Telikom upgrades
TELIKOM PNG has moved quickly to conform to Government policy on international telephone traffic, by committing K6 million to state-of-the-art upgrades for international gateways at Boroko and Ela Beach.
A contract was signed this week between Telikom, the nation’s only licensed general carrier, and Telrad Networks, an Israeli supplier of modern and efficient gateway technology.
All international voice and data traffic in and out of PNG will be carried on the faster, cleaner and more reliable APNG2 submarine cable, connected nationwide via the two Port Moresby gateways.
A further extension to the programme will see a new gateway installed at Lae, in the near future.
Work is commencing immediately.
Some of the equipment purchased for the upgrade is already in-country, delivered by Telrad on an urgent basis.
On its part, Telikom has waived its normal supply and tender rules to implement the gateway upgrades in the shortest possible time.

Commissioner to explain why tally sheet not produced in court
BY JOSHUA ARLO
ELECTORAL Commissioner Andrew Trawen may be called to court to explain why the official tally sheet for the Central Regional seat was not provided in court should his lawyers fail to produce it in court today.
This was a direction given yesterday to the Electoral Commission’s counsel Stanis Japson when their witness, assistant returning officer Jimmy Awaini failed to produce this document in court yesterday.
The document relates to the only ground in the petition relating to the counting and elimination of the primary votes for the Goilala district for the regional seat.
The other grounds of bribery, undue influence and irregularities on the part of the Electoral Commission were withdrawn earlier after an objection to competency application was made by the defendants.
Mr Moroi won with 39, 634 votes after final elimination and was declared the duly-0elected regional member last July 29.
The matter continues in court today.

Man found dead outside Alotau
By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
POLICE are investigating the cause of death of a man after he was found outside Alotau, Milne Bay province, last weekend.
Milne Bay police commander Chief Supt Joe Poma said yesterday that they receive reports about the victim being killed in a car accident or being killed somewhere else and thrown on the road to make it look like a car accident.

Rapist gets 15 years
A 25-YEAR-old man has been sentenced to 15 years with hard labour for raping a 17-year-old girl in Central province.
Judge Les Gavera-Nanu sentenced Bona Umauma from Inawaia village in Kairuku district last week at the Waigani National Court after finding him guilty of raping the girl on Nov 13, 2006.
Umauma had raped the girl in the garden allegedly with the consent of his wife. The girl is a relative of the wife.
However, Umauma will serve only 14 years, four months and six days in lieu of the time he spent in jail as a remandee.

Men charged with allegedly obstructing airport officer
By NIDRA KEWERE MAPI
THREE men charged with allegedly obstructing an authorised officer at the Jacksons airport appeared before the Boroko District Court yesterday.
They were Yavuz Yardim, Muhammed Canbaleleu and Suleyman Kayikci– teachers affiliated with the PNG Paradise High School and of Turkish descent.
They were charged with breech of section 16 (1) (f) of the migration act.
According to official documents provided by defendants’ lawyer Michael Wilson, last Jan 29, two of the teachers were at the airport to pick up their counterpart but he was stopped by an authorised official who wanted to know the purpose of his visit to the country.
They explained that he was a tourist but the officer did not believe them and they were arrested and charged.
Mr Wilson argued there was no obstruction done by his clients and the matter was struck out with a court order for the bail money and passports to be returned.
But after the matter was struck out, the defendants were arrested outside the courthouse and charged in relation to the same case but on different grounds.
Mr Wilson said this was an abuse of process and the Turkish Consulate has already been advised of the situation.

K300,000 boost for landowners
By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
THE Mining Department gave K300,000 to the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) for reconciliation efforts among the Panguna landowners , former mining minister Sam Akoitai has said.
Mr Akoitai, also the former Central Bougainville MP, urged Bougainvilleans to push for reconciliation among Panguna landowners.
He also urged the Port Moresby-based landowners not to create additional reconciliation committees as it might confuse a similar committee that had been set up by central Bougainville MP James Miringtoro.
But an organiser of the meeting landowner Lawrence Daveona denied forming a separate committee.

CSAs clarifies air on appointments
TWO commercial and statutory authorities (CSAs) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has responded to a report in The National on Tuesday.
The Small Business Development Corp (SBDC) and the Industrial Centres Development Corp (ICDC) do not have legally appointed boards, while other CSAs including the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) and National Standards and Industrial Technology have some board members whose terms have expired.
All board appointments follow the Regulatory Statutory Authorities act of 2004, they said.
“This means that those who take office cannot appoint their political cronies or anyone at random as board members. All appointments are in accordance with the above law,” first secretary to the minister Thomas Nori said.
The 2004 law allows for the appointment of board members on merit before it goes to the National Executive Council (NEC) for endorsement prior to its submission to the governor-general.
Submissions for IPA board members whose terms have expired have been finalised while SBDC and ICDC submissions are ready to go before the Public Service Commission.

