AROB

Last Thursday August 25, many  vehicles  were stuck in two locations of the Buka/Arawa highway, the Aita River in central Bougainville and the Tsunpets River in North Bougainville.

The Tsunpets river bridge was flooded with water  rising over the bridge making it difficult for  vehicles to cross over.

The Aita River traditional called Iorovi river also  broke its banks and blocked off the road and even washed away  several houses  on its banks.

A lot of commuters have complained but they just have to wait until it all subsides.

Grants of K300,000 to K600,000 are available for genuine proposals to lift cocoa production and improve the quality of exports.

Hundreds of application forms have been distributed to farmers and farmer associations seeking to access grants in the CSF’s first call for proposals, which closes on September 17.

The K7 million-a-year grants scheme is an initiative of the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the Governments of Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand. 

The establishment of Bougainville’s Small Craft Registration Board and the introduction of a new Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), which covers all of PNG’s waters, were jointly funded by the Governments of Papua New Guinea and Australia.

Both governments recognise the critical role Bougainville’s waters play in promoting economic development and connecting communities to essential services.

Announcing the transfer today in Parliament, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said the Government is acutely aware of the torment and pain that the people of Bougainville have endured and the transfer of shares is the right thing to do.

"My concern is the health, wellbeing and prosperity of the people of Bougainville," said O'Neill. With this transfer, the people of Bougainville will now own a combined shareholding of 53.8 percent of BCL.

Right at the entrance of the second largest cave in the world “Benua” in Korepovi village Keriaka North Bougainville, in the Kunua district.

Keriaka is in the west coast of Bougainville which borders north and Torokina South Bougainville, where currently there is a gold rush.

People have now already began flocking to Keriaka but have been blocked and stopped by village chiefs who have now opposed the idea of alluvial mining.

Chiefs in Buka have condemned the actions of a particular person (name known) who hijacked a car belonging to Raibro Construction and crashed with it.

Raibro Construction is the company that is carrying out the second phase sealing of the Buka ring road.

A village chief from Buka who did not want to be named  told Loop PNG that the time for such acts have long gone and it is now time for the law to step up.

“Word says an employee of the company crashed one of his cars in an accident and instead of telling police he took the law in his own hands,” the chief said.

It is also historical because it is the first time now for  Bougainville-based ex-Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) soldiers, the ones who served on Bougainville are involved.

A consultation workshop on missing persons was held on June 21, 2016 with the theme “(Dead or alive) Leave no Bougainvillean out.”

Reports reaching  Loop PNG in Buka indicates that since three o’clock Bougainville standard time last Thursday  the volcano started spewing heavy ash covering food gardens and chasing gold miners down towards the coast.

An alluvial gold miner who wishes to remain anonymous told Loop PNG by mobile phone last night that authorities have already been notified.

There have been calls for the road to be sealed since the colonial days and now the people of Buka are so happy that  the road sealing is taking place. Raibro Construction is now doing the second phase from Salasa village in the Hagogohe Constituency to Hagus in the Halia Constituency.

A village chief from Malis village in Hagogohe Constituency George Kusi told Loop PNG that villagers have whole heartedly welcomed the road sealing which they have  been dreaming of.

The joint team comprising of the Buka Town Council, Police, Customs, Immigration and the Labour Office executed the operation in Buka two weeks ago. And then moved over to Arawa and then to Panguna to screen Chinese working in the mine tailings area.

Team leader and also Buka town Manager Edward Kenai told PNG Loop in Buka alone they checked all NGO’s and foreign owned businesses operating in Buka town, for work permits, and trading licenses Certificate of Compliance from the Internal Revenue Commission.