PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum announced the departure of Dr Albert Mellam, PhD, as the Executive Director of the Chamber, having served in this role for the past 5 years. Dr Mellam is the first Papua New Guinean and second Director to head this peak industry body in its 34 years of existence. The first Director was Mr Greg Anderson, who served as its Founding Director and led the Chamber for 29 years. The President of the Chamber, Mr Anthony Smaré, expressed the gratitude of the Chamber membership for Dr Mellam’s service “We thank Dr Mellam for his service and his invaluable contributions especially in guiding the Chamber through a challenging period of its history. During his tenure as Executive Director, Dr Mellam undertook important organisational reforms to strengthen the Chamber’s operations. Dr Mellam made significant progress with expanding the Chamber’s relationship with stakeholders, and in forging a stronger relationships with government and other stakeholders with an interest in the resources sector in Papua New Guinea.” In thanking the Chamber, Dr Mellam said: “I served the Chamber at a challenging time in its history. Much of my efforts were centred around the ongoing dialogue with government on key policies and proposed legislative reforms in the Hydrocarbon and Mineral industry, and in managing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many operating companies that are critically important to the economic wellbeing of our country were impacted, and every effort was made to ensure these companies remained operational during the pandemic. “There was no global experience to draw from in managing industry affairs during this pandemic”, said Dr Mellam. He noted that besides remaining operational many companies had assisted the government and the public through the provision of health and safety materials and equipment. Asked to reflect on his time as the Executive Director, Dr Mellam said: “The national economy is going through an ‘evolutionary phase’ that will impact the Mining, Petroleum, and Energy sectors. This is a natural process and requires the collective efforts of all stakeholders to ensure positive outcomes that benefit the nation and people of Papua New Guinea and keeping the investment climate attractive. It is healthy for the industry and for development of the country’s resources that these conversations are taking place.” Among the challenges that continue to be faced is a significant hiatus in exploration activity that has impacted prospects for petroleum and mining discoveries that could propel more dynamic economic development in the country, Dr Mellam said. He would also like to see the dialogue on the reopening of the Porgera Mine concluded soon and the mine re-open. "Many thousands of jobs and families were impacted by the closure of the Porgera mine and it is my hope that operations can recommence soon, as this will help boost the national economy and contribute to affairs and development aspirations of the local region." Dr Mellam said he is confident he has left the Chamber in a good position to progress its contribution as a Peak industry body. He expressed gratitude to industry members, the government, landowner groups, development partners, the business community, institutions of higher learning and research organisations, and private citizens for the partnership he has enjoyed during his time with the Chamber. Dr Mellam’s departure took effect on 20th January 2023. The Chamber is now under the stewardship of Pansy Taueni-Sialis, the incumbent Chief Operating Officer, until a new Executive Director is appointed.

In the representative arena, Pat Carrigan enjoyed a season to remember, claiming not only an Origin series victory with the Queensland Maroons, but also capping off the year with the Rugby League World Cup trophy as a member of the Kangaroos squad. However, the 2022 Wally Lewis Medal winner as the State of Origin player of the series said he had unfinished business with the Broncos and wanted to help his side press on into the finals after he spent a “pretty tough” period on the sidelines to close the NRL season, missing four of the club’s last five games after being suspended for a hip drop tackle. Overall last year, Carrigan only featured in 14 games for Brisbane after injury ruled him out in the early parts of their season as well. “It was a good year last year and I think I'm kind of lucky to be honest how (I) finished the end of the year; (but I) just kind of want me to get back in the swing of things here at Broncos,” Carrigan told assembled media following Brisbane's extended Monday morning training session. “I'm eager to get back in and run out at Suncorp and we get to run out of the Gabba this year ... (I'm) excited to put on a Broncos jersey again. [caption id="attachment_34909" align="alignnone" width="1002"] Pat Carrigan at Kangaroos training at the Rugby League World Cup.[/caption] “When you think about it, 14 (games) doesn't look like you did too much and tops off to the guys that get to the 300, I think I need to play 40 years at this rate (to reach that milestone). “Obviously, I had a suspension and a little knee injury at the start of the year, but I think I need to be on the field as much as possible this year. “I'll take the ups and downs with it, but in terms of where we're going as a club and building the connections within the group and the continuity, I think if I can be on the footy field as much as I can, that's a real important one for us.” Saying he was “feeling fresher” since coming back from the World Cup campaign, Carrigan also said he had also learnt a lot from his time in Kangaroos camp. “I had one good year, it doesn't make anything and there's still a lot of boxes I want to tick at the club,” Carrigan, who is due back on the field in for the club’s second Preseason Challenge match against North Queensland Cowboys, said. Source: NRL.Com

