Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea→Published 2010 → August

Page 1 of 212 »

Brisbane firm advises PNG on insurance contracts law

August 13, 2010

A leading Brisbane law firm has sent delegates to Papua New Guinea to help the island nation reform its insurance contracts laws.

Since 2006, Barry.Nilsson. Lawyers has been working closely with the PNG Insurance Commissioner to introduce insurance contracts legislation into the country.

Partner Robert Samut (pictured second from left) and Consultant Samantha Traves (third from left) have travelled PNG to facilitate seminars for attendees from insurance, legal and consumer groups to ensure they are able to hear about and have their say on the draft laws.

The most recent seminar on July 29 saw 150 stakeholders attend.

PROVIDING FINANCIAL STABILITY

The insurance contracts legislation is being introduced as the need to provide both foreign investors and local businesses with financial stability and security grows.

Barry.Nilsson. Insurance & Health Partner Robert Samut is leading the team responsible for advising the PNG Government.

“The reason for the introduction of such legislation is due to the fact that the insurance industry is unique in so many ways. Unlike any other business, insurers are in the business of selling promises,” Samut says.

“Their promise is to pay a claim, or for example replace certain property should certain events occur. How do you sell a promise? You wrap it up in an insurance contract,” he says.

“It is the insurance policy that you hand to the consumer that contains this intangible, invisible promise. What the proposed General Insurance Contracts Bill does is give that promise a protective coating.”

WORKING TOWARDS CHANGE

According to Samut, the PNG Insurance Commissioner, Salamo Elema (pictured right), is determined to provide a market where insurers can transact business freely with consumers who have confidence in the policies which they are acquiring.

“At the end of the day, Papua New Guinea will have one of the most effective pieces of insurance contracts legislation anywhere in the world as a result of the learnings we’re able to pass on to them from the Australian legislation,” he says.

Barry.Nilsson. Lawyers submissions will be accepted from the industry until mid September with a view to introducing the new legislation in early 2011.

PNG is looking at introducing this legislation at the same time as the United Kingdom is also starting to seriously look at the reform of its insurance contracts laws.

Later in the year Robert and Samantha will be returning to PNG to conduct training on the application of the Act.

Source:http://www.qbr.com.au/news/articleid/69166.aspx

PNG tribal life holds key to animal disease

IN the Papua New Guinea Highlands, people live in much the same way as they have for centuries. But even in these far reaches, technology is making its first tentative steps into this subsistence way of life.

Villagers have been wooed by the lure of mobile telephones, provided to them by companies who are using traditional lands to build towers to stretch their signals from one end of the country to the other.

The advent of mobile phone technology is as much an anachronism as a soft drink bottle falling from the sky in the wilds of Africa – but it is a technology that may assist in the ongoing fight against the spread of animal pests and diseases.

Townsville-based Dr Robert Hedlefs, a senior veterinarian and researcher from Biosecurity Queensland, is conducting a four-year, $975,000 study into systems to assist Papua New Guinea villagers identify pests and diseases in their animals.

As Dr Hedlefs explains, the project is also about exchanging information with his PNG counterparts, and assisting them in designing programs that ultimately assist the health and well-being of local livestock.

"There is an opportunity for this technology to be harnessed, so villagers can regularly communicate symptoms to animal health authorities," Dr Hedlefs said.

"They can even take photographs of sick animals and send them to veterinarians for assistance in some cases."

Identifying diseases emerging in Australia’s closest neighbour helps authorities prevent their spread – and the potential damage they could do to our agricultural industries.

"The main aim of the project is to establish a village-based system for recognising diseases, and in doing so improve the supply of safe and sustainable food for villagers and PNG, which is experiencing rapid growth in population and changes in demographics," Dr Hedlefs said.

"A second consideration, but of interest to Queensland, is to stop any spread beyond PNG borders which could affect our agricultural trade and food production."

