Prime Minister (PM) James Marape has issued a stern response to recent statements made by Sinasina-Yongomugl MP, Kerenga Kua, urging politicians with vested interests to refrain from making inflammatory public remarks that undermine the sanctity of ongoing court proceedings. PM Marape emphasized that matters currently before the courts should not be discussed in public forums. He cautioned politicians who exploit these situations to advance their political agendas, describing such conduct as irresponsible and detrimental to the credibility of the judicial process. PM Marape reiterated the importance of respecting judicial processes and allowing the courts to handle legal matters without interference. “Politicians with vested interests should not be publicly grandstanding about matters that are before the courts. They cannot assume the roles of accuser, jury, and judge simultaneously. Let the courts do their work as mandated by the Constitution,” PM Marape stated. He highlighted that certain politicians are attempting to use the justice system as a political tool to gain mileage, thereby eroding public trust in the judiciary. He stressed that previous attempts to incite public anger and undermine legal processes were reckless and posed a danger to societal stability. “Leaders must refrain from making irresponsible statements intended to provoke public unrest or create political advantage by misleading the people. The consequences of such actions are serious, and we have seen what damage can result from politically motivated incitement,” PM Marape emphasized. PM Marape also noted that Mr. Kua’s remarks were based on hearsay and lacked credibility, particularly when citing the late Justice Secretary Dr Lawrence Kalinoe as a source of information. “As a senior lawyer, Mr. Kua should know better than to make unfounded allegations based on statements from individuals who are no longer alive to defend themselves. Such claims are hearsay and have no place in a competent court of law,” he stated. PM Marape reaffirmed his commitment to allowing court processes to run their course without any political interference. He urged all Papua New Guineans, as well as political leaders, to respect the integrity of the judicial system and allow matters before the court to be resolved lawfully and appropriately. “Our courts, led by the Chief Justice, are fully capable of handling this matter. Politicians must not undermine the judiciary by making provocative public statements aimed at influencing judicial decisions or misleading the public,” he said. PM Marape concluded by appealing to the people of Papua New Guinea to remain calm and allow the judiciary to perform its duty without interference. “As your Prime Minister, I want to assure you that at no point did I authorize payments related to the matter under discussion. I have been a State witness since 2013 and have always acted in the best interest of the country. Let the legal process proceed without undue interference,” PM Marape stated.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), and the Information Delivery Division from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) conducted a cyber awareness session at the PNG Immigration and Citizenship Authority (ICSA) office in Port Moresby yesterday, March 27, 2025. DICT stated that with increasing cyber risks in the country, ICSA recognizes the importance of equipping its employees with the right knowledge, thus the session was aimed at educating staff on cybersecurity threats and best practices to protect personal and organizational data. ICSC Manager IT Development & Projects Mr. Glen Vitou stated that it’s timely for the Department of ICT to conduct this cyber security awareness. “With the current issues we are facing, it is important that our staff understand cybersecurity. Having the team from DICT here helps us stay informed and protected,” said Vitou. During the session, Ms. Michelle Jerewai and Mr. Hamilton Vagi from DICT provided an overview of the department’s role in cybersecurity. ICSA’s ICT Infrastructure Manager, Mr. Alfred Amos, shared updates on the organization’s cybersecurity initiatives. Senior Cyber Security Analyst Mr. Norbert Wanit led discussions on key cybersecurity practices, including the importance of using strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, keeping software and apps updated, protecting personal privacy online, backing up important data, and implementing strong security measures. DICT stated that these basic practices are important in ensuring staff protect themselves and their organization from cyber threats.

