YOUNGSTERS from Pokpok Island in Central Bougainville smile for the camera. Elections to vote for a new government to represent them gets underway today with the issuing of writs. They will also be registered and protected under the national identi fi cation project (PNGNID), being pushed by the national Government
Picture: JACOB IENU
B’VILLE ELECTIONS
REPORT > PAGE 3 > 3
CIVIL Registrar Dickson
Kiragi has warned against hacking into or tampering with the national identification data base.
The penalty for this offence was a hefty K100,000 fine
or life in jail. Mr Kiragi sounded the warning yesterday as Prime Minister Peter O’Neill opened the national data base centre in Waigani. The previous day, the national capital’s identification registration office at Boroko was opened.
These important centres would house private and confidential information of millions of Papua New Guineans in the national identification project that was currently underway nationwide.
Mr Kiragi said the system
was a simple, secure and unified system of the registration of all citizens that would prevent people from pretending to be someone they were not, and to secure citizens’ information.
CONTINUED PAGE 2
YOUhave to wonder the streets of Port Moresby and some of our main urban centres to see the face of poverty and acknowledge the growing number of Papua New Guineans who cannot put food on the table.
It is a hollow feeling seeing Papua New Guinean men, women and children foraging through a mountain of rubbish at the Baruni dump outside the national capital, hoping that their next find would be precious enough to be sold to buy a packet of biscuit or a noodle that would keep them going until the next morning and the next rubbish offload. They are used to living life on the edge and surviving by the day, a lot of them lured by the city’s bright lights, which disappeared the moment they got into the urban centres.
The PNG Rehabilitation Centre chairman, Brown Kapi, was making reference to these vulnerable Papua New Guineans when he warned of the dangers of not addressing the increasing gap between the rich and the poor.
“In the near future there will be repercussions as the people at the bottom realise they cannot compete with those at the top,” he said.
It is a warning that should not be taken lightly by those entrusted with the mandate to lead this country and take PNG to greater heights never scaled before. Mr Kapi, as a spokesman for Papua New Guineans living with disability, knows the conversations taking place at that level of society and feels the frustration that the vulnerable are experiencing.
The equitable distribution of the country’s wealth and resources will continue to be at the centre of successive government’s development agenda. But it is the ability of that development agenda to translate into immediate poverty alleviation intervention programs targeting ordinary Papua New Guineans that will make a difference and bring a smile to the faces of the affected men, women and children.
Coincidentally, the United Nations (UN) at a recent mining conference organized by the Institute of National Affairs (INA) and the Australian National University (ANU), emphasized that PNG’s economic growth in the last decade would be “insufficient” if it did not translate to tangible development for all Papua New Guineans. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)authored 2014 PNG National Human Development Report gave a scathing assessment of the country’s performance in addressing poverty.
“Perhaps most telling are the poor levels of human development in Papua New Guinea despite the obvious resource wealth of the country. In 2013, Papua New Guinea had a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.491, placing the country in the ‘low human development’ category, ranked 157 out of 187 nations,” stated the report.
To mark 40 years as a sovereign nation, the drums have been brought out and the Birds of Paradise head-dresses dusted and straightened in preparation for the song and dance. But let us not forget there are thousands of others who continue to struggle to enjoy the fruits of a thriving democracy and share in its wealth. It is time we include them in this journey too as they also have similar aspirations to become part of a healthy, wealthy nation.
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GULF Province administration has acknowledged that some goods earmarked for flood relief in the province have been stolen or damaged.
The relief supplies are stranded in eight shipping containers on a beach in Central Province because the two shipping companies tasked with transporting them to Kerema last September had not delivered.
Gulf deputy provincial administrator Emmanuel Xavier said they were made aware of the fate of the containers following an on-site inspection by the province’s disaster relief coordinator.
He said the coordinator had been sent to Port Moresby to check on what was causing the delay because the two shippers had been paid a total of K1.09 million to deliver.
“The Gulf acting provincial administrator James Hasu wrote a letter and instructed the immediate release of the supplies, that was three weeks ago,” Mr Xavier said.
Last year the National Disaster Centre, which was on the ground in Gulf to assess the flood damage caused by heavy rain in the mountains of Kerema electorate, had offered to transport the Gulf government’s supply. Mr Xavier said the administration decline the offer because it had already made payments to the two shippers.
Provincial disaster relief coordinator Jerry Hape was not available for comment yesterday. However, Mr Xavier said one of the shipping companies had offered to replace the supplies that were stolen or damaged.
“Our disaster coordinator has been given the assurance that goods that were lost will be compensated for once costing is done,” he said.
Yesterday, the two shipping companies gave their side of the story on the non-delivery of disaster relief supplies to the affected people of Kerema district. According to the scope of agreement, West Coast Shipping Services Limited was paid K790,000 and Mundi No1 Limited was paid K300,000.
Mundi No1 Ltd owner Samson Jubi reiterated that he was waiting for National Maritime Safety Authority to do clearance for the MV Burai landing craft to leave port at Tubusereia village where the supplies are kept.
“We will not sail a vessel into the open seas without this legal authority from NMSA because it is against the law,” he said.
West Coast Shipping Services Ltd said it was waiting for the same legal authority from the NMSA.
It also confirmed that he had advised the Gulf disaster relief committee to replace cargoes that had been damaged or stolen at the landing site before its landing craft set sails, hopefully next month.
FROM PAGE ONE
NATIONAL Planning Min-
ister Charles Abel said the PNG NID was a government initiative to improve data collection, data reporting and planning of government.
Mr Abel said other applications would help in the opening of bank accounts, voting in elections, applying for
loans, passport and travelling, and registration of land.
“The system must be secure so that people will not use others’ name to vote, they don’t use your name to register your land, they don’t use your name to travel in and out of our country and other countries,” he said Mr Abel said this would also help in accessing government
services like free education, free health, disability, pension and old age pension with a proper identification system.
“It is my hope that we can use the ID card in the 2017 election to help remove some of the problems we have in the 2012 elections.
“It’s part of making sure that we have transparency
and that we have a robust system of electing our leaders into parliament.
“It is part of the process of improving governance and also making sure that the right leaders get to parliament and you people voted for them and not some guys who did some trick around the corner or manipulate the system.”
THE SP Games relay baton was launched this week by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill at Ela Beach in Port Moresby, marking the 100-day countdown to the Games, which will be hosted in Port Moresby in July. This group of Motuan men are taking the baton ashore on a traditional lagatoi (canoe) for the PM to launch the relay.
WRITS for the 2015 ABG General Election will be issued by the speaker of the Bougainville House of Representatives, Andrew Miriki at 4pm today.
The event, which signifies the start of the election period, will take place at the ABG parliament chamber.
Following the issue of writs, intending candidates will have three days to nominate. Nominations will commence at 8am Bougainville Standard Time (BST) on Monday, March 30, and end at 4pm BST on Wednesday, April 1. After nominating,
The bottom line
TOKSAVE to guests invited to the 2015 SP Sports Awards Presentation Night. The gala event scheduled for tomorrow from 6.00 pm has been moved to the Holiday Inn.
PAID LEAVE
WHAT do PNG and the US have in common in terms of maternity and paternity leave? They are the only two out of 185 nations that lack paid maternity leave guaranteed by law according to a 2014 ILO survey.
EMBARRASS
IT IS an embarrassing fact that continues to be highlighted by unions and family rights groups. Kirsten Gillibrand, a US Senator from New York, twitted on this recently to her 134,000 followers!
ROADS SOS
RAINBOW residents in NCD have sent out an SOS to the Moresby Northwest MP Micheal Malabag and Governor Powes Parkop. Recent rain has literally turned the roads into swimming pools.
NUPTIALS
ARE we becoming a wedding destination?
CHECK IT
ABG GENERAL ELECTIONS: Polling will take two weeks commencing on May 11-25 with the writs to be issued by speaker of the Bougainville House of Representatives Andrew Miriki at 4 pm today. The event which signifies the start of the election period will take place at the ABG parliament chamber.
NOMINATIONS: Will commence at 8 am Bougainville Standard Time (BST) on Monday March 30 and ends at 4 pm BST on Wednesday April 1. Candidates will then have six weeks to stage their campaigns.
candidates will have six weeks to stage their campaigns.
Polling will take two weeks, commencing on May
11 to 25. Counting will be held from May 26 to June 7, while the writs will be returned by ABG Electoral Commissioner George Manu
the next day, June 8. The new government will be sworn in on June 15, which is also the inauguration day for the ABG.
Contestant on the NZ franchise of reality TV show The Bachelor, Rosie Kininmonth, reportedly said she’s getting married in PNG next year.
BUSHMAN
THE 30-year-old beauty told
The New Zealand Herald following her exit from the show that she plans to tie the knot with “Westie” bushman in the jungles of PNG.
NEED CCTV
SOMEONE must be suffering from itchy fingers. New graffiti on the stonewall being built along the Two Mile Hill road currently under construction. The crime justifies calls for CCTV cameras.
BE FAIR
HOPE our friends at the TPA and in Government read our business page yesterday. It was a plea from Madangbased tourism operator Sir Peter Barter for a level playing field. It makes sense.
SPEAKING of tourism what about the spunky cover page of the latest edition of the AHC-published Regional Processing Centre-focused newsletter Manus i go het?
COOL surfing pictures from Manus courtesy of Sydney-based surfer Joe Coleman. Go to the link: http://www.saltmotion. com/journal/2014/12/manus-perspective/
PENGEE: thedrum@spp.com.pg
MILNE BAY Governor
Titus Philemon has called on member countries and governments of the Coral Triangle to support his push to regulate international shipping in the province’s seas.
Mr Philemon said the use of the province’s seas by international ships carrying dangerous cargo continues to pose major risks of pollution and damage to the rich ecosystems.
Up to 50 large ships pass through the narrow Jomard Passage everyday shipping cargo between Asian markets and southern ports in Australia and New Zealand.
Speaking at the opening of a week-long forum of local government leaders from the Coral Triangle to discuss initiatives to save coral reefs, fisheries and food security in Alotau, Mr Philemon said the province is pleased to host the forum, where concerns that are dear to the people who depend on the sea for their livelihood, could be raised and addressed.
He said apart from the threats posed by international shipping, there was also the severe impacts of climate change and the resultant calamities which are seriously affecting the lives of the people.
He said islands and coastlines were disappearing under the sea and reefs and other marine biodiversity were being destroyed at a very fast rates.
Mr Philemon said in an effort to minimise these threats, the provincial government last year gave K500,000 to the National Maritime Safety Authority to complete risk assessment
bottom line
THERE is a need to stage educational workshops with police and other stakeholders on how to charge offenders under the Proceeds of Crimes Act.
This was highlighted in a workshop in Port Moresby where all the judges of the National and Supreme Court participated.
studies of the four sea lanesJomard Passage, Rossel Spit, Kiriwina/Kitava Channel and the China Strait.
The plan is to use these studies to seek approval from the International Maritime Organisation for Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) status for these international sea routes. When the PSSA is granted, then control measures such as compulsory pilotage and environment levies can be imposed.
But the process of obtaining the PSSA status is difficult and IMO is very strict on granting it, thus the Governor’s call for support from the other Coral Triangle member countries, which include Indonesia, Solomon Islands, the Philippines, Malaysia and their provincial governments and municipalities.
“We are therefore pleased that we have become involved with the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security so that these concerns can be highlighted and with the cooperation and support of fellow CTI-CFF countries, governments and their respective environment organisations.”
A CHINESE citizen claims he was beaten up by police on the streets of Port Moresby this week, and he does not know why.
“I always do everything by social rules and laws of PNG and cannot understand why I was treated like that,” a heavily bruised and battered Charles Wang told the Post-Courier yesterday.
“I believe in and respect the PNG Government and the police as social protectors and stabilisers so why are some police still doing disappointing things.”
Mr Wang has been doing business in PNG for the past nine years.
After the horrific attack, he is calling on the Government and police for fair and legal treatment
of foreigners, as foreign businessmen also contribute to the wellbeing of the society by creating jobs for Papua New Guineans. The confrontation with police started on Tuesday as he was driving along the Poreporena Highway at Gordon to the SP Brewery roundabout.
He had given way to a police vehicle at the turnoff before continuing his drive when a second police vehicle followed behind and flagged him
beside the road. He said he was asked to open the doors and he complied promptly even though he was not sure why they had asked him.
“Suddenly, two of them gave me heavy punches to my face, without any words,” Mr Wang said.
A third officer with a baton hit him repeatedly on his right arm, he said.
When he asked them why they attacked him, they said he had not given way to the second police vehicle which had subsequently rammed another vehicle, angering the policemen.
“I gave way to the first vehicle however, they should give way to me, according to PNG traffic laws as I was driving straight and on the main road,” he said.
According to Justice Bernard Sakora, this act needed to be looked at properly because of the lack of capacity by the constabulary in arresting and charging people for breaching it.
Currently, those accused for corrupt practices are mostly charged under the Criminal Code which the police and the public prosecutor rely mostly on.
He said banks and financial institutions whose services were used as avenues for transferring stolen monies needed to be educated on this act. Mr Sakora said identifying and reporting transactions should be made part of a financial institution’s duty.
THE Correctional Service (CS) is ready to implement the death penalty when all procedural matters are in order.
Commissioner Michael Waipo said the CS as the servant of the state stands ready to do its duty to administer required punishment for anyone convicted and sentenced by the courts.
He indicated that a meeting will be held by the Inter Agency Implementation Committee this month to finalise discussions over the death penalty.
Discussions would be on the arrangements for appropriate training for the personnel tasked with the execution and the infrastructure to carry out the punishment.
He said they would also recommend the mode of execution. Following the meeting, a brief would be presented to Cabinet.
I always do everything by social rules and laws of PNG...
CHARLES WANG Port MoresbyTITUS PHILEMON: Has called on member countries and governments of the Coral Triangle to support his push to regulate international shipping in the province’s seas. JOMARD PASSAGE: Up to 50 large ships pass through the narrow Jomard Passage everyday shipping cargo.
including thefts of public funds, was discussed by the judges of the National and Supreme Court of PNG in a workshop in Port Moresby yesterday.
The workshop was held with legal experts and counterpart judges from the United Kingdom on the laws surrounding this offence. Money laundering was one critical issue where monies that have been obtained through illegal means went through processes that made them seem clean, by being hidden in investments and other forms of activities.
According to the discussions, those accused of committing this offence were normally charged by the police or the public prosecutor under the Criminal Code.
FINANCIAL crime is an international problem where hundreds of billions of dollars move across international borders every month, a capacity building program on financial crime and money laundering was told.
Global money laundering was estimated at 2-5 percent of total GDP, or £23-57 billion (K100-430 billion), according to British High Commissioner to PNG Simon Tonge.
“That is a lot of money lost to the criminal world –money that could otherwise be spent on vital infrastruc-
essential services for our citizens.
ture and essential services for our citizens,” the High Commissioner said at the launching of a two-day capacity building program for PNG and Pacific Islands judges at the Airways Hotel in Port Moresby yesterday.
The program focused
mainly on financial crime, including money laundering, fraud and corruption and the Pacific Islands.
“In an ever more complex and interconnected world, all countries are under pressure to stay ahead of the criminals,” Mr Tonge
said. “Enhanced transparency, through international initiatives such as EITI is important, strong fraud and corruption agencies are also the key.
“But what matters most is international partnerships to work together to hold criminals to account, track down and return the proceeds of crime.”
He told the judges that the two-day program will cover some of the legal provisions in the UK’s financial crime prevention regime, and compare those with the provisions in PNG, many of which are new, or being
updated. “In this room, there is a wealth of experience of applying these standards in a judicial setting in the UK, PNG and the Pacific, and we hope that sharing this experience will allow the PNG Judiciary to enrich and enhance the practical use of these provisions, in line with international standards,” Mr Tonge said.
He said understanding the international use of proceeds of crime legislation is a vital part of the judiciary role and examining its applicability in the local and regional setting is vital.
However, there were strong suggestions that it was time now to use the Proceeds of Crime Act which had not been effectively used when charging offenders.
It is understood that this act gives power to confiscate proceeds of a crime.
This means the court would exercise power under this piece of legislation to confiscate every property and asset that seemed to have been obtained using stolen monies.
It was also pointed out that the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act should be actively used in delivering justice. This law provides that monies which are taken within the country and sent offshore would still be traced and recouped through partnership with the legal system of the particular country where the money was sent to.
It was also highlighted that money laundering was a transnational crime where funding of terrorism activities could occur.
STATE-OWNED entities
have been urged to comply with regulations by submitting their annual returns for updated records to enhance effective service delivery, says Investment Promotion Authority managing director Ivan Pomaleu.
He told a seminar for government leaders this week that many companies had not complied with regulations to provide their annual returns to IPA.
Mr Pomaleu said IPA has a
IPA has a duty to keep records
IVAN POMALEU Port Moresbyduty to keep records and file annual statements of companies which many had not been updating.
“Many companies in PNG are not in the culture of compliance; let me be nice by say-
ing it like that. And in terms of working and you thinking about soliciting services and goods from the entities, it is not encouraging compliance to our people. Complying by providing your annual returns would allow people seeking business from your departments or agencies to also see compliance as an important requirement,” he said. Mr Pomaleu said IPA had a requirement to file 100,000 documents of companies last year. He said IPA had sent notices
last year but by the end of the year it had received replies to file and update 11,000 documents. “When we put out notices and offered overtime for our officers to process the documents we only were able to induce about 11,000 out of the total required documents of 100,000. That is a crude rate of compliance. I would encourage compliance that if all financial annual returns be filed and up to date would be nice,’’ he said.
The seminar was based on effective procuring of government services.
MENYAMYA district in Morobe Province will set aside K5 million in the next two years to assist its people build their houses, says Menyamya MP Benjamin Philip.
The project, set to begin next year, would help each household in district’s four LLG –Kapao, Nanima-Kareba, Wapi and Kome.
Mr Philip said the basic necessities of a human being are having access to food and water, to be clothed and to have a roof over his or her head.
Mr Philip told his constituents, who had gathered at Ungwimela Primary School to witness the opening of teachers houses and a double classroom, that he would be setting aside the money to ease the people’s burden.
He said a project office, to deliver the roofing irons to each household at the ward level, would be set up with all necessary infrastructures to deliver the project.
He said gathering or finding their traditional building materials was now becoming a huge problem due to number of factors.
He said a vehicle would be secured to will deliver 10 to 15 roofing irons to all household
in each wards in the district.
He said people would cut their own timber with chainsaws he had been delivery to nearly every village or ward areas that he has visited since 2012.
Mr Philip’s idea to purchase chainsaws for his people and giving them between K5000 and K25,000 to build schools, health centres and churches at ward level was reaping rewards.
MP
Mangare Siniwin officiated at the ribbon cutting. Mr Philip commended the head of the school, its board and parents when he was invited to open the houses on Wednesday.
“I thought it was not enough but you did something very
valuable with it, I commend and salute you all,” he said.
Last year, Mr Philip gave the school K25,000 from the district’s services improvement program (DSIP) funds for its use.
The school board, under the astute leadership of its chairman Jimmy Gad and head
teacher Sam Naeman decided to build two houses for its teachers.
Mr Gad and his local Gumela people used their resources to help the school build the houses. The locals provided timber for free and the K25,000 was used to purchase building materials.
and file annual statements...
THERE is no need for police and soldiers to provide security for road works along the Highlands Highway, a contractor said yesterday.
Geoffrey Kama, the managing director of Sky Development Corporation, which is contracted for the upgrading of 30 kilometre stretch of road at Wara Simbu and Mangiro section of the highway between Simbu and Eastern Highlands border, said good public relations with local landowners along the road enabled his firm to work without any disturbances.
Mr Kama claimed his firm had set a new bench mark through trusted public relationship with locals to get their full cooperation to clear the corridor of the road up to 40 meters in width.
He said the section of the road was known its narrowness with structures and plants on the sides but he said the the locals were human beings who deserved to be treated with respect.
“I got them to help with the removal of structures and plants and clear the corridor at no cost at all.”
HISTORY was made yesterday with the passage of a new Bougainville Mining Act in the Bougainville House of Representatives.
Consequently, PNG laws on mining, including the Mining (Bougainville Copper Agreement) Act, no longer apply in Bougainville.
The new law replaces the Transitional Act passed last August and gives exclusive ownership rights over mineral wealth to landowners.
The law gives the landowners the right to say “no” to
BY JOHNNY POIYA
THE Simbu Provincial Government launched its K240 million 2015 budget infront of thousands of people in Kerowagi on Wednesday. During the launching, Governor Noah Kool announced the funding of several major projects in the province which include the Karamui Hydro dam, Kup Airport and Limestone projects in which the provincial government has already invested close to K20 million.
Governor Kool announced a total of more than K60 million from his provincial services improvement program funds to all sectors of the six districts in the province. The bulk of the allocation went to transport infrastructure and education services.
“exploration” and “mining license”, even if exploration rights had been granted in the first place.
Bougainville Mining Minister Michael Oni told Parliament his government was “proud of the fact that there is no country in the world that gives such rights and powers to all customary landowners”.
Mr Oni said the law was widely debated and carefully drafted before it came to the House.
The Bougainville govern-
ment undertook an extensive awareness and consultation program that involved excombatants, women leaders and other community groups in the lead up to the new legislation.
The new mining law strips Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) - the former operator of the defunct Panguna copper mine in Central Bougainville - of its mining licenses.
The company instead will be allowed an exploration license, which offers no more than a first right of refusal in
negotiations on the future of Panguna mine.
“This gives the ABG flexibility to consider other options if BCL decides not to seek a return to mining in Panguna or is unwilling to meet the terms and conditions set by the ABG and landowners, should negotiations begin,”
Mr Oni said.
The Panguna mine was the igniting point for the 10-year Bougainville Conflict, which claimed up to 20,000 lives.
The new mining law also outlines landowners partici-
GROUPS of ex-combatants in Bougainville have rallied behind the Autonomous Bougainville Government’s stance to pass the controversial Bougainville Mining Act.
The ex-combatants, representing Bougainville Revolution Army and resistance veteran groups from North and South Bougainville, met with the ABG and its officials on Tuesday after-
noon where they expressed their support for the bill to be passed.
The bill was the brainchild of the Momis-led government in its efforts to ensure past mistakes that eventually led to the 10-year bloody civil conflict on the island is not repeated.
The bill was passed yesterday in the Bougainville House of Representatives and became a law known as Bougainville Min-
ing Act, which vests in landowners a pronounced say on how minerals should be extracted from their lands and what type of development they want in return for the mining of minerals on their land.
The new mining law was passed after it went through wide awareness and consultation program throughout the communities in Bougainville.
pation equity from mining revenues.
Minister Oni said landowners were entitled to five per cent free equity.
They are also entitled to purchase up to an additional five per cent within 60 days after the granting of the mining license.
Royalties, as a percentage of the value of minerals produced must also be paid to landowners.
Landowners are also protected if they are required to be resettled elsewhere.
The multitude of projects outlined for the districts from the province’s money plan prompted leaders and the people on the ground to call on the governor not to ‘mix’ his projects with the local MPs and challenged their elected leaders to launch their district budgets in a similar fashion.
Former deputy speaker and parliamentarian Wakua Goi said many MPs claimed credit for work done by funding from the provincial government.
“The public launching of the provincial budget now tells the people of services and developments in their electorates under the Provincial government funding. The local MPs should do the same.”
EXXONMOBIL PNG is continuing to assist women fulfil their leadership potential with K145,000 in support of the Advancing PNG: Women Leaders Network (APNGWLN).
The APNGWLN is made up of alumni from the Exxonmobil-supported Global Women in Management (GWIM) program.
Since 2006, 49 women have attended the program in Indonesia, Washington DC and the first ever GWIM conference was held in PNG in 2014.
Following the 2014 Port Moresby conference, the GWIM alumni decided to set up a secretariat, the APNG: Women Leaders Network, to ensure that they continue to support each other and share ideas, to progressively influence positive change in Papua New Guinea.
Linda Babao, wife of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, is patron of the secretariat.
PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has extended the nation’s sympathies to the families and countries of passengers on board German wings flight 4U9525 that crashed in France on Tuesday.
Papua New Guinea’s foreign missions in Europe are seeking to confirm that no citizens or resident Papua New Guineans were on
PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has received Egypt’s Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Hassan Hanafy Mahmoud el-Laithy, in a courtesy call this week.
In their meeting, the Prime Minister and Ambassador discussed similar challenges facing the two nations and expressed a desire to work through international forums on issues of common interest.
“Papua New Guinean are separated by several thousand kilometres but we share common concerns in international forums such as the United Nations and World Trade Organization,” Mr O’Neill said following the meeting.
He said “While Egypt is a large nation with a population of around 87 million people, there are similarities between our economies in the challenges we face in the global economy.’’
CONDOLENCE: Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has extended the nation’s sympathies to the families and countries of passengers on board German wings flight 4U9525 that crashed in France on Tuesday. PNG foreign missions in Europe are seeking to confirm that no citizens of PNG were on the aircraft.
the aircraft. “Papua New Guinea extends our condolences and prayers to the
families and countries of passengers who lost their lives in the air crash that
occurred in France overnight,” Mr O’Neill said. He said “The air crash in France overnight was tragic and the loss of children is particularly disturbing.”
“Our Foreign Affairs officials are seeking confirmation that no Papua New Guinean citizen or resident was on the aircraft.”
Mr O’Neill said “In the modern global economy,
with people travelling the world for business, education and tourism, news of a major air accident always carry the concerns that Papua New Guineans and other residents of our communities could be on board.’’
“When this information has been provided it will be immediately released to the public,” he said.
