Honduras looks set to elect its first female president, Xiomara Castro, after the ruling party conceded defeat. Ms Castro, the candidate for the left-wing Libre (Free) Party, has a preliminary lead of almost 20 percentage points over her rival. Her victory will bring an end to the 12-year reign of the right-wing National Party, which has been plagued by scandals and corruption accusations. Ms Castro will replace the divisive President Juan Orlando Hernández. He has been dogged by allegations of ties to the drugs trade after his brother Antonio was jailed for trafficking in the United States. Ms Castro has promised to "pull Honduras out of the abyss" of "a narco-dictatorship and corruption". Her husband, Manuel Zelaya, ruled the country from 2006 until 2009, when he was ousted by a coup. She ran for office twice before in the years following his removal from power. Votes are still being counted and the electoral council is yet to formally declare the winner. However Tuesday's concession of defeat by the governing party came two days after Ms Castro surged ahead in preliminary results. Her main rival Nasry Asfura said on a local television broadcast that he had visited Ms Castro and her family. "Now I want to say publicly that I congratulate her on her triumph and as president-elect," Mr Asfura said, adding: "I wish that God will enlighten and guide her so that her administration will do the best for all of us Hondurans". The former first lady has promised big changes after taking office. She inherits a country wrecked by problems like violent crime, drug trafficking and large-scale migration to the US. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has sent his congratulations, and said Washington is looking forward to working with her. SOURCE: BBC NEWS

St John Ambulance was assisted with a brand new vehicle and K70, 000 worth of emergency and rescue equipment recently by PNG Ports. St John Chief Executive Officer Matt Cannon said the assistance was ideal and timely and thanked PNG Ports. “The brand new Ford Ranger will be used in major emergencies in NCD, Central and as far as Gulf Provinces,” Mr Cannon said. “It is equipped with paramedic and rescue equipment that can be used to stabilize severely injured people and provide support if there is a major emergency affecting a lot of people.” “The 70, 000 worth of equipment will be used as part of St John’s response to emergencies and severe maternal cases in NCD and Central regions.” “We want to thank PNG Ports for the great support to St John, this is the first time in years and hopefully we can polish up our partnership so we can improve healthcare to people in urban and rural areas.” Chairman of PNG Ports, Kepas Wali said as a charity organization operating entirely from donations, St John relies on its share from the government budget, additional funding from the Health Department, some provincial governments, corporate supporters and personal donations. “It has also been in the forefront of the country’s response to COVID-19,” Mr Wali said. “Thank you St John for the heart to serve our citizens, even in times like this, and we at PNG Ports hope our gesture goes a long way in assisting you deliver to the people of PNG.” “PNG Ports had decided to assist in its capacity as a State Owned Enterprise and responsible corporate citizen because of the good work St John has done.”

