PostCourier Monday December 4, 2023

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Australian soldiers parachute into Lae airport

FIFTEEN Australian Army personnel conducted a parachute demonstration yesterday from a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) C-17A Globemaster aircraft over Nadzab Tomodachi Airport, to mark the 80th anniversary of the landing at Nadzab, an Allied operation during World War Two.

Two C-17A aircraft are currently flying in Papua New Guinea (PNG) skies as part of Exercise Global Dexterity 23-2.

Exercise Global Dexterity 23-2 will involve up to three C-17A aircraft from the RAAF, United States Air Force and Royal Air Force.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) appreciates the support of the PNG government and PNG Defence Force, and wider community to allow the RAAF to test their skills in one of the world’s most complex flying environments.

- CONTINUE ON PAGE 3

A MEMBER of the Australian Defence Force conducting a parachute demonstration yesterday over the Nadzab Tomodachi Airport in Lae, Morobe Province. PICTURE SUPPLIED
A NOT so subtle approach by Chuave MP James Nomane (pictured) when he questioned the Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey and told Parliament that they needed to go back to
visiting districts and provinces to see if their people were working, during the 2024 National Budget debate last Friday.

REGIONAL FORECAST

MONDAY DECEMBER 4, 2023 TO WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 6, 2023

SOUTHERN

MONDAY: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, becoming isolated by evening.

TUESDAY: Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms.

WEDNESDAY : Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms.

(Warning: Renewalstrongwindwarningexpected for Southern PNG/Indonesia border to Daru to Kiwai Islands to Kerema to Yule Island to Hood Point to Samarai Islands)

MAMOSE

MONDAY: Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms.

TUESDAY: Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms.

WEDNESDAY : Isolated showers and thunderstorms, becoming scattered by afternoon/evening.

(Warning: Renewalstrongwindwarningexpectedfor coastal waters of Finschaffen to Vitiaz Strait to Siassi/ LongIsland)

NEW GUINEA ISLANDS

MONDAY: Isolated showers and thunderstorms.

TUESDAY: Isolated showers and thunderstorms.

WEDNESDAY : Isolated showers and thunderstorms.

HIGHLANDS

MONDAY: Scattered morning fog, with scattered showers and thunderstorms, with areas of rain.

TUESDAY: Scattered morning fog, with scattered showers and thunderstorms, with areas of rain.

WEDNESDAY : Scattered morning fog, then scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms.

NB: SQUALLY OR GUSTY WINDS AREA EXPECTED IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.

INSIDE TODAY

YOUTHS SURRENDER WEAPONS

POLICE in East New Britain Province have commended the youths of Rabaul and Malaguna for surrendering their weapons over to Police during a peace restoration and reconciliation ceremony on Wednesday, November 29 in Rabaul.

How to contact us

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School’s shoebox initiative to bring joy to kids in ward

IN a heartwarming display of generosity and community spirit, KoroBoro International School rallied together to support the student representative council’s (SRC) Shoebox Donation initiative.

The initiative, which culminated in a remarkable collection of 670 gift boxes, aimed to bring joy and comfort to children in the wards of Port Moresby General Hospital.

This heartwarming initiative started when Ms Sonya Dion noticed a bunch of unclaimed lost and found items in the school’s storage.

She had a brilliant idea to turn these items into gifts for kids in the hospital. With the support of deputy principal

Upu Ravu and SRC co-ordinator Dominic Magoekia, the school’s SRC organised the collection drive. They made it easy for families to create special gift boxes by providing a KoroBoro acrostic poem as a guide and asking families to pack a box based on a child’s age and gender.

Last Friday, five SRC members, joined by deputy principals, including Ms Ravu, Mr Magoekia and another staff, delivered these 670 shoebox gifts to the Port Moresby General Hospital Nurses Association and its CEO.

Expressing gratitude for the substantial donation, the CEO highlighted the immense impact these gifts would have on the approximately 190 to 210 children in the

Rangeview Plaza draws third week winner

THE Rangeview Plaza in Port Moresby has announced its Christmas Bonanza promotion for the third week.

The winners are Alfred Nurigut and Osborne Sanida.

Mr Nurigut shopped on November 24, 2023, and spent a total of K456.80 at the Rangeview Grocer.

The other winner Mr Sanida, shopped on November 29, 2023 and spent a total of K304.90 also at the Rangeview Grocer. For both winners, one gets to win a K500 shopping voucher from Rangeview grocer, and the other gets to win a Honor mobile phone. Both winners are expected to collect their prices on Tuesday December 5.

The promotion does not only apply to Rangeview Grocer but any other shops within the plaza.

The Christmas Bonanza promotion began on November 7 and has three more weeks to go before promotion ends on December 29, 2023.

The promotion allows customers to spend K100 or more at any Rangeview Plaza outlets between November 7 to December 29, 2023, write your name and contact details at the back of the receipt and drop it at the entry box provided in front of the Rangeview Grocer.

The 4th weekly draws will be announced on Friday December 8, 2023.

outpatient wards.

The CEO conveyed heartfelt appreciation to the entire KoroBoro International School community—staff, students, and families— for their remarkable generosity.

This effort is about more than just gifts; it’s about making children smile and spreading hope.

Ms Ravu said: “We hope to bring a smile to a child’s face in the hospital and spread the spirit of giving and hope to everyone.

The SRC Shoebox Donation stands as a testament to the power of unity and kindness within the KoroBoro International School community, showcasing the profound impact achievable through collective goodwill and compassion.

RANGEVIEW Plaza security manager, Ghani Gomumab (middle) checking the validity of the lucky receipt before announcing the winners name. On the left is Rangeview Plaza Entertainment attendant, Bernard Keaike and G4S location supervisor, Thomas Karius (right) witnessing the draw. - PICTURE: TARIMI LEGEI.

Manning commends police for role at Pacific Games

PAPUA New Guinea Police

Commissioner David Manning has expressed pride in the PNG Police Force for providing security assistance in Honiara, Solomon Islands during the Pacific Games.

Mr Manning emphasised the importance of regional commitments, particularly within the

Alleged drug kingpin arrested in Daru

THE noose continues to be tightened around the movers of methamphetamine in Papua New Guinea.

And the head of the production and distribution of meth in Daru, Western Province, has been apprehended, interviewed and charged last Friday in Port Moresby for 4.88 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine in the province. The meth confiscated is worth K4 million.

Deputy Commissioner of Police-Special Operations

Donald Yamasombi said that an investigation had been undertaken by the combined taskforce made up of National Drugs and Vice Squad, Transnational Crime, Intelligence and PNG Customs. He said in total four people were arrested in relation to the movement of nearly 5kg of meth.

“The first trio were charged with knowingly in possession of meth and illegal entry.

“Of the three people, a couple were both charged with one count of being in possession of meth and illegal entry and were sentenced to 8 years in prison. Both have been moved to Bomana prison where they will be serving their sentences.”

DCP Yamasombi said: “The third person has only been charged with illegal entry.”

According to police sources, the fourth man is known as the drug king pin using his connections to move meth between the border of Australia and PNG via the Daru and Thursday Island border.

The alleged kingpin was charged with moving and being in possession of drugs under the Control Substance Act. Documents obtained shows that the drugs had been given to three Australian citizens who were told by the suspect to move the drugs.

From what the Post-Courier uncovered, the drugs were packaged in plastic bags, and packed into a 10 kg rice package. The packets were moved by sea to Mabudawan village and between two dinghies, the package was exchanged out at sea with the kingpin handing over the packages. The meth was moved to Saibai Island and hidden.

Investigations continue.

Melanesian family.

“But more so, the Pacific Games in Solomon Islands was a significant show of Melanesian solidarity and a sign of the future where you will see multiple police forces collaborating to deliver on a significant event,” he said.

“The RPNGC stands to support it’s fellow police forces in the Pacific.”

Mr Manning highlighted the unique aspect of this deployment, stating that it signified a future approach to regional security.

“But what is unique to this deployment is the police forces in the Pacific helping each other, to secure the Pacific.

These countries need to be reminded that we have police forces in the Pacific that have been responsible for delivering independence for their nations, there’s more police forces in the Pacific than there are defence forces. Some of those police forces have multiple rolescustoms, immigration, border control, maritime patrol...

“There are more police forces in the Pacific than defence forc-

es, many of which have multiple roles, such as customs, immigration, border control, and maritime patrol.

“The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) is committed to supporting its fellow police forces in the Pacific.”

Commissioner Manning mentioned the Pacific Games held in Solomon Islands as a significant display of Melanesian solidarity, indicating a trend of multiple police forces collaborating to successfully organise major events.

MAINTAIN DISCIPLINE

THE Special Services Division held their final parade for the year. Acting Director Chief Inspector Florian Luvi told the officers at the parade to emphasis more on discipline and maintain it. He thanked them for their work during the year. During the parade the police code of ethics was recited and officers were reminded to live up to the code of ethics. Before the end of the parade Luvi reminded the officers to keep fit.

Aust Defence Force celebrate 80th anniversary

FROM PAGE ONE

THE training achieved in PNG during Exercise Global Dexterity 23-2 ensures Australia and its allies can deliver humanitarian assistance anywhere in the Indo-Pacific.

Australian Defence Adviser to PNG, Colonel Travis Gordon, said the exercise will predominantly take place in Australia, but will include two missions to PNG.

In addition to the demonstration that occurred today, all three aircraft will conduct lowlevel flying training in the Central Highlands on 6 December. These aircraft will fly through valleys travelling east from the

vicinity of Telefomin towards Mt Hagen and Chimbu; before turning north towards Madang, and landing at Momote, Manus Island.

The C-17A aircraft will then be loaded with ADF vehicles and equipment used in Exercise Puk Puk for their return flight to Australia.

“During Exercise Puk Puk, the ADF worked closely with the PNG Defence Force Engineer on partnership and capacity building exercises, including refurbishment of facilities and accommodation, drainage, and road repair on Manus Island,” said Colonel Gordon.

PNG Defence Force personnel will integrate into Exer-

TOO GOOD YOU ARE!

How good are our lady soccer players? By beating Fiji in the Honiara Final they have set a world record. To win Gold at six consecutive games makes them truly Queens of the Pacific. They are all stars but really hope some overseas coaches were watching the superb performances of Padio and Kaipu. Could we convince Mary Fowler to turn out for PNG? Then we could soar to the Olympics as well. Well done, girls, you have done us so proud.

TANGIO TRU!

Olgeta wantok blo mifala lo Solomon Islands, we say Thank You! From the bottom of our hearts. You’ve opitomised the friendship and brotherhood we hold dear to us. Those who helped us with our coverage both for our online and print platforms, across the entire two weeks of games, a thank you from the heart. But a big thanks to In-depth Solomon for allowing us workspace to work together in the spirit of the games to bring you the news. Yumi stap ol taim wan solwara. To our PC Games Team we say well done in bringing our nation and families a whole lot closer through your work. Cheers to the next games in 2027

MOZZIES

They do say the mosquitoes in the Sepik are the biggest and so big they could carry away an animal. Our source tells us this overheard conversation between two mozzies is true. Two rather large mosquitoes were discussing what to do with a bandicoot they had caught . “We could take it down to the river and eat it there?” The bigger one replied,” no the mozzie are even bigger down there. They would just take it if us !” Ouch!

YES MINISTER

The government would do well to employ the star of the UK sitcom, Sir Humphrey Appleby, as a consultant. His advice is very relevant. “A basic rule of government is never look into anything you don’t have to, and never set up an inquiry unless you know in advance what its findings will be”. Mind you in PNG we don’t quite follow that, we just sweep the findings under the carpet.

WE’RE WITH JOE

President Biden is calling for billionaires to pay a minimum 25 per cent tax. He says they should pay their taxes like everyone else! In the US that would raise $440 billion over the next 10 years! Doubt if we have any billionaires but maybe the Treasurer could look at taxing some of our high wealth individuals instead of hitting hard working companies that actually serve the people, with unilateral super taxes?

REAL FIGURES

We can believe the Budget figures that tell us the deficit will decrease in 2024. But figures on national debt still hover below the 60 per cent mark and are forecast to be reduced next year. However yet again it did not include the debt burden for our SoEs? Isn’t that required by law? Observers say if SoE debt is included we will far surpass the 60 per cent as required by the Fiscal Responsibility legislation. How much do our failing State Owned Enterprises owe? Maybe the “Teflon Minister” can enlighten us?

-PENGEE: thedrum@spp.com.pg

cise Global Dexterity 23-2 by supporting ADF personnel prepare the clearance zone at Nadzab and help load and secure equipment being extracted from Momote.

“This cooperation between our forces builds on our longstanding defence partnership and enhances our ability to support the PNG Defence Force on future peacekeeping and humanitarian and disaster response operations,” said Colonel Gordon.

Missions during Exercise Global Dexterity 23-2 may be subject to amendment or cancellation at short-notice.

PARLT ROLL CALL

FRIDAY,

Agena

Casmiro

K27.3b record budget passed

THE country’s record-breaking budget of K27.3 billion was passed by the National Parliament on Friday.

This now gives the government the edge to raise its expected revenues to spend according to the K27.3b Budget expected to come from the Non-renewable sector, particularly through the mining and petroleum sector anticipated projects to come on stream like Porgera gold mine, and based on the internal tax revenues, particularly from high income taxes from the workers.

Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey described the budget as a record budget, with a massive increase by K2.8 billion from last year’s budget of K24.5 billion.

He also described it as a responsible budget, with a total revenue expected to be around K23.4 billion, K3.8 billion more than the 2023 Budget of K19.5 billion.

He said because the revenues are rowing much faster than expenditures, the budget deficit reduces by another billion kina down to K3.9 billion.

He said continuing with a disciplined budget repair, with the aim to get back to a surplus by 2027, and the option of repaying all debts by 2034.

The 2024 Budget of K27.3 billion consist of K4.0 billion-kina alloca-

tions to the provinces, a deficit of K191 million, K2.16 billion for Law and Justice sector, K4.08 billion to Education, K2.58 billion to the Health sector, K1.36 billion for miscellaneous. Transport received K2.01, Economic received K1.60 billion, Utilities K1.20 billion while Community and Culture received K214 million.

This year’s capital budget is the largest capital investment budget which stands at K10.7 billion, it is a billion more than the 2023 Budget. However, the budget while it got the support of the House, there were criticisms from both sides of the House on what should be done with such a massive and record-breaking Budget to serve the interest of the people.

They call on the government to be responsible in fulfilling the budget implementation so it impacts the lives of the people.

Among those leaders who want the budget to be translated to impact the lives of the people includes East Sepik Governor Allan Bird, Chuave MP James Nomane, Ialibu-Pangia MP Peter O’Neill and SHP Governor William Powi among other. (See separate stories).

Shadow Treasurer Douglas Tomuresia also in his budget reply, described the budget as an unmitigated disaster for the country and also for the reputation of the government, as the budget is packed with enough untruth to fill the entire Sirinumu Dam in Sogeri, outside Port Moresby.

Opposition: Budget is an unmitigated disaster

THE Opposition has described the 2024 government’s money plans as an unmitigated disaster for the country and also for the reputation of the Marape Government.

He described it as a budget packed with enough untruth to fill in the entire Sirinumu Dam at Sogeri outside Port Moresby.

Shadow Treasurer Douglas Tomuriesa said in the Opposition’s budget reply on Friday that in the 2019 the Treasurer decried the raising of the debt to GDP ratio in the 2019 Budget to over 35 per cent, in the 2023 Budget, he had again raised to 60 per cent and now he wants to lower it slightly to 57 per cent in the 2024 Budget.

He said it is not only meaningless and misleading for the government to choose to highlight only the minor positive aspects of its budget but it is also very immoral for the government to ignore the overall

impact of its budget on the daily lives of all our people.

He said the Treasurer is surely out of touch with the people, and he needs to come out of his comfort zone and feel the reality faced by the most ordinary people.

“He needs to feel how our people feel. What our people feel when they are waiting for a bus at a bus stop or at the beach to catch a boat to bring their produce to the local market. The daily anguish a mother feels when she cannot afford food to feed her hungry children or the hardship that the families face when they cannot afford a decent burial for their loved one,” he said.

He said contrary to the Treasurer’s claims, according to the official GDP figures published by the NSO, the entire economy had in fact shrunk in 2021 and 2022 and is more likely to also shrink again in 2023. Surely, that is not a record

that any government can be proud of, so the question is what else is the Treasurer hiding in the thick budget books. The budget is based on lies and innuendo and cannot be trusted.

“This Prime Minister and his Treasurer have been good at claiming record numbers of everything, except delivering what our country and our people need.

“The government claims it had record forex, yet the private sector is continuously begging for forex in order to improve the medicines, the spare parts and the fuel that our people need.

The Treasurer and the Prime Minister claim record revenue collections, yet the government functions are being delayed and cancelled because of shortfalls in government cashflows causing undue delays in the issuance of warrants by over three months behind,” he said.

Chuave MP fires at Treasurer

FROM PAGE ONE

“THERE is a big disconnect with the impact we are feeling in the rural districts, in the settlements and on the fringes of the peri-urban parts of the cities this is because of the failed implementation of the budget.”

“If you are prepared to tell this honourable House that GDP has been growing and increasing then we should also see a proportioned reduction in unemployment, where are the jobs?

“2023 we put forth and passed a historic budget of K24 billion so where are the jobs, I am not talking about any jobs I am talking about decent jobs, Papua New Guineans can be proud of and be employed to pay for school fees, medical bills to pay for insurance to save,” Mr Nomane added.

Despite the passing of K27 billion of the 2024 National Budget on Friday afternoon, several members of Parliament have voiced their displeasure in the handing down of the budget with the budget ignoring the struggle by Papua New Guineans.

Noah Kagai, a New Irelander who continues to work odd jobs to support his family, reached out saying that:

“Ten years after the Independence the unemployment rate began to rise and has dramatically risen to a huge proportion now.

“Past governments and the current government have not seriously addressed nor found the real mechanism or solutions to the status quo. I view this lack of real attention to the problem. Those in power are deliberately allowing this to continue so that we have a majority of our population not getting the benefits to have jobs so that we are starved and controlled like puppets and secondly our politicians don’t care much of the unemployed but of the votes.”

He further said: “Yet we continue to produce so many graduands in tertiary institutions. The mockery of it all is our unemployed are sent overseas as fruitpickers thus, avoiding the real issue of unemployment in this country.”

None were more vocal then former prime minister and IalibuPangia MP Peter O’Neill, East Sepik Governor Allan Bird and Mr Nomane.

The trio were fiery in Parliament last Friday afternoon reminding the government of what the budget must be about.

Mr Nomane added: “How can a average Papua New Guinean on minimum wage afford a 15 per cent reduction not withstanding all the debts and borrowing that they have to go to on the black market, the rates they charge on borrowers are over 50 per cent to 100 per cent that is untenable.

“He further said: “Why aren’t we looking at increasing minimum wage by 300 per cent, and taking

tough measures in promoting the livelihood of average Papua New Guineans, why aren’t we doing that?” Their issues with the budget was that there is still a need for the government to get down into the provinces and districts to see the distribution from the monies from Waigani.

Mr O’Neill said: “It is shameful and disappointing to see a budget with record taxes and the same promises of last year that record spending will lead to improvements in law and order, health, education, employment – instead we have had increased crime, no medicines, kids having to pay teachers just to go to school and a cost-of-living crisis.

“The people are pleading with the PM and Treasurer to stop the talk and see their struggles as they search for jobs that do not exist. Stand with the mothers in the line at clinics as they fight back tears when there is constantly no fever medicine for their babies. Understand the feeling of shame of fathers who cannot put a decent meal on the table for their families. Speak to our Church pastors and leaders who are struggling to meet the needs of our people.”

Mr Bird said: “The Micro economy is not performing as it should and while it’s a record budget, the people are not served, they are feeling the pain.

“We need a clear budget strategy on how we will be able to create jobs. We are not helping the private sector and we are not creating jobs. We need to be responsible to our people. We should not be passing budgets if we can’t change the lives of our people,” he said.

According to the Deloitte Economic snapshot there is ongoing concern that many employers have not been paying the existing minimum wage. A working committee has been established to review and work on these issues and subsequently penalise employers who are not complying. The review process will also help with the negotiations of further increase to the current minimum wage rate.

From the World Bank Economic update released early this year “Creating more formal private sector jobs, and equipping men and women with the right skills for these jobs, remains an overarching priority for PNG. Growth in formal private sector employment has failed to keep pace with the rapid expansion in the working-age population. Less than 10,000 formal sector jobs are created annually, which leaves many young people searching for alternative forms of employment in the country or pursue opportunities abroad through existing labour mobility schemes. Formal employment only accounts for 16 per cent of total employment and is mostly found in NCD and areas with a strong mining industry.

