Fire Guts Papindo in Ramu

The only supermaket that serves the people of Ramu in Madang Province was gutted down by fire on Thursday afternoon (28th May 2011). The value of the loss has not been established.

Picture: Sharon Onsa-Popple; Courtesy of Post courier

By Sharon Onsa-Pople, Post Courier

THE only major supermarket in the Ramu Valley that serves the 6000 people of Ramu Agri-Industries Ltd (RAIL) estate and its local communities went up in flames yesterday at about 3pm.
The fire started at the warehouse section of the shop and quickly spread through the entire building with looters taking advantage and breaking in a stealing whatever they could lay their hands on. The store is owned by the Papindo Group of Companies.
Papindo, who has been one of the major service providers in retail and wholesale goods, has been a part of the Ramu community in Gusap for many years and the community were yesterday left wondering how they could access goods and supplies.
A RAIL employee said in Tok Pisin: “Displa store em olsem garden blong mipla. Na nau em paia na bai mipela i go kisim ol kaikai long we gen? Kainantu na Lae em ol longwei, na nau bai mipla painim moni gen long baim PMV long go long bikpla supermarket.” (This store is like our garden. Now that its burnt down, where will we get our food? Kainantu and Lae are too far and we have to find money to pay for PMV and go shopping there.”)
Papindo Ramu Supermarket manager, Richard Aung was lost for words when approached. Mr Aung said he was sad the supermarket which provides for the community had burnt down and that his 50 employee’s would not be able to go to work due to the fire.
He said, he was lost for words in losing this supermarket that has also become a part of the community and a meeting place for everyone in Ramu.
He said, he would wait for instructions from Papindo head office in Lae to give more details.
Looters managed to get into the side of the building and made off with whatever they could get their hands on.
They didn’t seem to worry about the risk of getting burnt.
The value of the loss has not as been established.

Crop diseases hit Madang

Source: 

The National , Monday, May 30, 2011

THE cocoa pod borer and the Bogia coconut syndrome have struck Madang, threatening efforts by the Kokonas Industri Koporesen (KIK) and the Cocoa and Coconut Institute (CCI) for the province to be the leading cocoa and coconut exporters.
KIK and CCI chairman Sir Makena Geno last week told of the re-emergence of the diseases on Karkar and the other five districts.
Sir Makena was in the province for the launch of the cocoa coconut improvement project and the presentation of five sawmills to five vocational schools – Karkar, Danip,Talidik, Ramu and Simbai.
He said the two diseases would be destructive if serious networking between educational institutions, business houses, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations and stakeholders did not exist.
Extending an invitation for these bodies to join in the fight, Sir Arnold Amet gave
K1.32 million for the provision of 2,000,000 cocoa trees and 100,000 coconut trees to be provided by CCI and KIK under a memorandum of agreement signed that day.
Sir Makeno, in accepting the K500,000 cheque for seedlings and nursery materials to be provided with technical expertise for interested  farmers in the six districts, said these two pressing issues would now be their main focus.
He said his area of concern would be to eradicate these diseases before “it kills the industry as well as the growers’ interest”.
Of the money, K250,000 will be for a coconut mill at Murunas; K500,000 for cocoa seeds; K125,000 each for the two new 10-seater vehicles, one for the police and the other for monitoring the projects by the provincial government.
Through this MoA, the Madang government aims to raise an annual export of K16 million, at K8,000 per tonne with a target population of 48,000 people to be impacted by the cocoa and coconutimprovement programme.
He said K820,000 had been spent to get the five sawmills to be set up at the vocational schools with training to be provided for locals under the technical vocational education training.

Gau blames govt and developers of PMIZ

Source: 

The National, Tuesday, May 3, 2011

By JEFFREY ELAPA
THE national government and developers of the controversial Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ) have failed to address many outstanding issues before proceeding with the project, Madang Governor James Gau said.
He said although he supported the PMIZ as a major investment and revenue generation initiative for the province, he did not agree with the manner in which the project was “bulldozed by the state”.
Gau claimed the state had failed to involve the provincial government, other stakeholders and landowners in all the consultative processes.
He said the national government had also failed to carry out education and awareness programmes, outlining all benefits and impacts, before kicking off the project.
“How can the second tier of government and customary custodians of the land be left out of the entire project?” he asked.
“This is not right. The provincial government and the people should be involved in all consultative processes.
“Important information has not been disseminated to the people. The people are still confused,” he added.
Gau voiced concern over the state’s failure to provide environmental impact study reports.
He said the environmental study report was important for “all parties concerned to be informed of how well the environment will be protected and how industrial wastes will be controlled”.
He said operations of RD Tuna were already emitting a foul smell that hung over the area.
He said work should proceed as planned but many important issues had not been followed and “that is the concern for the provincial government and the people of Madang”.
“If the government is concerned, it should carry out more education and awareness and the dissemination of any information should be clear and precise.
“It needs to involve the provincial government and landowners in any consultative processes and, finally, make the environmental impact plan available,” Gau said.

