THE Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) and the Alotau Provincial Government have signed a contract this month to upgrade the Alotau provincial Wharf. CCDA Acting Managing Director Mr William Lakain during the ceremony said after a feasibility study was carried out in 2016, it was revealed that the 53-year-old Alotau Wharf is in a poor state of repair and is vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change especially the rise in sea level and increasingly rise in storm surge. He said based on assessment, a US$5Million additional funding was sourced for the Building Resilience of Climate Change (BRCC) program through the Strategic Climate Fund-Pilot Program for Climate Resilience. Additional funding was made available by the Australian Government to upgrade the Wharf. BRCC project is aimed at achieving transformation change in addressing the current and future treats from treats from the climate change and related hazards. Alotau Provincial Wharf will become a model climate proof marine structure with ‘climate proofing design features’ and to provide insights for development of climate resilient building codes and design standards at the national level as well as social inclusive “Once this Wharf is given the appropriate facelift, we believe this development will give leverage to increase the resilience of the Milne Bay Community to the impacts of climate change,” Mr Lakain said. The improved Wharf facilities will serve an estimated 200 registered boat owners in the Province and about 2,500 dinghy or operators. It is anticipated that this provincial wharf will inclusively accommodate the most vulnerable and those with limited mobility eg, persons with disability, sick, pregnant mothers etc… It will continue to function as a public loading and unloading facility for small vessels supplying the needs of mostly the low-income earners of the off shore islands, both on a routine basis and at times of emergencies. Once the wharf is completed, Milne Provincial Government administration will continue to own and operate the wharf to better serve the its people as well as collect fees and levies to sustain the maintenance. Working will start in a few months’ time. “I congratulate Pacific Marine for being the successful bidder and we are looking forward to the contract to be completed within the contract period,” said Mr Lakain. Alotau Provincial Administrator Ashan Numa thanked CCDA and other partners for the upgrading of the wharf. Mr Numa said Alotau is a Maritime province and the upgrading of the wharf would help the people in the province.

The Coalition of Parliamentarians to End Gender Based Violence has called on Minister for Police William Onglo and Commissioner for Police David Manning to order urgent action by police officers to investigate and make arrests in relation to two videos depicting brutal violence against women that have been brought to their attention. Both incidents allegedly occurred in Enga and Southern Highlands Province. Governor Powes Parkop, Co-Chair of the Coalition stated: “I am absolutely appalled by the horrendous acts of violence captured in these two videos. It makes me sick to my stomach and is completely unacceptable in our society. There can be no excuse for the perpetrators and we must make sure they are immediately held to account.” He went on to state: “We need a special police unit deployed ASAP into Enga Province to investigate both cases, collect evidence and make arrests. Police also should not wait for crime to be reported. They should just act on such evidence or reports and go after the offenders.” As a former lawyer himself, Governor Parkop stated: “We also need a special prosecutor to focus on these crimes, to ensure that there is prosecution. If necessary, I want our Coalition to be officially advised by the Department of Justice whether the laws need to be amended so that we can use the videos we have seen as reliable and acceptable evidence in Court – if this must be done, then lets do it. Such videos must be made admissible, because we know that witnesses are not coming forward due to fear of retribution or retaliation.” Governor Parkop was supported by Hon Charles Abel, the Chairman of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Gender Based Violence who also called for action in relation to the cases in the two videos, and more generally. Hon Abel also stated: “This violence is absolutely sickening. I cannot stand to watch one more video such as this, which shows such depraved conduct. We must make sure that arrests are made and a strong message sent to the citizens of our country that such barbaric crimes against their fellow citizens will simply not be tolerated.” Member of the Coalition of Parliamentarians to end GBV, Hon Jelta Wong, who is also the Minister for Health also called for more to be done. Referring to one of the videos, he stated: “My heart bleeds as I witness such a horrible video. For too long, we have failed to take real action. We must do more." This same sentiment was echoed by another member of the Coalition, Governor Garry Juffa. “We watch such videos and get outraged – but then too many of us go back to whatever we were doing and fail our women out there. Every member of our Coalition of MPs is committed to taking action in our own provinces and districts, but we also need our government partners in law enforcement to work with us." "The police MUST act to investigate, the prosecutors must properly take these cases forwards, and the courts must impose proper punishments for such grotesque crimes.” The Coalition is co-chaired by Governor Parkop and Governor Allan Bird. It is a voluntary Coalition of 20 MP’s who stand steadfastly again GBV. The Coalition is comprised of Ministers, Governors and Open Members of Parliament who want to use their positions of leadership to drive change and improve the lives of women and children across the country. More information on the Coalition and its activities can be found at www.unitedforequalitypng.com.

