Wisil does it again

Posted on The National

PAPUA New Guinea sprint champion Toea Wisil once again defended her Pacific Games title after taking out the women’s 100m final in 11.56 seconds in Apia, Samoa, yesterday.
Fiji’s Heleina Young finished in 11.82 seconds to claim silver and PNG’s Leonie Beu (11.94 seconds) secured bronze.
Wisil, who ran 11.50 seconds in the morning’s qualifying heats, was happy with the time she finished with in the final.
Beu finished first in heat three, clocking 11.95 seconds.
“It feels good to be winning as I have been working hard for this for a long time,” she said.
“For this one, to be honest from the beginning it was a rough time, but I’ve done it.”
Wisil, who won bronze in the same event at the 2007 Samoa Pacific Games, said: “I was 19 years old then. It feels good to come back and win gold on this track.”
Silver medallist Heleina Young, who is just 17, was thoughtful in her reflection when speaking after the final.
“Before I went in, my coach told me that this day would never come again,” she said.
“I knew coming in to the final that it would be really tough, especially against Toea (Wisil), who is someone of a high calibre.”
Meanwhile, Athletics PNG president Tony Green said in a statement that the men’s 100m final was a showdown between Pacific Games defending champion Banuve Tabacaucoro (Fiji) and Samoa’s Jeremy Dodson.
“It was the Fijian who came out on top, beating his own Games record of 10.33 seconds with 10.31 clocking, silencing the home crowd in the process.
“(Team PNG’s) Michael Penny and Theo Piniau made the final, and finished sixth and seventh respectively.”

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/wisil-does-it-again/

Oil Search production, revenue drop by 5pc

Posted on The National

SYDNEY: Oil Search says both its second-quarter production and revenue have dipped by 5 per cent as expected, but analysts were reportedly looking for a more substantial first-half recovery after last year’s earthquake in Papua New Guinea.
The company said total production for the April-June period came in at 6.9 million barrels of oil equivalent, down from 7.2 million barrels a year ago on account of scheduled maintenance activity, with first half production 38 per cent higher at 14.1 million barrels.
This reflects the damage caused during the prior corresponding period when a devastating earthquake halted operations.
Based on performance to date, production guidance for the 2019 full year is 28 – 31 million barrels, with the upper end slightly down on the previous outlook.
The company’s ASX-listed shares fell 2.18 per cent to US$7.18 (K24) by 1427 AEST, with Reuters reporting the first-half update had missed Refinitiv Eikon estimates.
Revenue for the second quarter was US$378.9 million (K1,253mil), down from US$398.1 million (K1,316mil) a year ago.
First half 2019 revenue was 39 per cent higher at US$777 million (K 2,569mil).
The company also lowered its full-year investment expenditure guidance to US$500 million (K1,653mil) to US$610 million (K2,017mil) from US$545 million (K1,802mil) to US$655 million (K2,166mil) following delays for the expansion of its PNG gas plant.
Meanwhile, Oil Search said talks with the Papua New Guinea government on the P’nyang gas agreement are on hold until the government – led by Prime Minister James Marape – completes a review of the Papua LNG agreement. – AAP

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/oil-search-production-revenue-drop-by-5pc/

Trukai names first female GM sales, marketing

Posted on The National

MAYBELLYN Fernandes, pictured, is the first female general manager sales and marketing for Trukai Industries has effective July 1.
Fernandes took over from Andrew Daubney who had been in the position for 10 years and whose coaching and mentoring supported her success.
Fernandes joined Trukai in July 2014 as the national marketing manager with over 15 years’ experience working in various leading fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) organisations in PNG.
She has contributed to the success of the Trukai and Roots brands over the past five years.
Trukai chief executive officer Greg Worthington-Eyre said: “Maybellyn’s appointment is also significant in that it brings to Trukai’s senior management team a highly competent Papua New Guinean, who will add significant value to our business, cultural and workplace agendas.”
The mother of two says her biggest inspiration in life comes is her family.
Growing up, she watched her parents work tirelessly as entrepreneurs to provide for their immediate and extended families and the local community.
They instilled in her the importance of hard work, sacrifice, service, integrity, family and prayer.
“My family has been my inspiration and strength throughout my life,” Fernandes said.
“I am blessed with an extremely supportive partner; our two girls are the reason I wake up each morning determined to become and to do better than yesterday.
“I am blessed in that I really love the work that I do for an organisation that is committed to its people and the community.
“Every day I walk into the office knowing that whatever I do today, big or small and how well I do it, will directly or indirectly have an impact on the lives of so many people and communities across PNG. It’s very motivating.”
Fernandes said Papua New Guineans need to have self-belief and confidence in their abilities and to support and challenge each other to build the right environment, attitude and behaviours that would help them grow and develop in an increasingly competitive global community.
Trukai Industries has 11 distribution centres across the country with more than 230 staff in their sales and marketing department alone.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/trukai-names-first-female-gm-sales-marketing/

