US$239m loan for roads, air services in Papua New Guinea

The National, Wednesday February 26th, 2014

Treasury Minister Don Polye and ADB country director Marcelo Minc signed the agreements yesterday in Port Moresby.

Treasurer Don Polye, MP

The second tranche of the Highlands Roads Improvement Programme will cost US$109 million. It will be carried out by the Works Department. The Civil Aviation Development Investment Programme (CADIP) costing US$130 million will be undertaken by the National Airports Corporation. 

“The road programme approved in 2008 is a US$750 million plan that aims to make transport more safe and accessible by connecting rural roads to main roads and making provision for public transport,” Minc said.

“Under the first tranche, 115km of roads are being rehabilitated between Laiagam-Porgera (65km) and Mendi-Kandep (50km) using four locally-owned construction firms employing more than 500 nationals and providing improved market access and income earning opportunities for the people of Enga and Southern Highlands.” 

Enga to get new K322m hospital

By Benny Geteng
Post-Courier, 28th Feb 2014

Enga province will soon benefit from a new general hospital that will be constructed at the tune of K322 million, approved by the National Government.

This was revealed by Enga Governor Peter Ipatas yesterday in Port Moresby. Construction for of the hospital will begin at the end of this year as soon as all the negotiations for tendering and awarding contracts are completed. "The first K22 million that was appropriated by the national Government was used for securing the piece of land and ground works for the hospital to be situated on.

The land secured is about 34 hectares. Mr Ipatas said the remaining funds will be used to cover the expense of a new medical school, staff housing and quarters and hospital facilities. "Since the Government is giving us a lot of money, the hospital will be built to cater for national interests as well," Mr Ipatas said.

"Therefore, we are embarking on creating the second medical school in the country apart from the Taurama campus of the University of Papua New Guinea." Mr Ipatas also announced that the Enga Provincial Government had acquired what was once the Sopas Nursing College and has transformed it into the Enga College of Nursing.

The 'Father of Free Education' plans to have own Airline service and pilot training school for his province

Enga Governor Hon Grand Chief Peter Ipatas’s (widely known as 'Father of Free Education' or 'Action Governor') plans to set up the province’s own airline service and pilot training school may soon be realised. 

His provincial government has finalised a tie-up with non-governmental organisation (NGO) groups to set up an airline to be called Miok Air.

Ipatas revealed this after the completion of a feasibility study by two senior aircraft pilots from Enga – Capt Mark Nea of Cathay Pacific Airlines and former Capt Tedd Paki of Emirates Airlines. 

Ipatas said he had concluded negotiations with a local humanitarian organisation PNG Tribal Foundation to assist in setting up the company and carry out the project in partnership with specific NGO groups from the United States. 

He said the main aim of the company, which would trade as Miok Air, would provide normal air services in the province and facilitate an aviation pilot training school out of Wapenamanda airport. “The PNG Tribal Foundation would assist us in facilitating the company’s flight service and the pilot training programmes,” Ipatas said.

The Champion of the Papua New Guineas Indigenous Lands Rights Peter Donigi passes on

By John Endemongo KUA

All good things come to an end, and as such, the life of an outstanding scholar and gentleman, had come to pass in the morning hours of the 31st January 2014, here in Port Moresby.

The late Donigi and myself, did not see eye to eye on many national issues of importance to the nation not because of the principles behind the issues, and nor did we allow each other the opportunity to discuss or debate issues of importance to the state or international concerns, simply because he was a Sepik and I a Chimbu, and we were rallying, behind the powerful men of post independence politics, with him standing stoically behind Somare as a kinsman and myself behind Okuk. 

For the better or worse, most political cadres were consumed in this shallow and empty game of cloak and dagger political manoeuvres, that destabilised the national progress in many respects to the detriment of this nation state.

Despite the hostile environment of ethnic and regional divide, reason prevailed in men of valour, such as Peter Donigi, who was an astute scholar in law and sociology, and was the chief advisor to the longest serving prime minister, in Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare. 
I found a deeply, rooted alliance, with him, where in, he was able to premise the greatest legal blunder, crafted by the Caucasian race of European, who had frolicked the vast oceans for new lands and territories, which they annexed with force of their own self serving inequitable laws that nullified the interests of the indigenous people who were natives of the land. 

Enga Teachers College and Telefomin District signed corporate sponsorship deal for students

Post-Courier, 21 February 2014

At least 10 students from Telifomin in Sandaun Province will undertake primary school teacher training annually at the Enga Teachers College.

This follows a corporate sponsorship arrangement which was entered between Enga Provincial Government and Telifomin MP Solan Mirisim.

ETC principal Michael Homingu said under the arrangement, Mirisim would meet the necessary costs of the student’s study programs including tuition, boarding and lodging, fortnightly allowances and airfares.

