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Vehicles for NCD Police Station Commanders

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New Police Vehicles for NCD Police Station Commanders

EIGHT new vehicles were presented to the National Capital District Command to be handed over to station commanders for official police work at their respective stations.

Deputy Police Commissioner Administration, Joanne Clarkson made the official presentation last week Wednesday.

“These new police vehicles have been purchased to support the station managements and enable PSCs to provide leadership at the stations during and after working hours to ensure their officers are there conducting their duties.” she said.

She said the Constabulary is empowering the NCD command to conduct their duties in a manner that reflects the RPNGC’s Corporate plan.

“Working in partnership with the divisional commanders all around the country, is what we can do to strengthen the first two pillars of our corporate plan, maintaining public safety and our investigation and prosecutions.” she added.

Clarkson urged that the vehicles were purchased from funds saved and must be well cared for.

In addition, RPNGC Transport Director, Chief Superintendent, Joseph Joe stressed on the importance and use of the vehicles, saying, resources acquired through public funds must be well administered for the interest of the citizens.”

He urged the PSCs to value these assets, work together as a team and serve the interest of the public.

Meanwhile, NCD Metropolitan Superintendent, Gideon Ikumu who received the vehicles on behalf of the Station Commanders within the city acknowledged receipt of these resources and urged all PSCs to step up and effectively pursue their duties.

“As station commanders and section heads, you sit in between ACP-NCD/Central and Metsupt and the police personnel assigned and are directly responsible for the command and control of daily activities that occur at your stations.”

“These new vehicles will ease your burden to ensure you (PSCs) are inspecting your stations during and after hours to ensure your officers are working.” Ikumu added.

The ceremony concluded with a documentation signing between the Deputy Police Commissioner and NCD Metsupt to officiate the handover of the new vehicles.

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Journalists Complete Investigative Journalism Workshop Part II

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Second Investigative Journalism Workshop by TIPNG

JOURNALISTS from various media houses in Port Moresby recently attended an Investigative Journalism Workshop facilitated by Transparency International PNG at the Loloata Island Resort outside of Port Moresby.

The workshop aimed to equip journalists with essential online researching tools to aid in journalistic work.

TIPNG as a Civil Society Organization and a very vocal anti-corruption body, brought together a group of journalists to impart knowledge and share insights into reporting about corruption and ways to carryout their (journalists’) research around the topic.

Yuambari Haihuie, TIPNG Deputy Director of Partnership and Policy, in his presentation, stated that media workers play a crucial role in upholding one of the important pillars of democracy.

With one of the media’s roles being to provide citizens with relevant information about important political processes, TIPNG hopes that this imparted knowledge will be part and parcel toward the way journalists carry out their research on topics of National importance and lead them to delve into areas of journalism that are most lacking today; one being, long form journalism or investigative reporting.

Journalists participate in interactive exercise during Investigating Journalism Workshop.
Journalists participate in interactive exercise during Investigating Journalism Workshop.

Throughout the course of the workshop, discussions and concerns were raised around the challenges faced by media workers and the lack of support from certain newsroom editors or managers of media houses.

Concerns were also raised on the availability of welfare frameworks through Civil Society Organizations such as the TIPNG, and bodies like PNGMC for media workers, post workshops.

PNG Media Council Secretary, Belinda Kora challenged reporters to report without bias, especially in political reporting.

She urged reporters to use the line ‘it was a paid trip or job’ in their scripts if the story comes from the sponsorship of a politician or a person in power. She urged all media workers to observe and uphold the media code of ethics.

Journalists who attended were encouraged to utilize the learnings of the workshop to enhance their research capabilities in order to improve the standard of reporting in the country.

In his closing remarks, President of the PNG Media Council, Neville Choi, stressed the importance of Investigative Journalism by encouraging journalists to improve their style of reporting as well.

“You have to improve the way you cover your story; improve the way you research it and improve the way you present it”.

Neville Choi, PNGMC President

He said PNGMC in partnership with TIPNG and other relevant agencies will continue to support media workers; and workshops such as this will help to strengthen the code.

Mr Choi also stated that the PNGMC is currently pushing for proper recognition of media workers at the national level.

Picture of journalists at the TIPNG's Investigative Journalism Workshop part II
Picture of journalists at the TIPNG’s Investigative Journalism Workshop part II

The workshop is a follow up of TIPNG’s first workshop which was focused on “Promoting Anti-Corruption and Integrity Strategies” with the aim to build the media’s capacity in investigative reporting and impart an understanding of the media as an integral part of the integrity system.

