Drug shortage seriously affect Simbu province                                                         THERE are reported fears that a number of patients being cared for in rural health centres in Simbu province could die of curable illnesses due to shortage or lack of drugs and other medical supplies.
The acute drug shortage problem allegedly stems from the tussle for power in the Simbu provincial administrators position which had left the principal health advisers not attending to their duties thus hampering flow of medical supplies to these outlying health centres.
It was alleged that several rural health centres and sub-health centres in districts such as Gembogl, Gumine, Karimui-Nomane were at the moment facing acute shortage of vaccines and were not conducting normal clinics in their areas.
Simbu province gets its supplies from the area medical store in Mt Hagen, he said.
However, with the instability currently in the administration, officers designated to carry out the job were not doing it.
“We are not conducting clinics because there is no supply of vaccines to carry out our job,” the officer said.

2 dead in crash                                                                          
A FORMER career public servant and a young man from Jayapura in West Papua have died in a nasty car accident near Vanimo last weekend.
Three others who were sitting outside the open-back Toyota Landcruiser narrowly escaped death when the vehicle missed the bridge and plunged into the river.
Acting provincial police commander Snr Insp Kasieng Sakawar said the incident occurred at Pasu Bridge, east of Vanimo on Saturday night.
The dead were identified as Ankey Puhiri of Sentani in Jayapura and Harry Esrah, who is from the border village of Nyakona in West Sepik and a long time public servant who had been serving as district administrator for Nuku.

Arson suspected on fuel tanker in Leron                                                           
By MADELEINE AREK
A FUEL tanker was burnt down along the Leron plains, Markham valley, after midnight yesterday.
Owners believed it was hijacked and then torched.
The fuel tanker from Lae-based Mountain Transport Ltd (MTL), owned by Ipili Porgera Investments, was reportedly returning from Mt Hagen at 2 am.
While the motives are not known, MTL general manager Maso Mangape, fearing reprisals, has put out a notice to landowners not to take the law into their own hands and disrupt services.
The fuel tanker was stopped at Arafuran village near Mutzing along the Highlands Highway by a group of men belonging to a company in Lae.
The driver was pulled over and the truck was driven for 2 km to Leron, where the trailer was detached and the tanker set on fire.
Last Monday, factions of a tribal fight in Porgera were believed to have set ablaze a trailer truck owned by a major trucking firm in Lae.
There was speculation that the torching of the fuel tanker could have been linked to the burning incident in Porgera.

Fiji Govt seeks release of remaining citizen from South B’ville prison
THE Fiji High Commission (HC) is still working on bringing out Maloni Namoli, the remaining Fijian still in Musingku’s camp at Tonu in South Bougainville.
In a statement yesterday, the HC expressed gratitude for the assistance and support given by the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) and its officials to the other four Fijians while they were in Port Moresby before flying to Fiji last Friday.
The HC said they were also thankful to the Papua New Guinea Government for their advice and support to come up with a satisfactory resolution to this issue.
The four Fijians had served prison terms in Buka for breaching their visa conditions.
They were convicted by the National Court in Buka on two charges relating to their links with failed money scheme operator Noah Musingku.

PMV in Kandep warned not to operate by midnight
By PETER PIA
ENGA Land Transport Board (ELTB) warned public moving vehicle (PMV) operators in the Kandep district, Enga province, to stop operating by midnight.
ELTB said that PMV operators risked the lives of their passengers when they pick them up at Kandep station around midnight and travel to the border of Laiagam and Kandep districts.
ELTB made the warning through public notices and also informed police.
“It is illegal to operate PMV after the normal trading hours from 6.30am to 6.30pm,” ELTB chief executive officer Theo Tokas said.

Public servants told to report for duties
PUBLIC servants in the Komo Margarima district of the Southern Highlands province have been told to “immediately” return to the district and report for duties.
Local MP Francis Potape and district administrator Tumbi Yari jointly issued a statement in Mt Hagen following their visit to the district over the weekend.
They discovered that bulk of the district’s public servants were not at work at the Komo and Margarima government stations.
These public servants were roaming around the streets of Mendi, Mt Hagen, Lae and Port Moresby on full pay, literally without performing any duties, they said.
Mr Potape said this was totally unacceptable and warned that they would be terminated or put off the payroll.
if they do not return to work.

