Police in the nation’s capital Port Moresby continue to vigorously investigate the recent armed robbery incident that took place at the Dash Besh supermarket at the Tokarara suburb that saw a death and injuries reported. The National Capital District (NCD) Metropolitan Superintendent (Met. Supt.) Silva Sika, in an interview with PNG HAUSBUNG, revealed that investigations are still ongoing to properly identify the culprits involved in the Tokarara heist. The heist occurred last week Sunday 6th October resulting in one person dead, which then triggered at reaction from the public that saw one of the suspects from the criminal gang who was left behind when the gang made their escape from the scene, brutally attacked. The Met. Supt. also confirmed that the suspect who was attacked by the public is currently in the hospital recovering from his wounds and when he has made full recovery, formal investigations will be conducted to identify the appropriate charges for his actions, including the charge of armed robbery. Mr. Sika also said that addressing crime in the city is everyone’s business and says the public must continue to partner with police to ensure a safe community for all residents. He further stated that Papua New Guinea will turn 50 years next year and it’s about time people change their attitudes and mindsets towards law and order and uphold peace and unity. “We need to change our mindset to embrace respect for ourselves and our fellow citizens, including neighbors and communities,” said the Met. Supt.

The 2024 NRL season will soon reach its thrilling conclusion as the Melbourne Storm and the Penrith Panthers prepare to clash in the Grand Final at Accor Stadium in Sydney Australia this evening. This highly anticipated match will determine the 2024 NRL Premiership winner, with both teams showcasing exceptional performances throughout the season. The recent matches saw the Melbourne Storm have had the upper hand this season, the Storm defeated the Panthers in both their meetings, with scores of 24-22 and 8-0. The Storm's recent form is also strong, with four wins in their last five games, while the Panthers have won four out of their last five, losing only to the Raiders. The Melbourne Storm have had an outstanding season, finishing at the top of the ladder with 44 points from 24 games, including 19 wins and only 5 losses. They have a strong point differential of +300, scoring 777 points and conceding 477. Their home and away records are impressive at 10-2 and 9-3, respectively. Key players like Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes have driven their success, while their defense, led by Ryan Papenhuyzen and Nelson Asofa-Solomona, has been solid. Despite their dominance, their five losses show they can be vulnerable, and maintaining consistency in high-pressure situations will be crucial. Meanwhile, the Penrith Panthers have had an impressive season, finishing second with 40 points. They achieved 17 wins and 7 losses, scoring 636 points and conceding 410, giving them a point differential of +226. Their home record is 9-3, and away is 8-4. Key players like Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai have driven their attack, while Dylan Edwards and Isaah Yeo have strengthened their defense. Despite some losses, their resilience and ability to perform under pressure make them strong contenders for the Grand Final. The Grand final showdown saw the odds provided with the favor toward the Storms followed by the Panthers. The match will be broadcast live on Nine Network and Nine Now, with ground conditions expected to be good and the weather fine. The stage is set for an epic battle between two of the NRL's best teams. As the Melbourne Storm and Penrith Panthers prepare to face off in the Grand Final, the question remains: will the Storm's dominance throughout the season be enough to secure the 2024 NRL Premiership title, or will the Panthers' resilience and determination see them crowned champions once again for the fourth time? With both teams showcasing exceptional talent and form, this final match promises to be a thrilling encounter that will keep rugby league fans on the edge of their seats. Only time will tell who will emerge victorious and take home the 2024 NRL Premiership. The match will remain on neutral grounds at the Accor Stadium Sydney at 6:30pm this evening.

