunned with the news that he had won the promotion, and was initially skeptical when first contacted.

The CPL group would like to congratulate Mr George, and also many thanks to the thousands of customers who participated in this raffle promotion.

Settlers: We won’t move

BY DONALD WILLIE

SOME of the earliest Nine-Mile settlers of Kerema ‘Sapia’ Block, fearing being evicted by an individual (named) , are calling on the intervention of Moresby Northeast MP Labi Amaiu.

The settlers had been given a 40-day eviction notice late last month, by someone they suspect might have claims to the land at section 22, lot 3, 4, 5 and 6 through illegal dealings.

The Kerema people say have been living on this land for more than 55 years, having settled in the area during the traditional Hiri trade era with the Motuans.

It is believed that the land originally belonging to a Koiari landowner named Benson Hauda, who in three occasions sat with the Keremas to come to verbal agreements first in 1975, then in 1983 and again on September 28, 2009.

It is said that even some of the Kerema children have been adopted by the Koiari land owners to establish and strengthen relations.

Community spokesman Smapot

Faulty generator cause of Alotau blackouts

MILNE Bay capital Alotau has been facing power blackouts for almost three weeks, according to residents.

It is said that the town had been loadshedding following the breakdown of one of PNG Power Limited’s generators. A worker at the governor’s office, James Thong and another officer with the provincial administration Sunema Waninara, have confirmed the blackouts.

The Post-Courier also talked to staff of several other business houses and learning institutions.

Only those with standby generators had been able to produce constant power supply.

They say PPL should have issued notices as to which parts of the town would face blackouts at what times.

They say when half of the town receives power for half a day, and the next half of the day, power supply goes to the other half. Word on ground was that PPL management in the province was waiting for parts for the generator from Japan.

Attempts to contact the PPL manager in Alotau yesterday failed. Staff on duty kept saying he was out of the office.

Handling Method Change in Joint Venture Stevedoring (JVS)

Effective 1st March 2015

Motei said the verbal agreements made back in the days were marked by feasts or sindaun between the families of the land owners and the Kerema settlers for permanent residency.

The couple who were alleged to have plotted the evacuation is believed to be of Western Highlands decent, and have only moved into the area recently.

Mr Motei is also alleging that the eviction notice used by a single policeman did not seem genuine, with no common seal of recognisable authorities.

“We are strongly fighting against land grabbers who are going around trying to steal land,” Mr Motei said.

The Kerema family say that they are prepared to defend their block, which they had acquired through the right traditional way, either physically or administratively.

“We are asking our political leaders to please immediately address this issue before it turns nasty.

“Our final word is that we are not going to move out because they are land grabbers.”

Joint Venture Stevedoring, acting on the behalf of Lae Port Services Ltd, Port Moresby Port Services Ltd, New Britain Shipping Ltd, Madang Port Services Ltd, Kavieng Port Services Ltd, Oro Port Services Ltd, Kiunga Stevedoring Ltd and Palm Stevedoring & Transport. wishes to advise all clients, stakeholders and public in general that the method of charging the handling tariff will change to a container rate.

This change is aligned with PNG Ports’ move to a container unit handling tariff rate effective 1st February 2015, and will bring Lae Port Services Ltd, Port Moresby Port Services Ltd, New Britain Shipping Ltd, Madang Port Services Ltd, Kavieng Port Services Ltd, Oro Port Services Ltd, Kiunga Stevedoring Ltd and Palm Stevedoring & Transport. in line with current international best practices (as opposed to the current revenue tonne tariff rates).

The container rate has been calculated on verified average of the declared revenue tonne volumes over the past year (2014). There will be a TEU (twenty foot equivalent unit) rate and an FEU (forty foot equivalent unit) rate only. All break bulk rates will still be calculated on the existing revenue tonne tariff.

Furthermore, Lae Port Services Ltd, Port Moresby Port Services Ltd, New Britain Shipping Ltd, Madang Port Services Ltd, Kavieng Port Services Ltd, Oro Port Services Ltd, Kiunga Stevedoring Ltd and Palm Stevedoring & Transport. have not had a handling rate increase for over two years despite CPI increases, labour cost increases, operational cost increases and significant capital expenditure to improve efficiencies. Both the break bulk rate and container rates will also be subject to a 5% increase.

EDEA George (2nd from left) of Hanuabada is the lucky winner of Win A Trip Of A Lifetime Promo by City Pharmacy. He is shown with CPL managers William Kedea (left), Rocky Acot (second from right) and CPL COO David Young.

MP proposes new benefit system

BY JEFFREY ELAPA

PRODUCTION sharing contract is the way forward for resource benefits in the country, shadow minister on Mining, Petroleum and Energy, Nixon Mangape said.

He said the landowners in the country have been mere spectators in their own land as the country’s resource law are out-dated and are in favour of the investors.

Mr Mangape, who supports the idea of the production sharing contract (PSC) system in the petroleum regime as proposed by former secretary for the Department of Petroleum and Energy Joseph Gabut, said looking at a 50-50 stake in the resource industry is the way forward for PNG.

He said it is a win-win system for everyone including the investor, the government and the resource landowners as it will be a 50-50 per cent stake sharing system instead of the royalty and equity system in the country.

At a glance

SYSTEM: the production sharing contract system is a win-win system for the investor, the government and the landowners as it will be a 50-50 per cent stake sharing system.

CURRENT: The current system is the royalty, equity and tax system.

He said the PSC system should also be extended to the mining sector as the way forward to equal benefit sharing.

Mr Mangape who is a chief landowner of the Porgera Gold Mine and the Mt Kare Mine in the Enga Province said any future agreement in landowner benefits should be done the PSC system way.

“I want to see an equal system or win-win system of benefit sharing in the extractive industry of the country. We cannot rely on the royalty, equity and tax system in the country. We need to look at

better ways of sharing benefits from our resources, a 50-50 percent benefit sharing is the way forward as proposed by Mr Gabut,” he said.

Mr Mangape said: “The current laws favours the investors and the poor landowners have minimal benefit. These minimal benefits cannot improve the lives of the people when royalty is shared among the landowners.”

He said the parliament should now look at legislations to empower the landowners to take ownership and receive better benefits, an equal benefit sharing system in the country.

“We cannot continue to rely on the colonial laws anymore when we have matured 40 year,” he said.

He said the current Ok Tedi practice would also be beneficial but the ownership stake should be increased to a 50-50 system instead of the 22-30 percent so the landowners can benefit more.

NEW BUSINESS IDEA

Three Goroka boys selling a 1x1.5 metre stall for K100. This is the first time in Goroka that these youth are trying to sell the stall which they built. They indicated building more stalls for sale to especially food vendors if they succeeded in selling this one to a prospective buyer. From left to right are Faii Sabumei, Philip Dege and Kuks Jean and their location is Black Kona near the West Goroka Primary School. Picture and words: MICHAEL KOMA.

Police rid roadblock by mourning relatives

THE people of Enga Province are prevented from using the Togoba section of the Highlands Highway by relatives of four women who were killed in a freak accident two weeks ago.

The relatives set a roadblock on Tuesday night but it was removed on Wednesday by Mt Hagen police. The four women were run over by a high speeding PMV bus owned by an Enga man during a funeral ceremony along the Highway in Togoba, outside Mt Hagen in Western Highlands Province.

Two of the victims were a mother and her daughter. Ten others were seriously wounded.

The driver, crew and passengers in the bus were attacked by angry relatives. Those in the bus were also brought to the Mt Hagen

General Hospital for treatment. The slow process or lack of response for compensation payment over the deaths has triggered the relatives to set up the roadblock, preventing all Engans from travelling through Togoba.

Western Highlands provincial police commander Martin Lakari said the issue would take some time to discuss.

Mr Lakari visited Togoba with his men yesterday and called on the mourning relatives not to interrupt the free flow of traffic and allow a normal peace and reconciliation process to take its course. Meanwhile, the bodies of the three students from the Dei district killed in a road accident last week were laid to rest in their Penda village on Tuesday.

Jiwaka backs landowners

BY TONY PALME KIP

THE Jiwaka provincial administration has assured its support for landowners of the Fatima station who forced its closure on Monday.

Provincial administrator Michael Wandil, his deputy Joe Karap and senior officers from the administration had pledged to assist the Andpang landowners with funding to pursue their land compensation claims with the national Government.

In a meeting on Wednesday at the provincial headquarters in Kurumul, Mr Wandil said the provincial government had given approval to assist the landowners this month to bring their queries to the national Government to speed

up payment processes so operations of the mission can return to normalcy.

“In the meantime, we will work closely with the landowners to ensure their concerns are heard by proper authorities in Waigani for immediate payment,” Mr Wandil said.

“We will reach an understanding with the police and community leaders and work together to help the LOs. We are concerned about our children’s education and other services that the mission provides.”

Fatima Secondary School principal John Aipeta said students are suffering because they have already missed the first week of the academic year.

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Youths give up illegal brewing

BY MELISHA YAFOI

A CALL has been made to the national Government to impose a total ban on illegal producing of home-brew alcohol.

The call was made during the surrendering of old gas cylinders by youths from Lae in Morobe Province on Wednesday.

The youths living at NineMile (Markham Block) in Lae had been producing and selling illegally home-brew to people for consumption.

Five old gas cylinders were surrendered to police in presence of the community leaders.

Ward councillor Philip Tamainza said the homebrew alcohol had contributed much towards the law and order situations currently experienced along the highway.

Mr Tamainza said people consuming the illegal brew turned always end up harassing and assaulting the innocent community.

“We have a church and an

Lae city set for new fishing wharf

BY ABRAHAM AVEDIBA

PLANS for the establishment of a new fishing wharf for Lae city is under progress, Morobe Provincial Government executives say.

Morobe provincial fisheries rogram manager Weti Zozingao presented the concept development plan and discussed other areas of the project before the provincial executive council during a consultative meeting yesterday.’

“The initiative itself, once completed, will be called the PNG Agro Fisheries Development Centre,” Mr Zozingao said.

“There still some issues that we are currently dealing with to have the matter settled before any grounds can be carried out.”

He said they had initially come up with the idea of building a new

wharf for commercial fishing vessels but it did not eventuate because partnership support with other governmental agencies was lacking.

Mr Zozingau revealed that the project itself would more than K400 million and the National Fisheries Authority has already appropriated K25 million to support the initiative.

Morobe Deputy Governor Judas Nalau thanked Mr Weti and his team for bringing the matter to the PEC’s attention.

“Such an arrangement and consultation between the provincial government and its administration is vital because these clear the air of any confusion and frustration that may eventuate later on,” Mr Nalau said.

He said the project would benefit the provincial economy.

Company evicts settlers

SQUATTERS in a Lae city settlemtn were forcefully evicted without prior notices by the developer.

The settlers from Begesin in Madang Province claimed that no notices have been given before the eviction exercise took place with their homes bulldozed in the presence of police.

Local leader and Begesin compound resident Matok More said from the approach taken, it seems that all houses would be pulled down by Friday.

Mr More said situation is tense with frustration building from the settlers that may lead to a serious problems if the eviction exercise continues.

“Serious problem may occur if the new landlord, Homestate Corporation, does not meet the compensation demands of the settlers.

“To date the land is under dispute and awaits a return to the court next week,” said Mr More.

Mr More claimed that according to a land valuer, the compensation should stand as K288,000 and not K203,000 as valued by Homestate Corporation.

He said the settlers had disagreed on the payments offered by Homestate, which they claimed was less. Lae police however brushed aside the settlers’ claims, saying the land has been bought off by the rice distributor.

At a glance

CHANGE: Youths living at Nine Mile have surrendered their home-brew making equipment and promised to stay away from the illegal activity

HOME-BREW: The illegal brew is known to be the cause of much law and order problems not only in towns and cities but also in villages

elementary school right in the centre of the community, but there hardly any respect shown from those consuming the alcohol,” he said.

“I am appealing for those seven youths involved in the production of the homebrew to give themselves up to police, and apologies to the community and explain why they had turned to this illegal activities.”

Four of the youths surrendered themselves when handing over the gas cylinders to police on Wednesday.

One of the youths told police and the community leaders that they had ventured into illegal producing of home -brew because of hardships they faced.

“Life is hard, we are struggling to live daily, so we get involved in such illegal activities, we know its wrong but who is going to feed us,” the youth said. However, he said they had come to see the damage it has done to the community and assured the police and community at large that they will not involved in such activities again.

Police constable David Tenige told the youths that police were there only to assist to bring peace into the community. “I am appealing to the youths to stop what you are doing because it is against the law of our country,” he said. Landowner Bob Sagaling also appealed to the settlers to create good public relationship with police so they can maintain law and order.

YOUTHS surrendering their old gas cylinders.

NGO continues to help victims

BY ROMULUS MASIU

THE Good Samaritan Natural Disaster Volunteers (GSNDV), a non-government organisation founded and based in Arawa, has now assisted over 30 cases of natural disasters which have affected lives of ordinary village people.

The NGO thanked the general public of Arawa and Bougainville as a whole for supporting the group’s fundraising activities which have been a blessing to those in need.

According to treasurer/ secretary Kelly Markos Nori, the group’s main source of income is through fundraising activities.

Mr Nori said GSNDV has the heart for the people affected by the natural disasters and has always reminded people to take heed of the advice from disaster office to take precautions when natural disasters strike.

“All the people must be

reminded again and again that natural disasters can strike at anytime, anyhow and anywhere,” Mr Nori said.

“So it is our responsibility to be prepared and aware of these natural causes which no man have control or power over it.”

He said without much support from authorities GSNDV will always strive to raise funds to help those in need.

Just recently GSNDV basic supplies to the people of Pineinari area of Kieta district as community support to orphans and widows and elderly people.

The group also chipped in with food items to Pavaere village which was hit hard with gale winds with speeds of up to seven knots and destroying food crops and homes.

GSNDV is appealing to political leaders to support the disaster office and NGOs to help those in need.

Condolence Message

vehicles

HALIA council of elders in Buka and Konnou council of elders in Buin are proud recipients of vehicles given by the Autonomous Bougainville Government to help them carry out their work effectively.

Bougainville is setting the timeline for a very important decision for the people of the region and this is the start of the process of starting to equip our people in the councils we have established by law so our governments of the day are not handicapped, says ABG Chief Secretary Monovi Amani when handing over the new vehicle for Konnou COE chairman Aloysius Masiu.

Late Kingsley Anakapu

The Directors, Management and Staff of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (PNG) Limited would like to convey our heartfelt condolences to Mrs Kila Anakapu and children Tamarua, Jeremy and Kymberley.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time. He will be dearly missed by his former colleagues at ANZ.

Mr Amani said the region is walking a tight rope agenda for the next five years and if it is done right the aspirations of the people of Bougainville can be achieved through working together with the community in partnership arrange-

ment to show unity both in the top and lower level of the government. He said the communities must benefit from the wealth and resources that it is part of and government assets must be looked after to provide quality effective service or give back to the people what they deserve.

Mr Masiu thanked the ABG and its administration for the support given to the second tier government as the councils of elders have been working very hard even with the limited resources and the vehicle will not be only for Konnou but for use with all COEs in South Bougainville.

While the Konnou COE presentation was done at the administration yard the people of Halia COE were also celebrating the occasion that was attended by the ABG President John Momis and the constituency member Patrick Nisira, who is also the ABG vice president.

GSNDV member Jacob Ienu (right) presenting a carton of soap to chief of Kopei Joseph Bitoe. The soap and salt are supplied to GSNDV by Jomik Trading as part of their community relations.

Picture: ROMULUS MASIU

MR Amani hands over the vehicle keys to Konnou COE chairman Aloysius Masiu

State negotiations to buy gas under scrutiny

BY PATRICK T.WUNDAI

THE Government is very tightlipped as to what price it is going to purchase gas (liquefied natural gas- LNG) for domestic use.

A series of questions on gas pricing and the formula to calculate the domestic gas price was raised during Questions Time in Parliament on Wednesday by former Attorney General Kerenga Kua in support of Porgera-Lagaip MP and Shadow Minister Nixon Magape who questioned the Minister for Petroleum and Energy in relation to the mismanagement of Konebada Petroleum Park (KPP) project undertaken almost a decade ago.

Mr Kua, while reacting to unsatisfactory answers from Petroleum and Energy Minister Nixon Duban on the KPP and the purposes of its establishment, asked Mr Duban: “what was the formula the Government and ExxonMobil is using to work out the gas price and at what price the Government was negotiating to buy?”

Mr Duban, however did not answer Mr Kua’s question and instead deviated to the significance of the KPP and the Government policy on domestic market obligation.

He told Parliament and also in a press conference recently that a number of companies; most of them Japanese, have shown interest in developing the KPP as a petrochemical hub to utilise PNG’s gas reserves for domestic use and other petrochemical purposes.

Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill, in responding to Western Governor Ati Wobiro in relation to the

The bottom line

Government and ExxonMobil’s MoU to supply gas for domestic use, especially in Port Moresby from P’nyang gas field in Western Province, said that its very crucial for domestic gas supply in light of the scheduled major international events like the 2018 APEC meeting and the 2015 Pacific Games in July this year.

Under the MoU, the PNG LNG Project will supply electricity and gas for domestic power generation, providing a reliable and clean source of energy to support PNG’s

20 years ago, there were only

urgent power needs. The agreement details the provisions for an LNG expansion project, including the award of a petroleum development licence and associated pipeline licences for the P’nyang gas field in PRL 3. P’nyang will provide additional long-term gas reserves for power generation and Project expansion, including expected debottlenecking of the existing trains and a third LNG train. The MoU sets out an agreed timeline between the PRL 3 co-venturers and Government to a final investment decision

130 websites, Google

for an additional LNG train.

Mr O’Neill regretted that under various agreement of the PNG LNG Project, no provision for domestic use was made.

Despite, the Shadow Minister for Petroleum and Energy, the former Attorney General and industry expert and resource advocate remaining sceptic to know what formula the government is using to negotiate to buy gas from ExxonMobil and at what price the State is willing to agree to to buy what it owns by law.

Market Snapshot

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ACTING Minister for Petroleum and Energy, Ben Micah and former ExxonMobil PNG Limited (EMPNG) Managing Director Peter Graham signing the memorandum of understanding for the PNG LNG project to supply gas for electricity generation. File picture

PM: Strong partnership vital for PNG

PRIME Minister Peter

O’Neill sees the private sector as a partner in national building.

Speaking during a breakfast hosted by Business Council of PNG yesterday morning, Mr O’Neill said working together with private sector “is important because we are partners in nation building”.

Pacific airlines broker aviation deal

THREE airlines in the Pacific have agreed to work together to develop and promote partnership in aviation services that can be beneficial to the Melanesian countries.

Air Niugini, Air Vanuatu and Solomon Airlines signed an initial agreement in Honiara, Solomon Islands last week to enter into a Tri-partite Code share arrangement on the Port Moresby-Honiara-Port Villa route.

They intend to have this service commence by June 2015.

Under this agreement, Air Vanuatu and Solomon Airlines will be using Air Niugini’s Fokker 100 aircraft.

Air Niugini said in a statement yesterday that more details of the schedule will be released once the Agreement is finalised. The code share with details is yet to be

agreed to and will form the basis of further corporation of other similar arrangements to promote aviation amongst the Melanesian Spear Head Group.

The three airlines have agreed to work in unison to assist and promote better understanding, partnership and generally promote the ideals of the Melanesian Spearhead Group in the airline industry.

“This opportunity to speak to you today also enables both the public and private sectors to talk frankly about issues and challenges that we face in our country.

“It also gives us a chance to talk about how collectively we can address these challenges in order to build a prosperous and robust society in Papua New Guinea.

“Many of you know that Government cannot do it alone - likewise the private sector cannot do it alone either. We need each other and

that is the reality not only in this country, but everywhere in the World,” the Prime Minister told business executives.

He said the success of such public-private partnership is evident in countries which continue to build very strong and robust socio-economic development for their people.

“This is a simple formula, which has produced astound-

ing results – it does not need an Einstein or very smart people to understand that.

The theme today “Strengthening Partnerships for a Prosperous Papua New Guinea” is fitting for such an occasion.

“We need to speak freely and frankly about how we can work together in a meaningful and more constructive manner,” Mr O’Neill said.

He stressed that the Government does not have all the solutions. For that reason he said the Government reaches out to the private sector, as partners in order to address many of the issues whether institutional, legislative or financial issues are.

The PM stressed that the role of the Government is very simple saying its “one of a facilitator.”

“Our job is to create a healthy, safe and skilful society.”

Mobimedia bursts onto global Value Added Service market

THE YEAR 2015 has started with a bang for International Value Added Services (VAS) provider Mobimedia International Pte Ltd.

Leading on from all the hard work in 2014, the first six weeks of 2015, has seen Mobimedia transform into a global VAS Content provider with the addition and launch of 18 new territories. Mobimedia’s VAS content supply has grown from 1 telecommunications carrier across 6 countries, to now 11 carriers across 22 countries.

Todd Emanuelli, director

Mobimedia says “Mobimedia is poised to take full advantage of the boom of data and smartphone penetration in emerging markets with a suite of data products that are both engaging and entertaining to the market. Mobimedia has seen firsthand the shift from feature phone to smartphone, as well as the evolution of data from 2G, 3G, 4G and now LTE, but not all emerging markets are at the point were data is king, there is still a transition phase,” Mr Emanuelli says.

“Last month we launched our

first Game with our new partner in the Solomon Islands, the results exceeded all expectations, generating over 66 entries per subscriber resulting in significant uplift in overall revenue for the operator.” Mobimedia has been behind the success of VAS in the South Pacific, ranging from Papua New Guinea to Fiji and every island in between, and now with the addition of the new markets, this has increased Mobimedia reach to over 40,000,000 active subscribers across all markets, and as

Mr Emanuelli says “we plan to be promoting and selling our products to 150m subscribers by this time next year.

“We have taken our experience and knowledge from the past 8 years in working in emerging markets and applied these learning’s to our new partners,” Mr Emanuelli said. Mobimedia’s latest data product offering is one that has received a lot of attention from telecommunication carriers around the world. Mobimedia has developed an On Deck Portal named mLive.

KPL to begin liquid stripping in 2018

BY GLORIA BAUAI

KINA Petroleum Limited (KPL) has proposed for liquids stripping to commence in 2018 with barge export of liquids from Kiunga down the Fly River.

KPL in a project update, revealed that liquids stripping infrastructure is a pre-investment in potential future for mid scale LNG Project.

KPL updates that with the LNG plant at a coastal location, the liquid project will supply city and mining projects power demand as substitute for diesel or fuel oil.

Supplies will also be imported to Singapore LNG and products hub as well as the North Asian LNG markets.

Kina, who saw its first shipment and sales in May 2014, now boasts five successful wells under its PRL 21 and PPL 437 and will commence its PPL 337 drilling this year.

Heritage, partners with KPL on PPL 473 will be taking KPL

through two wells; Kwila and Raintree.

