By WILLIAM NEPSON and JASON SOM KAUT
POWER has finally reached the remote island of Kranget near the Madang town beachfront following the lodging of 370m of submarine cable across the Dalman passage.
The lodging of submarine cable that was witnessed by more than 3,000 students and community members finally bore fruit as the first lights were switched on, on the July 28 to the delight of children and the community.
About 600 residential houses on the island now do not have to cook in candlelight while students can now do their homework in the comfort of electrical lighting.
The K700,000 power project was funded by former Madang Open Member Alois Kingsley after the National Government had allocated K3million in its 2007 budget for rural electrification programme in Madang. Of this money K500,000 had been allocated to the Madang electorate of which the Bell LLG and Kranget is a part of.
Following advice from PNG Power chief executive officer Patrick Mara, an amount K464,000 was used to purchase and lodge the submarine cable whilst the balance of K235,600 to be used for the construction of low voltage reticulation on the island. This included the purchasing of step down transformers, wood poles and overhead conductors.
The Kranget project chairman Mathias Dum thanked all involved including Mr Kingsley, Emmanuel Ezekiel-Hart, PNG Power Ltd, Yeng Divers Ltd and the Kranget community for their contribution in bringing power to the island.
Local diving firm Yeng Divers Ltd carried out the construction of the underwater submarine cable and will be working closely with PNG Power Ltd in the next underwater projects in Kavieng and Buka following the success of the Kranget project.

VCT campaigners call for more people

EAST Sepik provincial HIV/AIDS co-ordinator Emil Trowale has urged the public in East Sepik to take advantage of the Wednesday night Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) programme if they do not wish to visit the site during the day due to fear of stigma and discrimination.
Mr Trowale said it was important for everyone especially those who are sexually active to go for VCT because people can only be sure of their HIV status if they had gone through VCT.
Since the establishment of the VCT site at the Sepik Centre of Hope two years ago, people have been voluntarily coming for free counseling and testing after involving in unsafe sex.
Mr Trowale said the centre has launched its Wednesday night programme two weeks ago to cater for such cases and also those working class people who do not have time to come during the day between 8am and 5pm on week days from Monday to Friday.
Head of VCT department Paula Paime said Wednesday night programme starts from 5pm to 8pm.
Ms Paime said it would be more convenient for those who do not have time during the day.
She said from observations most of the people who come for VCT are grassroots while working class are seeking assistance elsewhere.
She said the centre have a outreach programme where two counsellors, including herself, travel out to all districts to conduct VCT when their counsellors in the districts identified people who were interested to undergo VCT.
She said they have other programmes such as door-to-door counselling but transport has been a major set back as the department does not have a vehicle.

Wewak cops probe death

WEWAK police are investigating the death of a young man who was allegedly hit by a vehicle at Wom junction along the West Coast highway last Monday night.
Provincial police commander chief Supt Leo Kabilo told The National yesterday that the man, who was allegedly drunk, was knocked down by a Wewak-bound vehicle after standing in the way of the approaching vehicle.
The driver of the vehicle was detained and was now at the Wewak police station and charges were expected to be laid once all investigations were completed.
Supt Kabilo renewed his call two the public to stay away from the main road after getting drunk.

PNG Country Party to merge with Pangu

PANGU Pati will push for the review of the Integrity Law to cut down on political parties and candidates standing for elections for the sake of stability, its leader Andrew Kumbakor said.
He said this yesterday when welcoming PNG Country Party’s merger with Pangu Pati yesterday, boosting its numbers up to seven members.
“We have decided to accept PNG Country Party with no conditions and no cost, which is good for stability,” he said.
The merger was taking place despite Registrar of Political Parties Paul Bengo announcing last week that he did not recognise merger of political parties because the proper process was not followed.
Mr Kumbakor said the Integrity Law had brought some stability but independents and one-man party created more instability.
The two parties were expected to sign a memorandum of understanding today.
He said Pangu believed in amending the law to cut down on political parties so that those with a minimum of five members were recognised.
Kumbakor said the merger brings Pangu’s number to seven.
The two Parties will sign a Memorandum of Understanding today.

Highlands leaders want their MPs to quit NA

THREE Highlands leaders based in West New Britain province have called on Highlands MPs to quit the National Alliance and team up with the Port Moresby camp for the good of the people of Southern Highlands and Enga provinces.
Tim Wando of Pangia, Southern Highlands province, Greg Kintip of Western Highlands and Lebon Kandapol of Kompiam, Enga province made the call after violence erupted in the Highlands.
The leaders said they were taking the threat by Paias Wingti’s tribesmen seriously and wanted their leaders to move over and join the camp led by Sir Mekere Morauta, Sir Julius Chan and Bart Philemon in Port Moresby.
Mr Wando, who was speaking on behalf of all Southern Highlanders living in West New Britain, called on former opposition leader and member for Ialibu Pangia Peter O’Neill and Governor-elect Anderson Agiru to talk to the other junior MPs in the province to switch camps for the good of SH people.

NHC dismisses report

THE National Housing Corp (NHC) has denied a newspaper report that it will engage a foreign company to build 100,000 houses at a cost of K2 billion over 15 years.
Caretaker managing director Raho Kevau said the NHC was the agent for Government housing and was obliged to implement Government policies on housing.
He said neither the management nor Housing Minister Andrew Kumbakor had any knowledge of the engagement as earlier reported by Post-Courier.
He said the NHC and other relevant agencies were holding talks with various local and international companies to jointly carry out the Government’s national housing development programme.