Category

News

Category
News

Exercise Pukpuk Concludes

By
Exercise Pukpuk

Exercise Pukpuk was conducted at the PNGDF Lombrum Naval Base, in Manus. Concluding with the completion of a three in one classroom, road and electric works done at houses at the naval base.

Conducted for the first time at Lombrum Naval Base, the annual engineering exercise brought together PNG Defence Force members from the Engineering Battalion and the Australian Defence Force; Townsville 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment and members of the British Army.

Supplied Picture

PNGDF Commanding Officer for Lombrum, Buni Dorea spoke highly of the joint efforts by all three defence forces.

“Most of the works being completed are repairs and maintenance around the school and married quarters. And there are lots things to be done here. To have Australians here, especially on [Exercise] Pukpuk, has grown the relationship and made it stronger. This is the way forward to have a good partnership,” said Commander Dorea said.

Australian Army Captain Helena Sorial described the joint exercise as a rewarding experience.

“The best part is working with the PNGDF, in their country, experiencing their culture, and doing real-time tasks. When you go overseas on holidays you often skim the surface of understanding a place and its people. But we get to interact, see how the people live, how they work, and complete the work with them, ” said Captain Sorial.

Exercise Pukpuk

The repair works include, tradies repaired stairs, decking, roads, and made-safe electric wires in the Married Quarters. And also a renovated classroom for children of Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) members posted to the base.

CO Dorea said the joint exercise created the solution for school children to not be moving around during the rainy season and children won’t be disturbed from their lessons.

Recent: https://insidepng.com/pacific-partnership-in-moem/

Keep Reading
By
News

Disaster Preparedness

By
Disaster Preparedness

Communities in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and nine other provinces in Papua New Guinea will undergoing trainings or activities aimed at building resilience and improving government systems when responding to natural disasters.

This is part of the a renewed partnership between International Office of Migration (IOM) and United Stated Agency for International Development (USAID).

Through this partnership a $2.5 USD million was injected into IOM to facilitate the project called, Addressing the Drivers and Consequences of Disaster Displacement Through Enhancing Resilience in Papua New Guinea.

This project is aimed at forming a closer working relationship between sub-national and local disaster responses though timely information management with local authorities in disaster prone communities.

IOM will be leading discussions on how to maintain preparedness and how to respond to disasters that is in line with the PNG National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework, the Provincial Disaster Risk Management Strategies and Standard Operating Procedures.

This is a collective approach and IOM will be working with government, civil society, faith-based organizations, community services organizations, and partners in disaster risk reduction and management to provide quality, timely and sensitive protection and assistance.

Since opening up a USAID Country Representative Office in Papua New Guinea, more humanitarian assistance work as been coordinated by IOM with support from the USAID Country Office.

Keep Reading
By
Agriculture

Inspection Trip

By
China Engineers

PORT MORESBY:

A technical team from the China Machinery Engineering Corporation or CMEC arrived in Port Moresby on Sunday for a week-long inspection trip.

From the 5th to the 10th of November, they will inspect all ranches and abattoirs owned by PNG’s state-owned livestock company, Livestock Development Corporation (LDC).

The CMEC team is sent from their headquarters in Beijing, China.

The visit follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed between LDC and CMEC earlier this year as a company to company arrangement that was sanctioned by former Agriculture Minister John Simon.

Under this MOU CMEC will inspect all ranges and abattoirs in PNG and design and construct several state of the art abattoir facilities in designated sites, in line with the PNG Government’s downstream processing and food security policies.

The inspection started on Sunday afternoon at Tiaba, abattoir, 12mile, just outside the Port Moresby city.

Before inspecting the abattoir, LDC Managing Director Terry Koim took the team around the 35 hectares land to show them the potential of production if the abattoir is revived.

The engineers were amazed with the amount of land, saying with an abundance of free land, PNG has the potential to be a global exporter of cattle and China being a major beef consumer, can be it’s biggest client.

Apart from Tiaba, the Chinese delegation will also visit LDC establishments in Launakalana in Central Province, Wariman and Urimo in East Sepik, Sagalau in Madang and Baiya in Western Highlands Province.

As part of the MOU, CMEC with its vast experience in engineering design and construction of reliable power projects in well over a 100 different countries, will further assist LDC with renewable energy generation to promote commercial agriculture.

Carrying on from where the former Minister left off, Minister for Livestock Hon. Seki Agisa acknowledged Prime Minister James Marape’s visit to China last month, affirming the need for CMECs visit.