Continue reading →

Working together to help prevent Torture in PNG

Wednesday, 25 August 2010, 5:50 pm
Press Release: United Nations Human Rights Commissioner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Working together to help prevent Torture in PNG

An inaugural three-day meeting and workshop with Papua New Guinea prison officials on the prevention of torture and ill treatment of prison detainees begins today in Port Moresby.

The meeting, organized jointly by the Papua New Guinea Correctional Services and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Regional Office for the Pacific (OHCHR) follows a high level meeting in Papua New Guinea in November 2009 that committed to the eradication of torture and ill-treatment and the visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture to the country in May 2010.

The workshop has arisen from a request from the Papua New Guinea Government for technical assistance in implementing a number of recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur. The workshop will focus on practical ways prison officials can increase compliance with human rights through better implementation of their national laws, as well as provide expert information about current international law, standards and practice for the prevention of torture.

Papua New Guinea Acting Correctional Services Commissioner, Mr Henry Wavik said:

"Correctional Services is happy to work with the United Nations to have organized this important workshop. It is the first of its kind and will enable officers to see what actions violate human rights and how human rights standards can be used to improve our prisons.”

Ms Matilda Bogner, Regional Representative for OHCHR in the Pacific said:

“Conditions in Papua New Guinea prisons vary from good to bad. Unfortunately, there is evidence of torture, ill treatment, violence and neglect. This meeting is an important step for Papua New Guinea to improve prison conditions and strengthen the implementation of national laws. We hope to encourage stronger engagement of Papua New Guinea with international systems to prevent torture.”

The workshop will be held at the Lamana Hotel in Port Moresby.

Source:http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1008/S00411/working-together-to-help-prevent-torture-in-png.htm

Boards needed in PNG for new wave

A COOLANGATTA surf coach is hoping Aussie surfers will help foster the sport in Papua New Guinea by donating their old boards and surf equipment to PNG kids.

Surf coach Jamo Borthwick wants old boards to send to kids in Papua New Guinea.

James Perkins

THE waves are “all time” in Papua New Guinea, according to Jamo Borthwick, but the locals just need boards to be able to surf them.

The Coolangatta surf coach hopes Tweed surfers will help foster the sport in PNG by donating their old boards and other surf equipment.

He is organising his second shipment of surf gear to the country and wants to send the container on September 18.

Mr Borthwick is involved in building PNG’s surf industry and was there to see the last shipment handed out to eager village kids.

“They were stoked on it,” Mr Borthwick said.

PNG will hold its second national surfing titles in March next year but many competitors are held back by a lack of boards.

“I have been to two or three villages and the biggest thing stopping surfing is the lack of equipment. There are only two, or three boards and huge numbers of people,” Mr Borthwick said. “Rather than getting out there, they all have to go do other things.”

The country’s first titles were held in 2007.

“It is probably going to be triple the size it was in 2007,” Mr Borthwick said about next year’s event.

All types of wave riding craft, including body boards, nipper “foamies” and especially smaller sized surf boards are wanted. Fins, flippers, snorkelling gear and first-aid gear would also be useful.

Donations can be made to Mr Borthwick’s Walkin’ on Water Surf School at Greenmount Beach, or to D’Arcy Surfboards at Currumbin.

The surf coach is in the process of setting up a charitable foundation to manage future shipments of donated surf equipment to PNG and would welcome corporate support.

Source:http://www.dailymercury.com.au/story/2010/08/27/jamo-borthwick-boards-papua-new-guinea-donate/

PNG winning fight against HIV/AIDS hears UN conference

A woman walk past a anti-AIDS billboard in Mount Hagen, PNG on 18 August 2007. [AFP]

Last Updated: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:18:00 +1000

A major UN conference on development and global health has heard that Papua New Guinea is beginning to win the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The conference in the Australian city of Melbourne has heard the prevalence of the disease in PNG is dropping.

There are 34,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in PNG.

But Bill Bowtell, head of the advocacy group Pacific Friends of the Global Fund, says at least three-quarters of sufferers are now receiving treatment.

Mr Bowtell says more money is needed by international donors to help fight HIV/AIDS in poorer countries like PNG.

"We hope that the donors will contribute in the order of 20 billion dollars to keep this fantastic work going."

