Housing challenges: Any aspiring politician talking about it?

Housing issues in Port Moresby is an old story.

Many working class families budget are hard hit by rentals and the consequence is the take home pay is very low despite a possibly higher salary than average Papua New Guinean.

The minimum wage rate is K3.50 per hour.

Rentals in Port Moresby average around K3,000 to K4,000 per month for a decent three bedroom apartment or house.

If you earn K80,000 per annum as your gross salary.

Forty percent of that (K32,000) can go to rentals as salary sacrifice.

Your salary would be around K48,000 but it seems there would be shortfall so you'd have to pluck another K4,000 from your salary to meet your rental for the year if it was at K3,000 per month.

But on a serious note, not many people earn around K80,000 per annum.

Rentals have soared exponentially during the construction period of the PNG LNG project pushing many average income earners in public and private sector to "bunk up" or stressfully rent a room in settlements or illegal buildings around town at rates of K300 to K500 per fortnight.

That was even the case pre-LNG construction so we were into this doldrum, an already depressing situation well before.

Imagine the rates mentioned were just at a rate for a room, not a whole house where one would call home.

The government has been called on to look into housing issues but I rather think the private sector should also help in alleviating this.

Many city residents who make this city function also live in settlements.

Many contribute to making thousands or millions for companies that allow their managers to live in posh locations.

It's time to make sure, everyone is equally afforded a decent housing to be regarded a home, make families happy that they have space.

Elections and we hardly hear candidates talk about how they are addressing housing issues.

The working class must ask about this.

If they have not, I am asking through this medium.

Did any candidate for the Moresby Northwest by-election highlight what he or she would do to address this.

Housing and settlement expansions are big challenges for the city that must be addressed appropriately and gradually now or we face a problem in future.

Alarm bells have already sounded that we have a problem.

Please address housing woes and bring rentals down.

If we cannot do this, we got to increase wage rate so residents can afford to live in a decent place that is truly expensive.

Education Minister Jimmy Uguro to meet country's inspectors and education advisers

Minister for Education Hon. Jimmy Uguro, MP is pleased to meet all school inspectors and provincial education advisers for the first time since he took office as the new Minister in January this year. 

The inspectors and the PEAs will be here in Port Moresby for the week-long joint National Ratings Conference on Monday, May 24 – Friday, May 28. 

“Inspectors play a very important role in our national education system. 

The work they do informs the government of the progress in education,” the Minister said. 

The Department of Education is implementing a number of very important policies and programs which were developed using funds and resources provided by the national Government, development partners and stakeholders. 

 “We need to ensure that these policies and programs are being implemented, monitored and benefits they have on our students and teachers reported. 

This is where our school inspectors’ commitment, time and hard work are critical,” he added. 

The Minister said he looks forward to meeting the inspectors and the PEAs on Sunday evening when he will officially open the conference.

Central Province: A land of plenty

 I visited a good brother who teaches at Sivitatana Primary School in the Rigo District, Central Province on the weekend.

What a blessing, he asked me to collect some pork and some Rigo banana.

The drive to Sivitatana was perfect sealed drive from Port Moresby to Kwikila and then another 20 mins to Sivitatana alas there are few pot holes and unnecessary humps.

The humps are a road hazard.

Someone has to crack down on this.

People can't put humps without a notice for drivers indicating a hump.

Well why do I say Central Province is a land of plenty?

Driving past you see massive unused land with beautiful scenery.

That's the first huge asset they have.

Imagine if this is turned into commercial farm lands to feed the hotels, motels, shops and guest houses in Port Moresby.

There's already sealed road for example along the Magi Highway and you have electricity from Port Moresby pulled through.

With electricity, you can use it to irrigate farms or build storage facilities.

With the sealed road, you can transport the produce to Port Moresby.

We just got to put the nuts and bolts together and sure something realistic and workable should function.

We create jobs. We generate income from a sustainable and environmentally friendly venture.

Well at Sivitatana, there's a huge lake in there and while I was there fishermen brought huge number of catch they did and their wives will take to a road side market to sell.

The inland pieces of land are described as not too arable but what if we use develop and use good irrigation and mulch the soil a bit.

We should definitely see massive results.

Kwikila has important services and infrastructure already there like PNG Power.

It should develop into a huge town with good hospital, police stations, hotels and motels.

Attract Port Moresby residents to Kwikila.

Many places in outside provinces do not have the luxury as Central Province has-and near to the melting pot multiracial Port Moresby.

Central Province is a land of plenty opportunities.

Do we have time to sit as family pray and eat?

 Just over 40 years of Independence and mind you if you had an oversight, so much has happened to Papua New Guinea.