According to the report, KPL says it is financially secure through to and beyond PRL 21 and PDL award and is reviewing funding strategies to finance its participation in PR 21 developments on which UBS is advising.

The reports said PIE’s investment of AUD$18.4 in Kina is the largest capital raise in its short history.

Through PIE Holdings LP, Phil Mulacek, the founder, former chairman and CEO of InterOil, is the largest investor in Kina.

At InterOil, he drove exploration in Eastern Papuan Basin including giant discoveries at Elk-Antelope (9-12 TCFE Wet Gas) and Triceratops taking InterOil to a market capitalisation of over US$ 5billion. In addition to other high growth opportunities world-wide, he took a strategic placement in Kina November 2014.

FROM left: Air Vanuatu, CEO-Joseph Laloyer, Solomon Airlines, CEO-Ron Sunsun and Air Niugini’s –Simon Foo during the initial meeting in Honiara last week.

We need to speak freely about how we can work together in a meaningful, constructive manner

... PRIME MINISTER PETER O’NEILL Port Moresby

Quick news

CLIMATE CHANGE

THE National Climate Change Coordinator in Tonga says the country needs more funding if the outer islands are to be protected from the rigours of climate change. Manu Manuofetoa is hosting a team from Palau which is studying an EU-funded project constructing foreshores in eastern Tongatapu.

TRADE TRAINING

Free training for nearly 500

Maori and Pasifika young people was launched in South Auckland today to boost their numbers in skilled trades.

Auckland’s construction and infrastructure sectors are forecast to generate 32,000 new jobs in the next three to five years.

CANE PACKAGE

Fiji’s PM and Minister for Sugar Industry Voreqe Bainimarama has announced the provision of a new cane farmer package for cane farmers to assist current and new farmers.

Rio Tinto spends USD6b on shares

MELBOURNE: Rio Tinto will spend $US2 billion ($A2.59 billion) buying back its own shares and has increased its dividend despite reporting a result marked by falling earnings.

Diving commodity prices, especially in iron ore, meant a $US912 million fall in underlying earnings to $US9.31 billion.

However its headline full year net profit for calendar 2014 lifted 78 per cent to $US6.5 billion, with the previous year’s result marred by multi-billion writedowns on copper and aluminium assets.

The buyback includes a $A500 million off-market component to be bought at 8-14 per cent discounts with the remainder sold on-market in London.

The amount is below some expectations of a multi-year buyback worth $US5 billion.

The dividend is up 12 per cent to $US2.15 a share.

Rio had kept its promise to “materially increase cash returns to our shareholders”, chief executive Sam Walsh said in a statement.

“These represent a total cash

Santos takes AUD1.6b hit

SANTOS has been forced to slash more than $1.6 billion from the value of its assets following the recent plunge in oil prices.

The battered company, one of the worst affected by the oil price crash, said the after tax non-cash impairment charge, totalling nearly $2.4 billion before tax, would appear when it releases its 2014 full-year results later this month.

But Santos, which has seen its share price dive in recent months, has raised eyebrows after opting against writing down its part in a massive Gladstone LNG project which is not due for completion until later this year. Last week, British based BG Group took a massive hit on its rival project when it slashed $8.87 billion from the value of its investment.

China based companies to list on ASX

SMALLER Chinese companies are looking to list on Australian stock market operator the ASX to avoid the cost and free float requirements of larger Asian exchanges.

Petrochemical company

At a glance

RIO TINTO: Net profit of $US6.5b, up 78 pct from $US3.67b in 2013; Underlying earnings of $US9.3b, down nine pct from $US10.2b; Final dividend of 119 US cents per share, up from 108.5 US cents.

BREAKDOWN OF PERFORMANCE: Iron ore - $US8.1b profit, down 18 pct from $US9.86b in 2013; Coal - $US210m loss, down from $US33m profit; Copper - $US912m profit, up 11 pct from $US821m; Aluminium - $US1.2b profit, up from $US557m; Diamonds/minerals$US401m profit, up 15 pct from $US350m.

return to shareholders, in respect of 2014, of almost $US6.0 billion,” he said.

Net debt was reduced during the year by $US5.6 billion to $US12.5 billion, with a 19 per cent gearing ratio.

“The company had taken $US4.8 billion out of annual operating costs since 2012,” Mr Walsh said.

“We have one of the best balance sheets around and the confidence to sustainably make cash returns to shareholders,” he told reporters.

In 2015, Rio planned to cut out another $750 million in cash costs and reduce capital expenditure from $US8.1 billion

to about $US7 billion.

The company forecasts the year ahead to be tough, with a continuation of the conditions in which commodity price falls took $US4.15 billion from Rio’s earnings.

“Economic growth is likely to remain modest and the market volatility seen at the start of the year suggests that 2015 will be challenging,” it said.

The new phase of economic development in China would mean continued lower commodity prices, it said.

The weaker oil price was reducing costs, but that might delay the exit of unprofitable rival producers, Rio said. - AAP

Premiere Eastern Energy listed on the ASX yesterday afternoon, after raising the minimum share prescription of just $3 million in an initial public offering (IPO) last year.

The company issued 15 million shares at 20 cents each and just over 500 investors were involved. On listing, the family-run business will have a market capitalisation of $183 million.

In order to list in Australia the company must have two Australian directors.

Perth based David Wheeler has been appointed deputy chairman. He said he is comfortable working with a family business.

The other Australian director, Ting Jiang, is also a director of Chinese menswear retailer Sunbridge Group which listed on the ASX in 2013.

Premiere plans to capitalise on the growth of the car industry in China by introducing full service petrol stations - currently motorists rely on kiosk style pumps. - ABC

SANTOS has taken a $2.4 billion pre-tax writedown on its assets, but not cut the value of its massive Gladstone LNG project. - ABC

Three students hit by car

A MOTHER who had just dropped her children at school hit three of their schoolmates with her car when they ran across the road in Auckland yesterday.

Sergeant Matthew Child of Otahuhu police said the three girls, two aged 5 and one aged 10, had been hit by the Mitsubishi Diamante as it moved in a line of traffic going through a green light on Great South Rd about

9am. The children were pupils at Otahuhu Primary School. Two of the girls were sisters and the other was a friend.

The police serious crash unit was still investigating but initial indications were that the woman was driving at or below the speed limit, Child said.

“She [the mother] had just dropped off her children at the primary school and was on her way home,” he said.

“She was really upset, understandably.”

The crash occurred close to the Otahuhu Police Station and officers rushed to the scene.

“We were having a meeting up there,” Child said.

“We didn’t see the actual incident but we saw the aftermath and pretty much half the top floor ran out and swung into action.”

The girls were “semi-conscious” when police arrived

YET ANOTHER VICTIM

JANINE Baer was working as an au pair in Matakana, New Zealand, at the time of her death in a car accident. Picture: Stuff. co.nz

Shop owner due in court over blast

SYDNEY: A Sydney shop owner charged with 25 offences including three counts of murder over the deaths of a young man, a mother and her baby is due to appear in court.

Adeel Khan is accused of murdering Bianka O’Brien, 31, her one-year-old boy Jude and their neighbour Chris Noble, 27, by deliberately lighting a fire which caused a massive explosion at his Rozelle convenience store last September.

After Khan was rescued from the rubble of his shop, he allegedly told police he was

the victim of an armed robbery. The 44-year-old claimed three people had stolen thousands of dollars from him, bound his hands and covered his eyes before pouring petrol on the shop floor.

But police said documents found at Khan’s Greenacre home showed he was in significant debt at the time of the explosion and last year increased the value of his store’s insurance from $175,000 to $225,000.

Khan’s matter is listed for a bail hearing at the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday.

but were able to communicate.

The children were taken to Middlemore Hospital in a serious condition but were improving, he said.

A local car dealer said one of the children was thrown over a car’s bonnet in the accident.

Nanendra Naidu said the children were walking along the footpath when they suddenly crossed the road.

“Everybody was driving

slowly but the children just went in front of the car all of a sudden, and the driver had no chance to stop,”

Naidu said.

“It was just all of a sudden.”

He was on the scene as the children lay on the road.

“One of them even went over the bonnet,” he said.

“Even the woman driver was sitting on the road. She appeared to be so shocked.”

Otahuhu Primary School

principal Jason Swann said It was the five-year-olds’ first week of school. The ten-year-old had only been at the school for six months.

Swann described them as “wonderful” pupils.

“The teachers are looking after the kids to see if any behaviour is different and we’ve had an assembly to remind kids about safety procedures while walking.”

-Stuff news

No combat role for Australia

HIGH-RANKING defence chief David Johnston says Australia has no intention of moving into a more “combatorientated” role in Iraq.

The Chief of Joint Operations provided a media briefing in Canberra, including an update of Australia’s involvement in the conflict against Islamic State (IS) militants.

US president Barack Obama wants Congress to back a military force against Islamic State terrorists, including the flexibility to use ground forces. Australia has sent about 200

special forces troops to provide training to Iraqi forces and support Coalition airstrikes in the region.

During his briefing Vice Admiral Johnston was asked whether there was any immediate prospect that Australian special forces would start independent ground operations.

“Absolutely none,” he said.

“I’ve seen some reporting, I think the [US] president’s approach to his own houses was only made last night.

“But there is no intention, neither to my understanding on the Iraqi government side,

in transitioning to a more combat-oriented role by any of the Coalition forces.

“Certainly our own focus remains very firmly in the training function.”

Overnight Mr Obama asked Congress to back a global war against the Islamic State group.

In a letter to politicians, Mr Obama said granting him war authority “would show the world we are united in our resolve” to defeat the jihadist militants, who now control large areas of Syria and Iraq.

-ABC news

Fishing boat stranded in ice

AN Australian toothfishing boat with 27 people aboard is in trouble in Antarctica, the US Coast Guard reports.

The Australian-flagged boat Antarctic Chieftain has alerted the Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Wellington that it is trapped in ice with three of its four propellers damaged, and has lost the ability to manoeuvre.

The 63-metre-long boat is 1400 kilometres northeast of New Zealand’s Scott Base.

The US Coast Guard said its icebreaker Polar Star was heading to the scene.

It said a Talley’s vessel out of Nelson, the toothfisher Janas, was also heading to the area.

“The seas of Antarctica are treacherous and unforgiving,” US Coast Guard Vice Admiral Charles W Ray, the commander of Pacific Area, said.

“This incident is a sobering reminder of the importance of the US icebreaker fleet as we see increased human activity in the polar regions.”

Polar Star is more than 500km away from the Antarctic Chieftain.

It is confronting ice up to 3 metres thick and heavy snowfall, and was likely to arrived in the area tomorrow.

Janas is nearly 1000km away.

Once they reach the trapped boat the Polar Star would try to free it from the ice and Janas would escort or tow it to the nearest safe harbour.

“The considerable geographic distances and extreme environmental conditions make this a complex rescue mission,” Polar Star’s commander Captain Matthew Walker said.

“However, we’re confident in our ability to reach the Antarctic Chieftain and committed to ensuring the safety of life at sea.”

Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) says Antarctic Chieftain, owned by Australian Longline Pty, requested assistance yesterday.

The vessel is located at the eastern edge of New Zealand’s search and rescue region.

RCCNZ and Safety Services manager Mike Hill said the fishing boat’s hull was not damaged, and the crew of 27 was not at risk.

There has been no spill of oil.

“There is clear water around the vessel, so the hull is not being squeezed by the ice, but a combination of an unexpected build-up of ice floes two to three m thick and damage to the propeller means it cannot get back to the open sea without assistance,” Hill said.

“Once the icebreaker arrives at the scene, it may take some time to break through the ice to reach the Antarctic Chieftain but the fishing boat is well equipped with supplies and weather conditions are reasonable for the area.”

The Antarctic Chieftain is operated by an Australian company. Until this season it was under a charter to Sealord and Talley’s in New Zealand. -Stuff news

ARMY Sniper. Defence chief David Johnston says there is no plan to increase ground operations in Iraq. Picture: ABC

Sex text shocker for boy’s mum

A SIX-YEAR-OLD boy with a new cellphone has been receiving text messages intended for a prostitute.

New Plymouth woman Dayna Alldridge was “really grossed out” when she saw the texts.

“I thought it was pretty disgusting, considering it was a brand new cellphone and sim,” she said.

The most recent text to her son Tyler’s phone came through on Tuesday evening offering $20 for a sex act. The caller signed off with “Let me know. Xx.”

Alldridge rung one of the callers and the man who answered told her he got the number from the Taranaki Daily News personal section.

“When I rung the guy he was shocked too,” she said. She questioned him further and he “freaked out a bit” and hung up.

Some quick detective work by a reporter yesterday

revealed Tyler’s number has one digit different from one in an advert placed by a prostitute.

Family friend Ricki O’Neill’s brother bought the phone three weeks ago but his own sim card did not work in it, so O’Neill passed the phone and its unused sim card to Alldridge to give to Tyler.

Soon after they put the new sim card into the phone, texts of a dubious nature started coming through, O’Neill said.

“All of them have been related to sexual favours.”

When Alldridge contacted another of the sexters they turned the tables and questioned why she was giving a phone to a 6-year-old.

Alldridge gave Tyler the phone to keep track of him when he goes hunting with his dad.

The prostitute did not answer calls yesterday.

-Stuff news

Jobless rate surges to 6.4 %

UNEMPLOYMENT has surged to 6.4 per cent, its highest level since August 2002, with 12,200 jobs estimated to have been lost in January.

The Bureau of Statistics estimates that the jobless rate jumped from 6.1 per cent in December to 6.4 per cent in January.

The main culprit was a 28,100-strong decline in fulltime jobs, while there were estimated to be 15,900 more part-time workers than the previous month.

One positive in the report was that the proportion of the population in work or looking for it - the so-called participation rate - remained steady at 64.8 per cent.

Another was a 0.5 per cent increase in hours worked in January, despite the rise in unemployment and parttime work.

The more stable trend estimates have unemployment steady at 6.3 per cent and participation at 64.7 per cent.

Economists had typically expected the jobless rate to come in at only slightly higher at 6.2 per cent, although the majority had anticipated some degree of job losses rather than gains.

-ABC news

DAYNA Alldridge and her son Tyler, 6, whose phone has been receiving texts from random numbers requesting sexual favours. Picture: Stuff.co.nz

MH370 relatives protest in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Chinese relatives of those on board missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have protested outside the carrier’s office demanding Malaysia withdraw a statement declaring all the passengers dead.

The Malaysian government last month officially listed the disappearance of Malaysian Airline flight MH370 as an accident and said all 239 people on board had perished in a move it said would pave the way for compensation claims.

However, the announcement immediately sparked outrage among distraught family members who have shunned offers of compensation.

About 15 people gathered outside the airline’s gates under a hot sun on Thursday wearing white caps and red T-shirts bearing the words: “Pray for MH370.”

They held placards in English reading: “Who can tell us what happened”, “Come back MH370” and “Today it is us, Tomorrow it could be you.”

They said they wanted to meet Malaysia Airlines CEO Ahmad Jauhhari Yahya.

“My husband was on the flight. We want the Malaysia government to cancel the declaration that they made,”

Kelly Wen, wife of Chinese passenger who was only identified as Li, told AFP -AAP

Temple appalls India PM

INDIAN Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he is “appalled” by news that a temple dedicated to him is set to open in his home state of Gujarat.

Mr Modi tweeted that this was “shocking and against India’s great traditions” and urged those who had built the temple “not to do it”.

The Hindu temple, with an idol of the prime minister, will officially open in Kothar-

ia village in Rajkot on Sunday.

Mr Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP party took office in May.

On Tuesday, he had his first major political setback when the party was trounced at elections for the Delhi state assembly.

Mr Modi served as the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 until becoming prime minister.

Reports say some 350 of his supporters collected dona-

tions for construction of a dome-roofed temple, some 210km (130 miles) from Gujarat’s main city of Ahmedabad. The supporters initially put a framed photograph of the prime minister in the temple. Now they have spent 170,000 rupees ($2,724; £1,789) in donations to buy the idol before the inauguration at the weekend.

Followers will be able to make offerings and prayers

in front of the idol. “We believe he is an incarnation of God as after he became chief minister of Gujarat things changed for the better,” one supporter, Ramesh Undhad, told AFP news agency.

Mr Modi tweeted on Thursday: “Have seen the news about a Temple being built in my name. I was appalled. This is shocking & against India’s great traditions.”

“Building such Temples is

not what our culture teaches us. Personally, it made me very sad. Would urge those doing it not to do it.”

“If you have time & resources, please devote the same towards fulfilling our dream of a Clean India,” he told his supporters, referring to one of his key campaigns in office.

The temple will not be the first devoted to a politician in India. -BBC news

Frenchman faces execution in Indonesia

MONTREUIL: The wife of a Frenchman on death row in Indonesia for drug offences says she will continue to fight for his release despite fears he might be executed soon.

Serge Atlaoui, has a “sword of Damocles hanging over his head”, his wife Sabine Atlaoui told an anti-death penalty press conference on Wednesday.

The Frenchman, 51, had his appeal for clemency rejected in January by the Indonesian President Joko Widodo, a vocal supporter of capital punishment for drug offenders.

“He is scared that he will never see his children again,” said Atlaoui’s wife, who said she is still “holding onto hope”.

Atlaoui, a father of four, was arrested near Jakarta in 2005 in a secret laboratory producing ecstasy. He was

sentenced to death in 2007 on drug trafficking charges.

Imprisoned in Indonesia for ten years, he has always denied the charges saying he was installing industrial machinery in what he thought was an acrylics factory.

Atlaoui, one of seven foreigners on Indonesia’s death row, could soon face execution, along with Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who have also been convicted of drug trafficking.

Atlaoui’s lawyer in Indonesia filed a request last Tuesday for a trial review, a last-ditch attempt to save his client’s life.

Sabine Atlaoui says she has placed all her hopes in the review and will continue to fight for her “innocent” husband.

-AAP news

Clemency pleas fall on deaf ears

JAKARTA: Despite heartfelt pleas in parliament by Julie Bishop and Tanya Plibersek for the lives of two Australians on death row, the foreign minister’s Indonesian counterpart maintains their crime deserves the ultimate punishment.

Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran’s attempt to smuggle more than 8kg of heroin out of Indonesia in 2005 was a grave crime that deserved punishment, Ms Bishop said in an at times emotional speech to federal parliament on Thursday. But they didn’t deserve to pay with their lives.

“Both men are deeply, sincerely re-

morseful for their actions,” the minister said.

“Both men have made extraordinary efforts to rehabilitate.”

Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek followed with an equally powerful argument against the pair’s executions.

She reflected on her husband Michael Coutts-Trotter’s drug conviction 30 years ago, and what a loss it would have been if he was punished with death.

“They would have missed out on a man who spent the rest of his life making amends for the crime that he committed,” she said. -AAP news

AN idol of Mr Modi has already been installed at the temple. Picture: BBC

CAULFIELD SATURDAY

Weather: Fine.

Track: Good (3).

Rail: Is in the true position.

FORM GUIDE: Page 2 of turf lift-out

GEAR CHANGES

RACE 1: (9) Tonopah blinkers on first time; (12) Harveys True Heart blinkers off first time RACE 2: (1) Fontein Ruby cross-over noseband on first time; (3) Amicus lugging bit on first time, tongue-tie on first time; (7) Thinking Of You lugging bit on first time RACE 3: (3) Flamboyant Lass blinkers on again; (6) Secret Agenda race plates on first time; (7) Air Apparent winkers on first time; (12) Queen Of Wands blinkers on first time; (13) Le Grand Cru blinkers on first time, winkers off first time; (14) Dynasty Queen stallion chain on first time, tongue-tie on first time RACE 4: (3) Ragazzo Del Corsa tongue-tie on first time; (6) Braccenby blinkers off first time; (9) Kirabo blinkers on first time; (15) Extra Choice lugging bit on first time; (17) Black Vanquish winkers on first time RACE 5: (6) Amorino blinkers on again, visor off first time; (11) Chester Road bandages on first time RACE 6: (8) Sumakaray tongue-tie on first time RACE 7: (1) Moonovermanhattan tongue-tie on first time; (7) Bascule blinkers off first time, cross-over noseband on first time, pacifiers on first time, tongue-tie off first time; (8) Sarajevo blinkers on first time, winkers off first time; (10) Zebulon gelded; (14) Belflyer blinkers on first time; (15) The Ultimatum blinkers on first time, cross-over noseband off first time, pacifiers on first time, winkers off first time RACE 8: (9) Aeronautical lugging bit off first time; (10) Star Rolling tongue-tie on first time

-Sat

Race 1: Tonopah, Extra Zero, Every Faith Race 2: Afleet Espirit, Sebatini, Royal Snitzel Race 3: Fontiton, Heatherly, Secret Agenda Race 4: Of The Brave, Top Me Up, Pride Of Dubai Race 5: Jacquinot Bay, Akzar, Spurtonic Race 6: Chautauqua, Flamberge, Eloping Race 7: Hong Kong Captain, Profit Share Firehouse Rock Race 8: Dissident, Happy Reails, Spilway Race 9: Girl Guide, Solicit, Tycoon Tara

Good response to April PA workshop

PAINIM Wok PNG has received a good number of potential participants showing an interest in the coming Trueventus run Personal Assistants and Executive Assistants Workshop scheduled for April 20 and 21 at the Grand Papua Hotel in Port Moresby.

This course develops the PA’s and EA’s personal brand and teaches effective strategies for adding significant value to the PA role. It is essential that PAs cultivate a productive working relationship with their boss so this course shows PAs how to protect their boss’s personal brand, how to identify their boss’s shifting priorities without being told and how to regularly create ‘do not disturb’ time in their boss’s diary.

This international, intensive hand on training course will offer excellent value for money as a training resource that propels the PA and EA skill-set to the next level. Attendees learn

valuable strategies, techniques and essential soft-skills that demonstrate how to approach their role from the perspective of a business partner. This is an excellent 2-day course for PAs, EAs, secretaries and administrative professionals.

It is challenging, interesting and insightful.

Today’s Executive PA role is very project-centred so this course develops event management, party planning and problem solving skills too. It uses case studies, practical exercises and group work to develop practical skills in project planning, influencing, presenting and practical win-win negotiation, all of which are essential soft skills for today’s effective business partner.

Commitment to continuous professional development is the responsibility of every PA.

As the role of the modern PA is constantly changing and evolving, PAs have to developmanagerial-

level skills in order to provide rst class personal assistance to their boss.

They also have to be an asset to their organization by increasing productivity and adding value to their working partnership. To accomplish this PAs need the kind of ideas and work-smart techniques that can only be gained from regular rst-class PA training.

Training is an investment, not an expense. It is maintenance for PAs. A signicant number of senior executives attribute as much as 40 percent of their productivity to their PA; therefore, PAs need maintenance and upgrades even more than machines do. It is prudent that executives give priority to training the PA they intend to keep. Attending this course will provide an opportunity for PAs to discover how other PAs approach common problems.