Cyber bullying leads to suicide

By REBECCA KUKU - The National

A-24-year old girl has taken her own life in what is the country’s first known cyber bullying-related suicide after pictures of her crying were photo-shopped and ridiculed on social media, a family spokesman confirmed.
Pricilla Waim, from Hagen Central in Western Highlands, pictured, drank gramoxone (chemical used for killing weeds) on Monday evening and was rushed to the Gerehu General Hospital.
She was later transferred to the Port Moresby General Hospital but died two days later.
Family spokesperson Alex Rop said that his niece had uploaded a picture of herself crying on her Facebook account sometimes in May.
The picture was photo-shopped into various memes (memes are captioned photos that are intended to be funny, often as a way to publicly ridicule human behaviour) that went viral on Facebook.
“She later removed the post but by then her picture was photo-shopped and shared by various Facebook users and pages,” Rop said.
“Her picture has since gone viral and she was really depressed about it as people were sharing her pictures and making fun of her.
“People from all over the country, it seemed for every new topic, found a way to photo-shop her face on to it.
“She didn’t know any of them or why they felt the need to share her pictures and make fun of them.”
Rop said that family members found her on Monday evening after she had drunk gramoxone and rushed her to the Gerehu General Hospital.
“She was then taken to the Port Moresby General Hospital emergency but later died on Wednesday.”
Rop called on Police Minister Bryan Kramer and Minister for Communications and Energy Rainbo Paita to look into the incident and arrest the people who had shared her pictures and made fun of her.
This raises concerns of mental and psychological issues related with cyber bullying, he said.
“My niece’s death is the result of cyber bullying. This is the first of its kind where a young woman has taken her own life because of people with no respect for others.
“People who would just get other people’s picture without permission and use it to get attention on social media by photo-shopping it and sharing it with other people.”
Rop said that Kramer and Paita should arrest those responsible to set an example and to help stop others becoming similar victims.
Kramer has asked Waim’s family to lay a formal complaint with the police in order for the issue to be addressed.
Paita also urged family members to lay a complaint with police.

Go this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/cyber-bullying-leads-to-suicide/

Support for women at sea

Posted on The National

PAPUA New Guinean women aspiring to build a career in the maritime industry will now benefit from a three-year scholarship to study at the PNG Maritime College in Madang.
Australia Awards PNG, in partnership with Pacific Towing, Steamships and China Navigation is offering the scholarship to motivated PNG women.
There are two different types of cadetships on offer:

• Officer of the watch deck;
  and,
• Officer of the engine room.

“The scholarship includes sponsored international work experience at sea on an international cargo vessel, working shifts and living in confined conditions,” Australia Awards PNG said on its website.
“Maritime scholarships for women will contribute to addressing the skills shortage in Papua New Guinea’s transport industry and contribute to cultural change in the maritime sector.
“This is a challenging and demanding environment within which to work, requiring self-discipline, team work and respect for the chain of command.
“All application documents will be verified and if found fraudulent, applicants will be excluded for consideration for this scholarship and any future Australia Awards Scholarships.
“The Australian government is committed to promoting gender equity, disability and social inclusion, and encourage women, people with disability and people from rural and remote locations to apply for an In-PNG scholarship”.
Applications close 5pm, Aug 16, 2019.
The scholarship is open to non-school leavers (who completed grade 12 prior to 2019).
To be eligible applicants must:

• Meet the PNG Maritime College conditions of entry;
• be a female citizen of Papua New Guinea and be residing in PNG at the time of application; and,
• Have completed grade 12 or matriculation upgrade (FODE/ DODL) with a minimum of B grade in advanced math and literature (English), and C grade in physics and chemistry.

The application form can be found at www.australiaawardspng.org/maritime/ or available from the Australia Awards office, Port Moresby and the PNG Maritime College. (Madang).