The Papua New Guinea Chamber of Resources and Energy (PNG CORE) provides further details on its Climate Change Policy initiative to address the challenges and opportunities of climate change in Papua New Guinea (PNG). This policy aligns with the International Standard for Sustainable Development and emphasizes PNG CORE's commitment to collaboration and sustainability, as well as its strategic priorities. PNG CORE stated that their vision is to guide Papua New Guinea's resources and energy sectors in managing climate change through cooperation and innovative solutions. PNG CORE aims to support policies and actions in line with the Paris Agreement to mitigate climate change impacts and promote sustainable development. Additionally, the Chamber seeks to enhance climate resilience through knowledge sharing, capacity building, and technology transfer. PNG CORE Sustainability and Climate Change Committee Chair Felix Kipalan states, “PNG CORE encourages responsible practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect biodiversity. Engaging stakeholders in dialogue to promote climate-smart investments and initiatives is also a key focus. Furthermore, we are dedicated to helping communities, especially those dependent on the resources and energy sectors, adapt to climate change and build resilience.” To achieve these goals, PNG CORE has outlined several key objectives: • Policy Advocacy: PNG CORE aims to integrate climate change considerations into national policies and development plans, support the strengthening of appropriate regulatory frameworks for climate action through collaboration, and advocate for incentives to support climate-friendly investments and practices. • Capacity Building and Education: PNG CORE supports members' individual actions in relation to awareness and training programs on climate change adaptation and mitigation, development of educational materials, and partnerships with educational institutions to include climate-related topics in their curriculum. • Innovation and Technology Transfer: PNG CORE will facilitate knowledge exchange and technology transfer, support research and development for climate solutions, and promote clean and renewable energy technologies. • Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration: PNG CORE is committed to convening forums and networking events for stakeholders, partnering with industry associations, NGOs, academia, and civil society organizations, and establishing working groups to address specific climate challenges. “Our members are committed to community empowerment and resilience building by supporting community-led initiatives for climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods, providing technical assistance and funding for community-based projects, and promoting inclusive decision-making processes that prioritize impacted communities,” said Mr. Kipalan.

Students in tertiary institutions who are beneficiaries of the Esa'ala District Development Authority ("EDDA") Tertiary Institution Scholarship Program will face immediate removal from the program if they participate in any strikes, boycotts, or political gatherings against the Government. Member for Esa'ala and Minister for Petroleum, Jimmy Maladina, has issued a firm reminder to all EDDA-sponsored students to prioritize their studies and avoid political activism. "All students sponsored under the EDDA Tertiary Institution Scholarship Program must refrain from engaging in any strikes, boycotts, or political assemblies this academic year. Our children are in school to get an education. Only East Sepik and Simbu students may consider going on strike because their leaders are more focused on politics than development," he said. He criticized the recent call by Governor Allan Bird encouraging students to oppose the Government, describing it as shallow, lacking substance, and out of line. "Allan Bird's future is not the students' future. Esa'ala District students should not fall for Governor Bird's fallacy and illusionary promises. They should focus on their education and securing a better future for their parents and families, not Governor Bird's political ambitions,” Mr. Maladina stated.

The Media Council of Papua New Guinea and its partners hosted its first PNG National Press Club meet for the year 2025 at the Lamana Hotel in Port Moresby. The PNG National Press Club is set to take place at the end of every quarter and the PNG Media Council planned to have three more meetings during the year. The first PNG National Press Club for 2025 was focused on Strategic lawsuits against public participation (also known as SLAPP suits or intimidation lawsuits). Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP) or strategic litigation against public participation, are lawsuits intended to censor, intimidate, and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense until they abandon their criticism or opposition. However, in recent times SLAPP lawsuits have prevented media organizations and public advocacy groups from highlighting matters requiring public knowledge, scrutiny and debate. During the presentation and discussion SLAPP was described as a lawsuit designed to restrict and silence critics and burden them with legal costs so eventually, they abandon the criticism or opposition. This lawsuit is commonly used by large corporations and individuals who have financial resources. The aim of the plaintiff is not to win the case because in most circumstances they are guilty as ever and really have not the evidence in their defence. Guest Speak Eddie Tanago, the Champaign Coordinator for ACT NOW, said SLAPP is simply the suppression of freedom of speech and democracy. “There has been a rise in the use of these techniques by big corporations, companies and governments to suppress the freedom of speech. Journalists, human rights defenders, whistleblowers, critics are the main targets of SLAPP suits. Some countries such as the United States, Great Britain, Australia and the European Union have moved to outlaw SLAPPS as it is an abuse of the legal system and lawyers who help clients use SLAPPs get faced with misconduct charges,” Mr. Tanago said. He added that the media plays a critical role in informing citizens and reporting facts should be paramount, and everyone should be responsible when it comes to informing citizens. The discussion after the presentation was that there is a need to educate the general public and everyone on how to identify SLAPP suits or what techniques are used in a SLAPP suit.