The course leader, Marguerita King (Known as PA Guru) has a

bachelor science and diploma in PA and is the founder and Managing Director of Personal-AssistantTips, London. She has over 25 years PA experience and has worked in a number of industries in the public and private sectors.

Marguerita has written hundreds of articles on PA best practice and strategy. She has also written advanced and intermediate-level PA training courses. Marguerita is an expert international PA trainer and has delivered PA training around the world.

Course Highlights:

Making the shift from Executive PA to business partner

Understanding what your boss needs from you without being told

Improving your professional relationship with your boss

Understanding how to prepare for the arrival of a new boss

Understanding how to effectively organise your workflow

Project management and party planning techniques

Maximizing your value in the organization using performance appraisals

Working effectively with communication styles

Effective diary and email management strategies

Using internet tools

How to be assertive without causing offence

Techniques for influencing management

Practical win-win negotiation skills

For further information about the course and to register contact;

E: faizan@beyond360.com.my

Telephone: (603) 7865 8475

To book your job advertisement in Painim Wok PNG , contact Classi fied Sales on the above emails.

Ok Tedi is a world class mine located at the head waters of the Fly River system in the Western Province of PNG with more than 30 years operational history and over 2000 employees. We offer excellent conditions and career development opportunities.

We are now seeking suitably qualified and experienced persons for the following roles:

MANAGER CONCENTRATOR

Reference: 20150205

The Processing Business Unit is seeking a suitably qualified and experienced person for the Manager Concentrator role. Reporting to the General Manager Processing, you will be responsible for the management of the Processing Operations.

You will manage all aspect of the mill operations when the feed enters the SAG Mill stockpiles until the concentrate (CCon and PCon) are dispatched down the concentrate pipelines. You will also manage the handling and ordering of all concentrator consumables and the disposal of plant tailings via the Moscow Tunnel. You will assist the Chief Metallurgist in defining the scope of development test work, reviewing and implementing the recommendation following test work, and developing cost effective routes to improve plant performance. You will also work with Manager Technical Process Services to evaluate and implement proposals that will improve plant performance and availability.

The Manager Concentrator Operations will promote and uphold the OTML Charter and contribute to achieve OTML’s strategic objectives of workplace health and safety and zero harm, through participation in the safety programs of the Process Plant.

To be successful for this role, you must have University Degree in Metallurgy, Chemical Engineering or Metallurgical Science with more than 10 years signification exposure to metallurgical flotation & commination practices. Previous work experience with a multicultural workforce, good communication skills, ability to demonstrate sound judgment and easily adapt to operational changes will be highly regarded.

MANAGER BIGE

Reference: 20150205-1

Reporting to the General Manager Processing, you will be responsible for the general management and good corporate governance of the Bige Operations, which primarily includes the Lower Ok Tedi dredging project, stockpiling dredged material on the East and West Banks of the Ok Tedi and the safe storage of pyrite concentrate (PCon) in storage pits on the West Bank of the Ok Tedi.

You will maintain the contract dredging operation (circa 10 million cubic metres per annum), manage the associated earthworks fleet at Bige and safe storage of PCon in order to minimise the impact on the riverine environment. The role also includes overall management of the site including all OTML personnel, contractors, camp infrastructure and utilities.

You will also ensure that all processes and procedures conform to standards and specifications hence achieving a high-level quality assurance and quality control ratings within Bige Operations. Developing and implementing strategies that optimise the value chain incorporating all aspects of dredging, through the implementation of cost-effective short and long term dredging plans.

To be successful in this role, you must have Tertiary Qualifications in Mining or Civil Engineering, with more than 10 years’ of operational management experience, preferably in mining. Certificate of Competency with PNG Mineral Resource Authority (i.e. Registered Mine Manager) will be desirable.

MANAGER KIUNGA OPERATIONS

Reference: 20150205-2

Reporting to the General Manager Operations, you will primarily be responsible for the general management and good corporate governance of Kiunga Operations, in ensuring copper concentrate is processed and stock piled for export.

The responsibility of the role includes management of Wharf operations and stevedoring at the Kiunga OTML wharf - loading and unloading of OTML chattered vessels and convoy trucks. These also includes ensuring efficient management of infrastructure support services utilities and HR Services in Kiunga while providing sufficient assistance to other OTML department satellite stations in Kiunga.

To be considered, you must have a Degree in Engineering, a Certificate of Competency with Mines Department and have more than 5 years CuCon processing and downstream management experience. The incumbent must show initiative, judgement and a degree of independence in identifying problems, researching solutions and taking appropriate action to develop the capabilities, systems and performance of the Kiunga Operations Team.

These are challenging senior roles requiring enthusiasm, a commitment to safety in the workplace and a high degree of self-direction.

If these roles appeal to you, please express your interest by sending your résumé to the Recruitment Advisor, Human Resources, Ok Tedi Mining Limited, P. O. Box 1, Tabubil Western Province, PNG or on e-mail: JoinUs@oktedi.com or fax it to +675 649 9199 by 20th February, 2015.

GETTING READY TO TEACH

Australian High Commission Port Moresby

Vacancy

Program Manager, Family and Sexual Violence Gender Program

About the Gender Program

The Gender Program cuts across all aspects of Australian investment in PNG and has both a policy and development assistance focus. Australia’s Foreign Minister has made gender equality key to all development investments and the Australian High Commission in PNG ensures that women’s empowerment and gender equality are considered in diplomatic engagement, whole of Australian Government programs as well as development investments.

About the role

Under general direction from the Counsellor, the Program Manager Family and Sexual Violence, will provide technical assistance and coordinate the Family and Sexual Violence program of work with external stakeholders and within the Australian High Commission.

The key responsibilities for this position include:

• In collaboration with the Pacific Women program, oversee the implementation of the family and sexual violence pillar of the Pacific Women Program

• Manage technical designs for the Gender and Sports Section about family and sexual violence e.g. designing a program to improve counselling services within PNG to increase support for survivors

• Work with the International Service Provider of Pacific Women to monitor investments under the family and sexual violence pillar

• Coordinate family and sexual violence investments within other Australian Government programs and with other development partners and Government of PNG

• Assist in information collection, research, and preparation of briefings and talking points for presentations connected to family and sexual violence

• Provide technical assistance to implement the Family and Sexual Violence Policy for the Australian High Commission in PNG e.g. provide counselling or referral services to survivors of violence; in consultation with staff, develop safety plans for emergencies; monitor the budget and manage associated finances

If you are interested in applying for this position, please go to the Australian High Commission Port Moresby website, www.png.highcommission.gov.au and click on the Positions Vacant tab to access the Candidate Information Pack. This will provide more information about the position, the selection criteria, how to apply and the selection process.

Note: All applications must address the selection criteria, include a resume and list at least two referees.

Applications close on Friday 20 February 2015. To apply please submit your application to:

The Human Resources Manager pngahc.recruitment@dfat.gov.au

(Late applications will not be considered)

TEACHING staff at Zion Zeal Christian School at their inservice. The school was recently visited towards the end of last month on the week before classes resumed.

Local engineer drives growth

BY DIANNE WAKETSI

THE COMMUNITY of Hogave in the Lufa District Eastern Highlands Province, located under the foot of Mt Michael in the central Highlands of Papua New Guinea

is very grateful to Moses Musalaki Kima who took the challenge to contstruct and manage the construction of the Hogave Mini Hydro Project.

The Hydro Power Plant currently generates 20 kilowatts of

electricity to light up the village community and the conservation centre facilities.

The hydro power also provides electricity to an elementary school, trade stores and a church building and other facilities.

This is the only village in the Highlands of PNG that has electricity power due to Moses’ sacrifice and ingenuity.

Moses a graduate of Papua New Guinea University of Technology in Electrical & Communication

Engineering along with several leaders in the community solicited the building of the Hydro Power Plant for the village.

CONTINUED PAGE 38

in responding to the needs of people adversely affected by situations of humanitarian concern, in and is committed to strenghten the efforts of national authorities in solving humanitarian problems in law and universal humanitarian principles.

The ICRC Mission in Papua New Guinea is looking for qualified candidates to fill its vacancy for:

Administrator – Secretary (50%) (Based in Arawa, Bougainville)

Under the supervision of the Delegate, the Administrator - Secretary contributes to the implementation and running of the office in Arawa, Bougainville and maintains contact with suppliers, authorities, the population and the PNG Red Cross.

Required profile:

High school degree or professional diploma in business administration and/or secretary or equivalent

3 - 5 years’ work experience in a similar field

Able to work independently and take responsibilities for identified tasks

Advance knowledge of Microsoft office

Good knowledge of written and spoken English and Pidgin

Good computer skills

Good communication skills

Discrete and reliable person

Good knowledge of Bougainville island

She/He will

Main tasks:

ticket and hotel reservations

Starting date: immediately.

Assets:

What we offer:

Application:

Qualified applicants are requested to submit their comprehensive resume and motivation letter to the address below before or by the closing on Friday 27th February, 2015 (hard copy or via email).

ICRC Mission to Papua New Guinea, Arawa Office, Section 6 (first street left), Arawa, Bougainville T: + 675 7213 9890, E-mail: tkoehler@icrc.org Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

LOCAL workmen help in the project.

Village hydro system takes shape

FROM PAGE 37

The need for rural electrification in Papua New Guinea is vital for the growing population and economy. Most rural settings within the country are impossible to be linked to the urban system of infrastructural and technological developments due to the ruggedness of the country.

In 2009 the community and elders undertook the task of designing and pre-proposing a micro hydro system for our small community with a population of nearly 1000 men, women and children.

Moses took the river readings to ascertain the flow of the current to determine the type of turbine and power that is suitable for the village. He also drew and did the project outline where the water dam, penstock, and power line was to be established.

He then went to Australia to consult with Australian engineers and organized the shipment of materials to construct the hydro system for the village.

The system was built over a period of over 18 months. The hydro power plant has a capacity of 20kilo watts (unit for measuring electrical power). The system installed is a single phase system, which means it only uses one high voltage power line/cable to transmit the power over the area to where the load/consumer of the power is.

The name of the system is called Single Wire Earth Return. This is a new system installed in Papua New Guinea. It was an incredible technical feat ever for the community and a highlight for the Lufa District.

Currently Moses is managing the hydro power plant and is showing local men how to mend the power system.

LOCALS helping to transport power poles. With rugged terrain, modes of transportation are dif fi cult and include manual labour.

THE Hydro pipeline to the generator shed. Below: mini powerlines supplying electricity.

Assertiveness, good negotiation

NEGOTIATION is a part of everyone’s every day! You negotiate more aspects of your everyday than you may fi rst realise.

Being an effective negotiator means using your strengths, communicating assertively and mastering key people skills to achieve a ‘win-win’ outcome.

Negotiating aims to achieve positive otucomes for both parties: this is often more challenging for women, believing, for example, that giving in means success for everyone.

Being assertive and being able to successfully negotiate are key skills for success in any career.

Never more so than today for women who want to progress higher and higher in their respective fields.

Often women miss the clues and opportunities to assert themselves in an effective and advantageous way; often missing the chance to negotiate better terms, results or opportunities for themselves or their team.

When women negotiate in an assertive and successful way, they feel empowered and confident: both parties achieve a ‘win:win’ outcome.

Women can fall into a thinking trap that to be assertive is to be outspoken, this is not true.

This training program builds

the skills, confidence and knowledge of women to negotiate in a range of situations.

The practical exercises, tools, tips and technquies experienced in this two-day program equip women for success in their dayto-day interactions and career development.

This is a last call for registration on a two day training course will be run in PNG on February 26 and 27.

Participants will be able to: Improve communication skills for successful working relationships.

Inrease confidence and selfesteem to assertively handle interpersonal matters, including difficult situations and negotiations.

Know the techniques for effective assertiveness.

Be confident to conduct successful negotiations without making unnecessary discounts, reductions or concessions.

Get a deeper understanding of the people skills required for effective negotiating.

Take the opportunity to implement new skills within a safe framework and supportive environment.

This highly enjoyable and interactive program is designed for women who know they need to be more assertive and influencial. Furthermore, women who rely heavily on negotiation for the successful achievement of outcomes will gain greatly from participating in this program.

Session One : Assertiveness defi ned

Aggressive, Passive and Assertive

How assertiveness is often misunderstood

The roadblocks to assertiveness

Women and assertivness

Session Two : What are behavioural styles

What’s your style: a self-assessment

How to work with other styles

Behavioural styles and assertiveness

Gender and behavioural sytles

Session Three: Interpersonal communciation

dened

The key parts to communication

Assertiveness and its impact on successful communication

Assertive versus non-assertive communication

Session Four: Steps to assertiveness

Assertiveness scripts

Techniques to being assertive

Implementing the steps, scripts and techniques: practical application

Session Five : Staying assertive in stressful situations

Assertivness versus compromise

Assertivness and handling dicult people and situations

Applying the learning: round table exercise

Session Six : Negotiation defi ned

What is not negotiation and what goes wrong

When not to negotiate

What are the benefits of successful negotiation

Session Seven : What creates and induces our views on negotiation

Perceptions: what are they

and how helpful are they

Gender and negotiation: what every woman needs to know

Your personality and negotiation

Influencing Styles: what’s your style

Influencing the other styles

Session Eight:

The essential skills of negotiation

The skills women need to be effective negotiators

Communication for successful negotiation

Listening for successful negotiation

The art of questions

Session Nine : Creating the right environment

The 5 phases of the negotiation process

Planning your negotiation

The negotiation meeting: implementing the learning

To register or for more inforamtion, contact:

Telephone: (603) 2775 0067 and Email: ryanw@trueventus.com

Ok Tedi is a world class mine located at the head waters of the Fly River system in the Western Province of PNG with more than 30 years operational history and over 2000 employees. We offer excellent conditions and career development opportunities.

We are now seeking suitably qualified and experienced persons for the following roles:

PARAMEDIC OFFICER

Reference: 20150211

Reporting to the Fire Rescue Superintendent, the incumbent will be responsible for providing first aid, and paramedic services and delivery of first aid training across the OTML Operations.

You will administer life support care to injured person/s in a pre-hospital setting, administer drugs orally or by injection or perform intravenous procedures under a physician’s direction. You will be responsible for maintaining medical equipment and replenishment of first aid supplies and facilitating first aid trainings to employees. You must be able to respond as a member of the Fire Rescue Team.

To be considered, you must have HEO/Nurse certificate or Paramedic qualifications, Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment, relevant fire rescue training and at least five (5) years’ experience in a similar role in mining or an extractive industry. You must hold a class six (6) drivers’ license or its equivalent.

BROADCAST OFFICER

Reference: 20150211-1

Reporting to the Supervisor Radio Fly, you will be responsible for preparing relevant radio and TV programs and delivering to stakeholder audiences.

You will ensure community messages are relevant and effectively reach out to the targeted audiences, especially the Mine impacted communities. You will also be responsible for direct interaction with the communities at large and OTML Line Departments for new messages.

To be considered, you must have a minimum of 3 years’ experience and tertiary qualifications in Public Relations or Journalism. Experience in writing for print media and radio and TV scripts is desirable. You must possess excellent communication skills, be highly organised, pay attention to detail and have the ability to work with people from diverse cultures.

TV PRESENTER /PRODUCER

Reference: 20150211-2

Reporting to the Manager Communication and Public Relations, you will be responsible for producing and presenting video content for OTML’s closed circuit television channel, OTV. You will work in close liaison with the Video Production Coordinator to conduct publicity and informational activities site wide and externally.

You will be required to research and write informative and awareness programs, including news bulletins for OTV, compile news for Radio Fly when needed, develop and review briefing documentation for the management team and relevant stakeholders and improve the quality of information delivery and the information delivery system.

To be considered, you must have tertiary qualifications in Journalism and/or Public Relations with at least 3 years experience in television journalism. Knowledge of radio and TV script writing and writing for the web is essential as well as experience in news and press release writing. Experience as a reporter would be advantageous. You must possess excellent communication skills, be highly organised, pay attention to detail and have the ability to work with people from diverse cultures.

These are challenging roles requiring enthusiasm, a commitment to safety in the workplace and a high degree of self-direction.

If these roles appeal to you, please express your interest by sending your résumé to the Recruitment Advisor, Human Resources, Ok Tedi Mining Limited, P. O. Box 1, Tabubil Western Province, PNG or on e-mail: JoinUs@oktedi.com or fax it to +675 649 9199 by 27th February, 2015

LEGAL YEAR OPENS

PROFESSIONALS from the disciplined forces and the judiciary were the main participants at the recent opening of the 2015 legal year. Picture: TARAMI LEGEI

A MOTHER’S LOVE TRIBUTE TO AN EXEMPLARY WOMAN

A GRATEFUL WHALE HUMPBACK WHALE THANKS RESCUERS

REINCARNATION CHILDREN WHO HAD LIVED BEFORE

Love in the air?

Is Valentine’s Day a Papua New Guinean thing? CARMELLA GWARE reveals the history behind the traditions associated with the event. WEEKEND 44

Is Valentine’s Day a Papua New CARMELLA reveals the history behind

A mother’s love

JOSEPH DAWAI pays tribute to his late aunt. A role model and a teacher who leads by example. A woman who serves others from the depth of her heart. May her teachings live on and her soul rest in peace.

I HAVE noticed that when children get older, they start blaming their parents for things that are completely out of their (parents) control.

For example, things like “you made me drop out of school”.

I’m starting to understand how my mum has felt all these years, with me blaming her for everything from not eating on time to going late to school.

In more recent years, poor mum has been blamed for a whole host of genetic issues as well. We blamed both our parents’ side of the family tree for a whole lot of unwanted inherited body features.

Many parents offer hope to their children out there. Hope when they are down and need an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on.

We sadly lost my aunt Gigia Poiyo last year. Not only can I still remember all the good advice she had given me and my friends but we still benefit from her loving involvement in our community of Dona, Waria, in Morobe Patrol Post.

There is reason to believe that every human being has something to offer to the community and the world. She taught us to treat everyone the same.

Someone who works with you deserves the same respect and compassion as your boss, she told me. Nothing will make you happier than looking after others, was another constant message she drummed into my head.

Most importantly, she practised what she preached. We felt her love

for us, her devotion to my mother and her willingness to befriend anyone.

Modern mothers in Dona are aware of the importance of their role in their children’s futures.

After losing her, more mothers are sharing child-rearing duties and many have tended to coach their child’s sporting team like she did in the sport of soccer and basketball.

A lot of mothers look after their children when they are sick or on school holidays. They attend school carnivals and speech days, giving reassuring smiles whenever an anxious little face looks their way.

I remember having a conversation with the late Gigia one night. We were still talking when a child was heard crying. The old woman (Gigia) attended to the little boy, holding him in her arms and comforting him until he peacefully drifted off to sleep again.

This woman treats people from the bottom of her heart, with love and respect. It is quite difficult to

mimic her attitude. To do exactly as she showed us.

Some learnt the value of healthy relationships while others failed to reproduce the life skills shown to us by this intelligent and smart old woman.

Many marriages fail because of the lack of love and respect between couples. Late Gigia’s relationship is a classic example. Her first marriage had failed but she remained close to her ex-husband, putting the children’s welfare first.

She never shot down the other parent when it came to family matters. Being involved in decision making in their family affairs was the best she could offer.

The children will forever know that their mother loved them unconditionally and never stopped wanting to be a good role model for them.

And so it is said that women are totally different creatures on planet earth. Even when a man constantly abuses his wife, she still keeps on loving him.

LEFT: Women helping to cook for the men, children and the old at Dono, Morobe Province

RIGHT: A young boy at Waria Valley

The late Gigia Poiyo who once told me: “Someone who works with you deserves the same respect and compassion as your boss.”

Someone who works with you deserves the same respect and compassion as your boss, she told me. Nothing will make you happier than looking after others, was another constant message she drummed into my head.

JOSEPH DAWAI

History!

A milestone was reached recently in the history of PNGDF, writes FRANKIY KAPIN. A former teacher who enlisted in the military became the first female officer to command a guard of honour in the presence of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill. It was a momentous event!

IN her own words, she says, “It is truly an honour to be the first Papua New Guinean woman to be the Parade Commander for the Prime Minister.”

On Friday, January 30 at the Mutzing Station in the Markham district of Morobe, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill was accorded the guard of honour commanded by the female officer Captain Grace Kitoneka of the PNG Defence Force (PNGDF) Academy at Igam Barracks in Lae.

For Captain Kitoneka, the moment was a milestone for the womenfolk in the military since the inception of the PNGDF just before Independence.

Captain Kitoneka was given the honour to be the first PNG military woman to command a parade despite other women of her calibre having performed the task but only under the command of someone else.

She says, “This is a big moment and for the first time it shows that women can do anything; even in a male-dominated profession.”

Childre n’s Bedtime Stories Children’s Stories

Asked what she felt up in front of the guards and shouting the marching orders, she says, “It’s our pride and dignity. To any woman, it’s about having the confidence built from the trust of those around you to have advised you and corrected you along the way.

“As well it is by having the heart for what I do that has brought me this far. ”

If there is one person who had stooped down to her level and helped her, then it would be the colleagues of the academy and to name a few she acknowledges senior officers chief instructor Lieutenant Colonel Michael Banda and regional sergeant major chief warrant officer Michael Waluka.

Captain Kitoneka currently serves as the training development officer and the only female instructor at the academy. She is responsible for programming, training and evaluating cadets.

Prior to her enlisting in the PNGDF back in October 2009, she taught at the Lae Secondary School for seven years since graduating from the University of Goroka in Eastern Highlands (EHP).

Captain Kitoneka’s mother comes from the two districts of Finschhafen and Kabwum in Morobe. Her father is from Henganofi in EHP.

She is a product of the direct entry program of the PNGDF requiring specialists’ officers.

T

he C ou nt P i r o The Count Piro

CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

A LAZY boy, whose father had died leaving him a pear tree that bears fruit all year round, became acquainted with a fox. The fox got pears from the youth, put them in a basket and presented them to the king. “Pears? At this season?” cried the king, peering down to look at them. “And pray, who is your master?”

“The Count Piro,” answered the fox on his first visit. On its second visit, the fox asked, on behalf of Count Piro, for the king’s daughter’s hand in marriage.

the shop and went to a horsedealer’s, whom he persuaded to send his finest horse round to the cottage, saying that the king had bidden his master to the palace.

Very unwillingly the young Count Piro put on the coat, mounted the horse and rode up to meet the king, with the fox running before him.

“What am I to say to his Majesty, little fox?” he asked anxiously; “you know that I have never spoken to a king before.”

“Say nothing,” answered the fox, “but leave the talking to me. “Good morning, your Majesty” will be all that is necessary for you.”

“Is he really so rich that he can do without a dowry?” asked the king.

“Did I not tell your Majesty that he was richer than you?” answered the fox reproachfully.