Papua New Guinea is reportedly preparing to sign a Defence Cooperation Agreement with the United States, as it also finalises a security treaty with Australia. The ABC reports a delegation from PNG will travel to Honolulu in Hawaii next month for high-level talks. The new defence and security agreements come amid concerns in Canberra and Washington about China's more assertive position in the Pacific. PNG's Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko said the United States has "stepped up" in the region and is "wanting to make their presence known". "The United States have taken a fairly serious role now in the Pacific since China and Solomon Islands have had their agreement, which has created a tsunami throughout the Pacific region and put more concentration on the area," Tkatchenko told the ABC. A high-level Washington delegation visited the Pacific last year, in response to China signing a security pact with Solomon Islands. The Defence Cooperation Agreement with the US will be focused on capacity building for the PNG defence force in training and infrastructure, Tkatchenko said. "It's not a situation in which we will have warships. Yes, training is definitely one [part of it], but not building up the US forces here in Papua New Guinea," he said. "This agreement will assist Papua New Guinea greatly in capacity building and building up the PNG defence force." Tkatchenko said the agreement was "about 30 percent there" ahead of the Honolulu meeting. "[The] conclusion I would say would be halfway through this year," he said. "Basically, everything is there, the most important thing is the legal clearance - making sure our sovereignty is protected and making sure we get things right from the beginning and not halfway through." The ABC understands the agreement would provide the administrative framework to allow future defence investment and joint programmes and builds on a Status of Forces Agreement between the countries, which was signed in 1989. PNG and the US recently finalised a so-called "shipriders agreement" to allow PNG defence personnel to travel on US coastguard and some naval vessels in the Pacific. It is expected to be signed off this week. The PNG government has said the shipriders agreement will assist with controlling illegal fishing, illegal logging, and drug smuggling in the country. In 2018 the Unites States said it would join Australia in partnering with Papua New Guinea to redevelop the strategically-placed Lombrum naval base. After starting the year hosting Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Port Moresby is also preparing for visits from Indonesia's President Joko Widodo and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. -ABC Source:rnz.com

The Investment Promotion Authority has refuted claims in the media that its online registry service is currently not available. Managing Director of the Investment Promotion Authority Mr. Clarence Hoot has expressed concerns that people are forming different opinions of the new online registry system and going to the media to air their frustrations instead of contacting the IPA to verify their claims. The Post Courier edition last week (Thursday) carried an article in which the author stated that currently there were no online services and IPA did not have a back up information system for entities. The article further claimed that the delay in the data migration process was due to issues with the annual subscription fees. Mr. Hoot clarified that businesses are still able to register online and the old system is also still available for officers to confirm data before any changes or updates are done to entities. “We are not just updating the same system but we are developing a totally new system, hence all data being migrated are being done with appropriate procedures by both the old and new software developers,” Mr. Hoot said. “We are fully aware of our mandated responsibilities and obviously we can not just let a statutory function hanging without allowing services to flow.” The IPA is calling on the public to consult the website on www.ipa.gov.pg to read more about the transitional updates of the new online registry services or email contact ipaonline@ipa.gov.pg. Mr. Hoot also said that while key users of the online registry service such as banks, corporate bodies and SMEs have embraced the change, there are few people badmouthing the IPA, and this is mainly because they do not attempt to actually have a feel of the new system. Since the new registry went live on December 1st 2022, businesses have been called upon to re-register in the new system. This is done free of charge and entities have until the 1st of December 2023 to re-register.