O’Neill: Budget big on promise lacks vision

FORMER Prime Minister and Member for Ialibu-Pangia Peter O’Neill said the Government’s 2024 Budget of K27.3 billion is a budget on big promises.

He said budgets are important document for any government to provide platform for the coming year but the 2024 Budget is big on promise, and it lacks the vision that the government has for developing PNG and delivering to the aspirations of our people.

He said that it further lacks the plans into achieving whatever vision the government is setting and this includes the Medium-Term Development Plan, not fully funded, and the Government has made some very big pronouncement and these have lifted the spirits of our people.

“And sometimes we get excited and we make those pronouncements without realising what we have said, but we need to come back to reality,” he said.

“Such announcements like making the country a rich black nation on earth, delivering a Trillion economy by 2048 and becoming the food basket of region, and creating one million jobs by 2027 are dream, we know

they are impossible, so we need to be realistic and do not get our people excited. It comes easy to say it but it does not come easy when we want to do it,” he said.

O’Neill said the Government said to develop fisheries but when a 20 percent tax on all sea produce exported, then how can the industry be developed.

“When you remove 20 percent tax on unprocessed meat, any one will bring in meat and our cattle industry will be killed and we will get our people out of the jobs.

“Let’s promise to our people what we can deliver. As MPs, we are privileged few, we must have heart for our people and our nation, not for our positions, projects and funds.

“This is going to be a reckless budget of the government- so the Prime Minister must take responsibility and ownership.

“Our people are crying, and incidences happening around the country is the result of social breakdown. When you have law and order and all the killings in every parts of our country it’s an indication of the cry of our people.

“As leaders we must listen to them and we must not be reckless in the management of the economy, that is the only hope for our people. We need to understand that prices of goods have gone up.

“The cost of living is so high,” he said.

People are not served, they are feeling the pain, says

THE micro economy is not performing as it should and the people are not served, they are feeling the pain, East Sepik Governor Allan Bird said when debating on the 2024 Budget on Friday.

He said while he supports the Budget, he has also cautioned the Government on areas he felt the government should consider in the implementation of the Budget.

He said the Treasurer has announced records budgets every year since being the treasurer and those behind the scenes to raise the funds must be commended highly.

“This is your largest budget, yet another huge record, funding for all sectors had record levels but the funding for the provinces has been cut. Contrary to the PM’s commitment to the Governors, someone has saw fit to cut the budget.

“This is the highest budget on record but at the same time we cannot deny that our unemployment levels are also record, forex rationing is also at a record level, despite having almost 18 months of forex supply at the Central Bank.

“Our power issues are also at record levels, and our crime levels are also at record levels. I think some of these need to come down, we need to find solutions to match all of these other records.

“I see a very fundamental challenge arising for this and previous budgets. As I go back look at all these budgets, I see a disturbing trend. The Treasurer provides us a macro level Budget, all the five budgets outcome records, all of these budgets are balance. We pass a budget, cash is brought in, and

A REFRESHING BREAK

Bird

when you look at the balance, then there is zero so that is an acceptable performance.

“Treasury is doing an amazing job at funding the budget. This is macro level economics, working brilliantly. They then release a warrant, that warrant releases the cash and someone else write the cheque. Our problem is at micro level, our problem is, that this Government cannot continue to table record budgets after record budgets and continue to fail at the micro level. And you can see these in the streets. People pay a lot of taxes they want to see better outcome for their taxes,” he said.

Bird said the micro economy is not performing as it should. Although we have great budgets from the MarapeRosso Governments with record budgets, still out people are feeling the pain.

“We need a clear budget strategy on how we will be able to create jobs. We are not helping the private sector and we are not creating jobs. We need to be responsible to our people. We should not be passing budgets if we can’t change the lives of our people,” he said.

ACTING Speaker of Parliament Koni Iguan is pictured with refreshing watermelon from his district, Markham. Iguan is also Markham MP and was in his district following the end of the 2023 Parliament sitting. Parliament resumes on February 13, 2024.
EAST Sepik Governor Allan Bird.

lae daily

UPGRADING works start

Rosso continues delivering good roads in Lae city

THE road upgrade and maintenance in Lae has progressed with work now starting on the road from Second-Seven dump site to Busu bridge.

The arterial road is funded by the National Government through the Department of Works and Highways (DOWH).

The project is under the close supervision of DOWH and will be concrete pavement. Similar to other concrete roads.

Lae MP John Rosso, in a media release, said that he will continue to source funding support for Lae city’s major arterial roads by working very closely with the Minister for Works, Solan Mirisim with the support from the Governor Luther Wenge.

He said that the Tent Siti police station to Bumayong road is also a priority and work will also start soon to complete this vital infrastructure for the taxpaying residents of Lae.

Mr Rosso, in June, announced the K120 million for the Tent Siti to Bumayong road upgrade with the street arms to also be sealed, during the recent opening of the Tent Siti and West Taraka Urban Clinic.

He said that road is an integral part of service delivery and is a priority that he plans to ensure it gets off the ground as soon as possible.

He said once these roads are completed, the onus would be placed on the people to look after them.

The government spends millions to ensure its people get the best service.

Locals have commended the Lae MP’s efforts on upgrading the roads in the city which is a contributing

Buimo Road school conducts in-service

TEACHERS at Buimo Road Primary

School conducted a two-day in-service that will help boost literacy standards at school.

During the in-service last Thursday and Friday, teachers identified challenges faced in classrooms in terms of reading and writing. Topics discussed include Jolly Phonics and Pacific Island Literacy and Numeracy Association (PILNA).

Jolly phonics is an adapted phonics from England and it is drawn under the Department of Education as a program that will cater to eradicate poor reading and writing skills in the schools throughout Morobe Province and Papua New Guinea, said senior sectional head Mrs Christine Trenien.

“Buimo Road school is taking this

factor for people reaching vital services on time and to commute to and from places.

A local residing in the area, Aidah John said: “This will be a big change for our community and for everyone as individuals.

“Most times people go late to work and school because of poor road conditions and we are happy for the road upgrade news.’’

Lae city roads have posed a big challenge over many years for successive city, provincial and national authorities until recently which the Lae City Authority is committed to ensure that Lae roads receive the necessary upgrade they deserve for the people’s benefit.

Tension high after fight between settlers

TENSION is still high between Bundi Camp and the Nawaeb settlements in Lae following a fight last month.

Lae police have cautioned the people, especially the residents in and around the vicinity of the area, to be on the look out and take precaution as they move about their business. Despite talk on reconciliation, there are still issues being reported of consistent arguments and tension within the groups.

Acting Metropolitan Commander Chief Superintendent James Luan said the situation at Bundi Camp and Nawaeb is still tense because no agreement was reached during the reconciliation talks that happened at the Okari campus in Lae recently.

The reconciliation occasion was attended by government and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was discussed to be signed between the two groups.

Chief Supt Luan said a date needs to be set so that the MOU can be signed to prevent anymore disruption and violence between the groups.

He said the tension is still mounting therefore respective parties and stakeholders need to address this problem before violence breaks out again.

Chief Supt Luan said a fight happened during the weekend between the same group of people but police responded quickly and were able to contain the situation.

“Therefore the public and residents living within and around the vicinity must be mindful of the situation when going about their business.

“It is vital to bring back the people’s trust in the police force and we are working tirelessly to ensure investigations are done thoroughly and to ensure peace is restored in the community,” Chief Supt Luan said.

Ambulance service cut after attack on vehicle

The St John Ambulance since its establishment in Lae, Morobe Province two years ago on average gets in 700 calls in a month.

Out of the 700 calls, 500 or so are genuine cases that get attended to while 200 were described by the Chief Superintendent Mamose Regional Commander Anderson Poumb as “prank calls”.

cases,” said Mr Poumb.

“Despite the incident we will be running our normal operations and we will still be providing that emergency ambulance service and that pre hospital care.”

St John Ambulance has seven vehicles. Two have registration issues, the other two are at service, one has been grounded given the recent accident, the command vehicle and the active one that operates a 6am to 6pm shift.

Jolly Phonics program to help because of the gap that the teachers in the junior primary cannot fully implement,” she said. “PNG under DOE has made Jolly phonics become a policy where by next year Jolly phonics will be implemented through PNG.”

Mrs Aitoba, who also attended training on PILNA this year, also facilitated on the program.

Senior teacher Mrs Lesma Aitoba, said the purpose of conducting inservice is to help teachers identify the weak areas in literacy teaching.

“This in-service will help boost the literacy standard in schools especially at Buimo Road,” she said. She said that teachers really need to be well versed in reading and writing in order to raise the standard of literacy in PNG.

He said a prank call made on Sunday Nov 26 resulted in one of St John vehicles getting smashed at Bumbu settlement.

The Christmas period is one of its peak operations period. They allow two vehicles to operate 24 hours, however, due to the incident, only one will be working.

“Experiences from the past two years during Christmas period we have been having a high number of

“It will really affect normal ambulance operations,” said Mr Poumb.

“The more ambulances operating, makes it easy for us as ambulance officers to attend to them and for the general public to have that access for them to get to the hospital.

“After the incident it will greatly affect the operations of the ambulance and other people as well who seek our service.”

on the stretch of road from Second-Seven dump site to Busu bridge. -PICTURE SUPPLIED.
LAE MP John Rosso.
TEACHERS of Buimo Road Primary School in the in-service. -PICTURE: MARIE SONNY.

Koiaris continue call to return Batia as PPL boss

THE calls from Koiari landowners in Central Province for the government to reinstate former PNG Power Limited chief executive officer (CEO) Obed Batia continues unabated.

This time the 26 ward members in Koiari LLG have petitioned the government for the reinstatement until the contact expires and also to create dialogue and work on economic pathways for landowners’ benefits.

In the petition, Deputy Governor for Central Province Willy Wavi said that the demand on the CEO position of PPL comes with condi-

tions in partnership on short- and long-term sustainable landownership and resource development programs.

Among the demands, include; Power Purchase Agreement with the State for new Naoro-Brown Hydro Power Project to be developed by our new energy company – Koiari Energy and Water Corporation Limited (KEWCL);

The report on feasibility studies and documentation held by PNG Power to be transferred to the new company to start work on the project and;

All current and new equity shares held by State in PNG Power,

PNG Water, and CEPA for Sirinumu Dam, Rouna and Mr Eriama installations be used as a basis for collateral formation and capital raising for new Naoro-Brown Hydo Power Project.

He said that other government commitments include K10 million for Edevu road, Kokoda Track Management Authority Bill and Interim Protection Zone by CEPA along the Kokoda Track corridor should be addressed. The landowners also reaffirmed that as law abiding citizens and people of goodwill, they will continue to partner with the government to ensure maximum benefits from the respective projects.

MEET LADY WHITE AND RIDER OF SOGERI

Bomana jail opens new guard house

BOMANA jail opened a new guard house last week.

The guard house came as a relief after many years of inattention by authorities as female officers and detainees were forced to use a small boxlike house that could only fit two officers at any one time during the manning of the female compound.

Commanding officer for Bomana jail Chief Superintendent Yelly Oiufa said the guard house is the initiative of Bomana jail.

Constructed by low risked detainees from minimum security unit cost around K28,500 funded through self-help programs by the prison.

Forty per cent of the income was made by the prison and the remaining 60 per cent came from the prison industry account in Correctional Service headquarters.

Chief Supt Oiufa said they engaged Marcus Kundu, a civilian technical person who is an expert in brick laying who utilised MSU detainees and completed the guard house in 8 weeks.

His engagement also allows detainees to learn brick laying skills which is of benefit for those inmates engaged.

Female division officer in charge

Senior Inspector Agnes Kunjil said

the female division was moved from the back of the high risk compound to the current location due to flooding from nearby Laloki river.

“It was in 1995, only five female warders and small number of female detainees were relocated to this place from the back of the main compound.

She said old guard house was small and could not allow the officers to conduct their mandated responsibilities like strip search and proper checking.

The new guard house has plenty of space to conduct these duties.

Rains muddy direction for WNB disaster officers

DISASTER authorities in West New Britain recently reported a secondary threat of large volumes of mudflows from Mt Ulawun.

The mudflows which have been caused by continuous rain near the volcano, are posing a threat to road access which can affect the distribution of relief supplies to care centres located past Ulamona.

A statement dated Monday, Nov 27 and released by Deputy Disaster Controller Sergeant Peter Barkie reported: The mudflows which has a stretch of 80cm and depth of 50cm brings with it debris of rocks, logs

and other objectives in it's path”. Warnings have been issued to people from the affected areas to stay away from the path of the mudflow. The authorities have also declared a curfew in the disaster area from 7pm to 5am after a man from Ulamona was killed during a fight between locals and settlers at the Kabaiya “care centre on Sunday, Nov 26. Sgt Barkie said that a quick response from police in Bialla prevented what could have been “an all out ethnic clash”. Authorities have also blocked the highway linking East and West New Britain.

Mudflood at Noau. -PICTURE SUPPLIED.
MAX, sitting astride Lady White was taking the mare out for ride along the Sogeri Road when the PostCourier caught up with the duo. Lady White is a beautiful white mare who tragically lost her foal to rascals. Lady White and Max are a fixed feature along the Sogeri Road.

Cult group in Alotau scamming locals

THERE is a cult group operating in Milne Bay Province that goes by the group name Australia Papuans Civil Rights Council Incorporative.

According to the provincial police

CERTAIN churches have been acknowledged for playing an important role in the area of response to People Living with HIV (PLHIV) and accepting them for who they are.

PLHIV Ian Ako said this last Friday during a press conference on World AIDS Day at Lamana Hotel.

“I was diagnosed in 2016 as a Person with HIV and I got my result from one of the church run organisation. From then on, I had no doubt in me being accepted in the community environment.

“When we go to church, other people will say all sorts of things about us because of the way we are, but I’m beginning to see that not only the Bible says that it is forbidden for my identity, but I must say that the Churches have done a lot in terms of accepting and making us know that we are part of the family.

“This has given me strength and change of some of my attitude and behaviour. I have still lived to now because of the Churches, there have been prayers for me even though I was bedridden for several months and I thank God that I am still alive.

“I want to commend the churches for playing an important role in the area of response to People Living with HIV (PLHIV,” he said.

Private secretary to Sir John Cardinal Ribat Reverend Father Carroll Tevamle said with a lot of different churches, especially leaders in the Christian Alliance working together, they take this as a pastoral approach in their work in different ministries.

“We do not have the right to condone people who are living with disability, PLHIV or infected with other diseases.

“We cannot discourage people but from the Catholic point of view and other different denominations, we should work together and look for solutions to stop sicknesses like HIV that is affecting the lives,” he said.

Through their multiple health facilities and community-based health programs across the country, the faith-based community provides a vast proportion of HIV and STI services to key population and other priority population, including women and children.

commander acting Chief Inspector Benjamin Kua, this group has been taking money from people with the promise of delivering them “good things”.

“It’s sad to see the poor people are being robbed and I warn the public not to get involved as they are a cult group and you get no benefit from your contributions and membership,” he said.

Their leader, Wesley Solon from

A STRONG political commitment is needed to address the HIV prevention crisis in Papua New Guinea.

UNAIDS PNG Country Director and Representative Manoela Manova said while the world is moving fast in ending HIV/AIDS, in the last 12 years, there has been an increase in the number of new infections by 131 per cent. She said this during the World AIDS Day press conference last Friday at the Lamana Hotel.

Also the number of AIDS related deaths is not declining.

THE government, communities and international partners have been called on to rally around what we have and must do better to control the epidemic in PNG.

“We have two babies born with HIV every day and we have had 800 babies born with HIV in 2022 because we do not test pregnant

Ware Island in Milne Bay Province, was arrested by police recently and charged with stealing by false pretence. He was later released on a bail of K300.

He was collecting fees for an alleged scholarship to enter an Australian school in Port Moresby where he collected K30 per head from a number of people.

However, the PPC said he has reason to believe that this “cult “could

continue and warned the public to be cautious.

“They have developed some agenda, topics and ideas which are not realistic and they lure people, especially old people,” he said.

“The leaders devised many fake ideas to steal from poor citizens over many years. They would ask people to register in the group with paid fees and for many of the victims, it has been decades and they have not

More awareness to address HIV crisis PNG attends

MINISTER for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change, Simon Kilepa has led the PNG delegation to attend the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai from November 30 to December 12.

The annual event is to negotiate and offer solutions, establish partnerships, advocate for the people, forest and environment, as part of the national and international commitment to keep the global temperature at or below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The delegation consists of representatives from essential sector agencies where climate change is a pervasive concern.

Mr Kilepa said recognising the widespread implications of climate change, their participation in this conference is crucial to negotiate support and devising strategies within their respective sectors to effectively address the challenges posed by climate change.

“Climate change undoubtedly remains our greatest development challenge.

“As a nation that grapples with intensifying impacts such as extreme weather patterns and accelerated sea-level rise, we must also seek to mitigate these effects, garner inter-

DUE to high level of violence, stigma and discrimination against key population (KP), the HIV prevalence rate is eight to 16 times higher compared to the rest of the population in PNG.

According to Key Populations Advocacy Forum media spokesperson

Ian Ako, KPs include groups of men who have sex with men, transgender people and those who exchange sex for goods and money.

“Because of fear of being disclosed, especially fear of violence,

majority of KPs remain in hiding and do not access HIV and other health services.

“These, on top of the many challenges many Papua New Guineans are experiencing, including geographical isolation, lack of transportation, inadequate health care infrastructure, poverty, unemployment and lack of education.

“Gender Based Violence including intimate partner violence and sexual violence also adds further to the vulnerability of these popu-

mothers because they do not attend antenatal clinics

This is a tragedy and something that can be avoided.

“In 2022 in PNG, only 18 per cent of pregnant mothers were tested for HIV and on top of this, there is parent to child transmission of 34 per cent.

Although we test so little of our pregnant women, the positivity rate among pregnant women is one per cent.

This means there will be a time bomb and explosion in PNG if we do not do something immediately together on what is to be done differently to change the situation.

National AIDS Council Secretariat (NACS) acting executive director Tony Lupiwa said there are 72,000 people living with HIV (PLHIV).

“PNG has faced major challenges in bringing services to key populations.

“Nonexistence of condom promotion and evidence of condom readily accessible for KPs at the community level is a problem.

“The decline in overall HIV testing volume is evident as 500,000 people were tested in 2018, however, in 2022 there were only 110,000 people who got tested, which is a very big decline,” he said.

He said only 10 per cent of HIV funding in 2019 was directed to prevention against KPs and only three per cent of these resources were spent on prevention in other areas.

“We need to intensify resource prevention efforts in PNG if we are to reach the global target by ending HIV by 2030.

“Other countries in the world are seeing their HIV prevalence go down while PNG is amongst few other countries in the world that is rising, so we have to talk more about prevention,” he said.

national support, and implement adaptive strategies crucial for the well-being of our people and our communities,” Mr Kilepa said.

He said PNG’s participation at COP28 primarily reflects the country’s firm dedication to scale up global efforts in combating climate change.

“In line with our national climate change priorities and obligations under the Paris Agreement, we will enter the conference with a set of

lation to HIV infection,” he said.

Mr Ako said facing these issues, communities have come together and organised a continuum called Key Population Advocacy Continuum (KPAC) and their aim is to be advocators, leaders and be the voice of communities affected by HIV, people living with HIV and be the KP to a more inclusive and effective HIV response.

“We believe that HIV intervention should be tailored to a specific population based on our needs and

seen any outcome of the group, “he added.

The group claims that the Southern region of PNG is under Australia and we are a Territory of the Independent State of Australia and they use an Australia flag to symbolise their group.

“This is crazy and needs to stop and the so-called leaders must be dealt with. There is also a big group operating in Port Moresby.”

MADANG police will take a bold stand this festive season and deal with criminal elements aggressively, unlike before.

In their Christmas and New Year police operation acting Superintendent Robert Baim said as a new command in his home province, he will not allow any more back stabbing to take place under his watch.

He said any person who wishes to go against police warning will be dealt with seriously and effectively.

“If you want to carry a pocket knife, I must warn you that I will take you to your house, identify your parents, take your photo and lock you up in the cell,” he said.

“There will be no bail, you will remain in the cell till you appear in court and court only will grant you bail,” acting Supt Baim warned.

key priorities that encapsulate our country’s commitment to sustainability, equity, and resilience,” he said.

PNG’s priorities taken to COP28 include discusiionson on various climate change topics that CDDA has been vocal on such as: the REDD+ and Mitigation; Climate Change Adaptation; Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement; Loss and Damage; Just Energy Transition; and PNG’s Participation.

allow us to take part in providing these services ourselves.