The investigation Into East New Britain Palm Oil Limited (ENBPOL) and its business conduct with local oil palm growers in the Gazelle Peninsula will commence soon following the government releasing recently the fundings for it. The Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru in a statement released on the 4th October, expressed gratitude to the Marape-Rosso government towards the released funds while highlighting the next step into formal investigation. The investigation will include close communication between the investigation team and key stakeholders in the investigation, including the ENB Provincial Government and Local Oil Palm farmers, and the ENBPOL. The arrangement of the schedule with be published in the newspapers for public knowledge. The investigation, which will be led by oil palm expert, Mr. Nicholas Thompson, was established and approved by the NEC following a petition by the local oil palm growers and landowners of Gazelle Peninsula and Wider Bay Area of ENB Province, calling for an investigation into the exploitation of an unfair trade practices by the ENBPOL for illegal price fixing of K10 per metric ton for Fresh Fruits Bunch (FFB) payments from November 2014 to 2022, and K15 per metric ton from 2023-2024. Minister Maru announced that an investigation team will examine ENBPOL's ownership, land titles, and packages for large-scale palm oil estates, as the company reportedly does not own the land it operates on. The team will also compare benefits with other palm oil provinces. The findings will be crucial for stakeholders, including growers, landowners, developers, the government, and agencies for potential changes. Minister Maru emphasized that the Marape-Rosso Government is addressing farmers' complaints to secure better packages for land use in oil palm development and to ensure foreign investors do not exploit local landowners. Minister Maru concluded that the investigation will help the government reform the oil palm industry to prevent exploitation of farmers through policy and legislation. If allegations of price fixing by ENBPOL are true, the investigation will recommend compensation for farmers' lost income over the past ten years. The government will determine the extent of the financial loss and decide on ENBPOL's future operations in PNG based on the findings. Minister Maru reiterated that the Marape-Rosso Government is committed to addressing farmers' complaints and ensuring fair treatment by foreign investors.

East Sepik Provincial Police Commander (PPC), Christopher Tamari has confirmed that police officers are now on ground in Wosera to monitor, carryout investigations and prevent further clashes between two villages recently that has seen properties destroyed and casualties. PPC Tamarai told PNG HAUSBUNG that the violent dispute between the Gatikum and Visikum villages in Northern Wosera resulted in more than two locals dead from the violent fighting. He said with a high population of locals in the area, the local police personnel are not equipped to take control of the situation, hence additional police manpower had to be sent into help handle the situation. The fighting also disrupted critical government services to the rest for the people, even the local Secondary School had to suspend classes, affecting the preparation for the final year students for the 2024 National Examinations that will be starting next week.

PNG Power Limited (PPL) is implementing an emergency load shedding across Port Moresby city and Central Province due to a current shortfall in electricity generation. This measure is essential to maintain system stability while efforts are underway to restore full power generation after Dirio Gas & Power Company Limited pulled the plug on its power supply to the city's power grid due to nonpayment of bills owed by PNG Power to the company. The load shedding is occurring in 3 to 4-hour intervals, and the schedule has been made available on all PNG Power social media platforms. PNG Power further stated that the shortfall in power generation is primarily due to Dirio suspending its power supply to PPL on Friday, September 27th. PPL is actively engaging with Dirio to resolve the issues affecting the power supply and aims to find a mutually beneficial solution promptly. In addition to this issue, global economic conditions and market fluctuations have also impacted PPL’s operational costs, including inflation, a shortage of foreign exchange within PNG, and rising fuel costs driven by global uncertainties. Additionally, unpaid electricity bills and unfunded community service obligations continue to strain PPL’s financial resources. PPL requires immediate additional funding to reduce its outstanding debt and modernize its infrastructure. Despite these hurdles, PPL is committed to restoring normal power supply while working closely with suppliers and developing strategic solutions to secure more sustainable fuel arrangements, ensuring long-term stability in generation capacity. PPL remains dedicated to minimizing disruptions focused on finding long-term solutions to mitigate the effects of external market forces on its operations, limiting the impact on customers. According to PNG Power Board of Directors McRonald Nale, PPL continues to operate with strong support from the Marape Rosso Government, Kumul Consolidated Holding (KCH), and multilateral partners to enhance power reliability across the country. Mr. Nale concluded by mentioning that the contributions of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) are highly valued, as they play a crucial role in generating electricity for major grids. PPL will maintain its partnerships with IPPs under fair and equitable terms for both parties.