Key Population Advocacy Consortium (KP Consortium), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), in close collaboration with the Government of Papua New Guinea, marked World AIDS Day by launching a Community-Led Monitoring mechanism designed to increase the quality of services for people living with HIV in the National Capital District (NCD). “PNG has made and continues to make great strides to address HIV/AIDS, and the U.S. government will continue to stand with the government and people of PNG,” said U.S. Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu Erin E. McKee. “This model of community-led design and implementation is at the very heart of the United States’ mission here in Papua New Guinea. Our goal - not only in HIV/AIDS or health support, but in everything that we do - is to empower communities to be the drivers of their own development.” “Community Led monitoring is an important piece of the national HIV response by making sure community voices are heard. This brings together government and community initiatives to build a stronger system for health to ensure that nobody is left behind.” said Dr Peniel Boas, Program Manager of the PNG National Department of Health. “The support from the U.S. Government and UNAIDS is catalytic to achieving this.” Community-led monitoring (CLM) is part of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and global strategies to improve the quality of care for people living with HIV. With the support of USAID and UNAIDS, the activity is designed, led, and implemented by local community-based organizations, networks of key populations, people living with HIV, and other affected groups. The CLM mechanism develops a pathway for communities to collect and analyze data, provide recommendations, and ensure improvements in HIV services - translating into action and change - while also focusing on strengthening local institutions. In 2022, USAID will provide over $3.8 million to support HIV/AIDS programming in PNG, including CLM activities. UNAIDS and the KP Consortium will work together to design, implement, and run the CLM system. The mechanism will initially focus on eleven USAID-supported HIV sites in the NCD and will collaborate with partners to expand its reach and impact. “It is encouraging to see Papua New Guinea take the next steps to more inclusive, evidence-based, and people centered responses through community led monitoring initiatives,” said Patricia Ongpin, Officer in Charge of UNAIDS Papua New Guinea. “Communities and strategic information are central pieces to the Global AIDS Strategy and thus are critical to global and national HIV responses. This is an important step to addressing inequalities and ending AIDS by 2030.” “The KP Advocacy Consortium PNG is excited about a new venture to strengthen our relationships meaningfully with partners. As a community-led organization, we will be able to express our voices through qualitative and quantitative data to influence change. We aim to work in partnership with our health and social services to jointly address challenges and also collectively celebrate results. We would like to thank USAID for its trust and commitment to investing in a newly formed Community Led Organization,” said Lesley Bola, KP Advocacy Consortium Coordinator for PNG. Papua New Guinea has the highest HIV incidence and prevalence in the Pacific region. The country represents 95% of the reported HIV cases in the region and approximately 55,000 people in PNG are living with HIV. The U.S. Government aims to achieve inclusive, resilient and sustainable control of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in PNG in collaboration with partners like the National Department of Health and UNAIDS, and through the leadership of the affected community represented by KP Consortium. Through its five-year, $17.2 million HIV Support in Papua New Guinea Activity, USAID works with government counterparts, multilateral and donor organizations, and local partners to contribute towards the HIV/AIDS response in the NCD and nationally aimed at strengthening PNG’s HIV/AIDS interventions to bend the curve towards epidemic control. U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has invested over $85 billion in the global HIV/AIDS response, saving 20 million lives, preventing millions of HIV infections, and supporting several countries to achieve HIV epidemic control since its inception in 2003. The Department of State's Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Global Health Diplomacy leads, manages, and oversees PEPFAR). PEPFAR is the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in history, saving over 20 million lives, preventing millions of HIV infections, and accelerating progress toward controlling the global HIV/AIDS epidemic in more than 50 countries.

Nambawan Super Limited has supported BSP’s statement that rejects the secretive new revenue measures included in the proposed 2022 National Government Budget. Speaking to the media recently, NSL Chief Executive Officer Paul Sayer said no consultations had been undertaken with any of the Authorised Super Funds or key stakeholders about this new K190 million market concentration levy, indexed to grow each year by 5%, on BSP as the major bank in PNG. “As a tax on profits, it is a tax on the shareholders and not BSP as a company,” Mr Sayer said. He said Superannuation funds have provided the patient capital in BSP that enabled the bank to establish itself. “It is in fact K190m worth of dividends that the State will be taking away from shareholders.” He said this is effectively an extra tax burden on hardworking tax payers who are already highly taxed throughout their working lives. “Nambawan Super members can expect to lose just under K23 million worth of dividend revenue as our 12% share of the K190 million burden from the State.” “Nambawan Super is one of the largest shareholders of BSP with a 12% stake in the business. The Superannuation Fund CEO further adds this levy will not disable the services Nambawan Super provides to its members, but will be felt by members.

The future of ex-Brisbane Broncos playmaker Anthony Milford’s NRL career is in doubt after the NRL barred the South Sydney Rabbitohs from registering his contract while criminal proceedings are ongoing. Milford was handed a one-season lifeline by Souths after the Broncos opted not to renew his $1 million-per-year contract, but was arrested in late September following an incident in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane. Milford is accused of three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm after allegedly assaulting three bystanders - a man and two women - who intervened in an argument between Milford and his wife Miri. He also allegedly threw a garbage bin at a car, leading to a charge of wilful damage involving a vehicle. An NRL statement read: “The National Rugby League (NRL) has advised player Anthony Milford and the South Sydney Rabbitohs that it will not consider registering a contract for the player until criminal proceedings against Milford have been completed. “Given the severity of the allegations, particularly that two charges allege violence against women, the NRL will not consider an application for registration until the court process is complete. “Milford was arrested on 20 September 2021 and charged with 3 counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and 1 count of wilful damage involving a vehicle.” A Rabbitohs statement read: “The South Sydney Rabbitohs respect and support the NRL’s decision to not register a contract for Anthony Milford at this stage. “The Rabbitohs will await the outcome of the legal proceedings and the NRL’s final determination before commenting further.” Milford played 42 times for the Canberra Raiders before moving to Brisbane in 2015, eventually playing 151 times for the Red Hill club and earning two State of Origin caps in 2017. and 2018. But his form nosedived in recent years and this season Milford took home a million-dollar paycheque despite struggling for first team selection. “Police were called to Marshall Street in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley shortly before 2am following reports of a disturbance,” a Queensland Police spokesperson said at the time of his arrest in September. “A number of bystanders allegedly attempted to break up the altercation,” a police spokesman said. “In the course of events the 27-year-old man allegedly assaulted two other women and caused damage to a parked motor vehicle. “Police will also allege the man assaulted a 19-year-old man before being apprehended. “A 27-year-old Forest Lake man was arrested nearby and charged with three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and one count of wilful damage.” Source: foxsports.com.au

