Why does the Education Department accept teachers being off pay a normal process?

It is very inhumane to a teacher who duly resumes duty on time, fills out a resumption duty form and sends to the pay roll but yet gets off pay when the so called normal process of auto suspension is effected. 

Something is not right along the resumption of duty process and this should not be accepted as normal

This has been happening year in year out..

When the Education Secretary says its a "normal process" it's actually distasteful to a committed teacher who would be waiting for ages to get back on payroll.

I know this because most of my elder siblings are teachers and they have been badly affected by the so called auto suspension.

Sometimes their bank loan and interest go into arrears and when they are paid backdated in lumpsums much is taxed and of course the bank gets its share as well and they are left with just a little to brighten their lives.

Classroom.learning at Oksapmin Secondary School Picture by GC Giles Facebook 

What I am concerned and attempting to be frank here is that it should not be accepted as a normal process for teachers to be off payroll every year.

I stress processes are designed and controlled by humans so humans can correct failures in the process or system.

Our computers are dumb machines and so they act on instructions provided by humans so if the Education Department audits the process they should be able to find where the challenges are and of course correct them.

We should not accept it as normal that every year someone, a teacher has to be off pay.

There must be a No!

How could we demand commitment from teachers to deliver quality education when we put them off pay?

Salaries and wages are rewards that motivate someone to deliver an outcome and if that is missing, one can't expect the desired outcome.

The Education department has moved auto pay suspension to pay nine of 2023.

The department is predicting around 15,000 teachers to be affected.

That is just massive.

Can the Education department reduce this to Zero? I think they can.

What does this mean for the Green River people- BSP cash agent opens

What an awesome development news for the people of Green River, West Sepik.

Last Friday, (24/3/23) the BSP Financial Group launched a cash agent at the Green River LLG office.

Customers can make deposits, withdraw or transfer money.

I think the last time a cash office managed by the BMS existed was some 30 years ago.

The BSP cash agent is owned and managed by Komeali Trading and the owners together with BSP must be applauded.

What does this development mean for the people?

First well for public servants mainly teachers and health workers who pretty much are the face of the government when other public servants have left will now benefit much to mainly withdraw or deposit money.

The set up of the cash agent will also stimulate the unbanked to bank monies with BSP and we can seriously know how much cash is being traded around the Green River area.

The cash agent may well serve the people of Idam and Yapsie who can just travel down the Sepik do their banking and return.

But seriously for Green River this should trigger small to medium businesses in agriculture or service industries to open accounts and bank money.

In the past cash crops such as rubber was popular but today villagers have expanded into cocoa, vanilla and trade of spice products like eagle wood and masoi bark have become popular.

Their trading partners are in Indonesia and goods are moved there through the Sepik River to Indonesia at Patom or other regencies. 

What people need is a market to sell their produce and accessing bank services allow them to save and be in the formal business market.

With a bumpy logging road link to Vanimo trade stores can also start like before and also owners can bank their money at the cash agent.

The place has Telikom and Digicel networks and already the LLG manager Rodney Kane has ordered a diesel fuel generator from Lae.

Now these appears to be fundamental enablers for communication, services and business to function and ultimately servicing people.

Green River is sparsely populated and there is abundant arable land for agriculture with vegetables and fruits such as pineapple, cucumber and corn just to name a few can be grown in plentiful.

Of course very clean sago made after squeezing starch from the bark of the palm using very clean streams can be traded too.

There are 26 wards in Green River which spread from the upper lands Yuri area bordering West Papua to Upper Sepik in the Biak Huhi area bordering Telefomin district in the south.

Then you meander the Sepik down to the border with Namea LLG around Wagu and Sinou.

Then you have the inland  Nagu area Wagu Sinou along the Sepiik bordering Edwaki and Lumi.

Travelling back west you have the villagers along the highway bloc of Biaka, Konobasi, Miarofei, Akrani.

The Green River local villages on the fringes of the government station complete the population who live in sparsely populated regions.

Green River has one of the longest airstrips in the province, if not the country constructed by the PNGDF engineering battalion in the 1970s.

Port Moresby police to be on stand by at potential hotspots: No to protest

Police in Port Moresby will be stationed at potential hot spot areas to curb any unnecessary safety and security issues that may arise.

Metropolitan Superintendent Silva Sika told NBC National Radio yesterday afternoon.

This is to stop a protest March that has been mooted and speculated on social media Facebook.

Sika said any protest today would be illegal as police have not

recieved any two weeks notice and a round table discussion with any organiser did not take place.

Mr Sika  said the discussion was critical to identify safety threats and opportunities during any  protest.

He has urged city residents to go about their usual business today and assured them that police are ready and  capable of confronting  any safety concerns that may arise.

Protests in Port Moresby against the government in recent years have sometimes turned bloody nasty when opportunists take advantage and destroy properties and vehicles. 

This morning in Port Moresby it appears there was normal business with children being dropped off at schools, cars were on the road, those employed were going to work and major popular supermarkets opened as usual.

