As part of the 35th Anniversary Celebrations, PNG Air is pleased is announce the Write and Win Essay Competition. The competition aims to showcase the many destinations we fly to in Papua New Guinea and encourage domestic tourism post covid-19. The competition is open to students in Grades 9-12, who must write and tell us in 1,000 words or less ‘Now that International Travel is on the rebound, which province would you like Tourists to visit in PNG and why?’. The winning entry will receive return tickets for 5 people anywhere on our network and a feature in our PNG Air Magazine, which is distributed to thousands of readers on our flights. In addition to this, the winner’s school will receive two brand new laptop computers, to assist in learning. The competition is now open for submissions, and closes on Monday 1st August. Students should preferably submit entries via email to media.relations@pngair.com.pg, or using other acceptable methods listed on the competition submission criteria. For full details and terms and conditions please refer to Promotions webpage, or communicate through social media.  All students are encouraged to participate, and PNGAIR looks forward to receiving all entries and sharing our country through your words.

Ela Motors PNG continues its support to the Port Moresby Nature Park with a donation of a Hino Tipper truck presented to the Park this week. The donated truck would especially assist Nature Park’s grounds and maintenance teams in its daily upkeep of the Park. Port Moresby Nature Park’s Interim CEO, Kelsey Engle, expressed great thanks to the Management of Ela Motors PNG for continuing its support to Port Moresby Nature Park. “We are truly grateful for this donation and thank Ela Motors for the wonderful support in helping our team maintain the Park through this donated truck”, added Kelsey. Nature Park's missions are in line with Ela Motors Corporate Social Responsibility under Education, Environment and Safety. Ela Motors has been a continued supporter of the Port Moresby Nature Park since 2013 and continues to support this worthy cause by supporting its operations and educational programs. Ela Motors PNG, Marketing Manager, Benjamin Niligur said, “Ela Motors through its Corporate Social program, was happy to further assist the Port Moresby Nature Park. Ela Motors believes in educating children about the environment and animals, and conservation for the future. By donating this Hino Dump truck, we support the park in enabling them to keep the park functioning”. Port Moresby Nature Park is home to over 550 animals with a large collection of plants, within over 30 acres of land. A lot of effort is put in by the grounds, wildlife and maintenance teams to ensure the facility meets international accreditation standards through the upkeep of its facilities and the donated truck would greatly assist the team in achieving this goal on a daily basis. The Park and its management extend its thanks to Ela Motors PNG for giving the park necessary assistance that will help in its operations as PNG’s only international welfare accredited wildlife park. Port Moresby Nature Park is a charity organization that relies on grants and donor funding to operate. By visiting the park and joining our Membership program, you help support the Park’s efforts in preserving PNG’s unique natural environment for future generations, including the Park’s 550 resident animals, majority of which have been surrendered to the Park for care.

“A letter I wrote recently to the PNG Electoral Commissioner is now the subject of much debate in the social media, after the Member for Ialibu Pangia Peter O’Neill released a media statement questioning my motives", said Police Commissioner David Manning. “I have no other interest than to ensure that the election is done transparently and in a safe and secure environment. But we are going against a huge tidal wave of so-called leaders who want to get into office by any means possible. “My office received a written complaint from a candidate in the Ialibu Pangia Open electorate in the Southern Highlands including witness statements alleging among others that over 12,500 ballot papers for the Kagua Erave Open Electorate were hijacked during polling and stuffed in the ballot boxes of nearby Ialibu Pangia Electorate. “That letter was copied to the Prime Minister, PNG Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai, the Ialibu Pangia Returning Officer, the Provincial Election Manager and other candidates, hence the reference in my letter to Mr Sinai. “I wrote to the PNG Electoral Commissioner to alert him to the alleged election fraud and for him to consider setting aside the ballot boxes until the allegations could be substantiated. "While I note PNG Electoral Commissioner has the final say on administration of the elections and whether or not disputed ballot boxes are set aside, Police have constitutional and legislative powers concerning criminal investigations, and laying chargers in relation to criminal offences. “My letter was intended to have the Electoral Commissioner realize something was wrong and only he can make a decision before it becomes subject to a criminal investigation, and worse still, the cause of further violence and bloodshed. “Police will share the evidence it has obtained for the Electoral Commission to consider and make its decision. We will on the other hand continue with our own investigation as it relates to a criminal complaint of election fraud. “I was not in contact with the Prime Minister over this matter and my decision to write to the Electoral Commissioner was based on the merits of the letter of complaint to me and of course on police intelligence reports and eye witness accounts. “We will continue to do our part to hold the process accountable to all. Ballots have been cast and our challenge now is to ensure counting is conducted securely, safely and as transparently as possible. “I note that counting of Ialibu Pangia votes has commenced and according to the Electoral Commissioner he had instructed other electorates of Imbongu and Mendi Minihu to be counted concurrently. We hope to speed up counting of Southern Highlands Province and have the winners declared soon. “Finally, I appeal to all leaders to respect the process, and government officials who have been tasked to deliver the 2022 National General Election. The results may not go in your favour, but be a true leader and accept it. Do not blame the process, the electoral officials or the security forces.”