“We believe and other countries have shown that they are effective that we can bring quality HIV information to our communities providing them with condoms and other prevention services,” Mr Ako said.

They as a community are calling on the government to provide more inclusive and comprehensive HIV and health services to population groups and communities affected and living with HIV.

He said current statistics revealed that children in grades 5, 6, 7 and so on are the main ones contributing to the current status of the breakdown of law and order in the province.

PPC Baim said the recent killing of a second year student in Madang Technical College was allegedly done by a child.

He said it was time to take back Madang and police have officially launched its operation under the slogan "Take Back Hangu Panu Sain Abe" in the local Madang dialect meaning Madang is my home, no more time to waste.

Madang Governor Ramsey Pariwa said Madang was described by the media as a murder capital and calls for the authorities to clamp down on crime.

He said Madang people are peaceful and loving people. The influx has contributed to mixing cultural society and the local or peaceful traditions phase off slowly.

He said today locals kill humans like animals and that was not the Madang he knew as a child growing up in a once peaceful town.

“There is no more respect for human lives because they are being killed and treated like animals.”

MADANG acting superintendent Robert Baim
LEFT: A/general manager for MRV & NC-CCDA Debra Sungi, Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change Simon Kilepa and acting MD for CCDA William Lakain speaking during the media conference last week before leaving for COP 28 meeting in Dubai. Picture supplied

POLICE in East New Britain Province have commended the youths of Rabaul and Malaguna for surrendering their weapons over to Police during a peace restoration and reconciliation ceremony on Wednesday, November 29, in Rabaul.

Youths from both parties surrendered homemade guns, wire cata-

pults, slings and even ammunition to police infront of the community, community leaders and parents who flocked to the Page Park market to witness the first-of-its kind occasion.

Speaking at the event on behalf of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) for the New Guinea Islands (NGI) Divisional Command Perou N’Dranou, his deputy commander Chief Inspector Gordon Magum commended everyone who initiated the ceremony and emphasised further the importance of the reconciliation and laying down of arms.

HOMEMADE guns, wire catapults, slings and ammunition that were surrendered by youths to police and the public at Page Park market. PICTURE SUPPLIED

N’Dranou confirms festive season ops for NGI

to start

CHRISTMAS and New Year operations in the New Guinea Islands region are set to start immediately in certain provinces, but not all.

ACP NGI Divisional Command Perou N'Dranou has confirmed that recent incidents in East and West New Britain will delay the start of police operations in the two provinces.

“East New Britain will have to wait until the new incoming PPC comes. That is one of the reasons we will delay a bit.

“In West New Britain, we have the Mt Ulawun eruption issue and it could delay slightly. But as part of their annual plans, all four provinces have completed their plans, pending when to launch,” he said. Manus and New Ireland provinces will be launching festive season operations anytime soon.

“The new PPC for East New Britain was expected to come to the province during the first week of December.”

N’Dranou hopes that the recent reconciliation in Rabaul will allow police to shift their focus on the upcoming Christmas and New Year operations.

On the Rabaul reconciliation N’Dranou said: “It’s better than nothing. Whether it holds for that long or not, for the last few days, weeks or so, we have peace and that for police, is something.

“We’ve done what we could have given in a day, a week, a month we have peace and you cannot guarantee peace in life, especially criminal activities,

“As much as you can put the best plan in the world, you will still have crime. For me, I am thankful to the team who stood there, went there... I am proud of those men and women who put their time and effort to achieve something for the week,” N’Dranou said.

“Today, as we come together in this peace ceremony, we commemorate the importance of peace and the collective striving for harmony in our society.

“Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the state of consistency and understanding amongst individuals and communities.

“It is a precious and fragile foundation,” said Chief Inspector Magum.

He further called on the youths of Rabaul and Malaguna to be reminded of the administrative call that conflicts can bring upon their lives and their communities.

“The scars left behind by recent

Rabaul youths surrender weapons

conflicts must serve as a constant reminder of the importance of fostering peace for the future generations.

“We have witnessed the resilience of the people of Rabaul who have risen from the ashes and have rebuilt their lives demonstrating the commitment to peace and unity, so that is exactly what is happening now.

“This is not something that we can achieve overnight or enforce by a selected few, it requires collective effort from all of us working together,” Chief Insp Magun said.

“A lot of innocent families have suffered, some with permanent consequences, innocent people have lost employment, our mothers could not access the markets, schools and business houses were shut down.

“We are very sorry, we are tired of the fighting,” he said.

Youth representatives from both Malaguna and Rabaul reassured the police and the community that they are tired of fighting and want normalcy to be restored in the town, hence, the laying down of arms. Orim Jack, youth representative of Malaguna apologised to families and business houses who had been affected and were victims of the fight.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2023

Let’s start preparing for Operation Gold Tahiti

WEEK

One had barely passed by at the Pacific Games in Honiara and Team PNG was in a desperate situation. The gold rush had dried up even before our team had pulled on their sporty gear and PNG had just 4 to show for one week of sweaty competition. Not surprisingly, all 4 had come from weightlifting, from the Big Village HB.

This was turning into a major embarrassment, so much so that tempers were frayed, sports enthusiasts back home were baying for some ‘show cause’ reactions.

This must have been urgently relayed on the coconut wireless in Honiara because in the final week of the games, PNG suddenly awoke from its slumber and struck a purples patch with a flurry of gold medals to finish in the top 5 and avoid an embarrassing disappointment.

In 2019 in Samoa, PNG finished second behind New Caledonia. We won 39 gold, 58 silver and 34 bronze. This year, closer to home, our preparations were pedestrian and this showed on the medal table.

PNG fell three places to finish fifth in Honiara with 29 gold, 38 silver and 40 bronze. NC finished on top again followed by Australia, Tahiti and Samoa.

This is a big drop in form when we consider our second-place finish four years earlier. How does fifth place augur for the capital layout of over K7m to get Team PNG to hop over to Solomon Islands?

It does not equate to the huge sporting infrastructure we have had in place in Port Moresby and Lae, and at the National Sports Institute in Goroka since 1991. What good are these stadiums when our sporting teams are underprepared or even unprepared?

In any case, we congratulate all the medals winners. The Pacific Games is a tough regional event. Our Pacific neighbours are all becoming resilient competitors.

The French Territories of Tahiti and New Caledonia have always, with their French connection, being way ahead in terms of training, exposure and experience.

With Australia and New Zealand also fielding teams, we find that some of our traditional well to do events are becoming increasingly challenging.

So, what is next? This is an important question considering that our biggest opposition will be our perpetual enemies on the sporting field – the French Terri-

tories. Why? Because PG 2027 will be in Tahiti.

Once upon a time, PNG was very hard to beat in the track and field events. The blue-ribbon event was ruled by our track queen Toea Wisil.

As one commentator noted during the women’s 10,000m race, ‘PNG realised that the Australians and New Zealanders are entered in the sprint events where they have been dominant, so they’ve snuck in a few more runners in the longer events in the hopes of success’.

One NSI based athletics coach bemoaned the Australians dominating the men’s blue-ribbon event 1-2 podium finish. He forgot that in the past the PNG Athletics Union, had a very strong junior development program called the Milo Junior Development camp.

This camp does not exist anymore. And only a few provinces have an existing athletics program. Why is NSI not promoting or producing our next generation of sprint, middle- and long-distance runners?

The swimming pool was once waved over by our Olympic star Ryan Pini. Now that he has retired, there has never been any other PNG swimmer who has come close to emulating his success.

The pool is where New Caledonia and Tahiti are in a class of their own and where they win their most medals.

Will Toea return in 2027 after her motherhood duties? What will happen when golden mums Dika Toua (weightlifting) and Abigail Tere-Apisah (tennis) decide to retire and leave the future of their respective sports in the hands of their young proteges?

PNG Sporting administrators must take Honiara to heart when planning for Tahiti.

Before you ask the government for funding, show the country how your plans can work magic in four years’ time in Tahiti.

We want focus before we finance. We want tangible plans that can translate to gold medal returns in four years. Treat it like a business plan. Invest in training now. Transform it into gold in Tahiti.

Don’t wait till 12 months before the next games.

A big thank you nomo to all the wantok PNG community and Solo supporters in Honiara, and a big hearty welcome home to Team PNG when the last of the team members touch down in dusty Amazing Moresby, this week.

Attack on St John Ambulance

PLEASE allow me to air my concerns on another recent attack on St John Ambulance. St John Ambulance is a charity organisation and the people who work with them are volunteers.

They are not the banks who carry money to ATM machines or business houses takings to the banks. When I saw the article in the paper regarding yet another attack on St John, I was disheartened for this people who work tirelessly to help unfortunate people especially mothers and children to get health care.

They provide services that the government agencies are not effectively provid-

ing for the people. I appeal to you short circuit minded people out there to think positively what you want to do for your living. You have to go to the right place and deal with the right people. You organise yourself professionally and go to the place where there is a lot of money and gold bars. And I would also like to appeal to the government to allow these sort of non-government organisation to be protected because they cannot risk their lives in their effort to save other people’s lives.

AWAKS OF KAMKUUS Mende Max

Governor Sia’s wise words

celebrating when going to the party right after graduation?”

AS A news fanatic and reader,

l was moved by the remarks of Eastern Highlands Governor Simon Sia in his speech at a recent Gr 12 graduation ceremony at Lufa Secondary School. What Governor Sia said are words of wisdom, if absorbed and practiced by graduates, would help them find many success in life through their future endeavours - whether at home or at higher learning institutions.

Mr Sia said: “What are you

“Instead, lam worried that there is no corresponding employment opportunities available to absorb thousands of graduates passing out of the secondary and tertiary institutions every year.”

This is very true because it is foolish and unwise to celebrate after grade 10 or 12 exams as the fruit of a successful education journey is still a long way away.

Governor Sia further added saying, “You must choose your study courses carefully and start practicing to be produc-

tive. Under current circumstances - I challenge you to start doing the right thing with your school holiday. Make gardens, plant coffee or build houses from Monday to Thursday. “Enjoy yourselves in sports on Friday and go to church on Saturday and Sunday. This is what I would do if I were you. What wonderful advice from someone who started his success journey from as early as his young and student life himself.

Thank you Mr Sia for the best advice.

Justify law and order budget

THE law-and-order situation in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is worsening every day.

Yet, nobody knows the root causes of the problem. The government is even happy to pump more money into just dealing with this very symptom, without even knowing the root causes of it.

The allocation for law enforcement in the 2024 National Budget is massive. The Police Force alone will receive over K600 million. Is there any justification for this massive funding?

There is no justification when the law and order situation is worsening, the court system is plagued with massive backlog of cases, ongoing jail break-outs, massive dismissal of court cases due to insufficient evidence or failure of police to submit court

files, and the list goes on.

To put it succinctly, the police personnel spend their time driving around in Landcruisers rather than carrying out law enforcement, the water police is ineffective and related infrastructure are either idle or in ruins.

There is no law-and-order enforcement in rural areas, piracy in PNG is increasing very fast, murders and rapes are now a regular occurrence, and pickpocketing in towns and cities are part of our daily lives.

The root causes are poor leadership, governance and management failures resulting in corruption at all levels of government.

Corruption is breeding wasteful spending of the National Budget. It explains why the law-

and-order enforcement budget is increasing every year.

Someone is living a lavish life in the midst of the increasing law and order problems in PNG.

The government is urged to quickly implement the Anticorruption Law and Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), and aggressively implement the Leadership Code and public sector audit.

It must also invest in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, manufacturing, hospitality, energy, communication and transport sectors, to increase economic activity and employment, which will contribute to reduction in law-and-order problems in PNG.

CONCERNED ECONOMIST

Nepotism, corruption rife in workforce

I WRITE in support of the article by Axie Yoroka in the ‘Yu Tok’ section of our nambawan daily PC newspaper of December 1. The point raised by the author about medical and police clearance reports undermining qualifications- diplomas, degrees, etc. is valid. Further, to get the clearance

reports you have to pay for them.

There are also delays in getting those reports, thus, application closing dates are affected. Why not accept qualified persons then conduct clearance reports in the first week of employment. Most qualified persons are disadvantaged because of these reports. These clearance reports should not be conditions of employment. They only create loopholes for nepotism thus denying skilled and productive workforce.

KONGI FIAMBAWE, Goroka

Letter of the day

Teaching Service Commission had written to PNG Teachers Association on Oct 25, 2023, advising that the signing of the MOA would be done on Friday, Oct 27, 2023 or Monday Oct 30, 2023.

Toksave Readers submitting letters and commentaries are advised that the word count per article must not exceed 450 words. Teachers union (PNGTA) president Aita Sanangkepe made this call last week.

Resource risks to PNG Support economic empowerment

THERE are a number of significant risks to the future development of Papua New Guinea (PNG) because the country is too dependent on mineral, petroleum and gas exports (Extractive Resource).

Mineral, petroleum and gas sector (Extractive Sector) development in PNG causes negative social impacts, environmental pollution and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions that causes global warming and rising sea levels.

Globally, there is now a push for reduction in environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Financiers are taking into account the negative impacts of extractive resource development, before they can commit to provide funding for development of such projects.

Therefore, the world will see a reduction in funding of Extractive Resource development going forward. It has negative ramifications for PNG.

The current government is pushing for extractive sector development in a very confusing and hap-

10 years ago

hazard way.

The government is aggressively promoting its manufacturing policy to diversify the economic base, and is planning to introduce production sharing arrangement for the extractive sector in 2024 to generate more tax revenues.

However, it is also negotiating the terms of extractive resource project development agreements (PDAs) in haste with terms that are very confusing, contrary to the government’s economic and social development policies, and very skewed in favour of private project developers.

The impact of the environmental issues and haste in negotiating the terms of PDAs, is that tax and nontax revenues for the government will be seriously reduced in the future.

Therefore, the future economic and social development of PNG is significantly at stake because of reduction in government spending going forward.

CONCERNED ECONOMIST

ECONOMIC empowerment is one of the key policies that can enable people to meaningfully participate in formal revenue generating enterprises in all districts.

This is if we are serious into the vision statement by the Prime Minister James Marape to see Papua New Guinea becomes Black richest nation in the World.

Citizens may not do anything tangible until they are fed with directives on the causes of action they must do as a national and define nicely by the government on how should the people meaningfully share the vision.

The government should make available the deliverables to drive the vision via financial assistance and other important expectations. Within the population, there are people who want to venture into businesses owned by outsiders, particularly Asians.

Today, the population showcases their serious engagements as table marketers, trade store owners, Public Motor Vehicle operators, taxi owners, boat operators, vegetable farmers, money lenders, buai

salesmen and women, piggery and poultry farmers, cash and food crop growers, fishermen, and list goes on and on.

Most named businesses are informal and proceeds are absolutely to support their livelihood and not extended to higher level formal businesses required to meet taxation liabilities to the government through IRC.

The people are willing to participate in businesses but lack financial bolster to increase their existing cash flows.

Advisors in the government should look at how best such operations should be commissioned to grow and become reasonable revenue generators for both the owners and increase in taxation revenues.

A conventional management approach from stock-taking, sales and merchandising, business record keeping, stock takes and profit and loss calculation and so on is necessitated for small businessmen and women to be successful and even obliged to contribute to the growth of economy. Government should increase fund-

ing for economic empowerment at district level so that people can access to finance based on initial cashbook records and some banking history as a form of prerequisites. Rural Business Development and Agriculture livestock officers may be directed to facilitate advise and monitor Small to Medium Enterprises.

Lending terms and conditions at commercial banks may be possible for those activities that are categorised as formal SME strictly in the provisions of loans if IPA and IRC requirements are met and very strong and accurate financial recording systems and profit or loss declarations including cash flow statements over the past financial periods available.

Without government intervention aspiring businessmen and women continue to belittle and involve in informal operations just to subsidise general living and become spectators on our own land and purchase food and other items from foreign owned businesses.

TEACHERS from a Seventh-Day Adventist church teaching on Bougainville during the crisis call on authorities to pay risk allowances.

MiBank wins innovation award

ON November 10 this year MiBank received the 2023 Innovation PNG Award for large business presented at the PNG Innovation Conference hosted by Business Advantage and the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

The award recognised the banks innovation in developing a Mobile Corporate product.

“This innovation has particular relevance and use for remote areas where there is not adequate internet coverage, and for rural companies and groups,” said the judges’ report.

“As such, it is a well-thought-out solution created for existing PNG conditions.”

Mobile Corporate is a product featured on the MiCash mobile banking platform whereby authorised signatories of a small business or group account can initiate and authorise payments, and monitor account activities including accessing statements online.

The key feature is that multiple signatories to an account have access and can authorise transactions using the MiBank banking app.

Its use will enable MiBank to extend access to financial services beyond individuals to group and

corporate accounts where there are multiple signatories required to ‘sign’. This includes not only companies or small businesses but incorporated associations, landowner groups, farming co-operatives and womens organisations.

According to MiBank chief executive office Tony Westaway, this now has particular application for business, given the cessation of cheque acceptance in the private sector scheduled for December 31, 2023.

For more information, you can contact the MiBank Call Centre on 16789 (Digicel Free Call).

A micro bank on a mission

MIBANK is a unique institution in the PNG banking sector.

Initially established as Wau Micro Bank in 2004, it is a licensed and regulated micro banking institution committed to contributing to financial inclusion.

The institution received its banking license in 2008 and changed its name to Nationwide Microbank Limited. Today the micro bank trades under the name of MiBank.

Initially established under an ADB project with then financial support from the Australian government, it balances commercial sustainability with its social mission.

A key contributor to financial inclusion, it has partnered with many development agencies targeting lowincome people to provide access to financial services and products and the formal payments system.

A network of 16 branches and over 250 agents throughout PNG provides a platform from which it extends services to ordinary citizens. Its outreach is further extended through its robust mobile banking service known as MiCash.

A micro bank with a digital focus, MiBank partners with like- minded industries and institutions who align

to its mission.

For example MiBank enjoys a collaborative arrangement with the USAID-PNG Electrification Partnership project and as a result provides loans for purchases of solar power kit.

MiBank also partners with ADB and CEFI in providing training to Women SMEs on a new application called LedgerPal which assists SMEs in managing their business and applying for credit.

In New Ireland Province MiBank has an alliance with the Namatanai District Administration to provide payment facilities for farmers selling fresh produce. In Eastern and Western Highlands MiBank is providing Farmers Loans under the World Bank Market for Village Farmers project. The activities that MiBank is engaged with, align with the UN Special Development Goals. There are other examples of MiBank’s work in the community, with its focus on diversity and the positive impact on the lives of our citizens.

To find out more about MiBank you can visit their website www.mibank. com.pg or give them a call on 16789 (free call).

SOLAR PayGo.
MIBANK’S Tony Westaway receives the 2023 Innovation PNG Award for large business. Credit: Godfreeman Kaptigau/BAI

Desolation and fear as chaos engulfs nations capital

TOTAL chaos and disorder induced by law and order problems has engulfed the nation’s capital, Port Moresby in recent weeks.

The atmosphere has been tense around Gordon, Boroko and Waigani Central business centres as men, women and children could feel the presence of desolation and fear.

Last Friday, a small and medium enterprise (SME) operator from 8-Mile, Moresby Northeast, lost K5000 worth of store goods to hooligans who jumped on his vehicle and

ransacked the cargoes at Gordon market area.

Other similar incidences have been going viral on social media, displaying the extent of disorder that has crept into the nation’s capital. Unwarranted deaths, alleged killings, ethnic clash and settlement fights have been a daily occurrence all over the city in the past weeks.

Police manning these ‘hotspot areas’ have been scaled down after an alleged police involvement in the death of a youth who was the son of a prominent public servant in Hela Province.

However, National Capital

District (NCD) police reported that the alleged death is being investigated and those responsible will face the law.

Commissioner for Police David Manning has also assured city residents last week that police were on the forefront to contain the current trend of lawlessness in the city.

Meanwhile, NCD police metropolitan commander Superintendent Silva Sika and officer-in-charge of Criminal Investigation Division Charles Winuan have agreed to work together to clamp down on those instigating chaos and disorder in the city.

As of last Friday, several attempts were made to to find out if the office of the member for Moresby South Justin Tkatchenko, Moresby Northeast John Kaupa and Moresby Northwest Lohia Boe Samuel had any emergency plans for their respective electorates, but they went unanswered.

“While law and order is crippling the county’s capital city, the silence from the local MPs for Moresby South, Moresby Northeast and Moresby Northwest is outrageously deafening,” a longtime resident of Konedobu said on Friday.