OPPOSITION Leader Don Polye has joined world leaders in offering his condolence to the Australian people on the death of their 22nd prime minister Malcolm Fraser, 84, last Friday.
Mr Polye described Fraser as a hero in Australian politics and at this time of sorrow, the Opposition and the peo-
ple of Papua New Guinea grieved with Australians and the immediate relatives on the loss of a great person.
“God Almighty will comfort the grieving relatives and family members,” he said.
Mr Polye said Fraser was best known for his role in the sacking of prime minister Gough Whitlam
by governor-general of Australia Sir John Kerr.
“Fraser was a champion who stood by his principles in politics when he shifted focus from conservative politics within the Liberal Party and engineered for a multiracial population in Australia and supported human rights.”
He added that the former PM remonstrated in issues
like immigration, indigenous Australian rights and resettlement of asylum seekers in Australia.
Mr Polye acknowledged Fraser’s support for an independent PNG and continued to assist PNG after he won a landslide victory in the Australian federal election after being caretaker prime minister in late 1975.
“Egypt is a non-OECD energy producer and is experiencing the affects of the current low energy prices, and I was interested to hear the Ambassador’s perspective on global conditions.”
Mr O’Neill said both countries also had significant interest in international tourism that has global marketing appeal.
He said “Egypt has a diverse tourism sector that ranges from the rich historical cultural attractions that are well known, to modern tourist activities such as diving in the Red Sea and adventure travel.”
“Papua New Guinea can learn from Egypt’s success and challenges in the tourism and travel sector”. said Mr O’Neill.
“Our delegations from Papua New Guinea and Egypt will continue to engage in international forums.”
Ambassador Hassan Hanafy Mahmoud elLaithy was appointed as Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Australia and other Pacific Island countries in 2012.
BENEFITS from Papua New Guinea’s economic boom are only trickling down to a “select few” and could have “repercussions” led by those at the bottom of the food chain.
The PNG Rehabilitation Centre chairman, Brown Kapi, sounded the warning recently when reflecting on the journey PNG has taken as a nation in the last 40 years.
“In the near future there will be repercussions as the people at the bottom realise they cannot compete with those at the top,” Mr Trivedy said.
“The obligation of the Government is to close the gap by creating equal distribution and opportunities for all Papua New Guineans,” he said.
“Citizens of the country should be equipped with the knowledge and capacity needed to take over and run businesses in their own country. We must have that desire and confidence to take over the hotels, construction and the supermar-
ket chains instead of letting the expats have a field day here.” Looking at the distribution of wealth from PNG’s resources, Mr Kapi said the gap between the haves and have-nots continues to increase with a few at the top benefiting.
“Today the country seems to be allowing a select few, those who are more educated than the rest of the masses to slip through the privileged zone of the class system we are creating in our country,” he added.
Mr Kapi’s concerns coincides with sentiments expressed recently by the United Nations on the PNG extractive industry-driven economic growth over the last decade and how it is “insufficient” if it did not translate into benefits for all citizens.
UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, Roy Trivedy, told the opening of mining conference last week that benefits from the economy should trickle down to all Papua New Guineans.
MORE than 20 families are homeless and at the same time cut off the main source of their earnings after being evicted from the Idubada settlement in Port Moresby on Monday due to the upgrading and reconstruction of the Napa Napa road. According to a spokesperson from the area, they were given notice to evict the area but from
some other source they have heard that the road will be built along the seaside only affecting 10 metres of their area. But the contractor went an extra 50 metres into their areas and destroyed most of their properties, they claim. The longest resident of Idubada and the committee leader Philip Moge said it was a disastrous moment for him since he had lost his permanent house plus a
MAINTAINING and upgrading the Menyamya-Aseki Highway and its feeder roads are priorities for Menyamya
MP Benjamin Philip.
Mr Philip said he had spent his first term in Parliament fixing the highway, which was the lifeline of the district.
He said the benefits were being felt and would be continued.
The Menyamya-Aseki Highway runs from Bulolo to Menyamya.
When Mr Philip was elected to Parliament, the highway was in a terrible state, vehicles and passengers spent days, even weeks, trying to get to and out of Menyamya.
store fully operational with goods. “The store is the only means of my earnings which help me to support my family and children,” Mr Moge said.
“I can’t be left like this because it is very difficult to live in the city without a proper source of income, everything cost money,” he said. Another long time resident, Tobagii, also shared the same sentiment. Tobagii, lost his house and his trade store.
During the first five years, Mr Philip tried using DSIP funds to fix the highway while ensuring that other services did not miss out on funding.
Last year, the Government allocated K17 million to fix the highway making access easier and reliable today.
On Wednesday, the MP assured his people that it was all done in their best interest and they would now start receiving services and projects into their areas after the five tumultuous years.
Passover or Pesach is one of the seven annual feasts recorded in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. They were well kept by Christ and his disciples and Christians in the first century. The Christian Feast of Passover will be observed on Friday, April 4, this year by devout Christians around the world. Christ directed his disciples to do so in remembrance of him by breaking of bread and drinking of wine to signify the sacrifice of his own body and blood. Coincidentally, the “mainstream” Christians all around the world will also observe Easter on the same weekend, commemorating ancient pagan Europe’s feast of fertility. Easter bunnies and Easter eggs signify this fact. I urge all sincere Christians to notice this great double cross of the millennium and seek the true God of the Bible. Please read 1 Corinthians 10:1-4. Later in the same passage Apostle Paul was inspired to tell us: “Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to the demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the demons”. It is beyond a doubt that the truth will set us all free so every Christian should check doctrines, whether they be of God or the wicked powers of this evil world.
Arnold AkiaThis nation needs God-fearing, humble and transparent leaders that submit to the laws of the land. Our leaders today are so stubborn, greedy and full of pride. There are many allegations of corruption against them. This simply means that their integrity and reputation is at question and the honourable thing to do is to step aside and allow investigations to clear their names. Simple citizens are being locked in cells or even jailed for petty crimes, while these “leaders” are not ashamed of their corrupt activities and are still occupying public office.
Kumul Citizen
I AM looking for Joe Simai of Malol village. He is teaching somewhere in Aitape or Sandaun Province. If anyone knows of his whereabouts, please pass this mobile number to him: 7349 0677. Thank you.
Michael Tonou Port Moresby
THE recent spike in the number of referrals by the Ombudsman Commission is very encouraging.
It is a warning to those misbehaving leaders that your days are numbered and the true daughters and sons of PNG are taking their country back from the dogs. I have noticed, however, that most of the leaders subject to referrals are Members of Parliament who are classified as “elected leaders”.
Under our Constitution, the Leadership Code covers both “elected” and “appointed” leaders. Appointed leaders include departmental heads, provincial administrators and chief executive officers of statutory authorities.
I believe appointed leaders are
some of the worst violators of the Leadership Code and therefore they should be aggressively investigated and referred to the Public Prosecutor. Unfortunately, this is not happening. Why is this so? May be the main reason this is not happening is because complaints are not going to the OC as individuals such as public servants are fearful of the repercussions against them if they do so.
The OC cannot investigate without complaints being made. That is why the Government must enact a “Whistle Blowing Law” to protect those who come out and lay complaints against their bosses. This law will protect those who speak out from being fired from their jobs,
suspended, demoted, etc. If the Government cannot do that, then I appeal to any Member of Parliament who wants to fight corruption to introduce it as a “private members bill”.
I believe this is one of the only ways to weed out corruption from the governmental machinery as public servants who are in the system have information about corruption but are afraid to speak out.
DeLion BorokoThe views expressed on these pages are the opinions of our readers. They do not necessarily represent the views of the Post-Courier – Editor
I PUT up a razor wired fence around my property because my home was damaged by some tribal hooligans from Enga because of a mistaken suspicion that the criminals who held up their tucker shop were residing in my home.
Everyone in the neighbourhood knew that I lived in my property with my very young family with no criminals among us. It also became obvious that this group was trying to scare us out and unlawfully claim the property. I singlehandedly faced the crowd and suffered damages to my property and injuries to my body. There were no police around to protect my family, my life, my assets and property. We still live in fear as a result of the trauma we suffered.
NCDC is now trying to remove all the fences with razor wires before the Pacific Games begin; that is a big joke. Why are we trying to pretend to some athletes and hide the real truth we are faced with day in and day out in our own city? I still cannot walk around freely in my
city. My mothers, sisters, daughters and little sons are afraid of what might happen when confronted by opportunists. And I bet when these athletes leave after two weeks, everything will revert back to form like before until the next big event. We just don’t learn to improve and break the vicious circle.
Even visits to Jack Pidik Park during the festive periods and for events organised by NCDC is a nightmare. This is because criminals roam freely and steal phones and bags from the unsuspecting public; regardless of the security guards stationed there (who are either relatives or from the same group).
The public is not only fearful of criminals but also of the many tribal groups that are growing within the city. They are prone to take the law into their own hands and terrorise the peaceful residents at the slightest insult. We are even fearful of the police due to the ongoing brutality and death at their hands. We live in fear within our own city.
NCDC needs to properly address all these law and order issues if it is serious about creating an image of
peace and security within the city. The NCDC Fencing Policy is a bandaid approach and NCDC should stop such knee-jerk reactions to age-old issues.
Many of us who can afford to put up such fences are big tax payers to the State. We spend so much money to put up these fences due to the failure by NCDC and the police to provide adequate protection to our property, assets and lives.
If NCDC removes the razor wires or tears down these fences, then we have a right to be fairly compensated for the costs of putting up the fences. After all, my title to the property gives me full rights to develop my property in whatever way I choose. The Constitution calls for just compensation for the deprivation of property. NCDC is not above the law.
So please let’s stop pretending with these half-baked clean-ups of the streets, filling up of the potholes, removing of razorwires, etc, just to impress some athletes.
WHAT’S going on with PNG Power Ltd?
Lately we learnt in the media that the minister responsible, Ben Micah, suspended the entire PNG Power Board and warned them with the CEO not to interfere with PNG Power’s daily administration. And on Wednesday (25/03) we hear of PNG Power Board chairman, Larry Andagali, terminating the service of Kordamenta Consultants, whom Mr Micah brought in during the state of emergency period. And it was further revealed that in the past three months, workers
were confused on whom to report to – the controller of the state of emergency or the CEO?
This is a very serious crisis now and if not taken seriously by the Prime Minister, it will have a very bad impact on all stakeholders, including the employees, when worse comes to worse.
The Prime Minister needs to intervene now for the betterment of the organisation and sack the minister responsible who is no longer fit to handle the current situation. The PM should appoint someone who can work with the board to restore
How dare you Micah? Your taste for all things lavish seems to have gotten the better of you, leaving not an iota of guilt in your conscience. Now, not only are you insulting the intelligence of ordinary Papua New Guineans by making flimsy excuses about your K3000 a day hotel room, but you claim you are the best performing minister in the current government. I bet your fellow colleague ministers, some of whom are performing one hundred times better than you, are all laughing behind your back. Can you get real minister because we, the people of PNG, have had just about enough of your raving. We deserve better and you know you don’t have what it takes to deliver to the people what is rightfully theirs. Yu save sem tu o nogat?
Mangi NilpisI urge the responsible MP , Justin Tkachenko, to take a break from his busy schedule with the Pacific Games preparation. Please look into the St Francis Primary School’s plea to build a proper classroom for its students. Too much focus and attention has been given to this games preparation while the poor kids are made to sit on the ground and learn in makeshift classrooms. How do you expect them to learn in such poor conditions?
PNG Power Ltd back to its normal operations.
Stop any decision to privatise our SOE. The end result will be bad when our people suffer from increased prices of goods and services.
What’s the use of donating K5000 to buy canvas to build makeshift shelter for them when they deserve a much better permanent classroom like all other kids? This is the second time now to read about the poor kids sitting and learning in makeshift classrooms. And I hope the third time will see them sitting in a proper room.
Wanbel NiapeSir Arnold Amet, hats off to you. You are a knight in shining armour for the disgruntled education service provid-
ers. Some contracts may be dubious, but still some may be genuine. Whether the outcome of your intervention may or may not be in favour of some of the contractors, two things stand out most. One is that you as a senior statesman have decided to come down to the ordinary people’s level and intervene with the NEC. Mind you, these group are not of one ethnicity. Two, whatever the outcome, the disgruntled service providers will know that they had a fair representation.
FSK – Pom
This Saturday (March 28) is “Earth Hour” – a time to sit in the dark and appreciate the benefits of our cheap reliable hydrocarbon-energy. We should spend Earth Hour giving thanks for warmth. Just 13,000 years ago, Earth was in the grip of a deathly ice age. Sea levels were indeed much lower but much of the land surface was covered by thick sheets of ice. Life struggled to survive and many species were extinguished by the sterile suffocating ice. Without any help from humans, Earth escaped from the ice. And as the oceans warmed, they expelled part of their dissolved carbon dioxide which nurtured an enormous increase in plant and animal life. But the ice still lurks near the poles, and Earth has suffered several cold relapses. The most recent “Little Ice Age” just released its icy grip about 150 years ago. The modern warming phase ceased around the turn of this century – there are teenagers today who have never lived in a phase of rising global temperatures. And our sun is showing disturbing signs of reduced activity. Earth is on a climate see-saw between a warm green globe and a frozen white wilderness. Unless you are a penguin or a polar bear, you should spend Earth Hour celebrating today’s warmth and giving thanks for our cheap, abundant hydro-carbon fuels which will help humans to survive any return of Global Cooling.
Viv ForbesThe country’s 66,000 provincial and LLG politicians cost the Government K40 million in salaries and allowances annually. March 10, 2005 10 years ago
But the important thing is I committed But the is I committed everything in God’s hand and that’s why I in God’s hand and that’s I am serving this country My success and am this country. success and service... was through my faith in God. service... was my faith in God.Public servant Anthony Tairambu Nakuk clocked 40 years of service to Public servant Tairambu Nakuk clocked 40 years of service to the State and to the people of Papua New Guinea the State and to the of New Guinea. Clydy NCD Douglas G Boroko
CHILDREN need to be brought up in an hygienic environment to prevent them from sickness so they can grow into healthy adolescents, says Lae Soroptomist International executive Nelly McLay.
She said apart from proper diet and regular baths, parents are encouraged to provide clean towels and clothing for their children
as well. “This is the reason why our organisation has donated a set of 25 towels to the Haus Clare Crisis Centre for homeless and abused children who reside there,” Mrs McLay said.
“It is an urgent need and the centre approached us to assist them. Our organisation is concerned at the early childhood health and development, therefore we decided to take responsibility.”
According to Haus Clare Crisis Centre matron Miriam Momori, 25 children are sheltered and cared for in the “out-of-home” care centre.
“We’ve noticed that proper hygiene practised in the centre has helped the children to be conscious of their health and they’ve been able to perform well in school,” Mrs Momori said.
“We’ve also noticed that cleanliness has helped them in their appearance and they
have become little health freaks themselves.”
Every year Soroptomist International Club of Lae conducts fundraising through their trivia quiz nights to assist groups such as Haus Clare. Mrs McLay appealed to business houses and individuals to lend a hand in assisting the unfortunate children who continue to live in the care of church-run and government-run institutions.
BY ISAAC NICHOLAS
RESIDENTS of nation’s capital can now register to get their birth certificates and national identification card.
Minister for National Planning Charles Abel opened the National Capital District’s PNG National Identification (PNGNID) office at Boroko.
The PNGNID office will open its doors to NCD residents to register by 8 o’clock Wednesday morning.
Mr Abel said PNGNID offices will be opened in each district and provinces, starting with Southern Highlands, NCD, Central and Western Highlands to follow this month.
Mr Abel said the ID system would assist government to identify eligible voters during elections. It will also enable proper allocation of budgetary and resource support and design of its development policies, as well as plan and monitor other initiatives and projects using evidence-based statistics.
For businesses, it provides a secure and safer financial transaction between businesses and individuals.
Mr Abel stressed the need for people to register and that will protect their land when dealing in the land identification process.
The opening of the NCD office was attended by Religion, Youth and Community Development Secretary Anna Solomon and acting Planning Secretary Hakawa Harry and other important guests.
PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has assured the people of Usino-Bundi that K1 million relief funds for the flood-hit areas has been released.
This funding is from the recently approved allocation of K10 million by the National Executive Council (NEC) for the areas devastated by the recent wild weather nationwide.
Mr O’Neill was in the Usino-Bundi District on Wednesday morning to have a first-hand inspection of the devastation caused by the recent flooding in the area.
He walked through the flooded area, where the Omeai Bridge once stood, linking the MadangLae Highway.
“This K1 million government funding is entirely for relief purposes, which includes fresh drinking water, food, roofing iron and other recovery purposes. It must not be taken, or seen, as a form of compensation.
“Recently, many other provinces have been facing similar natural disasters such as flooding, continuous heavy rainfall, resulting in bridges, houses and villages being destroyed as well as lives being taken; therefore the Government has allocated funding for relief especially for those provinces and districts affected,” Mr O’Neill said.
Four bridges have been damaged by floods due to continuous rainfall for two weeks.
THIRTY-three detainees walked out to freedom in broad daylight last Sunday after overpowering a lone duty officer at the Boroko police station cells.
Police said the breakout happened when a detainee approached the officer, asked for bail, then pulled out a sharp object and threatened him for the cell keys.
He then opened the cell gates and all the other prisoners walked out through the front door.
A meeting of the CID officers was in progress at that time, but the escapees managed to create confusion by telling the officers who had gone out for a break that there was a clash in the cells.
Acting Metropolitan police commander Silas Wayagure expressed disappointment at the breakout, saying that it showed failure to maintain security at the cells.
Mr Wayagure said many of
INCIDENT: Thirty-three detainess walked out of the Boroko police station cells in broad daylight last Sunday. A lone duty officer was approached by a detainee who asked him for bail and then pulled out a sharp object and threatened him for the cell keys.
ACTING METROPOLITAN POLICE COMMANDER: Silas Wayagure expressed disappointment at the breakout saying it showed failure to mainitain security at the cells.
the escapees were in custody for minor offences and were yet to be charged.
Police caught five of them near the drain at the old Boroko market, while the other 28 men were still on the run.
Mr Wayagure has urged members of the community to help track down the escapees.
EAST New Britain
Regional MP and Deputy Prime Minister Leo Dion will be taking up the issue on cyanide spillage at the idle Sinivit gold mine with the Minister for Mining because the situation is now dangerous and life threatening.
He said rather than playing blame games, he would be taking the lead to bring the matter to the attention of the Mining Minister to ensure that people’s lives are protected.
The Deputy Prime Minister also admitted fail-
ure by provincial authorities and relevant national line agencies in preventing any disaster at the abandoned mine.
“I am convinced that if the state agencies and line departments carried out their mandated responsibilities, our people won’t be suffering like this,” said Mr Dion.
This manmade disaster has now affected communities downstream and especially those living along the Warangoi River and its tributaries. They have been warned by gov-
THE death penalty should include those who steal more than K1 million from public funds, says a concerned citizen.
Jacob Kumbu Sanga of Enga Province, living in NCD, says the category of offences should include premeditated offences where millions are taken from the public.
ernment officials to keep away from the rivers until further testing is done and preventive measures were being undertaken.
This follows an Emergency Authorisation that was issued by the Department of Environment and Conservation to implement preventive measures.
Samples were taken from runoffs at the mine site vats early this year which were sent to Lae for testing and the results confirmed high toxic runoff. A detailed testing of the river systems will also be carried out.
Mr Sanga, who was a student lawyer and had a record of representing himself and fighting for his right in the national court and winning after being expelled from law school, said the punishment should be fair.
“Offences like these are premeditated, where collaboration and conspiracy is concerned. They are done knowing that it is against the law… offences taking a week or even months to preplan,” he said.
He added the courts have the power to judge according to the law and the people have the power to do things according to the law.
Mr Sanga challenged MPs to set the precedence by amending the list of offences punishable by death and include those responsible for stealing millions.
BY JACOB POK
ADVOCATES campaigning for the freedom of the neighbouring West Papua region of Indonesia have called on the PNG government not to deport one of their West Papua freedom leader and spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Benny Wenda.
Mr Wenda arrived in Port Moresby yesterday from the United Kingdom for a brief stay before travelling to Vanuatu for a meeting for Melanesian leaders.
However, he was denied access by PNG Immigrations since he was blacklisted from the country sometime back, according to sources at the Jacksons International Airport.
But the PNG Free West Papua group leader David Dom Kua said he was not informed of Mr Wenda’s travel to PNG and expressed concerned that Mr Wenda failed to show courtesy by informing the West Papua community on the ground in PNG before his entry to PNG.
“Mr Wenda knows my number. He contacted me while in Africa and he should have informed of his travel to PNG so that the Free West Papua Campaign office in PNG would be
aware of his travel here and some negotiation could have been made well ahead,” Mr Kua said.
He said unfortunately, that did not happen and Mr Wenda was detained by Immigration officials. According to a press statement posted on the Free West Papua Campaign page on the social media, it was stated that Mr Wenda was visiting PNG to thank Prime Minister Peter O’Neill for his recent statements of concern for the Melanesian people of West Papua and to brief the PNG Foreign Minister on the latest developments.
It was also stated that Mr Wenda was in the country also to brief PNG on his bid to apply for membership for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua to be part of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.
PNG Immigration detained Mr Wenda upon his arrival and decided to deport him yesterday at 1pm but that did not take place.
Mr Wenda is still being detained by PNG Immigrations.
According to sources, negotiations are taking place among West Papua freedom advocate groups and PNG leaders with Immigration regarding his deportation.
THE Supreme Court has allowed Treasury Minister Patrick Pruaitch to appeal a National Court decision made on December 3, 2014.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted Mr Pruaitch the leave to appeal.
He had applied for discovery
under order 9 rules 5 and 7 to enable him to verify the basis of the Ombudsman Commission’s deliberation and decision to make referrals under the Organic Law on Duties and Responsibilities of Leaders and the National Constitution.
Discovery is a procedure in
administrative law where authorities usually cite confidentiality to allow aggrieved persons access to documents which ordinarily would be difficult to access.
Mr Pruaitch had asked the National Court to allow him to view certain documents however, it was denied and the court said he would have that opportunity at the Leadership Tribunal.
However, Mr Pruaitch had argued, through his lawyer, that the ruling to prevent him was an error of law.
Justice Terence Higgins after listening to arguments ruled that the Minister had an arguable case and granted the leave to appeal.
A VISIT by the technical working team on district development authority to Ialibu-Pangia district has found that the district has the capacity to drive the DDA concept.
This was made known after the team visited the Southern Highlands Province at the invitation of Ialibu-Pangia district administrator Ron Yamuna.
In a meeting after arriving in the district, the team heard from Mr Yamuna that the district had various government sectors like education, health, works, police, commerce, forestry, community development and agriculture and a total workforce of 300 public servants.
Provincial and Local Government Affairs Secretary Munare Uyassi responded to Mr Yamuna’s briefing saying the district had the various government sectors needed to drive the District Development Authority.
DDA CONCEPT: Ialibu-Pangia district found as having the capacity to drive DDA concept.
MUNARE UYASSI: We would like to see all sectors take the whole of the government approach, working together to build the district under the direction of the district administrator as the CEO.
He said what the Government wanted was all sectors working together to deliver services at the district level.
“All the necessary government facilities, staffing and various government sectors are here,” Mr Uyassi said.
“We would like to see all those sectors take the whole of the government approach, working together to build the district under the direction of the district administrator as the chief executive officer of the district development authority.”
ST
A LUTHERAN church congregation in Lae has demanded an explanation over the use of K115,000 allocated by the Morobe Provincial Government for its new church building.
The Yakingibing Memorial Church (St Philip parish) congregation claimed that the funds allocated for its new church building was not managed properly result-
ing to the incomplete building.
Parish President Mr Tikak Sengen said this when thanking Nawaeb MP Gisuwat Siniwin who presented K20,000 to help complete the church building.
Mr Sengen told MP Siniwin that the funding from the Morobe Provincial Government was through the Church Partnership Program. He said the CPP chairman Charlie Foikec announced
THE ruling People’s National Congress Party has endorsed Francis Waina for the Pomio by-election seat in East New Britain Province.
PNC deputy leader and Fisheries Minister Mao Zeming, who witnessed and accepted Mr Waina’s nomination, said the party would ensure key policies in health, education, infrastructure, law and order and growing the economy came to fruition as long as they remained in government.
the commitment during the church’s thanksgiving day last year. He said however the fund was never paid to the congregation (church) account instead to a contractor.
He said after the funds were release, the contractor started with the work construction, however, midway through, the contractor abandoned the project and left.
He added that they have no idea why they left.
Mr Zeming, who was accompanied by Finance Minister James Marape and PNC Party secretary Eddie Mike, flew into Pomio to endorse Mr Waina.
The PNC team was met on arrival by colleague and Governor Ereman ToBaining and ENB branch president Skerry Palanga. “We are in government to ensure the country receives good education, better health services, improved infrastructures, law abiding citizens and a growing economy.
Mr Zeming said ENB is a strategic growth hub for the Islands region as well as the country which the government would promote.
THE Personnel Management Department is the latest State institution to be linked into the new budgeting, accounting and payment system.
This followed the launching of the integrated financial management system (IFMS) by the acting Finance Secretary Ken Ngangan at the department’s head office in Port Moresby on Tuesday.
The department is among the first outside of Vulupindi House to be using the IFMS system which would be rolled out to 18 departments and agencies this year.
The IFMS was introduced by the Department of Treasury, Department of Finance, and National Planning and Monitoring four years ago and replaced the PNG Government accounting system.
Mr Ngangan said IFMS is an important initiative and tool for financial management and is also a part of the reformation of the government accounting system. The benefits of which would become obvious to the user departments and agencies.
