The Government will support the landowners in East New Britain Province recover K38 million based on the findings and recommendations from the investigation into the East New Britain Resource Group (ENBRG). Minister for International Trade and Investment Richard Maru said the Government will now be instructing a law firm to act on behalf of the Government to support the landowners in East New Britain (ENB) province to recover the underpayments estimated to be approximately K38,730,637 (K38million) from the first oil palm plantings in 2009 to October 2024. The final report of the investigation including the findings and the recommendations was approved by the National Executive Council (NEC) last week. Minister Maru said the two immediate actions the Government would take, following the completion of the investigation, are: 1. Support Landowners in ENB Province recover the K38 Million; and 2. ENBRG must immediately apply the same national price formula used by Hargy and New Britian Palm Oil- effective immediately. “As soon as the Department of Justice and Attorney General briefs out a law firm, I will travel with the lawyers to Kokopo to meet with the company and the landowners and the ENB Provincial Government to begin the process of immediate negotiations on how to recover the estimated K38 million suffered by the landowners due to underpayments by the company. The Government would like to do an out-of-court settlement on all the issues related to this crisis including pricing, land deals and others. If that fails, then legal actions would be last resort. We will also ensure to help the oil palm growers and their families in ENB Province see 500-600% increase in the oil palm prices, similar to farmers in West New Britain Province,” said Minister Maru. He added that at the same time, they will work with the Ministry of Oil Palm to put together a foundational legislation to govern the operations of the oil palm industry and its management into the future. The investigation was approved by the NEC in its Decision No: 192/2024, following a petition that was presented to Minister Maru 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 East New Britain Palm Oil Limited (ENBPOL) for illegal price fixing of K10 per metric ton for Fresh Fruits Bunch payments from November 2014 to 2022, and K15 per metric ton from 2023-2024. The Investigation Team led by an oil palm expert, Mr. David Mather and Deputy Chairman, Mr. Tony Waisi was carried out over 8 weeks from November 19 to December 17, 2024, and from January 16 to February 12, 2025. The Investigation Team found out that ENBPOL was part of the ENBRG which comprises of ENBPOL and Tzen Niugini Limited and Tzen Plantations Limited, and so the Investigation Team extended the investigation to cover the ENBRG and not just ENBPOL. “This is not just another investigation that will be gathering dust in Waigani like most other expensive investigations. I will ensure that we take actions based on the recommendations and we will start with these two immediate actions so the exploitation of our farmers and our people must never happen again,” he said. Mr. Maru said after 50 years of Independence, we must mature and put an end to the foreign exploitation of our people in our own country and in our own land. “This should be a stern warning to all palm oil investors and generally all investors throughout PNG that you must not do land grabbing, shady deals, and you must pay our people the right prices. Exploiting our people and their land will not be tolerated whatsoever by the Marape-Rosso Government. We are taking firm action to make sure that this does not happen again. “We fully understand that the people of ENB Province want further investigation into Sigite-Mukas Oil Palm Project in West Pomio. As far as I am concerned, the Investigation Team are happy to investigate, that is if the investigation will be funded by the ENB Provincial Government,” he said.