Madang boat mishap claims one

By ROSALYN EVARA, Post Courier

ONE man is dead and two others, including an 11-year-old girl have been admitted to the Modilon General Hospital with serious injuries following a boating accident over the weekend.
While police have yet to release an official report regarding the incident but it is understood the accident happened between 6:30-7pm on Friday just off the Madang Harbour.
Reports received are that one of the boats involved was loaded with passengers who had finished work and had left the boat stop behind the Madang Butchery supermarket in town, headed for the DCA area.
The other boat is said to be owned by a local businessman and which was full of a group of men who were allegedly drunk at the time.
Reports are that the boat with the passengers was nearing the JANT boatstop when another boat allegedly travelling at very high speed rammed into and over them.
It is understood that one of the crew members of the passenger boat died instantly after receiving cuts to his head caused by the blades of the propeller which had been at high throttle.
The girl sustained injuries to one of her shoulders while another male passenger to his head and chest.
All three were rushed to the hospital where two are now recovering.
It is understood the men responsible for the accident and their immediate family members have gone into hiding.
This is for fear of retaliation by the relatives of the boat crew who died.
Police are investigating the incident.
Meanwhile, one resident from the DCA area is counting his blessing after making the decision to delay his trip just to wait for some of his friends who had decided to call into a waterhole to pick up their drinks.
He said he had made his way to the boat stop but decided to delay getting on the boat until his friends showed up.
He said because it was already dusk he was not able to see far but became aware that something was wrong when he heard a loud bang just across the harbour.
He said a similar incident had happened a couple of years back and had resulted in one death.
“Drinking driving is becoming a real problem even at sea and something needs to be done about this problem as well,” he said.

Madang PMIZ debate turns sour

By ROSALYN EVARA, Post Courier

THE people of Madang were given an insight of how issues are debated by national leaders on the floor of parliament during a stakeholders meeting which was held at Alexishafen Primary School outside the town precincts last Friday.
While some found the session to be hilarious and entertaining seeing the national leaders engage themselves in a mudslinging exercise, others were not so impressed it took their shouting to knock some sense back into the leaders as to the real purpose of the meeting.
The meeting was initiated by Minister for Justice and Attorney General Sir Arnold Amet for the purposes of allowing the landowners who would directly and indirectly be affected by the proposed Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ) project.
At Sir Arnold’s invitation other ministers and leaders who had attended in person were Ministers Gabriel Kapris (Commerce and Industry), Benny Allen (Environment), Madang Governor James Gau and Sumkar MP Ken Fairweather.
Also present was Anglimp South Wagi MP Jamie Maxstone Graham.
The meeting got off to a late start and to the dissatisfaction of the villagers from Kananam, Rempi, Malmal, Nobnob, Siar, Karanget, Malmal who had converged on Sek Primary School as early as 9am as per the notice which had been given to them.
The meeting kicked off a little after 1pm and with Mr Fairweather no where to be seen promoted Sir Arnold to take a shot at him for his “non-attendance” at this important meet when he had been specifically asked to come to have these frank talks instead of going behind people’s backs and making statements. While still in the process of his introductory remarks he was interrupted by cheering from the crowd signaling the Mr Fairweather’s arrival.
Taking to the podium Mr Fairweather lashed out at the project calling it a “con-job” and one which did not stand to benefit his constituents. He took a sling at Mr Kapris calling him a “stil-man”. Before taking his seat after venting his frustrations and that of his people he took a swipe at the leaders also for their non-attendance at the meeting which had been organised by the villagers a week ago.
He said their explanation particularly Sir Arnold’s that he had not received any invitation to be lame.
“Mi ino bilip em ino kisim dispel toksave long Karkar inogat gutpela communication system tasol mi kisim toksave. Yupela igat ol spy tasol yupela ino kam ating yupela I poret,” he said in tok pisin. ( I don’t believe he (Sir Amet) said he did not get this invitation. In Karkar where there is no good communication system I still got the invite. You guys have spies yet you guys did not attend, I think you guys were scared)
This got the ball rolling with a landowner and community after the ball was set in motion having his piece by branding Ministers Kapris, Allen and Sir Arnold all conmen and the PMIZ to be a con-project.
Mr Kapris who was not impressed by being called a “stil-man” (thief) said he was not one and hurled one at the Sumkar MP branding him “a failed politician”. More mud was hurled on Mr Fairweather with Sir Arnold calling him a “thief, a millionaire, white man and spy”, who was not needed on Karkar. This did not go unchallenged by Mr Fairweather who said “na yu save long Karkar ol save kolim yu (referring to Sir Arnold) ‘Ekting whiteman’”.
While this saw members of the crowd burst into laughter several got angry with one shouting that they were not there to witness this performance but to discuss serious issues of concern. This comment immediately drew an apology from the Minister for Justice who quickly returned to the business of the day.
To add to the drama for the day Mr Allen had tried to wrestle a mike off a landowners who had touched a nerve when trying to raise concerns about his department’s inability to monitor projects.