No one would guess that Chris Issca was unable to read for most of his life if they heard him read the Bible today. Last year Chris learned to read Tok Pisin when he attended an adult literacy training conducted by the Baptist Union PNG (BUPNG) in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands Province. Chris hails from Markham in Morobe Province. He didn't have any financial support so he was unable to pursue an education. Despite that, he participated in community activities, attended church and was a youth leader. It was through these activities that Chris attended the adult literacy course. “Mi laik autim tok, tasol mi no save long rit [I wanted to preach, but I didn’t know how to read]”, says Chris. Chris completed a four-month adult literacy training and graduated with a Level 1 Certificate in December 2022. Chris is now able to sound out letters and read in Tok Pisin. “Nambawan stori mi ritim em stori bilong Moses. Mi bin amamas na karai nogut tru. Long wanem mi no bin save long rit ikam inap nau [The first story I read was Moses. I was so happy, that I burst out crying. Because I didn’t know how to read until now]. Nau mi inap long ritim Baibel na autim tok na lidim devotion. Bipo mi no save long rit na mi save struggle stret [Now I’m able to read the Bible and preach and lead devotion. I couldn’t do that before and I used to struggle]”. Chris is appreciative of the training and thankful to BUPNG and Youth With A Mission (YWAM) for their initial support to enroll him in the course. He aims to continue to Level 2 so he can learn how to read in English which will provide a pathway for Chris and other people like Chris into meaningful employment, technical trades and study opportunities both in PNG and overseas. The adult literacy training is recognized by the National Department of Education's informal training sector for individuals unable to attend or complete formal education. The training provides a pathway to pursue formal education and/or employment. BUPNG and other church partners under the Church Partnership Program, are delivering adult literacy trainings with the support of the PNG-Australia Partnerships’ Building Community Engagement in Papua New Guinea (BCEP) program.

As has frequently been the case throughout his unparalleled career, James Cameron made film history again this weekend. His long-awaited sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water” has now made over $2 billion in worldwide grosses, as reported by Deadline. That grand total is after the film’s box office take from this weekend, the sixth consecutive weekend the film has occupied the No. 1 spot since its release in December. CNN has reached out to “Avatar: The Way of Water” producing studio Disney for comment on the film’s latest financial achievement. “Avatar: The Way of Water” is the sequel to Cameron’s 2009 extraterrestrial epic “Avatar,” which remains at the top of the list of biggest-selling films of all time, according to Box Office Mojo. Another of Cameron’s films is also in the $2 billion club – 1997’s “Titanic.” Only three other films are part of that club – 2015’s “Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens,” “Avengers: Infinity War” from 2018, and “Avengers: Endgame” from one year later. Cameron is therefore the only director who can boast that three of his films are among the six to have made over $2 billion, as well as in top 6 bestselling movies of all time. The director is planning to release at least three other “Avatar” sequels going forward. Source: CNN

Google's parent Alphabet Inc is cutting about 12,000 jobs as it faces "a different economic reality", it said in a staff memo, doubling down on artificial intelligence (AI) and axing staff who support experimental projects. The job cuts affect 6% of its workforce, and follows thousands of layoffs at tech giants including Amazon.com Inc, Microsoft Corp and Meta Platforms Inc who are downsizing after a pandemic-led hiring spree left them flabby in a weak economy. Shares in Mountain View, California-based Alphabet, which boosted its workforce by nearly a third through 2020 and 2021, rose 4% on Friday. They had fallen 30% in the past 12 months, echoing a 24% slump in the broader tech industry. Sundar Pichai, Alphabet's boss since 2019, said in the memo on Friday that he took "full responsibility" for the decisions that led to the layoffs. Pichai, whose pay was recently tied more closely to performance, said this was a moment to "sharpen our focus, reengineer our cost base and direct our talent and capital to our highest priorities," as Alphabet looked to get imbue its products with more AI, echoing comments from Microsoft that announced job cuts on Wednesday. Alphabet, long a leader in AI, is facing competition from Microsoft, which is reportedly looking to boost its stake in ChatGPT - a promising chatbot that answers queries with human-like responses. Advertising dollars, Alphabet's mainstay revenue source, meanwhile, is feeling the squeeze from businesses chopping budgets as consumers pull back spending. "It is clear that Alphabet is not immune from the tough economic backdrop, with worries about a U.S. recession growing," said Susannah Streeter, an analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. Source: Reuters

