Papua New Guinea

Oil palm growers’ plea OIL palm growers in West New Britain Province are demanding K4§ million (U 5547.3 million) in compensation for hardships resulting from low commodity prices over the past four years. Grower representatives told Agriculture Minister Galeng Lang that New Britain Palm Oil Development Pty Ltd, the only buyer

and exporter in the province, had failed to pay smallholders proper prices for their produce. The minister offered K 350,000 as an interim compensation payment and promised to investigate the complaints.

Ok Tedi’s record result OK Tedi Mining Ltd recorded an in creased profit of K 24.2 million (U 5524.2 million) for the year to Decemer 31, 1989 its biggest ever. The company said the healthy financial results was because a high production rate in the second half of the year after problems in the first six months with the failure of the copper and old mine’s ore delivery system.

India seeks new ties INDIA is considering establishing a full diplomatic mission in Port Moresby in order to increase its trading and com mercial links with Papua New Guinea.

Shortly before the Indian diplomatic post in Suva was closed at the orders of the Fiji Government, the charge d’af faires, Vidhya Soni, said his country was planning to boost what he called its mod est trade with the South Pacific, and this would include extending the operation of Indian merchant ships into the re gion. Soni said Indian businessmen would explore the markets for heavy

earth-moving equipment for mining op

erations in the area, but also look to sell ing garments. Fiji was India’s single big gest customer in the South Pacific with trade estimated at US$4 million a year.

Businessman expelled A RABAUL-based businessman has been ordered out of Papua New Guinea on the grounds that he had become un popular with the local Tolai people and was “evasive” about his business activi ties. A government official said Selwyn Krapp, who was involved in manage ment services, take-away food, home fur nishings, road contracting and souvenir sales, had refused to comply with gov

ernment requirements.

Rubber exports to grow A RECORD export total of 8000 tonnes of rubber next year has been predicted by Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Namaliu. He was speaking at the open ing of a high school at Cape Rodney, Central Province, the site of a multi million dollar smallholder scheme. The Government planned to lift annual rub ber exports from 5000 tonnes to 8000 tonnes by next year, he said, and would commit K 5 million (US$4.9 million) over the next five years to develop the rubber industry together with the establishment of a five-year training course for de velopment experts.