BY MIRIAM ZARRIGA and MARJORIE FINKEO
ANOTHER attempt through social media to incite unrest in Port Moresby yesterday was deterred by the police senior hierarchy.
tled over unpaid allowances from the two weeks special State of Emergency following Black Wednesday, had posted on their social media group calling for police personnel to stand down from duties as of 4.06pm yesterday.
BY ILEEN NAKRA & SIMIKY YANDAPAKE
MOTOR vehicles will likely grind to a halt in Port Moresby today if the latest fuel crisis is not addressed.
Yesterday, there was little to no fuel in the bowsers and most service stations were rationing their limited supplies prompting government to issue fuel supplier Puma Energy an exasperated one line notice ‘not to hold the country to ransom’.
In a snappy first round of government versus supplier Puma on the never-ending fuel supply shortage saga, Puma fended off our queries with ‘no comment’, while an angry government spokesman pounded: “Puma knows they are not supposed to be holding PNG at ransom.”
The ongoing fuel saga has been strung out over the country’s forex shortage, which Puma claims significantly inhibits ability to deliver its services.
As of last night, airline operations remained unaffected while ships were also relatively untouched.
- CONTINUE ON PAGE 3
cluding soldiers, were engaged in the SoE to police Port Moresby and guard infrastructure after the January 10 riot, which led to billions of kina worth of damages suffered by supermarket chains, stores, servos, and car dealers.
A group of policemen disgrun-
One thousand personnel, in-
- CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
WEDNESDAY:
TUESDAY: Scattered showers and Isolated
WEDNESDAY: Scattered showers and Isolated
TUESDAY:
WEDNESDAY:
CHIEF JUSTICE CONCERNED ABOUT LAW AND ORDER
STORY ON PAGE 4
EDITORIAL
EDITOR
Todagia Kelola Ph: 309 1032
Email: tkelola@spp.com.pg
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Miriam Zarriga Ph: 309 1059
Email: mzarriga@spp.com.pg
BUSINESS EDITOR
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Simon Keslep Ph: 309 1068
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ASSISTANT Commissioner of Police-Western End Samson Kua has confirmed the destruction of a BSP ATM in Mendi town over the weekend.
The damage has now angered residents and the people of Nipa-Kutubu and Imbbongu who go into Mendi to do their shopping and check their accounts.
The destruction of the ATM is alleged to have been caused by a man known to police.
Southern Highlands Provincial Administrator Jerry David in response to questions raised by Post-Courier confirmed the identity of the man as the Town manager John Nolpi.
“I have already reached out to police and I have asked for Mr Nolpi to surrender to police and he be arrested and charged.”
“Administratively he is suspended as Town manager.”
He further stated, “Mendi town is the town for the people of the province to access basic services, and I want to apologise to the BSP Management for the criminal act by a senior public servant and assure BDP that the provincial administration will fully support the police in his apprehension to face the full force of the law.”
Police in Mendi also confirmed the arrest and charge of Mr Nolpi after the calls from Mr David.
Local businessman Michael Ipa said, “We have doctors, teachers, nurses and police men from all parts of the country in SHP who are serving our people in the province, who depend on this ATM and bank to provide for their family.”
“We have local business houses who bank and withdraw and do transactions in the bank to pay for their employees and do
transactions to keep the local employment and cash flow going.”
“Our livelihood in Mendi and SHP revolves
PADDINGTON Bear has been delighting adults and children alike with his earnest good intentions and humorous misadventures for over 60 years.
To celebrate his enduring popularity, the complete collection of 15 novels are brought together for the very first time in this beautifully illustrated keepsake.
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The perfect gift for kids of all ages, this series includes the following must-read books; ABearCalledPaddington
MoreAboutPaddington
PaddingtonHelpsOut
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PaddingtonatLarge
PaddingtonMarchesOn PaddingtonatWork PaddingtonGoestoTown
PaddingtonTakestheAir
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LovefromPaddington
Paddington’sFinestHour
Hours of quality time can be guaranteed with this set.
Whether parents, grandparents or guardians reading to siblings or for when they grow older, the children reading for themselves, this is an investment in the betterment of our next generaton.
Get your kids a Paddington book set and a Post-Courier school kit by simply buying your Post-Courier daily.
South Pacific Post Limited (Post-Courier) is running a promotion called the Paddington Marmalade Money for a chance to win the Paddington book set and a Post-Courier school kit.
Paddington Marmalade Money tokens ranging from K1 -K5 are printed and can be found in the Post-Courier daily. Readers are invited to cut out and collect the Paddington Marmalade Money token. The tokens collected up to K135 can be used to purchase a Post-Courier School Kit and up to K210 for a Padding Book set. The tokens can be a combination of Paddington Marmalade Money and cash. The promotion runs on stock basis starting January 29 and will end on February 23.
PRIME Minister James Marape has openly welcomed the recent transition of a number of government MPs to the opposition.
The Prime Minister regards this movement as a positive step towards strengthening the parliamentary opposition and, consequently, the nation's democracy.
This statement comes in the wake of a few government MPs deciding to join the opposition ranks amidst discussions of a no-confidence vote.
Addressing the issue today, Prime Minister Marape expressed his satisfaction with the unfolding political events.
“Over the last 18 months, our Parliament has observed a significant imbalance, with only eight MPs sitting on the opposition benches against a whopping 104 on the government side,” Prime Minister Marape said.
“I am pleased to see that MPs who harbour differing views are finding their rightful place among the opposition. This
reshuffling fosters a democratic environment where varied perspectives are respected and debated.”
Prime Minister Marape further emphasised the essence of a robust opposition in a thriving democracy.
“Democracy thrives when a solid opposition diligently keeps the government in check, ensuring every decision made is for the ultimate good of our nation. It’s heartening to witness our fellow MPs crossing over to the opposition benches,
ready to offer constructive criticism and engage in productive discourse.”
The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of balance in the nation’s political eco-system.
“The health of our democracy is directly proportional to a healthy, dynamic opposition. I view this movement as a positive step towards achieving that equilibrium, ensuring our governance is both balanced and accountable.”
PAPUA New Guinea’s domestic politics have become a subject of dispute following the Australian Prime Minister’s invitation to his counterpart, James Marape, for an official State visit.
The invitation, slated just days before a crucial Vote of No Confidence, has led to accusations of interference and insensitivity towards PNG’s democratic processes.
Sir Puka Temu, Member for Abau Open, expressed his astonishment at the timing of the invitation, saying:
“Papua New Guinea and Australia enjoy the closest
of relationships, making it all the more astonishing that Australia’s Prime Minister would invite James Marape to a State visit just days before a Vote of No Confidence becomes allowable.”
The visit is set to include full State honours, including a 19-gun salute, reception at Government House, and an address to the Australian Parliament.
“The political processes of Papua New Guinea matter. They need to be respected and not interfered with in the way.
Australia is currently doing,” Sir Temu said.
He further accused Australia of thinly veiling its endorsement of the current government, raising questions about the perception of good governance.
“Perhaps we are misguided in our thinking?” he added.
Sir Puka proposed a simple solution to the escalating dispute, suggesting that Australia should invite Mr Marape or his successor once the Vote of No Confidence process has concluded.
“Why the rush, Australia?” he questioned, urging Australia to focus on its own domestic matters and provide
guidance to address the serious allegations of corruption within the Marape government.
The invitation from Australia has deepened the existing tensions between the two countries, as Papua New Guineans express concerns that their political affairs are being dictated by their more influential neighbour.
As these allegations loom, it remains to be seen how Australia will respond to the accusations of interference and insensitivity towards the democratic processes of Papua New Guinea.
FROM PAGE ONE
YESTERDAY, private vehicles were allowed only K50 worth of fuel while those with fuel cards were allowed K100 for their tanks.
Across the country, dry taps were also experienced. In Lae, Morobe province, fuel stations allowed company cars to refuel K100 while those with fuel cards were allowed K150.
Kokopo, East New Britain, a K50 limit was imposed for diesel purchase while in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, the purchase of fuel was not an issue.
Up in the Highlands region as far as Chimbu, there was a good sign where one could still purchase a full tank.
However, in Eastern Highlands, petrol had been depleted with only diesel vehicles receiving top up at stations in the province.
Back in Port Moresby, there was desperation with drivers queuing up for fuel in the 20 service stations across the city.
At some servos, the NO FUEL sign greeted angry motorists seeking petrol and diesel.
Fuel supplier Puma Energy said it would not comment on the shortage. However, its problems in maintaining continuous and steady supply of fuel is well known due to the shortage of foreign exchange.
Customers with fuel cards in NCD were only allowed to get fuel worth K100 while others
with cash and electronic transfer at point-of-sale were allowed K50.
The issue with fuel has affected the operations of business houses, government agencies and the general public.
Nanga Trans taxi driver
Jason Vincent said the rationed amount of K50 had resulted in huge loss in his usual daily income.
“The rationing of fuel limits my taxi service to operate efficiently in terms of distance and time,” Mr Vincent said.
Hiritano Highway PMV driver
Allen Meraveka expressed similar sentiments that the continuation of fuel rationing will affect normal operations for highway transportation, as they required more than the
rationed amount.
“The K50 fuel cannot cater for us to travel from Port Moresby to Kerema,” Mr Meraveka said.
“Our maximum fuel for the Hino (Dyna) is more than K500, requiring 130 to 140 litres of fuel.”
In the meantime, Puma Service Station site manageress at Konedobu, Hannah Wale said the purpose of the fuel rationing was to ensure all vehicles had equal amount of fuel.
“We have been doing this for two weeks now because we are only receiving half of the total amount of fuel from the supplier,” she said.
She said the station would continue rationing the fuel until everything was back to normal.
JUDGED BY ASSOCIATION
It is good to see some of our younger, educated politicians making courageous political decisions at the expense of their career. But they are young and know their chance may come again. But why do they associate with some very dubious characters. Are they just looking for numbers for the photo shoot. Associating themselves with older, hackneyed politicians is just plain silly. Their constituents can tell the story, so why not ask them before they admit “yesterday’s men” to their team?
For those following the Trump saga, the issue of “emoluments” has come to the fore. Their constitution forbids the president or members from keeping State gifts or payments from a foreign power. In Pakistan, Imran Khan and his wife have been jailed for 14 years for allegedly selling off State gifts. With all the overseas trips our pollies take, maybe we need an Emoluments Act to remind them who the “gifts” really belong to?
POLICE NEGOTIATORS
Our police officers are called upon to be many things, but negotiating compensation is not one of them. Nor are they the ones to apportion blame; that is the role of the courts. So why have Milne Bay Police taken on those roles in a recent case? The case is still under investigation; an autopsy has not been completed to ascertain cause of death. Yet police are escorting angry relatives to make excessive claims. They can surely attend to guarantee order but other than that they should have no role. Already some officers are suggesting what the amount of compensation should be and saying so publicly. Yet another example of our police breaching the peace not keeping it?
THE PEOPLE?
It is nearly a month since the January 10 riots and the government is yet to come up with a plan that will help affected businesses move forward. It seems that a VONC and political survival are more important and bugger the people. Many are actually using the riots as a step up to take political advantage. As one Australian reporter has already said “political opportunism seems set to follow the looting”.
AT THE MOVIES
As we approach the Oscars time in Hollywood, we think of all our great “actors” and the part they have played in our history. Over in the US, it is re-runs of “Sleepy Joe v The Orangeman”. And in PNG? “The Good, The Bad, The Ugly?” or “Not So Quiet on the Western Front”. Send in your nominations for the PNG Oscars in a plain brown envelopes to the drum@spp. com.pg
-PENGEE: thedrum@spp.com.pg
BY MELYN BAROI
CHIEF Justice Sir Gibbs Salika says that the policemen and women across the country have been lacking in their role to protect and serve as mandated by the Constitution laws of this country.
Sir Gibbs urged the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary to perform their roles and be focused on "maintenance of the law and order".
The message was blunt from the Chief Justice who told police officers at the opening of the 2024 legal year in Port Moresby that ," You are supposed to perform your
roles without fear or favour and be omnipotent”.
Sir Gibbs emphasised on the word “omnipotent” telling the police force that no matter where trouble came from, whether it was on water or land or on the street side “police should always be present to serve”.
The Chief Justice said that these were fundamental reminders and that the Constitution being the Supreme Law should be abided by.
“Your role under section 197 of the Constitution is to maintain and protect lives and property full stop.” He added that the police force should be the most
BY MELYNE BAROI mbaroi@spp.com.pg
THE president of the Commonwealth Lawyer’s Association, Dr Peter Maynard, paid his first ever visit to the country with interesting insights on poverty and law and order.
This law and order expert from the Bahamas, who graced the opening of the Legal Year 2024 yesterday, has more than 40 years experience in complex civil litigation, asset tracing and recovery, arbitration and mediation.
Dr Maynard shared personal insights on poverty and law and
“appropriate” and “approachable” resort when any ordinary citizen finds themselves in trouble.
“You are to provide protection and assistance to every member of the public and including the vulnerable, mentally challenged and, the women and children,” he said.
He added that these fair protection and assistance should also apply to prisoners or inmates noting the proper and fair Constitutional role of Police should apply “everywhere”.
“Take this role with seriousness and perform it with dignity and pride,” he said.
order, as everyone was reminded of the Black Wednesday mayhem in Port Moresby, and how the Rule of Law shows effect during times of such crisis in a third world.
“It takes courage to stand for the Rule of Law and good governance,” he said.
“The unrest and looting offered an opportunity to reflect on the principals that govern our society and the importance of upholding the rule of law,” Dr Maynard said.
“The presence of the Rule of Law would protect everyone regardless if you are rich or poor, the rule of law is the foundation of a stable society.”
He referred to a book he had edited called “Poverty, Justice and the Rule Of Law” saying the Rule of Law establishes a transparent process accessible and equal to all.
“The connection between poverty and the rule of law is deeply intertwined, the rule of law is not just a legal concept but also a critical factor in creating a stable society which is essential for economic development and poverty alleviation,” he said.
“The stability and predictability of legal frameworks are fundamental to sustainable economic development,” he added.
He said the absence of such a foundation “can disproportionately affect the poorest and the most vulnerable who often lack the resources and or access to legal systems to defend their Rights”.
“The absence of justice and the rule of law create poverty but also impede the efforts to decrease poverty and achieve greater economy,” he said.
BY MELYN BAROI
EDUCATION is an essential tool in promoting the rule of law by teaching a culture of lawfulness, says Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika.
Sir Gibss was speaking the dedication ceremony of all law and order officer in the country during the Legal year opening 2024, yesterday.
“It needs to be promoted at the villages and settlements until everyone starts practicing and living the Rule of Law,”
“I recommend to the Government to commission a team of experts in the field of education to promulgate policies and programs that can support the personal and societal transformations that will promote and uphold the Rule of Law,”
“Adherence to Rule of Law needs to be taught at home first, the Schools, Colleges, Universities and at the work places,” he said.
“Perhaps combine the rule of law teaching as part of early child learning curriculum,” he added.
Chief Justice referred to Black Wednesday mayhem in Port Moresby as a classic example of showing no respect to the rule of law and most importantly showed the need for more emphasise on Educating everyone about it.
Sir Gibbs elaborated that “Education promotes the principles of Rule of Law by:
Encouraging the learners to value, and apply the principles of Rule of Law in their daily lives.
Equip learners with appropriate knowledge, values, attitudes and behaviours they need to contribute to improvements and regeneration in society more broadly and become more responsible citizens in their communities.
“It needs to be inculcated to our 2-year-olds, 3, 4, 5-year-olds.
“The values of such teaching
adherence to the rule of law, in my view is for the long term and if we can create a society of law respecting and abiding people, we can achieve our dreams of a better PNG.” He further added that such education should also reach the youth who “can be important contributors “to create a culture of lawfulness and the government must provide education support that nurtures positive values and attitudes for future generations”.
BY MELYNE BAROI
THE courts are expected to open and run full swing after yesterday’s official opening of the legal year for 2024.
The event saw a parade of police officers, correctional service officers, judges, magistrates and lawyers and officers of the National Judicial Staff Services flood the Tokarara/Waigani road and ushered by a police band into the Bethel Tabernacle of Praise.
Speaking at the event was Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika and President for the Commonwealth Lawyer’s association Peter Maynard who attended the event for the first time.
Chief Justice informed of many great achievements of the judicary including an approval from the government of increasing the number of judges from 40 to 60 as of January 19, this year.
“I am happy that what I was pushing for has been approved by
the government,” he said. “This increment would go to fighting the backlog of cases in court which dates back into the 90’s.
“As reported in the 2021 Judges Annual Reports, with the growing population estimated at 10 million people, a ratio of a judge alone serving an estimate 250,000 people demonstrates the need to address this issue as a matter of priority,” he said.
“The seriousness of the issue is also highlighted by the growing number of cases being filed and total caseload carried forward every year. To address this issue, the judiciary has begun the process of increasing the number of judges up to 60.
“It has recently appointed four new judges, bringing the total number of substantive judges in the National and Supreme Court to 39, half the proposed total. We are also seeing that the judges are increasing their workload to meet the demands of the matters being brought before them.”
THE police group was unhappy, claiming they had not been paid by the Government for their services.
Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jr said 527 police personnel in NCD were paid last week Thursday, February 1.
“Another 400 more will be paid today because their commanders did not submit their names. It takes two to three days for cheques to be cleared at the banks.”
He further stated that a message going around on police personnel in Port Moresby to stand down on Monday afternoon was “misleading”.
The message that was sent on a police whatsapp group stating:
“All Moresby Police personnel are to step down from duties as of 4:06 this afternoon due to unpaid SoE allowances. That were supposed to be paid Wednesday last week.”
“Whoeverisresponsibleforunpaid outstandingallowancescannotkeep treating us, the servicemen and women of this country like this. Whetheritbethegovernmentorour own accounts, something needs to be done about this!!”
“We sacrifice our time, our familiestimes,tobeoutsiderisking our lives to protect the city and yet our efforts go unnoticed.”
Reinstated Police Commissioner David Manning confirmed the payments, and further called on zone commanders in NCD to not cause any more delays in
administrative due diligence or face the consequences.
“The RPNGC human resource division has confirmed the need to process allowanced in two tranches is a result of administrative delays by zone commanders in submitting relevant paperwork.”
“The country expects police to get out and do their jobs and the same is expected of the zone commanders and administrative staff who should be ensuring their personnel are properly supported.”
Acting NCD and Central Divisional
Commander Peter Guinness said he was aware of the rumours that were circulating on social media groups, which called for servicemen and women to stop work in protest over unpaid allowances.
He reiterated that what was being circulated is simply not true.
“I am appealing to citizens to stop spreading false information and creating anxiety and panic. There is no plan on stop work and protest by our men as I speak,” Mr Guinness said.
He said 150 policemen were deployed from the Northern Mobile Group in Lae, Tomaringa in East New Britain, Kerowagi in Chimbu to team up with more than 400 men in NCD to bring back order in Port Moresby following the riots of January 10. The SOE has been terminated since last month and officers have resumed normal duties while others who came through deployments are still working in NCD awaiting repatriation.
FOR the first time, the surrounding clans and tribes in Lagaip station have taken the initiative to embrace peace and clean up the station.
TRIBES and clans living in and around the vicinity of the district headquarters of Lagaip District in Enga Province voluntarily took ownership to thoroughly clean up the rural township early this morning.
Steven Mase, who is the executive officer to the Lagaip Open MPAimos Akem, confirmed that the surrounding tribes and clans have decided to clean up the station to make way for development and service. The Lagaip District Development Authority (LDDA) is planning to set up vital services and development to expand Lagaip into a standard township accordingly.
Mase outlined the willingness of the people to work with the government to bring in much needed services to the district.
PNGDF soldiers stationed at the Laiagam Council Chamber also assisted in the major cleanup.
With most of the people embracing peace and saying no to tribal fights, the clans and tribes for the first
BY MARJORIE FINKEO
ABOUT K200 million from the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary 2024 budget of K629.82 million has been allocated for the Development of the Constabulary.
The development budget covers purchasing of vehicles, building of barracks and accommodation, training, recruitment and other issues faced by the police.
Police department’s Planning and Finance unit, made a presentation during the senior executive budget workshop and stated that the K200 million falls under the Development Budget where it is used on re-fleeting of police vehicles, infrastructure building of barracks and accommodation, training and recruitment, hire cares, investigations operations and information communication and technology (ICT).
time took the initiative to clean up the station, which will be a regular community initiative from time to time going forward.
During the political campaign of the incumbent MP Mr Akem, he made a commitment to deliver government services that are lacking in the district to the people. True to his words, the local MP has mobilised resources to help the people take back Lagaip station and set up a modern township. Illegal settlers and those residing illegally in government houses assured the LDDA that they will move out and make way for the government staff and officials to come live in the district.
The local MP gave his assurance to the people that he will live in the district and attend to all electoral matters accordingly.
He also mentioned that all DDA meetings will be held in the district and he will move into Lagaip station to live and work from there moving foward.
RPNGC planning and finance unit is working alongside three agencies including Police, National Planning and Finance Department.
Chief inspector Steven Francis, from the office of policy and planning said last year, government allocated K549.742 mil where K150 million parked aside for Development Budget which K26 mil was used to purchased 130 fully kitted police vehicles delivered to station heads, provinces and even to headquarters replacing some of the hire cars the constabulary used.
“We have not received everything yet, there are still some vehicles on their way”, chief insp Francis said.
Port Moresby and Morobe have the highest number of hired vehicles of 50 fleets last year, compared to the Highlands region unless there is a need in operations and are usually returned once the operations ended.
Last November, Deputy
Commissioner Police Operations
Dr Philip Mitna (suspended) said police department don’t continue to hire vehicle unless there is a need for bigger operations, elections in the country and we to continue our work we need to hire vehicles to keep us going.
“With the force owning over 150 vehicles now but some have gone into service, others are old and cannot be on the road and we want to get off all hired vehicles off the road in three to four years’ time with continued support we get from government and if it continues to maintain without breaking the cycle,” Dr Mitna said.
Post-Courier understands that it cost an estimate of K700 to K800 per day for 10-seater Landcruiser and K1000 per day for a 5-door Landcruiser for hire. And cost at least K200,000 to purchase a Landcruiser in any car dealers.
PRIME Minister James Marape confirmed that K15 million has been allocated to each respective provincial health authority where they must utilise the funds to improve health services.
He said the government will give more support to health authorities who utilise funds to improve health services.
