Post Courier, Monday February 16, 2015

PIH gives health sector a boost

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EDITOR

Alexander Rheeney Ph: 309 1021

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Lae: Franco Nebas

CONGRATULATIONS

to the Pacific International Hospital on the commissioning of its new facility at Three Mile in the National Capital District.

The opening now enables Papua New Guineans to access a world-class facility right at their doorstep and hopefully over the long-term period should translate to cheap and cost-effective medical care and treatment for its patients.

Yes it is a public-private partnership that can go a long way in saving Papua New Guinean lives, as the Prime Minister alluded to in his speech at the opening on Friday. We look forward to getting more details of the PM’s announcement on subsidising the cost of cardiac operations and other specialist care at this new facility. There is a lot of optimism in the air following the commissioning of the new PIH last Friday and coupled with the reforms that the Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) has undertaken since the introduction of a new management and board, there is consensus that the country’s health challenges are finally getting the focus they deserve.

While last Friday’s commissioning of the new facility ushers in a new era of quality healthcare for ordinary Papua New Guineans, the people continue to be mindful of the fact that the PIH is a private healthcare provider and there will be hesitation to go there until the Government comes out clear on the new subsidised fee structure. The onus to establish that subsidised fee structure will now fall back on the National Department of Health and its technocrats. They will need to convert that announcement by the PM into government policy and the sooner the better, in order for lives to be saved.

The support of the Australian government in the fight against tuberculosis (TB) including multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) is also commendable, following revelations that the spread of the disease in the Western Province has reached epidemic proportions. It will take a concerted effort from PNG authorities with the support of Australia and donor partners to halt its deadly spread.

The PM, in a message to Papua New Guineans diagnosed with TB, urged them to complete their dosage or face the prospect of death. It is a timely reminder to the sick to stick to their four medications (standard TB treatment) or risk development drug resistance if they are haphazard in their medication. The Government has allocated K1.8 billion in the 2015 National Budget to the health sector. This will cover subsidised health care, enable the creation of provincial health authorities in West New Britain, Manus, Enga and Sandaun provinces and fund rural primary health. The PM on Friday made reference to the good management of hospitals in Enga, Eastern Highlands and Eastern New Britain.

But feedback we get from the public in East New Britain and West New Britain suggest otherwise. The Health Minister is aware of the issues and has announced independent inquiries.

Nevertheless the health sector and its challenges is in need of leadership at both the political and bureaucratic to get things. The PM has done his part and it is now up to our bureaucrats to put the wheels on to create a healthy population.

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New hospital boasts world class facilities

BY MAUREEN GERAWA

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill opened a new hospital in Port Moresby on Friday that is equipped with the some of the most advanced healthcare facilities found anywhere else in the world.

This means that some of the specialist care sought overseas, such as heart surgery, are now available at this new Pacific International Hospital (PIH) at ThreeMile.

Mr O’Neill said the Government would partner with PIH on some of its expansion programs in

future which could include subsidising some of the cardiac operations and other specialist health care for public patients.

But he also described the opening as a bitter sweet day because the hospital which is located at Three-Mile was initiated by him 17 years ago and was supposed to be a partnership with Wesley Hospital in Brisbane, but due to politics and jealousy it was left to decay.

“Bitter in the sense that 17 years ago we should have had this facility up and running, but because of politics and governments and jealousy, and because some people did

not initiate the project, this hospital laid idle for so many years,” said Mr O’Neill.

“We had a very good partnership with Wesley Hospital in Brisbane, which was ready to start the hospital but that contract was cancelled, and as a result we have seen this investment go to waste.”

However, he thanked PIH for taking the initiative to resurrect this project and the shareholders of PIH such as Bob Moore and Mohammed Sultan and PIH chief executive officer Dr Amyna Sultan for ensuring the project became a reality.

“I think many times we

have let ourselves down in a sense. We have very good facilities across the country, but we don’t provide leadership that is required to have these facilities operate.

“You can see that example here, the Port Moresby General Hospital is now running properly as a hospital for the first time in many years.

“Same in Enga, in Mt Hagen, in Goroka, Nonga Hospital in East New Britain and in many areas of the country because the Government is taking healthcare as one of our most important priorities during this term of parliament,” he said.

PM tells patients to stick to medication

FROM PAGE 1

“THE main message is very simple – that people who are on treatment must finish their medication, it is simply not good enough that you stop because you feel better, that is why you develop resistance.

“This is the sort of public awareness that everyone of us, if you have relative or families that have

TB, they must finish their medications, if they don’t they simply will die, that is a fact, they will simply die, so please let us work together.”

Mr O’Neill said these were expensive treatments and the Government was doing everything to overcome TB just it had overcome the battle with HIV/AIDS.

He was responding to questions over the serious-

ness of the TB in Western Province, Gulf and National Capital District.

“We are working with the Health Department and the Health Minister (Michael Malabag) has made some announcements last week on plans to take control on the TB together with traditional development partner, Australia,” he said.

“We have sent a team down there to Daru to take

control on the situation on the ground especially the management of the hospital and making sure there is availability of medical professionals.”

“What is happening is some of the staff have vacated their premises. Either they are sick or they are not willing to take postings there on Daru. That is being addressed now by the Department of Health.”

the drum

TOW EM

IT IS a new world coming when the NAC starts clamping cars at the airport. But wouldn’t it be better to tow them away instead of leaving them as an obstruction till the driver pays up?

MOTORISTS

IN FACT if the aviation body is keen on making quick bucks why not lease the clamps to police. The cops can use them on recalcitrant motorists in Downtown Port Moresby who like to park anywhere.

MISFIRE

YOUR PAPER ON WHEELS

New law holds hope for city street kids

BY GORETHY KENNETH

THE proposed Lukautim Piknini Act will empower welfare officers to remove children from beginning in the streets, Minister for Religion, Youth and Community Development Delilah Gore said this in Parliament on Friday.

The legislation, to be put before Parliament during the next session, would see street children confined to shelters, sent to school and be wards of state until their parents and relatives are traced and the children reunited with them.

National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop had expressed concern

The bottom line

about the growing number of street kids in the city streets. Mr Parkop said although churches and non-government organisations had built shelters to deal with street kids, the Government did not have

a firm policy on disadvantaged children. Outside Parliament, Ms Gore told the Post-Courier that one per cent of the population’s children begging on the streets of Port Moresby were genuine orphans while the rest were deliberately placed out there by parents to fend for themselves.

“We have the Lukautim Pikinini Act which will give powers to welfare officers to get them and place them in partner zones/ shelters and then when we place them there we will be looking after them, sending them to school but they will be cared for while officers look for their parents,” she said.

“There was also a study on children downtown, street

children down town, study revealed that 1 per cent of these street kids are orphans but most of them parents deliberately place them or send them to fend for themselves on the street.”

“The reality is not real, not all of them are homeless or orphans so this law will help us to get these type of children, place them in a care centre or home where welfare officers will be looking after them and sending them to school and all those.

“I am hoping to pass the Act in the next Parliament sitting. It is already through to the Attorney-General’s office for certification, the NEC, then I will take it to Parliament.”

HEAR the engines at a venerable city club maybe misfiring? Lot of unhappiness around amidst rumours the committee is thinking of selling the land in one of the NCD’s prime locations.

INJUNCTION

A MEETING of the members could sort it all out. But it is being thwarted by an injunction taken out by the president to stop the extraordinary meeting from happening. Definitely extraordinary!

EYEBROW

WHO is that SOE boss who is on a selling spree

of key assets held by his organisation? It is amazing how the official continues his business without any of the watchdog agencies raising an eyebrow.

ON SALE

THE latest asset to go on the chopping block has been a property that housed his own staff. It was offloaded to a colleague in the bureaucracy. Next to go, we hear, are allotments at Tokara in the NCD.

HOPES

FINGERS crossed PNG Hunters stars Wartovo Puara and Thompson Teteh did enough to convince Souths coach Michael Maguire of their suitability for the tough NRL competition this year

VALENTINE

LOVE is blind? Some Papua New Guineans marked Valentine’s Day by posting pictures showing them kissing a male or female character painted in a mural in different parts of the NCD.

BOUNDARIES

OTHERS didn’t mind posting their pictures kissing their loved ones! Social media is breaking boundaries in this land of over 800 languages and 1000 different tribes.

CUSTOMER

way. Heavy rain

famous water taxis and its passengers. Taking shelter under a cement wharf was probably the best option.

PENGEE: thedrum@spp.com.pg

It is estimated that there are between 143 million and 210 million orphans worldwide (recent UNICEF report.)

service the Bougainvillean

caught out one of Buka Island’s

SHELTER

THE Post-Courier is now selling newspapers on board a number of PMV buses in East New Britain Province. This is a new marketing strategy which we have undertaken purposely to bring daily copies of the newspaper to the rural communities. This newspaper on wheels initiative started last week and a few buses and a taxi service are involved. Pictured is our circulation coordinator Betty Bona meeting with drivers and owners of these PMVs and taxi service when rolling out the new initiative last week.

“I am hoping to pass the Act in the next parliament sitting. It is already through to the Attorney-General office for certification.

DELILAH GORE Port Moresby

Dept ready to roll out changes

BY SHIRLYN BELDEN

THE Community Development Department is prepared to present to cabinet its reviewed policies which aim to harness the country’s social needs.

At a radio interview on Friday, Secretary Anna Solomon (pictured right) said that for a long time the department had not seen policy reviews and tabling of laws.

She said these documents which include the Lukautim Pikinini Act, the disability policy and strategies like the national identification card and pension for the elderly will place the department in an operational approach where important agendas are achieved.

Ms Solomon said the policies and strategies had undergone intensive scrutiny by the department executives, Minister Delilah Gore and other partner departments and organisations where they will be presented to cabinet in due time for legislation.

“One main focus was ensuring that the policies and the laws were reviewed to suit the current environment that we live in,” Ms Solomon said.

“In the public sector sometimes we live within the same structure and work around the same policy for a long time even though the world is changing. And so reviewing of the Lukautim Pikinini Act and other policies and strategies is part of that.”

She said the reviewed Lukautim Pikinini Act was

The bottom line

Teacher shortage affects school

BY DENYSE KALAU

ONE of the biggest schools in Port Moresby says the lack of teachers is an issue affecting the school since the commencement of the academic year.

Ted Diro Primary School head teacher Hane Charlie told the Post-Courier that since the commencement of the 2015 academic year, the school has encountered a number of issues relating to shortage of staff, particularly the number of teachers following the announcement that the school currently has five vacant positions for more teachers.

“The school has been waiting for the Education department to appoint five teaches to come to the school but up to this date the school is yet to receive the names of the teachers,” she said.

Ms Charlie said Ted Diro Primary School is one of the schools in the city feeling the pinch of teacher issue following the influx of students enrolling in the school through the government’s tuition fee free initiative.

currently awaiting release of certificate of necessity by the Department of Justice and Attorney-General, the disability policy was now ready to be presented to cabinet by Ms Gore, the National ID card strategy is now with the National Planning Department while the pension for elderly strategy was ready for presentation to the Government.

The Lukautim Pikinini Act looks at the rights and freedom of children; the disability policy administers the inclusiveness of needs of people living with disability while pension and national ID card strategies focus on social protection of elderly, abused or widows and knowing the statistics to plan, budget and adequately distribute needed services to the people.

YAWNING BREAK

This year the school has 36 teachers attending to more than 2000 students with the ratio of 1:60 students.

This figure clearly indicates that the number of students enrolled at the school is more and requires more teachers to assist with the work load.

Ms Charlie said the lack of teachers in the past three weeks has affected the learning process for the students and most of them have suffered by missing out on important lessons.

Universal education has long way to go

KUNDIAWA-Gembogl MP

Tobias Kulang says universal education will not be achieved in PNG unless the Dovernment eliminates “dropouts” at Grade eight and grade 10 level in the

school system.

Speaking during Grievance Debate in Parliament on Friday, Mr Kulang commended Prime Minister Peter O’Neill for introducing fee free education from

elementary to Grade 12.

He said the policy was transforming PNG, lifting enrolment figures in three years from 57 per cent to more than 80 per cent nationally.

But Chimbu Province was lagging behind, with enrolment at 54 per cent of school aged children, and Kulang blamed the cut off at Grade 8 and Grade 10 for the slow progress in the province.

The city of Phoenix, Arizona has become the car theft capital of world as millions of illegal aliens enter the city every day

A YOUNG lad, part of a gang of youngsters who sell all kinds of goodies to motorists and the public at public places and traffic lights takes a break before continuing his chores. Picture: KENNEDY BANI

Costly tribal fight ends after 5 years, 22 deaths

A MAJOR tribal fight which has been raging since 2009 in Laiagam Enga Province has finally come to an end, thanks for the efforts of prominent sons of Laiagam, the Catholic Church, the provincial law and order directorate and the provincial police commander.

The fighting between the Weia sub clan and Miok sub clan of the Makol tribe erupted in 2009 over a piece of land situated near the Talum DPI station in Laiagam, resulting in the loss of 22 lives, destruction of hundreds of homesteads and quite recently, the burning down of the Talum DPI station and primary school at Surunki

The bottom line

PM to launch factory in Nawaeb district

BY JOSEPH DAWAI

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill will officiate at the ground-breaking ceremony of Nawaeb district coffee and chocolate factory and fresh food depot in Morobe Province next month.

Neknaisi Coffee Cooperative will own the factory and fresh food depot.

The cooperative has also entered into partnership with Watut cocoa growers to supply the factory once it is in operation

The factory will assist the cash crop farmers and the vegetable growers in Boana which are the highlands area of the district and the Watut coffee growers in the Huon district.

Nawaeb MP Gitsuwat Siniwin said Erap-Wain and Nabak local level government and Watut people are known of their hard work in carrying bags of coffee in rough terrains and weather to reach the market in Lae.

Mr Siniwin said the factory would be a blessing for the years of hard work.

The local MP said it is now a time for the people of Nawaeb to farm coffee and cocoa and to bring them to the factory once it is operating.

At a glance

REPORT: A major tribal fight which has been raging since 2009, in Laiagam Enga province has finally come to an end, thanks to the efforts of Laiagam leaders, the Catholic Church,provincial law and order office and the Provincial Police Commander.

WAR: Between the Weia sub clan and Miok sub clan of the Makol tribe erupted in 2009 over a piece of land situated near the Talum DPI Station in Laiagam resulting in the loss of 22 lives and burning down of the Talum DPI Station and primary school at Surunki.

worth millions of kina.

Provincial police commander of Enga Superintendent George Kakas said the fighting had gone out of control with both sides resorting to sporadic guerilla and ambush tactics, which proved difficult for police to

intervene and stop the fighting for more than five years.

This was when a parish priest namely, father Koni Yombonokali from the Sikiro Catholic parish, with the help of other Catholic priests from the surrounding parishes, decided to intervene

and bring peace to the two clans which had suffered much over the past years.

They held continuous consultations and dialogue between the two warring clans over the past several weeks, stressing the need for peace and reconciliation.

The final promise for peace was a culmination of a series of church organised mediations between these two volatile clans, which were finally convinced to see the futility of their ways and promised to never take up arms again. The occasion was held last Wednesday at the Laiagam government station, witnessed by thousands of people from all over the area.

At hand to witness the promise for peace between the two clans were the director for law and order, Nelson Leia and his newly formed provincial law and order taskforce, the Enga Council of Churches, Laiagam district administrator George Puio, the Laiagam and Mulitaka council presidents and government officials.

In a moving ceremony the two clans marched into Laiagam station, led by the Catholic Church congregations and singing groups, to effect the reconciliation between the two sides.

Supt Kakas urged both sides to bury their differences and work for lasting peace.

The shortest war on record took place in 1896 when Zanzibar surrendered to Britain after 38 minutes.

He said Nawaeb highlands has been the hub of the vegetable growing and the depot with its bigger coolers to store vegetables can allow locals to bring their garden crops, which will be re-sold at wholesale price to mining and resource companies and stores in Lae and Port Moresby.

Mr Siniwin urged the people to grow orange, avocado, pineapple, cardamom, onions and taros so that they can sell to earn a living and plan for the future generations.

After many years of struggle, Mr Siniwin is turning dreams into realities for his people.

MEMBERS of the two warring tribes with Catholic Church priests and police and the Government representatives standing side by side during declaration of the pledge to stop fighting at Laiagam.

Micah: O’Neill serious on Papua

PUBLIC Enterprises and State Investment Minister

Ben Micah has rejected suggestions that the Prime Minister’s announcement of a policy shift on West Papua was a knee-jerk announce-

ment

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill announced on February 5, at a Leadership Summit, that it was time for Papua New Guinea to speak out on the oppression of “our brothers and sisters” in West Papua.

Since this announcement, the mainstream and social media had been awash with support for this major shift in attitude to Melanesians living under Indonesian rule.

There had however been certain critics who say this announcement was not well thought out and lacked a definite policy platform.

Mr Micah is a long time avid supporter of a greater Melanesia, and the cause of the West Papua people.

During Grievance Debate in Parliament on Friday, he seized the opportunity to hammer the critics.

“The Prime Minister did not speak about West Papua just to colour his speech. This is an issue he feels strongly about,” Mr Micah said.

He said the Prime Minister

The bottom line

Polye names shadow cabinet

BY GORETHY KENNETH

OPPOSITION Leader Don Polye has announced in Parliament his alternate Cabinet before presenting his 54-page policy statement to the nation.

Mr Polye’s shadow cabinet included Opposition Whip, Deputy Opposition Leader Sam Basil, who also shadow minister for planning, stateowned enterprises, agriculture and lands and physical planning.

WEST PAPUA: West Papua Province (Indonesian: Provinsi Papua Barat) is a province of Indonesia. It covers the two western peninsulas of the island of New Guinea. Its capital is Manokwari, although the largest city is Sorong.

BEN MICAH: Prime Minister Peter O’Neill raised the issue with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and PNG will continue to engage with the Indonesian government to pursue this.

in fact discussed this issue when he met president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during an official visit to Indonesia in 2013.

“I was with the Prime Minister when he raised the issue with President Susilo. In that meeting we agreed that there would be no peace or harmony if the West Papua issue was not given the attention it deserved.

“We will engage with the Indonesian Government to pursue this,” he said.

Leaders who have been vocal about the plight of the West Papuan people included NCD Governor Powes Parkop, and Northern (Oro) Governor Gary Juffa.

PM dedicates birthday to unfortunate

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill, who celebrated his 50th birthday, dedicated that time to think about the unfortunate people around the country. He also has vowed to keep on working hard to build a better PNG for children.

“We just have to keep on working and build our country for the betterment of our children and that’s what we are doing,” he said. “I know that a lot of families out there are struggling. A lot of families don’t have the opportunities that you and I take for

granted, and our wish is for those people to have the best opportunity.”

“That is why our (Government) policies, our social policies on free education and free health care are aimed at giving oppor-

tunities for our people.”

“So yes, we celebrate birthdays and all sorts of days to celebrate but we need to take time to think about those who are unfortunate than us. So today I am thinking about my relatives and people back in Pangia,”

Mr O’Neill made the remarks after the staff of the Prime Minister and National Executive Council had to surprise their boss with a birthday cake, which he cut and served to more than 40 staff at the Parliament office.

Vanimo-Green MP Belden Namah remains shadow minister for forest, housing, defence and police while Rabaul MP Allan Marat maintained his shadow ministry for justice and attorneygeneral, labour, public service and higher education.

Porgera-Laiagap MP Nixon Mangape will oversee the commerce and trade, Pacific Games, petroleum and energy while Rai Coast MP James Gau had the works and transport.

Kikori MP Mark Maipakai held the finance and Bougainville affairs while Mr Polye himself had treasury, foreign affairs and correctional services.

Mr Polye also presented a 54-page Opposition eightpoint policy which was extensively debated by the Government yesterday.

“The Opposition’s policies have been designed at the back-drop of the impacts of the great global recession acerbated by abruptly falling oil and commodity prices and the desperate desire for better economic management to create that sustainable economy for PNG,” MR Polye said.