It was facilitated by TIPNG in collaboration with the PNG Media Council and United Nations Development Program, funded by the European Union,

PHOTO FILE: Courtesy of TIPNG Facebook Page

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Delivering Services for Samarai-Murua

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A barge load of goods and services for the people of Samarai Murua District in Milne May Province has left Port Moresby for Misima Island.

The barge was loaded with building materials, vehicles and other goods that will be delivered to the district.

The goods include building materials for the Misima High School, a Baptist Church in Misima and vehicles to be used as PMVs and water tanks.

Other goods transported include a Genset for a guest house, eight copra dryers and eight bales of copra bags for farmers in the District, and the barge will return to bring more supplies for the district.

Local MP Isi Leonard said Samarai Murua is a maritime District, and they have been using this mode of transportation to deliver goods and services to the district.

“This is part of an ongoing program that we started in the last Parliament, and I continue to pursue the same paths again, in delivering goods and services to the people of Samarai Murua.” the local MP said.

The barge has made over four voyages to the district in the last five years, and this is the first for this term, costing the district over K500 000 to charter a badge.

Transportation of goods and services has always been a challenge, and the government has pledged to deliver a barge for the district.

“In this Parliament, I am asking them to deliver the boat immediately because it has been approved, the fund was already made available, so this time I want them to give me the money so I can purchase a barge to deliver goods and services to my people,” the local MP said.

The MP was grateful and appreciative of the people for their patients and understanding, especially in a very challenging district like Samarai Murua.

He also thanked the District administration for their corporation, to ensure goods and services reached the people.

Local MP Isi Leonard inspected the barge before it departed for Milne Bay.
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Protecting Traditional Knowledge

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For the people of Aronis village along the North Coast of Madang, it is difficult to measure the rate at which their cultural practices are being lost every year.
 
Like many communities in Papua New Guinea, traditional knowledge is held by the older generation and passed on to the young through word of mouth.   It is ‘living’ knowledge and ever-evolving.
 
But these days, knowledge is passed on only to those willing to listen and that number is dwindling.   

When Barbara Gigimat, an Aronis elder initiated the Food and Culture Festival in August, she brought together people who were custodians of different kinds of knowledge.  It was the first time in many years that the richness and diversity in the small community were presented and appreciated.
 
“Previously, we thought our culture was dying out slowly. But now, we realize that the decline is happening very quickly,” she says.  “Many of our old people are dying and they’re taking their knowledge and wisdom with them.”
 
On the road leading to the main village, many of the young men are drunk on cheap homemade alcohol.  They represent part of a bigger problem. The breakdown of traditional systems of governance and family units over half a century has seen a rise in social problems.
 
The young men and women are not being guided as they would have been in the past. Many come from families who have returned to the villages after their parents retired from active employment. They are forced into an unfamiliar environment and many bring back influences common in the lower social classes of Papua New Guinea’s burgeoning urban population.
 
Others are absorbing the full brunt of development coupled with poor education and a lack of opportunities.
 
“We initiated this festival because of the young men and women.  We are tired of having to deal with alcohol abuse and the troubles associated with it. We have to pay compensation when our boys fight with people in neighbouring villages,” Barbara says.
 
“We realized that if we don’t address these problems, they will continue to worsen.”
 
At a small in the middle of the village square, Andrew Fei, a food security trainer explains the traditional cropping calendar that is still in use today.
 
He teaches people about the seasons and weather patterns. He is reviving aspects of traditional knowledge lost over the years.
 
“Traditionally, our ancestors didn’t live on the coast. They lived in the hills. This was so they would observe the sun and plan their planting cycles.  They didn’t just plant all year round.”
For this festival, Barbara and the planning committee wanted it to be a local affair without any tourists.

“If we brought in tourists, we will be obliged to look after them. They would be a distraction.  Many of the participants will not be actively passing on the knowledge they possess to the kids.”
 
Barbara hopes to have more people join future festivals.
 
“The need to pass on knowledge and to document the wisdom we have had become critical. As the older generation passes on, we will be left without the guidance that young people need. It is, therefore, crucial that more people are involved in this effort.”

Barbara Gigimat – Organizer, Food and Culture festival.
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Concerns raised over Log Exports to Malaysia

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Nearly 70% of Papua New Guinea’s round log exports between 2019 and 2021 were concentrated in the hands of just ten groups of companies, all with strong links to Malaysia, according to new research by Act Now! and Jubilee Australia Research Centre.

Over those three years, PNG saw a staggering 9.5 million cubic metres of round logs shipped overseas – enough logs to fill over 124,000 large shipping containers. PNG has been the world’s largest exporter of tropical round logs since 2015.

