The Police High Command in the city of Port Moresby is currently meeting with high ranking officers from the PNG Defence Force to try to establish facts surround an alleged police attack on a soldiers. It was alleged that the PNGDF personnel was abducted and later attacked by members of the police Mobile Squad on Saturday. Talks are currently on at the Boroko police station between NCD/Central Commander ACP Anthony Wagambi Junior and the senior members of the PNG DF to determine the facts behind the alleged incident. Meanwhile, the situation is still tense at and around the Boroko police station after angry members of the PNGDF at Murray Barracks fronting up there in the morning demanding police to explain why their fellow soldier was attacked.

Passengers traveling in and out of Port Moresby can now breathe easy with the Jackson International Airport re-open for normal operations by 1pm this afternoon after it was closed by the National Airport Corporation (NAC) over aviation security breaches. NAC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Rex Kiponge said the closure of the Jackson Domestic Terminal was due to the breach of aviation safety laws by members of the police force when they were in the process of arresting him on matters relating to the operations of one of the national airports in the country. “About 17 police personnel entered illegally and unlawfully at the main point of entry and onto the area where the aircrafts were parked last night,” said Mr. Kiponge. He said that this breach resulted in the contamination of the airport facility and as a result the NAC took action, as per the international aviation safety standards and regulations, to stop all operation of the airport until a thorough security check was made to ensure everything was safe and secure for the airlines, airline staff and airport staff and the traveling public before the airport is re-opened for business. After a thorough check by NAC security team (AVSEC) and the staff, Mr. Kiponge was pleased to inform the public that everything was safe and that the notice to airman to stop flights into Jackson International Airport lapsed at 12pm, meaning that normal flights resumed at 1pm. Meanwhile, Mr. Kiponge also clarified that the closure of the airport was purely due to the breach in the Civil Aviation Safety Act and not because of his arrest. He also clarified that only the domestic terminal was closed and not the international terminal. Mr. Kiponge also said he was not happy with the approach of the police in this matter and that NAC will be filing a complaint with police on this breach of aviation safety laws.

The Jacksons International terminal in the nation's capital remains closed as of this morning after police allegedly breached aviation safety laws while in the process of arresting the CEO of National Airports Corporation Rex Kiponge. It is understood that the CEO was arrested last night, questioned and then released on bail. A press conference is expected today by NAC to update on the situation. Whil this is going on, no flights in and out of Port Moresby City. The ones affected the most now are traveling public, the passengers especially.

The Ok Tedi mine in the Western province, although its mining life is said to have 10 more years to go, it still has enough resources that could see the mine continue operating for three more decades further generating revenue for the country and the province. According to the Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Musje Werror, the Ok Tedi mine has been operating for 38 years and the facilities are getting old. Therefore, the focus now is on re-investing in the business in terms of putting money into the processing facilities and re-fleeting the mine equipment, so to take the mine further into the future. He said the life of the mine is within a decade, which means closure in 2032. But they want to extend operations beyond that date and that will now depend on who well the company manages certain important matters going forward. “We still have 200million tons of resource that is still going to be in the ground post 2032 and that can take us well into the 2040s, even 2050s,” he said. He further stressed that the mine will not close in the near term because there is still life for the project going into the future, but the challenge now is in the managing of the environmental impacts, which is how well OTML treats and manages the waste from the mine. Therefore, he said that in this current mine life period, they will be looking at the environment solutions that can further extend the mine life further beyond 2032.