PNG Ports Limited continues on its commitment to a greener, more sustainable future by planting 500 more mangroves in Motukea. PNG Ports stated that this also marks the second phase of the “Motukea Mangrove Conservation and Rehabilitation” project. “This project is being carried out through a partnership between TotalEnergies PNG, ICTSI South Pacific and PNG Ports. In phase one, last June, we planted about 700 mangroves also in Motukea. We are proud to be part of this project which also complements our ongoing Port Foreshore Protection project, across the port network,” PNG Ports stated. PNG Ports added that this port foreshore project is in response to the effects of climate change such as rising sea tides and erosion, and changes in the ecosystem and biodiversity. “These have become increasingly common along our coastlines, and this pressing issue impacts not only our natural environment but also the very foundation of our business at PNG Ports. PNG Ports is also in the process of implementing its 30 Year Infrastructure Master Plan which will see all 15 ports upgraded, and one of the key focus areas in these upgrades includes measures to make port infrastructure more resilient to climate change impacts,” PNG Ports concluded.

The Minister for International Trade and Investment Richard Maru announced that a compulsory consultation will be held in Kokopo on Monday next week following the completion of the investigation of East of New Britain Resource Group (ENBRG). “I will be travelling to Rabaul with the lawyers representing the Government and the Investigation Team for this compulsory consultation with all stakeholders including ENB Provincial Government, leaders of ENB Province, the representatives from the company (ENBRG), and the representatives of the landowners and oil palm growers to discuss the findings and recommendations from the investigation and the way forward,” said Minister Maru. Minister Maru said the two immediate non-negotiable actions that the Government will take, based on the findings and the recommendations from the investigation, are: Support the landowners in ENB Province recover the estimated K38 million from underpayments from the first oil palm plantings in 2009 to October 2024; and ENBRG to immediately apply the same national price formula used by Hargy and New Britain Palm Oil Limited, effective immediately, so the oil palm growers and their families in ENB Province can see 500-600% increase in the palm oil prices similar to what the farmers in West New Britain Province are enjoying. “The Government is keen on an out-of-court settlement through a Deed of Settlement for these issues and we would like to wrap up these negotiations with the Deed signed in the matter of two weeks,” he said. Mr. Maru added that the ENB Provincial Government had been tasked to arrange the venue for this consultation that will be hosted in Kokopo, starting at 10am. “I want to appeal to all stakeholders to attend this consultation so we can sort out these issues in the interest of our oil palm growers and landowners and the palm oil industry in ENB Province,” said Minister Maru. He said the Government is very keen for the palm oil industry to grow, not only in ENB but in the country. “We currently have 300,000 hectares planted with oil palm and the Government is keen to increase this to 5-10 million hectares especially in the areas with savannah land,” he added.

