The National Capital District Commission (NCDC), as co- host of the upcoming World Indigenous Business Forum (WIBF), has pitched in with K1 million funding support to the Ministry for International Trade and Investments for the hosting of the event. The NCD Governor, Powes Parkop said the WIBF is an important event because of the opportunities it will bring in for the local business owners and entrepreneurs, something that the governor wants to see happen. “We are ready to have a successful World Indigenous Forum, the K1 million basically is to support the opening ceremony,” said Governor Parkop. “We mean business, we’ll do our part to support the government and its efforts. We can’t get the outcome that we want either at the national level, sub- national or local level, if you don’t do the investment, if we don’t put the money; this is a serious national outcome that we must support.” Parkop said the NCDC is supporting this event because of two reasons, one is its significance is assisting the local businesses in the city and the country progress from informal businesses to Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), to bigger businesses and enterprises. He said that at a time where small businesses are finding it tough, such a forum will help a lot of businesses excel by learning from the experiences of other, especially from the international community. The other reason behind the NCDC supporting the WIBF, was the potential of it promoting Port Moresby as the capital city and gateway to Papua New Guinea (PNG). Parkop said it’s about promoting “Amazing Port Moresby” to the rest of the world. The WIBF is a major international event second to the APEC Summit. This year is the 13th year of the event and PNG was granted the approval to host it in October in Port Moresby. Over 600 participants are expected to attend, coming in from as far as Canada and the United States of America (USA) and from PNG itself, to engage in dialogues and exposition, share experiences, ideas and make connections. NCDC will also be staging side events, including cultural events, coinciding with the WIBF from the 24th to the 26th of October. The Department of International Trade and Investments will host the WIBF at a cost of K6 million to K7 million.

The Minister for International Trade and Investments wants to see more investments in the energy sector in order to see a reduction in the cost of electricity, so to boost production and improving the general economic status of the country. Minister Richard Maru, when giving his keynote speech at the last day of the 2023 Petroleum and Energy in Port Moresby today, said the cost of electricity in doing business is another factor apart from the law-and-order situation that is affecting the business sector, with the high costs of things being passed on to the public. The high cost of energy is also chasing away potential investors from entering the economy. Maru said it would be difficult for an investor to start operations in the country, whether in the agriculture or mining and petroleum sectors, because there might not be any good returns from their investment capital. That is why Minister Maru wants to see more investors tapping into the energy sector and developing it. Taking the example from the Chinese private investment in the Edevu Hydro Dam in the Central province, Maru said there is enough resources in the country that can make way for even clean and green energy production, which would lead to lost cost energy. He said other nations have managed to reduce the cost of energy and Papua New Guinea (PNG) should be learning from them. “We need to get the cost of electricity down to compatible rates like Thailand, China and Indonesia, whom we are going to complete with,” said the minister. “I’m looking for solutions to how the electricity industry can come up with outcomes like cheap energy, which is compatible clean energy.” Maru wants to see a plan formulated through the Conference and other similar meetings in the future on ways forward to having clean and cheap energy. “So, for us as government, we need to seriously look at how we incentivize investors, make it attractive for others to invest in this sector (energy).” “I will be interested in hearing some of the outcomes on your proposals on what we should do to attract investors,” Mr. Maru said.

As part of reforms to the way things are being done in the country’s petroleum sector, the government intends to move from the present Concession Based Licensing system into a Production Sharing Arrangement system. Petroleum and Energy Minister, Kerenga Kua, said the first step the government will be doing to achieve this, is to introduce a bill in parliament to establish a National Petroleum Authority. “This authority will be charged with the administration and management of the Oil and Gas Act,” said the minister. “The National Petroleum Authority within due course will administer and manage the production sharing arrangement.” The government expects this new National Petroleum Authority in operation by end of the first quarter of 2024. The next is to introduce a new Constitutional Law to be known as the Organic Law on Petroleum Production Sharing, and this would set up the constitutional and legal foundation for the new Production Sharing regime. He explained that the Production Sharing provisions of this law will not apply to Bougainville. “Nor do they apply to oil and gas developments like PNG LNG, Papua LNG, P’nyang LNG, which are projects under existing gas development agreements.” The other legislative components for the Petroleum Production Sharing reform agenda to be developed by the government are the Petroleum Production Sharing Act, a national content Petroleum Act and a Domestic Market Obligation Act. “One of the physical benefits this petroleum production circuit breaker will bring to the nation is the opportunity to review and increase our royalty take from our petroleum projects," said Kua. "Further more, the recipients of royalty, in particular our landowners and the provincial governments, will be much better off from the steps we are now taking." The minister also assured the investors that there is nothing to fear in the government taking this step. "With this in mind, Papua New Guinea continues to see itself as a favourable destination for foreign investments and it will act to encourage foreign investors to our shores to obtain a fair return on your investment capital."

