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Prime Minister James Marape says talks with other leading APEC economies have seen keen interest in further development of PNG’s resources.

PM Marape made these remarks upon his arrival in Port Moresby from the APEC Summit in Bangkok Thailand.

“I want to let the country know that Papua New Guinea is on the verge of expanding more bilateral agreements in trade and business. There is an opportunity never seen in the past APEC meetings”, said PM Marape.

“We not only talking about trade and business but also in energy generation and its sustainability,” said the Prime Minister.

He added that more leading APEC economies now understood the development agenda of the Marape-Rosso Government. “We are bringing to the table our challenges and possible solutions to improve our local economy”, PM said.

The Prime Minister said talks with the United States concluded with a keen interest in developing PNG’s fisheries sector. “We are not looking at just exporting our products but allowing for downstream processing”, said PM Marape.

He further said that his bilateral meeting with China was also welcomed by the Chinese President with China committing to buy and produce in Papua New Guinea.

“I am satisfied that our attendance at the APEC Summit in Bangkok has achieved more. The Government will continue its intervention programs to support people and Provincial Governments to ensure benefits reach rural communities,” said Marape.

The Prime Minister added that France, Canada, and Japan including close neighbors Australia and New Zealand have also pledged to extend more cooperation in business and trade.

PM Marape concluded his reflection following the APEC Summit that people must now assist by tapping into agriculture and business.

“I urged all citizens to get their hands dirty and contribute by farming their land. If a family can produce more, this means more income and adds value to the growth of our economy,” said PM Marape.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said unlike before, there are more opportunities for Papua New Guinea to access markets in APEC member countries.

“I can guarantee you all that there is more market available for our products, it’s our we can convert to finished products and trade with other nations,” said Marape.

The Prime Minister said more dialogue with other APEC economies will eventuate in 2023 to bind trade and business agreements so we can develop our people and nation.

Family planning services including vasectomy are crucial for families to better plan for the number of children they want to have.

Many men who want vasectomies live in remote areas where it is difficult to access health services. When an outreach team arrives in a village, men and women from neighboring villages will walk long distances to access family planning services. 

Teams set up their mobile sterilized rooms and start the day by providing education and peer counseling sessions with clients before assisting couples with their family planning needs. 

The following is a story of one such outreach conducted by Marie Stopes PNG.

As the last couple leaves the room, Joseph Mondo stands at the corner of the makeshift outreach site. Joseph stays for a good 10 minutes, then sees a group of men approaching as silhouettes against the fading rays of the sun.

“Mipla laikim vasectomy but planti manmeri stap na mipla no kam,” (We want vasectomies but there were too many people around, so we did not come).

As Joseph has done many times before, he tells the group he will attend to them after his other team members have left, so he can maintain the men’s privacy.

After everyone has left, Joseph sits down with the men to talk to them about family planning, sexual reproductive health, and vasectomies – the procedure, the expected effects, and the benefits – so they understand what is involved before making their decisions.

Joseph Mondo – or Joe as he is known by locals across the Highlands region – is an outreach nurse and a trusted vasectomy provider. Joe has been serving Highlands communities as an outreach officer with Marie Stopes PNG since 2009.

A vasectomy is a permanent male contraceptive method to help couples plan their future when they are sure they do not want any more children. Vasectomies are safe, have no known health risks, and are 99.95 percent effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies.

“I am a non-scalpel vasectomy provider and I provide this service to men who do not want to have any more children,” says Joe.

“One by one they would come in. I work into the night until the last person leaves. Then I wait around until there was no one else and then I would pack up for the night,” he says.

Joe and the team provide these vital services to their clients in each community they visit, as it might be several months before they visit each village again.

Joe has many happy clients who are assisting him and the outreach team members to spread the word to men in their communities.

“I get phone calls from men in every part of the Highlands where there is a need for this vasectomy service, but I am only one man and can only go one village at a time,” he says.

In the last twelve months, Marie Stopes PNG has implemented 1,684 mobile outreach clinics reaching 125,184 people and delivering over 2,123 vasectomies across Western Highlands, Morobe, Central, Madang, Simbu, NCD, Eastern Highlands, and East New Britain provinces.

With funding support from the Australian Government, Marie Stopes has been implementing family planning and sexual reproductive health services under the Partnering for Strong Families project in Papua New Guinea.

A woman was forced to give birth in a makeshift shelter in remote upper Bundi after a landslide blocked road access for an ambulance to reach her on time.

The Kumura Foundation Ambulance was responding to the emergency when it came across the massive landslide that completely blocked off the road in the Pomie Village area. However, the woman was able to give birth without major complications.

Heavy rainfalls last Monday caused multiple landslides, cutting off road access to Bundi Station from Chimbu Province.