The opening address of PNG Prime Minister, Hon. James Marape, at the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum conference on December 1st and 2nd this week, is expected to spark public debate on the continuing role and prospects for petroleum and mining companies in Papua New Guinea. The Prime Minister’s address on the Conference theme, “Resource Industry – Making it Work for PNG”, comes at a challenging time following last year’s sharp K6 billion fall in export revenues from the sector, which has experienced solid growth since exports commenced in 2014 from the PNG LNG Project. According to statistics released by the Bank of Papua New Guinea, mining and petroleum exports last year fell from K32.5 billion in 2019 to K25.8 billion, because of a fall in LNG prices and the shutdown of the Porgera mine. The 2022 PNG National Budget incorporates a bullish view on recovery in mining and petroleum exports, and it is expected that the Prime Minister will outline his plans to stimulate such recovery. Australia’s view on the prospects for PNG’s resources sector, which since 2014 has overtaken agriculture as the largest segment of the economy, will be addressed by the Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Hon. Zed Seslja. “We are hopeful that discussions sparked by this conference will lead to a renewal of interest in exploration and development activities in PNG in the coming years,” commented Mr. AnthonySmaré, President of the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum. He said: “Current large projects such as the PNG LNG Project, Ok Tedi and Lihir continue to perform well despite difficulties created by the Covid-19 pandemic. We have also seen solid contributions from other projects such as Hidden Valley and Kainantu gold mines.”

ExxonMobil PNG and its PNG LNG Project partners are continuing to support the government’s COVID-19 emergency response. As operator of the PNG LNG Project, ExxonMobil PNG is overseeing the implementation of a PGK 4.3 million effort in support of the National Coordination Centre (NCC) plus the Provincial Health Authorities in the National Capital District (NCD) as well as Hela and Central Provinces. Since starting the program in early 2021, much needed supplies and equipment have been delivered Hospital plus health authorities in Hela and Central provinces along with equipment and supplies to support NCC operations. Also included as part of this program was the October donation of a mobile vaccination clinic to the Motu Koita Assembly. [caption id="attachment_17231" align="aligncenter" width="576"] New patient beds donated to POMGEN being assembled[/caption] “ExxonMobil PNG and its PNG LNG Project partners are once again showing their commitment to Papua New Guinea“, said the Police Commissioner and Controller of the PNG COVID-19 National Pandemic Response David Manning. “COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the PNG people and our economy, and it will take everyone - government, industry, international donors, and communities - to work together to overcome the pandemic’s many challenges,” concluded Manning. “We share the government’s commitment to safety and its focus on minimizing the spread of COVID-19 and caring for the affected population,“ stated EMPNG’s Managing Director, Peter Larden. Our focus is the safety and health of our workforce and the communities in which we operate, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, and to maintain operations that provide critical revenues to the country and the communities that rely on our operations,” said Larden. [caption id="attachment_17232" align="aligncenter" width="549"] Medical supplies arrive at Tari General Hospital[/caption] The PNG LNG Project initiative builds upon support provided to PNG’s health infrastructure since Project construction as well as recent assistance following the onset of the pandemic in 2020. This includes support for the nation’s diagnostic capacity as well as training, medical supplies as well as logistical support. PNG LNG staff also assisted the National Department of Health with the distribution of COVID-19 awareness materials as well as food donations to medical facilities and remote-area frontline health workers. ExxonMobil PNG Limited (33.2%), a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation, constructed and operates the PNG LNG Project on behalf of joint venturers: Oil Search Limited (29%), Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (16.8%), Santos Limited (13.5%), JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Corporation (4.7%), Mineral Resources Development Company Limited (2.8%). Petromin 0.2% was incorporated into Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (KPHL) in 2016.