The Port Moresby Northwest Rugby League, a sanctioned competition under the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL), is having a difficult time monitoring club players going through required medical checks, especially with the semi- finals coming up and everyone preparing for it. The Port Moresby Northwest Rugby League Games Coordinator, Mr. Stallone Tanda, said they have received reports of players sustaining injuries like shoulder injuries amongst several other forms of injuries throughout the season, either from trainings or from games. However, he said although clubs implement routine medical check ups at the various health centers in the city, a good number of players tend not to get medical checks in fear of being ruled out of the games, if they are declared upfit to play. He said this has resulted in the difficulty of the Port Moresby Northwest League Management to keep tabs on players medical conditions before the games; however, he said this should not be the case as each player must put their safety first, no matter what the situation in the game is or their club standings in the competition, as their wellbeing is important. It's better to not sustain any life long injuries that would prevent each player from achieving their dreams in playing rugby league. Mr. Tanda went on the urge the respective clubs in the competition to also focus on their players' wellbeing and ensure required medical checks are being conducted. Meantime, the knockout games this week will determine the teams to go into the semi- finals. The grand final is all set for October 13th , 2024 with matches to be played at the Koni Tigers Oval, Waigani.

The 2024 National Examination week for all final year students from secondary to primary schools in the country will commence next week, starting off with the Grade 10s, and the Tokarara Secondary School in Port Moresby city is putting in the final touches for their students to sit their exams. Tokarara Secondary School Principal, Mr. Gabriel Manga told PNG HAUSBUNG that they continue to conduct remedial classes and additional classes for students who need the extra classes, for their final year students from Grade- 8 to Grade- 12. Mr. Manga stated that they have a total of 717 students, perhaps the highest for the school, to sit for the National Exams this year. The total number of students comprises of 4 classes of Grade-8s, 8 classes of Grade-10s and 5 classes of Grade- 12’s. Despite this huge number of final year students, the principal says preparations have gone quite well so far. Mr. Manga also emphasized strong confidence in the students as their overall discipline this year has been exemplary. The Grade- 8, 10, and 12 students will all be sitting for their national exams in the month of October. The Grade-10s will start-off the week from the 7th -11th of October while the Grade–12 will sit theirs from 14th –18th and Grade-8’s on the 21st to 24th of October, wrapping up the National Examination week. “I am confident in the teacher’s efforts towards preparing the students for their National Exams. The teachers have played their part, and the students have responded through their attendance during remedials and classes.” Mr. Manga concluded that the school staff, including senior teachers, continue to relay wisdom and encouraging words to the students at weekly assemblies to stimulate their interest in the upcoming national exams.

Senior police authorities are continuing their peace mediation talks with community leaders of Enga's Porgera Valley at Laigam today. Enga Provincial Police Commander Fred Yakasa confirmed this with PNG HAUSBUNG this morning. He said the meeting will commence today with elders and leaders of Liagam to come to terms to minimize any more harm and damage to families and land property. The peace meeting at Laigam is being attended also by the Controller for the National Emergency law enforcement operations in Enga- Porgera Paiela district, Joseph Tondop who is the Acting Assistant Commissioner for Police and also Hela PPC. PPC Yakasa said he is accompanying ACP Tondop to conduct this peace meeting in Laigam today to further deescalate tension of violence. With the previous peace meetings on the 16th and 17th of September with the Porgera Valley Sagara Tribe and the lower-Porgera Tribes to ease the rival tribe’s tension, today's meeting will be crucial to keep the communities inline to foster peace and normality for the betterment and well being of all the communities in Porgera valley. PPC Yakasa confirmed police security reinforcements numbers have risen, which means more law enforcement personnel on ground to maintain public safety and normalcy, which is the main goal, especially for affected communities in Porgera as-soon-as-possible. With the increased number of officers on the ground including the Papua New Guinea Defense Force, the communities in Porgera Valley are slowly but surely coming to a sense of peace in their respective areas. The increase of Police and PNGDF will soon adequately ease the tension and settle the curiosity and heightened nerve of panic and fear in the communities, answering their hopes for peace following their recent protests. Meanwhile, the PPC Yakasa will be alongside the Controller ACP Joseph Tondop to arrange vital peace terms to move forward without further violence throughout Porgera Valley including the entire Enga province.

