Papua New Guineans have been challenged to “actively contribute” towards development projects like the Boroko Transformation Project if citizens want to see change in the Pacific’s largest country.

Prime Minister James Marape issued this challenge this week when launching the National Capital District Commission’s Boroko Transformation Project in Port Moresby.

“This must happen. We all have a job to do, a role to play. Not just here in Port Moresby, but also around the country,” Marape said.

“If you want Papua New Guinea to develop, you have a job to do as well. Take care of Boroko.

“Don’t spit betel nut spittle here. We do not have other cities, we only have this city.”

Betel nut is the seed of the fruit of the areca palm with distinctive blood-red juice. It is chewed with betel leaf and lime for their effects as a mild stimulant, causing a warming sensation in the body and slightly heightened alertness.

It is popular across Papua New Guinea and in neighbouring countries.

24-hour business hub
The Boroko Commercial Business District will undergo major developments to enable it to achieve the status of a 24-hour business hub that is clean and safe for residents, businesses and visitors.

NCD Governor Powes Parkop said this project is part of NCDC’s Vision 2030 to transform Port Moresby.

“This city carries our name. It is our image, our pride. It is the first place of arrival and the last place of departure for all our friends, investors and tourists from all over world,” he said.

“They define our people and our country by this capital city of ours. That is why it is very important that we lift this capital city leaving no stones behind.”

According to City Manager Ravu Frank, the plans for the Boroko Transformation Project were drawn up in November last year and since then, more than K400,000 (NZ$186,000) has been spent in major clean-ups and road work programmes, setting the foundations for developments expected in the future.

“The Boroko Transformation project is all geared to achieve our desire, wish and objective of a clean, safe, healthy and a planned Boroko for a liveable environment,” Frank said.

On Monday this week, Boroko was declared a “betel nut-free zone” and other similar regulations will kick in as the transformation project unfolds.

Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The Post-Courier daily newspaper is one of 15 companies in Papua New Guinea that have pledged to fight against gender-based violence (GBV) while promoting gender equality within and outside of the workplace.

Signing the National Capital District Commission’s “Zero Tolerance to GBV Pledge” under its GBV Strategy 2020–2022, means that as organisations, the 15 companies will partner with the NCDC to eradicate all forms of violence within the city through their employees.

City manager Ravu Frank congratulated the organisations for taking the bold step at the signing up yesterday, noting that addressing GBV-related issues in the city required a collective effort from the municipal authority in partnership with all stakeholders.

“We came up with the NCDC GBV Strategy to raise awareness of the acts of violence against women with the view to end violent behavior against women and to regard them as equal partners in development,” he said.

“I am glad that a good number of our contractors have shown commitment to this cause.

“By signing the pledge all NCDC contractors agree to avoid any form of violence against women at their workplace, at home and in public.

“All NCDC contractors will be accountable for their violent actions against women and will seriously impact their engagement with NCDC leading to the termination of their contracts.”

Second batch of companies
This is the second batch of companies that have contracts with the city authority to sign the GBV pledge.

NCDC commenced implementation of the three-pillar Zero Tolerance to GBV Strategy 2020–2022 last year. The first was Walk the Talk with a compulsory signing of a pledge by NCDC staff to abstain from any form of violence.

The engagement of contractors is part of the second pillar to involve stakeholders and partners and the third is the demand for a community free from gender-based violence.

Hebou Construction Limited was one of the first companies to sign up.

According to health and safety manager Larry Watson, the pledge has helped the company give back to its employees and community through promoting gender equality and ensuring that female employees get proper assistance when needed.

In an editorial on Tuesday, the Post-Courier quoted from the first African-American President Barack Obama:

“You can judge a nation and how successful it will be based on how it treats women and girls.”

“And his observation, we say, is an expression of wisdom and truth,” said the newspaper.

“No country in the world will improve itself where the culture of violence against women exists, that is what he meant in his statement.

‘A lot of talk’
“In PNG there’s being a lot of talk and even action on violence against women and girls, but the message and progress has been unsatisfactory.

“Just last week bodies of two women were discovered in the nation’s capital with preliminary examination showing that they were raped and murdered.”