“Pick up this money and get to work on a game plan that is sanctioned by the health department. Just do what
you can do to improve your space in our country. When you are seen to be working, you will attract us we will come and give you more support,” stated Prime Minister Marape.
Also highlighted was a funding of K200 million given to Enga provincial hospital for the final construction of the hospital.
The Enga hospital is almost completed and follows the recent completion of the Boram Wewak
provincial hospital while other provincial hospitals are still underway. According to the Prime Minister this K15 million comes from funding allocated to the provincial health authorities last year. Health Minister Dr Lino Tom said this distribution of funding is directly in line with the current government’s goal to make PNG health independent by 2025, the country’s 50th independence anniversary.
WITH the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary doing away with hired vehicles, the re-fleeting exercise has commenced with two stations receiving two brand new vehicles last week.
Police Commissioner David Manning who presented the vehicles to 6-Mile police station and 7-mile police station urged the officers to look after the vehicles and not to misuse them.
He said the department had invested in other areas of the constabulary like increasing
the number of police officers by recruiting new police officers, developing old infrastructure and continuing the rehabilitation of the Constabulary with a re-fleeting exercise.
Commissioner Manning said, “It will boost the police officers to do their job effectively.”
During the presentation of the vehicles, Commissioner Manning warned police officers not to misuse the vehicles but use the vehicles for their intended purposes.
He further added that the police
vehicles will be closely monitored by the police operations and the public to ensure the vehicles are not misused.
He said the re-fleeting exercise will continue in the next couple of years so the department can do away with hired vehicles. He thanked government for funding the police vehicles. Officers from the stations said they have been using old vehicles with many facing mechanical problems. New vehicles will make their policing duties easier.
BY MARIE SONNY msonny@spp.com.pg
A COMMON obstacle for people living in the rural areas is the lack of access to basic services like roads that can transport a farmer to the market.
This has been the case for many Papua New Guineans living in rural areas for more than 40 years.
Sasiu village is located in the remote hinterlands of Finschhafen district with no road access, limited network coverage and is one of the least sunny places in the district with a cloud cover that sneaks up at any time of the day.
The locals would walk in a group of five to 15 and carry fruits and vegetables to sell at the nearest government station in Pindiu and that
itself involves climbing six mountains to reach the location.
When night draws in, the villagers would take shelter at a village along the track and then continue to trek the next day.
It takes approximately 72 hours of trekking for them to reach the market at Pindiu where they sell two cabbages, five onions or a heap of potatoes and make K10 profit on average to buy two main items which are a packet salt and oil and trek back to Sasiu.
“When we are selling our items, there are two main household items that we buy to bring back with us and that’s a packet of salt and oil, we don’t worry about soap or Omo,” said Dianne Singus, a women from Sasiu village.
“Because of the distance that we have to walk, we don’t carry sweet poatatoes, taro or banana to sell because they are heavy.
“We carry two to five cabbages and fruits like cucumber to sell and on
the way, a lot of the food stuff get spoilt so we sell cucumbers for 20 toea or 10 toea.
“We only carry cabbages to sell because they can last during our trek to the market unlike other greens.”
Another local woman Mrs Malisa Namas shared the same struggles and said for them to walk to Lae would take almost a week.
“We have no road access so our only form of transport is our legs,” she said
“We walk to Lae, and we walk to Pindiu with our children and husbands to access the basics like health services and markets.
“With the increase in prices at shops, we go for the necessary needs for our house with the K10 or K7 profit we make.
“That has been our life and our struggle to date and we hope for some changes in accessibility so that we can be delivered out from these daily struggles.”
THE Nawaeb High School in Morobe Province, has broken ground to build a new hall.
The multi-purpose hall will serve 1300 students of the school and will also relieve the school’s burden to look for classroom during the national examination this year.
The school was elevated to second-
ary level last year with new grade 11 students who are now pioneer grade 12s.
“The new hall will cut down our burden of going and looking for classrooms to plan grade 10 and eights examinations,” said principal Besi Simongi.
“It will help us a lot as we have also
seen an increase of students from 600 to 1300 this year and teachers from 20 to 35 and next year we will increase to 2000 students.”
The school now also serves as a feeder school for Salamaua High School, for Nabak and Tararan in Huon District.
BY MARIE SONNY
IT HAS become a norm for villagers in remote Finchhafen district in Morobe Province to walk for 12 hours to reach the nearest aid post.
For the rural population, the struggle to reach basic health services is real.
The people of remote Sasiu village of ward 24 in Kuat Local Level Government is the last village in Finchhafen district that share a border with Kabwum district.
The locals would walk from 6am to 6pm until they reach the nearest aid posts which is in ward 18 in Mindik village.
A local health worker Maeoka Namas who has been serving the LLG for almost 36 years now said the Mindik aid post serves his village of Sasiu plus 12 other villages in Kuat.
“I leave the village at six o'clock in the morning and arrive at Mindik around six to seven o'clock in the night,” he said.
“I get my stock of supplies, stay the night and leave the next day at 6am again back to the village.”
He said the main health problem faced in the villages that he serves is not flu, common cold or malaria rather it’s mothers in labour.
"Our main problem in the village is when mothers try to give birth, that's our biggest challenge.
“Some mothers may walk, however, they give birth on the road, others die or either lose their baby.
“It is a real struggle. I have become an expert to deliver over 100 plus babies in my last 35 years as a CHW.”
A mother from Sasiu village. Wivinue Wilfred. told the Post-Courier that when mothers or the baby dies, they carry them back to the village to bury.
“We mothers face the worst nightmare when the time comes for us to go into labour,” said Mrs Wilfred.
“Some of us just stay in the village and our CHW Mr Namas helps us with the delivery.
“If our children are sick then we get up and walk because we usually climb two mountains to reach Mindik aid post.
“We struggle everyday with this challenge and it has become part of our lifestyle.
“Our biggest need is for the government to make this basic health service to easily be accessible for us villagers so that we don't suffer to unnecessary deaths from health problems that could have been easily prevented.”
Mr Namas has been a CHW for 35 years doing voluntary work without any form of compensation.
He said he loves his job and is happy to help his people in the village with basic health care.
BULOLO MP Sam Basil Jr has reaffirmed his commitment to develop important industries in the district to improve the local economy.
“New coffee production has started in Bulolo and we want to re-engage and expand our coffee industry.
“We have already started with a coffee nursery and seedling distribution,” he said.
“We have our sights set on opening a factory to buy and process coffee from the Anga region (Gulf, Morobe and Eastern Highlands).”
Mr Basil said there is growing need to harness the growing potential of cocoa, citrus, avocado, coconut and spices.
“My administration is keen on re-establishing Buang and Bulolo honey and coffee brands,” he said.
“We will work on inland fisheries breeding and distribution through collaboration with the National Fisheries Authority.
“We also hope to engage with the National Forest Authority to establish more forestry areas on the hill-
sides, and improve poultry, goats, sheep and piggeries.
“The focus of the Bulolo DDA is empowering our constituents to use their land, labour, capital or skills to engage in livestock, fisheries, forestry, agriculture or artisan activities and alluvial mining.
“We intend to start with the basics of plant nursery, fish and animal breeding and distribution supported by training and extension support.
“Prime Minister James Marape launched the Bulolo District five-
year development plan in November 2023.”
Mr Basil said they are placing emphasis on agriculture and small to medium businesses to create employment and build personal income, which the Bulolo DDA’s development plan encapsulates.
“We realise the importance of harnessing our land and resources to improve the lives of our people and community,” he said.
“Bulolo, despite its great history of more than 100 years of mining,
commercial agriculture and forestry, the people are still reliant on subsistence farming and lack new drive and innovation.”
Mr Basil said after the launching of the plan, Bulolo DDA invited the Departments of Commerce and Industry, Agriculture and Livestock, Mining and National Planning, key agencies and commodity boards that are willing to work with Bulolo District, its officers, local NGOs and development partners to come,
and
up
BY CLAUDIA TALLY
MINISTER for health Dr Lino Tom has called for the institutionalisation of the national cancer centre at the Port Moresby General Hospital.
This will ensure that once the facility is operational, it will be equipped with proper treatment instruments and human resource to treat patients.
“The most important thing that has to be mentioned is that we have to institutionalise what we are do-
ing, meaning the cancer treatment facility, we have to have everything that comprises that institution. That is, clinic curriculums to university, all those pathways need to be put in place also the human resource,” said Dr Lino.
He further highlighted that the investment in the cancer and heart facilities at the Port Moresby General Hospital are worthwhile and have already proven to be beneficial as far as the health and economy are concerned.
PRIME Minister James Marape aspires to provide world-class cancer treatment facilities as part of the Government’s dedication to healthcare advancement.
Mr Marape said this during his visit to the Cancer Centre at Port Moresby General Hospital on Sunday, accompanied by Health Minister Dr Lino Tom, POMGH chairlady Katherine Johnston, and CEO Dr Paki Molumi, Mr Marape acknowledged the efforts in realising a vision initiated in 2019.
He highlighted the financial support of K50 million contributed in 2023 by the National Government, through entities such as Kumul Petroleum Holdings Ltd (KPHL) and National Fisheries Authority (NFA), towards this noble endeavour.
Mr Marape received updates from Mrs Johnston and Dr Molumi, affirming that the building of the stateof-the-art cancer research and treatment centre, meeting Australian standards, is progressing as planned.
Mr Marape further expressed his vision for 2025.
“By 2025, we don’t want the cancer patients travelling overseas for treatment.
“This initiative is also part of the government's broader ambition to ensure that the hospital is equipped.”
He also underscored the government's focus on enhancing other medical facilities, of which includes the cardiac unit at the Port Moresby General Hospital, which also serves patients from various parts of the Pacific region.
Mr Marape commended the hospital board and management for their unwavering dedication.
He further ensured them of the government's continued support in transforming the hospital into a toptier specialist care institution.
“This is one of the many positive developments, countering the negativity propagated by the government opponents who claim inaction.
“I am working according to plan and remain steadfastly committed to delivering for the country,” added Mr Marape.
“To run the facility it might cost K20 million and the government needs to know.
“Looking at the cancer facility, we have spent more than K35 million but the amount of patients treated in the country if you look at the cost would cost more than K70 million.
“If you think health is a social sector, no it is an economical sector,” added Dr Lino.
Last month Prime Minister James Marape announced that the cancer centre will be operational in 2025
to commemorate the country’s 50th anniversary. The construction of the cancer centre started in 2018.
The funding for the cancer centre include:
K50 million for the third phase of construction; K38 million for cancer equipment; and K17 million for brachytherapy (internal radiation treatment).
Meanwhile the hospital and the Department of Health are building the national health workforce
capacity to deliver specialist cancer services in collaboration with global institutions.
Since 2018 the opening of the cancer centre was postponed on several occasions.
On Sunday, Mr Marape, health minister Dr Lino accompanied by senior hospital management and Kumul Petroleum Holdings management visited the construction site of the National Cancer Centre where they were advised on the progress.
BY GORETHY KENNETH kennethg@spp.com.pg
LOCAL contractor, Ipwenz Construction Limited, has denied accusations that it received a K3.5 billion road contract under the government's Connect PNG program.
Moses Palipe, the spokesperson for Ipwenz Construction, dismissed the allegations made by former Prime Minister and Ialibu Pangia MP, Peter O'Neill, stating that no such contract or funds were awarded to the company.
He criticised Mr O'Neill for making unsubstantiated claims based on information provided by an anonymous ‘public servant/s,’ without conducting a fact check with the Department of Works & Highways.
He accused Mr O'Neill of stooping to a low level by making serious al-
legations against Ipwenz Construction without any evidence.
Ipwenz Construction firmly denied receiving contracts valued over K3.5 billion, as claimed by Mr O'Neill, and also clarified that it has not been paid over K45 billion in the last eight months, as alleged.
Mr Palipe characterised Mr O'Neill's statements as a blatant lie and an unhonourable thing to say about a local contractor that has been actively involved in building roads and bridges in remote areas to bring services and hope to the marginalised communities.
According to Mr Palipe, the payments mentioned by Mr O'Neill were legitimate payments for environmental improvements and upgrades for the Ambua to Magarima road, totaling over K800,000. These claims were evaluated and approved by the Department of Works & Highways, and all relevant documents were presented in court, where no charges were laid.
BY GORETHY KENNETH
CIVPAC, a nationally owned company specialising in civil construction works, has strongly condemned allegations of being a scam made by former Prime Minister and Member for Ialibu Pangia Hon Peter O'Neill. The company has labeled these accusations as false and intends to seek legal interpretation for defamation.
Established in 2002, CIVPAC has over 20 years of experience in the industry and is registered under the companies Act (1997). Contrary to O'Neill's claims, the company is not solely owned by one senior public servant but has five independent Board of Directors, various shareholders, and a capable management team.
CIVPAC has successfully delivered projects in remote parts of the country, including connecting the missing link from Erave to Sembirigi and constructing a new road from Menyamya to Tsile Tsile in Morobe Province.
These projects have greatly improved the lives of the local communities and have been pivotal in transforming their livelihoods. Additionally, CIVPAC has maintained the road from Ialibu station to Pan-
gia station, ensuring it remains pothole-free for the past 15 years.
The company has played a significant role in the Connect PNG program, connecting previously unconnected areas.
Despite Ialibu-Pangia MP Peter O'Neill's claims, CIVPAC firmly denies any fraudulent activities, stating that they have been a trusted development partner since their establishment.
They have worked with all Prime Ministers, including Mr O'Neill, and the current Prime Minister James Marape, to deliver high-quality roads throughout the country.
CIVPAC has been awarded contracts through a national tender process, following thorough evaluations by independent Technical Evaluation Committees and the National Procurement Commission Board.
The contracts have been signed by the Governor General after careful considerations, and payments received by CIVPAC are legitimate transactions for completed work.
The company's current major projects include Mukiri-Erave and Randitah-Kuare in the Southern Highlands Province, which are part of the SHP-Gulf Highway (Route 700) and Kewabi Highway. Once com-
Any funds received were returned, and the payments were made accordingly.
Furthermore, Ipwenz Construction confirmed the receipt of over K18 million in payments between December 29, 2023, and January 5, 2024.
These payments were for outstanding invoices for services rendered in 2023 under an existing contract and were vetted and approved by the Department of Works & Highways.
Mr Palipe concluded by asserting that Ipwenz Construction's books are open for inspection and due diligence.
The company takes pride in its completed projects, including the Hiri-Lai Valley construction, Tari to Ambua sealing, and Kiunga to Telefomin road.
The contractor maintains its commitment to transparency and delivering quality infrastructure projects for the benefit of the local communities it serves.
pleted, these roads will serve the upper highlands and provide an alternative route to the port.
“With roots in the Gobe Oil Fields of the Southern Highlands Province dating back to 1996, CIVPAC is very experienced in civil construction works, including well-pads and drill and blast, and is the only national company with a drilling and blasting license/permit.
“ The company has delivered projects in remotest parts including the connection of missing link from Erave to Sembirigi, current construction of the new road from Menyamya to Tsile Tsile in Morobe Province, sealing of Kikori to name a few.
“These are not scams as alleged by Mr O’Neil, these are projects that have transformed the lives of our simple people and changed their livelihoods.
“In fact, CIVPAC has sealed Mr O’Neil’s road from Ialibu station to Pangia which he has seen no pothole in the last 15 years and he should be grateful.
“CIVPAC has connected the unconnected through the Connect PNG program.
“To scam is to “defraud” which CIVPAC has not defrauded the state in any single way.”
BY CLAUDIA TALLY
PRIME Minister James Marape has promised that after the country’s 50th anniversary next year, Papua New Guineans will no longer have to seek medical treatment overseas.
This follows the government’s continuous investment into medical facilities including the heart and cancer centres at the Port Moresby General Hospital which Mr Marape accompanied by health minister Dr Lino Tom visited the construction sites on Sunday. Mr Marape pleased with the progress so far told contractors and the hospital administration that funding will be made available if there are additional costs incurred.
“Those who are facing specialist medical problems, most are economic contributors to the country.
“Those who are working, in business have been in the last 20 years have had issues with lifestyle diseases.
“To save a life, we are saving a society, the economy and the country.
“After our 50th anniversary next year, no more PNG export medical patients elsewhere.
“We’ll rather treat our patients in country and if possibile attract
cancer and heart patients from the Melanesia and from the Pacific we look forward to the completion at the very earliest,” stated Mr Marape.
Health minister Dr Lino Tom concurred with the Prime Minister stating that the ministry is on target to achieve medical independence on the country’s golden anniversary next year.
“To make PNG health independent by 2025, I think we are on track and let me thank you and the government for providing that leadership,” stated Dr Tom.
Since the opening of the heart centre in 2022, over 1000 patients have been treated at the heart centre for a fee much less than the amount it would have cost to seek similar treatment overseas.
BY GORETHY KENNETH
WORKS Minister Solan Mirisim has labelled the report on a K3.5 billion contract awarded to Ipwenz construction by former prime minister Peter O’Neill as ridiculous, misleading and a very cunning and deceptive allegations.
He said these allegations were unnecessary in the midst of the looming Vote of No Confidence (VoNC).
“These ridiculous allegations by former Prime Minister are baseless and severely demoralise upcoming local contractors who want to raise up and meaningfully contribute to the national economy.
“Let me put him on notice that his little allegations will not stop our government and my Ministry from continuing to build our local industry capacity necessary to give Papua New Guineans the opportunity to take the centre stage in building infrastructure instead of continuously depending on foreign contractors at a very high cost.
“In the history of our department, a national or even a single international contractor has never been awarded a contract of such a huge value to a single contractor that has been paid K743 million in eight months period. This is totally untrue,” Mr Mirisim said.
The former Prime Minister needs to be corrected that Ipwenz, a local contractor is only implementing two projects worth K270 million, which include Nipa to Tari Section of the Highlands Highway and the Teleformin Tabubil Missing Link Road Construction.
“All ongoing contracts valued at K4 billion have been procured through the competitive bidding following the established procurement and awarding the lawfull process. More than K2 billion worth of these contracts are under local contractors all over PNG,” said Mr Mirisim.
“The former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill knows well that even during his time in office, he had several construction companies including Wild Cat and Global directly registered under his name but was not possible to issue contracts valued at such amounts to himself.
“His government was only good at awarding contracts to Chinese and foreign conglomerates at inflated unverified contracts costs that remains a mystery even at this stage.
“Now he has seen fit to falsely accuse our government of practicing nepotism when we are giving work to local Papua New Guinea contractors,” he said.
“Papua New Guineans must not forget that Peter O’Neill is known for inflated contracts creating huge debt traps that our government is currently clearing. He must be ashamed of records of uncontrolled spending’s on creating highways to no ways and forgetting the rural road access serving 85 per cent of the rural population.
“To come and point fingers at the government for building local contractor is very hypocritical and deceptive,” Mr Mirisim said.
“This government is focused on building the local contractor capacity in line with the Connect PNG vision to enable Papua New Guinean local contractors to take over 60 per cent construction market share by 2030.We are making it our business to ensure our local contractors are built to highly competitive levels.
“Today we have more than 100 local contractors in various contract sizes and types including five local contractors who can participate and deliver major projects valued over K100million including four lane highways to international standard.
“All the ongoing contracts valued at K4 billion have been procured through the competitive bidding following the established procurement and awarding process stipulated under the NPC Act,” he said.
“There is no room for choosing and picking of contractors under the discretion of any individual. Let me make it clear that more than K2billiion worth of these contracts are under local contractor all over PNG and all these contractors are creating 30,000 jobs for locals per year including many other spin off benefits for Papua New Guineans
“Thus these ridiculous allegations by the former Prime Minister are baseless and purely political rehotics at the time of VoNC.”
LAST Thursday, a clash between two ethnic communities ended peacefully with both sides allowing the conversation process to progress.
Moresby South MP Justin Tkatchenko said; “The incident which was uncalled for, has affected the daily lives of other ethnic communities, innocent Moresby South residents and extended families of those involved.”
Police reports sighted by the member confirm that four Goilala male had gone to a liquor store belonging to a Tari family at Gorobe at around 4-5am to purchase alcohol, and had come across a group of Tari men, who had also been consuming alcohol outside of the store.
Threats of an assault from the Tari men resulted in an altercation, and eventualy led to an all-out brawl.
One of the Goilala males was badly beaten up and dragged onto the main road, while the others fled.
“The victim was transported by a Asila Security vehicle to POMGEN Emergency and admitted there.
“The other Goilalas who escaped, mobilised in numbers and attacked the Gorobe community where the incident happened. The fight lasted for an hour at the Talai/Gorobe junction, leading to the main road,” said Mr Tkatchenko.
“Fortunately for the general public who use the roads, no vehicles were reported damaged. Unfortunately for residents of the Gorobe/Talai
area, lives were at stake because of the actions of a handful,” he said.
Reports also confirmed that Badili police units responded through police radio network but were unable to drive in due to the intensity of the fight, as stones, sticks and objects were hurled between the groups.
PSC Badili Obert Jerry received several phone calls from community leaders in the area, and negotiations at several points among the fighting eventually enabled police to proceed into the fighting zone, and to disperse the factions.
PSC Jerry said he was able to talk to both sides and contained the situation and isolated them into their settlements.
“Upon collecting more information on both sides, we demanded the Tari people to surrender the suspects who attacked the Goilala victim. Both sides agreed for the suspects to surrender.”
PSC Jerry warned the factions that police would deal with anyone who decides to start another fight again.
A suspected insitigator has surrendered and is detained at the Badili cells to be formally charged by members of the Criminal Investigation Division.
Mr Tkatchenko also confirmed that the situation has been contained and that the situation was back to normal, while Badili Police units will continue to patrol along 2 Mile and the Badili section of the main road.
BY GORETHY KENNETH
PAPUA New Guinea’s Pacific Queen contestant Tyla Singirok bagged 1st runner up to Samoan “princess” Moemoana Safa’ato’a Schwenke over the weekend.
Nestled within the beautiful Pacific Ocean, her dress, traditionally inspired, drawn from the majestic Bird of Paradise and harmoniously intertwined natural elements and cultural symbolism, reflecting the essence of Pacific Island heritage and the commitment to ecological harmony Papua New Guinea’s shores, revealing a captivating tapestry woven with diverse flora and fauna. It was designed by MABS Collection- William Maba Bray
Seven beauty queens from across the Pacific region wrestled it out in Nauru this week to compete for the Miss Pacific Islands crown which was announced over the weekend.
The prestigious pageant began on Friday evening with the introductions and talent category.