Ecosia is a search engine that helps to save the environment by donating 80% of its income to planting trees in Brazil.

PRIME Minister O’Neill serving the cake to his staff last Friday.

I know that a lot of families out there are struggling ...

PETER O’NEILL Port Moresby

PNG Power installs solar panels in Pomio

AS an alternative source of suitable and sustainable electricity supply for the local people, PNG Power Limited (PPL) has installed solar panels at Tol, Pomio district in East New Britain Province.

Solar panel installations were completed through the partnership of PNG Power Ltd, Gazelle Restoration Authority and Pomio district administration from January 20-26.

The project was the first o renewable energy project undertaken by PNG Power and paved the way for other renewable energy, projects to begin.

The state-of-the-art solar systems were installed in eight houses with 160 mobile solar kits distributed evenly among the four local level governments in the district.

Solar systems were installed in three teachers’ houses, a school administration complex, a hospi-

tal, one doctor’s house and two administration houses with the aim of assisting government officers in their duties to serve the local people.

With Tol being outside of the PNG Power grid, solar power was chosen and this would harness sunlight to generate electricity for the locals.

The set up in Tol would generate about 1.8 kilowatts alternate current (AC) power supply.

This would be done through inversion of direct current (DC) from the solar panels to AC output using inverters that would be installed together as part of the power plant.

The project is driven towards giving necessary services to the majority of the rural population of Tol as per the National Government’s Vision 2050.

It is part of PNG Power’s community services obligation.

Govt moves to address thriving ‘compo industry’

BY GORETHY KENNETH

THE Government will now look at a legislative structure to address the increasing number of compensation claims coming in from all corners of Papua New Guinea.

Prime Minister Peter

O’Neill told Parliament last Friday it was time now to find a legislative approach on compensation in the country and informed that a direction would be given to the Attorney-General’s office to formulate a legislative structure for the Government to address

Report on leave fares ready

THE final report on the controversy surrounding the teachers leave fares will be tabled in Parliament this week, Education Minister Nick Kuman announced last Friday.

Mr Kuman said the report will detail issues relating to teachers leave fares, struggle of teachers and the accumulated leave fares, to name a few.

Responding to Wosera Gawi MP Joseph Yopyyopy’s questions to sack officers who failed to deliver the teachers leave fare on time and correct the mistake, Mr Kuman said the issue “is not as easy as we think”.

He strongly appealed to all teachers throughout the country due for leave next year to provide their leave applications by May this year and warned that anyone who does not adhere to this instructions would miss out again.

He defended the Education Department officers and attributed the problem to the process leave fares have to go through.

At a glance

LANDOWNERS: Customary land is owned by customary groups.

AQUISITION MEANS: A portion of customary land can be acquired through agreement, by compulsory process or by the Lands Minister for agricultural business leases.

COMPENSATION: When customary land is acquired for public purpose, any interest, estate, easement etc.. in land is converted to right to claim for compensation by customary landowners.

compensation claims in the country.

Mr O’Neill was responding to questions raised by Anglimp-South Waghi MP Joe Koim Komun on the issue of compensation which he said was now

becoming an industry on its own and asked whether the Government had any plans to curb this industry.

“Compensations is an issue that is eating into the fabrics of our society. Compensation comes in

all forms and is becoming an industry on its own in PNG,” Mr Komun said. “I would like to know, if the Government has any plan to regulate this industry.”

Mr O’Neill agreed that compensation was becoming a big concern for the Government and assured that instructions and directives would be given to the Attorney-General’s office to work out a legislative structure on the this issue.

“Yes, it’s very true that compensation is becoming a very big concern, even where we have natural dis-

asters and people are now seeking compensation for every act that is taking place in the country,” Mr O’Neill said.

“So I think it’s time now that we try and find a legislative approach in managing these claims all throughout the country.

“We will start working and giving directions to the Attorney-General’s office to formulate a legislative structure for us to put forward to this Honourable House in the coming months,” he said.

SEE PAGE 8

Report on K200m contracts ready

BY GORETHY KENNETH

EDUCATION Minister Nick Kuman told Parliament last Friday the external audit report on the K200 million to contractors in the nation’s capital is ready to be presented to Cabinet. This is the issue on the previous report on contractors that were contracted to the Education Department over

the last year to work on education related projects.

Claims that a lot of money was misused and payments made illegally to certain contractors have dogged the exercise since then.

Mr Kuman said the issue of contractors “sleeping” at the FinCorp building will also be addressed once the report is tabled to Cabinet as he said he will be guided by the

National Executive Council.

NCD Governor Powes Parkop last Friday questioned Mr Kuman on the status of that outstanding report, including the issue of contractors “sleeping” in front of the FinCorp gate, locking his office and demanding their outstanding payments.

Mr Parkop asked Mr Kuman if he needed help on those contractors, however Mr Kuman

said that all issues would be addressed in the report.

“I got the report on the external audit which will go to Cabinet and Cabinet will make the decision on it,” Mr Kuman said.

“Once Cabinet makes a decision I will then tell the public the status of the contractors and all other issues to that effect.”

Namah denies rumours of defection to govt

Belden

Namah told reporters on Friday that he will not join the Government.

Reports had been rife that the former opposition leader was moving to the

Government now that Kandep MP Don Polye had taken over the leadership.

But Mr Namah, who had been quiet in supporting Mr Polye and the deputy leader Sam Basil in their

roles in Opposition, said he would remain where he was although he was equally concerned that Mr Polye had strayed from what he had stood for when he was leader.

Last week Mr Polye

“It is a process that is the cause for the delay in processing teachers leave fare on time,” he said. “It’s the decentralisation of responsibilities to the administrations and every provincial administration was remitted the funds for teachers leave fares.

“FinCorp doesn’t keep money for teachers.

“Annually we account and budget for teachers leave fares and remit to provinces. The only problem we have is that if the warrant comes out in May-June or later in October or November then we will have the officers working on them late.”

Mr Kuman told Parliament the whole of last year’s K26.1 million was remitted to all provincial administrations and not even a single toea remained in Waigani.

He said the full report will be tabled this week.

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

PLUMTRADE LIMITED WISHES TO ADVISE THE PUBLIC THAT 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.

INSTALLATION of solar panels on the rooftops.

VANIMO-Green MP

announced his shadow cabinet, naming Mr Namah as the shadow minister for Housing and Urban Development, Forestry, Defence, Police and Information.

No proper data for fair tax revenue

BY JACOB POK

EVERY business, whether formal or informal, should be properly recorded with tax file number so that taxes are properly collected by government authorities.

Bulolo MP and Deputy Opposition Leader Sam Basil said this while commenting on the 2013 Internal Revenue Commission annual report that was tabled in parliament by Treasury Minister Patrick Pruaitch last week.

He said the Government should ensure that proper data is in place to ensure tax collections are properly and fairly done.

“Every citizen of PNG must be recorded so that we can have at least tax file numbers and monitor citizens and business activities going on,” Mr Basil said.

He said there was no tax system and mechanism in place for some informal sector activities and there is need for the authorities to capture these areas.

“For instance, a lot of PMV buses are using the highways and the roads but there is no tax system in place aside from paying MVIL fees. The same applies to trade stores,” Mr Basil said.

He said there was no proper mechanism in place and suggested that IRC should import its own custom made cash register with seals so that it could monitor the cash that goes into the cash register every year and taxed the shop’s according to their bank statements.

He said every time the shops collect cash, some of them were deposited in the banks and some were not.

Minister thanks groups

TOURISM, Arts and Culture Minister Boka Kondra held a traditional ceremony on Friday to thank everyone involved in the successful host of the 5th Melanesian Arts Festival last year.

The festival saw no major security issues as police in festival venues in NCD-Central, Mt Hagen, Alotau and Kokopo, were given an operational command for the event but were not demobilised until last week due to cash flow situations.

Mr Kondra also thanked Government House, the Prime Minister, Finance Minister and staff of the four agencies who were hands-on all throughout and many others who assisted in one way or another to make the festival a memorable one.

To show appreciation, the Minister gave away more than 30 pigs and six cows and garden food.

Doctor’s death rocks suburb

BY MIRIAM ZARRIGA

A DOCTOR was brutally murdered in the early hours of Saturday morning in a Port Moresby suburb.

Dr Joe Kumbu, 35, works at the Port Moresby General Hospital and was on study leave, undertaking postgraduate studies at the James Cook University in Townsville, Australia.

His body was discovered in front of the Wesleyan Church at Ensisi Valley on Saturday morning by a

DISCOVERY: Peace at the quiet neighbourhood of Ensisi Valley in Waigani, Moresby Northwest, was shattered with the discovery of a body of a man believed to be a doctor who was found in front of the Wesleyan Church on Saturday morning. POLICE: Police sayall information is unconfirmed until they do a thorough investigation which will allow them to give more information in regards to the death of the young man. Police believe he was killed between 3 and 4am yesterday.

passing vehicle. His head was lying in a pool of blood with a deep wound to the back of the head clearly vis-

ible to eyewitnesses. A taxi was found in the opposite street with blood stains on the passenger door.

Port Moresby police CID officer Richard Trigger, who was at the crime scene on Saturday morning, said it is still unconfirmed but the deceased could have been hit by a blunt object. He said due to the discovery of blood stains on the taxi, a thorough investigation will need to be carried out.

“Right now all information is unconfirmed until we do a thorough investigation then we will be able to give more information in regards to

the death of the young man. We believe he was killed sometime between 3.00 and 4.00 am in the morning,” said Mr Trigger.

Residents expressed shock and anger, saying Ensisi Valley is considered a safe suburb in the national capital by many and the doctor’s killing will now change that perception. Colleagues at the PMGH, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the deceased is a pediatrician at the hospital and was on study leave.

Judge fines lawyer over non-attendance

BY SAMUEL RAITANO

A LAWYER was ordered to pay K1000 fine or face arrest and imprisonment for a month at Bomana jail for contempt, following his failure to turn up in court to represent the Chief Ombudsman in a court case.

National Court Judge

Catherine Davani made the ruling on Friday after finding that the lawyer, Michael Efi had failed to obey the direc-

tions of the court to turn up on 23 January, 2015.

Mr Efi, was an Ombudsman Commission’s employed lawyer who represented the Chief Ombudsman and others on a matter.

Efi did not attend to court as was directed by Judge Davani on the day before.

He had not appeared in court and failed to oppose an application filed by the plaintiff in the matter. Davani said Efi’s

actions were calculated to interfere with the due administration of Justice.

Efi had apologised to court for his non appearance saying the court direction for him to appear was delivered on about 10 am on January 23, which was why he failed to attend, but the court case at that time started on 11 o’clock when he should have had made it to the court house.

Davani told him that he

should have made it to the court and explain his non-attendance.

“I find that it is indeed contemptuous for a lawyer firstly, for failing to comply with the court’s direction and then later, to mull over the events that had occurred and to then point the blame at the courts administrators when the opportunity was there, open to him to appear in court and explain,” Davani said.

Compensation claims annoy Works Minister

WORKS Minister Francis Awesa has promised to introduce legislation to control compensation claims.

Mr Awesa said compensation claims just like contract variation have now become lucrative industries on their own. He said the total cost of claims that is sitting at the Works Headquarters is K600

million. “Contract variations and compensation claims are becoming booming industries that is worth millions of kina,” he said. We have lost a lot of money in contract variations over the years. It is an industry in itself. Compensation is an industry in itself. He said in Simbu Province alone, there is a group called

the Landowners Claims Association who does nothing but submit in compensation claims to Works.

“I have a claim sitting in my office for K67 million from landowners of Simbu this is after the Works Department paid K54 million for 17 kilometres of road about five years ago.

“The total number of claims

that I have in my office is worth K600 million and something has got to be done about this because selfishness has overtaken reason and logic. We have got to act.

“I am looking at legislation to make compensation illegal. I am saying fair compensation yes but unreasonable compensation no.”

PIGS and food for the ceremony. Picture: KENNEDY BANI

Solicitor to roll offices to provinces

NEWLY-sworn in Public

Solicitor Jim Wala Tamate says he will work on having branches set up in provinces throughout the country.

Tamate mentioned this during his swearing in at the Waigani National and Supreme Court premises last week.

The Public Solicitors Office is responsible for giving legal assistance to citizens who are unable to hire lawyers to represent them in court.

“The need of small people to be served well” would be his focus in his six year term in office,” Mr Tamate said.

He saidhe would ensure the office of the people is functioning well.

It is understood that the issue of legal fees has been a concern for many citizens who have genuine claims to take to court.

According to former public solicitor Frazer Pitpit, the government has provided more money this year

At a glance

ACCOUNTABILITY: As a lawyer and as a constitutional office holder, the Public Solicitor is accountable to the scrutiny of the Ombudsman Commission and the Lawyers Statutory.

INDEPENDENCE: The Public Solicitor is independent from any direction or control from any person or authority.

FUNCTION: Public Solicitor provides legal services to those who need it.

for the office to discharge its duty in representing and giving legal assistance to citizens.

The Public Solicitors Office plays an important role in assisting people from all walks of life who need legal assistance.

It has been assisting leaders down to criminals and it is the only law firm that charges no fees for its services to the people.

Auditors launch new site

KEEPING up with the changing times, the Office of the Auditor-General has launched its redesigned website in Port Moresby on Wednesday.

It is aimed at providing relevant information to the public and stakeholders. The agency also renovated its offices to enhance its service delivery to all stakeholders.

“The office of the AuditorGeneral has embarked on a process of restructuring itself, to achieve goals that enhance and increase its service delivery to its stakeholders,” Auditor-General Phillip Nauga said.

“Including policy and programs to improve the delivery of audit reports and special projects reports, the office has also focused on revamping its image and its operating environment.”

Unlike the old website, the new one ensures downloading of reports is made easier where the user can submit his or her email address and a link of the report will be sent through. The addresses will also be recorded in the event that new reports are made available on the website.

KIDS from Section Six of Arawa, who are originals from Arawa village, are seen here having fun in their backyards over the weekend. Picure: ROMULUS MASIU

ARAWA ORIGINALS

Quick thoughts

BREAK UP ALL UNITS

I thought Police Commissioner Geoffrey Vaki will decommission all MoU reservist playing police roles with the National Parliament, Air Niugini and mining companies, among others. The BSP police reserve unit, for the last decade, has been playing key roles in preventing major crimes. And for a commissioner to handpick BSP and NCDC reserve police units is questionable. I am now asking the Police Commissioner to decommission all MoU reserve units nationwide, including the ones at the Parliament, Air Niugini etc, and have regular police cover all areas.

Yamo Pita

STILL THE BEST SCHOOL

Malabunga Secondary School is not what you read and hear in the media. It is one of the best training grounds in the country. For years the school has been producing qualified professionals, many of whom now hold highly paid jobs in the country and contribute to its development. Despite the school’s name being tarnished last year by the behaviour of a few rotten apples, it is still the best.

Malasec dweller

SIMPLE STEP

There is only one way to stop data from being lost and that is by restricting background data. Digicel should concentrate on educating its customers on this simple process instead of beating around the bush and giving so many “unnecessary” steps. Phones such as the TPop, Pixie and Huawei Y220 are the fastest selling phones in the market right now and stopping running apps will not prevent your phone from feasting on your credits. Instead Digicel should advise customers to go to settings>accounts & syncs> un-tick background data. Digicel, this should have been number one on your “Data Saving Tips” list. Geek

Your opinions

Looking for someone?

I AM looking for Noah Musingku of Bougainville.

This is regarding, Yodda Valley Kokoda Track. If anyone knows him or his whereabouts, please call me on mobile phone 7158 9440.

Basil George

Regulate issue of certificates

I WOULD like to discuss a growing yet sensitive issue that is contributing to the drop in the country’s education standard.

There is an urgent need for the Education Department to establish a proper database to monitor and control all the grade 10s and 12s’ school certificates issued by the Measurement Services Unit. It is becoming a trend for school leavers and drop outs to duplicate other peoples’ school certificates to secure spaces at tertiary institutions or find employment.

With the help of IT officers, they edit and alter grades, certificate holder’s name, school name and graduating year. It is now seen as a commercial activity. This is just one

of the many contributing factors to the drop in the quality of graduates employed in firms.

For instance, a Grade 10 or 12 leaver who scored poorly in his or her school certificate can use the computer to alter information on someone’s certificate. That person can use that altered certificate to apply to any teachers’ college in the country. And having paid the required fees, the administration will guarantee space at the college.

Fast forward a couple of years and we see this trainee teacher graduating. He soon goes out to the field to teach but alas, his performance is poor. Although they try their best to teach, they are still incompetent and do not perform to required standard.

This is because they failed to pass the exams set by the Education Department and have not met the entry requirements to become qualified teachers.

To address this issue, the Education Department should establish an effective database system with strict regulations to monitor certificate numbers of all students passing out from high and secondary schools throughout the country. Secondly, all registered tertiary institutions should access the database at the Education Department.

Michael Drake K Kayape Komo, Hela Province

The views expressed on these pages are the opinions of our readers. They do not necessarily represent the views of the Post-Courier – Editor

Death penalty way forward

THE Government’s bold decision to impose the death penalty on serious law breakers is in the best interest of the silent majority in PNG and it is a real crossover after 40 years.

I salute the Government and the MPs who voted in favour of the death penalty, which we believe is the right mechanism to reduce crime in PNG. I believe this government has created fear to turnaround the youths and serial offenders and ultimately will minimise crime in the country.

The death penalty is considered a real crime solution after 40 years of independence. The controversial arguments from the Council of Churches in PNG (the bishops, priests and pastors) and any other critics of the current government against death penalty are narrow minded. Faith and other alternatives cannot do much to reduce crime.

To the church elders, have you ever come out from your priesthood offices to stand on the streets and preach

to save lives? Have you ever spoken to drug and homebrew addicts and converted them while walking the streets? The death penalty will instil fear in a person and will hopefully draw them to come to know God. So I urge the Church to do more to preach the Word of God and Love of Christ to these law offenders so that they may come to know Christ and be saved from their carnal natures. If a serious law breaker is put to death without knowing Christ, biblically their blood will be on the pastors, priests, bishops, elders and church leaders for not telling them about God.

Death penalty is not violating human rights in PNG context. I would like to make it clear that the mindset of youths and serial law offenders today is full of evil. They continually involve in harassing, raping and torturing innocent people to obtain pleasure, prestige (hero in own doings) and making a living out of nothing from victimising the victim(s). So, from a human rights view, do you say only these culprits have rights to live? What about the

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victim(s) who died in their hands? If one’s life is shortened by these perpetrators, why should we allow and preserve these culprits in prisons at taxpayers’ expense?

And be mindful that almost all of the victims are hardworking tax payers while others are defenceless citizens. These offenders should be put to death as they don’t deserve to live for a safer, vibrant, hardworking and a society that earns an honest living.

In PNG culture, when someone kills a person, there must be payback. Because if that killer goes to prison he will one day come back home and reunite with his family, whereas the victim(s) will be gone forever.

One thing for sure is that imposing the death penalty will make serious law breakers think twice before they commit offences.

Enos Banban Lae

Obligation to serve people with disabilities

GOVERNMENTS at all levels must be aware by now that there are people with disabilities that are silently suffering. Governments come and go with unfulfilled promises.

There are commitments over donkey years to develop a better world for a more prosperous and sustainable future for all. These words are not only said and done but are clearly written and recorded as proof by the pillar documents of government’s MDGs and Vision 2050. How do we measure the success of governments’ actions to that effect?

Disability indicators in all growth and development fronts are the worst in anybody’s language. The reality however is that people on

the ground are still poor and hungry, people with disabilities are greatly affected, still being victimised and marginalised. They are totally invisible in our communities.

However, they make up 15 per cent of the population, which is about one million people. Is this not a significant portion? While their physical needs are often provided for in extended families, they are excluded from many aspects of political, economic and social life. They are affected disproportionately by poverty and often have poor access to key development services like health, education and livelihood support.

People with disabilities in our communities are regarded as ob-

LAE HAS PROBLEMS

I have a question or two to ask the people of Lae City. Do you want a city commission and if so, why?

