NEW DAWN ON BOUGAINVILLE

300414BUIA WANTS HOSPITAL SERVICE IMPROVED
By Aloysius Laukai

The ABG member for BAUBAKE in Buin, MR. JOSEPH BUIA wants the Buka General Hospital management to improve how it serves it sick patients.

The member made these comments on NEW DAWN FM after he was hospitalized at the Hospital over the Easter weekend.

He said that patients were left with unchanged dressings for days and this is not good for the natural healing process to take place.

MR. BUIA said that he was surprised that patients and guardians were using only one toilet by both male and females undermining custom of Bougainville.

He called on the Hospital management to improve these services as this was creating a bad image for the only referral Hospital on Bougainville.

Our attempts to talk to the Management of the Buka General Hospital were unsuccessful.

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Pictured is the CEO for TravelAir TOFAYEL SIDDIQUE, EREMAS WARTOTO,WILFRED KOMBA (ABG Commerce Minister) Regional Member JOE LERA walking with the delegation towards the Terminal

290414 CHIEF WANTS SUPPORT
By Aloysius Laukai

A Paramount chief from NOVA village, ILAI KIKIT wants the government to help rebuild houses destroyed during the Bougainville conflict at NOVAH village.
Chief ILAI KIKIT made these comments at the NOVA celebrations at the weekend.
He acknowledged a Chain Saw and Forest mill and including a boat donated by DR. JOHN MOMIS when he was the Governor for Bougainville.
MR. KIKIT said that the people in the villages are still struggling to re-build homes destroyed during the conflict whilst the Government continues to assist the former combatants who are part of the problem.
He questioned when this practice will stop and the government supports ordinary villagers.

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290414 PLEASE ORDER CAN BEER
By Aloysius Laukai

A Bougainville leader is calling on the SP Beer distributors on Bougainville to stop getting Beer in Bottles into Bougainville.
Chief PAUL MOROKANA told New Dawn FM today that he was concerned at the damage been caused since the Bottled Beer returned to Bougainville some months ago.
He said that since Bottle was banned from Bougainville there were no broken bottles on the streets.
MR. MOROKANA said that since bottled Beer returned to Bougainville it has become another dangerous weapon during drinking sprees and makes the place full of broken bottles.
He urged the distributors to go back to the SP CANS instead of Bottles.

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290414THREE AIRLINE COMPANIES WILL SERVICE BOUGAINVILLE
By Aloysius Laukai
The inaugural flight by MANGI PLES or TRAVEL AIR to Buka today has increased the AIRLINES operating to Bougainville to three.
They are AIR NIUGINI, AIRLINES PNG and now TRAVEL AIR.
The TRAVEL AIR inaugural flight from Port Moresby to Buka had its first Passengers apart from the Group Chairman, MR. EREMAS WARTOTO and the CEO, TOFAYEL SIDDIQUE and including the media from Port Moresby.
They were welcomed by the Bougainville Regional member, JOE LERA and the ABG Minister for Commerce and Trade, WILFRED KOMBA and senior ABG Administration Officials.
As soon as the plane arrived, the ribbon was cut by the ABG Minister for Commerce to mark the special occasion and to signify that start of service into Bougainville by TRAVEL AIR.
In his welcome remarks, ABG Minister for Commerce, WILFRED KOMBA said that Bougainville was a safe place for doing business and said that the ABG welcomes services that can serve the people of Bougainville who are used to paying high fees for such services.
He said that competition in Business was healthy and Bougainville really welcomes and wants to work with the three airline companies.
MR. WARTOTO was able to present a business proposal for the ABG to consider and that is to serve other small airstrips throughout Bougainville.
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Pictured is the TravelAir Plane parked at the Buka airport

290414JUST ANOTHER LOCAL FROM THE NEXT ISLAND
By Aloysius Laukai

The Chairman of TRAVEL AIR, EREMAS WARTOTO says that he supports the struggles by the people of Bougainville to make sure local Bougainvilleans participate fully in all economic activities.
Speaking at the inaugural flight of TRAVEL AIR or MANGI PLES, MR WARTOTO said that the principle was good and can make PAPUA NEW GUINEANS run and own businesses previously restricted to Governments and Multi Million companies.
He said that as a local but from the other island, He wants to support Bougainville and Papua New Guinea by providing the service at a low and competitive rate.
MR. WARTOTO said that his company will start with three flights a week then later increase into Six flights a week into Buka and once AROPA opens will also service the Aropa airport.
He said that he would like to provide smaller planes into other airstrips throughout Bougainville.
MR. WARTOTO said that the cost of providing Sea and Air Transport is very expensive and needs more support from Authorities in terms of providing conducive environment for doing Business in Papua New Guinea.
He also thanked the ABG for utilizing his Ship MV MARUNGA on charters to the outer islands of Bougainville.

