Morobe

Liquor ban in Morobe

Acting Provincial Administrator, Max Bruten, has written to the provincial liquor licensing officer, directing the issuance of two liquor ban notices.

The first notice will be a general liquor ban which will cover only nine of the districts. Wau-Waria will be an exception.

“All liquor outlets must be closed by Monday, 19th December, 2022, and reopen on the 01st of February, 2023,” said Bruten.

“Exception will be given to hotels and motels who will serve within their premises, but that does not include nightclubs.

Morobe surpasses Madang

Madang used to be the fourth highest cocoa producer in PNG until Morobe increased its cocoa production.

Currently, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville is the leading cocoa producer with an output of 9,974 tonnes in 2021.

East Sepik Province is ranked second with 7,791 tonnes, followed by East New Britain with 6,438 tonnes and Morobe with 5,575 tonnes.

Madang now sits on the fifth spot with 3,083 tonnes, West Sepik with 3,078 tonnes, West New Britain with 780 tonnes while the remaining provinces constitute less than 1 percent of overall PNG cocoa production.

Settlers Urged To Vacate Land

Portion 354 was the centre of a Court proceeding that started in 2006 and finally came to a close on the 25th of March, this year, when Justice Paulus Dowa ruled in favour of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG.

Settlers occupying that area were given four months to vacate the place; a period that lapsed on the 25th of July, which saw the ELCPNG advise settlers of the deadline.

Final polling on Tami Island

Community liaison officer, Sam Muzoki, said team 95 started polling last Wednesday, July 13th, at Kasanga, ward 7.

Wan nait lo hap, neks dei mipla kam lo Malasiga.

“Lo Fraide, mipla gat problem lo weather, so had lo mipla trevol i kam olsem lo hia so mipla no bin mekim polling.

“Fraide avinun mipla go lo Busiga. Saturday mipla kondaktim ileksen lo Busiga.

The team rested on Sunday, then walked to Mange in the afternoon.

Yesterday morning, Mange started polling.

Finschhafen Burns Old Ballot Papers

Polling at Finschhafen is set for Monday as many issues had to be resolved, including the appointment of a new Returning Officer in Fredah Joses, who is Morobe’s assistant election manager.

Another recent issue was the arrest of Hube LLG's Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) yesterday for "interference"; a claim that Morobe’s Electoral Commission is contesting, saying a proper charge is yet to be laid.

Provincial Police Commander, Jacob Singura, is yet to get a brief on the arrest from his investigators.

Huon Gulf Voters Shocked

A voter from Ward 19 of Wampar Rural, Waku Morgan, was concerned that most of her people’s names were not on the roll despite giving their information to census officials early this year.

A census was supposedly conducted early this year, where people were recruited on a short-term basis to go into wards and take note of the details of the population there.

28-year-old Morgan was keen on being part of the census team in her village of Zifasing, as she was one of the few locals who had completed Grade 12.

She had voted in 2012 and 2017.

Foreign Nationals Refuse To Pay Fine

The foreigners, who operate a wholesale business at Mutzing, Morobe Province, had allegedly refused to pay a K10,000 fine for violating pandemic measure 11.

On the 9th of May this year, Pandemic Controller, David Manning, issued Measure No.11 under the National Pandemic Act 2020 on price controls.
The prices of basic household goods such as rice, flour, oil, tinned fish, sugar, laundry soap and bleach should not increase by more than 10 percent unless approved by the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission.

Regional Elimination Set For Lae

His only concern lies with the rate of extraction, how fast the ballot boxes can be moved.

However, he is confident that Morobe will be ready on the target date of July 29th, when the writs are to be returned.

Meantime, counting for Lae Open and the regional seat will be conducted in the Sir Ignatius Kilage indoor complex, which has been converted into a COVID-19 hospital.

“But it’s been sanitised; they’re cleaning it and disinfecting it,” Soheke assured.

Increase in Morobe’s female candidates

Twenty-two female candidates in Morobe have nominated to contest nine of the 11 seats in the province.

This year’s elections has seen seven more female candidates nominate, compared to 2017 where only 15 raised their hands to contest 7 seats.

Six female candidates are contesting the Nawaeb Open seat, the regional seat has four, three in Markham Open, two female candidates each for Bulolo, Huon Gulf and Tewai-Siassi, and one female candidate each for Finschhafen, Menyamya and Wau-Waria.

Kabwum and Lae have no female contestants.

New school for Nawaeb

The establishment of Saonu Primary School, stemmed from a K500,000 funding allocation back in 2021.

The project includes to new double classroom, two teacher’s houses, water project and site fencing. The rest of the school infrastructure is being established, and is expected to be completed before the 2023 Academic Year opens to take its first batch of students.

The school will be feeder school to Nawaeb Lutheran High School and Bumayong Lutheran Secondary School.

Morobe Governor Ginson Saonu is sure the school will attract more government services to the area.