PostCourier_2025.12.04_U by Post Courier Online

BY GORETHY KENNETH

TOROAMA GRILLS PM

BOUGAINVILLE President

Ishmael Toroama yesterday delivered a stark warning to the PNG Governmentbring Peter Tsiamalili Jnr under control or there will be no general elections on Bougainville in 2027. Mr Toroama was incensed

by the alleged lack of accountability from Prime Minister James Marape in a furious disagreement between Mr Tsiamalili and the Autonomous Bougainville Government for control of funds provided by Waigani to Bougainville. CONTINUE ON PAGE 4

Regional Member for Bougainville and Minister for Internal Security Peter Tsiamalili (top) has been restrained by the Court from accessing the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) funds. The fight between Tsiamalili and the ABG for control of funds provided o of provided d b by Waaigani takes a dangngeerouus s turn.

Prime Minister James Marape (left) and ABG President Ishmael Toroama (right) share a light moment at the JSB meeting yesterday. PICTURE: ERNEST GABRIEL.

Breaking with Simbu traditional brideprice, couple ties the knot in Port Moresby

OUT TOMORROW

NEW BEGININGS

PNG, ABG reaffirm ‘brotherhood’

Melanesian Agreement outlines roadmap for tabling referendum results next year

BY GORETHY KENNETH

THE Joint Supervisory Body meeting between the National Government and Bougainville have endorsed the Melanesian Agreement and set the 2026 timeline for Bougainville referendum results to be tabled and ratified.

Prime Minister James Marape and Bougainville President

Ishmael Toroama affirmed their commitment to the agreement and endorsed the Melanesian Agreement –– signed on June 26, 2025, which outlines a roadmap for tabling referendum results in 2026.

The JSB also called for a meeting in January 2026 to finalise details of the framework and set key tasks, including submitting referendum results by June 2026.

In appreciation of the continued peace enabled by the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement, elected leaders from Papua New Guinea and Bougainville convened December 3, 2025, Joint Supervisory Body meeting.

The leaders reaffirmed our commitment to the Joint Supervisory Body as the constitutional authority in intergovernmental consultations, dispute resolution and guidance in the implementation of the Bougainville Peace Agreement.

Having discussed in detail the agenda for this JSB, we therefore jointly agree as follows:

MELANESIAN AGREEMENT

1.1. The JSB endorses the Melanesian Agreement between the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Bougainville Government signed on June 26th 2025.

The JSB also called for a meeting in January 2026 to finalise details of the framework and set key tasks, including submitting referendum results by June next year.

1.2. The JSB recognises that the Melanesian Agreement is the agreed roadmap setting out the broad principles and joint commitments of both the National Government and ABG towards the tabling of the Referendum results in the National Parliament, which includes the joint development of a Melanesian framework.

1.3. The JSB notes the respective updates on the joint commitments under the Melanesian Agreement and directs that the two Governments meet in January 2026 to develop the details of the Framework

1.4. The JSB directs that the two Governments conclude key tasks under the Melanesian Agreement, including aiming to table the referendum results by June 2026. Update on the Sessional Order.

2.1. The JSB:

2.1.1 Acknowledges the update from the BHOR Speaker Hon Simon Pentanu and notes the need for adequate resources to support their respective role as per the Melanesian Agreement.

2.1.2 Calls on the Speakers of the PNG and Bougainville parliament, the National

Bipartisan Committee on Bougainville Matters, in coordination with the ABG Minister for Independence and National Minister for Bougainville Affairs, to convene a meeting immediately to develop the sessional order.

2.1.3 The Speakers will report back to JSB and subsequently to National Parliament in March 2026.

BIPARTISAN COMMITTEE ON BOUGAINVILLE UPDATE

3.1. The JSB notes the update of the Bipartisan Committee on Bougainville Matters.

3.2. The JSB calls on both Governments to provide support to the Bipartisan Committee on Bougainville Matters with the aim of aligning the tabling of its Bipartisan Committee Report with the proposed timeline of June 2026.

3.3. Calls on the National Bipartisan Committee on Bougainville Matters, two Speakers of the PNG and Bougainville parliament, in coordination with the ABG Minister for Independence and National Minister for Bougainville Affairs, convene meeting immediately to developing the sessional order, through a consultative approach in accordance with S342 (2) Referendum Results and Implementation of Part XIV of the National Constitution and provide report back to JSB and subsequently to National Parliament in March 2026.

UN PROPOSED PACKAGE OF SUPPORT.

4.1. The JSB notes the presentation provided on the United Nations Proposed Package of Support including the Facilitator’s Terms of Reference.

4.2. The JSB urges both Governments to work with the United Nations, as necessary,

facilitate a package of support to the Governments of PNG and Bougainville to implement the Melanesian Agreement.

4.3. The JSB endorses the appointment of Richard Smith as the Working Facilitator. AOB.

5.1. The JSB noted the President’s request for the ABG to source soft loans and for the National Government to explore options

Prime Minister James Marape. PICTURE: ERNEST GABRIEL.

ABG President Ismael Toroama. PICTURE: ERNEST GABRIEL.

THE DRUM

-PENGEE: thedrum@spp.com.pg

YOUR Drum, Our Drum, everybody’s Drum is on a preChristmas Vacation beat. We will be back after a short break at the North Pole. If you need to know, check the Drum shortly for the North Pole delivery of all the Christmas presents. In the meantime, don’t forget to send us the bits and pieces of belly-tickling, tummyrolling laughter pieces that make your life merrier every Christmas. Whether it’s the annual Christmas Choir with Governor Parkop by the Ela Beach seaside, or Rudolf parking on the wrong side of Mister B, or the Carols By Candlelight, be sure to give Mister Pee En Gee a ring this Christmas. See you all on the other side of the Drum Roll, spear roll, tosis roll and the rock-and-roll.

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Hospital clarifies MP’s death

Pacific International Hospital says late MP was dead on arrival

POLICE are looking into the death of Minister for Works and Highways Solan Mirisim after he collapsed at his apartment in Port Moresby on Tuesday December 02, 2025.

The police inquiry comes as the Pacific International Hospital confirmed that the Minister had been found unresponsive at his home and he was rushed in by the St John Ambulance to PIH where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

In a short statement, PIH said: “The late Minister was not under treatment nor admitted to the PIH at the time of his death. He was brought in by the St John Ambulance staff, having found him unresponsive at home.”

PIH Management have extended their sympathies to the family of the Minister, his district, government and his extended family over the passing of the late MP.

“He was a visionary leader and a well wisher of PIH, having received lifesaving treatment at PIH in 2023,” the short statement read.

The response from PIH comes as police launched the probe to rule out any foul play and to ensure the family are informed through appropriate authorities on how the late Minister passed on.

According to police reports exclusively obtained by PostCourier, the passing of the Minister is treated as suspicious.

A coroner will now advise the pathologist to conduct a post mortem to verify the cause of death which the police will rely on to say whether there is a case or not.

According to reports, the minister was well and arrived home at about 10.30pm on Monday, December 1, and was with his family before retiring for the night.

It is alleged that just after midnight, the Minister woke up and suddenly collapsed on the floor of his bedroom. He was rushed to the Pacific International Hospital after attempts to resuscitate him at his bedroom failed.

Police were called to the apartment

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where he had collapsed at 7 am. Officers from the Homicide and Forensics Division commenced their investigations, taking pictures and other information from the scene including personal items that were on the minister at the time of his passing.

Personal items were returned for his elder brother to pick up from the family at the apartment.

They then proceeded to the family home where their enquiries continued.

The body of Mr Mirisim was then taken to the funeral home at Erima.

The news of his passing have devastated his people at Telefomin.

Prime Minister James Marape said: “PNG has lost a dedicated servant of the people. We mourn together.”

He passed his condolences to the family and people of Telefomin stating: “I offer our heartfelt condolences and may the Lord bring comfort, healing and strength during this time of immense loss.”

Toroama calls for action on access to ABG funds after court restrains Tsiamalili

FROM PAGE ONE

AT THE Joint Supervisory Body meeting in Port Moresby yesterday, Mr Toroama warned that the 2027 National General Elections “may not be held” in Bougainville until the PNG Government steps in and addresses this issue of who should rightfully control the money.

Since 2023, the National Government has budgeted K100 million to the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (ABG).

However, Mr Tsiamalili Jr, as Regional MP, has had control of the funds, and diverted K50 million in 2023 and K75 million in 2024 to a trust account he had set up.

Enraged by this arrangement, the ABG took out a court injunction against Mr Tsiamalili Jnr, which was dismissed at the National Court. Still not satisfied, the ABG has taken out another injunction at the Supreme Court.

Matters came to a head yesterday with Mr Toroama saying: “Mr Prime Minister, let me state here that while national MPs from Bougainville may want to use any and all state resources at their disposal in preparation for the 2027 elections, let me go on record here and plainly state that there may not be national elections on Bougainville in 2027.”

Mr Marape was present at the meeting where Mr Toroama sounded the warning, however Mr

Tsiamalili was an obvious absentee.

Mr Tsiamalili Jnr is also the Minister for Internal Security and Leader of Government Business in the Marape Rosso government.

Mr Marape acknowledged the call by Toroama but said the matter was in court and respected that it was sub judice. He clarified that in 2019, ABG said it was owed K1 billion while PNG Government said the correct amount was K300 million.

The United Nations ascertained that K600 million was the outstanding amount.

“On our side we said we have only 300 million Kina outstanding. So the United Nations again came in and established that around 600 million Kina was owed.

“So we have to catch up the 600 million Kina and as well as pay current debt of emergency.

“Now the outstanding keeps on amassing.

“So last year, we combined two different items. PM’s commitment as well as the RDG to one group for retiring the applicants.

“ So that applicant is now subject to a court process. There is respect to the court process that is running.

“We will deal with this,” Mr Marape said.

“We need clarity around the RDG. The RDG is a concessional grant outstanding and owing for Bougainville. The National Government gave a commitment

that the RDG is money that will not be subjected, touched or diverted to other projects.

“It’s purely a concessional grant passed on to ABG, and they will budget, they will spend, they will indicate what money to spend.

“National Government also did indicate key national projects, key big projects that we must do. We will use the project management unit, we set up here.

“We will work with relevant ministries and departments, especially the infrastructure department in Bougainville.

“And we will work side by side in key projects that we want to also assist Bougainville.

“I want to also indicate to Bougainville and to the country, yesterday’s budget bills that went through, one of them was a raise of 3 percent in infrastructure and tax credit project funds.

Mr Toroama said the budgetary support provided by the national government to Bougainville was part of the JSB endorsed decisions between both parties including the funding arrangement.

“Mr Prime Minister, the sanctity and constitutionality of the JSB is being demeaned, in using a state apparatus like the State Soliticitor’s Office to open secret Trust Accounts and then go to the Finance and Treasury to deposit monies into that account, contrary to JSB

Resolutions.

“It appears the law now takes precedence over the political agreements reached by the two governments through the JSB.

As you know very well, Mr Prime Minister, the JSB has legal mandate as the conflict resolution mechanisms that has sustained the Bougainville Peace Agreement thus far,” President Toroama said.

He said the JSB has provided the forum for both governments to discuss and negotiate Bougainville’s Independence so it is only proper that the pivotal role that the JSB play is recognised as the legally mandated peacebuilding platform that has domestic and international jurisdiction.

“It is therefore deeply concerning that in this matter, though initiated by the ABG through the courts, the Regional MP and state minister has chosen to actively defend against the implementation of JSB-endorsed decisions on this funding.

“His public statements that the JSB resolutions does not change the law, reflect a total disregard for the sanctity and constitutionality of the JSB as the legitimate body from which the Prime Minister’s commitment funds originate,” he said.

Mr Toroama said this was very dangerous and had the potential to be perilous to the peace process and the legal standing of the JSB itself.

“My good Prime Minister, your passive silence throughout this saga is therefore very telling indeed.

“You know too well that the funding in question here and how it should be applied was something you yourself determined in the presence of Vice President Masatt, Mr Tsiamalili Jr and Mr Makiba in Port Moresby during Black Wednesday of January 10, 2024,” he said.

He informed the PM that ‘his silence’ is equally as alarming and may suggest a degenerative view of the importance of the JSB.

Mr Toroama said it was the constitution and the laws of PNG that continue to uphold peace on Bougainville and any suggestion watering down the constitutional role of the JSB will prove fatal on many fronts.

“It was the same laws that killed thousands of Bougainvilleans and the same constitution that turned murderous through decisions of the PNG Parliament.

“The JSB is not intended to be legalistic; it is about relationship and our main agenda in the JSB must be the implementation of the Melanesian Agreement signed on January 26, 2025. Our main agenda in this JSB mut be the implementation to the Melanesian Agreement as the framework for Bougainville’s independence,” he said.

Pacific International Hospital confirmed that the Minister had been found unresponsive at his home and he was rushed in by the St John Ambulance to PIH where he was pronounced dead on arrival. FILE PICTURE.

Parlt passes K30.9b National Budget

REPORTS BY JEFFREY ELAPA

THE K30.9 billion 2026 National Budget was finally passed in an unprecedented parliamentary budget session that went past 8pm on Tuesday evening.

The 2026 Budget of K30.9bn Expenditure and a K29.3bn in projected revenue, a deficit of K1.6 billion.

This is a record Budget in the history of this country, with increase of K2bn in the 2025 Budget of K28.3bn.

While the budget sitting went past 5pm, and was eventually passed at 8pm, it was the much-debated budget ever had over the past 15 years, (of my reporting budgets years), as almost every Member of Parliament had the opportunity to debate on the budget and went beyond 5pm.

AT A GLANCE

Below is the Marape Government’s Budget for the past six years:

BUDGET 2020: K18.7 billion

BUDGET 2021: K19.6 billion

BUDGET 2022: K22 billion

BUDGET 2023: K24 billion

BUDGET 2024: K27.3 billion

BUDGET 2025: K28.3 billion; and,

BUDGET 2026: K30.9 billion.

The other times the Parliament Sitting went beyond 5pm was during the 2011 political impasse. The budget reply by the Opposition Shadow Treasurer and member for Madang Bryan Kramer was a good one, as he presented data and statistics on the Government Budget Outcome from 1999-2024 and the Debt Stock from 2019-2024 as per the 2025-2026 Outlook for good analysis to substantiate his

PRIME Minister, James Marape described the Opposition’s 2026 Budget response as “selective, misleading and politically motivated narratives”, presented particularly by Shadow Treasurer Bryan Kramer. He emphasised that the K30.9 billion record budget—tabled last week by Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey continues his government’s disciplined economic strategy, correcting structural weaknesses inherited over decades while laying long-term foundations for inclusive growth. He reminded Parliament that debates must be grounded in truth, not “cosmetic arguments designed for theatrics.”

Mr Marape said the Opposition’s argument is incomplete and fails to tell the full picture of our economy, adding that the Op-

debt, revenue, and economic performance against PNG’s economic size and global conditions.

“The graphs and figures the Opposition circulated today are incomplete,” he said.

“They highlight nominal debt but ignore the size of the economy.

“Debt without GDP context is deception—plain and simple,” he said.

Mr Marape pointed out that despite claims of rising debt, PNG’s debt-toGDP ratio is projected to fall to 45.5 per cent in 2026, one of the lowest among developing economies, and well below many advanced nations.

“Canada is at 110 per cent, France at 113 per cent, Germany at 63 per cent, Italy at 135 per cent, Japan over 200 per cent. PNG is trending downwards—to 45.5 per cent next year and below 42 per cent by 2027. That is responsible fiscal leader-

He said to strengthen fiscal discipline further, the government has moved to reduce the legislated debt ceiling from 55 per cent to 52.5 per

Mr Marape said the Opposition continues to ignore clear Economic Data showing strong national performance despite global shocks. He highlighted that company tax revenue, which reflects private-sector health, has

2019: K1.9 billion

2024: K3.4bn – a new national record

Similarly, Mining and Petroleum Tax has risen dramat-

statement, and labelling the budget as ‘big numbers- with no impact’ as indicated over the past six years of enormous budgets of the Marape Government.

Mr Kramer labelled it a big budget number that will not turn into chalks, desks and textbooks in the schools nor medicines at the health facilities.

“’This is no merely a debate about a K30bn budget. It is a debate about whether a mother in Tari can afford both food and school fees, whether a young man in Gerehu finds a job or joins a gang, whether a child in Manus grows up in a country that works or country that quietly gives up on them. National Budgets are not just spreadsheets. They are moral decisions about who eats, who learns, who is protected- and who is left behind,” he said.

The budget debate was also unique as the Budget Statement by the

Parliamentary Committee on Plans and Estimates led by the WoseraGawi MP Joseph Yopyyopy was a fair and unbiased statement, that further cautioned the government on its spendings.

The committee also raised concerns on the amendments to the Internal Revenue Commission and the subsequence creation of an oversight board.

Former Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said while the government tabled a record budget of K30.9 billion, the government must stop promoting the "kaikai man culture" in the country and learn the savings culture, as commodity prices will not remain high forever, and that it (government) must realise it was incumbent to save for the future.

"You are promoting too many kaikai man in this country. We need to promote savings culture in this country and government must

ically under the “Take Back PNG” reforms:

2014: K794 million

2018: K775 million

2024: K3.707 billion – almost five times higher

“These numbers don’t lie. Under our leadership, the resource sector is finally paying its fair share. This is what ‘Take Back PNG’ looks like in real Kina,” Mr Marape said.

He further noted that GST collections, a measure of consumer activity and business transactions, rose from K3.5bn (2018) to K5.3bn (2024).

“Growth is happening. People are spending, businesses are trading, and the economy is active. These are not political slogans—these are verified outcomes.”

For the first time since Independence, PNG has recorded five straight years of non-resource sector growth, including agriculture, construction, retail services, and hospitality.

He said while the world experienced economic contraction during COVID-19, PNG still posted positive GDP growth, including:

2019: 4.5 per cent (above global average)

2022: 5.7 per cent

2023: 3.8 per cent

2024: 4.1 per cent

“The world economy was shutting down. Yet PNG still grew. That is not by accident—it is because of responsible management,” he said.

“We put money back into the pockets of ordinary Papua New Guineans. These are real interventions making a real difference.”

THE Vice Minister Assisting the Prime Minister and Menyamya Member of Parliament (MP) Solen Loifa said the 2026 National Budget lays down a robust framework for our nation’s progress.

He said the budget reflects a vision of an inclusive, sustainable and prosperous Papua New Guinea, however the success of this budget hinges on its implementation.

“It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the allocated resources are used judiciously and that the policies translate into tangible benefits for all our citizens,” he said.

“As we move forward at the dawn of our nation’s 50th anniversary, let us remain steadfast in our commitment to building a resilient and equitable society.

“Together, we can overcome the challenges that lie ahead and pave the way for a brighter future for PNG.”

Mr Loifa said in the heart of the budget lies an ambition to bolster the nation's economic stability, security, social equity and sustainable growth.

“As we delve deeper into its provisions, it is imperative to critically assess its potential impact and the pathways it proposes for our nation's growth,” he said.

“In terms of economic stability, the Treasurer has outlined a comprehensive plan aimed at fortifying our economic foundation.

“It is encouraging to see measures that target inflation control, fiscal discipline and prudent debt

management,” he said.

Mr Loifa said the allocation of funds towards infrastructure development, particularly in transport and energy sectors, promises to catalyze economic activity and create employment opportunities.

“However, it is crucial to ensure that these investments are both efficient and equitable. We must be vigilant in monitoring project implementations to avoid cost overruns and delays,” he said.

“The budget's focus on stimulating economic activity and creating employment opportunities is commendable.

“However, we must ensure that our growth strategies are inclusive and sustainable.”

lead by saving. Save money for the future, not kaikai for today,” Mr O’Neill said.

Generally, the 2026 National Budget passed consist of a total appropriation of expenditure of K29.3bn, with an operational expenditure of K18.5bn operational expenditure.

And this consist of personnel emoluments of K7.7bn, goods and services of K5bn, functional grants of K769.961 million, debt interest of K3.7bn and GST transfers to provinces K1.2bn.

The budget further captures the total expenditure of K10.8bn of capital expenditure, and these consists of K7.6bn direct government funding, concessional loans of K1.2bn and donor grants of K1.9bn.

The National Parliament appropriation for 2026 is K435.1m, and the judiciary service appropriation of K444.9m.

Nomane seeks, debates justification of budget

OPPOSITION Leader Mr James Nomane said the country’s total national debt stock stands at K65 billion, with a debt repayment of K5.6 billion in the 2026 Budget.

“And that means the debt servicing in the 2026 budget will be around K5.6 billion to repay the K65bn debt stock. That's a combination of interest which is a K3.7bn and principal repayments of K1.9bn,” he said.

Mr Nomane said the total K5.6bn will take up 18 per cent of the total 2026 budget and this will have a crowding out effect on essential services like education, law and order, health and other essential services that the people depend on.

“This is a real concern especially the debt servicing component of interest,” he said.

“From the total K5.6bn interest takes up 67 per cent of the total debt servicing requirement in 2026 or K3.7bn.

“So, for far too long we have gone on a borrowing spree and we have become addicted to debt.

“Now we will pay the price in 2026 going forward because the lies promulgated by the good hard-working treasurer, that guy sitting there next to the bible, has now put the people of Papua New Guinea in a precarious position, where we have high interest costs and this will eat into future budgets—even with the higher allocations to law and justice, which reflects another failed budget; in 2025, we gave primacy to law and order.

“We said police will have to be equipped and funded and operational to effectively deal with the law-and-order challenges of Papua New Guinea and where has that left us in 2025?

“Is the country safer than it was in 2024?

“The stark reality and the sad reality for the people is no.

“Death, murder, tribal conflict, gun-related killings, sorceryrelated violence have just spiked and they continue to go unabated.

“So, what has happened to the historic budget that prioritised law and order in 2024 and in 2025 and now we're prioritising law and order once again?

“These high alloca-

tions to law and justice, education, health in the 2026 national budget will be affected because of the scale of debt servicing that will compress the fiscal space and put immense pressure and tradeoffs that will affect maintenance, operational budgets, provincial support and overall budget execution,” he said.

Mr Nomane said the budget execution in 2025 has been completely deplorable, it has been lacklustre and it just warrants stringent introspection by all these ministers of state.

The Opposition Leader said the 2026 Budget has no primacy given to agriculture, which continues to remain a sleeping giant.

“We have done nothing to address the bottlenecks, the arrears, the cost overruns that affected the budget last year,” Mr Nomae said.

“We have done nothing to effectively invest into tourism, yet we come here and continue to spin a fictional riddle that historic budget after historic budget and the government's tracking so well.

“The debt services component will affect all other sectors including infrastructure, yet the treasurer fails to make any tough decisions about how he will cut spending to effectively deal with the high cost of borrowing and debt servicing that will affect implementation in 2026.

“So, what this means for all the good MPs on the other side is that we will continue to have a protracted cash flow crisis that's going to affect implementation of the budget because of the long borrowing that we

Security vital amid challenges

Pukpuk Treaty between Australia and PNG, the first alliance treaty

Stories BY GORETHY KENNETH

DEFENCE Minister Dr Billy

Joseph has emphasised the critical importance of regional security cooperation between Papua New Guinea, Australia and Indonesia, highlighting the importance of regional security cooperation in the face of growing challenges.

In his welcome address, Dr Joseph stressed that the three nations— neighbours sharing borders, maritime spaces, and cultural ties—must work together to address complex security challenges.

He acknowledged the presence of Indonesia’s Defence Minister, Dr Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, and Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles, and their delegations, expressing gratitude for their commitment to elevating trilateral cooperation.

Dr Joseph highlighted recent developments, including the signing of the Pukpuk Treaty between Australia and Papua New Guinea, the first alliance treaty between the two nations since 1951, and the upcoming security treaty between Australia and Indonesia.

“We are neighbours who share borders, maritime spaces, cultural linkages and deep strategic interests. Our security and prosperity are intertwined, and it is therefore essential that we come together in the spirit of cooperation, dialogue and mutual respect. I wish to sincerely acknowledge His Excellency Dr Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and the Indonesian delegation, and Richard Marles – the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia – together with the Australian delegation for being here.

“Thank you very much for accepting our invitation and for your commitment to elevating our trilateral cooperation. Papua New Guinea is grateful and honoured

We are neighbours who We are who share borders, maritime share maritime spaces, cultural linkages spaces, cultural

DR BILLY JOSEPH Defence Minister

to host this inaugural meeting.

Our engagement today builds on important progress already made.