It would eventually be rolled out to all government departments, agencies and provincial and district administrations over the next two years, he said.
“The IFMS will help us get value for money,” Mr Ngangan said
ADDITION: The Department of Personnel Management is the latest state institution to be linked to the new budgeting, accounting and payment system called the Integrated Financial Management System. (IFMS) This system is put in place for transparency, efficiency, accountability, and better management of public funds.
explaining that the system is efficient, transparent and allowed for proper checks and balances and efficiency in the reporting process.
He said strong financial management is a fundamental pillar of effective and successful economic performance in Papua New Guinea and emphasised that responsibility for sound financial management started with each government department.
“The Department of Finance is mandated by the Public Finances (Management) Act to ensure that public funds are managed and transacted in a transparent and accountable way and the IFMS is a tool that assists us to do that effectively,’’ Mr Ngangan said.
If you have a story to tell, call us on 309 1042, or email bwaluka@spp.com.pg
A COMPANY contracted to carry out work at Baruni dump in Moresby Northwest has called on the National Capital District Commission to provide security for its employees and property.
Kana Construction operations manager Yuwanis Wera said the company wants security to be provided at Baruni dump after one of their trucks, valued around K500,000, was set on fire by suspects from the nearby community.
“After the shooting incident at Hanuabada village, a reserve police unit providing policing and security at Baruni was disbanded, leaving the area unmanned and free for hooligans to hold up vehicles and carry out petty thefts,” Mr Wera said.
“On Sunday, March 3, our
EXXONMOBIL PNG is continuing to assist women fulfill their leadership potential with K145,000 in support of the Advancing PNG: Women Leaders Network (APNGWLN).
The APNGWLN is made up of alumni from the ExxonMobilsupported global women in management (GWIM) program. Since 2006, 49 women have attended the program in Indonesia, Washington D.C., and the first ever GWIM conference held in PNG in 2014.
Following the 2014 Port Moresby conference, the GWIM alumni decided to set up a secretariat, the APNG: Women Leaders Network, to ensure that they continued to support each other and share ideas, to progressively influence positive change in Papua New Guinea.
Linda Babao, wife of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, is the patron of the secretariat.
Funding from EMPNG will help APNG: Women Leaders Network to
develop their organisational capacity in these formative years, including staffing of the secretariat, finalising of their strategic plan, and development and implementation of programs to support their members.
Andrew Barry, ExxonMobil PNG managing director, said EMPNG was very proud to support a program that helps equip women leaders with valuable skills.
“This is a partnership between EMPNG and the women of this country, especially those who have benefitted from the GWIM program, many of whom are already making a difference in their local communities,” said Mr Barry.
“It’s no secret that when you invest in a woman, you are also investing in her family and her community, so programs like GWIM and the local alumni – APNG:WLN – have far-reaching benefits.”
MASCOTS Dotsy and Tura teamed up on Tuesday for a good cause – to observe World TB Day with Papa-Lealea villagers in Central Province.
Dotsy, the TB mascot, and his Pacific Games colleague entertained the as the day was marked with a TB-free fun walk in through the village with school children, healthcare officials, international development partners, Pacific Games officials and major sponsors ExxonMobil and Kairuku-Hiri MP Peter Isoaimo.
“The fight against TB is a game and in a game, there is always an opponent. For us, TB is the opponent. Unfortunately, not everyone in PNG
recognises that. We are taking small steps, TB is still here but I believe we will eventually fight and get rid of TB in PNG,” said Dr Margeret Kal from the Health Department while thanking everyone who has been a partner in the fight against TB. World Vision advocacy manager Caroline McGann said through the years and with support from the Global Fund and other donors, the organisation has also assisted the National Department of Health in the nationwide implementation of the TB DOTS strategy, which has resulted in significant improvement in the number of TB cases detected and treated in TB clinics.
CONTRACT: The contract at Baruni dump involves a new, better waste management system used in Japan whereby pipes are laid under landfill to allow the drainage of waste and other chemicals.
huge truck was burnt at the Baruni dump.
“We have reported the matter to the police and we know of two suspects but we will let the law handle the matter.”
Kana Construction was contracted to clear the dump area of rubbish after a partnership was formed between the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and NCDC to rehabilitate
the Baruni dump for better waste management practices using Fukuoka, a semiaerobic landfill method used in Japan where pipes are laid under the landfill to allow the drainage of waste and other chemicals.
“This is a K15 million project,” Mr Wera said.
“We were contracted to work for three years, this will be our second year of contract and we would like to complete the work we were assigned.
“Our company works on site and the safety of our workers and property of Kana Construction is a concern for us.
“We would like security to be provided so that such an incident like the burning of our truck will not happen again and also to ensure that our workers safety is guaranteed.”
If
THE PNG Red Cross Society (PNGRCS) has begun a major relief exercise by supplying immediate humanitarian assistance to five provinces affected by natural disasters in recent months.
Affected people of Jiwaka, Western Highlands, Madang, East New Britain and West New Britain provinces were privileged to receive disaster relief supplies on time by the PNGRCS.
BY JOHNNY POIYA
MOTHERS from Surinki area in the Lagaip/Porgera district of Enga are now enjoying a permanent vegetable market at their doorstep- courtesy of the District Grants.
The new market which cost over K150, 000 was officially opened last Thursday by local MP Nixon Mangape who funded the project.
The market funded under the Lagaip/Porgera agricul-
ture/economics sector is first of its kind in the area.
The market building was made of steel posts, concrete floor with corrugated iron roofing, over 20 benches and seats for vegetable sellers. Councillors, village leaders and over 3,000 people from the area were present to witness the opening ceremony at Amarale council ward where the market is located just along the Wabag to Porgera highway.
William Gaupe, Mr
Mangape’s project cordinator said the new Amarale vegetable market was part of the MP’s plan to serve the priority needs of the rural people’ of the district.
Mr Gaupe said the market was built after seeing the Surinki area was a fertile land which produced different varieties of vegetables such as carrots, cabbages, broccolis, potatoes, onions lettuce and others which mothers were selling along the highway everyday despite heavy
rain and hot sun.
He said several others would be built along the highway where mothers were selling their produce.
“If you can look after this project and other infrastructures in the area, we will be looking at extending the market and bring in other government services to the area,”Mr Gaupe said.
He urged the Kulip and Marckol tribesmen from the area to take ownership and look after the new mar-
ket and other projects in the area. “Stop fighting and burn down this new market and other infrastructure in the area if you want more projects to come’” Mr Gaupe said. Other infrastructures within the areas owned by the Kulip and Marckol tribes are the Amarale Hardware owned by a local business from the area, Wanepope Vocational Centre, Taluma High Altitude Research Centre.
More than 2,000 people in Wurup Kaip Ward one and Ward two areas of Jiwaka Province who lost homes and food gardens in the recent heavy rains and flooding have received relief supplies include 336 tarpaulins, 672 blankets and 336 mosquito nets through the Western Highlands branch of PNG Red Cross on last Thursday. Speaking behalf of the Wurup Kaip communities, the Nokpa tribe leader, Paias Pep on behalf of the affected communities, expressed gratitude towards the PNGRCS and ICRC.
“The people in our areas have never received any assistance from people or agencies outside of our communities. We thank the PNG Red Cross and ICRC for their assistance in our time of need,” Mr Pep said.
On Tuesday, Western Highlands PNGRCS Branch volunteers visited the Baisu area in Western Highlands province, where flooding from nearby Waghi River had destroyed homes and food gardens.
They distributed mosquito nets, jerry cans, blankets and kitchen items to 81 households.
you have a story to tell, call us on 542 2602, or emailLOCAL farmers and by-standers pose beside the fresh vegetables on one of the benches in the new Amarale Vegetable Market
A LEASED generator has been installed by PNG Power Limited (PPL) to supplement a generator shortfall for Wewak customers over the weekend.
In the past two months load shedding was carried out due to mechanical faults, however, this was slightly improved after the installation of the new generator on March 21.
The plan is to have three leased generators installed. The other two will be shipped into Wewak in the next few weeks which should fully restore the generator short fall. Meanwhile, maintenance work is currently being done on one generator at the power house and it is expected to come on line at the end of this week.
The load shedding of 1MW will continue for this week and customers with standby generators are asked to use them during this time.
LOAD shedding of Madang’s power supply will continue until PNG Power workmen can access the damaged Ramu-Lae Highway to fix the roadside power pylons and reconnect Madang to the Yonki power grid.
PNG Power Limited (PPL) Madang branch manager Bustin Joseph dispelled rumours that PNG Power had run out of fuel to power its diesel generators as a result of the damaged highway, saying its fuel were delivered by ship.
He said PPL had taken delivery of its orders at noon yesterday but the heavy load shedding would continue until workers are able to access the damaged power pylons.
“It is understood that one of the delays to reopening the highway was the demand for compensation by locals.”
PNG POWER: Load shedding of Madangs power supply will continue untill PNG Power workmen can access the damaged Ramu-Lae highway.
Mr Joseph, who visited Usino-Bundi district said that road access would be likely at the end of the week.
“Work on the damaged power pylons would begin soon after,” he said.
Since the heavy load shedding begun, business houses, institutions including the Modilon General Hospital, Divine Word University and resident had been affected.
The business community had expressed grave concerns about having to dig deeper to keep their operations going.
Modilon’s director medical services Dr Vincent Atua said since the beginning of the load-shedding the hospital had to scale back on normal operations, limiting surgery to emergency cases only.
The hospital had its own generators but they had broken down and repair work had begun while looking outside the province for same-sized generators. Dr Atua said a public announcement would be made soon to people to removes bodies of loved ones from the hospital morgue for burial.
However, he thanked PNG Power for their generosity in ensuring the hospital continued to have power despite the load-shedding.
Madang Chamber of Commerce president Kevin Murray had also called for the Governments intervention in the blackout.
INSTALLATION: PNG Power Limited has installed a generator to supplement a generator shortfall for Wewak customers over the weekend. PNG Power plans to have three leased generators installed in Wewak. The first generator has been installed while the other two will be shipped into the town in the next few weeks to help fully restore the generator short falls.
REASON: In the past two months load shedding was carried out due to mechanical faults.
Load shedding schedules will be published in the daily newspapers and customers are also advised to take note of them.
PNG Power Limited (PPL) is only waiting for bridges and roads along the Usino-Bundi highway to be fixed in order to begin work on the transmission towers destroyed by flood.
Two transmission towers were destroyed by flood at Omai (Sausi) village on March 10 and cut off the power supply to Madang. This problem has also affected the fiber optic link from Madang to Lae and disrupted internet services in Madang, Lae and other centres.
The flood also washed away a
couple of bridges along the main highway and that made it impossible for PPL linesmen to bring in equipment from Yonki to start work on the transmission poles.
It is expected that the new bridges will be completed this week thus opening up the highway and giving PPL access to the fallen transmission towers.
The load shedding exercise will continue for two more weeks and customers with standby generators are advised to use them during this period.
If you have a story to tell, call us on 982 9186, or email postrabaul.spp@global.net.pg / or call 973 9188, email postbuka.spp@global.net.pg
BY SHARON LOWA
THE cocoa community has grown, and is prospering again, following more training being received by cocoa farmers in East New Britain and other cocoa producing provinces in the country.
This positive development is the result of successful management of cocoa by farmers after receiving training and following the latest cocoa management steps.
These were the remarks of NGIP Agmark Limited managing director John Nightingale, during the opening of the new NGIP Agmark’s Tokiala Cocoa Training Facilities on Monday, outside Kokopo, East New Britain Province.
The facilities include two dormitories, one classroom space, one office space, a kitchen and dining area and an ablution block.
He revealed that the cocoa community has grown and is prospering around the Tokiala area, as farmers are following the latest cocoa management steps and this has helped in managing the Cocoa Pod Borer (CPB) and increasing crop.
MANY people living with tuberculosis have still not been identified and have yet to come forward and seek medical services in East New Britain Province.
There is a great concern that only a few people with TB are receiving medical service while a lot are still missing out.
Specialist physician of Nonga Base Hospital Dr Alexander Maha said in 2014, ENB registered about 919 cases but believed there are more infected cases who have not sought medical services at their nearest health centres or hospitals.
Dr Maha was speaking during World TB day yesterday, saying that most TB patients do not complete their treatment. And according to Nonga hospital’s records of all the infectious cases, less than 50 per cent completed their treatment, while in ENB as a whole only 25 per cent of the patients completed their treatment last year.
He said in PNG less than 70 per cent completed their treatment and this is the main cause of one of the biggest pressing issues which is the drug resistant TB.
EAST New Britain Governor and Kokopo MP Ereman ToBaining Jr has commended the strong presence of the law and justice sector in the province, which has resulted in law and order issues being addressed.
Speaking in Kokopo this week during the closing of the senior provincial magistrates’ workshop and official opening of the magistrates’ biennial conference, Mr ToBaining said the law and justice sector have been working in close partnership with the people and leaders of the province.
He said the close stakeholder collaboration has resulted in families and victims of serious crimes being able to easily access justice.
The governor said a good example was the high rate of successful prosecutions of sexual offences through the courts, particularly against women and children.
“Unlike in most parts of the country where victims of these serious crimes are suppressed by cultural practices and taboos, and therefore are not able to easily access justice through legal avenues,” he added.
He told participants that he was aware of various laws that were
At a glance
EVENTS: The closing of the Senior Provincial Magistrates workshop and the official opening of the Magistrates Biennial Conference in Kokopo.
passed by parliament, which provided some form of protection for women and children, and that there was also work being done on the alternate dispute resolution (ADR) on civil and land matters in PNG.
He said he believed that recommendations from the conference will have a positive impact not only on law and order issues in the province but also on land dispute settlement issues.
He said his government was looking forward to assisting the magisterial services in any way to ensure effective delivery of judicial services in the province.
Participants were later treated to a traditional meal that was organised by the governor.
Present was Chief Magistrate Nerrie Eliakim, her two deputies Mark Pukapa and Dessie Magaru and magistrates from around the country.
If you have business story to tell, call us on 3091028, or email ptwundai@spp.com.pg
THE COUNTRY’s only nickel/cobalt mine developer in Madang Province is currently hard hit as a result of damages to road and bridges along the Madang-Ramu Highway.
Ramu NiCo Management (MCC) Ltd purchases its diesel fuel supply from Lae, Morobe Province, including machinery parts and food supplies for its Kurumbukari Mine in the Usino Bundi electorate.
Since the disaster hit the Madang-Lae section of the Highway recently, the company had been resorting to Madang for supplies. However, supplies in Madang are insufficient.
Vice President of Ramu NiCo (MCC), Mr Wang Baowen visited the Aumia disaster site, the worst affected section of the Ramu-Lae Highway and saw the severity of the destruction caused by continuous heavy rains with associated massive flooding that washed away three bridges and detoured the road with piles of debris still covering the road.
PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill would like to see more Papua New Guineans venture into Small-Medium Enterprises (SME) and has vowed his government’s commitment towards this cause. These remarks were made by Mr O’Neill after learning that only 10 out of the 5000 applications for the Stret Pasin Retail Business Incubation Program with the National Development Bank Investment Limited (NDBI) were successful.
Mr O’Neill said the SME’s are the main driver of the economy of many first world nations. He said in PNG many in-
digenous Papua New Guineans had started out with the Stret Pasin Stoa program, adding a good number had gone on to become millionaires.
In commending the bank for its efforts in introducing and driving the program, he said it his desire to open not just one or ten but 5000 shops for all who had applied. He said the challenge for the government over the next four to five years is to ensure many more Papua New Guineans get into business.
“We (government) must take up this challenge. We have already done so by putting money into commercial banks, including K100 million to the National
Development Bank (NDB) and K200 million into Bank South Pacific (BSP) for housing.
“This is so that Papua New Guinean’s do not expect hand-outs but go to the bank, borrow, work hard and repay at an affordable rate. Easy money does not last.
“There were 5000 applicants and we must open shops for all of them,” he said.
A businessman himself and once an owner of a trade-store, Mr O’Neill said the task of running a business in the country is very challenging, especially given the cultural practices.
However, he said the key to success of any business is discipline.
MINING Review Act Draft in regards to state equity participation and taxation will allow the state to exercise its right in acquiring at least 30 per cent interest in significant mine development projects.
Acting director of Mining Policy and Geohazard Management, Winterford Eko, said the current draft will maintain the same approach as the Mining Act 1992, allowing the state 30 per cent participating interest in any
mining project.
He said from this 30 per cent, the state will hold back 20 per cent, while the other ten per cent is shared in half between the provincial government and the landowner companies where they each get a five per cent share.
“The political directive we got is 20 per cent PNG right to the state and the option for sharing the 10 per cent from the state is five per cent to the
provincial government and five per cent to land owner companies.”
He said this options however are not finalised yet, as they will be guided by the Tax Review Committee recommendations to come up on the fiscal process of the revised mining Act, adding that the date of completion for the Act is March 31 this year, which is next week Tuesday.
“When are we going to get
A RETAIL shop has just opened its doors for business in Port Moresby.
Situated in the heart of Hohola, it will now give residents, particularly those of this suburb, a new and alternative place to shop at.
The shop was opened by the Prime Minister and newly legislated chairman of the Inaugural Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) CommitteePeter O’Neill yesterday.
Splashed with fresh coating of bright green, orange and white paint, the small set up is a stand out. But what is unique about this new minimart type set up is that it is the first of a total of ten modern, convenient shops to be established by the National Development Bank’s subsidiary company-NDB Investment Limited (NDBI) to be operated and eventually owned by indigenous Papua New Guinean couples.
The operators and eventual owners of the new shop just opened are Vai Boe Mea and his wife, Ranu.
The couple hail from Hanuabada village in Port Moresby.
Mea is a career public servant, while his wife a long time worker in the private sector with five children.
The couple have already employed 12 full time staff with plans to increase to 20 serving in not only the outlet, which besides selling groceries, will also house a second hand.
Operating under the brand name “Go Shopping”, NDBI chief executive officer Des Yaninen said the retail shops are no different to the 7/11 shops abroad, as it integrates all the qualities of convenient shopping in a secure location.
the recommendations from the Tax Review committee, that’s something for us to liaise with the Department of Treasury as the mandated department, and the Tax Review Committee for us to come up with, because it is the financial modelling that can help us to at least put something with regards to fiscal provisions in the revised mining act before it goes to the politicians to debate on it.”
Touching on the opportunity to maximise national participation during the workshop on the taxation review yesterday, Eko said the team is also mindful of the Boka Kondra bill which states total 100 per cent ownership to the landowners, where all consultations are to be made between the investors and landowners and not with the state.
Further, Eko said PNG needed a sound economic model to
help in the mining sector, as the responsible entity or department to establish the effective tax rate and the fiscal provisions to incorporate into the revised mining act.
TWO loyal Trukai Rice consumers have become the first winners of the new Trukai Industries Gold Rush Promotion.
Japheth Michael from Port Moresby is the first to claim the Trukai Industries Gold Rush Promotion gold bar replica, while 30 year old Sonia Itoro, residing in Lae has become the second lucky winner.
The Morobean father of three, fronted up at the Trukai Sales and Marketing Office at Konedobu to redeem
his gold bar.
“My family and I have been entering competitions and promotions, but have never had any winning luck. This win is a big one for us and we thank Trukai Industries for giving us the opportunity to win such a whopping prize,” said Michael.
Re-telling how he found the gold bar replica, he said his wife bought a bag of Trukai medium grain 20kg on Saturday at Stop and Shop Waigani Central and found the replica when pouring
out the rice contents into a food container.
Sonia, the second winner’s daily routine is spent selling rice baskets at Kamkumung market in Lae.
Last Friday she went to Raumai Supermarket on Friday around 2 pm and bought her usual 10kg Roots Rice for her rice baskets sales.
The Gold Rush Promotion started running on March 9 and will end on April 24, 2015.
Options however, are not finalised yet ...WINTERFORD EKO
Port Moresby
IN PNG, women venturing into business is a new thing and institutional bodies such as PNG Women In Business (WIB) has been established with the main aim of empowering more women in the country to take up the challenge.
While business may be a norm among the men, uncommon in PNG is a man who weaves bilums (string bags) as a business; a trait common for women.
Alvin Avaropi, a security guard with Corps Security Service, is a father of four who has been sending his
CALLS have been made to the National Government for adequate funding in the 2016 national budget for the expansion of the Stret Pasin Business Incubation program in the country.
National Development Bank managing director Moses Liu, during the opening of the bank’s subsidiary company- NDB Investment Limited’s (NDBI)- first retail shop in Port Moresby yesterday, said concessional loans alone were not a solution to growing the SME sector, let alone the Government’s ambitious target of 500,000 SME’s by 2030.
He said people must have access to business incubators that offer training, mentorship among other factors to ensure their ventures are a success.
Mr Liu said The Stret Pasin Retail Business Incubation Program in PNG is the first and the only of its kind in the country.
He said the bank group, despite requesting K135 million, were only allocated K50 million.
“Because of our commitment to reviving the Stret Pasin Business Incubator, we have allocated K10 million of our own internal cash flow to the program. This will see the establish-
MOSES LIU Port Moresby
ment of 10 shops this year.
“It is not a cheap exercise purchasing or building shops. The main cost driver in this exercise is the cost of land in prime locations with high traffic,” he said.
He said they had gone to the market in 2014 seeking to acquire existing shops or vacant commercial land only to discover they cost between K1 million and K10 million. “Due to high entry cost, we have opted to lease shops for the time being,” he said.
He said in 2016 the bank’s vision is to open 44 shops throughout the nation, thereby creating about 1000 new jobs directly and indirectly impacting as many as 10,000 people.
If the bank is to build 44 new shops at K3 million it would cost K132 million, while to lease it would cost K44 million, therefore the bank would need at least K50 million.
three elder children to school through the extra money earned from his bilum weaving business. Avaropi had learnt how to twist the rope for bilum in 2007 from his eldest daughter Talita Alvin, now in grade 11, who had also learnt the skill in her Art and Craft class when she was doing grade 4 at Coronation Primary School.
The Eastern Highlander says everything else fell in place after that and since winning first prize of K2000 in BSP’s Love your bank promotion in 2007, he has given this skill a serious dedication and has turned the art into a business.
Avaropi’s crafts are mostly displayed for sale at Ela Beach and this year, he has decided to participate in the Women In Business Expo in Port Moresby.
He has a variety of bilum products and for the expo, he is charging special prices where the big bilum bags are going for K500, ladies hand bags for K300 and waist bags for K250 where normal prices are higher.
Avaropi sees himself as an example and is encouraging other men who have unique skills to make use of it and women to also use their skills to venture into business alongside the men.
It is not a cheap exercise purchasing or building shops ...
Weather: Fine.
Track: Heavy (8).
Rail: Is out 4m for the entire circuit.
GEAR CHANGES
RACE 1: (4) Wolf Cry blinkers on first time; (6) Italy tongue-tie on first time; (8) Lighthouse Keeper race plates on first time; (14) Cracklin’ Rosie lugging bit off first time, standard bit on first time RACE 2: (4) Zin Zan Eddie blinkers on first time, winkers off first time; (12) Cross Of Gold near-side blinker off first time, blinkers on again; (13) Bold Circle lugging bit off first time, standard bit on first time RACE 3: (3) Bull Point blinkers on again, gelded, winkers off first time RACE 4: (5) Gypsy Diamond blinkers on again RACE 5: (6) Sidestep, (10) Lucky Lago tongue-tie on first time RACE 6: (8) Adrift blinkers on first time RACE 7: (3) Beaten Up pacifiers on first time RACE 8: (5) Quick Strike tongue-tie on first time, winkers on first time; (6) Rhodin Drive tongue-tie on first time; (15) General Zabeel blinkers on first time RACE 9: (8) Our Voodoo Prince blinkers on first time; (10) Destiny’s Kiss blinkers on again Rosehill
To Fight, Bella Capri, Lexgetreddy Race 2: Antarctic Missile, General Jackson, Override Race 3: Duplicity Jones, Jileks Spur, Vihanna Victory Race 4: Lazumba, Eolande, Cardoso Race 5: Carlo Bugatti, Verdant, Bunchloch Race 6: Misscatelli, Stylish Miss, Spritely Girl Race 7: Jackpot, Skellig, Show A Star Race 8: Under the Louvre, Mirage, Girl Guide Race 9: Akzar, Extra Zero, Index Linked Race 10: Tucanchoo, Dig A Pony, Golden Mane
NORFOLK Island is one of Australia’s most isolated territories
THE Federal Government has backed down on its planned cuts to community and Indigenous legal centres, with Attorney-General George Brandis saying the Government is taking a more “nuanced approach” to funding.
Senator Brandis and the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, Michaelia Cash, announced the reinstatement of $25.5 million over two years to the sector.
“I’m mindful of the fact that this legal assistance sector is resource constrained and in particular it deals with needy and vulnerable people,” Senator Brandis said.
“I have been close to the community legal sector all of my life, many of my friends work in that sector, I needed no explaining how resource constrained that sector is.
“With the passage of time, and a greater appreciation of where the needs lie and where the priorities lie, we’re taking what you might call a more nuanced approach.”
The original announcement in 2013 raised the ire of community and Indigenous legal centres, with many concerned they would have to close. State and Territory attorneys-general also wrote to Senator Brandis to reverse the existing cuts made to legal services, and guarantee no further funding reductions would be made to Legal Aid Commission, Community Legal Centres, and the Aboriginal Legal Service.
Senator Brandis would not comment on whether that advocacy led to the back down. -ABC news
ADANI later said it had ongoing comprehensive negotiations with W&J’s authorised representatives.
A spokesman said questions surrounding the land use agreement had not been put by an authorised individual.