“Well, beg him to come here, that we may talk together,” said the king. So the fox went back to the young man and said: “I have told the king that you are Count Piro, and have asked his daughter in marriage.”

“Oh, little fox, what have you done?” cried the youth in dismay. “When the king sees me he will order my head to be cut off.”

“Oh, no, he won’t!” replied the fox, “just do as I tell you.” And he went off to the town, and stopped at the house of the best tailor.

The fox then sets off for the tailor shop.

“My master, the Count Piro, begs that you will send him at once the finest coat that you have in your shop,” said the fox, putting on his grandest air, “and if it fits him I will call and pay for it tomorrow! Indeed, as he is in a great hurry, perhaps it might be as well if I took it round myself.”

The tailor was not accustomed to serving counts, and he at once got out all the coats he had ready. The fox chose out a beautiful one of white and silver, bade the tailor tie it up in a parcel, and carrying the string in his teeth, he left

By this time they had reached the palace, and the king came to the door to receive Count Piro, and led him to the great hall, where a feast was spread. The princess was already seated at the table, but was as dumb as Count Piro himself.

“The Count speaks very little,” the king said at last to the fox, and the fox answered: “He has so much to think about in the management of his property that he cannot afford to talk like ordinary people.” The king was quite satisfied, and they finished dinner, after which Count Piro and the fox took leave.

The next morning the fox came round again.

“Give me another basket of pears,” he said.

“Very well, little fox; but remember it may cost me my life,” answered the youth.

“Oh, leave it to me, and do as I tell you and you will see that in the end it will bring you luck,” answered the fox. Plucking the pears he took them up to the king.

“My master, Count Piro, sends you these pears,” he said, “and asks for an answer to his proposal.”

“Tell the count that the wedding can take place whenever he pleases,” answered the king, and, filled with pride, the fox trotted back to deliver his message.

“But I can’t bring the princess here, little fox,” cried the young man in dismay.

“You leave everything to me,” answered the fox, “have I not managed well so far?”

Tall and proud: Captain Grace Kitoneka with her male colleagues INSET: Officer Kitoneka with PM O’Neill

This is a big moment and for the first time it shows that women can do anything.

GRACE KITONEKA

Love in the air?

Valentine’s Day is not a Papua New Guinean thing ... or is it? CARMELLA GWARE reveals the history behind the traditions associated with the day of love as well as interviews random people about the significance of the event.

VALENTINE’S Day is tomorrow (Saturday) and for a good number of us, we really don’t give a hoot. Unlike Christmas when we celebrate with the rest of the world by emptying our pockets, Valentine’s Day is quite similar to a colleague’s birthday where we give a big smile and say “Your birthday is today? Happy birthday!” and then forget all about it.

But for the sake of keeping up with the Joneses, I will help break down this event for you in a (hopefully) entertaining manner.

Every February 14, loved ones around the world exchange candy, flowers and gifts, all in the name of St Valentine. So who is this mysterious saint of love?

Some say Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome when Claudius II was emperor. Legend has it that Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for young men because he decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families. And because Valentine believed the decree unjust, he defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. Claudius ordered that he be put to death when they found out about it.

“Someone must’ve ratted Valentine out,” I thought to myself as I

And about 85 per cent of these cards are bought by women. Some even send themselves cards or flowers then act surprised in front of their colleagues when their orders get delivered. What? Seriously?

CARMELLA GWARE

massaged my aching brain. “Probably some coward who wanted to find favour in the emperor’s eyes or simply had nothing better to do with his or her life.” You know what? Situations like that make me wish for a time machine just so I could travel back and save that person… or at least do something.

But then again, considering the fact that I’m black, they’d probably arrest me and make me someone’s slave. Thank goodness for the 21st century. I’d make a horrible slave, which means early death for me.

Moving on, according to the History website: “Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl – possibly his jailor’s daughter – who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today.”

People claim that the Christian church decided on February to remember Valentine in an effort to “Christianise” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Lupercalia was

a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. Members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather in front of a sacred cave believed to be where Romulus and Remus were cared by a she-wolf (lupa).

They would then sacrifice a goat for fertility and, get this, a dog for purification. This is weird because when you say “pure” I think “sheep”, not dog. And then they would shred the goat’s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Instead of being scared, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year.

It wasn’t until the end of the 5th century that Pope Galesius outlawed Lupercalia and declared February 14 as Valentine’s Day. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance. What about Papua New Guinea? Well I decided to ask a few random people what

they thought about the event.

Nelson Joe, 33, says: Valentine’s Day marks the day when one first expressed his/her love to his girlfriend or her boyfriend. “On Valentine’s Day or around that day, I normally admire the scene of my wife being with our two lovely kids. I don’t normally show it but only gaze at her and say to myself: Darl, you simply look more beautiful than when you were young and my love is as strong as when I first met you.”

Emily, 19, says: “I think Valentine’s Day is just stupid and overrated. You should appreciate your love everyday.” Her side-kick Joseph, 20, on the other hand believes Valentine’s is indeed a day of love. When asked what he does on that romantic day he said: “Mi sa stap nating chol” (I don’t do anything. At all).

Michelle Nahuet, 24, says: “Well Valentine’s Day is all about chocolate for me. I do know it’s about love, not just about that special someone but family and friends too. What I do on the day depends on which day it falls on. This year is Saturday. So it’s chocolate day for me and it would be just like any other day. Oh and I do get to send out a Happy Valentine’s Day message to family and friends and that special someone.”

In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupido, meaning “desire”) is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. In contemporary popular culture, Cupid is shown drawing his bow to inspire romantic love, often as an icon of Valentine’s Day

Thirty-five-year-old Horns was on the same wavelength as Michelle. He went on to say Valentine’s Day is the only time of the year, and an opportunity, for you “to show him or her how much you care”. And of course since he’s a decent guy, he buys presents for his loved ones. Overall, seven out of 10 people interviewed gave negative responses about the day. And I’m with them of course. The only good thing about it is the reduction in the price of chocolates.

However, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest cardsending holiday of the year. And about 85 per cent of these cards are bought by women. Some even send themselves cards or flowers then act surprised in front of their colleagues when their orders get delivered. What? Seriously? No comments there.

So now you know how Valentine’s Day came into being. And since it’s on Saturday, why not kick back, relax, and give yourself something special for being an awesome human being? And don’t forget about those exceptional people who have been with you through thick and thin. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

St Valentine, the Christian priest whose gruesome death somehow came to symbolise eternal love

BJ BJ

R a rely se en Rarely seen

BY JANE J LEE

ITS squat body and flimsy-looking pectoral fins may not scream speed-demon.

But the opah, or moonfish, is actually quite fast, and can run with the big boys like tuna and swordfish. That’s just one of many surprising revelations coming to light as more of these mysterious fish appear unexpectedly in scientific surveys along the southern California coast.

This unexplained surge is enabling researchers to study and photograph the camera-shy creatures.

While documenting a fishing survey, photographer Ralph Pace caught the roughly 130pound (59kg) fish on camera off the southern California coast in November 2014.

Researchers had accidentally caught the odd animal, and after it was released, Pace dove into the water to take some snapshots before it swam away.

He had only a couple of minutes with the opah, but they were memorable. It was big, Pace recalls, “...probably bigger than a manhole cover”. And he was lucky.

“Photos of them in the water freeswimming are pretty rare,” says John

Hyde, a fish-genetics researcher with NOAA Southwest Fisheries in La Jolla, California. “And Ralph Pace’s images are better than the rest I’ve seen.”

Opah can be valuable commodities on the seafood market, says Owyn Snodgrass, a fisheries biologist with NOAA Southwest Fisheries, but there is no targeted fishery for them.

That’s partly because the deep-sea dwellers don’t congregate in large groups like other commercially valuable fish such as tuna. So focusing solely on opah won’t make fishermen much money, Snodgrass explains.

Instead, moonfish are caught as bycatch in commercial tuna and swordfish fisheries. And despite the relatively small size of the catch, they bring in a good chunk of change. The 2012 Hawaiian opah market was valued at around $3 million (K8m). “They’re very tasty fish,” Snodgrass says.

Opah are unusual in that different parts of their body look and taste different, the biologist explains. The upper part of the fish looks like tuna and tastes like a cross between tuna and salmon, he says. But their pectoral muscles – the ones that power the fins on the side of the body –

look and taste a bit like beef.

“[Opah] can be eaten raw, but they’re also great on the barbecue or smoked,” says Snodgrass.

Casson Trenor, who co-owns four San Francisco sushi restaurants, actually prefers a little sear on his opah. He doesn’t offer the fish in his restaurants, though, since little is known about the sustainability of the fishery.

The pectoral muscles aren’t just good eating – they also give researchers clues about the animal’s speed and way of life.

Those muscles are about 17 per cent of an opah’s body weight, Snodgrass says, which is a relatively large percentage. “[So] despite what they look like, they can swim really fast when they want to, and they can swim long distances.”

Unpublished data Snodgrass obtained from a satellite-tagged moonfish showed that the animal swam from central California to Hawaii within an eight-month period.

And those weak-looking pectoral fins?

“If you get in the way of their fins, they’ll smack you,” says Snodgrass, who has firsthand experience. “They’re pretty feisty.” – National Geographic

A grateful whale’s story

ON the front page story of the San Francisco Chronicle on Thursday, Dec 15, 2005, you would have read about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines.

The 50foot whale was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her tail, her torso and a line tugging in her mouth.

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallone Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, a rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to

save her was to dive in and untangle her – a very dangerous proposition. One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer. They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around – she thanked them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.

The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

Entanglement threatens hump-

back whales and many other marine animals. It has been estimated that over 300,000 cetaceans die each year worldwide as a result of entanglements. The sources of these entanglements are extensive and diverse.

Entanglement usually refers to animals becoming tangled in gear and towing it along with them, while bycatch usually refers to the unintentional capture of small cetaceans in fishing nets.

Worldwide, entanglement/bycatch in fisheries operations poses a major risk for 86 per cent of the world’s toothed whales, according to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS).

RIGHT: Diagram of an entangled humpback whale. Removing visible gear at the surface is not a good idea. Usually, there is extensive gear below the surface

THE smiling dog in the photograph was surrendered to our clinic a few weeks again.

‘BJ’ is his name and he is a year old. This mixed-breed has a good temperament and although has not been at the shelter for a longtime, has already established a close bond with our kennel hand Lincon.

‘BJ’ (like all our furry friends who come through our adoption program) has been dewormed, vaccinated and will be de-sexed once he fi nds his new family.

If you have space in your family for one more loyal and loving member, contact Brigitte at the RSPCA on 325 2363, 7198 2200, 7196 0436 or email your interest or enquiries to rspca@rspca.org. pg

325 2363, 7196 0436, 7198 2200, fax: 325 6833 or email your enquiries to rspca@rspca. org.pg

Picture: Provincetown Centre for Coastal Studies

An opah, or moonfish, photographed near San Clemente Island off the southern California coast, seems to pose

Picture: RALPH PACE

Farewell speech

THE aged Prophet Samuel was satisfied with the declaration before the people of Israel that he had lived a credible life of righteous acts toward those that God had him lead for nearly 40 years.

It was a binding declaration and affirmation of this life’s quality because it was pronounced in the presence of the LORD of hosts and the King of Kings and in the presence of King Saul, God’s anointed. “Samuel said to them, ‘The LORD is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.’ ‘He is witness,” they said.’”

(1 Samuel 12:5 NIV)

At this point Samuel began his farewell speech, including the history of the people, before retiring as the leader. He reminded them that God appointed Moses and Aaron to deliver their ancestors from Egypt and how Moses was told to consecrate Aaron and his sons as the High Priest and as priests by anointing them with oil. Although initially the anointing oil was used for consecrating the High Priest and the priests, it was later extended to prophets and kings.

The anointing oil consisted of a mixture of pure myrrh, sweet cinnamon, kane bosem, cassia, and olive oil. “Anoint Aaron and his

sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.” (Exodus 30:30 NIV) God gave the recipe for the anointing oil and it required a person with the proper skill to prepare it.

I have no idea what ingredients other religions and cultures use. I would be interested in knowing if there was anointing or something like it in traditional Papua New Guinea culture. I know from my own research that the Faiwol people in Western Province smeared pig fat and oil from the Pandanus Conoideus plant on initiates.

The word “Messiah” used by Jews and Christians means anointed or smeared. Of course there has been a lot more meaning built into it,

but the basic original meaning is “anointed”. “Christ” is a Greek translation of the Hebrew word “anoint” and the reason the term “Christ” is used in conjunction with Jesus is because his followers believe that he is the Messiah. When those followers introduced it to the Greek population this was their way of saying “Jesus the anointed one”.

Samuel continued his speech by reminding all the people gathered at Gilgal of all the mighty acts of God to bring their forefathers out of Egypt. One of the main purposes of the Bible is to remind us of what a great God we serve.

Today this is the major theme of the Jewish prayers at least three times a day. Much of the content of their prayer is straight scripture including Exodus 14:30-15:19, called the Song of Sea that Moses sang about the power of God opening the Red Sea for the children of Israel. Samuel knew this could strengthen the people’s faith. I personally find that when I review the great things that God has done for me in the past, I am strengthened in my faith.

We do not have Samuel’s entire speech, but the content we have is very interesting. Samuel speaks about how when Jacob, (his family and descendants) implied, went

to live in Egypt and eventually became enslaved to the Egyptians that God heard their cry and so sent Moses and Aaron to rescue them and bring them to Canaan.

He continued telling the history of how the people forgot about God and his teaching, resulting in God allowing them to be controlled by their enemy Sisera, the Commander of the army of Hazor, the Philistines, and the King of Moab. Even in their sinful condition when they cried out in prayer to God, he chose messiah type of leaders to deliver them each time from their enemies. “They cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned; we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.’” (1 Samuel 12:10 NIV)

In his speech Samuel said the answer to their prayer was the men God called to deliver them including: Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah and Samuel himself. It is not surprising that Samuel did not mention Samson, who was a questionable leader or Gideon, who toward the end of his life was disappointing as a leader.

Following Samuel’s history lesson he revisited the issue of the people asking for a king. It seems that he would not have mentioned

this again if he remembered what God told him at the time the people first asked for a king that they were not rejecting his leadership, but were actually rejecting God as their king. Samuel was human and still felt rejected. Also he enjoyed his work so much he did not want that ministry to stop.

He reminded the children of Israel that it was when Nahash, ruler of the Ammonites, was preparing to attack and fight them that they came to him and asked for a king. He said now that they had a King that if they and their King would obey God and keep the commandments and follow God, it would be good for them, but if they rebelled and did not keep God’s commands then God’s hand would be against them. This is one of the most important messages all the way through the Bible.

As the speech ended the Prophet used his spiritual power to cause thunder, lightning, and rain as a great sign from God. “Then Samuel called upon the LORD, and that same day the LORD sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the LORD and of Samuel.”

(1 Samuel 12:18 NIV) How would we respond today?

Frank Mecklenburg

Freelance journalist and CEO of Zion Pathways

Before Prophet Samuel left the Israelites to their new king, he reminded them about the great miracles God performed for them.

When I review the great things that God has done for me in the past, I am strengthened in my faith, says FRANK MECKLENBURG.

Oil from the pandanus plant is smeared on initiatesProphet Samuel anointing Saul as king

Picture: woodlandonline

ON the first night of their honeymoon, the husband isn’t sure how to tell his bride about his stinky feet and smelly socks, while the wife is wondering how to break the news to him about her awful breath, which so far, she’s been able to cover up.

After some soul-searching, the husband gathers his nerve and says, “I have a confession.”

She draws closer, peers into his eyes, and says, “Darling, so do I.”

Recoiling, he says, “Don’t tell me – you’ve eaten my socks.”

TEXTING acronyms can stump even the best parents.

Mom: Your great-aunt just passed away. LOL.

Son: Why is that funny?

Mom: It’s not funny, David! What do you mean?

Son: Mom, LOL means Laughing Out Loud.

Mom: I thought it meant Lots of Love. I have to call everyone back.

THE water I was heating for pasta refused to boil, and if

my 12-year-old son was right, I wasn’t helping by constantly checking on it.

“It’s like that old saying,” he said. “‘A watched website never loads.’”

– Helen Russ

A HUSBAND and wife had been married for 60 years and had no secrets except for one: The woman kept in her closet a shoe box that she forbade her husband from ever opening. But when she was on her deathbed – and with her blessing – he opened the box and found a crocheted doll and $95,000 in cash.

“My mother told me that the secret to a happy marriage was to never argue,” she explained. “Instead, I should keep quiet and crochet a doll.”

Her husband was touched. Only one doll was in the box –that meant she’d been angry with him only once in 60 years.

“But what about all this money?” he asked.

“Oh,” she said, “that’s the money I made from selling the dolls.”

Children who lived before

*NAMES of boys and their family members were changed to protect privacy.

“When I was your age, I changed your diaper,” said the dark-haired boy to his father. Ron looked down at his smiling son, who had not yet turned two. He thought it was a very strange thing to say, but he figured he had misheard him.

But as baby Sam made similar remarks over the next few months, Ron and his wife, Cathy, gradually pieced together an odd story: Sam believed that he was his deceased grandfather, Ron’s late father, who had returned to his family. More intrigued than alarmed, Ron and Cathy asked Sam, “How did you come back?”

“I just went whoosh and came out the portal,” he responded.

Although Sam was a precocious child – he’d been speaking in full sentences from the age of 18 months – his parents were stunned to hear him use a word like portal, and they encouraged him to say more. They asked Sam if he’d had any siblings, and he replied that he’d had a sister who “turned into a fish”.

“Who turned her into a fish?”

“Some bad guys. She died.”

Eerily enough, Sam’s grandfather had a sister who had been murdered 60 years earlier; her body was found floating in San Francisco Bay. Ron and Cathy then gently asked Sam, “Do you know how you died?”

Did you know?

It’s all about L-O-V-E

THE Mexican chief Montezuma considered chocolate a “love drug” and drank 50 cups of chocolate a day before visiting his harem of 600 women.

SCIENTISTS suggest that most people will fall in love approximately seven times before marriage.

SOME individuals who claim never to have felt romantic love suffer from hypopituitarism, a rare disease that doesn’t allow a person to feel the rapture of love.

GETTING dumped often leads to “frustration attraction,”

which causes an individual to love the one who dumped him or her even more.

ENGAGEMENT rings are often worn on the fourth finger of the left hand because the ancient Greeks maintained that that finger contains the vena amoris, or the “vein of love,” that runs straight to the heart. The first recorded wedding rings appeared in ancient Egypt.

THE enduring symbol of love, Cupid (or Eros) is said to have come from Chaos (“The Yawning Void”) and represents the primitive forces of love and desire.

Sam jerked back and slapped the top of his head as if in pain. One year before Sam was born, his grandfather had died of a cerebral haemorrhage.

Today, more than 75 million people across all religions believe in reincarnation, according to a Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life poll; a separate survey reports that roughly one in ten people can recall his or her own past life. In October, the Dr Oz Show covered the “reality of reincarnation”.

Why this fascination? Part of reincarnation’s appeal has to do with its hopeful underlying promise: that we can do better in our next lives.

“With reincarnation, there is always another opportunity,” explains Stafford Betty, a professor of religious studies at California State University, Bakersfield, and the author of The Afterlife Unveiled “The universe takes on a merciful hue. It’s a great improvement over the doctrine of eternal hell.”

Among the UVA case studies is the story of an Oklahoma boy named Ryan. A few years ago, the four-year-old woke up screaming at two in the morning. Over the preceding months, he’d been pleading

Reincarnation is the religious or philosophical concept that the soul or spirit, after biological death, can begin a new life in a new body. This doctrine is a central tenet of the Indian religions

Image: reluctant-messenger.com

with his bewildered mother, Cyndi, to take him to the house where he’d “lived before”. In tears, he’d beg her to return him to his glittering life in Hollywood – complete with a big house, a pool, and fast cars – that was so fabulous, he once said, “I can’t live in these conditions. My last home was much better.”

When Cyndi went into her son’s room that night, Ryan kept repeating the same words – “Mommy, I’m so homesick” – as she tried to comfort him and rock him to sleep.

“He was like a little old man who couldn’t remember all the details of his life. He was so frustrated and sad,” Cyndi says.

The next morning, she went to the library, borrowed a pile of books about old Hollywood, and brought them home. With Ryan in her lap, Cyndi went through the volumes; she was hoping the pictures might soothe him. Instead, he became more and more excited as they looked at one particular book.

When they came to a still of a scene from a 1932 movie called Night After Night, he stopped her.

“Mama,” he shouted, pointing to one of the actors, who wasn’t identified. “That guy’s me! The old me!”

“I was shocked,” Cyndi admits. “I never thought that we’d find the person he thought he was.” But she was equally relieved. “Ryan had talked about his other life and been so unhappy, and now we had something to go on.”

Although neither Cyndi nor her husband believed in reincarnation, she went back to the library the next day and checked out a book about children who possessed memories of their past lives. At the end of it was a note from the author, profes-

sor Jim Tucker, MD, saying that he wanted to hear from the parents of kids with similar stories. Cyndi sat down to write him a letter.

Dr Tucker was a child psychiatrist in private practice when he heard about the reincarnation research being conducted by Ian Stevenson, MD, founder and director of the Division of Perceptual Studies at UVA.

He was intrigued and began working with the division in 1996; six years later, when Dr Stevenson retired, Dr Tucker took over as the leader of the division’s past-life research. The UVA team has gathered more than 2500 documented cases of children from all over the world who have detailed memories of former lives, including that of a California toddler with a surprisingly good golf swing who said he had once been legendary athlete Bobby Jones; a Midwestern five-year-old who shared some of the same memories and physical traits – blindness in his left eye, a mark on his neck, a limp – as a long-deceased brother; and a girl in India who woke up one day and began speaking fluently in a dialect she’d never heard before. (Dr Tucker describes these cases in his book Return to Life: Extraordinary Cases of Children Who Remember Their Past Lives.)

In the case of Ryan, the boy longing for a Hollywood past, an archivist pored over books in a film library until she found a person who appeared to be the man he’d singled out: Hollywood agent Marty Martyn, who made an unbilled cameo in Night After Night

After Cyndi spoke with Dr Tucker, he interviewed Ryan, and then the family contacted Martyn’s daughter. She met with Dr Tucker, Ryan, and Cyndi, and along with public records, she confirmed more than 50 details that Ryan had reported about her father’s life, from his work history to the location and contents of his home. Cyndi felt tremendous relief when she was told that her son’s story matched Martyn’s. She says, “He wasn’t crazy! There really was another family.”

Dr Tucker too, knows that for most scientists, reincarnation will always seem like a fantastical notion regardless of how much evidence is presented.

For him, success doesn’t mean persuading the naysayers to accept the existence of reincarnation but rather encouraging people to consider the meaning of consciousness and how it might survive our deaths.