“As of this week, the new variant Omicron has been reported in nearly 95 Countries.” “34, 911 cases have been confirmed with 7 deaths,”said Deputy Controller, Dr Daoni Esorom during a conference. It has been 3 weeks since the first case of the Covid-19 Omicron Variant was detected in South Africa. Dr Daoni said that the variant is easily transmittable but by how much is still being investigated. People that are infected have shown mild symptoms and the impacts of the current vaccine have proven to be quite effect compared to the other previous variants. Dr Daoni added that investigations, studies and research are continuing on with this new variant. He mentioned that hopefully in the next few week and months they will have more information to guide them as to the behaviour of the new variant in terms of the impact, the transmissible, the severity and the infect ability of the new variant. Meanwhile, Papua New Guinea has so far reported 36, 080 cases of which 627 are confirmed Delta variant cases with 589 known Covid-19 related deaths. Recoveries stand at 35, 336. Please continue to follow strict Covid-19 protocols to protect you, your family and your communities from Coronavirus.

Nine children have been rushed to the Port Moresby General Hospital by a St John Ambulance an hour ago following a car accident today at the popular accident hotspot - the Waigani Boulevard traffic light intersection (Somare Circuit). According to the CEO for St John Matt Cannon, one child is in a very critical condition while others suffered injuries to some extreme. A double cab utility vehicle carrying a group of children back from a village in the Central province swerved and  bumped into another vehicle. The children were ejected from the vehicle and thrown all over the place when the accident happened. The CEO of St Matt Cannon and his team who were first to respond to the accident have come out strong to drivers driving open back vehicles with people sitting at the back to be wary and conscious of the way they drive. "This is a very timely reminder that transporting people in the tray of a vehicle is very unsafe". "Drivers that are transporting unrestrained passengers must exercise a very high degree of care and travel slowly." "Travelling in a tray of vehicle is never safe and must be avoided." Cannon said they see a spate of serious accidents around Christmas time and most times, people with serious injuries are the ones not wearing seat belts. "It is a traffic law in PNG that a person in a vehicle must wear seat belt if it is available." "There is simply no excuse for not wearing a seat belt in a passenger vehicle with seat belts fitted." "The message from St John is, if you have a seat belt, wear it." [caption id="attachment_17910" align="aligncenter" width="685"] The double cab vehicle in which the children were thrown out from after the accident. Picture by: Christine KILDI[/caption]

6 month old Gregory Kanawi Ivosa is diagnosed with bilateral congenital talus equinus varus (Clubfoot) at birth. Clubfoot is a birth defect in which the foot is twisted out of shape or position. The cause of clubfoot is unknown. Babies with clubfoot are usually otherwise healthy. In clubfoot, the foot appears twisted and can even look as if it's upside down. Despite its appearance, clubfoot itself doesn't cause any discomfort or pain. Treatment is usually successful. It includes stretching and casting (Ponseti method) or stretching and taping (French method). Sometimes, surgery is required. “My son is now considered a suitable candidate for tenotomy (Surgical incision of Achilles tendon).” “Port Moresby General hospital currently doesn't have a specialist available to undergo his surgery so my son and I have been referred to Kundiawa Hospital to undergo surgery immediately,” said his mother Jacinta Ivosa. Miss Ivosa said that little Gregory has been going for reviews, scoring, casting and manipulation since birth due to his condition. He has shown improvement in his scoring so he is now eligible to go for surgery and so his mum is having a a fundraising dance at the Cosmopolitan Club, Port Moresby on the 31st of December, 2022. The fundraising dance is a Masquerade themed fundraiser. All funds raised will go towards the travel and surgery expenses for Gregory. For those interested to purchase tickets and support Gregory’s fundraiser, contact details are on the flyer. Miss Ivosa added that she would like to see her son grow up and walk like any other child and this surgery will make it possible for him. She thanked everyone that has supported all the fundraising sales that she had doing so far from selling baby items and now to the major fundraiser which is the fundraising dance.