“Recently, over in Australia with the signing of a Mutual Defence Treaty, also called the Pukpuk Treaty, reaffirming our longstanding partnership and shared commitment to regional stability. Likewise, Indonesia and Australia have strengthened their cooperation through the signing of a security treaty.

“These developments reflect a clear and common understanding that our region faces increasingly complex security challenges that no single country can address alone. Against this spectrum, it is both timely and fitting that Papua New Guinea, Australia and Indonesia meet collectively at ministerial level.

“This trilateral meeting allows us to deepen trust, harmonise our approaches and enhance coordination on issues that affect all of us, including border management, maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster responses, defence capability development and broader regional peace and stability. Our discussions today will lay the foundation for a stronger trilateral relationship — one built on transparency, shared responsibility and mutual benefit.

Let this meeting be the first of many, and let it signify our joint commitment to shaping a safer and more secure region for our people.”

Defence Minister Dr Joseph acknowledged His

and the

and Richard Marles – the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia – together with the Australian delegation for being here. PICTURE: PCFILEPIC

Indonesia plans to host second defence talks

INDONESIAN Defence Minister Dr Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin announced his plans to host the second trilateral defence meeting between Indonesia, Australia, and Papua New Guinea signaling strengthened regional security cooperation in the IndoPacific.

At the official opening of the Trilateral Treaty Agreement, Dr Sjafrie said that this first trilateral defence ministers’ meeting held in Port Moresby will serve as a milestone and a stronger defence dialogue, enhancing practical cooperation and contributing meaningfully to the security of the state of our region.

“First of all, I would like to

express my sincere appreciation and gratitude for the precious opportunity, excellency, to be here again in Port Moresby, the proud capital of Papua New Guinea, for this momentous occasion.

“That is the consequence of the neighbour — the more we visit each other, the better as the family.

“Today, I am with my main delegates: on my right side, the Ambassador of Papua New Guinea, Indonesian Papua New Guinea, and on my left side, the Deputy Armed Forces Commander, and second row is my staff from Indonesia.

“We do understand the importance

of this meeting today, because from this meeting we can enhance and we can develop more cooperation between Indonesia, Australia and Papua New Guinea.

“I firmly believe that this first Trilateral Defence Ministers’

Marles: Tri-lateral meeting is historic

AUSTRALIA’S Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles yesterday highlighted the historic significance of the inaugural trilateral defence meeting between Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, marking a new era of regional security cooperation.

Also serving as Australia’s Defence Minister, Mr Marles said the meeting held in Port Moresby marks a landmark moment in the security relationship between the three nations, emphasising the deep strategic trust and shared interests that underpin the collaboration.

He highlighted the signing of key agreements, including the Pukpuk Treaty between Australia and Papua New Guinea, the first alliance treaty between the two nations since 1951, and the upcoming treaty on common security between Australia and Indonesia.

Marles stressed that this trilateral dialogue is not a one-off but part of a broader regional architecture aimed at strengthening security and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

“It is really, very exciting to be here at this inaugural Australia–PNG–Indonesia trilateral Defence Ministers’ Meeting.

“It is a very significant moment in the security history of our three countries.

“We clearly share a region, and we also have excellent personal relations between the three ministers here, but deep strategic trust between our three countries that is reflected in the agreements which have been signed over the course of the last couple of months.

“On the sixth of October, we signed the Pukpuk Treaty — an alliance treaty between Australia and Papua New Guinea. It is the first alliance that we have signed as a nation since 1951.

“And in January, we will sign a treaty on common security between Australia and Indonesia, which recognises the significant shared interest that our countries have, and Minister Joseph is right — against that backdrop, this meeting is critically important.

Meeting will serve as a milestone and a stronger defence dialogue, enhancing practical cooperation and contributing meaningfully to the security of the state of our region.

“And I look forward with great confidence to open productive and result-oriented discussions. May our deliberation today pave the way for engagement and strategic trust benefiting our nations of the greater Indo-Pacific region.

“Before I close this remark, I talk to Excellency DPM — if we have agreed together, I invite to have this second trilateral meeting in Indonesia.”

Ministers of three nations welcome growth of partnership

DEFENCE Minister Dr Billy Joseph, Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, and Indonesia’s Minister of Defence General (Ret.) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, met yesterday in Port Moresby for their inaugural Trilateral Defence Ministers’ Meeting.

The Ministers welcomed the development of the trilateral partnership built on mutual respect,

shared interests, and a collective vision for a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Ministers reflected on the signing of the PNG Australia Mutual Defence Treaty (Pukpuk Treaty), and the substantive conclusion of negotiations on an AustraliaIndonesia Treaty on common security, and their contribution to the peace, stability and security of our shared region.

The Ministers welcomed the opportunity to discuss defence cooperation between the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, the Australian Defence Force, and the Indonesian National Armed Forces. They shared perspectives on regional defence and security cooperation and noted the breadth of military engagement between three close

neighbours.

And they explored opportunities to enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including maritime domain awareness, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and aviation best practice.

The Ministers also agreed to holding the trilateral Defence Ministers’ Meeting annually, with Indonesia agreeing to host the forum in 2026.

“We have deep strategic trust between our three countries, but that is not something that we take for granted, and that is something which needs to be nurtured and deepened and progressed each and every day, and that’s what this trilateral will do.

And this is not a one-off. It is our intention for this now to be a piece of the regional architecture between our three countries, and we will meet as three defence ministers each and every year from here on in — which means that the first of these meetings carries a particular significance. From the perspective of Papua New Guinea, to have its two largest neighbours meeting around the table in this fashion greatly contributes to the national security of PNG.

“From the perspective of Indonesia, to have both PNG and Australia committing ourselves to the territorial integrity of Indonesia is deeply significant.

“And from an Australian perspective, to have our two northern neighbours around the table with us is hugely significant in terms of providing security across our northern approaches for Australia, and that goes to the very heart of our nation and the very security of our continent.”

Excellency

Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin

Indonesian delegation,

China PNG relations in 15th Five-Year Plan

BY GORETHY KENNETH

CHINA and Papua New Guinea

aim to strengthen their strategic partnership as the 15th Five-Year Plan kicks off, marking 50 years of diplomatic ties and deepening economic and developmental collaboration.

Chinese Ambassador to PNG, Yang Xiaoguang, addressed businesses between PNG and China in Port Moresby yesterday, saying the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) represents a new phase of China-PNG relations, built on the foundation of 50 years of diplomatic ties and over 40 years of educational and developmental cooperation.

“As China transitions toward high-quality development, the plan will likely emphasise enhancing bilateral trade, expanding investment, and deepening infrastructure and technical cooperation. Key areas include:

Economic Integration

Continued growth in trade, with PNG benefiting from a trade surplus

and increased exports of coffee, cocoa, and seafood.

Infrastructure Development Expansion of projects like the National Power Grid, Digital Television, and new hospitals, which improve PNG’s connectivity and quality of life.

Education and Capacity Building

Sustained scholarship programs and technical training to foster human capital development.

Strategic Partnership

Strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership to align with China’s global development goals and PNG’s national priorities.

The development of China-PNG relations is also closely linked to China’s Five-Year Plans. In 1976, the first year of the 5th Five-Year Plan, China and PNG established diplomatic relations. In 1986, the first year of the 7th Five-Year Plan, China began providing Chinese government scholarships to PNG, a practice that has continued for 40 years. In 2018, during the 13th Five-

Year Plan period, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a historic state visit to PNG, and the two countries established the comprehensive strategic partnership. During the 13th and 14th Five-Year Plan periods, as China’s high-quality development continues to advance, China is constantly sharing development opportunities with PNG, bringing tangible benefits to Papua New Guineans.

From 2021 to October of this year, which is in the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the total trade volume between China and PNG reached 22 billion US dollars, an increase of nearly 40 per cent compared to the 5 years in the 13th Five-Year Plan period, with PNG enjoying a trade surplus of over 9 billion US dollars.

The two sides signed protocols for the export of unroasted coffee beans and cocoa beans to China. PNG successfully opened the fishery export facility in Guangzhou. More and more Chinese companies are investing and doing business in PNG.

Kotange describes local magazine as excellent product

THE management and staff of the National Narcotics Bureau took delivery of an exciting new magazine straight off the printing press yesterday afternoon at their Gordons office in NCD.

The magazine published by local SME, Records PNG Magazines, was described as an excellent product by a local publisher by the acting Director General Kiria Kotange.

“This is top quality work and the content speaks for itself,” said Mr Kotange, when congratulating publisher Patrick Panua.

Echoing the same sentiments, Deputy Director Policy and Operations, Robert Naipat,said the magazine carries important messages from the NNB in its pages and will be a great education and awareness vehicle to disseminate critical information far and wide.

“Unlike electronic media and newspapers, the magazine has a far longer shelf life and will continue to disseminate and propagate our awareness messages long after the impact is gone from the other platforms.

“Therefore, we consider the magazine as an important medium that can adds to our inventory of printed awareness materials to be distributed to the public, and especially in schools

where children and young adults are into such lively and interesting publications,” Mr Naipat said.

“We are a small local entity but we are big on promoting

Tovebae: Explore new opportunities in China-PNG ties

BY GORETHY KENNETH

PANGU Pati General Secretary Dogimai Tovebae yesterday emphasised the importance of exploring new opportunities for the China-PNG cooperation during the last 15 years, a period marked by significant growth and transformation in bilateral relations.

He noted that the relationship between China and PNG, built on mutual respect and shared development, has flourished through economic, cultural, and political collaboration.

“Economically, China has become PNG’s largest trading partner, with trade volumes reaching record highs, driven by exports of petroleum, minerals, and agricultural products,” he said.

“Chinese investments in infrastructure, energy, and mining have boosted PNG’s economy, created jobs, and improved living standards. In education and healthcare, Chinese scholarships and medical teams have enhanced access to quality services, while cultural exchanges have deepened mutual understanding.”

Tovebae called for innovative strategies to diversify economic cooperation, strengthen people-topeople ties, and align with the goals of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan.

He stressed the importance of addressing challenges and expanding collaboration in areas such as technology, sustainable development, and regional connectivity to ensure continued success in the evolving global

landscape.

“I am honoured today to speak about an essential topic: Exploring New Opportunities for China - Papua New Guinea (PNG) Cooperation during the last 15 years. This period has witnessed remarkable growth and transformation in our bilateral relations, creating a solid foundation for our future cooperation.

“China's generous investments in PNG's infrastructure, energy, and mining sectors have spurred economic growth and development, creating jobs and improving living standards. The future of China-PNG cooperation is indeed promising. Let us seize this moment, explore new opportunities, and work together for a brighter future. As we stand at the threshold of the next 15 years, let us pledge to make this partnership an example of successful South-South cooperation, contributing our share to global peace and prosperity.

“Further, our cooperation has extended beyond economic spheres into education, healthcare, and cultural exchanges. Chinese scholarships for PNG students have opened doors to quality education, while medical teams from China have provided muchneeded healthcare services in PNG. Cultural exchange programs have fostered understanding and appreciation of our rich cultural heritages.

“Firstly, there is a need to diversify our economic cooperation. While we have made significant strides in trade and investment, there is room for growth in other sectors such as technology, tourism, and renewable energy.

Water police rescue foreign sailors

ROYAL PNG Constabulary Water

Police have rescued three foreign sailors in the early hours of December 2nd after their yacht was grounded in the Southern Reef Area, Abau District in Central Province.

Police Commissioner, David Manning, said Water Police were mobilised and sailed at speed for six hours to where the sailors were located adrift in a life raft around two kilometres from their yacht.

“The three rescued foreign nationals are in good health and grateful to be alive,” Commissioner Manning confirmed.

“The Zhai Mo 1, a 24-metre aluminium-hulled vessel, was on an extensive round-the-world voyage.

government business and the commercial sector, including a special focus on start-up SMEs, like ourselves,” said Mr Panua in response.

Pomat cites Opposition’s disregard of parliamentary processes

SPEAKER Job Pomat yesterday

“diplomatically” condemned the bypassing of internal Parliamentary processes in the appointment of the Opposition Leader, claiming that due process was not followed, hence the court was forced to intervene.

Pomat warned that a precedence have been set and can threaten the Parliament processes, however acknowledged the court's role in the election, and Chuave MP James Nomane as the new leader.

“It is a sad day for me in parliament," he said, in relation to the process in which the leader of the Opposition was appointed.

Pomat expressed regret over the situation, acknowledging that the court's involvement set a precedent where judicial bodies would take over parliamentary affairs if internal processes fail.

Despite this, he formally recognised Chuave MP Nomane as the new leader of the opposition.

“We have a process in Parliament,

but we did not follow this process and we went to court and the court came and conducted our election of the new Opposition leader.

“This is a sad day for me as the head of this Parliament. We have set a precedence that if we cannot manage our processes in Parliament, the Courts will come and run our affairs.

“On the contrary, I can also make my decision but today I recognise Chuave MP as the new leader of the Opposition.”

“After being grounded on the reef, the yacht lost power and was taking on water when the crew abandoned the vessel in a life raft.

“This was a long-range night time response, and our officers performed exceptionally well under challenging conditions.

“This swift and effective rescue demonstrates the growing capability of our maritime policing capabilities.

“I commend Water Police members and partner agencies for their professionalism and coordination during this at-sea rescue.”

The crew are now undergoing medical checks and processing by Immigration and Customs processing in Port Moresby.

Executive Director of Water Police, Chief Superintendent Finniss, said all agencies involved in the rescue coordinated and applied trained procedures to achieve positive operational outcomes.

“RPNGV Water Police Patrol

Launch, Baki 2, was dispatched and located the vessel and the sailors on the life raft,” Chief Superintendent Finniss said.

“Weather conditions were initially poor and eased throughout the evening allowing the Baki 2 rescue vessel to make good speed to the location.

“The survivors were assessed onboard Baki 2 and are being returned to Port Moresby for further medical checks and immigration processing.

“Long-range voyages carry high risk due to weather changes and unfamiliar seas.

“This makes it essential for crews to have access to communications so they can seek assistance when required.”

Commissioner Manning highlighted the importance of effective agency cooperation and maritime safety in the lead up to the festive season.

“This most recent rescue follows a series of at-sea rescues and interdiction of criminals by Water Police. As we continue to build our maritime policing capabilities, our remote coastal communities will see a greater policing presence.

“This events highlight the importance of effective inter-agency cooperation to enhance the safety of our coastal communities.

“I call on all agencies, particularly those responsible for the regulation of the maritime arena, to join the RPNGC in enhancing proactive enforcement and safety operations.

“This is a timely reminder to all those who travel along our coast to double check their vessels and voyage plans.

National Narcotics Bureau boss, Mr Kotange, seated left, his management team and staff display the magazine: PICTURE: SUPPLIED

Writs for Dei, NIP by-elections open

BY JEFFREY ELAPA

THE PNG Electoral Commission has informed the people of Dei Open in the Western Highlands and New Ireland Provincial electorates that the issue of Writs will commence on Thursday 4th December, 2025, which will mark the commencement of the by-elections for the two seats.

Acting Electoral Commissioner Margaret Vagi said in a media statement yesterday after the dates for the by-election were approved by the Governor General Sir Bob Dadae on Monday.

The by-elections are necessary following the passing of the Member for Dei, the late Steven Pim, and the late Sir Julius Chan, the governor and regional member for New Ireland Provincial.

Mrs Vagi said the official dates for the by-election as announced by the Governor General Sir Bob Dade are as follows;

Issue of Writs ad Nomination Open:Thursday, December 4

Nomination closes: - Thursday, Dec 11,

Polling Starts: - Sat, January 17, 2026

Polling Ends: - Friday, Jan 30

Counting starts: - Sat, Jan 31

Return of Writs: - On or before Feb 20

Mrs Vagi said the National Government, through the Department of Finance and Treasury, has approved a total of K9 million to conduct the two by-elections.

The New Ireland Provincial Electorate has received K3million, while the Dei Open electoral has been allocated K2 million.

She said funding will also be used for electoral expenses, including the printing of ballot papers, logistics, poling and counting material,

Polye welcomes ICAC arrest, vows

By JACOB POK

FORMER Kandep MP Don Polye has taken an extraordinary stance following his arrest, publicly welcoming the charges laid against him and declaring he is ready to defend himself as the case involving more than K1.7 million in public funds moves through the courts.

Polye, who was arrested by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on 30 November 30, 2025, said he embraced the process because he was instrumental in establishing ICAC more than two decades ago.

“I welcome the arrest,” he told reporters outside the Waigani Court premises. “I helped create the very law now being used on me, and this is good for the country.”

Polye appeared before Magistrate Paul Puri Nii this week, formally arraigned while out on K50,000 bail. He is represented by lawyer Edward Sasingian.

Polye faces three charges under the Criminal Code Act:

Attempting to Pervert the Course of Justice (Section 136)

Conspiracy to Defeat the Course of Justice (Section 128)

Official Corruption (Section 87(1))

Despite the seriousness of the allegations, Polye maintained an optimistic tone, saying he trusted the independence of ICAC officers, the court system, and the legal process that now stands to test his leadership legacy.

“I know the process will not be abused. So far, everything has been conducted smoothly, and justice will prevail,” he said.

He acknowledged that the case intersects with contracts connected to the PNG Games, urging contractors and officials to continue their work to ensure the event’s success.

Polye’s arrest is linked to investigations into procurement and

allowances for temporary election workers, awareness campaigns, stationary, legal bills, ad other related matters.

He said the PNGEC kindly requests all voters, candidates and their supporter to exercise patience, tolerance, and understanding throughout the electoral process.

“As we approach the Christmas and New Year celebrations, we urge everyone to conduct themselves in a peaceful and respectful manner.

“The election is a crucial process that requires the active participation of all eligible citizens.

to

defend

himself

payments associated with the PNG Games, where contracts were allegedly awarded to his wife when he was the then Minister for Higher Education and Sports.

Polye also reserved strong praise for his supporters in Kandep, Port Moresby, and across the country, thanking them for remaining calm and “civilised” following news of his arrest.

“During the time of my arrest at my residence, my people showed maturity and discipline. That is what Papua New Guinea needs,” he said.

Polye positioned himself as an example for leaders across government, state agencies, and public institutions.

“If I can be arrested, you can be arrested too,” he said.

“ICAC is good for the 11 million people of this country.

“Leaders must respect the rule of law and let the process take its course.”

As the case returns to court in the coming weeks, Mr Polye maintains his innocence but insists he has nothing to fear from a system he helped create, and now faces headon.

“Let’s work together to ensure that the by-elections are conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner,” she said.

We also take this opportunity to wish all Papua New Guineans a joyous Christmas and a happy New Year. May this festive season bring peace, love and prosperity to our nation.

Meanwhile, returning officers and assistant returning officers have been selected on the advice of the provincial election advisory committee (PEAC) and will be gazetted today,” Mrs Vagi said.

says budget a ‘social contract between govt and people

BY JEFFREY ELAPA

A BUDGET is not a political speech or a campaign brochure, it is a social contract between the country and its people, chairman of Parliamentary Committee on Plans and Estimates, Joseph Yopyyopy, said during the Budget Debate yesterday.

He said when figures presented to Parliament exceed what is realistic, this puts the social contract at risk.

My Yopyyopy said the 2026 National Budget is at such a scale that demands rigorous and realistic assumptions with transparent evidence to back every projection.

In the budget review presented, the committee stated that its was troubled that the 2026 National Budget figures appear to be overly optimistic, with the projected figures, both revenue and expenditure, far exceeding past actual figures and economic realities.

“This gap risk undermines service delivery, unnecessarily increasing debt and eroding public trust,” Mr Yopyyopy said.

He said the over-optimistic budget figures carry three immediate risks;

First, it can lead to unsustainable borrowing if anticipated revenue fails to appear;

Second, it diverts attention from necessary fiscal discipline ad prioritisation of frontline services across the provinces;

Thirdly, it undermines the credibility of the parliament’s oversight role and the ability of government agencies to plan effectively.

Mr Yopyyopy said the committee encourages the government to take appropriate steps in revising its budget forecasting methodologies and assumption to help restore realism in budget figures and improve accountability to our fiscal process.

Police set for major shift in capacity as Parlt pledges K761m allocation

POLICE Minister Peter Tsiamalili

Jr (pictured) says Papua New Guinea is set for a major shift in policing capacity after the government handed down the largest police and law and order allocation in national history — a K761 million commitment in the 2026 National Budget. He said it is aimed at modernising and expanding the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC).

Tsiamalili Jr said the budget represents “a decisive investment in public safety and national stability”, adding that the significant funding increase comes without any new taxes on citizens.

He said the law and justice sector receives a 9.6% boost, reflecting the Government’s renewed focus on strengthening policing, prosecution, corrections, the courts, and corruption-fighting agencies nationwide.

Mr Tsiamalili said under Commissioner David Manning, the RPNGC is undergoing the most ambitious manpower expansion in 50 years. Annual recruitment has surged from 500 new officers to 1400 per

year, supported by new training and accommodation facilities at Bomana’s Centre of Excellence. Police numbers are expected to exceed 10,000 before 2030, accelerating the government’s long-term rebuilding agenda.

Mr Tsiamalili said frontline policing challenges — from tribal fighting and domestic violence to kidnappings, drug trafficking, and organised crime — demand a stronger, more mobile, and more disciplined force.

He said the record Budget will:

Rebuild and refurbish deteriorated police

stations nationwide.

Expand police housing for officers and their families.

Increase the national police vehicle fleet with strict new accountability rules.

Enforce mandatory random alcohol and drug testing for all personnel.

Strengthen digital policing, mobility, and rapid-response capability.

Mr Tsiamalili said the elite KUMUL23 Tactical Group receives K20 million to enhance its response to domestic terrorism, armed gangs,

and violent organised groups.

“Those who spread fear must know — the Police are watching and ready to act,” the Minister said.

He said Provincial policing commands receive K23 million to reinforce intelligence, security planning, and community policing as the country moves toward the 2027 National General Election.

Mr Tsiamalili said decades of decline are finally reversing:

“Safety and security is the cornerstone of development.

“This budget gives police the tools to rebuild, restore confidence, and protect our people.”

DON Polye with his lawyer, Edward Sasingian, and supporters leaving the Waigani Court premises yesterday. PIC JACOB POK

Staff shortages cripple Madang health

BY GRACE AUKA-SALMANG

MADANG Provincial Health Authority is operating with less than two-thirds of its required workforce, leaving major gaps in critical health services and placing increasing strain on the province’s already stretched hospital system.

The PHA requires 1057 staff to function effectively, but currently has only 633 employees across the provincial hospital and six districts.

This leaves 424 vacancies, a shortfall health managers say has worsened over the years and remains unaddressed due to

slow and centralised government recruitment processes.

PHA Chief executive officer Dr Martin Daimen said that despite being a state-owned corporate entity with supposed autonomy to recruit quickly, in practice they remain regulated by central agencies, delaying appointments and preventing timely filling of positions.

“Over the years we have reduced in numbers and those positions have not been filled. Because of processes and procedures, we need to follow, it becomes difficult for us to recruit,” an official said.

At the provincial hospital, staffing levels have also deteriorated.

The facility currently has 27 doctors, including senior specialists, junior specialists and medical officers. Nursing numbers — including nursing officers, community health workers, and health extension officers — have also declined, though exact figures remain unavailable.

To sustain essential services amid the shortages, the PHA has resorted to hiring casual staff, a move that has placed further financial pressure on the authority’s operational budget.

“When we hire casuals, we

consume a lot of our operation funds. Those funds are meant for other activities, but we use them just to keep services running,” the official said.

Despite the longstanding challenges, there is renewed hope. In the past two months, the Department of Personnel Management (DPM) approved the PHA’s vacancy submissions, paving the way for recruitment to begin.

“We are already in the recruitment process now, and we hope to fill up our vacancies.

“Next year we hope to at least improve service delivery,” the

Warangoi power station comes back online

official said. Meanwhile, the Madang Provincial Hospital continues to operate with its original 336-bed capacity, unchanged since the facility opened in 1965, despite serving a population now estimated at over 700,000 people. Madang is also the second last province to adopt the PHA model, meaning its systems and structures lag behind those in earlierestablished PHAs. Nevertheless, health leaders say efforts are underway to strengthen systems and gradually lift the standard of health service delivery across the province.

BY GRACE AUKA-SALMANG

MADANG Provincial Health Authority Papua New Guinea’s current seven-tier health service structure is becoming increasingly expensive to maintain, warning that the government must reconsider how services are funded and delivered across provinces.

