NEW DAWN ON BOUGAINVILLE

010811EYECARE OPENED
By Aloysius Laukai

PNG EYECARE last Friday opened its Bougainville Office in Buka at the back of BE building.
More stories later but pictured is Vice President and Minister for Health, PATRICK NISIRA cutting the ribbon of the new office.

26071120 years prison
By Aloysius Laukai

The National Court sitting in Arawa on Tuesday also sentenced, Stephen Kopa Ubasi for man slaughter.
Presiding Judge, Justice John Kawi then suspended ten years to be served at the Bekut Jail outside Buka town.
In handing down his decision, Justice, John Kawi said that although he cooperated with Police and pleaded guilty to the charge, he had no right to take the life of a person.
He told him that only the creator had the right to terminate one’s life.
The court also dealt with two more murder cases in Arawa but decision would be handed later.

280711court rises in Arawa
By Aloysius Laukai

The National Court sitting in Arawa rose yesterday at midday after clearing most of the outstanding cases in both Tinputz and Arawa.
The court resumed again this morning in Buka and would continue tomorrow Friday starting with Contempt charges to the staff of the National Court, the Court Recording Officer (cro)Charley Kogora and his boss acting Director of the National Court Recording Services, NANADAI GWAIBO.
The contempt charges also includes the EMS MANAGER at the Boroko Post office who is to appear also for contempt charge for not bringing the Court Recording Equipment to the airport in time.
The will appear before Justice John Kawi tomorrow.

Picture
The Judge had time from the Busy Court session to visit the now closed Panguna Copper mine site yesterday.
Justice John Kawi is pictured with members of his team at the mine pit.
Picture by Aloysius Laukai

280711china meet abg
By Aloysius Laukai
ABG Vice President and Chairman of the Bougainville China Cooperation Committee, PATRICK NISIRA says Bougainville needs to look at what has happened in Papua New Guinea and adjust its approaches on investment in the region.
He was speaking at a meeting with a Chinese Business delegation that arrived in Bougainville on a private Chartered Jet this morning.
MR. NISIRA said that in PNG there are a lot of resources but the owners do not benefit from these resources.
He said that based on these scenarios, the ABG wants to build capacity in all areas simultaneously.
MR. NISIRA said that the ABG welcomes investors from China and any other country who want to invest on Bougainville’s terms.
He thanked the Businessmen for their interest in investing in the region.
The group will return tomorrow.

Pictured is the delegation with members of the BCCC and Ministers of the ABG
Picture by Aloysius Laukai

280711 MV BOUGAINVILLE ATOLLS
By Aloysius Laukai
The Border Development Authority (BDA) has a latest barge in its fleet to provide shipping services in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
MV Bougainville Atolls now on its way to Port Moresby from Samarinta City in Java Island, Indonesia will be used in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (ARB). The Barge which is expected to arrive early next month will mostly be used to provide shipping services to the isolated and scattered atolls of the Feat, Cataretts, Mortlock and Tasman. It will also be used to service other areas of the ARB.
A delighted Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) Education Minister John Tabinaman yesterday thanked the National Government on behalf of the atoll’s people and ABG for establishing the BDA. “We now see that BDA can come and help us in remote coastal border areas like ARB within a short notice. Many times no ship in the past and the Atolls people suffer. Teachers, Health and Government Officers do not arrive in time and mobility was a problem. There was no help to ship cargos. Now people can see the Government’s hands through BDA. The people will be relieved to see the Barge.”
Mr Tabinaman said from Buka in the ARB that before ABG had to charter private ships and it was expensive. “Those ships had to meet up to their tight schedule runs and we had to cut short some of our trips. It was hard to do awareness and get to know the people’s real conditions. Besides the ships allocated were small and do not have facilities like a health room on the ship. But now with MB Bougainville Atolls we will have a medical bay with medical supplies on board.”
Early this month BDA responded after North Bougainville MP Lauta Atoi appealed for assistance saying that about 15,000 people on the Atolls with the islands of Nissan and Pinabel needed immediate relief supplies due to the four month old prolonged drought.
BDA provided its Barge MV Andreas and donated K100, 000 worth of relief supplies such as food (over 500 bags of rice and garden food such as kaukau, taro and bananas), water containers, and medical and education supplies.”
BDA already have MV Muntai, MV Ulayut, MV Gloucester, MV Manus Atolls and MV Milne bay Atolls in its fleet of Barges.
Pictured isBougainville Atolls departing Samarinta Port last week in Java Island, Indonesia for Port Moresby

270711WOMEN MOVE
By Aloysius Laukai in Arawa.

The women of Central Bougainville are benefiting from a private initiative to establish a micro finance network in Arawa Central Bougainville.
The Bougainville Women’s microfinance established in 2010 has up to 500 members already and according to the Manageress, STELLA TUNIM the membership is increasing.
STELLA TUNIM told New Dawn FM that the aim of establishing the scheme was to assist women who get monies from cocoa, copra and the sale of food and vegetable at the markets and do not have a place to save them for future use for school fees, medical expenses and their other daily needs.
She said that the registration or membership fees is K20 and K10 for the payment of passbook.
She says that since they started last year they have given small loans to members on a one to one basis.
MS TUNIM says that currently they are able to sustain their operation but would need some government support to expand their services.
New Dawn FM understands that the Community Development Office recently secured several millions of Kina from the World Bank for Bougainville women in similar situations as the women of Central Bougainville.