P&O Maritime Logistics continues to contribute to the training and employment of local maritime professionals through its employment and training program. This was stressed by the Head of Australia and PNG P&O Maritime Logistics Mr. John Connor, who said that P&O has trained so many Papua New Guineans for maritime careers. “In more recent times, we have sponsored 14 candidates through our own training program and a collaborative program that is running in conjunction with the Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF),” said Mr. Connor. He added that within this program, P&O also strongly encourages interested young females who want to be seafarers to enquire and join the program. “In addition to our cadet program, we have also had students pass through to PNG Maritime Collage in Madang who undertook additional training to improve their qualification and be promoted within P&O seafaring team.” He said with these training programs and the fleet operations, the maritime logistics company continues to make a significant contribution to the growth of maritime capability of Papua New Guinea, which he said is an essential element of trade in a growing country. “We further look to expand the benefits of this programs by providing our PNG crews, which currently make up 95% of our team, the opportunity to serve further afield in our other fleet units, so they gain exposer to our international operation and have the opportunity to develop professionally and personally.”

P&O Maritime Logistics, a leading provider of maritime services globally, has delivered the second new vessel- the “Fly Valiant,” designed specifically to service Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) and its operations along the Fly River in the Western province. The Head of Australia and PNG P&O Maritime Logistics Mr. John Connor said the vessels were designed specifically to meet the requirements of the OTML supply chain. “This ship along with the other ships of the P&O fleet provide good support for OTML and in doing so, support the development and prosperity of PNG and in particular of the Western province,” said Mr. Connor. He said with no road links to Kiunga, the marine assets engaged by OTML remain vital elements of their supply chain. “Just as with her sister ships, P&O has used its long-term expertise to best service the routes and to help in movement of copper to the global market while also providing logistics support to OTML.” He said the partnership between P&O and OTML provides them a unique opportunity to offer insight into the development of these vessels so to ensure they are fully equipped to safely navigate through the challenging environment. This is because P&O has been working in the country and on the fly river for 30 years. During that period, the company has developed a wealth of expertise in the local area. “We are proud to have supported OTML’s operations and the positive impact on the lives and communities that have benefit through the products of the company.” Meanwhile, OTML Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Musje Werror thanked P&O for the new specifically designed vessel and said this will support OTML operations until 2032, or even beyond if possible, depending on the mine’s future operations. “We still have 200million tonnes of resource that is still going to be in the ground post 2032 and that can take us well into the 2040s, even 2050s,” he said. He added that the mine will not close in the near term as there is still life going into the future, but the challenge is managing the environmental impacts, which is how OTML treats and manages the tailings from the mine. This will mean P&O Maritime services will still be needed going into the future. The addition of the two new vessels, the Fly Enterprise and Fly Valiant, represented an extension of P&O Maritime Logistics and OTML’s long-term partnership, where the Dubai based maritime services company continues to leverage its expertise to bring value and efficiency to operations, while investing in the success of the Ok Tedi mining operation.

The controversial Additional Company Tax (ACT) imposed on BSP Financial Group Limited (BSP) by the government, has been paid out but it is currently being parked in an account with the Central Bank awaiting court proceedings after BSP filed an application with the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the Tax. This was revealed just recently by the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Robin Fleming when presenting BSP’s 3rd quarter results for 2022. “In relation to the additional company tax, BSP has and continues to progress its challenge by the Supreme Court. We’ve re-filed our application in May and the Supreme Court has been progressing and the next hearing will be relating to the standings of BSP and not to mention the interveners, which include the key superannuation funds as well as IRC (Internal Revenue Commission) and the Attorney General,” said Mr. Fleming. The application was filed under Section 18(1) of the Constitution and seeks to render the ACT unconstitutional and invalid. “In the interim, we put our K190million which was due on the 30th of September, into an escrow account with Bank of PNG with the agreement of IRC on the basis that it remains in that escrow account until such time the matter has been heard in the Supreme Court.” Meanwhile, the Tax applies a flat K190million on any bank that has over 40% market share of financial assets, which could only apply to BSP because the bank’s financial assets are over that percentage mark. The ACT applies to the following years to come, so that means that BSP is liable for another K190million on the 1st of January 2023. The main concern of BSP is that the more the bank pays this Tax, the interim dividend paid out to its shareholders, which includes the country’s superfunds, will continue to be reduced.  