Papua New Guinea (PNG) will continue with production and investments in the resource sector for energy supply despite the world making efforts to transition to a more cleaner and greener energy sources in the future. This, Prime Minister (PM) James Marape said is because the LNG is a more cleaner source of energy than the other hydrocarbons and also the government is venturing into potential clean energy sources that the country can tap into in the near future. Although the global community is transitioning, PM Marape said there will still be some major economies out there that will still demand for gas for energy production, hence until the world makes a drastic switch to green energy, the demand for LNG will continue to exist. This, he said means that there is still more space for investments in the resource sector of Papua New Guinea. Therefore, he is urging foreign investors to look into potential areas to develop. The upcoming Papua LNG project and the other gas projects in the pipeline to be developed, is a testimony of this. Nevertheless, PM Marape stated that the clean energy sources are also available in the country such as hydro, wind and thermal energies that investors can also tap into to generate. "We are ready to promote all forms, including green energy," said the PM. Meanwhile, PNG is in a strategic location in the Asia Pacific region and is able to continue to meeting the demands of the Asian market with energy supply. The PM made this statement at the official opening of the 2023 Petroleum and Energy Conference this morning at the Hilton Hotel, Port Moresby.

It's finals time for the Moni Plus Port Moresby AFL 2023 Premiership Cup challenge with the major semi- final and the preliminary final scheduled for next weekend at the Colts Oval. Port Moresby AFL Association President, Mr. Douglas Lai said the major semi- final match will be between the Gereka Bombers and the Gordons Kokofas, while the preliminary final will be played out between the Gerehu Magpies and the Lamana Dockers. “The winner of the major semi- final will advance to the grand final and the looser will play winner of the preliminary final. The looser of the preliminary final will bow out of the series,” said the president. The major semi- final along with the minor semi- final matches will take place on the 23rd of September, while the preliminary final will be played out on the 30th of September. The grand final will be played out on the 07th of October. Meanwhile, the Port Moresby AFL Association will not be holding any matches this weekend in respect to the date of the country’s independence and also celebrate the country’s 48th Independence Anniversary.

President Joe Biden will mark the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington at a memorial ceremony in Alaska with members of the military, first responders and their families, the White House said Monday. The commemoration will take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage and is expected to include units from the Air Force, the Army, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserves and others. Biden will stop in Alaska while returning from the Group of 20, or G-20, summit of world leaders in New Delhi, India. Before arriving in Alaska, Biden plans to travel to Hanoi, Vietnam, on Sept. 10 and meet with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other key leaders to discuss ways to deepen cooperation between the United States and Vietnam, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. The leaders will explore opportunities to promote the growth of a technology-focused Vietnamese economy, expand ties through education exchanges and workforce development programs, combat climate change and increase peace, prosperity and stability in the region, Jean-Pierre said. Nearly 3,000 people died when terrorists hijacked planes and flew them into the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York City and the Pentagon outside of Washington on Sept. 11, 2001. Another hijacked plane believed to be headed for the U.S. Capitol crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 44 people on board. Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff will participate in a commemoration ceremony at National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City. First lady Jill Biden will lay a wreath at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial to honor the lives lost on 9/11. Source:ustoday.com