CMEC is one of China’s reputable companies entrusted to roll out vital infrastructure projects in more than 100 countries under the China “One Belt, One Road” program.

Keep Reading
By
News

Households Affected by Election Related Violence Receive Food Rations

By
Household relief

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), working in partnership with the national, and provincial disaster centers, are distributing food rations to households affected by election related violence in Enga, Southern Highlands, Hela and Jiwaka provinces.

The relief efforts were made possible through financial assistance from the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.

Last week, Food rations of rice, cooking oil, tinned fish, sugar, and salt have been distributed to over 700 households comprising of over 3900 people.

It has been over a year, since the Election-related violence broke out in various provinces, mainly in the Highlands region.

Food crop gardens and shelters were destroyed, which affected the livelihoods of women, children, people living with disabilities and the elderly.

The relief efforts target households headed by women and the elderly, especially those hosting people living with disability.

These homes were identified through IOM’s displacement tracking matrix information.

Community leaders and women from these areas shed tears as they noted the hardships that affected groups were dealing with. Especially in providing meals for their families.

“It will take months for us to replant and harvest our crop fields destroyed during the fight. Providing enough food for families has been difficult and we are thankful to USAID and IOM for this assistance,” said Mambu Gene, a women’s representative.

“We faced several difficulties and several families had to skip meals. We did not have enough money to buy food and this help is appreciated,” she added.

Jiwaka Provincial Disaster Coordinator, John Kupul extended his thanks to the people and government of the United States for supporting affected communities. He appreciated the partnership of IOM and Jiwaka Provincial Disaster Centre, made possible through funding from the USAID/BHA.

Kupul noted that this partnership will go a long way to improve the lives of the most vulnerable populations. “This partnership has saved lives,” he said.

Related: https://insidepng.com/stop-election-violence/

Keep Reading
By
News

PNG Prime Minister Welcomes Newmont Corporation

By
Newmont Welcomed

Prime Minister James Marape of Papua New Guinea (PNG) yesterday extended an official welcome to Newmont Corporation, the world’s leading gold company, marking its acquisition of all Newcrest operations in PNG.

In a joint press conference with Mr. Peter Toth, Chief Development Officer of Newmont, Prime Minister Marape highlighted the significance of this corporate transaction. Which now places the world’s top two gold companies, Newmont and Barrick, in PNG.

“It adds value to Papua New Guinea’s global branding as an investment destination,” said Marape. “What this country effectively has now is the world’s No. 1 gold company.”

The Prime Minister also revealed that Newmont has agreed to establish its headquarters in PNG and will conduct an Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the Port Moresby Stock Exchange, enabling PNG residents to buy shares to the value of K100 million.

In the same conference, Prime Minister Marape provided an update on the Wafi-Golpu Mine project in Morobe. Indicating that the government expects to make a major announcement regarding the project at the upcoming PNG Mining and Petroleum Conference in Sydney, Australia, next month.

“We’re now at the stage where the principle of what constitutes the Mine Development Contract (MDC) and Special Mining Lease (SML) is waiting to be agreed upon,” said Marape. “We want to have these two key documents ready at the same time, and we’re hoping that at the December Mining and Petroleum Conference, we will make an announcement to the market.”

The Wafi-Golpu project, now controlled by Newmont, has a 36-month timeline to reach a Final Investment Decision. Marape expressed his confidence in the process, pointing to the successful collaboration between stakeholders in establishing an MDC and SML for the Porgera Mine in Enga.

Marape thanked Wafi-Golpu partners Harmony, Newmont, and Kumul Mineral Holdings for their commitment to the project and emphasized the importance of adhering to the agreed timeline. He also called for increased local employment and content, with preference for nationals over expatriates, and encouraged the procurement of goods and services within PNG to stimulate the local economy.

Earlier: https://insidepng.com/marape-welcomes-ramu-nickel-expansion-plans/

Keep Reading
By
Environment

Carbon Trading Benefitting Communities

By
Carbon Trade

Tavolo Community Conservation Association is one success story of the future of carbon trading in Papua New Guinea.

The people living within the conservation area have benefited from school fee assistance and also household support through a family package. Thanks to benefit sharing arrangements between Tavolo Community Conservation Association, the Government of PNG and international Partners.

The Community based organization is located in East New Britain Province in the Pomio District it is the combined initiative of the people of Tavolo, Lausus and Mukus.

