Malaysia Appreciates Growth in Trade with Papua New Guinea

According to High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea Jilid Kuminding, Malaysia is pleased with the growth of trade with PNG.

He said that, Malaysia’s total trade with PNG during the period January to November escalated by 15.6 percent scrutinize to previous year. It was worth RM1.74 billion (K1.16 billion) – an increase of RM835.79 million (K557.8million).

He also said that, from 2010 to 2014, Malaysia’s total trade with PNG immovably increased from RM1.12 billion (K0.74billion) to RM1.7 billion (K1.13billion) – recounting an overall appreciation of 51 per cent in those five years.

Kuminding said PNG was Malaysia’s third largest trading partner in Oceania. Globally, PNG is Malaysia’s 51st largest trading partners over the same period. Malaysia’s exports to PNG were valued at RM1.29 billion (K0.86billion), increasing by 3.7 per cent (RM45.38 million) (K30.3million) from the corresponding period in 2014. 

He added the preeminent reason for export growth during that period was machinery, appliances and parts, beverages and tobacco, and petroleum products.

 “The overall relation is very good,” Kuminding said. “PNG is one of the most important destinations for export in terms of investment in the Pacific. I’m very happy that the growth of our trade, be it our export to PNG as well as Papua New Guinea’s export to Malaysia was very, very positive, especially last year.” He also added.

“Unbelievable. And I’m very happy. Trade must be equal partnership. We want to import more from you. We want to buy more from Papua New Guinea because still, it’s not a balance trade. It’s in our favor but we would like to very much have more from PNG. Now it is on the increase and I think that is a very good indicator,” he said.

Kuminding said it was important the trade must continue to grow. 

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Mining Prospects in Papua New Guinea

After a decade of increasing mineral reconnaissance activity, PNG mineral sector appears to have leaked in 2012.

In contrast to the period antecedent to the recent decade has been braced. PNG resource sector has divulged remarkable resilience. In 2002, there was a widespread expectation that much of PNG’s resource sector.

Legislative changes in 2003 that made the mineral sector more tantalizing to investors. First for PNG export of nickel and cobalt commenced in March, 2012 with lateritic nickel venture expected to ramp up to full design capacity of 31,150 tons of contained nickel and 3,300 tons of cobalt in 2016.

PNG has been successful in tantalizing a broad cross section of mineral companies arbitrating a large number of junior companies as well as a group of larger international companies, inclusive of world leaders. This is a healthy situation for the industry as the juniors are often the most bellicose explorers, but it is the larger players that underwrite the joint ventures that provide exploration funds and hereafter a great balance sheet for any possible developments. 

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Nightlife in Papua New Guinea

Most of the nightlife in Papua New Guinea is limited to the capital of Port Moresby and the larger provincial centres. The larger hotels will generally have a weekend disco and there will often be a live band as well.

Several hotels in Port Moresby have dancing in the evenings and some organise live entertainment. The Arts Theatre stages regular performances. The local newspaper advertises programmes. Sing-sings, tribal events on a smaller scale than the biannual festival, are sometimes held.

Many foreign residents are members of social clubs, which also run restaurants, bars and sporting facilities. There are also night spots which offer discotheques, bars, pool tables, dart throwing, and slot machines. Many of these offer good live bands playing popular Western and local music.

Royal Papua Yacht Club is a large airy place with a pleasant deck for sitting. The club is decorated with lots of interesting World War II photos and maritime memorabilia. There's sometimes live music, but otherwise it's a steady diet of easy-listening retro tunes.

Gold Club has live music a couple of nights a week, but otherwise it's given over to DJs and dancing. The open-air dance floor is surrounded by layers of bars. The music is good – a top spot to unwind and dance the night away.

Attached to the Shady Rest Hotel on Taurama Road, Mustang Sally's offers a more 'genuine' Papua New Guinea experience – raw and spirited. Ozzie's Jazz Bar in Ela Beach Hotel, on the other hand, is a laid-back place where you can mix it with the locals who love to dance. 

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Bird Watching in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea is a bird watchers paradise. There are many locations where beautiful species of birds are found, including the different species of the famous Birds of Paradise which only found in PNG.

It is understood that PNG is home to such a thriving bird population due to specific habitats and climate favoured by endemic species and the lack of predatory animals that would otherwise threaten them.

Birding is available throughout the country form coastal and island locations right up to the rugged peaks of the highlands with diversity of bird life. PNG is particularly famous for endemic species such as the Raggiana and Blue Birds of Paradise and rare find including the Fire maned Bowerbird.

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Philippines & China ready to explore business in PNG

In a quest to further lift and stimulate the existing ties between the Asian countries and the Pacific Region, authorities from Philippines and China have planned the commencement of a fruitful visit of 32 business delegations from the Philippines-Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PCCCI) to PNG this week.

"With our exports of oil & gas, along with gold from our extractive industries, we have that potential to stimulate business growth and we look forward for exceptional foreign investments that will ensure growth in our country's economy," said Minister Pruaitch.

