Lindsay Kiang, Secretary of Mate Fish Farming Group from Burui-Kunai LLG, Wosera-Gawi District, East Sepik Province, expressed her satisfaction with a weeklong workshop themed “Group Enterprise Development. This workshop was part of the implementation of the European Union-funded STREIT PNG Programme and organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) aimed at to equip participants with essential management skills and promote gender equality in leadership roles in agri-business groups. Ms. Kiang, who was among 48 other participants, expressed that this training, has equipped them with lifelong skills. “What I have learned is more important than the boats and cars we need for our businesses because these are material things that will not last long, but the information with skills and knowledge that have been imparted unto us, such as how to manage our money, is enduring and will support us in the long run, not only in our businesses but also in our daily living.” The workshop gave an opportunity for the participants to discuss, do group work and presentations on Group Agribusiness Management, Group Dynamics, Financial Literacy and Gender & Youth Inclusion in agri-business, as well as how to prepare cashbooks debtors’ records, credit records, labour records, cash flow, and balance sheets, to better manage the revenues and expenses of businesses. The capacity-building workshop concluded with a study tour of the FAO Thiaroye Technology (FTT) fish-processing set-up in Karawap in Wewak District. This is a pilot program in partnership with Karawambo Women’s Business Group with a membership of 200 women, including of 74 female youths. The FTT technology supports fishers, particularly fisherwomen, to own and operate profitable fish processing businesses by diversifying their products, reducing post-harvest losses, extending fish shelf life, and increasing the competitiveness of their fish products. FAO Gender & Youth Inclusion Specialist led the capacity-building workshop provided that poor accountability and management are the leading cause of business failure. She added that one of the reasons for the many failures is that women and youths are often not included in leadership positions within groups. The workshop was beneficial in that it aimed to upskill women and youth in managerial positions, thereby building confidence to manage operations of their group businesses for sustainability. The EU-STREIT PNG, being implemented as a UN Joint Programme (FAO as leading aagency/ administrative agent, and ILO, ITU, UNCDF and UNDP as implementing partners), is the largest grant-funded Programme of the European Union in the country and the Pacific region. The Programme focuses on increasing sustainable and inclusive economic development of rural areas through increasing the economic returns and opportunities from cocoa, vanilla and fishery value chains and strengthening and improving the efficiency of value chain enablers including the business environment and supporting sustainable, climate-resilient transport and energy infrastructure development.

Accessibility of maternal and newborn health care to communities is expected to be addressed in East New Britain with the rollout of the Supplementary Immunization Activity (SIA). The immunization program, which started in May, is being wrapped up this week by the 10 teams of health workers under the Rabaul Provincial Hospital, Gelagela Health Center and Rabaul Town Urban Clinic. District Health Coordinator Garry Mano said they are running according to their schedule, which will include a cover a mop-up verification of data that was collected during the first two weeks of the SIA rollout. “In the first two weeks, we saw that there are still many children in our target population in the communities that need to be immunized and were not reached due to various factors such the wet season and in-house issues.” “So, we have strategized to go door to door.” He added the Rabaul District Administration through its DDA allocated funding through its health facility to support drive the outreach program in the district due to the low coverage in the past years and the need to increase accessibility to these services to the communities. “I am appealing to ward members and ward development committees to assist health officers as they are moving into respective wards, make time for them and collaborate to collect vital data that must be captured to help in future planning and programs.” “I am once again appealing to families is that your children’s health is too precious. Vaccines are free, safe, and effective in keeping them healthy.” “By keeping up to date with vaccines, you are giving your children a shot at a brighter future.” Mr Mano further stated that Gelagela Health Centre has 16 clinic points, Rabaul Urban has 13 and RPH has 11 clinic points and urged those in these vicinities to bring your child forward to get immunized.

PNG Air flights into Wapenamanda, Enga Province have been suspended as of today (13062023) due to the current civil unrest currently being experienced in the area. The suspension of flights will remain in place until such time PNG Air can determine the safe operations of services back in the province. PNG Air call center team will contact customers who have purchased tickets for inbound and outbound Wapenamanda travel for further advisories. PNG Air further apologized to their customers for any inconvenience that may have been caused and have appealed for understanding during this time.