Prime Minister James Marape has issued a strong call to action for all Papua New Guineans to unite in combating gender-based violence (GBV) and ensuring the protection, respect, and empowerment of women across the nation. Speaking in Parliament yesterday, he commended the efforts of Governor Powes Parkop and the Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment for their tireless efforts in addressing this crisis. “This issue is no longer just a concern—it is an epidemic that threatens the very foundation of our society. Women are not just our mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters; they are the backbone of our families and communities. “Yet, they continue to suffer violence, discrimination, and injustice at alarming rates. This must stop,” PM Marape declared. He challenged every man in Papua New Guinea, from leaders in Parliament to young men in rural villages, to reflect on their treatment of women and take personal responsibility for changing the culture of violence and neglect. PM  Marape reminded Parliament that no man would exist without a woman, emphasizing the critical role that women play in shaping families, communities, and the future of the nation. “Ask yourself—where would you be without your mother? Do you love your mother? If you love your mother, why do we allow the continued abuse of women in our country? Why do we turn a blind eye to the suffering of our wives, daughters, and sisters?” he asked. He highlighted the biblical significance of women, noting that God created women as partners, not subordinates, and that true leadership begins with respect and protection of women. “In Genesis, God created Adam first, but He saw that Adam was incomplete. Woman was created as a helper, an equal partner. If we truly claim to be a Christian nation, then we must live by this principle and treat our women with dignity and honour,” he stated. With Papua New Guinea approaching its 50th Independence anniversary on 16 September 2025, Prime Minister Marape urged a national reset, calling on the government, law enforcement, communities, and individuals to take immediate and concrete steps towards ensuring a safer and more equal society for women. “For 50 years, we have talked about development, about progress, about a brighter future for our country. But how can we claim success when our women continue to live in fear? Our sons must rise up to change this. The next 50 years of PNG’s future must be built on a foundation of respect for women,” he said.

Governor for National Capital District and Chairman, Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Powes Parkop calls for the constitutional foundation of gender equality and ending GBV during special Parliamentary session. “The calls for gender equality and the eradication of gender-based violence is neither a new nor foreign concept. It is a goal that forms the foundation of our state—the Independent State of Papua New Guinea. This is reflected in the legal framework of our National Constitution. The pursuit of gender equality and the elimination of GBV is firmly rooted in our Constitution, beginning with the Five National Goals and Directive Principles outlined in the Preamble,” Mr. Parkop stated. He said the National Goal and Directive Principle No. 1, calls for INTEGRAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. “We declare our first goal to be for every person to be dynamically involved in the process of freeing himself or herself from every form of domination and oppression so that each man or woman will have the opportunity to develop as a whole person in relation to others.” The subsequent principles equally underscore the need for freedom and equality for all citizens, irrespective of gender. National Goal and Directive Principle No. 2 calls for EQUALITY AND PARTICIPATION, asserting: “We declare our second goal for every citizen to have equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from the development of our country.” These National Goals and Directive Principles are further strengthened by the rights and freedoms provisions outlined in our Constitution, including: Section 35 – Right to Life (Fundamental Right) Section 36 – Freedom from Inhuman Treatment (Fundamental Right) Section 37 – Protection of the Law (Fundamental Right) Section 55 – Equality of All Citizens (Qualified Right) "These profound provisions of our Constitution acknowledge the rights of all citizens to equality, to freedom from oppression, and full protection under the law. Our Constitution is no ordinary law; it is the foundation of our nation. It is the social contract that binds us together as a country of a thousand tribes, 860 languages, and diverse cultures and traditions. It embodies the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of our founding leaders, who envisioned that the well-being, prosperity, and success of our nation depended on ensuring that all people were free from all forms of discrimination, oppression and domination and that every citizen—regardless of tribe, color, creed, or gender—was able to participate fully and equally in the development of our country,” Governor Parkop said. He said they have reinforced this commitment by signing and ratifying international conventions, including: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as reflected in our signing of the United Nations Charter The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Various other treaties aimed at promoting human rights and gender equality. “Indeed, we have made great promises to all our people, including women and girls. However, the reality on the ground starkly contrasts with these constitutional and legal commitments. The statistics on gender-based violence in our nation are grave, it has reached pandemic proportions, with the number of women and girls subjected to GBV increasing to about 3.5 million since we launched the National Strategy to respond to and end GBV in 2017. In 2016, the figure stood at over 2,554,170—representing a rate of one woman subjected to violence every ten seconds,” he said. He added that, recent national surveys show a staggering increase to 3,414,000 women and girls experiencing violence in one form or another. “Economically, the cost to the nation in terms of lost work and productivity is estimated at nearly K18.64 billion in cost productive days per year. These are not just numbers; they represent the pain, suffering, and trauma of countless individuals. This is an urgent call to action that we cannot ignore and must not delay,” Governor Parkop said.