A Chinese and PNG nationals denied bail for suspected drug smuggling

A magistrate in Lae has denied bail for suspected drug smugglers who include a Chinese and six PNG nationals.

The National reports Magistrate Lorna Sani remanded the seven at Buimo jail after the police prosecutor argued that the district court could not hear bail applications for controlled substance that is more than 2kg.

The suspects were accused of helping each other move 52kg of methamphetamine from Lae to Bulolo and flown to Australia.

The suspects were Ning Hezhong, 64, from Fuzieng’s Fuging City, China; Levi Wartovo, 39, from Wau-Waria’s Kuimba village, Morobe; Hosea Tarere, 32, from Rabaul’s Pilapila village, East New Britain; Steven Temen, 28, from Gumine’s Sipagul village, Chimbu; Luke Meda, 33, from Central’s Tubusereia village; Joshua Tupana, 33, from Siwai’s Siroi village, Bougainville; and, Alfred Sanage, 35, from Dei’s Mala village in Western Highlands.

All were charged with one count of trafficking controlled substance.

They will have to apply for bail in the National Court while police proceed with the prosecution.

The National reports they will appear for mention in court on May 3.

The black flight transporting the illicit drug was intercepted in Australia.

PNG Police Commisioner David Manning said last week the successful drug bust was a result of collaboration between police commands in Australia and PNG.

He said they will continue collaborating with their Australia and regional counterparts to combat transnational drug smuggling and make the environment hostile for drug syndicates.

PNG Internal Revenue Commission prevents corruption by availing real time information online

 IRC LAUNCHES CoC SELF-VALIDATION APP ONGOOGLE PLAY STORE.

The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) has launched a self-validation mobile phone application to authenticate Certificate of Compliances (CoC). 

The digital product was launched at a small but significant ceremony at the IRC Headquarters in Port Moresby 

Thursday, witnessed by staff and the local software developer, Minsoft. 

At the launch, Commissioner General Sam Koim acclaimed this as another momentous achievement for IRC to become a digitally transformed organization. 

The CoC is a document issued by the IRC to taxpayers who enter into a contract in which eligible payments are expected to exceed K5000/per annum. 

Over the years, CoC fraud has increased. Investigations revealed that taxpayers and a few IRC officers have been colluding to produce fake CoCs. Since 2020, 287 cases of CoC fraud have been detected and investigated, resulting in 6 staff being terminated and three prosecuted successfully. 

Whilst committing resources to continue investigating these cases, the Commission invested in this product as a corruption prevention measure. 

Mr Koim said, “corruption, especially at the bureaucratic and administrative levels, flourishes when ‘motive’ and ‘opportunity’ meet. We are addressing ‘motive’ by improving terms and conditions and penalizing those doing the wrong thing. With automation and introduction of digital tools like this, we remove the ‘opportunity’ for human discretion.” 

IRC engaged Minsoft, a local software company, to develop an application named “Track Tru-IRC”, which is now available on Google Play Store https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tracktru. The CoC QR code solution will automate theauthorization of the printed CoC from SIGTAS (Standard Integrated Tax Accounting System) andprovide an effective and efficient avenue for the paying authorities to validate the CoC documenton presentation.

The software developer, Leonard Wanusim of Minsoft, stated that the application has two major software components. The first component is the Web Management Portal, which allows IRC staff to generate the CoC with a QR code embedded in the certificate. The other real-time software module is the ‘Track Tru-IRC’ mobile app on the Google Play Store, allowing users to validate a CoC document by simply scanning the entire document with the QR Code. After the document is scanned and validated, the result is transmitted to the Web Management Portal, where the IRC staff can monitor it. The transmitted data includes the GPS location, making it easy to find the people or businesses who do not comply.

The Commissioner General urged taxpayers to keep their compliance up to date so that they will  have no problem obtaining a COC. COC is free and autogenerated if the taxpayers' compliance status is current. It is an offence to produce and use fake COCs.

Contractors and paying authorities are urged to download the new App from Google Play Store and start using it to scan and validate CoCs.

IRC has also provided a CoC Lookup on our website for paying authorities and taxpayers to confirm the authenticity of CoCs. See CoC lookup | myIRCFor information about CoCs, please see Certificate Of Compliance | https://irc.gov.pg/tax-tools/certificate-of-compliance-lookup

 

Dorothy Tekwie writes about a a popular voice from Radio Wewak

 THE MIGHTY VOICE ON RADIO WEWAK

‐-------Liklik Stori blong "trupela meri Sepik"

MICHAEL SOMARE  OF RADIO WEWAK - MY RADIO "ANNOUNCER FRIEND"

Believe it or not, his voice the first voice I came to hear of a national radio announcer (they called them those days). 

The Tekwie Family was based in Amanab Government  Station from 1966-1969 where my father Joachim Tekwie (96) was the Station's "Powa boi" - he operated the Station's  large Generator that provided  electricity to a dozen houses at the station  from1965-1970. 