Mr Homongu, who described the arrangement as an “extra ordinary” said the MP (Mr Mirisim) had brought the students in person to enroll two weeks ago. “This corporate sponsorship arrangement is an extra-ordinary undertaking as such commitment and initiative by leaders are not popular as far as I understand,” he said. The MP praised the Hon Ipatas for taking human resource development in his province as a top priority for almost 2 decades. Hon

The new Enga Teachers College

Mirisin, who also brought his own children to enroll at the Highlands Lutheran International School (in Enga), said the initiative was aimed at addressing teacher shortage which he said was affecting primary school student enrollment in his electorate. 

“It is part and parcel of my long term human resource development plan to increase student enrollment in my electorate,” he said. Mirisim said he had chosen Enga Teachers College because of the province’s successful human resource development policy under the leadership of Governor Peter Ipatas. Mr Ipatas said the MP had made the right decision to choose ETC to train teachers as his government was willing to work with leaders and organizations that were interested in enrolling students under such arrangements in the tertiary learning institutions in his province.

“Honourable Mirisim has made a right move to bring his students to Enga as my government is willing to assist such initiatives,” he said. The ETC had its second batch of graduation last year with 121 students since its establishment in 2010.
The college is currently enrolling more than 90 per cent of the students from within Enga while its boarding facilities are still under construction. Mr Homingu said the ETC would enroll students from around the country in 2016.

Papua New Guinea Parliament passes vital legislations

By Isaac Nicholas
Post-Courier, 20th Feb 2014

Members of Parliament had a busy day in the office yesterday sitting through lunch hour to deal with more than 12 legislations that came before the House.

The Opposition, which has been advocating on corruption issues in the country, were not in the House to give Prime Minister Peter O’Neill the support to pass the Independent Commission Against Corruption Bill.

The lone opposition MP and Madang Governor Jim Kas supported all the government amendment legislations that went before Parliament.
The Prime Minister introduced the ICAC Bill and the District Authorities Bill that got the support of the 91 members present in the House.

Public Service Minister Sir Puka Temu than introduced amendments to the Provincial and Local Level Governments legislations, in consequential amendments that sets the foundation for the public service under the new District Development Authority.
Sir Puka also presented the Appointment of Certain Officers legislations that will effectively cut off the Public

Sometimes its great to be with these wonderful people back in the village were i was brought up. Thank God for these great people.

Facebook turns 10: Ten things that made its first 10 years

Post-Courier, 3rd February, 2014

LIKE it or not, the world's most famous social network is about to mark its first decade. The creation of Facebook is muddied by claim and counterclaim, as anyone who has seen the movie The Social Network knows.

Mark Zuckerberg, 28, Founder of Facebook 

But it's accepted that Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook on February 4, 2004, with Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes and Eduardo Saverin.

Not that it was Facebook then. For the first 18 months, the social network that grew out of America's Ivy League colleges was called The Facebook. According to folklore, and the movie, it was Napster founder Sean Parker who talked Zuckerberg into ditching the 'The'.
To mark the birthday, here are the 10 things that made Facebook's first 10 years.

1. History: Before creating a social network built on the desire to stay friends with people, Mark Zuckerberg's first attempt at getting social wasn't so friendly. In October 2003, he created Facesmash.com in which he used photographs of Harvard students and presented them in pairs with the question "hot or not". 
He was forced to shut the site down after a few days when Harvard students complained they didn't like the site at all. He was also sued by the Winklevoss twins who claimed Zuckerberg stole their ConnectU idea to create Facebook.

PNG’s toughest opposition leader puts O’Neil regime under close scrutiny

Belden Namah (Left) & Peter O'Neil (Right)

By Joe WASIA

The massive K71.8m walked out of the finance and treasury departments and no one (including Members of Parliament) knew or had the guts to say anything about it. It was truly a blatant abuse and official corruption at best.

The money was allegedly paid to a law firm, Paul Paraka Lawyers, with the aid of the Prime Minister Peter O’Neil, Finance Minister James Marape, Treasure Don Polye and the officers from their departments.

The issue was not known to other MPs, bureaucrats and Papua New Guineans until a copy of the alleged letter from the Prime Minister Peter O’Neil somehow reached the Opposition leader Belden Namah and his minority group in Parliament. Mr Namah then lodged an official complain with the police for an urgent 

PNG former Finance Secretary Steven Gibson on K10,000 bail

Former Finance Secretary Steven Gibson appeared yesterday at the Waigani committal court on fraud-related charges.

Gibson (inserted), 54, from Nihon village, Lorengau, Manus was released on a K10,000 bail and will reappear for mention on April 24. Gibson’s bail condition states that he is not to interfere with State witnesses.

Gibson was charged with three counts of misappropriation, three counts of official corruption and three counts of conspiracy to defraud. It was in relation to public funds paid out to a law firm in Port Moresby.
Gibson was Finance Secretary from 2011 to 2013 when the offences were allegedly committed.

Magistrate Lawrence Kangwia told Gibson that the role of the committal court was to only screen the evidence presented by State prosecutors, and not to determine if a person was guilty or innocent.
Kangwia said if the Committal Court found that there was enough evidence against him, the case would be referred to the National Court.

The Investigation Task Force Sweep, which investigated the case, alleges that the payments by Gibson to the law firm were illegal.

Source: The National 23, 2014