Governor for National Capital District and Chairman, Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, Powes Parkop, presented his speech in Parliament to addressing the status of women and girls in our country. Governor Parkop told Parliament that this is a critical discussion on the actions they must take to elevate their status and achieve true equality. “We must particularly focus on the urgent need to combat gender-based violence, a pervasive issue that continues to impede the progress of women and girls across Papua New Guinea. Women and girls constitute 50 percent of our population. This debate and conversation therefore concern the well-being, hopes, dreams, rights, and the potential of half of our people. We are at a pivotal time where there is an urgency to take real concrete action to reduce gender-based violence in our country, Papua New Guinea and to strive for genuine gender equality, in line with the promises enshrined in our National Constitution and the numerous international conventions we have ratified. This is a pressing issue that should weigh heavily on our collective consciousness. As we begin our debate, let us take a moment to acknowledge and recognize the powerful contributions of women to our society. Since time immemorial, women have been the backbone of our families and communities. They are nurturers, educators, leaders, and innovators. Women have been wealth creators—raising livestock, growing crops, fishing, and sustaining our families. They play a pivotal role in preserving our cultures, driving our economies, and strengthening the social fabric of our nation. Despite these invaluable contributions, the status of women and girls in our country remains alarmingly poor. Today, despite all our efforts and investments, women and girls continue to be marginalized, subjected to fear, intimidation, and violence on a daily basis. We need not look further than this National Parliament and our capital city to see the reality of the status of women in our country. We have only three women Members of Parliament, one of whom was appointed Assistant Speaker last week. This is a credit to these three colleagues of ours, but their success is an exception. Not the norm. This has been the story of our Parliament since September 16th, 1975—never more than three women Members of Parliament at any given time. What we observe in Parliament is mirrored everywhere else,” Mr. Parkop said. He said our nation is poorer and hindered from realizing its full potential due to this inequality and our failure, as leaders and as a nation, to take concrete, tangible steps to remove the barriers that prevent women and girls from reaching their full potential and contributing equally to the development and progress of our nation.

PNG Air has announced that it will resume its flights back into Mendi town in the Southern Highlands Province towards the end of this month. The airliner in a statement said that passengers and the travelling public should know that flights into Mendi will resume on Monday 24th March 2025. “This resumption follows a suspension that was placed on services into the port late last years as safety concerns to company assets were raised, due to security issues that posed a threat to the safe operations into the province. After extensive assessments, PNG Air can now confirm that services will be reinstated into and out of Mendi,” The airline said. PNG Air said passengers can now book tickets to travel online at www.pngair.com.pg, or at their nearest PNG Air, Post PNG Sales Office and Travel Agent. “We thank you for your patience and look forward to welcoming you on board soon. For more information, please contact our Call Centre on 16111 (Digicel toll free) or 7411 2644 (other networks),” PNG Air said.

His Excellency President Ishmael Toroama reaffirmed Bougainville’s unwavering stance on independence at the first Joint Consultation Moderator Meeting on Monday, urging Papua New Guinea’s National Government to endorse the Bougainville referendum results. He emphasized that the path to independence is guided by the Wabag Roadmap and the Era Kone Covenant, setting 1st September 2027 as the target date for Bougainville’s independence. “Bougainville’s agenda is independence, and in our post-referendum consultations, we have made this clear. The referendum results must be honored," He added. He said the Bougainville Peace Agreement is a political settlement that has three pillars. - Weapons Disposal, - Autonomy, and - Referendum. “Out of the three pillars, the Referendum pillar was the key pillar that held the commitment of all Bougainvilleans to the peace process, by guaranteeing in the National Constitution, a choice of separate independence for Bougainville. The definition of independence was defined by the Government of PNG as, ‘An independent nation state with sovereign powers and laws, recognized under international law and by other sovereign states to be an independent state, separate from the State of Papua New Guinea.’ The people voted for independence and to propose any other option in this moderation is detrimental to the peace process,” President Toroama said. He stated that everyone knows Papua New Guinea is going to celebrate its 50 years independence anniversary and in the case of Bougainville, this marks more than 50 years of struggle for independence within Papua New Guinea. “It is important to remember that Bougainville leaders have lobbied for Bougainville’s Independence well before PNG’s Independence without any recognition from international bodies. As far as my concerned, the process of negotiating independence was concluded with the referendum. My understanding is that this moderation is about reaching agreement on implementing the referendum result of independence. Therefore, my focus in this moderation is to define the new relationship between Bougainville and Papua New Guinea as two independent sovereign states. This relationship can be captured through an independence package for Bougainville. Bougainville has done its part in this peace process. It is now your turn,” he concluded.