Saturday's program featured the sarong, traditional attire and stage interviews before the winner was announced. Miss Singirok won the sarong competition and was crowned the first runner up walking away with a few hefty prices.
The organisers of the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant announced that Tyla’s position was very important in that in any event Miss Pacific had an issue, she would definitely assume the Pacific queen title.
The Miss Pacific Islands Pageant was developed by the Government of Samoa to promote the many cultures of the Pacific Islands Region.
Miss Singirok and her team arrive in Port Moresby today.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2024
NOTHING seems to be going right for the country at the moment.
Disgruntled police are openly challenging the authority of the state.
Lawlessness is becoming pervasive. A curse is upon our nation.
Yesterday, the fuel bowsers ran dry. Today there might be no fuel. Tomorrow we might not be able to fly from Port Moresby to Lae and beyond.
Fuel supplier Puma doesn’t want to say a thing about the fuel shortage.
The government is angry at Puma for holding the country to ransom.
The truth is there is no foreign exchange to sustain Puma’s energy crisis.
January 10, which we now famously know as Black Wednesday, exposed Papua New Guinea to the terror of looting and the horror of hungry hordes of unemployed citizens.
Over 50 people died, some shot dead, others overcome by the flames in shops they looted. What a sad way to perish.
The economy is stagnant, very graciously unable to appreciate the business environment at the moment.
Unemployment is rife. Universities are graduating degree holders who are coming to terms with knowing they have no jobs.
Crime is spiraling out of control, instigated by homeless and unemployed youths. The Kina is spiraling downwards. We understand. It has always had a hole. Cost of goods and services have skyrocketed out of reach of the ordinary citizens.
Where is PNG heading, we ask. Why are we in such a conundrum, despite the government boastfully passing two record budgets?
Why are the government’s invention programs, noble as they may seem, not kickstarting the country to the promises of prosperity prophesied by the Government.
This is mind boggling when you consider that since the LNG launch, bulk carriers have left our shores, their bellies full of our oil and gas, but the landowners are still living in bush huts up in the Papuan Plateau.
Why kind of glitch will hit us next? Will it be the curse of the VoNC? Or are we in the belly of the nefarious Octopus called corruption for good?
Feb 13 is the day of reckoning when the VoNC notice must be signed by at least 20 Opposition MPs to be given to the Private Business Committee to consider its merits.
Once the PBC is satisfied that the required procedures have been followed, the motion is then listed on the notice paper.
The next day the Speaker announces to Parliament that a vote of no confidence has been moved against the PM.
Parliament is adjourned for a week and then proceeds with the vote of no confidence.
Prime Minister James Marape still holds a majority support with, at least, 70 MPs in his corner.
However, politics in PNG is very fluid where disgruntled MPs are known to ‘flee’ across the floor of parliament at the 11th hour to form a new government.
This has happened on all previous Votes of No Confidence festivities.
PM Marape heads to Australia this week to address the Australian Parliament. He becomes the first PNG PM to achieve that status.
But we are sure he will also be looking over his shoulder at his campers. Unattended, MPs can become rogues. They can break out any time.
The Waigani circus begins after Feb 13 if the PBC accepts the VoNC notice. Until then, buckle up and keep your fingers crossed.
Email: yutok@spp.com.pg
IT IS a right move by Eastern Highlands Governor Simon Sia - making himself and his office clear that they won’t be entertaining any claims put forward by public servants who claim that their companies have provided different services to Eastern Highlands Provincial Administration.
The revelation of this news in Post Courier Monday February 5, 2024 , is as shocking and disgusting.
This is something sinister and a big corruption practiced by public servants and the person responsible for awarding dubious and false contract to public servants under the disguise to get cut or commission for personal enrichent.
This is indeed a “big cancer” as what stated by Governor Sia himself. A practice as this brings the country, province,
district and community back from seeing developments and many good things. That’s because huge amount of development funds goes to dubious and false claims.
While some goes to paper contract or sub standard work or even no work at all.
This is indeed a corruption and theft of public funds that could have been used to undertake developments in the province. What has been revealed now becomes a police matter.
Police fraud squad should move in and investgate owners of the company and whoever awarded the contract. This is a criminal case. Legal proceedings should take place as soon as possible
MANGI
NOKONDI Fayantina village
THE call for optimism by the PM at the launch of the Hilton Stage two would normally be seen as fair
Every citizen should be optimistic for their country, participate in the economy and have hope that the future is bright. At the same time, there also needs to be a sense of reality.
The reason our people are pessimistic is that they are seeing our country slide backwards. And while the government wants to talk up their good work, the situation for most of our citizens is they can’t see much to be optimistic about.
Yes we have big fancy monuments like the Hilton that show the world we can do wonderful things. But the majority of our people will never see these status symbols and most don’t care about them.
Our people could be optimis-
tic if they could see the way forward and felt encouraged that their hard work would be rewarded. Instead they look at the big land cruisers and the other status symbols, they wish they could have something like this and they find out the only way they can is if one of their relatives works for the government or someone they know is put into a position of power, wins a government contract or marries a politician. What optimism would our children have? They don’t have access to good education where they can be taught the basic skills to set them on a path for the future. They can’t access roads to travel to work or sell their produce, they get sick yet they cant get medicine, when they want to develop a business they don’t have electricity or water and when they reach out for support, they get told to be more optimistic.
Our people used to be opti-
mistic. Now they have become cynical.
You don’t tell people to be optimistic. You have to give them reasons to be optimistic.
In 2019, everyone was optimistic. We had a new leader, he talked about all of the wonderful potential of this country and how we would see it.
Since then, our government has been erratic and the credibility of leadership has been compromised. There are so many questions about the decisions that have been made that have set our country on this road.
And this government is responsible. No amount of optimism can change reality. We need to ask our leaders to stop taking their ‘happy pills’ and take a dose of reality. Our country has plenty to be optimistic about. But only if our leaders do what they should be
AS far as the Public Service Commission and the Teaching Service Commission are concerned, Jiwaka Province does not have two key committees to deal with rogue public servants and teachers, especially for that matter and these are the Training and Disciplinary Committee (TADC) and the Teachers Disciplinary Committee (TDC).
The role and function of the TADC and TDC are like a small ombudsman that recieve complaints and recommends findings to the PSC and the TSC.
The Public Service Act and the Public Service Standing Orders
require a provincial administration of any given province to have the TADC to charge public servants if implicated.
Since Jiwaka does not have the TADC, most ill-disciplined public servants who abscond duties cannot be charged and, worse still, the HRM should be calling for the return of all appraisals for every public servant with an allegation from divisional heads.
The consequence for not having the TADC in a new Province like Jiwaka and Hela is like putting the cart before the horse because without a TADC no public
servants can be charged and if charged without the knowledge of TADC they will take it up with the unions etc.
The order of operations are such that an ill-disciplined public servant has to be charged first based on the evidence provided to the TADC before he or she can be penalised.
If this process on the TADC is not established, the performance of public servants in Jiwaka Province will decline and as the saying goes, one bad apple spoils the rest.
ANDY BRUM, Minj
THIS is a letter to ICCC and relevant authorities who are responsible for regulating public transport fares in Port Moresby and the country.
It has been almost two years or so. I can recall that no fares for school children have been approved by ICCC. Whether it is being approved or not, we are yet to know.
The school children are paying adult bus fares and this is a very
unfair treatment. Can ICCC make this known since the academic school year started last week?
The issue is also with the bus crews who demand that school children pay adult fares.
The fact is that school children do not know how much to pay, so they pay according to what bus crews tell them to pay, so, basically, they pay the same as adult fare.
So, we are not distinguishing transport fares for school children from adult fares. Whose fault is this? Only in PNG do school children pay the same fares as adults for public transportation. Crazy isn’t it. Relevant authorities fail to execute their role and this is a result of this oversight. Only in PNG!
ADULT PASSENGER,
‘NCDC DO SOMETHING ABOUT
THIS’ in the Yu Tok column of Post Courier, dated Monday, February 5, is just one of many ‘Do something’ in our main city, Port Moresby.
About 100 metres from this free water from a Water PNG LTD unattended pipe, is a walkway footpath into Kina Bank Waigani Cameron Road Branch.
The walkway footpath used to be free and citizens accessing services at Kina Bank, Waigani Traders Wholesale and Retail, Meat Haus and others enjoy a short walk from the bus stop and into the com-
pound where these services are provided.
Yesterday, the bus stop (so as others in the city) has been turned into a market by these pigs from the mountains and the walkway footpath had been used by two or three dirty looking young men from the settlements to sell betelnut.
The place is becoming dirtier with piling rubbish, red betelnut spittle/ stain and the entrance and footpath into Kina Bank impeded.
This is a violation of the law protecting public space and a unlawful obstruction to people into and out
of the compound to access services. Yet there is no police or anyone charged with the duty to enforce the laws of our city to apprehend these animals.
These animals are taking over the city as if there are no laws to protect these public spaces, walkways and maintained order and cleanliness.
Please NCD Police and NCDC Authority, do something! these disorderly animals from the mountains are running over you.
THIS is a letter to our good NCD Governor Powes Parkop and NCD Police Command.
Every afternoon after work I get on the bus from Manu via the Foodland bus-stop. Adults, teenagers and 10-year-olds are smoking drugs right at the bus stop.
Every day, there are scores sitting and doing nothing, passing time by selling and smoking drugs. Anyone passing by experiences the drug polluted air.
A FUEL crisis is being experienced in the country, according to recent reports in today’s edition of the Post-Courier Provinces around the country are reportedly hit by a fuel problem with instances of long vehicle queues at service stations. Last week, however, on one of the rainy days, fuel pump attendants in the capital were busy serving vehicles and others like this customer being assisted to fill up his fuel fuel containers - PC FILEPIC
Shoppers at most times feel unsafe as they are vulnerable to attacks by them.
Can authorities ensure Foodland bus-stop is free of these drug addicts?
To aggravate the situation, the defence personnel who leave at Murray Barracks and come to do their shopping at the Foodland often notice these drug addicts but it is just becoming a norm.
Please can the Governor and NCD
Police remove these drug addicts and ensure the place is free from these drug addicts, I am sick and tired of seeing them everyday when passing through the Foodland bus stop. It is becoming unsafe and it is also an eyesore for visitors and the travelling public.
Amazing Port Moresby has eyesores at some public spots.
POM RESIDENT
THE pending court decision on the election petition by former MP Westley Nukundj against late incumbent MP Steven Pim for the Dei Open Electorate has stretched on indefinitely.
The completion of a proper trial in February 2023 was expected to bring clarity, yet as we are in February 2024, the final ruling on the election petition remains elusive. For the people of Dei, the journey
towards justice is uncertain. The delay in the court’s decision has prolonged.
The decision on the petition has been delayed time and time again between February 2023 and 29th December 2023.
The people of Dei are deprived. With three to four more delays between January and February 2024, it is becoming unbearable. At the core lies the fundamental
THE billboard diplomacy has not gone down well with many in public when all projects funded by both the national government and the Jiwaka provincial government have commenced without the bill board being erected on the site to educate the public about a particular project and its specification.
Many public projects, during the term of the previous Jiwaka provincial government, have recieved much criticisms because the public were denied information as to who funded the project, how much was allocated and who won the tender on the project.
lt is sad that there has never been a Jiwaka Provincial tenders board in the last 10 years and all project applications for tender purposes were being administered by the national tenders board.
Maybe that could have caused the halt on puting up the billboard as most projects in Jiwaka, upon inspection, did not have a billboard and the responsibility was on the
Provincial tenders board. Furthermore, whether a project is fully funded or jointly funded, the project description, as it has to to be provided as it serves two purposes, once a project is completed, the public can make a balanced assessment of the project against the total sum of money allocated and against the contractor.
The case in point is the new Police housing scheme in Minj, with land already cleared and gravel being hauled to site, however, but without a billboard, leaves the public guessing the total number of houses to be built and on the architectural features of the building.
The challenge is now on the newJiwaka Provincial Tenders board to provide a billboard on the Minj Police housing project and this has to take immediate effect so that the public in Minj know about the development projects in their town.
ANDY BRUM
Angenmol-Minj
Email: yutok@spp.com.pg
THE signs of last days of this world as described in the Bible to happen before the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is constantly experienced in this country and around the world.
The churches, individuals and the street preachers must not talk about anything else but preach the truth, directive or the salvation message to set people free from the disaster of the end time and the things happening today and mostly to enter God’s Kingdom.
The lives of the people are in our hands, the churches and individuals
preaching the word of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world with the gospel message of salvation and demonstrated in the waters of baptism, (Mathew 3:13-17, John 14:6). He was not a sinner but showed us the way to enter God’s heavenly Kingdom. There is no other gospel message of Salvation apart from the salvation message of Jesus Christ. If anyone on earth or an angel from heaven who preaches a different gospel, maybe he condemned to hell!
ANOINTED CHRISTIAN
STRUGGLES indirectly bring success. Who said you will struggle forever? Nothing will stop you if you believe in yourself.
Whatever situation you are facing today that is hindering your progress will also pass. It won’t last. How am I so sure?
right of the people of Dei to have a voice in the Parliament.
The denial of a representative due to the delayed decision on the Election Petition is not merely a legal matter but a matter of democratic principle.
The delay in the court decision is prolonging a by-election due to the passing of Hon Steven Pim.
CONCERN FOR DEI
Well, think back in life. I know this is not the first you are going through tough times. I believe you did go through some tough times before. However, did you die? No you didn’t. God saw you through. So what makes you think this is too big for God? When you focus on the greatness of God, then the problem decreases.
If you focus on the greatness of the problem, God decreases and the problem elevates. It is all in the mind.
So stop focusing on the problem. All in all, it is not the problem that
is the problem. It is how we react to the problem that is the problem. Keep learning. Keep improving. You have greatness inside of you. The secret is not to focus on where you came from but where you are going. It is tough but believe me, it works.
Don’t focus on people who looked down on you. Don’t focus on the limitations in your life.
Always believe that no matter what you are going through today, there is a brighter day that is coming your way.
With God, all things are possible. Nothing great comes easy. We have to believe beyond doubt that a new dawn is coming. Exercise your faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen..
KEEP BELIEVING
Old Airport.
WAIN ERAP seemed a long way from the growing city of rainy Lae. And dusty Kerevat was certainly long, long way from the mountains and valleys of Morobe.
To get there, you had to cross the mighty Solomon Sea. For a mountain man, this was an adventure that had to be undertaken to see the outside world.
It was 1975. A lot was happening. The country was gearing up for Independence from Australia. Debate was raging on the pros and cons of attaining political selfgovernment.
Many people were unsure. Others were sure it was the right thing to do. Some provinces, like North Solomons and even the Papuans, led by the indomitable Papua Besena leader Dame Josephine Abaijah, were daring to break away from PNG.
His dream was to become a pilot and soar high above the clouds of Morobe. And for that he needed extra time for studies.
His extra time to do homework and studies were mostly affected when his parents would need him to help farm the crops and then they would shift the crops from village to road access area.
Despite countless challenges, Maino made it to Bumayong Lutheran High School in 1971.
But Michael Somare, the political firebrand from East Sepik and the chief architect of Independence who willed it along with his political PANGU, would have none of the dissent.
Amidst the political clamour, a young man from the mountains of Wain Erap was getting ready to embark on a journey of a lifetime.
Now in the twilight of his golden years, Gwaset Maino recalls the breezy days when he took his first ever plane ride ‘overseas’.
Maino, from remote Barawang village in ward eight of Wain Erap LLG, was to become a pioneer grade 12 student of Kerevat National High School in 1975.
He takes us back to the 80s and 90s on how life was like for him back then.
As a young boy, Maino attended Kasingan Community School in Erap in 1970.
He passed the high school national examination in 1972 at BLHS and made it to do his grade 10 at Lae Technical College which is now PNG National Polytechnic University.
He then passed the Technical College examination and went on to do his grade 11 and 12 at one of the country’s second national high school in 1975.
When the country observed its Independence in 1975, Maino was privileged to witness the occasion at Kerevat National High School.
Maino recalls that his old classmates at Kerevat were Tope Sito, Bomoke Similiong and Yangayong Wofungbi from the Nawaeb district.
But the thrill of a carpenter never leaves a builder. In 1987, Maino applied again and was accepted at Ok Tedi as a leading hand in the power plant section.
In 1990, he joined Porgera Mine with an Australian contractor firm with K5 rate. This time he was engaged as a foreman in charge of carpentry in the construction of single sleeping quarters also known as dongas compound.
In 1976, results came in and Maino saw that he did not make it to further his studies at university.
Maino would go back to his village every Friday’s and return to school on Sunday afternoons.
During his days, they would walk for a whole day to reach the main access road from Barawang to Mungkip village which is quite a walk to the Highlands highway.
They would spend a night there and then get on a PMV truck to sell their market produce for cash in Lae.
Maino’s dad was an Australian Government representative in the village during Australia’s colonial administration days and most times his parents would need his help to farm and trade vegetables, coffee and tobacco to earn income to meet his school fees.
Maino had a dream born out of watching planes flying down the Markham Valley to land at Lae’s
That year his cousin brother, a carpenter engaged by a contractor at Bougainville Copper Mine, arranged his ticket and flew him over to Buka.
His cousin brother made arrangements for Maino where he joined the company working as a general labourer from 1976 up to 1977.
He can still remember those days were good with K2 as his hourly rate, which was a lot of money for a young man at that time. After six months with the company he was promoted as an assistant to foreman.
He worked for four years and in 1981, he returned to Lae and worked with Fletcher Morobe as a carpenter.
In 1983 Ok Tedi Mine recruited him with a rate of K3, but after two years he returned to Lae.
He was then engaged by Works department in Lae as a carpenter.
At around that time, the Busu River bridge had collapsed, cutting off thousands of Nawaeb people from access to Lae.
He was engaged with other civil engineers to rebuild the Busu Bridge.
Maino also worked in road maintenance along the highlands highway where he contributed in the maintenances of Yalu and Umi bridges.
In 1987, he finally laid down his hammer and saw in a general government retrenchment program.
Maino said during his time in the high school and national high school days, there were expatriate teachers teaching and Mathematics, Science and English were his favorite subjects.
In 1974, one year before independence, he was involved in conflict resolution in his community when he was
doing his grade 9 and 10 at Lae Technical College where he believed this may have affected his studies to become a pilot. When he retrenched, he returned home and started a coffee plantation. Locals from his community saw the potential in the coffee business and followed him. They ventured into coffee farming into cooperative known as Kasuka Cooperative with more than 60 members with an intention to farm and trade fresh produce with mining and hotels.
The cooperative is still in its active status currently which only needs restructuring of management and its operations.
Maino is the third born in the family. His two elder brothers died. Currently Maino has three children, two male and a female with 10 grand children.
Maino’s story should be a best guide for students who continue to use little challenges as burdens
hindering them from pursuing their dreams.
Despite a lot of hardships during colonial times, he made it to study in the national high school in 1975 and became a leading foreman with a building and construction company in mining industry.
His exposure in the building and construction in mining industry helped him to establish a cooperative in his village too when he returned home.
A strange coincidence is that his name Maino means ‘peace or peaceful’ in the Motuan language of the Papua region. How he was blessed with that peaceful name is another story.
Today we again celebrate Safer Internet Day.
This advocacy aims to create both a safer and a better internet, where everyone is empowered to use technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively.
The campaign aims to reach out to children and young people, parents, teachers, educators and social workers, as well as industry, decision makers and politicians, to encourage everyone to play their part in creating a better internet.
By celebrating the positive power of the internet, the Safer Internet Day slogan of “Together for a better internet” encourages everyone to join the movement, to participate, and to make the most of the internet’s potential to bring people together.
The events of the recent past where we saw looting and destruction in Port Moresby and some parts of the country is directly related to the misuse and abuse of the positive use of the internet.
The Department of Information and Communication Technology social media monitoring desk has data that shows the increased use of the internet through the social media platforms of Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram, Tiktok and others inciting people to mobilize and loot and that spread across the country from the situation in Port Moresby.
I issued a warning that I would use my powers under law to restrict the use of some platforms of the internet if this trend continue whereby there is abuse of the internet.
With a global, community-led approach, Safer Internet Day encourages everyone to come together and play their part. There are many ways to do this:
•Children and young people can help to create a better internet by being kind and respectful to others online, by protecting their online reputations (and those of others), and by seeking out positive opportunities to create, engage and share online.
•Parents and carers play a crucial role in empowering and supporting children to use technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively, whether it is by ensuring an open dialogue with their children, educating them to use technology safely and positively, or by acting as digital role models.
•Teachers, educators and social workers can help to create a better internet by equipping their pupils and students with digital literacy skills and by developing their critical thinking skills, which will allow them to better navigate the online world.
They can empower them to create their own content, make considered choices online, and can set a personal example of positive online behavior.
•Industry can help to create a better internet by creating and promoting positive content and safe services online, and by empowering users to respond to any issues by providing clear safety advice, a range of easy-to-use safety tools, and quick access to support if things go wrong.
•Decision makers and politicians need to provide a culture in which all of the above can function and thrive – for example, by ensuring that there are opportunities in the curriculum for children and young people to learn about online safety, ensuring that parents and carers have access to appropriate information and sources of support, and that industry is encouraged to self-regulate its content and services.
They must also take the lead in governance and legislation, and ultimately ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people through effective child protection strategies for the digital world.
•Everyone has a responsibility to make a difference online. We can all promote the positive by being kind and respectful to others and by seeking out constructive opportunities to create and connect. We can all respond to the negative by reporting, inappropriate or illegal content and behaviour online. In commemoration of Safer Internet Day 2024 today, it gives me great pleasure to also announce on behalf of the PNG Safer Internet Committee (PNGSIC), the release of the new look “Parents Guide to being Cybersmart’ publication. The said Guide is intended to provide advice to parents of children of all ages as part of engaging families on the importance of online safety.
Further, I commend and encourage the collaborative efforts of both local and international key stakeholders, facilitated by NICTA through the PNG Safer Internet Committee (PNGSIC), in localising and carrying on the all too important work of promoting communities.
Happy Safer Internet Day and God bless Papua New Guinea!
Hon. TIMOTHY MASIU MP Minister for Information and Communications Technology
A 16 YEAR OLD Grade 10 student is now in hospital after he was bashed up allegedly by police in Goroka, Eastern Highlands province.
Kemuelly Mainao, from Yangoru in the East Sepik province was returning home after buying lunch at a fast food in Goroka when he was pulled over and bashed by policemen along the road at West Goroka Primary school between 1pm and 2pm on Saturday.
