The 2023 West Pacific Regional Championships in Port Vila, Vanuatu held recently saw the Papua New Guinea (PNG) juniors who took part, did extremely well. Speaking to PNGHAUSBUNG, Tennis Competition Director Mr. Eddie Mera revealed that four of the Papua New Guinean juniors have qualified for the Pacific Oceania Junior Championships that will be held in Lautoka, Fiji come July. The four juniors who have qualified are; 1. Colita Hakena who came out the winner in the Girls 14 division 2. John Louie Domalaon who came third in the Boys 14 division 3. Pauline Hyun who was the runner up in the Girls 16 division 4. Sugar-Ray Hakena was the runner up in the boys 16 division Other winners & awards included; 1. Nepheline Leah Akinu & Colita Hakena who were the winners in Girls 14 Doubles division 2. Michael Kamara who took out the Best Sportsmanship Award in the Under 16 division Mr. Mera congratulated all the juniors for the amazing effort by all the players representing the country and for showing a good attitude, fighting spirit, respect and discipline.

Every second Sunday of the Month of May, people around the world celebrate Mother’s Day. Mother’s day is an important day, because mother’s are the givers of life. Without their lives, we would not have our lives. Here is how some of you will be celebrating your mums, come this Sunday. [audio mp3="https://pnghausbung.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/MOTHERS-DAY-VOX.mp3"][/audio]

Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape said he was offended by his Foreign Minister’s Justin Tkatchenko’s remarks, labelling social media critics of his daughter as “primitive animals” but has chosen to forgive him. This followed an apology from Tkatchenko to the people of Papua New Guinea for remarks he made on Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “We should not be labelling our citizens as ‘primitive animals’ even if they have wronged us." “Deputy Prime Minister Hon. John Rosso and I summoned Minister Tkatchenko on Thursday to explain the circumstances behind the public outburst, especially against his use of the words ‘primitive animals’ on ABC.” “DPM Rosso and I expressed concern about the use of these words, to which he responded that it was not directed at all Papua New Guineans, but a spur-of-moment response to social media attacks on his daughter." The PM added that, “Minister Tkatchenko apologised to me and to the country for his remarks for the use of the words ‘primitive animals’." “I advised him that as Ministers of State, and Leaders of our country, we carry a huge responsibility in how we respond to public scrutiny of our conduct as well as that of family members." “Minister Tkatchenko apologised to the country, to me, to Cabinet and the Government for his remarks.” PM Marape apologised to PNG for Minister Tkatchenko’s unsavoury use of words but appealed to the country to rise above these issues. “I appeal to our people that we should rise above these issues and stand united as one people, one nation, one country – regardless of colour or creed,” he said. “We are a unique blend of ethnic diversities, and as Christians, we can forgive each other." “I am also offended like some some of you but our national character is put to the test and on the brightest spot light and we must show the world that we can forgive those who offend us." “In less than two weeks, we will host US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Hon. Modi, in what will be one of the most-important events in our 48 years of nationhood. “We will also have 16 other Pacific leaders coming to PNG at the same time." “This will be a momentous and historic occasion - which should rally our nation together - and we should not let this issue stand in the way." “I ask our citizens far and wide – who have been offended by Minister Tkatchenko’s remarks – to forgive him. The spotlight of the world is upon us now and for the next 10 days until the two global leaders arrive." Marape said, “There can be no greater reference for our national character than us showing the spirit of forgiveness."