Provincial Administrator for Western Province, Robert Alphonse Kaiyun of Karemgo village, North Fly District, Western Province was arrested and charged  with one count of Abuse of Office under Section 92 (1) of the Criminal Code Act by detectives from the National Fraud Anti-Corruption Directorate on Sunday 28 November 2021 in Port Moresby. This is the second Provincial Administrator to be arrested in less than two weeks in November by NFACD.  The first arrest was Wilson Matava, Provincial Administrator for East New Britain Province on the 19 November 2021. Mr. Kaiyun was appointed Provincial Administrator for Western Province for a period of 4 years commencing on 2 August 2018. His appointment was gazette in the National Gazette on 24 August 2018. It is alleged on the 13 of December 2018, Robert Alphonse Kaiyun on behalf of the Fly River Provincial Government signed a three years Office Lease Agreement with New Century City Limited and Fly River Provincial Government. The office space in question is located at Section 2 Lot 59, Kiunga Town, Western Province. The value of the lease agreement is valued at K330, 000. 00 per month which equated to K3, 960,000.00 million per year. The contract agreement valued at K11, 880,000 million for three years commencing on 1st January 2019 and ending on 31 December 2021 was signed by Robert Alphonse Kaiyun on behalf of the Fly River Provincial Government which is beyond his powers as Provincial Administrator. As Provincial Administrator he can only sign for procurement contract valued at K500, 000.00 and as the chairman of PSTB, K5million. According to the National Procurement Act, 2018 and the Public Finance (Management) (Amendment) Act the Provincial Procurement Board, the threshold is K5, 000,000.00 million. Accordingly, the Office Lease Contract signed between the New Century City Limited and Fly River Provincial Government is contrary to the National Procurement Act and is void from the moment of execution. Police investigation revealed that there was no PEC approval, no Western WPSTB meeting convened and no approval given for the PA (Robert Alphonse Kaiyun) to execute such Commercial Lease Agreement prepared by a private lawyer representing New Century City Limited. When asked during the interview, Kaiyun said there was no formal approval but there was need for office space as he informed the WPSTB members and the governor and the JPBPC members (the Political leaders of the province ) were aware. The defendant was taken to the National Fraud & Anti-Corruption Directorate office, at Konedobu, National Capital District where he was cautioned, given his constitutional rights and interviewed regarding the allegations against him. After the interview, he was arrested and charged with one count of Abuse of Office and taken to Boroko Police Station, where he was placed in the cells. He will appear in court at Waigani Committal court next week for mention.

The Department of Personnel Management has issued a Circular Instruction (31/2021) advising all heads of Departments, Provincial Administrations and heads of statutory bodies informing them of the festive season shutdown period. Department of Personnel Management Secretary Ms Taies Sansan said, all line agencies are to take note of the shutdown period to determine the applicability of the arrangements within their organizations. “Through the Circular Instruction we are notifying respective agencies to take heed of the dates to ensure those that provide essential and emergency services are maintained throughout this period”. Secretary Sansan said, the Government has determined the arrangement for the Christmas and New Year holiday shutdown as follows; Friday 24 December 2021 - Working Day to lunch time Saturday 25 December 2021 - Christmas Day Sunday 26th December 2021 - Boxing Day Monday 27th December 2021 - Public Holiday Tuesday 28th December 2021 - Designated Day off (1) Wednesday 29th December 2021 - Designated Day off (2) Thursday 30th December 2021 - Designated Day off (3) Friday 31st December 2021 - Designated Day off (4) Ms Sansan clarified that the 4 days outlined as Designated Day Off’s are paid shutdown days and are not to be accrued if not taken. She said, they are allocated days for the convenience of closing of government offices however officers who are required to work to cater for essential and rostered arrangements will not be paid overtime but will be awarded a paid day off at a later time. The Department of Finance, Immigration & Citizenship Authority will continue to work as normal under the arrangements as set out in the circular (see link http://www.dpm.gov.pg/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/DPM-CIR.-INSTRUCTION-31-OF-2021.pdf) Public Servants are required to report back for normal duties in the New Year on Monday 3rd January 2022. Secretary Sansan extends her well wishes to all public servants and their families for a safe and blessed Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year 2022.