Shocking act Madang MPs hurl abuse at each other in public forum

By Rosalyn Evara, Post Courier

A HEATED racial slur exchange between Attorney-General Sir Arnold Amet and Sumkar MP Ken Fairweather marred a public forum in Madang attended by senior national ministers to discuss the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone project with the local people.
An obviously agitated Sir Arnold held the microphone in his right hand and with his left hand pointed at Mr Fairweather and said: “I’m not a white man’s cargo boy my friend, I don’t need you, you pack up and leave my island.”
“That’s raw politics … now let’s talk politics,” he said. Mr Fairweather is long-time businessman who owns Dylup Plantation on Karkar island where Sir Arnold comes from.
Speaking in Tok Pisin, Sir Arnold told an amused and cheering crowd at Sek Primary school that the NA Government had bought the Dylup Plantation last week to give it back to the local people … “so Fairweather, I’m telling you, you don’t belong here”.
Mr Fairweather did not take it lying down, the smiling and six-foot tall and heavily built Sumkar MP shot back at Sir Arnold saying: “Minister, Minister, I’m telling you, on Karkar, they call you acting white man,” bringing roaring laughter and clapping from the crowd.
However, many people at the gathering expressed disgust at the unbecoming conduct of the two leaders. The exchange between the two has been posted on YouTube.
Ministers who attended the meeting included Gabriel Kapris (Commerce and Industry) and Benny Allan (Environment) who strongly defended the PMIZ project proposal.
During the meeting, local leaders told the three ministers that a lawsuit had been filed to stop the project from getting off the ground. Landowners of impact areas attended the meeting.
They included Rempi, Kananam, Siar, Nobnob, Riwo, Malmal and the Karanget areas.
Francis Gem who made the announcement said the general sentiment among the landowners was that they did not want the project for the reason that it was a “con-project” being carried out by “con-men”.
He said while he was part of the team which had at the invitation of government travelled to the Phillipines to see other PMIZ’s there, he had returned not convinced this would be a good project.
He said soon after returning he had made it his business to tell the people about all that he had seen.
“…mipela bin go long wanpela Yacht Club na solwara long hap em ibin milky yellow. Yupela laikim solwara blong yupela bai olsem. Em wrong!,” he said (… while in the Phillipines we were taken to a Yacht Club situated near a PMIZ and saw the sea there to be milky yellow do you want your sea to be like that.)
He claimed the people did not stand to benefit as there were many issues government had yet to answer to including the underwater lease, Environmental Impact Study and hence he had already registered a case against the PMIZ project.
He said a summons had already been sent abroad to the proposed financiers of the project.
“Mi bai stopim na wanem samting me mekim em blong yumi olgeta (I will stop the project and what I have done stands to benefit everyone),” he told his fellow villagers from Bel.Mr Kapris interjected telling Mr Gem he ought to thank government for the trip adding that, he had heard a different report from the Madang delegation soon after their arrival back in the country.
The minister said the project for real and not a “con-project” as had been stated stating it would bring the country to new heights.
He said its progression posed a threat to many countries which were currently fishing in PNG waters and who had factories abroad including Thailand which would close should the PMIZ come on line.
He said PNG stood to make US$6 billion which was a lot more than it was currently making from the fishing industry.
He said for too long PNG had been crawling in terms of development and it was high time for change.
Mr Kapris said they would be going to China this week to source funding for the project and only then would they have a project and move to looking at benefits for the locals and the other issues the locals were raising.
He added that the project also stood to create up to 30, 000 jobs, 10 percent only of which would be occupied by foreigners.
Mr Allen in explaining the various permits to be issued added there also to be huge benefits for the people including a better water and sewerage system.
He said the department would monitor the project and if there were any adverse impacts the landowners could approach their respective provincial government and/or their MP who could then raise them with the department for them to then address them.
Sir Arnold said all issues including those relating to the environment and benefits were all in working progress.
He said this project was not a the Marengo mine or the LNG project but rather a facility and hence people should refrain from misleading people and instead work towards the common good especially for the people.