The Prime Minister, James Marape, will have a high-level Parliamentary event on Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) at the Parliament State Function Room in Port Moresby city today. The event will bring together Members of Parliament, government agencies, civil society leaders and international development partners to discuss legislation reforms, institutional commitments and practical measures to combat GBV in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Today at Parliament, women groups from all over the Nation's Capital, showed up in numbers to attend this event and hear first-hand from the Prime Minister on how the government is working to address this very important issue in the country. Amongst these groups present at the National Parliament this morning is the North-West District Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) group who came in numbers on the invitation of the Governor for NCD to represent the churches at today's event. North-West District Pastor Gaza Asitore of the Central Papua Conference of SDA, said it is a great privilege to attend this event that has been the talk of the country recently. Pastor Asitore said this issue is happening everywhere in the country and it is good that they are attending to listen so they may go out and educate others in the community on how to address this issue or provide assistance to those that are victims of this issue. Today's event, which will take place around lunch time, includes presentation by NCD Governor Powes Parkop, presentation from stakeholders and an address from PM Marape reaffirming the government's commitment to legislative reforms, enhanced protection for women and strike workplace policies against GBV.

The Parliamentary Service (PS) has commenced preparations for the nation’s 50th Independence anniversary, which will be celebrated on Tuesday, September 16th, 2025, with the traditional flag-raising ceremony. According to the PNG Parliament, the official launch of the Service's 50th Independence anniversary official logo, theme and program will be announced in the coming weeks. “The milestone event marks five decades of Papua New Guinea’s independence and will be commemorated with a series of activities aimed at promoting the theme, “One Nation, One Country, One People”. An organizing committee has been established to oversee the planning and execution of the program, ensuring that it reflects the unity and progress that PNG has achieved over the past 50 years. The committee’s efforts include coordinating participation from a wide range of key stakeholders, including the first legislators, Members of Parliament (past and current), school students, PS staff, and the general public,” PNG Parliament stated. A central focus of the celebration will be the Parliament House, which has served as the heart of the nation’s democracy and governance since the country’s independence. The event will honour Parliament House as a symbol of the strength and unity of the country. Key highlights of the 50th Independence Anniversary Celebration include: Commemorative events: A series of activities will take place to celebrate the nation’s journey over the past five decades, including the unveiling of the statue of the late founding father Great Grand Chief Rt. Hon. Sir Michael Somare, which is a golden jubilee gift donated by the people of the Republic of Indonesia. Involvement of stakeholders: First legislators, stand out MPs over the last five decades, exceptional students, long service staff, and the public will come together to mark this historic milestone. Honouring Parliament House: A special focus will be placed on the Parliament House as a symbol of PNG’s democracy and as such a celebratory event for the iconic building’s 41st Anniversary will be held on Friday August 8th. Theme: The celebration will be under the theme “One People, One Nation, One Country”, reinforcing the unity that has defined the nation’s success. PS staff are working diligently to ensure that the event reflects the significance of the occasion and will be a momentous celebration of the country’s history.