Digicel spreading Christmas cheer

DIGICEL PNG Financial Services Ltd (DFSL) through the brand ‘CellMoni’, launched its Christmas Promotion themed ‘Gift yourself this Christmas with CellMoni’ where customers will be rewarded with cash prizes for performing transactions within the CellMoni App

Digicel CellMoni will be gifting a share of K1000 cash to 15 winners daily, a total of up to K41,000 cash to be won from December 1, 2023, to January 10, 2024.

To participate and qualify for a chance to be one of the 15 daily winners, CellMoni customers must spend K10 or more to buy top up, EasiPay, pay bills, withdraw cash, purchase Digicel TV subscription, transfer to MiBank or Nasfund, or pay their PNG Air tickets using the CellMoni App.

The more CellMoni App transactions a CellMoni customer makes, the more entries the customer will have for a chance to win themselves a share of K1000 cash.

Digicel PNG senior vice president Lorna McPherson when officiating the launch said: “It is our yearly tradition at Digicel to reward and spread joy to our customers at Christmas, and this year is no different.”

More than 600 CellMoni customers will have the chance to win a share of K41,000 cash when they transact from their CellMoni App

With the increase of smartphone users performing electronic payment transactions, this year’s promotion allows users to experience the ease and convenience of the CellMoni App

We encourage Digicel customers to download the CellMoni App and gift themselves this festive season with a chance to win cash daily.

CellMoni is an electronic wallet that allows Digicel customers and businesses to store, receive and perform financial transactions using a mobile phone.

A SCREEN shot of a video that went viral on social media that showed hooligans ransacking a moving vehicle in Port Moresby last week.

Society launches development vessel

THE Mamu Kundi people of the Abelam Society of East Sepik have launched a development vessel called the Mamu Kundi Development Association (MKDA)over the weekend in Port Moresby.

The Association, an initiative of the Mamu-Kundi language speaking people of Abelam tribe from Winge in the Yangoru District and Warabung in the Maprik District, have decided to come together to forge a body to pursue their development aspirations and promote and protect their cultures.

MKDA was first mooted and formally registered in August 2023 and is grounded on Christian faith and values with the focus on implementing three sustainable development goals:

Human capital development, gender, youth and people empowerment;

Spiritual, cultural, social and community development; and Economic wealth creation.

Some notable members of the association include the director general of NARI Dr Nelson Simbiken, Secretary of Lands Benjamin Samson as advisors, and the executive includes Brian Sam as interim chairman, Steven Maken as general secretary and

other educated population in Port Moresby and Lae.

The launching was attended by all the pastors of the AOG church in Mapirik, Yangoru and Port Moresby.

Mr Sam said they will become the vessel of change through greater collaboration and partnership with the government, churches, NGOs, and

development partners to implement sustainable development goals program and project initiatives for the people.

Dr Nelson said the association is grounded on the Christian faith and values, with the Catholic church and AOG church, holding hands to create a better society and a better future for their younger generation.

He said the younger children of today live on choices and the aim of the association is to plan and craft a way for the younger generation so they become meaningful members of the society.

The interim executives have appealed to all Mamu Kundi all over the country to register to become members and participate meaning-

fully in the development of their society. The second part of the launching will be done in the village so that those in the village can also participate formally to register with the organisation. Registration is K50 and the executive officer can be contacted on 77206751 and 70229923 for more information.

THE UNIVERSITY OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA

A NEWGUINEA EW EA

Late James Frederick Robins, OBE 13April 1945 - 15 November 2023

Former pioneer student showers school with gifts

UNIVERS UNIV V VERSIT MEMORIAL SERVICE

ItiswithmuchsadnessandagreatsenseoflosstheChancellor,Council,Vice-ChancellorandStaffofTheUniversityofPapuaNew GuineaextendourheartfeltcondolencestothedaughterSophie,theimmediatefamilyinPapuaNewGuineaandBrisbaneonthe passingof James FrederickRobinsinCairns,Australia.

ThelateJamesRobinsbeganhisemploymentwiththeUniversityin2012astheActingDirectorofthePhysicalFacilityManagement DivisionandlatertransferedtoPublicRelationsandMarketingUnitin2015inanactingcapacitytoleadthepreparationsofthe University’sGoldenJubileecelebrationwhichwassucessfullyhosted.ThelateJameswasthenappointedastheDirectorforPublic Relationsand Event Management untilhisuntimelypassingon15November2023.

Date: 12 December 2023 Time: 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m Venue: UPNG Chapel Program 1:00 p.m. Arrival

TheLateJameshadbeendiligent whileservingtheUniversityforover11years.TheLateJameswasanactivememberinthe University’sgrowthinmanyways. His tirelesscontribution to theuniversitywillbevaluedby thestaff andstudents. Hisgentleandwarmpersonality,wideknowledgeandkeenintelect,andsupporttohiscolleaguesandthosewhohaveworkedwithhim willbegreatlymissed. Wejoin the familyinmourning forour friendandcolleague.

BONONG Lutheran Primary School in Jiwaka's North Waghi District was privileged to receive gifts of appreciation from one of its former pioneer student.

During the school’s 10th Grade 8 graduation last Friday, BSP Waigani branch internal auditor, Joe Kombuk, who was the keynote speaker, donated a laptop, printer and projector to the school, as well as sponsoring the top student with a laptop.

While congratulating the 29 graduates, Mr Kombuk pledged to sponsor prizes for the dux student in Grade 8.

Mr Kombuk encouraged the students to study hard because there was no easy way out in life.

North Waghi District education advisor Brandon Kapal commended the teachers for putting up a colourful graduation.

On behalf of the provincial education board, Mr Kapal praised Bonong Lutheran for being an improving school in terms of display of vibrant administration in undertaking physical development and progress in academic excellence.

“Human resource development is a priority agenda of the provincial education board and the provincial administration.

“Schools are important stakeholders that we have great faith to help us develop Jiwaka’s human resource.

“Schools like Bonong are doing great in that regard and we encourage them to continue what they’re doing to improve performance,” Mr Kapal said.

Ward member Thomas Awi and leader Nelson Akis urged the graduates to make education their priority over other social engagements by studying hard with a competitive mindset.

BSP Waigani branch internal auditor and former pioneer student of Bonong Lutheran Primary School, Joe Aine Kombuk (far right) presenting items to teachers and board during the school’s graduation. - Picture: KOYA LOMA
LEFT: MKDA president Brian Sam, young Hayden Takudambu, Michaelyne Saun, general secretary of MKDA Steven Maken with microphone and young Emmanuel Maisen with IPA registration a the launching of the association.

WaterAid delivers climate-resilient project in Dagua

THE Ex-Service community in the Dagua LLG, Ward 15 in Wewak, East Sepik Province, came together to witness the commissioning of 10 new rain catchment water supply tanks recently.

The occasion also commemorated World Toilet Day, an annually celebrated global event on the November 19.

The day focuses on raising awareness on improving sanitation crisis and access to clean and safe toilet facilities for everyone.

The theme for this year “Accelerating Change”, emphasised that aside from having accessibility to clean water supply, there is also the importance of implementing proper toilet facilities and improving sanitation and hygiene practices within the community.

WaterAid PNG through the Wewak program officiated the Ex-Service community’s 10 water supply tanks, a community climate-resilient WaSH pilot project that utilises a rainwater catchment system. Each catchment utilises a wide surface of roofing area to collect rainwater through gutters that channel the water into downspouts and is then stored in a water tank.

The water is then accessible by the community via a water tap.

During the project commissioning occasion, country programs director Navara Kiene said: “WaterAid is happy to open 10 of the water supply projects in the ExService community.

“This is WaterAid PNG’s eleventh project since our partnership with our district partners in the Wewak District since 2018, as WaterAid has implemented a project in each of the six LLGs within the Wewak District.

When water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) are implemented in our communities, women and mothers have easy accessibility to clean water that improves their overall wellbeing and capacity to provide and perform in

their home duties; and children especially benefit long-term as the accessibility to safe and clean water accompanied with proper sanitation and hygiene practices protects them from infections and boosts their performance at school.”

She thanked the donors and partners for the collaborative efforts in the implementation of the water supply project.

In attendance was president of Wewak District Council of Women (ESCoW) Florence Parinjo, who when addressing the community thanked the mothers and women of the Sowom, Ex-Service community, who through their large number of members registered under ESCoW and utilised the ESCoW network to bring this project into their community.

She said that in order for services to be delivered and felt in the community, both women and men needed to respect each other and work together.

Women play a vital role in our communities as they carry most of the duties at home when it comes to cooking, cleaning and fetching water for household consumption.

She thanked WaterAid PNG, who have been essential in delivering this service to the people and community, but in also providing support and training to its members on approaches to improve water security through effective and sustainable management while also improving sanitation and hygiene behaviours within the community.

Preceding to the implementation of the water supply project, members of the Ex-Service community participated in engagement, consultation and discussion sessions on the impacts of climate change.

With the support of the Australian government through the Water for Women Fund, this is the eleventh project in the Wewak District and that will be accessi-

ble to 52 households with a total population of approximately 495 men, women and children.

The project will relieve, especially women and girls who experience physical stress from carrying heavy loads of water from the water source, as well as decrease incidents of harassment that occur while making the trek to collect water.

The Ex-Service community along with Sowom and Walandoum were selected LLGs used to test the applicability of the Inclusive WaSH and Climate Adaptation framework in an effort to address the pressing need for climate-resilient water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) programs in the local and district levels.

The project is aimed to collate learnings that can address the lack of evidence and identify practical approaches for climateresilient WaSH programs, which is crucial for vulnerable communities now confronting the impacts of climate change.

Achieving sustainable WaSH outcomes in PNG requires a longterm and co-ordinated approach. WaterAid through its partnerships with national climate actors, including; the Conservation and Environmental Protection Authority (CEPA), Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) and National Weather Service (NWS), government bodies, district development authority (DDA), local level government members, and East Sepik Provincial Healthy Authority (ESPHA), and also civil society organisation partners East Sepik Council of Women (ESCoW), East Sepik Disable Persons Agency (ESDPA) and District WASH Coordinating Body (DWCB), to collate accurate climate data and ensure effective dissemination of findings to improve approaches into more climate resilient WaSH advocacy and programing for service delivery.

WATERAID PNG country director Navara Kiene (centre) surrounded by excited people and guests after the official launching of the 10 new water supply tanks in the Ex-Service community of Dagua LLG, Wewak District.

Karimui mourns pioneer MP

THE people o Karimui in Chimbu Province are mourning the passing of pioneer MP and tribal leader Inauabe Egaiyano.

The former Karimui MP passed away at the Goroka Hospital last Thursday and his body is now at the Glenrowan Funeral Home in Goroka.

A group of men from Mr Egaiyano’s Yuro village, 19km east of Karimui government station, flew to Goroka on Saturday to transport the former MP’s casket home.

Mr Egaiyano was elected to the House of Assembly in the 1972 national election.

During his tenure, he funded a series of infrastructural projects in Karimui. Government chronicles in Kundiawa indicate that Egaiyano jointly funded the construction of the Karimui, Bomai and Nomane airstrips between 1973 and 1975.

Mr Egaiyano financed the construction of the 19km KarimuiYuro trunk road plus the DaribeDobu- Kalapi road (37km).

His funding has seen the establishment of Sigimaru Heath

Centre and construction of the Karimui sub-district office.

Reliable sources in Karimui said the late leader funded many other projects which were not recorded by both the district and provincial administrations.

Mr Egaiyano was succeeded by Nebare Kamun in the 1977 national election. He continued to lead his Hwanai tribes people until 1998 when he moved to Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, to live with a young leader and entrepreneur John Kuria.

Funeral organisers said his casket will be flown to Nomane,

Negabo, Haia, Karimui and Pinoro airstrips for the people to pay their last respects.

Late Mr Egaiyano is survived by his widow Gebo, 11 children and grandchildren.

Karimui leaders Hegayano Samuel and Yano Yano described Mr Egaiyano as a top politician who brought many changes to Karimui before the country gained political independence from Australia in 1975.

Those wishing to know more about the funeral arrangements may call Mr Kuria on 74763261 or 81518457.

SURVIVING IN THE CITY

LIFE in the city is hard and everyone is looking for ways to earn a living. For Andrew Andy he passes time by cleaning vehicles for K5 to K10 at Konedobu. -PICTURES: TARAMI LEGEI

Mambinol TVET centre holds second graduation

MAMBILNOL Technical Vocational Education

Training (TVET) centre in Jimi, Jiwaka Province, was hailed for hosting its second graduation despite not receiving any tuition free fees (TFF) in 2023.

Provincial TVET co-ordinator Melex Bosip commended manager Tony John and the six teachers for sacrificing their own resources to run the trade programs to end the year on a positive note.

The graduation was held last Friday, in which 42 graduates braved the heavy downpour to receive their certificates.

The event was made extra special when Mr Bosip praised tourism and hospitality student Deborah Kumie for being the only female to pass out of the graduating batch.

“I have never seen a TVET institution being able to host a graduation, especially when they are faced with challenges like funding constraints.

“What we are witnessing with Mambilnol TVET today is a testament of the courage and determination of the hardworking staff of the school to keep going when the going got tough.

“Please maintain that spirit because such courage gives us assurance that the future of your school is bright,” Mr Bosip said.

He assured Mr John, the staff and the board to hold their heads high as TFF will be forthcoming next year as soon as the school lodged its census.

Mr Bosip thanked the three businesses that provided on-the-job training (OJT) for the trainees in carpentry, mechanic, and office experience which qualified them to graduate.

Mr John said the school taught only four programs in agriculture, carpentry, motor vehicle mechanic, and tourism and hospitality.

The centre has greater need for infrastructure like staff houses, tools and training equipment to conduct practical lessons.

The graduates were told that their decision to undertake TVET education was the right choice as that positioned them on track for promising careers in the technical industry.

The surrounding Ngembka tribe was urged to take ownership of the centre’s development and provide more school leavers for enrolment into the various technical programs.

Displaced Tracker Matrix training in Mendi to ensure proper data collection

MAL TAIME

A WEEK-LONG Displaced Tracker Matrix (DTM) system training was held in Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, last week.

The aim of the DTM training, funded by the United Nations Peace Building, is to train participants how to collect proper data if any disaster occurs in Mendi.

Facilitator Thomas Mek said the training was important because it now gives a clear idea to participants

how to record data if any disaster occurs.

Mr Mek said similar trainings will also be conducted in Kagua District.

He said the disaster victims had no plans to move or relocate but they were forced to move because of the situation.

He said there were two kinds of disasters that occurred including; man-made disasters and natural disasters.

Mr Mek told the participants this was practiced in all countries all

20 to continue education

A NEWLY established Christian academy early childhood school, Harness Destiny Early Child Breed School, in the Haku constituency, over the weekend released it’s first 20 students to continue their education in the two neighbouring schools of Lemankoa and Magoana primary schools.

The school which started taking in students last year (2022), is a sister school affiliated to 331 other Destiny Private schools in the country, including the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB).

Destiny schools in the country including AROB, are registered with the Education Department, but all have different by-laws that govern it’s operations.

Destiny schools in the country, including 14 other Destiny schools in Bougainville, base their curriculum on teaching Christianity and good leadership as their core subject, regardless of denomination and ethnic groups.

Principal of Harness Destiny Early Child Breed School, Ps Rayden Alois and his wife Marama Jane Alois, who

over the world.

He said globally the DTM system was being used to monitor the movements of people affected by disasters.

He said in PNG there was no DTM system, and therefore, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) through the United Nations Peace Building interverned to build this capacity at the national level.

Mr Mek said they conducted this training at the national level to

ensure people affected by disasters work with their provinical disaster office to get more information about this system.

He said also that they would make recommendations for them to become facilitators to train people both at the national and provincial level.

Mr Mek said they would be on the ground so that when any disaster strikes they would get the first hand information, and through this DTM system they would collect the right

information to produce reports.

Mr Mek said these days disasters were happening regularly in the country but the reporting system was very shallow and inaccurate. He said most of the reports were based on properties with gardens damaged and submitted to get claims but they forget about the people that have been affected.

Mr Mek said they introduced this system to better address the immediate needs of the people during a disaster.

K60,000 claim for slain student

RELATIVES of a Grade four student killed in Goroka two weeks ago have demanded K60,000 from the alleged attacker’s tribe during a peace mediation last Monday. Goroka peace mediation chairman Yogol Kaupa and his team mediated the case between the deceased’s relatives and a group of settlers living on the western fringes of Goroka town (Asaroyufa).

Police reported that the deceased, identified as Jeffrey Howa (aged 11), from West Border (Elimbari) in Chimbu Province, was beaten by a dart board operator at the infamous Chuave Buai Market on November 14.

Howe was pronounced death upon arrival at the Goroka Hospital, according to a doctor who attanded to the deceased.

Police detectives are still probing the case in a bid to determine the circumstances that provoked the attacker to hurt Howa.

The deceased’s relatives demanded that of the K60,000 compensation package K10,000 be made available upfront for the repatriation of Howa’s body home for burial.

The mediators, in the presence of police personnel at Goroka’s Peace Park, informed the attacker’s relatives to come up with K10,000 on Monday.

It is understood that the balance would be paid to the deceased‘s

family in another mediation in due course.

The attacker is still at large and police are looking into his whereabouts.

Police declined to disclose the fugitive’s name to the media at this point in time as police detectives are still investigating the incident.

Goroka Hospital insiders said a fee should be paid before a medical report based on Howa’s death can be released to police and the family.

Another mediation will be held today (Monday) at the same venue to look into the advance payment (K10,000), which was demanded by the deceased’s relatives to meet the repatriation cost.

both teach at the school, said the students who have just completed their year 2 of learning have been specifically taught to respect their elders and to always help another person in need.

By doing so Ps Rayden said the students who come out of Destiny schools in the country are encouraged to excercise and follow the word of God, and to follow the foot steps of Jesus at an early age.

Ps Rayden said that the students are supervised by qualified volunteer teachers.

A visiting Missionary from East New Britain Province, Ps Ekon, who is also a Destiny school teacher said he was impressed with the performance and different activities the students have learnt, in a short space of time and thanked the teaching staff, it’s board of management members and parents and citizens committee members for their time and resources in shaping and preparing the young generation become good and God fearing leaders in their respective communities and Bougainville as a whole.

He wished everyone a safe and prosperous 2024 academic year.

RELATIVES of the deceased Grade four student have demanded K60,000 as compensation with an upfront payment of K10,000 to repatriate the body to Chimbu.
A YEAR 2 student recieving his academic award from the BOM chairman Chief Francis Tusala. PICTURE: JOE ELIJAH.

Workshop on disaster reporting

THIRTY participants from Upper Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, successfully completed a weeklong Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) system workshop funded by the United Nations Peace Building.

The participants are now equipped with skills to compile displacement tracking matrix in Upper Mendi if disaster occurs there in the future.

Each representative thanked the United Nations Peace Building for funding this workshop as it equipped them with vital knowledge which they have learned to compile disaster reports.

The participants represented youths, LLGs, churches and government. Those that thanked the United Nations Peace Building and the facilitator Thomas Mek for conducting the training, included; David Anderson, Joseph Noli, Mathias Peter, Debbie Anderson and Julie Kema.

Mr Anderson said the United Nations Peace Building was at the back of International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and pushed it to travel to some of the places where people fear to travel. He said IOM took the lead to conduct the training. He said when disaster occurs and

damages gardens and food crops they compile reports and bring it to the disaster office to get money without realising the importance of the human beings who suffer, including pregnant women, orphans, children living with disablities, children and old people.

Mr Anderson said they do not realise the importance of human beings because they do not consider them, but now they know and feel the importance of people’s lives.

Upper Mendi LLG administration officer Debbie Anderson said if the training was held in another LLG they would have missed out, but it was fortunate that the training ven-

ue was choosen there that benefitted them. She said it was a privilege for them and thanked IOM for that. She said they are now equipped to provide proper and accurate tracking reports of disasters.

Youth representative Ms Kema said when disasters affected them they are confused where to go to seek assistance.

Ms Kema said some parts of the training they underwent already and saw that there were many youths addicted to marijuana and home brew (steam) and they would play a vital role to inform the youths not to associate with illegla activities.

‘Chimbu uses brains to beat lack of resources’

THE rugged Chimbu Province lacks natural recources but has produced some of the best brains in the country through education.

Eastern Highlands Provincial (TFF) co-ordinator Bruce Kaiko said this at the 17th graduation ceremony for Movi Christ the King Primary School at Siane LLG in Chuave District, Chimbu Province, a week ago. He said he came from a province that gives priority to education and there was no complacency.