“Roads are of paramount importance and a priority that links all other developments to be accessed.” These were the remarks of Rabaul District Administrator Mr Benedict Mode when commissioning the new double cell Reinforced Concrete Box Culvert (RCBC) along the Korere-Tavui Road in Rabaul District, East New Britain. “This is an economic road and farmers need to bring their cocoa and copra with other fresh produce to the market.” “Most of the time they had to wait or walk to the nearest junction to find transport.” “This project was funded by the Rabaul District Administrations under the District Services Improvement Program (DSIP) at a cost of K350 000.” A local contractor, Esteem Ltd successfully completed the construction of the project before its completion due date. The District Administrator Mr Benedict Mode also announced that Rabaul district is also in the process to tender the Namanula Road which connects to the Korere-Tavui Road. Meantime, the District Works Engineer Mr Mellie Munulai when giving a brief on the project said that stretch of the road has always been affected since the 1994 twin volcanic eruption. “This road has always been a challenge with the change of weather patterns affecting commuters and vehicle owners who meet the high cost of maintenance and repair of car parts.” “We will continue to set up RCBC cells to other washouts along the road as well.” The local communities and especially the youth have been urged to take ownership of the RCBC crossing and avoid graffiti.

Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape termed the country’s very high electricity rates, a ‘cardinal sin and the setting up of the National Energy Authority was the Government’s response to this situation, while PPL would be just an energy service provider. He made these when addressing workshop on innovation in the electricity sector in the country, with a focus on renewable energies. This workshop was organized by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank and attended by representatives from both the Government and public sector. PM Marape said considering that the country has a high prevalence clean and green energy sources, it was ironic that it could not provide cheap electricity to the people “At the moment, sadly, it (cheap electricity) is not so. We have one of the highest tariff structures in our country. It is morally wrong for us to maintain this high cost structure in a land that is prevalent with many clean energy sources for us to tap into.” “This is wrong and is something that we are working to correct at the very earliest. We have clearly identified impediments to arrive at lower-cost electricity, that is sourced from cleaner sources.” PM Marape said PNG would transition into using gas as a cleaner and greener source of energy, and into the future, generate energy from hydro, geo-thermal, solar and various other natural sources. “Today, for the first time, by deliberate intervention, we have established the National Energy Authority. PNG Power Ltd is reduced to just a company, amongst, hopefully, many companies in the power-generation space as we go forward into the future,” he said. “Whilst they are the only major, State-owned, power company, we realise their inadequacies. It is about time we step up the game.” “We have a mission to deliver electricity to 70 per cent of our people by 2030 – which is only seven years away. Having realised this, PNG Power alone cannot be a regulator, and deliverer, of power to our people. We have now established a regulator, at arm’s length from power companies, and PNG Power can be amongst many power companies in our country.” The workshop noted that while 60 per cent of Papua New Guineans had access to some form of electricity supply, only an estimated 13-15 per cent of the country’s growing population had access to on-grid electricity, even though PNG had great potential for solar, wind and other renewable energies, which could provide sufficient electricity for all Papua New Guineans, and even for export. Workshop participants discussed various potential solutions for the sector, such as introducing concessions for smaller grids; allowing self-generation; introducing an independent system operator; establishing a single buyer for energy producers; and developing common use infrastructure for projects in green hydrogen, an area where the country may have great potential. IFC has been involved in the country’s energy sector for a number of years – the Lighting PNG programme, for example, has helped provide off-grid access to lighting and mobile charging for more than two million people across the country. At present, IFC is also helping the utility, PPL, to design public-private partnerships for five provincial cities, based on solar energy generation.

Three police officers in the National Capital District have been served with Serious Disciplinary Charges (SDOR) by the Police Internal Investigation Unit yesterday. This is in relation to a video that went viral on social media where the three were seen to be consuming what appears to be methamphetamine or ice. They were only charged with administrative charges because when they arrested they didn’t have any illicit substance in their possession. Assistant Commissioner of Police and Commander for the National Capital District and Central Province Divisional Command, Anthony Wagambie Jr, said the three police officers were arrested and detained at the Gordon Police Station. A search warrant was obtained and one of the policeman`s house was searched but nothing was found. Mr Wagambie Jnr said out of the three police officers, one was served with four SDORs, the second with three and the third with two. He said the three men have denied consuming methamphetamine; however, they were served with administrative charges because of their actions which were captured on video and uploaded over the internet. ACP Wagambie Jnr said they were strongly cautioned and advised that they are now in the spotlight, and everyone will be watching them. He said with the increase in the production, distribution, and consumption of methamphetamine in the NCD Central command, any police officer caught involved directly or indirectly will be dealt with and will be recommended for dismissal. Mr Wagambie Jnr said policemen caught dealing or using methamphetamine or any other illicit drugs will be arrested and charged criminally when they are caught. He urged the public to provide information if they know of police officers involved in this illegal activity. He said the three who were served with disciplinary charges will be closely monitored by the NCD Central Divisional Command for further actions to be taken if warranted. Mr Wagambie Jnr said the police force is not the place for drug dealers and users and bold moves are now being initiated by the management of the Constabulary to identify and remove such people.

