As Papua New Guinea (PNG) welcomes the New Year, the residents of Port Moresby city have been urged to reflect on 2025 and embrace 2026 going forward to ensure prosperity in their community and the city.

NCD Governor Powes Parkop, who gave his keynote address at the New Year’s Eve Fireworks show at the Ela Beach, told the people gathered there that 2026 is a time to reset, rethink and re- strategize.

He said 2025 marked a significant time for PNG with the 50th Independence Anniversary but now, PNG is at a transition point this New Year because 2026 marks the start of the next 50 years of PNG, where it is at this stage that people dig deep, reflect and progress in terms working together to continue the developments in the nation’s capital city.

“We can lookback, look at how we have come, look at our successes, look at our failures too, look at our under achievements or the lack of achievements. Look at all of the lessons, how we could have done better and all that we have come through in the last 50 years,” said Governor Parkop.

“The decision that we make, the actions that we take will define the next 50 years, whether it gets better or will it be the same as the last 50 years?”

The good Governor then thanked his team at the National Capital District Commission, the government and the communities in the city that have worked in collaboration with his office last year and urged them continued this good work in 2026.

Meanwhile, the event at Ela Beach was the highlight of the night, topping off a relatively quiet night leading up to the New Year.

A look around the city saw less number of vehicles on the main roads and also no police check points at the usual spots, indicating that there was no need for police roadblocks as the people were in their best behavior.