Under PNG’s system, health facilities range from Level 1 aid posts, Level 2 community health posts, and Level 3 major health centres, up to Level 4 district hospitals, Level 5 provincial hospitals, and Level 6 referral hospitals, with Port Moresby General Hospital at Level 7 as the country’s premier referral centre.

PNG POWER Ltd is pleased to announce that both generating units at the Warangoi Hydro Power Station are now fully operational, delivering between 7.5 and 8 Megawatts (MW) of reliable renewable energy to the East New Britain provincial grid.

Unit 1, which had been offline since September 30 for scheduled maintenance, successfully resumed operation yesterday, joining Unit 2 in providing a stable base load of electricity.

Together, the two units are capable of powering between 6000 and 8000 typical homes, ensuring brighter nights and stronger support for businesses, schools, and essential services, including improved security across the province.

Hydro power remains one of the

most reliable energy sources in PNG.

As long as the Warangoi River flows, the station can generate electricity predictably, day and night, without the volatility of fuel prices.

This operational flexibility underscores PNG Power’s commitment to maximising renewable resources and reducing reliance on diesel generation from Ulagunan.

Community leaders have welcomed the news, noting the positive impact on households and local industries.

Looking ahead, PNG Power is also planning solar farm projects to complement the province’s energy mix, reinforcing its dedication to building a cleaner, more resilient power system for Papua New Guinea.

Fisheries authority gives K1m to Madang health authority

BY GRACE AUKA-SALMANG

THE National Fisheries Authority

yesterday presented K1 million to the Madang Provincial Health Authority (PHA) to support critical health services, with both organisations highlighting the importance of strengthening partnerships to improve patient care in the province.

During the official handover in Port Moresby, NFA Managing Director Justin Ilakini said the funding reflects NFA’s commitment to

contributing to national development by supporting health, education, youth and community initiatives.

“Whatever funds we generate, it is only right that we give back to our people. Supporting health services is one of the most impactful ways we can contribute,” he said.

Mr Ilakini revealed that NFA had previously approved K5m for Madang PHA several years ago. However, the absence of a functional PHA board and management

at the time prevented the release of funds, and the allocation eventually lapsed due to the expiry of board resolutions.

“This year, despite challenging cashflow conditions, the board maintained its commitment to the people of Madang and approved K1 million,” he said.

Mr Ilakini confirmed the funds had already been transferred and said the contribution aligns with NFA’s wider corporate social responsibility efforts, including a K10m sup-

port package to Port Moresby General Hospital, which helped enable PNG’s first kidney transplant.

Madang PHA Chief Executive Officer Dr Martin Daimen thanked NFA for what he described as a huge and significant support, especially at a time when health services continue to face operational and financial strain.

“Health is very complex and very expensive to run.

This funding will go a long way in sustaining our services,” he said.

PHA chief executive officer Dr Martin Daimen said the cost of operating each level rises sharply and that provinces like Madang are carrying heavy financial burdens that are not matched by their operational budgets.

“With more than 300 aid posts in Madang alone, running just one facility costs K50,000 to K60,000 a year. Multiply that by 300 and you see how expensive it is,” he said.

Community health posts, health centres, and district hospitals cost even more, and the PHA warns that politicians often push for new hospitals without understanding the ongoing financial commitment.

“District MPs are jumping up and down for district hospitals, but do they know it costs K2 million to K5 million every year to operate one district hospital?

“For Madang, we have six districts that’s up to K30 million annually just for district hospitals alone,” he said.

Comparisons were also drawn with Australia, which operates only three service levels, GP clinics, district hospitals, and regional referral hospitals making its system far cheaper and easier to maintain.

In contrast, PNG’s tiered structure spreads limited resources thinly across multiple levels.

“This means we must re-scope the system.

“If we intend to maintain all seven levels, the government must put significantly more money into the provinces,” he said.

The PHA also highlighted everyday cost realities often overlooked by the public, including the price of basic medicines.

“People complain about drugs and supplies, but they are expensive. Even a single capsule costing 50 toea adds up when taken three times a day for a week,” he said.

PNG Power Limited’s Warangoi Hydro power plant in East New Britian province

FLAWS IN LEGAL REFORMS

WELCOME back to another edition of the Court Page!

This week, we feature stories relating to important events within the judiciary and the justice sector.

One of the key events was the conference hosted by the Constitutional Law Reform Commission. One of the secessions focused on examining the architecture and intentions of Papua New Guinea’s Constitution, which revealed significant flaws in legal reforms over the years.

One of the founding fathers of the Constitution, Dr John Momis, who worked alongside the late Sir

Michael Somare during the leadup to Independence, expressed deep concern about the country’s current direction, saying this was not the country they had envisioned for the future Papua New Guinea when they were making the laws.

We also feature a story of Enga’s favourite judge, Justice Graham

Ellis, who returned to Enga and wasted no time in enforcing and upholding the rule of law in the trouble torn province.

We also feature other court related stories, including recent criminal allegations against a former State Minister and his wife.

Once again, we remind you our

Constitution conference exposes flaws in reforms

BY MELYNE BAROI

A TWO-DAY conference examining the architecture and intentions of Papua New Guinea’s Constitution has revealed significant flaws in legal reforms over the years.

Flaws that, according to speakers, have contributed to citizens becoming increasingly dependent on government handouts.

One of the founding fathers of the Constitution, who worked alongside the late Sir Michael Somare during the lead-up to Independence, expressed deep concern about the country’s current direction.

“Sadly, this is not the country we envisioned for the future Papua New Guinea when we were making these laws,” he said.

Held in Port Moresby last week, the conference brought together a wide range of participants from both government and non-government sectors to openly discuss the state of the “mama law.”

Dr John Momis shed tears while speaking on the first day of the event, recalling that the Constitution was crafted through a stringent and independent process despite the

drafters having limited knowledge of how constitutions or democratic systems worked.

He said the Constitution was designed as a pillar for human rights, social responsibility, and the protection of PNG’s diverse cultures, with strong emphasis on people’s participation in development and change.

However, much work remains.

Former Chief Justice and current Ambassador to the United States, Sir Arnold Amet, said that Section 63, which is used to form government, is “unconstitutional,” and that the 1995 amendment to the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Government is also “fundamentally unconstitutional.”

“It is an ex-officio component there’s no elected member in the assembly, so it’s fundamentally unconstitutional.

You can’t have a national MP, who might also be a minister, sitting in a provincial executive performing legislative functions. You can’t have dual legislative roles,” he said.

He added that the current system, where the governor presides over the PEC while open MPs chair

Fourth Attorney General’s Law Journal launched

THE Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Pila Niningi, has officially launched Volume 4 of the Attorney General’s Law Journal, describing it as a cornerstone publication for advancing legal scholarship and informed public discourse in Papua New Guinea.

Solicitor-General George Akia spoke on behalf of the AttorneyGeneral during the launch at the Holiday Inn & Suites in Waigani, last week.

Mr Akia said the Journal represents a significant milestone for the Department of Justice & Attorney General (DJAG) and the wider Law and Justice Sector.

He acknowledged senior officials from the Social Law & Order Sector, the National Coordination Mechanism, the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission (CLRC), and members of the media who attended the event.

“The Attorney General’s Law Journal has become a professional and credible platform for sharing legal knowledge,” Mr Akia said.

“It encourages intellectual reflection and policy dialogue, not only among lawyers but across our community.” First published in 2019 under the leadership of the Secretary Dr Eric Kwa, the Journal was created to promote legal

research, policy discussion and informed commentary. Volume 4 continues this tradition, featuring four major sections: technical legal papers, case notes from recent court decisions, policy papers, and book reviews.

To maintain its academic rigour, the Journal is overseen by an experienced editorial board chaired by Dr Kwa and including prominent legal scholars and sector leaders such as Emeritus Professor Edward Wolfers, Dr Mange Matui, Dr Wilfred Golam, Public Solicitor Leslie Mamu and senior DJAG officials. Mr Akia highlighted the Journal’s growing importance, noting that it is now embedded in DJAG’s Corporate Plan 2024–2028 and the Law & Justice Sector Policy 2024–2034, cementing its role as a strategic knowledge-sharing tool. He thanked the CLRC for hosting the launch alongside its national conference on PNG’s Constitution and paid special tribute to Dr. Kwa for his vision in establishing the publication.

Mr Akia urged more young legal practitioners to contribute to future editions, saying: “Let us continue to share knowledge, inspire intellectual growth, and strengthen legal scholarship in Papua New Guinea.”

District Development Authorities, “all has to be redone.”

Secretary for the Department of Justice and Attorney General Dr Eric Kwa said he strongly believes the Constitution should be continuously amended to meet the evolving needs of the people.

Senior stateswoman Winnie Kiap, speaking on a panel and taking the Prime Minister’s call to “be frank,” said her experience as a senior public servant taught her that public service management is “weak” and urgently requires reform, especially regarding appointments to key public offices.

The conference, spearheaded by the Constitution and Law Reform Commission (CLRC) with support from various partners, is part of the national reflection leading up to PNG’s 50th Independence anniversary.

Chief Ombudsman Richard Pagen delivered an eye-opening presentation, raising concerns over what he described as the over-powering role of Leadership Tribunals. He said leadership matters meant to be dealt with as disciplinary issues were instead

being “criminalised,” leaving the Ombudsman Commission feeling silenced.

Further presentations came from the National Research Institute, the Public Solicitor’s Office, the Registrar of Political Parties, and several others.

Participants included lawyers, church representatives, private sector leaders, community-based organisations, and students from Gerehu Secondary School and Bomana Primary School.

A community-based organisation leader raised concerns about laws relating to sorcery-related killings, saying Melanesian culture must be acknowledged in any legal discussions involving custom and tradition.

CLRC Secretary Dr Mange Matui thanked participants and said he hopes the conference will become an annual event.

Many prominent speakers presented proposals for law reforms for the CLRC to consider.

Contributors included Judge Vergil Narokobi, Former Esa’ala MP Davis Steven, and Registrar of Political Parties Emmanuel Pok.

valued readers, to contribute to this page, either by commenting on articles published or questions arising from this page. We will publish your comments, questions and get the appropriate people to answer your queries.

Supreme Court registry in new Court complex opens

SUPREME Court users have been advised to use the new Supreme Court registry located within the newly opened court precinct at Waigani in the National Capital District.

According to a notice issued on November 26, by National and Supreme Court deputy registrar David Gonol, the old Supreme Court registry will no longer serve lawyers, court users, or the public, as all staff have relocated to the new facility.

The new registry features a modern interior design, including a designated waiting lounge and improved security with systematic door locks, setting a fresh and upgraded experience compared to the old office.

Strict security protocols would be observed with non-tolerance of chewing betel-nut and smoking cigarette.

The move marks a gradual but ongoing transition of the National Judiciary and Staff Services into the new courthouse. Meanwhile, all court proceedings will continue to be conducted at the old courthouse.

Polye’s wife seeks to set aside restraining orders

BY JACOB POK

THE wife of former Kandep MP Don Polye, yesterday asked the court to set aside earlier restraining orders imposed against her bank accounts, following investigations into her involvement in a K1.7 million contract with the PNG Sports Foundation.

Kathleen Ruth James, through her lawyer Edward Sasingian of Sasingian Lawyers, made submissions before Justice Teresa Berrigan, seeking to set aside restraining orders issued on September 12, 2025, under section 579(1)(b) of the Proceeds of Crime Act (POSA) or alternatively, to set aside the orders under section 155(4) of the Constitution.

The application was supported by an affidavit of Kathleen and argues

that the restraining order should be revoked because Kathleen was willing to provide undertakings satisfactory to the Court.

Mr Sasingian argued that the affidavit of a Detective Jeremiah Kalap, which was the basis for the ex parte (one party) application, contained misleading and untrue statements, particularly regarding the work done with the received funds, the status of the project agreement, payments to Mr Polye, and the value of the property in the applicant (Kathleen’s) bank accounts.

Mr Sasingian also contented that letters from the PNG Sports Foundation confirmed the ongoing nature of the projects and acceptance of the Sport Mapping Report, valued at K500,000 which should be subtracted from the K1.757

million paid to Karma Investment. It was submitted that funds paid to Sabbath Inn, a firm owned by Mr Polye, did not originate from the PNG Sports Foundation but from Mappin Mande Trading, and this was misrepresented to mislead the court and incriminate Mr Polye.

Mr Sasingian further told the court that the applicant (Kathleen) was willing to provide an undertaking to complete the purchase of sports equipment with the remaining funds, as per the agreement with PNGSF, before the PNG Games in 2026.

He therefore requested the Court to revoke the restraining orders, citing misleading information in the ex parte application and interference with the Court Order by the bank.

Acting Public Prosector Helen Roalakona, in her submission in

response, opposed the revocation of the restraining order sought by the applicant, Kathleen, arguing that an application for a confiscation order is in place and that alternative remedies exist under the POCA.

Ms Roalakona, through her lawyer, relied on section 59 of the POCA which stated that if an originating summons filed specified the final relief sought was a confiscation order, then there is deemed an application for confiscation order before the Court.

It was submitted that section 155(4) of the Constitution was not applicable because the applicant has other avenues under the POCA which was available to her to protect her right to the property.

Justice Berrigan reserved the ruling to a date to be advised to the parties.

Justice Ellis restores order in Enga after reappointment for last term

JUSTICE Graham Ellis has begun what will be his final term on the bench after being reappointed in May and sworn in on 4th September at the Government House.

His return comes at a crucial time for Enga, which had been without a resident judge for a while due to ongoing tribal fights.

His appointment followed a direct request from the Governor of Enga Province, Sir Peter Ipatas, highlighting the level of trust local leaders placed in the Judge’s leadership.

Justice Ellis, who turned 72 on November 21st, has set a personal target to deliver judgments and to never take more than a week to finalise any matter.

Within only three months of resuming duty, he cleared longstanding criminal backlogs in Wabag and Porgera, took legal steps to reduce tribal warfare in Wapenamanda and began efforts to improve conditions at Baisu.

This is the third and final time

Justice Ellis is serving as a judge in Papua New Guinea, and his record of discipline and community impact is well known.

During his earlier service in Wabag, he cleared all criminal backlogs, helped restore law and order, and saw improvements in

ABG case adjourned to next Tuesday

BY MELYNE BAROI

THE trust account created by the regional member for the Autonomous Region of Bougainville Peter Tsiamalili Jnr to allegedly house funds that rightfully belonged to the Autonomous Bougainville Government remains frozen as the Supreme Court adjourns again for parties to further prepare statements.

Justice Derek Hartshorn set next Thursday for an inter-parte hearing on the restraining orders taken by ABG freezing the account once again.

The account was initially frozen by the ABG who initiated the court case against Tsiamalili for taking a total of K125 million over 2023 and 2024 unlawfully and storing it in a trust fund account which he solely oeperates called Bougainville Infrastructure Development Account.

Justice Collin Makail dismissed the claims that Tsiamalili’s acts were unlawful and removed the case at the National Court.

The ABG obtained a stay order from the Supreme Court on November 20, against a National Court decision that was made on November 17 dismissing their case on a K125 million commitment by the prime minister to them. They moved this through an urgent application through lawyers from the Jemma Lawyers firm and the interim restraining orders were granted.

The court noted that the First and Second Respondents (Tsiamalili and the Bougainville Regional Government), including their servants, and agents or anyone were restrained from conducting any transactions on the Bougainville Infrastructure Account.

school attendance throughout the district. When the police cell conditions failed to improve, he cleaned the cells himself together with court staff, earning the widely recognised nickname “the Judge Who Cleans Toilets.”

At the end of that term, local women and police even staged a public march calling for him to stay.

Over the years, Justice Ellis has also been called upon for major national responsibilities.

In 2015, the National Executive Council appointed him to chair the interim ICAC. Instead of transferring files to Task Force

Sweep, the chairman took legal action to stop the transfer and spent a full year preparing the foundation work for ICAC.

The effort continued for three years before being discontinued, and his plan for an effective anti-corruption body was never implemented.

In 2012, he was appointed by NEC to chair a tribunal into allegations of misconduct against the Chief Justice, although the inquiry was later stopped by a court order.

Justice Ellis first served as a judge in PNG from 1990 to 1992 as the resident judge in Rabaul after stepping away from the Sydney Bar

in late 1989.

He travelled regularly to Manus, Kavieng and Kimbe for court hearings and flew into Bougainville during the height of the crisis to investigate alleged human rights abuses. He restored National Court sittings in Buka while the conflict was still active.

Many lawyers who appeared before him during those years went on to become senior leaders in PNG’s justice system, including Justice Nicholas Miviri, now Bougainville’s Attorney General, Ezekiel Massatt, Deputy Chief Justice Ambeng Kandakasi, Justice Mogish, Justice Kariko, Justice Batari and others.

Through consistent work, he cleared the criminal backlog across the New Guinea Islands region, and in 1991 Rabaul became the only town in the country without a curfew.

That same year he chaired a leadership tribunal which produced a 400-page report in just three weeks, resulting in the removal of both the Deputy Prime Minister and the Governor General.

In late 1992, he led the Commission of Inquiry into the Poreporena Freeway contract, an 8-kilometre road project valued at USD 73 million. His report was completed within two months, delivered on time and within budget.

The Bank South Pacific Group Limited was also restrained from allowing both respondents and their agents from conducting any transactions on the Bougainville Infrastructure Account bearing. The respondents were also restrained to do or cause to be done any such act or carry out or give effect to any such instructions for purposes of paying or releasing all or any monies, funds, or grants to the Bougainville Infrastructure Account.

In their main claim, the ABG and its secretary Joshua Tauko claim that the Bougainville Infrastructure Development Account holds national grants intended for the ABG.

They referenced a 2019 resolution by the Joint Supervisory Body (JSB), which affirmed that the PNG Government would provide K100 million annually in grants directly to the ABG under “The Prime Minister’s Commitment” (a pledge made under the Restoration and Development Grant provisions of the Organic Law on Peace-Building in Bougainville) Autonomous Bougainville Government and Bougainville Referendum 2002.

They alleged that Mr Tsiamalili acted outside this agreement by assuming control over portions of the grants and diverting them into a trust account that he operates.

They claim that K125 million (K50 million in 2023 and K75 million in 2024) was withheld from the ABG and redirected into the said trust account.

The restraining order extends until the case returns next Thursday.

Mr Polye and lawyer Edward Sasingian and others leaving the Waigani Court premises yesterday. PICTURE: JACOB POK.

Justice Graham Ellis being greeted by Governor-General Sir Bob Badae after his swearing in ceremony at the Government House recently.

YU TOK

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2025

Time for government to support PNG writers

THE oral history of our country was recorded by our ancestors and handed down orally to our forefathers.

It was all in legends, myths, storytelling of people and events, history that shaped communities, tribes and their future.

Papua New Guinea is now a force in our tumbuna folklore. However, we are in danger of losing the history that holds together our nation.

Tonight, in Port Moresby, a former politician and businessman, Francis Kongu Awesa will launch his life story – Nina Inji – my life story.

It is his autobiography, set between his birth in 1951 and upbringing as a village child in Kiburu, Southern Highlands, and his departure and eventual coming of age as a Western-educated Papua New Guinean. Many other Papua New Guineans have written excellent autobiographies: Sir Albert Maori Kiki’s - Ten Thousand Years in a Lifetime, Dame Josephine Abaijah’s – A Thousand Coloured Dreams, late Chief Sir Michael Somare’s – Sana; Sir Paulias Matane’s – My Childhood in New Guinea are all great topics that explore life before and after the colonisation and development of PNG.

There are many other written accounts by other PNG writers of their experiences including Utula Samana’s ‘Which Way’ and Sir Bernard Narokobi’s ‘Foundations For Nationhood’, Dame Carol Kidu’s autobiography ‘A Remarkable Journey ’, and Dame Alice Wedega’s ‘Listen My Country’.

Their history, told through Papua New Guinean eyes, is our history. These will be the history our children and grandchildren will cherish in the next 50 years. Why is recording our history important? Because without history, a nation will cease to exist. Without a family tree, our families, clans and tribes will die.

Without the truth of history, we will not know our borders, land, rivers and territory. Without history, we will lose our land and identity. What we have in our national libraries is our history written by missionaries, explorers, kiaps and mostly expatriates, and other visitors. Much of this work is incomplete.

It is incumbent on us to provide the correct information for our history. We renew the call by many writers, including Sir Paulias Matane, the prolific Daniel Kumbon, and the Crocodile Prize national literature competition organisers, that the National Government must support local writers to write and publish their books.

YOUR PIT TOILET IS DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE WATER

Future action plan for PNG Shadow Treasurer needs to refocus

FINALLY , WE HAVE WATER IN OUR VILLAGE

WATER NEXT A PIT TOILET IS NOT SAFE, IT MIGHT BE CONTAMINATED

LETTER OF THE DAY

THE parliamentary statements by the Shadow Treasurer this week are correct. The budget proposed by the Government is poorly constructed and relies heavily on outcomes that are highly unlikely.

The track record of this government and the governments in recent years, is very poor. We have built a strong cycle of debt, we have extremely poor service delivery from the many billions of Kina we waste and we have narrow streams of revenue that will not sustain the country.

Our people should be concerned and not be misled by these aspirations by politicians with little chance of success.

PNG is the home of failed execution and zero credible enforcement. It is no surprise that the country is going backwards faster than ever before.

But the statements by the Shadow Treasurer and

Member for Madang are overshadowed by his poor delivery since joining the parliament over 8 years ago. Despite the big expectations, he has failed to deliver anything in the parliament except for criticism. And when given the opportunity to make a difference in a ministerial portfolio, his lack of impact was notable.

More importantly, have a look at what is happening in Madang under the Member’s watch.

The former ‘jewel in PNG’s tourism crown’ is now nothing of what it was. The community standards have declined to a point where you can’t get basic medicine in the hospital, there are no basic services, the town is overrun by foreign companies driving out locals and who are unlikely contributing fully to the country through their questionable business practises.

The people of Madang are left to wonder what their Member

is doing for them. This is the same member who was elected by his people to make a change. There has been change but none of it is good.

The only changes being seen by the voters is the town sliding backwards.

No services, no utilities, no investment, no future prospects.

Its time for the Member to get out of Port Moresby coffee shops and get back on the ground at home. Your people are feeling abandoned. It is right to challenge the government to be better.

But it is always better to show them how to do it rather than tell them. PNG has enough spectators.

PNG needs ‘doers’ that make things happen. We need ‘players on the field’. Get back on the field Member. Show us, don’t tell us.

PASSIONATE HEARTBROKEN MADANG RESIDENT

REFLECTING on the recent CLRC forum, it is clear that Papua New Guinea still faces major challenges. Many communities lack schools, hospitals, roads, and essential services, while governments struggle to deliver on promises.

To address this, I propose: Focus on national priorities – Use constitutional goals for education, fairness, self-reliance, culture, and environment to guide all government decisions.

Strengthen political party responsibility – Parties must align policies with national goals or risk losing public trust.

Regular performance reviews – Independent offices assess government progress and report to Parliament for action where needed. These steps will ensure consistent development, accountable leadership, and real results for all citizens.

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE ADVISOR-ADVOCATE

Judicial accountability must match judicial independence

THE recent decision of the National Court awarding K1.4 million in damages to a retired senior judge, in a case against three Members of Parliament, has once again highlighted the need for all citizens—especially leaders—to respect the Judiciary.

But as the country reflects on this ruling, we must also confront a harder question: Who holds the Judiciary accountable, and how can the public trust the process?

Yet today, the average Papua New Guinean does not know who investigates complaints against judges, what the process is, or how decisions on such complaints are reached.

Currently, anti-corruption bodies such as ICAC, the Ombudsman Commission, and Police are tasked with the oversight of public office holders.

However, the Judiciary’s composition in these oversight bodies, has created a public

Judges make decisions that affect lives, human rights, freedoms, elections, resources, and the direction of the nation. Because of this immense responsibility, citizens reasonably expect that Judges should be subject to transparent, independent scrutiny—just like any other leaders.

perception—right or wrong— that judges effectively oversee themselves.

This perception leads many to question the fairness and independence of these bodies.

And when such trust erodes, even legitimate judicial decisions can be viewed with suspicion. If PNG wants a justice system that is respected as well as trusted, then Judicial accountability must match Judicial independence.

Papua New Guinea needs an independent and fully separate Judicial Complaints Commission (JCC) to handle misconduct allegations against judges. Such

a body should operate outside the courts and outside political structures. Receive and assess public complaints in a transparent manner. Publish annual reports summarising cases and outcomes, without compromising judicial integrity. Provide a simple, accessible process for citizens to lodge concerns.