“Adani does not believe that the W&J don’t want this mine as the W&J have been and continue to be actively involved in negotiations around delivery of the mine on terms acceptable to the W&J,” he said.
The company says it was aware of at least one instance where the authorised majority of the W&J people instructed the National Native Title Tribunal to disregard the individual statements of one of its members.
“Again, Adani continues to negotiate with the W&Js authorised representatives and would prefer a negotiated outcome that recognises all parties’ interests.” -AAP news
LAST Thursday, Norfolk Islanders commemorated the anniversary of the sinking of HMS Sirius, the flagship of Britain’s First Fleet that made the six-month journey from England in 1788 to establish the first white settlement in Australia.
Sailing in 1790 from Sydney to the island’s small settlement, laden with vital supplies, the ship was wrecked on a reef in Slaughter Bay. For a settlement never far from starvation, it was an unnerving moment.
Two hundred and twentyfive years later, Norfolk Is-
landers are lamenting what they claim is another disaster: the wrecking of their democracy and independence.
On Thursday, they learned the Australian government planned to present legislation to the nation’s parliament that would dismantle Norfolk Island’s legislative assembly and force the islanders to pay income and company tax to Australia.
The changes would give the 1,800 islanders access to Australian health and welfare payments for the first time, while the New South Wales government would provide
essential services on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia.
But the loss of self-government seems to be too high a price for the islanders, many of whom are descendants of Tahitians and the HMS Bounty mutineers who resettled there from the Pitcairn Islands in 1856 and have fiercely maintained their independence ever since.
The island’s chief minister, Lisle Snell, rejects the Australian government’s claim that residents support the changes.
-BBC news
ONE of Australia’s most notorious predators, murderer and serial rapist Adrian Bayley, has been found guilty of three more brutal rapes of young women in Melbourne in the years before he murdered Jill Meagher.
Bayley, 43, raped and murdered the 29-year-old ABC staffer as she walked home from a night out in Brunswick in Melbourne’s north in September 2012, in a crime that shocked the nation.
He is serving a life sentence in prison, with a non-parole period of 35 years, for the rape
and murder of Ms Meagher. Now, it has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that Bayley raped other women, including a young Dutch tourist in 2012, and two young prostitutes - one of them also in 2012 and the other almost 15 years ago.
Bayley pleaded not guilty in all three rape trials before the County Court, forcing the victims to give evidence and relive their trauma in a series of trials that began last year and ended today.
His defence argued that while they did not dispute
that the women had been victims of sexual assault, they had mistaken their attacker for Bayley because he had been so prominent in the media. Broad suppression orders have prevented publication of any details from the three rape trials. But with the return of the third guilty verdict the suppressions have been lifted. The victim in the first trial, held in July last year, was 18 years old in late 2000, and the court heard was from a good home, but became hooked on heroin when she was 14 and
turned briefly to prostitution.
In his closing arguments, Senior Prosecutor Peter Rose QC said Bayley, who worked shiftwork in a nearby bakery at the time, was the woman’s third client and her last.
Horrific details emerged in court of the teenager’s sustained ordeal at the hands of Bayley, after he drove her in his car into a narrow laneway in St Kilda, out of sight of passing traffic.
Raping his victims in his car after parking it in confined spaces to ensure they could not escape would become a
critical hallmark of Bayley’s offending.
Mr Rose said that at one point during the assault, another car drove into the laneway, and the teenager banged on the back window and mouthed “help me, please help me”.
But Bayley put his fingers down her throat so she could not breathe and threatened to kill her and the car drove away.
“[Bayley] said ‘you little slut, no-one will miss you’,” Mr Rose told the first jury.
-ABC news
PAPUA New Guinea’s government says a prominent West Papuan activist has been flown out of the country because he was travelling without a visa.
Benny Wenda, spokesman for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, was detained by immigration officials when he arrived in Port Moresby on Tuesday.
He had flown from the United Kingdom and had planned to visit PNG before heading to Vanuatu for a meeting of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.
“Now I’m deported,” Mr Wenda said before being taken to the international terminal at Port Moresby’s airport. “That means I leave this country, but my spirit and the struggle, I will leave it with the people of PNG today.”
The office of Papua New Guinea’s prime minister Peter O’Neill said Mr Wenda had arrived in the country without a visa.
A spokesman for Mr O’Neill said the West Papuan independence leader was not being deported, but he was “not permitted to enter the country”.
“It’s not a political issue, it’s a visa issue,” he said.
The prime minister intervened in the case on Wednesday and met with Mr Wenda and PNG immigration officials. Mr Wenda, who had been released into the care of friends, flew out of PNG on Thursday afternoon.
Last month Mr O’Neill said he would start speaking out about human rights abuses in the Indonesian province of West Papua.
“I think, as a country, time has come for us to speak about the oppression of our people there,” he said.
Some observers have wondered whether Mr Wenda’s forced departure from PNG represents a backdown by Mr O’Neill.
-ABC news
VANUATU’S long term recovery from Cyclone Pam will be discussed at a United Nations-led meeting in Port Vila today as reports emerge of seven men who spent 13 days adrift at sea after being caught in the storm.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam, a maximum category five storm, destroyed homes and crops and contaminated water supplies in Vanuatu, increasing the risk of the spread of infectious and waterborne diseases.
Eleven people lost their lives and tens of thousands were left homeless.
Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the UN meeting would assess where the recovery effort was currently at.
“And Australia will be there with other donor countries,” she said.
“So, the short term recovery efforts are well in hand, but the longer term recovery efforts - including restoring their economy which has been so badly battered by the impact of this cyclone - will be the centre of discussions.”
International help has poured into Vanuatu in the 11 days since Cyclone Pam devastated the archipelago.
The United Nations said it had raised around $10 million, as well as bilateral support form neighbouring countries.
On Tuesday it launched an urgent appeal for nearly $30 million more to provide life-saving assistance, including food, water, health care and shelter to people in all of the affected areas, covering 22 of Vanuatu’s 80 islands.
Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Birch is leading the Australian Defence Force recovery team in Vanuatu.
He told ABC’s The World the ADF team is facing challenges getting to some of the more remote islands, but military assets in the archipelago were getting help to many who had been isolated.
“The Defence Force is gladly committing resources to help one of our closest neighbours,” Lieutenant Colonel Birch said.
“We’re moving food stores, humanitarian assistance products such as hygiene kits and medical stores.
“But also we’ve got some elements of army engineers here and they’re really good at assisting to clean up roads and to open roads for access to some of these areas.
“They’re doing some assessments on buildings to make sure they’re safe, particularly things like schools so that we can return life to a bit of normalcy.”
In a happy tale of survival, or sheer luck, seven men caught up in bad weather caused by Cyclone Pam have washed up in Solomon Islands after 13 days adrift. -ABC news
VILLAGERS in Vanuatu are relying on their own resources to rebuild almost two weeks after Cyclone Pam devastated the country, an Australian pastor says.
The category five storm made landfall on March 13, flattening large swathes of the Pacific archipelago.
Tom Richards is a missionary with the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu on Tanna Island, one of the areas battered by Cyclone Pam.
He told the ABC there has been a huge amount of emergency relief coming into the country, but as yet “little has
reached the people”.
“People are getting on with rebuilding, getting on with life,” Mr Richards said.
“They have been picking through the rubble, picking up pieces of wood, going to the bush because they make their houses from bamboo and thatches, just doing whatever they can to make shelters for themselves.
“Our friends are only now getting roofs over their heads.”
Mr Richards said the mood among people in Enefa village, who were initially upbeat following Cylone Pam,
has turned into one of growing frustration.
“Talking to communities, it’s getting to a point now where there is growing concern,” he said.
“There is an underlying mistrust in authority; people feel there’s aid somewhere that is getting to everybody else but is somehow being held back from them — which is not true.
“But there is that frustration over the fact that aid is coming in, but not actually there for them.”
-ABC news
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IF YOU sustain a job injury or a work-related illness, the Workers’ Compensation Act 1978, provides for your medical expenses and, in the event you are unable to work, wage-loss compensation benefits until you’re able to go back to work. Additionally, death benefits for work-related deaths are paid to your dependent survivors.
Benefits are paid by private insurance companies, or the Department of Finance (for public servants) or by employers themselves if they are self-insured.
The Office of Workers’ Compensation (OWC) is a government operated social security service to provide assistance to the injured
ICRC
worker or the dependents of the deceased worker to receive appropriate compensation as afforded to them under the workers’ Compensation Act.
This Office was established on 1st January 1984 by the Workers Compensation Act Chapter 179 which was passed by Parliament in 1978.
OWC has two primary functions; one is to receive work related accidents and death claims from injured workers and dependents of deceased workers. Then it is examined and settled.
The second function is to ensure every employer in the country complies with the compulsory workers compensation insurance
policy.
Workers Compensation has indeed come a long way since it was fi rst set up some 50 years ago, before Independence. The legislation that governed workers compensation was then called the Workers Compensation Ordinance 1958- 1961.
During its formative years, workers compensation was meant for low income workers, especially the natives who worked in plantations during the colonial era. It sought to address the workers compensation issues during the colonial period. It is evident in history that there was no office to facilitate the ordinance however; the colony was the sole administrator of all the affairs
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial, neutral and independent organisation whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence and to provide them with assistance. The ICRC also endeavors to prevent suffering by promoting and strengthening humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles
The ICRC Mission in PNG is looking for qualified candidates to fill its vacancy for:
FIELD OFFICER (based in Mt Hagen)
The field officer assists the delegates in developing and implementing ICRC field activities in areas affected by tribal fighting in the Highlands region. The field officer also has the responsibility of supporting the implementation of livelihood programs.
DUTIES AND RESPONSABILITIES
Assistance activities
Participates in assessments of humanitarian needs
Takes active part in the distribution of relief items to displaced communities
Organizes field activities under the supervision of Delegates
Coordinates activities both with ICRC team and local communities
Contributes to designing relevant emergency interventions
Participates in the implementation of livelihood programs
Monitors conditions of access and security
Communication/translation
Conducts regular disseminations about ICRC’s mandate and activities to local communities, leaders, authorities, police, etc
Develops and maintains an active network of interlocutors on the ground
Carries out translations (both oral and written) from English to Pidgin and Pidgin to English
Information gathering and analysis
Monitors constantly the humanitarian situation in a defined area, based on different sources of information (press, interlocutors, internet, authorities)
Analyses, summarizes and reports key information
BACKGROUND
University degree in Business Economics, Agriculture and Food Technology
Minimum 2 years work experience in a similar position
Excellent command of English and Pidgin, both oral and written
Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office and internet
Must have a valid Driver’s licence
PERSONNAL SKILLS
Strong interest in humanitarian activities, and in the problematic of tribal fighting
High ethical standards and professionalism
Excellent knowledge of the Highlands region, in particular Hela and Enga
Excellent command of English and Pidgin (both written and oral)
Very good communications and writing skills
Sense of organization and autonomy
Good analytic and summarizing skills
Ability to work in a team
ADDITIONNAL INFORMATION
Type of contract Open ended contract
Working hours Monday to Friday 8.00 to 17.00
Frequent field trips in remote rural areas (Up to 50% of the time)
Salary According to qualifications and experience
Starting Date Immediate
Location Mt Hagen, Western Highlands (No relocation benefits)
APPLICATION
Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. Please send your resume (providing at least three references) and cover letter with REF: FIELD OFFICER MOH 2015 by mail or email to the following address before or by the closing on 10/4/2015.
The Administrator International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Mt Hagen Office Mount Kuta Road, Portion 488, Rabiamul
PO Box 840
Mt Hagen, Western Highlands Province
Papua New Guinea.
Email : pom_port-moresby@icrc.org
Phone : 321 0721
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted
of the protectorate, which included the administration of workers compensation at that time.
Today, the Workers Compensation Act has been found to be inadequate to cater for today’s technological, economical, political social and environmental impacts which have changed the way work has been performed.
The Office is now in the initial stages of reviewing this act. To obtain a copy of the Workers Compensation Act, 1978, visit the OWC Office at B&D Building, Erskine St, opposite Post Office, Downtown or download a copy of the Act from www.owc.gov. pg. The Office will welcome any comments, queries, any written submissions on is-
sues that you want to bring up on the aging Act, would advise you to email the Acting Principal Legal Officer Chris Kolias on email ckolias@owc.gov.pg so it will be compiled for Review Committee.
Below are general questions asked by workers with answers provided.
Am I covered whilst traveling?
Yes. Any reasonable journey in connection with your work. This includes travelling to and from work or any school you are required to attend. However, Compensation may be refused if there is guilty of misconduct or breach of your employers instruction; or substantial
deviation or interruption to your journey.
Who pays workers compensation?
Your employer or their insurers pay compensation.
Do I have rights to know if I am insured?
Yes, your employer must provide the name of the insurance company you are insured with.
How do I make a Claim?
Notify the employer as soon as possible of the circumstance, injury or disease, prescribed by Workers’ Compensation Act.
CONTINUED PAGE 39
THE PNGJOBSEEK team will be at the Vision City again this weekend; Saturday
28 March 2015, from 8am to 3pm simply to talk to and collect Curriculum Vitae (CVs) from those people out there who are looking for a job or those who may be looking for a change in their current job.
The team will be handing out information cards on how job seekers can utilize their mobile phones to search and apply for jobs advertised by various organizations on the job board site (www.pngjobseek.com).
Information Session 2 Saturday
28 March 2015
Information Session 3 Saturday
25 April 2015
Information Session 4 Saturday
23 May 2015
Information Session 5 Saturday
27 June 2015
Information Session 6 Saturday
25 July 2015
Information Session 7 Saturday
22 August 2015
Information Session 8 Saturday
26 September 2015
Information Session 9 Saturday
24 October 2015
Information Session 10 Saturday
28 November 2015
The general public especially those who are looking for job opportunities are strongly encouraged to come forward to give your curriculum vitae (CV) to the PNGJOBSEEK team who will be stationed on the ground floor, Vision City, next to the Digicel Shop.
Those from the outside Port Moresby can mail their CV (hard copy) to;
PNGJOBSEEK
PO Box 601
Waterfront Post Office
Konedobu NCD
Or email soft copy of your CV to: help@pngjobseek.com.
For more information you can call us on phone: 70907200.
The table below shows the entire schedule for sessions through out the year.
No legal fees can be charged by any person acting for an injured worker or dependents of the deceased worker as agent under the Act except by a duly registered lawyer. Register your claim on the OWC CPPS (Claims Processing and Payment System) which can be accessed online at the OWC website, www.owc.gov.pg
Three documents are required for registration of your claim. For non fatal injury, worker or the employer on behalf of the worker can complete Form 3, Form 11 and upload the interim medical report. For fatal claim, the worker dies, complete Form Form 12 and upload the Death Certificate. What payments could I be entitled to receive?
Weekly payments for incapacity based on your 80 per cent of the award plus any other award or service payment including overtime and allowances.
Reasonable hospital, medical & ancillary expense and reasonable traveling and accommodation expenses incurred in obtaining treatment. Is there provision for Lump Sum Payment?
Yes. Where the injury sustained results in a permanent loss of function or when a claim is settled by redemption of future weekly entitlements to compensation.
If I die as a result of a disability, what compensation is payable? Funeral allowance. If you leave a dependent, spouse, he or she is entitled to a lump sum as provided in Workers’ Compensation Act. A weekly allowance for each dependent child, as provided by the Act.
What is my Employer’s responsibility?
Your employer must report the injury to OWC by completing Form 11 with CPPS online at the OWC website www.owc.gov. pg and also insurance claim for his insurance company.
Chief Commissioner of OWC, Mrs. Evanelia Kini is urging employers with no online access are encouraged to visit the Customer Service Center at OWC, B&D Building to register their claims free online.
Your employer should accept liability & start weekly payments within 14 days of receipt of your fi rst medical certificate, or
deny liability.
When compensation is refused or no payment is made in 14 days, you can initiate legal proceedings in the Workers’ Compensation Tribunal.
Where can I go if my employer disputes my claim?
Get preliminary information from the Office of Workers’ Compensation on telephone number 321 3100 or, Legal assistance can be obtained from your union, Public Solicitors Office or a private solicitor. For employers, read the following informative dialogues.
What is my first Responsibility as an employer?
Prevent accidents by making safe work conditions to avoid paying out huge sums of money as compensation which will reduce costs.
What are my responsibilities in the event of any accident?
Whether or not the injury gives rise to any claim for compensation, register your workers injury with CPPS online at www. owc.gov.pg within 7 working days after injury. Employer must register with CPPS if for the fi rst time on the system. Check with OWC if you are already registered to be supplied your password. Employer must also notify your insurer as well. Employers must take note that the lodgment of these forms does not necessarily constitute an admission of liability. Failure to give notice to OWC without reasonable cause, proof which is on you, you may be liable for prosecution and fi ned up to K500.
Is Workers’ Compensation Insurance compulsory?
Yes. Sect. 90 of Workers’ Compensation Act states you cannot employ any person unless you have a policy of insurance or indemnity issued by a licensed insurer. Failure to have insurance policy, you may be liable for prosecution & fi ned K1, 000
CONTINUED PAGE 42
ATTENTION!!
Urgently requires a Graphic Artist
If you have the experiences and qualifications, please urgently forward your CV to the address below:
Transparts (PNG) Limited Marketing Department
PO BOX 308
LAE, MOROBE PROVINCE
Email: marketing@transparts.com.pg or hr@transparts.com.pg
Phone: 472-4447
Fax: 472-5557
The Government, through the Department of National Planning & Monitoring (DNPM) is in the process of establishing a Project Management Unit (PMU) following the recently endorsed, first ever National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) Policy 2015 – 2030 as part of the first stage of policy implementation.
However, before the PMU is fully established, the Government through the Department of National Planning and Monitoring will engage a National WaSH Policy Coordinator to lead and support the PMU in the interim.
Therefore, the Department is seeking to recruit a highly self- motivated professional. The successful candidate will be someone who can lead effectively, work cooperatively with the broad range of WaSH stakeholders, has initiative, creativity and the ability to develop ambitious but, achievable targets, and work largely unsupervised whilst remaining accountable to DNPM and the WaSH Task Force.
Expected Outcomes
The WaSH Coordinator, in consultation with the DNPM and the members of the WaSH Taskforce is expected to deliver on the following outcomes:
1. Assist in the establishment of a Programme Management Unit, including the development of detailed terms of reference, operating procedures and identification/ recruitment of suitable personnel. Take management responsibility for leadership of the PMU.
2. Develop a detailed framework plan in consultation with sector stakeholders, including the WaSH Task Force, Development Partners and National and Sub national government to identify interim arrangements for piloting/ implementing the WaSH policy.
3. Act as the sector focal point in DNPM and facilitate progress towards the establishment of the National Water and Sanitation and Hygiene Authority (NWSHA)
4. Promote the WaSH Policy, raise awareness, understanding and implications amongst key government agencies, development partners, and civil society organizations and other relevant sector organizations and stakeholders.
5 .Ensure sector coordination between the Policy Task force members, implementing agencies funding sources and development partners.
The Coordinator will work closely with the First Assistant Secretary, Policy Division, DNPM and the WaSH Task Force to ensure effective delivery of the output.
Required Qualifications and Experience
The desired candidate must have the following skills and qualifications: science discipline; development, capacity building development and training, preferably with public institutions; be an advantage; programs in both rural and urban context; Sector.
The Coordinator will be located in Port Moresby for the duration of six (6) months at a salary range of K12,000 to K15,000.00 a month.
Forward your application to:
The Acting Secretary Department of National Planning and Monitoring
P.O Box 631, Level 3, Vulupindi Haus WAIGANI National Capital District
Attention: Acting First Secretary, Policy Division, DNPM Or email clara_momoi@planning.gov.pg and Copy maria_wau@planning.gov.pg
Fax: 323 1526 or; Telephone: 328 8333 and ask for Clara.
Submissions for the position close at 4:06pm, on Friday 3rd of April, 2015.
● Excellent Terms and Conditions
•Field Based Position
Oil Search is one of the ASX s top performing companies’ amongst the 25 largest by market capitalization, and PNG s leading oil and gas producer. We are at an exciting crossroad in our history with the delivery of the world-scale liquefied natural gas project and pursuing new opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa.
The Oil Search Aviation Department is looking to recruit a qualified and experienced Aviation Fuel Facilities Co-ordinator, based in Moro, Oil Search’s Logistics hub and reporting to the Aviation Logistics Coordinator. The successful candidate’s prime responsibility is to support the Aviation Logistics Coordinator and the Aviation Logistics Supervisor in the maintenance of safe and efficient aviation operations across the prject area through the provision of high quality aviation fuel from various locations across the project Area.
The position is also responsible for ensuring the maintenance and delivery of clean air-delivered diesel fuel into the field. It also provides a coordination role for maintenance, inspection and services of aviation fuel systems that meets compliance and Aviation regulatory standards at Moro, Hides, Gobe and Kopi.
To be considered you must meet these Key Criteria:
Minimum Grade 12 education qualification and preferably have some trade background in mechanical engineering.
A minimum of 5 years or more experience in the Aviation industry
At least 5 years of supervisory or management experience
Have sound knowledge and experience of managing and handling JET A1 fuel,
Have basic understanding of the ASTM standards,
Have sound understanding of Aviation fuel quality requirements (JIG),
Have some experience in the petroleum or fuel industry with some level of exposure in the Aviation industry
Have a strong safety focus
Have sound problem analysis and problem solving skills
Have a high degree of organisational skill in planning work.
Have very good communication and interpersonal skills
Have sound working knowledge of using MS Office Suite; email outlook, Word, Excel,
Be a self starter and be highly motivated,
If you would like to be a part of a diverse and multicultural team, we invite you to apply
To apply, send your cover letter, an updated resume with relevant job experiences, and contact details of three referees to R01092 to the Recruitment Manager at rpng@airenergi.com
Applications close: Tuesday 7 April 2015.
CHEFS play a leading role in food preparation, cooking and its presentation before it is served to guests at formal gatherings. This duo is no exception.
Can I be Self Insured?
No employer is exempted under Sect. 90 of the Act other than the State or a statutory authority approved by the Minister for financial matters.
How do I get the In-
The Centre for Environmental Law & Community Rights (CELCOR) Incorporated urgently requires the service of a Finance and Administration Manager. The suitable person will have the following credentials:
A Degree in Accounting or Commerce
A well grounded level of experience of 5 years and over in a similar role
Minimum 5 years experience in the use of MYOB or Peachtree Accounting system
General Ledger reconciliations and preparation of Management accounts
Reporting to Donors using Donor Reporting Formats
Well versed with the use of Ms Excel and Word
Knowledge in the use of email and internet
Calculation and preparation of S&W
Taxes, GST and Nasfund remittances
Have good verbal and written communication skills
Good organizational skills including prioritizing and meeting deadlines
Be a team player
Previous experience working in an NGO environment will be an advantage
A detailed job description will be provided upon request. Please note that this is a Port Moresby based position with a base salary, housing allowance and other benefits included as part of the remuneration package.
Applications with a detailed resume and supporting documents and names of three (3) referees together with a police clearance certificate should be forwarded to:
The Executive Director
Centre for Environmental Law & Community Rights Inc.
P O Box 4373, Boroko, NCD or Email: pbosip@gmail.com or
Hand deliver to Green House, Unit # 04, Section 11, Allotment 23, Boroko Drive Street, 5 Mile, Port Moresby
Applications close Friday 10th April 2015. Only shortlisted applicants will be notified.
surance Policy?
Obtain it from a licensed insurance company or through a licensed insurance broker. Insurance Policy, once established must be renewed annually, until the time you no longer employ anyone for the purpose of your business.
Who will pay compensation if one of my worker is injured, when I don’t have Workers Compensation Insurance Policy?
You will pay. Liability could be high as K25,000 & in addition the weekly benefits for the dependent children until they reach 16 years of age, plus all reasonable medical costs or funeral expenses in the event of death.
Deductions towards compensation not lawful
You are not permitted to directly or indirectly take, receive or deduct any money from any worker or otherwise in respect of your liability to pay compen-
sation under the Workers’ Compensation Act.
Record of Wages
You must provide full & accurate record of wages paid to your workers to the insurer for determination of the premium payable by you. Employers who supply incorrect information, you are guilty of an offence. Penalty fi ne up to K1000
What compensation is payable if a worker dies as a result of a disability?
Funeral expenses, worker’s dependent spouse is entitled to a lump sum as provided in the Act and a weekly allowance for each dependent child under 16 years of age.
Workers’ Compensation Payment
Any settlement reached outside by parties to a claim, must be sanctioned by Workers’ Compensation Tribunal by way of a consent award.
They had prepared for this momentous day but things turned sour at the last minute. COLIN TAIMBARI tells of the devastation the people of East Sepik experienced as the ship they were waiting to welcome turned tail and left.
THE people of East Sepik were devastated when the cruise ship Pacific Dawn turned its bow after a brief look in to Wewak Harbour and headed back out to sea on February 20 this year.
Many had prepared long and hard for this day and had even travelled by river or road over many kilometres, not only to see the giant cruise ship and its 2000 tourists make its maiden voyage into Wewak, but they wanted sell their wares to the tourists to earn much needed cash.
The story of the arrival of the Pacific Dawn had spread right across the length and breadth of the province.
East Sepik is the heartland of Papua New Guinea’s fascinating primitive tribal arts and crafts and on that morning in February, the main road between Wewak Yacht Club all the way along Wewak Beach to the Japanese Peace Park was closed to traffic and lined with stalls after stalls of varying forms of arts and crafts, some never ever seen before. Some two good months of ground work and preparations including training, awareness, consultations and workshops organised by the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority with key stakeholders, industry partners and local product owners was ready on that all important morning to receive the cruise ship.