If you think a city commission will solve your water and sanitation problems than how sure are you that it will be the solution to your problems? Do you want the Lae City MP to be head of the Commission? If so have you been consulted on this K100m commission, its pros and cons, its bene fi ts etc? If not than as citizen and ratepayers, you should be asking questions? Why do we have rubbish removal problems every year since. Why has this not changed for the better under Ms Louyaja Kouza and Lae City Authority? Do we need an MP who lives in hotels to be the chairperson of this proposed commission? Do we need a leader who spent K7m of her K10m DSIP on a failed biometric program in 2014 to be in charge of a K100m commission? I suggest the K100m should be divided between LULLG and Ahi LLG to run the garbage and sanitation services in Lae and surrounding landowner villages and not channelled into another white elephant that is certain to be the milking cow for the politicians in 2017.

PENALTY CONFUSION

The 12 state prisoners, according to the dailies (09/02/2105) committed their crimes on separate dates (before 2012). That was before the said death penalty was billed on the floor of parliament. Such cases should be dealt with and be subject to previous criminal laws and not the current death penalty. The death penalty should apply to those who committed crimes after it was legalised.

Confused citizen

PROBE MAIPAKAI

While Kikori MP Mark Maipaka is trying to bring down Gulf Governor Havila Kavo, can the fraud squad check all financial books of Kikori electorate? The three boats that Mr Maipaka so often boasts about were bought from funds that were supplied by the National Maritime Authority and not from Kikori district DSIP funds, as purported by the MP.

PAY JUHA IDG FUNDS

jects of charity and mercy. Things have changed.

The culturally accepting safety net systems are broken up and gone. The societal shift in socio-economic status has now pushed people with disabilities to the periphery of society, neglected by families therefore are lining up the streets, begging.

All the governments have to do is to listen, listen to them because the Convention on Right of Persons with Disabilities calls on governments to do so.

Benson Tegia, treasurer PNG Assembly of Disabled Persons

Ahi Busu Lae

BUAI ABUSE MUST GO

All good things must come to an end so buai must go! Continue ban in totality. War has begun, resources wasted, lives lost, aches and pains, the price of reckless chewing. The ban results look promising. The buai ban is good for the city I call home. No one person owns this city. This is the capital city of PNG, our pride. We are a third world country that is rapidly developing. With development comes good and bad things. The abuse of buai is one of the bad ones so it must go.

Very concerned

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill mid last year paid IDG funds to Hides landowners and “promised to pay the Juha and Angore landowners soon”. It is now February 2015. When will the PM pay the outstanding IDG funds owed to Juha since 2006. The PM must not be seen to be biased in making payments. Juha in Western Province has not received its share, while other landowners in Hela and Southern Highlands have been paid. Please PM, pay Juha PDL 9 landowners because the developer is already trying to develop the site. While the LOs are still in darkness.

Affected landowner Suambi, Nomad District, WP

landslip is the final result of people

The is the final result of preventing maintenance to the road on a maintenance to the road on a timely basis basis.

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

Tama Nibo

Air Niugini flights to Chimbu have been suspended indefinitely because of “failed pavement” on the runway.

Mum seeks funds for help abroad

BY MAUREEN GERAWA

MOTHER of six Geua Morea has only one kidney and is desperately seeking financial help to go abroad for a surgery that is not available onshore.

Mrs Morea is suffering from a large left kidney stone which a doctor at the Port Moresby General Hospital says has to be removed though a percutaneous kidney surgery (PCNL).

Dr Sydney James said in a letter to support her appeal for help that Mrs Morea had her right kidney removed in a Brisbane, Australia, hospital in 1994 due to nonfunctioning after chronic infections and stone formations.

Even though the infected kidney was removed, she continued to suffer from recurrent infection pain in her other kidney, and had made several trips back to Australia in 1995, 1999, and 2001 for medication and treatment.

“The risks of operative complications are small compared to complete open kidney surgery,’’ Dr James wrote.

“Unfortunately PCNL cannot be performed in our hospital and therefore she

will need the procedure done overseas.’’ Her husband who worked as a policeman was able to support her trips overseas but he died in 2014 so she is now unable to help herself. A special bank account has been open where donations can be deposited to help her. The details are: Westpac Bank (Town), Account No: 6004323989, Account Name: Geua Morea.

Should you need further information please contact the Chairman of the Fundraising Committee Vagi B Taumaki on mobile phone: 73004739 and committee secretary/treasurer Lahui Vagi on 72475010.

Mr Vagi said Mrs Morea had not been feeling well due to her condition and needed to go to Australia soon.

Leaders told to eat healthy food

BY GLORIA BAUAI

GET back to basics, start eating garden food, is the advice a top surgeon is offering politicians and senior managers.

Surgeon Dr Arnold Waine from the University of Papua New Guinea school of medicine and health sciences gave this simple but powerful message at the National Parliament state function room last week.

He was there as an initiative of the Hospital Poroman Foundation (HPF), a non-governmental organisation, which promotes awareness on lifestyle diseases.

“A healthy leader, a healthy nation” was the theme of Dr Waine’s presentation as he spoke on common topics of stress and obesity, linking them to show how they affected leadership of members of Parliament and ministers of government.

“Being an MP is not an easy task, it’s a difficult task or to become a minister, it’s suddenly a big change in lifestyle and in the way of doing things. We have this outlook and we have to perform in a certain level,” he said.

He said these extra responsibilities lead politicians and top managers to neglect their own needs, exposing them to a very dangerous lifestyle of stress and obesity.

At a glance

ADVISE: GET back to basics, start eating garden food, is the advise offerered to politicians and managers.

PRESENTATION: “A healthy leader, a healthy nation” was the theme of Dr Waine’s presentation.

Dr Waine said those at higher risk for such lifestyle disease were people in position of dealing directly with other people every day.

He placed teachers, health professionals, mostly general practioners and nurses, politicians, social workers and judges as those most likely with a stress level in the top five per cent.

His advice to them was to do small exercises and be strict in their diet.

“Our message is go back to your basics and eat a lot of garden food so there will be no need for ambulance rush from Waigani to hospital or for flights from Jackson to Singapore,” Dr Waine said.

“Hospital should be the last place to go if we start to look after ourselves from this point on. If you do that, you will be helping people like me and can manage our districts well.” SEE

MRS Boio Malabag (left), wife of Health Minister Michael Malabag and her son Don (far right) with two (step) sisters who participated in one of the biggest bride price payment ceremonies at Guarume Mase, Tubusereia, outside Port Moresby. The Malabag family paid the bride price for Don’s wife over the weekend. The family did not want the amount of the bride price to be announced.

THE BRIDE IS PAID FOR

GEUA Morea

Finschhafen gears up for 30th synod

BY MELISHA YAFOI

THE Evangelical Lutheran church of Papua New Guinea will stages its 30th national synod in Finschaffen District next year and the district is preparing for the big event, district president Kelly Rabisang says.

Mr Rabisang said in a phone interview that the first synod was held at Simbang in 1956 and it moved out to other provinces and it gives the district great joy to be hosting this 30th conference here at its birth place.

The district is maintaining facilities which includes schools, roads, power and water supply and is also building of new houses that will accommodate the delegates at Helsbech during the oneweek of conference, he said.

He said the district has been preparing since 2012 and the government has helped in terms of funding these projects.

Finschaffen MP and the Parliament Speaker Theodore Zurenuoc has made a commitment of K5 million to the district to complete thee ongoing projects.

Morobe Governor Kelly Naru has also made available K100,000 to support the national synod committee in their planning and preparations.

Mr Rabisang said the eight circuits in the province were all asked to contribute K10,000 each as part of their contribution towards the event that can assist the finance committee to cater for the 850 delegates who will attend the synod.

“I would like to make an open call to all ELC-PNG church members around the country to help and support us as this will be one of the biggest synod and we would like to give our best to those who will come,” Mr Rabisang said.

Those who are willing to provide assistance are advised to make deposits to this account details; account name: 2016 Kate district synod account (BSP); account number: 700 19 44 011.

Lutheran university stagnant

BY JACOB POK

WHILE the Government continues to pass and renew the Lutheran University Act since 2006, there have been no reports on the progress and status of the university, Parliament was told.

Deputy Opposition leader Sam Basil (pictured right) raised the concern in Parliament during Question Time yesterday asking the Minister for Higher Education to explain on the operation of the university, its location and what is proposed of the recent 2014 Lutheran University of PNG Act.

He also asked whether there was consultation with the Lutheran Church and the Higher Education ministry and the department on the 2014 legislation.

He further asked if the minister could table the university’s annual reports on the activities as per the Lutheran University Act, Public Finance Management Act and Audit Act on the operations, finance and academic programs offered at the university.

Mr Basil asked the Minister on what was the direction and involvement of the government in terms of academic standards, funding and governance issue and who are chancellor and vise chancellor of the university and whether the university council functioning.

At a glance

UNIVERSITIES:The proposed Lutheran University will bring to three the number of universities run by churches in the country, including the Catholic-run Divine Word, SDA-run Pacific Adventist universities

In response, Higher Education Minister Malakai Tabar said he was yet to meet with the council of the university and leaders of the church to get a full briefing on the progress of the institution.

He assured Parliament that he would make available a progressive report once the full briefing was made to him by the church leaders and council of the university.

THE Gordon bus stop is the busiest in the city because it connects directly to all other major bus stops and suburbs in the city, but since its closure last year, PMVs and commuters have been using the Unagi oval, and this is what it looks like as the rains set in. There is still no word from city hall about this messy affair.

MUDDY BUS STOP

If you have a story to tell, call us on 309 1042, or email

Disabled: Send me to school

By GRACE AUKA SALMANG

ACCESIBILTY of basic services like education still remains a concern for people with disabilities.

And many are now expressing the need to be educated or get training through scholarships and training programs.

Outspoken Titus Stanley, a person with disability, aged 19 from the Gulf Province, is among this special group of people with special needs who voiced this concern.

“Mi laik go long skul na bihain, mi laik go long kompyuta skul na paitim kompyuta (I want to go to school and on to a computer school to learn how to use computers),” he said.

His dream is to become an information technology (IT) person because his interest lies with computers.

Titus resides in Rabia settlement at Kaugere in Port Moresby with his parents and two elder sisters.

According to his mother, he was born a healthy, normal child but three years later he fell sick and became disabled with a physical impairment on his left arm and leg.

Since then he has been staying home and has been looked after by his parents.

Despite his physical disa-

At a glance

DISADVANTAGE: People with disabilities and their plight has been getting increasing recognition and help from government, non-government and other organisations in recent years, but there is still a long way to go before they can all have access to most very basic and special services they desire.

TITUS: Titus Stanley, a person with disabilities, has appealled for help to send him to a computer school

bility, he does anything and everything an able bodied person can do and goes to Church. He says he prays to God and hopes that one day he will go to school.

“I know and believe that I have a talent and ability that God has given me, and I don’t see my disability as a hindrance,” he said. He has never gone to school but he speaks English fluently.

He is determined to let that dream come true whenever he is financially secured and hopes that the Government has some plans in place for special schools for special group of people with special needs like him.

Market remains closed over title dispute

BY SHIRLYN BELDEN DEPUTY

city manager

Honk Kiap says NCDC will not give the Boroko market land title to Central Provincial Government. He was clarifying the issue on the transfer of title this week and said NCDC is wary that the land might not be utilised for its rightful purpose.

“The issue has been one that Central Province wants the market title but the NCDC is reluctant to give them the title because one the title is transferred they could develop it outside of the purpose that it was meant for.

“So we would like to keep the title and let them build the market for the Central people,” he said.

According to Kiap the provincial government has done no development there yet.

He said the NCDC plans to give this year for the provincial government to develop the market but will take over the project if Central Provincial Government does nothing.

He confirmed that since the announcement of the

intended Central market at Boroko the other main markets in the city have rapidly seen vendors from other provinces taken over the spaces there.

He said NCDC is determined to provide that necessary service for the Central people to openly sell their produce in the city at the Boroko market.

Health group targets parliamentarians

BY GLORIA BAUAI

FREE medical check-ups for basic blood pressure and sugar level which begun yesterday at the National Parliament will continue until the end of the week.

A team of volunteers from a nongovernment charity organisation, Hospital Poroman Foundation (HPF), will be conducting these checkups as part of their awareness program on lifestyle diseases.

The foundation formally launched its year yesterday when Dr Arnold Waine, a senior lecturer in surgery at the school of medicine and health science at the University of Papua New Guinea, conducted a powerpoint presentation addressing lifestyle diseases, a silent killer in the country.

With the theme “a healthy leader, a healthy nation”, the foundation aims to involve the national leaders as partners to compliment and contribute to promoting a healthy

human-resource.

This foundation has two main objectives: firstly, to carry out health awareness on lifestyle diseases, and secondly, to raise funds to support hospitals.

THE empty Boroko market in Port Moresby

Parliament in session last week

Councillor hails MP’s leadership

A COUNCILLOR from Baiyer Lumusa has praised local MP Koi Trappe for reaching previously unreached areas in the district with vital services.

Napil Kepowa said the people have lacked good leadership for years and it shows in Mr Trappe’s visions of service delivery. He said vehicles are going into places where people have never hear an engine of a vehicle before, attracting more people who are assisting the road contractors to speed the road construction process.

He said Mr Trappe is penetrating into the last frontiers of his electorate with his service delivery with road construction and maintenance works.

Last frontiers like Ukuni, Ruti, Wania and Lumusa are now reachable by roads after the roads there were fixed and new ones built.

Mr Kepowa said the MP’s priority in maintaining roads and bridges in isolated parts of the district is shedding light in the lives of many people who have been neglected for years and praised the government for this.

Strong winds kill 3 women

BY MICHAEL KOMA

TREES felled by strong winds had reportedly killed three mothers as they were returning from their mountain gardens in Chimbu’s remote Nambayufa area last week.

The mothers were on their way back to their village, with their harvest, when hailstorm and galeforce winds pounded the Siane and Elimbari mountains.

The bodies of the victims were taken to the Goroka Base Hospital for autopsy.

The provincial disaster office in Kundiawa and health workers in Chuave have confirmed the deaths.

The unprecedented disaster has also caused havoc to houses and food gardens in Movi, Karando, Ipaku, Yandime and Pila areas.

Countless coffee trees and semipermanent houses were also destroyed during the calamity.

Provincial disaster officer

Michael Ire said his officers had assessed the situation and were compiling a report (for the provincial executive council’s endorse-

Teachers plan protest over leave fares

A TOTAL of K7785,500 allocated for more than 300 teachers in the Simbu Province as their leave fare entitlements have allegedly been misused and they are planning a protest this week.

The 300 teachers discovered this recently after their leave fare entitlements which were supposed to be paid to them last week were not paid.

The teachers and the Simbu Province Papua New Guinea Teachers Association president John Kramba and the Highlands regional PNGTA secretary John Melson claim that the teachers leave fare entitle-

ments were misused.

Mr Kramba and Mr Melson visited the Simbu Provincial Administrator and the Simbu provincial education adviser two weeks ago in Kundiwa and raised the issue but did not receive a favorable answer.

“We went and visited the provincial administrator and the provincial education adviser and they said they would pay the teachers their leave fare entitlements a week ago but that has not been done,” Mr Melson said.

Mr Kramba said the teachers went to check their bank accounts in the previous two

week after meeting with the provincial administrator but nothing has been paid to them.

“We have now discovered that the funds were misused towards the end of last year and the administrator and the provincial education adviser have lied to the teachers,” Mr Kramba said.

He visited the PNGTA Highlands regional office in Mt Hagen last Friday and raised the issue on what course of action they will take next.

Mr Melson claimed the problem is created by the provincial governments and Simbu teachers are planning a protest.

Youth leader hails roadworks

BY PEARSON KOLO

ALL road networks in the Wapenamanda district of Enga Province are getting major maintenance and upgrading.

Roads like the Tsak Valley road, Lower Lai road and the Wapenamanda part of the Highlands Highways are seeing major upgrades.

A young leader from Tsak Valley, Jeffery Luing said the road upgrading and maintenance is having a great impact in the lives of the people of Wapenamanda district.

Mr Luing said the people of Wapenamanda are seeing all these developments because their local MP and Foreign Affairs Minister Rimbink Pato is committed in service delivery in his electorate.

“We the people of Tsak Valley are now travelling in buses

unlike in the past where we travelled in trucks and other available transport,” Mr Luing said.

“We are happy with our MP as he is fixing the roads which are very important in the flow of basic services into most remote parts in the district.”

The youth leader also said the fencing project around Wapenamanda Airports is also under way and will be completed soon.

Meanwhile, Mr Pato and Mul Baiyer Lumusa MP Koi Trappe are jointly working to maintain the Wapenamanda to Mt Hagen Road, which will pass through Mr Trappe’s Baiyer Lumusa district.

The road is expected to link the two provinces by the end of this year.

ment) for presentation to the national disaster office for relief assistance.

The assessment report would also include assessments done on similar damages inflicted on the environment in Gumine, Kumaibomai and Waiye areas. Documents obtained by the Post-Courier indicated that approximately K1.7 million worth of houses, cash crops and food gardens were destroyed by strong winds in Chuave, Gumine and the Kundiawa/Gembogl districts.

Provincial administrator and provincial disaster committee chairman Joe Kunda has cautioned the rural population to take extra care of themselves during extreme whether conditions.

Governor Noah Kool and Chuave MP Wera Mori had conveyed their condolences to the families of the victims of the natural disaster in Nambayufa.

The Siane and Nambayufa areas are sandwiched between the predominant Mount Elimbari (Chimbu) and Unggai ranges in the neighbouring Eastern Highlands Province.

COMMAND PETROLEUM (GULF) LIMITED (IN LIQUIDATION)

PUBLIC NOTICE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS TO CLAIM

PURSUANT TO SECTION 305(2) OF THE COMPANIES ACT 1997 (“THE ACT”)

NOTICE is hereby given pursuant to Section 305 (2) of the Companies Act (“the Act”), that on the 12th day of February 2015, it was resolved by the special resolution of the shareholder pursuant to Section 291(2) (a) of the Act that Command Petroleum (Gulf) Limited be liquidated and that Stephen Charles Beach of PricewaterhouseCoopers, PO Box 451, Lae, Morobe Province be appointed as Liquidator.

The liquidation commenced on the 16th day of February 2015.

Notice to Creditors to Prove Debts or Claims

The Liquidator further gives notice, pursuant to Section 21 of the Companies Regulation, that he fixes the 31st day of March 2015 as the day on or before which the creditors of the Company are to prove their debts or claims and to establish any priority their claims may have under Section 360 of the Act or rights of their claims to be excluded from any distribution made, or object to any distribution made.

Creditors and shareholders may direct their inquiries during normal business to the following address: -

SC Beach

Liquidator

Command Petroleum (Gulf) Limited (In Liquidation)

C/o PricewaterhouseCoopers Level 1, ANZ Haus

Aircorps Road

P.O. Box 451

LAE Morobe Province

Telephone: 472 2644

Facsimile: 472 6270

Dated this 17th day of February 2015

Stephen Charles Beach Liquidator

MACHINES working on the Tsak Valley Road

MUD-clad mother Bogi Moses contemplating destructions to her permanent house in Sinesine’s Koge village. Strong winds forced a dried tree to fall on the building.

Picture: MICHAEL KOMA

Commission dispute

BY STAFF REPORTERS

THERE was no proper consultation with prominent Lae leaders and Provincial Executive Council (PEC) members concerning the establishment of the Lae City Commission.

Morobe deputy governor Judas Nalau said the proposal of the Lae City Commission was not properly presented in the PEC meeting for it to be debated and misunderstandings to be ironed out.

“What the people need to understand is that we are not going against Lae MP Loujaya Kouza’s proposal.

“We are disappointed because the matter was not properly presented to provincial government executives and the provincial executive council for it to be debated and further areas to be clarified,” Mr Nalau said.

Umi-Adzera LLG president Daki Mao also shared similar sentiments and he said such conduct from MPs often lead to misconceived ideas and frustration.