Work on removing the debris left by the landslide started last Tuesday, with the Foundation donating funds to rally locals to clear the road passage.

Locals clearing the debris from the landslide.

Under its Community Service Obligation, the Kumura Foundation will continue to serve the people of remote Bundi with its ambulance service.

“Christmas is approaching, and we have three primary schools in Bundi, SMEs, farmers, and the Kumura foundation’s activities such as the ambulance service and PMVs from Simbu that access this vital road link must continue to deliver its services,” said Foundation Director, Vincent Kumara.

People in remote upper Bundi rely on this road access to get basic services in Kundiawa Town.

Mr. Kumura appealed to the MPs of Usino-Bundi and Chimbu provinces to assist the foundation as well as other service providers in maintaining this rural road access.

The Kumura Foundation Ambulance is stuck in a ditch outside Pomie Village in remote Bundi. The vehicle was donated by the Sir Brian Bell Foundaiton.

Healthcare services at the Rabaul Provincial Hospital are predicted to improve with the introduction of new medical facilities.

This follows renovation work done at the Hospital’s Emergency Section which cost the Provincial Government K100,000.

The inclusion of new facilities provided by Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited includes a mini theatre, acute and care sections, a resuscitation bay, and a nurse station.

The hospital’s acting managing director, Dr. Osiat Baining said there are plans to build a children’s emergency outpatient section.

The donation of half a million kina worth of equipment is part of KPHL’s social engagement program.

KPHL Corporate Services Manager, Luke Liria said part of the investment is to provide training for health staff so that there is regular and proper maintenance of equipment.

“We have supported the cardial service at the Port Moresby General Hospital, we will fully equip that hospital so that no one has to seek medical assistance overseas,” Liria said.

Rabaul Provincial becomes the first hospital outside of Port Moresby to receive this life-saving equipment.

Prime Minister James Marape says Papua New Guinea will maintain all bilateral agreements and cooperation with other 20 member countries during the 2022 APEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Prime Minister reiterated that meetings with close development partners like New Zealand, Australia, China, Canada and the United States will be paramount.

PM Marape said the previous APEC meeting has seen maturity and understanding between member countries.

“We will bring our agendas to the table, we are now emphasizing on two agendas, down streaming and exporting finished products to the world markets,” said PM Marape.

He added that Papua New Guinea boast vast natural resources and will ensure talks open more dialogue with world leaders to support grow the local economy.

The Prime Minister said the APEC Summit will open doors for Papua New Guinea. He maintained that he will be attending all the meetings including other State Ministers and beauracrats.

“It’s a very significant meeting for us. APEC is where world leaders meet and discuss for business and trade talks, ” said PM Marape.

The Prime Minister also announced that Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso will be incharge of the country for the next 10 days.

“I leave the country in the good hands of our Deputy Prime Minister and will return before Parliament resumes for the November session to hand down the 2023 national budget, ” said PM Marape.

An agriculturalist and researcher say coffee can bring in cash for both economic purposes as well as generating revenue in the carbon space of Climate Change.

Mawe Gonapa, a Ph.D. student in a short presentation told local government authorities coffee packs carbon in its leaves, stems, and even beneath the earth using its roots, thus offering benefits as a cash crop.

“Coffee has the potential to mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration, and if we come together and make our position clear on how to involve coffee in the carbon trade, create relevant guidelines to get it into the carbon trade, and have the carbon credit certified,” Mr. Gonapa said.

The Ministry of Environment Conservation and Climate Change initiated the meeting with Mr. Gonapa and is pleased with the information and discussions knowing it may be a prospect for the future.

“We have been talking about it (Climate change), we have been going to conferences, what’s needed from us now is action, coffee carbon trade may be our answer,” First Secretary to the Minister for Environment Conservation and Climate Change Motsy David said.

The officers from Both authorities under the Environment and Conservation and Climate Change Ministry – Climate Change Development Authority (CCDA) and Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) who were present, noted successive tree planting campaigns were unstructured and failed to provide an accurate number of trees that were already planted.

Mr. Gonapa added, “There is a huge potential (for coffee) to improve livelihoods as farmers will get additional income, improve conservation and bio-diversity when coffee is grown with other trees”.

Other tree species have been used in the tree planting exercise over the years, this is the first time the government agencies are eyeing coffee as an alternative.

First Secretary to the Environment Conservation and Climate Change Minister, Motsy David said, “The Minister responsible upon his return from the UN-sanctioned Conference of Parties (COP) 27 will initiate dialogue with Minister Coffee and other related ministers to progress this”.

A Police Criminal Investigation team has been deployed to Kiriwina in the Milne Bay Province to investigate and prepare for a coronial inquest into the fight on October 24 which has since resulted in the deaths of 24 people.