The Post-Courier said that while some might say that the two incidents were isolated, “we say its not and that despite numerous efforts by NGOs, churches and even parliamentarians on this issue, the incidences of women and girls being mistreated and murdered is slowly on the rise again.”

The newspaper said there were three major factors in the violence and the community’s response:

• It is a cultural issue and it is huge;
• It is not recognised as a development issue; and
• We’re just talking; no money and no real action

The Post-Courier said it was time to recognise that mistreatment of women was the biggest drawback in the country’s national development.

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After 36 hours of unrest, fear and anxiety, Port Moresby city woke up yesterday morning to a quiet start under the watchful eyes of the police and military personnel as tensions slowly faded.

Kicking off to a slow start, shops and business houses opened their doors to the public while a few buses and taxis took to the roads as workers, students and city dwellers gradually resumed their daily routines.

National Capital District (NCD) police issued a safety notice on social media urging city residents to report any suspicious activities to the Police Operations Centre hotline number.

City Manager Ravu Frank gave reassurances that efforts to restore normalcy in the city would continue as City Hall remained open for public business.

“The incident on Sunday was an isolated one and it is not affecting the city in any way,” he said.

“Police acted swiftly and the disciplined forces patrolled the city to give confidence to the people.

“From here on, we will look at ways of preventing them from reoccurring.

“NCDC also deployed our Reserve Police to monitor and provide additional security. I am hoping that the city’s business houses will be fully functional from tomorrow onwards.”

Parkop calls for peace
NCD Governor Powes Parkop also appealed for peace while noting that the people of the city could count on City Hall for leadership during tough times.

Yesterday, there were reports of commotions in very few places across the city, including at Gordon where many shops as well as the market remained closed.

While life returned to normal, public transport was also a main concern and according to NCD Public Motor Vehicles Association president Jack Waso, security must be provided for buses as well.

“Buses are out on the roads but the main concern for us is security if police can assist. Our safety too is also very important,” he said.

By yesterday afternoon fuel stations, which were closed earlier in the day, re-opened for business. Major malls and centres also opened their doors and more people were on the streets.

Claudia Tally is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The impartiality of officials who have been appointed to manage polling in the National Capital District during the Papua New Guinea general election next month has been questioned.

In a first of its kind meeting in Port Moresby yesterday, candidates, police and the election manager convened at the Sir John Guise stadium where issues such as impartiality, vote rigging, common roll and security were the biggest concerns.

The meeting comes on the back of the appointment of all Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) by the PNG Electoral Commission to conduct the national elections.

The list of appointees will be published by the Post-Courier tomorrow for readers’ information and comment.

Former Moresby North-west MP and now NCD regional candidate Michael Malabag, who was Health Minister in the outgoing government, questioned the appointment of five AROs who are engaged with the National Capital District Commission, claiming that this may influence the election process.

In response, NCD Election Manager Kila Ralai said the officials were public servants attached with the NCDC and that there was no intention to compromise the integrity of the election process.

“We have 16 AROs for NCD’s three open electorates and we have two APROs and that makes it 18 and out of those 18 AROs we have only five staff from NCDC as part of AROs to assist in these elections,” he clarified.

A petition is possible
“Because they are public servants in NCDC, likewise, if I was in East Sepik I would also have public servants as AROs.

“So in that process we only considered five out of a couple of applications from NCDC.”

However, Ralai added that if the candidates wished to apply for changes, they could present a petition which he would bring it to the Electoral Commissioner for further deliberation.

He also advised candidates that there would be issues with the common roll which should be ironed out after this election.

Another matter raised by NCD regional candidate Michael Kandiu was the transportation of ballot boxes from the polling stations to the counting venues.

He said there were allegations of foul play in the last two elections.

In this election he demanded transparent operations and better security.

No tinted police vehicles
“I want police to make sure that no ballot box is transported by any tinted police vehicle and it must be transported straight from the polling booth to the counting centre,” he said.

It was resolved that ballot boxes would be transported on open back vehicles straight from polling sites to counting venues.

The former Secretary for Department of Community Development and Religion, Anna Bais, who is contesting the Moresby Northwest Open, asked about the installment of CCTV (closed circuit television) cameras in all counting sites.