Countries with strong democratic foundations—Australia, USA, New Zealand, the UK, Canada—have long recognised that courts must maintain their independence and face external scrutiny.

The recent high-profile damages ruling has shown how sensitive

the balance between the Judiciary and public opinion can be. It also presents an opportunity for a meaningful reform.

If we want the people to respect the Judiciary, then the Judiciary must show that it welcomes independent oversight, transparency, and public accountability. Nothing strengthens an institution more than the confidence of the people it serves. It is time for policymakers, legal authorities, and leaders to take this conversation seriously.

SELA GIPE Port Moresby

YU TOK

Amendment to Section 145 of Constitution QUICK THOUGHTS

IT is indeed demeaning and tarnishing the integrity and professional competence and intellect of other highly educated and learned professionals of our country when posting unjustified and irrational sentiments and assertions based on personal interests on social media.

In this case, I suggest we need to pause for a while and reason why the five men bench of the supreme court came with this unanimous decision.

My good and learned governor has already accepted the decision which he views as legally sound based on recent amendment to this section of the constitution. I reckon the judges

had not erred on their decision based on the current amendments but delivered a fair judgement based on the interest of justice.

Governor Bird’s arguments are all valid and had merit in the sense that people’s interests have been jeopardised as the executive government will escape scrutiny which is true and must be supported.

The ones to support our good governor are our MPs who were mandated to act for and on our behalf but most of them have their own sinister, greedy and selfish motives to enrich themselves.

So it’s our time to vote them out in 2027 and vote in good leaders for our

benefit. Governor Bird was right in all his assertions which are rational and hold substance.

On that note, the judiciary is there to interpret the laws passed by the legislature/parliament which is another arm of government and will not interfere in its law enactment function.

So let’s not be judges as some of our comments can attract legal proceedings against us which of course will be detrimental to our wellbeing and professions as they can be viewed as going against the Cybercrime Act.

So please let’s act responsibly.

L. BONIFAS NAKEI

Moral decay destroying Christian PNG

MORAL decay has reached another dimension in this country where its citizens proclaim themselves to be citizens of a Christian nation.

Our daily conduct and behaviour do not reflect ethical and moral values but contradict our faith and Christian pledges.

Just look at every post, upload and comment on social media platforms (Facebook, WhatsApp) - vulgarity is widespread.

Moral decay is tearing our Christian nation apart. Respect for our womenfolk has gone out the window.

Boys and men are not ashamed to use very degrading terms to label others, which are offensive towards our mothers, sisters, daughters, and wives. Using swear words or obscenities

in public was considered ‘taboo’, shameful and disgusting, and you could be punished and scolded, but today, it has become a norm.

We have sick people in society, fulfilling a reference made of us as ‘primitive animals’.

We can not call ourselves human beings when our conduct is becoming worse, even beyond animals.

We’re becoming extremely dangerous towards our own species and existence through the proliferation of extreme violence, tribal fights, murder, rape, incest, killings, disrespect, damage to public property, and disregard for rule of law.

We are definitely on the path to doom and destruction. Not even

our leaders, elders, churches, and government will rescue us against this tide of evil.

Let us go back to the foundation by embracing our family unit and starting from there.

Parents must give quality time to their children and instill in them good values and teach them about moral judgment.

The kind of society we witness today is a clear picture of the kind of family individuals come from. Discipline in the community is not there. Respect towards elders has eroded. We’re in perilous times. Our safety in our own homes is not guaranteed.

Let’s brace ourselves for the worse.

TEE HOFFMAN Goroka

Popondetta DDA ensures students get to China

POPONDETTA MP and Administrative Services Minister

Honourable Richard Masere sees human resource as an important pillar.

Human resource development contribute to the development of his district and province when educated elites from the district one day would return with skills

and know-how to serve in different capacities boosting developments in one way or another.

Therefore the Popondetta MP and his District Development Authority (DDA) amongst targeted infrastructure developments and the delivery of other goods and services - educational infrastructures and student

DO NOT LET FEAR WIN

Fear is one of the most powerful forces in life. It sneaks in quietly, whispering lies. It tells you that you’re not enough, that you’ll fail, that you should just stay safe and small. But hear this clearly: you were not made to live in fear.

Fear might visit, but it doesn’t have to unpack and stay. You have the power to push back. Courage isn’t the absence of fear it’s choosing to move forward in spite of it. Every step you take in the face of fear builds your strength and expands your future.

The dream you carry, the goal in your heart, the purpose inside you none of it can grow if fear holds the pen in your story. Fear wants you to play small, to doubt your voice, to delay your calling. But deep down, you know you’re made for more.

Yes, there are risks. Yes, it might be

uncomfortable. But what if it works? What if everything you hope for is on the other side of your decision to try? Don’t let fear stop you from applying for the opportunity, speaking up, starting the business, writing the book, or pursuing the calling. Regret is far heavier than failure. Fear feeds on your imagination. It magnifies what could go wrong. But you can use that same imagination to picture what could go right. Focus on the possibilities, not the problems. And take small, bold steps forward. You don’t need to have it all figured out. Just begin. Fear loses its grip when you move. Progress silences panic. Motion defeats hesitation. So take a deep breath and go for it. You have everything you need inside you.

BE INSPIRED

support program being given a nod is another targeted area of focus by the Popondetta District Administration.

Pictured above is the first batch of the district sponsored students who recently travelled to China for studies.

Words and picture: PAUL MINGA

Stagnation due to unqualified leadership

DEVELOPMENT at the district level plays a critical role in shaping the overall progress of a nation.

However, in many districts and provinces, growth remains slow and stagnant, not because of a lack of resources or opportunities, but due to the presence of incompetent or underqualified individuals occupying key administrative positions.

When people without the necessary qualifications, experience, or expertise hold influential posts, the result is ineffective planning, poor decision-making, and ultimately, hindered development.

One of the core issues behind this stagnation is the political appointment of individuals into positions that require technical skill and proven competence. Instead of selecting candidates based on merit, knowledge, and professional experience, appointments are often made based on political loyalty, personal connections, or favouritism.

This practice not only undermines the integrity of public institutions but also limits the district’s ability to address urgent developmental needs effectively.

If Members of Parliament (MPs) are genuinely committed to advancing development and improving the lives of their constituents, they must prioritise merit-based appointments.

Skilled professionals with relevant qualifications and experience can bring fresh ideas, efficient management, and evidence-based planning to district and provincial administrations.

These individuals are better equipped to handle local challenges, coordinate development programs, and ensure that resources are used responsibly.

Merit-based appointments promote transparency, accountability, and high performance.

When the right people are entrusted with leadership roles, projects are more likely to be completed on time, funds are managed more effectively, and long-term development goals become achievable.

Moreover, competent leadership fosters public confidence and encourages community participation which are the two essential components for sustainable development.

In contrast, continuing the practice of politically motivated appointments not only delays progress but also perpetuates a cycle of inefficiency and mistrust. districts and provinces cannot move forward when critical responsibilities are placed in the hands of those who lack the capacity to deliver results.

Therefore, if development is truly a priority, MPs and other decision-makers must take bold steps to ensure that key administrative positions are filled based on merit rather than politics.

By appointing qualified and experienced individuals, districts and provinces will be better positioned to achieve meaningful, sustainable, and inclusive development.

OBSERVER

Electoral inequality in Papua New Guinea

BY THIAGO CINTRA OPPERMANN

Papua New Guinea is an incredibly diverse country.

This is a source of great pride to most Papua New Guineans, and rightly so. Each of PNG’s more than 800 languages is a world, and carries the joys and pains told by parents to children across hundreds of generations. Equally impressive is the way that Papua New Guineans live with this diversity: a deep respect, a mutual recognition of kastom, and fluency in translating between traditions. It doesn’t always work but the difficulties should also be put in perspective. Europe, with the equivalent of the linguistic diversity of just Madang province, fragmented into dozens of states and fought devastating wars.

I begin with this consideration because I want to stress that an ability to work with differences is one of PNG’s core strengths. But we need to talk about how this genuinely praiseworthy set of values can be exploited to look past deepening political inequalities. Recently, the Australian National University’s Department of Pacific Affairs carried out an analysis of electoral observation data from 2007 to 2022 examining the distribution of some basic patterns of polling, or “voting methods”. What we found were profound, and generally geographic, differences in the degree to which Papua New Guineans are able to participate in free and democratic elections.

In some places, elections mostly follow the law: people queue up, they undergo voter identification and if successful, they vote. There are problems, notably with the electoral roll, but at these polling stations it is individuals who vote, generally in a secret ballot, and at a time convenient to them. We classify such polling as “orderly” (See Figure 1).

Instead of queuing up, names are called from the roll. A “roll call” might seem to involve only a tiny

change, but there are consequences.

Voters might have to wait all day to hear their name, which is detrimental especially to women and workers. If someone’s name isn’t called and that person thinks this is a mistake, they have to step in front of someone whose name has been called. The roll call effectively co-opts the community’s frustration with the electoral roll in an attempt to limit complaints. But the attempt often backfires, because the roll call broadcasts the names of the absent persons to everyone within earshot, which facilitates voting under someone else’s name.

In other areas, the electoral process breaks down much more substantially. Some polling stations abandon voter identification, but individuals still vote. We call these “no-ID individual” stations. People might be happy to be able to vote, but abandoning the roll makes multiple voting easier and this creates incentives for candidates to stack polling stations. In some cases, the situation degenerates into a scramble for ballots. Individual

voting without a roll seems to be unstable.

What happens next depends to a large extent on the balance of forces in an electorate, but in general there is a move away from individual voting. In some cases, there are traditional ways of organising group votes: household heads and clan leaders vote on behalf of their kin. We call this “household voting”. This used to be common, but more recently we have seen a move towards either an anarchic scramble or candidate control of polling. This often reduces most of the community to bystanders. These are “monopolised/disrupted” polling stations.

Entire books of ballots are up for grabs in these cases, which creates a great deal of tension, leading to violence and ultimately to efforts to pre-empt rivals by hijacking ballot boxes and either tampering with or destroying them. In such “collapsed” stations, as one observer put it, the voters “did not see even the colour of the papers”. These different voting methods

have deep political consequences. In some, voters have to be persuaded. In others, there is a contest over ballot papers, sometimes decided by force.

In Figure 1, we show the distribution of these voting methods at 755 locations observed in 2022. There are two things that must be noted. First, the Highlands face far worse conditions than other regions. But second, the Highlands are not homogeneous. There are some relatively good polling stations to be found there, even in areas that are otherwise seriously distressed. We often find relatively good polling near police stations, hospitals and civil servants’ residences. Indeed, in the Highlands there might be less than a few kilometres between a flawed election with poor rolls but individual participation, and an election in name only in which candidates fully control the process.

We should be clear about what this means. The PNG constitution establishes an individual’s right to vote. The vote must be a free choice. In practice, we see this right is denied on a large scale.

Our surveys are not randomised so we cannot estimate the total number of people who are denied a fair chance to participate, but it is very large — perhaps half the total voting population is at risk. What we can say with confidence is that this denial of rights is unequally distributed, both between the Highlands and everyone else, and within the Highlands between a lucky few and an unlucky many.

This has severe consequences in the first instance for individuals who cannot vote either because of failure of the electoral roll or because the legal process has been abandoned — but also for everyone else. It is an illusion that the problems concentrated in the Highlands are problems only for the Highlanders. The winners of these starkly different elections all go to the same parliament. Desperatelyneeded reforms are in the hands

of all the MPs but, for many, the incentive structure that exists at polling time is adverse to addressing fundamental problems.

Diversity should not be used to mask what is, in fact, a profound problem of inequality. What we see in the Highlands is not samting blong ol Hailans. It is a structural problem that has emerged in the Highlands but could very well spread further. We know this because it has spread within the Highlands, which is itself extremely diverse. The deterioration in electoral conditions there has accelerated recently, and with this a notion of Highlanders as essentially different is becoming entrenched. This is unjust, as Highlanders are disproportionately disenfranchised, and it is an error, as the situation in the Highlands is the outcome of institutional collapse. Unless this is recognised as a joint problem for communities across PNG, there is a risk of worsening ethnic polarisation. The fragmentation of electoral organisation we have recorded is perhaps the greatest test PNG has yet faced to its core value of mutual respect in diversity.

Disclosure: This research was supported by the Pacific Research Program, with funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views are of the author only. This article appeared first on Devpolicy Blog (devpolicy. org), from the Development Policy Centre at The Australian National University.

Dr Thiago Cintra Oppermann is a research fellow at the Department of Pacific Affairs, Australian National University. He is an anthropologist working on the history and social organisation of Bougainville, and electoral politics in PapuaNewGuinea.

A voting method where candidate agents fill in ballot papers in bulk. (Department of Pacific Affairs)

Source: Voting Methods and their Distribution in Papua New Guinea. In other places, individuals lose their right to choose when to vote.

Figure 1: Voting methods in the 2022 PNG National General Election

Changing HIV care, one conversation at a time

NURSE Manager Ms Julie Kitoneka is quietly transforming the lives of people with HIV/AIDs, one patient and one conversation at a time.

For nearly 20 years, Julie has worked at Angau Memorial Hospital, where she leads the HIV/AIDS Clinic to provide testing and treatment for patients and works to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child.

Seeing the need to do more for her patients, Ms Kitoneka studied a Graduate Certificate in Counselling through Australia Awards, so she was better able to meet the emotional and psychological needs of her patients with empathy and skill.

“Counselling wasn’t part of my nursing training,” said Ms Kitoneka. “Now I’ve

found it to be a vital component of the services I provide.”

Ms Kitoneka is also spreading her impact far beyond her patients. In 2021, she facilitated the second cohort of the Australia Awards counselling program, helping 25 new counsellors graduate and begin practice across Papua New Guinea. She now trains health workers and community organisations in Lae, building a stronger, more responsive care system.

On World AIDS Day, the Australian High Commission honours the extraordinary contributions of people like Ms Kitoneka. Australia is proud to stand with Papua New Guinea’s health workers, communities, and people living with HIV. Together, we’re building a future of dignity, equity, and care.

Solar powers health facility

Clean energy, reliable electricity

FAMILIES in Lavongai, a remote island community in New Ireland Province, can now rely on clean energy to power their local health facility for the first time.

Installed through a partnership between Caritas Australia, Catholic Church Health Services (CCHS), and the Australian Government, a new solar system is transforming healthcare delivery by providing reliable power for lighting and essential equipment. The installation includes solar panels, a distribution network and a battery energy storage system.

The upgrade ensures reliable electricity for lighting, fans, and medical equipment, critical for maternal care and emergency services.

This infrastructure has the capacity to produce 11.5MWh of renewable energy for the site each year, equivalent to over 4,600 litres of diesel fuel using the old generator, saving around PGK 19,000 (AUD 6,750) per year.

Local partners oversaw the installation as well as a training program to ensure the system can be maintained and operated by community members. The project was completed in just six days but has the power to create lasting change.The project is part of Caritas Australia’s broader OffGrid Renewable Energy partnership as part of Australian Government’s Business Partnership Platform (BPP) to improve energy security in Papua New Guinea’s remote healthcare facilities, with similar upgrades for Mapua Health Centre, also in New Ireland.

Together, these systems strengthen healthcare for more than 12,000 people, reduce reliance on diesel and contribute to better climate outcomes.New Ireland Provincial health Officer, Gabriel Eric said “having reliable power at the health centre here in Lavongai means better care and better health for our people.”

“With new lights and fans mothers can give birth in more comfort and safety, and running water made possible by the new water pumps will make the nurses job much easier. We’re grateful to all partners who made this possible and hope we can extend this solution to other clinics across New Ireland Province.”

Connor McBride, Pacific Program Manager at Caritas Australia, said:“The outcome of this project is a community-owned, clean and reliable power source.

Ms Kitoneka leads the HIV/AIDS Clinic to provide testing and treatment for patients with HIV/AIDs.

Faithful brave tribal fight

Pray for end to tribal warfare

BY JONATHAN SOPE ANRO

HUNDREDS of Christian faithful from across the Catholic Diocese of Wabag in Enga Province showed remarkable courage to gather at Pumakos Parish in Tsaka Valley of Wapenamanda district to celebrate the Feast of Christ the King despite an ongoing tribal fight in the area.

Driving past tribal war zones, devastated and desolated by an on going gruesome tribal war in the Middle Lai, Aiyal Valley and Tsaka Valley constituencies, the Catholic Christians braved fear to walk their faith in the calling for peace and unity in the province.

The special celebration on November 23 brought parishioners from all the parishes and communities together in a powerful display of faith and unity during an impending difficult times torn by tribal conflicts all over the province.

Every individual who sacrificed

themselves and walked the path to celebrate the Feast Day of Christ the King in Tsaka Valley prayed for unity and lasting peace.

Enga Bishop Justin Ain Soongie led the Mass service, joined by Wabag Diocesan priests, 25 seminarians, and religious sisters from different congregations.

The large gathering demonstrated the strength of Catholic faith and solidarity in Enga purposely to seek Divine Intervention from God’s grace restore peace and normalcy in the tribal war-torn district.

Despite security concerns stemming from the current tribal conflict, Catholic Christians travelied from all the six districts of Enga Province to worship and honour Jesus Christ as the King.

Many risked their safety to attend, showing their deep commitment to their faith.

Bishop Soongie and church leaders praised the parishioners for their bravery and dedication.

They called the gathering a sign of hope and peace in the midst of violence and division.

Church choirs sang hymns while believers prayed together for peace in their communities.

In the homily, the Bishop spoke about Christ’s message of love and reconciliation, urging the faithful to be peacemakers and reject violence.

The presence of seminarians preparing for priesthood and religious sisters added special significance to the celebration. Their participation showed the church’s continued commitment to serving the people despite challenges.

After the service, parishioners shared food and fellowship, finding brief refuge from the ongoing conflict.

Church officials say the successful gathering proves that faith can overcome fear, hatred and bring hope and lasting peace in Enga Province.

Pumakos Parish Catholic youths preparing gospel songs for the Liturgical celebration.

Parishioners across Wabag Diocese gathering at Pumakos Parish of Tsaka Valley in the Wapenamanda District to celebrate Christ the King Feast Day. PICTURES: SUPPLIED

A mother’s determination earns her a college diploma

BY MICHELLE STEVEN

TEACHER colleges in Papua New Guinea are ending their academic year on high notes by passing out teachers with bachelors or diplomas in education or primary teaching.

Holy Trinity and Kelua Teacher colleges in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands province also held their graduation recently.

Holy Trinity Teacher's College (HTTC) had its 8th Bachelor of Education and 33rd Diploma in Education Graduation Ceremony, 2025. The event was opened by Dr Clement Papa, Bishop of the Mt

Hagen Archdiocese and Chair of the Catholic Joint Venture.

Among the many who received their diplomas in primary teaching was Junneth Apa from Kurki village in Anglimp, Jiwaka Province.

Ms Apa said her education journey has been a struggle from scoring low marks and getting married while in college at HTTC.

“I didn’t make it through the normal education system; I was one of those second chance students.”

“Because my marks were not good I had to do Grade 11 again at PNG Educational Development Services Secondary school beside

Avi Market,” said Ms Apa.

She said from there she was selected to do her first year at HTTC in 2018. During her second year in 2019, she found a boy from the surrounding community and got married and left school.

Ms Apa said her parents never give up on her, they tried their best for her to continue her second year but she left school without a proper agreement or withdrawal form, therefore the institution rejected her appeal letters.

She gave in to the normal village life and had her first baby girl.

She said during those times both

their parents never gave up on them, especially her and in 2024 she was accepted back to do her second year and finally completed her third year this year at HTTC.

Ms Apa said she was grateful to have a supportive husband who always wanted her to go back to school and pursue her education.

“Every girl or mother should never give up on their education just because they failed, scored low marks or have financial problems.”

“With the right people backing you up and with your own determination and perseverance you can do it,”

said Ms Apa.

Muaina secondary school hold grade 12 graduation

BY ROBERT TIKI

MUAINA Secondary School in Sinesine-Yongomugl district, Chimbu Province, has graduated 297 Grade 12 students during its 15th graduation ceremony, last week.

Principal Samson Goiye thanked parents, students and invited guests, for their continued support of the school’s academic journey. Chimbu’s Provincial Education Adviser Kutna Bepwick acknowledged the SinesineYongomugl District Development Authority and MP Kerenga Kua for prioritising education in the district.

She highlighted that because of this commitment, the largest number of Chimbu students attending the University of Goroka and the University of Papua New Guinea come from the SSY district.

Mrs Bepwick also thanked Governor Noah Kool and Provincial Administrator John Punde for

stepping in at times when TFF funds are delayed, including assisting schools in the district to clear outstanding debts. As a PEA, she congratulated the teachers and administration

under Principal Goiye, stating that Muaina Secondary School has some of the best-performing teachers in the province. She encouraged the graduating students not to fear rejection,

BY MICHELLE STEVEN

THE Kuli Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Centre of the Catholic Archdiocese recently had their 57th graduation to impart life skills to its graduates.

Ketpung councillor Joseph Ruing thanked the administration, staff and the local community for their cooperation throughout the academic year.

“The community took care of the TVET centre and the safety of the students was guaranteed by the community with no disruptions,” he said.

He commended his community for their participation in making sure the TVET centre’s academic year was completed successfully despite the local level government elections.

“Last year, we had a lot of ups and downs and effective learning did not take place well due to administration issues, however, this year under the new management of Regina Kaire the Centre manageress and Deputy manager Jonny Koi we have seen a lot of changes.”

Mr Ruing said that through the new management they have seen a lot of new changes in the infrastructure and development of the centre to donation of new equipment.

“All the old classrooms for all trades were painted. Single teacher houses were separated into four rooms with proper kitchen and main living rooms renovated and divided into four rooms for single teachers to reside,” he said.

“There has been an extension of the boarding students' mess hall with an inclusion of a new kitchen house and solar lights have been installed all around the school premises including boys and girls’ dormitory.”

reminding them that “in life, there is no failure”.

Mrs Bepwick added that Chimbu students are competing strongly on the global stage, outperforming students in countries such as the United States, India and China.

Representing the office of the Member for Sinesine-Yongomugl, district CEO Jack Atte Kerenga also congratulated the students.

He urged them to cultivate humility and embrace criticism, saying that a disciplined heart can take them anywhere in the world.

Amos Bakil Dangma delivered an emotional message, telling graduates that “there is no greater love than those who lay down their lives for you”.

He reminded students to honour the sacrifices of their parents and families, whose struggles have paved the way for their future.

The ceremony concluded with proud families celebrating the achievements of the graduating class of Muaina Secondary School.

BY ROBERT APALA UPNG COMMUNICATION JOURNALISM STUDENT

THE Papua New Guinea Teachers’ Association has confirmed that the remaining 3 per cent salary adjustment for teachers in 2025, under the 2023-2025 memorandum of agreement, was paid in pay 24 of 2025 which was backdated to January 2025.

National president of the PNGTA Aita Sanangkepe, on behalf of the 72,000 teachers in the country, thanked the Government and the Education Department for fulfilling the agreement and paying the 3 per cent adjustment. He thanked the Prime Minister James Marape and the Government for believing in teachers’ effort in nation-building.

“The PNGTA is ready to work with the three new appointed commissioners to serve the hardworking teachers in the country starting next year and onwards. The PNG Teachers Service Commission employs teachers,” Mr Sanangkepe said.

“On behalf of the teachers throughout the country, I would like to acknowledge the work of the Education Secretary, the government and TSC office staff.”

He said that the PNGTA will work with three appointed commissioners to address any claims for the teachers in 2026, 2027 and 2028 which was already submitted.

Junneth Apa with her husband, daughter and parents. PICTURE: MICHELLE STEVEN

Some of the graduating students of Muaina Secondary school during their graduation last week. PICTURE: ROBERT TIKI

Tasitel boat survivors return home

BY REINHARD MINONG

AFTER three days of fear, uncertainty and rough seas, the six men who disappeared from the Tasitel community banana boat have been safely brought home.

The vessel, the only one still missing out of 10 that travelled the Kavieng-Murat route on November 28, was located late Monday afternoon by an Australian search and rescue aircraft deployed by

JRCC Australia. Officials confirmed the 7-metre banana boat with six men on board had been drifting East, carried by strong currents and wind.

With supplies running low, the aircraft dropped emergency survival equipment, including an EPIRB distress beacon, a satellite phone, a maritime VHF radio, and five litres of drinking water, all of which were recovered by the men.