The next major Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project in the country, the Papua LNG project, is on track and is progressing well and true into its construction phase in 2024. That was the assurance given by Prime Minister (PM) James Marape when stating that the LNG Project is on target for its Final Investment Decision (FID), after his recent meeting with the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TotalEnergies, Patrick Jean Pouyanne in Paris, France. "Mr. Pouyanne assured me that the US$12 billion Papua LNG Project is on course to commence construction next year, following the FID, which will constitute a substantial boom to our economy," PM Marape asserted. Drawing a parallel with the previous PNG LNG project, he further stated that the construction phase of PNG LNG cost US$19 billion (K66 billion) and the government anticipates a similarly transformative impact on the country’s economy with Papua LNG, as the construction activities gain momentum. "Our records show GDP increased from K31.5 billion in 2008 to K47.7 billion in 2013 due to the PNG LNG project. We anticipate a similar trajectory for Papua LNG starting from 2024 onwards." The PM is committed to providing comprehensive support across all sectors to ensure the timely progress of the project, with a target of achieving the first gas production in 2027. "We are fully committed to expediting the process, including social mapping, landowner studies, and the expansion of opportunities for local businesses to thrive," Marape declared. On that note, Marape issued a directive to the ministers for education and higher education, urging them to initiate training programs for 5,000 individuals, including those from Gulf, Karamui in Chimbu, Okapa in Eastern Highlands, and other Grade 12 school leavers. These programs will focus on skills such as welding, plumbing, carpentry, cooking, and industrial assistance, aligning with the workforce requirements during the forthcoming Papua LNG construction phase. "Our existing technical colleges in Lae, Madang, Goroka, Mt Hagen, Port Moresby, Kokopo, and other locations will be utilized for short-term courses in November, December, and January, taking advantage of campus vacancies during this period," Marape explained. “The government's proactive approach and strong commitment to the Papua LNG Project reflect our dedication to fostering economic growth and providing opportunities for our citizens.”

The Hela Provincial Government has presented to the State its Position Paper containing its development aspirations and plans of receiving benefits, pertaining to the power supply from Hides in Hela, to the New Porgera Mine in the Enga province. Hela Governor, Philip Undialu, said Hela is a key partner to the development of the Porgera Mine, having supplied 70megawatt of power for the last 30 years and now with the gas to power generation from Hides PDL 1 area, it adds to the continued electricity supply that would see the gold mine, when reopened soon, continues to benefit from it and progress with the mining of gold in the Porgera Valley. “About 70 kilometers of power line runs from Hides in my province into Porgera,” said the Hela Governor. With the gas- to- power added to the supply to Porgera, this has now resulted in new arrangements for all parties involved including the provincial government, which has resulted in the Position Paper being handed over to the Mining Minister, Sir Ano Pala. There are sixteen issues that the provincial government has put together on behalf of the four Hela Stakeholders directly impacted by this project arrangement. However, Mr. Undialu said all these issues have been bunched up together and put into two main options in the Position Paper and handed over to the State to go through. “All the issues are straight forward, most of them a legacy issues.” The Position Paper is part of the Development Forum process for the Porgera Mine, which was launched recently in Wabag Town, Enga. Every party involved in this project has handed in their Position Papers with the Hela Provincial Government being the latest. The only party that is yet to give its Position Paper is the Enga Provincial Government. Mining Minister Sir Ano Pala, when presented with the Position Paper by Governor Undialu, stated that the State team will meet up at Wabag Town tomorrow, Monday 11th September to give the Enga Governor, Sir Peter Ipatas the opportunity to present his provincial government’s Position Paper to the State. Once all Position Papers have been presented, the Development Forum process will end. The next process to commence will be the Community Development Agreement where the discussions on who gets how much from the Mining project, begin. Meanwhile, Governor Undialu presented his Provincial Government’s Position Paper to the Ministers Minister on Friday 08th September, in Port Moresby city. The event was witnessed by the leaders of impacted landowner groups from Hela, the Government State Negotiation Team and state ministers.

Fuel consumers in the country will now have to dig a little deeper into their pockets to pay for fuel this month because the fuel price for all the three petroleum products, has already increased as of Friday the 8th of September. According to the Independent Consumers and Competitions Commission (ICCC), the price for Petrol, Diesel and Kerosene have increased due to the increased price of crude oil in the month of August. This average increase of crude oil was due to reduced oil production by OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) and its allies, and the improved global macroeconomic condition which has contributed to increased oil demand. The domestic retail fuel prices (IRPs) for this month are inclusive of the Import Parity prices (IPP) or the imported costs for each petroleum product, domestic sea and road freight rates for the third quarter of 2023, the annual wholesale and retail margins for 2023, and the Goods and Services Tax (GST), including the applicable excise duties, among other parameters. The retail prices in all other designated centers will change according to their quarterly approved domestic freight rates, and their respective annual retail margins for 2023. For all other centers, the maximum retail prices for each regulated petroleum product will change on average as follows: · Petrol prices will increase by 25.17 toea per litre; · Diesel prices will increase by 44.95 toea per litre; and · Kerosene prices will increase by 48.77 toea per litre. The prices set by the ICCC are the indicative maximum retail prices, for which retailers may choose to sell below the ICCC approved maximum price. ICCC inspectors will continue to conduct spot checks after 8th September, to ensure on-going compliance by retail fuel operators. Consumers are also advised to report any instances of overcharging by retailers through the ICCC’s Consumer Protection Division, or by contacting the ICCC Regional Offices.