The Minister for International Trade and Investment and Yangoru-Saussia MP Richard Maru, delivered an inspiring message to the graduating Grade 10 and 12 students of Nagum Adventist Secondary School on 23rd September with the central theme, "If I can do it, you can do it." Minister Maru shared his personal journey from growing up in Passam to achieving his dream of attending Papua New Guinea University of Technology (UniTech) and much more. He emphasized the importance of having a clear vision and working hard towards it, while recounting his rise from a humble background to becoming a CEO, a senior Minister in Cabinet, and even the Acting Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea. Minister Maru encouraged students to partner with God for success, stating that a strong relationship with God is the key to knowledge, wisdom, and blessings. Minister Maru shared that his career took off after he dedicated his life to God, urging students to put God first and remain focused on their dreams. “The secret of success is your relationship with God because He is the source of all knowledge, wisdom, and all blessings including your future. I found out that when I gave my life to the Lord my career just took off. All you must do is put God first. He has a plan for each of us and He will help you to get there. Don’t let anything distract you in your relationship with the Lord. Focus on your dreams and work hard; you must not be sidetracked by other influences. Discipline, focus, and seek ye first the Kingdom of God. You can do it; the sky is the limit.” Minister Maru also highlighted the unique role of Nagum Adventist Secondary School as a Christian institution. He urged students to reflect the light of God in their communities and maintain exemplary behavior, avoiding negative influences like drugs and homebrew consumption. He supported the school's strict discipline policies and called for the termination of students who misbehave. Proud of the school's academic achievements, Minister Maru announced that the Yangoru-Saussia District rewarded the school with a new truck for ranking 2nd in East Sepik Province and 22nd nationally in the Grade 12 National Examination results. Minister Maru concluded by reaffirming the district's commitment to investing in the school and rewarding excellence.

The people of Boim-Sara Village in Yangoru-Sassia District, East Sepik Province are set to construct a new Primary School in Boim-Sara Village through the assistance of Local MP and Minister for Trade and International Investments, Richard Maru. The People of Boim-Sara made a request for a classroom to their local MP last year in August during the opening of their elementary’s twin classroom, where Minister Maru responded with terms for Boim-Sara Village to settle land issue and offer a prime land for the school to be built. The Boim-Sara locals settled their land disputes and made prime land available where Minister Maru official did the groundbreaking ceremony on it on Tuesday 17th September 2024. Maru announced that the materials for the construction of a 4-in-1 classroom, which is K400, 000 and the head teacher’s house at the cost of K300, 000, are ready and work would start as soon as the school board provided the masterplan of the new primary school. Minister Maru thanked the landowners and the people of Boim-Sara and said: “Boim-Sara is one of the biggest villages in Yangoru-Saussia District and it makes sense for them to have their own primary school. Boim-Sara will have its own primary school for the first time in 50 years, when the nation celebrates its 50th anniversary next year. Minister Maru emphasized the importance of accessing education and the distance of education for children, as it negatively impacts their studies. Minister Maru believes that every child should have a strong foundation in early childhood, elementary, and primary education to compete in the local and international level. Consequently, the construction of the elementary and primary school in the district is just the beginning to ensure students can study without having to travel long distances to schools. Meantime, families in Boim-Sara also received 200 water tanks as part of the WaSH project. Each family contributed K600 for a tank, and the Yangoru-Saussia District Development Authority (DDA) provided K5, 400 for each tank. In total, this amounted to K1, 080, 000 for the 200 tanks. Minister Maru also pledged to construct a permanent bridge at a cost of K250, 000. The purpose of the bridge is to ensure that students do not face difficulties crossing the river, especially during rainy weather when the river floods. Additionally, Minister Maru committed to bringing electricity to Boim-Sara to power the new school. The Yangoru-Saussia District Development Authority (DDA) awarded the contract for the building of the head teacher’s house to the landowners of the land the school will be built on. In addition, Minister Maru previously announced the launch of a scholarship scheme called “Yangoru-Sassia Independence Fellowship scheme” during the 49th Independence Celebration addressing all proud student present despite being on holiday.