The distress signal that led to

Police bust drug syndicate

BY MELYNE BAROI

POLICE in Alotau have discovered a local drug syndicate and arrested two men alleged to be the drug lords that supply drugs to other networks in Alotau, Milne Bay Province.

According to Milne Bay provincial police commander Chief Inspector Benjamin Kua, this discovery came out of a targeted police operation by the Public Service Unit that has been investigating illegal drug trade in the province with the help of the surrounding communities.

On Sunday night (November 23) the police unit using local intel located the suspects at the alleged drug house in a settlement situated in the heart of town and raided the premises where the two alleged drug lords were apprehended and arrested.

While there the police seized two full “rainbow bags” of marijuana (cannabis) weighing 12 kilograms.

“The operation was enabled by community-based programs and an integrated policing partnership with local stakeholders” Mr Kua said.

He said local police have been investigating this syndicate for several months now and the help of the community was a key in this discovery and seizure.

“Information gathered through community-reporting and multishift policing coordination identified persons and locations associated with trafficking and distribution of dried cannabis (in Alotau)” he said.

“My policemen will investigate follow-ups to identify additional members, supply chains and distribution networks linked to this discovery.”

The 12 kilograms of cannabis has been confiscated and would be used as evidence in court.

“The seizure represents a significant disruption to local supply and demonstrates the effectiveness of combined community intelligence and policing efforts” Mr Kua said.

He praised the great help of the community in this police operation and encourages the community to continue the good work for a better and safer Alotau.

the rescue had been detected early Monday morning through the international COSPAS-SARSAT satellite alert system, providing the first location since the boat vanished in treacherous weather.

Once sighted, surface rescue teams coordinated by MRCC PNG reached the drifting boat and brought the men safely ashore.

Their arrival was met with relief and celebration by families, community leaders, and fellow

seafarers who had spent days fearing the worst.

The survivors are skipper Clive Lapan, crewman Namaloe Limiken, Ward 1 Member Max Kawang, Tavol Primary School head teacher Lahui Torea, Mason Milliman, and Noen Moses.

Their safe return ends days of anxious searching that took community boats as far as 38 miles offshore, often hampered by fuel shortages and rough conditions.

Earlier, the recovery of a floating life jacket near Boliu had heightened fears for their survival.

The successful rescue highlights the dangers faced daily by coastal communities dependent on small open boats, especially when weather conditions turn unexpectedly severe.

It also points the importance of satellite distress systems, international coordination, and rapid response in saving lives at sea.

The six men rescued late Monday evening in the outer seas of New Ireland seen here with boat crew member in orange vest. PICTURE: SUPPLIED

Policemen with the suspect during the raid.

Our second excursion on day two on board the True North took us inland, to a place that holds a lot of history and memories of the battles brought forth to our shores.

Rabaul Bita Paka War Cemetery is where soldiers, seafarers and air force personnel were laid. Some tombstones have names, others only dates, and all hold stories of war.

After arrival at Kokopo, we were joined by Jelan Tours. Our guide, Joyce, pointed out landmarks as we drove through Kokopo’s lively roads, shops, houses, and smiling bystanders waving as we passed. The smooth highway soon turned into potholes, but the frangipanis that were blooming in bright colours, on both sides, served as the reminder of the historical fact that frangipanis were the first to bloom after the tragic 1994 eruption.

We traveled on until the landscape then opened into the peaceful and well-maintained lawns of Bita Paka. From the moment I stepped out, a quiet reverence settled over me. This place marks one of Australia’s first actions in WWI. Today, more than 1,100 Commonwealth servicemen lie here; soldiers, sailors, airmen - both known and unknown. All connected by the battles that scarred East New Britain.

But among them lies someone who stands apart: 29 years old nun, Sister Verdun Bernice Sheah, a Royal Australian Air Force nurse who cared for the wounded passing through this part of the Pacific.

Months after WWII ended, she died in an accidental plane crash in New Guinea. She is believed to be the only clearly identified woman buried here and her grave lies as a symbol of the courage

1994 eruption. Walking through Bita Paka reminded me that Papua New Guinea’s story is tied to the world’s.

Our lands and seas became strategic war zones. Our people faced the impacts without choice.

And now, life has returned, children laughing, markets alive with colour, and ocean waters where warships once moved are now calm and peaceful.

In this quiet place, the past rests softly beneath frangipani trees. And Sister Sheah’s story; her courage, her journey across oceans, her final rest in this rich and beautiful land, stays with me.

women in times of war. Standing by her headstone, I felt a deep stillness and the sense of pride that belongs to this resilient and historic province. Rabaul has risen again and again - from war to the

On the Trobriand Islands or as many lovingly call it, the ‘Island of Love’, women hold a quiet yet powerful place in the local economy. Here, they use a specific form of traditional currency called, ‘Doba’ to purchase goods from neighboring villages on the islands.

Doba is a currency made with banana leaves, crafted entirely by the hands of Trobriand women and inherited through generations that still use it today.

As I wandered through the sandy pathways of Kiriwina, through the rows of intricate crafts; baskets, mats, wood carvings, clay pots and many more, my eyes caught a group of elderly women sitting beneath the cool shade of a makeshift house, far from the busy markets but just close enough to be seen by the curious guests of the True North cruise yacht.

Their hands moved with a patient, practiced rhythm - each gesture holding stories older than memory. At first glance, the intricate patterns they were working on made me think they were preparing bilas (traditional attires) for an upcoming ceremony. I walked closer to see what it was.

An elderly woman was working with a flat, smooth plank of wood that had been carved in with intricate designs; spirals, flowing lines and traditional motifs that mirrored the islands’ cultural identity. She placed fresh strips of banana leaves over the wood’s surface and with tools made from shells or bamboo (iron bars commonly used today), she gently scraped away the top layer of the leaf, allowing the carved design beneath to imprint itself. What emerged was a delicate, lace-like pattern. A fragile artwork shaped through patience and precision. These patterned leaves will

As we left Bita Paka, I carried with me a reminder that Rabaul’s true beauty lies not just in its landscape, but in its resilient spirit and a heart that continues to beat through everything.

later be laid out under the sun to dry. Once hardened, the women would gather them and tie them into neat bundles. These bundles become Doba, used by women of the Trobriand Islands as currency for trading.

I asked what they were making, but their warm smiles came with words that required translations. A village guide stepped in to translate and after a short exchange, he turned to me and said: “This is how they make their money.”

He explained that five to ten bundles of Doba could purchase everyday necessities: fresh fish, clothing and other household items from neighboring villages. It was a system deeply rooted in tradition, one that continues to give Trobriand women purpose and connection within their communities.

As I absorbed the details of this unique way of life, I turned my attention to the men and wondered what they used for trade when cash was scarce. The village guide laughed softly, as if anticipating the question, and said: “The men? They pay with clay pots.”

He went on to explain that these pots, shaped, fired and traded across villages serve as the men’s traditional currency, used in exchanges like the barter system and important social transactions. Just like the women’s bundles, the clay pots carry cultural value and represent their own form of wealth.

Standing there, watching the women craft their delicate Doba and learning about the sturdy clay pots the men use, I realized I was not just witnessing the creation of traditional legal tender, this is a glimpse into an ancient system of trading, a balanced cultural economy where both men and women create, contribute and uphold the identity of the Island of Love.

For years, she felt a quiet yearning to visit Papua New Guinea the homeland of her grandmother, a place she had only ever known through stories. Milne Bay, with its scattered islands and gentle traditions, felt like a distant calling.

Yet despite this longing, she could never figure out how to get there. No one in her circles had ever travelled to PNG as a tourist. There were no firsthand accounts, no practical advice, and no encouraging voices to guide the way. “I didn’t know where to begin,” she admits. “I wanted so much to see Milne Bay, but the pathway always felt unclear.” Then one day, while scrolling through Instagram, everything changed. PNG Tourism Promotion Authority had launched the Hello Poro Campaign, a nationwide push inviting travellers to discover the country through a series of subsidised, governmentendorsed tours. Among the featured destinations was Milne Bay and partnered with it, VilLink Tours & Expedition PNG.

“It felt almost unbelievable,” she said. “Fifty percent subsidised tours, and fully backed by PNG TPA. For the first time, I felt I could trust the process. It removed the mystery and gave us confidence that travelling to PNG even through Port Moresby would be safe.”With that reassurance, she and her husband finally booked the trip they had dreamed of for years.

Their journey through Port Moresby was warm and smooth,

dispelling the fears her family had long carried. But it was Milne Bay that truly captured their hearts not only for its natural beauty, but because of the people who shaped their experience.

“The professionalism and communication from Maleta and her team at VilLink Tours & Expedition PNG were exceptional,” she said. “They made us feel taken care of from the moment we booked. It set the tone for our entire time in

Milne Bay.” That tone carried them all the way to a place that would become the soul of their journey:

Four Days of Peace at Kobala Falls Retreat Set across the river from Alotau and wrapped in lush riverine jungle, Kobala Falls Retreat offered the couple four days and three nights of quiet magic. “It was such a special experience,” she recalls. “Every day felt like a gift.” They

hiked to hidden waterfalls, explored nearby villages, and hopped across stunning islands by banana boat a mode of transport she now calls her “new favourite.” But it was the people who made Kobala feel like home. As Retreat Manager, Metua became the heartbeat of their stay.

“Metua was truly the hostess with the mostess,” she said. “We didn’t have to think about anything she had already thought of every detail.” One particular gesture became a highlight: every morning at breakfast, Metua placed a fresh tropical flower behind her ear.

“That small act of kindness stayed with me,” she said. “It made each morning feel special.”

Their meals were lovingly prepared by Lynette, the retreat’s chef, whose flavours soothed and nourished after long days of adventure.“Her cooking was incredible full of flavour and beautifully presented. Every table setting was decorated with colours and flowers. It felt like dining in nature’s gallery.” Out in the field, guides Yamo and Alfie ensured every trek, island hop, and village walk was safe, informative, and unforgettable. Alfie, in particular, left an impression offering fresh coconuts, pointing out wildlife, and even introducing them to a gentle tree possum. Yet above all, it was the local element the stories, the language, the humour, the shared quiet moments that would stay with them long after they left.

“Getting to know the Kobala team made our experience deeply meaningful. They shared their culture with us in a way no

hotel ever could. It enriched our understanding of Milne Bay.” Before leaving, they learned one word they now carry with pride: Tinani thank you.

Returning to Australia, they found themselves telling everyone friends, colleagues, even strangers about the beauty of PNG, the warmth of Milne Bay, and the professionalism of VilLink Tours & Expedition PNG. Even their family, once hesitant, is now planning visits of their own. And they credit it all to one initiative. “Without the Hello Poro Campaign, we never would have taken this step,” she said. “The campaign was brilliant clear, trustworthy, government-backed. It removed the guesswork and opened the door for us, and now for many others.”

Their first taste of PNG revealed only the beginning of its depth and diversity. From misty mountains to island-dotted seas, from cultural richness to community warmth they now understand why Papua New Guinea is like nowhere else on earth.

“We can’t wait to return,” she said. “Milne Bay has our hearts. And next time, we hope to explore even more of PNG.”A dream that once felt distant has now become a new chapter one written with gratitude, discovery, and the enduring kindness of the Milne Bay people. Tinani, Milne Bay and PNG. We will be back!

Medical team brings free health services

BY NATASHA PHILIP

PATIENTS at Goroka General Specialist Hospital are fortunate to receive free health services provided by the 15th China medical team to PNG.

This is the first visit of the Chinese medical team to Goroka.

In an unexpected announcement, Dr Pomuso Warima, CEO of the Eastern Highlands Provincial Health Authority (EHPHA), revealed that the Chinese medical specialists would offer free medical check-ups to all patients present.

Eastern Highlands Provincial

Health Authority Board chairman, Chris Kopyoto, officially welcomed the Chinese medical team to Goroka.

Dr Warima said: “We, the Eastern Highlands Provincial Health Authority, are pleased to have with us the visiting medical team from China.

They come to visit us and also to provide free medical services to our people.

“They want to help us in terms of medical care, building our medical capacity of specialist services, and how we can collaborate to bring our specialist services to the level that our people can benefit.”

The team comprises a cardiologist, a Gynaecologist, a Thoracic Surgeon, a Neonatologist, an Obstetrician, and a Public Health Expert.

After seeing the patients, they took a tour with the SEM team visiting all sections of the hospital, including the operating theatre and other areas.

The SEM had a meeting to discuss and develop plans for advancing their collaboration.

“Unfortunately, it was a day visit due to the short notice, but we would be grateful if they could return in the future,” Dr Warima said.

New

x-ray machine boosts diagnosis at Kainantu hospital

At the door to the X-Ray room of the Kainantu district hospital is Eastern Highlands Governor Simon Sia cutting the ribbon to mark the commissioning of the new X-Ray machine while others look on.

PICTURE: NELSON JOE

BY NELSON JOE

A HIGH-TECH X-Ray machine has been installed at the Kainantu district hospital, not only resuming but also enhancing its patient case management system and diagnosis after six years of manual practice.

It is a high-speed machine that screens clear images both before and after print, vividly identifying the affected area for the doctors to work on their diagnosis and prescriptions for medications, while registering every patient case that goes through it.

Thanks to the Eastern Highlands Provincial Government that bought such an X-Ray machine at the cost of more than K600,000 from the Brian Bell Group Meddent Health Supplies early this year, befitting its status as a level four hospital that has been attending to patients from the nearby Henganofi, Okapa and Obura-Wonenara districts within the province others from the Morobe’s Markham and Madang’s Middle-Ramu districts.

Until then, the hospital had been manually registering and diagnosing the patients since 2018.

The governor, Simon Sia and the Eastern Highlands Provincial Health Authority management team led by its chief executive office, Dr Pomoso Warima, along with its board chairman, Chris Kopyoto, who commissioned the new X-Ray machine on Tuesday.

The staff said the provincial government has addressed the need area and assured that the new X-Ray machine installed will help in conducting valid diagnosis and recommending prescriptions for effective medical treatment.

Mr Sia said the provincial government placed an order for the new X-ray machine early this year.

“We are also working on relying on the Department of Health to supply medical drugs and consumables to our hospitals and health facilities in the province,” Mr Sia.

He assured that the next batch of the tax credit scheme from the K92 Mine will go towards the upgrading of the hospital and reminded the staff of their oath to saving a life presented before them.

Dr Xu Wei, Thoracic surgeon and the team leader of the 15th China medical team to PNG, is attending to patients. PICTURE: NATASHA PHILIP

Teachers get skills in special learning

BY PETERSON TSERAHA

FIFTEEN primary school teachers of Our Lady of Assumption Hahela Primary school were certified after attending 14 hours inclusive in-service topics.

The training is targeted to equip classroom teachers with the skills to identify using the Whole child checklist.

That is supported with teaching strategies to accommodate all diverse learning needs of each individual child.

The student needs can be planned and accommodated on School learning Improvement plan (SLIP) and that SLIP will become inclusive. These students have the right to basic education. And education is for all.

This is also captured in our National Education Plan 2023 -2027. No child left behind.

The Inclusive Centres in Bougainville this year started this Inclusive Model school program to target nearby schools elementary, primary, high schools and FODE under the 1,6,6 structure to our Centres in Bougainville.

This will also enable teachers to have skills that can accommodate the learning of students with special needs. According to IERC director on Bougainville Blaise Semoso this is now the first of its kind that teachers in a primary school have been certified to teach kids with special needs so that no one is left behind in education.

Present at the ceremony in Buka two weeks ago to present the certificates to the teachers was Dr John Pokana of the teaching service commission.

The 15 teachers were proud that they have now learnt special skills and were thankful to IERC for the initiative.

“Its the first school on Bougainville and will also be the model school and other schools are expected to follow in the next year.

“We are adhering to the education plan starting from elementary to secondary schools in the region and by next year hopefully other schools will be involved also,” Mr Semoso said.

New Ireland submits K69m acquittals for 2017-2024

BY MARK TALIA

ACQUITTALS for New Ireland Provincial Government for 2017-2024 was handed in by the Governor Walter Schnaubelt to the Department of Implementation and Rural Development with a total expenditure of K69 million.

The outstanding acquittals are now being addressed for New Ireland province and setting the foundation for a stronger financial management, better monitoring and more effective service delivery in the years ahead.

Mr Schnaubelt acknowledged that since 2013, under the previous government, New Ireland province did not furnish acquittals for the Provincial Improvement Program (PSIP), an outstanding matter for a decade which had raised serious concerns about the accountability and compliance with public Finance management Act and SIP administrative guidelines.

He said the absence of acquittals had limited the province's ability to demonstrate transparency and has affected confidence in how the provincial funds were managed.

It has also hindered the capacity to measure the impact of PSIP projects across Kavieng, Namatanai and the rural LLGs.

Mr Schnaubelt said: “Today with the 2017-2024 acquittals under my leadership as New Ireland Province Governor, we are taking decisive step to correct this record.

“For the first time since 2013, New Ireland Province is presenting its PSIP acquittals to ensuring that every kina spent is accounted for.”

The 15 Teachers with IERC staff with their certificates. PICTURE: PETERSON TSERAHA

YouTube says it will comply with Aust teen social media ban

SYDNEY: Google’s YouTube shared a “disappointing update” to millions of Australian users and content creators yesterday, saying it will comply with a world-first teen social media ban by locking out users aged under 16 from their accounts.

The decision ends a stand-off between the internet giant and the

Australian government which initially exempted YouTube from the age restriction, citing its use for educational purposes. Google had said it was getting legal advice about how to respond to being included.

“Viewers must now be 16 or older to sign into YouTube,” the company said in a statement.

“This is a disappointing update to share. This law will not fulfill its promise to make kids safer online and will, in fact, make Australian kids less safe on YouTube.”

The Australian ban is being closely watched by other jurisdictions considering similar age-based measures, setting up a potential global

precedent for how the mostly US tech giants behind the biggest platforms balance child safety with access to digital services.

The Australian government says the measure responds to mounting evidence that platforms are failing to do enough to protect children from harmful content. – REUTERS

Rise in Pacific incursions

China’s military reaching further, more often into Pacific: Australia

SYDNEY: Australia’s Foreign

Minister Penny Wong said China is more frequently projecting military power further into the Pacific, in a speech highlighting the challenges Australia faces as it competes for influence in its neighborhood.

“China continues to assert its strategic influence, including through economic and security means, and is more frequently projecting its military power further into our region,” Wong said in a speech in Canberra on Tuesday.

Wong said this was happening “without the transparency that the region expects” and that the collective security and prosperity of South Pacific nations depends on mutual cooperation.

“This is how we can ensure that we have choices, should pressure be applied to us. The unity of the Pacific Islands Forum exemplifies regionalism: empowering smaller and medium-sized countries to counter power asymmetries,” she said.

Australia was subject to trade restrictions worth A$20 billion from its largest trading partner China between 2020 and 2023 due to a political dispute and has previously warned Pacific Island countries about economic coercion as they seek to boost trade with Beijing.

As Australia pushes for closer economic and security integration with neighbouring countries, Wong said the growing interest in the Pacific from external partners was

China continues to assert... to assert... its military power further its military power further into our region into our

having consequences, and Australia was in a contest for influence every day.

“We know that Australia can no longer be the only partner of choice in the Pacific. There’s no rewind button,” she said.

Eleven Pacific Island countries have diplomatic ties with Beijing, with several including Tonga heavily indebted to Chinese state banks. Three South Pacific countries have ties with Taiwan.

Amid global uncertainty in development aid, Australia remained a reliable partner that had committed A$2.2 billion ($1.44 billion) in development assistance to the Pacific “to meet the highest needs at a time of disruption,” she said.

Australia had also given A$1.3 billion in climate finance to Pacific countries.

China’s Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said last year that Beijing’s security aims in the Pacific Islands was not a military strategy and should not concern Australia. – THE ASAHI SIMBUN

South Korea marks anniversary of political crisis

SEOUL: South Korea marks on Wednesday the first anniversary of ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol’s brief attempt to impose martial law, a move that sent shockwaves through a country that had long been viewed as one of Asia’s most resilient democracies.

Here are key events in the year since martial law including Yoon’s impeachment, arrest, and indictment, and the election of President Lee Jae Myung.

December 3, 2024: Shortly before 10:30 p.m. (1330 GMT), Yoon declares on national television he is impos-

ing martial law to root out “antistate forces” and overcome political deadlock.

An hour later the military issues a decree banning activity by political parties and lawmakers, and troops and police descend on the opposition-controlled parliament. Staffers use barricades and fire extinguishers to ward off special operations soldiers.

Lawmakers hop fences to avoid the security cordons and crowds of protesters gather.

December 4: Parliament with 190 lawmakers present in the early

hours unanimously votes to reject Yoon’s declaration and troops begin to leave.

About three and a half hours later, Yoon lifts martial law. The decree was in effect for about six hours.

Opposition parties submit motion to impeach Yoon.

US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell says Yoon “badly misjudged” his decision to declare martial law, which was “illegitimate.”

December 7: Yoon addresses the nation to apologise, saying he will put his fate in the hands of his ruling People Power Party (PPP), but does

Pauline Hansen eyes political resurgence

SYDNEY: Australia’s flame-haired populist Senator Pauline Hanson and her anti-immigration party have rocketed up opinion polls, nearing a peak seen three decades ago when she first entered politics and pushed conservative parties to harden border policies.

DUO FACE-OFF

China and Japan’s coast guards have given different accounts of a confrontation that occurred near a group of geopolitically sensitive islands in the East China Sea. China’s Coast Guard said that a Japanese fishing vessel had illegally entered the waters of the Diaoyu Islands - which Tokyo calls the Senkaku Islands. China claims them as their territory, despite the islands being administered by Japan. Japan’s Coast Guard, meanwhile, said it intercepted and expelled two Chinese Coast Guard ships as they approached the fishing vessel. The confrontation comes as diplomatic ties between the two nations spiral, after Japan’s leader made controversial comments about Taiwan last month.

PROBE ORDERED

Hong Kong’s leader John Lee has ordered the creation of an independent committee to investigate the cause of a devastating fire that killed at least 151 people. Last Wednesday, seven of eight tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court housing complexwhich had been undergoing extensive renovations - went up in flames. Investigators have since found that a protective netting used around the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards. At least 13 people have been arrested for suspected manslaughter, including the directors of a construction company.

BARRA SENTENCED

Papua New Guinea cricketer Kipling Doringa has been jailed for three years in Jersey after he was found guilty of robbing a woman during the PNG team’s tour in August. Cricket PNG says the 30-year-old was caught on camera and pleaded guilty to the case. The cricket association says while they do not condone the act, they have been supporting the player and keeping regular checks on him. Doringa was sentenced on Nov 28.

TRIO EXECUTED

Singapore hanged three people for drug offences last week, bringing the total number of executions to 17 this year - the highest since 2003. These come a week before a constitutional challenge against the death penalty for drug offences is due to be heard. Singapore has some of the world’s harshest anti-drug laws, which it says are a necessary deterrent to drug crime, a major issue elsewhere in South East Asia.

SEXPLOITATION

not say he will resign.

A vote to impeach Yoon fails as the PPP boycotts, depriving parliament of a quorum.

December 8: Prosecutors name Yoon as the subject of a criminal investigation over the martial law attempt. Ex-Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun is arrested.

December 10: Kwak Jong-geun, commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, tells a parliamentary committee that Yoon gave an order to “drag out” lawmakers from parliament after declaring martial law. – REUTERS

Four people have been arrested in South Korea for allegedly hacking more than 120,000 video cameras in homes and businesses and using the footage to make sexually exploitative materials for an overseas website. Police announced the arrests on Sunday, saying the accused exploited the Internet Protocol (IP) cameras’ vulnerabilities, such as simple passwords. A cheaper alternative to CCTV, IP cameras - aka home cameras - connect to a home internet network and are often installed for security or to monitor the safety of children and pets. Locations of cameras hacked reportedly included private homes, karaoke rooms, a pilates studio and a gynaecologist’s clinic. – Agencies

Putin starts India visit today

The resurgence of Hanson’s One Nation coincides with US President Donald Trump’s tougher message on migration, which has included the US embassy in Australia being instructed to collect migrant-linked crime data as Washington urged US diplomats to lobby against mass migration.

have driven voter dissatisfaction, analysts and party officials say.

“One would argue that Pauline was the original Trump,” James Ashby, Hanson’s chief of staff, told Reuters in an interview.