• Many people have graduated from universities
• Technology has been introduced and people adapted or are adapting to it
• Many people have cars than before
• Lifestyle changes, people adapting to Western culture
• Many people  speak English fluently and can understand it as well

Well these are a few sticking out from me.

You may have countless others.

Essentially we have transitioned and for the better or not, you be the judge.

For me I feel there were some ideals practiced in the far gone days that held us as a family unit and nation together.

For example sitting together for dinner.

In fact a prayer is culturally offered before meals and during meals parents offer guidance and give wisdom talk to children.

It's a promotion of behaving well and abiding by laws.

Sadly today in my view we are not into this.

People in urban areas like Port Moresby are too concerned about money and they work overtime selling items on streets or working at their offices.

In settlements, when it should be dinner time to sit together and eat, children as young as five or four are roaming the streets.

They probably just head to bed without spending time with families praying and eating, and parents care less.

Parents are overworked and tired.

Their dwellings are not spacious as a home so family can sit together and eat.

Some families live in just one room.

The housing challenge faced in urban Papua New Guinea in one way or another does not promote a happy healthy family growth.

It exerts enormous stress and pressure on families and so they can't sit together, pray and eat.

We should break that challenge. I choose challenge over problem because we can over come it.

We need to change the culture.

Revert back to the culture of family sitting together for dinner pray and eat.

The government has a responsibility to make decent housing affordable for anyone.

From humble beginnings: Rose Delicacy opens at Unity Mall

 

Begin somewhere; you cannot build a reputation on what you intend to do- Liz Smith

I met my college friend Dennis Orere at the Unity Mall centre at Waigani in Port Moresby.

He was just having his light breakfast before heading off to work at EMTV.

He works as a journalist/presenter and producer. No need to introduce him but for this space, I am doing so.

Dennis says that is more his usual daily routine in the last five days.

Why? He pointed to his right and says he owns a little food café and just checking out his team, more like the family is setting up for the day.

I was so… so impressed with Dennis and honestly confirmed to him that I am scouting for a place too.

Unfortunately upon inquiry most available spaces similar to Dennis' space have been taken. Size of about 2m by 3m.

They are just a little under K2,000 a month.

Denise says that is his side hustle to generate income and support him and his family.

In Papua New Guinea or Port Moresby today, we can’t be too dependent on our salary to keep us going for two weeks and that is a reality.

But on a serious and bigger note for Dennis, this is the small beginning with many opportunities for huge success in my strong view.

Why do I say this?

First his opened a place in a place where thousands of potential customers would come.

It’s like getting out from a shed in your backyard to a billboard.

You get noticed and potential to attract a customer is higher then being at your backyard shed.

Many MSME people are looking for a formal place to set up and start up.

He has scored it.

Second and this is most important, he is selling food.

You won’t go wrong running a trade store selling food.

You will have customers every time no doubt. 

People need food and water to survive.

One just has to  build stocks and sell fast.

Don’t look far, the Asians are good at that and they start from a tuck store to a supermarket.

Denise has begun with his local menu and once that is loved by customers, that’s his unique product.

If he doesn’t prosper and expand, it would be mismanagement.

Just had to be forthright here Dennis, proud of you.

Dennis unique menus are tapioca cake, banana cake and pariva with ripe banana or sago.

Check out the Rose Delicacy at the Unity Mega Mall, its named after his mum.

If you are an ex-DWU Communications Arts student, check out Rose Delicacy anytime.

Dennis' business venture reminds me of Liz Smith's quote that we have to start somewhere.

 

Rigo Rice produced from Central Province is on sale

Hey Papua New Guinea.

Rigo Rice from the Central Province is now on sale at main supermarkets.

The current distributer is Wantok Wholesale based at Six Mile-in the same compound where DHL office is located.

Upon inquiry today, their wholesale prices are

• 20 kg K74.00
• 10 kg K35.00
• 5 kg K18.50

They boast that the price is higher than other brands because of quality.

Some Papua New Guineans say if its locally produced, its price should be lower than the imported ones.

You be the judge and make your decision if you are after quality (relational shopper) or price (transactional shopper).

Motu-Koitabu mobile health service

Dadi Toka Jr assumed the political leadership as Chairman of the Motu-Koitabu Assembly last year and he is not stopping anywhere to deliver health and education services.

 Recently a mobile bus clinic.

"Thank you to all the stakeholders involved with the modification of this 40 seater bus into a mobile clinic for Motu Koita villages," he said.

" This mobile unit will be launched soon for the covid19 vaccination rollout in our villages.”

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