The British High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea (PNG), His Excellency Keith Scott has hailed the recent hosting of the International Cricket Council East Asia Pacific T20 World Cup Qualifying finals as a huge success in promoting the positive aspects of the country. Speaking to PNG HAUSBUNG, Scott mentioned that he had enjoyed catching the Cricket throughout the series and is happy with not only the cricketer’s performance, but also that of those that were present to watch all matches. “I’ve enjoyed watching the cricket this week. It’s been a fantastic advert for international cricket, and I’m delighted that PNG have qualified for the ICC T20 World Cup Finals.” “I watched a couple of games of PNG, and I love the energy and the enthusiasm, the fact that the youths are coming through and the fact that it is a great advert for PNG.” He mentioned that there may be a lot that might not be going right in the country’s favor, but urged everyone to see the sport of cricket as a positive thing and wished the Barras all the best. “We hear a lot of bad stories about PNG, but to see cricket as a positive story is fantastic.” While speaking on the topic, he mentioned that the support for cricket has been increasing due to the performance of the Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited PNG Barramundis, stating that PNG is a world power in cricket and that it was brilliant to see PNG develop and succeed in this series.

Police in Hela Province have arrested and charged a Local Level Government President after discovering him to be in possession of illegal weapons. President of the Tebi LLG in Tari-Pori district, Thomas Tawi was arrested and formally charged on the Saturday 29th July and will make their court appearance tomorrow, Monday 31st July. Tawi along with accomplice, Taralia Aigiru were both found to be in possession of military grade and home-made fire-arms with live ammunition. According to police reports, Taralia Aigiru was sighted acting suspiciously by security force members on normal patrol at the Tebi Bridge at 11am on Saturday. Upon searching him they found two 5.56 mm bullets in his waist bag. He confessed to security force personnel that Tebi LLG President Thomas Tawi had supplied the bullets. Hela Provincial Police Commander (PPC), Joseph Tondop stated that based on this information Tawi was apprehended at a guest house at Pii Tumbiako, Car Wash Area in Tari town. Upon searching him and his room, police discovered a factory-made high-powered single shot (Original Marine Goose Gun) rifle, 2 home-made double barrel shot guns with 24 BB shot gun cartridges and 59 rounds of 5.56 mm bullets. These were confiscated along with other pieces of iron that appear to have been prepared for homemade gun manufacturing. PPC Tondop has commended his men for executing his intent of restoring peace. “Hela citizens and leadership at all levels are sick of seeing unnecessary deaths from the excuse of tribal conflicts and other minor stupidities,” said PPC Tondop. “President Tawi and Aigiru’s arrest is not the last.” We will soon roll out many more offensive operations in my intention to clamp down on tribal warfare in the province using illegal weapons. I now appeal to leaders and criminals (so-called warlords) to surrender weapons and ammunitions and ask for forgiveness before it’s too late. “If you think you are a warlord, then please tell us where the war is and who are you lord of? If you cannot answer these, then you are just a common criminal with a gun pretending and your days will soon be ended. Surrender now, give up your criminal ways and return to a life of peace.”

Good news for travelers and businesses seeking to travel to China to make business, the Ministry of International Trade and Investment has advised that following talks between Prime Minister James Marape and Wang Weizhong, Governor of the Guangdong Province in China, direct flights between both Guangzhou and Port Moresby will be possible. The Governor for Guangdong Province of China, Wang Weizhong said his Government was already working with a local airline company, the China Southern Airlines to open direct flights between Port Moresby and Guangzhou following his discussion with Prime Minister Marape during his visit to Port Moresby. Governor Weizhong said the opening of direct flights between Port Moresby and Guangzhou would improve more business connectivity between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Guangdong Province, and China. The Governor added that Chinese private sector and the Chinese enterprises in Papua New Guinea (PNG) raised a concern that it took relatively long for them to get visas, suggesting to the PNG Government to establish a consulate in Guangzhou to help facilitate visas for not only business travelers, but also for tourists with tourism being a huge market which was untapped. Vanuatu had just recently opened its consulate in Guangzhou in addition to their embassy in Beijing, making it the 68th country to open a consulate in Guangzhou specially to facilitate the process of visas. Governor Weizhong said he was keen to support more investors from his province to invest in PNG and he would be sending a large delegation to attend the inaugural PNG-Asia Investment Conference in Hong Kong, which will be hosted in October.