New Ireland woman escapes rape
A WOMAN in Malakat village, New Ireland, escaped from being raped by squeezing the suspect’s testicles.
Acting provincial police commander Insp Elisah Taksir said the woman was having a bath in a creek when the suspect approached her and asked to have sex with her, which she refused.
The suspect then stripped himself and was about to rape her.
She struggled and managed to squeeze his testicles, which forced the suspect to leave her.

Compensation no solution to crimes
By ANDREW ALPHONSE
COMPENSATION payments to victims of rape and sexual violence only encourage offenders to commit more crimes.
Therefore, people should not use compensation to settle sex-related offences like rape, incest and all forms of violence against women, Western Highlands provincial police commander Chief Insp Kaiglo Ambane said.
Insp Ambane said this last Monday following a weekend rape and incest incident involving a 14-year-old girl who was threatened and allegedly raped by her own father.
He said tribesmen including leaders and relatives facilitated a compensation payment for the abused girl.
Insp Ambane said the suspect would be arrested shortly.

TIPNG upset over conduct
TRANSPARENCY international PNG (TIPNG) is dismayed by the of disgraceful conduct by members of the commission of inquiry into the Finance Department. TIPNG was saddened that news of such panel tasked to get to the root of corruption in Papua New Guinea is now jeopardised. TIPNG said the inquiry was viewed by the people of the country as an important and positive step in combating corruption in the public sector.

Kidu’s vision for the future
THERE is now a policy vision to build vibrant, knowledgeable and productive communities for sustainable future, Community Development Minister Dame Carol Kidu said. Dame Carol, when referring to the Integrated Community Development Policy (ICDP), said the goal is for improved quality of life and an ongoing process of life-long learning with an emphasis on the needs of individuals, families and communities. The policy focuses on the priority areas of community learning, community governance, community economics and community environment noting the needs of women, youth, children, the elderly, the disabled and the family unit.

K11mil budget for Gazelle
GAZELLE district in East New Britain last Friday passed its K11 million budget which focused more on service improvement programmes. The budget was a big increase of K8 million from last year. The budget K11,757,000 was passed during the join district budget priority meeting headed by Gazelle MP Malakai Tabar.

MPs to review law on LLG
ENGA Governor Peter Ipatas has urged national MPs and parliament to rescind the law passed by parliament last year to prevent local level government (LLG) presidents from participating in provincial assemblies. Mr Ipatas said the law was introduced and passed by parliament without MPs considering the impact on provincial and LLG system and assembly in place. He urged national MPs not to dictate on LLG presidents and the National Government to review the new law.

Call for tougher porn laws
A LOOPHOLE in the law systems in Papua New Guinea concerning the production of pornography must be tightened by prosecuting those involved says a ward councillor in East New Britain. Cleopas Warpit of the Tomadir ward in the Gazelle district said laws must be reviewed and give more teeth so producers, actors, actresses and duplicators in the porn production business must be dealt with severely.

Govt lauded on climate change
A FIRM at the forefront of promoting carbon trade has lauded the Somare Government’s creation of the office of climate change. Soliera PNG Ltd believes the move would pave the way for PNG’s active participation in carbon trade. Soliera, which has offices in Western Australia and Andorra in Europe said the creation of the office will take PNG to the next stage in carbon trade.

‘Restore leaseholder’s rights’
WEST New Britain Deputy Governor and Kandrian-Gloucester MP Tony Puana has called on the Government to re-dress the ill-treatment and possible illegal deprivation of 162 leaseholders over 10 years ago. Mr Puana, during question time in Parliament said these leaseholders, who developed their six- hectare agricultural leases in Kavugara, were forced to vacate the property in 1992.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Lands and Physical Planning, Dr Puka Temu said he would ask his department to research the matter and that would determine the government’s next course of action.

SoE extension commended
THE extension to the State of Emergency (SOE) in Oro by Parliament has been applauded by a local Anglican priest and community worker of Kokoda. Rev Fr Rodrick Vana who is also general manager to Kokoda Trail Adventures & Trekking said the provincial government without the SOE could not handle the recovery program. He said the relief assistance was also not evenly distributed to all parts of the province that were affected. He said people in the Kokoda area still need help and the extension of the SOE will ensure that such help is received.