"Now we know there are economic and budgetary problems in the US and Europe but it is very important that the budgetary problems of these countries are not visited on the poorest and most needy people," he said.

"That is the people who are on treatment and the poorest who need access to treatment urgently, for them it is a matter of life and death."

Source:http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/201008/2997506.htm?desktop

PNG carbon trader joins Aust tech group

Papua New Guinea map (ONE News)

ASX-listed m2m Corporation Ltd has dropped a $10 million merger with Carbon Planet and gone into business with a man accused of running a carbon "cargo cult" in Papua New Guinea.

Former disqualified Australian horse trainer and Philippine cock-fighting syndicate operator Kirk Roberts, and his company Nupan, is now working for technology investment group m2m to develop carbon trading projects in PNG.

At a volatile meeting between PNG government and forest landowners on Monday Roberts, who is also under investigation by the PNG’s Forest Authority (FA), was accused by PNG’s Forest Minister Beldan Namah of promoting a carbon "cargo cult".

But Roberts, who received $1.1 million from Adelaide-based Carbon Planet in 2008, shrugs off widespread criticisms and is adamant he represents numerous PNG landowner groups who want lucrative carbon projects developed under a voluntary system.

PNG authorities are worried Roberts is undermining existing forestry laws, possibly misleading landowners in remote areas all while exploiting PNG’s vacuum of national legislation and policy covering carbon trading where companies can offset emissions by supporting forest growth.

East Pangia, in PNG’s rugged Southern Highlands region, is the latest carbon battle ground as Roberts promises what many PNG villagers call ‘sky money’ because he appears to be selling air.

At Monday’s meeting with divided Pangia landowner groups some argued for Nupan’s carbon trading, some argued for logging while a raft of government officials and ministers criticised Roberts’ carbon scheme.

In July 2009 m2m announced a merger as a way for a back-door listing for Carbon Planet but the deal fell through in January this year, a month after m2m announced that Roberts’ Nupan would become their "rainforest developer".PNG’s FA managing director Kanawi Pouru last month took out a newspaper advertisement outlining an investigation into Roberts while reminding landowners Pangia had been allocated for logging since 2002.

"It is very important for shareholders to note m2m’s existing carbon credit business will not be affected by the Carbon Planet transaction not proceeding," an m2m statement said.

Nupan will generate about 10 million scientifically approved and verified carbon credits from 15 forestry projects in PNG over the first half of 2010, m2m said.

"Completion will allow m2m to recognise about $1 million in revenue in the first quarter of next year (2010). Further trading from the 15 projects is anticipated to deliver in excess of $4 million revenue by December 2010 and positive earnings," another statement said.

Ian Clarkson, m2m executive chairman, said he would call back with a response but did not.

Paul Barker director of PNG’s think tank Institute of National Affairs said PNG does not need any more carbon trade scandals.

"One would like options for the landowners other than logging operations, which have ruled the roost for years with many bad results," he said.

Roberts is linked to last year’s sacking of a top PNG climate change official and is tied to an ongoing government investigation of PNG’s now defunct Office of Climate Change.

Carbon Planet has replaced former CEO Jim Johnson with Dr Ross Williams while executive director Dave Sag declined to comment on recent developments "due to the confidentiality clauses that persist in our contracts".

m2m’s current market capitalisation is about $6.7 million and its shares last traded at 0.3 of a cent.

Source:http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/png-carbon-trader-joins-aust-tech-group-3389371

PNG Products

Few countries are as blessed with natural resources as Papua New Guinea.

Its largely mountainous terrain is swathed in dense tropical rainforest, the soil is rich for cultivation and the South Pacific waters off its coasts teem with fish.

Beneath the ground lies a wealth of minerals, including gold, silver and copper, and there is oil and natural gas.

It is a beautiful country too, one of the most biodiverse in the world with a dazzling variety of flora and fauna, insect and birdlife.

PNG Made coffee products Yet while PNG is resource rich, it is cash poor, and 34 years after achieving independence from Australia – not very long in the life of a country – it still faces significant challenges of nationhood.