Overseas Training Bids for all Public Servants for 2024 Australian Government Scholarships and information on the United Kingdom Commonwealth and Chevening Scholarships are now open. The Australian Awards Scholarships application date opens on February 1st and closes on May 1st, 2023. Interested applicants for the UK Commonwealth and Chevening Scholarships must visit the website early around August and September of 2023 to prepare well for the 2024/2025 application process which will close in early November 2023. Department of Personnel Management who is the nominating agency has released this information at the end of 2022 through Circular Instruction No. 21 of 2022, dated 19th December, 2022, to all Departmental Heads, Provincial Administrators, all Heads of Public Funded Authorities and Public Servants informing them of the Overseas Training Bid Announcement for 2024. All Training Bids for public servants will go through the DPM for analysis and consideration in line with the General Order 6 requirements against each Agency’s Learning & Development (L&D) Plans. Secretary Ms Taies Sansan said, agencies that have expired or have L&D Plans must submit a request through her office for assistance for Capacity Needs Analysis (CAN) to be conducted. Secretary Sansan said, in submitting Training Bids, HR Managers are advised to strictly comply with the requirements or failure to do so will lessen the chances of applicants securing a scholarship. “All staff training bids must be thoroughly screened by Agency Training Committees and subsequently endorsed by the Agency Head or a delegated Deputy/Nominee, evidence through a formal accompanying letter to DPM”.

Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) advises that majority shareholder, Kumul Minerals (Ok Tedi) Limited (KMOTL), has made changes to its nominated directors of the Company. The changes which were ratified at an OTML board meeting conducted on 22 January 2023, has seen Ms Nellie James who was the Chairlady of the Kumul Minerals Holdings Ltd (KMHL) and a director of the OTML Board, and Dr. Roger Higgins who was the Chairman of the OTML, cease in their respective roles. “The Company is grateful to both for their positive contributions,” OTML stated. The new directors joining the OTML Board are Dr Ila Temu, Mr Sarimu Kanu and Mr Jeffrey Innes. Mr Temu was recently appointed as the Chairman of KMHL, while Mr Kanu is the Managing Director of KMHL, and Mr Innes who previously held an executive management position with OTML several years ago, is a director of KMHL. KMOTL in its capacity as majority shareholder has appointed Mr Innes, who is an experienced industry professional, to serve as Chairman of OTML with immediate effect.

Experienced prop Martin Taupau has committed to the Brisbane Broncos until the end of 2023. The 32-year-old with 222 NRL games and 33 Tests for New Zealand and Samoa to his name provides valuable depth to the club’s middle forward stocks. Broncos Coach Kevin Walters said: “Marty has been playing in the NRL since 2010 so he brings good experience and he was very impressive when we spoke to him on the values he brings to our club. “We have a lot of good young middle forwards here at the Broncos and we believe the experience that Marty brings will help them grow and be better players for us as well. “He has a real presence about him and I think that will really add to the group and what we are building here at the club both on and off the field.” Source:broncos.com.au

Pacific Islands Forum Education leaders, senior government officials, development partners, civil society organisations, policymakers, students, and educators will meet at the 1st Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM) on 20–22 March 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand, to discuss key education challenges within the region and how the region is progressing towards the goals of the Pacific Regional Education Framework (PacREF) and 2030 Agenda. The Conference, with the theme ‘Empowering Education for Pacific People,” also seeks to mobilize resources to address some of the Pacific’s most pressing education challenges due to the impact of globalization and the Covid-19 pandemic. The discussions will focus on sub-themes, including quality and relevance, education financing, building resiliency, education access, inclusivity, and equity. These themes are specifically chosen to focus discussions around skills-based training and TVET, maintenance of culture and language, Pacific indigenous knowledge and pedagogies, non-cognitive skills, regional education financing and governance, building resilient education systems and teaching for inclusion and equity. “The Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM) brings together education stakeholders in the region to discuss emerging issues impacting the region, such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, digital technologies, connectivity, and social media, which directly impact the lives of Pacific children and influence their behaviour and lifestyles. Therefore, it is important for the education sector in the region to discuss ways to respond as a region to these issues,” said PacREF Facilitating Unit (PFU) Coordinator, Mr Filipe Jitoko. He added that this would be the first-time where other stakeholders such as civil societies, teachers, and students would be part of the CPEM, and their contribution to the roundtable discussions would be greatly welcomed, especially since they are important stakeholders in steering education forward for the region. “The conference will be an opportunity to share knowledge and good practices globally and regionally, identify areas for collaboration and explore innovative approaches in education that member countries can learn from as they develop their education systems to deliver educational programmes that empowers people of the Pacific to make their own decisions regarding their future,” Mr Jitoko said. The University of the South Pacific jointly organises the CPEM through the PacREF Facilitating Unit (PFU) with the Government of New Zealand. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) is the lead agency of this year’s CPEM. Following the successful virtual meeting in 2021, this year’s CPEM will be held in a hybrid format for the first time, with Ministers of Education invited to take part in the physical meeting in Auckland, while those who are unable to travel to New Zealand will participate virtually via an online platform.