He said Eastern Highlands has eight districts with some in the very remote parts of the province that made it difficult for the teachers travelling, but the teachers walk to the remote districts to teach students.

Mr Kaiko said Eastern Highlands Province does not entertain lazy teachers because there is no place for them.

He said he had seen that Chimbu Province had produced a lot of elites through education.

He said if the teachers wanted to play with education they must resign and let others that have a heart to teach students take their place.

AFTER a decade, parents and locals of Siane LLG in Chuave district, Chimbu Province, witnessed a peaceful graduation ceremony for Movi Christ the King Primary School, a week ago.

The parents from the surrounding communities did not witness any formal graduation ceremonies in the past because of the youths consuming alcohol and disturbing every graduation ceremony in the past. That forced the school board to suspend graduations.

However, this year, under the leadership of new head teacher Wilson Bola, he changed the perspective for the parents to see their children graduate and receive certificates.

They feared the graduation ceremony would be disturbed but he organised the program in such a way

that no disturbance was caused and arranged one of the Kerowagi Mobile Squad unit to provide security at the ceremony.

Some of the former Movi Primary School students and elites of Siane LLG gave something back to the school to show their support.

A woman who lives in Port Moresby, did a graduation banner for the school and travelled back to witness the graduation ceremony, while another female who operates a business in Goroka on the Eastern Highlands border pledged that the dux students would receive 50 per cent of items for next year back to school.

Chuave MP’s representative Simon Kundi said Movi is a remote school in the district but many former students came from Jiwaka, Chimbu and Eastern Highlands.

the Displacement Tracking Matrix workshop.

Lambon health centre work in progress

EXTENSION of the Lambom Health Centre, including building of two staff houses, in the Konoagil LLG in New Ireland Province, has begun.

Since start of work on Oct 27, 2023, contractor Islands Building and Maintenance, is on target to complete both projects by early January 2024.

Workmen have started laying footings for the foundations and they are focused on delivering the new observation ward connecting to the old ablution block.

Frame for the observation ward roof top, including roofs for the two staff houses, are ready for installation.

Under the leadership of Sir Julius Chan, the New Ireland government continues to deliver much needed services to the people, including investing K300,000 in this project under its policy of “The further you are, the more we care”.

Miner, LLG warn PMV drivers slow down as speed kills

THE recent groundbreaking for the K1.5 million ring road upgrade, on February 8 this year on Lihir Island, New Ireland Province, has seen Dekenai Constructions Limited constructing roads on sections of the road from Palie to Zuen.

The ring road upgrade project has three sections from Palie to Lakakot, Lakakot to Kosmayun and Kosmayun to Zuen.

Progressive upgrade on sealing will start in January next year, due to the festive season.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting, Newmont’s manager Alistair Rogers

said that drivers that are driving private vehicles and PMVs that travel through these sections of the road must lower their speed limit and also adhere to road safety signs and must not be driving under the influence of alcohol.

“Drivers must avoid speeding in these sections of the road because speeding can kill,” said Mr Rogers. LLG president Stanley Tunut also told Newmont that they must work with the police to ensure that all drivers comply to traffic and safety regulations to avoid accidents during the festive season.

Sir Julius to open road on Tanga Island

NEW Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan will officiate at the opening of the Boeng road, Tanga Island, on Tuesday December 12, 2023.

This will be an historical occasion of service delivery by the government to the far-flung islanders.

Preparations to celebrate the opening have gained momentum on the island with locals rehearsing cultural dances and singings for the day.

Celebrations will be held at Tanir Secondary School.

On Monday December 11, Sir Julius and the PEC, NIPA executives and the contractor will inspect and assess the road before the official opening the next day.

Work on the 24.306 kilometre road by contractor NGI Suppliers started on Sept 15, 2023, after opening of the Malendok ring road.

Upgrade of the Boeng road involved graveling, widening and associated drainage works. The contactor covered almost 23km of the 24.306km in nine weeks. Access to a reliable road network has been a pressing need for the people on Boeng Island, hence, the New Ireland government under its policy, “The Further You Are, the More We Care”, has prioritised the Malendok and Boeng roads for upgrade this year, investing a total of K5.1 million for the two isolated island roads on Tanga Island. The upgrade of the Boeng road cost the government K 2.7 million.

SIR Julius Chan
WORKMEN laying the foundation for extension of Lambon Health Centre. -PICTURE SUUPPLIED. TWO men working the cement mixer. -PICTURE SUPPLIED.

Trukai empowers father-daughter farmer duo

A father and her daughter have praised Trukai Industries on its Smart Farmer Program which has supported them in their rice farming.

Munube and Jennifer Nihila from North Rigo in the Central Province were pleased to receive their two-week Smart Farmer Training from the University of Technology in June this year.

Munube and his daughter joined more than 100 local rice farmers from across the country who gaining industry knowledge from experts in the field of rice and agriculture.

Munube thanked the business for empowering him and his daughter with knowledge in rice harvesting, grain cleaning and milling.

“I have been farming rice for over 13 years and it has become a part of my family’s staple diet.

I have been manually harvesting rice, beating the harvested grains, cleansing to getting less grains with every harvest, which has been frustrating to me over the years. Thanks to the knowledge I have gained from Trukai’s Smart Farmer Program, this has revolutionised the way I harvest, clean and to milling my rice,” said Nihila.

Munube’s daughter, Jennifer, said that she will continue to assist her father and will advocate for more young women in her community to start planting rice.

“Rice has already become a part of our lives and I think more women in villages in PNG should grow rice.

Trukai’s training will assist us to continue to grow rice as a family. I will teach more people to grow and manage their rice harvesting in our village,” said Jennifer.

Trukai Industries’ Chief Executive Officer Alan Preston said that the company will continue to the people of Papua New Guinea and will continue to support local rice farmers.

“Trukai will stay true to its commitment to enhancing our local people, and this can be shown through Trukai’s Smart Farmer Program. It is our contribution towards rice development in PNG.

Trukai is one of PNG’s iconic household names for many years. The organization was initially incorporated as “Rice Growers –Australia Pty Ltd” on February 17, 1970, and later changed its official registered name to Trukai Industries Ltd in October 1998.

Trukai is the leading supplier of rice in Papua New Guinea for 50 years.

The name Trukai originated from a phrase in the local Tok Pisin language “trupla kaikai.” When translated it literally means “really good food.”

KARKAR RICE FARMER

KARKAR islander in Madang became one of the first rice farmers to be trained as an Irrigated Rice Farmer under Trukai Industries’ Smart Farmer program.

Bob Lango from Kuruntaur Village in Karkar Island is proud to be a pioneer under Trukai Industries’ rice cultivation program.

PICTURE: trukai.com

NZ not signing up to new major energy pledge

GLASGOW: Countries at UN climate talks have promised to take major strides forward in tackling global warming in a new renewable energy pledge, however New Zealand is not among them.

More than 100 countries - including Australia - have signed a pledge promising to treble world renewable energy use by 2030, at COP28.

University of Canterbury political science professor Bronwyn Hayward said she does not understand why New Zealand has not signed the pledge.

She said it is concerning and makes the country’s climate policy incoherent.

Hayward has called on the coalition government to clarify its stance, after it promised to repeal the ban on exploring for new oil and gas reserves off the coast of

Interference in its satellites would be declaration of war, says NKorea

SEOUL: North Korea said on Saturday it would consider any interference with its satellite operations a declaration of war and would mobilise its war deterrence if any attack against its strategic assets were imminent.

Pyongyang would respond to any US interference in space by eliminating the viability of US spy satellites, state media KCNA reported, citing a statement from North Korea’s defence ministry spokesperson.

“In case the US tries to violate the legitimate territory of a sovereign state by weaponising the latest technologies illegally and unjustly, the DPRK will consider taking responsive action measures for self-defence to undermine or destroy the viability of the US spy satellites,” the statement said.

DPRK are the initials of the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

North Korea says it successfully launched its first military spy satellite on Nov 21, transmitting photos of military installations in the US mainland, Japan and the US territory of Guam.

A US Space Command spokesman, asked if Washington had the capability to interrupt the North Korean satellite’s reconnaissance operations, said the US could deny an adversary’s space capabilities using a variety of means, according to US broadcaster RFA.

In a statement issued later on Saturday, North Korea’s foreign ministry said it will take countermeasures against individuals and organisations of the US and “its vassal forces” that impose and enforce sanctions against North Korea, adding that US sanctions violate international law.

The United States on Thursday targeted North Korea with fresh sanctions after the launch, designating foreign-based agents it accused of facilitating sanctions evasion to gather revenue and technology for its weapons of mass destruction program.

New Zealand, while also committing to renewable energy.

“The government will have to clarify its position if it’s going to roll back both methane and its oil and gas,” she said.

“How is it going to achieve its overall pledges to the world on Paris and how is it going to be a credible player in climate negotiations in the future?”

The United States, South Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom and a number of other European nations have backed the declaration.

“The moment we have the opportunity to do it...and we don’t sign, it isn’t at all understandable, it’s con-

fusing and a worry,” said Hayward.

Melanie Robinson from the Institute told the BBC the pledge was important to meet climate goals.

She said it is really exciting.

“This is really significant, it’s the single largest step the world can take towards achieving our global climate goals.

“On the one hand it can reduce the need of countries to keep those old power plants going but it also has other benefits; cleaner air, greater availability to use technologies like EVs.”

US Vice President Kamala Harris said time was running out for the world to take action.

“The urgency of this moment is clear, the clock is no longer just ticking, it is banging and we must make up for lost time. And we cannot afford to be incremental.

“We need transformative change and exponential impact,” she said.

Fifty oil and gas companies including Saudi giant Aramco also pledged to stop adding to planet-warming gases by 2050.

But that only covers emissions from production, not the burning of fossil fuels and critics said it would not meaningfully tackle climate change.

There are also no penalties for missing targets and the promises are not binding.

Leading sustainability organisation, the World Resources Institute is welcoming the decision by governments and oil companies promising to take stronger action to tackle global warming.

The new Minister for Climate Change, Simon Watts, is in Dubai and unavailable for comment. - RNZ

Strong quake in Philippines triggers tsunami warnings and evacuations

MANILA: Evacuations were under way in the Philippines after a quake of at least magnitude 7.5 struck the southern region of Mindanao on Saturday night, triggering tsunami warnings in the country and in Japan, though a US agency said the risk of large waves had passed.

The US Tsunami Warning System, which initially warned of waves of up to 3 metres (10 feet) above the usual high tide level, later said there was no longer a tsunami threat.

Evacuations were continuing in the Philippines, where there were no initial reports of significant wave damage or casualties despite continuing aftershocks.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Phivolcs, maintained that the risk of a tsunami remained.

Waves of 40 cm (1.3 feet) were observed on Japan’s Hachijojima is-

land, some 290 km (180 miles) south of Tokyo, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, which had initially said they could reach a metre (3 feet) in height.

In the Philippines, Phivolcs urged people living near the coast of Surigao Del Sur and Davao Oriental provinces to evacuate or move farther inland.

It also revised earlier guidance to say it was expecting some damage from the tremor.

However, the two provinces are largely rural and not densely populated, unlike other parts of the Philippines.

The area was quickly hit by more than two dozen aftershocks, the largest measuring magnitude 6.5, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).

Raymark Gentallan, police chief of the coastal town of Hinatuan, 30 km

Quick news

COAST GUARD STATION

MANILA:The Philippines has built a new coast guard station on the contested island of Thitu in the South China Sea, boosting its ability to monitor movements of Chinese vessels and aircraft in the busy disputed waterway. As tension mounts over territorial claims in the area, the Philippine coast guard had early this year spotted a Chinese navy ship and dozens of militia vessels around the island, one of nine features Manila occupies in the Spratly archipelago. Inaugurated on Friday, the new three-storey facility is equipped with state-of-the art technology such as radar, automatic identification, satellite communication, and coastal cameras, the Philippine coast guard said in a statement.

CALL TO DO MORE

AUCKLAND: New Zealand’s government should confront Indonesia over its alleged human rights violations in West Papua, human rights activists and West Papua independence activists in Aotearoa say. The UN Human Rights Council has reported the human rights situation in West Papua has deteriorated, citing reports of torture and mass displacement. “We know the violence that West Papuans are having to endure is getting increasingly worse,” Green Party spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman said at a Morning Star flag raising ceremony in Auckland on Friday..

WILD STORM CONTINUES

(19 miles) from the earthquake’s epicentre with a population of around 44,000, said power had been out since the quake struck.

“We’re evacuating people away from coastal areas,” he told Reuters, adding that disaster response teams had not yet seen any casualties or damage.

James Soria, who owns a small hotel in Hinatuan, said there had been significant damage to his home.

“It’s shaking again here now,” he told Reuters, before the call was disconnected as another aftershock hit.

Photographs posted on social media by Hinatuan’s local administration showed scores of residents and queues of vehicles moving towards higher ground, with one large shelter occupied by several dozen people.

- REUTERS

SYDNEY: The New South Wales State Emergency Service responded to almost 200 calls for help as a ribbon of wild storms swept from Newcastle to Bega yesterday afternoon. In the Southeast Zone, the SES’s Deb Muddiman said they received 15 calls for help in Berry. “A lot of them were fallen trees and damaged roofs. Some of those fallen trees caused issues for power lines and therefore loss of power in Berry,” she said. Another video shows teenagers at a skate park sheltering in a pipe as the storm hit the town. The nearest official weather station near Nowra showed wind gusts of 54 kilometres per hour at about 6:30pm.

FATAL CATHOLIC MASS

MANILA: Three people have been killed and nine wounded in an explosion at a Catholic Mass in the Philippines, officials say. The incident occurred in a gymnasium at the Mindanao State University (MSU) in the city of Marawi on Sunday morning. In 2017, the city was the scene of a five-month battle between government forces and militants with links to the Islamic State. The university said it was “deeply saddened and appalled” by the “senseless and horrific” violence. “Violence has no place in a civilized society, and it is particularly abhorrent in an institution of higher learning like MSU,” it said.

-Agencies

Australia commits to tripling of renewable energy capacity by end of decade

DUBAI: Australia has joined more than 100 other countries across the globe in committing to a tripling of renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade in another coup for the organisers of this year’s UN climate talks. The 28th conference of the parties — otherwise known as COP — is underway in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, where a series of agreements have given early momentum to the goals of tackling global warming.

— to increase the amount of green energy in the world by 200 per cent within seven years.

Another took place overnight, when Australia announced it would get on board with efforts — spearheaded by event host the UAE

The goal has been described as hugely ambitious and would involve adding an amount of renewable energy that would be enough to power the United States every year by 2030.

Federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, who will be Australia’s top representative in Dubai, said the country was already well on the way towards meeting its own 2030 green energy target of 82 per cent. - ABC

US Vice President Kamala Harris
PEOPLE gather at an evacuation centre, in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, Philippines December 2, 2023. Hinatuan LGU/Handout via REUTERS

Quick news

EIFFEL TOWER ATTACK

PARIS: A man has died and two others have been injured in a knife and hammer attack on a street in central Paris.

France’s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said an attacker had targeted tourists around the Quai de Grenelle, which is close to the Eiffel Tower. He added that a 26-year-old French national known to security services had been arrested. The suspect approached a tourist couple and fatally stabbed a German national, he said. The man was then pursued by police and attacked two other people with a hammer before being stopped with a Taser and arrested. The injured were treated by emergency services.

GAY CLUBS RAIDED

MOSCOW: Police in Moscow have raided several gay clubs, local media report, a day after Russia’s Supreme Court moved to outlaw the “LGBT movement”. Club goers were briefly held and their passports were photographed during the raids late on Friday, Telegram channel Ostorozhno Novosti said. One attendee told the channel he feared he would be given a lengthy jail term. The police said they were searching for drugs, Ostorozhno Novosti said. City officials have not commented so far. “In the middle of the party, the music was stopped, and (police) began going into the lounges”, one eyewitness told the outlet, adding that foreigners were also present at the gathering in central Moscow.

TOWER COULD COLLAPSE

ITALY: A medieval tower in the Italian city of Bologna that leans by as much as its famous counterpart in Pisa has been sealed off over fears it may collapse. Authorities have begun constructing a 5m (16ft) high barrier around the 12th Century Garisenda Tower to contain debris in the event that it falls. The 47m (154ft) tower tilts at a four-degree angle, and monitoring has found shifts in the direction of the tilt. The city council said the situation was “highly critical”. The Garisenda Tower is one of two towers that dominate the skyline of Bologna. The other, the Asinelli Tower, is around twice the height and also leans, though not so dramatically, and is usually open for tourists to climb. -BBC

Residents say, Israeli strikes heaviest since start of war

Kamala Harris calls for restraint

GAZA/CAIRO: US Vice President Kamala Harris said too many innocent Palestinians had been killed in Gaza as Israeli war planes and artillery bombarded the enclave on Saturday following the collapse of a truce with Hamas militants.

Residents feared the barrages presaged an Israeli ground operation in the south of the Palestinian territory that would pen them into a shrinking area and possibly try to push them across into Egypt.

Speaking in Dubai, Harris said Israel had a right to defend itself, but international and humanitarian law must be respected and “too many innocent Palestinians have been killed.”

“Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering, and the images and videos coming from Gaza, are devastating,” Harris told reporters. - REUTERS

Heavy snow and wind causes chaos across Europe and US

BERLIN/WASHINGTON: Snowstorms and heavy winds have caused chaos across parts of Europe and the US, grounding flights at Munich’s airport and knocking out power across the US’s Pacific Northwest.

Munich’s airport cancelled all flights until 6am Sunday local time.

Trains to and from Munich’s central station were halted, Germany’s national railway said, advising passengers to delay or reroute their journeys.

The news agency DPA reported some passengers in Munich and the nearby city of Ulm spent Friday night on trains due to the halt.

In the Bavarian capital, no buses or trams were operating as of Saturday afternoon, the local transit authority said.

Downed trees also left “many thousands” of people without power across

the state of Bavaria, the utility company Bayernwerk told DPA.

In the US, thousands of households were without power on Saturday morning in the greater Seattle area after a night of rain and wind, the Seattle Times reported.

Seattle City Light reported 17 outages affecting more than 1700 customers, roughly two-thirds of them in South Seattle, according to the utility’s outage map.

In Oregon, more than 2000 customers in the Portland area also lost power, outage maps from Portland General Electric and Pacific Power showed.

The power cuts came as high winds swept across the region, reaching 84 kilometres per hour at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, according to the National Weather Service’s Seattle office. - AP

GAZA: Israel has carried out intense air strikes on Khan Younis in southern Gaza, with residents describing it as the heaviest bombing of the war.

People in eastern areas of the city have been told by the Israeli military to evacuate further to the south.

Israel believes some Hamas leaders are in the city, where many civilians are sheltering after fleeing the north.

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says at least 193 people have been killed in the latest wave of Israeli attacks.

On Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) resumed its offensive against Hamas in Gaza, launched in response to the October 7 attacks in Israel which killed around 1200 people.

The Hamas-run health ministry says the number of people killed in Gaza has now exceeded 15,200 people.

Israel’s bombardment of Gaza resumed after a temporary ceasefire ended on Friday. The IDF said it had hit more than 400 Hamas “terror targets” on the first day of the renewed operation.

Rockets have also been regularly fired at Israel from Gaza since fighting resumed, including a barrage aimed at Tel Aviv and the surrounding area of central Israel on Saturday evening.

Following this attack, Israel’s ambulance service said it treated a 22-year-old man for “minor shrapnel injuries” to the head in Holon - a city just south of Tel Aviv.

At a briefing on Saturday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to continue with the Israeli military operation until “we achieve all the goals” in eliminating Hamas and securing the release of the hostages. He acknowledged that “a tough war is ahead of us”.

Khan Younis and the city of Rafah, on the border with Egypt, were some of the places hit with heavy air strikes, with the next phase of the offensive likely to focus on southern Gaza.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought shelter in the area, after being told to flee the north of the territory, which was Israel’s main target in the early stages of the war.

The IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman posted maps on social media indicating which areas civilians should leave, directing people in areas east of Khan Younis to evacuate further south to shelters in Rafah, an indication that a ground offensive could be imminent.

Hospitals, operating with limited resources after weeks of fighting, were overwhelmed with casualties.