“A meeting will be called up next week Tuesday (tomorrow) for all Morobe MPs to attend and this matter is resolved,” Mr Mao said.

“We cannot work in isolation and cause this issue to turn into turmoil.”

Another PEC member,

Leaders slam ‘lack of consultation’

Charlie Foike said a peaceful rally will follow the Tutumang meeting this week if the matter is not resolved properly.

“Disappointments have arisen from the other LLG presidents over the way Ms Kouza is handling the case on the establishment of the Lae City Commission,” Mr Foike said.

“Questions on the benefits, disadvantageous and the motives behind the setting up of the city commissioned need to be properly addressed in the provincial meeting, prior to it being debated in parliament.”

The leaders said there were, however, two instances last year where two government officials approached them regarding the matter.

Former Lae City Lord Mayor James Khay, however has refuted these claims and has suggested that the city commission’s bill continue in parliament.

“The PEC and the Morobe Provincial administration should concentrate on more important issue rather than make advancement to hinder the bill being presented in government,” Mr

Khay said.

Meanwhile the people of Butibam and Kamkumung, the traditional landowners of Lae city, had acknowledged and support the establishment of the Lae City Commission by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

However, in a council of chiefs meeting held at Butibam village last week, the council wanted to know where the traditional landowners will be featured in the Lae City Commission.

“The Ahi and Lae Urban local level government council 23 wards are made up of majority of illegal settlers and non rate payers in Lae city,” the chiefs said.

They demanded that before the Bill of the Commission is tabled in parliament the following demands must be appropriately addressed:

The full representation of the Butibam and Kamkumung landowners be on the board of commission, including the deputy chairman;

Economic development packages for the two villages including Wagang, Yanga and Hengali villages are included guaranteed annually for infrastructure;

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School affairs irk Siniwin

VICE Minister for Education and Nawaeb MP Gisuwat Siniwin is disappointed over the management of funds of a high school in Nawaeb district.

Mr Siniwin said the Nawaeb High School was poorly managed by both teachers and board of management of the school.

He said the school was to start enrol grade nines in 2012-13 but that never eventuated because of the poor management.

“Nobody has taken the ownership/responsibilities to the school where funds allocated for infrastructures projects were misused through false consultation work,” Mr Siniwin said.

The frustrated MP announced to the people that the high school will now be managed by the district authority and the church so there would be no misused of funds.

He said funds had already been allocated for the construction of eight classrooms, two dormitories and teachers houses.

Continuous consultation and dialogue with the council of chiefs; and Establishment of special purpose authority of the ethnic people of Lae city similar to the Motu Koitabu Assembly for the future generation of our people.

“We must safeguard our

birth rights,” said the council of chiefs.

The council includes Mala Nathaniel, Tapec Isaac, John Muttu, Jonathan Benjamin, Noah Giali, Cr Pokang Kissing, Gabriel Jethro, Kissing Gedisa and Hiob Nganining.

Correctional Services aim for improvements

BY MELISHA YAFOI

THE Correctional Services has conducted prison charter awareness with their regional commanders in Lae to outline the strategies on how the staff, prisoners and visitors can expect to be treated at the prison.

Assistant Commissioner for the Highlands region Philip Eka told major stakeholders and the law and justice sector that the Correctional Services needs to be aware of what is lacking in the correctional institutions so that they all can be able to evaluate these issues strategically for the good of everyone.

A research conducted at the Kerevat jail in East New Britain show that the detainees surveyed pointed out five main recommendations that they want from the Correctional Services.

MR Eka said the detainees wanted improvements in their diet, changing of their officers, education and training, implementation of a parole system and continuation of the rehabilitation and the fellowship program.

He said however, research has also shown that the management of jails need to improve on the management and provide a more responsive management that will improve staff living and working

conditions, maintain fairness and respect at work, values commands, control and discipline procedures and all merits must be based promotion at work.

“The purpose of this program is to make known to all our major stakeholders that they need to be aware of what is happening so that they can continue to work and support us so that when this implementation of the prison charter is rolled out it would lead to positive outcomes so that people are trained, compliance is monitored and complaints are handled,” Mr Eka said. In doing so service delivery will improve and professional integrity will be promoted because all the staff will have incentives to follow the prescribed standard practices, he said.

“We have decided to build eight new classrooms to enable us to cater for the increase number of students and not leaving them out because of space limitation,” he said.

He said building materials will be purchased from Bulolo Forestry and transported to the school.

K5m for education, health

THE additional K5 million allocations from the national Government for the district services improvement program (DSIP) fund will be used in the health and education sectors.

Vice Minister Education and Nawaeb MP Gisuwat Siniwin revealed this to the people of his electorate last week.

Mr Siniwin said all the districts throughout the country will use the funds only for health and education purposes.

He said under the government guideline policy, K3 million will specifically for education in terms of building new infrastructures while K2 million is for health services.

“Nawaeb district has already come up with its budget where non -accessible parts of the electorate had been identified by the joint district budget and priority planning committees (JDP&BPC) with allocation of the budget,” he said.

Mr Siniwin said remote areas of the district have been neglected for so long and must be given priority.

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CENTRE of attention: All eyes are on the Lae MP over the Lae city commission bill

The purpose of this program is to make our stakeholders aware of what is happening so they can continue to support us...

PHILIP EKA Lae

Institute of Engineers calls for membership

THE Rabaul branch of the Institute of Engineers is calling on students, graduates, technicians, those who undertake infrastructural work in East New Britain Province and anyone who is interested to join the institution.

According to spokesman John Paivu, the institution was reestablished in 2014 after it was dormant at the end of 2009 and as per the 2014 roll, there were thirty five students, graduates, engineers, technicians and companions who came from the government, private sector and educational

IEPNG: The Institute of Engineers is the only recognised professional body for engineers in the country, and those engineers not registered with it are legally not allowed to practice any sort of engineering work anywhere in the country.

MEMBERSHIP: The Rabaul branch of the institute is calling on any interested professionals, including engineers and techinical workers and students, to register and become members of the institute in the province.

institutions and working in the towns of Rabaul and Kokopo as well as living overseas.

He said there were also a number of unregistered engineers who were work-

ing in the province which the branch had encouraged to renew their registration.

He said the institution was a forum for discussion of all topics not only on engineering and infrastructural

developments in the province and country but all subjects of interest in society.

He said the branch had four monthly meetings last year where a lot of issues were discussed regarding situations in the province.

He said engineers in any society were forerunners in any infrastructural development and were the ones who think out the best possible way to solve any engineering and infrastructural problems.

However, he said the institution had seen that this has not been the case and that projects have been done

Ex-cop calls for discipline in force

BY MICHAEL WARTOVO

without any input from engineers and that the institution intents to correct this oversight. Mr Paivu said the branch was giving notice to both the government and companies employing engineers to be aware of the Registration Act of Parliament 2007 regarding the employment of engineers and that an engineer carrying out infrastructural work over K200,000 must be registered with the Institution of Engineers. He said contravening this act carries a fine and those engaged in infrastructural projects should register.

A FORMER police sergeant has called on policemen and women in the country to be professional when conducting their duties.

Misiel Topaak, who is now the pastor of the local Christian Life Centre in Kokopo, highlighted this following the recent report of killings in Port Moresby by police.

He said police officers need to realise that their work was to protect lives and properties and that they should be disciplined at all times when performing their duties.

“In our time in the 80s, we were proud of the uniform we wore,” pastor Topaak said.

“We performed with professionalism, we protected the integrity of the constabulary and performed our duties.”

He said policemen and women should show professionalism when maintaining law and order and work closely with the general public.

The former sergeant said police officers coming out from the Bomana Police College in Port Moresby should keep the integrity of the force and be well disciplined.

He said officers should refrain from consuming alcohol while on duty, chewing betelnut and smoking in public areas, which are some of the issues that the police force needs to address.

Pastor Topaak called on the police hierarchy to fully screen all applicants before they can be recruited into the force.

GOVT ASSISTS CHURCH

He said some of these police personal have behavioural problems resulting in such police brutality cases happening in the country.

The pastor’s call comes amidst increasing pressure on police over disciplinary issues.

Dad, two men guilty of sex crimes against sisters

A FATHER has been found guilty of a number of sexual crimes committed against his two biological daughters.

William Lakuna was found guilty by the Kokopo National Court last week of four counts of intentionally exposing his private parts to his elder daughter. He was also found guilty of incest with his younger daughter.

Two other men, Jack Matalau and Robert Tiotam, were also found guilty of one count of persistent sexual abuse of the younger daughter.

The men, including the father, were charged with various sexual crimes committed against the two sisters in separate incidences and that these crimes were committed at Putanagororoi

village in the north coast area of Gazelle District.

According to court documents, the State had chosen to have the three accused tried in a joint trial because the younger sister was the complainant against all three accused while the elder daughter was the complainant against only one accused, who was her father.

Both sisters gave evidence in court during the trial. The court before Judge Justice Salatiel Lenalia heard that the elder daughter had testified that her father had committed the crimes against her in 2011 and 2012 in their kitchen and dining room at Putanagororoi village and that the younger daughter gave evidence that her father had sexually pen-

etrated her twice in 2012 at their family home and near the family home.

The younger daughter had also testified against the other two accused who had sexually abused her on separate occasions near their family home in 2008 and 2011 when she was very young.

Justice Lenalia said the court had observed the two

complainants when giving their evidence on oath and that both of them confidently faced the lawyers when answering their questions in chief, cross-examination and re-examination and that they looked directly at the lawyers and the three accused as they related their experiences.

The court found the three accused guilty as charged.

West New Britain Governor Sasindran Muthuvel and chairman for education services and Talasea LLG president Victor Narere and other government of fi cers being prayed for by the Kimbe United Church pastors and leaders. Governor Muthuvel was there to present a check of K100,0 00 for the maintenance and renovation of the church headquarters in Kimbe. The pastors and leaders have thanked Mr Muthuvel for coming to their assistance.

ABG minister leads reconcilliations

AUTONOMOUS Bougainville Government

Minister for Finance and Member for Motuna Huyono constituency of Siwai district in South Bougainville Albert Punghau has taken the lead in reconciling with former combatants in his area.

A reconciliation ceremony took place at Hirino Elementary School grounds where Mr Punghau reconciled with the former Bougainville Revolutionary Army from Siwai.

In the same occasion Mr Punghau witnessed the reconciliation between the former Horino BRA and the Horino Me’ekamui factions. The reconcilliation was for crisis related issues and outstanding cases between Mr Punghau’s family and the former BRAs from the Siwai district.

Mr Punghau said Bougainvilleans must reconcile from their hearts and forgive and forget what had happened during the Bougainville Crisis.

He said as the mandated leader from Siwai, he is taking the lead and every leader must follow suit and reconcile with the former combatants in their respective areas.

The moving reconciliation ceremony was witnessed by the New Zealand police, regional police commander for South Sgt John

Popui, executive manager for Siwai

Martin

Tumuki, ABG Member for Baba William Siramai and other leaders.

B’ville aims for free, transparent polling

THE Bougainville Electoral Commission is aiming for a free, fair and transparent ABG general election.

And in order to achieve this, the commission will use whatever resources available to prepare Bougainvilleans, especially the eligible voters, before the scheduled polling dates.

This assurance was given by the Acting ABG Electoral Commissioner George Manu following concerns raised lately regarding the less number of registered eligible voters for this

upcoming election.

Many people have been calling on the electoral commission to conduct a thorough enrolment exercise after learning that the current list of eligible voters in their areas was far less than the registered figures for the 2010 ABG General Election and the 2012 National Election.

Mr Manu was also given a copy of a press release from three prominent leaders from Central Bougainville complaining about the less number of registered eligible voters from

the Ioro constituency of Panguna district.

Mr said the figures currently with his office is not the final list.

He said more enrolment exercises will still be carried out throughout Bougainville, which would then increase the number of registered eligible voters.

“The number of registered voters that I have is not the final list that will be voting in the election. More enrolment exercises will still be carried out to get more eligible voters registered,” said Mr Manu.

He also clarified that the figures for Ioro constituency given by the leaders was not accurate and less than the current figures that commission has for that constituency.

“This election is very important to all Bougainvilleans as we will be putting in-place the government that will take us to the referendum period to decide our political future,” he said.

“So it is the responsibility of the Electoral Commission to conduct a free, fair and transparent election.”

Patient slams state of Buka hospital

PATIENTS admitted at the Buka General Hospital cannot use the toilet facilities at the hospital because it is not useable, which is also a health hazard to all admitted patients, says patient Timothy Kopana. He is calling on the management of the hospital and the Autonomous Bougainville Government to look at the state the of hospital and improve it for the sake of the people of Bougainville.

He said the enrolment forms will be distributed shortly to the council of elders and the respective district offices in Bougainville to carry out the enrolment exercise.

The COEs and the district officers will be assisted by the assistant returning officers for each constituencies and the Bougainville Electoral Commission.

“It is important that all Bougainvilleans 18 years and above must be enrolled. It is important that you must enrol so that you will be able to cast your votes,” he said.

Mr Kopana, from Konnou in South Bougainville, was discharged on Wednesday this week said he was admitted at the hospital awaiting his neck operation and has experienced the bad state of the toilets and many other facilities that need improvement.

He challenged the leaders who have been voted into parliament to improve the hospital for the people who have voted them into parliament.

“Most of the members when they are sick go out of the province to better hospitals and receive treatment and we the people are left to suffer,” said MR Kopana.

He said Buka hospital has qualified doctors in but lacks the proper equipment to carry out their work professionally and said they must be given proper housing and transport so that in any emergency cases they can arrive on time.

Bougainville MP supports seaweed farming projects

BOUGAINVILLE

Regional MP Joe Lera has contributed K290,000 last year from his electoral funds towards seaweed farming in Bougainville.

Jemish Hasun, the executive officer of the governor, revealed this when launching the seaweed project at Petats Island last week.

Mr Hasun, speaking on

behalf of the governor, stressed that the project was an ABG project and is ongoing.

Mr Hasun also urged the people to treat seaweed as an important cash crop to sustain their lives.

He referred to how the people of Tinputs held onto cocoa and the Buka people hold on to copra as a main income generator.

He also challenged the people of Petats to work together to maintain the seaweed project and use their money wisely to sustain their livelihoods.

Raymond Moworu, a representative from the division of commerce, confirmed that there was a demand of seaweed from buyers overseas.

Seaweed farming was

identified as one of the economic projects to raise the economy of Bougainville after the ABG government passed an economic development policy, Mr Moworu said.

“We had exported 213 tonnes of seaweed in 2013 and earned over K400,000, however, the price on the market has increased and the people would look

at earning more from the exports this year, he said.

There is hope for export as foreign buyers are interested in the seaweed farming, he said. The seaweed farm belongs to the community, hence, money driven from the project automatically belongs to individual farmers. Farmers checking on their seaweed

MR Punghau (right) reconciling with ex-BRA fighters of Siwai in south Bougianville

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PM: Govt has restricted foreign currency trading

BY ISAAC NICHOLAS

THE Government has imposed some controls on foreign currency trading resulting in limited foreign currency experienced at the moment.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill last Friday said there was no need for panic as the foreign reserves currently held by the Bank of Papua New Guinea still stands at a record high of $US2.2 billion (K5.8 billion).

He was responding to queries after Sports Minister Justin Tkatchenko told Parliament that lack of foreign reserves has slowed down

work at the new Pacific Games netball stadium at Bisini Parade.

“The fact is that we have put in some control measures into our foreign currency trading largely because the commercial banks were charging very big margins when they were transacting on foreign currency trading,” PM O’Neill said.

“As a result, when you look at the last four or five financial reports of all three big banks, you will see that large portions of their profits came out of foreign currency trading which means that they are not lending enough money to our businessmen and women.”

“We want them to increase their lending book, we don’t want them to increase their foreign currency trading, so that is why we have limited the margins in foreign currency trading as a result there is a bit of tightening that is going on but every priority has been met, whoever got proper clearance from the tax office and all the foreign exchange controls are getting paid through the process.”

“There e is no need for us to worry about availability of foreign currency, we have got close to $US 2.2 billion (K5.8 billion) foreign currency in reserves, in fact on the 20th of this month we are expecting

Market Snapshot

our first bit of revenues coming in from LNG.”

“We are also encouraging all our exporters keeping their money in foreign accounts to bring their money back to PNG so that they can be accountable and be taxed on revenues that they are getting and so it is not as bad as it is sounded out as being the case. It is fairly well under control.”

“We are discussing with Central Bank to have some flexibilities now that we have given a very strong and clear message to the commercial banks that you will now see some movements in foreign currency,” Mr O’Neill said.

Expert: P’nyang project must be a ‘standalone’

BY GLORIA BAUAI

A PAPUA New Guinean expert in the mining and petroleum sector has urged the Government to allow for a standalone gas project on the P’nyang gas field than integrating into the current PNG LNG Project.

“My view would be to see P’nyang a standalone project. I strongly urge the PNG Government to adopt a policy of regional development than ‘cash’ mantra as it does oftentimes,” says Leo Kasa.

Mr Kasa, a mining engineer by profession having 20 years of industrial, government, consultancy and now civil construction business experiences and is very well versed on mining and petroleum developments in PNG from Porgera, Hides gas power and Kutubu oil projects and others to date, said developers have their corporate interest as against economic and social development needs of countries.

In support of various landowners from P’nyang and Hides, in light of ExxonMobil’s plan to integrate P’nyang gas field, Mr Kasa said, “it is the host governments that make the final call as to how projects are configured, taking into full consid-

The bottom line

eration every facet of its country’s development need that besets it, thus incorporating landowners desires for their own regional developments, in this instance the P’nyang landowners development needs and desires.”

He pointed out that the notion that communal customary landownership is an impediment to

economic development has been supported by the consecutive Governments of PNG though asserting otherwise that landownership must be recognised.

“The Government of the day must be responsible, transparent and accountable to deal with future LNG Projects, this time P’nyang.”

Furthermore, basing on an af-

fidavit of the former Attorney General in the Somare-led Government showing how ExxonMobil forced the government to agree to the PNG LNG Project, Mr Kasa goes on to say, the PNG LNG is a case of developer’s onslaught on the PNG Government who for the sake of ‘much needed money’ and without leverage ‘sold’ the huge gas resource void of Free, Prior, Informed Consent (FPIC) of and by the local landowners.

“Now that we know ExxonMobil is a signatory to all the conventions, principles, and standards that guides and promotes good corporate governance and business practices in the world, we would be watching the genuineness it would be displaying in time to come.

“How comprehensive and effective is Exxon Mobil applying the principles of FPIC as defined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to the P’nyang project?” Mr Kasa questioned.

He further states that for any other developments, proper processes of FPIC must be championed by the government than carrying the developer’ interest.

$A rises on comments by RBA boss

SYDNEY: The Australian dollar is higher after an upbeat assessment of the economy from Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens. At 1700 AEDT on Friday, the local unit was trading at 77.87 US cents, up from 76.51 cents on Thursday. Appearing before a parliamentary committee, the RBA boss spoke very positively about the Australian economy, but also said he expects the local currency to fall, Easy Forex currency dealer Liam Moon said.

45% of all online gamers are female, and women over the age of 18 are the industry’s fastest growing demographic.

A MAP of the P’nyang fi elds.

Firms to benefit from SP Games

MORE THAN 200 local Papua

New Guinean companies have been engaged with the 2015 Pacific Games to Date.

They have shared in K51 million already spent by the Games Organising Committee.

Chief executive officer of Games Organising Committee Peter Stewart revealed this when he addressed the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry breakfast last Thursday.

Mr Stewart said, many local businesses have benefited from various business opportunities and more can benefit from it right up to the two weeks of competition.

Games contract areas that are yet to be awarded include medals, sports equipment, overlay items, venue maintenance services, sound systems, broadcast equipment, operational vehicles and venue catering.

“We have already awarded K138 million in contracts to businesses but still have a further K22 million waiting to be contracted and therefore we encourage business houses to keep an eye out for tender advertisements put out in the media and on our website to register their interest”.