The Philippine Carabaos Captain, Daniel Smith has hailed his team’s efforts in their brave performance going down to the Kumul Petroleum PNG Barramundis in match day six of the ICC East Asia Pacific Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers. Smith mentioned that it was obvious that the first half of the match did not go their way but was extremely proud of his team’s performance, especially in the second innings when they lost a few early wickets before establishing a partnership “The first half of the game didn’t really go our way, but you show a bit of ticker, and the first half of the game was sort of gone from our memory.” “I’m very proud of how the boys went out there and batted with freedom and back themselves and that this is one of the best batting performances I’ve seen in a long time.” Smith stated that heading into the clash against the Barras, they did not have any expectations on themselves. Smith added that the Barramundis are a world class team that they are playing and is very excited to see PNG go to take part in the West Indies. Dan has added that they will be cheering them on in their World Cup Campaign. “There were not expectations. The instructions for the players were to go out there and play with a bit of freedom and back themselves and hopefully, things will go our way and towards the back end of the game, it certainly did.” He made special mention to Huzaifa Akram, who was moved up the batting order and performed well in the second innings, joking that he had received a lot of talk from the spinner, but maintained that he putting a lot of effort in training in the lead up months to the series and it was great to see his hard work pay off. The Carabaos will get to face Vanuatu in their last match of the series and Smith hopes that they can maintain their momentum leading into the match.

Another clinical performance by the Kumul Petroleum Limited PNG Barramundis sees them secure their second berth in the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup after defeating a gutsy Philippines Carabaos side in match day 6 of the East Asia Pacific Qualifying Finals. Going into the match, the Carabaos won the toss and decided to bowl first, putting Tony Ura and his captain, Assadollah Vala in the spotlight as they set up the foundation for the 100 run win over the Carabaos. The Barras making use of the Power play, with both Ura and Vala showcasing their skills with the bat. Both openers set up a partnership of 110 runs, Ura batting 61 from 31 balls, smashing five 6’s and three 4’s before Kepler Lukies spoiled the party, claiming the wicket of the veteran who was caught by Liam Myott in the 11th over. Vala also scored himself a half century but would be caught out after a Surinder Singh special saw him get caught out by Hernie Isorena. The Barras continued to show class with the bat, finding space in the field and making sure to make runs at any given opportunity, with the Barras setting a target of 229 runs in the first innings. The second innings saw the Carabaos come out to bat but were immediately put under immense bowling attack by the home side, with the first wicket of Grant Russ falling to Kabua Vagi-Morea. Despite the continuous onslaught from the Barra’s bowlers, the Carabaos held firm, scoring runs at their own pace and giving the Barras a run for their money. Carabaos captain, Daniel Smith, although nursing a groin injury lead his boys in the front, batting 34 runs before Vagi-Morea claimed him as his second wicket. With time catching up on the Philippines they managed to stick to playing their brand of cricket scoring runs a bit too late as they lost by 100 runs to the home side. With this win, the Barras have now scored a second stint at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024, which will be held in the U.S and West Indies.

