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NHC Act Under Review

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NHC Act under review

After more than 30-years the National Housing Corporation or NHC Act of 1990 is under review.

Housing is an important human need, and the Government arm responsible for affordable housing is finally working to fix itself and move forward into the future.

The Southern Regional consultations for the review of the Act, was held in Port Moresby on Wednesday the 23rd of October.

In his speech Acting Managing Director of the NHC, Abel Tol said the review was necessary to keep up with the modern needs for housing that the people of Papua New Guinea face.

He further stressed that the consultative meetings conducted as part of the review, were to help identify possible changes for the current policies, and to propose workable recommendations including an update of the legal framework.

“The purpose of the stakeholder engagement is to get reviews form different departments to improve the National Housing Corporation and its work, improving the mechanisms and the legal framework is important,” Tol said.

The high cost of rental properties in the country was also addressed by the NHC Acting Director.

Tol said that the private sector and individuals continue to control the rental market causing major inequality in the marketplace.

He added that in comparison to the NHC Housing the rentals are low and seem affordable compared to the private sector properties, which he says was unfair.

He said there was an option for the National Housing Corporation to be a regulatory arm of the Government.

He added that currently NHC is seen as a developer to provide affordable housing for the citizens of Papua New Guinea, but plans are that they should also be a regulator in the real estate market as well.

“NHC cannot remain as a construction arm or a developer for that matter, we can also create a regulatory authority which reports to the housing ministry and regulate real estate and the housing industry.

“It’s not like we are trying to change our function. If we look at the Act it is a very good piece of legislation. We can keep our NHC Act, but we can also look at creating a regulatory authority that can operate hand in hand with the NHC in helping to regulate the rentals that are very high and uncalled for,” Tol said.

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Vehicle Restriction Imposed among Emergency Orders after Enga Killings

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Jospeh Tondop issues emergency orders

Payback killings among tribal factions in Laiagam-Sirunki of Enga Province has resulted in the death of nine (9) people.

The most recent, was just yesterday, Tuesday the 22nd of October when 6 people were killed and two currently fighting for their lives at a hospital.

Acting Assistant Police Commissioner, Joseph Tondop since the first killing in March has been working tirelessly to ensure peace, but it seems peace is not a priority for these clans.

What is most shocking, is that the killings have now gone outside of tribal conflict.

“This sort of revenge killing is unheard of in the history of tribal conflicts in Enga Province where innocent people unrelated to the conflicts were killed,” Tondop said.

Tondop who is also the State of Emergency Controller has now issued several emergency orders including the restriction of vehicles into the Laiagam-Sirunki areas for a month.

The orders are as follows;

· A curfew is now imposed from 4pm to 6am along the affected highways with restricted vehicle movement for one month
· State Security Forces will intensify patrols and maintain a strong presence along the Wabag to Sirunki, Laiagam and Maip Militaka routes

While these emergency orders are in force, the Investigation Task Force team from Pogera will expand its scope to include the most recent attack.

The attacks date back to an unresolved death on the 20th of March 2024, when a man from Mulapin was slashed with machetes (bush knives) and died. According to police, the man was killed at Kulapi 4, near the Open Pit Mine in Pogera.

The suspects are believed to be from the Sakare Clan of Laiagam. Police had commenced investigation into the matter since it occurred and the suspects had gone into hiding.

Almost seven months after the incident took place, on the 11th of October, at around 8am, gunmen from the Mulapin clan ambushed a vehicle packed with passengers from the Sakare Clan, near the Tambitanis Health Centre in Sirunki.

The vehicle transporting a deceased person and relatives were fired upon resulting in the death of a woman.

An hour later on the same day, men from the Sakare Clan retaliated. They shot a PMV driver and his crew at close range. The injured driver and crew managed to reach Laiagam hospital but succumbed to their injuries shortly after.

Police launched an investigation following these brutal payback killings and as part of it’s peace awareness met with the Kunalin and Lyain tribe leaders on Monday 21st of October.

These two tribes were praised by police for advocating peace since 2009.

According to Tondop, they have been actively encouraging their people not to resort to violence but to maintain peace in Enga.

Both the Kunalin and Lyain leaders called for the suspects from both the Sakare and Mulapin clans to surrender to police to ensure peace.

But a turn of events on the 22nd of October, when men from the Lyain tribe, “regrettably” ambushed a 25 seater PMV bus travelling from Wabag to Sirunki, Laiagam and Mulitaka and mercilessly shot at it, killing six people, injuring two.

Seventeen (17) of the passengers are missing. Police have launched a search this morning.

Acting ACP Tondop has appealed to immediate relatives of the deceased to refrain from further escalating the situation.

Any information to help the police with the investigation is welcomed to help fast track the investigation.

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District Builds House for Primary School

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Abiara Oreke Primary School

Abiara Oreke Primary school in ward 17 constituency of Kairuku District in Central Province opened a single stand alone staff house on Saturday (19 October).

The staff house was built at a total cost of K40 000.

The funding came from the Kairuku District Development Authority.

The DDA made another K50,000 commitment to assist the school with any infrastructure developments.

