NEW DAWN ON BOUGAINVILLE

James Tanis tours through regional Bougainville

BY ALOYSIUS LAUKAI

The President of the ABG, James Tanis, has begun a busy schedule visiting constituencies in central and south Bougainville.

He started at Anganai village on Friday by attending a reconciliation ceremony between Chris Uma and his previously bitter rivals.

At the weekend he travelled to Siwai to attend another reconciliation ceremony at Duisei village.

He will also attend a major reconciliation ceremony in Arawa for the people of Arawa, Loloho, Kieta and Toniva.

While the President is in Arawa another other reconciliation ceremonies will be held in Wakunai and Koromira.

President Tanis will spend a week in the Kongara constituency, which is regarded as the most rugged and difficult to cover because it covers is in the mountains of Central Bougainville.

Mekamui reconciliation is praised by President

BY TAPO TOVILU

The President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, Hon James Tanis, has attended a reconciliation ceremony at Anganai village outside Arawa town.

The ceremony involved Mekamui General Army commander, Chris Uma, Lawrence Mutei and other leaders.

Today’s ceremony was the start of a number reconsiliations to be conducted in cental and south Bougainville in coming weeks.

Addressing the ceremony, President Tanis commended Chris Uma and those involved in the reconciliation for their brave actions to put their past behind them.

He said that when news of the reconciliation reaches the outside world, people will know that Mekamui is not a rascal group but a political group.

“It has also paved the way for foreign investors to have confidence to come and conduct business in Bougainville,” President Tanis said.

He described today’s reconciliation as the best and first to be attended by Mekamui leaders and urged them to own the ceremony.

The president said that a report would be sent to the United Nations and the PNG National Government.

“The ceremony showed that the peace process is on course and progressing well,” President Tanis said.

Minister announces plans for rural development

BY ALOYSIUS LAUKAI

The Minister for Primary Industry, Dominic Itta, says that farming is the biggest project for the ABG as 90% of Bougainvilleans are rural farmers.

He made these comments at the launching of the Toroar cattle and rice project at Soroken Plantation last week.

He said his government has already started six cattle projects in central Bougainville and he encouraged the people of Mahari and Kunua to develop the Soroken project.

Mr Itta said that the ABG had already started Primary Industry centres to assist farmers in south, central and north Bougainville. He announced that a copra processing plant will be built this year and that all copra will be sold to that mill attracting higher price for farmers.

The Minister also said that he was talking to RD Tuna to build another fish cannery on Bougainville.

Two major projects will help rebuild Saposa

By TAPO TOVILU

The people of the Saposa area in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville yesterday welcomed the launch of two major farming projects in the area.

A cattle project and a rice mill were handed over to the people by the Minister for Primary Industry, Hon Dominic Ita, and officers from the Primary Industries sector of the ABG.

The two projects came under the strategic development plan of the ABG and were funded under AusAID and NZ AID at a total cost of K107,000.

The Member for the Mahari constituency, Hon John Tabinaman, said that change had finally come.

He told the Saposa people that the two projects came about because of their hard work in setting the foundations.

“Development is starting in Bougainville and we all must work together and help one and other to develop the area,” he said.

The two projects come under the economic development plan to rebuild the region’s once vibrant economy.

The cattle project was handed over to the people of Torowar to manage. Two cowboys who came with the shipment of cows who will train youths on the care and rearing of the cattle.

The people where promised the help and support from the ABG and also from the Primary Industry sector in the continuation of the two projects.

Photo: Hon Dominick Ita handing over a bag of cow stock feed to cowboys at the launching of the Soroken cattle project

People must be God-fearing & right-standing

BY TAPO TOVILU

People must work together to help develop our region and build our economy, the Minister for Primary Industry, Hon Dominick Ita, said at the launching of a cattle and rice milling project in the Saposa area.

Mr Ita said this was the beginning of a new era in the development of the region and encouraged both the current leaders and the people to put God first.

“In order for us to be successful in all that we do, we must be right standing in the eye of God,” he said.

He spoke strongly saying that leaders must fear God and seek His leadership in all decisions they were to make.