“We want CCTVs so we need to know if CCTVs can be put in here.

While government may say there is no money, we are willing to support,” said Bais.

Her call for CCTV linkages was supported by other candidates who offered to help with funds.

Metropolitan Superintendent Gideon Ikumu explained that the manpower in the city included 200 recalled reservists and another 150 recently trained reservists who would join the regular police officers along with members of the PNG Defence Force.

Claudia Tally is a PNG Post-Courier journalist. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The public’s cry for a safe, affordable and efficient public transport system in Papua New Guinea’s capital Port Moresby has been finally heard.

Following almost 10 years of planning and preparations, the National Capital District Commission’s Eda City Bus Service started operations today.

The service will pursue a modern city bus transport model operating in eight routes across the National Capital District, all of which are not currently serviced by the Public Motor Vehicle (PMV) minibus operators in the city.

Speaking at the inauguration event yesterday NCD Governor Powes Parkop said it had been a long time in planning and it was good to finally make it a reality.

“It is high time that we create a sustainable, reliable, safe and efficient public transportation system in our city and today we are creating a baseline that will set the pace for our city’s public transportation to be taken to new levels of efficiency, one that we can build on from and make it even better,” he said.

The bus service will be charging everybody K1 (NZ42c) from point A to point B and will be servicing routes following a set schedule.

Each schedule for each route is available at bus terminals where the public can easily access.

With the aim of achieving safe and efficient transportation, there will be safety, security and revenue officers on board each bus to ensure passengers are safe and adhere to set regulations.

The routes include:

• Route 1: Gerehu – Red Hills – Morata Swamp- 8 Mile junction – 9 Mile junction – Bomana Junction;
• Route 2: Gerehu – Ela Beach – Baruni – Badihagwa;
• Route 3: Ela Beach – Sir Hubert Murray Stadium – Poreporena Freeway – Gordons Courts Roundabout;
• Route 4: Gerehu- Sir William Skate Highway – Magani Crescent Road, Morata Junction – Wagani Tokarara Bustop- Tokarara Market – Koura way- Sir Hubert Murray Stadium; and
• Route 5: 9 Mile – Manu bus stop – 8 Mile – Erima – 7 Mile – Saraga Market – Dogura Junction – Tuna Bay Junction – Taurama Barracks – Vadavada

According to Acting City Manager Ravu Frank there are two phases to this transport system.

The first phase which begins today will be a cash system where people pay money and get tickets for the first six months and the second phase will begin after where the system will transit into a cashless operation using cards.

The Eda City Bus Service is not the first public transport system to be introduced in Port Moresby.

In the 1960s a similar initiative called Port Moresby Bus Company was operating under the then city authority and providing a service until it was liquidated in 1981.

City partnership offered PMV operators
Meanwhile, the NCDC has invited PMV operators in Port Moresby to partner in upgrading the standard of public transport in the city.

Governor Parkop called for expressions of interest stating that there was room for everyone to work together and benefit while providing this essential service to city residents.

“I want to announce that we have a specific offer for the PMV operators to be part of this service going forward,” he said.

“The details of this will be announced later but the essence of this offer in partnership is this: NCDC will set up a business limited called Eda City Bus Limited.

“Eda City Bus Limited will be initially owned by NCDC but we will diverse the shares, including making offers to the operators and the owners who are current or even inviting investors from overseas, especially those who have experience who knows how to deliver this type of service providing both service and sustainability and if we can make profit too that is a bonus.”

However, the bus operators must meet the following requirements in order to qualify for this partnership.

• Maintain and operate quality and neat buses;
• Complete routes and adhere to timetables;
• Make it safe for passengers on board;
• Support Eda City Bus Service branding; and
• Follow the terms of the ticketing system.

Claudia Tally is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Not a single tear was shed as 54 unclaimed bodies and 11 body parts were laid on top of each other in a single open grave dug out at the 9-Mile Cemetery in Port Moresby this week.

It was a rather undignified way to go for the corpses. What were once loved ones clearly had been forgotten — every single one of them.

But what was even sadder was the 9 bodies of children among the mass burial after six months had gone by with not a single family member coming forward to claim them.