Pictured are Stella Tunim Manageress(Seated Centre) and Lucy Sipara(Accounts Officer (right) and Naomi Matevai Loans Admin Officer left)

270711 EIGHT APPOINTED
By Aloysius Laukai
Eight people have been appointed to two key decision making bodies within the Strongim Pipol Strongim Nesen Program.

The representatives come from a wide range of civil society and private sector roles. Some will join the existing national government representatives on SPSN’s peak governance body, the Joint Governing Council (JGC), while others will be the first members of SPSN’s newly established National Grants Committee (NGC).

The newly appointed civil society representatives for Joint Governing Council are former Coffee Industries Council CEO Mr Ricky Mitio ML from Eastern Highlands, Ms Rachael Pokesy from Port Moresby, Mrs Cathy Rumints from Hagen and Mr Bonnie Keoka from Lae.

Members appointed to the National Grant Committee are Naomi Yupae from Eastern Highlands, Loa George Kevau from Port Moresby, Wasi Koni from Wewak, and Brian Paiferi from Bulolo.

SPSN Program Director, Peter Aitsi congratulated the appointees, saying their wealth of experience in development and governance is crucial to SPSN and PNG.

“These individuals come from diverse backgrounds and will provide SPSN a strong community based perspective to ensure the program continues to improve service delivery outcomes to bring about meaningful change to the lives of the rural majority.”

“The appointment of civil society representatives will complement the existing expertise provided to the program by its current national government members. Together this committee will ensure SPSN is well placed to bring together civil society, government and key stakeholders through offering resources and support, including grants, capacity building, networking opportunities and research,” said Mr Aitsi.

The members of the JGC will be led by National Planning and Monitoring Acting Secretary, Ruby Zarriga, as Chair, with other representatives including Mollie Willie, Deputy Secretary for Department for Community Development, Simon Kunai, Director for Local Level Government Division at the Department for Provincial and Local Government Affairs, and Kath Taplin, Acting Counsellor Governance, AusAID Port Moresby.

The Joint Governing Council plays a crucial role in strategically guiding SPSN towards its goal of encouraging government to connect with civil society and other development partners to meet PNG communities’ needs. This includes ensuring the program is in line with PNG government’s priorities such as improved health and education outcomes, as well as working as much as possible within PNG Government's own systems.
The National Grants Committee is the highest funding decision making body in the SPSN structure, and will ensure that grants and other forms of funding support are provided to credible organisations to deliver real results to communities living in all provinces around PNG.
The NGC’s first task will be to select 35 organisations for grant funding from over 250 expressions of interest that were submitted this year for SPSN’s medium and large grants program.
Ends

260711Not Enough Information
By MARIA LAUKAI

Mr. Micheal Meuko, a chief from Buin says, majority in Bougainville does not know, what is happening in the region.

Not enough information is reaching the people, especially the rural intuitions and the community at large.

Mr. Meuko believes that, lack of information on development and the status of the Autonomous Bougainville government is the major contribution fact of the fighting in the areas of south Bougainville.

He said, the national radio station, RADIO BOUGAINVILLE could not be heard through- out the region.

In addition, the private run radio station NEW DAWN FM serves the only Buka Island.

Mr Meuko said, early this year, the member for south Bougainville HON STEVEN PIRIKA paid Telekom PNG K7000, 000 kina to increase their service to south Bougainville.

Nevertheless, nothing has eventuated.

Mr. Meuko said, Communication is very important, to disputes the right information from right people, because second hand information is very dangerous in a post conflict situation.

260711 GOOD NEWS FOR BOUGAINVILLE WOMEN
BY MARIA LAUKAI

Bougainville women were recognized by the Bougainville business community in Buka this week.

According to a woman, who wants to remain anonymous, Bougainville business Association must know where, Bougainville women married to expatriates stand in their shares in the their husband’s business.

This is according to the Bougainville commerce and trade policy under the theme “NO STAND ALONE BUSINESS BY EXPARTIATES”

She added that not only expatriate businessman should be checked.

Even the business houses owned by people from other Provinces of PNG need to be checked to find out, how much is owned by the woman and not the husband alone.

260711BUKA BSP NEEDS CASH
By MLAUKAI

Bougainville’s only bank Bank South Pacific based in Buka is constantly running out of cash because not enough business houses and individuals are depositing money back into the bank, says Bougainville provincial census coordinator JOSEPH JERAHA.

Mr. JERAHA said this is the reason why the Bougainville census office is unable to pay its census officers on time.

He said his office has had to wait for more than a week for big business houses like JOMIK trading to make deposits before they can withdraw amounts up to K150,000 which BSP could not earlier withdraw due to shortage of cash.

Mr. JERAHA is urging the people of Bougainville to use the banks to deposit their cash so that there is enough cash being circulated within the island region.

He said the more people depositing cash into the bank, the more cash will be available for the bank to allow large amounts of withdrawal for clients needing urgent cash.