Nazareth Centre for Rehabilitation (NCfR) can continue the vital work it does in responding to gender based violence in Bougainville now that it has been granted K3 million from the Australian Government. The NCfR provides safe houses, counselling, and referrals, working closely with schools, community advocates and churches on prevention programs and awareness raising among local communities throughout AROB. They also focus on engaging with men and boys to bring about social change and build non-violent communities; a program that has been well received. NCfR Director, Sister Lorraine Garasu said the grant is timely and a great assistance at this point in time. “This grant will support us in providing safe environments for victims of all forms of violence and at the same time, sustain counselling and healing programs, to promote peace in the communities.” The grant will also assist to implement the NCfR Community Strengthening Strategy over the next three years, which will pave the way forward for greater collaboration between NCfR and network partners to address social issues and creating pathways for non-violent communities. This will sustain the services offered through the centre and will assist the organisation in expanding its geographic and demographic footprint and having a broader, more sustainable presence in AROB. Dr Fiona Crockford, First Secretary, Australian Development Assistance, congratulated NCfR and commended the organisation for their services to community-based peacebuilding and conflict resolution, including social resilience and counselling services to benefit Bougainville women, men, youth and children. Australia is committed to the implementation of the Bougainville Peace Agreement and supports the engagement of local organisations to participate in the peace process.

Milne Bay Agriculturalist Mr. Skipa Christopher, who has been instrumental in a number of rural rice projects in the province, is now undergoing training in Japan, to elevate the work he is already doing. “The Milne Bay Administration, under the Division of Agriculture Livestock, have given me this opportunity to studying here in Japan, under the JICA Scholarship.” Mr. Skipa is going through a training course on vegetable production technology for the improvement of small-scale farmers at the JICA Tsukuba International Training Center located in Tsukuba City; a location that is called the "science city". “I will be here for 8 months, studying a variety of horticultural crops in production, management and marketing.” Mr. Christopher explained that through the course, he and other training member, will travel to local farm sites, cooperative farming groups, research institutions and visit large commercial farms. “We will train on different aspects of vegetable production. So far, I have been really enjoying my training as it is practical and simple and very interesting as well, as involves the use of technology.” This is the very first time for Mr. Christopher to travel overseas and although he misses his family, he is determined to make good on this call to duty. “Once I complete my training, I will be able to be of better service to others by improving farming systems and gain and pass on the knowledge and skills on the science of business farming.” He had always dreamed of studying in Japan and now that Mr. Christopher is living his dream; he has immersed himself in his training and is fully embracing the Japanese Culture. Mr. Christopher humbly offered that you need to work hard, make a lot of sacrifices, be humble and be of service to others, while you work at achieving your personal goals. He added that as an agriculturalist, there are countless opportunities, both domestic and international, one only need to stand out by impacting and improving the lives of those around them. “Don’t be too complacent in life. Go out there and do something for yourself, your family, your community, your province, and the nation.”