“As well as being service providers, there are still sponsorship options for businesses interested to come on board to

At a glance

PACIFIC GAMES: The Pacific Games (formerly known as the South Pacific Games) is a multi-sport event, much like the Olympics with participation exclusively from countries around the South Pacific. It is held every four years and began in 1963, hosted by Suva, Fiji.

COMPANIES ENGAGED: To date more than 200 local companies have been engaged with the 2015 Pacific Games.

OUTSTANDING

CONTRACTS: Contract areas that are yet to be awarded include medals, sports equipment, overlay items, venue maintenance services, sound systems, broadcast equipment, operational vehicles and venue catering.

SPONSORS: 20 sponsors have contributed K64 million.

support the Games.

“We have 20 sponsors who have contributed K64 million, which is a tremendous effort and I thank each and every one of them for their contribution,” Stewart said. He also provided a brief on venues and an update on upcoming milestone events which is the Volunteer launch, the Games Relay and the launch of tickets sales.

Total SA biggest beneficiary in Elk-Antelope dispute

FRENCH oil and gas company Total SA is the biggest beneficiary of the outcome of arbitration over the disputed joint operating agreement between Oil Search and InterOil in the Elk-Antelope project.

Attempts by Post-Courier to get comments from Total was unsuccessful, however, the outcome of the arbitration has a huge advantage for Total as the ICC found Total has a interest as party to the project.

This is good news for Total in terms of Government’s confidence since Total is the government preferred operator of PNG’s biggest gas field in the Gulf Province. Last week a dispute over the ownership of one of PNG’s biggest natural-gas discoveries had been resolved in an international court, paving the way for To-

ANALYSTS

tal to seal its acquisition of a 40% stake in the assets. InterOil last year agreed to introduce the French oil giant as a partner into the Elk-Antelope natural-gas discoveries, but another party to the joint venture, Oil Search Ltd disputed the up-to-$US3.6 billion (K11.80billion ) deal.

Oil Search argued it should be able to exercise so-called pre-emptive rights and buy

the stake itself at the same price. However, Oil Search said the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce declined to issue preemptive rights.

Analysts had speculated that if Oil Search had won the dispute, it would have on-sold the stake to another big oil company, such as its current joint-venture partner at the nearby PNG LNG project.

“In a complex, non-unanimous, judgement, the ICC decision declared that Total is a party to the Elk/Antelope joint venture operating agreement,” Oil Search said in a statement. The court also ruled that Total will have to comply with some transfer clauses to close the deal.

“Oil Search anticipates that InterOil and Total will

attempt to comply with these terms and the company intends to work constructively with its joint venture partners to resolve all outstanding transfer and joint venture management issues,” it said.

Minister for Petroleum and Energy Nixon Duban relayed the Government’s position to the project proponents executive during a visit to the Elk-Antelope project site that whatever the outcome of the arbitration, he would want to see the project being moved forward.

Mr Duban also made it clear that the Government wants to see Total become the project operator of the Elk-Antelope project along with project partners InterOil, Oil Search and the National Petroleum Company of PNG.

Newcrest considering sale of major gold mine as cost cutting measure

OPERATOR of Lihir Gold

Mine and Wapu-Golpu project

Newcrest Mining says it is considering selling its third biggest gold mine as it continues to drive costs down.

Accordint to (Herald News), Australia’s biggest listed goldminer says it is considering “alternative ownership options” for its Telfer mine in

Western Australia — one of the largest gold mines in the nation.

The sale was flagged as the Melbourne-based miner reported a 400 % rise in net profit to $200 million (K408 million) for the six months to December.

The profit surge comes after several years of major losses.

Newcrest did not pay an interim dividend.

Underlying profit, which strips out one-offs such as asset writedowns, fell 3% to $200 million (K408 million).

Newcrest chief executive officer Sandeep Biswas said in an executive summary that the company continues to drive costs down with its

all-in-sustaining cost; a key measure of production expenses in the industry clocking in at $917 (K1873) per gold ounce for the six months to December. That figure is down 9% on the same period a year earlier.

Newcrest said a fall in allin-sustaining cost at Telfer to $867 (K1771) an ounce, along

with an upswing in the gold price, had increased the attractiveness of investment options under review.

“The review has been broadened to include evaluation of hedging of fuel and A$ metal prices for any cutback, and alternative ownership options,” it said in a statement.

The review also includes

assessing options to expand the mine. Telfer accounts for 25% of Newcrest’s gold production and churned out close to 275,000 ounces of the yellow metal during the six months to December. Shares in the group were down 0.7% in early trade at the weekend.

BSP delegates visit Solomon Islands

A TOP level delegation from the PNG-based Bank South Pacific (BSP) made a courtesy call on Solomon Island’s Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare on Thursday, during which they expressed confidence in the business environment in Solomon Islands.

The three-man delegation included BSP chairman Kostas Constantinou, BSP chief executive officer Robin Flem-

ing and BSP country manager David Anderson, the Solomon Star reports. The group briefed Prime Minister Sogavare on the performance of BSP since its establishment in the country as well as the bank’s expansion plans in Solomon Islands, particularly, in rural banking services.

Mr Constantinou also confirmed BSP’s takeover of Westpac bank, which will exit

Solomon Islands when formal arrangements are finalised.

He said the takeover is part of BSP’s expansion plans in Solomon Islands and they envisaged more employment opportunities for Solomon Islanders. “Our expansion is an affirmation of our confidence to operate in Solomon Islands and to support the development aspirations of the government and people of this country,” Mr

Constantinou said.

Prime Minister Sogavare assured the delegation that the Democratic Coalition for Change (DCC) Government he leads will ensure that necessary infrastructures will be put in place to support economic development in the country.

He acknowledged BSP’s expansion plans in Solomon Islands, particularly, in the area of rural banking.

A CAMP/drilling site at Elk-Antelope where Total is expected to assume as Operator of the PNG’s biggest gas project soon. Picture: PATRICK T WUNDAI

If Oil Search has won the dispute, it would have on-sold the stakes to another big oil company ...

SAMEIULLAH,

Kua: Devise domestic gas pricing formula

BY JACOB POK

THE GOVERNMENT has been strongly urged to formulate a special pricing formula for the locally produced Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) for the domestic market.

Sinasine-Yongomul MP Kerenga Kua suggested to parliament during Question

Time last week that since the government has plans for domestic market provisioning of locally produced LNG, it should formulate proper pricing for the LNG to be sold at the domestic market.

“Presently, there is no provision in any of the LNG agreement for reservation for domestic market requirements and it is good that the government now plans for domestic market provision-

SUGGESTION: Since the government has plans for domestic market provisioning of locally produced LNG, it should formulate proper pricing for the LNG to be sold at the domestic market.

CONCERN: When you make reservations for domestic market requirements, the next thing you must have immediately after that provision, is a special pricing formula built to that agreement. Without a proper pricing formula, locally produced gas would be still bought at international market prices.

DUBAN: The project must be also worked out before percentage is agreed.

ing of locally produced LNG,” Mr Kua said.

Mr Kua while directing his concerns to Petroleum and Energy Minister Nixon Duban, told parliament that he was happy to hear about the latest signing of the Stanley gas agreement, which made a provision of about 15 per cent

of production to be diverted to domestic requirements.

“But my concern is that, that alone is not sufficient for this country. When you make reservation for domestic market requirements, the next thing you must have immediately after that provision, is to have a special pricing

formula built to that agreement,” Mr Kua said.

He stressed that without a proper pricing formula, locally produced gas would be still bought at international market prices.

“In order to make it beneficial, while in process of negotiating with developer, you got to negotiate two things.

First is the percentage requirement to be reserved for domestic needs and secondly, lock in a prising formula which is advantages to this country. A price below international market price,” Mr Kua added.

He asked whether these steps were applied in the Stanley gas agreement and if not, it should be considered in the other upcoming locally produced LNG.

PORT EXEMPTION

AMERICAN Samoa has been granted an exemption from a massive industrial dispute at ports on the West Coast of the United States. A work slow down at West Coast ports has severely affected American Samoa, with the territory facing a shortage of food and other supplies as the number of shipments has been reduced.

The Pacific Maritime Association -- which represents management in the dock talks -- has granted an exemption for shipments to American Samoa through the Port of Oakland.

RIO’S SHARES SOAR

RIO Tinto’s shares have soared toward six-month highs as investors welcomed the miner’s $7.8 billion return to shareholders. The market also cheered Rio’s $US6.5 billion full year net profit, capping off a major turnaround by chief executive Sam Walsh since taking over two years ago. The share price jumped $3.89, or 6.5 per cent, to $63.79 on Friday, but some analysts question if it can go much higher given the current negative environment for miners. When Mr Walsh presented Rio’s 2013 results almost two years ago he had been in the job less than a month.

BANK ISSUES ALERT

ONE of the world’s largest banks has warned international investors could bypass Australia in the future because of concerns about the country’s environmental policies. Didier Mahout, chief executive of French bank BNP Paribas’ Australian operations, said global firms were increasingly conscious of their environmental reputation and could be put off by Australia’s stance on climate change. “Every responsible, leading organisation worldwide wants to be seen as an organisation that is totally aligned in terms of its values and principles,” he said.

In response, Minister Duban said the domestic market offer was the concept initiated by the Prime Minister to ensure that the state and the people must know some answers to those locally produced gas.

“Fifteen percent is the proposed figure, but we are also mindful of the fact that the project must be also worked out before percentage is agreed.

When the 15 percent is secured, that has to come under the control of the government, and then the pricing issue must be discussed.

“When we don’t have control over the percentage, it is unwise to try and dictate to the investors as to what should be the pricing formula that should be agreed upon,” Minister Duban said.

Star Mountain project agreement effected

HIGHLANDS Pacific Limited

(HIG) and a wholly owned subsidiary of Anglo American Plc (Anglo American) have executed the joint venture and farm-in agreements for the Star Mountains copper gold project in Western Province.

The exploration and development joint venture proposal was originally announced on December 8, 2014, and the general terms of the joint venture and farm-in remain as an-

nounced at that date.

Highlands Pacific in a statement stated that preparation for the upcoming exploration and drilling campaign will now ramp-up, with a four hole, 3,000 metre campaign to commence in April 2015.

A helicopter-magnetic survey is currently being completed and a LIDAR survey will commence in the coming weeks.

Highlands Pacific managing director John Gooding said the

execution of the agreements represented a major step forward for Highlands.

“Anglo American is a highly reputable international company that brings great exploration and development experience to the Star Mountains project.

“Together we can move forward with a defined exploration program that will test the size and grade of these exciting targets.” he said.

The joint venture and farm-in

agreements consist of the following: US$10 million payment (K26.28 million); Anglo American will pay Highlands US$10 million (K26.28 million) in two tranches of US$5 million each (K13.14 million).

“The first payment of US$5 million (K13.14 million) is payable on execution of the agreements with the second payment of US$5 million (K13.14 million) to be made 12 months later.

CONTAINER POWER

FOUR shipping containers fitted with gas turbines have been officially fired up in Port Hedland to supply electricity to the community until a bigger power plant is built. The iron ore hub in WA’s Pilbara, which is also the site of Australia’s biggest export port for the commodity, is facing increasing energy demands. US-based power provider APR Energy installed the mobile plant at a new power precinct at the Boodarie Industrial Estate.

APR Asia Pacific managing director Clive Turton said it was the company’s first Australian project. The mobile plant will initially provide up to 60 megawatts of power to the Pilbara electricity network, but has a capacity of 100 megawatts.

THE DAY OF A SHOE SHINE BOY IN KABUL

the second son of his eight-member family, is the sole bread-winner who polishes shoes of customers from dawn to dusk in western Kabul, making roughly $US4 daily. Poverty and insecurity has forced thousands of children into child labour in Afghanistan. Pictured is Sameiullahn waiting for customers at the Karta-e-Sakhi cemetery in Kabul. AFP: Shah Marai

cairns feature

So much to see and do when visiting Cairns

WHEN in Cairns, there are many of the city’s tours and you might start by testing your horseback skills with a ride through the spectacular and rugged Falls Gorge. Expert horse handlers will ensure you are matched to the right horse, and be prepared to clock some serious hours in the saddle!

Catch the Skyrail for a scenic trip above the rainforest treeline to Kuranda township. The Skyrail is a 7.5km long cableway – hop on and off along the way to explore the boardwalks and ranger guided tours in the forest. Once in Kuranda, spend a few hours exploring the arts and crafts of the local galleries, or sam-

ple the delights of the gourmet chocolates, wines and sweets from the boutique shops.

Don’t miss the creepy crawlies on display at the Australian Venom Zoo! Once you’ve picked up all your souvenirs and had a bite to eat at the local pub, hop aboard the Kuranda Train and head back down the mountain. The scenic train ride winds its way precariously around the mountain cliffs, over bridges and through tunnels, past stunning waterfalls and sheer drops. Adrenalin junkies rejoice! White water rafting on the Tully River offers the rush of some of the best rapids in Australia. Led by expert guides

through the remote wilderness of the world heritage rainforest, not only will you experience a harrowing series of Grade 4 rapids, but you can stop and swim at isolated watering holes, hurl yourself from rope swings into the deeper waters, and slide over mini waterfalls bareback!

Revive yourself with a picnic lunch before you tackle the second half of the river and the bus ride home. In Cairns play a game of golf, go fi shing, get out and experience the world of scuba diving on a world heritage reef. Visit the tablelands and the famous Kuranda, home to the artists and eco warriors of the area.

One stop home opportunity

CAIRNS safe and secure offer begins with the New Year. Educate yourself to create money while you sleep. Learn with Robert Smith, Australian First Realty (AFR) founder, who wants to build your dream home in Cairns.

AFR home designs

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House packages stages 1,2 and 3 have all sold out. Now the fi nal stages 4 and 5 are selling fast.

Do yourself a favour for your family and create wealth for future education. Buy your house and land package today with AFR. Location is close to schools, hospitals, James Cook University and only seven minutes to Cairns City Centre.

It’s a one-stop-shop, call or email Robert Smith for an information pack. Be very quick wantoks to build dreams.

Just A$1,000 deposit and you choose your land and house plan, we then open up an Australian bank account for you. You are in control, always 100 percent transparent and confidential. Our very successful new ‘House & Land Package Plans’ are available with a total input of K250,000. That is all you need to invest in Cairns. The Market is on its way up.

It’s a one-stop-shop with AFR, be it wealth creation for the future and the education of your children or new house and land package. Either FIRB approved commercial properties or acreage subdivisions, we do it all with our network of builders, lawyers, bankers, immigration and opening up your Australian bank account and enrolling yoru children in school.

Cairns is Port Moresby’s and PNG’s closest trading partner.

Cairns has hit the jackpot with future A$8.5 billion Aquis Resort planning to go ahead in the region. AFR’s Robert Smith says get ready to make money in Cairns but be quick, very quick. Build your dream home in Cairns at Redlynch Gateway Central, across the road from shopping centre, sports centre, public transport and minutes away from public and private schools, beaches and the Cairns CBD.

66 new houses are being built, half of which are already ‘Sold’ and another 10 taken with deposits. K250,000 to make your dream come true. Redlynch land now selling stage 2: A$1,000 deposit. With 30 years of practice, check and see that your agent has experience!

With Australian First Realty you will be the winner. Our AFR Client testimonials from PNG wantoks will back up our AFR history spanning 30 years in PNG.

The Guru of Real Estate Donald Trump told Robert “Money while you sleep”. AFR will get you on the right track as Robert has been travelling to PNG centres for over many years helping wantoks one-stop-shop. Create wealth for your future generations – Most of all for education. Contact us now for more information on gathering ‘Tools for your Success’.

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AFR HQ is 171 Bunda St, Opp Rlwy

Next time you are in Cairns Call in and Discuss your Future Wealth Creation over PNG coffee with Robert Direct: 72173866 – The FounderMoney While You Sleep.

tech-talk

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Radio one of man’s smart inventions

LAST Friday was the third annual World Radio Day as declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The focus for this year’s recognition and celebration is youth and innovation in radio.

Radio remains to these days one of the most widespread and popular communication medium in spite of the growing popularity of television and, more recently, of the Internet. Unlike these it doesn’t require expensive equipment and, since the introduction of transistor radios in the mid-1950s, can even be independent from access to an electricity grid, a major benefit in many countries.

Radio depends entirely on electricity as a source of power for transmission and reception, and on electrical and electronic components for its broad-

casting and receiving equipment.

A multitude of IEC TCs (Technical Committees) and SCs (Subcommittees) develop International Standards for such components and systems.

In 1926, shortly after radio broadcasting was introduced, the IEC created TC 12: Radiocommunications.

Nowadays, IEC standardization work for radio broadcasting and receiving equipment is carried out by TC 100: Audio, video and multimedia systems and equipment, TC 103: Transmitting equipment for radiocommunication, and TC 108: Safety

of electronic equipment within the field of audio/video, information technology and communication technology.

Radio reception can be subject to interference from a variety of sources, which include electrical equipment. As early as the 1930s it was decided to deal with the subject of radio interference at an international level. Following an ad hoc conference of interested international organizations held in Paris in 1933, CISPR (International Special Committee on Radio Interference) was created and fi rst met in 1934.

How transmission takes place

A RADIO broadcast may be used in ways highly variable among and serve many purposes for the transmission of speech, data and communications in general, beyond the traditional emission of sound for the songs you know well.

Broadcast Signals

Despite being an invisible instrument, there is no denying that the waves of short and long distance completely changed the way we communicate, especially now that technology is taking advantage of this tool for improving quality of life, as in GPS navigators and mobile phones.

Here are just some of the everyday technologies that depend on radio waves

AM and FM radio

Telephones

Sensor opening garage door

Wireless Networking Instruments that work by remote control

TV Emissors

Cell phones

GPS Receivers

Transmission via Satellite

Amateur Radio

Satellite Radio

The list is huge. If we think of all the applications that radio serves as a driving force, we would not have space in this article. The most important, we can say that the civil aviation would not exist without the radio. Your novel or favourite game show also would never have the same quality if it wasn’t for the modern satellites that we have today. We can also say that the internet radio is now a solid reality, and wireless networks, increasingly used in place of analog technology. Impressive is to know that the radio is one of the cheapest and simple technologies on the planet and, with some small pieces that cost around one or two dollars, you can build a small transmitter.

A RADIO announcer of a rural community radio station on air.

To provide best voice and data service in PNG, SI

BMOBILE was acquired by the Government of Papua New Guinea through an 85 percent shareholding in October 2013 and has been operating in PNG since 1997. It is Papua New Guinea’s firstever mobile carrier and also operates in the Solomon Islands (since 2009). Bmobile’s vision is to be the leading provider of mobile voice and data services in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands and now offers high-speed data, reliable voice and SMS in all major towns in PNG and the Solomon Islands. Bmobile is committed to providing a reliable and cost effect service to the people of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Bmobile continues to challenge the market in order to improve our customer service and network services for the benefit of our customers.

About Vodafone

Vodafone is one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies and provides a range of services including voice, messaging, data and fi xed communications. Vodafone has mobile operations in 26 countries, partners with mobile networks in 52 more, and fi xed broadband operations in 17 markets. As of 31 March 2014, Vodafone had 434 million mobile customers and 9 million fi xed broadband customers.

Vision

To be the leading provider of mobile Voice and Data services in PNG and the Solomon Islands in terms of market share, profitability and customer satisfaction.

Mission

To provide excellent mobile Voice and Data services to the citizens of PNG and the Solomon Islands satisfying all stakeholders by providing: Consumers services that are ;

Affordable

Reliable

Demonstrating high capacity and coverage

Including useful Value Added Services Enterprises

Bundled (with our TPNG partner) services that enable Enterprises utilising our services to lower their operating costs and enhance the services they can provide to their customers

A valued and trusted business partner

The Societies in which we operate

Good Corporate citizen ship taking seriously our obligations to operate in a safe and legal manner enriching with employment and services the communities in which we operate

Our Owners

Wealth creation by both profitable trading and creating an entity of rapidly increasing value

Our Values

Customer Focus

The end focus of all our efforts must be to satisfy a customer need

Continuous Improvement

We constantly look for ways to improve the level of service we provide, to reduce the costs of operating the business and the standard of our technical solutions

Managing with Facts

Our business is driven by processes we constantly measure as the basis of on going improvement and to benchmark our performance against other leading companies

Valuing our People

We want a demanding and rewarding work environment, respecting everybody’s right to contribute to the company direction and approach to how we carry out our work.

