Help for Gera villagers hit by landslide
By ZACHERY PER
THE Western Highlands Chamber of Commerce and governor Tom Olga pledged to assist landslide-devastated Gera villagers near Kundiawa Simbu province.
Mr Olga would donate K20,000 to assist the victims.
Provincial chamber of commerce representative Maggie Wilson assured them of donations in kind from business houses in Western Highlands.
Ms Wilson and a representative from governor Olga’s office went to meet the displaced villagers and assured them of their support.
Western Highlands provincial police commander Chief Supt Thomas Eluh accompanied them to the area.
Former parliamentarian Sir Kobale Kale was emotional when welcoming their support and could not hold back tears.
Sir Kobale said he had never seen a major disaster of such magnitude and appreciated those who showed concern for the affected villagers.

Australia’s assistance more on building capacity: Choe
STRONG monitoring and reporting systems within the sector will help ensure both government and donor resources are used effectively, first secretary to AusAID Joanne Choe said.
She was speaking during the law and justice sector 2009 budget forum presentation on “capacity development and use of technical assistance”.
Ms Choe said Australia’s support for the law and justice sector seeks to assist PNG to implement its national law and justice policy and to improve aid effectiveness.
Ms Choe said to ensure improvements to service delivery and reform initiatives are sustainable by PNG in the longer term, Australian assistance is focused on building capacity in the sector to enable PNG to achieve its desired result and outcomes.
“The Australian aid programme is flexible and responsive in the kinds of support it can provide to the law and justice sector, but it will only be effective where there is strong government leadership, commitment to management and accounted engagement by sector agencies with communities and other partners,” she said.

Parkop urged to review NCD business licences
A YOUTH leader in Port Moresby has called on NCD governor Powes Parkop to seriously review the process to grant small business licences to foreigners.
Nine Mile youth president Thomas Nunura said many small business outlets like fast food shops are now being owned and operated by foreigners, especially those of Asian origins.
Mr Nunura also urged the governor to ensure city health inspectors conduct regular checks on such outlets.
He said many appeals had been made in the past regarding these small business operations that Papua New Guineans are meant to own. “However, our own people have been made to become beggars and labourers on their own land,” he said.
Mr Nunura said when he entered a fast food outlet at Boroko recently the person at the counter could not understand a word of pidgin, and even English.
He said if foreigners are to do business here, they should have some understanding of pidgin.
Mr Nunura also raised concern about the timing of nightclub activities and when they are supposed to close their bars and dances.
“Health concerns must be emphasised and I urged our good governor to visit some of these fast food outlet, pokies places and clubs to experience for himself what I am talking about,” Mr Nunura said.
He also raised concern about the timing of nightclub activities; when they are supposed to close their bars and dances.
“In some Port Moresby nightclubs, partying and drinking are allowed to continue until about 5am.
“I am not sure if there are special licences issued for such practices.”
He also pointed out that it was only a small minority of these foreigners who are not going by the country’s set rules and regulations.

Polye calls for PNG engineers’ assistance
PNG engineers have been called on to assist provide advise and suggestions in addressing transport infrastructure designs and specifications.
Transport Minister Don Polye made the call when addressing the Institute of Engineers PNG (IEPNG) during their annual general meeting last week.
“You would note that from the recent media statements and articles that our existing transport infrastructures will need a major overhaul in terms of design standards, specification and codes of practices by applying innovative approaches so that infrastructures that are constructed are designed to suit the prevailing environment in PNG, not forgetting the effects of climate change, ” Mr Polye said.
He said the devastating effects of Cyclone Guba and the landslides along Okuk Highway on major roads and bridges on the national and provincial road network in Oro and certain parts of Milne Bay and Central provinces are examples.
“Obviously, the economy of the country at large is being undermined by such disasters that need an immediate attention of all stakeholders including the IEPNG.
“My point is the lack of advice and suggestions from the IEPNG to my office, through the Departments of Transport and Works so that as technocrats we can address the technical issues relating to design, specifications and appropriate materials and construction techniques to ensure transport facilities are provided for all weather use by our users,” he said.