BSP Financial Group Limited (BSP) continues to build its greatest asset, its People, through mentoring and building professionals to lead the biggest bank in the Pacific. Recently, the bank appointed Ms. Sandra Fore to the position of Country Manager for BSP Solomon Islands. She commenced office in November, 2021, and was into the second week when BSP Ranadi was burnt during the riots and civil disturbances in Honiara. With the confidence and support of the BSP Management and Executive, she was able to provide leadership to her staff in Solomon Islands and ensure the bank’s operations were maintained to the extent possible despite the continued challenging conditions in Honiara. “You go into any new role with confidence to get the job done – but it is important to remain humble and just be nice,” says Sandra modestly when asked of her challenges during her second week on the role when the riot broke out in Solomon Islands. “It was big challenge, ensuring business continuity with minimal impact on operations including cash, and preserving staff and customers’ safety,” She added elegantly. “As we know, at BSP we work with, and for, each other; and we progress together – BSP has a great team of people who really work hard at their jobs to get things done, and so, we were able to maintain operations despite the tension,” asserted Sandra. “The bank’s confidence in appointing Sandra to the position as the first Papua New Guinean to Head one of BSP’s Offshore branches is a milestone, and events of the first month have proven Sandra’s capability to take on country management of BSP’s second largest business behind PNG and Fiji,” says BSP Group CEO Robin Fleming when commenting on Sandra’s new role. “Sandra showed true leadership and confidence and was able to remain calm and lead her team without failure,” added Fleming. "Sandra’s appointment also reflects BSP's ongoing commitment in enhancing and increasing staff developments and career path in the bank. She will now have a responsibility for managing BSP’s business in Solomon Islands," said Fleming. Mr Fleming added that; “the BSP Board and Executives have every confidence in Sandra’s capability to effectively execute and manage this offshore branch and delivering results.” “She is a fine example of Papua New Guineans excelling in their respective fields,” he added. Sandra began her career under the BSP’s Leadership Development Program (LMDP), which aims at developing and growing our own senior leaders. More interestingly, under the LMDP program, she was also one of the staff nominated to be part of the team to undertake leadership and management training in South Africa under the ABSA program. She holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Torrens University, Australia and a Bachelor of Science Degree from Massey University, New Zealand. She has over 10 years of experience in the field of retail banking in Papua New Guinea (PNG) as well as OSB Management where she has worked since 2018. Most recently she played a key role in BSP’s successful implementation of FLEXCUBE in Vanuatu, providing on the ground leadership and support to both the Compass SMEs and our BSP Vanuatu business. Sandra concluded saying, “I look forward to the rest of my time here in the Solomon Islands as I work with our team to continue providing seamless service to our customers and to grow our business.” BSP prides itself in developing staff at all levels of the organisation and especially local talents in the countries in which we operate in.

19 Hela men, travelling in a vehicle were apprehended by police for carrying offensive weapons which included bush knives and a homemade gun with live ammunition last night in Port Moresby.  Marijuana was also found in their possession. They were intercepted after police responded to a fight involving two ethnic factions at Bomana yesterday during the festive season operations. Police units were alerted with specific instructions to stop and search suspicious vehicles moving within close proximity of the fighting zone. The vehicle transporting the armed group from Hela province was intercepted near Bomana Junction, and each of them, frisked by police. A Police source involved in this operation said, they were probably going to attack their rivals but ran into a police dragnet. They were all detained and are facing charges relating to carrying offensive weapons and drug. Source: Police - NCD/Central Divisional Command FB page 

