PNG NEWS BLOG

The Department of Justice and Attorney General Very Irresponsible. What a shame.  PNG Happenings Today By Kera Manda, 31 January 2023. 1. Dr Erik Kwa, Secretary for the Department of Justice and Attorney General was involved in an accident along the Hiritano Highway on the 17 October 2022.  2. According to the reports, Kwa was driving a DJAG vehicle, white Mazda BT-50 vehicle registration BGK 514 and was travelling at high speed when the vehicle turned over and rolled several times. The vehicle was badly damaged.  3. Kwa and his other offsider fortunately did not sustain any major injuries, however another Female DJAG officer who was also in the same vehicle sustained serious neck Injuries and was admitted to the Port Moresby General Hospital. Unfortunately, the female officer passed away on Saturday, 5th November at the Port Moresby General Hospital.  4. To the bewilderment of the traumatized Staff and family members of the deceased, the Late Officer was Just left at the POM Gen for

  Education Secretary's Secular No 05/2023 - Subject: SUSPENSION OF SCHOOL HEADS WHO ARE DEFYING THE GOVERNMENTS’ GTFS POLICY DIRECTIVES BY COLLECTING ILLEGAL SCHOOL FEES AND PROJECT FEES The Purpose of the Secretary’s Circula No. 05/2023 is twofold: 1. TO REMIND ALL PROVINCIAL EDUCATION ADVISORS, DISTRICT EDUCATION OFFICERS, SCHOOL INSPECTORS AND SCHOOL HEADS TO COMPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING; (a). Ministerial Policy Statement 01/2023 – Subject: Government Tuition Fee (GTFS) Policy for 2023 for the General Education Sector School. (b). Public Announcement from the Office of the Education Secretary – Subject: No School Fees or Project Fees to be Charged by Schools in the National Education System in 2023. (c). Secretary Secular No 4 of 2023 – Subject: Administration and Management of Project Fees Funding for 2022 and 2023. 2. TO INFORM EVERYONE THAT SCHOOL HEADS THAT ARE FOUND TO DEFYING OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS AND ARE COLLECTING SCHOOL FEES OF PROJECT FEES WILL BE (a) Charged; (b) Suspen

STUDY TO BEGIN ON FEASIBILITY OF BILATERAL TRADE BETWEEN PAPUA NEW GUINEA AND AUSTRALIA by NBC News PNG, 30 January 2023. A full feasibility study on the bilateral trade between Papua New Guinea and Australia is set to commence soon. Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru announced this, ahead of a meeting between the two countries next month. Mr. Maru outlined that despite market access offered under established arrangements, like the PNG-Australia Trade and Economic Relations Agreement signed in 1970s and the recent South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Corporation Agreement in PNG, these have not served their purpose to increase the country's exports.  He said there are issues hindering PNG exports to the Australian market. Currently, the only commodity group enjoying increased market share in Australia is gold, copper and other precious metals. Minister Maru said it is very critical to assess and address issues to improve trade and investment between

FULL SCHOOL FEES (Tuition and Project fees) FOR ALL STUDENTS FROM ELEMENTARY TO SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO BE PAID BY THE GOVERNMENT. TO ALL TEACHERS, PARENTS, STAKEHOLDERS AND ADMINISTRATION OF ALL SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT PNG: "NO SCHOOLS SHOULD BE CHARGING ANY FORM OF FEES (TUITION AND PROJECT FEES) TO THE STUDENTS THIS YEAR, 2023. BOTH TUITION FEE AND PROJECT FEE WILL BE PAID BY THE GOVERNMENT", - Dr. Uke Kombra, Education Secretary. Live interview by: NBC National Radio - Real PNG https://lnkd.in/gVRYMc34

I regret that we couldn't muster the numbers to elevate an exceptional and competent woman citizen but unfortunately, this is our level in a male dominated society. - BIRD. Allan Bird 20 January 2023. I congratulate Sir Bob Dadae on his re- election. I am also deeply grateful to Her Excellency Winnie Kiap for affording Parliament a very rare opportunity to rise above ourselves. Even though we didnt take the opportunity, I felt deeply grateful that in our society where women and girls are continuously marginalized, you have stood tall and exemplified what PNG women can do. You gave 33 MPs the opportunity to speak for our women. I thank you for this rare honour. To our womenfolk, let me assure you that you have voices in Parliament as you saw today. I regret that we couldn't muster the numbers to elevate an exceptional and competent woman citizen but unfortunately, this is our level in a male dominated society. There is a growing recognition in the abilities our women can bring t

Reckless PNG Government Sank K40 Million Of Tax Payers Money On Some Useless Assets Becoming Pieces of Metal Junks in the Country. SO WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE MASERATIS? Post Courier  - January 25, 2023 It looks like nobody wants these very expensive cars and very soon, they will become valueless – not worth a single toea anymore. Today the cars are sitting idle at a warehouse at the old Port Moresby Port, exposed to the sea breeze, salt, water and air and we don’t know if anyone is taking care of them to ensure they remain in the condition they arrived at our shores four years ago. The expensive cars were bought to serve visiting heads of government to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in Port Moresby. Each car was purchased at a cost of a whopping K1 million each and a total of 40 pieces were purchased. The cars were to impress the international visitors but not many of them have tested the Post Moresby roads since they arrived and they may remain in that wareho