Counting officials for Nabak and Labuta LLGs in the Morobe Province have raised concerns over non payments of their allowances this morning at Boana Station where the counting is going on. More than 20 counting officials had a meeting this morning with Returning officer Bamun Bange and raised this concern. The officials claimed their allowances were not being sorted for two weeks now. Nabak LLG has three more boxes to count while Labuta and Wain Erap LLGs completed their counts. Wain Erap did quality checks yesterday while Labuta has resolved to arrange counters from different counting centres for quality checks. The only LLG still going on with counting is Nawaeb Urban with nine more boxes to count. RO Bamun addressed the counting officials and said to respond to the officials' concerns after a talk with Morobe Election manager Simon Soheke. Counting officials are still waiting for the response.

In a new study published in the journal Science, researchers used data contributed by Port Moresby Nature Park in collaboration with other zoos and aquariums to examine 52 species of turtles and tortoises. The data recorded by Port Moresby Nature Park in the Species360 Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) enabled researchers to discover that, unlike humans and other species, turtles and tortoises defy common evolutionary theories and may reduce the rate of aging in response to improvements in environmental conditions. Evolutionary theories of aging predict that all living organisms weaken and deteriorate with age (a process known as senescence) – and eventually die. Now, using data captured by Port Moresby Nature Park and others, researchers from the Species360 Conservation Science Alliance and the University of Southern Denmark show that certain animal species, such as turtles and tortoises, may exhibit slower or even absent senescence when their living conditions improve. “As part of our commitment to conservation and animal welfare, our organization records data on the animals in our collection to ensure our animals are well cared for and can contribute to species population management and conservation. We are proud that the data we have collected and curated on the turtles in our collection has contributed to this study, and helped researchers better understand aging in these species,” said Brett Smith, Nature Park’s, General Manager of Life Sciences. Port Moresby Nature Park is a member of Species360, a non-profit organization which maintains the Zoological Information Management Systems (ZIMS) – the largest database on wildlife in human care. As part of Port Moresby Nature Park’s commitment to conservation and providing high standards of animal welfare, it uses ZIMS to keep detailed records of its animal collections. And as a holder of turtles, the Nature Park has actively collected and shared data in ZIMS on this species which has directly contributed to this study. Port Moresby Nature Park is a charity organization that relies on grants and donor funding to operate. By visiting the park and joining our Membership program, you help support the Park’s efforts in preserving PNG’s unique natural environment for future generations, including the Park’s 550 resident animals, majority of which have been surrendered to the Park for care.

Deputy Police Commissioner and Chief of Operations Mr Anton Billie has praised the people of Western Highlands, Jiwaka and Simbu provinces for a peaceful polling. Mr Billie said, “So far, the polling in Jiwaka last Friday and Western Highland and Simbu today have been reportedly peaceful. There are nil reports of major incidents and or hijacking of ballot boxes thus far and I must commend the people for their cooperation and good behaviour. “Some districts in Western Highlands and Simbu were unable to poll today and will continue today due to the geographical terrain and weather challenges. We expect smooth polling right across the Highlands Eastern Command,” a happy Mr Billie said. Mr Billie said in a democratic society leadership must be given freely by the people without violence or force and the people in these three provinces have done well and must be commended. He said it also goes to show the qualities of the leadership in the three highlands provinces.