Shooting Fifty Shades ‘painful’

FIFTY Shades of Grey author

E L James’ “impulsive instincts” led to daily clashes with the movie’s director Sam Taylor-Johnson, pictured, according to reports.

E L James’ desire to exert control over every aspect of the Fifty Shades of Grey movie caused issues with director Sam TaylorJohnson.

Sam has opened up about the “painful process” of shooting the film alongside the book’s author.

She admitted that she and James regularly disagreed about various aspects of the movie.

“We’d often clash and have to find a way to work through that to get to some sort of resolution,”

Sam told the Hollywood Reporter “She would be the first to say as well that it was not easy. It was not easy. But we got there. I think both of us felt it was an incredibly painful process.”

Sam added that James was “incredibly vocal” about the filmmaking process.

But it was the fact that James has absolutely no experience of being on a movie set that caused such issues.

“She was given a lot of power, and she used every opportunity to flex that power,” a source told the publication. “It was really challenging to control EL’s – I don’t want to say ‘crazy’ but – impulsive instincts.”

Reviews for the movie hit headlines this week, with critics claiming that the film doesn’t have enough sex.

And it was James’ desire to include more explicit scenes, with Sam keen to keep things more subtle, that caused the most clashes, according to reports.

“The negotiation of who’s dominant and who’s submissive is throughout the book, and we can see where that came from,” another source said. “James was being one of her characters. It was a bit much.”

The film stars Jamie Dornan as businessman-with-a-secret Christian Grey and Dakota Johnson as his love interest Anastasia Steele.

Jon Stewart to leave show

JON Stewart, the host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, will step down later this year.

The comedian said it had “been an absolute privilege” to have been at the helm of the satirical show since 1999.

“This show doesn’t deserve an even slightly restless host and neither do you,” the 52-year-old American political satirist told his audience on Tuesday.

– BBC News

Chris Kyle’s trial

THE widow of Chris Kyle, the former Navy SEAL depicted in the Oscar-nominated movie American Sniper, will be among the first witnesses to testify during the trial of his alleged killer in Texas.

Opening statements are expected Wednesday in the trial of Eddie Ray Routh. The former Marine is accused of fatally shooting Kyle and Kyle’s friend, Chad Littlefield, as the pair tried to help Routh at a shooting range.

Erath County District Attorney

Alan Nash said Tuesday that the prosecution’s first two witnesses will be Taya Kyle and Littlefield’s mother, Judy.

The judge ruled that both women can stay in court to watch proceedings after testifying. The judge also said he would allow prosecutors to take photos of Routh’s tattoos.

All eyes were on Routh Tuesday as he entered the courtroom in Erath County for a pretrial proceeding, looking markedly different from his 2013 booking photo.

Instead of a mop of shaggy hair and patchy beard covering his gaunt face, Routh appeared clean-shaven, sporting with closecropped hair and a pair of darkrimmed glasses.

With his bulkier frame filling out his black suit and pressed light-blue button-down shirt, the 27-year-old murder suspect looked nearly unrecognisable when compared to his arrest photos taken in February 2013.

Routh, a former Marine, is charged with capital murder in the deaths of 38-year-old Chris Kyle and Kyle’s friend, 35-yearold Chad Littlefield. Kyle and Lit-

tlefield were trying to help Routh when prosecutors say he shot them at a Texas gun range in 2013.

The Oscar-nominated movie America Sniper based on Kyle’s memoir as a celebrated sharpshooter who served four tours in Iraq has grossed nearly US $300million (K790m).

Routh’s attorneys plan to pursue an insanity defence. Prosecutors won’t seek the death penalty. He faces life in prison without parole if convicted.

Family members have said Routh, 27, struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder after leaving the Marines in 2010. The small arms technician served in Iraq and was deployed to earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Kyle took Routh to the shooting range after Routh’s mother asked if he could help her son.

Kyle made more than 300 kills as a sniper for SEAL Team 3, according to his own count and earned two Silver Stars for valour. After leaving the military, Kyle volunteered with veterans facing mental health problems, often taking them shooting.

About two hours after Kyle, Littlefield and Routh arrived at the upscale Rough Creek Lodge and Resort on February 2, 2013, an employee discovered the bodies of Kyle and Littlefield at the remote range.

Authorities say Routh drove to his sister’s house in Kyle’s truck, telling her and her husband that he had killed Kyle and Littlefield. His sister told police that Routh “was out of his mind, saying people were sucking his soul and that he could smell the pigs.” – AP

Picasso’s handyman under arrest

PABLO Picasso’s former electrician and his wife go on trial today in Paris, accused of having stolen 271 pieces of the artist’s work.

The cache includes lithographs, portraits, a watercolour and sketches created between 1900 and 1932.

Pierre and Danielle Le Guennec say they were given the art, worth 80m euro (K206m) by Picasso’s second wife.

The Picasso estate says their account is “ridiculous” and is suing them for illegal possession of the works.

Picasso’s son Claude has insisted his father would “never” have given such a large quantity of works to anyone.

He told the French daily newspaper Liberation: “That doesn’t

stand up. These works were part of his life.”

Le Guennec began working as a general handyman at Picasso’s estate in the South of France in 1970.

He says he and his wife Danielle were given 180 lithographs, collages and paintings and 91 drawings in 1970 by the artist’s then-wife, Jacqueline. He claims she gave him the works in a closed box containing the works, saying: “Here, it’s for you. Take it home”.

Danielle recalled that her husband came home with a stuffed bag, and told her that Picasso had given the works to him.

The works, which have never been displayed publicly, were kept virtually untouched in Le Guennecs’ garage until the couple de-

cided to put their affairs in order for their children in 2010.

According to Le Guennec’s lawyer, he started worrying around five years ago about what might happen to the works after his death.

He contacted the Picasso administration, which looks after works held by his heirs.

In September 2010, Le Guennec travelled to Paris to have the works assessed by the administration.

But within days of art experts proving the works were genuine, police swooped on the elderly pair at their home in Mouans Sartoux, near Cannes, and arrested them on suspicion of receiving stolen goods.

The seized Picassos include a watercolour from his Blue Period,

and nine cubist works which experts believe are worth 30m euro (K98m) alone.

Also in the collection are portraits of his first wife Olga, as well as a number of gouaches and lithographs. – BBC News

Eddie Ray Routh walks into court for a pretrial proceeding, Tuesday, February 10, 2015, in Stephenville, Texas. The former Marine is accused of killing Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle and Kyle’s friend Chad Littlefield INSET: Taya Kyle, Chris Kyle’s widow, will testify in the murder trial Wednesday

Danielle and Pierre Le Guennec face up to five years in prison if convicted

PNG NATIONAL PARLIAMENTARY SERVICES

NATIONAL PARLIAMENT

Our Client, The PNG National Parliamentary Service is established under an ACT of Parliament to provide administrative and support services to the National Parliament and Members of Parliament.

The Parliamentary Service is undergoing a major reform to review its organization structure to ensure appropriate and effective services are provided to the Members of Parliament. The incumbents will be responsible for the provision of strategic advice, guidance, budget preparation, planning and leadership to the Parliamentary Services.

The Parliamentary Service now seeks to recruit suitably qualified and experienced professionals to fill the following positions which are critically important for the effective operation of the Parliament.

Secretary Tenders Board – Job Ref MK3286

Office of the Clerk (PTB001 - Gd 13)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Tenders Board system through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities

Deputy Clerk – Chambers Services - Job Ref MK3273

(ODC - 001 - Gd 15)

Provide strategic leadership and direction to the Chamber Services

Wing to ensure the Service meets its legislative and Standing Order obligations and responsibilities in an efficient, effective and timely manner.

First Clerk Assistant – Chamber Services – Job Ref MK3276

(FCA - 001 – Gd 14)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Parliament Chamber system through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities

Clerk Assistant – Chamber Services – Job Ref MK3278

(BPT - 001 - Gd 13)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Parliament Chamber system through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities

Principal Reporter – Chamber Services – Job Ref MK3284 (PHR 001 - Gd 13)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Hansard system through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities

Serjeant – At – Arms - Chamber Services – Job Ref MK3289 (SAA 001 - Gd 13)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Protocol system through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities

Director Committee Secretariat - Job Ref MK3291

Chamber Services (PCS 001 – Gd 13)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Parliamentary Committee system through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities

Secretary – Public Accounts Committee- Job Ref MK3292

Chamber Services (PAC 001– Gd 13)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee system through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities

Parliamentary Counsel – Parliamentary Counsel – Job Ref MK3275 (PLC 001– Gd 14)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Litigation system through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities

Deputy Parliamentary Counsel – Parliamentary Counsel –Job Ref MK3293 (PLC 003 – Gd 13)

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Secretary Parliamentary Services – Job Ref MK3272

Administration Services (SPS 001 - Gd 15)

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Manager Human Resource – Job Ref MK3279

Administration Services (HRS 001 - Gd 14)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the Development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Human Resource system through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities

Manager Finance & Administration Services – Job Ref MK3280 Administration Services (FAS 001 - Gd 14)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the Development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Parliamentary Finance & Administration system through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities

Director Inter – Parliamentary Services – Job Ref MK3277

Administration Services (IPR 001 - Gd 14)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the Development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Inter – Parliamentary service through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities

Manager Policy, Planning & Research – Job Ref MK3274

Administration Services (PPR 001 - Gd.13)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the Development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Parliament Policy, Planning & Research system through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities

Parliament Librarian – Job Ref MK3282

Administration Services (PLS 001 – Gd 13)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the Development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Parliament library system through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities

Manager Information Technology – Job Ref MK3287

Administration Services – (ITS 001 – Gd 13)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the Development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Parliament ICT system through achievement of Divisional Functions and responsibilities.

Manager Education & Civics Services – Job Ref MK3283

Administration Services – (ESC 001 – Gd 13)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the Development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Parliament Education & Civics system through achievement of Divisional Functions and responsibilities

Manager Catering Services – Job Ref MK3294

Administration Services (PCS 001 – Gd 13)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the Development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality catering service system through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities.

Manager Building & Maintenance – Job Ref MK3290

Administration Services (BMS 001- Gd 13)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the Development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Building & Maintenance system through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities.

Chief of Security – Job Ref MK3281

Administration Services (PSS 001 – Gd 13)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the Development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Parliament security system through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities.

Applicants must be an experienced Commissioned Officer with at least 10 years of working experienced in a disciplinary force.

Manager Members Emoluments – Job Ref MK3295

Administration Services (MES 001 – Gd 13)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the Development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Members Emoluments services system through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities.

Manager Retirement Benefit Fun – Job Ref MK3288

Administration Services – (PRB 001 – Gd 13)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the Development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Members retirement benefit fund (RBF) system through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities.

Manager Media – Job Ref MK3285

Administration Services (PMS 001 – Gd 13)

Provide strategic leadership and direction in the Development and implementation of Divisional programs and activities and contribute to maintaining a high quality Parliament media system through achievement of Divisional functions and responsibilities.

Our client offers genuine career opportunities and competitive salaries for these challenging positions, which are open to PNG citizens only.

To apply (and for further information), please visit our website: http://www.vanguardpng.com/current_vacancies.html Complete the Application Form and follow the website instructions to forward Vanguard International completed Application Form and a brief CV.

If you are unable to do this, please call us on 3217464 to obtain an Application Form.

Applications close COB Friday 06th March 2015

Marie Stopes serves underserved

MARIE Stopes Papua New Guinea is an NGO working towards a mission of Children by Choice, not Chance. MSPNG provides comprehensive, affordable and voluntary family planning services to underserved areas of Papua New Guinea and has been operating in the country since 2006. MSPNG served over 30,000 women and men across PNG with high quality clinical services in 2014. The head office and original clinic are in Port Moresby, with field branches in Goroka, Mt Hagen, Madang, Arawa, Lae and Alotau.

MSPNG’s workforce is 97 percent Papua New Guinean, including much of MSPNG’s senior leadership team. Most of MSPNG’s management staff have risen through the ranks of the organization, and professional and leadership development opportunities are provided wherever possible. Field staff work with a great deal of autonomy and support from the Moresby head office. All managers are responsible for mentoring and supporting the development of their line reports.

In recruitment, MSPNG doesn’t only look at qualifications and experience. We look for a dynamic attitude, practical skills, enthusiasm and passion for the cause of improving the health of Papua New Guineans and empowering people with their reproductive rights.

Discover where your talent could take you.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Papua New Guinea's leading professional services firm invites you to apply for the following opportunities based in Port Moresby:

Administrator You will be supporting the practice with administration, filing processes, facility management and reception duties.

Personal Assistant

You provide administrative and secretarial support, schedule meetings, prepare presentations and manage diaries.

Receptionist

You will meet and greet our clients and deal with queries from the public. You will schedule meetings and provide general administrative services.

Consultant – Events, branding and marketing

You provide internal service to the firm in co-ordinating internal and external events and supporting the brand, marketing and sustainability strategies.

Candidate requirements for the above roles include:

Minimum completion of grade 12 education

Experience in a similar role in a professional environment

Knowledge of relevant computer software applications (Word, Excel and Powerpoint)

Strong communication and team working skills

Professional, reliable, proactive and flexible

Strong customer service skills.

Assistant Manager - Human Capital (HC)

You will be accountable for all transactional HC work. Additionally you will drive process improvement, policy development and strategic HC projects. This position provides good scope for accelerated growth, development and promotion.

With a degree in business or HC, you have a minimum of eight years broad HC experience in a best practise environment including resourcing, remuneration, policy, organisational development and strategic HC. Transitionally outstanding, you have strong change management, process improvement and team leadership skills. You are smart, dependable and driven and can comfortably navigate between transactional, conceptual and strategic work.

PwC offers in return significant development and career opportunities in a high growth business as well as an environment that inspires you to be your best.

To apply, please submit your CV together with your academic transcripts to pwc.pom@pg.pwc.com or PwC PNG Resourcing, PO Box 484, Port Moresby.

Hand deliver to 6th Floor Credit House , Cuthbertson Street Port Moresby

Applications close on Monday, 23 February 2015

MARIE Stopes staff in a group photograph.

Health Education and Clinical Services Program (HECS)

School of Medicine and Health Sciences, UPNG

Responsible for organising logistics and administrative duties for international consultants and advisers. You will work in a dynamic environment and have demonstrated skills in administration, organisation, time management and professional writing.

• Degree in Business Administration.

• Three years plus experience working as a Project or Administration Officer.

• Preferred experience in an academic institute and/or with a development partnerfunded grant program.

Responsible for day to day management and administrative duties of the Postgraduate Office. This position requires someone who can work in a fast paced office to support coordinating schedules, managing documents and correspondance, and assisting with general administration and logistics duties.

• Diploma/Degree in Administration or similar.

• Three years experience in administration or clerical work.

• Demonstrated proficiency in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook.

Responsible for providing transportation and maintainence services for HECS vehicles. This position requires someone who can work in a dynamic environment, with flexibility to work after hours and hold a current valid Class 1 licence.

• Five years professional working experience as a driver.

• Grade 10 level education standard.

• Basic motor mechanic knowledge (desirable).

For further information, please email png.recruitment@abtjta.com.au or contact Joe’anne Numiewra, HRD Specialist, on 323 8585. Applications may be submitted by email, fax (323 7364), hand delivery (1st Floor, Muruk Haus, Somare Ct, Waigani) or post (PO Box 1206, Waigani, NCD). Applications must include a current CV, document addressing key selection criteria and completed application coversheet.

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA LUTHERAN HEALTH SERVICES

Positions vacancies

Lutheran Health Services (LHS) is one of the Christian Health Service providers in Papua New Guinea. Serving within the mission of the Church we improve health in particularly the rural population in PNG. The National Office is seeking suitably qualified and experienced staff for the following positions:

2 Quality Control Officers

The Quality Control Officers are to uphold and maintain high quality clinical practices and clinical support services at LHS hospitals in accordance with national healthcare service standards. This includes implementation of internal facility audits, rating and reporting compliance levels and trends, managing database for quality system, ensuring clinical quality compliance with legal requirements, improving capacity of nursing staff and hospital’s management as well as to promote improvements at hospitals to comply with clinical standards.

One position is located at Gaubin Hospital on Karkar Island, Madang and oversees the quality assurance at this hospital as well as Yagaum Hospital. The other position is located at Braun Memorial Hospital in Finschhafen and oversees the quality assurance at this hospital and Etep Rural Hospital.

To be considered for this position, you must have

Nursing officer or equivalent, with at least 3 years proven experience in nursing

Demonstrated ability to conduct high level of clinical practice

Clear understanding of national healthcare service standards

Ability to proficiently interact with all levels of hospital’s hierarchies

Willingness to work within a faith-based organisation

Computer literacy: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, internet, and email

Fluency in English and Tok Pisin

2 Principals for Community Health Worker Training Schools

This position is based at Braun CHW Training School in Finchafen, Morobe Province and Gaubin CHW Training School based in Karkar, Madang Province

The principal will serve as the chief administrator of a school in developing and implementing policies, programs, curriculum activities, and budgets in a manner that promotes the educational development of each student and the professional development of each staff member.

To be considered for this position, you must have:

a bachelor’s degree in Health School Administration or relevant fields

5 - 10 years experiences in health teaching, administration and planning

Health Education Teaching qualification or equivalent

Master degree in education administration would be an advantage

Post graduate qualifications are encouraged to apply

Key Skills & Abilities

Plan, organize and prioritize work effectively, professionally and tactfully with LHS’ workforce and outside partners

Ability to work long hours, often under pressure with good practical skills

Demonstrate highest level of ethical behavior and has sober habits

Ability to solve problems and effective decision-making skills.

Must be a team player

If you possess the above requirements and/or requires further information on full JD, contact the LHS HR Manager on 472 6011 and/or submit applications including cover letter, curriculum vitae (CV), qualifications and references to:

LHS Human Resource Manager Lutheran Health Services. P. O. Box 80. LAE, Morobe Province.

Email: hrmanagerlhs@gmail.com

And/or hand delivered to: LHS Office, Top Town. 2nd Street, LAE, Morobe Province. Application closes on Friday 20th February 2015. Only short listed candidates will be notified.

Oil Search welcomes 2015 graduates

OIL Search continues to develop Papua New Guinea’s human resources, with the recruitment of 14 new people under its Graduate Program for 2015.

Peter Botten, Oil Search Managing Director, was on hand to congratulate each of the new graduates for being accepted into the Graduate Program.

“I warmly welcome you to Oil Search and I encourage you to make the most of the opportunity and to achieve great outcomes,”

Mr Botten said.

Mr Botten also encouraged the new recruits to work hard and to be responsible.

“You have joined Oil Search at an exciting time in its history and, despite the challenging market conditions, this is still a great company and business to be in right now.

“We value our people as a core element of our success and future growth plans and we will continue to develop our workforce, including our graduates, into a strong team with the right technical competencies and leadership skills.

“As graduates, you are the future of Oil Search and I hope that one day, one of you will become the Managing Director,” Mr Botten said.

The Graduate Program began with an off-

site orientation event that involved an introduction to Oil Search and the oil and gas industry, an overview of the graduate development program, professional development training focused on developing skills and knowledge in the areas of communication, leadership and time management.

Graduates then went on to complete comprehensive on-site safety training before commencing their fi rst placement in one of Oil Search’s offices or operational sites.

“One interesting aspect of the off-site orientation was having four existing graduates deliver part of the induction workshop for the new graduates. This included the introduction to Oil Search and its operations in PNG, the ‘Curve of Forgetting’ and the Oil Search leadership framework,” said Heidi Vestergaard, Oil Search Senior Learning & Organisation Development Consultant.

The successful cohort this year was selected from both PNG and Australian universities, including the PNG University of Technology, University of Papua New Guinea, Pacific Adventist University, Macquarie University, University of Newcastle and the University of Queensland. The graduates had studied a range of disciplines, including communication, engineering, the sciences and business.

Design your personal CV

BEFORE you start writing your resume, take time to read my Top 5 Resume Tips. They offer a refreshing point of view that will make your resume the best it can be.

Feel free to print out these tips, tape them to your computer, or put them where you’ll see them as you write your resume. Trust me, they hold the answers to all your resume questions. And they’ll make more and more sense as you move from one resume section to the next.

Top 5 Resume Tips

Your resume is about your future; not your past.

It is not a confessional. In other words, you don’t have to “tell all.” Stick to what’s relevant and marketable.

Don’t write a list of job descriptions. Write achievements!

Promote only skills you enjoy using. Never write about things you don’t want to repeat.

Be honest. You can be creative, but don’t lie.

Most job seekers have the same problem when they write their resumes: They feel overwhelmed trying to present themselves in such a concise form.

THE new recruits to under the OSL Graduate Program for 2015.

Are you looking for a Rewarding and challenging career

South Pacific Post Limited is seeking to recruit suitably qualified and highly motivated individual to fill in the role of a Marketing Officer.

In order to successfully represent The Post Courier newspaper you should meet the standards set in the following areas:

Marketing Officer|Port Moresby Based.

Education Qualifications

• Minimum year 12 education.

• Diploma/Degree in Sales & Marketing

Experience & Knowledge

• Minimum 3 years experience in Marketing

• Experience in Promotions & Events

Essential Skills/Attributes/Abilities

• Matured and be of sober habits

• Self Motivated and Innovative Thinker

• Good time management skills

• Desirable planning, organizing and presentational skills

• Excellent communication & negotiation skills.

• Demonstrate ability to work effectively with people at various levels.

• Must have drivers licence.

• Must be able to travel.

If your experiences, qualifications, skills and attributions fall within the above specification immediately forward your application with full resume to the:

PO Box 85, Port Moresby, NCD

Email: humanresource@spp.com.pg

Applications close: Friday 21st February, 2015 .

Racing at doomben and Morphettville tommorrow...

Samba set to contest Birthday Cup

HORSE RACING

ADELAIDE, Australia: South Australia’s leading trainer Phillip Stokes believes Eclair Samba will beat home stablemate Dylanson in the Listed Birthday Cup (2032m) at Morphettville on Saturday.

Talented stayer Eclair Samba is headed towards the Group 2 Adelaide Cup (3200m) at Morphettville on March 9. The five-year-old gelding finished third behind Lucky Lucky Lucky and Dylanson in the Rain Lover Plate (1950m) at Morphettville Parks on

Draw against Aimee

HORSE RACING

TRAINER Noel Doyle’s longrange plans for classy threeyear-old Aimee were thrown into confusion when she drew an outside barrier for her comeback at Doomben on Saturday.

Doyle had hoped to use the Garrard’s Horse and Hound Handicap (1200m) as a guide to whether Aimee would head to Sydney for the autumn carnival or to tackle Brisbane open-company races

He booked apprentice Matt McGuren to reduce Aimee’s weight from 59kg to 57kg which would have placed her nicely in the field.

“She has to start her campaign somewhere so I suppose we might as well run here,” Doyle said.