PNGRFL recognise Poka as president

Source: 

The National, Friday, April 29, 2011

PAPUA New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) under re-appointed interim chairman John Numapo has recognised Paul Poka as the legitimate president of Madang Rugby Football League (MRFL).
PNGRFL operations manager Joe Tokam made the statement after MRFL elected Jack Taraika as  president in a meeting last week.
Tokam said in the recent court ruling on the PNGRFL, Justice Catherine Davani ruled out Bryan Kramer as chairman of PNGNRL.
Davani said the Nov 28 meeting conducted at Lae which elected Kramer was improper.
Tokam said Davani appointed a new interim committee comprised of Numapo, Gary Juffa and David Tamtu.
According to Tokam, Poka was elected on Nov 10 during a special general meeting last year with Taraika as the vice-president, however, Taraika and a faction of MRFL had undermined Poka’s election with the latest action.
President at the time Philip Welia was absent during the election of Poka and Taraika’s group claim this invalidated Poka’s presidency if court rulings on other rugby league matters were anything to by.
“The national rugby league body only recognises Poka as president,” Tokam said.
“For the common good of rugby league in Madang, Taraika’s group must refrain from opposing Poka and work together as a team for the betterment of MDRFL.”
Tokam appealed to club presidents and officials in Madang to cooperate with Poka’s administration and to continue running the competition.
 

Modilon marks 50 years

Source: 

The National, Friday, April 29, 2011

Picture: 

 By JAYNE SAFIHAO
THE Modilon Training Hospital yesterday celebrated 50 years of providing health services to the province with traditional dances and stalls for the public to see what their work was about.
But notable absentees were Governor James Gau and provincial administrator Ben Lange who were away in Port Moresby for a budget review meeting.
That resulted in a proposed hospital tour being cancelled.
Former health minister, Sir Peter Barter, called for the hospital board and stakeholders to implement the Health Administration Act as a vital tool for service delivery and growth.
“Manus, Milne Bay, East Sepik and Western Highlands have initiated and are working the act to move health services in rural areas but Madang is falling way behind and I do not know if we are taking it seriously,” he said.
Sir Peter said health services were dismal in some rural areas, citing Long Island as an example, saying it had no medicine, radio or health worker for the past five years despite 2,000 people living there.
He praised the Catholic and Lutheran churches for their unseen but unwavering commitment to providing quality health care to those in remote places.
Sir Peter urged the hospital board to look into the missing K2.5 million earmarked by the government for the refurbishing and maintenance of the operating theatre some years ago.

Seven excluded from 7.5% pay rise

Source: 

The National, Friday, April 29, 2011

By JEFFREY ELAPA
NOT all public servants will benefit from the 7.5% pay increase signed between the Public Employees Association and Department of Personnel Management yesterday.
Under the new memorandum of agreement, seven government organisations involved in service to the people are excluded in the payout expected on May 18, the 10th pay day of the government payroll system.
More than 35,000 public servants will be entitled to the salary increase.
Department not included in the award are police, Correction Services, Teaching Service Commission, Defence, Ministerial Services, National Forest Authority and the National Judiciary Services and Magisterial Services.
Public servants in other departments and government organisations will benefit from salary increases for the next three years.
Public Employees Association president Michael Malabag said a 6% salary increase plus a 1.5% increment based on productivity had been agreed too.
He said the package included a consumer price index threshold given by the government to cushion any fluctuations of CPI.
He said this would be determined “from time to time”.
He said recreational leave fares to employees would be made available after every two years for a public servant and his family.
Malabag said the association had rejected the government’s buy-out offer of K500 per annum for the K20 fortnight housing subsidy.
He said the association was negotiating for a K250 fortnightly accommodation allowance and would pursue the matter before the public service conciliation and arbitration tribunal.
He said the government’s home ownership scheme was vague and a long-term plan that would benefit and solve the housing problems of public servants.
But, Malabag said other matters such as retrenchment/ retirement agreement, reduction of 35% tax on terminal benefits, compulsory life and health insurance cover, risk allowance and review of outdated allowance rate provided in the general orders would be negotiated at a later date.
DPM secretary John Kali urged all public servants to perform their duties diligently.
He said the people really needed their service and with the increase in salary, they should perform better.
The new agreement covers a three-year period of annual increases.

