Bougainville News a.m. 10/30/97 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit source: VIKKI@lexsun.law.uts.edu.au Thu Oct 30 20:00:19 1997 The National (PNG) Newspaper - 31 October, 1997 Visiting team to prepare report: Akoitai PORT MORESBY: Bougainville Affairs Minister Sam Akoitai has said that the visiting high-level assessment team from Australia and New Zealand is expected to prepare its report before leaving the country next week. He said the report will outline technical, financial and personnel requirements for the proposed regional monitoring group. The team which arrived in Buka yesterday, will assess the peace process agreed to at the Burnham talks in New Zealand early this month. In welcoming the team's arrival in the country, Mr Akoitai said that as part of the assessment, the group will hold consultations with all the signatories to the Burnham Truce Agreement. "The Government is pleased with the way that the Burnham Truce and removal of internal restrictions is working. "We need to move quickly to provide a sense of security that the people of Bougainville need by getting the truce monitoring group into place as soon as possible," he said. ============= Drought will top talks with Aussies PORT MORESBY: The current nationwide drought is likely to top discussions at the 10th PNG-Australia ministerial forum beginning in Alotau today. PNG will be represented by nine ministers as well as 19 departmental and overseas heads of PNG missions. Leading PNG's 42-strong delegation to the meeting will be Foreign Affairs Minister Kilroy Genia while the Australian delegation of 30 will be led by Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. Milne Bay Governor Dame Josephine Abaijah said from Alotau yesterday that she was glad the government had chosen Alotau as the venue for the high level talks. "We are very glad that we are having these officials coming down here because it will help to expose our province to the outside world," Dame Josephine said. Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said in a statement that the Alotau Forum was timely, coming just three months after the formation of a new PNG Government, and following encouraging developments over Bougainville. "It provides an excellent opportunity for Australian and PNG Ministers to engage on a wide range of issues of long-term importance for the bilateral relationships," said Mr Downer. "These include PNG's economic development and development cooperation with Australia, the impact of the current drought, defence cooperation, trade liberalisation and economic and market reform, the law and order situation in PNG, Torres Strait issue, and the Bougainville peace process." Since 1988, Ministerial Forums have been held annually at the end of each year. The venue has alternated between the two countries. ===================== B'ville copra growers seek support facilities Need for exporting depot, wharf, banking services PORT MORESBY: Cocoa growers on Bougainville have called for the re-establishment of a cocoa and copra exporting depot as well as banking and wharfage facilities. The growers made the call during a meeting with PNG Growers' Association president Valentine Kambori who visited Arawa on Wednesday, accompanied by Cocoa Board chairman Sam Tulo. Mr Kambori said that Bougainville was an important and integral part of the coffee growers of PNG and would not be left out or forgotten in any process of the growers' nationwide mobilisation. Bougainville has been and is still a major player in the tree crops sector and it will remain a leading model in the successful indigenous farming business of cocoa and coconut, he told the growers. Mr Kambori applauded and commended the Commodity Board, Cocoa Board and Copra Marketing Board for taking this major initiative of moving in so quickly as part of the restoration process on mainland Bougainville. He also commended the Cocoa & Coconut Research Institute and the Cocoa and Coconut Extension Agency for giving their commitment to start work on Bougainville. The issues raised by the growers during Mr Kambori's visit mainly covered the need for the National Government and its agencies to facilitate reactivation of income generation activities through the following: * Re-establishment of the Copra Marketing Board Buying Depot; * Re-establishment of the Cocoa Exporter Buying Depot; * Establishment of a Cocoa and Coconut Research Institute Outstation to service replanting, rehabilitation and planting material requirements of growers; * Establishment of a Cocoa and Coconut Extension Agency office to service growers' farming husbandry needs; * Re-establishment of banking facilities; * Re-establishment of shipping and wharf services through the Department of Transport and the PNG Harbours Board; and * Re-opening of the Arawa Airport. ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytpac-10.31.97-20:57:07-19367