The Palestinian Authority has called the opening of Papua New Guinea's Israeli embassy in Jerusalem an "aggression" and a "violation" of international law. In a statement, Palestine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates termed the embassy opening as "an aggression against the Palestinian people and their rights" and "a blatant violation of international law and United Nations resolutions". On Tuesday, PNG's Prime Minister, James Marape, inaugurated the embassy in West Jerusalem, becoming only the fifth country to set up a diplomatic mission in the city. In 2018, the US moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in a move that was followed by Honduras, Guatemala and Kosovo. The Palestinian ministry said it will use all political, diplomatic and legal means to "pursue these countries over their unjustified aggression against the Palestinian people and their rights." The Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Jordan have also condemned the move. Religion behind the move According to the Times of Israel, Marape was explicit that the opening of the embassy was down to religious motivations. [caption id="attachment_44999" align="aligncenter" width="1079"] James Marape, left, and Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on 6 September 2023. Photo: Facebook.com / The Prime Minister of Israel[/caption] The country opened its embassy "because of our shared heritage, acknowledging the creator God, the Yahweh God of Israel, the Yahweh God of Isaac and Abraham," the newspaper quoted Marape as saying. "You have been the great custodian of the moral values that were passed for humanity," Marape said to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who attended the ceremony opening. "Many nations choose not to open their embassies in Jerusalem but we made the conscious choice. This has been the universal capital of the nation and people of Israel. For us to call ourselves Christians, paying respect to God will not be complete without recognising that Jerusalem is the universal capital of the people and nation of Israel." Marape also asked Israel to open an embassy in Port Moresby, and offered to provide the land for the mission. Earlier this week, it was revealed that Israel would bankroll the embassy. - Pacific News/ Times of Israel Source: RNZ.Com

Over twenty youth leaders from the South Fly district of the Western Province are now able to attend to youth issues in their own communities after completing a three- day training on leadership skills. The three-day training conducted on Daru Island enhanced their leadership skills in emotional intelligence, conflict resolution and on being a team player. The training held at the Seminar from August 28th to September 01st, upskilled the twenty-four (24) youth leaders. The group comprised the five (5) Local Youth Councils in the district's leadership structure and they are: 1. Oriomo Bituri Local Youth Council 2.Morehead Local Youth Council 3. Fly Kiwai Local Youth Council 4. Daru Urban Local Youth Council 5. Fore Coast Local Youth Council 6. South Fly District Youth Council The Director-General for National Youth Development Authority (NYDA), Joe Itaki said the training delivered was made possible through the established partnership amongst his organization, the Justice Stability Services for Development (JSS4D), the Western Provincial Administration, and the South Fly District Development Authority (DDA). The training was facilitated by Greater Training Institute. In his closing remarks of the training, the Deputy Provincial Administrator for Operations, Mr. Michael Viriu, rendered support for the youths and the programs and projects that will be delivered through the youth councils, such as the Leadership Training which is very important for the youth leaderships to take charge in leading their peers. The South Fly district is optimistic for more youth programs for their youths to be engaged in and NYDA is ready to deliver in partnership with stakeholders in youth development. 

The residents and business houses in the city of Lae have been living in constant load shedding of electricity since Monday after a fault occurred along the main transmission line resulting in a major power outage for the second largest city in the country. According to PNG Power Limited (PPL), the fault is along the transmission from Ramu Hydro power station to the city of Lae and since it was identified this week, work has been progressing in having it fixed. PNG Power engineers have been working on getting the necessary materials together before heading out on the road to get to the site of the fault and then work on fixing it today. Currently, the city is being powered by the three generators owned by an Independent Power Producer (IPP). The power supply during the day, especially during peak time, is on high demand resulting in the load shedding, but not so much during the evenings. Meanwhile, PNG Power is hoping that the restoration of the power supply is completed by today so that the residents and business houses in Lae can have access again to uninterrupted electricity supply. The residents are also hoping for the same because it’s almost a week now and power disruption is just getting too much for people to handle, and with the 48th Independence coming up in a few days’ time, it would better to have normal power supply in order for the people to enjoy and celebrate independence.