Air Niugini’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr Gary Seddon revealed some major changes that will improve ANG’s service delivery in the coming years. Seddon said this during a recent visit by the Minister for State Owned Enterprises William Duma, to the ANG Head Office and Engineering Facilities. “We are embarking on a major fleet replacement transaction, and we are fortunate to have the continued support and guidance of our Minister and our government; particularly in our 50th year of operation.” Mr. Seddon explained that prior to the arrival of ANG’s brand-new aircraft, they will welcome an interim fleet of 6 including Boeing 737-800 and Q400 Turboprop aircraft by September 2023. “Our new aircraft arrives from 2025. Manufacturer lead times are lengthy because of challenging global supply chain issues.” Mr. Seddon said the National Airline plays a critical role in the development of Papua New Guinea and he was grateful for the visit by Minister Duma and his delegation. The State-Owned Enterprise Minister and his delegation’s visit to ANG to see first-hand the work being done by staff, the challenges they face and what Air Niugini strategies have been adopted. His delegation included Kumul Consolidated Holdings (KCH) Chairman, Mr Moses Maladina, KCH Managing Director, Professor David Kavanamur and Air Niugini Director Mr. Karl Yalo. Minister Duma rallied the staff and challenged them to look within themselves to work towards successful outcomes. “Air Niugini is your airline… we all need to work together, to turn around this great company.” “There is no room for mediocre performances. We must work harder, to deliver affordable, reliable services. Our people deserve nothing less.” The Minister thanked everyone he had met, and indicated he looked forward to his next visit to see the impact of the changes the management team are implementing across Air Niugini.

The Rabaul District carried out a month-long basic cooking training where participants learned how to make delicious meals and gained some new valuable cooking skills. Two of the 51 participants that underwent this training were Mr. Jacob Turupia and Dorothy Darius who attained certificates in basic cooking, basic cooking, basic sewing, and sustainable organic gardening from the St Joseph’s Training Center at Iawakaka Ward. Mr Tirupia commended the Rabaul District Administration for putting funding into this vital training and the facilitators for their efforts to demonstrate to the 25 participants that undertook basic cookery on how to prepare and incorporate new ingredients into their diets. “We have learnt a lot of new recipes and especially in baking and catering and we are also able to change the diet in our family homes. If there are gatherings in our homes, we will now be able to do so much more with the skills we have gained.” He urged his fellow graduates to go back home and continue to prepare changed diets in their own family homes. Miss Darius when sharing similar sentiments said she was privileged to learn different ways and styles to cook and bake with different ingredients and cooking utensils. “Let us cook with love, peace and kindness and share with our family,” she said. Meantime, East New Britain acting Provincial Administrator, Levi Mano said with the newly acquired skills gained by the participants, they can be able to prosper their families and community. “With a lot of law-and-order issues happening in our communities, it is my wish that you go back and change the lifestyle in your respective wards with your actions. Rabaul District Administrator, Benedict Mode also added the district administration will be signing a memorandum of understanding with the training centre soon, to pave way for key infrastructure development.