“But now we have to contend with barrier 16 as well. I should be used to it by now I have never known a horse draw outside barriers so often as she has in the past 18 months.”

Aimee has won five of her eight starts in Queensland including the Listed Ken Russell Stakes as a two-year-old. However, she failed to fire in two starts in Melbourne during the spring carnival.

NSW domination continue

HORSE RACING

NEWCASTLE gelding

January 31. He was beaten 0.8 lengths by the winner with a 0.4 length margin between himself and five-year-old stablemate Dylanson.

Stokes believes the result will be different this time around with Eclair Samba as he will continue to improve fitness wise whilst Dylanson is already spot on.

“There wasn’t much between the two horses in trackwork on Tuesday morning, but I’d think Eclair Samba would have the edge on Dylanson because he’s still on the up and Dylanson is rock-hard

fit,” Stokes told News Corp.

“(Eclair Samba) didn’t have a great deal of luck — he got caught three-wide. He didn’t get beaten far.

“The horse is going super.” Eclair Samba’s lead-up runs to the $400,000 Adelaide Cup will be crucial with Stokes indicating that the results need to be on the board now in order to pursue a start in the two-mile feature race.

“The Adelaide Cup is his goal, we’ve brought him along slowly and he’s improved every run. “He has to (be performing) now, the next

few runs are pretty important going into an Adelaide Cup.

“We need him to be doing his best work.”

Weights for the Birthday Cup were raised 3kg following Akzar (nominated to carry 62kg) and Texan Warney (57kg) not accepting for the event which should suit Eclair Samba.

He will only carry 58kg in comparison to his rivals who all carry 57kg apart from Lucky Lucky Lucky who will carry 57.5kg.

The son of Ekraar has captured eight of his 20 starts to

go along with seven minor placings. Given his record of five wins and six minor placings from 13 attempts on Good rated track surfaces, it is easy to think that firmer ground suits but Stokes said that the gelding enjoyed a softer track, which is also backed up by two wins from three attempts on Heavy going.

“Everyone thinks (he) needs hard tracks but he’s actually better with a bit of sting out of the ground,” Stokes said.

“If we get some rain, which I doubt, around Adelaide Cup time, we’d be very happy.”

Lujac out keep slipper bid alive

HORSE RACING

Golden Slipper-winning trainer Bruce Brown hasn’t given up hope of figuring again on the honour roll for the world’s richest two-year-old race.

Brown’s youngster Lujac is one of only a handful of Brisbane-trained horses to make the second acceptance stage for the $3.5 million Golden Slipper at Rosehill on March 21.

Lujac has run third at his only two starts and is a $13 chance in the Sky Racing TV Handicap (1050m) at Doomben

bottom line

on Saturday. On paper, the Golden Slipper may be optimistic for Lujac but no one would dispute Brown’s ability to pinpoint a future big-race winner.

He trained Calaway Gal to win the 2002 Golden Slipper and Emma’s Affair to win the 1995 $1 million Pelican Waters Classic.

Brown keeps a small stable but has won a string of other big races with horses such as Starmaker (Prime Ministers Cup), Dixie Kid (Ipswich Cup), Halison (BTC Stakes) and Morning Lover (BTC

Breeders’ Classic). He comes from one of New Zealand’s best-known racing families with his father Syd Brown the trainer of legendary gallopers such as Triton and Daryl’s Joy.

Brown said his high opinion of Lujac seemed to grow each day.

“I don’t have many horses and it gives you a chance to concentrate on them,” he said. “When I first got Lujac in for a campaign he got a virus and then he didn’t take to being gelded.

“This time he has gradually

matured. Each day I look at him and think you are getting bigger and better.”

Brown said it was obviously a big step up from a Doomben two-year-old race to winning the Golden Slipper.

“I have an opinion this horse will make it eventually. Maybe, it won’t be this campaign and people will say we aimed too high,” he said.

“But it cost us $2000 to be a second acceptor.

If he wins his next two starts in Brisbane we would be saying perhaps the Slipper isn’t a dream.”

Julie Krone was the top money-winning female jockey of the year 13 times in her career.

Aghamore is set to continue a NSW plunder of Brisbane races at Doomben on Saturday.

Country NSW trainers have made regular winning visits to Brisbane in the past 12 months and while Aghamore has been a consistent performer in Sydney, trainer Todd Howlett believes he is better placed to make his mark in Queensland’s openhandicap class.

Aghamore, which contests the Gallopers Membership Handicap, won at Warwick Farm two start back and then finished an unlucky fifth to Oxford Poet at Rosehill two weeks ago.

THUBIAAN is no stranger to success on the flat.

BROWN’S youngster Lujac.

The

Racing at Randwick tommorrow...

Cassidy fresh and ready for Randwick

HORSE RACING

JIM Cassidy will be back in the saddle at Randwick on Saturday after a summer break and expects to make his usual fast start.

The grand slam winning hoop hasn’t ridden since getting a one-month suspension on December 27 and he took

a couple of extra weeks to be race fit.

“I have been working hard and I’m fresh and ready,” Cassidy said. “I have four nice rides to start with, including Hawkspur in the Apollo Stakes, Kristy Lee and Echo Gal [in the Light Fingers Stakes], and would love to get a winner to start off.”

Cassidy has a habit of coming back a winner after breaks and it is all in the preparation. “You have to be ready to go on your first day. It has been a little harder this time but I’m ready,” he said. He is also looking forward to getting back on Dear Demi for John Singleton at the Warwick Farm barrier trials on

Monday. “She is the sort of mare you are looking forward to the carnival with,” Cassidy said. “I’m riding a couple of others babies for Singo [on Monday] as well.”

The Warwick Farm trials will continue the roll out of stars heading towards The Championships. The first heat features Victoria Derby

MALAVIO READY

A close-up finish by Malavio in the Expressway Stakes has convinced his trainer he is ready to take on Sydney’s weight-for-age stars again. After 10 months away from the track, Malavio finished fifth of 11 in the Group Two Expressway (1200m), less than two lengths from the winner Weary. He lines up against a similar field in Saturday’s Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick with Steve Englebrecht as happy as he has ever been with his stable star.

CUMMINGS PAIR

As he looks forward to the return of dual Group One winner Fiveandahalfstar, trainer Anthony Cummings has been forced to delay the debut of the gelding’s sibling Ritzy. The filly was due to begin her career at Canterbury on Wednesday but a twisted ankle put paid to those plans, leaving her stablemate Love Las Vegas to represent the stable in the 1100m race for two-year-old fillies.

“Ritzy is a valuable filly who we have always thought would be a better three-year-old and we have to look after her,” Cumming said.

LEES ASSEMBLES

On a race day which promises to be an important autumn carnival preview, Newcastle trainer Kris Lees finds himself in an enviable position.

Lees will have four runners in three stakes events at Randwick on Saturday while his other entrant, Selectify, will tackle a support race in the hope of adding his name to the trainer’s carnival team.

TEAM FRUSTRATES

Peter Snowden has a young team of horses that might not be ready to bloom for another year. But there are still plenty to keep his and son Paul’s partnership in the forefront of punters’ minds.

winner Preferment and Who Shot Thebarman, which was third in the Melbourne Cup, from the Chris Waller yard. Dear Demi’s heat includes Rain Affair and Kuro from the Joe Pride yard while their stablemates group 1 winning sprinter Terravista and Tiger Tees face off in the fourth heat.

Princefamous put another win on the board for him at Canterbury on Wednesday after Lofty’s Menu was beaten as favourite in the opener, but both are works in progress.

“These are the horses that have come to hand a bit quicker, but it takes 18 months to know where you stand with a lot of them,” Snowden said.

“We have a lot of younger horses, two- and three-yearolds, that take a lot of time and it can be frustrating.

Stakes hopeful Valentina impresses in track work

HORSE RACING

LUCIA Valentina will return to racing in the 2015 Apollo Stakes at Royal Randwick on Saturday and the talented mare impressed trainer Kris Lees with her final piece of serious trackwork ahead of the Group 2 event.

Lucia Valentina has not been seen at the races since he finished a tough 13th in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4, but according to Lees has come up well ahead of the start of her autumn

The bottom line

campaign. The Savabeel mare started her 2014 Spring Racing Carnival with a fast-finishing victory in the Group 1 Tramway Stakes (1400m) over the same track and distance as the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) and although Lees does not think the fouryear-old is as forward for this weekend’s race, he is still expecting a strong effort from his star mare.

“She as nice and keen,” Lees said. “We didn’t want to do too much and she would have run time if we let her, but we will save that for Saturday hope-

fully. “She is coming up quite well, but I only have her one trial and I gave her two trials last time. “She was probably a little more forward last preparation, but that said she is in really good order and she is going to the races about 15 kilos heavier this time around.

“It will come down to the pace of the race and certain things, she is a backmarker so there are all those variables, but I am expecting her to run well. “It looks a really good race on paper.”

Kerrin McEvoy rode Lucia Valentina in her five race

starts during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival, but leading Sydney jockey Hugh Bowman is set to reunite with the four-year-old for her autumn preparation after winning the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) with her last autumn.

Bowman partnered Lucia Valentina in a barrier trial over 900 metres at Newcastle on February 2 and Lees is taking confidence from the fact that the highly sort after hoop has committed to riding the dual Group 1 winner in the 2015 Apollo Stakes.

JIM Cassidy back in the saddle.

LUCIA Valentina is chasing another first-up win in the 2015 Apollo Stakes at Royal Randwick this weekend.

A horse named Aristides won the very first Kentucky Derby way back in 1875. The race has been run every year since.

Thai officials urge ‘no sex’ on Valentine’s Day

BANGKOK city officials are urging young Thais to forgo sex on Valentine’s Day this weekend and visit temples instead, as a far better way to mark the day of love.

Thailand has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in South East Asia, public health officials said, and faces HIV infection rates among its gay population comparable to those in Africa’s AIDS hotspots.

The February 14 celebrations are a popular Western import in tourist-friendly Thailand, but the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is worried about teenagers making love.

Media surveys have shown teenagers in Thailand pick Valentine’s Day as the perfect day to lose their virginity.

“If kids really love each other, it’s better for them to go and free birds and fish or go to the temple,” said Pirapong Saicheua, an official of the city authority. Freeing caged birds is an auspicious Buddhist ritual that believers in Thailand and elsewhere in Asia see as a way of enhancing their merit, or karma.

“Better to put your minds at ease. Don’t obsess over something inappropriate for your age,” Mr Pirapong said.

Predominantly Buddhist Thailand remains mostly conservative despite its reputation as a hotspot for gay bars, nightclubs and massage parlours.

This year, an administration worried over the spike in teenage pregnancies made available 3.5 million condoms in 68 healthcare centres and 10 city hospitals.

Thailand’s health ministry also plans to install condom vending machines in high schools, said Sophon Mekthon, who heads the ministry’s disease control department.

Most students welcomed the project, first tested in 2010, but it was opposed by parents who fear the machines could encourage teenagers to have sex.

“Two out of three kids gave positive feedback, but around 90 per cent of parents strongly disagreed,” Mr Pirapong said. Still, young people in Bangkok said there was little chance of moral guardians persuading them to rein in sexual activity.

“I think sex can’t be prohibited,” said Khemaphat Santong, a 21-yearold student at the city’s Chulalongkorn University.

“I mean, in some public places, yes, but stopping someone from doing it entirely is impossible.”– ABC

South Korea ‘nut rage’ official guilty

A SOUTH Korean court has found a former executive of national airline Korean Air guilty of breaking aviation law over the “nut rage” case.

Heather Cho was accused of forcing the plane to turn back to the gate and offload a steward because she did not like the way she had been served nuts.

The violation can carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Prosecutors have asked for three years.

The case has sparked huge interest in South Korea.

Cho, who was a vice-president with the airline, was found guilty of obstructing aviation safety.

She had ordered her Seoulbound plane which was taxiing at New York’s JFK Airport to return to the gate and offload the chief steward on 5 December.

Witnesses say she became angry after being served macadamia

Myanmar revokes Rohingya voting rights

ROHINGYA Muslims will not be able to vote in Myanmar’s referendum after President Thein Sein withdrew temporary voting rights following protests.

Hundreds of Buddhists took to the streets following the passage of a law that would allow temporary residents who hold “white papers” to vote.

More than one million Rohingya live in Myanmar, but they are not regarded as citizens by the government.

In 2012, violence between Muslims and Buddhists left more than 200 dead.

The clashes broke out in Rakhine province and sparked religious attacks across the country.

The so-called white papers were introduced in 2010 by the former military junta to allow the Rohingya and other minorities to vote in a general election.

Thein Sein had originally persuaded parliament to grant white-paper holders the vote, but later apparently changed his mind. The announcement came just hours after demonstrations in Yangon. Those protesting resent what they see as the integration of non-citizens into the country.

“White card holders are not citizens and those who are non-citizens don’t have the right to vote in other countries,” said Shin Thumana, a Buddhist monk who took part in the protest.

“This is just a ploy by politicians to win votes.”

However, Rohingya MP Shwe Maung, whose constituency is in Rakhine, argued that voting rights had only become an issue following the violence in 2012. Buddhist monks are at the forefront of protests against Muslims.

-BBC news

nuts in a bag and not in a bowl.

Her defence team argued that aviation safety had not been violated as the plane was still being pushed by a truck towards the runway.

However, the judge rejected that

argument saying the plane was classed as in flight and she interfered, correspondents say.

Cho, who is the daughter of the chairman of Korean Air, was also charged with assault and interfering in an investigation. -BBC

THE February 14 celebrations are a popular Western import in Thailand. Picture: ABC/REUTERS

Prosecutors have called for Ms Cho (pictured) to be jailed for three years. Picture: BBC

TransAsia pilots fail safety tests

SOME 29 pilots working for Taiwanese airline TransAsia have been suspended after failing or missing safety tests, a week after a fatal crash.

The airline said the results were not acceptable and promised to improve the training of its pilots.

Regulators ordered the tests after a TransAsia plane crashed in Taipei, killing at least 42 people. The airline has offered $470,000 (£309,000) in compensation to the family of each victim.

Taiwanese media said all the families had rejected the offer. TransAsia made similar payouts to families of passengers killed in another crash last July.

The Civil Aviation Authority ordered the tests after TransAsia flight GE235 crashed into a lake shortly after take-off from Songshan

airport in Taipei. Dramatic dashcam footage showed the plane banking severely left and hitting an elevated road before crashing in the Keelung River.

Officials have said the left engine of the twin-engine plane was shut down manually by the crew for unknown reasons after the right one “flamed out”.

The aviation regulator said on Wednesday that out of 68 pilots, 10 failed oral proficiency tests designed to show how they would handle an emergency. Nineteen were unable to take the test because of sickness or travel, and were suspended until they could take it.

“The result is not acceptable for us,” TransAsia chief executive Peter Chen said during a news conference. -BBC news

Army chopper goes missing

TOKYO: Japan’s military is searching for a naval training helicopter that went missing with three people on board.

Ground commanders lost contact with the chopper when it was in the air above Kagoshima prefecture in southwestern Japan, a

spokesman for the Maritime Self-Defence Force, Japan’s navy, said on Thursday.

“We are searching for an aircraft with three crew members including a trainee on board, and are investigating the cause of the incident,” he said. -AAP news

JOURNALISTS surround an employee working on a production line of a high speed train model, at China CNR’s Tangshan Railway Vehicle. China CNR said it was interested in buying foreign rail-linked technologies as China seeks to export its high-speed trains and rail expertise. Picture: BBC

Taiwan jail seige ends in suicides

TAIPEI: Six prisoners at a southern Taiwan jail took their own lives, ending a stand-off after they took several staff hostage to complain about unfair trials and demand their freedom.

The prisoners shot themselves inside Kaohsiung city prison early on Thursday, the justice ministry said, adding that the prison chief and another senior staffer who were being held after a hostage swap were unharmed.

“We tried to use all kinds of means to persuade them to release the hostages so the incident could come to a peaceful end and to prevent an unfortunate situation. We regret that six people took their lives,” said Wu Hsien-chang, chief of the ministry’s corrections agency.

The ministry said negotiations with the six prisoners ran through the night, but did not say what prompted them to kill themselves.

The stand-off began on Wednesday when the inmates - jailed for a variety of crimes including murder, robbery and drugs - broke into a weapons storage room, obtained four rifles and six handguns, and took three staff hostage.

They later agreed to release them in exchange for the prison chief and a senior staffer, the justice ministry said.

Television images showed police armed with rifles and protective gear

At a glance

DEMAND: Six prisoners complained of unfaur trials and demand for their freedom.

HOSTAGES UNHARMED: The prisoners killed themselves but the hostages are unharmed.

surrounding the prison. A senior Kaohsiung policeman said more than 250 officers had been mobilised.

Lee Rong-tsung, a former councillor at the Kaohsiung City Council who reportedly knew one of the inmates, said they were unhappy about their “unfair trials” and complained that their jail terms were too long.

The leader of the six was identified by police as Cheng Li-teh, a top member of a notorious triad group known as the Bamboo Union Gang. Sentenced to 28 years for murder, he had been behind bars since August 2012.

Cheng complained that Taiwan’s former president Chen Shui-bian - who was sentenced to 20 years for graft - was given parole for medical treatment last month.

“Chen Shui-bian was an inmate too, but why was he paroled and described as a political prisoner?” Cheng said in a statement read out by the justice ministry’s Wu.

JOURNOS SWARM TRAIN MODEL WORKER

FRESH PRODUCE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (FPDA), INSTITUTE OF NATIONAL AFFAIRS (INA) & CONSULTATIVE IMPLEMENTATION & MONITORING COUNCIL (CIMC) JOINT WORKSHOP

February 18th & 19th 2015, Bird of Paradise Hotel, Goroka EHP

THEME:

A joint workshop is being organised by Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA), Consultative Implementation & Monitoring Council (CIMC) and Institute of National Affairs (INA) on the 18th - 19th February 2015, at the Bird of Paradise Hotel, Goroka, and is supported by Exxon Mobil (PNG) Limited.

This is a follow up workshop from the Inaugural Horticulture Value Chain Conference which was held in Port Moresby, March, 2014 . The conference achieved positive outcomes which many farmers and stakeholders expressed satisfaction. It set the platform for close collaboration and partnership to address major issues, challenges and expanding income opportunities for smallholder farmers and other value chain players.

Under the theme: “promoting local fresh produce by linking farmers to the markets”, the workshop will deliberate on the recommendations of the conference and develop a National Action Plan, which will guide the development of the food and horticulture sector in the country.

Speakers representing key public agencies and private sector within PNG and abroad will make presentations and lead discussions which will contribute to the development of the strategy.

Day 1: Wednesday 18th February 2015

TIMEACTIVITY

8:00-8:50 REGISTRATION

SESSION 1CHAIRPERSON: Mr. Mathew Kanua Managing Director, Agmovers Ltd/Freelance Consultant

8:50-9:00 OPENING PRAYER

9:00-9:20

9:20-9:40

Pastor Zuzai Hizoke, SDA Church, Goroka Town

WELCOME & PURPOSE OF WORKSHOP

Mr. Mark Worinu, Executive Manager-RPC, FPDA

Mrs. Wallis Yakam, Executive Officer, CIMC

KEYNOTE ADDRESS- Experiences in adding value from farmer to the market for fresh produce: Challenges & Opportunities

Hon. Bire Kimisopa MP Goroka Open

9:40-10:00 PRESENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE GATEWAY CONFERENCE

Mr. Robert Lutulele, Acting General Manager, FPDA

10:00-10:20 DISCUSSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

10:20-10:30MORNING TEA

10:30-10:50

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE-Practical actions to developing an effective fresh produce value chain (from refrigerators to wholesale) BRISBANE MARKETS- Experiences in facilitating fresh produce markets

Kris Gosper, General Manager, Total Food Network, Brisbane

SESSION 2CHAIRPERSON: Mr. Paul Barker, Executive Director, Institute of National Affairs

Theme: Plans and strategies for facilitating production and marketing of fresh produce in the medium and long term, including LNG revenues

Day 2: Thursday 19th February 2015

TIMEACTIVITY

8:30-9:00 REGISTRATION

SESSION 1CHAIRPERSON: Chey Schovel, CEO, PNG Manufacturers Council

Theme: Facilitating an efficient value chain from farmers to the markets: what are some critical elements to improve production at farmer level to accessing markets? Continued

9:00-9:40 Strategies for improving standards and quality in the fresh produce sector

Mr. Joel Alu, Acting Managing Director, National Agriculture Quarantine & Inspection Authority (NAQIA)

Mr. Victor Gabi, Managing Director, National Institute of Standards and Industrial Technology

9:40-10:20 Policy & financial support initiatives for fresh produce sector

Mr. John Andreas, Secretary, Department of Trade Commerce and Industry

Mr. Moses Liu, Managing Director, National Development Bank (NDB)

10:20-10:40 DISCUSSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

10:40-11:00MORNING TEA

SESSION 2CHAIRPERSON: Mr. Martin Brash, Capacity Building Advisor, SPSN

Theme: Developing an action plan for the fresh produce sector going forward

11:00-11:40 Group Discussions Facilitator:

Mr. Emmanuel Peni, INA Project Manager, Financial Capability Study

11:40-12:20 Group Presentations on Action Plan to Plenary

12:20-1:00 Endose Action Plan

10:50-11:10

Incentives (Tax/Budget) and support for rural farmers in the fresh produce sector

Dr. Dairi Vele, Acting Secretary, Department of Treasury

11:10-11:30 Sector plans and strategies to enhancing effeciency in production in the fresh produce sector

Dr. Vele Pat Ila’ava, Secreatary, Department of Agriculture and Livestock

11:30-11:50 Private Sector Experience

Mr. John Gethin Jones, Managing Director National Catering Services

Exxon Mobil-EMPNG

11:50-12:20 DISCUSSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

12:20-1:30LUNCH

SESSION 3CHAIRPERSON: Dr. Mark Solon, Dean of Post Graduate Studies UOG

Theme: Facilitating an efficient value chain from farmers to the markets: what are some critical elements to improve quality production at farmer level to accessing markets?