The victim is currently at the Goroka Provincial Hospital emergency ward where he is being closely monitored at the intensive care unit by the doctors.
The victim was allegedly pulled over by police for driving wrecklessly and without due care.
According to medical reports, the victim sustained serious head injuries obtained from punches to the head and is being closely monitored for internal bleeding that may result in brain damage which could lead to complications.
According to witnesses, the victim was driving a white Toyota land cruiser, when he was approached by the Goroka task force Fox 3 police vehicle which overtook him.
The police blocked the road and demanded the driver to pull over and
TWO former directors of a company in New Ireland province, Natmani Investment Limited and Natmani Security Solutions Limited have filed respective lawsuit against the board and directors of the company for sidelining them.
Antonia Koreaman and John Morpo claimed they were unfairly dismissed as directors of the company and are seeking to review the decision of their sacking through the judicial review court.
According to court documents, Ms Koreaman claimed she was founder and shareholder of Natmani Investment Limited and Natmani Security Solutions Limited but she was illegally sidelined from the company.
She named Mel Sanagal, Anna Hobo and Gideon Totsik as first defendants and Harriet Kokiva of Investment Promotion Authority
as second defendant in the proceedings.
She alleged that the defendants conducted a meeting without her and Morpo’s knowledge and resolved to remove both as directors of the company.
Koreaman therefore instituted the processing OS 373 of 2023 while Marpo filed OS 372 seeking leave to review the decision of the defendants and for the court to reinstate them as directors of the company.
According to Koreaman, the first defendants have not yet filed their Notice of Intention to defend.
Although Investment Promotion Authority filed a Notice of Intention to defend on January 9, 2024, no defense have been filed as yet, according to Koreaman.
The required 30 days to file defense has lapsed on Monday Jan 22, 2024.
BY ISMAEL GWASO
THE six landowner groups of the Wafi-Golpu mining project are calling on the Morobe provincial government to release the K100m infrastructure development grants investment from the government this year.
Representatives of four of the six landowner associations told PostCourier yesterday that they haven’t received or seen any impact of the IDG investments since 2021.
President of Wagang outfall landowners association Gae Galang said the Morobe provincial government has turned a blind eye on them.
“We still have issues but no benefit has come to us yet. Since the K250m came out last time, we have never seen any development.”
He said the Prime Minister James Marape said last year during the Golpu Haus launching in Mumeng that all IDG funds will be put on hold until all ground works are sorted out,
however, the media has stated that the money was released and the landowners are confused.
Mr Galang said they have also heard that the government is also discussing the business development grants which are supposed to go to the landowners. He said the Wafi Golpu Joint Venture officers are unsure of the IDG dealings that they can’t answer the landowner’s queries. “We have seen that money has been thrown elsewhere without good benefit,” Mr Galang said Yangta landowner Peter Tei supported the call saying the provincial government did not use the IDG for its intended purposes.
He said if provincial government want to protect their interest, everything must be transparent and the landowners must benefit before the project commences. Morobe Governor Mr Luther Wenge has confirmed that MPG has received K100 million IDG last year.
PRESIDENT of Babuaf landowners
asssociation Jack Raban has raised concerns saying they have heard of the IDG grants but have never seen any benefits since 2021.
“If you go to my place, you will see that the roads are covered in bushes, the health center building and infrastructure are run down and there is no proper buildings for schools and teacher’s houses and no proper water supply,” he said.
Mr Raban said the SML 10 landowners and the other legitimate landowner groups have been given high expectations but to date there is no development in their areas.
come out of the vehicle.
The eye witness said a policeman wearing a knuckle tactical gloves came out of the police vehicle and struck the driver with continuous punches to the head, while asking him “Meri yuh where? (Woman where are you?).
Later, three policemen in uniform came out of the police vehicle, one identified to be in half uniform, approached the victim, started swearing and directed him to drive straight to the police station.
Kemuelly refused to go to the police station and told the policemen that he would go see his father first, as he
was feeling unwell.
Despite pleading with the police, they persistently directed the victim to drive straight to the police station.
Yet the victim drove straight to his home and upon arriving, he fell to the ground, urinating in his pants, telling them that he was attacked by policemen, according to his mother.
His siblings ran out and saw the police vehicle that followed him to the house outside.
The family members approached the police vehicle, explained that the victim was badly injured and asked them to leave.
But the police demanded that he be
brought to the station for questioning, with one of the policemen threatening the family with a gun to come to the police station and drove away.
Despite the injuries, Kemuelly's family brought him to the Goroka police station.
The policemen denied the incident until later one of them admitted after he was identified by the victim.
Kemuelly was later brought to the hospital by his parents.
The victim is currently admitted at the Goroka Hospital ICU where he is being closely monitored.
Kemuelly's family said they want justice to prevail.
“We want that money to come to us in advance so we can prepare ourselves and develop ahead before the project but we have never received any IDG money.
“I’m speaking on behalf of the Babuaf people but I believe others have faced the same issue,” Mr Raban said.
He said they believe that Wafi Golpu infrastructure development grants belong to the landowners.
“We understand that the money belongs to us to develop ourselves in preparation for the project so give it to us first, we will share and all Morobe will develop,” he said.
BY ROBERT TIKI
THE fully renovated labour ward in Mt Hagen General Hospital is expected to cater for 600 pregnant mothers this month.
Ward manager for the hospital Sister Susan Kolopu said this during the opening of the hospital's renovated labour ward yesterday.
She said they are looking forward to giving the best treatment to pregnant mothers who seek their care.
Sr Kolopu said the labour ward serves mothers in Western High-
lands and other neighbouring provinces as well.
“According to our tally, we helped 400 to 500 pregnant mothers to deliver their babies last month.
“And now, we are expecting to help 600 plus pregnant mothers to deliver this month,” she said.
She said the nurses were in a better position to carry out their work.
“We have new beds and other necessary items that will make our work easy. This is our motivation and we are thankful for that,”she said.
Sr Kolopu said from now and on-
wards , the labour ward will provide decent services unlike before.
She thanked the acting CEO of the Western Highlands Provincial Health Auhtority Jane Holden and the hospital's board for making the funds available for the renovation. The small but significant ceremony was witnessed by Ms Holden, the hospital board’s deputy chairman Sent Kulda, the representatives of the contractor and the nursing staff.
The hospital labour ward renovation work was carried out by the Coffee Solution construction Ltd.
BY NELSON JOE njoe@spp.com.pg
LOCAL spice producer PNG Organic Spice Development Limited is proud to be a supplier of spices to supermarket shelves throughout the country. The company produces spices processed from ginger, chilli, tumeric, cardamom and more.
Operating out of a small setup in Masumave community at 8-Mile outside Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, managing director Sakarias Ikio said they had been relocated from Mt Hagen, Western Highlands province between 2009-10 after their small spice processing plant was burnt to ashes.
He started afresh with the nursery of those spice produces. However, at that time, he acknowledged that farmers in the province were not interested in the spice industry, one of the industries in
BY NELSON JOE
THE Unggai-Bena district development authority is looking at selling pineapples grown by farmers in markets outside the district.
Chairman and local MP Feo Kinoka reassured farmers that the DDA is also looking at a processing plant at Korofeigu.
He has announced the plant at the first pineapple festival in the district in December last year at Sogomie community in ward one of lower Bena local level government.
“I will be going to Dubai on December 21, to meet with investors there,” Mr Kinoka said.
“Pineapple farming already has a steady base in the district, as the other major alternate revenue earner when the coffee season is over and I
have assured potential investors of this.
“They are interested and offered to support with US$7 million.
Meanwhile, the front of the Goroka main market is dominated by Bena pineapples since recently.
And this is how far they can go due to their heavy weight that they can not be carried in bulk over a long distance, though they are wanted by many, such as Stop and Shop in Port Moresby, National Capital district.
Sophia Okuk, the marketing development officer of the Sogomie Fresh Produce Development Association that hosted the first pineapple festival, said they abandoned their contract with the City Pharmacy Limited.
“Even with transport costs alone , the sale of Bena pineapples is uneconomical,” she said.
agriculture sector whose economic potential is yet to be seriously cultivated.
Mr Ikio has eventually become an extension officer in this industry and started teaching the people on how to farm spices.
With determination and commitment in this industry, he became one of the locals not just producing, but also processing and selling spice products.
He said the PNG Organic Spice Development Limited is focused on providing competent spice product
options while empowering the rural farmers through involving them in this industry.
However, he said they are using whatever little proceeds to sustain their operations, adding that their processing plant is long overdue for maintenance.
Also, a used 15-seater Nissan bus they purchased earlier with financial assistance from the government has been grounded after it broke down along the road while it was on one of its extension service runs last year.
A prime mover bought by the Kainantu District Development Authority to help transport produce, needs K1 million for a trailer with a sidelifter.
Chairman and MP William Hagahuno said the prime mover has not been in use since it was bought last year.
“A trailer with sidelifter costs K1 million. We do not have that funding,” he said.
“At the moment, we are using it to move our machinary and also those of other construction companies to the road infrastructure project sites.”
Substance farmers from Tapo village in the Agarabi local level government area and Hengka’i village in Kamano 1 LLG thanked the DDA for the upgrading of the TapoHengka’i road.
They said in the past they had to wait for hours or walk long distances, loaded with bags and bilums of vegetables to sell at the markets. With the new roads, more public motor vehicles are transporting passengers and their cargoes between Kainantu and their villages.
Mr Hagahuno, at the launching of the avocado project in October last year, reassured the DDA’s commitment to road infrastructure in response to concerns relating to access to farmgates in rural areas expressed by the Green Label Trading manager Chrisilla Smeka. Green Label Trading has been aggregating vegetables not only from the district but also from Eastern Highlands and other provinces as far as Western Highlands.
MAGISTERIAL SERVICE HEADQUARTERS PO BOX 1616 PORT MORESBY – NCD
operations of the Lower Courts including District Courts, which is an integral part of the National Judiciary System of Papua New Guinea. The Chief Magistrate is responsible to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission for the efficient and effective operations of the Courts administered by the MS. There are over seventy (70) District Court locations and 400 gazetted court-holding places in Papua New Guinea.
MS is relevant in all 22 provinces. Potential Suppliers and contractors in the provinces are invited to indicate their interest in providing the following services to the Magisterial Services.
ItemDescription
1Office Materials & Supplies (e.g. Stationeries, Toners and other related consumables)
2Provision of Printing of Office Materials & Supplies
3Provision for ICT Services (Software & Hardware + Consumables)
4Motor Vehicle Repair & Maintenance
5Motor Vehicle Fuel Distributors
6Motor Vehicle Hire Companies
7Repair & Maintenance of office equipment (air conditioning)
8Supply of office equipment, furniture & fittings (White & Brown goods)
9Plumbing, Electrical & Locksmith Services
10Construction, Rehabilitation & Routine Maintenance of Buildings (Office & Residence)
The Expression of Interest (EOI) must include the following:
•Current IRC TIN & COC
•Information demonstrating that they have the capacity and relevant experience to provide the services applied for. Electronic copies of the EOI can be emailed to smaule@magisterialservices.gov.pg or
1616
MORESBY
Magistrate EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR PROVISION OF SERVICES TO MAGISTERIAL SERVICE IN 2024
PNG is committed to work with Solomon Islands to move forward outstanding bilateral agreements, and further strengthen diplomatic relations, Foreign Affairs Minister
Justin Tkatchenko MP said in a meeting with Solomon Islands High Commissioner William Soaki.
“ We achieved a lot in the short period of time and we look forward to working with you to continue this relationship,” Mr Soaki said.
Mr Tkatchenko said PNG is mindful of its Pacific Island neighbour going to the polls in two months’ time, but that PNG was committed to sign the outstanding bilateral
agreements by the end of February.
The agreements to be signed include the Basic Agreement between Governments on Border Arrangements; a Treaty of Sovereignty on Maritime and Seabed Boundaries; an Agreement between both Governments on the Administration of Special Areas; and a Memorandum of Understanding on Combined Surveillance and Common Marine Border.
Discussions also included negotiations on an Air Services Agreement, where point of entry is under review considering the opening of airports including Lae and Mt Hagen. Ter-
tiary Education Cooperation, another progressive agreement under revision and had taken two years was also on the agenda.
Mr Tkatchenko assured Mr Soaki that the parties will work towards having this agreement signed by May after the new Solomon Islands government is formed.
Other agreement’s currently under review are the Bio-Security Customs, and Police Cooperation on general policing.
Terms for a cooperation agreement are also underway, in consultation with the Autonomous Bougainville Government for Bougainville Inter-
nal Waters, to regulate trading that has been a regular occurrence at the border with the region for years.
“It’s not going to be an easy journey and it will come down to the leadership and the way they agree and handle the situation,” Mr Tkatchenko said.
Mr Soaki also noted the proposed formation of the Solomon Islands and PNG Business Council which was discussed at the last senior officials meeting.
“We have alot of Papua New Guinean investors in Solomon Islands and the establishment of a business council is being considered.”
THE first phase of the upgrade and sealing of the Sepik Coastal Highway has been completed, with the second phase set to begin soon, says Works and Highways Minister Solan Mirisim. The Government wants the Sepik Coastal Highway linking the two Sepik provinces, from Wutung in West Sepik to Wewak in East Sepik, and eventually connecting with the rest of the road network in PNG.
BY MAL TAIME
A LOCAL Level Government council president in Jiwaka province has called on the government to abolish the third level of government because it is deemed ineffective.
Mr Kuruai said there was a reason for him to call on the Local Level Government Affairs Department not to prepare to conduct the LLG
elections but instead prepare a submission to abolish this level of government.
He said this level of government has been underfunded over the years causing the poor delivery of services to the rural majority.
Mr Kuruai made the call during the Anglimp South Waghi (DDA) and Jiwaka provincial assembly (PEC) meetings, respectively.
He said the presidents were mandated leaders, but they do not know if the (LLGSIP) has funds.
“We are kicked around like footballs because we do not have money to do our job.
“The minister responsible must make a clear statement in the media on how much funds were allocated.
His colleague, Jim Kuk from Kudjip, said Kudjip was a new LLG cre-
BY MARK TALIA
BY combining tradition with innovation in an era of technological advancement, Hytarc Tvet college is bringing education to your doorsteps by providing cutting edge education.
This is through flexible online skills training.
Director Micheal Goro said after 23 years of experience in human resource development in PNG using traditional classroom training modules the college has seen the need to go online and reach the remote population, busy working class, people with disabilities and school dropouts.
“Hytarc TVET college has been in operation for the last two decades and along the way, we discovered a lot of problems like shortage of materials for the students, lecturers and trainers not attending classes.
“One of the key benefits of the institution’s online training initiative is the flexibility it offers for students to access course materials at any time and from anywhere, students can balance their academic pursuits with personal and professional commitments.
“When I say flexible, if a student pays 60 per cent upfront, a laptop is issued to the student with log-in credentials to our learning platform and so if in any case the student loses the laptop, they can log-in on to their phones to access.
“This will be helpful to students living in remote areas who can register online, pay their tuition fees and do their course.
“It also offers convenience for those in the workforce with busy schedules.”
ated that needs a proper chamber for the ward members to conduct meetings, but to date there was no proper chamber because of the lack of funding.
Anglimp South Waghi MP and Correctional Services Minister Joe Kuli, in response to Mr Kuruai, said the ward members were the government implementers but he was not in a position to give a positive response.
This flexibility not only enhances the overall learning experience, but prepares students for demands of the modern workplace, where collaboration and digital literacy are essential.
The college has invested in cloud assets, AI and laptops in order to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the online training, Mr Goro said. The college is also looking into arrangements to have customised SIMs to be issued to students in partnership with the mobile companies to provide affordable data packages to the students.
THE Sumbura village court, market, sub-health centre and other tribal fight areas are captured in the Kagua-Erave district law and justice conflict recovery and peace building sustainable development programs.
District affairs officer Ludwig Oropawa said the district administration is looking for partners to help in the resettlement of people who were displaced by tribal fights.
Mr Oropawa said these Sumbura projects aim to provide basic services to the people of Sugu Valley whose villages were destroyed, plus the people were displaced due to tribal conflict.
He said the village court provides a platform for resolving disputes and conflicts peacefully.
While the Sumbura market offers economic recovery opportunities for the affected communities.
He said the sub-health centre also provides basic healthcare services to the people, that is ensuring their well-being and improving their quality of life.
“These programs are essential for the sustainable development of the communities and for promoting peace and harmony in the Sugu Valley,” he said.
He said the district administration and the provincial government remain committed to supporting these programs and ensuring their success.
“The administration recognised the community self-initiated Ronga
aid post from west Sugu.
This will be registered soon to serve more than a 5000 population.
The Katiloma aid post rehabilitation needs both the District Development Authority and community attention to provide better healthcare to the other 6000 population of the east Sugu,” he said.
Mr Oropawa said the village court plays a crucial role in promoting peace and resolving conflicts peacefully.
Providing a platform for dialogue and mediation helps to prevent further violence and allows the community to address their grievances and concerns.
“This not only contributes to the overall well-being of the people but also fosters a sense of unity and harmony among the tribal fights which have destabilised and displaced many villages with children and mothers,” he said.
Mr Oropawa said the newly created Ronga, Katiloma and Wabia village court also help to keep the peace and stability in the valley.
He said the market which has brought more money and improved lives has to be redeveloped when the Southern Highlands - Gulf Highway is a huge benefit for our mothers and their families. “This is another important initiative that the DDA will take into account and engage in its initial start-up,” Mr Oropawa said.
“The market offers economic opportunities for the local community.
A REGIONAL TB centre will be built at the Kerowagi, Chimbu province.
Tonsy Aure, Director Public Health from the Chimbu Provincial Health Authority said this during the presentation of an ambulance to the Miunde Health Centre last Friday.
The ambulance was bought by the National Gaming Control Board.
He also announced that SiPHA will also install telemedicine equipment at the Kerowagi district centre.
Mr Aure said all these are happening because of an excellent working relationship between the district and PHA.
“In Chimbu, Kerowagi, Kundiawa Gembogl and the Gumine districts are working closely with SiPHA to provide health services in the province,” he said.
“And this occasion marks yet an-
other accomplishment for the district in the Health sector. Congratulations Francis Siune.”
The Kerowagi MP thanked SiPHA for their choice in selecting Kerowagi as the venue for the Regional TB centre and said he'll provide any other assistance necessary to see to the fruition of this project.
He also thanked the National Gaming Control Board for their donation of the ambulance to the Kerowagi district.
Guma Wau, the former Member for Kerowagi thanked the MP for the ambulance.
It will help the Dage, Kumai Mukuaku and the people of both the North and South Waghi.
The Miunde Health Centre is located on the border of the Chimbu and Jiwaka provinces.
THE people of Moga Akelka on the outskirts of Mt Hagen city have been living in the dark over the last four decades.
But this is now becoming the story of the past as their MP William Duma has taken the initiative to deliver a power project to the area.
Mr Duma and Western Highlands Governor Wai Rapa jointly switched the Kum to Kundumb rural electricity project that coincided with the launch of the Kum to Rondon road upgrading and sealing last Friday.
Before switching on the electricity supply, Mr Duma said the Moge Akelka people lived on the mountain
“The market provides a platform for buying and selling goods and ser-
towards Mt Hagen city and observed that residents of Kagamuga and Mt Hagen city vicinity lived with lights which concerned them.
He said he made decision for them to see light and allocated funds to roll out the rural electrification program.
He said the power supply was at their doorsteps and urged ward members Thomas Kunai and Willie Wingti to do a survey and list down the names of all the family units who will get power. He said he negotiated with the PNG Power Limited for rural electrification projects and was fortunate to roll out the project for the Moge Akelka people.
BY STEVEN BUSIN
BOUGAINVILLE independence is intertwined with the economical development of Bougainville and the Panguna mine plays a major role in that respect.
President Ishmael Toroama said this when announcing the granting of an Exploration Licence to Bougainville Copper Limited of the former SML area ELO1 last week.
“For too long there had been impediments to our economic development and now we have the opportunity through this licence to remove one major impediment to make sure
progress on our economic front.
“The fate of Panguna is tied up with our political journey and I have twined our political independence with our economic independence,” he said.
President Toroama said that these two entities – political independence and economic prosperity – cannot be separated.
“They are part of lubricating the system so that it may work for Bougainville.
“The fate of Panguna is tied with our political journey and this makes Panguna a Bougainville wide agenda,” he said.
“Panguna is a high impact project for Bougainville and the issuance of the exploration licence paves the way for redevelopment of the mine.
“We have our political aspiration and timeline, and we hope to achieve independence no earlier than 2025 and no later than 2027.
“Our economic situation needs to improve if we are to realise our political independence.
“For too long there have been impediments to our economic development and we have the opportunity now through this license to make sure progress on our economic front.”
of the five Egyptians ordered out of Bougainville for selling cooking ware and other kitchen utensils in Buka over the last two weeks. They were ordered out because they entered the region on a tourist visa and were caught selling cookware.
As seen in the picture here, they are meeting with officers from the Immigrations office, PNG Customs, Bougainville Business Association, Buka Urban Council, airline officials and the ABG Economic Devel-
Bougainville Copper Limited in an announcement to the stock exchange said that the exploration licence is for a period of five years.
BCL Chairman Sir Mel Togolo described Panguna as one of the largest copper deposits in the world and the company was excited at the prospect of leading redevelopment work at the mine.
“This is a result of constructive collaboration, underpinned by mutual respect, with a common goal to make Bougainville economically strong.
“While also creating opportunities for business development and em-
opment Trade and Industry.
The Government team ordered them out within 24 hours.
It has been discovered that they have other members also distributing and plying a similar trade in Lae and other parts of the country.
continue working closely with the government for the common good of the people.
“I want to encourage continued partnership under the state and church partnership arrangement which started in 2015,” she said.
beginning this year
Ms Nelson said partnership is the key to progress, urging the bishop to
“We unfortunately had to suspend the policy in 2021 when the two Open Members of Namatanai and Kavieng diverted 80 per cent of our internal
ployment for our people,” he said.
Sir Mel said the Autonomous Bougainville Government, landowners and BCL have been working to resolve differences since the refusal of the EL01 extension in January 2018.
“Today marks the successful culmination of these joint efforts.
“Panguna promises to be a transformative investment for Bougainville that will support greater levels of economic self-reliance in the region,” he said.
The EL01 extension clears the way for BCL to increase its activities in Panguna in accordance with Bougainville Mining Act 2015.
revenue under the Lihir Royalty to the districts.