Chairman of the Association Peter Kikele says the association has partnered with the Government and other relevant stake holders. This is to ensure they benefit from Carbon Trading as part of their efforts in conserving large areas of forests in their area.

After the sale of their carbon credits they have a family package that they give to members of the clan. As part of a benefit sharing arrangement.

The benefit sharing arrangement involves the Government of Papua New Guinea the agencies that facilitate the sale of Carbon Credits and the clan members that have given the right for the sale of carbon from their area.

Kikele says that they are well off conserving their flora and fauna. In the past they had logging which not only destroyed their environment but also yielded minimal benefit in terms of monetary return. This time with the sale of Carbon Credits they have conserved their forests and have enough disposable income to pay for their children’s education and also build homes using modern materials. Kikele says that is a much better outcome compared to logging that happened in the past.

Recent: https://insidepng.com/capacity-building-for-environment-conservation/

Keep Reading
By
Business

Potential of Kava Industry

By
Kava

Papua New Guinea is looking at maximizing its potential in establishing and commercializing a Kava Industry in the country.

The idea birthed out of a conversation during the 14th World Indigenous Business Forum held in Port Moresby. Where International Trade and Investment Minister, Richard Maru, learned from indigenous Fijian business owners that the demand for Kava had outgrown the supply.

PNG Prime Minister James Marape greets International Trade & Investment Minister Richard Maru at the 14th World Indigenous Business Forum.

Maru said the cultivation and sale of kava both in domestic markets and as a processed export product is an important source of income for thousands of smallholder farmers and their families across the Pacific.

“Because of its associated relaxing benefits and the removal of trade restrictions in many countries. The demand for kava has increased and thousands of smallholder farmers across the region are now engaged in kava production,” said Maru.

Maru said Kava has become one of the main sources of economic importance to many Pacific Island countries and as a significant contributor to GDP, foreign exchange earnings, and balance of payments through exports for some countries.

“In 2020, Fijian kava exports were worth over A$43.6 million and in 2019, Vanuatu’s kava exports were worth A$48.4 million, with these figures set to grow in coming years.

“While some of these exports are to other Pacific Island Countries, larger markets include New Zealand, New Caledonia, Europe, and the United States, partly due to the large Pacific Island communities living there.

“The bulk of this trade is associated with selling kava as a beverage.

“With a growing quantity being exported as an ingredient, for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products,” said Maru.

The growing popularity and demand for kava in Papua New Guinea is due to more Fijians travelling into Papua New Guinea, for work or visiting families and more Papua New Guineans trying out Kava.

“Papua New Guinea has the potential to become the biggest producer of kava in the world.

“If we establish kava as an industry and undertake multi-cropping with kava being planted under the cocoa trees to fully utilize the land. So our farmers can make money from both cocoa and kava using the same land. This is one industry that is ready to boom,” Maru added.

Keep Reading
By
News

Four PNGDF Pilots Qualify

By
PNGDF Pilots

Four pilots in the Papua New Guinea Defence Force have qualified as the pilots, loadmasters and maintenance personnel for the recently gifted PAC 750 aircrafts.

The up-skilling of these airmen follows the Defence Corporation Program between PNGDF Air Element and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) through the Flights of Excellence Program.

Part of this program includes the recent acquisition of two new PAC 750 aircrafts by the PNGDF Air element.

PNGDF Pilots Qualify
PAC 750 Aircraft.

Commanding Officer of PNGDF’s Air Transport Wing, Nancy Wii said the future looks bright for the air element.

“Five years we had a Pac 70 aircraft in our hanger not knowing what to do. Our RAAF partners have come along, and Fenix 701 got airborne, Fenix 702 and Finex 703 ready to be airborne, our latest aircraft,” said Wii.

The acquisition of the new planes increases PNGDF’s aviation capabilities to transport a section for patrol along the land borders, maritime surveillance and provide humanitarian assistances during natural disasters.
It increases PNGDF’s PAC 750 fleet to three, following the Australian Defence Force’s support to remediate the PNGDF’s first PAC 750 in 2021.

PNGDF Pilots

Assistant Minister for Defence, Matt Thistlethwaite, said the addition of the planes supports regional security and protects the common interests of both countries.

“They will play an important role of delivering PNGDF’s long term goal of developing its sovereign aviation capability. As they are put to work, they will be supported by the joint Flights of Excellence Program,” said Thistlewaite.