Days before the ship’s arrival,
town mayor Charles Malenki accompanied by provincial tourism advisor Anton Sakarai, PNG Frontier Tours operator Chris Karis and TPA’s Simon Pih went on Radio East Sepik’s Talk Back Show to create more awareness of the ship’s impending visit. Malenki called on the people of Wewak to be on their best behaviour as this was an opportunity to embrace because there would be enormous cash benefits flowing directly to the community.
Wewak District Administrator Ricky Wobar said they put in K50,000 for the town cleanup and also built signs and shelters for tourists along the beach front.
“Wewak is the gateway to East Sepik and we did not only want to make an impression but we knew our people would benefit 100 per cent from our investment,” he said. Some 20 minutes’ drive down
the east coast highway, past Brandi Secondary School at Maur village, locals dug deep into their pockets to hire dump trucks. The trucks were to deposit stone pebbles for a newlybuilt footpath stretching some 50m past sago palms and clusters of age old forest tress leading into a beautiful natural pool of fresh water.
The banks of the river were cleaned and picnic spots built, including new toilets for the 200 tourists who were booked to visit there.
On the other side of town at the famous Wom Beach, Ward 18 councillor Noel Maru and his people had cleaned up the beach also in readiness for another 300-plus tourists visiting there.
At the Wewak fisheries jetty where the captain and his senior officers would make the customary port of call to meet the dignitaries and exchange gifts before the tour-
ists come onshore, four traditional dance groups, including the famous crocodile dancer, were waiting for the booming sound of the garamuts as a signal to ambush their visitors in a true spirit of Sepik welcome.
However, just as the Pacific Dawn begun lowering its tenders, the sea suddenly begun swelling and extraordinary winds started picking up speed from nowhere, making it unstable and unsafe to land crew and tourists. Even science to this day cannot explain the sudden sea swells and wind gusts but the legend of Burusua – the powerful magician who is said to own Wewak, including its mountains and seas – came to the fore. Many believed Burusua had exerted his anger at not being informed of the ship’s visit or being invited to the celebrations.
The ensuing result though would be devastating for all. Many bowed their heads in shock and wept openly as the Pacific Dawn headed back out to sea. “People cried openly because they knew they would miss out on earning much-needed cash from the sale of their artefacts.
People were left stunned, it was like they were caught in transition, in a bad dream,” was how Chris Karis described that moment.
However, rather than dwell in the past and in that bad dream, the people of Wewak are now more than determined to make the Pacific Dawn’s next visit even more excit-
ing and one worth remembering.
TPA chief executive officer Peter Vincent, who also felt the disappointment of the people of Wewak on that morning while standing with hundreds of others to welcome the tourists ashore, says all is not lost.
“We have now confirmed with P&O Cruises that they will be visiting Wewak again in February 2016 so that is good news for everyone, especially the people of Wewak and East Sepik,” he said. Wewak DA Ricky Wobar likes to see the positive side of the event and not the negative, saying the abandoned maiden voyage of the Pacific Dawn was an eye opener for all, especially the province’s political leaders. And now plans are afoot to build a new K7 million wharf to safely berth cruise ships.
The people of Maur too are steadfast in their belief in eco-tourism and will not give their forest to Asian logging interests. “We have learnt from this experience and we will be better prepared come February 2016,” they said. Perhaps the last word should be left to the grand lady of East Sepik Provincial Commerce and Tourism Division, Elizabeth Kaprangi. “This is the original home of the majestic Sepik carvings and although we lost one opportunity to showcase, there will be many more opportunities to come in future.”
People cried openly because they knew they would miss out on earning muchneeded cash from the sale of their artefacts. People were left stunned, it was like they were caught in transition, in a bad dream.
CHRIS KARISThe self-help tourist footpath built by Maur villagersWewak Beach open only for tourists on the day Pictures: COLIN TAIMBARI
THERE was once a woman who had a child who was scarcely half as long as a thumb. They gave her the name “Thumbelina,” or Tiny. One night when tiny was asleep, a large, ugly toad crept up and stole her. “What a pretty little wife this would make for my son,” it said. Far out in a stream, on a large lily pad the frog placed Tiny. Poor Tiny was all alone on the green leaf, where she sat and wept.
The little fishes, who swam about in the water beneath, had seen the toad, and heard what she said, so they lifted their heads above the water to look at the little maiden.
As soon as they caught sight of her, they saw she was very pretty, and it made them very sorry to think that she must go and live with the ugly toads.
WINTERFORD TOREAS recommends to us one of the best places to spend the night if you are ever in Buin.
THE hospitality industry in south Bougainville is now on the rise.
Guest houses can be found in the four districts of south Bougainville: Torokina, Bana, Siwai and Buin. One of the guest houses that is now gaining popularity is the Buin Inn.
Situated in the heart of Buin town, the guest house is owned and managed by Denise Nukuitu. The business was started about seven years ago with only three rooms for guests. As years passed, Denise and her husband improved the state of the building as well as added more rooms to meet the increasing demand.
Buin Inn has grown from strength to strength and is now one of the leading guest houses in the southern region of AROB. The business now boasts about eight rooms, all equipped with fans and other necessities that will make one’s stay comfortable, pleasant and above all, memorable.
Buin Inn boasts a spacious dining room and a reliable genset while security is provided every night.
Although there have never been criminal activities targeting the business over the years, the welfare of guests is of paramount importance. This is why the management employed a young man to provide security during the nights.
One of the trademark identities of the guest house is the variety of foods beautifully prepared and cooked by Denise. Apart from her role as manager, Denise is also the chef of her own business.
Every day she prepares the best serves for her customers. The variety of sweet-smelling and mouthwatering food that she prepares has always been commended highly by those who have been guests there.
Sometimes she prepares meals according to guests’ requests.
Apart from that, Denise, who has an open and friendly personality, is always around to make sure that her guests have an enjoyable stay at the Buin Inn.
First-time guests in Buin always appreciate her presence because she readily informs them on the different types of positive changes taking
place in Buin. Another eye-catching feature that always attracts the attention of visitors is the decorative variety of colourful flowers neatly planted in and around the vicinity of the guest house.
One of the guests who I recently accompanied to Buin told me that she found the different “lovely and colourful flowers” at the Buin Inn appealing.
Without taking a minute, I quickly chipped in telling this guest that that is one of the reasons why I always made sure that while in Buin, the Buin Inn was always first on the list. I always want to come and see the beautiful flowers here, I said.
Guests who have already spent a night or two at Buin Inn have praised the hospitality on offer and recommended that it is the best place to stay in. So when planning a trip to Buin, the Buin Inn is the perfect choice to spend your night. Bookings can be made through mobile numbers: 7134 9268, 7100 0227 and 7236 0342 or through their email address, buin.inn06@gmail. com
which she had fastened to the leaf, for if he could not free himself he would die of hunger. But the cockchafer did not trouble himself at all about the matter. He seated himself by her side on a large green leaf, gave her some honey from the flowers to eat, and told her she was very pretty, though not in the least like a cockchafer. After a time, all the cockchafers turned up their feelers, and said, “She has only two legs! How ugly that looks.” “She has no feelers,” said another. “Her waist is quite slim. Pooh! She is like a human being.”
“No, it must never be!” so they assembled together in the water, round the green stalk which held the leaf on which the little maiden stood, and gnawed it away at the root with their teeth. Then the leaf floated down the stream, carrying Tiny far away out of reach of land.
Tiny sailed past many towns, and the little birds in the bushes saw her, and sang, “What a lovely little creature;” so the leaf swam away with her farther and farther, till it brought her to other lands. A graceful little white butterfly constantly fluttered round her, and at last alighted on the leaf. Tiny pleased him, and she was glad of it, for now the toad could not possibly reach her, and the country through which she sailed was beautiful, and the sun shone upon the water, till it glittered like liquid gold. She took off her girdle and tied one end of it round the butterfly, and the other end of the ribbon she fastened to the leaf, which now glided on much faster than ever, taking little Tiny with it as she stood. Presently a large cockchafer flew by; the moment he caught sight of her, he seized her round her delicate waist with his claws, and flew with her into a tree. The green leaf floated away on the brook, and the butterfly flew with it, for he was fastened to it, and could not get away.
Oh, how frightened little Tiny felt when the cockchafer flew with her to the tree! But especially was she sorry for the beautiful white butterfly
“Oh! She is ugly,” said all the lady cockchafers, although Tiny was very pretty. Then the cockchafer who had run away with her, believed all the others when they said she was ugly, and would have nothing more to say to her, and told her she might go where she liked.
Then he flew down with her from the tree, and placed her on a daisy, and she wept at the thought that she was so ugly that even the cockchafers would have nothing to say to her. And all the while she was really the loveliest creature that one could imagine, and as tender and delicate as a beautiful roseleaf.
During the whole summer poor little Tiny lived quite alone in the wide forest. She wove herself a bed with blades of grass, and hung it up under a broad leaf, to protect herself from the rain. She sucked the honey from the flowers for food, and drank the dew from their leaves every morning.
So passed away the summer and the autumn, and then came the winter, the long, cold winter. All the birds who had sung to her so sweetly were flown away, and the trees and the flowers had withered. The large cloverleaf under the shelter of which she had lived, was now rolled together and shrivelled up, nothing remained but a yellow withered stalk. She felt dreadfully cold, for her clothes were torn, and she was herself so frail and delicate, that poor little Tiny was nearly frozen to death. It began to snow too; and the snowflakes, as they fell upon her, were like a whole shovelful falling upon one of us, for we are tall, but she was only an inch high.
SISTER Travertz is a name wellknown to the thousands of patients and the many health professionals who have come and gone through the doors of the national TB clinic at the Port Moresby General Hospital.
Sr Okotai Travertz hails from Hula in Central Province and is the widow of former secretary for provincial affairs, Colin Travertz from Western Province. Their children are Dr Joy Travertz, late first constable Elmes Travertz, TinaMaree, Colin Jnr and Kila.
“My career in clinical medicine started 37 years ago working in different capacities and at several health facilities around the country. I have worked with loyal colleague medical health officers, with whom I have built strong professional ties in an environment that had brought forth mutual respect among both my patients and colleagues,” she recalled reminiscently during an interview at her farewell luncheon at the Fu Gui Restaurant a week ago.
The event was staged by her close colleagues of the PMGH, many of
whom she had worked with for many years. The event was also attended by various senior officials from both the PMGH and the National Capital District Health Division.
From the information about her career that was provided a few days after her farewell gathering last Friday, Sr Travertz had attended a three-year nursing course at the Kapuna United Church College in Baimuru, Gulf Province, and graduated as a nurse on October 15, 1970.
Her first posting after her training was as junior nurse at the Hula Health Centre, in Central Province, from 1970 to 1971.
She then became a staff nurse at the Iruna United Church Training College in Magarida, Central Province, in 1972 and the following year was transferred back to where she attended her training and that was at Kapuna Hospital Training College – this time, as a staff nurse.
Come 1974, Sr Travertz joined the provincial health division at the Port Moresby General Hospital as a general nurse. Because
of her undying passion of caring for the sick, her determination to help those in need of better and affordable health care built up her career in clinical medicine. She was promoted to sister-in-charge and posted to the Kabwum Rural Health Centre, Morobe Province, in 1975.
By November of the same year, she was moved to the Tapini Rural Health Centre, Central Province, to set up and look after the maternal and child clinic there.
She continued working in Tapini as the sister-in-charge in 1976 serving the people of Goilala. By 1977, she was transferred to the Kwikila Rural Health Centre where she remained in the sister-in charge role until 1981. From 1981 to 1986, she became sister-in-charge rural health services, now in Konedobu, with NCD School Health.
Senior health professionals who farewelled Sr Travertz included director medical services of the PMGH – Dr David Mokela, director public health at the NCD Health Service – Dr Niko Wuatai, senior specialist medical officer and
BELOW:
former director of the TB Clinic – Dr Joseph Bana-Koiri, and specialist medical officer and new director of the TB Clinic – Dr Rendi Moke. All of them had nothing but praise and well-wishes for this retiring officer.
In his remarks to highlight the colourful career of Sr Travertz, Dr Bana-koiri said she was a very patient person who listened to patients, making them feel wanted. Loyalty was high in her professional conduct to her patients, colleagues and her superiors.
What was most important was her care for the thousands of TB patients who have come through the doors of the clinic for treatment and counselling. Sr Travertz had been sister-in-charge at the PMGH TB Clinic since 1986 and continued on to 2013.
This remarkable woman has definitely left behind a legacy for others in the profession to follow. For those who worked with her all these years, it seems there will be no stopping what Sr Travertz did best – serving Papua New Guineans who needed health care to
fight the infectious disease, TB. Her highest promotion came in 2013 when she was appointed nurse unit manager TB Clinic.
She has held this position since then, caring for the thousands fighting the dreaded disease until this month when she finally decided to sign off – although officially, her care for those suffering from and the many involved in the fight against TB will most likely continue.
“It has been a very rewarding and satisfying 37 years and I have enjoyed every bit of it,” Sr Travertz recalls.
The moving farewell was attended by her colleague nursing and clinical officers who included another long-serving officer in Sr Elizabeth Waken, who has served the health department in various clinical capacities around the country for 32 years. Both received parting gifts from the PMGH and their colleagues.
Sr Travertz’s three younger children, Tina-Maree, Colin Jnr and Kila were with her at the farewell luncheon.
This remarkable health officer has left a legacy behind for others in the profession to follow, writes WALLACE KIALA as he pays tribute to a caring but determined health professional.
Having a furry friend at home is beneficial for your child. Some benefits include reducing the risk of depression, encouraging physical exercise and opening up opportunities for social interaction
DOG, cat, goldfish, rabbit, horse – if you’re a parent it’s a safe bet that at some point your children have begged you to add at least one of these furry friends to the household.
The general benefits of caring for a pet are well-documented, and include reducing the risk of depression, encouraging physical exercise and opening up opportunities for social interaction. That’s on top of the sheer fun of having a pet – particularly a dog – who can often be the perfect playtime companion for energetic kids as well as acting as a guard dog to keep the family safe.
Self-esteem
Despite criticism about boosting selfesteem leading to children who think that they’re “special snowflakes”, developing healthy self-esteem in childhood is linked to lower rates of depression, higher academic achievement, and a smaller likelihood of getting into trouble inside and outside school.
Repeated studies show a link between caring for a pet and higher levels of selfesteem in children. One reason for this is that having a pet gives even quite young children the opportunity to develop feelings of competency as they successfully help their parents care for a dependent animal.
Empathy
Who doesn’t want their child to be empathetic? It’s essential for building close personal relationships and, at a societal level, resilient communities where people
BELLA is a local mixed breed.
She is four years old and has a loving and sweet nature. She enjoys the company of children and adults alike.
If you think Bella would be an ideal canine companion for you and/or your family, contact the RSPCA on 325 2363, 7198 2200, 7196 0436 or email your interest or enquiries to rspca@rspca.org.pg
325 2363, 7196 0436, 7198 2200, fax: 325 6833 or email your enquiries to rspca@ rspca.org.pg
help each other. Developing strong empathetic abilities in childhood is also linked to emotional intelligence in adulthood.
This doesn’t simply mean raising “nice children” who go on to be “nice adults”. Those with high levels of emotional intelligence tend to have greater success in their careers and increased earnings. Unsurprisingly, people with high EQ tend to make better leaders too.
The good news for families with pets is that there seems to be a link between developing empathy and pet guardianship. Review some guidance on teaching empathy and it’s easy to see how a pet can help. We shouldn’t dismiss the possibility that empathetic children are more drawn to animals to begin with.
A survey of military children, who have to cope with moving frequently when parents are deployed, showed a strong link between contact with animals and an increased ability to deal with stressful situations. Children who had a parent deployed coped better if they spent quality time with an animal than if they didn’t. This included the ability to find social support and form close friendships as well as selfreliance.
Interestingly, the depth of the relationship between the child and the pet was a major factor too. The more involved a child was in caring for the pet, the more likely they were to score during parental deployment.
This may be due to the way pets increase outward awareness and responsibility in
children, as well as a possible a sense of agency. It also suggests that pets might be able to help children deal with other stressful situations, such as problems in school, family illness, or relocation.
Learning
It’s not just these so-called “soft skills” that pets, particularly dogs, might be able to help children develop.
Surprisingly, a study of second graders showed that the ones who read aloud to a dog actually made a small gain in their reading ability compared to those who read to an adult.
While this study was on such a small scale that it’s difficult to extrapolate significant findings, it does suggest that perhaps either the dog’s ability to reduce stress or their unconditional acceptance of the child’s reading has a beneficial effect.
An interest in animals is also a good jumping off point for children to start learning more about the natural world, whether it’s about different dog breeds or why cats eat different food from humans. This is an opportunity to start learning about natural history and biology, laying a foundation for high school science.
Having a family pet seems to offer real benefits for children in terms of development, but if parents want the best results, they need to ensure their child is actively involved in caring for the animal.
~ Ella Jameson, online writer & editor, @JamesonElla
An interest in animals is also a good jumping-off point for children to start learning more about the natural world, whether it’s about different dog breeds or why cats eat different food from humans
THERE was a little boy who was talented, creative, handsome and extremely bright. A natural leader. The kind of person everyone would normally have wanted on their team or project.
God instructed King Saul to kill all the Amalekites as well as their livestock. But did he listen?
FRANK MECKLENBURG writes.AFTER King Saul told the Kenites to get away from the Amalekites, he continued his attack against the Amalekites and the town of Amalek as God had instructed him to do.
As I wrote in an earlier article, King Saul was God’s instrument for bringing judgment on the Amalekites for the way they treated the Israelites in the wilderness.
Saul’s army fought the Amalekites in a large area known as Shur in the Sinai Desert.
Today it seems rather hard to believe that King Saul and his army were required to kill all the Amalekites. This would be a gruesome assignment, but obedience is what is important no matter how hard it seems to be. Even today the Jews have no desire to attack other countries or take over land that God has not given them. But they are quite fearsome when it comes to defending themselves and the land God has given them. For examples of this, visit the page of my website called “Israel a Light to the Nations” http://www.zionpathways.org/light.html
It looks like King Saul is obeying God’s instructions. But for some unknown reason, he wanted Agag, the leader of the Amalekites, to be taken alive. He also wanted the best of the Amalekite cattle and calves and the sheep and lambs spared. These animals represented wealth. The desire for wealth can many times cause us to disobey God. Later we will see that Saul used the excuse of wanting animals for religious sacrifices. It must be noted that King Saul deliberately disobeyed God. Lest you think that we have completely switched to King Saul and have left our study of Prophet Samuel, we see that God again speaks to Samuel about dealing with Saul’s disobedience. We will see that it is impossible to hide our disobedi-
ence from God. This is a good place to remind ourselves of what Moses told the tribe of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe Manasseh when he agreed that they could settle in the land east of the Jordan River, as long as they would first fight with the rest of the Israelites conquering the land west of the Jordan River. “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23 NIV) This quote is often heard in sermons, but fits in so well with the subject that we are looking at.
“Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: “I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.”
Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the LORD all that night.” (1
Samuel 15:10–11 NIV)
This did not improve the relationship between Samuel and Saul. Samuel was so spiritually sensitive that God’s grief over Saul was very troubling to him. And he knew again he would have to go to King Saul and give him the message that God had for him about his disobedience. Can you imagine a person spending all night in prayer because of being concerned
about someone’s disobedience? We remember from a previous article that because Saul did not wait for Samuel at Gilgal, God told him that his kingship would not be passed on to his children, but instead would be given to another man and his descendants. This could be labelled as the first stage of King Saul’s disobedience.
It was not so easy for Prophet Samuel to find out where he would have to walk in order to encounter King Saul. “Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, ‘Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honour and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.’” (1 Samuel 15:12 NIV) Samuel was told that King Saul was not in his hometown of Gilead that is not too far from Ramah where Samuel lived, but had gone to Mt Carmel, about 150km from Gilead. The fact that Saul set up a memorial to himself on Mt Carmel does not speak well of him because usually memorials are set up by admirers after the death of the person being honoured. An example of this in our day were statues of Saddam Hussein set up by Saddam Hussein himself and pulled down by the Iraqi people after the US army defeated him.
It was another 130km from Mt Carmel to Gilgal where Samuel had to walk in order to bring God’s message to Saul. Even if the elderly Prophet Samuel only walked from Ramah to Gilgal, it was not an easy 60km walk. But no matter the distance or the difficulty of getting there, Samuel was determined to obey God. He was the chief person that God required to confront people regarding their sin and disobedience.
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But he was also self-centred and had a very bad temper. When he got angry, he usually said, and often did, some very hurtful things. In fact, he seemed to have little regard for those around him. Even friends. So, naturally, he had few. “But,” he told himself, “that just shows how stupid most people are!”
As he grew, his parents became concerned about this personality flaw, and pondered long and hard about what they should do. Finally, the father had an idea. And he struck a bargain with his son. He gave him a bag of nails, and a BIG hammer.
“Whenever you lose your temper,” he told the boy, “I want you to really let it out. Just take a nail and drive it into the oak boards of that old fence out back. Hit that nail as hard as you can!”
Of course, those weathered oak boards in that old fence were almost as tough as iron, and the hammer was mighty heavy, so it wasn’t nearly as easy as it first sounded. Nevertheless, by the end of the first day, the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence (that was one angry young man!). Gradually, over a period of weeks, the number dwindled down.
Holding his temper proved to be easier than driving nails into the fence! Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He felt mighty proud as he told his parents about
that accomplishment.
“As a sign of your success,” his father responded, “you get to PULL OUT one nail. In fact, you can do that each day that you don’t lose your temper even once.”
Well, many weeks passed. Finally one day the young boy was able to report proudly that all the nails were gone.
At that point, the father asked his son to walk out back with him and take one more good look at the fence. “You have done well, my son,” he said. “But I want you to notice the holes that are left. No matter what happens from now on, this fence will never be the same. Saying or doing hurtful things in anger produces the same kind of result. There will always be a scar. It won’t matter how many times you say you’re sorry, or how many years pass, the scar will still be there. And a verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. People are much more valuable than an old fence. They make us smile. They help us succeed. Some will even become friends who share our joys, and support us through bad times. And, if they trust us, they will also open their hearts to us. That means we need to treat everyone with love and respect. We need to prevent as many of those scars as we can.”
A most valuable lesson, don’t you think? And a reminder most of us need from time to time. Everyone gets angry occasionally. The real test is what we DO with it.
If we are wise, we will spend our time building bridges rather than barriers in our relationships.
~ Author unknown
Q: WHY couldn’t the blonde add 10 and seven on a calculator?
A: She couldn’t find the 10 key.
WHILE he was visiting, my father asked for the password to our Wi-Fi.
“It’s taped under the modem,” I told him.
After three failed attempts to log on, he asked, “Am I spelling this right? T-A-P-E-D-U-N-D-E-RT-H-E-M-O-D-E-M?”
~ Sharon McGinleyA BEGGAR approaches a grandmother at the beach with his hands out. “Please, Señora,” the poor man pleads, “I haven’t eaten all day.”
“Good,” says the grandmother. “Now you won’t have to worry about cramps when you go for a swim.”
COURTROOM drama:
Lawyer: “Was that the same nose you broke as a child?”
Witness: “I only have one, you know.”
Accused, defending his own case: “Did you get a good look at my face when I took your purse?”
The defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in jail.
Lawyer: “Can you describe
what the person who attacked you looked like?”
Witness: “No. He was wearing a mask.”
Lawyer: “What was he wearing under the mask?”
Witness: “Er...his face.”
Lawyer: “Trooper, when you stopped the defendant, were your red and blue lights flashing?”
Witness: “Yes.”
Lawyer: “Did the defendant say anything when she got out of her car?”
Witness: “Yes, sir.”
Lawyer: “What did she say?”
Witness: “‘What disco am I at?’”
Lawyer: “What happened then?”
Witness: “He told me, he says, ‘I have to kill you because you can identify me.’”
Lawyer: “Did he kill you?”
Witness: “No.”
Lawyer: “The youngest son, the 20 year old, how old is he?”
Lawyer: “Were you alone or by yourself?”
Lawyer: “Now sir, I’m sure you are an intelligent and honest man...”
Witness: “Thank you. If I weren’t under oath, I’d return the compliment.”
ZAYN Malik has quit One Direction, the band have confirmed in a statement.
Malik said: “My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band.
“I’d like to apologise to the fans if I’ve let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right.”
One Direction will continue their world tour as a four piece and record a fifth album later this year.
Last week, Malik walked away from the band’s world tour after being signed off with stress.
He returned to the UK shortly after being forced to defend his relationship with his fiancee, Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards. A photo had earlier emerged
of him holding another woman around the waist.
A second photo, taken from behind, showed Malik standing close to the woman. Their hands and arms looked as though they were linked.
In a statement, the rest of the group said: “We’re really sad to see Zayn go, but we totally respect his decision and send him all our love for the future.
“The past five years have been beyond amazing – we’ve gone through so much together, so we will always be friends.
“The four of us will now continue. We’re looking forward to recording the new album and seeing all the fans on the next stage of the world tour.”
Simon Cowell, who discovered the
boyband on talent show The X Factor, said: “I would like to say thank you to Zayn for everything he has done for One Direction.
“Since I first met Zayn in 2010, I have grown very, very fond – and immensely proud – of him. I have seen him grow in confidence and I am truly sorry to see him leave.
“As for One Direction, fans can rest assured that Niall, Liam, Harry and Louis are hugely excited about the future of the band.”
Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson signed with Simon Cowell’s record label Syco Records in 2010 after finishing third on The X Factor Zayn’s had a tumultuous time with the band and almost quit during bootcamp.