Poor transport infrastructure, law and order problems and a shortage of new investment are among the factors that have held back economic development.

New incentives must be aimed at triggering investment and growth including producing and marketing more PNG Made products.

Currently, Papua New Guinea imports almost all processed food, clothing and footwear and most of the inputs to industry and commerce are also imported.

However, there are potential investment opportunities in downstream activities.

High grade Ramu beef ready to hit the shelves The Government of Papua New Guinea has put into place strong policies which will lead to the development of a strong domestic production base to replace reliance on the non-renewable resource industries such as mining and petroleum.

The Government seeks to generate greater domestic production of most basic consumer and industry needs.

As such, incentives and concessions are granted to businesses with a policy of import substitution.

A concerted effort is being applied to address problems the industry has experienced. Infrastructure improvements and lowering of input tariffs would greatly reduce production costs.

Dried pineapple and dried banana from New Guinea Fruit Products in Goroka

The manufacturing industry has been urged to adopt cost-reducing, efficient techniques on the factory floor and within management to prepare itself for foreign competition when protective tariffs are phased out.

The Manufacturers Council of Papua New Guinea (a private sector organisation) promotes the manufacturing and downstream processing in Papua New Guinea.

Source:http://www.datec.com.pg/aboutpng/Pages/PNGProducts.aspx

Eriku burns Looters strike as dawn fire guts shops

By PISAI GUMAR

Looters watching and waiting to raid the neighbouring Raumai 18 wholesale as fire continues to destroy Lotus Trading at Eric Woo in Lae yesterday morning.

A DAWN fire gutted a shop at Eriku in Lae, Morobe, yesterday as hundreds of opportunists ransacked adjacent shops and took off with thousands of kina worth of goods.

The fire, which started at about 5.30am, razed through Lotus Enterprise and, by 6am, hundreds of people, mainly looters from the nearby settlements of Boundary Road, Buimo, the Miles and Kamkumung, had gathered.

Outnumbered police and security guards fired teargas into the air to get the pressing crowd away from the shops’ front, all in vain eventually.

It was not long before the looters broke their way into the two neighbouring shops, PC Woo and Raumai 18, and, in the process, reportedly raping a woman shop assistant.

Members of the fire brigade, who are about a kilometre away, arrived more than a hour later after flames had engulfed the building and could do very little to save anything.

Lae’s iconic trading companies PC Woo, Papindo, Pelgens and Andersons are all on the same block, adjacent to each other.

More onlookers and opportunists arrived at Eriku as soon as the PMVs began operating at 6.30am.

Looters were seen carrying knife wounds and other injuries apparently suffered while breaking into the shops to ransack them.

All manner of goods, from cartons of tinned foods, bags of rice, frozen goods, household electrical goods, white goods and clothing accessories to cartons of beer, were removed.
Eriku’s surrounding streets were dotted with people unabashedly scurrying to get home with their stolen cargo.

Although Guard Dog and Pacific Corporate Security guards were outnumbered at the other shops, they bravely prevented the looters from entering Papindo, Pelgens and Andersons supermarkets.

Crowds of men were also dispersed by police mid-morning at shops near the main market, Voco Point and Top Town, with the morning melee at Eriku forcing many businesses and schools to close for the day.

By dusk yesterday, the threat of more shop break-ins at Eriku was imminent with hundreds of men still milling about belligerently.

Many workers, who would have caught public transport through the Eriku bus stop, had to demand employers to drop them off at home out of fear.

Soldiers from Igam Barracks had to drive into town, armed in a troop carrier, to take their children and spouses home last night.

Source:http://www.datec.com.pg/aboutpng/Pages/PNGNews.aspx

2010 PNG Events

Click here for the List of PNG Cultural Events

PNG culture beyond your imagination

Papua New Guinea’s unique and untouched culture will exceed all your expectations.

In remote villages throughout Papua New Guinea you can find tribes that passionately maintain their individual heritage through their art, sing sings, dancing and initiations.