With the coffee price steadily increasing, local growers and exporters like Dr Joel Waramboi are taking the chance to develop lucrative new markets for their quality beans. With support from Australia, Dr Waramboi, of Morobe-based Wia Trade, is part of a group of growers and exporters from across Papua New Guinea (PNG) who are attending the annual Melbourne International Coffee Expo - one of the biggest coffee shows in the southern hemisphere. Australian High Commission in Papua New Guinea stated that in the lead-up to the Expo, a dedicated event showcasing PNG coffee is being held at prominent local roastery Code Black Coffee today (18 March 2025), which will help Dr Waramboi and his fellow exporters make the most of the opportunity by presenting their unique product to an audience of high-powered coffee industry figures. “Just over a year ago, the family-owned business was awarded a concessional loan from the Australia-funded Revolving Fund Facility to help develop its export capacity. Wia Trade used the loan to expand its network of suppliers to cover 45 communities across remote areas of Morobe Province, providing a quality product that is uniquely Papua New Guinean. The Expo and accompanying showcase event are a chance to make the most of that investment,” The Commission said. The Commission added that using contacts made at the Expo two years ago, PNG coffee exporters entered four new markets, selling 441 tonnes of coffee in less than a year had sales of up to AUD10,970 (PGK27,190) a tonne.

The Papua New Guinea Chamber of Resources & Energy (PNG CORE) successfully hosted a media briefing on Benefit Sharing Agreements in collaboration with ABC International Development - Media Development Initiative, PNG (ABC-MDI) on Friday, March 7, 2025, in Port Moresby. This media briefing provided valuable insights on Benefit Sharing Agreements (BSAs) in the petroleum and energy development projects to more than 15 participants both in person and online. Key Topics Covered: • Benefit Sharing Agreements or Development Agreements are a culmination of consultations between the National Government, Provincial Government, Local Level Government and Landowners. • What is a Benefit Sharing Agreement (BSA) and what are the Oil and Gas Act 1998 requirements? • At what stage of project development does a BSA come in? • Examples of current BSAs, such as the Umbrella Benefit Sharing Agreement related to the PNG LNG project. • Challenges faced with reaching an agreed distribution of benefits from the extractive industries in PNG. PNG CORE’s Petroleum Industry Working Group Chair Mr. Sam Koyama led this briefing. With over 27 years of experience in the petroleum sector in Papua New Guinea. Mr. Koyama provided a comprehensive overview of the processes involved in a resource project development, from exploration to development and to production and with specific focus on the role of BSAs. Additionally, the briefing explained the difference between BSAs and Development Agreements, as outlined in the Oil & Gas Act. Mr. Koyama clarified the terminologies used, explained the process and spent time delving into the discussion around the broader intention and scope of Development Forums, which included various aspects of resource development awareness beyond just the stitching together of a benefits package for a Project. The media plays a crucial role in the development of Papua New Guinea, and PNG CORE is committed to supporting this through informative and engaging briefings. This initiative aligns with PNG CORE’s strategic direction on Communication and Stakeholder Engagements, highlighting the importance of industry collaboration for nation-building. "At PNG CORE, we recognize that a well-informed media is crucial to fostering transparency and accountability within the industry. Collaboration and knowledge sharing are at the heart of our mission, which is why we deeply value initiatives like the ABC-led Media Development Initiative. These efforts play an important role in equipping journalists with the insights they need to report accurately and effectively on critical topics such as Benefit Sharing Agreements.” He said this year; PNG CORE is committed to strengthening its engagement with the PNG media. "We acknowledge the challenges facing mainstream media in covering industry related issues, and we are actively developing internal programs to bridge these gaps." PNG CORE Chief Operating Officer, Mrs. Pansy Taueni-Sialis also added that this engagement follows up on PNG CORE’s 2024 briefing to the media on development processes for mining and energy projects in PNG.