Simultaneously, in accepting the welcome from the Treasury Minister, PCCCI Chairman Mr. Wong Cheung Sha thanked the government of PNG saying that "it is evident to see that such a young country as PNG, business and investment opportunities is very much evident which PCCCI members look forward in engaging here in PNG.”

The Delegation were acknowledged and officially welcomed by the Minister for Treasury Hon. Patrick Pruaitch, they had a word with the delegates that in their short stay or visit to the country "you must make it a fruitful one as PNG stands awaiting your interest to invest and do business in our country." He also added, Papua New Guinea is the fastest growing economy in the Oceania Region.

Mr. Cheung Sha elongated an invitation to the PNG Delegations to make a journey to Philippines and China anytime this year for both parties to have more talks on what types of business they can bring into PNG and look into a better way forward in strengthening better ties between the three countries.

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Online Teaching & Learning Pedagogy Upsurge DWU Academics

Latterly academic staff of Madang and Port Moresby campuses of Divine Word University (DWU) completed three weeks of training on online pedagogy in e-teaching and e-learning.
The upsurge in e-learning and e-teaching foliated with the help of Canada, as visiting academic from them Papua New Guinea has first of its kind by any university. The training is part of preparation for the university as it is going to help adapt new online pedagogy from traditional classroom teaching and learning. Associate Professor Dr Susan Crichton, Director of the Faculty of Education and the Innovative Learning Centre within the Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada provided the training to 51 academics.

The three week training was delineated to prepare DWU academic staff as a part of university’s artifice to shift from traditional classroom teaching and learning mechanism to online mechanism. DWU President Fr Jan Czuba said: “In response to the growing interest in DWU’s programs the University is continuing to increase our focus on capacity development in the areas of quality and access through online learning. Provision of appropriate support to faculty in: designing, developing and teaching in online environments, as well as enhancement of infrastructure across related functions such as library liaison, student success and students services are key components to ensure success”.

Each participant was rewarded with the certification badge for Moodle (a learning management system) specification and Online Learning and Teaching.  “You have obtained great skills and do not be afraid to use them; put what you learn into practice,” Fr Czuba said. He even congratulated the academic staff members for the enthusiastic time and zeal to attend and plenary the course during the validation ceremony held in the Sir Peter Barter Auditorium of the Madang campus. He also embolden the academic staff to have faith in themselves, to predominate in their professional life and work in the vicinity of achieving long lasting things in life.

Most of the staff members have clinch the course with positive accession in the vicinity of Online Learning and Teaching.

According to Dr Betty Koka, Head of the Department of Rural Health, the ILT course has equipped her with different methods of delivering Academic Programs Online. She said “The Rural Health Program is a practical program, however after completing the course, I am positive that programs could be designed and delivered through the online mode,” She said her students could watch and learn a surgery done somewhere in the world and practice them in the hospitals in PNG.

Dr Crichton delivered inspiring messages about pedagogical shifts and the importance of guiding digital natives in developing digital literacies throughout the three weeks training. In 2016 the certified staff members will begin delivering their respective academic units in both fulltime undergraduate and flexible learning programs online. 

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PNG Opens New Trade and Development Frontier in Taipei, Taiwan

PNG’s Trade Office in Taipei is a trademark event in the short history of Papua New Guinea's trade and economic relations with Taiwan as delineate by the Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill. “The Opening of the Papua New Guinea Trade Office in Taipei compliments the Taiwan Trade Mission in Papua New Guinea which is an important source of trade and investment,” the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister said Minister Maru will also assist as the important fleck through this Trade Office and forge ahead to pursue new connections for trade and investments, technical cooperation and innovation, as well as advancing people-to-people connections.

“With agriculture being a vital sector for our Papua New Guinea, we stand much to gain from the expertise of Taiwan through this arrangement.” he said. “Taiwan has made remarkable inroads in Papua New Guinea’s agricultural sector through the introduction of innovative farming methods and techniques in various Provinces. This includes working with with the Department of Agriculture in assisting farmers in setting out rice extension seed fields in Morobe, Madang and other Provinces. There has also been trials of watermelon and melon crops supported by Taiwan, assistance in planting various vegetables and an irrigation system in Erap Farm. At our correctional institutions, Taiwan technical officers have also assisted prisoners in cultivating maize and developed other agricultural projects in Church run schools in Bumayong and Naweab” , he added.

“Through this relationship we are facilitating technical assistance and innovation in agriculture, in fisheries cooperation as well as developing Taiwan as a growing market for LNG. Taiwan is a leading economy in agriculture, which has also served as a strong foundation for building economic growth”.

The Prime Minister said Taiwan opens a new frontier in trade and development that will continue to grow. “As an APEC member economy, Chinese Taipei and Papua New Guinea participate in ongoing multilateral and bilateral discussions that create new opportunities for trade and job creation. There is potential to explore new areas of economic cooperation between our two economies including enhancing micro and small and medium size business, and this is being actively pursued by Hon. Richard Maru, the Minister of Trade, Commerce and Industry.”

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