1:00pm CLOSE & LUNCH

6:00-8:00pm GUEST SPEAKER: Hon. Julie Soso Governor, Eastern Highlands Province

Farewel Dinner Hosted by FPDA

For Further Information

Contact Ethel Naged or Zaala Sari at FPDA

Telephone: 5323356 Fax: 5323357

1:30-1:50

1:50-2:10

2:10-2:30

Experiences of farmers and retailers

Mrs Tess Euko, Managing Director, Oro Vegetables

Enhancing accessibility to markets and resource support for fresh produce farmers through policies and ICT

Mr. Charles Punaha, CEO, National Information & Communication Technology Authority (NICTA)

Improving efficiency and effectiveness of fresh produce value chains through research and technology development

Dr. Sergie Bang, Director, National Agriculture Research Institute

2:30-2:50 DISCUSSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

2:50-3:10AFTERNOON TEA

3:10-3:30 Capacity building and traiing for improving quality and sustainability in fresh produce sector

3:30-4:00

Mr. Peter Navus, Head of Agriculture Department PNGUNRE

Improving transportation for effecient delivery and affordability (emphasizing on refrigerators and wholesale: challenges & issues

Mr. Roy Mumu Secretary Department of Transport 4:00DAY

Email: zala.sari@fpda.com.pg or email: cindytebs@gmail.com

Contact Lovelyn Ungere or Wallis Yakam at CIMC

Telephone: 3211714 Fax: 3211718

Email: lovelyn.ungere@cimcpng.org or wallis.yakam@cimcpng.org;

“PROMOTING LOCAL FRESH PRODUCE BY LINKING FARMERS TO MARKETS: DEVELOPING AN ACTION PLAN”

Islamic State will lose, says Obama

PRESIDENT Barack Obama has said Islamic State (IS) militants “will lose” as he asks Congress to formally authorise military force against them.

“Our coalition is on the offensive. Isil [IS] is on the defensive, and Isil is going to lose,” he said.

He warned against dragging the US into another prolonged ground war and called on lawmakers to show a united front.

The US has carried out air strikes against IS since last year, in a coalition with other nations.

It’s the first time a US president has sought Congressional approval to use military force since President George W Bush in 2002, ahead of the invasion of Iraq.

In a White House address, he said the draft authorisation did not change the mission’s core objective to “degrade and destroy” IS.

Flanked by the VicePresident Joe Biden, and the US secretaries of state and defence at the White House, Mr Obama said this did not signal an “endless war”.

He said he was “convinced that the United States should not get dragged back into another prolonged ground war in the Middle East” but

said fighting IS would take “some time”.

Backing from Congress would send a powerful message that the US was united in its opposition, he said. “Make no mistake. This is a difficult mission,” Mr Obama said. “But our coalition is on the offensive. ISIL is on the defensive, and ISIL is going to lose.”

Wednesday’s draft proposal would repeal Mr Bush’s 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) but would leave in place the 2001 resolution that was approved after the 9/11 terror attacks in order to search for al-Qaeda operatives.

Political cover plays a role here. Liberals have been upset about the AUMF because Obama has used it to justify drone strikes and the killing of an American.

-BBC news

The Management and staff of Oil Search extend their most sincere condolences to the family, relatives and friends of the late Luke Sarigon.

Late Luke Sarigon joined the Supply Chain Department as Warehouse Lead – Picker on 24 July 2007. Up to his untimely death on 6th February 2015 he was employed as an Inventory Stock Taker based at Ridge.

Late Luke was a dedicated and hardworking employee. Luke will always be remembered for his happy and friendly nature, and will be sadly missed by all OSL employees especially those he worked with in the Supply Chain Department.

Suspect charged in US shooting

POLICE say a gunman charged with killing three young Muslims in North Carolina may have done so over a parking dispute.

Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, who had posted anti-religious messages on Facebook, was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder near the University of North Carolina campus.

The victims were newlyweds Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, a University of North Carolina dental student, his wife Yusor Mohammad, 21, and Yusor’s sister, 19-year-old Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha.

All were involved in humanitarian aid programs.

The father of the two women, Mohammad Abu-Salha, a psychiatrist in Clayton, told the News & Observer that his daughters wore Muslim headscarves and that the killings bore signs of a hate crime based on religion and culture.

“It was execution style, a bullet in every head,” Mr Abu-Salha told the Raleigh, North Carolina-based newspaper.

“This was not a dispute over a parking space; this was a hate crime.

“This man had picked on my daughter and her husband a couple of times before, and he talked with them with his gun in his belt. And they were uncomfortable with him,

At a glance

REPORT: Police say a gunman charged with killing three young Muslims in North Carolina may have done so over a parking dispute.

CHARGE:Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, was charged for posting anti-religious messages.

but they did not know he would go this far.”

But police said a preliminary investigation indicated the motive was an ongoing neighbourhood dispute over parking.

They said Hicks turned himself in and was cooperating with police.

“We understand the concerns about the possibility that this was hate-motivated and we will exhaust every lead to determine if that is the case,” Chapel Hill police chief Chris Blue said in a statement.

On Facebook, Hicks’ profile picture reads “Atheists for Equality” and he has frequently posted quotes critical of religion.

The page showed dozens of antireligious posts, including one calling himself an “anti-theist” saying he has a “conscientious objection to religion” and others memes denouncing Christianity, Mormonism, and Islam. - ABC news

US news anchor Brian Williams has been suspended by his employer, NBC, after he admitted giving a misleading account of coming under fire in Iraq. He is the most-watched network anchor in the US. Picture: BBC

NBC NEWS ANCHOR SUSPENDED

US President Barack Obama

Reaching Sustainable Population: 2014 Update

Summary

In 2014, the O’Neil-Dion government launched the Responsible Sustainable Development Strategy. As part of the Strategy, Marie Stopes PNG (MSPNG) was contracted to provide quality, voluntary family planning (FP) services to 20,000 clients across NCD, Central, Madang, Morobe, Southern Highlands, Enga and Milne Bay provinces.

PNG, Em mi yah

MSPNG provides families with information and quality services so they can decide when and how many children they have. Responsible, sustainable development starts at home. With choice, girls have been able to finish school, first-time parents have been able to adequately care for their newborn and families have been able to choose the number of children they want.

Case Study: Generations of Change

In November, Marie received an message on her phone. “Family Planning can help you achieve your dreams. Free services will be offered by Marie Stopes Kenu Kundu festival this weekend.”

Marie’s bright young daughter, Elvie, had dropped out of school the year before to care for her new baby, an unplanned pregnancy that had affected her life chances. Marie was determined to help her daughter get her life back on track, and to protect her younger daughter, Batsheva, from the same challenges.

Providing Choice, Changing Lives

Over 21,000 clients, 109% of the 2014 target, have now been provided with their choice of FP or sexual and reproductive health service thanks to support by the Government of PNG.

However, almost one million women are still at risk of unwanted pregnancy. MSPNG continues to believe that everyone has the right to have children by choice, not chance and supports the government, through the Strategy, National Health Plan and Population Policy to make it a reality.

Their village is more than 6 hours from Alotau by dinghy and regularly reaching a health facility is all but impossible. “I would like my children to grow up without unwanted pregnancies”, Marie said. She brought both girls to the festival. Both girls received counselling, which reassured them about the effectiveness of their chosen method and how it would affect their bodies. Both girls received the implant on the spot and returned home with greater hope for the future.

“You th a nd Ra dio”

13 February is World Radio Day a day to celebrate radio as a medium; to improve international cooperation between broadcasters; and to encourage major networks and community radio alike to promote access to information, and free, independent and pluralistic media.

This year theme is ‘Youth and Radio’, with the goal of promoting greater participation of youth in radio, not only as listeners, but as producers and broadcasters

Supported by the National Information & Communications Technology Authority of Papua New Guinea

Drastic delcine in media freedom

PARIS: Media freedom has suffered a “drastic decline” worldwide last year in part because of extremist groups such as Islamic State and Boko Haram, the watchdog group Reporters Without Borders says.

“There has been an overall deterioration linked to very different factors, with information wars, and action by non-state groups acting like news despots,” the head of the Paris-based group, Christophe Deloire, said on the Thursday release of its annual evaluation.

The Reporters Without Borders 2015 World Press Freedom Index stated that there were 3719 violations of freedom of information in 180 countries in 2014 - eight per cent more than a year earlier.

All parties in conflicts raging in the Middle East and Ukraine were waging “a fearsome information war” where media personnel were directly targeted to be killed, captured or pressured to relay propaganda, it said.

The bottom line

At a glance

RISK: The criminalisation of blasphemy endangers freedom of information in around half of the world’s countries,” the report said, noting that religious extremists sometimes also go after journalists or bloggers they believe do not sufficiently respect their god or prophet.

The Islamic State group active in Syria and Iraq, Boko Haram in northern Nigeria and Cameroon, and criminal organisations in Italy and Latin America all used “fear and reprisals to silence journalists and bloggers who dare to investigate or refuse to act as their mouthpieces,” said the watchdog, known by its French initials RSF.

North Africa and the Middle East contained notable “black holes” in which “entire regions are controlled by non-state groups in which independent information simply does not exist”, the group said. -AAP news

THE CARNIVAL OF VENICE

MASKED revellers strike a pose in front of gondolas during the annual Carnival of Venice which was originated in the year 1162. Although it was stamped out by the French in 1797, it was reintroduced with vigour in 1979. Masked revellers strike a pose in front of gondolas.It now attracts around 3 million visitors who come to see the elaborate masks and costumes, which were traditionally worn for anonymity in the crowded Italian city. Picture: ABC/REUTERS

Ukraine: Russia’s demands unacceptable

UKRAINIAN President Petro Poroshenko has said Russian conditions in ongoing negotiations in Belarus over the conflict in Ukraine are “unacceptable”.

He was speaking to reporters during a break in marathon talks involving Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The four-way meeting, also

being attended by the leaders of France and Germany, began late on Wednesday and continued into Thursday morning.

Thousands of people have been killed in the fighting in the east of Ukraine.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande are lead-

ing the peace initiative in Minsk.

After about 14 hours of overnight talks, Mr Poroshenko said there was “no good news yet”.

He told reporters that Russia had set “conditions that I consider unacceptable”.

He declined to elaborate but added that there was “al-

Journalist do their job at the risk of their safety or even their lives for the good of others.

ways hope” as talks were continuing. They were set to focus on securing a ceasefire, withdrawal of heavy weapons and creating a demilitarised zone.

Russia has been accused of arming and reinforcing proRussian rebels in eastern Ukraine - a claim it denies. -BBC news

Demascus strikes ‘kill nearly 200’

AIR strikes by Syria’s air force around Damascus have killed almost 200 people over the past 10 days, activists say.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the strikes were in the Ghouta green belt outside the city, particularly in the suburb of Duma.

Rocket attacks launched from parts of the Ghouta by rebel group Army of Islam killed at least 10 people on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Syrian army units and Hezbollah special forces have also retaken areas south of Damascus.

An Army of Islam representative said the rocket attacks on government-controlled parts of Damascus were “revenge” for the Syrian military bombing civilian areas.

Many of the wounded were taken from the rubble of flattened buildings to medical centres on Tuesday, the Observatory said.

The total number killed in government air strikes in the

Ghouta has reached 183 over the past 10 days, according to the same source.

The Observatory reported that one barrel bomb attack on a Ghouta market last Thursday alone killed at least 40 people.

In an interview with the BBC this week, President Bashar al-Assad denied that his army used “indiscriminate” weapons or barrel bombs, which are containers packed with explosives and projectiles.

Syrian state media reported that army units alongside fighters from Hezbollah, a militant Lebanese Shia Islamist movement that backs the president, had captured several towns and villages to the south of Damascus on Wednesday.

The seizures were made as part of a government counteroffensive launched against rebel groups including the al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, al-Nusra Front, which had taken parts of the Quneitra region in late 2014. -BBC

Western Powers close embassies

THE US, UK and France are closing their embassies in Yemen due to the deteriorating security situation and political crisis in the country.

The US and UK governments have withdrawn diplomatic staff from Sanaa and urged their citizens to leave.

France’s embassy in the capital has announced that it will close on Friday.

The moves come as the UN attempts to broker

talks between political factions and Shia rebels who control Sanaa and dissolved parliament last week.

President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and his cabinet resigned on 22 January after the rebels, known as Houthis, overran the presidential palace and placed them under effective house arrest. The Houthis have taken over predominantly Sunni parts of central and western

Hezbollah in Syria fight near Israel

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Syrian regime forces and Iranian officers fighting rebels in southern Syria have advanced to the edge of Israeli-occupied territory, a monitor and state media say.

“Regime troops and their Hezbollah-led allies are advancing in the area linking Daraa, Quneitra and Damascus provinces”, close to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Wednesday said.

Yemen in recent months, sparking battles with tribesmen and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), after advancing from their stronghold in the far north and seizing Sanaa in September.

The crisis has threatened to derail the UN-backed transition to democracy launched after mass protests forced long time President Ali Abdullah Saleh to hand over power to Mr Hadi in 2011. -BBC

For the first time, Syrian state television acknowledged that President Bashar al-Assad’s army is being backed by Hezbollah and Iranian officers in its fight against a nearly four-year rebellion.

“The operation launched by the Syrian army is being fought in co-operation with... Hezbollah and Iran,” a Syrian army officer told state television.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP: “It’s Hezbollah that is leading the attack on the southern front.”

On January 18, six Hezbollah fighters and an Iranian general were killed in an Israeli air strike in Quneitra. –AAP news

THE US said “recent unilateral actions” had disrupted the political transition process in Yemen. Picture: BBC

valentine’s day

For advertising, call 309 1103 or email lotej@spp.com.pg

Happy Valentine’s Day

For editorial, call 309 1107 or email kialaw@spp.com.pg

Boroko craft market gift ideas

BY DIANNE WAKETSI

WITH Valentines Day just around a day away, everyone is looking for last-minute gift ideas for that special someone.

One such place to check out for prospective gifts for your partner is the Tabari craft market which sells a wide range of qual-

ity and affordable accessories.

Local arts from all around

Port Moresby and the Central Province come to sell products such as meri blouses, billums, jewellery, carvings and even the odd herbalist with remedies for all sorts of curable diseases.

Ideal gifts for men include billum caps, baskets and carvings

while for females there can be found a wide range of fashionable meri blouses, hand crafter jewellery likes rings and earrings, the latest style of billums.

So if you still haven’t found the ideal gift for your loved one head on down to the Tabari Market today.

SAINT Valentine’s Day, also known as Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is a holiday observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, although it is not a holiday in most of them.

St Valentine’s Day began as a liturgical celebration one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. Several martyrdom stories were invented for the various Valentines that belonged to February 14, and added to later martyrologies. A popular hagiographical account of Saint Valentine of Rome states that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted

under the Roman Empire. According to legend, during his imprisonment, he healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius. An embellishment to this story states that before his execution he wrote her a letter signed “Your Valentine” as a farewell. Today, Saint Valentine’s Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion, as well as in the Lutheran Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates Saint Valentine’s Day, albeit on July 6 and July 30, the former date in honor of the Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and the latter date in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni).

CONTINUED PAGE 72

VALENTINE’S Day means roses and chocolates.

LION DANCE AT LAMANA

LION dancers entertaining guests at the Lamana Hotel during a previous Lunar Valentine’s event. This year is expected to be bigger and more spectacular with fireworks added.

History and St Valentine’s

FROM PAGE 71

In Brazil, the Dia de São Valentim is recognized on June 12.

The day was fi rst associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as “valentines”). In Europe, Saint Valentine’s Keys are given to lovers “as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver’s heart”, as well as to children, in order to ward off Saint Valentine’s Malady. Valentine’s Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.

Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine. The Valentines honored on February 14 are Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae). Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who was martyred about AD 496 and was buried on the Via Flaminia. The relics of Saint Valentine were kept in the Church and Catacombs of San Valentino in Rome, which “remained an important pilgrim site throughout the Middle Ages until the relics of St. Valentine were transferred to the church of Santa Prassede during the pontificate of Nicholas IV”. The flower-crowned skull of Saint Valentine is exhibited in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome. Other relics are found at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland. Valentine of Terni became bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) about AD 197 and is said to have been martyred during the persecution under Emperor Aurelian. He is also buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location than Valentine of Rome. His relics are at the Basilica of Saint Valentine in Terni (Basilica di San Valentino). Jack B. Oruch states that “abstracts of the acts of the two saints were in nearly every church and monastery of Europe.” The Catholic Encyclopedia also speaks of a third saint named Valentine who was mentioned in early martyrologies under date of February 14. He was martyred in Africa with a number of companions, but nothing more is known about him. Saint Valentine’s head was preserved in the abbey of New Minster, Winchester, and venerated.

Lunar Valentine’s at Lamana

THE LUNAR Valentines Party at Lamana Hotel this Saturday 14th February

LAMANA Hotel is the place to celebrate your Valentines Night with a little excitement for those looking for something more. With the Lunar New Year in the same week you get a double header wishing romance a little oriental luck and call it the Lunar Valentines Party.

For this Saturday 14th you get more at Lamana that beats the average Valentines night beginning with dinner at 6pm at the Palazzo restau-

rant. It’s no ordinary dinner here with a devised 3-course menu that’s coupled with a complimentary glass of Moscato Rosé to toast the night.

The 3rd course is actually from the dessert buffet so there’s quite a few treats here to spoil yourselves with if you can’t make up your mind between the chocolate dipped strawberries, shortcakes, cheesecakes, meringues or candied parfaits, why not have them all.

This Valentines menu is only K100 per person but you do have to book early by e mailing goldclub@la-

February Specials

mana.com.pg or calling us on 3124555.

By the way diners do get a special rate on accommodation on the night.

You also get to join the Red and White theme party up at the balcony to complement your night with the entertainment. There are prizes to be won for the best dressed person and best dress couple, which includes tickets to

next week’s Ciara show and accommodation for the night.

There will be Lion dancing, fi recrackers and fi reworks to ward off evil spirits and bring in luck for the New Year and probably little more sparkle in your life. We continue with the outdoor party with our resident deejays.

For those single men and ladies out there that don’t have anyone

to come to dinner with, you can skip the dinner and come to the Gold Club for free before 10pm. With the red and white theme and entertainment for the night, you’ll be having a ball in no time with your friends. If you miss the 10pm deadline then it’s only K25 for non-members but 2015 members still have free entry. Happy Lunar Valentines from all of us at Lamana Hotel!

What’s Cupid got to do with it?

THE ORIGINS of Valentine’s Day trace back to the ancient Roman celebration of Lupercalia. Held on February 15, Lupercalia honored the gods Lupercus and Faunus, as well as the legendary founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus.

In addition to a bountiful feast, Lupercalia festivities are purported to have included the pairing of young women and men. Men would draw women’s names from a box, and each couple would be paired until next year’s celebration.

While this pairing of couples set the tone for today’s holiday,

it wasn’t called “Valentine’s Day” until a priest named Valentine came along. Valentine, a romantic at heart, disobeyed Emperor Claudius II’s decree that soldiers remain bachelors.

Claudius handed down this decree believing that soldiers would be distracted and unable to concentrate on fighting if they were married or engaged.

Valentine defied the emperor and secretly performed marriage ceremonies. As a result of his defi ance, Valentine was put to death on February 14.

After Valentine’s death, he was named a saint. As Christi-

anity spread through Rome, the priests moved Lupercalia from February 15 to February 14 and renamed it St. Valentine’s Day to honor Saint Valentine.

What’s Cupid got to do with it?

According to Roman mythology, Cupid was the son of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. Cupid was known to cause people to fall in love by shooting them with his magical arrows. But Cupid didn’t just cause others to fall in love - he himself fell deeply in love.

As legend has it, Cupid fell

in love with a mortal maiden named Psyche. Cupid married Psyche, but Venus, jealous of Psyche’s beauty, forbade her daughter-in-law to look at Cupid. Psyche, of course, couldn’t resist temptation and sneaked a peek at her handsome husband. As punishment, Venus demanded that she perform three hard tasks, the last of which caused Psyche’s death. Cupid brought Psyche back to life and the gods, moved by their love, granted Pysche immortality. Cupid thus represents the heart and Psyche the (struggles of the) human soul.

Fall in love at City Pharmacy

VALENTINE’S Day will be celebrated worldwide this Saturday, the 14th of February, 2015 and you are sure to fi nd that unique gift item for that special someone at a City Pharmacy store near you.

And how many ways can you say “I love you”? Let us count the ways: we have assorted perfumes (including recent arrivals from the Jean Arthes range in Paris), various chocolates (in particular, Whittakers and Tango chocolates in our Port Moresby stores), bath gift sets, stuffed toys like those cuddly teddy bears, ladies’ fashion accessories (like necklaces, handbags, nail polish), ‘gotta have’ G Shock, Fossil and other watches, and even ‘healthy’ gift ideas like Nature’s Way fish oil, Blackmores CoQ10, Citizen BP monitor. Or even a Princess hair clipper and Remington hair dryers!

You can also check out the unique and wonderful Valentine’s gift packs that are lovingly crafted together at various City Pharmacy stores nationwide – you never know what you might discover to your liking!

Don’t forget that this is also a Valentine’s Day SALE so there are various items that are on sale all the way until Sunday, the 15th of February! No need to get it as a Valentine’s gift – indulge and reward yourself while that original women’s perfume or that wrapped set of chocolates is available. You deserve it!

In case you are also living and staying in Port Moresby, don’t forget that we have our fresh red roses for Valentine’s Day this 13th and 14th of February too. There’s a limited number of these single-stem beauties (K24.95 each) elegantly wrapped and only available at the following stores: Stop & Shop Waigani Central/Gerehu/Badili and at City Pharmacy Waigani Drive/Vision City. Limited stocks so don’t wait too long (and keep her waiting too)!

CITY Pharmacy staff with some Valentine’s Gift ideas at City Pharmacy Mount Hagen.

Homewares

Tourism to be boosted

BY DIANNE WAKETSI

TOURISM in Papua New Guinea will soon be boosted with the introduction of tourism projects in various parts of the country.

Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture Boka Kondra (pictured) made this known during a media conference yesterday.

Mr Kondra said PNG will be working in close partnership with the Australian Government in ensuring that these projects boost tourism in the respective provinces, generate economy and benefit the people. The minister said some developments in the tourism industry will include the introduction of guest houses constructed and run by the local people along the Kokoda Trek, the rehabilitation of the National Museum, the introduction of cruise ships visiting various ports in the country and the production of movies by Hollywood fi lm companies.

“I am confident that with this strong partnership, Papua New Guinea will be able to see more developments to tourism,” he said.

Australian High Commissioner to PNG Deborah Stokes who was also at the event said, “We hope to see more Australians coming to PNG not only on cruise ships but also for trekking and visiting other beautiful parts of PNG. She added that with so many rich cultures and traditions, the preserving of this relics and cultural identity for future generations was essential.

French Cooking Master Class

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Private schools play vital role

BY MARILYN PAUL

THE School year has started for most schools while some are still enrolling students due to the demand of students seeking space to further their education. This also shows that more children are realizing the importance of education and the demand of qualification.

PNG Education Development Services Secondary School as a private run school has extended its registration date to end of next Friday. This is to give students and parents enough time to secure funds and also prepare students with basic needs for the school year.

PNGEDSSS a private run institute

enrolling students from Grade 9 to 12 in four centers in the country is seeing more students turning up to be enrolled for the year.

Established in 2011 at Avi, Jiwaka Province it now has a branch in Mt Hagen, Lae and Port Moresby in

for night classes. This is for them to upgrade and it falls into two groups. First is for Grade 12 dropouts who are looking to upgrade their certificate and the second is for Grade 10 dropouts and Certificate holders.