Head teacher for Oreke Primary School, Mr Jimmy Francis said housing is one of the key areas that needs serious consideration.

“Teachers, Doctors, etc, are very important service providers in the country, therefore to revive the District to a new level, housing is needed the most,” Francis said.

Mr Francis said Oreke Primary school is one of the least developed schools in the district, but with the help of the Kairuku DDA team he will now be intending to build one more staff house before the 2025 schooling year begins.

He further added in the beginning of this year there were eight teaching staff including Mr Francis, however, due to housing difficulties some of the teachers had to leave.

With the minimum number of teachers it is very difficult to double lessons and also take lead as a Head teacher for running the school.

He said it is a mammoth task.

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Popular Game Fishing Kanosia Road to be Upgraded

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Kanosia Road

The Kanosia road in the Malati LLG of Kairuku District in the Central Province of Papua New Guinea is a popular route for participants of the sport of Game Fishing.

It’s the route used by team leads to check on their crew during the tournaments.

With a spike in the number of visitors that enter Kairuku during the Game Fishing season, the local District Administration think it’s best to upgrade the road.

Kanosia road is about two kilometers from the main highway before reaching the jetty.

In a recent trip along the highway to inspect the road, local MP Peter Isoaimo said the road is durable during the dry season but the wet weather brings its own challenges.

“We want visitors passing through for the Game Fishing to access the jetty with ease, rain or shine,” Isoaimo said.

The road is not only frequented by the game fishing teams but also families in Port Moresby who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

This creates an opportunity for villagers along the highway to earn a bit of income from the comforts of their home instead of travelling into the city.

The newly created Kairuku District is prioritizing the upgrading of all feeder roads to allow accessibility.

This year the DDA has committed K1 million for road upgrades.

Local contractors have been given the opportunity to bid for the funding.

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District Sends Students to Study in China

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TEN students from Unggai-Bena District i Eastern Highlands Province are settling well at China’s Three Gorges University.

The students departed PNG shores at the beginning of this month and will undertake various Undergraduate programs at the University.

This program to pursue education abroad is fully funded by the Unggai Bena District Development Authority.

Costing about K388,000, the district commits to give young Papua New Guineans the opportunity of exposure to study overseas and experience different cultures.

The crop of students included in this program are recent Grade 12 graduates and who met the entry requirements of University.

The District aims to send a maximum of 200 students by 2025 to study abroad.

Director of the Unggai-Bena District Education Scholarship, Dr Jethro Messimato expressed gratitude toward the local MP and Minister for Higher Education, Research Science and Technology, Kinoka Feo for the support.

“Our aim is to provide our young people with exposure and opportunities they may not easily access locally,” Messimato said.

“We facilitate the process by helping students identify scholarships, apply to universities and secure placements based on their academic achievements.”

The District also has a Memorandum of Understanding with India’s Parul University with a similar number of students expected to depart soon under this agreement.

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Government Focus on Private Education Providers

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In his efforts to ensure that every citizen has access to quality education, Prime Minister James Marape, encouraged and directed the education ministries to focus not only on public schools, but also on private education providers.

He said with the growing population and increasing demand for education, there is a huge potential for private education providers to thrive in our country.

“By giving attention to these institutions, the government can facilitate their growth and provide more opportunities for students to receive a well-rounded education.

Marape said he recognizes the importance of education for the progress of Papua New Guinea and adds that his emphasis on private education providers demonstrates his commitment to creating a strong and diverse education system for all.

On a related note, PM James Marape also said he would like to ease the financial burden of parents who send their children to private schools.

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Ramhaga Adventist School Receives Assistance

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Ramhaga Adventist Primary School is situated in the Huhu Local Level Government of the Alotau District, has received assistance in food and toiletries to the tune of K10,000 from the local district.

These items were presented to the school by the local MP on Monday (7 October), Isi Henry Leonard after a formal request was sent to the district office by the school.

The school, an Adventist Church-run institution comes under Northern and Milne Bay Mission.

The school in recent times has been challenged with insufficient supply of food for their boarding students.

With many students from Samarai-Murua enrolled there, the District had to chip in.

Member for Alotau, Ricky Morris also assisted the school with food supplies, however, that supply has since been depleted.

The school has planted its own garden food but the food is not ready for harvest.

Leonard said despite the school not being under his jurisdiction, it was only right for him to assist because of Samarai-Murua students and that the end of the year exams is underway for Grade 10s’.

“I saw the reports and the requests coming in and the need to support the school. The end of the year is critical as students must sit for their examinations.”

The Samarai – Murua MP also expressed his gratitude to the Member for Alotau Open for his support to the school.

Ramhaga Adventist Primary School Board Member and local mission representative Mr. Lester Toukmai thanked the Member and his team for responding to their calls for assistance.

He says these supplies are enough to take them through to the end of the academic year.

Among the food supplies, the school also requested for two drums of petrol and zoom. The district presented them a total of four drums.

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Niningi Applauds Germany for Releasing Colonial Land Acquisition Records

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Niningi Applauds Germany

The Minister for Justice and the Attorney General Pila Niningi has acknowledged the work of the Land Commission of Papua New Guinea for its ongoing research on colonial land acquisition at the Bundesarchiv or Federal Archives in Berlin.