PNG Deputy Prime Minister, John Rosso while thanking the Australian Government said the PNG government has not supported the Air Transport Wing for a long time.

PNGDF Pilots
PNG Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso (left) and Australia’s Assistant Minister for Defence Matt Thistlethwaite addressing the media.

Recent: https://insidepng.com/pngdf-welcomes-nuship-gilbert-toropo/

Keep Reading
By
Health

Supporting SJA

By
Island Mobile Hire Cars

A hire car company in Port Moresby has gifted St John, a fully kitted ambulance. This is to help continue its work, responding to health emergencies in NCD and neighboring provinces.

The Island Mobile Hire Cars handed over a brand-new Land Cruiser to St. John worth K170,000 as its dedication to the welfare of communities in Papua New Guinea.

Island Mobile Hire Cars’ Executive Officer to the Managing Director, Malcolm Mamatta said they recognize the vital roles St.Johns play.

“We are proud to be part of their mission and to contribute this fully kitted ambulance to enhance their capacity to save lives,” said Mamatta.

Hire car company supporting SJA with a fully kitted ambulance vehicle.

The running of an emergency service like St John is costly and there were reports of St. John Ambulances stoned while ambulance officers were attending to emergencies.

The handover of a fully kitted ambulance will increase the capacity of the responses by ambulance officers.

SJA Chief Executive Officer, Matt Cannon said the new ambulance is fully kitted with medical equipment and supplies which is needed to save lives.

“The addition of this ambulance to their fleet will enable them to continue to respond promptly to accidents, injuries and other medical emergencies. Ensuring that residents in targeted regions receive the car they need,” said Cannon.

Island Mobile Hire Cars

Related: https://insidepng.com/news-march22-rotary-club-of-port-moresby-supports-st-john-ambulance/

Keep Reading
By
Autonomous Region of Bougainville

Process in Judicial Review

By
Process in Judicial Review

There’s notable development made in the ongoing discussions between the Autonomous Bougainville Government and Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) in relation to the Judicial Review Dialogue.

This includes the appointment of five Bougainvillean directors to reflect it’s local representatation.

“I am pleased to advise that good progress has been made in our ongoing discussions with Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) aimed at amicably ending long-running Judicial Review proceedings in the National Court of PNG, “said Toroama.

In January 2018, the Bougainville Government refused an extension of BCL’s exploration licence (ELO1).

In April 2018, the Court granted a leave to BCL for a judicial review of the decision.

Toroama said much has happened since then, including the historic referendum that’s paving Bougainville’s path to independence.

“BCL has also continued its transition as a local company, and the ABG currently has 36.45% shareholding in BCL. Through this, the process of transferring another 36.45% presently held by the National Government started,” said Toroama.

Judicial Review
Panguna Mine Pit

In total, the ABG and people of Bougainville are set to have a 72.9% ownership stake in BCL.

As a result, the ABG and BCL have agreed on terms for a deed of settlement that would result in BCL ending the judicial review proceedings once the parties have delivered on a series of undertakings.

These include BCL contributing funds to assist Panguna reburials and reactivating the Bougainville Copper Foundation education scholarships program.

For its part, the ABG has agreed, consistent with the Bougainville Mining Act 2015, to reconsider BCL’s EL01 extension application with a view to extending the exploration licence for five years.

“It must be stressed that this would NOT be a mining licence; the issuance of which is subject to a separate process. BCL has agreed to file a notice with the court for the discontinuance of the Judicial Review,” said Toroama.

An extension of EL01 will allow BCL to continue its program of community support and work cooperatively with the ABG, landowners and the broader community to achieve mutual goals.

An abandoned bridge near the once busy mining area of Panguna.

Any future redevelopment of Panguna under a mining licence will inevitably require the involvement of many project partners. The ABG will continue to progress dialogue with landowners and important stakeholders in preparation for the eventual granting of a mining licence in the near future.

In the meantime, required feasibility related activities must be progressed under an exploration licence; these activities will take years to complete before the project sees actual mining development stage.

“Panguna is also a Bougainville-wide agenda given its relationship with the Bougainville Crisis. This fact, coupled with evidence of strong backing across Bougainville from prior consultative forums undertaken by the ABG in North, Central and South Bougainville supports my decision to pursue this path as President,” President Toroama said.

Related: https://insidepng.com/key-bougainville-plans/

Keep Reading
By
Pin It