Cocoa samples from Bougainville have been recognised as one of the world’s best after winning gold at the 2021 Cocoa of Excellence awards ceremony in Rome, Italy. The win follows nearly 9 months of judging, with cocoa samples from all over the world submitted to the prestigious competition. Samples from Bougainville were grown through a research project supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), as part of the PNG Australia Partnership.  Seven other countries from the Asia-Pacific Region received gold during an awards ceremony last week. In the lead up to final judging, a total of 235 samples of cocoa from 53 different parts of the world were examined and 50 finalists selected. A group of international judges made the final selection based on 12 criteria that included bitterness, astringency, acidity, and floral and woody notes. All judging was blind with samples only assigned a number. ‘This is a remarkable achievement, and it will create opportunities for selling Bougainville cocoa in niche markets in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand,’ said Bougainville Director of Agriculture and Livestock, Wendy Pihau. ‘In the final, Bougainville went up against experienced producers from Hawaii, Indonesia and Malaysia. To be ranked with such company is a great achievement. To win gold along with traditional producers from South America, Africa and the Caribbean is a banner day for the Bougainville industry,’ Ms Pihau said. The prized cocoa samples were grown and submitted to the competition by the Autonomous Bougainville Government’s Department of Primary Industries (DPI) at their Kubu Research Station near Buka. James Butubu, the Bougainville coordinator of the ACIAR cocoa project, said ‘I am just so happy with this milestone achievement for our cocoa industry.’ The Department of Primary Industries has been working in partnership with the University of Sydney, PNG Cocoa Board and the University of Natural Resources and Environment as part of the ACIAR project, which is supported by the PNG Australia Partnership. ‘I would like to express my gratitude to the Australian Government for supporting the ACIAR research activities and the Bougainville Partnership’s Commodity Support Facility. This support is improving the livelihoods for farmers and communities,’ said Mr Butubu. The Commodity Support Facility is a grants program for cocoa farmers which provides seedlings, training, tools and machinery. ACIAR Horticulture Research Program Manager, Irene Kernot, in congratulating DPI and the project team, said this exciting achievement validates long running cocoa research in Bougainville and across PNG. ‘ACIAR, through the Bougainville cocoa value chain project, has been supporting cocoa farmers to access premium markets, while promoting gender equity, community health and well-being,’ Ms Kernot said. The Cocoa of Excellence competition is held every two years, co-ordinated by the Rome-based Alliance of Biodiversity International and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture from South America. It aims to explore and develop cocoa that will add diversity to the varieties available to producers worldwide and ensure the industry can prosper through better genetics and good quality and unique flavour profiles.