Thailand’s start-up scene is giving birth to a new breed of tech entrepreneur — such as Aukrit Unahalekhaka, who came up with the idea of creating an app that helps small farmers boost yields using artificial intelligence and machine learning. After returning from the United States, Unahalekhaka and Usman Javaid, whom he met at MIT, co-founded Ricult in 2016. The start-up aims to improve the livelihoods of farmers in Thailand and Pakistan. His partner handles the business in Pakistan, while Unahalekhaka oversees Thailand, where he is focusing on the central provinces of Lopburi, Saraburi and Korat, working with corn and cassava farmers in particular. 400,000 farmers Ricult’s mobile app has so far signed up almost 400,000 farmers in Thailand, according to Unahalekhaka. “In the past two years, we have worked a lot with the central banks and many research institutions. We have shown that our technology has increased the farmers’ income by at least 50%, as a baseline,” Unahalekhaka told CNBC’s “Managing Asia.” The Ricult app gives farmers access to data to help them make better decisions throughout the farming cycle. The platform analyzes weather patterns and advises farmers on when they should start putting their seeds into the soil and when to add fertilizer. But getting farmers in Thailand to adopt the new technology wasn’t easy. “Bringing in new technology to totally change the way they farm was initially a challenge,” Unahalekhaka said. But after spending time shadowing farmers, “I realized how to convince them and how to make the app easy for them to use, and [how to be] able to convince them.” The app addresses a serious problem that farmers face — yearly droughts and bad weather conditions, which have led to a decline in crop yields. Because of those risks, it’s difficult for farmers to get reliable capital — and Unahalekhaka said some end up going to loan sharks. “By having our data platforms, the banks can ... understand the risk profile of the farmers better with our credit profiling,” said Unahalekhaka, who said the app has helped banks “provide affordable loans to the farmers at a fair rate.” Broker model Ricult does not charge farmers for the app. Instead, it collects fees and commissions from banks when they apply for a loan. Unahalekhaka said he’s careful to protect that kind of personal data in light of Thailand’s Personal Protection Act, which the government is due to begin enforcing by June next year. (The act’s provisions have been established, but in the wake of the pandemic, companies in Thailand asked the government to give them time to prepare internal processes.) Unahalekhaka said he gets farmers’ consent before sending such information to banks, insurance companies and crop buyers. Ricult is growing fast, and Unahalekhaka said he has plans to expand into Vietnam and the Philippines. With the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as one of its backers, he is speeding up his capital-raising exercise. Unahalekhaka said the company hopes to be profitable by next year. “We want to open up our Series A round next year to investors” who believe in Ricult’s vision, he said. SOURCE: CNBC

Commissioner of Police and Controller of the PNG COVID-19 National Pandemic Response Mr David Manning said a total of 37 Police personnel were deployed to the Solomon Island under a Police-to-Police arrangement to assist in light of the country’s civil unrest. Commissioner Manning, when returning from the Solomon Islands on Friday evening, said 37 Public Order Management personnel including 14 Correctional Service officers are on a mission to assist contain the situation and to ensure normalcy is restore at the earliest in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Mr Manning said, "We acted swiftly at the urgent request from the Solomon Island Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. At this stage we only provide manpower assistance and if need be, will continue to do so. This assistance is through a Police-to-Police arrangement and the deployment is covered under the Royal Solomon Island Police Rules of Engagement. “It is our duty to protect life and property and we have just extended our generosity to our brothers and sisters and importantly to preserve peace and enhance posterity within the pacific region,” Mr Manning said. The PNG personnel deployed to the Solomon Islands have been specifically trained for the purpose of the 2018 APEC meeting and will provide the necessary tactical expertise needed by the Royal Solomon Island Police. Commissioner Manning, who was accompanied by Director Special Services Division Superintendent Julius Tasion, had a meeting with the Royal Solomon Island Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau before returning to PNG. He is expected to brief the Government on the situation in the Solomon Islands. Mr Manning said help is also being extended to the Solomon Islands by other pacific communities including Australia and New Zealand and anticipate the situation in Honiara to be brought under control soon.

One of the most essential and vital services in the country during times of emergency, the St John Ambulance Services has once again been excluded from the 2022 National Budget plan. The St John Ambulance services have been very active and committed during the current COVID-19 pandemic, however they have been overlooked again in this budget lockup. Chief Executive Officer for St John Matt Cannon said they are in disbelief of the exclusion of reference to Ambulance services in the National Budget. "This decision not to provide a direct funding grant for the ambulance service will inhibit tens of thousands of people from having access to health care in an emergency." "This will not only disadvantage the 4 million people in rural and urban communities that St John serves, but it will result in significant and preventable loss of human lives." "If St John Ambulance were to cut services in Papua New Guinea, it is estimated that perhaps as high as 2,000 people will die." St John is once again calling on assistance to resolve this matter and ensure that basic ambulance services can be provided.