– BBC Newsbeat
JENNIFER Lawrence says she won’t be playing shape-shifting mutant Mystique any more in the X-Men prequels.
The Oscar-winning actress says she’s giving up the role when asked by a reporter at the premiere of her new movie, Serena
She told MTV: “It is my last one, actually.”
Lawrence started playing a younger version of Mystique in X-Men: First Class in 2011 and reprised her role in last year’s XMen: Days of Future Past
Her final film as Mystique will be X-Men: Apocalypse, which is out next year.
With a number of new mutants appearing again – Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) and Storm (Alexandra Shipp) – the time could be right for Lawrence to step away from her role.
Former Skins actor Nicholas Hoult, who played the Beast in XMen: First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past, has also suggested he won’t be part of the franchise after Apocalypse
He told E! Online that he wasn’t signed up for any more films although he didn’t rule out a return.
TAYLOR Swift has bought the web domain names TaylorSwift.porn and TaylorSwift. adult
The addresses are part of a public sale by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
The web domain names go on sale to the public on 1 June but some stars and companies are being given the opportunity to buy them ahead of then.
Microsoft Office has registered Office.porn and Office.adult. Domains can cost up to $2500 (K6700).
However, .porn and .adult are $99 (K260).
Richard Branson and Stringfellows are other names to have bought .adult and .porn domains, according to ICANN.
The American non-profit group expanded the number of generic top-level domains, or gTLDs, such as .com and .net in 2011.
There were 22 four years ago but now there are nearly 550 with new ones released every month.
The group says different endings to web addresses can help users arrive at their destination quicker because they know what they’re getting.
It also says websites ending in .porn or .adult are easier for parents to monitor and block.
In January Taylor Swift applied to trademark five phrases from her latest album 1989 with the US government.
While it doesn’t exactly fly the flag for sexual equality, the annual Wife Carrying World Championships certainly appears to be a fun couple of days in Sonkajärvi, Finland. Since 1994, couples from around the world have converged on the town of about 4000 people that without the event would be famous for having more than 200 lakes in the area.
Every year a wheel of cheese is rolled down the steep slope of Coo-
Every year a wheel of cheese is rolled down the steep slope of Cooper’s Hill on the outskirts of the village of Brockworth and is followed Hill on the outskirts of the of Brockworth and is followed by a bunch of people risking life and limb to catch it Given the cheese a bunch of life and limb to catch it. Given the cheese can reach speeds of up to 70mph, the chase is a futile expedition but can reach of up to the chase is a futile but a spectacularly bizarre spectacle for onlookers who come from all over a bizarre spectacle for onlookers who come from all over the world to compete or watch The winner is the first to cross a line at the world to compete or watch. The winner is the first to cross a line at the bottom bottom.
Much like the cheese rolling, those who com-
Much like the cheese those who compete in the World Bog Snorkelling Champion- pete in the World ships have a bit of a screw loose but also have have a bit of a screw loose but also have a ball of a time in the process The Welsh town a ball of a time in the process. The Welsh town of Llanwrtyd Wells is famed for its wacky events, of Wells is famed for its with the bog swimming on August 30 preceded with the on 30 this year by the Welsh Open Stone Skimming this year the Welsh Stone Championships on May 24 and The Whole on 24 and The Whole Earth Man vs Horse Marathon on June 13 vs on 13.
Not for everyone, in particular animal welfare
Not for everyone, in animal welfare groups who oppose it, or the faint of heart, but groups who oppose it, or the faint of heart, but certainly historic – camel wrestling has been go- historic – camel has been going on in Turkey for more than 2000 years More on in for more than 2000 years. More than 20,000 people gather for the annual Selcuk than for the annual Selcuk Efes Camel Wrestling Festival in January Efes Camel Festival in January.
Worm charming, worm grunting, and worm fiddling are methods of attracting earthworms from the ground. The activity is usually performed to collect bait for fishing but can also take the form of a competitive sport. As a skill and profession worm charming is now very rare, with the art being passed through generations to ensure that it survives. Most worm charming methods involve vibrating the soil, which encourages the worms to the surface. The activity is known by several different names and the apparatus and techniques vary significantly. “Worm grunting” generally refers to the use of a “stob”, a wooden stake that is driven into the ground, and a “rooping iron” which is used to rub the stob. “Worm fiddling” also uses a wooden stake but utilises a dulled saw which is dragged along its top.
From a wife-carrying competition in Finland to bull-riding prisoners in Louisiana: The world’s most bizarre sport holidays revealed. – Mail Online
A PNG pharmacy student studying in the Philippines was honoured to receive his white coat as a sign to mark the beginning of his professional journey.
Sedrick Kaprangi, 22, from East Sepik attending the South Western University (SWU) College of Pharmacy, was among others who received their white coat when SWU held its 7th White Coat Ceremony on Monday, 23 March, in Cebu City, Philippines.
The annual ceremony marks the students’ completion of their pre-pharmacy curriculum and entry into the professional program. It also symbolizes the transition from pre-clinical to clinical education.
Sedrick was the only Papua New Guinean and foreign student who has participated in the formal occasion.
“It is an honor to participate in our White Coat Ceremony. The event allowed us to recognize our commitment to professionalism, as students, and, in turn, recognize the commitment of the College of Pharmacy to provide an innovative and quality education,” said Sedrick.
Sedrick completed grade
12 at Brandi Secondary School in Wewak and got accepted to study at the university last year and is taking up Pharmacy in SWU as his Pre-Medicine course.
During the ceremony, Sedrick and all the Filipino students took, in unison, the Oath of Pharmacist as their pledge to their commitment to ethics and integrity.
“The white coat represents the trust that the patient has in the pharmacist and the pharmacist’s responsibility. It is an honor to wear it and I’m excited to enter the profession,” Sedrick added.
In SWU, Pre-Medicine courses for foreign students will only take one to two years and the next four years will already be the “Medicine Proper”.
Sedrick is under the education placement services of Paradise International Education Consultancy (PIEC), an organization based in Cebu City which places PNG students to universities and flying schools.
“I feel that I’m determined in achieving my career as a doctor in Pharmacy and I also thank God for this achievement. I also thank my mother and father, adn my family, for their support.
I also thank PIEC for the
support they have exerted to us, PNG students, here in the Philippines. I will do my best to continue producing more achievements in my
Pharmacy career,” Sedrick expressed. Aside from Sedrick, there are 7 other PNG students taking up their Pre-medi-
cine courses in SWU. Students in the Philippines are now enjoying the 2-month summer holidays. Next intake starts in June.
Interested students can register now.
PIEC’s website is www. paradiseeducation.com
BY DIANNE WAKETSI
YOUTHS living in Port Moresby interested in teaching can now obtain an Early Childhood Education certificate from the Kumul Training Institute or KTI announced Director Max Kuri.
“KTI has been given the ok by the Department of Education to conduct these courses apart from the recognised teachers colleges,” said Kuri.
He added that other programs being offered by KTI include Kindergarten, phonics 1, advanced phonics 2, Child development, Elementary Teacher training and Child minding.
Kuri said, “With the government’s introduction of the free education policy, there has been an increase in the demand for teachers in the lower primary level.”
“I am proud to inform everyone that now you can enrol at KTI and receive the same certificate as any other teacher who graduates from a teachers college,” he said.
Located at Waigani, KTI is preparing to enrol its second batch of intakes for various programs at the school including excavator, tourism & hospitality, ports & shipping, and business management said Kuri.
“I am urging those youths who have dropped out of school to come to KTI and take up one of the programs being offered and make a difference in you lives,” said Kuri.
TEACHING is a noble profession.
He added that having a trade skill to fall back on was one way of securing your future.
MAJOR changes to Papua New Guinean company law have important ramifications for company directors, company secretaries, and those involved winding up a company. Richard Kriedemann and Sarah Kuman report on the impact of the new laws.
The PNG parliament has passed amendments to the PNG Companies Act and introduced a new Business Names Act (2014).
Directors need to familiarise themselves with their new duties under the changes. Companies Act
Directors and company secretaries must be aware of new procedures for share issues and share buybacks; ensure they understand new rules around the provision of fi nancial assistance; be aware of new provisions related to the rights of shareholders, particularly to call meetings, and new requirements relating to the approval of ‘major transactions’; and comply with changes to fi ling requirements for annual returns, as well as other documents, such as consent forms for new directors and secretaries.
Directors, company secretaries, and anyone else who may have an interest in the winding up of a company, need to familiarise themselves with changes to the liquidation process.
The main changes to the PNG Companies Act deal with new capital management procedures, shareholders’ rights, directors’ duties and protection for creditors. These are the fi rst substantive amendments to the PNG Companies Act since it was enacted in 1997.
The amendments change capital management under the Companies Act, by:
Introducing new procedures for share issues and buybacks;
introducing rights of companies to issue treasury shares, and restrictions on dealing with treasury shares held by the issuing company, and on the manner of transfer or reissue of treasury shares; and tightening the rules around fi nancial assistance;
The changes to provisions on shareholder rights: introduce new rules on unanimous shareholder agreements and the requirement for statements of rights; amend rules on the calling of shareholder meetings; introduce new provisions on public access to certain company records; and amend certain aspects of the current requirements for major transactions;
As well, the amendments:
introduce new sections on directors duties, including what is known in Australia as the ‘Business Judgement Rule’ (ie, a defence for claims for breach of the duty of care and diligence for properly informed business decisions made in good faith, in the rational belief that the decision is in the company’s best interests, and without there being any material personal interest); introduce changes for the increased protection of creditors, including to the liquidation process; introduce new restrictions on directors of ‘phoenix companies’ (ie, companies using names similar to those of a failed company); change sections of the Companies Act, to simplify, or shorten, some fi ling requirements (as the Office of the Registrar of Companies moves towards online lodgements), as well as to clarify some sections of the Act; and simplify timing for the lodgement of
annual returns.
The Business Names Act (Chapter 145) has been repealed and replaced with a new act called The Business Names Act 2014. This allows the registration of business names by individuals and by an array of entities, both incorporated and unincorporated.
The term of a business name registration has been reduced from three years to one year; therefore, owners of registered business names must ensure they renew their business name registration annually. The new Act does not contain transitional provisions, so it is not clear whether this requirement will apply to business names that are currently registered. In addition, there is no longer a restriction on registration of business names by persons convicted of offences relating to the formation of corporations, or involving fraud or dishonesty, or for offences under the Companies Act.
Richard Kriedemann is a partner with law firm, Allens, Sydney and Sarah Kuman is a Senior Associate with Allens, Port Moresby.
www.bapng.com
Protocal Investments (PNG) Limited
Protocal Investment (PNG) Ltd is a local owned company specializes in Procurement & Distribution Services, Property Sales & Leasing, Property Maintenance & Construction, Hire Cars and General Logistic Services. Protocal Investment (PNG) Ltd now has the following vacancies to be filled.
1) 1 x Pharmacist
Key responsibilities include:
➢ Assist in Purchasing & Distribution of Medical Drugs, equipment & supplies
➢ Ensure to maintain quality in all products
➢ Ability to maintain best practice standards in all our operations
➢ Travel extensively within the country & aboard
➢ Be familiar with PNG Health systems & practices.
Qualifications & Experiences:
Pharmaceutical Board
2) 1 x Driver/Mechanic
Requirements:
➢ 10 years of experience – driving in Port Moresby City
➢ Must have a neat appearance & attitude
➢ Police clearance (compulsory)
All these positions are based in Port Moresby and only Moresby residents need to apply.
Terms & conditions will be discussed during interview. Accommodation is not provided
Interested applicants should submit your CVs, references & qualifications to:
The Managing Directors Protocal Investment (PNG) Ltd
Section 26, Lot 08, Lahara Ave
P O Box 8722
BOROKO
National Capital District
Or email to: rkerepa@protocalltd.com
A RECENT online survey to identify Papua New Guinea’s most recognisable brands suggests that traditional marketing techniques still hold sway in PNG. But for how much longer? asks Andrew Wilkins.
Earlier this month, Papua New Guinea website Skerah ran a survey on its Facebook page asking its followers to identify the country’s ‘most recognisable’ homegrown brands.
While the survey wasn’t especially scientific and was understandably limited in scope (you might recognise a brand you loathe, after all), it nevertheless threw up some interesting results.
Winner of the survey was SP Brewery, market-dominating manufacturer of the nation’s favourite beers, with the country’s largest bank, BSP, in second place.
Third was a brand ever-present in the nation’s supermarkets, Trukai, while national airline Air Niugini was fourth (an encouraging sign for a PNG Government planning to sell off 50% of the carrier by the end of the year?).
Brand factors
Naturally, the prominence of the top 10 brands in people’s everyday lives is key, hence the strong presence of major retail brands. Many of the top brands have also been around for a long time.
Several also have sizeable marketing budgets. The editors of Skerah made the observation that the recognition afforded to the top 10 could be tied at least in part to the amount of money the brands were spending on community-based activities, especially sport. Sponsors of the nation’s major sporting codes and events were prominent in the top 10.
While getting your logo on a team shirt is a time-honoured marketing ploy, many of the brands listed had strong corporate social responsibility programs too, suggest-
ing that the rewards for charitable works are not just in heaven.
Online challenge
It’s worth bearing in mind too, that this survey was conducted 100 per cent online and respondents could therefore only participate if they were connected to the internet, which most Papua New Guineans are not. Yet.
How do these top 10 brands present themselves online? It’s a very mixed picture. While several have a strong presence on the web, with Air Niugini notable for conducting e-commerce on its site, some have no consumer-facing website at all. Some, like BSP and Stop N Shop, are busy on Facebook, while others do nothing at all on social media.
An online presence for a PNG brand may not be as critical as some other factors for now, but times are changing.
More than a million Papua New Guineans now have at least some access to the internet, mostly via their mobile phones. There are now 190,000 Papua New Guineans on Facebook, making it by far the nation’s favourite social network. Both numbers are growing daily.
If PNG’s growing internet-connected population and the trends from overseas are any indication (digital advertising spend is now larger than print and radio advertising spend combined in the US), a credible online presence is going to be vital for PNG’s brands in the future.
Given the online environment provides opportunities for early adopters and fi rst movers to disrupt markets, it will be interested to see what Skerahs’ top 10 list looks like in five years’ time. It might be very different.
INFORMATION and telecommunications technology can be a driver of new jobs and business efficiency in Papua New Guinea. Technology specialist Priscilla Kevin tells Business Advantage PNG of her own venture into the ICT business and suggests how others might follow.
‘Priscilla Kevin is one of the younger generation of PNG entrepreneurs,’ notes Paul Barker, Executive Director of the Institute of National Affairs in Port Moresby, ‘and one of an even smaller group of confident and worldly women entrepreneurs, who has stepped into the traditionally male enclave of engineering and ICT information and communications technology.’
Kevin runs a Port Moresby-based ICT consultancy, In4net, which she set up in 2013. It now provides ICT management and advisory services, fi nancial business data analysis and general consulting services to around 20 companies.
New industry
“When I was at the National High, before I chose computer science, I was offered a scholarship to be a pilot. But I was very interested in computer science,’ says Priscilla.
“It was a new industry,’ she tells Business Advantage PNG.
“The ICT industry has great potential, but the environment in which it operates needs to be looked at.
“We are in the knowledge era and the internet and ICT is very new to the country, just over 10 years old, so there is great interest in the ICT industry as a career.’ Much of the sector’s unharnessed potential is in the rural sector, where electricity often doesn’t exist and the cost of internet access is high. Rural people don’t have access to basic key information to enable them to grow their communities to develop their communities.
“Power is just one of the bigger challenges, especially for businesses. They can’t use ICT because of the power, the high cost of the internet.”
Cluster
Last year, Kevin participated in the European Union’s Business Climate program, which brought together ICT specialists in PNG to ‘to create collaboration, connect with government and the private sector.’ [It was one of four such clusters in the Pacific—the others were in Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu.
An outcome of the cluster work has been to begin talks with the national government on creating an Intellectual Property Rights (IP) law.
“We’re saying there is potential for PNGs to invent and innovate but we don’t have any IP protection in PNG,” says Kevin.
Other initiatives include advocating tax incentives for ICT SMEs, reducing internet costs, and promoting entrepreneurship, mentorship and venture capital market opportunities for PNG businesses.
‘There has a lot of focus on entrepreneurship and last year we started up our fi rst entrepreneurship training with Australian Business Volunteers. It involves one month’s training mentorship.
‘We’re trying to create an entrepreneurial spirit.’
Challenges
The PNG Government currently legislating to encourage the development of small business. A major barrier to developing a culture of entrepreneurship in PNG, Kevin thinks, is the cost of starting up a
new business. “The major cost is rent. Real estate is really expensive and so is Internet cost, but it is also difficult to promote who you are, and what you do.’
Over the next 12 months, Kevin wants to grow her business and that highlights another challenge for entrepreneurs—access to funding.
“Startups do not always have the muchneeded capital to accelerate an idea,” notes Kevin.
www.bapng.com
CERTAIN purported payments of Compensation Invalid
Any person, with an award of a tribunal, makes any payment (other than weekly payments for temporary incapacity) in purported payment of compensation or in purported compromise of any claim under the Act then, the person who made
the payment and employers or insurers as the case maybe are guilty of an offence. Penalty fi ne for fi rst offence is up to K500.
Unreasonable delay in settlement of Claims
If in the opinion of the tribunal that the employer is responsible for or has caused an un-
reasonable delay in having the claim settled, it may order that the amount awarded or payable be increased by a maximum of 10 per cent by such amount as it is specified in the order.
Principal & Contractor, and Sub-Contractors - Employers
A person (principal) contract with another person (contrac-
tor) for the execution of any work under the contractor and, in the execution of work, a worker is employed by the contractor, both the principal & contractor, for the purposes of the Act, deemed to be employers of the worker so are jointly and severally liable to pay compensation.
INDONESIAN police have arrested two men on suspicion of links to Islamic State (IS) militants, bringing the number of such arrests this week to seven.
News of the arrests last night came shortly after Indonesian terrorism experts warned that there were strong links between the country’s terror networks and the IS militant group.
Five people accused of helping send 16 Indonesian IS supporters to Syria were arrested last weekend.
Indonesian National Police inspector general Tito Karnavian used to head the country’s elite anti-terrorism squad and said police had a list of Indonesians who had travelled to fight in Syria, some of whom have already returned home.
“So far, Indonesia, we have got at least 159 [people who] left for ISIS, 11 already killed including two suicide bombers over there, 11 already returned, three already arrested by us,” Mr Karnavian said.
“So the number can be beyond that one but the real names: 159, in our list already confirmed.”
Police also suspect terrorists who have returned from fighting with IS were behind the attempted chlorine bomb attack at a shopping centre south of Jakarta last month.
“It is really surprising [for] us. Why? Because it is the first time ever we have got the chemical bomb. So, this is the signature of ISIS,” Mr Karnavian said.
“In Syria you have got a lot
of instances of using these kind of chemical substances.”
He said Indonesia had learned from the Bali bombings, which were carried out by people who had trained in Afghanistan and returned to Indonesia undetected.
“One-hundred-and-ninetyseven Indonesians being trained with Afghan[s], then return to Indonesia,” Mr Karnavian said.
“We failed to detect them when they came back. So it is a very important, bitter les-
son for us, not to do the same again.”
IS itself has been promoting its links to Indonesia. Last week it uploaded a propaganda video showing Indonesian and Malay children training with machine guns in Syria.
Terrorism expert Sidney Jones identified Bahrum Syah in the video, a known Indonesian terrorist cell member who left for Syria last year.
“He appeared in the video called ‘joining the ranks’ which is the one that really
shocked the Indonesian Government that appeared at the end of July 2014,” Ms Jones said.
“And he has just appeared again in that video of the little kids getting military training in Syria.”
Indonesian journalist Solahuddin, who has been investigating IS, said it had already set up training camps specifically for Indonesians, with a plan to expand into south-east Asia.
-ABC news
THE case of an Australian woman possibly facing the death sentence for drug trafficking in Malaysia was postponed again today, with a lawyer describing the defendant as frustrated with the repeated delays.
Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto, a 52-year-old mother of four, was arrested on December 7 after arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, en route from Shanghai to Melbourne, with a bag containing what authorities said was crystal methamphetamine, the drug also known as ice.
A chemist report on the substance was to be submitted to the court today.
If it confirmed the substance was crystal methamphetamine, the case would be elevated to a higher court, launching a death-penalty case.
But the court outside Kuala Lumpur was told that the chemical analysis, which had been repeatedly delayed, was still incomplete and that a new date for its submission was set for April 30, defence lawyer Tania Scivetti said.
“She is down and she wants the case to move fast so that she can go home,” Mr Scivetti said of his client, who declined to comment when leaving the court.
The defence team said Ms Exposto travelled to Shanghai after falling for an online romance scam and was then duped into carrying a bagwhich she believed contained only clothing - by a stranger who asked her to take it to Melbourne.
-ABC news
KABUL: A suicide attacker has killed at least seven people after detonating a car bomb near a district police headquarters in the centre of the Afghan capital Kabul.
The powerful blast went off in Muradkhani district close to the presidential palace, the defence ministry and the ministry of finance on Wednesday.
“The initial reports from Kabul hospitals show seven killed and 22 wounded including women and children,” Sayed Kabir Amiri, the head of hospitals in the capital, told AFP.
Interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi confirmed the attack, saying it involved a “car full of explosives that detonated near Police District 2 headquarters”. -AAP news
A TWO-year-old Indian girl has set a new national record in archery, according to the India Book of Records.
Dolly Shivani Cherukuri from Vijaywada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh - who turns three next week - became the youngest Indian to score more than 200 points at a trial event on Tuesday, reports the Press Trust of India.
She fired 36 arrows at a target 5m away, then again at a target 7m away, making a total of 388 points.
Her achievement was witnessed by senior sports personalities and India Book of Records officials.
“We are all very proud of her. We are very impressed,” Archery Association of India official Gunjan Abrol told the BBC.
Dolly was conceived through surrogacy after the death of her brother, international archer and coach Cherukuri Lenin, in a road accident in 2010 reports said. Her father, Cherukuri Satyanarayana, said she had been trained since birth to be a champion.
“When we came to know that the baby was on her way we decided to mould her as an archer,” news agency AFP
quoted Mr Satyanarayana, who runs an archery academy in Vijaywada, as saying.
“The preparations started when she was in the womb itself,” he added.
Mr Satyanarayana said they had arrows specially made for the toddler out of carbon when she was first learning the sport to ensure they were light enough for her to carry.
Archery experts say children are trained on lighter bows and Mr Abrol says Dolly’s bow would also have been very light.
“You can’t put too much pressure on children, they can be trained for a maximum of two or three hours a day,” he said. “But Dolly comes from a family of archers so she’s capable of a lot.” -BBC news
THAI junta leader Prayuth Chanocha has lashed out at journalists, saying he would “probably just execute” those who did “not report the truth”.
The comments were the latest outburst aimed at Thailand’s media. Last month Mr Prayuth said he had the power to shut down news outlets. On Wednesday, he took an even harsher line.
“We’ll probably just execute them,” said Mr Prayuth, without a trace of a smile, when asked by reporters how the government would deal with those who did not adhere to the official line.
“You don’t have to support the government, but you should report the truth,” the former army chief said, telling reporters to write in a way that bolstered na-
tional reconciliation in the kingdom.
Mr Prayuth was particularly critical of the Thai-language Matichon daily newspaper, accusing it of siding with ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his allies.
“Don’t think I don’t know that your writing is pro the previous administration,” he told a Mati-
chon reporter shortly before boarding a plane to Brunei.
“The previous interior ministry bought many advertising spaces from you.”
Mr Prayuth, who is also prime minister, heads the ruling junta, or National Council for Peace and Order.
Known for his abrupt manner and impulsive remarks, Mr Prayuth launched a crackdown on dissenters after he toppled the government of prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra in a coup last May.
He has said Thailand was not ready to lift martial law, which gives the army sweeping powers that include arrest and detention.
-ABC news
AT least 14 workers have been killed by collapsing scaffolding in Vietnam’s Ha Tinh province, state media report.
About 30 other injured people were taken to hospital after the accident on a building site in the Vung Ang economic zone late on Wednesday.
Rescue workers have been searching the rubble for bodies and in case people were trapped.
The workers, all Vietnamese, were reportedly working on a port seawall project at an industrial complex.
The complex is owned by Taiwanese group Formosa Plastics and the workers had been subcontracted by a branch of South Korea’s Samsung group, reports said.
One injured man said the scaffolding had started shaking an
hour after they began work, and that many people had panicked and tried to escape.
“After 10 more minutes, the scaffolding which was about 20m (65 feet) high, suddenly collapsed. I quickly grabbed an iron bar but fell free,” Dan Ninh Dan told the Associated Press. He was being treated in hospital for an injured hip.
-BBC news
SYDNEY- In the days after Protectionist’s Melbourne Cup win for German trainer Andreas Wohler, the man given the job of guiding the next stage of the horse’s career was already making plans.
And the race Kris Lees identified as a Sydney autumn carnival target for Protectionist was Saturday’s BMW (2400m) at Rosehill.
“After the Melbourne Cup, I thought this was the right race to aim him at,” Lees said.
“The path we took to get there became a little clouded given the programming with the Ranvet being the week before.
“He’s now getting out to a more appropriate journey and we always thought it would be a race he could show up in.”
Protectionist will be trying to become the first Melbourne Cup winner since Makybe Diva to claim The BMW in the same season, a feat she achieved a decade ago.
However, Lees is also mindful the same race proved a bridge too far for the champion mare after the first of her three Melbourne Cup wins 12 months earlier.