Over K30 million was injected into the country from tourism alone this year, marking a significant boost for the tourism sector and the country’s economy. This figure comes from a recent report released by the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA), showing an estimated US$23 million or K38 million injected into the country’s economy by tourists in 2024, marking a promising outlook for the nation’s tourism sector. According to the TPA, the total number of visitors arriving by air in August 2024 reached 9, 222, highlighting the country’s ongoing appeal to international travelers. A noteworthy 2% increase in visitor arrivals from Australia compared to August last year underlines the importance of the Australian market, which remains PNG’s largest source of visitors with the country still accounting for 39% of all arrivals, while China had the lowest representation at just 0.1%. Business travel also showed positive growth with a 2% increase in business travelers this August compared to the same period last year. The employment sector saw a substantial rise, with 36% of visitors coming for work purposes, which demonstrated the country’s appeal as an emerging destination for employment opportunities. TPA’s CEO, Mr. Eric Mossman Uvovo highlighted the significance of PNG as a unique destination. "The steady growth we are seeing in visitor numbers, particularly from our key markets like Australia, shows that our country is not only a hub for tourism but also an attractive destination to work and play,” said the CEO. “The fact that over a third of visitors are coming for work shows the global appeal of Papua New Guinea, with each visitor contributing to our economy. PNG will remain committed to providing a million different journeys for tourists and business travelers alike," Mr. Uvovo added. Uvovo also said that the organization will continue to provide enriching experience to all visitors coming into the country. “Our focus at TPA remains on delivering a memorable experience for every visitor, whether they are here for work or leisure. With exciting new initiatives and partnerships in the pipeline, we are confident that our tourism industry will continue to thrive,” said Mr. Uvovo.

The mothers of Yanguru-Saussia District in East Sepik Province recently celebrated the official opening of the Women’s Micro Bank (Mama Bank) while also celebrating the 49th Independence Day on 16th September. The mothers with tears of joy applauded and thanked their Local MP and Minister for International Trade and Investment Richard Maru who officially cut the ribbon on the 18th of September 2024. Mama Bank branch is now the second bank to open in Yangoru-Saussia District, second to the Bank of South Pacific (BSP) being the first. This now eliminates the need to travel to Wewak for banking purposes. Minister Maru not only officially cut the ribbon but also launched the District Credit Guarantee Scheme called, “Putim na Kisim”. Minister Maru explained that the scheme will help village-based MSMEs obtain bank loans through a 1:2 savings-to-loan ratio. Borrowers must save K1 to borrow K2, with loan amounts ranging from K500 to K10,000, and potentially up to K20,000 for those who repay successfully. If a borrower defaults, loses their savings with the bank, the difference will be paid by the Yangoru-Saussia District Development Authority (DDA) through its Investment Banking Division. Representing the Yangoru-Saussia District Development Authority (DDA), Minister Maru presented K250,000 to Mr. John Turu, the Regional Coordinator for Sepik Region Operations at Mama Bank. This was followed by an announcement of an additional K250,000 next month totaling to K500,000. This will provide the bank to serve as a security guarantee for the people, enabling them to begin borrowing from the bank. Mama Bank was also provided with a brand-new vehicle by Yangoru-Saussi DDA to enable banking service to be accessible. Minister Maru further emphasized that within 12 months the bank should coordinate with all ward councilor and LLG Presidents to initiate a program on financial literacy training to open bank accounts for the 96 wards across Yangoru-Saussia District.