Visit, for example, the Baining Fire Dancers near Rabaul and the Asaro Mud Men and Huli Wigmen in the Highland regions.

The colourful Huli wigmen

The famous Huli wigmen

These tribes, in their traditional clothing and colourful make up, love to perform and welcome visitors into their fold to learn more about the customs of their tribe.

Visits to these villages will also provide you with plenty of opportunities to see and in some instances purchase primitive art, timber carvings, masks (decorated with hair, shells, pig tusks), string bags (bilums), crafts, hand dyed Tapa cloth, woven baskets, penis gourds and clay pots – and endless opportunities for fantastic, very colourful holiday shots

Young Simbu women at the PNG Coffee Festival in Goroka

Women dancers from the Simbu Province

If you seek a true cultural explosion of colour and sound then take the opportunity to go to one of the regular festivals: The Goroka and Mt Hagen Shows are world famous but also consider the Canoe Festival in Alotau, the Yam Festival in the Trobriand Islands or the week-long Malagan Festival in Kavieng.

Trobriand islanders of Milne Bay province perform the erotic tapioca dance

The erotic tapioca dance from the Trobriand Islands of Milne Bay Province

Any one of which will provide you with an unforgettable experience of large numbers of colourful, often raucous, tribes performing en masse (in some instances this means thousands of participants).

Festival and event calender

MAY

5-7:Gogodala Canoe Festival

Balimo, Western Province

Gogodala canoe

JUNE

4-7: Madang Festival

Madang, Madang Province

11-12: Gulf Mask Festival

Toare, Gulf Province

JULY

23: New Ireland Cultural Day

Port Moresby, National Capital District

8-14: Warwagira Festival

Kokopo, East New Britain Province

20-22: Tavur Cultural Show

Kimbe, West New Britain Province

22-24: Kavieng Cultural Show

Kavieng, New Ireland Province

27-29: Kono Wokisok Festival

Kono Village, New Ireland Province

30-August 2: Kontu Shark Calling Show

Kontu Village, New Ireland Province

AUGUST

5-8: Namatanai Mask Festival

Namatanai, New Ireland Province

12-14: Mona Festival

Bougainville, Autonomous Region of Bougainville

14-15: Mount Hagen Cultural Show

Mount Hagen, Western Highlands Province

SEPTEMBER

3-4: National Garamut and Mambu Festival

Lae, Morobe Province

8: Garamut and Mask Festival

10-11: Middle Sepik Festival

Paliambe Village, East Sepik Province

10-15: Hiri Moale Festival

Port Moresby, National Capital District

10-13: Choral Festival Show

Kokopo, East New Britain Province

14-15: Kokopo District Cultural Show

</s

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Ian Chen
Posted in News

CULTURAL EVENTS

Papua New Guinea’s unique and untouched culture will exceed all your expectations. In remote villages throughout Papua New Guinea you can find tribes that passionately maintain their individual heritage through their art, sing sings, dancing and initiations. Visit for example the Baining Fire Dancers near Rabaul and the Asaro Mud Men and Huli Wigmen in the Highland regions. These tribes in their traditional clothing and colourful make up love to perform and welcome visitors into their fold to learn more about the customs of their tribe.

Visits to these villages will also provide you with plenty of opportunities to see and in some instances purchase primitive art, timber carvings, masks (decorated with hair, shells, pig tusks), string bags (bilums), crafts, hand dyed Tapa cloth, woven baskets, penis gords and clay pots – and endless opportunities for fantastic, very colourful holiday shots.

If you seek a true cultural explosion of colour and sound then take the opportunity to go to one of the regular festivals: The Goroka and Mt Hagen Shows are world famous but also consider the Canoe Festival in Alotau, the Yam Festival in the Trobriand Islands or the week-long Malagan Festival in Kavieng – any one of which will provide you with an unforgettable experience of large numbers of colourful, often raucous, tribes performing en-mass (in some instances this means thousands of participants).