Member for Goroka Open Aiya Tambua in Friday’s Parliament Sitting's question without notice, raised concerns in-regards to BSP Financial Group Limited’s functions and operations that needs the government’s attention. Mr. Tambua’s concerns were directed to the Minister for State Owned Enterprises (SOE) William Duma. “There are few issues in the bank that requires the government’s attention, and I want to put it to the floor of Parliament for all of us to know and try to address these issues. BSP is a very big bank not only in PNG but in the South Pacific and the bank has employed many Papua New Guineans and continues to employe PNG citizens every day. BSP Bank also represent 51 % of the banking shares in PNG and in some other countries, BSP own 100% of the banking shares. My concerns and some concerns raised by some staff is that, most National staff are marginalized from our own bank. We are now importing a lot of expatriates to come and take the place of some of our national staff,” Mr. Tambua said. He added that a lot of positions at the bank that should be given to national staff has been given to expatriates and national staff are suppressed. “The work that most of the national staff can do has been given to people from other countries to come here and do to come and do the work that our national staff can do. This shows that we have been marginalized in our country, by our own bank, by our own board of directors. If you look at the management system of BSP Bank, there is only less then 10% of national staff at the top management of BSP Bank in this country and the rest are expatriates and yet we are declaring K1 billion profit. The profit that the bank declares most comes from PNG and yet we are marginalized. My question to the government, what is the government policies to protect our national staff,” Mr. Tambua asked. Minister for State Owned Enterprises Willia Duma thanked the Member for Goroka for his question and said that the question has been raised informally by many Papua New Guineans on social media as well. Minister Duma also clarified that BSP Financial Goup is not 100% owned by PNG shareholders and the Banking laws does not allow one shareholder to own more than 20% of a bank because the bank deals with other people's money. “This rules that a set up by the Bank of PNG and these are banking laws you find in many other countries of the world, and PNG is not an exception, and banking is an international business. If you look at the shareholders of BSP, the top six are our Papua New Guinean shareholders and rest are international investors, so we do not own BSP 100%,” Mr. Duma said.

President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Ishmeal Toroama, expects the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Government to take ownership and endorse independence in this 11th parliament. During the Joint Moderation Consultation today, Mr. Toroama thanked the National Government for inviting the signatories to the Peace Agreement to witness the opening ceremony of this moderation, stating that as one of the key negotiators in those days, he still remembers, that they never argued to implement their part of the bargain, and he still remembers that he had to meet the BPA commitments as his part of the bargain. “And in the same spirit, Honorable Prime Minister, I now expect your government to take ownership and endorse independence in this 11th parliament. Prime Minister, I appeal to you to take the Bougainville referendum results and pass it to the National Minister for Bougainville Affairs to present to the National Parliament for endorsement through this moderation process in the same manner the National Constitution was amended to give effect to the Bougainville Peace Agreement. By this action of the Parliament of Papua New Guinea, to amend the Constitution in 2001, PNG was probably the first independent state anywhere to have accorded the UN Charter right and principle of self-determination of peoples to its own people under its domestic laws and regulations. We recognize that the sessional order is a process that will happen in the national parliament and while we appreciate the engagement in this particular subject, it has diverted our attention from the core agenda of the political settlement on independence," said the president. He went on to say that the referendum Independence result must be endorsed. "In the spirit of the Bougainville Peace Agreement, the two governments can jointly decide as part of the consultations to reach agreement on a bilateral relationship for independence for Bougainville outside of parliament," he said. He stressed that Bougainville’s agenda is independence and the post-referendum consultations have made this clear, resulting in joint agreements such as the Wabag roadmap and the Era Kone Covenant. Therefore, he expects that the moderation process addresses the Bougainville independence issue. "I thank the signatory countries that witnessed the Peace Agreement, for your commitment. I trust that as the witnesses to the BPA, you will respect the Bougainville people’s democratic choice for Independence, decided through a constitutionally granted referendum for independence. I am aware that some countries are already implicated in pushing their neo-colonial interests in Bougainville and I ask that you refrain from interfering. “Sir Jerry, my people have set 1st September 2027, as the date for independence to take effect. This decision is consistent with the jointly agreed Referendum Results Implementation Roadmap, commonly known as the ‘Wabag Roadmap’, that set the window of ‘no earlier than 2025, no later than 2027’, for the declaration of independence,” President Toroama said. He said as President, he will uphold the decision of his people throughout these moderation consultations. “I look forward that this moderation process will conclude with an agreement on the independence package for Bougainville,” Mr. Toroama added.