01)

PNG, Wilmar International agreement in agribusiness

Major announcements expected at Sydney conference

Asia stocks close strongest month since January on upbeat outlook

REUTERS: Asian markets round out the week on Friday in reasonably good spirits, with a deluge of purchasing managers index data from across the continent and a sprinkling of key indicators from Japan, South Korea and Indonesia the most likely market-moving catalysts. Friday is also the first trading day of December, so perhaps an opportunity to get the last month of the year off to a positive start. The Dow Jones on Thursday posted its highest close in nearly two years, and if broader market momentum from November spills over, that is a likely scenario - for some Asian stock markets, November was the best month in a long time. On the other hand, Thursday’s month-end reversal in the dollar and bonds - the dollar and Treasury yields rose sharply - will sound a loud note of caution. Unemployment data from Japan, trade data from South Korea, and the latest readout on inflation from Indonesia are among the highlights on the Asian economic calendar, along with a raft of purchasing managers index reports from across the region. They include Australia, South Korea and India, as well as China’s ‘unofficial’ PMI. The ‘official’ PMI report from the National Bureau of Statistics on Thursday showed that manufacturing activity in China shrank for a second month in November, and at a faster rate than had been expected. A similar reading on Friday will only enhance the already growing calls for more stimulus. China’s leading index of blue chip stocks fell 2% in November, its fourth monthly decline in a row.

THE government of Papua New Guinea through the Ministry of International Trade and Investment has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with one of Asia Pacific's leading agribusiness company, the Wilmar International Limited, to expand the agribusiness in the country.

Wilmar International is the parent company of Goodman Fielder, the country’s leading food manufacturer of popular Flame brands including: Feed, Flour, Oil, Sugar and the Skel Rice brand.

The agreement was signed on Saturday, witnessed by Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso, Minister for International Trade and Investment Richard Maru, chairman and CEO of Wilmar International Limited Kuok Hong and other senior State Ministers and delegates from the Wilmar International.

The framework agreement signifies the commitment of the government to the investor, Wilmar International, as they progress to develop the agribusiness sector in the country.

Deputy Prime Minster John Rosso said the government’s focus has been on downstream processing and import replacement, noting the signing as a great opportunity and a step into the right direction not just with any ordinary company, but rather with a well-respected company in the agribusiness space.

“They come with the expertise, knowledge and skills, the knowhow and technology,” Mr Rosso said.

“Our job as the government is to provide a conducive environment for them to come, making sure we provide the incentives such as land available to them, making sure that the regulatory processes of working conditions is there for them so that they have the good investment area to progress forward.”

Chairman and chief executive officer of Wilmar International Limited Kuok Hong highlighted

the company’s current investments in the country as well as the new areas of investment that the company is targeting under the MoU. He noted PNG’s climate as fit for Wilmar’s future agribusiness to expand, notable in the oil palm business. “We have recognised the agriculture potential of PNG because of its abundant rainfall,” he said.

“We would like to explore investments into oil palm, sugar and rice cultivation, build a modern rice and sugar mill and a flour and feed mill in Port Moresby.”

Minster for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru described the partnership as significant and something no government has done in the past.

“The State is prepared to assist in whatever way we can, including putting our State equity to assist in some investments. We are also going to look at inviting provincial governments and DDAs to partner you and also the private sector to co-invest with us in many of the big, exciting investments, including our superfunds,” Mr Maru said.

WITH the 2023 PNG Resources & Energy Investment Conference commencing in a week’s time, preparations are on track for the event, with major project operators expected to highlight what is in store for PNG in the near future.

Among organisations that will feature prominently is Santos Limited, who have confirmed the attendance of their managing director and chief executive officer, Kevin Gallagher. Mr Gallagher is among a few global CEOs that will headline this major annual industry event, and will be presenting on the opening day, to share Santos global perspective and outlook.

Other senior representatives from Santos will be providing project updates as well as announcing significant projects and programs that Santos intends to see happen in 2024 and into the future. When announcing their support for the event as a Principal Premium Sponsor, Santos country chair (PNG) Leon Buskens confirmed that the organisation would be providing an exciting update on the Markham Valley Afforestation and Reforestation (AR) Project in Morobe Province. In addition, the organisation is also expected to highlight its business development and local content program once again with landowner companies, and the impact this has in the project communities in line with the company’s purpose to create a better world for everyone. Furthermore, an update on its citizen development initiatives, which will include a major announcement on training opportunities, which is sure to be well received by the industry in PNG. This year’s conference is anticipated to be the biggest international investment conference ever held by PNG,

than

with more
1500 attendees.
FROM LEFT: Chairman and CEO of Wilmar International Limited Kuok Hong, Minster for International Trade and Investment Richard Maru and Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso at the signing of the MoU on Saturday. - PICTURE: SUPPLIED.
SANTOS staff at the Iagifu Ridge Camp in Kutubu have demonstrated their support to end all forms of violence against women and girls. On Sunday, November 26, a walk led by the Santos Operations Support staff in Kutubu was held to commemorate International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25. Santos and the Santos Foundation are committed to supporting efforts to end violence against women and girls everywhere we operate, including PNG, Australia, Timor-Leste and Alaska.
SANTOS STAFF UNITE TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

TISA receives top performing private sector award in PNG

THE Teachers Savings and Loans Society

(TISA) has been recognised as the 2022 – 2023 Top Performing Private Sector Organisation in PNG by the PNG Human Resource Institute (PNGHRI).

The award is in recognition of TISA’s overall outstanding performance was presented during PNGHRI’s annual conference last Tuesday.

In receiving the award, TISA Group CEO Michael Koisen said: “This prestigious award reflects our unwavering commitment to serve our people.

“TISA has always been about helping our people and for 50 years we have been doing that consistently – creating tailor-made financial solutions to suit our customers; expanding our branch footprint to allow accessible and personalised financial services; improving our processes and systems to better serve our customers; and rewarding our customers through our ‘highest in the market’ bonus interests.

“While we continuously work on improving our business, we have not lost sight of our purpose, which is to improve the quality of life for our people and the communities we operate in.

“Our commitment to serve Papua New Guineans has stood strong, and this award is a testament to this.

“The growth and success of TISA is because of our valued members - for their continued trust and belief in us; our dedicated employees who continue to live our purpose through their work and supportive stakeholders. Each has played an important role in our successful journey. I’m deeply honoured to receive this award on behalf of TISA. As we

Kina Bank launches Red Thunder

KINA Bank has officially launched its mobile banking team in Port Moresby on Monday November 27, 2023.

Named the Red Thunders, the team will be responsible for visiting organisations, institutions and communities within Port Moresby to open accounts.

The launching, which was held at Kina Bank’s Cameron Branch in Port Moresby, marks a new era for the bank as it aims to provide customers a more convenient option to open accounts.

Kina Bank PNG CEO Roppe Uyassi thanked Kina Bank’s Branch Distribution executive general manager, Judith Ugava-Taunao and head of Mobile Banking, Hylton Levi for establishing a mobile banking team that would now enable the bank to reach out to interested customers who would like to open accounts.

“A lot of work and thought was put into coming up with this concept in terms of how we can reach out to a large portion of the market that needed, not just to open bank accounts, but use our services in a way that is accessible and convenient,” Mr Uyassi said.

continue to grow as a business, we remain steadfast in our purpose and commitment to serve our people.

“We are also committed to supporting the development and growth of the financial

industry in PNG.”

TISA was one of eight public and private organisations who were recognised by the PNGHRI for their outstanding performance for 2022 - 2023.

Since the establishment of the Red Thunders in August this year, about 3585 customer accounts have been opened, 2960 Kina Visa Debit cards have been issued to new Kina Bank customers, and 104 companies have been visited.

Organisations interested to have their staff open accounts with Kina Bank can contact the head of Mobile Banking, Mr Levi on mobile number 70251867 or email Hylton.Levi@kinabank.com.pg to schedule a time for the Red Thunder team to visit.

SME DESK DES

ARTICLE 50 OF 2023

DEAR Business Owners and Directors, as the deadline for re-registration set by the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) has passed, it is crucial to understand the implications of missing this deadline and why prioritizing the re-registration of your company is imperative.

PART 1: CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

Thursday, November 30th: As of 3:00 PM on November 30th, IPA head office counters and Regional Offices ceased accepting re-registration applications. For online users, the option to file re-registration on dashboards was removed at midnight. Any draft filings in online user accounts were deleted by the system.

Friday, December 1st: The status of companies not yet re-registered changed to “removed,” signifying non-compliance. Online user dashboards displayed a requirement to apply for restoration or reinstatement for non-compliant companies. Email notifications were sent to notify non-compliant companies of their removal status. If your company has not reregistered, you can still apply for reinstatement within the next two years, starting from December 1st, 2023.

PART

2: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR COMPANY IS DE-REGISTERED

De-registration means your company loses its legal status. The consequences include:

1. Inability to Conduct Business: A de-registered company is no longer recognized as a legal entity, prohibiting it from conducting business operations.

2. Loss of Assets: Creditors and claimants may have legal grounds to seize or liquidate the company’s assets.

3. Legal Consequences: Directors and officers may face legal actions and liabilities, especially if de-registration results from non-compliance or fraudulent activities.

4. Impact on Employees: Job losses may occur, and employees could face challenges in receiving compensation or benefits

5. Voiding of Contracts: De-registration may void existing contracts and agreements, leading to additional legal complications.

WHY YOU MUST PRIORITIZE RE-REGISTERING YOUR COMPANY

1. Maintain Legal Existence: Re-registration ensures that your company maintains its legal status as a recognized entity, allowing it to continue business operations.

2. Avoid Legal Consequences: Re-registering prevents potential legal consequences for directors and officers, maintaining compliance with the law.

3. Protect Assets: By re-registering, you protect your company’s assets from potential seizure or liquidation.

4. Sustain Business Operations: Re-registration allows your company to continue its operations without disruptions, safeguarding jobs and business relationships.

5. Compliance and Transparency: IPA emphasizes a clean registry with up-to-date entity records. Reregistration is an opportunity to update company information and demonstrate compliance.

PART 3: HOW TO APPLY FOR REINSTATEMENT

According to the IPA, the Administrative reinstatement of Companies is as follows;

1. Companies to file form called R6 to apply for restoration or reinstatement.

2. Pay K50 for Form R6

3. Pay reinstatement fee of K2500.

LDC a member of PNG Hong Kong China Chamber of Commerce

THE Livestock Development Corporation (LDC) is now an official member of the PNG Hong Kong China Chamber of Commerce. PNG Hong Kong China Chamber of Commerce executive director and CEO David Kumis travelled into the country from China to issue the certificate to the Board members of the LDC in Port Moresby last Friday. Mr Kumis when presenting the certificate highlighted the chamber’s role of driving foreign direct investments into the country through its membership connection, as well as providing market opportunities for PNG’s products in Asia.

He commend LDC for taking the first step and being the first of the commodity boards to be a member of the chamber.

He also assured that the chamber will help assist LDC and the farmers to meet the quarantine requirements and the food sanitation from the Chinese government

“The market is already there but no one tells us that there is market there,” Mr Kumis said. “LDC is now at the forefront. The chamber is there to create the market.

“We will refer you to the people who own restaurants, who own factories and processing plants.”

The two-year membership program will allow LDC and the chamber in China to

work in close collaboration to ensure a greater market opportunity is open for livestock products.

LDC managing director Terry Koim noted chicken as the first livestock product LDC will put more emphasis on as they partner with the chamber over the next two years

Mr Koim said LDC will now be working very closely with chicken farmers, especially in co-operatives and small medium enterprise (SME) space.

“LDC has not fully gone into chicken farming yet, they will lead as the facilitator, especially the farmers, for them to go into large scale or commercial scale chicken production,” he said.

4. File all outstanding Annual Returns with applicable prescribed and penalty fees.

5. If all is in order, the company will be reinstated. It is important to note that removal from the Registry does not mean a company loses its legal status forever. Any company that is removed due to failure to re-register has the opportunity to apply for reinstatement under the established process outlined in the Companies Act.

GROUP CEO for TISA Michael Koisen receives the award from PNGHRI representative during the annual PNG HRI National Conference in Port Moresby. - PICTURE: SUPPLIED BY TISA
KINA Bank PNG CEO Roppe Uyassi (left) and head of Mobile Banking Hylton Levi cutting the ribbon to mark the launch of the Red Thunders in Port Moresby. - PICTURE SUPPLIED BY KINA BANK.

Nasfund visits Sogeri National High

THE National Superanuation Fund (Nasfund), under its ‘Young Savers’ campaign, has visited one of the oldest National High Schools in the country last week.

The team was led by the general manager for Marketing, Communications, and Research

(MC&R) Turaho Morea who spoke on behalf of the CEO, Rajeev Sharma, to more than 200 Grade 11 students at the Sogeri National High School of Excellence.

As part of the fund’s ‘Young Savers Campaign’ to promote superannuation literacy awareness, this was the second school visited by Nasfund after St Joseph's International Catholic College.

Mr Morea said the ‘Young Savers Campaign’ was initiated, especially for students and young people, to encourage them

to practice a savings culture and to start making plans for their retirement goals at an early age.

‘’As a fund, we have come to realise that most young people have little to no knowledge about superannuation and the importance of saving for retirement,” he said.

“Therefore, having in mind that these young people are the future generation of Papua New Guinea who will make up tomorrow’s workforce, we believe it is important that they are introduced to this basic knowledge whilst still in school.’’

He said some of these students are potential future members of Nasfund when they venture into the private sector workforce five – six years from now.

‘’That is why we believe early superannuation knowledge is crucial to help them make informed decisions about their

retirement savings in the future.’’

Following this, a small presentation took place which saw Mr Morea handing over a laptop to the representative of the School’s student representative council.

School principal, Teddy Ferea acknowledged Nasfund for reaching out to the school to conduct this awareness and for being one of the main sponsors during the school’s 54th graduation ceremony held last month.

“We thank Nasfund for supporting us by sponsoring two laptops. One has been presented to the school’s STEM Dux runner-up student by the name of Macklay Murr, whilst the other laptop is now given to the SRC team who have been very active on campus by supporting all our school activities this year.’’

Landco gains recognition for apprentice program

A LANDOWNER company in New Ireland, Simberi Pit Owners Limited (SPOL) attained recognition from the National Trade Testing Board (NTTB) as an employer under the NATTB providing Apprenticeship Training Program.

SPOL is a mobile equipment service provider contracted by St Barbara Simberi Operations since May this year and provides additional operational support for the mine.

Last Wednesday, the local company witnessed a milestone achievement when four of their employees signed their apprenticeship training contracts.

The apprenticeship training is a universal accepted method of training by which a technical tradesperson gains employment and is trained in a specific technical trade.

SPOL operations manager, Steve Galo said this was a new success in technical skill qualification and accreditation and acknowledged the NTTB for providing these avenues for human capital development and

that the company will continue to be part of providing apprenticeship training opportunities for technical trade professions.

He further stated that there is a need for a technical trade testing centre in the province and this can be done with the support of relevant authorities to establish the technical trade testing centre in Kavieng.

SPOL met all the requirements of the NATTB in October to employ apprentices in the trades of Heavy Equipment Fitter, Metal Fabrication and Motor Vehicle Mechanic. NATTB New Guinea Islands compliance and monitoring officer Rose Elison said their goal is not to focus only on developing employees, but to foster leadership in the process.

“We aim to empower apprentices with the necessary tools and equipment that they will need to take charge of their professional journey.”

She added that this contract is not just an agreement, it’s a commitment between the apprentice, employer and NATTB.

LEFT: NATTB, New Guinea Islands Regional compliance and monitoring officer Rose Elison presenting the recognition plaque to SPOL operations manager Steve Galo. - PICTURES SUPPLIED BY ST BARBRA SIMBERI OPERATIONS.
SPOL operations manager Steve Galo and three of the four apprentices with their NATTB Apprentice Training, Employer Recognition Plaque.
AN apprentice signing his agreement, witnessed by representatives from SPOL and NATTB.
GM Marketing, Communications & Research, Turaho Morea (third from right) with School Principal Teddy Ferea (First from left) and the student SRC reps of Sogeri National High School of Excellence. - PICTURE SUPPLIED BY NASFUND

K92 Mining focus on sustainable value

THE K92 Mining Inc has expanded around $US154.1 million (about K561.3) towards its strong focus on generating long-term, sustainable value for all the stakeholders.

This total expenditure comprises:

$US1.1 million in community investments;

$US21.3 million in joint ven-

ture payments in PNG;

$US81.3 million in procurement in PNG;

$US31.8 million tax and royalties paid PNG;

$US17.3 million income tax in PNG; and

$US1.3 million investment in professional, training and trade programs.

The K92 Mining has disclosed this in its 2022 Sustainability Report which was published on July 31 in its Community News and Development Magazine (community news) for July–September 2023.

“We continue to pride ourselves on the economic benefits we gen-

erate for the economy of PNG, including through employing nearly 1500 employees and contractors, spending over $81M on procurement in the country, investing strategically in training, skills development, and educational initiatives, and investing over $US1.1 million throughout the year in community investments,” chief executive officer

John Lewins said.

“At the board level, we refreshed our sustainability committee charter to reinforce our continued focus on effective sustainability management and oversight.

“We are pleased to now have

a board composed of 43 per cent women, including our board chair, the chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee, and the chair of the sustainability committee.

“We will continue to work diligently in 2023 in support of being a key catalyst for local, regional, and national economic development in PNG.”

The miner is also focused on mine community welfare in terms of safety and community sustenance and global welfare in terms of its contribution towards mitigating global warming and greenhouse effects.

Funding constraints halt progress of Karamui-Gulf road

THE 27 wards in the Karamui Local Level Government area in the SaltNomane-Karamui District, Chimbu Province, are calling on the Simbu Provincial Government to release the second batch of funding for the clearance of forest along the 47 kilometre stretch Karamui-Gulf road corridor.

Luvis Yako, director of Benchmark Construction Ltd, said the provincial government has engaged them in 2021 with K400,000 to carry out works. He said they have engaged locals from the 27 wards who have cleared

15 kilometres and have also purchased a sawmill that mill all the trees that were cut down during the clearance and which were distributed to schools, churches and aidposts in Karamui.

“The second payment was supposed to see the completion of the remaining 32 kilometre Karamui-Gulf road, however, it has been halted for two years,” Mr Yako said.

“We urge the provincial government to release the funds so that work can continue on this critical

road link in this part of the country that has been neglected over the years.”

He said Karamui has attracted the National Government's attention where it was recently declared as one of the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) through the Papua LNG road link under the Connect PNG Program, Purari Hydro, Karamui-Wabo (Kerema) wharf and hosts potential in agriculture.

He added that the Karamui-Gulf road is a vital link that will make all

State intervention not reaching coffee industry

STATE intervention is not reaching the coffee industry, while opening up credit and cutting out bureaucracy are areas that must be worked on to increase production, a industry meeting has identified.

Many issues that affect the industry include:

Coffee Berry Borer; Lack of seeds and seedlings; Maintaining price levels or Stabilisation Fund as incentive; Lack of credit and government support to plantations and blocks; Export opportunities for local business;

Freight subsidy to outlying areas; Road access; Tax rebates and refunds; and Established office for the Ministry to co-ordinate with government and the industry.

Coffee Minister Joe Kuli organised the meeting where export-

ers, processors, buyers, coffee cooperative societies and groups, including Highlands Farmers and Settlers Association and plantations, blocks and smallholders engaged with Prime Minister James

Marape and others finding solutions to the current hindrances to the industry.

They also highlighted the way forward to overcome other challenges the industry is confronted with and embrace the opportunities that are available to grow the industry.

The industry stakeholders, especially those along the production and supply chain, took special notice of the strong support put forward by the government. While commending the government's emphasis on agriculture as reflected in the creation of coffee, oil palm and livestock ministries within the sector aimed at increasing production, the meeting was told that co-ordinated and monitored implementation of this support is critical to effectively address those issues affecting quality and production level of these agricultural commodities.

Miner builds capacity to develop resources

THE K92 Mining, operator of the K92 Mine in Eastern Highlands, has highlighted its progress in implementing the national content policy in the mining sector.

According to the miner, the national content policy is a response to what some economists and political scientists call “Resource Curse” that is common in many resourcerich countries in the world, including PNG.

The company has identified “a number of factors that get in the way of translation of the wealth below the ground to an equivalent level of wealth above the ground” and is addressing them.

One of these factors is that the resource companies are not buying enough inputs from within PNG due to its economic condition which is in such a state where it is still unable to produce adequate range of inputs in the development of resources.

Yet, at K92 Mining, 60-63 per cent of inputs since its establishment has been procured from within PNG, while it provides business development training in communities which are of three types – (a) advanced training for landowner companies, (b) unlimited possibilities training for personal development and (c) blended training for specific skills such as proposal writing.

these projects possible and government must give special consideration.

He also stressed on the importance of this road link to the people in this part of the country.

“Due to the district being remote and isolated, the Karamui people were struggling with basic services and cash flow problems,” Mr Yako said.