THE PACIFIC International Hospital opened its new 3-Mile building last Friday and was launched by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill. The new facility boasts some of the lastest in medical equipment like this CT scanner.

Picture: MARILYN PAUL

STATE OF THE ART

training & development

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For editorial, call 309 1107 or email kialaw@spp.com.pg

Orion is world’s best for project support services

HAVING been in operation since 2009, Orion Project Services PNG currently has a team of 30 recruitment, immigration, travel, and support people augmenting major in-county oil and gas projects from our busy Port Moresby office. Part of Orion Group’s worldwide network of offices is specialising in project personnel and logistics services and offer many years of skill and experience in this field.

We can supply both local PNG citizens and expatriates or foreign personnel available from our worldwide database of more than 300,000 skilled candidates, including throughout the Asia Pacific region. Furthermore, we can offer a number of supporting business functions including payroll, skills mapping and training, HR functional support, transport and logistics, work permit and visa sponsorships, training facilitation and facilities management.

Orion and the Ipatas Foundation, chaired by Isaac Lupari and funded

through the Enga Children’s Fund, chaired by Enga Governor Peter Ipatas, recently concluded a two-year pilot project to train 120 Papua New Guineans in catering and camp services, heavy diesel mechanical, and fabrication and welding. The program was a great success with 100 percent on-the-job training placement of graduates within the industry to date. We are proud to have worked with the Ipatas Foundation and Site Skills Training and would like to jointly thank all host employers which include: Ferrum Engineering, Curtain Bros PNG Ltd, Fletcher, Morobe, IPI Catering, Rapid Hire PNG, Coral Sea Hotels, Bluff Inn Motel, Airways Hotel, Grand Papua Hotel Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, AES and Steel Industry for their support.

Orion has supported the PNG LNG project as well as numerous construction projects and operations within PNG and programs like this are about giving back and being leaders in PNG’s ‘nation building

through human resources’ goal. Programs such as these underpin our core business of manpower and recruitment, which continues to diversify and add value beyond that of simply on-hiring for our clients. While 2015 will bring a close to this pilot training project with the placement of our fi nal class of graduate trainees, the year ahead will certainly be one of new opportunity for Orion Project Services PNG.

We have recently launched the South Pacific Employment Institute (SPEI), a new training facility that provides a wide range of vocational skills for Papua New Guineans. In partnership with IPATAS Foundation and SiteSkills, SPEI will link industry directly to competency based training in order to drive meaningful employment in Papua New Guinea.

Read more about the pioneering project here: www.ipatasfoundation.com

ABOVE: Staff of Orion celebrating PNG Independence Day with a local singsing group. Below: Graduate trainees during a workshop training session.

Abbott promises response

SYDNEY: Prime Minister Tony Abbott has warned of a tough diplomatic response if Indonesia carries out the executions of Bali Nine drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. There appears to be little hope of an 11th-hour reprieve for the pair, with authorities in Indonesia confirming a briefing for Australian officials in Jakarta on Monday to outline the execution process. Chan and Sukumaran, who

were busted in 2005 in Bali as part of a heroin trafficking plot along with seven other Australians, will face the firing squad before the end of the month.

Mr Abbott on Sunday said millions of Australians were sickened by what might be about to take place in Indonesia, adding that the executions will be met with a tough response.

He refused to say, however, if Australia’s ambassador

Nuclear debate gets PM support

CANBERRA: South Australia’s nuclear debate is a “gale of common sense”, Prime Minister Tony Abbott says.

Premier Jay Weatherill has announced a royal commission into whether South Australia should be more heavily involved in the nuclear industry, including enrichment, power production and the storage of waste.

The inquiry has the backing of the prime minister, who on Sunday pledged to work with SA on the issue.

The state is home to one of the world’s largest uranium mines, and there should be a debate on its use in Australia, Mr Abbott said.

“What I think we’ve seen from the South Australian Premier is a gale of common sense,” he told Network Ten.

“If it’s right to mine it, why can’t it be right to use it? That’s especially the question that Jay Weatherill has put.”

The royal commission will investigate whether South Australia should be involved in the “whole gambit” of the nuclear fuel cycle, Mr Weatherill said.

“We are the largest supplier of uranium from Australia, one of the largest in the world,” he told ABC Television on Sunday.

“It makes sense for us in that context to explore whether we should deepen our involvement in the nuclear fuel cycle.”-AAP

Abbott criticises Aust Muslim leader

SYDNEY: Prime Minister Tony Abbott has criticised the Grand Mufti of Australia for speaking against a possible ban on the controversial Muslim organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir.

The prime minister says comments attributed to Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed were “wrong-headed” and unhelpful.

Dr Ibrahim, the spiritual leader of Muslims in Australia, last week said it would be a “political mistake” to ban the group.

“Hizb ut-Tahrir is not against freedom of speech, he, they are actually pro-freedom of speech and they are actually practising this policy those who are against freedom of speech are the ones who are thinking to ban HBT from expressing their thoughts,” Dr Ibrahim said, according to the Seven Network.

On Sunday, Mr Abbott said more Muslim leaders must speak out against the rise in Islamic extremism and the growing threat from terrorism.

“He himself is not an Islamist,” Mr Abbott said of the Grand Mufti.

“More and more people are speaking out but certainly those comments attributed to the Mufti don’t seem either right or helpful,” he said.

The government is seeking advice from security agencies on options for taking action against Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in other countries including Britain and the prime minister has flagged a crackdown.

“If cracking down on Hizb ut-Tahrir and others who nurture extremism in our suburbs means further legislation, we will bring it on and I will demand that the Labor party call it for Australia,” Mr Abbott said in an address to the National Press Club earlier this month. Dr Ibrahim suggested moves against Hizb ut-Tahrir appeared to be motivated by a want for distraction from other political issues. -AAP

would be recalled.

“If these executions go ahead, and I hope they don’t, we will certainly be finding ways to make out displeasure felt,” Mr Abbott told Network Ten.

Brazil and The Netherlands recalled their ambassadors in protest at executions of their citizens in January.

The prime minister also stepped up his criticism of Indonesia for trying to save its own citizens on death row in other countries for drug trafficking while rejecting pleas from Australia to spare the lives of Chan and Sukumaran.

“It certainly believes that the death penalty should not

apply to its citizens abroad,”

Mr Abbott said.

Despite Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s insistence that the Bali Nine duo will be put to death, Mr Abbott said Australia would continue with “11th-hour” efforts to save their lives.

“What we are asking of Indonesia is what Indonesia asks of other countries when its citizens are on death row,” Mr Abbott later said at a community event in western Sydney.

“If it’s right for Indonesia to ask and expect some kind of clemency, it’s surely right for us to to ask and expect some kind of clemency.” As time runs out for Chan and Sukumaran, a petition carrying more than 150,000 signatures asking for clemency is set to be presented to members of their families at a gathering in Sydney. The petitions will be submitted to the Indonesian and Australian governments.

Detention harms children

Child detention cruel, illegal

AUSTRALIA’S policy of detaining the children of asylum seekers causes them harm and violates international human rights law, a report says.

A third of detained children had developed mental illnesses of such severity that they required psychiatric treatment, the Australian Human Rights Commission (HRC) said.

It called for all detained children to be released immediately.

PM Tony Abbott has called the report a blatant attack on his government.

Mr Abbott said the commission “should be ashamed of itself” for being so partisan.

Under his government the number of children in detention has fallen. Mr Abbott questioned why the HRC did not launch an inquiry when the Labor government was in power and there were almost 2,000 children in detention centres.

Successive Australian governments have been criticised over their harsh asylum policies, under which asylum seekers are detained for long periods in offshore camps while their applications are processed.

Opinion polls show that such policies are popular with voters concerned about asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat.

The long-awaited report, entitled The Forgotten Children, was completed late last year and released by the government on Wednesday.

It argues that there is no sensible explanation for the prolonged detention of children which is “in clear violation of international human rights law”.

“The overarching finding of the enquiry is that the prolonged, mandatory detention of asylum-seeker children causes them significant mental and physical illness and developmental delays, in breach of Australia’s international obligations,” the foreword says.

The report found that: Detained children have

significantly higher rates of mental health disorders than children in the community.

Children held offshore on the Pacific island of Nauru are suffering from “extreme levels of physical, emotional, psychological and developmental distress”.

Multiple reports of assaults, sexual assaults and self-harm involving children “indicate the danger of the detention environment”.

It calls for the closure of immigration detention facilities on Christmas Island, an end to indefinite detentions and the replacement of the immigration minister by an independent person to act as guardian for unaccompanied children.

“The aims of stopping people smugglers and deaths at sea do not justify the cruel and illegal means adopted,” Commission President Gillian Triggs wrote.

“Australia is better than this.”

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said many of the recommendations in the report were unnecessary, while others “would mean undermining the very policies that mean children don’t get on boats in the first place”.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Wednesday, 14 January 2015

To Whom It May Concern,

RE: RIGGERS BRANDED PRODUCTS

This notice is to confirm that Workwear Industries Pty Ltd is the manufacturer and the assigned trademark holder of the Riggers branded clothing and footwear products.

Genuine Riggers products are manufactured in quality assured factories using only the best quality fabric and workmanship.

It has been brought to our attention that there are illegal and fake Riggers products circulating in Papua New Guinea (PNG) currently.

These fake products are inferior in every aspect to the genuine products.

The suspected perpetrators are being investigated and will be brought to justice as soon as possible.

We would like to confirm that NGF Limited are the official distributors of genuine Riggers products and suggest that all enquiries for Riggers product be directed to NGF Limited only

Should you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact our office directly

Yours Sincerely,

Sydney suspect tried to join army

ONE of two men charged with planning a terror act in Sydney once tried to join the Australian army, his family says.

Omar Al-Kutobi wanted to become a soldier out of love for the country but his application was rejected two years ago, his father Ahmad says.

Mr Kutobi, 24, and Mohammad Kiad, 25, were arrested by police in Sydney’s suburb of Fairfield on Tuesday. Police allege they were about to kill or harm a member of the public with a knife when they were detained.

The pair will remain in custody after their lawyer told a Sydney court they would apply for bail in March.

Police say a hunting knife, an Islamic State (IS) flag and the video were seized.

Ahmad Kutobi said his son had applied to join the army in 2013 but at that time he was only a permanent resident. He was granted citizenship several months later.

The Iraqi-born man first came to Australia as a refugee in 2009.

“He told me life in Australia is so hard,” the father, who now lives in Germany, was quoted as saying by Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.

“I told him: ‘You don’t remember when you said Australia is the best country in the world?’”

His son reportedly replied: “Yes, but it is changing.”

After the two suspects’ arrest, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said they had made a video saying they would stab kidneys and strike at necks.

Mr Abbott said the tape showed one of the suspects promising to “carry out the first operation for the soldiers of the [IS] caliphate in Australia”.

The pair, who were not previously known to police, are charged with undertaking acts in preparation for planning for a terrorist act. Police said their operation had come after a tip-off.

Mr Abbott also said tougher security around people applying for residency was needed, adding that similar issues had come to light with Man Haron Monis, the man who took hostages at a cafe in Sydney in December.

The cafe siege left two hostages and Monis - a religious radical who had come to Australia as a refugee - dead but no direct links with Islamist militants have been identified.

-BBC news

Australia chief whip axed

Jeff Keiles MANAGING DIRECTOR

PHILIP Ruddock is to be replaced in his role as chief whip for the Australian government, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has announced.

It comes days after Mr Abbott narrowly survived a confidence vote among his Liberal MPs which could have removed him from office.

Mr Ruddock is Australia’s longestserving MP in parliament and has

been chief whip since 2013. Mr Abbott praised his “extraordinary contribution” to the country and party.

Mr Ruddock, who represents Berowra in New South Wales, has not commented other than to tell ABC News:

“The position of whip is in the gift of the leader, and any advice about that position should come from him.”

-BBC news

THE report says that many young people are traumatised by their experiences in detention.

Picture: BBC

The Human Rights Commission should be ashamed of itself.

TONY ABBOTT Australia

Court convicts ferry captain

A HONG KONG boat captain has been found guilty of the manslaughter of 39 people in a 2012 ferry collision, the city’s worst maritime disaster in nearly four decades.

Sea Smooth skipper Lai Saiming, 56, was also convicted of one count of endangering safety of others at sea by a Hong Kong court over the accident between his high-speed ferry and a pleasure boat near Lamma Island.

Lai looked solemn as he

heard the guilty verdicts for all charges against him read out in court, which was packed with reporters.

The nine-member jury deliberated that Lai was guilty on all manslaughter charges with a majority of seven-totwo.

“Mr Lai will be sentenced on Monday,” his lawyer Audrey Campbell-Moffat told press outside the city’s high court, refusing to comment on the judgement.

Jackie Chan’s son says sorry

JAYCEE Chan, son of movie star Jackie Chan, has begun the process of rehabilitating his image, appearing in public for the first time following a sixmonth jail sentence on drug charges to apologise for his actions.

The 32-year-old entertainer told reporters in Beijing he would dedicate his energy toward film and music projects and spend more time with his distraught mother.

“As a public figure, this incident has had a negative impact on society, disappointed people who supported me, and caused losses for people who have worked with me,” said Chan, who extended a deep bow of apology before and after his remarks.

Chan was detained in August after he tested positive for marijuana and police found 100 grams of the drug in his Beijing home.

He was formally charged in December with “the crime of sheltering others to take drugs”.

The case has been heavily publicised by state media amid a country-wide crackdown on drug use that has netted several other B-list celebrities.

-ABC news

Control over dating website

CHINA’S internet regulator says it will target fraud on dating websites and other online matchmaking sites, local media reports.

Fraud has become a “public nuisance to millions of users, especially young people”, the Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement. It said it would clamp down on “fraud rings” and “prostitution”, and enforce online real-name registration. -BBC news

Chow Chi-wai, 58, who was steering the Lamma IV pleasure boat when it crashed with more than 120 people on board on October 1, 2012, was acquitted of all 39 charges of manslaughter.

However, he was also found guilty of one count of endangering the safety of others at sea. Chow looked calm as the verdicts of all charges against him were read out in court, with all 39 manslaughter charges given a not guilty

verdict with a majority of eight-to-one jurors.

Chow’s lawyer, Gerard McCoy, did not comment on the verdict.

The pair had each pleaded not guilty to 39 counts each of manslaughter, for which they faced life in prison.

The pleasure boat was filled with staff from a Hong Kong electricity provider and their families who were going to watch a holiday fireworks display when the collision oc-

curred. Scores of people were thrown into the sea when the Lamma’s left rear side was torn open by the impact. Others were trapped inside as the boat sank in just two minutes, leaving only its bow protruding from the water.

It was the deadliest maritime accident in the territory since 1971, when a Hong Kong-Macau ferry sank during a typhoon, leaving 88 people dead.

Several other incidents

since - including two highspeed ferry accidents that injured scores of passengers and the grounding of a large container ship - have worried those who cross Hong Kong’s waters.

New ports in the nearby Chinese trading hub of the Pearl River Delta have driven a surge in maritime traffic in the island’s ports, with vessel arrivals almost doubling between 1990 and 2013 to some 200,000 a year. -ABC news

HONG Kong actor Jaycee Chan apologises to the public for his involvement with drugs.

Picture: ABC/REUTERS

Ukraine truce takes effect

AN agreed ceasefire in Ukraine has come into effect under a cloud of mistrust, after fighting raged until the last minute and Kiev and the US accused Russia of fuelling a final push by rebels to gain territory.

Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko gave the order to government forces to cease fire from midnight on Sunday in line with a peace agreement worked out in Minsk, Belarus.

“I give now the order to the armed forces of Ukraine ... to cease fire,” he said in a

Valentine’s Day shooting plot trio arrested

CANADIAN police say they have foiled a plot to carry out a mass shooting in the Halifax area on Saturday.

Three suspects were arrested and a fourth reportedly shot himself dead after police surrounded his home.

At least two suspects had intended “to go to a public venue... with a goal of opening fire to kill citizens, and then themselves”, police said.

Justice Minister Peter MacKay described those involved as “a group of murderous misfits”.

“Based on what we know so far, it would have been devastating, mass casualties would have been a real possibility,” he said.

“The attack does not appear to have been culturally motivated, therefore not linked to terrorism.”

Brian Brennan, commanding officer of the Nova Scotia Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said the plot had involved a 19-year-old man from the Halifax suburb of Timberlea and a 23-year-old woman from the US state of Illinois.

The two, he said, had had access to firearms.

When police went to arrest the 19-year-old man he killed himself, a senior police official told AP news agency.

-BBC news

PETRO POROSHENKO

televised statement issued alongside armed forces chief of staff Viktor Muzhenko.

Reuters correspondent Anton Zverev reported heavy artillery and rocket fire roughly every five seconds in the run-

up to ceasefire time, but the big guns fell silent just seconds after midnight.

A member of a Ukrainian pro-government unit near the eastern town of Horlivka, who only gave his nickname of Turnir, told local television soon after midnight: “It’s quiet. It’s been quiet for half an hour. But we are waiting.

“We don’t believe them. For the past three days they have been banging us hard.”

Both Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels earlier pledged they would respect the peace plan, signed after marathon

talks between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France.

However, Mr Poroshenko warned the peace process in Ukraine was being “threatened” by separatists who have virtually encircled Ukrainian troops in the key battleground town of Debaltseve.

“Unfortunately, the peace process is threatened, the rebels will use Debaltseve to undermine the ceasefire,” Mr Poroshenko said.

“As supreme commander of the armed forces, I want peace.”

MURDERS

The fragility of the ceasefire was further highlighted when rebels warned that they would consider it an act of aggression if surrounded Kiev forces made any attempts to move out of Debaltseve after the ceasefire’s start.

“These attempts will be stopped by us and the enemy will be destroyed,” Donetsk rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko said.

Kiev in turn accused Mr Zakharchenko of essentially announcing that his forces would not respect the ceasefire.

US President Barack Obama has denounced the killing of three Muslim students in Chapel Hill, North Carolina as “brutal and outrageous murders”. In a statement, Mr Obama said no one in the US should be targeted for “what they look like” or “how they worship”. His comments came after criticism from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over Mr Obama’s silence on the case. With a suspect in custody, police are still investigating the motive, amid family claims it was a hate crime. The FBI has opened an inquiry into the case.

SNIPER CONFESSES

A FORMER US soldier who allegedly formed an international band of snipers as mercenaries has confessed to a murder plot in New York. Joseph Hunter, nicknamed Rambo after the hero of the 1980s action films, pleaded guilty to conspiring to kill a federal agent and an informant. The 49-year-old faces up to 10 years in prison. He believed he had been working for drug traffickers who were actually working for the US anti-drugs agency. He is accused of recruiting ex-military snipers with the aim of carrying out murders on behalf of drug organisations.

CARNIVAL PARADES

DANCERS on stilts, bare-chested cowboys, Carmelite nuns and plenty of bare flesh have flooded Rio’s streets as revellers cranked up the volume at Brazil’s intoxicating carnival festival. Hoards of residents and tourists cast aside their cares on Saturday to drink from the joyous cup of carnival, considered the greatest show on Earth according to those who live in the “Marvellous City.” Millions of people were expected to take part in the street parade in Rio, an annual celebration since 1918.

MEGA DROUGHT

FIREFIGHT

THE American south-west and central plains could be on course for super-droughts the like of which they have not witnessed in over a 1,000 years. Places like California are already facing very dry conditions, but these are quite gentle compared with some periods in the 12th and 13th Centuries. Scientists have now compared these earlier droughts with climate simulations for the coming decades. The study suggests events unprecedented in the last millennium may lie ahead.