Yet Hanson’s revival as a political force is likely more driven by local factors including cost-of-living pressures, housing shortages and historically high migration which

“Other politicians and the public have caught up with where her mindset was at. We are being swamped by mass migration in this country.” – REUTERS

NEW DELHI: Russian President Vladimir Putin starts a two-day visit to India from Thursday, pitching for more sales of Russian oil, missile systems and fighter jets in a bid to restore energy and defence ties hit by US pressure on the South Asian nation.

Russia has supplied arms to India for decades, with New Delhi emerging as its top buyer of seaborne oil despite Western sanctions after

Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

“Putin’s visit offers an opportunity for Delhi to reassert the strength of its special relationship with Moscow, despite recent developments, and make headway in new arms deals,” said Michael Kugelman of the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington. – REUTERS

AUSTRALIAN Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the unity of the Pacific Islands Forum exemplifies regionalism. PICTURE: INSIDE STORY

US pauses all immigration applications from 19 non-European countries

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration on Tuesday said it paused all immigration applications, including green card and US citizenship processing, filed by immigrants from 19 non-European countries, citing concerns over national security and public safety.

The pause applies to people from 19 countries that were already subjected to a partial travel ban in June, placing further restrictions on immigration - a core feature of Trump’s political platform.

The list of countries includes Af-

ghanistan and Somalia. The official memorandum outlining the new policy cites the attack on US National Guard members in Washington last week in which an Afghan man has been arrested as a suspect. One member of the National Guard was killed and another was critically wounded in the shooting.

Trump has also stepped up rhetoric against Somalis in recent days, calling them “garbage”.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has aggressively prioritized immigration enforcement,

sending federal agents to major US cities and turning away asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border. His administration has highlighted the deportation push but until now it has put less emphasis on efforts to reshape legal immigration.

The list of countries targeted in yesterday’s memorandum includes Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, which were subjected to the most severe immigration restrictions in June,

including a full suspension on entries with a few exceptions.

Others on the list of 19 countries, which were subjected to partial restrictions in June, are Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

The new policy places a hold on pending applications and mandates that immigrants from the list of countries “undergo a thorough re-review process, including an interview and, if necessary, a re-interview, to assess all national security and public safety threats.” – REUTERS

No Ukraine breakthrough

Kremlin signals no Ukraine breakthrough after Putin talks with US

MOSCOW: Five hours of talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump’s senior negotiator appear to have failed to produce a breakthrough on securing a Ukraine peace deal.

A Kremlin spokesman said the Moscow meeting was “constructive”, but parts of the plan remained unacceptable to Russia.

Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner attended the talks after weeks of intensive diplomacy aimed at ending the war. The US team has not commented since leaving Moscow.

Earlier on Tuesday, Putin said changes proposed by Kyiv and Europe to a US-backed draft peace plan were unacceptable, adding if Europe “wants to go to war and starts one, we are ready right now”.

Ukraine and its allies have been lobbying the US to amend its draft peace deal, which the White House has sought to secure rapid agreement on and the Kremlin has previously indicated it was receptive to.

That plan, which was widely seen as being favourable to Russia after being leaked to the media in November, has undergone several changes in recent weeks.

Asked about the proposal after the Moscow meeting, Putin’s senior aide Yuri Ushakov said the Kremlin “agreed with some points… but some things we criticised”. He added: “We have not come up with a compromise version yet... A lot of work lies ahead.”

Key disagreements between Moscow and Kyiv remain, including

NEW YORK: US President Donald Trump has said he does not want Somali immigrants in the US, telling reporters they should “go back to where they came from” and “their country is no good for a reason”.

“I don’t want them in our country, I’ll be honest with you,” he said during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Trump said the US would “go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country”.

His disparaging comments came as immigration authorities were planning an operation in Minnesota’s large Somali community. Officials in the state have condemned the plan, arguing it could unfairly sweep up American citizens who may appear to be from the East African nation.

Minneapolis and St Paul are home to one of the largest Somali communities in the world and the largest in the US.

over Ukraine agreeing to cede territory it continues to control and security guarantees provided by Europe. Moscow and Ukraine’s European allies also remain starkly at odds over their expectations of what a peace settlement should look like.

Speaking ahead of the talks, Putin lashed out at leaders on the continent who have supported Kyiv’s defensive war effort since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in 2022.

He said European leaders were under the illusion they could inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. His country, he said, “wasn’t planning to go to war with Europe - but if Europe suddenly wants to go to war and starts one, we are ready right now”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he expected to be briefed on the Kremlin talks by the US team after the meeting, though it was unclear whether Witkoff and Kushner would fly to Kyiv or other

European capitals for further inperson negotiations.

Speaking before the Kremlin talks took place, the Ukrainian leader said on Tuesday there was an opportunity to end the war “now more than ever”, but that elements of the proposals still needed to be worked out.

“Everything depends on today’s discussions,” Zelensky told a press conference during an official visit to Ireland. – BBC

Crisis looms in Israel over ultra-Orthodox military conscription bill

TEL AVIV: An impending crisis over conscripting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the Israeli army is threatening to undermine Israel’s government and split the country.

Public opinion on the issue has shifted dramatically in Israel after two years of war, and this is now perhaps the most explosive political risk facing Prime Minister Ben-

jamin Netanyahu.

Lawmakers are currently considering a draft bill to end the exemption granted to ultra-Orthodox men enrolled in full-time religious study, established when the State of Israel was declared in 1948.

That exemption was ruled illegal by Israel’s High Court of Justice almost 20 years ago. Temporary ar-

rangements to continue it were formally ended by the court last year, forcing the government to begin drafting the community.

Some 24,000 draft notices were issued last year, but only around 1,200 ultra-Orthodox - or Haredi - draftees reported for duty, according to military testimony given to lawmakers. Tensions are erupting onto the

streets, with lawmakers now debating a new draft bill to force ultraOrthodox men into military service alongside other Israeli Jews.

Two Haredi politicians were targeted this month by some extreme ultra-Orthodox protesters, who are furious with parliament’s discussion of the proposed law.

– BBC

In his comments, Trump said: “I don’t want them in our country. I’ll be honest with you, OK. Somebody will say, ‘Oh, that’s not politically correct.’ I don’t care. I don’t want them in our country. With Somalia, which is barely a country, you know, they have no, they have no anything. They just run around killing each other. There’s no structure,” Trump said. – BBC

LONDON: A diamond-studded crystal Fabergé egg that once belonged to Russia’s imperial family has sold for a record £22.9m (K128.43m) in London. The Winter Egg - considered one of the legendary jeweller’s most beautiful creations - was bought by an anonymous bidder on Tuesday, Christie’s auction house said. It is decorated with 4,500 diamonds was commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II in 1913 as a present to his mother.

The previous record for a Fabergé egg was £8.9m (K49.91m) paid at auction in 2007.

“Today’s result sets a new world auction record for a work by Fabergé, reaffirming the enduring significance of this masterpiece,” Christie’s Margo Oganesian was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency. The 8.2cm high egg was created by Carl Fabergé, based on the design of Alma Theresia Pihl, one of only two female workmasters at St Petersburg’s jewellery company. It was carved from rock crystal and decorated with rose-cut diamonds, as well as platinum snowflake motifs. The egg opens up to reveal a tiny basket of white quartz flowers inside. – BBC

African radio presenter among five charged over Russia recruitment plot

DURBAN: A radio presenter with South Africa’s public broadcaster has appeared in court on a charge related to the alleged recruitment of men for the Russian military.

Nonkululeko Patricia Mantula (pictured) is among five people who prosecutors say are facing charges for contravening a law which prohibits South Africans from joining a foreign army without official permission. They have not yet been

asked to plead. The arrests are the first since the South African government said in November that 17 citizens had “seemingly” been lured to join mercenary forces in the RussiaUkraine war. Mantula, 39, is a presenter of The Morning Bliss, a show on the

SABC’s SAFM radio station. In a statement emailed to the BBC, the SABC said that she was a freelance presenter.

“As this is a personal issue before the courts, the corporation will allow due processes to unfold and has no further comment at this stage,” it added.

Mantula has not commented. Her arrest, along with four others, follows the dramatic resigna-

tion from parliament last Friday of Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma, who has been accused of duping the 17 South African men into fighting for Russia, an allegation she denies.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said that Mantula had been arrested with four men, aged between 21 and 46. They each face a charge of contra-

vening the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act. The NPA said the arrests followed a tip-off from police at South Africa’s main international airport in Johannesburg. They were “intercepted” as they attempted to travel to Russia via the United Arab Emirates, and “were removed from the boarding gate after being deemed suspicious”, it added. – BBC

Russian President Vladimir Putin and foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov attend a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Tuesday. PICTURE: REUTERS

Stocks steady as slide in bitcoin, global bonds hit pause SINGAPORE, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Global shares were on steadier footing on Wednesday, helped by an overnight rebound on Wall Street as a brief selloff in bond markets and cryptocurrencies abated. Bitcoin reclaimed the $90,000 level and hit a two-week high while Nasdaq and S&P 500 futures rose 0.2% each. EUROSTOXX 50 futures were 0.3% firmer, while FTSE futures added 0.1%. Calm was restored to markets on Wednesday after an ugly start to the week, where expectations of a looming rate hike in Japan triggered a global bond selloff and exacerbated a slide in cryptocurrencies, leaving stocks caught in the rush from risk assets. “The narrowing in spreads and movement in the yen may have resurfaced some of the carry trade fears and unwinding of leverage positions,” said Kerry Craig, global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, referring to the prospect of falling rate differentials between the U.S. and Japan. “Rightly or wrongly there was a period when the performance of crypto was being used as a gauge for risk sentiment, but we also know that the market is sensitive to broader liquidity conditions.” Japan’s Nikkeirose 1.5%, while MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan eased 0.12%, weighed down by losses in Chinese markets.

Solar electric vehicles land

Goroka hosts consultation on ‘climate-smart’ coffee for PNG

BY NELSON JOE

THE first consultative workshop on climate-smart coffee was held last week in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, starting the process to develop its national policy.

The workshop at the Pacific Gardens Hotel on Thursday brought together officers from the Climate Change Development Authority (CCDA), Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA), National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), and coffee growers.

The workshop was sponsored by the Coffee Industry Corporation Limited (soon to be the National Coffee Authority).

Consultant, Dr Mawe Gonopa, took the participants through the policy framework and discussions about it.

The policy focuses on adaptation and climate change mitigation, in the process of which, farmers should earn twice – once from the beans during the coffee season and again during the off-season from the carbon credits stored in the coffee trees.

The carbon credits can be bundled in terms of organised groups through which the growers can collectively engage with the other countries on the South American, Asian and African continents that are already benefitting from their involvement in the global carbon trade. The additional earnings from the carbon credits should encourage the planting of more coffee trees,

Odesh Motors launch nation’s first solar-powered electric vehicles

PAPUA New Guinea reached a major milestone last Saturday when ODESH Motors, a local SME, launched the country’s first solarpowered electric vehicles (SEVs) in Port Moresby.

The event, held at the Unity Mall in Waigani, marked a step towards affordable, sustainable, and lowcarbon mobility for everyday Papua New Guineans.

ODESH Motors—licensed by the Road Traffic Authority as a motor car dealer and certified by the National Energy Authority (NEA) as an electrical contractor—becomes the first local business to introduce solar-powered EV technology to the PNG market.

The event brought together key government leaders, development partners, banking representatives, media, and families from Hela, Southern Highlands, Manus, and East Sepik provinces.

The guest of honour, Energy Minister Peter Isoaimo, congratulated the auto-dealer for their milestone achievement.

NEA managing director Ronald Meketa highlighted their new renewable energy policies covering solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and bioenergy.

He congratulated ODESH Motors for pioneering solar EVs at a crucial time.

Department of Transport First

bringing the coffee-agro forestry in line with the Red-Plus and other international guidelines.

Officers from the CCDA and CEPA said they are working on the mechanisms to facilitate PNG’s entry into the global carbon markets.

The NFA is making a nationwide inventory, while officers from NARI said they have been breeding a variety of coffee seedlings adaptive to specific climatic settings.

Others along the value-supply chain also shared their experiences.

Dr Gonopa said the draft policy will go through validation process involving expert review and certification before it is forward to the NEC for deliberation.

Secretary Sent Raiya and co-chair, National EV Policy Sub-Technical Group, emphasised that Japan and other major manufacturers will phase out internal combustion engines by 2030, stating that electric vehicles are the future and ODESH Motors is making them accessible for SMEs.

“PNG must start to embrace he global EV shift,” he said.

Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) Managing Director Debra Sungi acknowledged the dealership, and showed a keen interest in acquiring several of the SEV units showcased.

As part of the National Electric Vehicle Policy Technical Review Sub-Committee, ODESH Motors further received commendations from government leaders.

ODESH Motors is the exclusive PNG dealer for Blaval Solar EVs, offering after-sales service, spare parts, and installation of home and commercial EV charging stations using NEA-certified electricians. It was a proud moment in local innovation for ODESH Motors Managing Director Isaac Jipsy, who thanked government leaders, partners and the public for supporting a local SME leading national transformation.

ODESH Motors officially opened on Monday near the Unity Mall and Boroko Motors, Waigani.

Cocoa board set on rural access

BY DIANNE WILSON

THE Cocoa Board of Papua New Guinea is pushing ahead with key road projects aimed at opening access for thousands of rural cocoa farmers, who remain cut off from markets due to poor transport links.

During the signing of new infrastructure contracts in Kokopo last month (November), Cocoa Board CEO Jesse Anjen said rising demand for cocoa across the country has highlighted the urgent need for reliable roads.

“At this time, cocoa is the number one crop in PNG now,” he said.

“Cocoa is growing everywhere in PNG – and with those are increasing demands for seedlings and nursery programs, including logistics, come into play.”

Although interest in cocoa farming is growing, he said much of PNG’s production sits in remote areas with limited or no transport services.

“We have a lot of farmers across

the country, who are interested in growing cocoa,” Mr Anjen said.

“One of the biggest challenges for us is the infrastructure… there are no airstrips, wharves, not proper roads to bring cocoa to the markets.”

Mr Anjen said the board’s freight subsidy has helped, moving about 10 per cent of PNG’s exports from hard-to-reach places. But the longterm solution is road access.

“Road is also one of the biggest bottlenecks,” he said.

Under MTDP IV, the CBPNG is prioritising “market access roads” in areas with high production.

Mr Anjen said funding is limited, so CBPNG focuses where impact will be greatest.

He said two major contracts confirmed are:

Yawiga Road, Wewak Rural, East Sepik: 4.5km at over K4.1 million

Melkoi Road, Pomio, East New Britain: 3.5km of new road at around K4 million

Dr Mawe Gonopa briefing the media on the Climate smart coffee policy in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province.

TOP: It was a proud moment for ODESH Motors managing director Isaac Jipsy on Saturday night and (below) the two solar-powered electric vehicles that were on show during the launch on Saturday. PICTURES: SUPPLIED

Hides Gas landowners urge govt to defer facility transfer program

HIDES gas-to-electricity (GTE) landowners through their group, Hiwa Tuguba Hides Association Inc (HTHA) have made a call to New Porgera Limited and State to defer the facility transfer programs for Hides PDL1 landowners.

“Relevant State agencies must sort out the outstanding landowner leadership appointments for the PNG LNG project first before dealing with the GTE Facility Transfer,” chairman Aluya Jakari said

“This is because the same leadership will represent the affected clans.

“Reviews on GTE and PNGLNG projects are well over due and the relevant state agencies, including Mineral Resources Development Company and National Petroleum Authority, must facilitate the

reviews first.” The landowners are urging New Porgera Limited (NPL), Hela Provincial Government, Mineral Resources Authority and the State not to rush this important Hides Power Plant Facility Transfer which is scheduled for December 1-6.

Mr Jakari urged entities including Kumul Mineral Holdings, Mineral Resources Authority, Department of Mineral Policy and Geohazard, Santos, NPL, and HPG not to rush the Power Plant Ownership Transfer without completing the landowner leadership issues associated with the same PDL 1 that hosts the PNGLNG project.

Hides PDL1 PNGLNG Project landowners exercises and leadership appointments and recognition by Mineral Resources Development

Company (MRDC) are still pending.

The final determinations by the State agencies including National Petroleum Authority, MRDC and independent observers must be completed forthwith before any business dealings associated with the Hides GTE associated power plant ownership transfers are facilitated.

The organisations involved need to appreciate that the same clans are recognised beneficiaries for both the PNGLNG and the GTE projects. Therefore, only one leadership and bank account signatories and spinoff business are recognized to represent the affected clans.

Participating landowner company with shared ownership as per the existing arrangement must be promoted by all stakeholders.

‘Audit environment’

LOs want damages audit before agreement

PORGERA landowners of the Lease for Mining Purposes (LMP) are calling on the National Government to conduct an environmental inspection on the damages and destructions caused to their environment before approving the community development agreement between the landowners and New Porgera Mine.

They said the Porgera Mine Community Development Agreement (CDA) must be put on hold indefinitely, pending the Conservation and Environmental Promotional Authority (CEPA)mediated environmental audit. Treasurer and spokesman of LMP Jeff Tindiwi, who is the principal landowner and representative of the major primary impacted area of Kaiya LMP 140, said yesterday that “any and all further negotiations pertaining to finalising and eventual signing of the CDA of the Porgera Mine must be put on hold until LMP landowners’ grievances are addressed.

He outlined the key basis as to why the environmental audit should take precedence over CDA signing as being:

Kaiya LMP 140 (formerly LMP 61 under SML P1) led all other LMPs and objected renewal of Special Mining Lease (SML) P1 in 2019, citing significant environmental damages at colossal scale, and as per mandated by Mining Act 1992 Section 107, there must be a review and audit prior to new permit or SML. Having suffered silently for 30 years, the opportunity has arrived, hence, had to block it so as to allow proper and deliberate negotiations.

The developer of the mine under New Porgera Limited (NPL), Enga Provincial Government and Porgera SML landowners have not formally endorsed the impacted LMP landowners and landholders to the negotiating table as parties to it. Instead, LMP landowners have been treated as mere observers, knowing the truth the all our land been damaged by their activities upstream.

NPL has failed in its part by distorting the negotiations of the Long-Term Compensation Agreement (LTCA), kept the legitimate landowners and landholders in the dark. There is more work required to get the various agreement components packaged accordingly.

CEPA, which is the legal authority on environmental issues had begun the process of environmental audit in November in Porgera. This is the only opportunity to truly test the claims, whether or not any damages to our environment had occurred

since the mine started in 1989.

“There is no other way to prove it, only a proper audit is where all affected parties will be settled. This crucial review process must be done by CEPA and all affected parties need to be part of this”.

“We have been spectators for the last 30 years and were neglected therefore we want Barrick Nuigini Limited to compensate us for the damage caused to our land and environment.

He indicated that currently LMPs landowners and landholders receive 2.5 per cent which is less than the damages caused to their environment.

"It is not about saying no to

Hides GTE project has been superseded or unitised by the current PNGLNG project and the State, Hela Provincial Government, Kumul Mineral Holdings and New Porgera Limited cannot rush with Transfer of the important facility to purported landowner company whose ownership structure is not defined and endorsed by the collective affected clans.

Mr Jakari made the stand clear on behalf of the Greater Hides PDL1 beneficiaries groups that signed the current Goroka and Mendi-led agreements named (MoU/MoA), signed by their late chiefs after long years of court battles among both Hiwa and Tuguba tribes for benefits and ownership of the Hides GTE project with the State, Southern Highlands Provincial Government,

A SMALL trade store owner is the first small and business owner to take out a loan under MiBank’s Sola Pawa loan.

The loan product was recently relaunched by the bank, which allowed SME owners and local farmers to take out loans from the bank to purchase equipment from any of their vendors.

Sharmaine Orere, who owns and operates her SME at Umi market in Markham, applied for the loan and bought a solar powered deep freezer from Solar Solutions, which she will use to expand her business into meat and other freezer products.

“One of the things we need where we are is power supply, so that’s why I decided to try out this solar product to assist the growth of my small SME,” Ms Orere said.

She took a K20,000 loan with 20 per cent equity to buy the fridge at a cost of K13,000 with a 12-month repayment term.

Ms Orere said she currently uses a

Extractive industries

Department of Petroleum, Komo LLG and landowners through Hiwa Tuguba Hides Association Inc has never been reviewed and its long overdue.

“This review must take place first to define the terms for the Facility Transfer,” he said

“HTHAI, as a signatory to this agreements, and being aware of the ongoing leadership tussle and in-house issues of the Hiwa and Tuguba regions, now urges the State, developers and Hela Provincial Government not to rush the important facility transfer. He called on Prime Minister James Marape to support the call of the association and advise the state agencies to facilitate the agreement reviews before the Hides GTE Power Plant Facility Transfer.

generator to power their fridge and has to schedule operation times for the machine so as to not overuse it.

With the new solar-powered fridge, she can operate on all hours and expand to selling freezer products as well.

Ms Orere said the new solar fridge will also help her cut back on fuel and general expenses as well.

This allows farmers, small SME owners and local people to get a loan ranging from K1500-K20,000, depending on the item(s) they want and the quotes given by the selected vendors.

The product is part of MiBank’s approach towards promoting a more sustainable and inclusive products for all their customers.

Ms Orere encouraged other SME owners and local to take advantage of MiBank’s Sola Pawa loan product to help them boost their business and farms and cut back on the costs they incur from using generators to operate.

signs agreement with Auditor-General

THE Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) National Secretariat has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the AuditorGeneral's Office (AGO) aimed at strengthening participation and effective collaboration among government reporting agencies to enhance quality data in EITI reports.

Executive Director of PNGEITI, George Kauli and Auditor-General Gordon Kega signed the MoU November 28 in Port Moresby.

The signing is an important step towards improving the quality of revenue data from the extractive sector.

mining, it is not about challenging the fellow Porgera SML landowners, it is not about disrespecting Prime Minister James Marape, in whom in his conscious state of mind gave huge benefits to the landowners,”

Mr Tindiwi said.

“It is about doing the right thing properly from the start."

“I appeal to the National governmentto fund CEPA to hasten the environmental audit process.

“While this process goes on, any deliberation of CDA progress must be put on hold because the outcome of this critical environmental audit will guide what happens next.

“There must be no guesswork — everything must be backed by truth, facts and figures,” he said.

The MoU enables the AuditorGeneral’s Office to undertake the Agreed-Upon-Procedure (AUP) of testing receipts of the revenue data provided by government entities for 2024 PNGEITI Report and beyond, providing assurances and reliability of the revenue data.

Mr Kauli said: “This exercise (signing of MoU) is part of the government’s commitment to ensure accurate and transparent reporting of revenue flows from the extractive industries as required under the National Government’s policy for transformation and accountability in the extractive sector in PNG and involving EITI standards and requirement.”

He expressed his gratitude to the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, for coming onboard with both financial and technical support for this project.

Mr Kauli thanked the two beneficiaries of the project, the National Petroleum Authority and the Office of the Attorney General. He also thanked government reporting agencies such as Internal Revenue Commission, Mineral Resource Authority, the National Petroleum Authority, PNG Customs, Department of National Planning and Monitoring, Department of Treasury and Conservation Environment Protection Authority.

Mr Kauli described the signing of the MoU as a huge milestone achievement in the implementation of the project.

“The project now looks forward to foster institutional strengthening and include more capacity building for the eight AGO staff, NPA and the National Secretariate officers as well and also to increase AUP testing on all government entities,” he said.

Mr Kega said he was pleased to sign the MoU, describing it as a “significant milestone” that will strengthen accountability in PNG’s resource sector.

He said the partnership fits well with the AGO’s responsibility to protect public funds and to ensure the country’s natural wealth is properly managed.

“This MoU shows our shared commitment to transparency. Working together allows us to make sure the revenue from our extractive industries is properly accounted for and used for the good of our people,” Mr Kega said.

MiBank gets first Sola Pawa loan customer

Kaiya LMP 140 landowners association treasurer and spokesperson Jeff Tindiwi and Dr Sam Yockopua expressing their point yesterday at a media conference. PICTURE: MARK TALIA

CPL spends over K1m on education program

Covers admin costs, teacher salaries and other essentials

SINCE 2014, CPL Foundation Inc. has been a key supporter of BbP Tatana LLC, investing over K1 million in administrative costs, teacher salaries, and other essential resources.

This long-standing commitment reflects CPL Foundation’s dedication to empowering Papua New Guinean children through education. This year, 46 students graduated, celebrating the completion of a program designed to prepare them for lifelong learning. The Buk bilong Pikinini Tatana Library Learning Center (BbP Tatana LLC) proudly hosted its 11th Graduation Ceremony at the Tatana Araiara United Church Hall, marking another milestone in its mission to provide quality early childhood education.