“Road projects linking Karamui will be of great benefit to the people there.”

Also, K92 has acknowledged that developing a broad manufacturing economy to service resource extraction is a possible solution, given the natural comparative advantage PNG has, such as in agriculture where high quality outputs result from low-tech inputs. It has noted that training people to produce is the way forward. Foreign workers taking jobs that PNG nationals can do is another factor.

At the K92 Mining currently, 94 per cent of around 1500 workers and contractors are PNG nationals.

This is its contribution to giving PNG nationals the first right of employment, ensuring succession plan and prescribing the number of PNG nationals at middle and higher management levels, in its endeavour to finding a balance between the requirement for investors to provide succession plan and its potential to drive away potential investments.

RIGHT: LUVIS Yako at the site of the Karamui-Gulf track forest clearance in 2021. Left: Clearance on the proposed 47 km Karamui-Gulf in 2021.
COFFEE industry stakeholders engaging in a breakfast meeting with Prime Minister James Marape in November 2023. Picture Supplied

Now that your ruler Venus has joined the Sun and the retrograde Mercury in the inquisitive Sagittarius, life should be getting more interesting by the day. True, you’ll be facing confusion and all sorts of changes, many unsettling. Be patient. Within weeks, if not days,

Although the recent Gemini Full Moon will have heightened your feelings, both pro and con, about certain issues, it will also have triggered sudden developments. That being the case, pressing as decisions seem, you’re urged to keep things flexible until circumstances and your thinking on the matters in question are clearer.

Planning ahead may be a virtue. But during December’s first half it would only complicate matters. The reason? It’s a mix of the confusion triggered by the retrograde Mercury and your own uncertainty, which may not be fully resolved until the Cancer Full Moon on 2 January. Those insights will be worth waiting for.

For longer than you care to remember, you’ve been diplomatically sidestepping certain potentially tricky issues. This isn’t because they bother you but, rather, in the past they’ve upset others. While that once might have been the case, times have changed. The issues in question are unlikely to cause any reaction at all.

Judging by the current thrilling if unsettling planetary activity, intriguing developments are shaking things up, and almost every day. Exciting as these are, with so much going on, plans are unlikely to remain as they were first conceived. Knowing that, resist the temptation to fine tune arrangements and, instead, keep things loose.

As a Libra, you have a unique understanding that the timing of a statement, query or challenge can influence the reaction of others as much as the actual matter in question. And with Mercury having just turned retrograde, this is by no means the ideal time to tackle tricky issues. If you can, wait.

At the time of the Scorpio New Moon, two weeks ago, you’ll have reviewed what needs to be done, then thought through, made plans and put some into action. Don’t be surprised, however, if sudden events force a serious rethink, if not substantial alterations. While disruptive, these changes are timely and wise.

When the Sun moved into Sagittarius, about ten days ago, the focus was mostly on arrangements that had to change, and profoundly or, if that wasn’t possible, come to an end. Now that’s over, and you’re in a period of powerful growth, although its direction probably won’t be clear for some weeks yet.

The last thing you’re in the mood to do is discuss already tricky issues. But by Wednesday’s potent link between the communication planet Mercury and your ruler Saturn, you’ll realise frank discussion isn’t just necessary, in the process you could define those issues and clear up confusion, and at the same time.

Department of Education

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

INVITATION FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR PRE-QUALIFICATION BIDS FOR THE DELIVERY OF EDUCATION HAUS UNDER A PPP FINANCING ARRANGEMENT

The Government of Papua New Guinea (‘GoPNG’) through the Government Office Allocation Committee (‘GOAC’) is embarking on a project concept to deliver the Education Haus (‘the Project’) through a Private Public Partnership (PPP) (BOLT – turn key) financing arrangement.

The GoPNG opts to deliver the project through a PPP Modality with a view towards ensuring efficient mobilisation of private capital outlay for a quicker and cost-effective delivery. The Project once completed will accommodate the National Departments of Education (NDoE) and the Higher Education and Research and Science (DHERST) and their respective functional divisions through a lease-back arrangement (off-take agreement) with the Private interest for an agreed period.

To enable the project and facilitate for the PPP, the GoPNG through the GOAC has identified the land (Portion 2010) located opposite Sir Manasupe Haus to construct the Education Haus. This land (Portion 2010) is held by DoE under a State Lease. Accordingly, the PPP partner will be required to meet the Contracting Party’s design concept specifications. The generic requirements amongst others include:

• Expected total floor area of 22,000 Square meters

• Site development of land

• Office spaces for all education department’s functional divisions

• Office space for High Education department’s functional divisions

• Office of the Ministers and Secretaries for NDoE and DHERST

• E-learning Center

• Conference Rooms and related facilities

• Café and business precinct (Optional)

The EOI must clearly state your interest and include your company and financial profile and financial capacity to undertake a project of this size together with details of previous project experience and current projects under development or of a similar nature. Essentially, the EoI and the accompanying proposals must encompass the following key requirements:

• Proponent is willing to finance the delivery of the project at a minimum cost based on the GoPNG’s needs;

• Must demonstrate financing capacity with similar experiences in turn-key projects

• Propose a Project Delivery time of not more than 24 months;

• Propose for a fixed lease at market rates and;

• Propose for a fixed term of lease and to transfer the facility back to GoPNG after an agreed time and/or for the State to exercise its option to buy back at time earlier than the agreed time

Interested bidders including those who have shown interest in the earlier bid process can apply. The closing date for the submission of EoI and the PPP Proposal is 4pm, 17/12/2023 and must be addressed and delivered to:

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL

“EOI - EDUCATION HAUS PROJECT”

Mr. Nigel John Education Haus Project 4th Floor, Vulupindi Haus, Waigani, NCD. PAPUA NEW GUINEA Email: nigel_john@education.gov.pg

The detailed pre-qualification documentation and other technical information including the specifics of the PPP modality can be obtained from the Project Management Unit.

Approved by:

CONDOLENCE ON THE PASSING OF HON. MASO KARIPE, FIRST MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR PORGERA-PAIELA DISTRICT

On behalf of the Board, management and employees of Barrick and New Porgera Limited, we offer our deepest condolences on the passing of Hon. Maso Karipe, First Member of Parliament for Porgera-Paiela.

Late Maso was a man of good character, principle and values in both private and public life, and those rare attributes will be surely missed by his family members, clansmen, Porgera-Paiela District, and wider Enga and PNG. Those unique traits will linger in the hearts and minds of many for years to come.

We extend our thoughts and prayers to the immediate Karipe family, the community of Suyan, the Aipakane clan and the wider Porgera and Paiela District for the loss of a great leader. May God grant comfort and peace during this time of sorrow.

Condolence

May His Soul Rest In Peace

Registration Officer8HUMAN RESOURCE

7MSHR 013Assistant Staff Officer 8HUMAN RESOURCE

8MSIT 007Technical Officer 9INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 9MSIT 010Technical Assistant 7INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

10MSIT 012IT Support Officer 6INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 11MSIT 013IT Support Officer 6INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 12MSIT 014IT Support Officer 6INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DISTRICT COURT - REGISTRY

1MSRD 001Registrar of District Courts14REGISTRY

2MSRD 004Librarian 10REGISTRY

3MSRD -007Deputy Clerk of Court 9BOROKO

4MSRD -012Clerk/Driver 3BOROKO

5MSRD-016Deputy Clerk of Court 9PORT MORESBY

6MSRD-026Secretary/Data Operator 6PORT MORESBY

7MSRD-035Secretary/KBO - (Traffic) 4WAIGANI

8MSRD-039Clerk/Driver 3WAIGANI

9MSRD-045Secretary/KBO (Tax) 4WAIGANI

10MSRD-050Grade 5 Registry Clerk 8WAIGANI

11MSRD-056Registry Clerk 6JUVENILE

12MSRD-061Clerk of Court 7KEREMA

13MSRD-063Registry Clerk 5KEREMA

14MSRD-064Office Assistant/Groundsman2KEREMA

15MSRD-074Court Clerk - Lands 5ALOTAU

16MSRD-075Secretary/KBO 3ALOTAU

17MSRD-085Security Officer 3POPONDETTA

18MSRD-092Security Officer 1DARU

19MSRD-093Security Officer 3DARU

20MSRD-097Registry Clerk 6TABUBIL

21MSRD-110Secretary/KBO 3KIUNGA

22MSRD-111Driver/Security 2KIUNGA

23MSRD-112Deputy Clerk of Court 4KIUNGA

24MSRD-136Secretary/Data Operator 7MT HAGEN

25MSRD-153Civil Court Clerk 6MENDI

26MSRD-155Keyboard Operator - SPM5MENDI

27MSRD-157Clerk/Driver 3MENDI

28MSRD-163Secretary/KBO - SPM 5Kundiawa

29MSRD-164Secretary/KBO 4Kundiawa

30MSRD-166Office Assistant/Groundsman1Kundiawa

31MSRD-169Juvenile Court Clerk 6Kundiawa

32MSRD-173Registry Clerk - criminal 6GOROKA

33MSRD-175Secretary/KBO- SPM 5GOROKA 34MSRD-178Office Assistant/Groundsman1GOROKA

35MSRD-184Security/Driver 1MINJ

36MSRD-185Office Assistant/Groundsman 1MINJ

37MSRD-188Registry Clerk/Interpreter5PORGERA

38MSRD-196Keyboard

of Court 5KOROBA

43MSRD-233Driver 4KOKOPO

44MSRD-235Grade 5 Court Clerk 7KOKOPO 45MSRD-243Clerk of Court 9KIMBE

46MSRD-251 Registry Clerk - Criminal/Committal 6KIMBE

49MSRD-264Deputy Clerk of Court 8KAVIENG

50MSRD-266Registry Clerk - Summary6KAVIENG

51MSRD 391Driver 3KAVIENG

52MSRD-277Driver 2NAMATANAI

53MSRD 388Driver 2LIHIR

54MSRD-290Land Court Clerk 7LAE

55MSRD-301Librarian/Registry 8LAE

56MSRD-302Clerk of Court 9WEWAK

57MSRD-304Criminal Clerk 7WEWAK

58MSRD-311Office Assistant/Groundsman1WEWAK

59MSRD-314Security Officer 1WEWAK

60MSRD-320Office Assistant/Groundsman1MADANG

61MSRD-331Office Assistant/Groundsman1VANIMO

62MSRD-337Registry Clerk 4BULOLO

63MSRD-360Security Officer 1AITAPE

64MSRD-365Office Assistant/Groundsman1MAPRIK

65MSRD-366Security Officer 1MAPRIK

66MSRD-368Clerk of Court 5NUKU

67MSRD 374Admin Assistant 3KEREVAT

68MSRD-378Registry Clerk 5KIETA

69MSRD-383Registry Clerk 5YANGORU

Remuneration for the positions is shown in this table.

No.SALARY GRADE BASE SALARY

1MA14

2 MA13

3MA12

4MA10

5MA09

6MA08

7MA07

8MA06

9MA05

10MA04

11MA03

12MA02

13MA01

K81,975 and allowance

K70,431 and allowance

K60,834 and allowance

K46,566 and allowance

K40,761 and allowance

K36,524 and allowance

K31,739 and allowance

K27,938 and allowance

K24,785 and allowance

K22,264 and allowance

K20,183 and allowance

K18,485 and allowance

K17,114 and allowance

Please take note that accommodation is not a condition of employment.

Applications with current mobile number and email address must be submitted in triplicate including copies of: (1) education qualifications, (2) signed curriculum vitae, (3) recent medical report, (4) police character report, (5) NID Certificate, (5) Recent References, (6) names of 3 current referees who can be easily contacted and (7) copies of current class six (6) driver’s license must be provided for the position of a driver.

Applications must be delivered by hand at our Headquarter at B&D Building, Port Moresby or sent by email to msrecruitment@magisterialservices.gov.pg

Consistent to government policy only applicants with NID Certificate/NID cards will be considered. Genuine applicants should contact our Recruitment Officer for copies of job descriptions at email addresses provided above. Please note that only short-listed applicants will be contacted.

Applications close at 4:06pm on Friday 12th January 2024 and should be addressed to:

The Office of Director - Corporate Services

Corporate Services Branch Magisterial Service Headquarter P. O. Box 1616, PORT MORESBY, National Capital District.

Attention: Human Resource Manager Email: gkila@magisterialservices.gov.pg

Authorized by: MR. MARK PUPAKA, Chief Magistrate.

INTERNAL REVENUE COMMISION

VACANCIES

The Internal Revenue Commission Act 2014 establishes the IRC as a Statutory Authority and the “Commission” consisting of the Commissioner General and the Commissioners, as the governing body of the IRC. The Internal Revenue Commission is responsible for the collection of most of PNG’s Tax Revenue.

The Internal Revenue Commission is looking for experienced, skilled and knowledgeable Tax Experts who are enthusiastic and motivated to contribute towards achieving the revenue collection goals of the PNG Internal Revenue Commission. There are several job openings available in our Tax Advising Division located at the headquarters in Port Moresby.

No.Position Vacancies

11x Principal Advising Officer-Tax Circular & Rulings

2 1x Senior Tax Circular and Rulings Officer

31x Tax Circular and Rulings Officer

41x Principal Objections & Review officer

510 x Objections & Review Officer

61x Senior Tax Advising Officer

73x Tax Advising Officer

81x Office Manager

For further information and/or job descriptions are required interested candidates may contact the Recruitment Team at recruitmentofficer@irc.gov.pg and/or Phone 307 7095/307 7102/3077117/3226958. For applications submitted on emailed, ensure the position you are applying for is clearly stated on the email subject as well as the subject on the cover letter for ease of reference.

Closing Date: Friday 8th December 2023

Interested candidates should apply with a covering letter, along with an updated copy of resume (spelling out work experience and 3x referees) and copies of educational attainments. You may hand deliver your application to Bogan Gapo Building Level 3, HR Department or submit by post to:

The Manager Recruitment

PNG Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) PO Box 777, Port Moresby, NCD Phone 307 7095/307 7102/307 7117/3226958 Or Email to: recruitmentofficer@irc.gov.pg

*ONLY SHORTLISTED APPLICANTS WILL BE CONTACTED. Authorised by:

REQUEST FOR

PG01/2023

for

Services

PG01/2023

PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON DRAFT 600 MHz AND 800MHz BAND PLANS

In accordance with sections 219 and 229 of the National Information and Communications Technology Act, 2009 (“the Act”), NICTA advises the industry and interested parties of its intention to undertake a public consultation on the Draft 600 MHz Spectrum Band Plan and Revised Draft 800MHz Spectrum Band Plan.

The Draft Band Plans proposes the use of the 600MHz and 800MHz radiofrequency spectrum for mobile telecommunication services in Papua New Guinea to support the Government Digital Transformation Policy.

Kokopo and Mt Hagen or downloaded from the NICTA website – www.nicta. gov.pg.

NICTA invites stakeholders and interested parties to consider and comment on the consultation documents. All written submissions should be emailed to consultation.spectrum@nicta.gov.pg

The closing date for written comments is Friday 29th December 2023. Procedural information on submission to NICTA is set out in the Guidelines on the submission of written comments and Public Inquiries which are also available at NICTA’s Public Register.

For further information, contact Mr. Steven Anda, Manager Resource Planning on telephone 3033200 or email: sanda@nicta.gov.pg

Authorised by

Kanamon follows in dad’s footsteps

MARTIN Kanamon has followed in his father’s footsteps in this year’s Pacific Games by making it to the gold medal play off but unfortunately fell short to Fiji.

Kanamon, whose dad took part in the 1979 Pacific Games in Suva, Fiji, also went up against Fiji but lost in the grand final and got silver.

The 32-year-old was the only remaining member of the 2015 squad that made and won the bronze play off.

“Last time I took part in the Pacific Games was in 2015. I didn’t get the chance to represent the country in the past years till now, and I was taken in to assist the young players.

“Despite facing some issues back in Port Moresby, that didn’t hinder us trusting ourselves and sticking together as a team and that’s what brought us this far, even though we were desperate to get Gold it was God’s plan and we settled for silver instead.”

Management proud of men’s team

HOCKEY

THE PAPUA New Guinea men’s hockey team executives highly commended and were pleased with the teams performance at the XVII 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara.

Despite not being able to bring home the gold medal, the management team was proud of the teams’ performance.

The team gave 100 per cent of their best and it was enough to get them into the gold medal play off. Team manager Joachim Michael Potuan expressed his satisfaction with the performance, saying that this was the best side that PNG hockey has had for a long time.

“Based on performance it was all good.

“Our boys gave 100 per cent of their best.

“We gave all we had. We are basically pleased with the players performance,” he said.

“Maybe the next Games we will do much better. Their hard work paid off as they were able to secure a spot in the final game.”

Potuan also mentioned the team’s struggle with calls not going their way, but he was impressed with their ability to stay focused and play the way the team wanted.

He said the team trained relentlessly for six months prior to the games and their hard work was evident in their performance.

Although the team is proud of what they achieved, they believe that they can do much better in the future.

“I started playing hockey when I was five and it’s a family sport as my father played and represented PNG in 1979 and got silver too.”

He added that 2015 was the

Kanamon represented the country in 2010 when he was 19 and continued in 2013, 2015 and this year’s participation is his fourth tournament.

second time the men’s team took part and again in 2019 and 2023. “I would like to pass that tradition on to my son and teach him how to play as he is now four-years old, it started with my dad, continued on to me and now I will pass it on.”

Kanamon said he is proud of their achievement and is looking forward to work with the young men in any tournament to polish up before the next Pacific Games in Tahiti.

Fiji has been dominating the hockey pitch since 1979.

PNG dethroned as Pacific touch football champions

THE PNG touch football teams lost all three gold medal play offs in a disappointing end to their Pacific Games campaign in Honiara.

Effectively their reign as the Pacific Games champions is over, after having dominated the open men, open women and mixed in 2019 in Apia, Samoa.

PNG had the winning momentum in their favour in all three Gold medal play offs, in the respective divi-

sion finals, but they shot themselves in the foot. The mixed open division final on Saturday saw PNG losing 6-7 as well as 5-6 in the open men’s and 7-8 for the open women’s on Wednesday. A dark day for Touch Football PNG.

In the mixed open gold play off, Eugene Eka and Angelena Watago led the team well from the start against the Samoans, but soon fatigue, miscommunication and lack of game management affected their run home.

PNG led 4-3 at halftime, with all the Team PNG spectators turning up in PNG colours

expecting the team to make-up for the earlier losses.

However, that was not to be.

Eka, Bobby Vavona, Andrew Turlom, Ravu Ravu and Freddy Gelam stood up to lead the attack with Watego, Natalie Kuper, Angela Geno and Nadia Taubuso in support.

In fact PNG led 6-5 at one stage, but two penalties against them saw Samoa capitalise and affectively win the match 6-7 with time running out.

Shattered members of the PNG team were left kneeling down in disbelief, in tears while others were left speech-

Classy Lessy hangs boots up after 11 years

IT may not be a gold medal send off for PNG touch footy player, Kele Lessy, but he enjoyed the 11 years of representative footy.

Lessy, skipper Eugene Eka and Farapo Makura played their last representative matches, including the Pacific Games.

“I thought we will retire on a high note but unfortunately it did not turn out the way we thought. For the younger players it is a good learning stage and I believe they will do their best in the other upcoming games. We will still support them in any way we can to lift the touch footy back in PNG,”

He started representing PNG back in 2012, played at two International Touch Federation’s World Cup and

three Pacific Games (2015, 2019, 2023). Lessy who hails from Hamuhamu and Lese in Malalaua of Gulf Province, said it has been a honour representing PNG.

“Despite the preparations or the ups and downs I went through, because of the love of the code (touch footy) plus for the name of the country, I had to turn up every game as well as displaying true sportsmanship,” he said.

Lessy is known for his trademark goose step like footwork as well as fake-pose passing and is one of the experienced dummy run strike weapon who can take on opponents with his speed. Playing alongside senior representative capped players like skipper Eugene Eka, Bobby Vavona and Farapo Makura, Lessy has contributed a lot to the success of the national team. His leadership with the team

Potuan said that if Tahiti can come up with a hockey stadium by 2027, PNG will be in a much better position to excel in the sport.

The PNG men’s hockey team picked up a bronze medal in the Pacific Games in 2015 in Port Moresby. With their current performance, they are optimistic about their chances for the future.