“In recognition of this special event, I have the pleasure on behalf of the New Ireland government pledge K7500 contribution towards this event.
Moderator Rev Kilagi thanked the New Ireland government for the continued support to the church in Niu Ailan Region.
BY DIANNE WILSON
EAST New Britain teachers that have been getting away with being paid in full while not at school will have their salaries deducted. This is the new stance taken by the ENB education division on teachers that are getting used to playing truant or fail to turn up in class on time will find themselves short on pay day.
Provincial education adviser, Alkan Mararang told the Post-Courier recently that the decision to cut pay was made last year to address punctuality which he described as a chronic issue amongst teachers in the province.
“I have made a conscious decision that the moment a report (of teacher absenteeism) comes to my table, I will send it to payroll and they will cut the pay, and we started that last year.
“We have started cutting pays for our teachers so that we can streamline our operations.
“Teacher absenteeism is a chronic issue.
“You can walk into a classroom in one of the big high schools or secondary school in the province and realise that the teacher is not in the classroom.
“That is a big challenge.”
Since his appointment in 2021, Mr Mararang has embarked on an ongoing clean-up exercise that has since resulted in the education division suspending two non-performing teachers last year.
“There were two suspensions that we put through the board, the board endorsed and we uphold those suspensions,” he said.
“These are purely non-performing behaviours from our teachers.”
He further said for teachers being in the classroom and actually putting an effort to teach are two different things.
Mr Mararang admitted that education inspectors still need to visit schools to ensure that teachers are actually doing their jobs.
“Apart from you putting the effort to be there...the question is whether you are actually doing your job, or are you just there to babysit the students?
“These are the questions.
“That is why we are empowering our inspectors to continuously go out and check on these things”, he added.
DMP’s Long Way Home brought Jamaican artist Da’Ville to Port Moresby and performed at the Superclub, The Cosmopolitan on Friday, February 2 and Saturday, February 3, 2024.
Da’Ville Performing his own hit songs plus cover songs, Da’Ville got the ladies screaming. He performed his rendition of ‘Heaven’, then got DMP’s brothers Evin Rush and Arak to perform a cover of Tracy Chapman’s ‘Baby Can I Hold You’ which was a crowd favourite. Another crowd favourite was One Direction’s chart topper ‘Steal My Girl’, ‘One Love’ by Bob Marley.
While performing Justin Timberlake’s ‘Mirror’, Cool Range Band’s leader guitarist Kos started off with a performance that shook The Cosmopolitan.
His own songs performed include ‘This Time I Promise’ and ‘Always on My Mind’. Da’Ville performed the original version of ‘Always on My
Mind’ which as we all know, is an all-time favourite as the crowd sang along to it!
Da’Ville, while on stage said he asked what his biggest song is in PNG and was told, ‘Always on my mind’ is…getting the crowd to sing the chorus twice by themselves.
Da’Ville really represented his Jamaican heritage with his moves and harmonies.
As soon as he got off stage, Cool Range Band played an intro to get the DMP guys on stage.
DMP
Arak, Blad P2A and Pacific Islands King of Ragga, Evin Rush get on stage and start their set, getting the audience starstruck! They did not waste time as they came out swinging as they sang their old hits including ‘Wine Up’, ‘Girly’, ‘Baby’, ‘Island Home’, ‘Akaria’, ‘Ironically’, ‘Gole’, New album songs include ‘I’m Still Falling’, ‘Queen of My Heart’,
TO ALL YOU REGGAE LOVERS, IT’S REGGAE MONTH SO DON’T FORGET TO GET YOUR GROOVE AND LISTEN TO SOME REGGAE JAMS!
“Bulletproof” is a soulful and introspective musical narrative that skilfully explores the intricacies of confronting a recurring and challenging situation in life.
The song’s lyrics paint a poignant picture of self-awareness, where the protagonist acknowledges the existence of a persistent issue or obstacle that continues to resurface, creating a cyclical pattern in their life. At the heart of the song is the metaphor of a difficult relationship, a theme that resonates with many listeners who have grappled with the push and pull of emotions in the face of adversity.
The lyrics depict the struggle of
being drawn back to a situation that may not be beneficial or healthy, akin to returning to a toxic relationship. Despite the awareness of the potential harm, there is a magnetic pull, a love too strong to resist, leading the protagonist to revisit the challenging circumstances with a sense of hope.
The term “bulletproof” in the song serves as a powerful metaphor, symbolising the desire for resilience and invincibility in the face of life’s trials.
It reflects the protagonist’s yearning to emerge unscathed and stronger after each encounter with the recurring situation.
The song captures the essence of the human experience, encapsulating
‘Balinda’, ‘She Wanna Go’, ‘Long Way Home’, Blad P2A performed his new song ‘Lus Kontrol’ for the first time, then ended the night with the biggest song by a Melanesian artist, ‘Ukulele’.
d his ntrool’ l , then endded d the he iggest song y a ,
COOL RANGE BAND
‘Shhe L Lonng g Bla a meed h s Kon timee, he bi rtist NGE mu were t mu now h the d to g guita
The talented musicians of Cool Range band were impressive as always. Tight music and added vocals, you know you can never go wrong with these guys!
Da’Ville had to get Coola Range Band’s lead guitarist Kosman to do solo.
He then got bass guitarist Patrick do another solo as well and incorporate that with a medley with the band.
All in all, the Cool Range Band really showcased their range and really represented Papua New Guinea with their talents.
THIS FRIDAY 9TH FEBRUARY WE WILL BE PERFORMING LIVE IN CONCERT AT CLUB 99 IN LAE, WE WILL BE PERFORMING ALL OUR HITS INCLUDING OUR BIGGEST SONGS FROM OUR NEW ‘LONG WAY HOME’ ALBUM ALONGSIDE COOL RANGE BAND.
othe that d. he C ased esent BE BAN
sicians C Cooool l e impressiive e as usic and a adddeed w you can nevveer r ese R Ranngge arist Kosmman n to guiitarriist st r a annd with a m medlleey y Band d their and ted PERFORMING ALL OUR M D. ALL TICKETS FOR THE CONCERT WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE NIGHT AT THE GATE. ALL VIP MEET & GREET TICKETS INCLUDES MEET & GREET, PHOTOS WITH THE GROUP & FREE DMP TOUR T-SHIRT.
the eternal conflict between reason and emotion, resilience and vulnerability. With a tinge of optimism, the lyrics suggest that, perhaps, this time around, the protagonist will be able to navigate the challenges successfully, as if donning a metaphorical suit of armour. The music becomes a vehicle for conveying the universal struggle of individuals facing recurring obstacles, providing a melodic backdrop to the emotional journey of grappling with a challenging aspect of life. In its entirety, “Bulletproof” offers a rich and multifaceted exploration of the complexities inherent in facing and overcoming reoccurring challenges.
The latest release by Demenseo2, is an anthem that resonates deeply with the artist’s love for their craft and the transformative journey they’ve embarked on in the realm of music. This powerful song serves as a declaration of resilience and a refusal to let the negativity of haters infiltrate their passion. The revamped track is a testament to their determination to rise above past mistakes, let go of any lingering doubts, and embrace a newfound sense of invincibility.
With an unwavering spirit, “Bullet Proof” is not just a song but a manifesto, signalling a bold and empowering chapter in Demenseo2’s musical journey.
SUVA: FIJI’S sacked assistant director of public prosecutions Elizabeth Rice will be pursuing legal action against the state for unlawful and unfair dismissal as well as for discriminatory treatment based on race and defamation.
Rice, who is a New Zealand resident, claims she was unlawfully sacked by the acting director of public prosecutions John Rabuku on 19 January “on the basis of race”, lawyers representing her confirmed to RNZ Pacific.
Her dismissal is another nonpolicy related matter the Sitiveni Rabuka-led coalition will now have
to deal with, taking much-needed focus away from policy issues impacting the people.
Reports of Rice being dismissed first were published on 24 January on Grubsheet Feejee blogsite managed by former Fiji government communications advisor Graham Davis.
“Rice claims tha ... Rabuku sacked her after telling her that while her performance was commendable, he was removing her because she was white and he wanted an iTaukei in her position,” Davis wrote. Lawyers representing Rice, who was appointed to the role in June 2019, said she
woudl be filing a lawsuit against the state alleging unlawful dismissal, discrimination based on race, and defamation.
Rice has spent almost three decades as a criminal lawyer, as well as spent many years as a prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service in England and joined the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in Fiji from 1994 to 1997.
In a written statement to RNZ Pacific, the ODPP said: “Rice had minimal workload whereas the local prosecutors work was far much more than what Ms Rice was handling despite her high salary scale.”
Her “minimal workload” was established following an audit of case files handled by the ODPP’s prosecutors, according to the ODPP.
“She has not displayed any specialised prosecutorial skill that warrants any further need for her in the ODPP here in Fiji. We have the local prosecutorial skills here in Fiji, as we have always had before,” Rabuku said via the statement.
He said Rice was offered a consultancy role “from time to time on any specialised prosecutorial field or training” and provided the option to resign with immediate effect or be dismissed. - RNZ PACIFIC
SUVA: THE Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) “stands by” one of its senior officers, who is taking on a role with the Australian Army, despite the officer being accused of committing human rights abuses.
This week, The Australian first reported that Colonel Penioni (Ben) Naliva has been appointed as deputy commander of the Australian Army’s 7th Brigade, making him second in command of about 3500 Australian troops.
However, the right-hand man to former Fiji coup leader and prime minister Frank Bainimarama, according to the newspaper, is alleged to have been involved in the violent beatings of two Fijian politicians in 2006.
“In another case, the UN Special Rapporteur named then-major Naliva, in a report to the Human Rights Council, as being involved in the savage beating of a Suva businessman that left him unable to walk,” according to The Australian’s frontpage report on published on Monday.
“In a third case, a prominent youth activist says Naliva was present when he was detained and tortured in 2006, and did nothing to stop it.”
But RFMF Military Assistant to Chief of Defence Lieutenant Colonel Eroni Duaibe has rejected the accusations labelled against Colonel Naliva.
He told RNZ Pacific most of the allegations had “come about through social media platforms” posted by “disgruntled individuals”.
“There has not been any formal reports that have been lodged with Fiji police in regards to this,” Lieu-
tenant Colonel Duaibe said.
“We stand by Colonel Naliva and his appointment with the Australian defence.”
According to The Australian, following inquiries about the accusations, “[Australian] Defence is understood to be working with the Fijian government to determine ‘appropriate next steps’”.
“Defence is aware of reporting regarding Colonel Penioni Naliva.
RAROTONGA: THE Cook Islands’ deputy prime minister Robert Tapaitau has been removed from parliament.
Tapaitau, former National Environment Service director Nga Puna, and his wife and former Secretary of Infrastructure Cook Islands, Diane Charlie-Puna have been found guilty of “all or most offences” following a judgement given by Chief Justice Patrick Keane.
In his ruling CJ Keane said: “In my decision... I have found each defendant guilty of all or most of the offences with which they are charged, and have convicted them of those offences.”
The trio were accused of taking public funds amounting to US$70,000
(K264,968) between April 2019 and March 2021.
In a written statement last week, Brown’s office said the Prime Minister had been briefed by the Solicitor General on the decision.
At the time, the government declined to comment further, saying it would take time to review the 100page judgement.
On Friday, Prime Minister Mark Brown said the Tongareva (Penrhyn Island) seat is now vacant and a byelection will be held within 60 days of the vacancy occurring.
“Over the coming days, I will advise on the appointment of a new Minister to Cabinet after discussions with my caucus colleagues.”
- RNZ PACIFIC
Defence takes any allegations of wrongdoing seriously,” it reported.
“Colonel Naliva has not been charged over any of the allegations and The Australian is not suggesting they are true, only that they have been made and are now the subject of inquiry by the Australian government.”
RNZ Pacific has contact the Australian Defence, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights
and Fijian Human Rights and Anti Discrimination Commission for comment.
Australia has committed to grow its defence and security cooperation with Fiji - under the Vuvale Partnership agreement signed last October, with increasing co-deployments.
The appointment comes after Colonel Naliva graduated from the Australian War College last year. - RNZ PACIFIC
HONIARA: The Former Solomon Islands opposition leader claims road conditions in Honiara are the worst they have ever been. Matthew Wale said the pot holes reflect a “sick government” and an “ailing economy”. Wale, who is also the Solomon Islands Democratic Party wing leader, said this is not the first time he has raised the issue. He calls on the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development to address the situation with urgency because it’s having a ‘very negative’ impact on the economy, the private sector and vehicle owners.
RAROTONGA: New figures show inflation increased 7.4 per cent in the Cook Islands between the September 2022 and 2023 quarters. Cook Islands News reports across the 12 months to September 2023, it was noted the annual percentage contribution of food and non-alcoholic beverages was 13.4 per cent. The cost of fish and seafood skyrocketed by 60 per cent. Cook Islands Chamber of Commerce chair Addrienne Hosking-Tinirau said multiple factors were influencing ongoing increases in prices.
PAGOPAGO: The American Samoa government has passed a bill to ban styrofoam. People could be fined up to US$1000 (K3785.26) for its importing, sale and use. In 2019, a bill was drafted to outlaw all styrofoam products but it failed to gain traction. The new bill, proposed by the Lemanu Talauega Administration, has passed this week. Polystyrene contains a chemical called styrene that has been linked to cancer as well as reproduction and developmental disorders by the National Research Council.
AUCKLAND: The first New Zealand university research centre, Te Poutoko, dedicated solely to Pacific and global health solutions now has a governing body. Founding co-directors Sir Collin Tukuitonga, Professor Judith McCool, and Dr Roannie Ng Shiu formed the group to offer guidance around the Pacific’s most pressing challenges. These include non-communicable diseases, the health impact of the climate crisis, pandemic preparedness and the health of children and young people.Agencies
ALOFI: POWER concerns on Niue remain in the wake of a lightning storm just over a week ago which took out much of the island’s generating capacity.
Schools have been shut down, public workers sent home, and there are fears for the welfare of the elderly after the lightning storm on January 26, local time, damaged Niue’s national power grid.
Parts of the island have had power restored as of Saturday morning, with Radio 91FM able to broadcast in Alofi South, but the rest of the island is not able to receive radio.
Television services also remain down.
On Friday, the Broadcasting Corporation of Niue (BCN) posted on its Facebook page: “Due to the ongoing power outage, broadcasting services Radio and TV are temporarily off
air. Regrettably without a backup generator the national Broadcaster has been off air since 5pm yesterday.”
It added: “We apologise for the inconvenience and the stress of not having this essential service during the cyclone season. Unfortunately the situation is beyond our control.”
But power was restored to BCN offices on Saturday as it is near the airport, which is preparing for the arrival of the weekly flight from New Zealand.
An engineer has been sent from New Zealand to undertake further repairs to the network.
“The damage is a lot more than they had initially thought,” Niue Broadcasting Corporation head Esther Pavihi said.
She said the damage is extensive “to the point now that they cannot
continue with rationing”, according to a source.
The generators are reportedly not able to cope with demand.
“So the northern side of the island has been completely shut off, the southern side had power rationing until it was switched off yesterday (Thursday),” Pavihi said.
Niue has been plagued by power outages for many years, with the situation now “dire”.
The last major outage was in July last year. The lights were out at the national broadcaster on Friday with no power and no back up generator and journalists were sent home. Pavihi spoke with RNZ Pacific as her phone battery drained to get the news out.
She said being cyclone season, this is “a very concerning situation”.RNZ PACIFIC
SYDNEY: AUSTRALIAN writer
Yang Hengjun has been given a suspended death sentence by a Chinese court, five years after he was arrested and accused of spying.
The sentence may be commuted to life imprisonment after two years, according to Australian officials.
Dr Yang - a scholar and novelist who blogged about Chinese state affairs - denies the charges, which have not been made public.
The Australian government says it
is “appalled” by the outcome.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has summoned China’s Ambassador to Australia for an explanation, and on Monday said the government would be “communicating” its response to Beijing in “the strongest terms”.
“We have consistently called for basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment for Dr Yang, in accordance with international norms and China’s legal obligations,” she said in
a statement.
“All Australians want to see Dr Yang reunited with his family. We will not relent in our advocacy.” Australian officials have previously raised concerns about his treatment, but China’s foreign ministry has warned them not to
interfere in the case, and to respect the nation’s “judicial sovereignty”.
Dr Yang’s supporters have described his detention as “political persecution”.
“He is punished by the Chinese government for his criticism of human rights abuses in China and his advocacy for universal values such as human rights, democracy and the rule of law,” his friend, Sydney academic Feng Chongyi, told the BBC - BBC
JAKARTA: INDONESIA’S presidential candidates struck a conciliatory note in the latest televised debate as the hotly contested race to lead the world’s third-largest democracy enters its final stages.
Ahead of the February 14 poll, Defence Minister and leading candidate Prabowo Subianto, ex-Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan, and ex-Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo appeared cordial, unlike in previous debates where pointed attacks were leveled against the frontrunner.
Prabowo is running with outgoing President Joko Widodo’s son, a fact that has riled up Indonesians concerned about the incumbent’s perceived political interference and the resurgence of dynastic politics in the young democracy.
Jokowi’s tacit support has buoyed Prabowo in opinion surveys that give him a solid 20-point lead over rivals, with the backing of about 45 per cent of respondents.
Watched by millions, Ganjar urged voters to fight against dynastic politics, saying the interest of a family had been prioritised over a nation. Meanwhile, Anies criticised what he described as the politicisation of the government social assistance program.
Media has reported that rice handouts were distributed with Prabowo campaign stickers.
The government has denied any one candidate benefited from the program.
“We need to be aware that the social aid is aimed at the recipient not at the (interests) of the giver,” Anies said.
With election day looming and a
forced ‘cooling off’ period scheduled from February 11 to 13, the rivals were seen agreeing on a range of topics from public health and education to culture.
“If there are good ideas, we accept
MANILA: THE Philippines’ defence minister on Monday vowed to “strictly enforce” the country’s sovereignty, joining the chorus of security officials pledging to defend the nation following secessionist threats made by former president Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte on Jan. 30 called for the independence of his hometown island Mindanao in the southern Philippines as his alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr disintegrated last week over disagreements around efforts to amend the constitution. “The mandate of the Department of National Defense is to secure the sovereignty of the state and integrity of the national territory as enshrined in the constitution,” Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said in a statement.
“We will strictly enforce this mandate whether externally or internally,” he added.
Teodoro’s remarks echoed similar statements made by the national security adviser, who on Sunday, said the government will not hesitate to “use its authority
and forces to quell and stop any and all attempts to dismember the Republic”. Duterte made history by becoming the first Philippine president to hail from the resource-rich Mindanao island, which has been
plagued by violence and conflict for decades as the government battled insurgents and extremists.
The unrest has discouraged investments and left many villages in poverty. - REUTERS
MUMBAI: A social media post claiming that an Indian actress had died due to cervical cancer and a subsequent video announcing that she was alive has sparked a furious debate on the ethical conundrums surrounding online publicity campaigns. On Friday, Poonam Pandey’s official Instagram account released a statement saying that the 32-year-old actress had “bravely fought the disease” and died.
TAIPEI: Taiwanese companies are not being affected much by disruptions to the key shipping lane of the Red Sea as it has coincided with the traditional low season in demand for exporters, Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua said on Monday. Some shipping companies have suspended transit along the Red Sea route to avoid being attacked by Yemen’s Iranianbacked Houthi group.
NEW DELHI: India’s finance minister presented an austere budget last week despite upcoming general elections, a strong display of the administration’s confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would return to power for a third straight term. Instead of the usual voter-friendly measures announced in election years, Nirmala Sitharaman’s interim budget focused on fiscal discipline and cut subsidies on food, fertiliser and fuel.
and support them. We believe the three candidates are fighting for Indonesia.
“Let’s maintain harmony,” Prabowo said in a press conference after the debate”. - REUTERS
BEIJING: Some Chinese developers must now install monitoring equipment at their projects, under official measures which took affect this month. The rules apply to firms that have received at least 30 million yuan (US$4.2m; K15.7million) of government funding. It comes as authorities move to support China’s crisis-hit property industry. In January, the country’s housing ministry said it would offer more bailout loans to developers struggling with debt and demand. - Agencies
LONDON: THE expected arrival of a Chinese research ship in the Maldives this week has escalated tensions between Beijing, Delhi and Male.
Officially, the vessel Xiang Yang
Hong 3 is there to “make a port call, for rotation of personnel and replenishment”. In short, an entirely innocuous stop.
But that is not how it is being seen in Delhi. Instead, the ship’s presence is at the very least a diplomatic snub. At worst, some fear, it could be a mission to collect data which could - at a later date - be used by the Chinese military in submarine operations.
China experts, however, have shrugged off their concerns.
“The Chinese ships carry out sci-
entific research work in the Indian ocean. Its activities on the high sea are entirely legitimate,” Zhou Bo, a former People’s Liberation Army Senior Colonel, told the BBC
Two Chinese naval submarines made a port call to Colombo in 2014 and two Chinese research vessels visited Sri Lanka, close to the tip of southern India, in the past two years, much to the displeasure of India.
The arrivals came as China, which has loaned billions of dollars to Colombo, made significant inroads into Sri Lanka.
The research ship, XiangYangHong 3, had in fact originally planned to visit Colombo for replenishment before proceeding to the Maldives. - BBC
SAN
SALVADOR:
PRESIDENT Nayib
Bukele on Sunday secured a thumping victory in El Salvador’s elections after voters cast aside concerns about erosion of democracy to reward him for a fierce gang crackdown that transformed security in the Central American country.
Thousands of Bukele’s supporters clad in cyan blue and waving flags thronged San Salvador’s central square to celebrate his re-election, which the 42-year-old leader termed a “referendum” on his government.
Bukele declared himself the winner before official results were announced, claiming to have attained more than 85 per cent of the vote. Provisional results showed Bukele winning 83 per cent support with 31 per cent of the ballots counted.
His New Ideas party is expected to win almost all of the 60 seats in the legislative body, tightening its grip on the country and bestowing even more sway on Bukele, the most powerful leader in El Salvador’s modern history.
“All together the opposition was pulverised,” Bukele, standing with his wife on the balcony of the National Palace, told his supporters. - REUTERS
WASHINGTON/ADEN/BAGHDAD:
THE United States intends to launch further strikes at Iran-backed groups in the Middle East, the White House national security adviser said on Sunday, after hitting Tehranaligned factions in Iraq, Syria and Yemen over the last two days.