He may be the youngest player in the ICC East Asia Pacific T20 Qualifying finals, but young Kepler Lukies enjoying every moment representing his country on the international stage here in Papua New Guinea (PNG). At just only 16 years of age, the Katamitite based lad has represented his country of the Philippines in five T20 matches, making his debut early this year during the South East Asian Games (SEA) that was held in Cambodia in May this year. “It’s my second time to represent the Philippines, prior to this we were in Cambodia for the SEA Games, but this is my first time to play in an ICC event.” Young Lukies told PNG Hausbung that he started playing at the age of 4, joking that he had done so due to the local junior team needing one more player to make up the team. “I started when I was 4 just filling in just because we were short in number in the under 12’s. Because Dad was coach,” he said. In his outing against the PNG Barras, the young man claimed the crucial wicket of Assadollah Vala in their face off on Match day 2, putting up a splendid performance against the home side with the ball claiming 2 wickets. Kepler commented that he was amazed by the crowd that attended their match against the Barras, adding that it was a great experience for him, and both he and Tim are very lucky to be given the opportunity to be here in the country for this event. “This was the best crowd I’ve ever played in front of,” he said. Accompanied by his father, Tim, who has been by his side since the beginning of the series, watching from the sidelines and cheering young Kepler through every match. When speaking to PNG Hausbung, Tim Lukies expressed pride in seeing Kepler rise to the top in professional cricket, stating that he is very grateful for his son to be given an opportunity to play at the top stage. “I’m very proud of him and very happy for Philippines Cricket for giving him the opportunity in doing so and Papua New Guinea for putting on this tournament to give him an opportunity to do what he’s doing,” he said. “It’s very positive for Papua New Guinea Cricket. You see little kids running around after the matches with bat and ball in hand, and in the future PNG Cricket will get stronger.” Even though they have not had the best of success in this series, the lad is happy to be playing for the Philippines and hopes to continue to do so in the coming years.

Although the Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited PNG Barramundis may have beaten the Carabaos in their previous East Asia Pacific T20 Qualifying Finals match here in nation’s capital, the Barras will not be taking any chances as they attempt to score themselves a berth into the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup. That’s from the KPHL PNG Barramundis Captain, Assadollah Vala following their victory over Vanuatu. He told PNG HAUSBUNG that at the moment he is content with the way the boys are playing but noted that Philippines will be a challenge. “Yeah, Philippines is another tough game again and we have to be ready.” One minor issue that the home boys have been encountering at the wicket would be their batting order with some soft wickets coming over the past four match games, but Vala stated that they found a way to overcome this issue, adding that they have variation in their batting order. Meanwhile, the Carabaos captain, Daniel Smith said the will be taking their rest day easy noting that there are a few sore bodies but will be getting some light training in the afternoon to dust off a few cobwebs.

 With the whole province in Lockdown for 3 months, security forces in Enga Province are now commencing operations to clamp down on violence that has caused disharmony and displaced families in affected areas. Provincial Police Commander, Superintendent George Kakas told PNG HAUSBUNG that with the lockdown in place, police will be increasing their presence in affected areas to monitor movement of the combatants and to do their best to minimize violence. “There is a lot of Law-and-order issues in the province at the moment.” “We want to minimize or contain people’s movement so we can identify those that are actively fighting.” He added that now it is a bit difficult to spread out throughout the province due to certain constraints, but police will be actively monitoring and observing people’s movements to maintain public safety. They have now enforced a curfew to all parts of the province. From 9pm to 6am, the public have been advised to stay indoors while motorized patrols will be conducted during the night. Kakas has also advised that they will be setting up roadblocks at major roads in the affected areas. The PPC stated that he has enough manpower to conduct the operations, with support coming from the provincial government. Superintendent Kakas further stated that there has been an upsurge in crime in various parts of the province but is certain that they are able to contain the situation. He also condemned those responsible for circulating graphic images and videos of people being murdered on social media in the province and stated that they are aware of those responsible for this and will be working to apprehend those responsible.

The Enga Provincial education board have spoken out on recent rumours surrounding the alleged deaths of 12 Secondary School students. In an interview with PNG HAUSBUNG, Acting High schools coordinator, Jamaica Kandis said that according to reports that he has gathered over the past few days, they have only received reports of one student death associated with the clashes. "I am aware of the videos circulating on social media regarding the students.” “From what I have received from the surrounding schools is that there has been one death, not 12." He added that as per directives from the Provincial Administration, the province will be on lockdown for 3 months, with police and PNGDF personnel will be conducting patrols in the province. As for schools, they will continue to operate but for the affected areas, they are working on ways to allow for the students to continue their studies in other nearby schools. Kandis said this was to ensure the safety of the students.