Although over 80 separately registered companies were involved in the log exports from 2019-21, the research found that many of these companies are linked to each other through complex networks of directors and shareholders, making the export of logs from PNG much more concentrated than it appears.

The research found that each of the top ten log exporting groups has strong links with Malaysia, either through individual shareholders or directors who are Malaysian nationals, or links to a Malaysia-based parent company.

Act Now! Campaign Manager, Eddie Tanago, said: “The Marape government has said it will put an end to round log exports by 2025 at the very latest. Despite this, the PNG Forest Authority has continued to issue new logging licences and the equivalent of 113 shipping containers of logs are leaving PNG each day. It’s time for the government to rein in the Forest Authority and ensure it puts an end to the destructive round log industry.”

The research highlights how complex and murky corporate structures make it difficult to work out who is responsible for logging into a particular concession area. This poses challenges for landowners who want to hold companies to account for their environmental and human rights obligations.

PNG’s Forestry Act 1991 requires the PNG Forest Authority to keep a public register with information about logging concessions and the holders of logging licences. While the Act came into force more than 30 years ago, no such register has ever been put in place.

Jubilee Australia Policy Director, Fyfe Strachan, said: “Mapping the corporate networks behind PNG’s round log exports took months of painstaking research. This information is meant to be publicly available, but communities are left in the dark about who is cutting down their forests.”

The logging sector in PNG has been criticised for its environmental and human rights record. In 2018, PNG’s Internal Revenue Commission announced a partnership with the OECD to crack down on tax evasion in the natural resource sector and, in 2021, revealed it was auditing 20 logging companies for tax non-compliance. Yet, to date, no fines or other enforcement actions have been announced. Meanwhile, the log exports continue at a rapid pace.

Round Logs ready to be exported. Picture by Act NOW PNG.
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Foreign Trade

PNG Looks East for Investments

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International Trade and Investment Minister, Richard Maru, has described his recent ventures overseas as very successful after meeting potential investors in Japan, Singapore and the Philippines.

In Japan, Minister Maru met with Dr Shoichi Kobayashi, the CEO and Chairman of Japan Development Institute (JDI), one of Japan’s biggest industrial development agencies.

JDI has helped developed Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in 70 countries, including China, Indonesia and the Philippines and has shown interest in developing an SEZ Master Plan for PNG.

“All over the world, SEZ developments have either failed or have been very successful,”

“So, getting the expertise of JDI at the infant stages of our SEZ developments is very critical to ensure we develop our planned SEZs,” Minister Maru said.

A team from JDI is expected to arrive by the end of the month for a 10-day trip around the country to begin work on the proposed Master Plan.

Minister Maru also met with Singapore’s Trade and Industry Minister Kim Yong Gan where they discussed the possibilities of creating PNG’s 1st ever Trade Agreement with Singapore. A proposed Trade Fair was also in discussion.

“We want the ASEAN member states to be the heart and soul of our future in terms of trade and investment because Asia is where the growth and future I and we need to be located right in the heart of Asia, which is Singapore,” Minister Maru said.

In the Philippines, Minister Maru met with Alfredo Pascal, the Secretary for the Department of Trade and Industry. Creating a formalized trade link between the two countries was discussed.

Downstream processing and commercial rice farming were also discussed with Minister Maru meeting three potential large-scale rice farming companies.

“PNG needs to identify up to 90,000 hectares of land to grow rice in order to produce the rice to feed our own population and to export the surplus back to the Philippines,”

“We will be working very closely with the Central Province Governor to assist us in identifying land in Central Province to grow rice on a large scale,” Maru said.

Talks on supplying LNG to the Philippines and downstream processing of crude coconut oil were also discussed.

“All in all, Japan, Singapore and the Philippines are ready to step up in their relationships with us in terms of trade and investment. Our plans to establish Trade Missions in these countries will go a long way in enhancing this relationship,” Minister Maru said.

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Business

Tari-Pori District Invests K1mil for Women in Business

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Women in Business is a focus for the Tari-Pori District in the next 5 years.

Taking steps to help women in the district, the Tari-Pori DDA presented K1million to the Women’s Micro Bank in Port Moresby recently.

DDA CEO Willie Kara said the district focused mainly on Health, Education and Infrastructure, however for this year, local Member and Prime Minister James Marape opted for Women in Business as a priority.

“Our DSIP is broken into 9 main sectors – health, education and infrastructure development are our main sectors. For this year, we want to see women in business, and this program will help us see if our women can venture into business,” Kara said.

The Women’s Micro Bank since its establishment has been helping women in the country in business. They’ve partnered with 5 Districts and 1 Provincial Government to bring about training for women who want to venture into the SME space as well as providing the financial means for women to start their own businesses.