ICCC asked to check on price rise
By JAMES APA GUMUNO
THE Western Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) to check on the soaring prices of goods and services in the four highlands provinces.
An interim committee of the chamber and provincial government representatives met on Friday and found that small retailers were unnecessarily increasing prices, capitalising on the landslip in Simbu province blocking off the Okuk Highway.
The committee urged the ICCC to start cracking down on such traders.
They said the retailers who have old stocks of goods should continue to sell it at the normal price except for rice and flour.
Pat Duckworth, owner of the two leading supermarkets in Mt Hagen, said he would not increase the prices.

More help for the displaced
THE National Disaster and Emergency Services (NDES)has provided half a million kina for Gera villagers displaced by the landslide in Simbu province.
This follows last week’s visit of NDES acting director general Martin Mose to the region.
The Simbu provincial government also made available K50,000 which would compliment the K500,000 to provide relief for displaced families.
Simbu governor Fr John Garia announced that the money was ready and relief supplies would flow into Gera village as of today.
Fr Garia thanked NDES for the speedy response in getting the money ready for immediate relief supplies.
Chairman of the Simbu disaster task force and provincial administrator Joe Bal said the committee would identify the affected families to distribute relief assistance.
Mr Bal said they opened an account for the disaster-affected areas.
Donations may be sent to Simbu provincial disaster account, account No. 1001408508, BSP Kundiawa branch.

Abal: Serve, lead by example
By JAMES APA GUMUNO
LEADERS must serve and lead their people by example.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Sam Abal told 162 public servants, councillors, police personnel attending a day-long workshop on leadership in Wabag, Enga province, that as leaders, they must have the qualities to be productive in their workplaces and in their communities.
Mr Abal said many leaders lack integrity in areas of leadership and this has resulted in many corrupt practices, unproductivity and leading their people astray.
Mr Abal said corruption has become an everyday language because the leaders who were put in positions of trust were not performing their duties.
Instead, they were abusing all the privileges given to them, the Wabag MP said. He said leaders with good qualities would perform their duties well and guide their people along the right path.

Change your evil ways: Ipatas
ENGA governor Peter Ipatas has urged his people to abandon their evil ways and turn to God.
Mr Ipatas was speaking to a huge crowd at Aipus oval in Wabag last Thursday during the Enga Prayer Day. The provincial government marks this day every year since 1999 for Enga to dedicate to God.
Mr Ipatas told the crowd that if they have never been to church in the past, they must change and start attending church services every weekend.
He said with the grace of God, the people would have peace and harmony in their families and villages.
He urged his people to do away with tribal fights, stealing, armed robbery and other criminal activities that have given the province a bad name over the years.
He urged public servants in the province to lead and live by example in a true Christian way.
Mr Ipatas said he wants to see public servants attending church services every weekend with their family members.
He said April 17 is a day marked for God; it’s a covenant, and everyone must respect it.

TI slams action
TRANSPARENCY International (PNG) said it was dismayed at the disbandment of the Commission of Inquiry into the Finance department.
TI chairman Mike Manning said that it was a terrible blow to the credibility of the Government, which talks about a commitment to good governance but backs away when hard evidence of corruption starts to be exposed.
TI also called on the Prime Minister to reconsider the decision for the good of the country.
Mr Manning said that this not an issue of politics, but how to make sure that the much-needed services are getting through to the people.
“Almost all international indicators show that the welfare of rural Papua New Guineans is declining while we see the Government congratulating itself on its good management,” he said.

Kimas keeps eye on hotels
By MOHAMMAD BASHIR
THE Lands department is monitoring three hotel developments in the city and assured that no developer will get away with their leases if they do not commence work sooner than expected.
Secretary Pepi Kimas told The National yesterday that the three hotel projects include the 5-Star hotel at 4 Mile, the Burns Peak hotel and a new Ela Beach hotel development.
“We are monitoring a number of hotel developments in the city and we have been issuing quarterly reminders to the developers,” he said.
Mr Kimas said a meeting was held between the developers of the 4 Mile 5-Star hotel, the department of Trade and Industry and the Lands department two weeks ago but he has not been fully briefed on the outcome.
He, however, said the projects were ongoing and would take a while.

PNG elections to feature on SBS
By KEVIN PAMBA
AN hour-long film on corruption, tribalism and thuggery during the 2007 national elections in PNG will be aired on Australia’s SBS television at 8.30 tonight.
The film titled PNG: The Rules of the Game by Walkey Award winner Thom Cookes looks at the problems in the election process and claims that attempts to clean up the undemocratic mess in the PNG election process has achieved little.
The film follows three of the 37 candidates in the Eastern Highlands governor’s race, incumbent Mal Smith-Kela, female candidate Julie Soso and coffee stalwart, Jon Yogiyo, as they set out into the challenging world of PNG politics
The film also features Electoral Commission legal adviser John Nonggorr.
An online review says: “The underlying problem is closely associated with the history of PNG tribal warfare . . . tribes discuss fighting at length . . . which ultimately ends in death. This has, to a degree, been transferred to the political system and the power play of PNG politics.”
A DVD of the film is selling at A$38.45.

150 ENB teachers not paid yet
By VERONICA MANUK
MORE than 150 teachers in East New Britain are still waiting for their salaries.
West New Britain provincial education authorities are blaming the salary office in Waigani for the delay in teachers’ salaries.
Half of the teachers, who have been put off the payroll for the last three paydays, received their salaries last payday while others are still waiting.
About 300 teachers in the province had reportedly been put off the payroll for the last two paydays.
Of the 300 teachers, 185 were elementary school teachers while 100 were primary school, high school and technical school teachers.
Elementary school teachers are said to be the most affected.

Angry youths destroy Hagen
By SENT TIMBI
FRUSTRATED youths in Mt Hagen city, Western Highlands province, on Friday rampaged through the town, destroying the city’s flower gardens, hurling rocks at shops and nearly disrupted business in the area.
In a beautification and policing program started last month, the youths were engaged by the city authorities to plant flowers and shrubs.
However, when police told the youths to stop what they were doing due to public complaints and allegations of harassment and excessive spot fines on Friday morning, the youths went on a rampage.
They destroyed a park between the Bank South Pacific branch building and Telikom PNG before converging on other parts of the city, destroying flower beds, uprooting plants and throwing them onto the streets.
They then ran towards a major shopping outlet in the centre of town, chanting in the local Melpa language. However, security guards responded swiftly and closed the doors on the youths.

Schools shorten ration
THE Kondiu Secondary School in Simbu province has spent K800 to transport 450 bags of rice across the Gera landslide site outside Kundiawa. Mess supervisor Mathew Nicholas said he bought 450 bags of rice from Mendikwae Limited in Goroka and transported them to the other side of the landslide and paid locals to bring them across the debris to the other side where the school truck was waiting. He said they are using their own students’ labor to transport the bags of rice which is for the students’ ration, adding the ration would last them two-and-a-half months. Mr Nicholas said they are still running short of other items like flour, tinned fish and oil. Likewise Kerowagi Secondary School reportedly stopped giving students breakfast and lunch and is providing dinner only.

Cigarettes go by air
THE British American Tobacco (BAT) last week chartered a North Coast Airways to fly 30 cartons of cigarettes into Kundiawa town. The cigarettes were for TNA Trading, which only lasted three weeks. It is understood TNA is opting to negotiate for a similar arrangement with BAT for more cigarettes to be flown into Kundiawa.

Stock feed costs K16,000
A MAJOR business house in Kundiawa was charged K16,000 to bring across the landslide debris 400 cartons of stock feed. Reports said locals charge the firm K40 for a bag to be transported across the landslide area.