FESTIVAL AND EVENT CALENDAR:

March

PNG National Game Fishing Titles
27^th - 5^th (April)
Lae, Morobe Province

April

Gogodala Canoe Festival
Balimo – Western Province

PNG Coffee Festival & Trade Fair
Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province

June

Ahi Cultural Show
Sir Ignatius Kilege Stadium, Lae City, Morobe Province

Wawin National Cultural Show
Queen’s Birthday Weekend
Umi Adtzera LLG, Markham District

July

Warwagira Provincial Cultural Show
8^th - 14^th
Rabaul, East New Britain Province

National Mask Festival
14^th - 17^th
Rabaul, East New Britain Province.
First staged in 1995, the Mask Festival aims to preserve, in a living form, the mask cultures of Papua New Guinea. The festival showcases Papua New Guinea&s mask culture and attracts displays and performers from all over the country, providing opportunities to see both common and rare masks.

Kavieng District Cultural Show (Previously known as Malagan Festival)
23^rd - 25^th
Police Oval, Kavieng Town

Zumim Pottery Show
24^th & 25^th
Zumim Village, Umi Adtzera LLG, Markham District

Kono Wokisok Festival
27^th - 29^th
Kono Village, West Coast Central New Ireland

Kontu/Tembin Shark Calling
30^th - 2^nd (August)
Kontu Village West Coast New Ireland

August

Iwal Cultural Festival
Kamiatam Village, Black Cat Track Country, Salamaua LLGC, Huon Gulf District, Morobe Province

Enga Cultural Show
6^th - 8^th
Wabag, Enga Province

Mt. Hagen Show
14^th & 15^th
PNG is made up of 700 different tribes and many of them converge on Mt Hagen every August to recreate their own legends. At this festival you will experience the power and diversity of culture in PNG. You will find yourself captivated by the rhythm and colour as dancers whirl to the sound of the beating drums. The Highlanders are very proud and competitive people and the show is therefore a vibrant and energetic display.

Namatanai Mask Festival
5^th - 8^th
Namatanai Town

Ambunti Crocodile Festival
11^th^th
Ambunti District, East Sepik Province

Tufi Cultural Show
20^th - 22^nd
Tufi, Oro Province

International Orchid Festival
Port Moresby, National Capital District

September

Gobari Ex-Serviceman Cultural Show
14^th - 16^th
Gobari Ex-Serviceman Oval, Lae District, Morobe Province

Garamut na Mambu Festival
Wewak, East Sepik Province

Hiri Moale Festival
Central Province
This colourful festival was originally designed to preserve the Hiri Trade expeditions between the Motu-Koitabu people and the Erema (Kerema) people on PNG’s south-west coast. The Motu-Koitabu would undertake a 3-month journey by Lagatoi (traditional canoe) to trade clay pots for sago and canoe logs from the Erema. Today, the festival features traditional dances, the Hiri Queen contest (a beauty pageant), the arrival of the Lagatoi (traditional canoes), canoe racing, musical presentations and an arts and crafts exhibition.

Goroka Show
17^th - 19^th
Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province
The Goroka Show is an intense display of the rich and vibrant culture of PNG. Tribes from all over gather in the town of Goroka for a weekend of music, dancing and amazing displays of tribal rituals. This is one of the biggest shows in the Highlands and can attract up to 140,000 people, including 40,000 painted warriors dancing to the rhythmic thud of the Kundu drums.

October

Morobe Provincial Agricultural Show
23^rd - 24th
Lae Show Grounds, Lae City, Morobe Province
The varied displays at this show including poultry, mining, traditional building materials and schools exhibitions. Morobe culture is celebrated with traditional Sing-Sing groups from around the province. There is also contemporary rock and string band music.

November

Kundu & Canoe Festival
5^th - 7^th
Alotau, Milne Bay Province

PNG Surfing Association National Championship Titles
Vanimo, Sandaun Province

Papua New Guinea Arts & Cultural Festival
This national festival is designed to preserve the different forms of culture in PNG, with performances from traditional dance groups, contemporary groups and individual artists.

Posted on August 21, 2010 by Ian Chen
Posted in News

Post navigation

← Previous Post