This research is a crucial step in addressing the land ownership related historical injustices and will guide future policies to protect the rights of our citizens.

The Minister in a statement says this initiative is an important step towards reconciling our colonial past.

“By thoroughly examining the historical records, we can better advocate for the rights of our citizens and inform our policies to support rightful land ownership.”

The Minister highlighted that the upcoming diplomatic meetings the Land’s Commission will have in Berlin including a scheduled discussion with the Minister of State assisting the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, Katya Keul, is very significant because it will provide a platform to strengthen bilateral ties and explore potential support for the Commission’s work.

Minister Niningi also highlighted the potential for expanding research opportunities at additional archives such as the Geheimes staatsarchiv, the Political Archive of the Foreign Ministry and the Church Archive which will broaden our understanding of this complex history.

“Our goal is to provide comprehensive data that can inform our legislative reforms and empower our communities,” he says.

The Minister went on to thank the Marape -Rosso Government, the German Federal Foreign Office and other diplomatic partners who also came onboard to support the Land’s Commission in its effort to retrieve Papua New Guinea’s colonial land acquisition records from Germany.

He further expressed his gratitude to the commission for their dedication and professionalism in this critical undertaking.

The Minister ussures the public that updates will be provided as the research progresses

The Land’s Commission team, led by Chief Commissioner Molean Kilepak has made remarkable progress analyzing over 25,000 slides from various micro flims, relating to German – New Guinea.

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Sustainable Land Use a Priority

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Sustainable Land Use a Priority

The recent signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the USAID PNG Sustainable Landscape Program and the Department of Lands and Physical Planning marks a significant step in promoting sustainable land management in Papua New Guinea.

The agreement signing on Wednesday (09/10/24), builds upon previous agreements with organizations such as the European Union and JICA, reflecting a robust international commitment to environmental stewardship.

Secretary for Lands and Physical Planning, Mr. Benjamin Samson, emphasized the importance of a bottom-up approach in implementing the national sustainable land policy, which aims to integrate land use planning at the district and provincial levels.

This initiative not only seeks to enhance the sustainable use of the country’s rich natural resources but also aims to stimulate economic growth and improve livelihoods.

David Sean Burt, the Energy Environment Resilience Office Director, highlighted the U.S. commitment to fostering conservation and empowering women as decision-makers in this process.

By aligning efforts across various sectors, this agreement promises to advance sustainable practices in agriculture, forestry, and land use, ultimately contributing to the preservation of ecosystems vital for climate resilience.

The collaboration underscores a shared vision of sustainable development that benefits both the environment and local communities.

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Sustainable Fashion becoming a Global Agenda as PNG explores international markets

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PNG Designers at BRICS+ Fashion Show

Papua New Guinea fashion was represented on the global stage in Russia at the BRICS+ Fashion Summit held from October 3 – 6 in Moscow.  

Over 180 countries were represented at the prestigious event.

The Fashion Summit culminated in the formation of the BRICS International Fashion Federation.

Representing PNG, Ms Philma Kelegai the Founder and Managing Director of PNG Fashion Week said it was such a great success to be part of the Federation.  

Fashion associations from more than 50 countries joined the BRICS International Fashion Federation.

It aims to establish new centers of influence, and strengthen international ties to improve the industry’s sustainability and provide emerging designers with a platform to grow.  

BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India China and South Africa.  
 
The BRICS+ Fashion Summit in Moscow provided industry leaders from manufacturing countries like China, India and Indonesia to share their experiences while others from Malaysia, Argentina and France discussed opportunities among participants.
 
The highlight of the Summit was the Heritage Exhibition where designers showcased their work.  
Fashion Week specialists spoke at this event discussing the unique challenges and opportunities that contributed to nation building.  

Speaking at the ‘Fashion from Afar’ Segment of the summit, Ms Kelegai promoted and marketed Papua New Guinea as a fashion tourism destination.

She said, “with our rich culture and heritage we are in a unique position to showcase fashion through the lens of a thousand tribes.”  

PNG Fashion Designers go global.
Wandid Amini Korimbo, owner of Niugini Native designs (centre) and Elizabeth Omeri of Denani Designs (Second from right)

Fashion is a thriving business in PNG, a number of indigenous designers use local designs to create their unique style.  

Ms Kelegai added, ‘this is our strength and our fashion designers are our ambassadors, they will tell our story and the world wants to experience the final frontier of fashion.”

Papua New Guinea Fashion week is scheduled for September during the country’s 50th Independence anniversary in 2025.

Meanwhile on the other side of the Atlantic, two PNG designers, Denani Design’s  Elizabeth Omeri and Niugini Native’s Wandid Amini Korimbo returned this week after attending a fashion show in Utah, United States.  

Held from September 21 – 29, 2024 the event was hosted by Creative Pacific Foundation.  

The show held a panelist and workshop session where designers from the Pacific discussed their work.

The PNG Designers promoted two unique parts of PNG.  

Mrs Korimbo, spoke on culture and tradition while Ms Omeri launched her eco-printing collection and spoke about sustainable fashion.  

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