“This sick criminal behaviour must be stopped and stamped out at all costs and we will not rest until we have done so.” These were the words of Police Commissioner David following the release of hostages who were held by armed criminals. “All government resources will be employed to end the reign of terror of these armed criminals in the isolated border areas of the Southern Highlands, Hela & Western Province.” The Police Commissioner provided details of the release of the hostages, who were all females, saying they were released over the weekend around 2pm and that the extent of their treatment is still being assessed. “Upon their release, 11 victims were flown to Moro for medical checks, and further assisted by security forces and every effort is being made to ensure they have the support they require to get through this ordeal. “ The St Johns medical team was also moved by helicopter to Moro to assist with the medical checks of the victims. “I thank all who have been involved in this security operation to release and to care for these women and girls.” “As to the criminals, we will be relentless, and I can assure the public that the release of the girls does not mean a peaceful resolution for the criminals who took them captive.” Commissioner Manning revealed that a joint security operation had commenced days after they received information of the kidnapping. “A team comprising PNG Defence personnel, members of the Special Services Division and police investigators are now working around the clock to bring these criminals to justice and stop such evil actions from happening again.” He said after releasing the hostages, the suspects left the village and are being pursued by police and military personnel. Manning further stated that the hostages from Walagu village held captive by armed criminals for over five days, were released after a ransom of K2,000 and five pigs were paid by the villagers. The Police Commissioner said the suspects had initially demanded K40 000 cash but accepted the payment given, saying they would return to collect the rest of the money. He said the security forces are seeking support and cooperation from leaders from the village, district, provincial and national level to deal with this threat. He said despite the challenges of poor communications in the area and lack of road network into the area and rugged terrain, the security forces are determined to locate and deal with this threat.

Reports of the kidnapping and assault of 17 school girls along the corridors leading from the Mt. Bosavi area in Hela province, has irked Human Rights Defenders in the country. Ms. Ruth Kissam, staunch Human Rights Defender, said kidnapping and hurting of women and girls in this region, has been an ongoing issue. “The only reason why this issue has come to light, is because of the kidnapping of an international national lecturer and his fellow researchers early this year.” She said the leaders from these areas, are well aware of what has been going on, but have turned a blind eye to what is an ongoing situation. “These activities are being supported by white collared warlords! Because how can a simple villager afford a K50, 000 – K60, 000 machine gun?” She said the leaders from these areas are not taking a responsibility for the actions of their people and unfortunately, this means women and girls in the area, continue to suffer. “The leaders from these areas, need to be proactive in their actions. You cannot be dealing with National issues and your own backyard is a mess." "They need to stop hiding and come out and deal with this issue and stop using women and girls as collateral damage.”

Leaders who fail to submit their annual statements may face stricter penalties including a five year dismissal from office. This after a proposed amendment to the Organic Law on Duties and Responsibilities of Leadership by the Prime Minister James Marape; something that is been called a landmark legislation as it has never been done by past governments. The proposed amendment also includes substantial penalties for individuals who obstruct the Ombudsman Commission (OC) or intimidate and interfere with witnesses, where an initial vote saw it received unanimous support from MPs with a vote of 86-0. A second vote will take place after two months for the amendment to become law. PM Marape explained when introducing the proposed amendment, "Section 4 looks at the Statement of Income of Leaders who are both elected and appointed. “The Section requires all leaders to submit annual statements upon the anniversary of their appointments into public offices. Non-submission and non-compliance are a misconduct, where the OC investigates the leader and upon collection of all evidence, makes referral to the Office of the Public Prosecutor, who will then recommend to the Chief Justice to set up a Leadership Tribunal to hear the matter. “It is recommended that instead of matters being referred to the Public Prosecutor, the OC be given the power to order fines for non-compliance amounting to K20,000. This recommendation will enable the Commission to use its resources effectively, whilst dealing with this offence through its internal administrative processes. “It will also be a very-effective means to deterring non-compliance on leaders failing to make their annual declarations.” The proposed amendment also encompasses the following provisions: • Protection of information received by the OC under Section 22(1); • Increased penalties for failure to attend and produce documents as required by the OC under Section 31. The current penalty of K500 or three months imprisonment is deemed insufficient by the public and will be increased to K5,000 and 12 months imprisonment; • Increased penalties for individuals refusing to attend and provide evidence in OC inquiries. The current penalty of K500 or three months imprisonment is considered inadequate and will be raised to K5,000 and 12 months imprisonment; • Increased penalties for contempt of the OC, including disruptive behaviour that hampers its work. The existing penalty of K500 and three months imprisonment will be escalated to K5,000 and 12 months imprisonment; • Introduction of a new section, 33A, to address the offense of obstruction or non-cooperation with the OC in carrying out its functions. The penalty for this offense will be K5,000 or 12 months imprisonment; and • Imposition of restrictions on former public office holders from holding other positions. The proposed amendment suggests extending the restrictions on former leaders holding directorship positions to include national or domestic companies, as well as foreign enterprises. This acknowledges the broader range of potential conflicts of interest that leaders might face. Additionally, the exclusion period will be reduced from three years to one year, recognising that the risk of abuse of position diminishes over time. The penalty will increase from K1,000 to K5,000, and the imprisonment term will rise from three months to 12 months.