PROFILE

bronze ), 2-5 N G y Gela, 7 eituva e 2. Gelam, N atalie ugene ndrew

less when the fulltime hooter was signalled. In the bronze play off (mixed open), Fiji defeated Cook Islands 12-5. Fulltime score: PNG 6 (Junior Hoki, Mangai Elomi, Bobby Vavona-2, Freddy Gela, Eugene Eka), Samoa 7 (Ella Bussey-Timo, Arran Order, Dennis Maresa, Jesse Leituva (2), Tyreese Pati Sialapae 2. PNG team list: Junior Hoki, Mangai Elomi, Kele Lessy, Bobby Vavona, Freddy Gelam, Angelena Watego, Natalie Kuper, Ravu Ravu, Eugene Eka, Angela Geno, Rita Rema, Georgina Genaka and Andrew Turlom.

at the 2023 Pacific Games went through some hiccups like him facing a dislocated collar bone but he manage to pull through and play in the mixed division grand final. “It has been an honour playing with some of the younger guys which I think they learnt a lot from us the senior guys and we also learnt from them as well. Not only in sports but life as well and it has been fantastic. I would say the journey was good for myself,” said Lessy. “Most of the players in the team are from the Corporate Touch Port Moresby and from my local club, Parrapella, only two of us joined the team…Ravu Ravu, the little general and I.

“I have a dislocated collar bone but because I love the game, I carried on the injury to play the finals.” He also received messages of support from his family back home when he copped the injury.

MONICA WADI

Name:

Age:37 years old

Province:Manus and West New Britain

District: Talasea

Village:Witu

Where do you live? Korobosea, NCD

Occupation: Unemployed

Sport: Hockey

Position: All rounder

Local Association: Port Moresby Hockey Club: Coastal Eights

TOUCH FOOTY
BY SIMON KESLEP IN SOLOMON ISLANDS
HOCKEY BY MARCIA NEGRI IN SOLOMON ISLANDS
MARTIN Kanamon in action against Tonga.
Monica Wadi
TOUCH FOOTY BY SIMON KESLEP IN SOLOMON ISLANDS
KELE Lessy flicks off a back pass to Ravu Ravu.

Wake up call for the National Government

COMMENTARY BY GORETHY KENNETH

SOLOMON ISLANDS

ONCE upon a time in the beautiful country of Papua New Guinea, a group of passionate athletes made their country proud at the XVII Pacific Games in Honiara.

Team PNG returned home with a remarkable 105 medals, securing the 5th position on the leaderboard.

This impressive achievement brought immense joy to the nation and also shed light on a pressing issue – the need for increased investment in sports.

The stories shared by the gold medallists touched many hearts.

Many of these talented athletes are struggling to make ends meet.

Some were working multiple jobs, barely scraping together enough money to support their training and participate in national competitions.

The sacrifices they made were profound, and their tears of joy and relief as they stood on the podium with the national flag were a testament to their dedication and determination.

The success of the Pacific Games serves as a wake-up call for the Papua New Guinea government.

It became evident that their investment in sports needs to be prioritised and enhanced to maintain the country’s sportsmanship and pride in future international events.

It is time to provide the necessary support and resources to these talented athletes.

Notably, the government should recognise the need to focus on women in sports. Although Papua New Guinea had a rich history of female athletes, equal opportunities but support were still lacking.

It is crucial to invest not only in men’s sports but also in women’s sports to create a more inclusive and balanced sporting culture.

With this realisation, the government pledged to allocate more funds for sports development.

Adequate resources, such as training facilities, equipment, and coaching staff, would be provided to ensure that athletes, both male and female, had the tools they needed to excel in their respective sports.

The impact of this increased investment would extend beyond the realm of sports.

Sport, with its ability to create employment and contribute to the national economy, would bring about a positive change in society.

Improved health and wellbeing, resulting from increased participation in sports, would lead to a more harmonious and productive society.

The sports industry would thrive, benefiting not only the athletes but also associated industries and the economy as a whole.

Moreover, investing in women’s sports would empower women and girls, transforming their lives for the better. It would inspire more females to participate in sports, promoting equality and providing them with equal opportunities to showcase their talent.

This investment would pave the way for a future where everyone,

regardless of gender, could benefit from and contribute to the world of sports. With the government’s newfound commitment to investing in sports, Papua New Guinea has embarked on a journey of transformation.

Alongside the athletes, the entire nation stood united in their support, rallying behind their heroes who represented their country on the world stage. The successes of the XVII Pacific Games serves as a catalyst for change and must spurr the government to take action.

The future looked brighter than ever for sports in Papua New Guinea, as the government’s investment aimed to nurture and develop the next generation of athletes, both men and women.

As the years passed, Papua New Guinea witnessed the emergence of new stars – athletes who were reaping the benefits of increased investment in sports. The nation’s pride continued to soar as they conquered new heights in international competitions.

With this ongoing commitment to investing in sports, Papua New Guinea not only maintained their pride in the Pacific Games but also left a lasting impression on the global stage.

Their dedication to promoting sports and supporting their athletes became a shining example to the world. And so, the tale of Papua New Guinea’s investment in sports will became a legend, that will inspire future generations to chase their dreams and remind the world of the transformative power that lies within the world of sports.

PNG continues dominance

FROM BACK PAGE

“I publicly announced that we will win the gold medal. We fulfilled our dream of bringing the gold medal back to PNG,” said Padio.

The unavailability of central defender Serah Waida due to conceding a red card following the 5-1 semifinal win over Samoa, saw the players feeling down that she (Waida) will not play in the gold medal play off.

Mentally the players believed in each other and Padio said they have players in the team who can step up and fill the void left by Waida.

Padio said the team executed what was expected from them by coach Frederica Sakette and the coaching staff.

“The performance of all the girls was just too good.

“We followed the instructions of the coach and further we had this rope tied to our head to win this sixth gold medal,” said Padio.

From the match itself, the opening 45 minutes of play was an evenly contested encounter.

Fiji kept mounting pressure on PNG with their quick passing style of play but the defensive efforts of Olivia Upaupa, goalkeeper Faith Kasiray, Georgina Bakani and Rumona Morris shut them down.

The only change in the tempo came from when PNG’s Phylis Pala scored the only goal of the first half for PNG to lead 1-0 to half-time.

Several opportunities swayed, however, Kasiray held firm, as did

her counterpart at the other end. From the resumption of play, fatigue from the one-week competition kicked in and started to affect the Fijians defense, with the smaller PNG women taking full advantage.

PNG ran riot from left to right with Padio and Morris dictating the offence in the midfield.

Coach Frederica Sakette and assistant coach Erickson Komeng were both vocal on the sideline to maintain the pressure as they could see the Fijians struggling to manage PNGs counter-attack.

Finally a Marie Kaipu solo effort off the back of good team buildup saw her outpace three Fijian defenders and the goalkeeper before nudging the ball to take a handy 2-0 lead.

At this level, the second goal was basically the sealer.

The Fijians were by then physically drained and were

basically running on empty.

Kaipu by this time was having fun and was not long before she landed her second goal and then Calista Maneo the fourth to silence the vocal Fijian crowd and bench. Fiji could only manage to score one goal, as PNG totally dismantled their normally well oiled outfit, to pull off another historical gold medal milestone.

The PNG women have now won the prestigious Pacific Games title since its inception in 2003 in Fiji, next in Apia, Samoa in 2007, then in New Caledonia in 2011, in Port Moresby in 2015, back to Apia in 2019 and then Honiara in 2023.

Current coach Frederica Sakette took the team in 2019 as well.

Previous coaches were the likes of Steven Mune, Francis Moyap and Garry Philips that have ensured that reign for the past 24 years.

NIKITA TERENCE PROFILE

Name: Nikita Terence

Age: 25

Province: Manus and Milne Bay

District: Manus, Alotau

Village: Rambutso and Tawala

Where do you live: Port Moresby

Occupation: Currently employed with Price Waterhouse Coopers.

Sport:Hockey

Position:All rounder

Local Association: Port Moresby Hockey Club: Slayer

Govt must invest in sports

INVEST in your athletes. There is no secret formula, open up those mindsets and think outside the box.

If you want your country to be a major player in the Pacific - and you want to enjoy that nationalistic pride and feeling every four years – then your National Government or via the National Government you must consider investing in the respective Sporting Federations development programs directly, says Honiara based Futsal officer Michael Light.

Light who works under the Solomon Islands government ministry that directly manages the FIFA recognised 5-a-side version of soccer (Futsal), says that is the reason why Solomon Islands Futsal is successful on the world stage.

“Futsal Solomon Islands has attended four World Cups and have been Oceania champions for five consecutive years because of the processes we have implemented via the development programs.

“In a nut-shell nothing comes by a miracle.

“Everything comes in the process that must be established by likeminded people.”

Light who was watching the rugby sevens during the first week of the Games made a passing comment on the progress of certain sports by some Pacific nations.

“I do believe every Sports

Federation or Association in the Pacific needs their respective National Governments to invest directly their development programs.

“It will be slow at the start because of the process or pathway programs from the juniors…but it will be worthwhile years down the line.

“You want medals then invest…mi no giaman yu tekim,” added Light.

HONIARA Futsal officer Michael Light.
PNG Women’s Soccer and management with their Gold medals.

17th Pacific Games Closing Ceremony, Honiara

The Solomon Islands Pacific Games Organising Committee put on an elaborate closing ceremony for all participating countries and their athletes at the National Stadium in Honiara.

Retiring from rep footy to focus on business

KNOWN as one of Oro Province and PNG Touch footy’s icon with his ankle breaking footwork, Farapo Makura has finally clocked off from representative footy.

Coming of a stellar touch footy career, Makura told the PostCourierhe had to call it quits so that he can focus on his private security business back in Popondetta.

“I started playing touch footy when I was 17 years old and that was like back in 2008 with the Popondetta touch association in Oro Province. The club I started playing for was Jump and Down Raiders…after three years we broke away from the club and formed my club, CC Webs,” said Makura.

“I worked with Number One Hire Cars for four years as an admin driver and then I resigned last year and started my private security company.

“For myself, I see like playing sports for some good number of years but in terms of looking after the family, sports in PNG does not have any return on investment.

This is why I decided to run my own business, security firm (Mak Security Service) now into its first year. This is my last year to play and I will now focus on running my business and looking after my family.”

Time management and finding the balance towards family, business and sports, especially touch footy, Makura said it is tough.

“Disciplining myself…it’s quite a tiring work like giving more time in sports and security work as well. It is like working 24/7 and I see that after two days I feel tired and my age is also catching up,” said the 37-year-old father of seven.

His elder son who is in grade 9 also plays touch footy including others who are doing grade 8, 6 and the ones in the lower primary grades. He said the responsibility of looking after his children is another contributing factor towards his retirement.

Winning six grand finals and finishing runners-up at four back in his local touch association, Makura also represented Oro at eight national touch championships with the first being in 2008. He also help in leading the younger generation of Oro touch footy players attend four

PNG Games.

“Back in 2019 was my first time to travel international with the team to Malaysia for the Touch World Cup and then we went to Samoa for the 2019 Pacific Games. Now we are here again in Honiara and this is my second time to be with the team. Big thank you to our family including those who supported us in our travel. We made it through the finals but the Samoans defeated us to claim the three gold medals and we will go back and see where we can all improve on,” said Makura.

PROFILE GEORGINA BON

Name: Georgina Bon

Age: 20

The years of game experience that Makura has accomplished will not only be a memory but a legacy that he intends to share, inspire and motivate the next generation of touch footy players for PNG.

“All of my game experience will not be a waste. When I return home does not mean that I will leave touch footy. I will help in developing the sport given what experience I have acquired…at the same time motivate my own kids and the people of Oro province to further support touch footy.”

Province: Mix parentage of Central,Morobe and New Ireland

Where do you live: Boroko, Port Moresby

Occupation: Third Year student at Southern Cross University

Sport: Hockey

Position: Forward

Local Association: Port Moresby Hockey

Club: Blades

PNG police is steadfast in its role

IN THE heart of the Pacific Ocean, nestled among a scattering of islands, lies the enchanting Solomon Islands.

A place untouched by the complexities of modern society, where the strong-willed locals have forged their own path and established their own sense of order.

Here, the population possesses an unyielding spirit, unafraid in the face of authority. The Australian Federal Police came to these shores, seeking to enforce their rule and exert their influence. However, their presence was met with indifference.

The people of the Solomon Islands had long grown accustomed to selfgovernance and were unyielding

in their conviction to protect their own land. Like a mighty warrior, the Chinese Police arrived, armed with their superior strength and well-devised tactics.

But the Solomons were unfazed.

With unwavering determination, they stood tall in their Special Services Division uniform, proud and resolute.

These men and women embodied the very essence of strength, inspiring both awe and respect.

Among them, the Royal Papua New Guinea Police had enlisted their forces too.

Clad in their distinguished uniform, they seamlessly integrated into the tight-knit community, showcasing their unwavering alle-

giance to their neighbours.

The PNG Traffic Police, in particular, worked arduously to maintain order on the roads. Side by side with their counterparts from the Solomon Islands, they skillfully maneuvered through the bustling streets, ensuring the smooth flow of traffic amidst the hordes of Gamers.

As part of this monumental task, local police officers took up the mantle of foot patrol, dutifully scouring every inch of the Games’ venues, prepared to combat any form of wrongdoing.

They exuded a palpable aura of authority, their unwavering gaze a testament to their commitment towards keeping their beloved nation safe.

FARAPO Makura (left) and David Aruha both selected from Popondetta Touch association into national touch team.
TOUCH FOOTY BY SIMON KESLEP IN SOLOMON ISLANDS
PNG traffic police providing escort for VIPs at the airport as part of their general duties during the Pacific Games.

Eight Gold boxing blitz

THE code of boxing improved on their 2019 performance by bringing in eight Gold, three Silver and two Bronze.

PNG Boxing Union president Dr Gideon Kendino told this paper that they matched their record in 2015, with eight Gold but added two Silver and one Bronze.

“We didn’t do quite well at the 2019 Pacific Games as we scooped up only three Gold, four Silver and two Bronze.”

He said they have exceeded their expectations with bringing along 19 boxers (excluding the trio that fought for Olympic Qualifiers) and taking home with-

them 14 medals. He also extended his gratitude to the PNGOC through Kumul Consolidated Holdings, Peter Morrison, Sports Foundation, NSI and National Finance for catering for levy fees and lastly Lamana Hotel.

“Just imagine if we had extra funding, we would have won everything, and given the financial constraints I reckon we’ve done really well,” Dr Kendino said.

Head coach Mark Keto said the boxers were able to achieve what they came to do. “Our aim and goal was to beat what we achieved in Samoa and we have done that.”

Gold Medalists

1: Men’s 48kg- Kantie Oaike (Gold)

2:Men’s 48kg- Peto Turua Jr (Silver)

3: Men’s 54kg- Jamie Chang (Gold)

4: Men’s 54kg- Bid Inoino (Bronze)

5:Men’s 75kg- Steven Kendu (Gold)

6: Men’s 86kg- Arthur Lavalou (Bronze)

7: Women’s 48kg- Goli Bali (Gold)

8:Women’s 52kg- Grace Sobou (Gold)

9:Women’s 52kg- Angelyn Kadiu (Silver)

10:Women’s 63kg- Petronella Nokenoke (Gold)

11: Women’s 63kg- Laizani Soma (Bronze)

12:Women’s 70kg- Sheila Yama (Gold)

13:Women’s 70kg- Leontine Kevin (Silver)

14:Women’s 81kg- Liranda Kidu (Gold)

19-year-old gets Gold in boxing

Young mum dedicates win to children

NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD Liranda

Kidu managed to scoop Gold in her 81kg division on Friday against her New Caledonia opponent Ismaela Motuku.

Kidu who took part in her first Pacific Games was speechless about her win, but managed to thank God for bringing her this far.

“I started boxing in 2019. I was trained by my dad who was trained by my great grandfather Martin Benny, but my dad has already left the code of boxing and is concentrating on work

“My elder brother also joined boxing but because of COVID-19 he pulled out and I stayed on.”

She had her first professional fight last year which was attended by head coach Mark Keto who asked her to be part of the national team.

“I had 12 amateur fights last year with two professional fights. I lost one and won one and this is my first international bout.

“This is my first Pacific Games and I am excited and I don’t know how to express my win but want to

“I

“I WAS praying that this Gold will be mine and I will bring it back to my village and show it to my kids and tell them that I didn’t leave them for a year for nothing and so I dedicate my gold win to my children.”

Boxer Grace Sobou who defeated fellow Papua New Guinean opponent Angelyn Kadiu in the women’s 52kg to receive gold expressed this during her bout win last Saturday at Friendship Hall, Honiara.

Sobou who broke down in the ring when she was declared the winner, could not hold back her tears too when the national anthem was sung, standing tall knowing that all her hard work has officially paid off.

“Before I went into the ring, I knew that the Gold was mine.”

She said the training to get to where she is was very tough, but she said all that was possible through the guidance of God.

“I believe that any other fight that follows she wants to win Gold.”

Twenty-seven-year-old Sobou is from a mix parentage of Madang (in Manam) and AROB (in Tinputz).

“I am married with two children but have separated from my husband and take care of them both, now that I’m away for training and the Games my parents take care of them. My mum has always been my biggest supporter and encourages me that even with kids I can still be a boxer.

“It’s a huge opportunity for me to come and be a part of the team to compete here at the Pacific Games, and with that I would like to thank Laney Munau and Isabelle Koridong as without their support I wouldn’t have been able to make it here. They assisted me to travel to Port Moresby to take part in the national trials inorder to be part of the team for the Pacific Games.” Sobou joined the code of boxing in 2019, and said she completed her Grade 10 in 2016 and due to school fee issues she couldn’t continue and settled for marriage instead. She expressed how she left her children with her family for the whole year for competition and training, “with the whole year that I have left them has paid off today.” Sobou said going up against a fellow Papua New Guinean opponent was quite tough but she trusted herself that she can do well. She was trained by her father as he was a former boxer.

BOXING BY MARCIA
TEAM PNG boxing.
BOXING BY MARCIA NEGRI IN SOLOMON ISLANDS
LIRANDA Kidu who won gold in the 81kg division against New Caledonia opponent Ismaela Motuku.
BOXING BY MARCIA NEGRI IN SOLOMON ISLANDS
GRACE Sobou holding back tears as the national anthem was sung after she received her Gold medal. She defeated fellow PNG boxer Angelyn Kadiu in the women’s 52kg division.
THE PNG women’s soccer team enjoy the moment after beating Fiji 4-1 in the Gold medal play off.
EYE on the ball!
SWEET feeling winning a Gold medal.
SHE may be small but PNG striker Marie Kaipu has a big heart.
NOTHING like celebrating a goal in a big match.
LOOKING for space.
PNG striker Marie Kaipu celebrates after scoring one of her two goals in the Gold medal play off.
SUPPORT from Team PNG in the crowd was overwhelming during the women’s soccer Gold medal play off. TAKING a shot at goal.
PNG and the silver medal winners Fiji after the medal presentations.
PNG skipper Ramona Padio was the general in the midfield.
HOCKEY 5s team that managed to scoop up the silver medal.

PNG

PICTURE: SIMON KESLEP

True to her word

Padio lives up to promise

SOCCER

LOYALTY is what PNG women’s football team skipper Ramona Padio best describes their 6th gold medal win against Fiji on Friday night.

In front of a packed Solomon Islands National Stadium,

Padio led the team to another stunning performance to defeat the shattered Fijians 4-1. Prior to attending the 17th Pacific Games, Padio confidently said with confidence during Team PNG’s farewell function at the Sir John Guise stadium in Port Moresby that they will retain the gold medal.

- CONTINUE ON PAGE 46

COUNTRY

SOCCER BY SIMON KESLEP

AS Ramona Padio stepped onto the podium to receive her gold medal, over in Port Moresby, her partner (Francis Giau Jr) and son (Ivan) were cheering for her in PNG. For Giau Jr, he was proud of her as they watched on TV how she and the PNG women’s football team retained the sixth consecutive gold medal by punishing the Fijians 4-1 at the Solomon Islands National stadium in Honiara.

“Yes, I’m really proud of her,” said Giau Jr. Padio as usual led the team by example from the opening whistle. Leading by example with less talk empowered her teammates to follow through as they physically and mentally went up against the bigger Fijians.

Her footwork and dribbling skills kept the spectators in the stadium captivated. Padio made her presence felt all over the pitch, to dictate play whenever in ball possession. After the match, Giau Jr and their son, Ivan, called her and shared the emotions and excitement of mummy winning the gold medal.

“Yes, we called Ramona and congratulated her for the win,” said Giau Jr.

“I know that they’ll be watching me play and they’ll be proud of me…big thank you to everyone back home in PNG for your support to us,” said Padio.

PNG striker Marie Kaipu was a menace for the bigger Fijians.

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