The United States and Britain unleashed attacks against 36 Houthi targets in Yemen, a day after the US.military hit Tehran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for a deadly attack on US troops in Jordan.
”We intend to take additional strikes, and additional action, to continue to send a clear message that the United States will respond when our forces are attacked, when our people are killed,” White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told NBC’s “Meet the Press” program on Sunday.
The strikes are the latest blows in a conflict that has spread into the Middle East since October 7, when the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas stormed Israel from the Gaza Strip, igniting war.
The Biden administration’s diplomatic efforts to stem the fallout from the war also continued with top diplomat Antony Blinken departing for the region on Sunday afternoon.
BAGHDAD: IRAQ has banned eight local commercial banks from engaging in US dollar transactions, taking action to reduce fraud, money laundering and other illegal uses of US currency days after a visit by a top US Treasury official.
The banks are banned from accessing the Iraqi central bank’s daily dollar auction, a main source of hard currency in the import-dependent country that has become a focal point of a US crackdown on currency smuggling to neighbouring Iran.
A rare ally of both the United States and Iran with more than US$100 billion (K378.5 billion) in reserves held in the US, Iraq relies heavily on Washington’s goodwill to ensure that its access to oil revenues and finances are not blocked.
A central bank document verified by an official at the bank listed the banned banks.
They are: Ahsur International Bank for Investment; Investment
Bank of Iraq; Union Bank of Iraq; Kurdistan International Islamic Bank for Investment and Development; Al Huda Bank; Al Janoob Islamic Bank for Investment and Finance; Arabia Islamic Bank and Hammurabi Commercial Bank.
The head of Iraq’s private bank association, which represents the banks involved, and Ashur and Hammurabi did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Reuters is contacting the other banks.
A Treasury spokesman said: “We commend the continued steps taken by the Central Bank of Iraq to protect the Iraqi financial system from abuse, which has led to legitimate Iraqi banks achieving international connectivity through corespondent banking relationships.”
In July 2023, Iraq banned 14 banks from conducting dollar transactions as part of a wider crackdown on dollar smuggling to Iran via the Iraqi banking system. - REUTERS
REUTERS
Tehran-backed groups declaring support for the Palestinians have entered the fray across the region: Hezbollah has fired at Israeli targets at the Lebanese-Israeli border, Iraqi militias have fired on US forces in Iraq and Syria, and the Houthis have fired on shipping in the Red Sea and at Israel itself.
Iran has so far avoided any direct
Yemen February 4, 2024.
role in the conflict, even as it backs those groups. The Pentagon has said it does not want war with Iran and does not believe Tehran wants war either.
Sullivan declined to be drawn on whether the United States might attack sites inside Iran, something the U.S. military has been very careful to avoid. - REUTERS
KYIV: UKRAINE’S President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was weighing a possible dismissal of the country’s top military officer, a prospect that has shocked the nation fighting Russia’s invasion and worried Kyiv’s Western allies.
Asked whether he was considering the ouster of Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Zelenskyy told Italian RAITVin an interview released late Sunday that
he was thinking about it as part of a broader issue of setting the country’s path. He said that “a reset, a new beginning is necessary,” and it’s “not about a single person but about the direction of the country’s leadership.”
“I’m thinking about this replacement, but you can’t say here we replaced a single person,” Zelenskyy said. - AP
SANTIAGO: FIREFIGHTERS in central Chile on Sunday battled to quell fierce forest fires that have killed 112 people so far and razed entire neighborhoods, while President Gabriel Boric warned the country faces a “tragedy of very great magnitude”.
Hundreds of people are still missing, authorities say, stoking fears the death toll will keep climbing as more bodies are found on hillsides and houses devastated by the wildfires.
The fires that gathered momentum on Friday now menaced the outer
LOS ANGELES: Rapper Killer Mike was taken away from Sunday night’s Grammy Awards in handcuffs by police after sweeping up three of the music industry’s biggest prizes for rap music, witnesses said. Los Angeles police offered no statement on the matter and two separate press officers on duty said they had no information. Video posted on social media showed police escorting Killer Mike, his hands cuffed behind his back, through the concourse of Crypto.com in Los Angeles.
OTTAWA: Canada on Sunday announced a two-year extension to a ban on foreign ownership of Canadian housing, saying the step was aimed at addressing worries about Canadians being priced out of housing markets in cities and towns across the country. Canada is facing a housing affordability crisis, opens new tab, which has been blamed on an increase in migrants and international students, fueling demand for homes just as rising costs have slowed construction.
SEOUL: South Korea and Saudi Arabia on Sunday signed a memorandum of understanding to expand defence cooperation, Seoul’s Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said, as Seoul looks to ink further arms sales in the region.The agreement will see the two establish a joint committee to form a working group for weapons systems research and development as well as production to continue cooperation in defence, DAPA said in a press statement it released on Monday.
PARIS: France summoned Russia’s ambassador on Monday after the death of two French humanitarian workers following a Russian strike in Ukraine, and what Paris said was an upsurge in Russian disinformation, a French diplomatic source said. Two French volunteer aid workers were killed and another three wounded in a Russian drone attack in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson on Feb 1 in what Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne described as an act of “barbarity”.
BELFAST: Northern Ireland’s new power-sharing executive called on the British government on Monday to boost its offer to ease the region’s strained budget beyond the 3.3 billion pounds (K15.7 billion) included in a deal to restore the devolved administration. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will meet political leaders in Belfast.
edges of Vina del Mar and Valparaiso, two coastal cities popular with tourists. The urban sprawl of those cities accounts for more than a million residents west of the capital Santiago.
Drone footage filmed by Reuters in Vina del Mar area showed whole neighbourhoods scorched, with residents rummaging through husks of burnt-out houses where corrugated iron roofs have collapsed. On the streets, singed cars littered the roads.
“The wind was terrible, the heat scorching. There was no respite.
People dispersed everywhere,” said Pedro Quezada, a local builder in the Valparaiso region, standing amid charred debris of his destroyed home.
Videos shared on social media showed hillside fires burning close to apartment blocks in the Valparaiso area, spewing smoke into the air. Thick haze blanketed other urban zones, hobbling visibility.
Chilean authorities have introduced a 9 p.m. curfew in the hardesthit areas and sent in the military to help firefighters stem the spread of fires, while helicopters dumped wa-
ter to try to douse the flames from the air.
Chile’s Legal Medical Service, the state coroner, said 112 people have died in the fires. The death toll stood at 51 on Saturday.
Earlier in the day Boric, announcing two days of national mourning starting on Monday, said Chile should prepare itself for more bad news.
“It is Chile as a whole that suffers and mourns our dead,” Boric said in a televised speech to the nation. “We are facing a tragedy of very great magnitude.” - REUTERS
ANKARA: Turkey agreed to provide its increasingly popular drones to Egypt after the two countries normalised ties following a decade of rupture, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Sunday. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is set to travel to Egypt on Feb 14 to meet counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in his first visit since Ankara and Cairo upgraded relations by appointing ambassadors last year.Fidan told private A Haber television that Turkey’s leader will discuss trade, energy and security with Sisi. - Agencies
Asian stocks slump as traders dial back rate cut bets
SINGAPORE, REUTERS - Asian shares fell on Monday and the dollar climbed after a robust US jobs report dashed any expectations of a near-term interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve, while stocks in China stocks remained on the back foot on weak sentiment. Oil prices were tentative following fresh strikes in Tehran-aligned factions in Iraq, Syria and Yemen over the last two days by the United States, with rising tension in the Middle East keeping risk appetite in check. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS), slid 1% at the start of the week. The index is down 4.5% so far in the year. Japan’s Nikkei (.N225), rose 0.5%. The focus in Asia has been on slumping Chinese stocks as investor sentiment remains rock-bottom. China’s securities regulator vowed to prevent abnormal market fluctuation on Sunday, but announced no specific measures. The watchdog also said it will crack down on ill-intended short-selling, attract more investment by long-term capital, and earnestly listen to investors’ voices. China’s blue-chip index (.CSI300), opens new tab eased 0.12%, having touched a fresh five-year low last week. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (.HSI), opens new tab fell 0.5% in early trading. “The frequency of these statements may indicate market stabilisation is becoming more important for policymakers,” said ING economists in a client note. “Formalisation of a potential market stabilisation fund could provide a short-term boost for markets but investor sentiment remains downbeat for now, awaiting improvement in fundamentals.”
PAPUA New Guinea has lost between K8 billion and K10 billion in revenue due to non- verified oil and gas going out of the country annually.
This is according to the National Institute of Standards and Industrial Technology (NISIT) who will carry out a gold bullion and gas metering service to take stock of the quality of gold and quantity of gas proceeds going out of the country.
NISIT Acting Director General, Victor Gabi said this is an issue that NISIT through its Metrology Division will look into addressing.
Mr. Gabi said the agency already has some funding in place to start with, first with the Gold bullion project.
“The gold bullion is going to be stamp by us. Every gold that is being made, the purity of the gold, the Metrology division will stamp the gold. It is like a quality check that the institute will do for the government.
“We do the quality check, stamps it and the bank of PNG takes over,” Mr Gabi explained.
Mr Gabi said a K3 million funding has been budgeted for that project with negotiations ongoing.
The other project is the LNG proceeds and the verification process.
Mr Gabi said there needs to be a verification process of how much the private company is taking out of PNG.
“No one knows even the Department of Petroleum and Energy.
“They will come to NISIT for quantity check.
“I talk about quality check when it comes to Gold. When it comes to gas, it is quantity check.
“Checking the load and the volume going out.
“Why do we do that? Simply because a lot of taxes related to the gas going out, customs duty and all that stuff are calculated from the volume that goes out.
“We have estimated that we are losing roughly around K810 billion on the non- verified annually.
“We need to clamp down on it. It is called a leaking role in terms of government caucuses.
“We need to fix it up,” Mr Gabi said.
A total of K1.5 million has been budgeted for this project. It will take another 2-3 years to build.
BOUGAINVILLE Copper Limited is excited at the prospect of leading the redevelopment of the Panguna mine in Bougainville, says BCL chairman Sir Melchior Togolo.
BCL on Friday was granted five-year extension of Panguna Exploration Licence (el01).
Panguna is one of the world’s largest known copper deposits.
“This is a result of constructive collaboration, underpinned by mutual respect, with a common goal to make Bougainville
economically strong, create opportunities for business development and for employment of our people,” Sir Melchior said.
“The ABG, Landowners and Bougainville Copper have been working on resolving differences since the refusal of EL01 extension in January 2018.
“Today marks the successful culmination of these joint efforts. Panguna promises to be a transformative investment for Bougainville that will support
MIBANK Limited customers’ can now access their mobile banking services using the Vodafone network.
This comes after MiBank, one of the country’s micro banks, recently launched its MiBank USSD Mobile banking services with Vodafone PNG.
Vodafone’s business relationship manager, Patrick Wakeri said: “Vodafone users in PNG can now register and access MiBank banking services on their mobile phones using the MiBank mobile banking USSD platform.
“Once registered, MiBank customers can simply dial *678# to perform various banking
transactions conveniently on their mobile phone over the Vodafone network.” He added that the USSD benefits introduced through this partnership mark a significant stride towards a more accessible and inclusive digital banking landscape for Vodafone customers. “This collaboration allows Vodafone customers to gain access to basic banking services regardless of their location or access to traditional banking infrastructure,” he said. “Together, the partnership between MiBank and Vodafone will aid in connecting the unconnected and banking the unbanked.”
greater levels of economic selfreliance for the region,” Sir Melchior added.
The ELO1 extension clears the way for BCL to increase its activities in the Panguna project area in accordance with the Bougainville Mining Act 2015.
“The Company has a wellestablished presence in Bougainville and has forged strong community relations.
“This provides a very solid foundation for increased
activity as we work with mutual respect towards Panguna’s redevelopment.”
At a ceremony in Buka last week, to mark the granting of the extension, Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama said Panguna was a “high impact project for Bougainville” and that issuance of the licence would pave way for redevelopment. This will commence with advanced stage pre-feasibility and feasibility stage exploration.
BY DALE LUMA dluma@spp.com.pg
CITY PHARMACY share trading on the PNG National Stock Exchange remains suspended, according to CPL chief executive officer (CEO) Navin Raju.
This follows the looting and burning of infrastructure and loss of stock from CPL’s Stop and Shop outlets in Port Moresby on Black Wednesday, January 10,2024.
As a result, CPL incurred a significant loss due to the civil unrest estimated to be about K40 million or roughly 16 per cent of its inventory.
According to a letter written by CPL chief executive officer Navin Raju to PNGX general Manager Elizabeth Wamsa, Mr. Raju said the full financial and operational implications of the January 10 events are still under evaluation.
“On January 10th, 2024, CPL incurred a significant loss due to the civil unrest. This resulted in damage to stock,
store fixtures, and equipment, with an estimated value of K40 million, or roughly 16 per cent of our total inventory,” Mr. Raju highlighted in the letter to PNGX.
“The full financial and operational implications of this event are still under evaluation. We are assessing potential revenue losses and operational disruptions.
“CPL is actively seeking government support and pursuing insurance claims to minimize the financial impact.
“We are confident in our ability to secure assistance
and rebuild our inventory and operations.” On CPL’s Trading Suspension, Mr Raju indicated: “That to accurately assess the event's financial impact and determine our financial position, CPL share trading on the PNGX remains suspended. “We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause our valued investors. CPL remains committed to transparency with our stakeholders. We will issue another announcement once the full financial impact is determined, and the trading suspension is lifted.”
THE Samarai-Murua District Development Authority has remained committed in establishing a Mama Bank agency.
The district last year signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the bank to establish a Mama Bank access point in Misima.
After almost a year, the dstrict came forth with a K1 million cheque presented to the
women’s Micro Bank last week.
MP and Minister for Tourism Arts and Culture, Isi Henry Leonard said the occasion marks an important milestone for the district.
“Mama bank is important and Banking is key.
“One of the key enablers of the Morden society is that we must have a banking facility.
“A place where our people can not only do the savings but do
their business.
“Might be a small or medium size business, but there must be a banking facility which is the greatest enabler that you can now use to facilitate your business programs and arrangements,” Mr Leonard said.
Mama Bank chief executive officer Gunanidhi Das spoke of the need of having a savings culture and those that want to
strive in entrepreneurship.
The partnership will allow for the Mama Bank to carry out financial inclusion training to services and access to credit, capacity building and financial literacy training as well as introducing a savings culture for them.
The Mama bank establishment is the only banking service present after Westpac Bank left due to sea piracy.
BY DALE LUMA
AN ESTIMATED 2022
employees have been impacted
due to the January 10 civil unrest in Port Moresby and some part of the country.
A letter written by the business community to the Government seeking assistance to rebuild themselves highlighted that all businesses attacked were mostly PNG businesses which are home grown and used to employ Papua New Guineans.
“We estimate 2022 plus employees that have been
affected.
Business sector considers job retentions as critical given the possible dire social negative consequences which could flow: that indeed one employed Papua New Guinea normally supports four or five other family members,” businesses highlighted in their letter.
“In the immediate aftermath of the Black Wednesday major business houses have either retained staff and/or redeployed many to jobs in other business operational areas, however, this is unsustainable for many
of these businesses overtime.
“There must be urgent wage support from cash relief for employees of businesses affected for the next six months.
“Job creation and retention of staff are critical to the mitigation of potential breakdowns in law and order issues.
In the immediate aftermath of the Black Wednesday major business houses have either retained staff or redeployed many to other jobs or business operational areas.
In this regard businesses will
need government assistance to ensure the employment rates are maintained.”
The business community highlighted that business leaders are appreciative of Government’s openness to discuss the rebuilding plans of many businesses to regain the losses sustained in the aftermath of Black Wednesday. Despite the consequences of those horrible events, many businesses have continued where practical to operate and where necessary, have started planning their rebuilding.
DR PHILIP SIAGURU
AUDITING has changed in the last 10 years, in how the Government is conducting itself in its overall Development and Service character.
In regards to expenses and its associated Accountability.
The two functions, by Law should stand shoulderto-shoulder with themselves.
Each complimenting, directing and propping the other onward in achieving Government vision and aspirations.
The Constitutional Office of the Auditor General remains positive that it will be able to catch up with its back log of Auditing the different Government Agencies financial operations, but realistically it has been pathetically falling behind, and as time moves on it is possibly losing momentum.
Most of the Agencies named appear not to have proper checks and balances in place and it is seriously critical that Audits must be undertaken urgently.
It’s a catch 22 situation, on who accepts the responsibility of an honest mistake while accounting Government books, when a honest mistake is left uncorrected.
It’s like a directional compass. The compass reader must make sure that the progress is on course.
The compass must be checked regularly to ensure that the tracking is on course.
A fraction of a minute off the set compass bearing, widens with time and distance and eventually the destination is missed altogether and the object is lost forever.
Who cops the blame? If it is an honest unintentional operational mistake, an Audit will correct it on time. Certainly the agency cannot be held accountable or responsible because the Constitutional Office holder also failed in its Constitutional Office responsibility to provide annual Audits.
The victims remain the work force. The taxpayers keep paying for the poor and bad decisions of the mangers of the country. Nobody and noone seems to care.
Unaccountability across all agencies and bodies of Government is chronic.
Too many excuses and reasons and tucking has been and still going on.
It’s a clear indicator of the story of four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.
They all know that the Government Audits need to be done. Everybody is expecting Somebody to do it, because they were tasked by the Legislation to do so. Everybody was sure that Anybody could do it but nobody did.
Eventually somebody got angry about the lack of action, because it was seen to be everybody’s responsibility.
Everybody thought anybody could do it but nobody did realise that everybody wouldn’t do it due to lack of capacity and financial resources. It ended up that everybody blamed somebody when nobody accepted responsibility when anybody could have done it.
Auditing is the process of reviewing and confirming financial spending of an institution by an external body unattached to the operations of the audited institution.
It basically streamlines costs, expenditure and most importantly shows savings.
It can also help to identify unknown threats, while consolidating unexpected weaknesses, accelerate existing opportunities and stabilize strengths.
The biggest strength of any Government agency is to show savings.
Every agency thinks they must spend to the single toea at years’ end.
Auditing may have originated with financial record keeping to enhance proper financial processes. However, Auditing is also used nowadays in a more general way to inspect, check and advice the institution needing the audit whether they are on course or going off-course, hence the compass analogy.
Swot Audits must not be viewed as criminal but a SWOT mechanism where its application is an accounting help tool that will steer institutions to better accreditation, achieving quality service and meeting Visons and Mission of Institutions.
Hence, Government Institutions operating at “ground zero”, must be assisted with Audits more regularly, perhaps on 6 monthly Intervals.
IN a bid to alleviate the financial strain caused by multiple loans, National Finance Group’s General Manager Operations, William Haylock, emphasized the impact of excessive lending to customers with limited take-home pay, leading to financial stress.
In addressing this issue, National Finance is offering a tailored loan product designed to ease customers’ loan obligations through consolidation or refinancing. Currently, the company is providing a two per cent discounted interest rate aimed at benefiting workers in the education sector.
Mr Haylock highlights the specific focus on supporting employees in the education space through the ongoing two per cent promotional rate.
“Our consolidated loan product or refinancing can significantly improve the financial position of government workers, particularly those from the Department of Education,” he explained.
The promotion allows customers to enhance their net takehome income by utilizing National Finance’s lower interest rates. By consolidating multiple loans with high-interest rates into a single, more affordable repayment plan, the initiative aims to empower customers with increased financial flexibility.
Haylock illustrated the potential impact: “A teacher with two or three loans from different
lenders with very high interest rates can benefit from consolidating and restructuring these loans. This not only results in a more economical repayment but also improves the overall financial position of the customer, providing them with extra funds for family needs and other investments.”
The National Finance team is actively promoting this initiative across the country, targeting regions such as Central, Popondetta, Wewak, Vanimo, Highlands, AROB and other PNG centers. The promotion, which commenced in November, is set to conclude at the end of the month, offering customers access to more affordable rates and a maximum repayment term of 78 fortnights.
National Finance’s commitment to supporting financial well-being underscores the company’s mission to empower customers and improve outcomes for both individuals and their families.
PICTURED is Martin Mathias with his daughter. He is the Maintenance Supervisor at the Paradise Private Hospital and is a happy customer to the National Finance Back-to-School Loan product.
PICTURE SUPPLIED
MANY Businesses in the nation’s capital, Port Moresby as well as some in other centres were hit during the January 10 civil unrest which started in Port Moresby and spread to other centres.
Port Moresby businesses felt the biggest impact with major businesses such as Brian Bell and CPL among others having their business ransacked burnt causing millions in loss of stock and property damage.
Represented by peak business bodies, business have written to the Papua New Guinea government to seek assistance and highlighting the pathway to recovery.
This week’s business help desk highlights the letter from the business community to the Government and business expectations going forward.
The immediate needs of the business community is to recoup its losses (both stock & capital infrastructure) and rebuild to be operational again in the shortest but most practical time possible. This will require the following:
An immediate capital injection of between K358 million, which includes K8.7 million of wage support for over 2022 employees.
Immediate access to foreign exchange made available by the Bank of PNG and specifically earmarked for businesses affected by the illegal events of January 10th.
That there be blanket waiver
or at the least serious expediting by all relevant National and Provincial governments and municipal authorities such as the NCDC for all building and related regulations to facilitate rebuilding and refurbishment of buildings affected by the illegal events that happened on Wednesday 10thJanuary.
After various consultations, we strongly recommend that the Government review the current planned expenditure and votes from the 2024 National Budget on where to draw down to support this request with transparency.
Businesses are anticipating rebuilding and refurbishment of appropriate infrastructure to take at least 18 months. Currently, there are significant impacts to revenue due to stock either having being looted (total loss) or destroyed in which case items cannot be resold. So revenues are and will be impacted for the next six months while restocking will depend on how quickly Government support is provided.
These are some immediate reactions the Government can take in expediting business efforts to importing, restocking and restoring local supply chains:
Access to urgent Foreign
Currency from the Bank of Papua New Guinea to facilitate rebuild-
ing.
Relief on the importation of building material and goods to rebuild the three sites.
Relief on land rent for affected properties.
NCD relief on rates and charges for affected properties.
Expedited building board approvals to allow us to rebuild quickly.
Immediate payouts of GST credits and deferring Tax payments
Heads of Business have agreed to support a Public Private Partnership model which upholds accountability, good governance and transparency of public funds in the validation process of the Government’s Relief Package.
As time is of the essence, business have taken the initiative to work with Deloitte to open a Trust Account under the Public Finance Management Act 1995.