The United Church graciously lent its hall for the event, reinforcing the strong community partnership that underpins the program’s success.

CPL Foundation Inc manager Deborah Alois acknowledged the collective efforts of students, parents, teachers, Buk bilong Pikinini staff, CPL staff, community leaders, and church leaders:

“Congratulations to all the graduating students and to the parents as well—your children’s success reflects your dedication and support. Be proud of what you have achieved together.

“The world is full of opportunities, and it is waiting for bright, capable individuals like you to make a difference.”

“The world is waiting for someone like you.”

Founder of Buk bilong Pikinini

Anne-Sophie Herman, also

CHM Tech Haus opens in Hagen

LAST Friday was a big day for the CHM Group, a company that has been running businesses in Papua New Guinea for over seventy years. They officially opened their first-ever branch in the Highlands region, the CHM Tech Haus at Tininga Central in Mount Hagen, Western Highlands Province. CHM Group’s story began in 1949 in Rabaul, East New Britain Province. The founder, Chin Hoi Meen, started the business as a small milk bar selling milkshakes and comics.

Seven decades later, the company is managed by Raymond Chin MBE and Grace Chin. CHM has grown from the New Guinea Islands (Rabaul) to the Southern Region (Port Moresby, now the main office) and the Mamose Region (Lae). Adding the Highlands Region (Mt. Hagen) as a major significant milestone.

Coca-Cola staff wins Apprenticeship of the Year award

COCA-Cola Europacific Partners PNG (CCEP PNG) has proudly congratulated one of its employees for scooping the Apprentice of the Year and Best Tradesperson of the Year at the prestigious National Apprenticeship & Trade Testing Board (NATTB) Awards Night.

CCEP PNG’s Electrical Technician Manasah Samson winnings marks a pioneer achievement for CCEP PNG, as the first time one of its employees has won these awards, showcasing the strength of its technical training program and commitment to developing local talent.

The Apprentice of the Year Award recognises the top-performing apprentice based on interviews and assessments, while the Best Tradesperson of the Year award honours the highest scorer in the major interviews. This year’s competition attracted 20 companies, each nominating their best candidate. Participants underwent three levels of assessment from 24–25 November, including an interview, theory test, and a practical project demonstration, judged by a fivemember panel.

During the opening, CHM

Managing Director Raymond Chin MBE said he was happy to finally bring his father's vision and the family's promise to provide good quality tech products to the people of the Highlands. Mr Chin said this new branch is very important to the Chin family, as they have been a part of PNG's history since 1949. He mentioned that the team worked hard for seven months to make this long-time dream come true.

“CHM always aims to meet the changing needs of PNG with the best brands at the cheapest prices," Mr Chin said. "We will always travel the world to bring the latest tech gadgets and products back to Papua New Guinea.”

Governor for Western Highlands Wai Rapawelcomed the Chin family and said he was pleased the new branch is now bringing employment opportunities to the locals.

commended the program’s impact:

“Under the leadership of BbP Executive Officer Leane Resson, she has developed a wholesome program covering literacy, numeracy, awareness, digital learning, and nutrition.

“ Thanks to this program, we are now raising some very important

citizens for the future.”

The ceremony concluded with sharing of cake & light refreshment that highlighted the strong partnership between Buk bilong Pikinini, CPL Foundation Inc., and the Tatana community in shaping the next generation of Papua New Guineans.

Manasah impressed the judges with his innovative project, “Modifying Manual Coffee Pulping Machine to Semi-Automated Operation,” inspired by the needs of rural farmers who rely on labour intensive manual pulping methods.

His success reflects months of preparation and support from his trainer Joe Philip, technical training manager and other managers and supervisors who guided his growth.

Mine delivers life-changing projects

RAMU NiCo Mine in Madang has delivered numerous development projects in its areas of operation since construction began in 2006.

Emil Gamog, a community leader from the Astrolabe Bay Local Level Government (LLG) in the province, praised Ramu NiCo Management (MCC) Limited for providing tangible, lifechanging projects that have improved people’s living conditions and mobility.

“More classrooms and aid posts have been constructed, and medical supplies have been consistently provided since the inception of the mine,” Mr Gamog said.

He added that since Papua New Guinea gained independence in 1975, Usino Bundi and Rai Coast districts were often described as the “back pages,” meaning they were significantly underdeveloped.

Today, students in Rai Coast and Usino Bundi are learning in classrooms built by Ramu NiCo, and communities are receiving medical services from nearby aid posts— some of which were constructed by the company and supplied with regular quarterly medical provisions.

“Ramu NiCo is also very active in supporting women’s programs that focus on strengthening family units,” Mr Gamog said.

Ruth Kamai, chairlady of the Coastal Pipeline Landowner Women Association (CPLWA), said Ramu NiCo has supported and facilitated multiple projects along the Coastal Pipeline corridor.

“Today, women in the four zones of the Coastal Pipeline area own dinghies, a PMV truck, and have recently launched a community learning centre right in the

middle of our village,” Mrs Kamai said.

“This community learning centre is part of the company’s approach to bring practical skills training— such as sewing, baking, and preparing nutritious meals from locally grown produce—directly to our village, rather than requiring us to travel to urban centres for such training,” she said.

According to Mrs Kamai, these projects were funded through royalty payments provided to landowners for allowing the company to build part of the 350-kilometre pipeline from the Kurumbukari mine site to the Basamuk refinery across their

land.

The pipeline passes through the Usino LLG and the Astrolabe Bay LLG. Communities along the Usino section form the Inland Pipeline Association, while those along the Astrolabe Bay section form the Coastal Pipeline Association.

Together with the Kurumbukari Landowner Association and the Basamuk Landowner Association, they make up the four major associations supporting Papua New Guinea’s only nickel and cobalt mining project recognised as one of China’s biggest investments in the South Pacific area.

The Buk bilong Pikinini Tatana Library Learning Center students proudly hosted their 11th Graduation Ceremony at the Tatana Araiara United Church Hall

The Coastal Pipeline Landowner Women Association (CPLWA)’s new Community Learning Centre at Lalok village is one of the many projects delivered by Ramu NiCo. PICTURE: SUPPLIED

Western Highlands governor Wai Rapa with CHM Managing Director Raymond Chin MBE and his wife Grace Chin during the official ribbon cutting of the CHM Tech Haus in Mt. Hagen last week Friday. PICTURE: AMANDA KUMANAL

From Aitape to anywhere From to anywhere

A digital resource centre connecting rural learners and agribusinesses to the world

AGRICULTURE BUSINESS

AT St Ignatius Secondary School in Aitape, a Digital Resource Centre established by ITU and FAO under the EU-STREIT PNG Program is helping to improve both learning and livelihoods.

Rural students are using computers and the internet for the first time, while local farmers and agripreneurs are using the same facility to learn digital skills, promote their products online and grow their small agribusinesses.

Vanimo, PNG – A Digital Resource Centre with internet at St Ignatius Secondary School in Aitape, a small coastal town in West Sepik province, is giving new opportunities to students and the surrounding community.

Before its establishment, students, teachers, and communities had no access to IT infrastructure for e-learning and the digital tools and skills needed to market their produce beyond the local area.

Now the centre, set up by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) under the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, is equipped with 25 computers, two smart display televisions, two printer-copier, and has reliable solar power.

Students and farmers can now access global information, online learning and digital tools that help them study better and run stronger small agribusinesses respectively.

Although the centre is located inside a school, some of the earliest visible changes are in how local farmers and agripreneurs do business.

This Digital Resource Centre is one of 20 being set up in key locations across the greater Sepik region by the EU-STREIT PNG Program, where there is limited internet and technology access, gaps in digital skills and inadequate information and communication services.

At St Ignatius, the centre also serves the wider community by offering a smart and practical tool for agribusiness development.

Local farmers and agripreneurs not only use the computers on their own; they also join organised training sessions held at the centre.

As part of the EU-STREIT PNG Programme’s broader efforts to strengthen local agribusinesses, ITU has delivered three rounds of training covering basic computing, e-commerce, e-marketplaces, social media, online marketing and financial literacy at the centre. A total of 90 participants (43

women), including 75 agripreneurs and 15 teachers have been trained.

Farmers now search online for price information, record basic business data, advertise products and connect directly with buyers reducing reliance on middlemen.

Among the trainees are Dianne Akas from Nings United Cocoa Group, Joseph Malisa, Agriculture Teacher at St Ignatius Secondary School, and Joseph Wotom, a lead farmer from the Yakamul community.

Dianne used the new skills to market cocoa products online and expand her small trade store business.

“I am a cocoa farmer, and I also sell goods that I buy in bulk from wholesalers and retail.

“I attended both Basic Digital Skills, E-Commerce and Financial Literacy Training at St Ignatius Secondary School Resource Centre. I learned how to use Facebook and WhatsAppto safely sell and promote my cocoa field and my canteen business.

She said: “The training also gave me the confidence to open a bank account with Women’s Microbank (Mama Bank) at the beginning of last year.

“I have saved enough money to take my first loan which helped me to increase the stock for my canteen business.

“I am almost done paying it off, and I plan to take another loan to grow my business.

“This has improved my farming and selling skills, made me more confident as a businesswoman, and helped me support my family and my community.”

Mr Malisa, an Agriculture Teacher at St. Ignatius Secondary School, used his new digital skills and financial literacy to help create the St Ignatius Secondary School Enterprise website, which promotes the school’s agricultural activities and other income-earning projects.

This online presence helps the school “to showcase our agricultural work, cocoa seedling and other school projects.

“Our students now see the connection between agriculture and technology.”

This also helped the school to reach potential buyers and show parents and partners how agriculture supports the school. These initiatives are showcased on the St Ignatius Secondary School Enterprise website.

Mr Wotom, a lead farmer from the Yakamul community, created a website for his turmeric group. “Through the e-commerce and financial literacy training at St

Ignatius Resource Centre, I created a website for our Yakamul Turmeric Group.

We now advertise our products online, and we’ll be exporting our first turmeric batch early next year.”

This effort is showcased on the Yakamul Turmeric Group’s website.

Other farmers like Aaron Wama, also learned to use digital tools to market cocoa beans directly to interested buyers, helping negotiate better prices and secure more reliable sales channels.

Beyond training, the facility provides a space for farming groups and agripreneurs supported by the EU-STREIT PNG Program.

They meet at the centre to draft simple business plans, produce flyers and posters, upload photos of their products, check market information and learn how to respond to customer enquiries online, turning the Digital Resource Centre into a practical business support hub.

To manage the facility sustainably, the school has set up a simple business model. Community users pay a small, affordable fee that helps cover internet and equipment maintenance.

The school also registered a business arm with the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) enabling proper management of revenue to keep the centre operating.

This helps the centre continue to serve both students and farmers without depending on external support.

The Resource Centre is also changing teaching and learning at St Ignatius.

With 842 students (48% female) and 37 staff, St Ignatius previously relied almost entirely on traditional classroom instruction due to the absence of digital tools.

Despite this, the school has focused on forming students with a strong emphasis on attitude and character and has achieved good academic results over many years.

Now, students from very remote areas, who had little or no exposure to digital technology in their early school years, can learn using computers and the internet. Building on this base, the principal notes that the project’s benefits are already visible and “tangible”: better learning, safer and healthier study conditions and improved welfare for students and staff.

“We relied heavily on traditional teaching and learning methods where teachers facilitate almost 90 percent of students’ learning in classrooms.

“We’re privileged to be selected

and to utilise this initiative, the Digital Resource Centre; we’re adopting a combination of internet learning plus effective classroom teaching,” says school principal Ronald Raintangken.

He said: “We’re optimistic this interactive approach will raise academic performance of our students next year and onwards.”

For rural students, computers and connectivity open a new world.

“For many of us, it was our first time to use a computer. We were confused and didn’t know how to begin but our teachers were very helpful,” said Aquina Kipma, an 18-year-old Grade 12 student.

“My first computer experience was last year and now I feel confident to use a computer and internet search tools.”

Ms Kipma and her classmates now find up-to-date information for assignments across subjects, instead of relying only on a small library with limited books.

The connection also makes it easier for teachers to bring up to date examples from agriculture, business and science into the classroom and show students how technology is used in workplaces, including on farms and in agri-processing.

“This connectivity helps to bridge the ‘digital divide’, levelling the playing field between rural and urban students and providing them with equal chances to succeed by offering access to experts, interactive learning platforms and vast research materials that might otherwise be unavailable in the form of books in their school library,” said Kanagat Alyshbaev, Project Officer for ITU-STREIT.

“With this facility, students and

farmers can learn online using the Learning Management System (LMS) developed by ITU and hosted by the Papua New Guinea University of Technology (PNGUoT).” Teachers benefit as well. They use the centre to prepare current, high-quality lesson materials and to access training modules tailored to their needs.

The school has an IT officer and a dedicated technician for routine maintenance; virus checks and operating-system updates and is seeking hands-on training for cadets to build in-house skills to manage and maintain the facility over time. Connectivity is provided via an internet VSAT, covering the initial two years of service fees, with the National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NICTA), ITU-STREIT’s national partner.

The school also benefits from a solar mini-grid installed by UNDP under the EU-STREIT PNG Program.

Reliable electricity keeps computers running, supports evening study sessions, reduces power bills, and has improved school security, no break-ins have been reported since installation.

“We now have a grid, powered by solar, and it’s a huge saving for the school in terms of power bills,”said Mr Raintangken.

He expressed gratitude to the European Union on behalf of the Board of Governors, students and parents.

“The investment is beyond words. It has transformed learning, strengthened our community and opened new opportunities for both

and farmers.

students

Dianne Akas attends a training session organised by the EU-STREIT PNG Programme at the Digital Resource Centre at St Ignatius Secondary in Aitape. PICTURE SUPPLIED

Agripreneurs and school teachers built skills in basic computing, e-commerce, e- marketing and financial literacy to better promote their products and manage their businesses, supported by a Digital Resource Centre established by the EU-STREIT PNG Program at St Ignatius Secondary School in Aitape. PICTURE: SUPPLIED

STARS

On 22 October, your ruler Mars moved to accent close alliances, personal or professional. In the weeks that have followed, you’ve talked a lot, learnt a great deal and resolved a few issues. However, one or two remain. Tackle these now, ideally before Mars departs this portion of your chart on Saturday.

LEO JUL 22 - AUG 22

For longer than you care to remember, you’ve been diplomatically sidestepping certain potentially tricky issues. This isn’t because they bother you but, rather, in the past they’ve upset others. While that once might have been the case, times have changed. The issues in question are unlikely to cause any reaction at all.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 22 - DEC 20

When the Sun moved into Sagittarius, about ten days ago, the focus was mostly on arrangements that had to change, and profoundly or, if that wasn’t possible, come to an end. Now that’s over, and you’re in a period of powerful growth, although its direction probably won’t be clear for some weeks yet.

GIANT CROSSWORD

Now that your ruler Venus has joined the Sun and the retrograde Mercury in the inquisitive Sagittarius, life should be getting more interesting by the day. True, you’ll be facing confusion and all sorts of changes, many unsettling. Be patient.

VIRGO AUG 23 - SEP 22

Judging by the current thrilling if unsettling planetary activity, intriguing developments are shaking things up, and almost every day. Exciting as these are, with so much going on, plans are unlikely to remain as they were first conceived. Knowing that, resist the temptation to fine tune arrangements .

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 19

The last thing you’re in the mood to do is discuss already tricky issues. But by Wednesdays potent link between the communication planet Mercury and your ruler Saturn, you’ll realise frank discussion isn’t just necessary, in the process you could define those issues and clear up confusion.

GEMINI MAY 21 – JUNE 20

Although the recent Gemini Full Moon will have heightened your feelings, both pro and con, about certain issues, it will also have triggered sudden developments. That being the case, pressing as decisions seem, you’re urged to keep things flexible until circumstances and your thinking on the matters in question are clearer.

LIBRA SEP 23- OCT 22

As a Libra, you have a unique understanding that the timing of a statement, query or challenge can influence the reaction of others as much as the actual matter in question. And with Mercury having just turned retrograde, this is by no means the ideal time to tackle tricky issues. If you can, wait.

AQUARIUS JAN 20 - FEB 17

A few days ago the impatient Mars clashed with your ruler Uranus, indicating misunderstandings if not out and out arguments. While, obviously, you’d have preferred to avoid these, looking back you realise how helpful they were. In fact, they’ve helped clear up conflicts that were getting worse by the day.

CANCER JUN 21 - JUL 21

Planning ahead may be a virtue. But during December’s first half it would only complicate matters. The reason? Its a mix of the confusion triggered by the retrograde Mercury and your own uncertainty, which may not be fully resolved until the Cancer Full Moon on 2 January. T

SCORPIO OCT 23 - NOV 21

At the time of the Scorpio New Moon, two weeks ago, you’ll have reviewed what needs to be done, then thought through, made plans and put some into action. Don’t be surprised, however, if sudden events force a serious rethink, if not substantial alterations.

PISCES FEB 18 - MAR 19

It’s rare that you say something or make a suggestion that goes amiss or is completely misunderstood, as seems to be the case at the moment. But then, with Mercury retrograde, minor misunderstandings can easily turn into major dramas. Knowing that, delve into, and deal with any such issues the moment they arise.

PUZZLE #0190

SOLUTION NO. 131576

ACROSS: 3 Steep,6 Fib,8 Naomi,9 Nile,10 Casts,12 Era,14 Batik,17 Chablis,19 Scimitar,20 Red,21 Cape,22 Malaria,24 Becomes 27 Guru,29 Dad,30 Generals,32 Diverge,34 Ravel,35 Ate,36 Harem,37 Aver,38 Argon,39 Bet,40 Ashen

DOWN: 1 Snub,2 Portia,3 Sickie,4 Enthral,5 Pisa,6 Feeler,7 Bias,11 Scam,13 Ridicule,15 Accredit,16 Implode,18 Bravura,23 Beggars

25 Caveat,26 Seer,27 German,28 Ravage,31 Slang,32 Daub,33 Rhea

SUDOKU

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Barcelona extend lead at top of La Liga

SOCCER

BARCELONA produced an impressive comeback to beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 and move four points clear at the top of La Liga.

Alex Baena fired Atletico ahead on Tuesday, but Raphinha equalised for the champions before Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres slotted home to end the visitors’ run of 13 straight league games without defeat. Barca might have been more comfortable had Robert Lewandowski not ballooned a firsthalf penalty over the bar.

Real Madrid, who are second, visit Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, aiming to peg Barca back, while Diego Simeone’s Atletico are fourth, six points behind the Catalans.

This was Barca’s fifth consecutive La Liga win after losing the El Clasico against Madrid in October, but they have not shone consistently in that period, and coming against a title rival, this display gave Flick’s side a welcome boost.

They were without defender Ronald Araujo, who is taking a mental health break, according to Spanish reports, along with ill midfielder Frenkie de Jong and the longer-term absentees.

After a 3-0 thrashing at Chelsea last week in the Champions League, followed by a shaky win over Alaves to claim pole position in La Liga, nerves were jangling at Camp Nou.

Following a tense start, Atletico took the lead with, predictably, a ball in behind Barcelona’s persistently high defensive line.

Baena scampered through on goal and beat Joan Garcia, barely celebrating because he could sense the linesman’s raised flag behind him.However, a VAR review showed the Spaniard was level with Pau Cubarsi when he broke, and the goal was reinstated.

Barcelona responded rapidly and levelled in the 26th minute, when Pedri, back fit to start, played in Raphinha.The Brazilian winger, another player recently back from injury, took the ball around Jan Oblak and slid it into the empty net.

Barca should have taken the lead, but Lewandowski spurned a penalty, blazing high and wide of Oblak’s goal after Pablo Barrios brought down Dani Olmo.

The Polish veteran almost made amends moments later, but Oblak brilliantly clawed out his header from Lamine Yamal’s cross. Raphinha pulled an effort wide early in the second half, when he should have hit the target, and Giuliano Simeone could not get a clean shot away with the goal beckoning at the other end.Olmo, who netted twice against Alaves on Saturday, sent Barcelona ahead with a slick finish after Lewandowski managed to bundle the ball into his path.Olmo, a playmaker who has

struggled for consistency at Barca amid various physical problems, sustained a shoulder injury as he scored and was replaced by Marcus Rashford.Pedri, who was controlling the game for Barca, also went down hurt after 70 minutes, and Flick replaced him, with fans left hoping it was only a scare ahead of next week’s important Champions League match against Frankfurt.

Atletico substitute Thiago Almada had his team’s best chance of equalising, but after bursting across the penalty area, he lost balance and screwed his finish wide as Joan Garcia scrambled.

Raphinha praised Barcelona’s resilience in coming back to get the win.“The important thing is to believe in the work. We know this can happen in a lot of games [falling behind], but we are prepared to come from behind,” the Barcelona captain told Movistar.

“We are picking up our confidence. We knew this was a key game. Three points are very important and could decide the league.

Atletico’s keeper said he was upset by his side’s spurned opportunities.

“We needed to score more goals. Barcelona played well today and had lots of chances. We had two chances to equalise, but it wasn’t possible,” Oblak told Movistar.“Their inside play was causing us problems. They managed to find the spaces, and they caused us lots of problems.”

Cummins eyeing Gabba Test return

CRICKET

AUSTRALIAN captain Pat Cummins is closing in on an 11thhour return for the second Ashes Test, with Josh Inglis expected to be called in for the injured Usman Khawaja.

Cummins had been contending with a back issue since the winter West Indies tour, but is rated a good chance to be passed fit ahead of Thursday’s toss at the Gabba. The star paceman missed the victorious Ashes series opener and had initially been excluded from the squad for the second Test. But Cummins has been bowling extensively in recent days and can be brought into the side from outside the squad. He would likely replace recent debutant Brendan Doggett in the XI when Australia begin their push for a 2-0 series lead in the pinkball Test.

Cummins joined coach Andrew McDonald, stand-in captain Steve Smith and chief selector George Bailey for their final inspection of the pitch just after 3.30pm (local time) on Wednesday.

Australia will not announce

their XI until Thursday’s toss, but Smith confirmed Cummins was impressing in his recovery.

“He looks pretty good to me, the way he’s bowled in the nets,” Smith said.“Obviously games are a different intensity. He’s tracking really nicely, he knows his body well. We’ll wait and see.”

English-born Inglis is expected to bat in the middle order in his first Test match on Australian soil as Travis Head continues replacing Khawaja at the top.

Inglis and Beau Webster had been considered the contenders to join the XI when Khawaja was ruled out with the back injury that scuppered him in the first Test. Australia are expected to confirm that Inglis has beaten the towering allrounder to the vacancy.

The day-night Test would be Inglis’s fourth match in the baggy green after he made a memorable century on debut in Sri Lanka this year.Inglis averages 29.75 across three Tests, unable to go on to a big score after that debut in Galle.

In a strong sign Inglis was closing in on selection for the Gabba, the 30-year-old on Tuesday spent

Haaland brings up record century in nine-goal thriller

SOCCER

ERLING Haaland has become the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goals as he helped Manchester City move to within two points of the top of the standings.

Haaland opened the scoring in City’s thrilling 5-4 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Tuesday night before Pep Guardiola’s team survived a dramatic fightback.

City led 5-1 less than an hour into the game, but Fulham rallied and nearly grabbed an equaliser in stoppage time when Josh King’s effort was cleared off the line by Josko Gvardiol.

Haaland celebrated his record milestone achievement afterward in front of the travelling fans.

His goal in the 17th minute - lashed in from close range - brought up his century in 111 games. England icon Alan Shearer had held the record after reaching that benchmark in 124 games.

Most importantly for City was a victory that closed the gap on firstplace Arsenal, who host Brentford on Wednesday.

City led 3-1 at halftime, with Tijani Reijnders and Phil Foden adding to Haaland’s goal, while Emile SmithRowe pulled one back before the break.

Foden got his second early in the second half and a Sander Berge own goal seemingly put City in total control.That was until Fulham mounted a fightback.

Alex Iwobi got Fulham’s second with a low curling effort from outside of the box. Samuel Chukwueze then scored two in the space of six minutes to set up a tense finale.

But after breaking Shearer’s record, Haaland delivered an ominous message to their rivals insisting his outstanding strike rate was no less than should be expected of him.

“I don’t want to say the words, but when you’re a striker for Man City, you should be delivering great numbers and that’s my job,” Haaland told Sky Sports.