K90,000 to boost fishing industry
By JUNITA SOL GOMA
THE national fisheries authority (NFA) will be funding this year on projects that involve fishing.
NFA managing director Sylvester Pokajam said this during the presentation of two cheques for K90,000 to the National Capital District disadvantaged youth rehabilitation centre (NCDYRC) this week.
He said this was just one of the 52 groups that NFA is assisting.
The funds will assist NCDYRC to purchase fishing equipment to enhance its project objectives, which are to create self employment and improve skills.
The two cheques were drawn separately for the purchase of two dinghies and an outboard motor, at Ela Motors, while the other is for fishing equipment.
Mr Pokajam said NFA is trying to assist people who want to concentrate on fishing as their source of income.
He said the biggest problem in this country is that people don't see fishing as a form of long-term employment.
NCDYRC’s team leader Michael Kapekoro said NFA was the first Government Department to support the group in its efforts to equip those disadvantaged youths in the city with useful skills to enable them to make a living.

Drug ring suspects in court today
SEVENTEEN men alleged to be members of an organised drug ring operating in the Highlands and Momase regions will appear before the Goroka District Court this morning.
They were arrested last Sunday at a police road block at Kassam Pass of the Highlands highway, the border of Eastern Highlands and Morobe province.
The suspects were allegedly transporting 40kg of marijuana tightly packed in newspaper wrappings, taped and carried in bags.
Eastern Highlands provincial police commander Supt Teddy Tei confirmed that files have been completed and are ready for them to appear before the court.
He said police transported them from Aiyura and are now being remanded at the Goroka police cell.
Supt Tei said the suspects are charged under section 3 (1) (d) Dangerous Drug Offences Act.
He said the suspects are members of a drug syndicate, and some of their members are still at large.
Meanwhile, Goroka District Court will sentence six suspects who pleaded guilty to similar dangerous drug charges.
The suspects were also apprehended by Aiyura police in a separate road block at Kasam Pass on March 9.
, while they were transporting substantial amount of marijuana on their way to Madang. Presiding magistrate Gerard Vetunawa adjourned this morning for sentence after finding them guilty.

Cash-strapped ESP districts ‘paralysed’
DISTRICT offices in the East Sepik province are in dire need of funds to carry out their functions because the provincial budget is not ready and accounts for the year are still closed.
Districts officers in Maprik claimed that no funds were forthcoming for operational costs such as fuel and stationery since the close of accounts last year.
“We are looking after important divisions such as health and commerce and we are in the last month of the first quarter with no funds to carry out our work,” an officer said.
“We cannot even pay for our post office box, telephone bills and power so we’re using Telikads which we pay out of our own pockets.
“We would like to know when a permanent provincial administrator will be appointed so things could run smoothly in the province,” he added.
The accounts are normally opened in February but to date no funds have been received in the districts.
The province has yet to appoint a permanent provincial administrator.

Fears of anarchy in Ambunti
By GABRIEL FITO
Lawlessness is reportedly getting out of hand in Ambunti district of East Sepik province.
A lone police officer stationed there is often overpowered by youths who take advantage of the shortage of police manpower to commit crimes.
Reports reaching Wewak say that there have been killings reported in Waskuk Hills and Nukmau areas of Ambunti over the last five years but have not been investigated by police.
A youth leader from the area, Mann Hookawoph said cases of drug abuse, rape, arson, assault and break-ins were on the increase as youths were taking advantage of the shortage of police manpower.
In a recent killing, a man allegedly bashed his wife to death at Waskuk following an argument.
No action had been taken against the man.

Donation for community
THE newly- established association of Nakanai communities (ANC) started off the year with a K10,000 donation from Sir Joseph Tauvasa. The money was handed to association treasurer Elias Wase at the Hoskins local level government council chamber recently. Sir Joseph also urged the association directors to make their priorities to develop ANC in these initial stages in compliance with the organisations constitution. He also told them to be efficient and effective in implementing its concept according to its horizon strategy along with the National Government development priorities and to live up to the Nakanai stakeholders expectations.

Attitude needs to be changed
YOUNG people who want to assist in the awareness drive on HIV/AIDS should focus on changing people’s attitude before any development can take place, according to Fr Daniel Meakoro. Fr Meakoro told a graduating class of peer educators at the Anglican Stop Aids Centre recently that stigma and discrimination are ongoing because of lack of education and awareness on the issue. The 10-day- training was attended by 12 youths and volunteers of the Anglican church of PNG HIV and AIDS policy implementation of the Red ribbon parishes programme. Red ribbon is a faith-based programme integrated with other faiths to forge unity among Christian churches working to fight against HIV/AIDS.

Only way to maintain law
POLICE working in partnership with everybody including the public, business and private sectors, is the only way to minimise law and order problems. New Guinea Islands division commander Francis Tokura said this when he addressed the regional provincial police commanders at the weeklong conference in Kokopo. Under the theme – “Breaching the Gap”, the conference aimed to look at how best police could work to fulfil its vision on making the community safe. He said the vision is there but police are not really working enough in partnership with everybody to address law and order problems.

Promote economy: MP
NAMATANAI MP and shadow minister for Internal Affairs, Culture and Tourism Byron Chan is calling on the Government to immediately audit the nation’s security capacity to promote economic growth. Mr Chan said the Government should take full responsibility for the law and order situation in the country. There must be a constructive and conservative debate towards achieving a desired result that the people, international donors and investors can see as a serious attempt to provide a safe and stable economic environment.

Man gets 5 years for robbery
THE National Court in Madang has sentenced a man to five year in jail for robbing a family home of cash and goods worth K30,000. The sentence was handed down by National Court judge Justice David Cannings last month. Allen Apau, 30, from Kairuku in Central province, committed the robbery.