Ministers: Marine industrial project will go ahead

Source: 

The National, Monday, May 2, 2011

THE controversial Pacific Marine Industrial Zone project will go ahead, Environment Minister Benny Allan and Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Gabriel Kapris said last Friday.
They said the government was adamant the Vidar land was state property and the project “will proceed as expected” despite outstanding custodian issues over land and environmental impact worries.
It was apparent at Friday’s gathering that those assertions were easier said than done.
Landowners, led by local Sumkar MP Ken Fairweather, highlighted various concerns including land ownership and legal and environmental issues with Fairweather promising to take legal action to stop the project.
Speaking at Sek in Alexishafen, outside Madang, Allan defended his department and the government, saying the project had been “approved by the government”.
“Minister Allan, I want to know if we have an environmental plan for the lagoon?” Fairweather asked.
“Show us the document as we want to see these plans.
“How will the waste be treated and disposed of? We already have RD Tuna polluting the air and, now, we are told that seven canneries will be built and 30,000 people will come.
“I am worried about the fish stock and the pollution that will occur,” Fairweather said.
“I represent the portion of land that is in the Sumkar district and do not want the people to suffer.”
Clearly inciting the crowd with his bold stand against the project, Fairweather’s supporters clapped and cheered.
But they quickly turned to heckling and cat-calls when Allan tried to explain the processes of granting environmental permits and approval in principle as an important process of giving the green light for construction work.
Kapris stressed that the project was important as it would generate more than K6 billion annually, making PNG one of the leading tuna exporters in the world.
Patrick Matbob, a senior journalist and lecturer at Divine Word University, who was one of the last speakers at the three-hour-long meeting, and clearly unimpressed with the ministers responses, said: “Portion 1350 is disputed land which is yet to be resolved.
“I know growing up and have documents to this day that the land is one where my elders used to have numerous conflicts over and were attending court cases for.
“I know, to the best of my knowledge as I have been following this issue for some time now, that the land is still a disputed land.”
The land in question was leased from RD Tuna, which had acquired it from the Catholic church some time back.
Regional member and Attorney-General Sir Arnold Amet was exasperated after he and the other ministers were branded “conmen” by one speaker, Francis Gem.

Tempers flare at Madang forum

Source: 

The National, Monday, May 2, 2011

By JAYNE SAFIHAO 
SENIOR government ministers were branded “conmen and thieves” at a public rally organised by Justice Minister and former Madang governor Sir Arnold Amet last Friday.
The rally, at Alexishafen, saw angry landowners and villagers expressing their frustration over outstanding land issues and refusing to let the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone project go ahead until all issues were resolved.
Ministers of two of the three leading departments, Trade and Industry and Commerce and Environment, Gabriel Kapris and Benny Allan arrived two hours late for the gathering, scheduled for 11am.
A notable absentee was Fisheries Minister Ben Semri, who was said to be overseas.
People from the impact areas in the crowd commented that they had received little support from the concerned departments.
Outstanding issues highlighted included organising of incorporated land groups and infighting among executives and clan members of the two umbrella companies, Kananam Investment Ltd and Rehammb Holdings, over positions of power; the absence of a working memorandum of understanding and agreement yet to be formulated; the exclusion of any legislation protecting the people’s interest regarding long-term effects to their environment, health or land; the government’s failure to conduct thorough awareness exercises in discussing boundary issues concerning underwater leases already marked and taken over by the project; and the question of equity for the people and provincial government.
Thirteen speakers grilled the ministers repeatedly on the outstanding issues.
Provincial government officers said since the inception of the project, the Madang provincial government, its project representative Francis Irara and impacted locals had been “in the dark” on how the project was progressing.
Francis Gem, a NGO representative and landowner, incited a scuffle on stage and started the name-calling.
He pointed at the ministers’ faces, and said: “Konman ya. Yupela olgeta konman (you are all conmen)”.
This was after Gem asked the crowd if they wanted the PMIZ pro-ject to continue and the crowd shouted “nogat (no)”.
His outburst, which did not settle down well with Allan, who stood up to confront Gem and was shoved aside, brought provincial police commander Anthony Wagambie Jr and his men promptly on stage to calm things down.
Gem insisted on finishing his speech despite attempts by police to get him off-stage.
He was allowed to do so as villagers crowded the small stage, shouting menacingly.