She was beaten into third by Grand Zulu before going on to claim the Sydney Cup, a race which is part of Protectionist’s autumn campaign.
Lees is still on a learning curve with the German import but Protectionist’s two campaign runs over middle distances in Melbourne have provided the trainer with some important insights.
“We’ve learned that he is a genuine two-miler,” Lees said.
“I think those couple of runs have really switched him on. They’ve tightened him up a bit
condition-wise and he appears to have switched on off the back of that.”
Despite his status as the reigning Melbourne Cup winner, Protectionist will go into Saturday’s weight-forage contest as a virtual second stringer for the stable.
Lucia Valentina has been marked higher in the market and backs up after finishing third to Contributer in the Ranvet Stakes last week.
Jim Cassidy takes over from the suspended Hugh Bowman and Lees expects the mare to relish the extra distance which she has raced over twice for Group One
placings in the Australian Oaks and Caulfield Cup.
“She’s backed up previously in New Zealand and two of her best runs have been at 2400 metres without winning,” Lees said.
Japan’s To The World has commanded the early attention from punters, usurping Godolphin’s Hartnell for BMW favouritism shortly after markets opened on Wednesday.
Lucia Valentina ($8) and Protectionist ($11) remain unchanged.Silent Achiever is at double-figure odds to end a 12-month run of outs and defend her BMW crown in a race that
SYDNEY - A year ago, Tim Martin closed his Rosehill stables and all but disappeared from Sydney racetracks.
His marriage was over, so too his dream of having a training base in Sydney complemented by a farm for his horses on the city’s outskirts.
The man who trained Exceed And Excel, Murtajill, Typhoon Zed and This Manshood found himself at a personal and professional crossroads. Martin moved to Heritage Park, a property on the south-western outskirts of Sydney where he could train a small team while making a buck breaking-in and adjisting horses for others.
The rural lifestyle was a balm for the boy from Walcha who said the past 12 months were the most difficult of his life.
“I grew up on a farm and I always wanted to have a farm near Sydney and have a base where horses could be spelled and agisted and broken in, and have
Rosehill,” Martin said.
“That’s what we were doing and unfortunately we came to a fork in the road.
“It is what it is, you’ve got to deal with it and get on with it.
“I honestly thank God for the horses, otherwise I don’t know where I’d be. If I couldn’t ride a horse or shoe a horse I’d be in trouble. It hasn’t been easy.”
One of the horses that has helped Martin keep a hand in the racing industry is Heavens Above.
The filly will contest the Group One Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday as she heads towards the ATC Australian Oaks.
She tackles the race as a maiden but has shown promise in her three runs including a last-start third to Vinery rival Slightly Sweet at Group Three level.
Saturday’s race will be her sternest test and not even Martin can make a case for her to beat odds-on favourite First Seal.
But he is adamant Heavens Above stacks up to the rest.
“The favourite looks a moral to my eye. There are some other quality fillies in it and I think she’s up to them but I don’t think she can beat the favourite,” he said.
“Each start she is improving. If she can run in the first four it will put value on her and I think there is a bit of scope for improvement to go into the Oaks.”
could decide if she competes overseas before being retired to stud. “If she is going to the northern hemisphere to be mated you would like to think we might be able to include a small European campaign as a swansong,” James said.
“But to be realistic she’s got to hold her hand up on Saturday to consider it.”
Silent Achiever will back up after finishing fourth to Contributer in last week’s Ranvet Stakes, the weight-for-age lead-up she won last year. James said the tempo of the Ranvet didn’t help Silent Achiever and he expected jockey
Kerrin McEvoy to ride the mare like a genuine stayer in the BMW.
“I’m not saying it was a bad ride at all in the Ranvet but if it was a different ride she might have finished a little bit closer,” James said.
The trainer expects back-to-back races to work in Silent Achiever’s favour.
“She will be hard, seasoned and ready for the mile and a half,” he said.
English stayer Red Cadeaux will miss the race to be saved for the $1.6 million Sydney Cup at Randwick on April 11.
Red Cadeaux has been in Sydney for a week after contesting the Australian Cup and the decision to bypass a lead-up run to the Sydney Cup was made close to acceptance time on Wednesday.
“We felt he would be in a better state for the Sydney Cup if we gave him some space between runs and didn’t start him on Saturday,” travelling foreman Robin TrevorJones said.
The Anthony Cummings-trained Fiveandahalfstar was also missing from the 12 acceptors with the 2013 winner developing a cough after trackwork on Tuesday.
Cummings said he was still hopeful of getting Fiveandahalfstar right for the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Godolphin’s Hartnell opened favourite in revised BMW markets on Wednesday but was quickly deposed from that position by To The World, the horse rated the best of four Japanese stayers in Sydney for the autumn carnival. Ranvet placegetter Lucia Valentina is on the third line of betting with bookmakers rating her a better chance than stablemate and last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist.
SYDNEY - Caulfield Guineas winner Shooting To Win will miss the Doncaster Mile to be reserved for a weight-forage target at the end of the Sydney autumn carnival. Trainer Peter Snowden said he wasn’t confident Shooting To Win would be at his best for the $3 million race after coming out of the George Ryder Stakes with a minor back complaint. At his first weight-for-age test, Shooting To Win loomed at the 200m in the George Ryder before finishing fifth to Real Impact.
“He pulled up with some muscle spasms after his run the other day,” Snowden said.
Shooting To Win will now be aimed at the Group One All Aged Stakes at Randwick on April 18.
“It will give me a bit more time to get him right and have him one hundred per cent rather than go into a Doncaster at eighty-five per cent which isn’t good enough,” Snowden said. Shooting To Win emerged as one of Australia’s most valuable stallion prospects with his Caulfield Guineas
win over Rich Enuff and subsequent Australian Guineas winner Wandjina.
Snowden, meanwhile, says he is tempted to give Wednesday’s Warwick Farm winner.
Courtza King his chance to run in a support race during The Championships.
“I’ll see how he pulls up but I am thinking about setting the goalposts pretty high for him next start,” Snowden said. “There’s a Listed race (the South Pacific Classic) coming up at Randwick which I have been looking at.”
SYDNEY: Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist headlines a field of 12 acceptors for The BMW, a weight-forage race that also includes the best horse among Japan’s Sydney autumn carnival representation.
Protectionist will be trying to find winning form for the first time for trainer Kris Lees at Rosehill on Saturday after finishing unplaced in two starts since running away with
last year’s Melbourne Cup. Much interest will surround To The World which steps out on Australian soil for the first time. He will be trying to follow in the hoofsteps of Real Impact, the Japanese sprinter-miler which made a winning Sydney debut in the George Ryder Stakes last Saturday.
Chris Waller will have three BMW runners with the Melbourne Cup placegetter
Who Shot The Barman a clear top pick from his stable. Star New Zealand mares Silent Achiever and Rising Romance are also in the field while Gai Waterhouse has accepted with Hampton Court, the only three-yearold in the race.
Import Hartnell will be trying to continue Godolphin’s run of Group One success at weight-for-age after Contributer’s Chipping Norton Stakes.
MELBOURNE - Australian Cup runner-up
Extra Zero is almost certain to contest the Group One BMW in Sydney on Saturday but he has been paid up for the Mornington Cup on the same day as a precaution.
“More than likely he’ll be running in Sydney, we’re just monitoring the track condition,” co-trainer Tom Dabernig said.
“Rosehill was put up as a heavy eight at acceptance time but the weather forecast is to be clear from now until Saturday.
“He’s scheduled to leave for Sydney on Thursday night and at this stage it’s about 95 per cent he’ll be running in Sydney.”
Extra Zero started at $101 in the Australian Cup last start when he charged home from back in the field to be beaten in a photo finish by stablemate Spillway.
Dabernig said the eight-year-old had come through the race well despite the fact it was his 13th start this campaign.
“He’s done a treat. He’s been at the farm and obviously at this stage of his preparation we can’t really get him any fitter but it’s just a matter of keeping him happy,” Dabernig said.
Extra Zero’s performance in the Australian Cup prompted David Hayes and Dabernig to look at The BMW.
He is a $26 chance for the 2400m weight-forage race with Japan’s To The World favourite at $2.80.
The $350,000 Mornington Cup has attracted a full field of 14 plus three emergencies with the winner to be granted a ballot exemption for this year’s Caulfield Cup.
The Darren Weir-trained Akzar is the $4.40 favourite ahead of Index Linked ($5) and Entirely Platinum ($5.50). Extra Zero has been installed at $6.
MELBOURNE - A field of 14 has been declared for Friday night’s William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley, the final Group
One race in Melbourne this season.
Classy Sydney sprinter Rebel Dane has drawn barrier seven for the 1200m race while Angelic Light, runner-up in the Manikato Stakes in the spring, has barrier four with Damien Oliver to ride.
She will be one of two runners for trainer Robbie Griffiths along with track specialist It Is Written who has gate eight.
Group One winner Famous Seamus, scratched from The Galaxy at Rosehill last Saturday in preference for the William Reid, has drawn wide in barrier 12.
A trio of three-year-olds have been paid up for the $400,000 weight-for-age sprint including Earthquake who has drawn barrier three.
The Moonee Valley program also includes the Group Two Sunline Stakes which has attracted a field of 10 including impressive first-up winner Noble Protector and Makybe Diva’s three-quarter sister La Amistad.
MELBOURNE - In-form sprinter Under The Louvre will head to Mornington for a Listed race instead of tackling Group One company at Moonee Valley a day earlier.
The Oakleigh Plate placegetter will contest the Hareeba Stakes (1200m) on Saturday after connections opted not to accept for the weight-for-age William Reid Stakes over the same distance on Friday night Under
The Louvre finished second to Royal Ascotbound stablemate Shamal Wind first-up in the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) on February 28 and has been kept race trim since then with two barrier trials.
The horse looked sharp in his most recent heat when he was ridden by Mark Zahra, who has the mount on Saturday. Under The Louvre was not pressured in the 990m trial which he won in 59.19sec, the fastest of Monday’s four heats over that trip.
Trainer Robert Smerdon said it was always his intention to run Under The Louvre in the Hareeba Stakes but he put in an entry for the William Reid in case the field fell away.
Smerdon, who has been in the NSW Hunter Valley inspecting yearlings in the lead-up to the Easter Sale in Sydney next month, said he had watched a replay of Under The Louvre’s recent trial win.
MELBOURNE - John Sadler believes the William Reid Stakes is wide open and it’s an opinion that is reflected in the opening market for the Group One sprint.
Sadler has Vain Queen in the $400,000 race and the trainer rates the mare among the leading chances as she steps up to weight-for-age company for the first time.
“She is probably going to be one of the good chances in the race, although there will probably be quite a few of them. I see it being an open race,” Sadler said.
Angelic Light holds early favouritism at $5 in the full
field of 14 with Vain Queen at $5.50. Peron, Earthquake and Rebel Dane are also under double-figure odds. Vain Queen’s best wins have been at Flemington where she has been successful in four of her five starts. But keen to dodge the top echelon of sprinters in the Lightning Stakes and Newmarket Handicap held over the straight course, connections decided to aim her at the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield and the William Reid. She was fourth in the Oakleigh Plate and delighted Sadler with her track gallop at Moonee Valley on Monday.
Vain Queen won her only start at the track when she took out a mares’ race in June last year.
“She’s been to the Valley to work on a couple of occasions and has worked really well and she’s been there once to race and she won,” Sadler said.
“She’s had a nice gap between her first-up run and this race and I can’t see why she won’t run really well.”
Damian Lane partnered Vain Queen in the Oakleigh Plate but has since accepted a contract to ride in Hong Kong with Nick Hall to take over the reins on Friday night.
Angelic Light resumes in the race and has strong Moonee
MELBOURNE - A trip to Singapore goes on the line for Bel Sprinter when he contests the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley.
Bel Sprinter has been nominated for the KrisFlyer International Sprint (1200m) at Kranji on May 17, a race in which he finished second to Hong Kong galloper Lucky Nine in 2013.
The Gary Portelli-trained Rebel Dane, a $5.50 equal favourite for Friday night’s Group One race over 1200m, has also been nominated for the Singapore race.
Trainer Jason Warren said a onetwo finish on Friday night should ensure Bel Sprinter an invitation for the KrisFlyer.
While Bel Sprinter, a $35 chance in William Reid betting, hasn’t been successful since winning The Galaxy at Rosehill in 2013, Warren is confident the gelding is in top shape.
“I gave him a little jump-out at Balnarring last week to keep him up to the mark,” Warren said.
“He’s in the zone.” Warren said getting back to Moonee Valley and the weight-forage conditions are a positive for the rising eight-year-old who found the handicap conditions against him when ninth in the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield at his last start.
Bel Sprinter is a two-time winner at Moonee Valley and Warren said
the gelding loves the layout.
“The Strathayr suits him but he likes the circuit where he can slingshot off the bend and really let go,” he said.
With Ben Melham electing to ride the Peter Moodytrained Peron, Warren has engaged Kerrin McEvoy, who at his only ride on the gelding was successful in The Galaxy.
“Ben got off which opened the door for us to get Kerrin back in the saddle,” Warren said.
Warren also has Double Dee (Ascend Sales Handicap), Three
Points (1PRINT Tour of Victoria
Middle Distance Final) and Danger
Close (Jeep 55 Second Challenge
Valley form including a win over Lankan Rupee in a Group Two race last spring and a close second in the Manikato Stakes. One of two runners for trainer Robbie Griffiths along with It Is Written, Angelic Light has drawn barrier four and will have Damien Oliver aboard.
“She’s got a great jockey and a great barrier so there are a lot of pluses but it’s a hot race,” Griffiths said. Sydney sprinter Rebel Dane has been narrowly beaten in three Group One starts at Moonee Valley and his trainer Gary Portelli is hoping for a change of luck from barrier seven.
Heat 16) engaged on Friday night.
“I’ve got three other good chances on the night so hopefully we can get a double, or more,” he said.
WILLIAM REID STAKES
* First run in 1925 when won by The Night Patrol who also won the following year
* Upgraded to Group One status in 1987 when the Rick HoreLacy-trained Canny Lass won
* Manikato has an unparalleled record winning five in a row from 1979 to 1983
* Other multiple winners: Flying Halo (1952-53 and 1955); Heros (1934-35), Golden Doubles (195758), All Shot (1973-74); Apache Cat (2008-09).
MELBOURNE - Internationally renowned jockey Robbie Fradd will get his best chance yet to land an elusive first winner in Melbourne when he rides Index
Linked in the Mornington Cup.
A Hong Kong premiership winner in 2000-01, the South
African-born Fradd rode in Queensland for a year before deciding to relocate to Victoria earlier this month.
He said he had long been keen to test himself in Melbourne and in hindsight wished he had gone straight there from
Johannesburg, rather than via Brisbane.
“It will probably take me two months to find my feet and I just need to get that monkey off my back by riding a winner,” Fradd said.
“We’ve just got to ride out
these storms when we’re down as it eventually always turns.
“You’ve just got to make it count when you get a chance.”
Fradd’s introduction t o Melbourne racing hit a hurdle when he incurred an 11 meeting suspension.
BRISBANE: Gold Coast trainer Helen Page has had a change of heart and will run Doncaster Mile hopeful Rudy at Rosehill on Saturday despite his outside draw and top weight. Page had planned to give Rudy just two runs into the Doncaster via the Liverpool City Cup and last month’s Ajax Stakes.
However, she now feels Rudy will benefit from running in Saturday’s Doncaster Prelude (1500m) at Rosehill to be at his top for The Championships.
“I might have been a bit soft on him after his good second first-up in the Liverpool City Cup,” Page said.
“The race was over 1300 metres and I didn’t want to flatten him. But he might have got away from us a bit and put on a bit of weight.
“He has really thrived down in Sydney.”
Page said she wasn’t concerned by Rudy’s wide barrier draw on
Saturday, nor his 58kg handicap.
“But what does have me worried is the pace of the race. There was no pace in the Ajax Stakes and Rudy got posted on a limb,” Page said.
“He had no chance of winning the way the race was run.
“So we really do want some pace in the race this Saturday. It means we can ride him back and let him run home.”
Rudy earned a ballot exemption for the Doncaster Mile when he won the Villiers Stakes in December.
Page remains convinced her charge will be competitive in Saturday week’s $3 million contest for which he is a $26 chance.
“Saturday should top him off very well and we have thought all along he is a Group One horse who gets into the Doncaster with 50 kilograms,” she said.
A field of 10 has accepted for the Doncaster Prelude.
BRISBANE: The prospect of a wet track has trainer Paul Nolan convinced Secret Garden can break the longest winning drought of her career on Saturday.
Secret Garden is headed for stud later this year and Nolan is determined she will go out with at least one more win.
The Stromberg Carlson mare has won seven races but the last of them came at Doomben in December 2013. However, Secret Garden has rarely been far away from the winner in her 16 runs since. Nolan said Secret Garden deserved to win another race and the Brazilian Beauty Handicap (2200m) could be it. Doomben has been rated in the soft
classification this week and more rain is forecast.
Nolan believes the conditions will be ideal for Secret Garden.
“She has been great for us and won nearly $250,000. But let’s be frank she isn’t getting any younger at rising seven years,” he said.
“Her feet are pretty good but she really needs a soft track. What I have liked about her is that she has been trying in her races.”
Nolan said Secret Garden had been looking for 2400m but the 2200m on Saturday would be perfect on a rain-affected track.
Apprentice Matt McGuren takes over from senior rider Michael Cahill.
SYDNEY: Tye Angland will become the eighth jockey in nine Australian starts to ride Thunder Lady but the filly’s trainer expects the rider’s Rosehill booking to coincide with a return to form. Winner of the Wakeful Stakes and runner-up to Set Square in the VRC Oaks during the Melbourne spring carnival, Thunder Lady was supposed to have been ridden by James McDonald in the Group One Vinery Stakes on Saturday.
But Thunder Lady’s owners gave McDonald a release to ride First Seal, nomimal favourite for the 2000m race.
In the absence of McDonald, trainer John Sargent turned to Thunder Lady’s Wakeful-winning jockey only to learn Blake Shinn would be riding for family when he takes the mount on Fenway for Lee and Shannon Hope.
Angland rode Thunder Lady in a piece of work at Randwick on Tuesday and Sargent said the filly continued to improve in a campaign aimed at the ATC Australian Oaks.
“The way she is working she is
BRISBANE - The presence of the Kris Lees-trained Hera in the Girls On Track Final at Doomben on Saturday is welcome news for rival trainer Noel Doyle Doyle will start Aimee in the $100,000 race with the filly to carry 54kg. Weights would have been raised four kilograms if Hera did not accept and Doyle was relieved to see Aimee remain on the minimum handicap.
“That is really good news about Hera. It means we get in on the minimum from barrier four and there will be no excuses,” Doyle said.
due for a change of luck.
“She was never on the track first up, ran into an absolute bog track second up and then third up her jockey Jason Taylor dropped the whip on the home turn,” Doyle said.
Taylor reunites with Aimee at Doomben and is rapt to have retained the mount.
“It was a great run (last start) because we came from a wide alley and the winner ran 1:08.63, so when everything is added up it was a mighty run,” Taylor said.
certain starter and is also among acceptances for the Group Two Emancipation Stakes at Rosehill on the same day.
Jamie Lovett, representing owners the Australian Bloodstock Syndicate, said they would decide in the next 24 hours whether Hera would run in Sydney or Brisbane.
“We are looking for a soft track and there is a prediction for rain in Brisbane on Friday and Saturday,” Lovett said.
“But we will have to make up our mind on Wednesday night.”
coming together well and she’ll be at her peak from Saturday onwards,” Sargent said.
“You’d expect a nice run on Saturday, see her hitting the line and be bang on for the Oaks.”
Thunder Lady ran on from last to finish fifth in the Keith F Nolan Classic at Kembla Grange and she will meet the three placegetters - Slightly Sweet, Wine Tales and Heavens Above - better at the weights.
Sargent has also entered Gust Of Wind, a winner at Scone and Hawkesbury at her past two starts, but she is likely to be reserved for the Adrian Knox Stakes at Randwick on Saturday week.
In lightly raced Omeros, Sargent will know if he has an ATC Australian Derby horse after the Tulloch Stakes.
Omeros has been to the races twice but he won like a stayer of the future when stepped up to 1600m at Wyong.
“He’s coming to the city and it’s a big step up but you’ve got to push them to see if they are up to it,” Sargent said.
Aimee was a last-start fifth to Rocket To Glory in the Gold Coast Stakes, beaten less than threequarters of a length.
Doyle says the three-year-old is
Aimee’s five wins include the 2014 Group Three Ken Russell Memorial and Doyle is confident she can be competitive in the fillies and mares stakes races during the upcoming Brisbane winter carnival.
While Hera has been paid up for the Doomben race she is not a
The Girls On Track series is a new Racing Queensland venture targeted at promoting fillies and mares racing.
It also aims to promote women in racing and carries a $5000 bonus for the leading female jockey and trainer at the end of the series.
BRISBANE - Impressive galloper
Craftiness is set to continue a successful formula for Warwick Farm trainer Joe Pride at Doomben on Saturday.
Pride is an occasional Brisbane visitor away from the winter carnival but he has used those trips as a perfect resource to judge a horse’s ability.
His galloper Tiger Tees won the Falvelon Stakes in Brisbane before going on to win the Group One Galaxy Stakes last year.
Another of his horses Diamond Oasis ran second at Doomben before winning his next three starts at Warwick Farm, Moonee Valley and Canberra.
Pride has high hopes for Craftiness who has won five of his six race starts and was second at the other.
Craftiness has drawn the ideal barrier two in the Last Stand Open (1050m) at Doomben on Saturday.
At this stage Craftiness will be having only the one Brisbane run before returning to Sydney for the Hall Mark Stakes at Randwick on April 18.
However, Pride is aiming Craftiness at some of the better sprints during the winter carnival including the $2 million Group One Stradbroke Handicap. “Craftiness has won a trial leading into this race and I am testing the water with him for the Brisbane winter carnival,” Pride said.
“It really will be a good test because the northern rivers horse (Lucky Meteor) looks smart and there are a couple of other tough Brisbane sprinters in the race,” Pride said.
Meanwhile, boom Sydney apprentice Winona Costin will ride one of Craftiness’ main rivals in Newcastle sprinter Senta De Noche.
Costin, who can claim 2kg in the metropolitan area, has ridden 28 metropolitan winners in Sydney this season.
She has picked up six rides at Doomben on Saturday and will ride more in the north while the senior jockeys take centre stage in the Sydney carnival.
Meanwhile, former leading Brisbane apprentice Aidan Holt makes his return to metropolitan racing on likely favourite Sir Moments in the Canadian Club Open (1350m).
Holt quit riding in June last year and his weight bloomed to 70kg before he decided to make a comeback after Christmas.
MELBOURNE - Big Memory can confirm he is on target for a rich race in Sydney as he also tries to lock in a Caulfield Cup start when he runs at Mornington.
The Mornington Cup has been in trainer Tony McEvoy’s plans for Big Memory all campaign, with the $1.6 million Group One Sydney
Cup on April 11 a goal.
Big Memory is one of 26 nominations for Saturday’s Mornington Cup, a $350,000 race which carries with it a ballot exemption into the 2015 Caulfield Cup for the winner.
The stayer was beaten less than three lengths when 10th in last year’s Caulfield Cup after winning his way into the race in the
Herbert Power Stakes. He missed a Melbourne Cup start by one place in the ballot.
McEvoy acknowledged it was a chance for Big Memory to shore up a Caulfield Cup place if he won on Saturday and said the race fitted in well with the horse’s program.
“I wanted to go through the Melbourne program which I
thought suited him better to get to the Sydney Cup,” McEvoy said.
“The Sydney Cup has been his goal all the way along and the Mornington Cup route was the best one I thought for him.”
Big Memory was a close fourth in the Carlyon Stakes first-up before his third to Index Linked and Extra Zero with 60kg in the Mornington
Cup Prelude. He was beaten more than seven lengths in the Australian Cup last start after settling back in the field. “His first two runs were fantastic and I was disappointed with his last start,” McEvoy said.
McEvoy watched Big Memory work on Tuesday with Zahra in the saddle.
NOT enough is being done to prevent people leaving the UK to join Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, a group of MPs has warned.
Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said Britain must win their “hearts and minds”.
The committee’s report comes as the BBC launches a database tracking British jihadists in Syria and Iraq.
It shows that many people left in clusters from certain UK areas - often due to friendships and peer groups.
The MPs’ report argued that preventative work with com-
munities, families and international partners was “vital” and needs to be a top priority for the Home Office.
‘Relentless battle’
“The number of cases being brought to public attention should ring alarm bells,” said Labour MP Mr Vaz.
“This must be a relentless battle for hearts and minds, and without a strong counternarrative we are in danger of failing to prevent even more departures. We are at the edge of a cliff.”
The BBC has been tracking the stories of the men, women, boys and girls who
have gone to Syria and Iraq to understand why they go, where they go from and what happens to them.
By analysing around 160 profiles, it reveals the way in which people have travelled in clusters - a group of three young friends from Coventry, another group from Portsmouth, drawn out by one person they knew, others in Cardiff linked to people involved in an extremist organisation. Social media might play a part but face-toface contact appears just as, if not more, important, according to the database. -BBC
ONE of the two pilots of the crashed Germanwings flight was locked out of the cockpit before the plane slammed into the French Alps killing 150 people, a source close to the investigation says. Cockpit recordings recovered from the crash site indicated one of the seats was pushed back and the door opened and closed, followed by the sound of knocking, the source said, adding “there was no more conversation from that point until the crash”.
The source said an alarm indicating the proximity of the ground could be heard before the impact.
The recording included the pilots speaking normally and in German at the start of flight 4U9525.