The relevant document has been drafted and will be forwarded to the Chief Secretary for his consideration.
Preliminary discussions have commenced with Deloitte to manage a proposed Secretariat –details are being worked on. The fee structures for the services to be provided to manage the Trust Account are now being addressed with details to be provided.
We acknowledge the
Government’s willingness to have a private sector representative on the Task Force Investigation Committee as it emphasises Government’s effort in restoring order and business confidence.
Since the events of Black Wednesday, there remains a genuine sense of uncertainty due to the massive losses suffered by business houses especially in the NCD, which in turn has affected the levels of business confidence in PNG, and internationally due to the adverse publicity internationally through all forms of media platform. PNG is considered a difficult country to do business in and such negative publicity will further hinder much needed Foreign Direct Investment.
The important public declarations by large iconic PNG business houses like BrianBell, CPL and Steamships to rebuild and maintain their businesses in the immediate aftermath of the mayhem and destruction in the NCD are testament towards rebuilding business confidence.
So co-operation and urgent assistance by Government to all business which suffered losses must be swift in order for businesses to get back into operations as soon as possible.Government’s timely response will go a long way to help resuscitate business confidence in PNG.
ADDRESSING LAW AND ORDER.
The need to address Law & Order is multi-faceted and needs to be viewed from other perspectives as well.
Historically, PNG’s profile internationally has been tainted by the breakdown in law & order.
The events of Black Wednesday put in the spotlight PNG’s negative profile even more as the horrible images of the carnage and mayhem over the City were broadcast all over the world.
As noted in Point five above, levels of business confidence in PNG have diminished considerably and there is much work to be done to restore confidence. Business leaders have declared their intentions to rebuild and Government’s financial interventions will assist in this regard.
We are aware through the business sector’s representative on the Chief Secretary’s Task Force, which is charged to investigate all aspects of the failings of the governmental system on January 10th that the parameters of its investigations will be all encompassing.
The business sector through the Business Council of PNG and the PNG Chamber of Commerce & Industry have reported their views to the Task Force.
While not pre-empting the final recommendations by the Task Force, business sector calls for a strengthened and upgraded Police force.
DIVERSIFICATION is a key investment strategy, a potent shield against portfolio risks, and a key driver for achieving more stable returns. We shed light on the various avenues and strategies that investors can explore to fortify their financial positions.
Diversification is more than a strategy. It is a tactical approach to allocating funds across different asset classes. Share investments, while pivotal, are just one facet of this broader strategy, which includes shares, property, bonds, and other asset classes. Within each asset class, diversification unfolds further as investors consider different sectors, ensuring a well-rounded and resilient portfolio.
The fundamental principle behind diversification lies in its ability to navigate the unpredictable nature of markets.
Different asset classes respond differently to market conditions and economic cycles. When one part of the economy goes down, another part of the economy will be going up.
When one sector or business falters, the diversified investor does not face the risk of losing all investments. This resilience stems from the balanced exposure to varied risks, creating a portfolio that can weather the storms of market volatility.
What are the strategic steps in diversifying your share investments?
Begin by taking stock of your current investments, encompassing:
Cash holdings in savings accounts.
Shares across different sectors.
Managed funds.
Real estate properties.
Primary residence.
Superannuation holdings.
Understanding the current composition of your investments lays the foundation for strategic diversification. Probe into your asset allocation and identify any concentration in specific classes. This includes understanding where your superannuation fund has invested your money. Research alternative asset classes to balance your portfolio. For instance, if real estate dominates your holdings, consider diversifying into other classes like shares or bonds. Delve further within each asset class to ensure exposure to a range of options.
Recognise that Papua New Guinea’s market share is limited. Investing some funds overseas can mitigate the risk associated with a singular market downturn. Exploring opportunities in Australian, Asian and European markets, for instance, can yield favourable returns when the Papua New Guinea’s market face challenges.
Incorporate investment vehicles into your strategy by exploring “managed funds” and “listed investment companies” (LICs). These options open avenues for diversification across various asset classes and provide pre-made diversified portfolios labelled as conservative, growth, or high growth based on their asset allocation. An example of a managed fund in Papua New Guinea is Pacific Balanced Fund. An example of a managed investment company is Kina Asset Management. Before committing, scrutinise all publicly available information for insights into the fund's or LIC’s investment strategy, risks, fees, and expected returns.
Diversification is not a one-time affair but an ongoing process. Regularly review your investments to ensure that the portfolio remains diversified and aligned with your risk tolerance. Over time, market dynamics may cause fluctuations in the value of different assets, necessitating periodic rebalancing.
Consider implementing balancing strategies to improve your portfolio. One approach is to invest extra funds into areas where you seek more exposure. Another strategy involves selling some investments and reallocating funds to different types of investments. Keep in mind that understanding the tax implications is crucial.
Seeking the expertise of a financial adviser is a prudent step. Their insights can assist in tailoring a diversified portfolio aligned with individual financial goals and risk tolerance.
The power of share diversification extends beyond risk mitigation — it is a strategic journey toward financial resilience and stability. By embracing the principles outlined in this guide, investors can navigate the complexities of share investments with acumen and foresight, ensuring a robust and diversified financial future.
Investing in shares on PNGX is an ideal way to grow your wealth by investing in PNG. PNGX recommends discussing your investment objectives and needs with a stockbroker or qualified financial adviser. In PNG, you can either contact JMP Securities Limited (enquiries@jmpmarkets.com) or Kina Securities Limited (wealth@kinabank.com.pg).
The information in this article is general in nature and you should take care to inform yourself about the specific characteristics of a particular investment before making a decision to invest in it. Past performance is not an indicator of future performance.
By following these articles and reading the information available on the PNGX website (www.pngx.com.pg) or following PNGX on LinkedIn or Facebook you can learn more and build your wealth by investing in PNG.
BY LORRAINE WOHI lwohi@spp.com.pg
THE Samaria-Murua District Development Authority is embarking on its local policing activity in an effort to protect business activity in the district.
Local MP and Member for SamaraiMurua, Isi Henry Leonard said the district will sponsor five youths from each LLG to undergo police training in Bomana as reservists.
Mr Leonard said as soon as they graduate from the Police Training Collage, they will go through a Maritime School program and will be taught sea survival.
BY LORRAINE WOHI
THE Samaria-Murua District has engaged a fishing company from Thailand that will buy fish from locals to export to overseas markets.
In the next three months the company will carry out a trial on the fish species that will enable both parties to better plan for the facility that will be in place.
The partnership is between the district, National Fisheries Authority (NFA) and the Thailand company.
MP and Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Isi Henry Leonard said NFA will do the batch funding and through that batch funding, they will now engage locals, especially fisherman, to go out and catch fish.
“We already have a company that will now be engaged in fishing.
“We have an arrangement with NFA where we put in our funds, just like how we are doing it here. We’re already putting some funds in our fishing company.
The other business activity that the district will tap into include ecotourism and carbon trade.
Mr Leonard said the district has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an investor in Dubai and they are scheduled to visit Woodlark next month.
“We will engage with the youths. We will employ the youths and locals on the ground. They will be earning salaries by the partners and they will be given uniforms.
“They will now engage with the Red+ environment office plus the Forestry office. They will now participate in collecting data in terms of our environment, our biodiversity, our flora and fauna.
“The data will enable us to do carbon trade and eco-tourism, where bulk of our people participate.
“We will help them establish their bungalows, small tour operating companies, and some will be rangers.
“Some will be sea rangers to look after the environment. The most important thing is to bring in the tourists.
The inbound tourists with their Forex. We are starting with Woodlark Island this year.
If we can develop and harness it better, we will now replicate the experience in to other outer islands,” Mr Leonard said.
When they complete their maritime trainning, they become Water Police.
He said the program is on foot for this year. The first 10 youths, especially grade 12 drop outs, will be taken in for training.
Mr Leonard is also putting together a joint submission to the National Executive Council (NEC), and the Police Minister for the approval and endorsement of tourism policing.
“I want to do the tourism policing first in Samaria-Murua. Tourism policing will start from there and reach out to tourism in the country.
“I will not ask the government to give me police. I will train my own to people to be the police so that we can operate in our area.
“We have seen the challenges in terms of piracy. We have seen how
many times they have raided my place.
“That was the reason why Westpac Bank quit or left, because of continuous harassment and intimidation from pirates.
“Now we will approach it differently.
“We will train our own people to provide our own policing in the district.
“That is on foot and we will do that this year,” Mr Leonard said. He made this comment following the presentation of K1 million to the Women’s Micro Bank establishment of an agency in the district.
The establishment of the Mama Bank will support locals in the district who are currently engaged in fishing, logging, alluvial mining activities and other business activities, in their banking and financial trainings to grow their business.
BY PETERSON TSERAHA
BACKYARD gardening is now becoming popular in Arawa town, especially when the country’s economy is down and prices of goods are now sky rocketing.
Residents of Arawa town have now made use of their big backyards for back yard gardening; planting cabbage and other greens.
A resident of section 17 in Arawa town, Jullian Jaavi, has now done his first harvest on Sunday morning.
And the customer was none other than the Bougainville School of Nursing kitchen staff.
“With store goods rising making it hard for consumers, we have now turned to our own backyards to plant cabbage and supply our neighbours who are now more than happy to come and buy.” Mr Jaavi said.
“I have now encouraged all my neighbours to do the same by planting greens in your backyard. We made a good K50.00 already in our first sales,” he said.
Somebody is determined to talk over plans you’ve already organised, regarding matters close to your heart. Tempting as it is to ignore the individual in question, you’re
When you first avoided mentioning one particularly tricky matter, you knew that while discussions regarding issues would take forever, the actual situation wasn’t that important. At the time, you were right. But things have changed and now, this is crucial. That being the
the sooner you tackle matters, the better.
There are plans. You’ve made plenty of those recently. But, then, there are final plans and judging by January’s dynamic but unsettling planetary activity, you’ll find you must go through several versions of plans before things are settled. That being the case, regard whatever you do as a bit of an experiment.
Committing to a person or a plan is one thing. Knowing that you’re in a position to deal with the financial end of the issues in question is quite another matter. While, understandably this is on your mind, you’re urged to be patient. Thing will come together, but probably not until late January.
It’s not that you’re stubborn. It’s that you dislike giving up on something you care about without exploring every option and trying every possible version of those options. However, others are encouraging you to move on, to venture into new territory. They’re right. Once you do, you’ll wonder why you waited so long.
You don’t think of yourself as a perfectionist. Yet when making plans, you try to ensure they’re both workable and others are happy with them. However, with so much in transition, which means going through several versions of arrangements, there’s little point in bothering with details. They can and should wait. For some time you’ve been tiptoeing around tricky issues that you feared would only upset others. They might. But with January’s two eclipses shaking things up anyway, conflicts and surprises are inevitable. This is no time to hold back for fear of causing upset. The more forthright the resulting discussions are, the better.
Even when you say a firm ‘no’ to an idea, offer or an individual, that refusal has a tentative ring. This is mostly because you’re well aware how what seems unappealing at one point suddenly becomes interesting and, on occasion, the centre of your life. This flexibility allows you to rethink things later. True, good fortune is coming your way. However, it’s likely to appear in a manner you may not recognise. It could be odd or unaccustomed. Don’t let that bother you. In fact, the more you explore new approaches to old problems, the more you’ll learn and more swiftly you’ll resolve those difficulties.
Only now are you discovering the degree to which one particular individual has been deceptive, and about a matter of considerable importance. While you’d have every right to be upset, talk things over frankly. Once you’ve a better understanding of their thinking, you’ll also understand why they behaved as they did.
RUGBY UNION: BARRY John, the legendary former Cardiff, Wales and British and Irish Lions fly-half, has died aged 79.
After making his debut in 1966, John played in 25 internationals for Wales and five Tests for the Lions.
A family statement read: "Barry John died peacefully today at the University Hospital of Wales surrounded by his loving wife and four children.
"He was a loving Dadcu [grandfather] to 11 grandchildren and a much-loved brother."
Wales won three Five Nations titles, a Grand Slam and two Triple Crowns during his stint on the international stage.
John cemented his Lions legacy against the All Blacks in 1971 by playing a starring role in the historic 2-1 win over the hosts, who dubbed him 'The King'.
He retired the following year aged just 27.
John was central to Wales' 1971 Grand Slam - their first since 1952sealed by a 9-5 win against France in Paris, their first there for 14 years.
He made his debut as Wales lost to Australia in Cardiff in December 1966, and had to wait almost a year before partnering scrum-half Sir Gareth Edwards for the first time in a 13-6 home defeat by New Zealand.
John and his former Cardiff and Lions team-mate Edwards are regarded as one of the greatest halfback partnerships in rugby history.
Both had roots in west Wales and had the option of pursuing football careers before settling with the oval ball.
Edwards continued to flourish after John's retirement, but the loss of his half-back partner was long lamented by fans globally.
John finished with 120 points for Wales and the Lions in his 30 internationals, but was a rugby genius that amounted to so much more than facts and figures.
John is the second Welsh 1970s legend who has died this year following the passing of full-back JPR Williams.
Tributes flowed in the wake of his passing. Welsh Rugby Union president Terry Cobner believes John is probably the greatest Wales fly-half.
ARSENAL reduced Liverpool's lead at the top of the Premier League to two points after a deserved 3-1 victory in a tense encounter at Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners knew defeat was unthinkable and their cause was helped hugely by two errors from Liverpool's normally reliable keeper Alisson, who gifted Arsenal the goals that ensured three crucial points.
It sparked joyous scenes at the final whistle as Arsenal condemned Liverpool to only their second league defeat this season, their first since a highly controversial loss at Tottenham in late September.
Arsenal were rewarded for a lightning start when Bukayo Saka gave them a 14th-minute lead, turning home a rebound after Alisson saved from Kai Havertz.
The hosts dominated proceedings but a defensive shambles allowed Liverpool to restore parity seconds before the break, Gabriel turning the ball into his own net via his hand after a mix-up between keeper David Raya and William Saliba as they
challenged Luis Diaz. Liverpool carried more momentum after the interval with Alexis Mac Allister going close twice and Curtis Jones just off target before the Gunners were the next beneficiaries of a calamitous error, this time between Alisson and Virgil van Dijk, that saw them restore their lead after 67 minutes.
Alisson rushed from his goal and kicked fresh air as Van Dijk tried to deal with a long clearance, leaving Gabriel Martinelli with the simplest of finishes into an empty net.
And Liverpool's misery was compounded in the closing stages when defender Ibrahima Konate was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Havertz, before substitute Leandro Trossard added a third in stoppage time - Alisson once again at fault as he allowed a routine nearpost shot through his legs.
Arsenal's worst fears were sweeping around the Emirates when a defensive blunder seconds before half-time allowed Liverpool to go in level, after Mikel Arteta's side had controlled the first 45 minutes and barely allowed the league leaders a chance.
The atmosphere was suddenly sub-
dued, the mood shifting markedly, and when Liverpool looked to move through the gears in the early stages of the second half Arsenal looked unsettled.
Instead, the Gunners showed great character to gather themselves and reassert their authority and - while they were thankful for a rare off-day from the usually outstanding Alisson - this was a real show of steel that resulted in a win that will send belief surging through Arteta and his players.
Arsenal wanted to banish memories of their recent FA Cup thirdround loss here to Liverpool, when they paid the price for missing a succession of chances, and this was the perfect response on a day when another defeat would have surely ended their title hopes.
Now, after a win at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, this has been an ideal week for the Gunners who are right in the heart of the Premier League title race.
And at the heart of this win was the exciting Martinelli, a constant threat to Liverpool as well as a goalscorer, while Declan Rice was imperious in midfield.
FOOTBALL: ANGRY fans in Hong Kong booed Inter Miami during a pre-season friendly after Lionel Messi did not play.
The Argentina World Cup winner, 36, who had a hamstring injury, was left on the bench as Inter beat a local League XI 4-1 in front of almost 40,000 fans.
There were chants of "refund", while a speech by Inter co-owner David Beckham was drowned out by booing.
The Hong Kong government said match organisers Tatler Asia may face a reduction in funding.
"Regarding Messi not playing the match today, the government, as well as all football fans, are extremely disappointed about the organisers' arrangement. The organiser owes all football fans an explanation," the government's major sports events committee (MSEC) said.
"The MSEC will take follow-up actions with the organiser according to the terms and conditions, which includes reducing the amount of funding as a result of Messi not playing the match."
The MSEC said it had granted 15m Hong Kong dollars (£1.5m) for the event along with a grant of one
INTER Milan went four points clear at the top of Serie A with a 1-0 win over Juventus that was decided by a Federico Gatti own goal. A cross from the right bounced off Gatti’s chest in the 37th minute to put Inter ahead. Federico Dimarco’s low ball behind the defence put Inter’s Marcus Thuram through on goal but he was denied by a last-ditch tackle from Gleison Bremer. Inter have a game in hand over second-placed Juve and third-placed AC Milan. The visitors to the San Siro had their chances, Dusan Vlahovic missing a gilt-edged opportunity for the Bianconeri when a poor first touch let him down following Weston McKennie’s pass. The Serbia striker also attempted an overhead kick from a corner which sailed over the bar.
THEY say things always look clearer after a good night’s sleep. A bit of time and distance to reflect and bring the clarity you are looking for. That is not applicable on every occasion. Wales’ 27-26 defeat against Scotland in a Six Nations spectacular at the Principality Stadium is one of those times. It remains difficult to comprehend what we witnessed in Cardiff on Saturday evening. Most would agree it is one of the most remarkable and entertaining matches you are likely to witness. Rarely has the old cliche about a game of two halves been more applicable, with Scotland building a 27-point advantage that was almost hauled back by Wales, only for the away side to cling on and win by a point.
TWO controversial penalties set Chelsea on the way to beating Everton to remain on track for a fifth consecutive Women’s Super League title. Toffees defender Clare Wheeler conceded both spot-kicks for challenges on Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Chelsea’s record buy Mayra Ramirez - but each decision appeared harsh upon further inspection. Wheeler seemed to win the ball when tackling Rytting Kaneryd before standing on her foot in the follow-through, while the contact on Ramirez for the second spot-kick was minimal at most. Guro Reiten coolly converted both penalties before Erin Cuthbert finished a wonderful team move to fire home a late third as Chelsea claimed a record-extending 22nd successive WSL home win.
more then 1,000 Hong Kong dollars (£101) for a ticket.
But Messi did not feature, while Uruguay striker Luis Suarez, who joined Inter Miami in December, also missed the match, with a knee injury.
In the second half, chants of "we want Messi" intensified as the Argentina captain, signed last July, continued to watch from the bench.
Beckham was then drowned out by jeers when he tried to thank supporters for their "incredible support" at the final whistle.
In a statement, the organisers said: "Despite some news reports, Tatler did not have any information about the non-participation of Messi or Suarez prior to kick off.
"Messi and Suarez were deemed unfit to play by their team's medical department, to everyone's, including ours, disappointment."
Inter manager Gerardo Martino said: "We understand the fans' disappointment in the absence of Messi and Suarez, and we apologise for that, but this was a decision made with our medical staff.
"If there was a way they could have played even a little while we would have done it, but there was too much risk involved."
BIA SLOVAKIA provided the biggest shock of the Davis Cup qualifiers as they knocked out 2023 semi-finalists Serbia. France, Czech Republic, Belgium, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, USA, Finland and Brazil also booked their place in September’s group stages. They join last year’s winners Italy, 2023 runners-up Australia and wildcards Great Britain and Spain. A total of 16 nations will contest the Davis Cup group stage across four cities from 10-15 September. The competition will conclude with the ‘Final 8’ - quarter-finals, semi-finals and final - in Malaga.
NIEMANN CLAIM MAYAKOBA
JOAQUIN Niemann has outlasted Sergio Garcia in the season-opening LIV Golf Mayakoba, making a 12foot birdie putt from the fringe on the fourth hole of a playoff with the green lit by a large video screen. Niemann won his first LIV Golf title two days after opening with a 12-under 59 -- and a day after having two penalty strokes tacked onto his second-round score for taking incorrect relief on a drop from a cart path on the 13th hole. That left the 25-year-old Chilean two shots ahead entering Sunday’s (Monday AEDT) final round. He closed with a one-under 70, parring the final two holes to match Garcia at 12-under 201 at El Camaleon. Garcia parred the final three holes of regulation for a 66.
Waqa Blake wasn’t keen on coming over to Super League this off-season. He had his sights set on finding a new club Down Under in the NRL. That was until St Helens came calling, a club he couldn’t refuse. Blake had been let go by Parramatta Eels after four-and-a-half years at the CommBank Stadium, scoring 28 tries in 77 NRL appearances for Brad Arthur’s side, with one of those 77 in the 2022 NRL Grand Final defeat to former club Penrith Panthers. Prior, debuting at senior level in 2015, he’d scored 34 in 88 games for the Panthers, so the 29-yearold could be forgiven for wanting to stick around Down Under.
Star winger Julia Robinson has re-signed with the Broncos on a two-year deal until the end of 2027. The 26-year-old Jillaroo who has called the Brisbane club home since making her debut in 2018, is also starting a new role for the Bronco’s first female Game Development Officer. A four-time Maroons representative, Robinson is now currently the longest contracted Bronco and has her eyes set on bringing the NRLW premiership trophy back to Brisbane for the first time since 2020. “I’m so excited, I’ve always wanted to be a one club person and I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the Broncos for all of my rugby league career,” Robinson said.
ADAM Reynolds is closing in on a one-year contract extension and is confident the deal will be done before the Broncos’ Round 1 clash in Las Vegas.
But thinking about playing beyond 2025 would be “unrealistic” for the veteran playmaker, who will be 35 by the end of his next contract.
“Management are working in the background to solve the last part of the contract there, they’re pretty certain it’ll be done before Round 1.
“I love the club. They gave me an opportunity to come up here and do something great, I’m loving every minute of it.
“I don’t know (about 2026), I’m getting old. I’d love to say yes (to playing another year) but it’s probably unrealistic at this moment.”
The Broncos star has allowed himself to start thinking about life after footy though and at this stage that looks like remaining both in Brisbane and with the club.
“I’d love to go into coaching, I love giving back to the game,” Reynolds said.
“We’ve got some great young halves coming through here that I’d love to stick around and help out.
“You don’t know what life is going to be like until you’re there.
I’m getting towards the back end of my career where I’m trying to figure out what I want to do.
“Coaching is a part of that and a few little other ventures that we’re tinkling with but coaching is at the top of the list.”