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290414 AUSTRALIA DONATES SAFETY GEAR
By Aloysius Laukai
The Australian Government this morning donated three sets of Sea Safety Equipments to the ABG Department of Health.
The presentation was done by, MR STUART SCHAEFER the Minister for Development Cooperation at the Buka General Hospital.
The three sets of safety equipments has six different sizes of life jackets that persons travelling out to sea on Banana boats can wear during the course of their work.
According to MR. SCHAEFER, the small donation is to make sure that the safety of Health workers travelling between islands are protected at all times.
He said that the set also includes a Radio beacon that can be activated during an emergency out at sea.
MR. SCHAEFER said that the signals indicating their location can be picked up by Ships and the people can be saved.
The sets will be located one set each for Buka, Nissan and Kunua.

Meanwhile,the CEO for the Department of Health in Bougainville, DR. ANTHONY PUMPARA has accepted safety equipments donated by the Government of Australia.
Speaking at the Handover take-over of the equipments, DR. PUMPARA said that Bougainville was privileged again to get such donation from the Government and People of Australia.
He said his Health workers at times have to travel out to sea to safe lives with no safety gear and these donations from the Australian government although small would go a long way in protecting lives.
DR. PUMPARA said that people get lost when travelling between islands without safety equipments and these equipments will be fully utilized.
New Dawn FM understands there is a Banana boat with 12 Passengers still missing since last week between Nissan and Buka island.

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Pictured is MR STUART SCHAEFER the Australian Minister for Development Cooperation and DR. PUMPARA CEO FOR ABG Health shaking hands at the presentation.
 
 
 

280414 ABG MUST BUILD ITS OWN HOUSE
By Aloysius Laukai

The Regional member for Bougainville, JOE LERA says that the Autonomous Bougainville Government has taken nine years since 205 and has not decided to build its own Parliament house.
Speaking at the NOVA United Church, MR LERA said that the ABG has to leave the building he built with funds from donations outside the ABG.
MR. LERA who was the University Director, when he built the building in 2004, told the people of NOVAH that the ABG continuous to deny the right of Bougainville students to education and the use of these facilities.
He said that he was working with the ABG to make sure that education institutions are established to train Bougainvilleans to become the workforce Bougainville desperately needs today.
MR. LERA said that he has already started the ITI school in Kokopau, Agriculture School at Aero in Wakunai, Mananau OISCA Project, The Bougainville Poly-technical school at HAHELA, MANETAI Soccer academy and the Bougainville Nursing School in Haku.
He said that plans are already been made to establish specialized schools in Kunua and other Districts.

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280414 ABG TO PARTNER WITH CHURCHES ON PROGRAMS
By Aloysius Laukai

The ABG Minister for Community Development which covers, Women, Youth, Sports and Churches, MELCHIOR DARE says that the ABG through his division is embarking on working with the churches to address social issues affecting Bougainville today.
MR. DARE said that this Government and Church Partnership started with the allocation of ONE MILLION KINA to support the work of Churches throughout the region.
He said that the churches have been providing Education and Health services in the past and it was only proper for the ABG to support and also utilize these proven channels to achieve results.
MR. DARE revealed this during the 28th anniversary celebrations for the NOVA UNITED CHURCH Building in Nova village last Saturday.
He said that Bougainville has established a Bougainville Churches Council in which the Bishop of the United Church, TIM AUTHER is the chairman.
MR. DARE said that the ABG will work with four different denominations under this Government/Church Partnership program.
These denominations are, CATHOLIC, SDA, UNITED CHURCH and God’s Kingdom Network which covers all other smaller and Pentecostal churches.

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280414 AKOITAI BLAMES GOVERNMENTS FOR LATE AWARENESS
By Aloysius Laukai
The former National Member for Central Bougainville and National Minister for Mining, SAM AKOITAI today blamed the National Government and the ABG for failing the people of Bougainville with awareness of the Bougainville Peace Process.
Speaking to New Dawn FM from Port Moresby, MR. AKOITAI said that he was concerned at the delay in carrying out awareness throughout Bougainville.
He said that the Awareness on the Bougainville Peace Agreement should have been done just after the signing of the Agreement and also by the first ABG House.
MR. AKOITAI said with the five year window to referendum coming up in less than twelve months he is worried that the people are totally in the dark on these issues.
He also said that he was more concerned at the ABG Elections coming up that may distract the leaders from addressing these very critical issues.
On the plan by the ABG Communication division to establish another radio station for Bougainville, MR. AKOITAI said that the government must work with the two existing radio stations to carry out these awareness programs instead of creating another money drainer again.
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