Milne Bay Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Superintendent Peter Barkie said 22 people were killed initially in a three-hour fight that broke out after an argument between the coastal and inland villages over a soccer match. Two recently succumbed to the wounds they received during the fight thereby increasing the death toll to 24.

Mr. Barkie said the police CID investigation team was deployed after the Quick Reaction Force (QRP) completed its assessment of the situation on the ground on Kiriwina Island.

Mr. Barkie said he wants the coroner to be involved because of the large number of deaths. He said this is a first of its kind on the island so he wants the court to be involved and not just the police.

“I have spoken to the senior provincial magistrate about that. My team is up in Kiriwina doing that now. Hopefully, they will get all the necessary paperwork done within 14 days,” Mr. Barkie said.

Mr. Barkie said the people from the affected villages in Kiriwina are cooperating well. Police have discussed with the villagers the need to have all the suspects surrender and they have agreed to do so.

Mr. Barkie said the villages did not destroy any government, private properties, or business houses when they fought and the fight did not involve the entire Kiriwina Island.

He said the villages affected were from the Southern part of Kiriwina Island and around Louisa station. The Central and Northern part of Kiriwina was not involved.

Mr. Barkie said that normalcy has been restored, all shops are open, government businesses continue and people are carrying on with their usual daily chores.

Pacific Institute of Leadership and Governance will be working in partnership with PNG National Research Institute to ensure quality research and training for the public service sector and the people.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed today between the two institutions.

The MOU is aimed at strengthening the Corporation between the two institutions on how best they can serve the people with the use of research and training.

PILAG CEO Micheal Barobe said PILAG has been offering competency-based training to the public service sector, and with quality research from PNG NRI, deficiencies within the public sector can be reduced.

“It’s a very good opportunity for NRI to come on board because research can extend right into District wards and LLGS,” the CEO said.

He said participants from sub-national levels are also at PILAG and NRI can use them for research.

PNG NRI is an institution mandated by the constitution to carry out independent research on national issues.

The research contributes to evidence-based public policies and decision-making processes to improve service delivery and quality of life.

PNG NRI Director Dr. Osborne Sanida said the MOU reflects the mutual value both institutions hold in terms of training and research.

“PNG NRI is glad to go in partnership with PILAG, which is mandated to train public servants in PNG in order for them to be effective and efficient in their roles and responsibilities,” Dr. Sanida said.

The director said under this MOU the two institutions can also collaborate in a joint research partnership, co-hosting seminars and workshops to disseminate research findings through the networks of both organizations.

The Autonomous Region of Bougainville was featured on Korean Television channel KBS, a public broadcasting station of the Republic of Korea for the first time.

A special documentary titled ‘Reading Culture in Young Koreans‘, which was aired on KBS 1TV on Friday 21st
October 2022, highlighted the publication of “Bougainville, The Island Given By God“, a book
that introduces the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

In this documentary, CEO, Geun-Su Kim, who currently runs BOU&KO Ltd, a public enterprise in
Bougainville, appeared to explained the history, economy, society, and culture of Bougainville in detail.

After 12 visits to island of Bougainville, he wrote the book about Bougainville and had it published in Korean and English. According to writer, the book is scheduled to be released in November.

Morae-al LLC, a startup founded by university students who successfully published “Bougainville, The
Island Given By God
” in the Republic of Korea, said they will take the lead in promoting and spreading the potential and beauty of Bougainville to Korea and the world through various media.

After finding out she was going to be a mother last year, Sera Koroi’s hopes of playing for PNG in the Women’s Rugby League World Cup were gone.

However, when the tournament was postponed to 2022, it turned out to be a blessing for the New Irelander as she was selected for the Orchids, and her baby is now a year old.  

“His first birthday was just a week ago. It was pretty hard (being away) but he won’t remember it when he gets older and that puts my mind at ease and it will be a big celebration when I go back,” Koroi said.

The 20-year-old, PNG-Fijian was a standout for the Orchids in their last two matches playing at Five-Eight.

A natural ball runner, whose tackle-busting runs are now highlighted in countless social media posts shared especially by PNG women.

When asked about her thoughts on Women’s Rugby League in PNG, she said it is reflected in the success of the Orchids.

 From losing all their matches in the 2017 World Cup to now being a win away from securing a spot in the 2021 World Cup Grand Final.

She also spoke of how the Orchids’ success can inspire the younger generation in PNG, especially young women who are chasing their dreams of having a professional career as well as starting a family.

“We have so many mums here, daughters, sisters, and wives – and it inspires (us) the younger generation to chase our dreams,” she said.

Meanwhile, PNG will line up against host nation England in their final pool match this Thursday.

The Orchids are outside favorites but Coach Ben Jeffries believes they can be a force if they stick to their brand of footy.

“We are putting our best team forward to face England. We are here to compete,” Jeffries said.

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