PNG Power has acknowledged, and a response made by PPL Board Chairman McRonald Nale to a recent statement from the Independent Power Producers Group regarding the state of power supply and infrastructure and reliability in the country, as well as payments owed to the IPPs. PPL wants to ensure that efforts put into its recovery from its Government Shareholder, Kumul Consolidated Holdings are clearly understood, stating also that they are taking serious steps to address the issues it is currently facing. “Increasing business as well as industrial and domestic consumers has meant an increase in demand.” “And despite increasing electricity in its grids in Port Moresby, Ramu and Lae, providing a reliable power supply continues to be a challenge for PPL.” “It is hoped that projects being undertaken in various centers around the country will increase generation, capacity and improve reliability through better transmission and distribution; changes that are expected to take effect by the end of 2023.” Mr Nale further stated that in line with its commitment to increasing generation, PNG Power recently witnessed the Edevu hydropower plant dam filling with water – from a new entrant into the market, PNG Hydro Development. “Edevu will generate 54 MW for Port Moresby, meeting 40% of demand in the nation’s capital, and stabilising the grid.” “PNG Power is constructing the Edevu to Moitaka transmission line, the link to the Port Moresby grid.” This will allow PPL to have surplus power generation and use this opportunity to rehabilitate its own hydro facilities at Rouna. Edevu will generate clean, environmentally friendly energy, assisting PNG’s commitment to transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2030. To relieve loading on the Boroko and Konedobu substations, PNG Power has commissioned two feeders at the new Kila Kila sub-station. “Improvements are also underway at the Rouna 1 and 3 hydropower stations, to ensure PPL’s generation units there are providing their rated power.” PPL added that work on the Ramu grid transmission reinforcement system is improving power supply into Lae city - the energising of the new Singsing substation and improvement of the Erap sub-station. Ramu 1 generation units are also being improved. PPL’s improvements have been supported by electrification partners and donor agencies along with the National Government. PPL will continue to work with IPPs to ensure that we cooperatively achieve the goal of delivering improved, safe and reliable electricity to the people of PNG. “I would like to restate that PPL’s reliability issues are due primarily to ageing infrastructure, power theft, the inability to pass on costs of power purchased to end users and delays in payments from private and Government sector power consumers. PPL’s objective is to have a steady cash flow from the provision of reliable power whilst at the same time servicing its debts and liabilities. Reliability comes at a cost.” “PNG Power has undertaken certain critical initiatives to curb the problems it is experiencing.” To protect its cash flow going forward,PPL is in the process of implementing three-phase pre-paid meters so customers pay for their power in advance of usage. To tackle power theft, PPL is rolling out the AMI Smart Metering Project which aims at improving non-technical losses. “ NEC recently allocated K211 million to KCH to fund PPL projects that address power reliability and enable the company to repay its debts through improved revenue collection as a result of improved power reliability. To address matters alluded to by the IPPs in their media statement and give confidence to business investors and domestic consumers, PPL would like to clarify the following: 1. PPL is not Insolvent. Certain IPPs are disputing their invoices which have led to court action to address these. 2. There are no court proceedings against PNG Power or any of the IPPs. The matter between PNG Power and NiuPower Limited was recently settled by consent - PPL discontinued its proceedings and NiuPower withdrew its creditor’s statutory demand. 3. PPL’s main recovery tool, its tariff, has not been increased since 2013. Like any business, PNG Power has to be able to pass on production costs from its sale of electricity. To date, this has not been possible. The Government will implement this tool when reliability has improved but as stated earlier - reliability comes at a price. “PPL acknowledges the concerns raised by the IPPs and assures the general public that it is working tirelessly with the Government and its shareholder, KCH, to resolve these issues.”

It is a story of a couple of man of law, taking on the role of conservationists, as Policeman in Lae took it upon themselves to rescue a Leatherback Turtle and release it back into the sea at Voco Point in Lae, Morobe Province. According to Police Officer, Constable George Mugaliong, who is attached with the Sector Response Unit under the Lae Metropolitan Command, the turtle was caught by fishermen at Lababia near the Morobe Patrol Coast and transported to the Main Lae Market for sale. “Whilst on patrol duty, I noticed a big crowd surrounding a PMV truck where the turtle was been loaded on a PMV truck, headed for Wau-Bulolo, as a guy had bought the turtle. Constable Mugaliong reported that the turtle weighed approximately 90kgs and was 1m in diameter. “We drove into the crowd to disperse the people and my fellow members, and I helped remove the turtle from the back of the truck and loaded it into our patrol vehicle.” The Policemen lodged a situation report to their superiors and then proceeded to take the turtle to Voco Point Back to have it released. “We cut loss all the ties that were holding the turtle’s flippers in place and tried to set it free.” “Because the turtle was very weak, after been out of its habitat for close to two days, it did not react quickly.” “We had to wait another hour before the turtle was able to regain some of its strength and it eventually swam away.” The leatherback turtles are a critically endangered and protected marine reptile in Papua New Guinea.