My father  had this old transistor radio and always turns it on at 5.30pm to ensure he goes and starts the generator at 6pm and turns it off at 10pm. Both times were important for him as those were the times for starting power (6) and turning it off at 10pm. He didn't  have a watch or clock so we got used to his turning radio on and off for telling time. We also got used to listening to radio  between  5 and 10pm and found  it interesting  because  there was this  radio  announcer called Michael Somare whom  our father said was his "friend" - of course our father never met him but he was  his friend because  he used to "tell him the time" to go and turn power on or off. We had thought it was true as our father did his training  at Wewak Power House and later at Rouna 2 Station in Central Province.

They did meet in about 1966-68 when Michael Somare actually  did visit Amanab with some white "radio announcers" from Australia  to talk to refugees who crossed the border after Indonesian troops bombed OPM bases on the other side of the border.

Our house was next to the District Office where the refugees were held and interviewed by the Kiap and the radio annoucers. My father had to kept the power running during the day for the kiap  to use his "two way radio" (VHF) to communicate with Vanimo. My sister Petronella "Petra" , brother John  and I were interested in the "radio annoucers" who had their cameras and tape recorders. I was the most "wild child " of the three of us and would  always hangout with my father as he works with the kiap. 

During that visit the kiap was under pressure  to fix the portable  generator  that he used to power the VHF radio and so I went along to watch. While there all the "radio annoucers" came out and my father  met his "friend" who also shook my hand and from that time  on Michael Somare was my friend too. I can not remember  what he said to me now but I saw him interviewing the refugees in the small court house and later my father  told us to listen to the news on Radio Wewak  by "our" friend Michael Somare. We would hear Michael  Somare saying "dispela em Radio Wewak, maus bilong Sepik"

In 1987 the Leader of PANGU Party was looking for a candidate  for West Sepik Provincial Seat after the incumbent  PANGU MP Karl Stack left to form League for National Advancement (LNA) with Sir Anthony Siaguru and John Nilkare.

 "Our" friend  Sir Michael endorsed me as his Pangu Party candidate for West Sepik Provincial seat knowing I, a female would be up against men, money  and conservative Sepik cultural attitudes. 

Karl Stack and his Sepik supporters made fun of his decision. Sir Michael later told me during endorsement  "yu mas winim dispela eleksen, ol man Sepik tok bilas long mi. Ol tok Somare painim man long snap long hausman na givim sipia blong em long ol meri"  I told him I will try my best. I didn't win but was determined  to make them eat their words. I returned to Port Moresby, got married, started family and got job as the  National Program  Manager for UNDP. Before departing for Port Moresby I handed my little brother  John Talu Tekwie all my records and notes on all the people of West Sepik who shared food, put campaign  houses for me, gave me funds, campaigned  for me  and prayed for me during 1987. I told John that I will go get a job and promised  to sponsor him in 1992.

As we prepared  for 1992 National  General Elections I met Sir Michael  during a UN event and we talked about 1992 NGE.  He told me "mi laik  tru blong rausim dispela waetman em tok bilas long mi". I told Sir Michael  to support  John Tekwie as "mi givim sipia blong yu long liklik brata na em bai win". Sir Michael didn't think I was serious and went and endorsed our Uncle Paul Langro. I rang Ted Diro than Governor for Central and Leader of People's  Action Party . He listened to my report of work John had been doing since 1987 and endorsed  John Tekwie  but did not support him with campaign funds. I printed John's black and white posters and few dozen black and white  T shirts. Our father  used K11,000 of his 30 years retirement funds to help me sponsor John. John became 2 term Governor  for West  Sepik. 1992-2002.

I ran into Sir Michael  after  John won  the seat and he called me over and shook my hands saying "yu trupela meri Sepik, yu save long tromoi sipia na kilim abus" 

That was my story with my "radio annoucer" friend - GC Sir Michael Thomas Somare.

 RIEP  Chief! Till we meet again.

Strong winds rip off roof of a Central Province village school classroom

 

Pictures and words by Paul Maima freelance Journalist

A DOUBLE grade four classroom( four in one ) in Porebada Primary School was destroyed last night due to heavy down pour and strong wind.

It is affecting 160 sudents, 40 students in each class. The School was suspended this morning while the administration is attending to the problem.

According to School board Chairman Mr. Tau Karoho, Porebada Primary School is a level 7 school with 850 students and 25 teaching staff.

He said most of the Classrooms including staff houses have deteriorated over the years and thus it was very unfortunate that four clasrooms were destroyed due to bad weather.

" We have notified the Central Provincial Education authority of the incident this morning." He said

" The school is suspended indefinitely as we are consolidating a way forward to get the school back as soon as possible."

" Climate Change is definitely having a toll on us and I am appealing to the Central Provincial Government, Hiri Koiari District Development Authority, Exxon Mobil, MRDC and other developing agencies to assist us for the construction of the new classrooms for class to resume." Mr. Tau said

The School Board Chairman who was a former School inpector said, all 18 classrooms needs to be rebuild but they do not have the financial capacity to do so.

The school which was established in the 1950s has educated the Porebada communities and the neighbouring village for many years.

Photo caption: The destroyed classroom in Porebada Primary School

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