First 100 days for PM James Marape

Posted by Niugini Times

The best achievement of PMJM’s Government within 100 days is putting PO, Namah and Patrick Pruitch together in Opposition. Others include; 
1. Splitting PNC and NA; two very powerful Parties; to take back PNG. 
2. Tabling UBS Saga and the subsequent COI
3. Renegotiating Papua LNG 
4. Undertaking to pass the Whistle Blower and ICAC Bills 
5. Being honest about PNGs economy and getting the right people in place to make the necessary but painful changes. 
6. Visiting most departments and institutions that support the government and putting all public servants on notice to perform and earn honestly.
7. Undertaking to refinance the K27 billion Loan recklessly piled up by subsequent government.
8. Giving the K320 million EU grant to the Sepik people and putting emphasis on Agriculture
9. Review of Papua LNG Agreement with some key conditions: 
9.1. DMO price from US$4.5/JCC to be reduced so we buy cheap gas for gas power generation, petrochemical, etc. 
9.2. Increace Reserve gas volume for DMO from 5% to 8%
9.3. Gas Pipeline to be nationally owned.
9.4. Shipping Business to be owned natinally
9.5. Well defined Local Content Policy to promote local business.
9.6. Central Bank to scrutinise flow of cash to manaze Forex and Inflation
10. Bring in 4 Opposition MPs to his cabinet: K.Kua, Dr. Lino, B.K, and number of Governors and MPs
11. Commitment to change our resource laws.
12. Upcoming Sackings of departmental heads who do not share the vision of taking back PNG.

Go to this link for more: https://timesniugini.wordpress.com/2019/09/02/first-100-days-for-pm-james-marape/

MARGARIMA SECONDARY SCHOOL IN CHAOS

By Amos Libe

It is sad to see one of the most iconic and once academically excelled secondary schools in Hela Province now being in a deteriorated state.

From reports from both staff and students, the academic standards and infrastructure at the school has deteriorated to a point were classes had to be cancelled for the past 2 weeks.

There has not been any food rations available in the school for both the day and boarding students. The morale of the remaining staff have been at an all time low due to the unorthodox and ad hoc running of the school.

There have been allegations of gross misuse and abuse of school subsidies and funds which has led to the running down and closing of the school. There is no continuity and consistency. There are various issues that are not being properly being managed by the school administration and the incompetent and compromised board of Governors that have contributed to this situation.

I make this call to the Hela Provincial Administration and Komo Margarima District Administration as well as the Provincial Education board to get a team to investigate why and how the school has been running in this manner. Create a dialogue to find ways to resolve the many issues affecting the school and possible solutions to ensure both staff and especially students are kept in class.

It is very disheartening to see students, especially grades 10 and 12 students, being sent back home because either there are no teachers to teach them or due to other administrative issues which are no fault of the students. These students are the future of our province and country. We have to start here.

With grade 10 and 12 exams only weeks away, this is an urgent appeal on behalf of the staff, students, parents and the community to ensure administrative issues at the school are resolved and we have successful graduates at the end of the year. A repeat of the failures of last year and yester years must not occure!

National Book Week should stimulate tangible benefits

By FRANCIS NII - PNG Attitude

KUNDIAWA - It is high time the meaningless and vain annual National Book Week was changed to make it become the vehicle for stimulating tangible benefits to writers and readers.

Every August features National Book Week. In Papua New Guinea gaudy banners of all sizes rustle in the dusty wind. Written on them is an ostensibly witty theme that nobody cares about.

Empty-minded school children in colourful uniforms fill the city arena for the annual event.

For them, it is one of those playtimes. Their predecessors have celebrated it and so will those who come after them.

Whether there is gain for them or not, it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, they will go home without a locally-authored book. That they knew. They had experienced it before.

High ranking government officials and distinguished dignitaries mingle at the overly draped grand podium. It’s their day to showcase their oratory eloquence.

Pompous speeches of vanity ring out in crescendo. Blind ovation reverberates into emptiness in the scorching atmosphere.

No national author is present for the event. No locally-authored book is on exhibition. It is supposed to be a National Book Week celebration of locally-authored books, isn’t it? Who knows why? Who knows what kind of books they celebrate?

A meaningless and derisory celebration that should not be called National Book Week. A slap in the face to the multitude of national authors in this country.

No one even knows or cares to how many national authors there are in the country. Nor what kind of books they produce. Nor what their books look like. Nor how good their stories are. They don’t know and they don’t care to know the importance and value of the books that have been written.

So what is the meaning of the annual National Book Week? What is its purpose? What kind of benefits are there and for whom?

The children go home without seeing a locally-authored book. They don’t embrace a copy on their way home, let alone read one. Is it because Papua New Guineans don’t write books?

No. There are many national authors publishing all kinds of books from non-fiction to fiction, as well as collections.

There is no meaning when national authors are ignored. There is no purpose when nationally authored books are neglected and cannot be read. It is absurdly unfair when the younger generation cannot read books about their own history and culture.

Yet it is called National Book Week and is celebrated year after year with all the pompous grandeur without locally-authored books. Sad vanity, isn’t it?

It’s time to reconsider. Make the occasion more meaningful. Recognise local authors. Make available their books. Stimulate opportunities for tangible benefits everyone – authors and readers alike.

The PNG government and the National Library and Archives need to make a drastic policy shift.

Local authors and their books must be given recognition. Their books must be made available at such important occasions, including National Literacy Week, for school children and the general public to take these books home and to read them.

Revive the provincial public library network throughout the country and stock them with locally-authored books.

Make National Book Week an occasion of celebrating and promoting our own books. It should be the vehicle for nurturing readership for locally-authored books.

Go to this link for more: https://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2019/09/national-book-week-should-stimulate-tangible-benefits.html