Three very lucky people from across the country woke up to good news this morning as their names were drawn for the winners of the YUMIFM PNG Musik Awards Ultimate Invite Competition at PNGFM Limited’s Head Office in Port Moresby. The Ultimate Invite Package/Prize includes return tickets, three nights’ accommodation and a VIP Pass to watch the YUMIFM PNG Musik Awards this Saturday, the 17th of June at the Lamana Gold Club’s Main Arena in Port Moresby. PNGFM Limited’s Senior Content Director, Ms. Michelle Lai was in a celebratory mood after the announcement of the winners this morning, first extending a word of thanks to all the participants of the competition. “We started out this competition to give our listeners a chance to be at the YUMIFM PNG Music Awards as we didn’t want them to miss out.” Michelle explained that the competition saw them draw weekly winners for each of PNGFM Limited’s stations, including Legend FM, Nau FM and Yumi FM. “We are very happy, that for all our stations, we have winners from outside of Port Moresby and one from each region. “We are really, really happy that it turned out that way, so at least we have one person from each of the four regions, to turn up for the YUMIFM PNG Music Awards this Saturday.” The competition ran for a little over three weeks in the lead up to this morning, where PNGFM Limited’s General Manager, Ms. Rosemarie Botong, doing the draws for all three stations during today’s breakfast shows. Mel from Mt. Hagen was picked as the winner for the Ultimate Invite Winner for Legend FM, Emma from Lae for Nau FM and Derrol from Manus, was drawn for Yumi FM.

Nasfund Savings and Loan (ncsl) announced today the appointment of Chief Financial Officer, Keith Raimo as Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO). These changes come as ncsl begins an exciting restructuring exercise, designed to develop a more efficient and customer centric organisation. The Board has approved a wholistic Plan for Change. The Board looks forward to working with Mr Raimo and the ncsl management and staff to deliver this important transformation agenda. The Board acknowledges the dedicated service of outgoing CEO, Vari Lahui. Mr Lahui was appointed ncsl General Manager in 2013 and went on to be appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2020. Under Mr Lahui’s leadership, ncsl has grown to become a leader in the PNG Savings & Loans industry. Consistently delivering strong results for the benefit of members and remains one of the Pacific regions largest savings and loan societies

NCSL is excited to welcome its new Manager E-Banking, Gila Ebenosi and Manager Finance, Edwin Mondo to the team. Gila comes across from BSP Financial Group Limited and possesses more than 12 years of experience in Digital Banking, Project Management, IT and Retail Banking within the banking and financial services industry. He joined the team in May 2023 as Manager E-Banking and will oversee all electronic banking functions from product development to customer service delivery. He is excited to share his experiences in Retail and Digital Banking and be part of NCSL’s growth aspirations through innovation and improving members’ experience. “The best part of working in a new environment is that you get to work alongside the very people that share a common goal and interest in delivering the best e-Banking services and be part of building and influencing positive outcomes for NCSL and its members,” he said. Manager Finance, Edwin Mondo brings onboard over 13 years of experience with various firms including Santos, his immediate past employer. His expertise includes Budgeting, General Ledger Reconciliation, External Audit, Financial Accounting and Management Accounting. “With the experiences and connections built over a decade of working with the Big4 accounting firms and other organizations, I am looking forward to bringing these to NCSL and contribute where I possibly can bring the best out of my staff and in turn, continue to bring positive results for our members,” he said. NCSL Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Presley Semi said, “The market has a shortage of top talent and NCSL  is fortunate to secure the services of two well experienced and enterprising young Papua New Guineans.” “We look forward to their contribution to building a positive organizational culture and driving the growth of the business so we can deliver on our members’ expectations.”