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/support-for-women-at-sea/

K318 mil PPAP to be completed by Dec 31

Posted by The National

The US$94 million (K318 million) World Bank Productive in Agriculture Project (PPAP) Phase I and II project is scheduled for completion on Dec 31 this year. 
The National’s Senior Writer MALUM NALU spent three days (July 11 to 13) in the bush to check how the project has impacted the lives of coffee communities.

The PPAP was approved on April 29, 2010, and signed on Aug 9, 2010, i.e about nine years ago.
The PPAP’s K318 million total loan financing for Phase I (US$39 million/K132 million) and II (US$55 million/K186 million) project is scheduled for completion end of this year.
The project development is targeted to improve the livelihoods of smallholder cocoa and coffee producers by implementing:
INDUSTRY coordination and policy development programmes and policies;
PRODUCTIVE partnerships; and
MARKET access.
The coffee-producing provinces currently benefitting from PPAP are Eastern Highlands, Chimbu, Jiwaka, Western Highlands, Enga, Southern Highlands, Morobe, Madang, East Sepik and East New Britain.

Left: Stephanie Wambi

Wambi … more farmers want to participate in PPAP but they are turned down due to limited funds
PPAP Coffee Partnership Project Coordinator for Southern Highlands Stephanie Wambi says coffee growing has taken off extensively in the province.
Wambi, 27, an agriculture graduate of the University of Technology, said: “The project was launched in December 2016 when I got involved as a fresh graduate.
“The project covers three districts – Kagua-Erave, Nipa-Kutubu and Imbonggu. Each of the districts have three registered cooperatives.
“We have 810 registered farmers, 729 of whom are men, and 81 women.”
Wambi said the project supplied pulper machines, fertilisers, farming tools and services such as training in the various aspects of coffee growing.
“Seven nursery sites had already been set up in Nipa-Kutubu (four) and Imbonggu (three), with each having a capacity of 20,000 seedlings.
“We have a target of 216,000 seedlings but some did not grow well,” she added.
“We have, to date, produced 165,000 seedlings, 119,000 have been distributed to farmers.
“We are short of coffee seedlings, so sourced some 18,000 seedlings from Mt Hagen for distribution to farmers,” Wambi said.
She said one of the project’s main challenge was transportation, given that “we cover three districts, over a wide terrain”.
“More farmers want to participate in the project but we have to turn them down due to limited funds. That is another problem,” she added.
PPAP manager Potaisa Hombunaka says the coffee industry needs improved road network to grow.
“That is why we are building Works Department-standard roads in coffee-growing areas,” he said during a visit to the Avi Block in the Waghi Valley of Jiwaka, a prominent coffee-growing area.
“Coffee production had declined in the valley because of poor road access. We don’t only talk about coffee rehabilitation. Market access is key to growth and sustainability.
“Without market access, there’s no point for coffee rehabilitation,” he added.
Hombunaka said PPAP was a proven World Bank model in other countries using an integrated approach to agriculture development.
“If we really want to add value to agriculture in this country, we have to overcome market access, which is the biggest obstacle.
“If you ask a farmer what is their No. 1 need, they will tell you they want to wake up tomorrow, and drive a two-wheel vehicle from where they are to town and back.
“They are saying, ‘build us a road and forget about us’. That’s what the farmer badly wants,” he added.
PPAP lead partner in Southern Highlands’ Pangia Daniel Piopo says the coffee industry is growing significantly many programmes being implemented.
Piopo’s company, Kori Coffee, comes under the PPAP programme and “it is looking after 660 farmers”.
“I want to call on the Government, on behalf of my farmers, to consolidate the PPAP project as it touches the little people in the villages.
“Coffee in Southern Highlands was dead and neglected until the World Bank, through PPAP, intervened.,” he added.
Farmer Wanpis Wapoka of Weriko Village in South Wiru said the PPAP had indeed been a game changer in Pangia.
“My coffee garden was covered in bush, with wild animals roaming around, until Piopo taught me how to look after my garden, budget my finances and other matters.
“He supplied me with everything that was need for the garden. I have three coffee gardens and they are now all growing very well. I now have regular income and have even helped to build a church with my coffee money.
“I am also able to pay the school fees for my children. My life has turned for the better,” Wapoka said.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/k318-mil-ppap-to-be-completed-by-dec-31/