11 Children Saved From Bloody Massacre in Ambun Valley, Enga Province of Papua New Guinea. SOLDIERS REUNITE CHILDREN WITH FAMILY  Post Courier - January 26, 2023 The daring rescue of 11 children by security forces highlighted Bloody Tuesday in Ambun Valley, Enga province this week. Enga’s police commander acting Superintendent George Kakas said yesterday the children were kidnapped from Tole village by fully armed assailants and were being driven away in a stolen ten seater when they were intercepted by police and army special forces at Anditale. The unharmed children were later reunited with their parents and relatives in Wabag. The incident was sparked by inter-tribal bloody killings earlier on Tuesday morning at Tole, when armed men shot and killed 11 villagers in retaliation for the killing of two men. The rescue of the 11 children, all under the age of 10, was led by the second Royal Pacific Islands Regiment (RPIR) from Wewak, East Sepik province. Mr Kakas confirmed that the child

LAW AND ORDER ISSUES - DR LINO TOM It is very regretful that trouble had to start again yesterday and the loss of unfortunate lives (9 unfortunate lives). I have raised this issue at the highest possible level at NEC. The NEC has approved to declare Enga, SHP and Hela ’Fighting Zones’. This declaration would mean more security personnel would be deployed with special orders to curb this rising lawlessness and tribal fights spilling from KA into Wabag. After yesterday, I did follow up again and was given assurances by the Internal Security and Defense Ministers and the PM that this will be looked at. I have pledged K1 mil to this security operations from our DDA. I am trying my best to talk to both sides in support of the ‘Peace Process’ initiated by our Provincial Administrator and his team. I hope the Security Personnel would stop from being ‘Peace Mediators’ and become the Law Enforcement Officers they’re supposed to be. All of us are really frustrated and also very sad seeing innoce

Minister Maru Invites Indonesia to Host First PNG-Indonesia Trade Meeting International Trade and Investment Ministry of Papua New Guinea   January 23, 2023 Minister for International Trade and Investment, Hon. Richard Maru has invited Indonesia through its Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, His Excellency Adriana Supandy to host the first ever historical PNG-Indonesia Trade Meeting this year in Jayapura, Indonesia. “I want the first historic Trade Meeting between our two countries to happen this year in Jayapura in March,” said Minister Maru during his meeting with Ambassador Supandy on Friday last week. “If Indonesia agrees to have the Trade Meeting, then we can put together an agenda for the meeting and also put together a technical working committee to organize the meeting. Our Trade Team will not only be made up of Government Departments and Agencies but also representatives from East Sepik, West Sepik and Western Province,” said Minister Maru. Minister Maru said he will meet with th

COURT ORDERS BY-ELECTION FOR SOHE ELECTORATE NBC News PNG The court of disputed returns has ordered a by-election for the Sohe electorate in the Northern province.  Acting judge Emma Wurr also declared the election win of Henry Amuli in the 2022 National elections as Null and void.  She made this ruling this afternoon in Port Moresby when handing down the decision on the trial of the election petition filed by former MP Delilah Gore.  The court made the decision on Election Petition 38 of 2022 after a ten days trial which was heard in Popondetta in December 2022.  Petitioner Delilah Gore had raised allegations of bribery committed by associates of the first respondent Henry Amuli who were his election coordinators during the polling period.  Acting Justice Emma Wurr found that the First Respondents' election coordinators had bribed and lured voters of the petitioner with sums of K20, K50, and K100 during the polling period.  This influences the outcome of the result of the Sohe ele

His Excellency Ambassador Nobuyuki Watanabe of Japan Visits Oro Province by  Gary Juffa  - 24 January 2023. A wonderful visit to Oro by His Excellency Ambassador Nobuyuki Watanabe of Japan. On Monday Ambassador Watanabe visited Kokoda to pay his respects to the fallen of World War 2.  Meanwhile today Ambassador Watanabe shall be visiting Orobay to look at a potential fisheries project that has come about after a joint effort by the NFA and OPG who signed an MOU in August 2020 with then Minister Dr Lino.  We anticipate a state of the art Fish Market to be built by the NFA with funding assistance from Japan at Orobay. The OPG meanwhile is building a facility that will be owned by it’s development arm, the Northern Provinces Resources Limited next to that facility in an effort to supply our fishermen and fisherwomen. Personally I appreciated the opportunity to give him some perspective of Oro culture and traditions and explain the challenges we face and what we are doing to over come them

  LARGEST SCAM IN PNG HISTORY by  SAM J KAUPA Source link:  PNGBLOGS THE DEMISE OF OROGEN MINERALS AND THE EMERGENCE OF OIL SEARCH HIGH VALUED PNG COMPANY - OROGEN MINERALS WAS MERGED WITH UNKNOWN AUSTRALIA’S OIL SEARCH TO ACCESS HIGH VALUED PNG MINERALS AND HYDRO CARBON ASSETS – UNDER THE PRETEXT OF THE NOW BOTCHED PNG TO QUEENSLAND GAS PIPELINE PROJECT WITH EXXON MOBIL. Mineral Resources Development Company Limited (MRDC) was established in 1975 and was 100% owned by the Government of Papua New Guinea. It was initially established as the State Nominee to acquire the State and Landowner equity interests in mining and petroleum projects and to manage the equity funds for landowner companies from the major resource development areas of PNG. In 1996, during Sir Julius Chan’s term as PM, the major interests of MRDC were partially privatised, through the creation of Orogen Minerals Limited (OML), of which the MRDC held a 51% controlling shareholding. In April 2002 during the Somare reign,