A young playmaker that’s benefited from Reynolds’ experience is Ezra Mam. The 21-year-old debunked the myth of ‘second-year
syndrome’ to be named Dally M Five-eighth of the Year.
Mam scored 18 tries, set up nine and got 15 linebreaks in 25 games last season. And as his teammates will tell you, he almost dragged the Broncos to a premiership with a hat-trick in the grand final.
He’ll benefit from at least another two seasons working with Reynolds, then there’s a good chance he will inherit the No.7 jersey given that’s a move he’s working towards.
Reynolds is seriously impressed by his halves partner’s improvement and pointed out a “scary” thought for opposition players.
“I thought he had an unbelievable season. The development of Ezra over the last 12-24 months, since I came to the club is amazing,” he said.
“He’s still pretty raw, he’s still learning the game and that’s the
‘I don’t want to give up my jersey’: Gamble returns to battle with new Cog in halves machine
RUGBY LEAGUE: Greeted by premiership-winning Panther Jack Cogger in the pre-season, Tyson Gamble has once again found himself fighting it out for a spot in Round 1, but the Brisbane battler says he wouldn’t have it any other way.
After stringing together 24 firstgrade games, six tries and eight assists to help the Knights to a 10game winning streak and a home final victory last year, Gamble has found a new confidence in his playmaking ability heading into the 2024 season.
But every new year brings new challenges and while the former Bronco has found himself once again locked in a tooth and nail struggle, he knows new competition will help take his game to another level.
“Last year was the most NRL games I’ve played in a season and
it definitely leaves a good taste in your mouth but also leaves me wanting more too,” Gamble told NRL.com.
“But I can’t just rest on the year I had, I need to take it to another level and that’s what I’m planning to do.
“Cogs (Cogger) has obviously just won a premiership and is coming off a really good year and some of the things he did in that grand final off the ball were crazy.
“He’s not coming here to play ressies and at the end of the day I don’t want to give up my jersey, I’m sure Jacko (Hastings) doesn’t want to give up his and Cogs wants one of them so it’s a good battle.”
Having never been selected for a Round 1 match, Gamble has had to get used to playing second fiddle over the years and wait for injuries and representative duties
for a start on the main stage.
And while pundits will be eagerly waiting to see who will be given first crack at continuing Newcastle’s premiership push in 2024, it’s business as usual for Gamble, busting his gut and proving a point at pre-season.
“My whole career I’ve had to fight for a jersey, even last year, Kalyn was in the halves so I was battling against him to get a spot in the six or the seven,” Gamble said.
“I’ve never been given a jersey, I’ve never started a Round 1 game, I’ve always had to wait for an opportunity throughout the season to get a crack.
“So it’s not any different for me this year, if anything it’s given me a bit more of a chip on the shoulder to make sure I’m training and working that extra bit harder to make sure I keep that jersey.”
scary thing about Ezra — you don’t know where the ceiling is at for his potential.
“He wants to be a halfback one day so it’s about trying to upskill him and getting him up to speed on how things work. But you don’t want to take away the pure talent that he’s got because it makes him such a great player.”
Preparations for Reynolds’ 13th season in first grade copped a setback a fortnight ago when he suffered an ankle injury and training and looked to be in serious discomfort before hobbling off the field.
Thankfully scans cleared him of serious injury and he will be right to go for Round 1.
Although he shrugged the injury off as “a bit of a carry on from myself” he admitted it was “a little bit of a scare” because “I heard a click, which I didn’t know what it was at the time.”
Reynolds said the Broncos’ physio believes “it might’ve been the ligament flicking over.” -FOX SPORTS
TYSON Gamble of the Knights in action during the round 22 NRL match between Canberra Raiders and Newcastle Knights at GIO Stadium on July 29, 2023 in Canberra, Australia. PICTURE: MARK NOLAN/GETTY IMAGES
Brisbane Broncos, including Ezra Mam will spend this weekend at a preseason Maroons camp in Brisbane, alongside newly named Assistant Matt Ballin. Mam will join Pat Carrigan, Selwyn Cobbo, Corey Oates and Reece Walsh and new Maroons Assistant Coach Matt Ballin as Head Coach Billy Slater brings together 34 eligible players and his new look coaching staff.
The Warriors know they’re going from being the hunter to the hunted in 2024 and that the threshold for success has skyrocketed since this time last year. But the message from their coach this week was simple and emphatic: bring it on. Rather than attempt to temper the expectations that have come on the back of their surprise run to the Telstra Premiership preliminary finals last season, Andrew Webster is welcoming them in his second year in charge and says the club’s loyal fanbase should now expect the side to contend every year. “When I was here seven years ago (as a Warriors assistant) they used to say, ‘is this our year?’ and then when I first arrived (in 2023) they said, ‘is this our year?’ and my comment then was ‘every year has got to be our year, it has to be our year’,” he said.
Brad Fittler has reacted to the decision from Cameron Smith to step down as Maroons assistant coach, with the former NSW boss admitting he was ‘surprised’ by the news. The 40-year-old announced his decision to move on from his role with Queensland, ending a lethal combination with Billy Slater that helped the side to two-straight State of Origin series victories. Smith will now move into coaching at the junior level with his son’s Currumbin Eagles team, with former Manly hooker Matt Ballin replacing him on Slater’s staff.
THE country’s two biggest associations have called on the Papua New Guinea Football Association (PNGFA) to review and correct itself regarding its attitude towards women’s football team management if it wants the country to be seen as a football compliant country.
Port Moresby Soccer Association (PMSA) acting President Wesley Waiwai and Lae Football Association (LFA) President Roy Kamen say the recent events that saw the removal of a successful coach in the
FOOTBALL: PNG WNT coach Eric Komeng have arrived safely at the Faleola International Airport in Apia, Samoa for the OFC Women Olympic Qualifier early this morning (3am PNG Time – 6am Samoa Time).
Despite the jetlagged trip, the team took time to participate in the small morning walk despite arriving early at 6am in the morning.
During the work, Coach Komeng reminded the girls stay focus on the job ahead of them that is to win their pool matches to qualify for the finals.
The most important tactic is to win all the game to avoid New Zealand in the semi-final so that the PNGWNT can play in the Olympic Qualifier final.
“We have a tough game against all three teams Solomon Islands, Fiji and American Samoa so we will give our best and compete to the best of our ability,” he relays the message from Alex Hotel - Apia, the team’s temporary home in Samoa.
All members of the team including the team management are looking good, he added.
Head coach said the team will have their first training session tomorrow (10am Samoa Time).
Komeng said his team will not underestimate their opponents. Both Solomon Islands and Fiji are just another island countries which have players doing very well in the game as seen in the Pacific Games in Honiara, last December.
“We will treat every game as important and will not take them lightly,” he said.
The full squad is: Fidelma Watpore, Faith Kasiray, Lavinia Hola (Goalkeeper), Anastasia Gunemba, Raynatha Samuel, Serah Waida, Georgina Bakani, Olivia Upaupa, Merolyn Sali, Fidorah Namuesh (backs), Mavis Singara, Rumona Morris, Phylis Pala, Christie Maneu, Hortance Kimit, Aileen David (midfield), Marie Kaipu, Cynthia Bangita, Karen Kalapai, Nenny Elipas, Calista Maneo, Michaelyne Butubu, Arnolda Dou (forwards)
PNG senior womens coach in Frederica Sakette is uncalled for as it was the failure of the PNGFA that saw what transpired.
They said there has been far too many issues of concern that questioned the integrity of the PNGFA and it is time the PNGFA look deep into itself and ask some questions and move quickly to fix up itself for the good of football in the country.
“ We have had problems after problems and we don’t seem to be learning from our misdemeanours and
continue to repeat simple mistakes and it all boils down to lack of good governance.”
They said this must be corrected if PNGFA want to continuously improve the value we propose to FIFA, as a FIFA mission focused football country.
“In regard to womens football, it is a grave concern that we are going decades back in terms of developing women national team coaches and support management staff for our women’s national team. One of the
major global goals is more women participation, an agenda that FIFA has fully embraces.”
The two football heads said women’s football is the key focus of FIFA now and our actions show a blatant disregard to respect given to women in football and says a lot about our attitude to women football development.
Mr Waiwai and Mr Kamen says they are releasing this statement for the best interest of football in the country.
FOOTBALL: THE increase in criminal activities in Milne Bay province has pushed a community to fight against it using sports.
Lead by correctional service officer Corporal John Tomimisi, who is also the president of the Tarangau sporting club of the Giligili jail.
They have set out to look beyond what a leisure activity can do to save them from criminal activities.
“I have seen many youths, ones I call small brothers and sisters, stray away from positive habits and my fear is that we might lose them in the crowd one day and all that we can blame is ourselves, as leaders and parents, because we did not take care of and guide them therefore I am using sports an arena to share information on law and order.”
Mr Tomimisi and the Tarangau club set out to influence others to
foster a positive relationship with shared habits and interests under a themed campaign called “Promote good friendship, sharing skills and influencing a positive life”.
Their first stop in December was, the Normanby Island, where they brought a volleyball and soccer team to challenge youths and at the end of the event, an awareness on law and order was made.
“Last weekend the youths from Nomanby and their families came to Giligili where we had a rematch and a basket-basket exchange of gift program was held,” Mr Tomimisi said.
“By bringing these young people and their families together it gives me a change to share with them how the law and order issues in the province can affect them and as young people, and being the most vulnerable.
“I want the youths in the community to see the opportunities for them instead of sitting down in groups and drinking or smoking and I fear that they might end up robbing a shop or holding up a vehicle,” he added.
Mr Tomimisi thanked the Giligili jail for the financial support and also to the dinghy and public motor vehicle owners for accepting small bargains.
Milne Bay has been known for its increased criminal activities such as armed robbery, sea piracy and petty theft which a notorious gang of young men run.
“We cannot look to the government and police to help us because they have been trying but they need our help as community leaders, parents and families.”
BY MELYNE BAROI
ROAD RUNNING: THERE would not have been too many athletic events in the world that started last Saturday at a brewery. But there was one in PNG.
Port Moresby Road Runners started at the SP Brewery at Gordons and finished there too. In fact they did a loop of 1.55 kilometres around the brewery as their course. Most did just one loop but others did two, three, four or five loops.
That might not sound like a lot of effort but it was a mammoth feat by all concerned because of the extreme heat. It was 35 degrees when the proceedings commenced at 4.30 pm with the blazing sunlight and high humidity taking their toll.
Alas the brewery remained shut. There was a hoppy aroma wafting over the participants and the sound of tinkling bottles on the conveyor but the amber fluid remained a forlorn and forbidden dream throughout. Cold water was the order of the day.
This prompted a call to go back to a 5 pm start. The motion was carried, so it’s a later start for the rest of the current race calendar which goes to Easter Saturday on 30 March.
Alex Mathews must have ice in his veins as he won the five-loop course in 39 minutes and 8 seconds from Buda Awowari (48.35), James Gurumi (48.35) and Mirzo Isoev (50.43).
Trent Scott has returned to the country full of zest and he took out the four-loop event in 33.59 from Soa Gor (41.38), Michael Sullivan (47.32) and Trudy Roberts and David Denniston (both 54.59).
Matt Jackman’s New Year’s resolution is to stay strong and consistent. He is complying with it so far as borne out by his zipping win in the three-loop contest in 21.45. Swans Pinampio led Matt’s followers home in 22.35.
David Reuben is a former SP Games representative. He is no longer a youngster and it’s a great credit to him that he maintains his fitness and health at a high level. He claimed the spoils in the two-loop journey in 17.05 ahead of runner-up Lionel Emmanuel (18.58).
Hagai Gideon had a battle on his hands in the single-loop 1.55-km race which he won with a startling finish in 7.14 from Jim Alfred in 7.17. Eighteen minutes and 70-plus years separated them from 19th placed Ajit Muttu.
Ajit turned 84 years old recently and is another who, as the years slide by, sets the trend for others to aspire to as they negotiate their way through terrestrial life. He did 25 minutes and 38 seconds, in another inspirational performance.
Next Saturday Road Runners return to a more conventional venue at Port Moresby Grammar School for the annual Mike Joyce Memorial meet. It’s a 5 pm start for three events over distances of 2.2, 5.9 and 8.7 km. New runners and walkers are especially welcome, and a light afternoon shower would be welcome
NETBALL: MEN’S Premier Division KAMUNA has proven themselves again with yet another win against NSL 1 last Sunday at the Rita Flynn Courts in the Private Companies Netball Competition.
The team registered a 19-4 win against the opposing side (NSL) with strong efforts from centre Augustine Kaupa who was assisted by consistent performances from Joel Cholai, Tivaum Gigimat and Douglas Lai in the defence.
Kamuna goal defender Cholai stood out with his strong defence and keeping NSL from scoring only 3 goals in the first half. Kaupa who dominated the mid-
court with his ball possession and dominance that allowed his team to have the better advantage in the first quarter with a 8 points lead through the better aims of goal shooter Enoch Vele and goal attacker Donald Kala under the ring. NSL goal attacker Nova Ravu didn’t stand a chance against the strong defence put up by Kamuna’s wing defender Jerry Iga that only allowed for 3 points to be scored.
Kamuna maintained their stronghold in the second quarter with getting in 11 more goals to assert their dominance. NSL who managed to evade their strong defence only managed to get in 1 point, before
struggling to keep up. In the end Kamuna banked on their strong defence to see them through to a victory.
Head Coach Lawrence Lahari commended his side for putting up a strong suit against NSL, “the team was particularly strong today (last Sunday), and a standout performance was by our Centre Augustine Kaupa and ably assisted by our consistent Joel Cholai in defence.”
And he also acknowledged Tivaum Giigimat who played in the third and fourth quarter with a strong defence put up by Douglas Lai as the goal-keeper. “I believe our games have been
completed and we just having some extras to wait for the finals which will be after the completion of the proper season, because men’s division only has 4 teams we have finished our proper season 2 weeks early.”
He added that Kamuna had a slow end to the end of last year and have come back stronger in the new year and are looking forward to the finals.
Meanwhile, CPL edged National Parliament 24-10 to come out winners also.
BY MARCIA NEGRI
BY CHARLIE DUMAVI
A FEMALE Gold medalist in the recent Pacific Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands is building a house for her parents using her medal incentive.
Petronella Nokenoke from the Autonomous Region of Bougainville who won Gold for PNG in the 63kg division is using her K5000 medal incentive to build a house for her parents in Buin.
Her sacrifice in training and time away from her family finally paid off when she smashed the Gold medal.
Petronella happily confirmed that she received her money from the government through the PNG Olympic Committee and has spent it on people who have contributed to her success.
She said she paid a tenth to her church, showed appreciation to her coaches and bought a few of her training gears and materials for her parents’ house.
“Yes, I received full payment and used the money to build my parents’ a house,” Petronella said.
“My family is happy, not because of the payment but also because I represented my country.
“I know that if I want to get to the top, I have to build my dream and help my parents and siblings in this journey.”
She lives away from her parents in Arawa, Central Bougainville and goes only to visit them in Buin, South Bougainville.
Therefore, she said building their house will unite them when she returns to visit them while
working on her dream to become the first female professional boxer from AROB.
“I live in Arawa. I just went and visited my parents, spent new year with them and came back because Arawa is a safe place where I do my morning runs and my coach also lives here.”
Petronella started her journey in Arawa in 2017 representing the Arawa Police boxing club.
She was impressive in the ring and was selected to represent the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) in the national championship and in the PNG Games in 2017.
2017 was a busy year for the amateur boxer who just started her career but is already lacing on her
FROM BACKPAGE: She said they as a family travelled to Kimbe during the festive season last year after she returned with the national women's soccer team from winning the 6th Gold medal at the 2023 Pacific Games.
She said Hekari United FC club supported her family, especially in paying for their three airline tickets to travel to Kimbe and not PNGFA.
She said during their stay in Kimbe, her partner was ill so she had to make the decision of staying back and making sure he gets proper medication and health check-up.
“They called and I told them.
“Even they know that my partner is sick and we're admitted at the hospital.
“How can you guys lie like this?
“They sent the tickets (airline) but I kept on saying I cannot just leave my partner when he is in his sick bed.
“That was a lie. My husband was sick, mistapwantaimemlohausik somitokimolosemminonaptravel (I am with him at the hospital so I told them I will not be travelling).”
Padio's partner, Francis Giau Jr, has always stepped in to taking the responsibility of looking after their son, Ivan, whenever she is away on representative duties.
“When I am out travelling (on representative duties) he looks after
our son. He is the only one that takes care of our son. I was really upset about what was stated,” she said.
The incentives as well as a financial sponsorship support from West New Britain Governor, Sasindran Muthuvel, is what Padio said she will use to pay for her family's return ticket to Port Moresby.
“I know that it is not the responsibility of PNGFA but my responsibility.” She said her partner was still on mediccation when she was contacted by PNGFA to get on the next flight out of Kimbe.
“Next week Monday is when we will go back for the review. If he wasn't ill I would have travelled with the team.
“They don't pay for rent, the three of us survive from whatever I earn from playing for Hekari United FC,” said Padio.
SOCCER : HEKARI United Football club claimed both men’s and women’s victory in the A-League Division in the NCD Football Association last Saturday at the PNG Football Stadium last Saturday.
The men’s side who faced off against the Hula dominated Moukele side proved to be a strong suit as they managed a 3-2 win whilst the women’s side who went against Allies FC maintained dominance throughout the match with a 3-0 win.
Hekari men’s side was faced by a rather stronger opponent side in the boys from Fisherman Island, Moukele who managed to get in their first goal through Junior Kelly four minutes into the game underestimated the Hekari side as Daniel Joe managed to equalise for his side ten minutes later.
That followed by their second goal from Solomon Rani (20’) that was also equalised by Moukele two minutes later by Kelly and one from skipper Jalam Millis left Hekari in the lead and taking
home the winning title.
Meanwhile, the women’s match was an all Hekari affair as Marie Kaipu scored two goals and Mavis Singara with one resulted in their victory, as they also displayed dominance and ball possession in the course of the ninety minutes of football as Allies FC didn’t have a chance against them.
Coach David Muta who oversaw all eight divisions said they focused more on the senior divisions and so didn’t have ample time for the junior divisions, but gave credit to the juniors for giving their best throughout the season.
He added that the under 15’s and 17’s lost with the under 19’s 23’s and A-League managing appearances in the grand final matches respectively with registered wins. Muta said that they will focus on helping the youths in their upcoming season which is in two months’ time,
-BY MARCIA NEGRI
gloves to represent her origin. Petronella fought in the PNG Games and won her first bout.
“I won my first match at the 2017 PNG Games and the rest is history…”
It is hard to secure an international fight as an amateur fighter living outside of Port Moresby which is one of the factors why Petronella never had an international bout until last year.
She fought her way to Port Moresby and was able to be part of the Maikuna Boxing club.
The club is made of AROB fighters so Petronella settled in and got her name on the fight card in the 2023 return of the Kokoda Cup boxing tournament hosted in Lamana Hotel.
ers Dineheilo Lawrence (BSP) and Clara Scott maintained their strong defense as they hindered each side from getting in their shots past their defense alongside the goal keepers who maintained their positions throughout.
Following a close first half played, both teams drew against each other at the second half of the match by registering 7 goals each.
In the end BSP claimed the win as it managed a two-point win over Moore.
Captain Vele Iamo said they were looking forward to the game and at the same time knew that it was going to be a tough game and credit goes to our girls I think they’ve worked extra hard into the game after the long break.
“We have chances in the finals
THE comments by sidelined PNG women’s soccer coach Frederica Sakette does throw a lot of unanswered questions in the air with regards to how the governing body has treated a national hero. She is a national hero, anyone that can coach a winning team to win successive Gold medals at the Pacific Games deserves that attribute and should be treated as such.
To win successive Gold medals over an 8 year period says a lot about how much sacrifice, time and effort this working mother has put in for the love of soccer and her country.
If she works to help put food on the table for her family then she is more than a national hero.
I can’t help but laugh at the way the ABC reported this issue the other day with their intro History has repeated itself in Papua New Guinea, where it seems winning trophies as coach of the national women’s soccer team is just not good enough. You have a full-time administra-
and banking on our last game in the normal rounds which is this Sunday I believe we are in the top four in our division and are very much looking forward top our last game in the normal pool round.”
She commended all teams in their division.
“All teams are strong in their own right but we reckon that Moore has a better team when we play against them and it also gives us an open mind when we play against them since they are just catching up with us.”
Iamo added that they’ve got a couple of wins under their belt with one draw and loss each. And she had nothing but praise for her team in their efforts against Moore, “everyone played really well, from centre to midcourt to shooting.”
tor that would know what needs to be done well in advance for the coach as she would have got a release letter prior to the Pacific Games as well. This is a disgrace, she puts all the PNG men’s coaches to shame with her achievements.
Brushing her aside just because she was not attending the lead-up training is a POOR excuse for a professionally run body, an affiliate of FIFA for goodness sake.
And now we hear about the skipper Ramona Padio saying that the Post-Courier report last week saying why she was not available was a blatant LIE.
Did we just lie to the 30, 000 plus readers.
Either I am barking up the wrong tree or did the PNGFA just shoot themselves again within a week. Whatever the case, get your together and start treating our heroes with a bit of respect.
The game is actually for everyone.
Tutoeablongtasol…SameSpeed O!
SOCCER
PACIFIC Games women’s football gold medal winning skipper, Ramona Padio, yesterday told Post Courier that the reason given by the PNG Football Association about her omission from the team is not true. She confirmed that she was not able to travel with the team to Samoa for the Olympic qualifier because her partner was seriously ill and had to be taken care of. She has come out publiclly to correct the statement by PNGFA general secretary where he states “the reason is that she wants her partner to travel along with her here (to Port Moresby),” is not true, why are they (PNGFA) saying this, I told them that I will not leave my sick partner to travel,” said Padio.
-CONTINUE ON PAGE 35
NETBALL BY MARCIA
NEGRI
TEAM Bank South Pacific withstand an evenly contested premier division match defeating Moore Printing 13-11 in the Private Companies Netball Competition on Sunday at the Rita Flynn court in Port Moresby.
The ladies in green outfits who are known as one of the strong final contenders season in, season out, stamp their mark under the hoops with goal shooter, Jacklyn Hape and goal attacker Renagi Mulin taking charge of scoring points.
The duo’s (Hape and Mulina) efforts saw them (Team BSP) leading by six points in the first quarter as Moore closely trailed on four points courtesy by the attacking efforts of goal attack, Junah Ilagi.
-CONTINUE ON PAGE 35