New rice mill helps Saposa development

BY TAPO TOVILU

A K7000 rice milling machine funded by AusAID and NZ AID has been officially handed over to the people of Torowar in the Saposa area.

The machine will help mill rice which people have started to farm at Soroken.

When handing over the equipment, the CEO of Primary Industries, Sam Rangai, told the people that this was how development came about.

He told people that it was them who brought about the project when they started farming rice in their area.

Local rice miller, Boby Soma, thanked Primary Industry officers for their initiative to help their people.

“Many of our youths will benefit greatly from this project and at the same time it will keep them busy and out of trouble, Mr. Soma said.

The machine will help the people generate income but also substitute for rice which currently is brought from outside Bougainville.

Photo: The new rice mill is handed over to the people of Saposa

New generator will improve hospital efficiency

BY ALOYSIUS LAUKAI

Acting Chief Administrator, Chris Siriosi, has challenged the Buka General Hospital to improve its services with the commissioning of a new 160 KVA generator.

Mr Siriosi said that with an improved power supply, the hospital must improve its services.

He was speaking at the commissioning of the K132,000 generator funded by AusAID and NZ AID.

It replaces the old 100 KVA generator installed in 1998 when Buka Hospital was built and which broke down last November.

Acting CEO of Buka General Hospital, Dr Barnabas Matanu, said the new generator will improve the electricity needs of the hospital.

He said in the past sections of the hospital had to be switched off to allow for operations and other major procedures.

Dr Matanu said that the new generator was sufficient to power all hospital activities at the same time.

Photo: Left to right - Dr Banarbas Matanu, Chris Siriosi, Roslyn Kenneth of AusAID and hospital technical staff at the commissioning of the new generator [Aloysius Laukai]

Leader speaks out on B’ville elections

BY TAPO TOVILU

Saposa leader John Tsenon has asked what Bougainville leaders doing to help rural people.

Mr Tsenon questioned what leaders are doing to develop the province, adding that some constituencies have seen very little change.

“I am calling on the current leaders of the House of Representatives to do as much as they can to help their people in the short time they have before the 2010 elections,” Mr. Tsenon said.

He praised the Minister for Peace Reconciliation and Weapons disposal, Hon Robert Hamal Sawa, for what he is doing in his constituency and called on other leaders to do the same.

Mr Tsenon also called on the people of Bougainville to vote wisely in the elections.

He said many leaders are voted into office, but when there do not help the people that voted for them.

“Make sure the leader you vote will bring services and development back to you and not be just there as a member,” Mr Tsenon said.

Cattle project launched on Saposa island

BY ALOYSIUS LAUKAI

The Toroar community on Saposa Island in the Autonomous Bougainville Region are proud recipients of 34 AusAID-funded cows.

The cattle project was initiated following the successful operation of a rice project that is slowly growing to feed the entire island.

The cattle were offloaded from the MV Buka Trader last Saturday.

Because they were offloaded in deep water, the cowboys struggled to get the cows to the beach.

Project leader, Bobby Soma, said his group hopes to build an abattoir to slaughter and sell the cattle.

He said he wants to involve his people in this project so that they are employed and kept busy.

The project will be officially launched tomorrow.

Resident doctors complete training at Buka

BY TAPO TOVILU

Buka General Hospital will for the first time facilitate the training of resident medical officers.

The three doctors, Dr Karao Bruno, Dr Boas Jameson and Dr Johnson Maxwell from the University of PNG, will undertake their residency training with the hospital.

Acting CEO, Dr Barnabas Matanu, said the RMO’s will join specialist doctors at the same time boosting manpower at the hospital.

Dr Matanu said the RMO’s will complete a four month practical program in each field with guidance and supervision from specialist doctors.

“It is normally a two year course but because the hospital does not have specialists to cover all the required fields, the RMO’s will only spend just one year here,” Dr Matanu said.

He said the hospital wanted to take in more RMO’s but because of problems such as lack of accommodation and shortage of specialist only three were accepted.

Dr. Matanu also said that two Health Extension Officers will also start their residencies this week.

“This will be a good opportunity for them to learn and gain experience so that they are better prepared to serve the people,” Dr Matanu said.