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UN goals hampered
by population growth
By ALISON ANIS
COUNTRY representative for
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in PNG Duah Owusu-Sarfo
said the growing urban migration and the increase in the world
population today would greatly hinder the process of achieving the
United Nation’s millennium development goals (MDG) and its
targets.
Mr Owusu-Sarfo said PNG was no exception citing its increasing
population of 6.1 million and the current urbanisation growth rate
of 2.4% as obstacles making it almost impossible to achieve medium
term development strategies (MTDS) in line with the MDG.
“The increasing population and 2.7% high growth rate in urban
areas would greatly increase household size, poverty and
starvation as increasing numbers of people miss out on government
resources such health, education, employment,” Mr Owusu-Sarfo
said.
The UNFPA representative said adding that to the number of limited
resources compared to the size of the population would make it
difficult for the Government and development partners to achieve
the MDG as well as the MTDS.
Mr Owusu-Sarfo suggested details of the current population rate to
be included in the MTDS and MDG or for the government to redress
the MTDS progress in accordance with the latest reports detailing
population growth.
Gobe creditors upset by notice
By HENLY TAKA
CREDITORS, who are
allegedly owed money by Gobe Petroleum Project Area Incorporated
Land Groups (ILGs), are furious over an advertisement in The
National on Wednesday and are demanding an apology.
Robert Paia, who claims to be the chairman of Gobe creditors, said
the notice was likely to cause a lot of problems because many of
the creditors had waited for over 15 years to be paid.
The advertisement said that the Mineral Resource Development
Company (MRDC) would not deal with or entertain creditors with
immediate effect.
The notice was jointly authorised by MRDC, the Department of
Petroleum and Energy, Gobe Leadership Committee and the board of
Petroleum Resources Gobe.
Mr Paia said the notice was provocative and insensitive and had no
regard for the creditors, who had been denied what was owed to
them for 15 years..
He claimed that the acting Minister for Petroleum and Energy
William Duma had assured them of payment by the MRDC and that they
also have had positive responses from the MRDC in five separate
meetings.
Mr Paia said the notice totally contradicted what was said by the
MRDC in those meetings and was also different to what the minister
had said.
No payments due: Sikani
CORRECTION Service Commissioner
Richard Sikani has denied that the 200 warders at Bomana prison
outside Port Moresby are still owed K450 each in 2002 election
allowances.
He said the Finance Department had paid out all the dues and he
also gave an assurance that everyone would get their allowances
for this year’s general election.
“However, there are processes to follow to obtain the allowances.
And it is unrealistic to demand to be paid fortnightly till
August,” he said.
The National had contacted Mr Sikani after receiving information
that the warders would not allow the 600 prisoners at Bomana to
cast their votes if they were not paid the rest of their 2002
allowances.
An anonymous caller claiming to be a warder said he and his
colleagues also wanted the payment for 25 hours of overtime to be
paid fortnightly till August as “promised by the management”.
Henao denies misuse of funds
THE organising chairman of the
Central province Hiri Moale festival last year has denied
misappropriating K100,000.
Mr Muri Henao said it was impossible for him to have done so as
there were three other signatories to the trust account.
He said the provincial government’s chairman for the economic
sector Peter Isoaimo was one of the signatories.
He said certain Boera villagers were complaining because they
wanted to be paid more than what they had received.
“The lagatoi group was paid K24,000 and they are demanding another
K6,000.
“The group that had cleared the site for the event was paid K7,500
of which K1,500 was meant for catering during the festival. This
group is now demanding more,” he said.
During a rally at Boera village last Saturday, some villagers
accused Mr Henao of misappropriating the money.
Mr Isoaimo, who is contesting the Kairuku-Hiri seat, said he
overcommitted the involvement of the people, hoping that K50,000
pledged by business houses and some individuals would offset the
costs.
“But to date none have paid up,” he said.
Friendly reminder
A CANDIDATE for the East Sepik
governorship reminded the people yesterday to vote with a clean
mind as “your decision by tomorrow will determine your final
destination”.
Sailas Swagu, a former school teacher, said the money and food
they were receiving during the campaign period could be the last
for the next five years.
He said he was not declaring war on anyone.
“I am going in as a friend to all and enemy to none,” the Star
Alliance Party candidate said.
“I have only sold my party’s policies for the Sepik people to
consider my stand to bring services to them that they have been
lacking for the past 31 years.”
Quake hits near B’ville
A STRONG earthquake, packing a magnitude of 6.7, hit the
Bougainville on Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of
damage or a tsunami.
The undersea quake struck 219km southwest of the town of Arawa, in
the politically troubled region of the South Pacific nation, the
US Geological Survey said.
It hit at 12:52 pm local at a depth of 10km. – AFP
 
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