“The Bank is women orientated. We want to create financial inclusion for our women. The Bank is here to create that conducive environment for women to grow their businesses,” Bank CEO Gunanidhi Das said.

The K1million funding will be used for training programs as well as capital for women groups in Tari-Pori to use.

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News

Attack on Journalists Condemned

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The Media Council of PNG (MCPNG) has condemned an attack by the supporters of a former politician in the precincts of the National Courts at Waigani yesterday.

While the MCPNG understands that the employers of the journalist who was the target of the attack have filed an official complaint with the police, it is deeply disappointed by this primitive act of violence against a messenger of the news.

“The media, and journalists, are not beholden to any individual, regardless of their standing or reputations as members of parliament,” says MCPNG President, Neville Choi.

“If you are in a position of public service, and your conduct, regardless of whether it was private or public, sees you answering to a court of law, in a publicly-accessed hearing, you must expect that your public standing will attract scrutiny,” says MCPNG President Neville Choi.

The MCPNG President says too often Papua New Guineans in positions of power and public authority, use those positions to avoid or assert blame on the messenger, rather than acknowledge their own shortcomings.

“If leaders, past or present, feel that they have been wronged in any way by the media, there are laws that they can utilize to seek redress. To resort to violence, whether directly or indirectly, only displays why they do not deserve to be called leaders,” Mr Choi said.

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Education

Electronic Library for CHW School

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Rumginae School of Community Health Workers (CHW), in Western Province, recently celebrated the opening of its new E-library facility.

It was completed at the cost of K73 000, co-funded by Vega Industries, an Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) supplier, and Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF).

The interactive e-library has over 30 million resource materials that will benefit the students and staff.

School Principal Amos Kupaloma in his remarks, said the shortage of community health workers and access to health services has always been a challenge for Western Province.

“We are trying to raise the standards of health facilities, and the school’s aim is to prepare more Community Health Workers to serve in these health facilities,” Kupaloma said.

The Principal said training competent CHWs with the vital skills and knowledge, will contribute to quality and cost-effective Primary Health Care services to rural and urban communities, thus fulfilling the PNG government’s National Health Plan.

He was grateful to the school’s Board of Directors, and development partners who have contributed to having this facility completed.

OTML Board Chairman Dr Roger Higgins, who was the guest of honour, was pleased that developments were taking shape in rural areas, and the school is using technology to enhance teaching and learning.

“I commend the school administration for bringing the CHW School this far, since its inception in 1976, and the current development will be valuable in teaching and training future professionals in medicine,” said Dr Higgins.

Dr Higgins encouraged the school to look after the facility and make good use of it.

The new E-library is part of its capacity building, to enable the CHW training school to become a Nursing College.

The school intends to commence its Nursing Diploma program in 2023.

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Foreign Trade

Strengthening Ties with Japan

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Prime Minister James Marape met with the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, before attending the state funeral of Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

PM Marape was accompanied by International Trade and Investment Minister, Richard Maru and East Sepik Governor, Allan Bird.

“Today was just a short, one-day visit to Japan for me, but very important in consolidating relations between our two countries,”

“There are 191 world leaders here today to attend the State Funeral of the late Shinzo Abe, and for PNG to have been accorded the honour of meeting Japanese Prime Minister Kishida is very special,” the PM said.

The Prime Minister also met with executives of Japan’s major energy companies with discussions centred around the LNG project and downstream processing which the Government is pushing for PNG to be more active in.

“Prime Minister Kishida, during our discussions, highlighted Japan’s need for energy security as well as the need for trade between our two countries to grow.”

Japan through its JX Nippon Oil and Gas Company is a joint venture with Nippon PNG LNG, which has interests in the PNG LNG Project. Since the 1st shipment, PNG has supplied approximately a 7.9million tonnes of liquefied natural gas every year to the world market, and Japan is one country that PNG supplies.

Japan is also involved in other major projects like the K692million Nadzab Airport Redevelopment Project which is currently in its construction phase. The project is captured under Japan’s Economic Corporation program which aims to improve PNG’s economy and broaden internationalization.

“Prime Minister Kishida highlighted the fact that PNG is an important bilateral partner of Japan,” said Marape.

Prime Minister Marape concluded his meeting by assuring the Japanese Prime Minister that outstanding trade treaties between the two countries will resume and PNG will continue to assist Japan where necessary, especially in its energy security needs.

The Prime Minister left for the United States where he will attend the Pacific Islands Summit in Washington DC.

Prime Minister James Marape and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during their meeting this morning in Tokyo. Picture by PM’s Department
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