Copenhagen on alert after deadly double shooting

A SHOOTING near a synagogue in Copenhagen has left one person dead and two injured, hours after a deadly attack at a cafe in the city.

In the second shooting one person died after being shot in the head, and two police officers were wounded. The attacker is believed to have fled.

Earlier, a gunman killed one person and injured three at a free speech debate attended by a Swedish cartoonist.

It is not clear if the two

The bottom line

shootings are connected.

The second shooting took place on Krystalgade street, about 5km (three miles) from the scene of the first attack.

Danish police were were quoted by the AFP news agency as saying the perpetrator had fled on foot. The man who died was a civilian, while two police officers suffered injuries to their arms and legs, police said.

The BBC’s Malcolm Brabant reports from Copenhagen that the Danish capital has been abuzz with sirens

and helicopters, amid fears that other attacks could be imminent.

Police have warned residents that it is not safe to be in the city centre. They launched a massive manhunt after the first shooting.

An audio recording, obtained exclusively by the BBC, revealed the moments leading up to the attack.

One of the speakers at the debate, which took place at a cafe and concerned the limits of free speech, is suddenly interrupted by a bar-

rage of gunshots.

Speaking to the BBC, eyewitness Dennis MyhoffBrink said: “People were trying to get to the doors, trying to get out of the room, hiding between or behind the tables and chairs, and some people were running out into the street.”

Officials said the gunman made his getaway by car, and a black Volkswagen Polo was later found abandoned a short distance away from the scene, police said.

-BBC news

utimate prize of war is the killing of fellow human beings and the destruction of properties

COPENHAGEN is now on high alert, as the manhunt continues.

Picture: BBC

The

on both sides.

FIREFIGHTERS gained the upper hand on a wind-driven wildfire that destroyed 40 homes and burned nearly 11 sq miles (28 sq km) in California’s Sierra Nevada. Picture: BBC

As supreme commader of armed forces, I want peace.

UKRAINE

Lebanon marks Hariri’s death

CEREMONIES and prayers of remembrance are being held in Lebanon on the 10th anniversary of the assassination of the former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. He was killed by a massive car bomb in the capital, Beirut, along with 21 other people. Mr Hariri’s death led to mass protests against Syria which eventually withdrew its troops from Lebanon. However an international tribunal indicted five members of Lebanon’s Shia movement, Hezbollah, for the attack.

Troops repel rebel attack

NIGERIAN troops have repelled a Boko Haram attack on the north-east city of Gombe, officials say.

Soldiers and a fighter jet were used in a counter-attack after Islamist fighters overran a checkpoint on the edge of the city.

The insurgents were retreating towards their stronghold in the neighbouring state of Borno, witnesses said. Nigeria postponed elections due to be held on Saturday due to the insurgency in the north-east.

Before they left, the militants scattered leaflets urging people not to vote in the elections.

All roads in and out of Gombe have been blocked and a 24-hour curfew imposed, reports the BBC’s Abdullahi Kaura Abubakar in Abuja.

Gombe - capital of Gombe State - has previously suffered suicide attacks but correspondents say this was the

first time Boko Haram launched a direct assault on the city. Reports said militants first attacked the town of Dadin Kowa, about 40km (25 miles) from Gombe.

Ground troops with air support then battled to keep the insurgents from entering the city, as residents fled into the bush and nearby hills.

Its insurgency has become a regional crisis with the four affected countriesNigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon -agreeing to form a regional military force to try to contain the threat.

In response, the insurgents have stepped up their attacks in Nigeria and neighbouring states.

It emerged on Friday that Boko Haram had attacked Chad for the first time, crossing Lake Chad in four motorboats and raiding a village overnight. -BBC

Car bombs wound six

CAIRO: Two suicide car bombs wounded six people when officers fired on the vehicles as they approached a police station in Egypt’s restive Sinai Peninsula, officials say.

Saturday’s brazen daytime attack occurred in the town of Sheikh Zuweid in North Sinai where security forces are battling an Islamist insurgency.

The bombings came after a deadly militant

assault last month killed 30 soldiers in North Sinai.

“The two cars were driven by suicide bombers who wanted to blow up the Sheikh Zuweid police station,” a security official said. “Security forces fired at the cars as they approached the police station. The vehicles exploded, killing the two suicide bombers.” Two other cars that were carrying gunmen and were following the suicide bombers fled.

Hezbollah denied it was responsible, rejecting the charges as political, and the defendants remain at large.

Thousands of people are expected to gather for a memorial at the site of Hariri’s grave in Martyrs Square in Beirut - where religious leaders gathered to pay their respects on Friday.

Several senior politicians, including the veteran Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, laid wreaths at the late premier’s grave on Saturday.

A speech is due to be given

by Hariri’s son - former Prime Minister Saad Hariri - who arrived in the country overnight.

“Lebanon lost an exceptional leader who had upheld the country on the global map and regained its distinctive place in the heart of the Arab world, after years of a doomed [civil] war,” said Prime Minister Tammam Salam.

“We salute the memory of the man who dedicated his life entirely to achieving Lebanon’s security, sovereignty, pride and prosperity.” -BBC news

POLITICAL leaders laid wreaths in honour of the former premier. Picture: BBC

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 2x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 6 inclusive

crossword: 10848

14 20 32

3 17 25

Solution to puzzle SL0852

stars

ARIES Solution No. 10847 C A R O L P E P P E R M R A D A R A W E T A C I T L O P L E T Z S E D A T I V E A D E C O R S O L O R E D E N C C O W A R D T N R O B O T J I O U T R A N L T A R N N A C T S S H R U G A O P E R A T O R B T A P S I N R U M B A E R A T E X T S E D E L U G E S H I R K

March 20 - April 19

Now that the communication planet Mercury’s retrograde cycle has ended, you’d expect life to become a lot simpler. While you’ll be dealing with fewer errors, there’s still a powerful emphasis on certain as yet unresolved issues. There’s no other way to tackle these than by talking them through, one by one.

TAURUS 1 8 14 19 23 31 35 37

April 20 - May 19

After lengthy and often frustrating deliberation, you’re ready to make plans, even if they involved changes you’ve only recently battled. However, because the New Moon, midweek, promises a fresh perspective on elements of your way of living or working, you’ll want to continue exploring every option that appears, whether appealing or not.

May 21 - June 20

There are few things more aggravating than arguing with somebody, only to discover they’ve no idea what they’re talking about. Yet that’s exactly the situation you’re in. While you can’t extricate yourself right away, you can shift your focus in discussions to ways you can withdraw swiftly and tactfully.

June 21 - July 21

As much as you’ve enjoyed exploring various intriguing ideas, and there’s no doubt you’ve learned a lot, it’s time to make decisions. Or so it seems. You’re still lacking certain facts. Begin making plans, and you’ll soon realise exactly what you need to learn, and go about doing exactly that.

July 22 - August 22

Exciting ideas and offers are in the air. Still, intriguing as they are, you don’t know enough to make decisions and still less, respond. There’s no rush. These are a hint of what the alliance between Jupiter, in Leo, and the inventive Uranus, is two weeks’ time, will be bringing your way.

August 23 - September 22

The Virgo Full Moon won’t be until early March and brings matters to a head. Consequently, discussing decisions now would be premature. Knowing that, instead of struggling with pressing situations, you’ll bear in mind that, ideally, arrangements are best kept flexible. That way, when the time comes, you can rethink them.

September 23 - October 22

It’s not that you put off dealing with tedious but essential practical matters as much as something else always seems to come first. Now, however, a series of events is forcing you not only to reorganise your priorities, certain of these need to be dealt with before the day is over.

October 23 - November 22

When potential changes in elements of your way of living or working were first suggested about a month ago, you were unenthusiastic, if not concerned. While they vanished then, they’re about to resurface. Now, however, not only will the pace be faster, you’ll discover that there’s no avoiding them.

November 23 - December 22

In mid 2014, your ruler Jupiter moved into fiery Leo, and in September formed a rare and powerful link to inventive Uranus in Aries. While this alignment doesn’t recur until early March, you may already be experiencing the promising ideas and offers it ushers in. Explore every one of them.

December 21 - January 19

Usually, as a Capricorn and an earth sign, you’ve a knack for keeping life’s practicalities in order. But even you might have been defeated by the recent retrograde Mercury. While it began moving forward on the 11th, there’s still fallout, in the form of errors you didn’t catch at the time.

January 20 - February 17

While as an Aquarius new ideas are always of interest, actually making changes is another matter. Yet with this year’s rare, second, Aquarius New Moon encouraging you to do exactly that, it’s worth questioning why you’re not. Remember when you did the same in the past, only later to have regretted delays.

Usually you rely on your intuition to guide you, both to what and who is worth knowing more about but also, as to what’s unwise. However, with so much in transition, even you could sometimes be mistaken. You’ve probably already noticed this and, hopefully, combined your usual insights with canny questions.

Healthy 2 12 24 30

18 36

4 26 39

5 9 15 21 27

10 16 28 33 38

6 13 34

11 22

7 29

TRADESMAN

PNG Forest Products, a leading producer of Timber, Plywood Productions, Construction and Retail in Papua New Guinea is seeking to appoint Tradesman Linesman to this growing company. Based in Bulolo, the Tradesman Linesman will be required to construct, maintain, operate and repair electrical overhead distribution system and substations.

Key Requirements: 5pm Wednesday 25th February 2015

Candidates should apply with Position Vacant – Tradesman Linesman in the subject line to:

Phone: 309 1088

Phone: 309 1174

Phone: 309 1175

Lihir Gold, a member of the Newcrest Mining Limited, operates the world class Lihir gold mine located on the tropical island of Lihir and provides residents with a peaceful and secure lifestyle. Fly-in, Fly-out employees enjoy a 15 day on 13 day off roster and are accommodated in well-appointed camps which include full dining, laundry services, and a modern medical centre. We are currently seeking a suitably qualified and highly motivated candidate for the following positions:

Superintendent - Tax Credit Scheme RR 2189

The incumbent will report to the Principal, Town & Community Infrastructure the primary function of the position is to manage Newcrest Mining Limited Tax Credit Scheme section and direct the team in all aspects of delivery of infrastructure projects, in consultation with Government entities and other stakeholders.

Key elements of the role include: preparation of project submissions, ensuring they are accurate and prepared in accordance with the TCS guidelines. projects by liaising and engaging with Provincial, District and Local Level Governments, wards and other stakeholders. stakeholders.

to handover through professional decision making and providing expert advice on design and implementation issues. procedures.

The successful candidate will have: institution.

sector and/or community environment, with at least 5 years in senior project management roles. geographically remote environment.

Electrical Position Involving Planning and Scheduling - Power and UtilitiesRR 1920

had exposure to a cross section of industry as listed below. We are willing to train the right person to Supervisor Power & Utilities and the successful applicant will assist in planning and scheduling of Power and Utilities areas of responsibility.

Key elements of the roles include: weekly and future planned work.

the areas of responsibility of Power and Utilities.

The successful candidates will have: systems.

Dispatcher RR 2217

Key elements of the role include:

networks to maintain open and continuous communications between all mine operations, maintenance and ancillary workgroups. controls.

Tasol” Safety policy.

The successful candidates will have

Superintendent- Projects Services

The incumbent will report to the Manager- Lihir Projects, you will take the lead in managing the Project Services Team, encompassing procurement and contracts administration, document control, cost control and administration.

Key elements of the role include: submissions. prepared by contractors to ensure compliance with code of accounts developed for the project payment claims for orders placed directly by the team. procedures.

The successful candidate will have: institution. administration and capital budget maintenance.

Applicants must be safety conscious and be able to work in a multi-cultural work environment. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Conditions of employment will be discussed at the interview.

Applications close 27th February 2015 and must be addressed to;

L&A CONSTRUCTION LTD

L&A Construction Ltd is a large diversified construction group with a distinguished history of providing quality services to the construction industry in PNG for over 40 years.

SOLID PLASTERERS

We are looking for trade and experienced candidates for the position of solid plasterers to be engaged immediately on our various project sites. If you meet the criteria set above and below kindly respond.

Key responsibilities:

Setting walls and tile floors with paste and cement grout

Installing and patching holes in drywall. Applying coats of plaster to interior walls, ceilings, and partitions of buildings, to produce quality finished surfaces, according to blueprints, architect’s drawings, or oral instructions.

Preparing the surface of the walls by removing any contaminants or rough materials.

Skills, Knowledge & Qualifications

Trade qualification in Plastering with references

Minimum of 3 years work experience in a construction industry

Team player and able to meet task deadlines

Ability to understand and transmit oral and written instructions

Must be of sober habits and a self-starter

Able to work under minimum supervision

Proficient in the use of tools and materials of Plastering trade

Excellent hand-eye-coordination skills

Please email your application with your CV, qualifications and current references by COB Friday 20th January 2015 to: HResourceDept@ laconstruction.com.pg or drop your application at our Head Office, Sec 36, Lot 4, Morea Tobo Road, 6 Mile addressed to:

Human Resource Department

L&A Construction Ltd

P O Box 1898

BOROKO NCD

INTERNAL REVENUE COMMISSION

PUBLIC NOTICE

LODGEMENT DATE FOR INCOME TAX RETURN

Notice to every person who is required by the Commissioner General by notice published in the National Gazette to furnish a return setting forth a full and complete statement of the total income derived during the year of income, and any deductions claimed, for the year of income commencing on 1 January and ending on 31 December 2014, (or within a substituted accounting period adopted in lieu of that year).

Companies and businesses are required by law to lodge returns even if they are not carrying on business, have made a loss or have been granted tax exemption or otherwise risk the chance of being subjected to severe financial penalties.

Due dates for lodgment of tax returns.

Categories of persons required to furnish income tax returns

Due Date to lodge tax return

On or by 28th February 2015. Persons who have engaged the services of professional tax

All other persons

An automatic extension agents to lodge on their behalf granted until on or by the 30th of April 2015

Provincial authority, local government and local level government

On or by 30th April 2015 body, by whatever name known, whose income is from any business or commercial undertaking or activity, other than from the provision of normal council services, Religious and charitable body whether or not exempt from income

On or by 30th April 2015 tax, whose income is from any business or commercial undertaking in or out of Papua New Guinea

For those with an approved substituted accounting period granted

On or by the expiry of two under Section 12A of the Income Tax Act. months after the end of the relevant substituted accounting period

The information to be furnished must be on such forms as provided for the purposes as are applicable, containing the information and particulars required in the relevant forms and must be verified by such declarations as set forth therein, and accompanied by all such balance sheets, profit and loss accounts, statements and any other documents as are mentioned in the forms or as are required. Tax return forms are available on the IRC website www.irc.gov.pg and at all our offices.

All returns of income must be furnished at our offices at Level 1 Bogan Gapo Building, Champion Parade, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. In addition the following Internal Revenue Commission Provincial Offices have been duly authorized by the Commissioner General to receive all returns of income:

Penalties for failure to furnish returns

A person who is required to furnish a return of income and who fails to lodge a tax return within the time required, commits an offence, and:

1) is liable to be prosecuted and adjudged a penalty of no less than K500.00 and up to K5000.00 as decided by the Court plus an additional fine of K50.00 for each day that the return is not lodged.

2) may be liable to additional penalty.

Penalty for false or misleading statements.

A person, who is required to furnish a return of income, who makes or delivers a return that is false in any particular, or makes a false answer or declaration, whether orally or in writing, is guilty of an offence, and:

1) may be liable of a fine not less than K1,000.00 and not exceeding K50,000.00 and, in addition, the court may order the person to pay a sum not exceeding double the amount of income tax or dividend (withholding) tax.

2) shall be deemed to be guilty of wilful and corrupt perjury, and upon conviction, is liable to imprisonment for a period not exceeding four years.

How taxes may be paid

All taxes due may be paid either:

1) by delivery of cash, bank notes or cheques at the IRC Head Office in Port Moresby, or any of our Provincial Offices; or

2) by remitting the amount due by bank draft, cheque or electronically through Internet Banking, and payable at the IRC Head Office in Port Moresby or to any of our Provincial Offices.

Persons intending to make electronic payments of tax should visit the IRC website www.irc.gov.pg to learn more on the Taxpayer Guide: Paying Your Tax By Electronic Funds Transfer. Ensure that copies of your returns are also submitted electronically when making electronic payments of your tax to the Revenue Accounts Section of the IRC.

Persons required to furnish income tax returns should contact the Assistant Commissioner of Assess and Prioritise Division to seek further information how to proceed if they are unable to comply with the due dates as specified.

For enquiries contact Joe Maiauka on email address maiaukaj@irc.gov.pg or on telephone 3226961 or John Heni on email address henij@irc.gov.pg or on telephone 3226558.

Authorised by Betty Palaso, OBE Commissioner General

Rabbitohs fight back to draw against Pride

RUGBY LEAGUE

THE South Sydney Rabbitohs have fought out an impressive 20-20 draw in the Return to Redfern Clash against the Northern Pride after trailing 20-8 late in the match.

A controlled start by both teams saw a conservative style of football played early, save for Rabbitohs new recruit Glenn Stewart, whose evasive running and willingness to take chances

particularly with the boot

saw the Rabbitohs look promising early, as well as the barnstorming running of Thomas Burgess.

But it was the Northern Pride who would score first thanks to a try to winger

RABBITOHS FOUGHT OUT: The South Sydney Rabbitohs have fought out an impressive 20-20 draw in the Return to Redfern Clash against the Northern Pride after trailing 20-8 late in the match.

SHORT-SIDE: It was all about the wingers again not long after, when giant Pride winger Luke George made the best of a shortside play to score and extend his side’s lead.1969.

Semi Taduala in the far corner to give them a four-nil lead with four minutes left in the first quarter. With the Rabbitohs pressing the line, the Pride’s Sam Obst intercepted a pass before racing 80 metres only to be taken down by John Sutton.

But the Rabbitohs skipper found himself sin-binned for a professional foul, leav-

ing his team a man down going into quarter time.

The Rabbitohs survived the sin-binning period and Setefano Taukafa got his side back in the match when the speedster crashed over in the corner as the rain began to come down.

Jordie Hedges’ conversion attempt was waved away, leaving the score locked up

at four apiece.

Semi Taduala grabbed his second of the afternoon in similar fashion to his first by going over down the flank to re-take the lead for the Pride by 8-4 at half-time.

The second half started on a good note for the Rabbitohs, with a penalty on the very first tackle and after a bit of an arm-wrestle, it was Sam Manuleleua who would lock the scores up for the Rabbitohs with his four-pointer just inside the touch-line to make it eight apiece. A booming 40-20 kick allowed the Rabbits an opportunity close to the line. But despite some serious pressure being put on the visitors, the Pride released the pressure valve

with their third intercept of the match. The intercept would eventually pay off. The Pride got back inside the Rabbitohs’ half and capitalised on the error when Brett Anderson powered his way through to break the dead-lock before Jordon Biondi Odo added the extras to make it 14-8. It was all about the wingers again not long after, when giant Pride winger Luke George made the best of a short-side play to score and extend his side’s lead. But while some thought the match was slipping away. the Rabbitohs weren’t quite done, with Eden Syme powering over for a try five minutes from full=time right next to the posts.

Inglis attracts overseas clubs’ interest

RUGBY LEAGUE

GREG Inglis’ manager Allan Gainey says he is fielding inquiries about his superstar client on a weekly basis from overseas rugby league and union clubs.

Fairfax Media revealed on Sunday that the Inglis camp had engaged an overseas agent to offer the star’s services to French clubs at the starting price of €800,000 ($1.17 million), the strongest indication yet that Inglis might not see out his contract with South

The bottom line

Sydney that expires at the end of 2017. While his manager believes it would take a “monstrous transfer fee” for South Sydney to even contemplate letting their newly appointed skipper walk out on his deal with the club, he conceded talk of an exit strategy was premature.

“There are continual inquiries on a weekly basis,” Gainey said.

“I get people asking what could be possible for Greg every week. It’s all premature right now but I’ve had contact with people from the

UK, France, Japan and both rugby league and rugby union. It’s crazy the amount of interest he attracts.