Following a convincing 6 wicket rout of the Japan National Men’s Cricket Team on Tuesday, the Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited PNG Barramundis Coach, Nathan Reardon is adamant that they still need to be on their toes to seal the deal in the final matches of their East Asia Pacific T20 World Cup Qualification campaign. The Barras once again proved to be unstoppable in their defeat of Japan, with Semo Kamea taking the player of the match following his heroics with the ball, with 2 wickets for 17 runs. “Look we’re 3 from 3 and as I’ve said we’ve still got one or two games to win before we qualify.” “I still think T20 sides are the most dangerous when they’ve got nothing to lose.” “I think we’ll see a different Vanuatu side, a different Philippines side.” He said they still have a strong side and is happy with the way they are performing now, but they still got a lot of work to do, mentioning that the Barras are aware of this as well. Captain Assadollah Vala added that even though they were not playing up to the standards that they expect themselves to, coming away with the win yesterday is a good confidence builder for the team. He added that about their recent performance with the bat, they have not spoken about it as a group yet, adding that they will need to talk about how they can go about fine tuning themselves for the remaining matches.

During his recent meeting with Israeli Minister for Environment Protection Idit Silman, Minister Rainbo Paita took the opportunity to brief Silman on the Government’s Medium Term Development Plan IV and its aspirations to partner with other nations, development partners, non-governmental agencies and the international corporate community on its implementation. During this brief, Silman advised Paita that the Israeli Government stands ready to commit to supporting the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Government and its aspirations to develop the country and improve the quality of life. She said Israel has developed a lot of capabilities in the areas discussed and these could be shared with the people of PNG under the bilateral relationship. Paita mentioned that as a nation, PNG cannot afford to forgo such opportunities. "Israel has offered to help us with the implementation of the MTDP IV and the Marape-Rosso Government is committed to working with the Government of Israel and its people to develop a strong, vibrant, and practical relationship that is mutually beneficial.” “I have therefore, instructed my department to develop the MOU in consultation with key government agencies and the PNG UN Permanent Mission and have it finalized before end of August 2023." Minister Paita said he expected the support of every agency of government and of his colleagues in advancing this strategic and critical partnership.

A task force has been assembled to look into and find out why the Bank of Papua New Guinea (PBNG) and Puma Energy Limited have issues in resolving issues regarding Foreign Exchange (Forex) and Puma’s businesses. This is following the appointment of both Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) John Rosso and Treasurer Ian Lin-Stuckey to take on the challenge of resolving the ongoing issues, which happens to see no end. Prime Minister (PM) James Marape in a statement said that in the interest of national security, the National Security Advisory Committee (NASC) met last Friday with the following recommendations to the National Security Council and the National Executive Council (NEC): 1. Minister for Petroleum and Energy Hon. Kerenga Kua will utilize his powers to compel both Puma and BPNG to ensure fuel supply. 2. NEC will direct the establishment of a task force comprising representatives from Treasury, BPNG, Financial Analysis and Supervision Unit (FASU), Internal Revenue Commission (IRC), Customs, Department of Petroleum and Energy, along with two independent forensic audit firms. This task force will thoroughly investigate the allegations of money laundering by Puma, as the BPNG Board lacked sufficient information to address the issue effectively and finally. 3. The Government will urgently explore an energy business modality to ensure the country is not held to ransom, as witnessed during the BPNG-Puma issue. The PM stated that both Rosso and Ling Stuckey have been assigned to address this and that he is grateful for their efforts in preventing an energy crisis in the country. “After diligent efforts from DPM Rosso, Treasurer Ling-Stuckey, NSAC, NSC, and NEC, a temporary solution has been put in place and potential long-term solutions are under consideration.”