Following the successful staging of the PNG Air National Championships in Kimbe earlier this month and the Grand Prix competitions in Port Moresby (July) and Kimbe (November), Athletics PNG has now completed its initial round of selections for the Pacific Mini Games being held in Saipan, Northern Marianas in June 2022. This early selection has been necessitated due to limited major competition opportunities during the first quarter of 2022 and final nominations being due in April 2022. These selections place the listed athletes on notice that they need to remain focused, continue with their training commitment and be well prepared for final selection trials to be held during March and April. Squad members not included in this first round of selections now have time to demonstrate improved performances to gain selection prior to the entry deadline. Discussions will be held with individual athletes to clarify any questions that may arise from the current selections. Headed up by Olympian Rellie Kaputin, a total of 19 male and 14 female athletes are being nominated to PNG Olympic Committee for inclusion in this first round, as follows: Leroy Kamau 100m , 200m 4*100m Emmanuel Anis 100m 4*100m Paias Wisil 100m 4*100m Terrence Talio 200m 4*100m Alphonse Igish 4*100m Daniel Baul 400m , 110H 400H 4*400m Emmanuel Wanga 400m 4*400m Jonathan Dende 4*400m Ephraim Lerkin 400m H , 800m Adolf Kauba 800m George Yamak 1500m Aquila Turalom 1500m , 3000m Steeple Abel Siune 3000m Steeple Dilu Goiye 5000m , 10000m Siune Kagl 5000m , 10000m Eldan Toti LJ HJ Peniel Richard LJ , HJ , TJ Karo Iga Octathlon , HJ Lakona Gerega Javelin Toea Wisil 100m 200m , Relays Isila Apkup 200m 400m Relays Leonie Beu 200m 400m Relays Monica Korowi 100m , 4*100m Adrine Monagi 100m H 4*100m Edna Boafob Heptathlon , 400m H Annie Topal Triple Jump , Long Jump Scholastica Herman 1500m Aina Goir 1500m Mary Kua 1500m Mary Tenge 5000m , 3000m Steeple Rellie Kaputin Long Jump , Triple Jump Sharon Toako Javelin Discus Jackie Travertz Hammer The preliminary selections include a total of 11 athletes who are currently based in the USA along with athletes based in NCD , Central , Lae , Goroka (NSI) , Simbu , ENB and WNB. Provision has been made for additional selections to occur during 2022. Selectors will be targeting events where limited selections have been made and in particular will be targeting the hurdles and the distance running events. Final selection for the men’s 200m and 400m is expected to be very competitive and the final three nominees will be determined after considering the indoor competition results in the USA during January and February. Currently there are many events where only one or two athletes have been named hence there is scope to add further athletes who perform well and therefore prove themselves worthy of selection prior to the April deadline. Athletics PNG hopes to be able to stage specific trials for the 3000m steeplechase in March however this will depend on funding as it requires identified athletes being flown to Port Moresby. A half marathon trial is also planned for Lae no later than the first week of April. Nominations for Team Management and Coaching positions are going through the process of review and endorsed by the PNG Olympic Committee and an announcement will be made early next year.

Jivix Yariki - He’s a busy machine any day of every week here at the Port Moresby Nature Park and is someone you’d be happy to meet. Born to parents Andrew and Amo Yariki, from Kainantu in the Eastern Highlands Province, 27 year old Jivix is an only child who’s humble but with a personal drive to achieve his dreams in the field of horticulture. Port Moresby Nature Park recruited Jivix as a Nursery worker on 15th January 2020. His love for learning and enthusiasm in his work has seen him take on additional roles within the Grounds team with the much deserved recognition of earning a Staff Excellence Award this month for his consistent efforts. “Receiving the Staff Excellence Award is a big deal for me as I feel valued for the job I do knowing that I always keep myself busy with a lot of work in and around the Park”, says Jivix Yariki. He jokingly adds that he finds himself doing so much perhaps because he is always looking out for jobs (mi man blo ‘painim wok’) to do once he is done with a task. [caption id="attachment_17872" align="aligncenter" width="573"] Jivix Yariki (front) taking a break with fellow grounds staff Faro (back).[/caption] Jivix’s tireless attitude towards work is truly remarkable! You might see him air-blowing leaves around the Park, tending to plants in the nursery, mixing fertilizer for orchids in the nursery, delivering indoor hire plants to clients, then stocking up new pot plants for sale outside the Nature’s Gift shop all in a day! But young Jivix says he enjoys working with plants and it’s what makes him the happiest while at work. Apart from his grounds work, every month, as early as 7am, you will be sure to find Jivix out in the Main Picnic Area, starting up the barbeque for Nature Park’s monthly staff breakfast for over 60 staff. Since his employment at the Park, Jivix says he is proud that through the support of his immediate supervisor and Team Leader, Mr Junior Muli and the rest of his team, he has enhanced his skills and knowledge where he now knows the names of many plants, their classification and how to use them in landscaping. [caption id="attachment_17874" align="aligncenter" width="564"] Jivix Yariki busy at work trimming tree branches along the main road at Port Moresby Nature Park.[/caption] It is through such determination and passion that Jivix possesses that many youth find themselves thriving here at the Port Moresby Nature Park. At the park, hands-on training and learning is a pillar for all staff for their betterment and the continued operation of PNG’s only recognised Wildlife Conservation Park. Being an employee of the Port Moresby Nature Park, allows an ordinary individual to be part of a great mission in leading education and conservation efforts towards the protection and preservation of some of Papua New Guinea’s unique flora and fauna. Port Moresby Nature Park is a charity organisation that relies on grants and donor funding to operate. By visiting the Park and joining our Membership, you help support the Park’s efforts in preserving PNG’s unique natural environment for future generations, including the Park’s 350 resident animals, majority of which have been surrendered to the Park for care.