“People should criticise me if I don’t. That’s normally what people do, so in the end ... I should deliver.”

“It’s huge and I’m really proud and, of course it’s a massive thing,” Haaland said. “The 100 club is a nice thing to be in.”

Haaland has been outstanding since joining City from Borussia Dortmund in 2022, helping the club win two Premier League titles, the Champions League and FA Cup in that time.

He has scored 144 goals in 165 games.

Harry Kane is the third fastest player to 100 Premier League goals - reaching that landmark figure in 141 games. City great Sergio Aguero managed it in 147 and Thierry Henry became a centurion in his 160th.

On-loan City winger Jack Grealish scored the only goal of the game as Everton beat Bournemouth 1-0 to climb up the standings.

The Toffees have moved to ninth on 21 points, the same as Merseyside rivals Liverpool who have played a game less.

At St James Park, Cristian Romero came to Tottenham’s rescue with an overhead kick deep into added time to salvage a 2-2 draw.

Newcastle took a 1-0 lead through Bruno Guimaraes in the 71st after the home team had dominated the first half.

Romero levelled with a near-post header seven minutes later.

Newcastle led again in the 86th when Anthony Gordon converted from the penalty spot, but the drama wasn’t over yet.

Romero’s acrobatic effort stunned the home crowd and earned a point for Spurs to prevent their losing run being extended to four games.

Jacks gives England tactical shift for Gabba: Stokes

CRICKET

ENGLAND’S decision to recall allrounder Will Jacks at the Gabba is a proactive choice captain Ben Stokes says will strengthen the batting and throw more variety at Australia with the ball.

extensive time training in the slips cordon, Khawaja’s usual fielding spot.Inglis is known for his proactive approach with the bat, so would provide extra batting firepower after a tough first innings at the crease for the hosts in Perth.

“(Inglis) is obviously an attacking batsman. He did really well on his debut in Sri Lanka and has been in really good form,” Smith said.

“If he gets his opportunity he plays fast bowling really nicely. If he gets the opportunity I am sure he will do really well for us.”Smith was unsure whether Khawaja would feature again at Test level after failing in his bid to be fit for the second match of the series.Khawaja’s back injury meant he could not open the batting as planned in Perth, leaving Head to play a match-defining innings in his place at the top of the order.

He appears no guarantee to return to the XI even if fit for the third Test, given he turns 39 in less than three weeks and has made just one century since mid-2023.“Usman has been a quality player over a long period of time,” Smith said.

The 27-year-old has not played a Test since 2022 in Pakistan, where he captured six wickets in an innings on debut, and made a couple of handy 30s in the two Tests he played.

The knee injury to paceman Mark Wood, which ruled him out of the second Test in Brisbane that starts on Thursday, has allowed England to tinker with their approach.

“Coming here, knowing the first two games were going to be in Perth and the day-night game here at the Gabba, you try and leave yourself as much time as you can to think about different angles,” Stokes said.

“We tried to look at how we thought spin was going to be used. There was a bit of a tactical element to it. And obviously Jacksy’s ability with the bat, to have that down the order for us is useful as well.”

Stokes will join Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse in a still menacing pace arsenal, but England’s attack will have a different look to it, with Jacks providing an offspin option.

He will also add depth to the batting, as his first-class average of 34.54 and four centuries suggests.

According to CricViz statistics, the average speed of England’s bowling

attack on day one of the Perth Test was 141km/h, their highest in a Test since records began in 2006.

That speed fell away on day two when Archer and Wood did not reach the levels they had the previous day, with Australia coasting to an eight-wicket win inside two days.

Stokes scuppered suggestions the bowling unit was disappointed with the batters for not giving them enough time to recover between batting innings.

“I bat and I bowl. You can always do with more time off your feet than getting back out there,” Stokes said.

“When things like that transpire you don’t moan. You don’t complain. That is part of the job, being fit.

“If you have bowled and end up being out there sooner than what you thought, you put your boots back on and get out there and try and win a game for your country.”

Stokes said he would adopt a “wait and see” approach to whether Pat Cummins would be a late inclusion for Australia after a back injury kept him out of the first Test.

“Pat’s done great things, not only as a player but he’s been great since he’s been given the responsibility of captaining Australia,” Stokes said.

“Whatever XI they go with, if Pat’s there, if Pat’s not, we’ll still be going in there to try and get the win.”

Australian Associated Press

Ferran Torres scores Barcelona’s third goal against Atletico Madrid.PICTURE :DAVID RAMOS/GETTY IMAGES.

I can’t be I can’t be DCE

Cowboys lose two forwards for start of NRL season

RUGBY LEAGUE

JEREMIAH Nanai and Griffin

Neame will miss the start of the NRL season through injury in a blow to North Queensland’s hopes of recovering from a poor 2025.

But winger Murray Taulagi is expected to resume full training after Christmas despite leaving the field in the Pacific Cup final with a knee injury.

Queensland representative Nanai has undergone reconstructive surgery on the shoulder that he injured during Samoa’s win over Tonga in late October.

Neame has suffered a setback in his recovery from surgery on his season-ending shoulder injury and will not play round one as initially planned.

The important forwards will be absent as the Cowboys begin bouncing back from a 12th-placed finish that prompted questions over Todd Payten’s future as coach.

Neither will play in the Cowboys’ Las Vegas season opener against

Fogarty ready to be own man at Manly

RUGBY LEAGUE

JAMAL Fogarty has declared he’s his own man and won’t try to be Daly Cherry-Evans at Manly, conceding there is a talent gap between him and the man he considers as the club’s greatest ever half.

Fogarty is now full swing into his first pre-season at the Sea Eagles, fresh off moving from Canberra and beginning training a week earlier than scheduled at Brookvale.

After guiding Canberra to a minor premiership with a career-best year last season, the 31-year-old is the first to admit he is still spurred on by the Raiders’ straight-sets finals exit.

But the late-blooming playmaker is also undeterred by the fact he will enter 2026 with a heavy spotlight on him after Cherry-Evans’ highprofile Manly exit.

No player in premiership history has played as many games at halfback for a club as Cherry-Evans did at the Sea Eagles, after being Manly’s No.7 since the start of 2011.

“He’s probably the greatest half to play for the club and put that jersey on,” Fogarty said.

“That’s something I’ve got to respect and acknowledge.

“But also I’m not as talented as Daly, and I’m going to be Jamal. I’m not going to try and be him.

“It’s about acknowledging the greatness that he had here, but then also now I get to play my style.

“Everyone’s going to compare me to him and obviously he’s in a new club and whatever else, but I’m just going to be myself.”

Cherry-Evans’ exit from Manly marks one of the most significant changeovers in a club’s halves in history.

The Queenslander’s fingerprints have been on almost everything Manly have done for the past 15 years, from the club’s playing style to being the man in clutch moments.

As a way of comparison, Gold Coast have had 12 separate firstchoice halfbacks and Canterbury 11 in the time Manly have had CherryEvans at the helm.

The Sea Eagles have largely played with a free-wheeling, up-tempo style over the past few years, attacking from their own half and making use of speed out wide.

It has often made them one of the

most exciting teams in the NRL to watch, while being a picture of inconsistency both within games and across a season.

With Fogarty at No.7, Canberra’s attack was built off momentum through the middle, forwards and offloads, before off-the-cuff play close to the line.

Fogarty said there would naturally be some change to the way Manly played, as well as within his own game.

“It’s got to be both ways,” Fogarty said.

“I’ve got to adjust my playing style to the team, because there were a couple of games last year that where you were like: ‘oh, jeez, they’re a good team’.

“And then I’ve got to still be able to be myself to feel confident to play my style.

“I’m very calculated in what I do but then I’ve also got to be able to be a bit more risky and try that free flowing footy as well.

“If we can play pretty fast and structured, then that’s going to hopefully provide opportunities for the guys that like that free style of play.”

Bears land two more NRL expats after English gap year

RUGBY LEAGUE

PERTH will use English rugby league to stockpile part of their inaugural NRL roster, with Luke Smith and Emarly Bitungane the latest players to link with the expansion club. Fresh off announcing ex-Canterbury halfback Toby Sexton and English international Harry Newman as their maiden signings on Tuesday, the Bears confirmed players No.3 and No.4 for 2027 on Wednesday. Smith played two games for Canterbury this year, while fellow forward Bitungane made headlines in August as a Tanzanian-born NRL debutant at North Queensland. Both of the pair signed one-season deals with second-tier London Broncos last week, before officially being confirmed as Bears players on two-year NRL contracts on

Wednesday.

It means none of the Bears’ first four signings will play in the NRL next season, as the NRL’s 18th club attempts to build a competitive 30man roster. Emarly is a very strong and mobile middle forward who I think has the potential to develop into a very important piece in our roster,” Bears coach Mal Meninga said.

“Luke is supremely fit and an excellent defender who offers us something in attack as well.

“He had an impressive junior career and I’m very excited to see what he can bring to the Bears in 2027.

“Both players have progressed through the ranks in good systems and I’m excited to watch their development next season with the London Broncos.”

The pair’s gap year in England comes with Sexton also spending 2026 at France-based Catalans, before the ex-Canterbury half returns to the NRL at Perth.

Smith will also play in the Super League at Leeds, where the incumbent English Test centre debuted in 2017. The quartet’s signings come after the Bears have had a difficult start to life in the player market, missing out on the likes of Harry Grant, Jayden Campbell and Beau Fermor.

The club remain hopeful of luring Tino Fa’asuamaleaui west, while they are understood to have made contact with Keaon Koloamatangi.

Melbourne utility Tyran Wishart is also expected to meet with the Bears, while Ryan Papenhuyzen could loom as a marquee option for 2027 if he returns to the NRL.

Newcastle, with the club expecting to have a clearer timeline on their return dates in the new year.

Samoan international Taulagi is expected to play round one as he nears recovery from his medial cruciate ligament injury.

Luckless forward Heilum Luki is also expected to play round one after missing the entire 2025 season with the second anterior cruciate ligament injury of his career.

The Cowboys begin 2026 with a handful of seemingly winnable games, with the Knights, Wests Tigers, Gold Coast and St George Illawarra awaiting across the first five rounds.

The club have welcomed Reed Mahoney as replacement for outgoing hooker Reece Robson; the former Canterbury captain began pre-season earlier this month. Nanai and Neame’s absences come a year after talismanic forward Jason Taumalolo injured his foot in the 2024 Pacific Championships and so missed the start of 2025.

Rudolf’s Christmas wish for injury-free pre-season

RUGBY LEAGUE

SHARKS forward Toby Rudolf has a simple goal for the next few months. Get through the pre-season unscathed. It might not sound like much, but for a player who has battled a string of serious injuries in the past few years, it will mark a significant change heading into a pivotal 2026 campaign.

Rudolf has learnt the hard way how important a full pre-season is and is excited to dive headfirst into a gruelling few months of training.

“I’ve had five surgeries in my whole career but three of them were in the last 18 months,” Rudolf told NRL.com. “I’m sick of it. It’s tortuous being injured.

“You think you’re so involved in the team and they’re so invested in you and then you realise very soon after being injured the team is fine without you. The team does not need you, you need the team.

“Mentally it can be a very draining task, having to get back healthy and fight off the demons that you think you’re so important and all of a sudden you’re not. I’m feeling refreshed after a mental break, we’ve got the same team and I’m looking forward to a new year.”

The forward’s injury struggles date back to the end of the 2023 campaign, where he played through a painful toe injury. The debilitating pain continued into the pre-season and at one point he was restricted to walking laps of Shark Park while the team trained.

An injury-interrupted season followed in 2024 before Rudolf underwent a shoulder reconstruction late last year.

The operation forced him to miss the Sharks’ Las Vegas season opener and it took the prop some time to find his feet before he finished the year with a string of dominant performances.

Having enjoyed an off-season break, Rudolf and a number of Cronulla’s big names will return to training this week.

While the side’s international stars will enjoy a few more weeks of rest, Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall headline the returning players. Rudolf is relishing the opportunity

to enter a pre-season healthy as the Sharks look to lay the platform for a premiership charge in 2026.

“In 2024 I genuinely thought I’ll be the one player that doesn’t have a pre-season that just kills it,” Rudolf said. “Then lo and behold, that’s not the case. You actually do need it.

“It’s not impossible, I had a good back end of the season but you just put yourself on the backburner and you’re playing catch up the whole time. When you go out there and can’t do what you know you’re capable of, that’s very frustrating as a professional athlete.

“I’m excited for this pre-season because I’m actually an able body. It’s the pre-season that I’m most looking forward to in my whole career, knowing I can actually do it and get to know my teammates, the younger guys and get to know the older guys a bit better.”

Next season is shaping as a pivotal one for Rudolf and the Sharks, with the club desperate to take the next step after back-to-back preliminary final exits.

The forward is one of 17 players off-contract and 2026 could be the last chance for the current squad to taste premiership glory before a roster refresh.

While known publicly for his unique personality, his value on and off the field does not go unnoticed internally at the Sharks.

Cronulla captain Blayke Brailey is looking forward to watching Rudolf develop into a leader and said his voice will be crucial throughout the summer.

“He’s a massive part of this team and wears his heart on his sleeve,” Brailey said. “Our defining moment last year was the try-saver he did against the Dolphins, and then the match-winning try against the Roosters in the finals game at home.

“You saw by the way everyone celebrates him and gets around him, he’s such an energy provider for us. Unfortunately with Ronnie [Mulitalo] going down he’ll have to take a bit more of the slack where Ronnie provides so much for us.

“I know Toby has a lot of energy and a lot of voice so we’re definitely going to lean on him a lot and hopefully like he says, we can love each other more.”

Tigers undisputed ‘Kings’

Win record nine consecutive premierships in Kerema RL

BY JACK AMI

THE YOUNG Tigers havewon nine consecutive premierships.

This follows their 12-6 win over Medix in the Kerema Rugby League grand final on Sunday.

Tigers Denky Aua drew first blood for an unconverted try to lead 4- 0.

This was followed by utility back Kenny Laho for a 8- 0 lead to halftime.Medix came back strongly in the second half with a converted try from Harry Joe and a two pointer (penalty) to Barry Lese to trail 6-8. With the local boys sensing Medix were going all out with nothing to lose, Aua put the icing on the cake with another unconverted try to put them in safer waters with the six point buffer (12-6) and held for yet another premiership in the bag.

This was Medix second attempt after losing to the Tigers in 2023 as well.

The men from Tairuma were the better side on the day with their stifling defence to keep the latter out.

and Kerema Bay that went away satisfied.

Tigers coach Ilave Sapea said they were prepared for the late come-back by Medix and attributed the win to their second-half defence that held firm.

Captain Suckling Bobby thanked the players for an all-round team effort and acknowledged their die-hard supporters from Siviri

Two try hero, Aua was later named man of the match and was presented with K500 with contributions from Ps Tuta Lari (K200), plus Peter Milaura and Morgan Irua K150 each.

While in the women's Bay Eels beat Pariva Sharks 12- 4 to claim back to back premierships.

Eels were the better side and were not threatened by the opposition and easily walked away with the major honors.

The presentation of awards was made possible through

the generous sponsorship from Minister for Finance and Kerema MP Thomas Opa with K20,000 for cash prizes.

The grand final was witnessed by PNG Rugby Football League Southern director Jacob Ivaroa, who is also Gulf Provincial Rugby Football League chairman, Kerema District Development Authority member Ps Tuta Lari, Victor Posu, senior police officer George Kakas and a capacity crowd at the Kerema town oval were kept on their toes throughout.

Injury is not a setback: Aiton

RUGBY LEAGUE BY SIMON KESLEP

DOWN but not out!

This is how players in the PNG Hunters casualty ward continue to defy and in return they reap the rewards by securing footy contracts overseas. Coach Paul Aiton said preexisting injuries continues to haunt them.

“This is an issue as well that we then fix and hang in there to help them like we can’t just turn them away.”

For the players, each rehab season has always been a tough battle both mentally and physically. Training on the sideline and taking a breather whilst the main group go through their sessions also motivates them to go one step better.

“They probably do the same if not more than the players that are playing because they have to.”

“They have to get back; they also have to upgrade their skills.”

“That shows their dedication.”

“We just encourage to make sure are doing the right thing and we are happy,” said Aiton.

Players like Epel Kapinias, Finley Glare, Morea Morea amongst others have clocked in the same efforts during rehab and their efforts has paid off by bouncing back to their best form for Hunters, PNG Kumuls and now vying to make their Super League debuts with London Broncos.

Notable players currently in rehab includes Koso Bandi, Elijah Roltinga and Benji Kot. If the trio return to full contact training, they might just as well test themselves during trial matches. Aiton said there is no confirmation as yet with regards to trial matches.

“The way we are training with 100 per cent intensity every training session, some big sessions.”

Hunters to lose 9 from playing roster

Coach Paul Aiton said; “nothing is concrete yet...we try to help as many as we can to leave.”

“When I first took the job (head coach role), I had one-on-one meetings with everyone and ask them what their goals were and every single player, in which I don’t think you can have in any other club, all have the same goal.”

“Make the PNG Kumuls, and hopefully one day get an opportunity outside of PNG.”

“For them (players) to be able to go, makes me happy,” said Aiton.

Meanwhile, heading into the fifth week of Hunters preseason training which includes 46 players in camp, Aiton said they are increasing training intensity and the players are handling the transition pretty well.

“A lot of hard work by the players that have left.”

“Big loss (players signing contracts overseas), I think we’ve had eight... there should be another one possibly coming up.”

“It is really exciting and I hope now that the boys see it is possible,” said Aiton.

Hunters primary goal season in, season out, is to win games and also playing finals footy.

“We are also a pathway.”

“We have four leaving last year onto better things, and we’ve got eight this year, hopefully eight.”

“Hopefully next year even more,” said Aiton. He said it is a good goal which causes other problems but there are more young kids offering more different things, different flavours coming into the team.

“We’ve seen what we’ve need to, there is a couple more spots that a bit hard because everyone is reaping in but we’ve got a good idea who is going to stay,” said Aiton

The onus is now on the remaining senior players to take ownership in their respective roles and steer the team.

The Young Tigers champion U20 team.

re d co P T

The Bay Eels champions in the Kerema Rugby League for 2025

The Young Tigers champion A grade side.

PNG Hunters rehab manager, Lawrence Tu’u (left) guiding Benji Kot during a rehab training session.

GABRIEL ERNEST

SOPNG celebrates disability day

SPECIAL OLYMPICS

BY SIMON KESLEP

SPECIAL Olympics PNG yesterday commemorated the International Day of Persons with Disability at the Sir John Guise stadium in Port Moresby.

The participants are mostly students from different schools who have formed eight teams to

take part in both fun games as well as track and field events.

Special Olympics PNG Sports Director, Sophia Tuna said it is a very important day to commemorate persons with disability.

“This is the first time that Special Olympics PNG is collaborating with PNG Sports Foundation to do the; Come & Try Athletics.”

“We have six events like three

Talents on show

SPECIAL OLYMPICS

BY SIMON KESLEP

THERE were smiles, laughter and a lot of determination on show during the commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disability yesterday in Port Moresby.

This opportunity was made possible through the sponsorship support from various stakeholders like National Capital District Commission, PNG Sports Foundation, TeamUp from DFAT towards Special Olympics PNG.

Talents from different young age group’s showcased their athletics skills despite the scorching heat at

track events and three field events.”

“We have our partner like PNG Sports Foundation and volunteers (students from University of PNG) helping to run the events...we are excited and we hope to do this every year,” said Tuna.

She said Special Olympics PNG has been running a lot of programs throughout this year and yesterday’s event is the final event

the Sir John Guise stadium.

One of the notable achievements for Special Olympics PNG (SOPNG) is when they claim four gold medals at the 2023 World Summer Games in Berlin, Germany. It is through hosting and participation by people with disability during such events like the commemoration of International Day of Persons with Disability that SOPNG identifies its athletes.

NSI to Host National Track & Field Championships

ATHLETICS

Teams are beginning to arrive in Goroka for the National Track and Field Athletics Championships which will commence this Friday and finish on Monday. Close to 400 athletes in total have nominated for the Championships, however with the larger teams struggling to raise funds it is expected that some teams will be smaller than hoped. For elite athletes who have already proven themselves this year with strong performances at the Palau Games and Oceania Cup , Athletics PNG are not insisting that they attend. For selection purposes the championships are important to up and coming athletes aiming to progress to the national squad. Nonetheless most members of the current National team that are

based in PNG will be participating, including Timothy Tuna , Jiuteis Robinson, most female sprinters and all of the middle and long distance runners and field event athletes. Teams of varying size from all parts of the country have nominated for the championships including Arawa, Kimbe , Talasea , Rabaul , Manus , Kavieng , Wewak , Maprik Sumkar , Finschhaffen , Lae Markham , Popondetta , NCD , Kerowagi , Kundiawa , Western Highlands , Eastern Highlands. The Western Highlands squad of 40 includes a contingent of 14 para

athletes

Athletics PNG has received an outstanding level of support from the National Sports Institute in hosting this years championships and Secretary Philip Rehder sincerely thanked Director Janet

Gimots and her team for their hard work in preparing for the event. He also thanked Sponsors Prima Smallgoods and Lae Biscuits for their ongoing support

Events kick off on Friday afternoon with semi finals in the open mens 400m and the 5000m races. The final numbers of actual confirmed participants in the mens 100m, 200m and 400m will determine whether qualifying heats will be necessary. A decision will be made on Friday morning whether to introduce an U20 division in these events only. Saturday will see semi finals in the 100m and 200m events and finals for the hurdles events , 1500m , 10000m and the 4x400m relays. Field and Para events will be spread over the three days, and most track finals will be on Sunday including the 100m , 200m 400m

for the year.

“It (International Day of Persons with Disability) allows a lot of the children or people with disability, not only for intellectual disabilities but all people with disabilities.”

“A lot of interests from the schools and communities,” said Tuna.

She said the theme ‘fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress’ is also

Daniel Wesley who is a teacher at St Peters Channel Primary School in Erima, volunteer and head coach of SOPNG said they are part of the World Special Olympic organisation, under Asia-Pacific Special Olympic.

He said SOPNG usually take part in athletics, badminton, bocce and unified soccer.

“We have regional games for Asia-

everybody’s responsibility.

“This is to make sure that people with disability are included anywhere in life, whether in sports, daily life, at school...it is our responsibility.”

“In sports, that is what we are doing in ensuring programs we run are inclusive and can cater for everyone,” said Tuna.

Pacific and also World Games so for SOPNG back in 2019 saw few of our athletes’ winning medals in Dubai... back in 2023 SOPNG went to Berlin taking part in athletics, Badminton and bocce.”

“The recent regional games for Asia-Pacific badminton championship in Malaysia, I took the team and we got a good result, came back with one bronze and three silvers,” said Wesley.

PC Ravens set sights on Firelight 7s

RUGBY UNION BY SYLVESTER GAWI

Papuan Compound’s PC Ravens have unveiled a strong and experienced squad as they gear up for the Firelight Sevens Rugby Tournament in Port Moresby next week. Head Coach Armstrong Dickson says preparations are on track, boosted by the leadership of captain Max Vali and the inclusion of Pukpuks Sevens stars Shaun Ongapa and Immanuel Zoriry, who are expected to bring pace and flair to the side.

“So far, preparations have been going well. We are looking good and ready to compete,” Coach Dickson said.“With former trainer Henry Ben returning to assist the team and additional support from Coach

Michael Muriki, the squad is in a good position heading into the event.”

The Ravens are also preparing for upcoming major tournaments, including the Trans-Highway Sevens in Lae early next year and the Sports Tok Sevens in Port Moresby.Team Manager Kiaki Saigome acknowledged the growing support behind the team, highlighting sponsorship from David & David Lawyers, Onyx PNG, Lae City Authority (LCA), Executive Security Systems (ESS) and Morobe Procurement Services. He also thanked other supporters and families who have contributed to the team’s participation.

PC Ravens will travel to Port Moresby next week and are confident of a strong finish at the Firelight Sevens.

Mahkelis Wesley of St Peters Channel Primary School taking part in the Shot Put field events(inset left) Ruth Kedea taking part in the Shot Put field even (inset right) Maryanne Kapo of Red Cross q Shot-put. BY SIMON KESLEP

TALENT

One more Hunter more Hunter to leave! to

Who’s next to depart the PNG Hunters? coach Paul Aiton (pictured) during preseason training this week, is not deterred, but happy about the club’s pathway success. PICTURE BY GABRIEL ERNEST

RUGBY LEAGUE BY SIMON KESLEP

for the PNG Hunters.