The second group is offered eight courses while the fi rst group will take courses according to the subjects they need to upgrade. There’s evening and day classes with day 3pm-5pm while evening is from 5-8pm drop off provided.

Fees for both group is K150 per subject with a duration of 6 months starting the fi rst bath form February to June and second bath June to December.

After completion it qualifies them to apply to tertiary institutions and universities in PNG as well as abroad.

All interested students must provide original Grade 8, 10 or 12 Certificates, transfer in documents and register at their four campus at Avi

New Ebola cases rise

THE number of new cases of Ebola has risen in all of West Africa’s worst-hit countries for the second week in a row, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

This is the second weekly increase in confirmed cases in 2015, ending a series of encouraging declines.

The WHO said on Wednesday that Sierra Leone had registered 76 of the 144 new cases, Guinea 65 and Liberia three.

More than 9,000 people have died from Ebola since December 2013.

The WHO said that the increase highlights the “considerable challenges” that must still be overcome to end the outbreak.

“Despite improvements in case finding and management, burial practices, and community engagement, the decline in case incidence has stalled,” the UN health agency said in a statement.

In another development, US President

Dutchmen released by Colombia’s ELN

A DUTCH citizen has been freed by Colombia’s ELN rebel group after more than a year in captivity in the north-east of the country.

The man’s name and the circumstances of his abduction in January 2014 remain unknown.

He was handed over to the members of the International Red Cross and the Catholic Church in a remote area of Norte de Santander province.

The ELN is Colombia’s second largest group, after the Farc. Dutch authorities had been involved in the negotiations to free the man, who is said to be 52 years old, according to Dutch media.

But local Colombian police said they were not aware that the man was being held hostage, El Tiempo newspaper reported.

The ELN, or National Liberation Army, announced last year that it was willing to enter peace negotiations with the Colombian govern-

ment. Talks have not begun, however, with President Juan Manuel Santos insisting that the left-wing group must first release its hostages.

Colombia’s largest rebel group, the Farc (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), is in negotiations with the government to end five decades of conflict.

Both the ELN and the Farc are Marxist-inspired groups were founded in the 1960s to defend the rights of poor peasants and denounce the presence of “American imperialism” in Colombia.

But they later became engaged in criminal activities, such as drug trafficking and kidnapping, to support their activities.

The ELN has some 1,500 fighters, according to the Colombian government. The Farc are thought to have some 8,000 fighters, down from about 16,000 in 2001.

-BBC news

Charged man says rape ‘enjoyable’

JOHANNESBURG: Australianborn former tennis champion Bob Hewitt who is standing trial for rape and sexual assault in South Africa allegedly told one of his victims “rape is enjoyable”, a court has heard.

The woman told the court on Wednesday that Hewitt, 75, assaulted her during a private tennis lesson when she was a teenager in the early 1990s.

“At a private lesson, he was quite jovial... we were discussing tactics, and he said to me ‘rape is enjoyable in all cases and if I rape you, you need to lie down and enjoy it’,” she said.

At a glance

EBOLA CASES: THE number of new cases of Ebola has risen in all of West Africa’s worst-hit countries for the second week in a row, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

WHO:The WHO said on Wednesday that Sierra Leone had registered 76 of the 144 new cases, Guinea 65 and Liberia three.

Barack Obama has said he will withdraw nearly all US troops helping to combat the disease in Liberia.

Only 100 of the 2,800 troops would remain in West Africa at the end of April, according to the Associated Press news agency, Mr Obama said on Wednesday that the withdrawal marked a transition in the fight against the disease in Liberia but did not mean that the mission was over.

“Our focus now is getting to zero,” he said.

At least 22,800 cases of Ebola have been recorded since the outbreak began, mainly in three countries in West

Africa.

In Guinea, efforts to end the outbreak are being hampered by a mistrust of aid workers, particularly in the capital city.

“The main threat to achieving our goal of zero cases in 60 days is this resistance in Conakry,” said Dr Sakoba Keita, Guinea’s national Ebola response co-ordinator. Unsafe burial practices continue to be a problem in Sierra Leone. More than 40 unsafe burials were recorded in one week, according to the WHO. Mourners can catch the disease by touching the highly-contagious bodies of the dead.

-BBC news

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“I would try to pull away from him, he would get angry. I could feel him rubbing himself up and down behind me,” the SAPA news agency quoted her as saying in evidence to the Johannesburg court.

The former doubles champion, whose wife has attended court with him, is facing two charges of rape and one of indecent assault during the 1980s and 1990s.

He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Hewitt won numerous grand slam events during his career in the 1960s and 1970s and was named to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1992.

Matriculation Courses: Grade 12 Upgrading

Classes commence: 02nd February, 2015. Location : Pom PIMS NCD Erima : Hagen Downtown (next to Yosie‛s clothing)

All courses also available on CORRESPONDENCE Mode

UNSAFE burial practices are one of the challenges that still need to be overcome. Picture: BBC

crossword: 10847

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 2x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 6 inclusive

Solution to puzzle SL0851

stars

March 20 - April 19

Recent ideas or offers weren’t just exciting, you found them inspiring. Unfortunately, not everybody understood that, which means you’ve spent considerable time explaining to others why these are worth pursuing. If they’re still unsure, continue on your own. Bizarrely, your actions will be more convincing than anything you’d say.

April 20 - May 19

Setbacks in existing arrangements are annoying but facing disappointments in plans you’re working on is even more disheartening. Unlikely as it seems now, these events are clearing the way for something new, totally unexpected and rather wonderful. You need do nothing about it. Simply wait. You’ll soon see what it is.

May 21 - June 20

For ages you’ve been encouraging certain individuals to venture out into new territory, socially, personally or professionally, but they’ve stuck with the familiar. Despite appearances, they’ve actually been listening. Finally, with a little help from next week’s planetary activity, they’ll take your advice and broaden their horizons a bit.

June 21 - July 21

Everybody has certain individuals in their life who’re special and who, therefore, merit special care and attention. You, too. However, one in particular has become unusually demanding recently.

Initially you did what you could but now it’s overwhelming. Discuss this frankly. It seems they’ve lost their way and badly need your guidance.

July 22 - August 22

At the time of the Leo Full Moon, nearly two weeks ago, you realised you’d need to make certain changes. What you didn’t take into account is these would influence those closest. Now that the New Moon, which accents these individuals is approaching, you’ve no choice but to discuss these matters.

August 23 - September 22

Only days ago, differences between you and certain individuals seemed minor. Yet now these are threatening to boil over. Difficult as it is, discuss these frankly now. And talk them over in depth. Challenging as this is, it will get to the root of these issues and many others as well.

September 23 - October 22

Despite recent efforts to get those closest, in your personal or professional life, to discuss necessary changes, you’ve achieved nothing. Take a different approach. Explain the situation, then leave it to them to decide when they’ve time to talk things over. They will, although not as soon as you hoped.

October 23 - November 22

Now that you’re no longer restricted by the influence of the stern Saturn in Scorpio, you’ll find situations that once required both patience and persistence seem to fall into place, almost by magic. While, in many, you’ve worked hard in the past, life without SaturnÕs presence is bound to be much easier.

November 23 - December 22

It may seem that certain individuals are being difficult or you’re being unfairly restricted by rules and regulations. While there might be some truth to that, what you’re facing is forcing you to examine your existing goals, and to consider changing them. While once they made sense, thatÕs no longer the case.

December 21 - January 19

Imaginative as you can be, there are ideas or even offers you dismiss without so much as a thought. That’s been exactly what you’ve done recently. Review both what’s come your way and discussions with others and you’ll soon begin to spot those overtures that, initially anyway, you didn’t take seriously.

January 20 - February 17

You haven’t exactly been secretive. Still, you’ve kept your feelings about both certain arrangements and the individuals involved to yourself. Actually, this is wise. With so much in transition, discussion wouldn’t have been productive. Once you’re actually talking, which will be soon, you’ll put numerous issues to rest with amazing swiftness.

February 18 - March 19

Few things are more upsetting than watching arrangements you care about slip away. Disappointing as this is, long ago your instincts told you it was unlikely these would proceed as you envisioned. Still, you decided to defy those feelings. Hopefully your experiences have convinced you these are going nowhere fast.

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IN MEMORIAM OF Late TADESI GABUA

DIED 14/02/14

Mum it’s been a year now, on this special day, you left us without saying a word. It a painful for us. Your beautiful smile and love to everyone will always linger in our hearts. We miss you and we are thankful God gave us a lovely mum. We are reminded by God’s word: Joshua 24:15

Miss you mum and love you, Dad, daugthers, in-laws, sons, bubus Judith, Pastep Audrey, Rachael Rose and family at Boru Village and around PNG. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who assisted us in cash and kind during our time of sorrow. Special acknowledgement to Hon. Sir Puka Temu for his kind assisting. GOD’s blessing is upon your lives.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

TO ALL:

PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATORS

EDUCATION ADVISERS

CHAIRPERSONS OF EDUCATION BOARDS

SCHOOL BOARDS OF ELEMENTARY, PRIMARY, SECONDARY, NHS, VOCATIONAL CENTRES, FODE AND SPECIAL EDUCATION SCHOOLS

PRINCIPALS/HEADS OF SCHOOLS.

THE GOVERNMENT’S TUITION FEE FREE (TFF) EDUCATION POLICY MEANS ALL SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN THAT ENTERS SCHOOL WILL REMAIN IN SCHOOL UNTIL THEY COMPLETE THE FULL CYCLE OF SCHOOLING. IT MEANS THAT ALL PARENTS AND GUARDIANS ARE TO BE FREED FROM PAYING ANY FORM OF FEE.

SCHOOLS MUST BUDGET TFF FUNDS WISELY USING THEIR SCHOOL LEARNING IMPROVEMENT PLANS. SCHOOLS ARE ALSO SUPPORTED OR MAY SEEK SUPPORT UNDER LLGSIP, DSIP AND PSIP FUNDING. THEREFORE, PARENTS SHOULD NOT BE BURDENED WITH PROJECT FEES.

ALL SCHOOLS IN THE NATIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEM THAT RECEIVE TUITION FEE FREE FUNDING ARE ADVISED THAT THERE WILL BE NO MORE COLLECTION OF PROJECT FEES IN 2015. THE PREVIOUS POLICY ON MAXIMUM OF K200 PROJECT FEE WILL NO LONGER APPLY. COMMUNITY AND OTHER VOLUNTARY SUPPORT CAN BE GIVEN TO SCHOOLS WITHOUT ANY CHARGING OF FEES BY SCHOOLS.

SCHOOL AGENCIES, SCHOOL BOARDS, AND HEADS OF SCHOOLS ARE DIRECTED TO COMPLY WITH THIS INSTRUCTION IMMEDIATELY. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN DISCIPLINARY ACTION.

AS THE SECRETARY HAS INSTRUCTED UNDER SECRETARY’S INSTRUCTION 1/2015, STANDARDS OFFICERS ARE DIRECTED TO MONITOR AND REPORT THOSE SCHOOL BOARDS AND PRINCIPALS THAT DEFY THIS DIRECTION TO YOUR REGIONAL DIRECTORS OR THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY –STANDARDS.

APPROVED AND AUTHORISED ON 10th FEBRUARY, 2015 BY: HON. NICK KUMAN, MP. MINISTER FOR EDUCATION

RUGBY LEAGUE

Kwikila league nines bonanza

BY KILA NAO RUGBY LEAGUE

ITS crunch time for the all of the 16 teams that will be participating in the PNGRFL Southern Confederation leg of the Digicel RFL 9’s at Kwikila Station this weekend.

Two days of entertaining action will come from teams from the National Capital District, Central, Gulf and Oro Provinces.

Tournament director David Silovo yesterday held a briefing for team managers.

“You (teams) have all been given copies of the waiver forms which contain the rules and regulations of the tournament…there should be no excuses,” he said.

Silovo said it’s the team manager’s responsibility to ensure that all their players and coaches are fully briefed, because failure to comply with the rules and regulations will result in a K50 fine for default.

“We want to make sure that this tournament runs smoothly with a professional approach for everyone to enjoy the event,” he

said. A total 24 matches will be played on the first day followed by the qualifying process for the Cup, Plate and Bowl play off on Sunday afternoon.

Each match will be played nine minutes each way.

The two teams that reach the Cup grand final will represent the Southern Confederate at the Pacific Balance Finance Super 9’s tournament from March 1415 in Lae, he clarified.

Southern Confederate development officer Kila Vere said the Digicel RFL 9’s tournament is an initiative of the PNGRFL chairman Sandis Tsaka.

Vere said it is the pathway for regulating off season competitions.

“It is also it is in line with PNGRF’s roll out programs in the country,” he added.

The kick off tomorrow will be witnessed by Central Governor Kila Haoda, Attorney General and Rigo MP Ano Pala.

Sports Minister Justin Tkatchenko and Southern Confederate director Gwaibo Mairi also be present.

Kyokushin karate on the rebound

KARATE

THE Erima Kyokushin Karate Dojo completed a milestone training camp at the Socay Institute in Port Moresby.

Head instructor Sempai Bernard Soari said the training camp is significant in that it is the first in the major step towards the revival of kyokushin karate in the country.

“The camp was to re-instil all the basic techniques of Kyokushin karate to our students and importantly to reinvigorate our current senior members who are taking on instructors roles as well,” he said.

Soari a three-time world tournament competitor and onetime Australian light-weight champion, said the camp was a resounding success.

He said all their students from the Erima and PNG MOKKA Dogo in Port Moresby plus Morobe instructor Sempai Brian Sammy took part in the one-week training camp that covered all aspects from training and theory of Kyokushin karate.

“They were basically drilled in the basic stance techniques provides the platform for the kata, kumite, the importance of endurance, skills and tournament fighting,” he said.

He said the theory is a vital part as they must know the history kyokushin karate as they must understand this form of martial art and what it represents.

“This compliments their knowledge and inspiration to strive for excellence,” he added.

Soari said it was also a first for the students to receive certificates of attainment.

He said the next training camp will be staged in New Ireland,

to cater for the other branches of the Erima Dojo, the Lafi and development squad members of the New Ireland Province Karate Federation.

The other participants that took part include Bernard Sinai, Peter Awa, Jude Ragir, Frank Boga, Theophill Metta, Mason Inu, Faith Guma, Natalie Soari and Kevin Langa. Soari was assisted by Sempai Sailas Piskaut.

Soari lastly made special mention of the head of kyokushin karate in PNG Sensei Walter Schnaubelt for his support and the Socay Institute for the venue.

CORRECTION

THE Sports Desk apologies for the mis-conception of the opening paragraph for the story ‘Rivan impresses in 200m sprint on page 47 yesterday. It should have read… John Rivan has started the indoor track season in great form and is edging closer to Peter Pulu’s national record in the 60m sprint. Pulu set the record of 6.79 seconds and Rivan lowered it to 6.84 seconds.

PNG Under 20 World Champions player and rising star Gahuna Silas (with ball) will be leading his SSG Roosters team at Kwikila Station this weekend

JUDE Ragir blocking a kick from Morobe Kyokushin Karate Dojo instructor Sempai Brian Sammy. Inset: Erima Kyokushin Karate Dojo head instructor Bernard Soari and his students with their certificates following the training camp in Port Moresby.

Puara and Teteh named

Games facilities to be ready on time

FROM BACKPAGE

TKATCHENKO said the PNG athletes will be given onemonth to train on and have a feel of the new facilities before the games starts.

He said the 100-days celebrations before the Games Opening will begin next month for the baton relay that will be run through all the 22 provinces of the country.

“Everyday and every hour is gold for PNG as contractors are working seven-days a week to get the facilities completed on time.”

He said the athletes from all different sporting codes have been training overseas and who are putting a lot of time commitment and energy to ensure that they are ready for July 4th.

“We have allocated a lot of funding in that area not only to look at the infrastructure but also the personal enhancement of all our athletes for the Pacific Games.

RUGBY LEAGUE

NATIONAL Rugby League (NRL) champions, the South Sydney Rabbitohs have named PNG Kumul duo Wartovo Puara and Thompson Teteh in the line-up to play in the ‘Return to Redfern’ match against the 2014 NRL State Champions, the Northern Pride tomorrow. The match will be played

at Redfern Oval tomorrow at 6pm. Both players are with the Rabbitohs on a six-week train and trial training stint that ends on February 15.

This will be their last possible chance to impress Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire.

Last weekend they were named on the bench in the trial against the St George Dragons, but didn’t get a run.

Both played in this match in

2013, running on for PNG, as part of the build-up towards the World Cup. In a media statement, Maguire also named senior players John Sutton, Glenn Stewart, Thomas Burgess and Ben Lowe in his starting forward pack for the match. It will include a host of young, up-and-coming players plus their NSW Cup players from within the Rabbitohs’ ranks. Sutton will cap-

tain the side, with Stewart set to play in a Rabbitohs jersey for the first time, since moving from Manly.

The match will see a ceremonial kick off by club legend Eric Simms, plus the displaying of the 2014 NRL premiership trophy and the 2015 NRL Auckland Nines trophy.

South Sydney Rabbitohs: 1: Damon Goolagong, 2: Setefano Taukafa, 3: Aaron Gray,

4: Daryl Millard, 5: Sam Manuleleua, 6: Liam Coleman, 7: Jordie Hedges, 8: Thomas Burgess, 9: Scott Sorensen, 10: PJ Los’e, 11: Glenn Stewart, 12: John Sutton (c), 13: Ben Lowe; Interchange: 14: Wartovo Puara, 15: John Olive, 16: Cheyne Whitelaw, 17: Angus Crichton, 18: Tom Hughes, 19: Thompson Teteh, 20: Jack Gosiewski. South Sydney Rabbitohs Media

PNG A defeats Australian Under-19 in T20 thriller

CRICKET

THE Papua New Guinea A team defeated a strong Australian under 19 team by three runs in a T20 match in Brisbane, Australia yesterday.

Batting first, the PNG team posted a very competitive 9/123 off their allotted 20 overs.

Vani Vagi Morea led by example, top scoring with 45 runs off just 39 balls. His innings included five boundaries and a massive six.

Charles Amini Jnr (26) and Hiri Hiri (13) were the other major contributors with the bat. Henry Thorton (NSW)

took 3/20 with the ball while Jhye Richardson (WA), Sam Rowley (QLD) and Jonte Pattison (NSW/ACT) took two wickets a piece for the latter.

“It was a brilliant batting performance by the two of them (Vani Vagi Morea and Charles Amini Jnr) against a very good bowling attack. To post 123 runs was a great effort,” said Cricket PNG head coach Dipak Patel.

In reply, the Australian Under 19 team had a solid start, with their top five batsmen reaching double figures.

Fortunately for PNG, all the bowlers kept the run-rate under check and eventually re-

stricted Australia to 6/120 off their 20 overs.

Chad Soper, playing his first PNG representative game since 2012 took 2/23 off his four overs. Four other bowlers all took a wicket each.

“The bowlers performed well to restrict them to 120.

The fielders backed them up in the field as well.

Both these factors were the recipe for the victory along with the tough training regime which they were in place prior to the tour,” concluded Patel.

The Australian Under 19 Squad is currently in camp in Brisbane, preparing for

the ICC Under 19 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2016, under the guidance of former England Test cricketer, Grame Hick.

The squad featured a number of players who recently competed in the Big Bash League in Australia.

The 14 member PNG team is currently on tour in Brisbane, playing against some of the best young cricketers in Australia in both T20 and 50 Over fixtures.

The PNG “A” Team consist of players who are in the Junior Development Program and some Barramundi players who are currently in Aus-

Manus stages softball finals

BY FRANCO NEBAS SOFTBALL

MANUS Softball Association after long absence from the softball scene will for the first time stage its maiden finals playoffs on Sunday.

It’s been a long 30 years since the early 80’s when softball was played in Manus and the resurrection of the code has brought the memories of good old days back into the diamonds of Naringle Village in the Los Negros LLG once the home turf of the glamour club of

the 80’s Panariu Softball Club.

After the trial games, pre-Season and season proper Manus Softball Association under the guidance of President Jayso James So-on is set to host its first ever finals.

The finals format will see the six teams, Transfield Los Negros, Manalos, Gazelle, Cruzaders, Manus Secondary School and Loda Gorgor take to the diamonds.

In the men’s division minor premiers Gazelle face Transfield Los Negros, Manalos do battle with Loda Gorgor, while Cruzaders take on Manus Secondary School in the

do or die match. The women’s division will see Transfield Los Negros meet Gazelle, Manalos take on LodaGorgor and Cruzaders test Manus Secondary School in the knock-out encounter.

So-on said it has been a long season since last year and thanked the former executives under Leo Langar who were instrumental in reviving the code. Langar thanked all the participating clubs for their patience, commitment and dedication towards the running of the association and wish them well in their playoffs this Sunday.

tralia on the Brian Bell Player Scholarship Program.

The Brian Bell Scholarship Program was created in late 2009 to provide a tangible legacy.

The program is recognized by Cricket Australia, Cricket NZ and the ICC EAP Office.

PNG will play the same team in a 50 over match on Wednesday, then a T20 match on Thursday.

PNG A team: Hekure Riley, Kiplin Doriga, Jason Kila, Vagi Vani, Dogodo Bau, Charles Amini, Chris Kent, Hiri Hiri, Chad Soper, Morea Kabua, Alei Nao, Joseph Alla, Nosaina Pokana

All sports are involved and are being monitored for their final selection over the next 3-4 months and look forward to attending these competitions during the Pacific Games where you will see PNG flying with gold around their necks.”

He said construction on all the venues are on track and will be completed before the games begin.

“We are currently managing over 22 infrastructures for the Pacific Games, the games village, all the 30 buildings will all be completed, the indoor and outdoor stadium are on track as well, the grass is completely laid and ready for use”

“Bisini Parade for soccer, soft ball, lawn ball, netball and everything will be completed on time.

The aquatic centre will be completed by the end of May.

It has got a world class 50m swimming pool and 25 meter pool near completion.

It is the only one in the region apart from the Melbourne aquatic centre,”

“The main focus of the games will be at the Sir John Guise outdoor and indoor stadium, the opening ceremony at the outdoor, will all be completed on time.

I have total trust in contractors to come on board to deliver the games.” he added.

PNG Kumul duo Wartovo Puara and Thompson Teteh.

BY ISAAC NICHOLAS

SPORTS Minister Justin Tkatchenko has assured Parliament that all Pacific Games infrastructure will be completed on time before the opening ceremony on July 4.

The Minister said Papua New Guinea will deliver one of the best games ever in the region with world class sporting facilities.

He reassured the House and the country that PNG athletes who have been training over the last three years under the go-for-gold Olympic training program are in their peak and will rake in more gold for the country at the games.

CONTINUED PAGE 91

Games on target

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill opens the Taurama swimming pool.