NCSL successfully hosted its 8th Annual General Meeting (AGM) last week in Port Moresby to inform its members on the Society’s 2022 financial performance and provide a status update on the remediation work currently underway to restore all services after the IT outage on 1st March 2023. NCSL CEO, Vari Lahui presented the 2022 Financial Year results to the members and was pleased to announce total revenue increased by 8.5% to K 39.5M, with a net profit of K16.1 million, an increase of 16%. CEO Lahui said, “our Members’ Savings also increased by 8.2% to K267.9 million. Year on year we see growth in member contribution which is a clear demonstration of members trust and confidence in NCSL to look after their hard-earned savings.” The CEO also gave updates on the remediation exercise in progress to restore Poro Card services, branch operations, and steps taken by NCSLto address issues with transfers to BSP accounts and the recent USSD (mobile banking) service migration to Telikom’s mobile network from Digicel. The attending members were informed that the NCSL technical team are working tirelessly to run important tests and checks on the Poro card system. “We are working closely with our regulator, Bank of Papua New Guinea, to finalize this matter before we are connected back on the Retail Electronic Payments System (REPS) to allow us to use our Poro cards.” “We have also restored services 57% our branches while the remaining few will be completed in the coming weeks.” He also highlighted NCSL’s switch to Telikom for the USSD service. The CEO assured members, NCSL and Telikom are working closely to ensure an improved customer experience and service for its members. Mr. Lahui reiterated that members’ funds are safe as NCSL continues its efforts to bring all services back to normal. The AGM also gave an opportunity for members to interact with NCSL Board and Management during the Question-and-Answer Session. Few notable attendees present at the 8th AGM were representatives from the Bank of Papua New Guinea. We also had the pleasure of having Mr. Paulus Laveil, Managing Director of the Federation of the Savings & Loan Society Ltd (FESALOS). Mr. Lahui acknowledged the attendance of NCSL members who attended and thanked them for their continuous support and loyalty.

“Rubbish needs to be separated and sorted by categories to make it easier to dispose of accordingly.” These were the sentiments of Rabaul District Health Manager Mr. Garry Mano, during a cleanathon to mark World Environment Day (WED), as garbage segregation plays an important role in protecting the environment. “Have different bins for paper, plastic, metal, glass and even food waste.” “Separate wet waste from dry waste and by doing so we can identify what needs to be recycled. “Waste segregation can also reduce the risk of injury or exposure from sharp objects such as broken glass and tins.” He further said that by effective waste segregation practice, it reduces the amount of mix waste and protects the environment, creating a clean and safe environment to live in. Meanwhile, District Administrator Mr Benedict Mode was pleased with the efforts of district and his LLG officers in commemoration WED and added that doing clean up and appreciating the environment should be an everyday and not on a designated day. The 4x LLGs of Rabaul district; Rabaul Urban, Kombiu, Balanataman and Watom Island LLG commemorated the WED with cleanathon in their wards as well as planting of trees (timber) and fruit trees. Awareness was also conducted in wards and schools on the importance of proper garbage disposal and conserving the environment for future generations. Coastal communities also took part in cleaning up their beachfront and planting of mangrove trees.

Papua New Guinea’s leading superannuation provider Nasfund commemorated the 2023 World Environment Day by celebrating its progressive effort toward its tree-planting initiative that started two years ago. As part of Nasfund’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the Fund has made a commitment to plant 3000 trees by the year 2030 under the ‘’Trees For Life’’ initiative that is driven by the Port Moresby Nature Park. Whilst observing the global event this year, the organization is also proud to announce that it has already made significant progress towards this goal, having planted 1270 trees since 2021. Over the weekend, Nasfund Port Moresby-based team planted 500 mangrove seedlings in partnership with local NGO – Coastline Care project at Gwarumemase village in Central Province. Similar initiatives were undertaken by branches nationwide that resulted in a total of 670 trees being planted for this year alone. General Manager Talent & Culture, Vincent Lialu explained that the tree-planting initiative is being carried out in partnership with local communities and NGOs, with Coastline Care Project as one such NGO that Nasfund has partnered with this year to commemorate World Environment Day. “We believe that by working together with local communities and organizations we can make a positive impact on the environment and create a better future for all by not only preparing our generations to be financially ready for tomorrow but also to be responsible citizens of tomorrow.” Coastline Care Project's Team Lead, Maisy Lus said that they were thrilled to partner with Nasfund in this year’s event. “The support we received from Nasfund as a local NGO has been invaluable in contributing to the rehabilitation of this degraded area and we thanked the staff and volunteers who came by to attend this planting event", she said. The Nasfund team in Lae, Goroko, Madang, and Bialla branches celebrated the event over the weekend through similar activities. The Fund is pleased with this effort and looks forward to surpassing its target of planting 3000 trees by 2030.