Carmel Sepuloni has been named as New Zealand's deputy prime minister. Sepuloni first entered Parliament after the 2008 general election as a List member, becoming New Zealand's first MP of Tongan descent. She is the MP for Kelston and has been New Zealand's Minister for Social Development since 2017. She is also Minister for ACC and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage. She was also previously the Minister for Disability Issues, but last year passed that portfolio to colleague Poto Williams. Born and raised in Waitara, Taranaki, Sepuloni moved to Auckland in 1996. She graduated from the Auckland College of Education with a Diploma in Teaching (Primary), before going on to the University of Auckland and earning a Bachelor of Education. She also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Education. Her father was a Samoan-Tongan migrant freezing worker and unionist. Her mother was Pākehā from a farming background. The MP is the middle child of three daughters. Before entering Parliament, she worked in the tertiary sector as a literacy educator, a student mentor adviser, an equity manager, and a Pacific health research project manager. On social media, the new Deputy PM describes herself as "a mother, a daughter of a migrant, Government Minister & NZ Labour MP for Kelston". She has previously spoken of her love of poetry, and not just because she is married to poet Daren Kamali. She also writes poetry that she says "will never see the light of day". [caption id="attachment_34848" align="alignnone" width="788"] Carmel Sepuloni and new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. Photo: Supplied / Instagram / Carmel Sepuloni[/caption] "My husband likes to say that I'm creative as well, and I quietly write poetry that I only share with him," she said in an interview with Stuff last year. "It's funny because I don't know if poetry ever comes from a happy place. It's always when I'm in a bad mood. It's quite therapeutic, I've found. But no one needs to see that." Sepuloni, 46, is the mother of two boys. In the throes of lockdown in 2021, the minister went viral when one of her sons interrupted a live interview she was doing from home. The incident got the nation laughing and generated a lot of discussion about the challenges for parents trying to work from home during the Covid-19 pandemic. Sepuloni said today she had told most of her family - including her sons - that she was up for the role of deputy PM, and they were all proud and excited for her. She said her father just got back from Samoa yesterday, so she had not had a chance to sit down with him yet ,but talked to him on the phone when he arrived. "I didn't want to tell him while he was in Samoa because I didn't want to run the risk of him telling the whole village over there before he returned. "He's very proud. He came here in 1964 from Samoa, his mother is Samoan and his dad is Tongan. To think that he could come here to work on the railways and then the freezing works, and marry a sheep farmer's daughter and have a daughter who would become the deputy prime minister of New Zealand is very difficult to comprehend, but as you can imagine, very proud." Despite an early career in education, Sepuloni has previously stated that she had thought of entering politics from a young age, as she had the drive to help create a fairer society. "Interestingly, growing up - and friends still remind me of this - I used to say that this is what I would do. That I would be a politician. And they found it so funny at the time," she said in an interview with E-Tangata in 2017. "We can see the unfairness unfolding around us, whether it be health statistics or educational outcomes. Pay inequality. All of those things that we see in our own lives, our families' lives, and our communities. So, I think it's really difficult not to feel political in some way." In the end, she puts her successful move into politics down to timing. "I joined the Labour Party and became active not long before the 2008 election, when the party was looking to have better representation, looking for younger representation and looking to rejuvenate more generally. I just happened to be one of the ones that came along - who at the time seemed to tick all the boxes for the Labour Party," she said in the same interview. "On top of that, I do, like many other people who are involved, have a strong sense of social justice and fairness and equity. All of those things are really important for me." As Minister of Social Development for the past five years, Sepuloni has been steadily reforming the system via measures including raising benefit levels, adopting a less punitive approach to sanctions and overseeing a review of the Working for Families welfare scheme. Writing in the Herald at the time of ramraids last August, Sepuloni reflected on her time as an at-risk youth educator with tertiary students. "I've seen what works and what doesn't, and punitive approaches to young people - or people in general, really - already experiencing complex challenges don't. I liken it to pushing someone over who is wanting and trying to get up, while yelling at them to get up." As Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Sepuloni has set up a scheme for painters and other visual artists whose work is resold to get 5 percent of royalties, bringing New Zealand in line with 80 other countries. - This story was originally published on the NZ Herald website - with reporting from RNZ