A mass burial is unusual in Melanesian society such as Papua New Guinea, but without relatives collecting the bodies it had to be done.

Wrapped in plastic bags and put in standard plain box coffins, the bodies and body parts were taken to the cemetery from the Port Moresby General Hospital in two trucks.

The bodies have been at the mortuary and other makeshift storage containers.

The covid-19 situation in NCD also complicated matters for the hospital and the relatives of the deceased.

No time to waste
At the burial site, it was no time to waste for the morgue attendees as they unloaded the two truckloads containing the bodies and body parts and quickly lowered them stacked into the hole in the ground.

Port Moresby General Hospital director for medical services Dr Kone Sobi said the mass burial came into effect following several media announcements following the overwhelming burden at the morgue facility.

“We come from a Melanesian society and this kind of sending off our loved ones is not expected, however it has to be done,” Dr Sobi said.

“We had to go through due process as it takes time to comply with the processes to take place.

“The mass burial was for dead bodies that have been in the morgue since March, April and May this year.

“There were requests after the initial announcements for mass burial from relatives and friends of the deceased in the name list to reserve and claim their loved ones.”

He said the hospital allowed that process to take place and the period had lapsed.

An approved list
“We then provide the approved list from the coroner to the National Capital District Commission (NCDC) to conduct the mass burial.

“If the body is not claimed after two weeks, then this goes to the Coroner to give an authorisation and once it is authorised, the mass burial is carried out,” he said.

The mortuary is the function of the NCDC social services division and it is the responsible of the office of the governor who has appointed a contractor to carry out the mass burial and all the parties involved have allowed and assisted the hospital to carry out this exercise.

He said the usual costs for mass burial was about K90,000 (about NZ$38,000) because a mass burial is carried out on a quarterly basis during a year, so one mass burial costs about K30,000. However, for this year’s exercise, NCDC is responsible for the costs.

For these mass burials, there were 54 adult bodies, nine children and 11 body parts from individuals who have been involved in accidents and people who have had injuries resulting in amputation of upper and lower limbs.

This is a combination of two mass burials that were supposed to be carried out in the year.

Dr Sobi said that for this year, this was the first mass burial exercise to be carried out.

Grace Auka-Salmang is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop has vowed that NCDC has the municipal mandate to protect public interest and manage the best interests of the Papua New Guinea capital Port Moresby, reports PNG Post-Courier.

He made these remarks in a statement while he was present with onlookers at the city’s controversial Jack Pidik Park armed with an excavator to tear down a fence erected by the developer company TST adding a new twist in this land row.

“Today we have taken back Jack Pidik Park,” declared Parkop.

“It is public recreational land as far as we are concerned and shall remain that way until the commission decides otherwise.”

He said that TST had not received approval or power to “unilaterally” develop the land.

“Even if it is commercial land, it can’t be developed without our approval,” Parkop said.

“It has not complied with the orders it got from the National Court.

Developer ‘acted illegally’
“It has acted illegally and this cannot be allowed to continue.”

He said: “We assert NCDC power as the municipal government for our capital city to plan and manage our city for the benefit of all our people – individuals, corporations, churches and NGOs.

“Under the NCDC Act and vested with powers delegated to us by the Physical Planning Act and exercised through the NCD Physical Planning Board, we alone decide the type of development in the city,” he said.

Parkop said the NCDC had been fair in discharging its duty to protect public and private interests.

“We have defended public interest in public recreational areas like Ela Beach, Unagi Oval, Gerehu Sports Oval, Apex Park, Nature Park and other smaller parks in the city,” he said.

He cited other land that had been developed in the city, saying: “We have sold most of Sea Park land, for example, to raise money to complete the historic Sir Hubert Murray Stadium.

Responsible, ethical actions
“We have signed a memorandum of agreement with Kumul Training Institute to lease a park at Tokarara to operate its training center while continuing to serve the public,” he said.

“We will continue to maintain this approach as it is the most responsible, ethical and legal thing to do.

“Those private residents in the city or our country, be they individuals or corporate, who wish to access public land must respect this policy, importantly to see our cooperation and support to develop such land or facilities. So it is a win-win outcome.

“Those who seek to do it by default or deceit will not succeed.”

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz