Waterboard and PNG Power clash
STATE-owned service providers, PNG Waterboard and PNG Power Ltd are blaming each other for last week’s Madang water fiasco.
In paid newspaper advertisements in recent days, both blamed the other’s lack of action for forcing Madang town’s taps to run dry on April 30 during a power outage on the Yonki power grid, which also affected Lae.
PNG Waterboard started the war of words last Friday through a public notice informing Madang residents that: “The lack of water … was the result of very poor electricity supply by PNG Power Ltd since April 26”.
Waterboard managing director Patrick Amini said their efforts in saving water in the reservoir from April 27 to 29 in the hope that full power would be restored, was to no avail.
“As a result, on April 30, Madang taps went dry”.
Mr Amini said the general no-show commitment by PNG Power to provide power to PNG Waterboard key facilities had left them with no choice but to buy and install standby generators at these facilities.
PNG Power chief Patrick Mara siad in a similar public notice that power supply was always available at the Madang pump station.
Mr Mara said Waterboard had experienced a quality problem with the voltage supply on April 26 but waited five days before reporting this to PNG Power on April 30.
“PNG Power could have rectified the problem immediately had PNG Waterboard advised PNG Power on April 26,” he added.
He said Madang had always experienced supply problems since it was connected to the Yonki generation facility more than 30 years ago.
“It is also noted that the current CEO of PNG Waterboard was the CEO for Elcom (forerunner to PNG Power) for more than six years. The problems were not rectified (during his term),” Mr Mara said.
However, he noted that PNG Waterboard had two new generators in Madang yet to be installed and have offered help to install and commission them should the waterboard request it.

West Sepik gives priority to road infrastructure
THE Sandaun provincial government is placing transport and road infrastructure development as a priority in the rural villages.
Governor Simon Solo says he wants to see road linking all four districts of Aitape-Lumi, Nuku, Telefomin and Vanimo/Green to the provincial headquarters in Vanimo.
He said the province has become dependent on air transport because of the lack of roads enabling only a minority of people travelling in to do business in the major towns of Vanimo and Aitape.
“The majority of our people living in the rural villages in the four districts are unable to afford the expensive airfares to travel to Vanimo to do business or seek services from the Government and private sectors.
“The cost of living in the districts is so high due to the cost of freighting goods by air. Because of these reasons, my government is committed to ensuring the East-West Highway is upgraded and completed,” he said.
Mr Solo has instructed engineers and the provincial works manager to prepare a scope of work commencing at Sowam border of East Sepik and West Sepik and ending at Vanimo High School.
He says funds for the road construction and upgrading will come from K600 million being held in trust.
Mr Solo said a further K8 million has been earmarked for the construction of a bridge across Laibrum River.
Work is currently underway on upgrading and gravelling the Laibrum River to Sumo section of Aitape-Vanimo road by Glace Construction under the supervision of the provincial works and supply division.

EBC in farming business
By IRENE GILICHIBI
THE Evangelical Brotherhood Church (EBC) Bible College at Six Mile outside Lae has ventured into something different to sustain its operations.
Milk and eggs from its farm have been used to produce yoghurt and chocolate to raise revenue for the college.
Samples of these products were amongst other products on display at the EBC stall at the NARI agricultural innovations show outside Lae last Tuesday.
Also on display at the EBC stall were milk, cream and butter produced at the farm by locally trained production staff. These were previously unemployed youths who were brought in.
Salesman Raphael Alua said the college farm commenced production in 1995.
“The purpose was basically to raise some revenue from the farm to support EBC pastors who came to the college for training,” he said.
The products now selling include milk, chocolate, fresh eggs and egg pulp.
Their locally produced chocolate and fresh milk have now found their way to the shelves of supermarkets at Foodmart and Anderson’s Foodland as well as Lae International Hotel, Melanesian Hotel and Huon Gulf Motel.
Milk and chocolate are packed in quantities of 2litres, 1litre and 375mls.

Officials on marriage counselling
By GABRIEL FITO
OFFICERS from the Registrar-General’s office in Port Moresby were in Wewak to carry awareness on marriages and family unit registration in East Sepik.
Deputy Registrar-General from the Department of Community Development, Augustus Wagambio told The National that marriage is the oldest institution in the world and therefore couples need to be counselled so that they appreciate each other.
He said marriage is a lifetime commitment made between a husband and wife and the Government through the office of the Registrar-General is now moving to ensure that their commitment is cemented.
Mr Wagambio said marriages that do not undergo proper counselling often encounter obstacles and pitfalls resulting in divorce, family disorder and sex outside of marriage.
He said marriage was created by God for couples to enjoy life and not to give problems as experienced throughout the world today.
Mr Wagambio believed that counselling is the key for survival of any marriage.
He said the pre-requisite for any couple to do counselling is that they have to register themselves and their biological children.

Weekly News
Refreshing...
These workmen could not resist cooling off from the blistering Madang sun at Tapo River, along the Madang-Lae highway. They also gave their backhoe a cool-down from their hectic work schedule along the Highway. – Nationalpic by JASON SOM KAUT