The government is not ready to conduct the Local-Level Government (LLG) Elections says Member for Madang Open Bryan Kramer. Mr. Kramer stated in Parliament last week that the government is not ready to conduct the LLG Elections because there is no strategic report. “The global standard is that when a country conducts its elections, it complies a strategic election report or a strategic plan confirming how it intends to roll out the elections and that plan will provide strategic outcomes in how it intends to provide a free, fair and secure election. The plan will provide a clear program on how it will conduct the polling, how it will conduct the counting, and it will provide sub-plans on procurement plans on how it will procure election materials, ballot papers and ballot boxes. There should be a strategic plan on security on how it intends to address the risks of security in conducting its elections,” Mr. Kramer said. He stated that he believes that the PNG Electoral Commission does not have such a plan in place. “I can go online and find many countries that have a strategic plan and an operational plan where they demonstrate exactly how they will conduct the elections and provide a detailed budget which is in public domain. They will provide how they will conduct the elections, what they will spend on polling officials and what they will spend on logistics and others,” he said. Mr. Kramer asked if the responsible organization for conducting elections has done an assessment on security on where the risks are and identify where the polling locations and where there were previous elections with high risks and if they come up with what measure they are to take to mitigate those security risks. “We have no such plan and the last LLG Elections were less to the provinces and districts and Electoral commission was under funded and it was not supported adequately. The fund came at the 11th Hour; therefore, disrupting the ability to conduct proper planning towards the elections. So many of the service providers in the last elections and voting officials said that they never received any payment for the services they provided. These service providers and polling officials said they signed up, they conducted the elections, but they were never supported and there were no police present because there were not enough funds to pay police allowances,” he said. Mr. Kramer stated that the last elections were managed poorly and somehow got results of their own and left a lot of people unpaid. “So, my point is that we are not ready to conduct the LLG Elections on the scheduled date Thursday, 24 April 2025,” he added.

Papua New Guinea (PNG) and New Zealand are currently in talks to elevate their diplomatic partnership of 50 years in the face of PNG’s 50th Independence anniversary. PNG PM James Marape who is in New Zealand met with NZ PM Christopher Luxon yesterday at the NZ Parliament House to discuss various matters of common concern. The leaders also signed a new Statement of Partnership that indicates their intention to work more closely from this year 2025 to 2029. PM Marape said he will focus on detailing the partnership blueprint over the next couple of years as the two nations revitalize their friendship of 50 years going into the future. He acknowledged the general lack of emphasis PNG has placed on growing its relations with New Zealand over the 50 years, and said he was keen on bringing this partnership to the level similar to PNG’s relations with its main bilateral partners. “This is unfair on New Zealand as they have been with us for 50 years,” PM Marape said. He highlighted the importance in the role New Zealand has played over Papua New Guinea’s life, especially in the central role New Zealand plays as a senior member of Pacific Islands Forum, and in the Bougainville peace process since 2001. In his talks with Prime Minister Luxon, PM Marape put forward the following: • Agriculture • Livestock • State-Owned Enterprises • Labour Mobility • Security • Economic Sector • Climate Change • Gender Equality and Participation • Health PM Marape thanked his NZ counterpart for this program and said his government would be willing to partner in this initiative. “New Zealand is an important nation to us. We want to elevate our relationship to a higher level. Under the new PNG-NZ Statement of Partnership 2025 – 2029, we want to make sure our bilateral relation gets better and stronger. New Zealand is a mature economy of over $260 billion. It is a frontier nation in successfully transitioning State-owned enterprises into the Private Sector. New Zealand is also highly successful in rural agriculture-base commerce and business driving its economy. It is a big exporter of agriculture produce, livestock and primary resources in the food industry. There are a lot of lessons we can learn from New Zealand,” he said. PM Marape stated that it is a privilege and honour for him to be the Guest of the New Zealand Government and in meeting NZ PM Christopher Luxon at his Parliament office. “This meeting consolidates our two nations’ relationship in the face of our country’s 50th anniversary, and we are looking forward to a greater rapport. The Statement of Partnership is a living document; we intend to elevate this into a comprehensive partnership that both sides will work on into the future,” concluded PM Marape.

The Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape and his counterpart, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, signed the refreshed PNG-New Zealand Statement of Partnership 2025 - 2029 to reaffirm their countries' bilateral relationship. The signing took place at the New Zealand Parliament House Theatrette Room following the leaders' bilateral meeting. During the press stand-up, Prime Minister Luxon said that New Zealand deeply valued its friendship with Papua New Guinea, a crucial partner in the Pacific. “We look forward to continuing to work alongside Papua New Guinea on issues facing the Pacific region, including climate change and upholding Pacific Islands Forum unity," said Prime Minister Luxon. In response, Prime Minister Marape said the Statement of Partnership by the leaders instilled a new desire to achieve practical and meaningful outcomes that would contribute to Papua New Guinea in the areas of education, public sector support, climate change, increased business, trade and investment and regional security. “It is a two-way arrangement that is strategic, more focused, and of mutual benefit, particularly in developing stronger ties in agriculture and fisheries. It also increases and structures dialogue to be more frequent at Leaders’, Ministerial, and Officials levels," said Prime Minister Marape. Following the signing ceremony, Prime Minister Marape was hosted to an official dinner by Prime Minister Luxon at the PM’s official residence, the Premier House.

Nambawan Super Limited (NSL) in 2024 financial year have seen an increase in the number of Members across its Voluntary Contributions, Choice Super and Retirement Savings Account products. NSL’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Paul Sayer said that an additional 2,000 Members took up Voluntary Contributions in 2024 which is a 6% increase over 2023. “We understand that saving for retirement is challenging, particularly during these hard times. I would like to acknowledge the dedication of our members who remain steadfast in their goal of achieving a comfortable and financially secure retirement, while balancing the financial pressures of today.” “Despite these difficulties, our members continue to persevere, trusting that their superannuation savings will grow stronger under our prudent management.” I encourage more Members to continue to save and use this product in order to maximize the interest earned on their savings over the long term. An extra K10 every fortnight can add thousands to your superannuation, through the power of compound interest,” Mr. Sayer said. He added that while NSL remain cautiously optimistic, regardless of the challenges and the economic environment in 2025, Members who are considering retirement can rest assured that their funds remain safe and protected by Nambawan Super. “Your superannuation savings will be made available to you, including your interest earned and the employer portion received by NSL, once you are ready to exit,” Mr. Sayer said. Apart from the increased Voluntary Contributions, NSL also noted: • Fund Membership grew by 3.3% to 235,888 Members, from 228,319 in 2023. • Net Asset Value now totals K11.2 billion, an increase K1.36 billion compared to K9.84 billion in 2023. • Net Profit After Tax a record-high of K1.1 billion, representing a significant increase of K425 million from the 2023 NPAT of K659 million. • Annual interest rate of 10.5% return for Members compared to 7% in 2023. • Member Contributions Received totaled K961 million, compared to K970 million in 2023. • Member Benefits Paid totaled K703 million paid out through Exits such as resignation; retirement, Death Benefit Payments, Transfers, Unemployment Benefits, Housing Advances and RSA Withdrawals to Members and or Member Beneficiaries, compared to K781 million paid out in 2023.

Nasfund Contributors Savings and Loan Savings & Loan (NCSL) has decided to prolong the opening of its main branches at Waigani and Lae Top Town to serve members on Saturday mornings. NCSL said providing savings and loan service on Saturday mornings during the last five weeks was well appreciated by the members because many didn’t find time to visit the branch during the week. "I had issues registering for the Mobile USSD service, but one of the officers assisted me, and within two minutes, I was able to transfer funds from my general savings to my Poro account for an urgent need,” member Tekahu Puaria, shared his positive experience. Chief of Member Services Mr. Maranuf Tataeng was delighted with the outcome, seeing a positive turnout by members each Saturday morning. "We will continue to operate our two main branches until the end of April," Tataeng said. NSCL added that offering an extra day of support ensured that members who have limited time during weekdays could still receive the help they needed and register for NCSL digital services, allowing them to do transactions at their convenience. “NCSL remains committed to further developing its service levels to continue improving the member experience with tailored products and digital services,” NCSL said.