The USA bowling attack came up with a brilliant performance, which restricted PNG to a low score. The entire bowling unit was in top form, as the PNG batting innings never quite got going. Only opener Lega Siaka (28) managed to put up some sort of fight. The rest of the scorecard was a poor reading for PNG, as they faltered to 97 all out in 16.3 overs. For USA, Juan Theron, Nisarg Patel and Vatsal Vaghela all picked up two wickets each. In reply, PNG fought valiantly with the ball, sealing a nervy victory. They had USA in all sorts of trouble at 36/6, a situation from which they could never quite recover. Chad Soper and Assad Vala would both scalp three wickets each to do the bulk of the damage. For USA, only Vatsal Vaghela (29) could make any sort of a significant contribution with the bat. I n the end, the match would be decided in the final over, with PNG holding on for a five-run victory. This brought an end to their tournament where they finished third. Source: icc-cricket.com

NAC would also like to inform the public that the construction work on the new state-of-the-art terminal building is progressing well and is anticipated to be completed by end of September 2022. The new terminal building will contain; 2 x VIP Lounges accessible via a lift and staircase; a spacious departure lounge with a Retail Shop and ATM Facility; passenger check-in counters; an arrival lounge with conveyor belts for baggage; baggage screening machines; Closed Circuit Camera TV (CCTVs); toilet facilities, and other services. New Standby Generators will be installed to provide 24-hour backup power supply to Kavieng Airport new terminal building and other airport facilities. The upgrading of the Kavieng Airport is part of a series of high-impact airport projects implemented under the Civil Aviation Development Investment Program (CADIP 1), implemented by NAC with support from the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The upgrading works align with NAC's main objective to ensure that all 22 national airports in PNG operate in a safe and secured aerodrome environment that is compliant with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and the Civil Aviation Rules Part 139. The Kavieng Airport Upgrade project was awarded to China Railway Construction Engineering Group Co. Ltd (CRCEG) in July 2020 and is valued at K125.7 million. The scope of work for the project includes the following; Extension of the airport’s runway by 500 meters and upgrading of the runway, taxiway and apron pavement including new asphalt surfacing;  Installation of the New Airfield Ground Lighting System and; Construction of the new terminal building and associated works. COMPLETION OF THE KAVIENG AIRPORT RUNWAY The National Airports Corporation would like to clarify to the public that the runway for the Kavieng airport was completed in mid-January of this year (2022) and was ready for the resumption of jet operations. However, continuous threats by the landowners have delayed the resumption of Fokker 100 or similar types of aircraft into the airport. NAC has held several meetings with representatives from the New Ireland Provincial Government (NIPG) and other stakeholders in the province to discuss and find solutions to the issue. Whilst consultation on the issue is ongoing, we note the recent announcement by Air Niugini that the operation of Fokker 100 will recommence in August 2022.

Eleven Credit Corporation employees from various departments across the business recently completed the company’s annual leadership program. Currently in its second year running, the Accelerate Performance Program is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to invest in Credit Corporation’s human capital and enable its participants to lead and bring about change by enhancing their leadership skills Speaking at the graduation ceremony. APP Founder and Credit Corporation CEO Danny Robinson congratulated the 2022 APP Cohort and highlighted that, “The APP strives to empower the company’s employees to achieve their full potential as leaders within their respective departments.” Also present at the ceremony was Credit Corporation Board Director Faye-Zina Lalo who congratulated the staff on behalf of the Board, saying, “Programs such as the APP provide staff with the opportunity to build confidence and expand their skills and capabilities. I encourage this year’s APP batch to utilize your newfound skills in the workplace and mentor others to develop their leadership skills as well.” APP Graduate and Credit Corporation Group IT Manager, Jonathan Bundu spoke highly of the leadership program and thanked Credit Corporation for providing him and his fellow colleagues with the opportunity to participate in the company’s leadership program. “Leadership programs are important to any organization’s success and I’m very happy to be part of a company that is taking proactive approach in developing a program tailored to meet its employee’s needs,” said Bundu.

The Hook in4 Health program is a new exciting multi-faceted initiative for participants, that has an overall objective to enable all participants involved in Papua New Guinea to live well, learn well, and lead well through hockey. This project is funded in part by the Australian Government as a Sport for Development opportunity under the TEAM Up umbrella. The project began in Port Moresby in 2021 and they are excited to now take it to Lae, Kokopo & Manus on the 25th to the 29th July 2022 and a Hockey Workshop via Zoom to be held on the 30th of July with Zoom Hubs in Lae, Kokopo, Manus and Port Moresby, with participating HI4H Program Partners from Australia, NZ, the Donor Agency as well as co-sister program HI4H Vanuatu. Hook in4 Health includes all genders and abilities but has a several key objectives: ● To encourage youths to be engaged in physical activities by visiting schools and delivering hockey sessions ● Increase active participation for women and girls in all aspects of hockey. ● To provide more opportunities for people with a disability to be engaged in hockey. ● To provide health and nutrition education to participants to help them live well. ● To provide more opportunities for volunteers to be trained – coaches, teachers, umpires, officials, and administrators so that they can learn well and lead well. Schools to visit: Lae: Primary Schools - Huonville, St Mary’s, St Paul’s (Cath), St Paul’s (Luth), Markham Road, Milfordhaven, Secondary Schools - Bugandi, Lae Sec, Malahang & Busu Kokopo: Primary Schools - RIS, Kabaleo, Kokopo, Kalamanagunan, Raluana, Raburua, Malaguna - Secondary Schools - Kosec, OLSH, Donbosco, Malaguna Tech Manus: Primary Schools - Pombrut, Nuwok, L/East, Christian Acc, Naringel, Lobahan, Pisik, Manus Sec, Ecom, Papitlai

