Cafe Pacific: Nius Country Profiles: PNG

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Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II
(represented by Governor-General Sir Silas Atopare)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Bill Skate (July 1997).
Capital: Port Moresby.
Languages: Tok Pisin (Melanesian Pidgin widely spoken), Hiri Motu and English; 867 local languages.
Currency: Kina = 100 toea.
Exchange rate: K1 per US$0.40 (1998).
Area: 461 691 sq km
Population: 4.1m (1994 est.); 3.6 m (1990 census -- excluding Bougainville). Half of the population was aged under 20 in 1990. By the year 2015, the projected population would be 6.8 million if the current rate of growth continues unchanged. However, this rate is not expected to continue as it would imply a complete failure of policy.
Main cities/towns: Port Moresby (pop. 250 000 in 1993); Lae (80 400), Madang (27 200), Rabaul (25 000), Goroka (18 000).
Adult literacy: 52 per cent (1990).
Time: +1000 hours GMT.
GDP per capita: US$800 (1991)
GDP real growth: 9 per cent (1991)
Foreign debt: US$2.2bn (1991)

Map of Papua New Guinea
Map: Gemini News Service

Political system: Papua New Guinea became independent in 1975 having previously been administered by Australia under a United Nations mandate. It has a 109-member unicameral National Parliament elected for five years by universal suffrage. But the government has changed several times between general elections on the floor of Parliament. This happened in July 1988 when Rabbie Namaliu took over as the country's fourth prime minister after Paias Wingti lost a vote of confidence. Wingti was reelected prime minister in the June 1992 general election.

The prime minister normally heads a government that is an uneasy coalition of small, unstable parties and independent MPs, all prone to be split or being persuaded to defect. The governor-general represents the head of state, the British monarch.

In August 1994, the Supreme Court ruled Wingti had acted unconstitutionally when he was reelected Prime Minister in a September 1993 parliamentary ploy. His deputy, Sir Julius Chan, formed a coalition with the Pangu Pati, Melanesian Alliance, League for National Advancement and other parties and was elected Prime Minister. Provincial governments and legislatures were abolished in 1995 and replaced with a local government structure headed by a governor in each province.

On 26 March 1997, Prime Minister Chan was forced to stand aside in the wake of protests and civil unrest over a secret US$36 million contract with the United Kingdom-based Sandline International mercenary consultants. A force of some 70 mercenaries were recruited and flown to PNG to carry out a military strike against the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) and to reopen Panguna mine. But military commander Brigadier-General Jerry Singirok publicly condemned the plan and troops expelled the mercenaries under Operation Rausim Kwik.

Under Acting Prime Minister John Giheno, a commission of inquiry probed the affair, but Chan, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Haiveta and Defence Minister Mathias Ijape were exonerated. In the June 1997 general election, Chan, Giheno, Ijape and at least nine other members of Chan's cabinet were defeated at the polls. On 21 July 1997, Bill Skate was elected as the first ethnic Papuan prime minister.

After being ravaged by drought in 1997, Papua New Guinea suffered its worst disaster with a tsunami on 17 July 1998 destroying eight villages in the Sissano lagoon area, near Aitape, and killing an estimated 2000 people, many of them children.

Political parties: In July 1997, a coalition government was formed by the People's National Congress (PNC), People's Progress Party (PPP), Pangu Pati, People's Democratic Movement (PDM) and the Melsol group of independents - 71 seats. The Opposition comprised the National Alliance, Melanesian Alliance, People's Action Party and the former leader of the PDM, Sir Mekere Morauta - 35 seats. The allegiance of two seats were undecided, and a third seat was due for a byelection.

News media:

Press:

Eastern Star: Fortnightly, English; locally owned: Community Resource Development Association Inc. (CORDA). PO Box 423, Alotau. Tel: (675) 611141; Fax: (675) 611370. Provincial newspaper covering Milne Bay news and current affairs.
Post-Courier: Daily, 33 521 (ABC December 1996), English; Australian-owned, South Pacific Post Pty Ltd: 62.5 per cent Murdoch's News Ltd through subsidiary; PNG private shareholders, 27.5 per cent; Australian private shareholders, 10 per cent. Editor: Oseah Philemon. Lawes Rd, PO Box 85, Port Moresby. Tel: (675) 321 2787; Fax: (675) 321 2721. National PNG news, world news, features sport and business. Winner of 1996 Pacific Newspaper of the Year award. Largest circulation South Pacific daily. Australian Associated Press news feed.
Email: editorial@postcourier.com.pg
WWW: http://www.datec.com.pg/postcour/postcour.nsf
The Independent (formerly The Times of PNG, then The Saturday Independent): Weekly; 9000, English; PNG-owned, Word Publishing Co Pty Ltd, wholly owned by Media Holdings Pty Ltd (shareholders are the following mainstream churches: Roman Catholic, 60 per cent; Evangelical Lutheran, 20 per cent; United, 10 per cent; Anglican, 10 per cent). Editor: Dominic Kakas; Editor-in-chief (and acting general manager): Anna Solomon. Spring Garden Rd, Hohola; PO Box 1982, Boroko, NCD. Tel: (675) 325 2500; Fax: (675) 325 2579.
Email: word@global.net.pg
WWW: http://www.tiare.net.pg/wordpub/
Other Word Publishing titles include:
PNG Business: Monthly specialist business newspaper. Editor: Faye Duega.
Wantok Niuspepa: Weekly; 15 000; Tok Pisin; PNG-owned, Word Publishing. Editor: Leo Wafiwa.
The National: Daily; circulation 23 461 (ABC June 1997); English; Malaysian-owned, South Pacific Star Pty Ltd: 51 per cent Monarch Investments through subsidiary, associated with timber company Rimbunan Hijau. Editor: Frank Senge Kolma. Waigani Drive, Box 6817, Boroko, NCD. Tel: (675) 324 6888; Fax: (675) 324 6767. National PNG news, world news, features, sport and business. Most extensive use of colour by any South Pacific newspaper. First daily in the Pacific to produce a Website electronic edition (1996). Strong Asia-Pacific news coverage. Only Pacific newspaper to take direct Agence France-Presse news feed.
Email: national@online.net.pg
WWW: http://www.wr.com.au/national
Hiri Nius: Monthly; 5000; English, Tok Pisin and Hiri Motu; covering national Government news; PNG Government-owned, National Information Service. Editor: PO Box 6605, Boroko, NCD. Tel: (675) 327 6616. Publication currently discontinued.

Radio:

National Broadcasting Commission: PNG Government-owned; two AM networks, Karai (national) and Kundu (provincial); one FM commercial station, Kalang. Broadcasting in English, Tok Pisin and other languages. News editor: Tekura Agelevu. PO Box 1359, Boroko, NCD. Tel: (675) 325 3341.
Radio Kalang FM: Kalang Advertising Pty Ltd. Address as for NBC above. Tel: (675) 325 5233.
Provincial NBC stations:
Radio Central: PO Box 1359, Boroko, NCD. Tel: (675) 321 7110.
Radio Chimbu: PO Box 228, Kundiawa, Chimbu. Tel: (675) 751082.
Radio Eastern Highlands: PO Box 311, Goroka, EHP. Tel: (675) 751518.
Radio East Sepik: PO Box 65, Wewak, ESP. Tel: (675) 862398.
Radio East New Britain: PO Box 393, Rabaul, ENB. Tel: (675) 922006.
Radio Enga: PO Box 196, Wabag, Enga. Tel: (675) 571013.
Radio Gulf: PO Box 36, Kerema, Gulf. Tel: (675) 681076.
Radio Madang: PO Box 1036, Yomba, Madang. Tel: (675) 822414.
Radio Manus: PO Box 593, Lorengau, Manus. Tel: (675) 409146.
Radio Milne Bay: PO Box 111, Alotau, Milne Bay. Tel: (675) 611262.
Radio Morobe: PO Box 1262, Lae, Morobe. Tel: (675) 422435.
Radio New Ireland: PO Box 140, Kavieng, NIP. Tel: (675) 942293.
Radio Northern: PO Box 137, Popondetta, Northern. Tel: (675) 297030.
Radio Southern Highlands: PO Box 104, Mendi, SHP. Tel: (675) 591137.
NauFM: PNG FM Pty Ltd. PNG-owned, 80 per cent; Communications Fiji Ltd 20 per cent. Managed by CFL. News director: Patrick Patu. PO Box 774, Port Moresby. Tel: (675) 320 1996; Fax: (675) 320 1995.
Email: news@naufm.com.pg
WWW: http://www.datec.com.au/naufm
Tok Pisin language station:
YumiFM: PNG FM Pty Ltd. As above.

Television:

EM TV: Media Niugini Pty Ltd, wholly owned by Australia's Channel Nine network. News director: John Eggins. Second Floor, Garden City Building, Boroko; PO Box 443, Boroko, NCD. Tel: (675) 325 7322; Fax: (675) 325 4450. Only national television broadcaster but it has a footprint from the Philippines to Tonga. National coverage via Indonesia's Palapa B2P satellite. An estimated audience of up to 500,000.
Email: smoorhouse@datec.com.pg.
WWW: http://www.datec.com.au/emtv
Pacific View Productions: Managing director: Andrew Johnston. Twelfth Floor, Pacific View Apartments, Pruth St, Korobosea, NCD; PO Box 2626, Boroko, NCD. Tel: (675) 325 0163; Fax: (675) 325 4832; Mobile: (675) 693 6280. Production house for commercials and special programs.

9 August 1998
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