The source could not say if it was the captain or the first officer who had left the cockpit.
Earlier, the New York Times reported an unnamed investigator who had heard the recording as saying officials did not know why one of the pilots left the cockpit.
“But what is sure is that at the very end of the flight, the other pilot is alone and does not open the door,” the investigator said.
The Airbus A320 began a sudden and fatal eightminute descent shortly after reaching cruising altitude.
No distress signal was sent and the crew failed to respond to desperate attempts at contact from ground control.
All 150 people on board the airliner were killed, including Melbourne nurse Carol Friday, 68, and her 29-year-old son Greig. -ABC news
AT least four people have been killed and 19 injured after a passenger bus hit a landmine in eastern Ukraine, local officials say.
They say the accident happened as the vehicle tried to bypass a checkpoint near Artemivsk, the government-held town in the Donetsk region.
The bus was travelling from Artemivsk to the city of Horlivka, which is being held by pro-Russian rebels.
The rebels seized large parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in April.
“Initial reports say the driver took the decision to bypass the checkpoint and move on a dirt road,” said Vyacheslav Abroskin, the regional head of Ukraine’s interior ministry.
“As he was driving through the field, the rear wheel ran over a mine,” he added. -BBC news
SAUDI Arabia has launched a military operation in Yemen to defend the government of president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, the Saudi envoy to the United States says.
A resident and official in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, said warplanes had attacked the city’s airport and the Al Dulaimi military airbase.
At least 13 civilians were killed in the air strikes, a civil defence source said.
“Thirteen civilians, including women and children, were killed in the Saudi raids overnight,” the source told news agency AFP.
Witnesses said residents were helping civil defence officials to search for more victims under the rubble of seven houses damaged in the raids.
The Houthi-run al-Masirah satellite TV channel urged medical personnel to urgently report to hospitals in the capital.
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, Adel al-Jubeir, announced the operation and said 10 countries,
including Gulf Arab states, would be involved.
The move came after a rebel attack on the southern city of Aden, where the country’s president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi had taken shelter.
Hadi loyalists, however, said they had retaken Aden airport on Thursday after heavy clashes with forces allied to Houthi fighters, a local official said.
Mr Hadi’s men lost control of the southern city’s airport on Wednesday to troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, an ally of the Houthis.
Mr Jubeir said Houthi militia forces were in control of Yemen’s air force and ballistic weapons.
“The operation is to defend the legitimate government,” he told reporters in Washington.
The White House said the United States would coordinate closely with Saudi Arabia and regional allies in their campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
-ABC news
ROCKET and mortar attacks by Palestinian militant groups during last summer’s conflict in Gaza amounted to war crimes, Amnesty International says.
Militants displayed a “flagrant disregard” for the lives of civilians during the 50-day war, a report found.
Six civilians in Israel and 13 Palestinians are believed to have been killed as a result of such attacks.
Hamas, which dominates Gaza, said Amnesty’s report contained many inaccuracies and false allegations.
The conflict left a total of at least 2,189 Palestinians dead, including more than 1,486 civilians, according to the UN. On the Israeli side, 67 soldiers were killed along with the six civilians.
According to UN data, more than 4,800 rockets and 1,700 mortars were fired from Gaza towards Israel
THE US has begun air strikes against Islamic State militants in the Iraqi city of Tikrit, the United States military has confirmed.
The order followed a request from Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi for assistance, after an Iranian-backed ground offensive in the city stalled. “These strikes are intended to destroy [IS] strongholds with precision,” said US Lt-Gen James Terry.
Until now, Washington has had no involvement in the operation in Tikrit.
Gen Terry, who is the commanding general of the USled Operation Inherent Resolve, said the strikes would “minimise collateral damage to infrastructure”.
between 8 July and 26 August. Around 224 projectiles are believed to have struck Israeli residential areas.
Amnesty said that all the rockets used by Hamas and other militant groups, some of which have ranges of up to 160km (100 miles), were unguided projectiles which could not be accurately directed at specific targets and were “inherently indiscriminate”.
-BBC news
The Iraqi ground offensive also resumed on Wednesday, targeting IS positions. The renewed efforts would be supported by the coalition, the US military statement said.
It said the aim was to dislodge IS from Tikrit, which is encircled by Iraqi forces, “once again placing the town under the government of Iraq control”.
A reporter with the Associated Press in Tikrit reported hearing warplanes overhead on Wednesday night, followed by multiple explosions.
-BBC news
Complete the grid so that every row, column and 2x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 6 inclusive
ACROSS 1 Showily splendid 5 Dancers shoes 8 Heavenly body 10 Spring back 13 Cricket team 15 Uncompounded 16 Require 17 Venerate 20 Cosy retreats 22 Withdraw 23 Resting place 24 Worn away 27 Press firmly 30 Old ewes 31 Wander 32 Clergymen 34 Raid for booty 36 Glistens 37 Pancake 38 Hackneyed 39 Nullify DOWN 2 Stagger 3 Vivacity 4 Happening 5 Young hen 6 Employ 7 Sanity 9 Approached 10 Check
Solution No. 10876 P R A P I E R S H I R E D M E M I T S N C O M P O S E A E A G E R V I R A G O F D E S P I S E D B P O L E S A N T D E E A R I D A P E D E N S G E M A R E M E R G E A I N T E R I O R E N O T I O N D I A N A R C L A S H E D D C A M E L K S E V E R L S T I L T S R
1 10 15 20 30 34 38
2 21 24
11 16 25
3 35 37
12 26 32
4 8 23
22
9 13 17 31 36 39
5 27
6 18
14 28
19 33
7 29
ARIES TAURUS VIRGO SCORPIO SAGITTARIUS CAPRICORN AQUARIUS PISCES
March 20 - April 19
Eclipses are about the unexpected. And because the one that takes place in a week’s time, on 4 April, accents close relationships, changes in the lives of others are likely to influence yours. While they’ll be welcome, they’ll still be a surprise, enough you’ll want to ensure plans are flexible.
April 20 - May 19
It’s not that others aren’t trustworthy, as much as they’re unable to speak frankly. Consequently, discussions about ongoing arrangements or future plans may not be as straightforward as you’d hoped. Still, these are progress. What you’ll want to bear in mind is this is only one stage in organising future plans.
May 21 - June 20
In mid-March your ruler Mercury moved into the midheaven angle of your chart, which accents how you live, work and the plans you make. Since then you’ve done exactly that, organised elements of your life, now and for the future. Aim to have this dealt with by the 31st, when Mercury moves on.
June 21 - July 21
During periods of rapid change and growth, such as this is, things can get untidy. It’s like when you move from one home to another. While the outcome is exciting, the process creates considerable confusion and dust. But, also, you know it’s worthwhile. It’s the same with what’s going on now.
July 22 - August 22
One of your greatest strengths is that, even in the face of substantial challenges, you don’t give up. Yet in one particular situation, that’s exactly what you need to do. You’re so determined to overcome the odds that you’ve neglected to consider the result. What you’d get simply isn’t worth it.
August 23 - September 22
It’s not that you’ve been deceptive. It’s that you’ve sidestepped contentious issues because airing them now would only cause confusion and upset. Unfortunately, this is being misinterpreted by somebody who’s rather enjoys creating dramas. Knowing that, create some of your own, by telling them to mind their own business.
September 23 - October 22
Waste no time worrying about whether the measures you’re being forced to take to deal with one particular difficulty will cause problems with certain individuals. They may say they’re annoyed. But if you think back, you’ll recognise this is their reaction to most decisions, no matter who’s behind them.
October 23 - November 22
When there are persistent tensions, at home or in more worldly matters, issues you’re unable to resolve, you tend to become obsessive. You reflect on dozens of options. But, bizarrely, you rarely ask others for their views. Try it now. Certain individuals will give you the missing piece of the puzzle.
November 23 - December 22
Most Sagittarians have a ‘live and let live’ philosophy. Others can say, and even do, what they want as long as they don’t harm anybody else. Yet one particular individual is talented at making you angry in a way nobody else does. Pay close attention. You’ve something to learn from this.
December 21 - January 19
The concept of a guarantee is very appealing, especially to you, as a Capricorn and somebody who likes to know what you’re dealing with. However, with the foundation of plans and your own priorities changing, your thinking is too, so much the guarantees you’d once have sought no longer matter.
January 20 - February 17
Hopefully by now you’ve realised you’re in a cycle that is more about spontaneity than it is about planning ahead. While you must organise elements of your life, the more flexible the actual arrangements and, more important, your attitude towards them, the better advantage you’ll take of this remarkable period.
11 Plies the needle 12 Camera part 14 Turn away 18 Abusing 19 20 quires 21 Water pitcher 22 Colour 23 Compared with 25 Bellow 26 Affectedly modest 27 Bludgeon 28 Prayer ending 29 Go by 30 Heavenly body 31 Got up 33 Repose 35 Perform Eating Healthy Helps keep the doctor at bay Watch what you eat! A POST-COURIER COMMUNITY SERVICE ANNOUCENMENT
Somebody seems to be trying to interfere in your life. That’s bad enough, but they’re doing it in a manner so secretive that you couldn’t possibly say anything, much less confront them. The best approach, therefore, is to pretend they don’t exist. Bizarrely, this will break any links and their power over you.
MAL Meninga ‘Big Mal’ broke numerous rugby league records during his playing career. He retired with the most appearances in the history of the Australian national team, and became the top-point scorer ever in State of Origin football.
Meninga has since been honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia, has been inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame and has also been named at centre in both Queensland’s and Australia’s rugby league teams of the century.
Big Mal captained Australia for 23 Test matches between 1990 and 1994, and captained the Queensland State of Origin team for three years from 1992 to 1994. He remains the only player to captain a Kangaroo Tour on two occasions in 1990 and 1994.
I’d watch in awe as Mal pulverised the opposing defensive line with his bone-crunching runs.
From the safety of my spot six or seven metres away from the action, I felt grateful that I didn’t have to tackle him because his giant thighs were lethal weapons.
Meninga made a successful debut as the Maroons coach in the 2006 State of Origin series, guiding Queensland to a 2–1 series victory, its first outright series victory since 2001 (this despite the fact Queensland lost the first match).
In 2010, Meninga coached Queensland to a record 5th straight series win, and is now regarded as one of the greatest and most successful Origin coaches in history.
He also coached them to their first “Clean Sweep” since 1995. Mal is currently the coach for the PNG 9’s team in the Pacific Games.
2014 will go truly down in history for us as a nation in sports.
From our local competitions to National Competitions, the PNG National Games in Lae, our SP Hunters Inaugural Intrust Super Cup Rugby League Season, our Barramundis triumphs, Our Mosquitoes World cup glory in Melbourne, right to Dika Toua and Steven Kari’s Gold hauls at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, what more can you ask for in sporting achievement.
Furthermore, In the lead up to the 2015 Pacific Games, 2014 was the year that we as a Government and a Nation was going to either make it or break it, in terms of standing our Games Venues Structures up, our overall preparations, and our commitment to deliver.
I am proud to say that we will be ready in less than 100 days. This occasion of the 28th SP Sports Awards is a special one, especially on the eve of us playing host to our Pacific neighbours in less than 100 days. We recognise the achievements of our sportsmen and
women, our officials and our stakeholders, and we heartily envisage what these achievements will come to when competition starts between July 4 and 18. Congratulations to Stan Joyce and SP Brewery for their commitment to these Awards over 28 years. Thank you.
I also thank and congratulate the key partners in making this event such a success, the PNG Olympic Committee and the PNG Sports Foundation.
And to all Support Sponsors of this occasion, Westpac, EMTV, FM100, Post Courier, Air Niugini. Crowne Plaza, CPL, Theodist, Graffiti Signs, and Deloitte, Thank you. Additionally I thank the Corporate Entities and Individuals who stand behind our athletes and teams financially and in kind, in their chase of their dreams. Finally, I take my hat off to every single athlete and official out on the playing field, on the tracks or under the bars in the gym. I know it takes that extra commitment and effort to bring out the best that you can be and I envy you all.
To those finalists in each category, Congratulations, I wish all the very best of luck.
THE glitz and glamour of the SP Sport Awards will be on display tomorrow evening at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Port Moresby.
The whose who of the sporting fraternity in the country will attend the event to find out who will walk away with the coveted prize of Female and Male Athlete of the year and team of the year awards.
Here are the nominees of the 2015 SP Sports Awards:
SPORTS PHOTO OF THE YEAR
This category recognises the best photo of the past year which has captured the essence of the sport in a certain sporting moment.
Greg Campbell-Lega Siaka scoring PNG’s first ever ODI century
Antonia Singut-Noel Zemming’s determination, focus and concentration
Benson Upas-Race to Glory
Sports Media Award
Lorraine Genia-EMTV
Ephata Samuel-NBC
Paul Taumik Jnr-NBC
SPORTS OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR
This year will see this award presented for the first time. The finalists are:
Sue Babao-Swimming
Alu Kapa-Cricket
Frank Robby-Weightlifting
BEST SPORTS PERSON WITH A DISABILITY
Elias Larry-Para-athletics
Samantha Semeso-Special Olympics
Regina Wala-Special Olympics
JUNIOR FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Nominees in this category had to be 18 or under in 2014. The finalists are:
TOWERING Kato Ottio stands in for Tete while former Agmark Gurias flashy halfback, Ase Boas has been tasked to partner alongside the Koiari Warrior. The Hunters have dropped two rungs down from last week’s ladder but have the chance to regain supremacy as two teams, Townsville Blackhawks and Tweed Heads occupy the first and second spot respectively. The clash then at the graveyard will be a crucial match that should determine who stays up among the top six or relegates to the bottom half of the premiership table.
While David Lapua (injury) and Lawrence Tuú (6-weeks suspension) sit it out this weekend the onus remains on the trusty shoulders of Eliab, stout hooker Wartovo Puara Jr, Willie “Mack Truck” Minoga and tough nut Adam Korave to deliver the Hunters from the gallows but a surefire feature will come across the likes of Bland Abavu, Edward Goma and Esau Siune.
SP Hunters: 1. Stargroth Amean 2. Oti Bland Tony, 3. Ase Boas, 4. Kato Ottio, 5. Edward Goma 6. Israel Eliab 7. Roger Laka 8. Esau Siune 9. Wartovo Puara 10. Henry Noki 11. Willie Minoga 12. Brandy Peter 13. Adam Korave. Interchange: 14. Warren Glare 15. Atte Bina 16. Enock Maki 17. Jayjay Garrison 18. Nickson Borana 19. John Ragi. (Two to be omitted). Coach: Michael Marum.
Bea Ovia-Weightlifting
Savannah Tkatchenko-Swimming
Rosemary Tona-Taekwondo
JUNIOR MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Finalists are:
Fred Oala-Weightlifting
Kaminiel Matlaun-Athletics
Matthew Stubbings-Tennis
COMMUNITY SPORTS INITIATIVE
AWARD
Finalists for this award used sports as a means to address social issues at a community level.
FAMILY SUPPORT PORGRAMME –SPECIAL OLYMPICS
Kriket blo Olgeta-Cricket
Sabama Touch CompetitionTouch
NATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Another new award presented for the first time this year and aims to recognise the efforts of either individual or female athletes, or teams who have performed outstandingly on the domestic front.
Anthony Oaike-Boxing
Team Morobe Circket-Cricket
George Yamak-Athletics
TEAM OF THE YEAR
Hebou Barramundis-Cricket
MVIL Mosquitoes-AFL
SP Hunters-Rugby League
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Abigail Tere-Apisah-Tennis
Dika Toua-Weightlifting
Toea Wisil-Athletics
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Israel Eliab-Rugby League
Steven Kari-Weightlifting
Lega Siaka-Cricket
MANAGING DIRECTOR - MR STAN JOYCE, CSM
2015 is a big year for sports in Papua New Guinea and we are proud to bring the 23rd SP Sports Awards.
Over 60 years of our existence in the country, SP Brewery continues to put sport at the forefront with the SP Sports Awards the only event that recognises Papua New Guinea’s sporting personalities.
The theme of this year’s awards is “Our Year”, which was elaborated by the PNG Olympic Committee Secretary General Auvita Rapilla, as Our Awards, Our athletes, Our teams, Our Coaches and Our sporting heroes.
I couldn’t agree more that these are OUR AWARDS that recognises our sons, daughters, mothers and fathers for committing themselves to sport in their own communities.
Speaking of our communities, as a major producer and distributor of beer in the country, SP Brewery takes its corporate responsibility seriously to promote responsible drinking as a means to mitigate alcohol abuse and related problems.
SP Brewery has heavily invested into sport over the last 12 months with a further K4 million to the Pacific Games.
These investments were possible in an environment where SP enjoyed good sales. “If we are to continue these, we need to see an end to pointless liquor bans.
Liquor bans only serve to encourage home-brew according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and practical experience here in Papua New Guinea.”
This year’s awards have a slight variation, 12 categories are on offer with a total cash prize money of K38, 000.00. We continue to partner with the
PNG Olympic Committee and the PNG Sports Foundation in bringing you this prestigious event.
The success of any event is measured by the tireless efforts of organisations and individuals within those organisations.
Therefore I acknowledge our stakeholders that drive this event, the PNG Olympic Committee, the PNG Sports Foun-
dation and SP Brewery.
As well as our family of sponsors, with Westpac Bank the newest member who has sponsored prize money for the Junior Male Athlete and Junior Female Athlete categories.
Crowne Plaza the home of the SP Awards, our Media friends; Post-Courier for publishing the nomination forms and promoting the People’s Choice Award. EMTV for televising the Awards and FM100 for their broadcast of the Awards. Air Niugini for flying in the finalists.
Also to City Pharmacy Limited and Theodist for providing runners up prizes to finalists. To our printing partners Graffiti Signs for all the signage. Finally, to Deloitte for your valuable insight into auditing the selection process.
I congratulate all the 33 finalists and commend you for your contribution to sport. May the best of the best win.
JOHN Kokinai’s brief Athletics’ career was packed full of highlights and special performances that far surpass any of today’s distance runners in PNG.
Born 17 May 1951. Died 26 September 1992 (Aged 41 years).
John’s first time to represent his country was in the 1971 South Pacific Games in Tahiti. His chief rival was Fiji’s Usaia Sotutu, who was virtually unchallenged for many years. (Sotutu still holds the Fiji NR for the 5000m, 10000m and 3000m Steeplechase. He is the Pacific Islands’ best-ever for the Steeplechase).
Behind the Fiji master, John claimed two medals - bronze in the 5000m (15:34.8) and silver in the Steeplechase (9:31.2). It was a promising start to his international career.
By the time the 1975 South Pacific Games in Guam arrived John Kokinai had inherited the mantle of the Islands’ top distance runner.
Usaia Sotutu was past his peak, and John’s main domestic rival, Ala Loi, had retired from the sport. New Caledonia’s Alain Lazare had only just started to make his climb to the top. John reigned supreme.
The three distance races on the track all were won by John, by significant margins. He won the 5000m (15:01.02), 10000m (32:01.25) and the 3000m Steeplechase (9:29.4). In the Marathon John finished second behind Alain Lazare in 2:37:24.
With these performances John Kokinai was the toast of Guam and the outstanding track and field athlete at the Games.
The following year John joined Wavala Kali and Tau John Tokwepota to be in PNG’s first ever Olympic Games Team - Montreal 1976.
In the Games John participated in the 5000m and the Marathon.
In the course of his career John set National Records in five different events - 1500m 4:02.3
National Championships Rabaul
1972
5000m 14:43.4 National Championships Rabaul 1972, 10000m
31:34.1 Port Moresby 1971, 3000m
Steeplechase 9:25.8 Port Moresby 1971, Marathon 2:37:24, Guam 1975.
He still holds the National Records for the 5000m (43 years later) and the 3000m Steeplechase (44 years later).
On the PNG All Time Best Lists
he is still measures up very well against all those who went before and have come since. He ranks prominently in six different events - 1500m 4:02.3 ,1972 3rd 3000m 8:53.5 1975, 5th 5000m 14:43.4 1972 Current NR.
(He has the top 4 performances on the ATB Lists).
10000m 31:34.1 1975 2nd 3000m
Steeplechase 9:25.8 1971 Current NR
(He has 5 of the top 8 performances on the ATB Lists) Marathon 2:37:24 1975 5th
In addition he holds a number of PNG National Championships Titles.
1500m 1972 & 1976
5000m 1972 & 1976
10000m 1975 & 1976
3000m Steeplechase 1971 & 1975
John’s personal best time for the 5000m, 14:43.4 (current NR), would have been good enough to have won the gold medal at 22 of the 23 Pacific Games competitions held between 1963 and 2013.
His best time for the Steeplechase, 9:25.8 (current NR), would have been good enough to win the gold medal at 18 of the 23 of the Pacific Games competitions since 1963.
THE City Pharmacy Limited/Heritage Papua New Guinea Palais want deserved recognition.
Currently taking part in the annual Hong Kong Women’s Rugby Sevens at the Kings Park Sports Ground at Kowloon, Palais continue to make their presence felt in the Asia Pacific region. However it has been a long time between drinks since winning the Asia Pacific Cup in Borneo 2011, as Palais have dropped to second to third behind top guns Fiji and Samoa.
Samoa has progressed due to their attendance at more tournaments. Whilst the Fijianas, with the benefit of good funding, is ranked ninth in the world and play on the World Sevens Series circuit at six stops around the world. PNG at once stage threatened Fiji during their rise to prominence, but faded away as funding limited their progress.
Palais coach Sailosi Druma said PNG is a recognised top challenger on the world stage, but lack of funding to be consistent does not help. “The Palais are recognised by their peers, especially Joan Lagona, whenever PNG takes part in a tournament, the first name other teams asked for is whether she is playing or not,” he said.
“If Joan (Lagona) plays countries are forced to change their game plan just to contain her. She even has a cult type following at the Borneo Sevens, where we were last month, but she didn’t attend,” he added.
She is considered a world class act. “The last time we played Australia they couldn’t handle her speed and ability,” he added.
Druma said women’s rugby in PNG is moulding role models but needs to take a more professional approach.
“We are blessed with natural talent but we haven’t really yet explored the full extent of what we have in our stocks,” he added.
Druma said Palais are thankful
to sponsors City Pharmacy Limited and Heritage Niugini for their commitment to their cause.
In looking ahead, Druma said the immediate goal is the XV Pacific Games in July.
“We have developed a strong pool of players and have now exposed all of them to the international stage with Patricia Harricknen being the latest on this tour,” he said.
“Selection for positions for the final make-up will basically come down to fitness and there will be a tough criteria set for the girls to reach if they are to be considered,” Druma added.
Team manager Salote Doko chimed in to say that a lot of the young women have matured well since this program began in November and it is a testing time for them to progress to new heights.
Out of the 12 countries taking part in Hong Kong, Palais are ranked eighth, with the top four being Canada, China, Japan and the Netherlands.
Today are the play-offs.
FORGET the past, forget the reality check in Wellington…the Puma Energy PNG Pukpuk Sevens team is now fighting for self-preservation at the HSBC Hong Kong Sevens that begins today.
Despite the lack of National Government support, the Pukpuks strive on in a sport that will always hinder their chances of meeting the professional standards of the modern player.
But what they lack in finesse, the Pukpuks make up for it with their natural flair.
The faithful at Son Ko Po, Happy Valley (Hong Kong Stadium) still remember the exploits of past combatants including 1978 Player of the Tournament the late Sab Doiwa, former Chief Justice Sir Arnold Amet, late Jack Takavis,
David Tiki, late Morea Kauna, Aiem Pilokos, Able Tore and Geoffrey Homerang to name a few. There wasn’t much of pint sized Homerang but he had the biggest heart, something our Pukpuks have yet to muster to compete with the modern game.
Homerang is now living the village life at his home at Madina in New Ireland Province, with his trusty tobacco pipe in his bilum and thoughts always linger back to those days when the Pukpuks plunder the stocks in the former British colony.
Today’s Pukpuks under the helm of coach Billy Rapilla and assistant Douglas Guise now have a colossal task to change the tide this weekend.
It will be a tough ask considering PNG’s spiralling form over the past decade, but with a renewed challenge from Minister for Sports Justin Tkatchenko to prove why
the National Government should up the ante on supporting them as they do to rugby league, there is a glimmer of hope.
The Pukpuks are amongst 12 non-core countries in the 28 team tournament that are competing for one spot that will be available after this weekend to join the core group of countries competing on the HSBC World Sevens Series circuit.
The other countries that PNG is competing with are Russia, South Korea, Tunisia, Spain, Zimbabwe, Guyana, Hong Kong, Uruguay, Brazil, Mexico and fellow FORU member Tonga.
The HSBC World Sevens Series circuit is for an exclusive group that compete over a six month period at nine tournaments.
The tournament in Hong Kong will be used as a qualifier for one slot that will be available for the 2015-16 season.
SP P PNG H Hunnters r s skiipp
The injuries to the Hunters experienced and noted game breakers in Thompson Tete and Adex Wera paves the way for new guns, Jayjay Garrison, Nickson Borana and John Ragi in coach Michael Marum’s 19 men (two to be omitted) team against the Tweed Head Seagulls at the Kalabond Stadium this Sunday in Kokopo.
Eliab said that the 14-8 loss last week to the East Tigers is a push in the right direction when they face the Seagulls.
“The 14-8 loss has shown the new players in the team what it’s like to lose and what to expect. It was a let down on one hand but it was also good on the other as the new players in the team were able to feel what a loss felt in the com-
to work on that despite the slippery conditions last week.
“We have beaten the Seagulls once and we are ready for them but we have to be careful because the Seagulls know our strength and weaknesses and we are expecting a good match,”added Eliab.
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