Papua New Guinea’s prominent petroleum company, Oil Search Ltd merger into Santos has been welcomed by the PNG Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (PNGEITI). PNGEITI hailed the merger as a milestone achievement for both companies who are prominent and competitive players in the PNG petroleum space. “The smooth transitioning of this merger arrangement demonstrates an independent and vibrant regulatory environment in Papua New Guinea where business can operate free of undue control and influence” PNG EITI Head of National Secretariat Lucas Alkan commented. Santos Limited on Friday 17th December, 2021 announced on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) that the merger of Santos and Oil Search Limited (Oil Search) was effected on the same day. Accordingly, Santos has acquired 100 per cent of the issued capital in Oil Search from Oil Search shareholders. “Papua New Guinea EITI is happy to witness this merger of two strong companies and we believe that this arrangement will bring enhanced benefits for the shareholders and the economy. “Oil Search has been a founding member of the PNG EITI Multi Stakeholder Group (MSG) and has played significant roles in the EITI implementation process in Papua New Guinea. “We thank Oil Search as a company for the support PNGEITI enjoyed for the last eight years and we look forward to welcoming Santos, another significant player in the industry now with boosted capacity and as second biggest player in the PNGLNG project and other significant projects that are in the pipeline- to the PNGEITI MSG,” Mr. Alkan said. “We also extend our warm congratulations to MSG representative Mr. Musje Werror, Managing Director Ok Tedi Mining Ltd for being appointed to the Santos board as non-executive director and we look forward to working with him in that capacity as well going forward. “ Mr. Alkan added.

The Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) exceeded its original revenue target for 2021 amid subdued economic conditions. In a small ceremony signifying the added effort, Commissioner-General Sam Koim presented a cheque of K200 million to Prime Minister James Marape at the Manasupe Haus this week. The IRC has now transferred K8.302 billion, exceeding the original target of K8.102 billion by K200 million. In accepting the cheque, an elated Prime Minister, Marape, commended the Commissioner General and his team at IRC for exceptional performance. “I am proud of IRC because they could have used covid-19 disruptions as a convenient excuse to perform below the target. They’ve had 40 covid-19 positive cases at IRC. Covid-19 restrictions did not allow officers to carry out routine compliance activities, and there is a general contraction in the economy. Despite all odds, IRC performed exceptionally well and beyond expectations. For this, I commend them.” Prime Minister said. He added, “immediately after taking office in mid-2019, I have urged our public servants and public sector agencies to address complacency and corruption — two of the biggest impediments confronting the public service machinery. The covid-19 pandemic has tested whether organisations had taken heed of my words. Those that have, like IRC in this case, have risen above the challenges posed by Covid-19 in delivering on its core mandate.” The Prime Minister urged all other government entities to take this as a challenge to prepare for 2022. “My Government is investing in digital transformation at IRC. On Monday, I launched the first-ever online payment portal called “MyIRC”, already online. That is indeed a quantum leap! Next year, my Governme nt han allocated K25 million for IRC to procure a top integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS) and another K12 million to set up a GST Monitoring System at all shops where the GST component will be calculated and wired directly to IRC account” "This Government is intentional, hence putting the money where its mouth is. We are not a government that spends only, but makes productive investments in increasing our revenue," Mr Marape said With digital technology, Mr Marape assured that automating many functions and processes will eliminate opportunities far human manipulation and corruption. “Digitalisation removes human discretions and indiscretions that produce corruption," he added. When a cohesive and robust mechanism to collect taxes efficiently with digital technology is established, this will prevent leakages and inevitably boost the collections. The Government is confident that only then, the Government will be in a better position to explore a reduction in some of the taxes, including Personal Income Taxes and Corporate Income Taxes. “That dream is not far away because we have already taken great strides towards it,” were the reassuring words from the Prime Minister. Thank you and Merry Christmas!