Police Commissioner David Manning said security has always been critical in the conduct of elections in Papua New Guinea. In light of an increased threat and risk assessment on counting centres in the highlands and parts of the coastal region, Mr Manning said the Joint Security Task Force for the 2022 National General Election has advised the PNG Electoral Commissioner, Mr Simon Sinai, to conduct counting as soon as security personnel are on the ground. He said the security forces are now being preoccupied with the extension of polling in various parts of the highlands due to election related violence. He said it is only sensible then for the PNGEC to assess the situation in light of that and make its decision accordingly. “To proceed to count without the presence of adequate security personnel will be at the risk of the Electoral Commissioner and his officers,” Mr Manning said.

Ireland made history last weekend when they won their first Test against the All Blacks in New Zealand, and they’ve done it again with a 32-22 win at Sky Stadium to seal a famous series win. Andy Farrell’s men led 22-3 at half-time and while the All Blacks closed to within three points in the 60th minute, Rob Herring's try put the result beyond doubt. The defeat leaves Ian Foster’s grip on the All Blacks coaching job in major doubt. Saturday’s defeat was the All Blacks’ fourth from their past five Tests under Foster, who was promoted from assistant coach when Steve Hansen stood down following the 2019 World Cup. Foster edged out three-time Super Rugby winner Scott Robertson for the role, but the calls are becoming deafening for him to take over after leading the Crusaders to their sixth straight title in June. The All Blacks had a majority of possession in the opening term, but the visitors were far more clinical with their opportunities with the ball. For the third straight Test the Irish struck first. World class flanker Josh van der Flier scored in the fourth minute from a rolling maul. The All Blacks had chances, but couldn’t make the most of their early opportunities including an early shot at goals from Jordie Barrett. Eventually the fullback struck back, as Sam Cane opted for another shot at goals in front of the sticks and this time Barrett made no mistakes. New Zealand-born winger James Lowe played a crucial part in Ireland’s second try of the decider. Lowe combined brilliantly with former Junior Wallaby Mack Hansen and broke down the left edge, before a brilliant no-look pass sent fullback Hugo Keenan over for a five-pointer. Flyhalf Johnny Sexton converted a long-range penalty goal shortly after to extend their lead to 15-3. But Ireland weren’t done, with some Bundee Aki brilliance sending midfielder partner Robbie Henshaw over for a score in the dying stages of the half. As expected the All Blacks rallied after half-time. No.8 Ardie Savea fought his way to the try-line for a crucial score early-on after having had his hands on the ball at least three times in the lead-up to the score. The game took another twist when Irish front-rower Andrew Porter was shown a yellow card for a front-on head clash with All Blacks lock Brodie Retaliick. The incident was very similar to the red card that was shown to Angus Ta’avao, but experienced referee Wayne Barnes instead settled on hanging the Irish prop a yellow card. New Zealand made the most of Ireland’s discipline, with referee Wayne Barnes showing Irish prop Andrew Porter a yellow card. When Savea’s back-row teammate Akira Ioane crossed it looked the kings of comeback rugby were coming home with a wet sail. A penalty to Johnny Sexton in the 56th minute stopped the bleeding. But when flying winger Will Jordan ran 75 metres to score an epic try the Wellington crowd burst into a frenzy. The belief was well and truly alive for All Blacks fans. Ireland replacement Herring, however, stopped the party in New Zealand’s capital as he helped the visitors extend their lead to 10-points, with time very quickly becoming the home side’s worst enemy. Despite the relentless attack of the All Blacks in the dying stages, Ireland had an answer for everything, and held on for a famous win. Source: Foxsports.com.au