The money on offer overseas is huge, and it’s something he’ll have to weigh up.

“The enquiry rate is enormous. We know that he’s going to be targeted, I just don’t know if that will transpire in anything anytime soon because it would be a monstrous transfer fee Souths would demand to let him go before his contract expires.”

MUCH sought after NRL player Greg Inglis

An incomplete forward pass in football used to earn teams a 15-yard penalty.

RUGBY LEAGUE

THE South Sydney Rabbitohs are pleased to announce their 20-man touring squad for the 2015 World Club Challenge match against the 2014 Super League Champions, St Helens, to be played at Langtree Park in St Helens, England, next Sunday 22 February at 7pm (Monday 23 February at 6am AEDST).

Rabbitohs Head Coach Michael Maguire has named 11 members of last year’s NRL Telstra Premiership winning side in his squad, including internationals Greg Inglis, who will captain the side, Issac Luke, George Burgess, Dylan Walker, Thomas Burgess and Bryson Goodwin.

The South Sydney Rabbitohs 20-man touring squad for the 2015 World Club Challenge match, in alphabetical order, is: George Burgess, Thomas Burgess, Jason Clark, Bryson Goodwin, Tim Grant, Chris Grevsmuhl, Greg Inglis (c), Alex Johnston, Luke Keary, Ben Lowe, Issac Luke, Cameron McInnes, Chris McQueen, Daryl Millard, Joel Reddy, Adam Reynolds, Glenn Stewart, John Sutton, David Tyrrell, Dylan Walker, head coach Michael Maguire.

Rabbitohs names squad Win leaves Warriors satisfied

RUGBY

LEAGUE

THE Warriors have beaten the Panthers 18-4 in their second trial of the season today in Rotorua.

If trials are our accurate barometer, Warriors’ coach Andrew McFadden will be satisfied with his teams’ progress a few weeks out from the start of the season.

The scoreline isn’t particularly important - though the home side will bank the win - but there were plenty of boxes ticked on Saturday afternoon.

The big guns made successful returns, some of the backline play was crisp and sharp and youngsters like Solomone Kata, Sam Lisone and Albert Vete got some game time.

But the most pleasing aspect was their defence. Penrith were limited to one try, despite plenty of possession in attacking areas and an 83 per cent completion rate.

As you would expect in a trial, accuracy was lacking at times but neither team were helped by some over zealous officiating.

Just as we saw in the All Stars match on Friday, the referees were whistle happy on Saturday, often allowing a minuscule amount of time for tacklers to release.

South Sydney Rabbitohs againt the Northern Pride on Saturday.

At a glance

Waratahs need to get angry after shock loss

At a glance

MICHAEL Cheika will be shoving handfuls of angry pills into his lacklustre Waratahs side this week after the passive premiers suffered a shock loss to Western Force at Allianz Stadium.

“I don’t think we were angry enough, to be honest,” Cheika said following the 2513 defeat.

“You’ve got to get angry in this game, it’s a contact sport. We weren’t angry enough today and it was pretty clear.”

The Force were physically dominant, and successfully stifled any of the rhythm NSW required to unleash the attack that delivered them the Super Rugby title last year.

It was the first time the Force has won their opening

NO TIME: NSW will need to get moving quickly because they have a five-day turnaround to play in Melbourne against the Rebels, who were simply outstanding in defeating the Crusaders last Friday.

MOTIVATION: “Disappointed yes, but sometimes those are the things you need to give you a slap across the face to say ‘Right, let’s get moving’.” Mr Cheika said.

game of the season in the history of the tournament, and they managed to score four tries to two in an assertive victory.

While Cheika described his side’s defensive maul as “passive” and also lamented the players’ lack of urgency in backing up, he took full blame for the defeat.

“I’d say I got the preparation

wrong to be honest, I think I’ve got the lead-up wrong, obviously, because we didn’t have any zip at the ruck,” Cheika said.

“I’ve got to take some responsibility that maybe I didn’t get the balance right to have us ready for game one.”

Cheika clarified that he wasn’t referring to his time management between the

dual roles of being the Waratahs and Wallabies head coach, but rather his focus within each training sessions for NSW.

“(The dual coaching issue) is irrelevant, this is about what’s happening at training, and what our plan is,” Cheika said.

“The reality is there is plenty of time to focus on what you need to win rugby matches, that’s part of myself, the players, getting our heads on and saying ‘This is the area we need to be really good at to beat this team’.”

He added: “If you’re not introspective around how you think you’ve prepared, you’re no good.

“I’m very disappointed for our supporters, not because we lost but because we didn’t

play the way we play.”

The Tahs looked at times like they were still tipsy from last year’s celebrations, making nine handling errors, but Cheika was confident his troops would rediscover their championship qualities.

“Obviously you can see we’re disappointed because we always want to play to our potential, but the one thing I’ll always do with this team is back them to bounce back,” Cheika said.

“We’ve been in many holes over the last couple of years, and I know that we’ve got players that are passionate enough to say ‘Right, I know what I need to fix now and I know what I need to amend from that game to the next game’.

Brumbies hammer QLD Reds

THE Brumbies opened their Super Rugby tilt in emphatic fashion, thrashing Australian conference rival Queensland 47-3 at Canberra Stadium on Friday evening.

The hosts dominated proceedings from the opening exchanges, scoring six tries to nil to embarrass the Reds on the scoreboard.

The Reds were extremely ill-disciplined, and the Brumbies benefited greatly from big Nic White touch finders and then near-unstoppable rolling mauls.

So desperate were the Reds to stop the mauls that James Horwill received his second yellow card, leaving the field in the 76th minute.

When the Reds did get their hands on the ball, they displayed impatience and poor structure.

Karmichael Hunt, making his Super Rugby debut, often found himself short of frontfoot runners due to the Brumbies’ blitz defence.

It took the Brumbies just five minutes to get on the board.

India beats Pakistan

VIRAT Kohli has helped India open its World Cup defence in convincing fashion with a century in a 76-run victory over Pakistan in a frenzied atmosphere at the Adelaide Oval.

Australia still the team to beat

WITH or without Michael Clarke, Australia is the most powerful team at the World Cup.

Powerful batting from David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Marsh and Steve Smith, power bowling from the two lefties, Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc, and some powerful arms in the field to effect run outs and leap for catches in the deep.

The bottom line

Clarke’s expected return jettisons George Bailey and allows the selectors to go with pace aplenty as Clarke and Maxwell will bowl spin.

Clarke’s warm up match against the UAE showed that he is close to full-time play, and in a tournament where six matches are well spaced over five weeks of the preliminary pool round Clarke can ease himself into the battingall-rounder’s role.

His longevity is not guaranteed, and he knows it despite

the fitness regime commitment he has made.

In a settled Australian XI Xavier Doherty, Pat Cummins and Bailey are on the periphery, with James Faulkner recovering from a side strain.

He should replace Josh Hazlewood as the team builds towards the quarter finals. That’s where the shoot out sudden death games begin, and arguably the competition seriously commences.

On current form New Zealand pose the only threat to

Australia going through the pool matches undefeated and that match is at the idiosyncratic pentagonal Eden Park where mishit shots go for six.

A Brendon McCullum batting ambush is possible, but Australia’s greater batting depth and versatility should prevail four times out of five; yes, there’s always that one day on a slow pitch that can upset Australia’s belligerence.

In the opening game England look outclassed, although Eoin Morgan is overdue to

get past nought and make a telling contribution. Comparatively its batting lacks authority and in the crunch final ten overs it can’t control the game.

Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Scotland will look Australia in the eye momentarily, but fail to compete for fifty overs, whereas Sri Lanka can have Lasith Malinga moments of strike power and threaten with some Kumar Sangakarra inspired batting.

The much-anticipated Pool B grudge match, the latest chapter in one of the great rivalries in sport, attracted a passionate crowd of 41,587 to the revamped ground with up to a billion more tuning in on the sub-continent and around the world.

It was the two thirds of the crowd dressed in the blue of India who had most to cheer, though, as Kohli brushed aside concerns over his recent one-day form with a knock of 107 to drive his side to an imposing tally of 7 for 300.

Pakistan started its reply steadily before a three-wicket blitz in two overs at the halfway mark of the innings saw opener Ahmed Shehzad depart for 47 and reduced his side to 5 for 103.

HOOPER and Kurtley Beale react after a Force try.

SUPER RUGBY

CRICKET - WORLD CUP

SUPER RUGBY

CRICKET - WORLD CUP

Local knowledge an advantage for selectrion

Quick news

GAHUKU WIN

Gahuku Country side are the winners of this year’s Gahuku Off-Season Origin Series. Despite losing the final match 22-10 on Sunday to the City side, they won the series and K1,500 cash prize-money for winning the earlier two matches.

Gahuku City won themselves K1000 for being runner-up.

National Gaming Control Board chairman Leslie Hoffman presented the prizes in the presence of Eastern Highlands Governor Julie Soso.

PNGOC TO HELP

The Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee (PNGOC) will assist to remedy power-lifting’s woes.

The PNGO will assist the Papua New Guinea Powerlifting Federation to appoint an interim executive committee to oversee the affairs of the sport and provide support for them to return to a healthy administrative position.

The PNGOC management met with powerlifting representatives and briefed them on their move to step in and assist.

TThe selection trials will be on February 27-28 at the PNGOC High Performance Training Centre.

AFL COMP SET

AFL PNG will kick off its school competition at the end of March.

GOLF

THE Papua New Guinea golf team will have the advantage of local knowledge during the XV Pacific Games.

That local knowledge will also determine who makes the final cut as well.

With PNG Golf in the process of finalizing the final team with a training camp, all potential squad members are rising to the task with their local knowledge of the Royal Port Moresby Golf Club 18-hole course.

This is proving is proving to be a mind-boggling task for selectors as all current squad members are hitting their

straps. And it is coming down to the individual that goes out to make a statement that he or she really wants to represent the country, will be given that opportunity.

Head coach Graham Bolton said the team has changed for the better since they have undergone training at the High Performance Training Centre (HPTC).

Bolton is in the country to put the team through training at the Royal Port Moresby Golf Club in Port Moresby last week.

Local golf professional Nelson Gabriel assisted Bolton.

Bolton said he was pleased with the team’s progress and

said both squads (men and women) are in great form.

“In the men’s team all players are evenly matched,” said Bolton.

Gabriel said that for the women’s team it all comes down how well they can consistently perform on the course. “Yes, local knowledge off-course will be an advantage,” he added.

Bolton said all the women have trained hard and final selections may prop up some surprises.

“We may even have a lower ranked player picked ahead of a higher ranking higher. It will really come down to who really wants that posi-

tion,” Bolton said. In regards to team preparation, team manager Bruce Mackinlay said they will look to competing in several competitions in Port Moresby. This includes the national titles during Easter, the SP Lager PNG Open, and the final 72 hole qualifying event, all at the Royal Port Moresby Golf Club.

“We have also sent players to the Asia Pacific Amateur Championships, the City of Cairns Open and the Queensland Stroke Championships. All players are also participating in regular competition at their respective clubs in PNG and Australia,” Mackinlay

added. The PNG Golf train on squad: Hazel Martin, Sophia Cragnolini, Kris Seko, Darrie Nightingale, Ros Taufa, Shavina Maras, Eunice Parton, Mary Walker (women), Morgan Annato, Brian Taikiri, Soti Dinki, Wally Hayava, Sammy Bob, Wally Ilake, Cassie Koma (men). Both Soti Dinki and Sammy Bob are the experienced players in the team having played at the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia.

Both last competed internationally in the 2014 Asia Pacific Putra Cup in the Philippines, where Dinki was placed 16th out of 40 players in the professional tournament.

Running for 15 weekends, the competition will run till July in conjunction with the secondary school competition for the under 17 boys and girls. Development Manager – Youth Football Cornelius Papau said a Gala day is also planned. “Tthe NiuKick program will run in all schools including international schools operating in the city which have shown interest in the program,” he added.For further information, contact AFLPNG on Ph.325 4943 or email: youthfootball@ afl-png.com.

NEW HOBIE’S

Twenty-five brand new hobiecat boats for the Papua New Guinea team to prepare for the Pacific Games. The boats will be used by the nine countries including hosts PNG in the July event.

Royal Papua Yacht Club (RPYC) sailing instructor John Numa expressed gratitude to the Games Organsing Committee (GOC) for the commitment they have u ndertaken for all the sports in the country.

Aust under 19 show their class against PNG

CRICKET

AUSTRALIAN Under 19 Cricket Team easily defeated PNG A by 199 runs in a 50 Over encounter at Brisbane Grammar School.

After a surprise defeat to the young PNG A Team the day before, the Australian Under 19 Team bounced back with vengeance, smashing the PNG to all parts of the Brisbane Grammar School Oval. Batting first, they posted a massive score of 7/376 off their allotted 50 overs. Sam

The bottom line

Harper from Victoria was the main destroyer with the bat, scoring a classy 130 off just 109 balls while Jaron Morgan (89) and Patrick Page (50) who made valuable halfcenturies.

Once again, Chad Soper was the stand out bowler PNG taking 3/69 off his 10 overs.

In reply, PNG struggled to get any momentum in the innings, losing wickets at regular intervals to be eventually bowled out for 177. Vani

Vagi Morea held the innings together, scoring a mature 88

runs off 101 balls.

Hiri Hiri was the other key contributor with the bat scoring an unbeaten 23 runs.

Jonte Pattison was the stand out bowler for the Australian Under 19 Team taking 3/24.

“It was a convincing win by the Australian team.

They played very well,” said Cricket PNG Head Coach, Dipak Patel.

“Their fielders backed up their bowers very well.

We had no big partnerships with the bat which was disappointing.

Saying that, Vani (Vagi Morea) and Hiri (Hiri) stood up with the bat for us, helping us to post 177,” 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 man PNG team was on tour in Brisbane this week,

playing against some of the best young cricketers in Australia in both T20 and 50 Over fixtures.

The PNG team consist of players who are in the Junior Development Program and some Barramundi players who are currently in Australia on the Brian Bell Player Scholarship Program.

The Brian Bell Scholarship Program was created in late 2009 to provide a tangible legacy representative of Cricket PNG’s then Patron Sir Brian Bell’s contribution to cricket

A maximum of 14 clubs is allowed in a player’s bag at one time during a stipulated round.

in PNG. The program is recognized by Cricket Australia, Cricket NZ and the ICC EAP Office. It takes PNG cricketers with potential and develops their cricketing and life skills in premier domestic competitions in Australia and New Zealand.

PNG A Squad: 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 and Pipi Raho.

PNG Golf head coach Graham Bolton gives a few pointers to squad members.

Palais on track for 2016 Olympic Games

BY JOE GURINA RUBGY UNION

THE PNG Palais women’s sevens team have a daunting task to perform in the Asia Pacific Cup for possible entry into the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.

Palais experience hand Kymlie Karani revealed that the Asia Pacific Cup in Suda Kahn Malaysia will be a build up tournament for them to qualify first for the Olympic qualifiers and then the Olympic Games.

Karani said the team was in training since last year and are prepared to showcase what’s in store during the tournament.

The Asia Pacific Cup tournament will be held from February 28- March 01 while the qualifiers will be held in New Zealand in November. Karani said the team had retained seven old hands who would guide the young side. They include, Freda Wala, Joanne Lagona, Tere Rema, Menda Ipat, Alice Alois, Dulcy Bomai, Amelia Kuk and herself.

The Palais are now being mentored under stand-in coachMargaret Nava.

“We are happy with our new coach. She has the upper hand in exposing to us her coaching skills which has had a big impact on the girls at the moment,” Karani said.

Oro outclass FC Pom

BY JOE GURINA SOCCER

ORO knocked FC Pom senseless in their 3-1 knock-out punch of round four of the Telikom National Soccer League (NSL).

While in the other match, champions Hekari United would not have done their O-League preparations any favours when they couldn’t find the net against the lowly rated Admiralty.

However it was the underrated and not considered premiership material Oro under the helm of former international Joe Turia that threw caution to the wind.

Turia’s men went for the upper-cut and got their more fancied opponent offguard and struggling for composure in a whirlwind performance at Bomana on Saturday.

After the match, Turia said it was surprise win for

him they here to win like everyone else in the competition.

“I did my home work to get the boys to put pressure on certain areas and it certainly paid off by dismantling their (FC Pom) game plant,” said Turia. However it was Oro who seized the opportunity to take a stand to give the competition a much needed shake with their upbeat performance.

Oro led 1-0 in the first half

courtesy of a Henry Ronny goal, working off a Kiwa Tepo cross from the flanks at the 35th minute.

FC Poms Andrew Marampau was shown the red card as tensions flared amongst the players in the first half.

Despite FC Pom having to make do with 10 men, they were first to register in the second half through a Neil Hans penalty to level the scores. Oro also lost Jacob

Women prepare for Asia tour

SOCCER

EFFORTS to enhance the Papua New Guinea women’s soccer team to win their fourth consecutive gold medal at the Pacific Games, has begun in earnest. And with the stakes just going up a notch with it being confirmed as an Olympic qualifier, Australian based coach Gary Philips with the assistance of former national player Federica Sakete are warming up to the task at hand.

To maintain what previous coaches Moyap Francis and

Steven Mune have done, will test their mantle.

This will be especially so, with no top class competition in-country to gauge selections adequately.

However with Philips/Sakete securing the second spot behind New Zealand at the OFC Nations Cup in Kokopo last year, you could say they are on target.

To help their cause, the PNG Football Association has secured an eighteen day tour of South East Asia, thanks to the PNG Olympic Committee Go For Gold Program funding. PNG

will play four international matches with Singapore twice and Thailand twice.

The Thailand national team is currently on a European tour in preparation for the FIFA 2015 Woman’s World Cup in Canada.

Philips said this is an opportunity to play four quality matches. “It will be a great challenge especially with Thailand who are well advanced in their preparation for Canada,” he said.

“This is a big opportunity after our disappointment of losing to New Zealand to regain our composure again,” he added.

Sabua as well with the second red card of the tension filled clash. Oro however used that to their advantage through the sterling efforts of Michael Foster, Roniel Igens, veteran Michael Lohia and Pacific Games potential Patrick Aisa to go for the killer blow.

Former international Gari Moka and John Moses latched onto a double to have the latter reeling in a below par performance.

“We are looking forward for this one (Asia Pacific Cup) and we want to go a notch up by winning the cup this time,” she said. She confi rmed that the team would be trimmed from the current 18 to 15 players when they get back into camp on the 25th this month.

ORO striker Gari Moka (left) eyes the bal as FC Pom’s Cyril Muta closes in. Picture: KENNEDY BANI

We are happy with our new coach ...

KYMLIE KARANI Port Moresby

Moresby south win win

Former Kumul Larsen Marape features in Digicel Cup 9s win

RUGBY LEAGUE

MORESBY South rugby league have surprised all by winning the Digicel Nines Cup at Kwikila Station, Rigo yesterday.

The Port Moresby South Blacks team beat the well renown Irupara GK 22-20 in the Cup final. The Southern Blacks were served well in the engine room by former Port Moresby Vipers henchmen Larsen Marape and Steven ‘razor’ Johns standing out over the two days. Both basically served mention that they haven’t lost it yet. But the real star was flashy speedster Robin Emil, showing the traits of his late father, former Kumul Aquila Emil. Emil captained the team. Kwikila home-boy and Primary School teacher Steven Gia and Gulf Isapea winger Pipi Kilori weren’t able to produce the goods for Irupara GK coach Colin Geno this time. Both Port Moresby South Blacks and Irupara GK will now represent the southern confederation at the forthcoming Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) national nines championship set for March 14-15 in Lae.

The PNGRFL will use this championships to identify new players they have not sighted yet for the Pacific Games in July. The Plate final was won by Port Moresby Rugby League premiers Tarangau over the U20 Redbacks and Port Moresby South Taudia again came up trumps wining the Bowl over the SSG Roosters.

Action at Kwikila station between Aroma Coast and Port Moresby South Taudia (blue).

Picture: MARK TALIA