BSP Financial Group Limited (BSP) coverage of its electronic banking service has reached over thousands of customers, both old and new, over the last three years linking customers even in rural areas to vital banking services, and the most used is the mobile banking service. The Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Robin Fleming said mobile banking service is top out of the other performing channels of EFTPOS and ATM. “Mobile banking has seen a lot of improvement and increase in transaction activating, especially for top up for power, top up for mobile telcos and transfers to other customers who are also on our mobile banking platform,” said Fleming. He also said BSP mobile merchant platform is a very easy to use way of undertaking transactions with merchants who are registered to mobile banking without having to use cash. Fleming also added that BSP just this week added Vodafone PNG to the bank’s top up merchants, which is a plus because of the reach now for BSP customers with an additional mobile service provider on board. According to the BSP 3rd quarter report presented just on Thursday, 33 million Mobile banking transactions were done in the quarter compared to card transaction with 10 million transactions, and ATM with 9 million transactions done in the 3rd quarter. “The ongoing strategy and desire and intent of BSP is to encourage to use transactional activities in channels which don’t involve queue up at the branch or to queue up at an ATM,” the CEO added. Mobile banking makes banking easy and safe with twenty- four- seven cashless payments and transfers; therefore, this has resulted in a lot more people now signed on for the BSP mobile banking service.

Vodafone PNG is quite a new mobile service provider in the Papua New Guinea market, but it is determined to make sure its reach covers the whole of the country. The communication company so far has over 300, 000 customers and its network coverage are live in National Capital District (NCD), Central, Morobe, Eastern Highlands, Western Highlands, Chimbu, Jiwaka, East Sepik and Madang provinces. Vodafone PNG Public Relations and Sponsorship Manager Ms. Charmaine ToRobert, said West Sepik and Milne Bay Provinces will connect soon to the Vodafone network. “We should be live in those areas by the end of the month, so we are going to be rolling out with different roadshows and registrations. By the end of the month, we’ll have towers there commissioned and the network live and running.” She added that the coverage for the two provinces once connected to the network, will initially be for the main provincial capitals only. “For starters, the coverage reach will be in the main town areas and then slowly go out to the rural areas just like how we’ve done in Wewak and Jiwaka.” Vodafone is expecting a good coverage and subscriber base once the coverage in these two provinces is fully up and running.

Vodafone PNG subscribers nationwide who bank with BSP Financial Group Limited, can now be able to access BSP banking services on their mobile phones. This was made possible today when BSP and Vodafone launched their partnership in mobile banking services using the BSP Mobile Banking USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) platform. Vodafone PNG Public Relations and Sponsorship Manager Ms. Charmaine ToRobert, said Vodafone customers can now avoid the long queues in the bank and the shops, make it easier to pay for easipay for electricity. “So, we a truly excited about the positive impact this partnership with BSP will have on the economy and stimulating business growth and connecting people and provide much needed opportunities to enrich the lives of everyday Papua New Guineans,” said Ms. To Robert. Vodafone is a new telecommunications company in Papua New Guinea (PNG), but it already has over 300, 000 customers and its looking to further expending its services in the country. Vodafone network coverage is live in NCD, Central, Morobe, Eastern Highlands, Western Highlands, Chimbu, Jiwaka, East Sepik and Madang provinces. West Sepik and Milne Bay provinces will be connected soon to Vodafone network. ToRobert said with this coverage, its vital Vodafone partners with BSP so that they customers have better access to banking service. “AS a digital operator, we are thrilled with this partnership as it enhances the experience for our customers by giving our uses not just a smarter way to bank, but a smarter way to bank all day, every day.”

The national government’s Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and donor support should be the assistance that is needed to ensure Western province progresses long after Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) closes its operations. OTML Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Musje Werror, said the SEZ is one such benefit that would see sustainable growth in the province’s economy and improve service and development, as it will attract investments in the long run for the province. “Special Economic Zone, in terms of attracting more investors into the province, its going to be a critical part of government’s input into sustaining Western province beyond closure,” said the CEO. Mr. Werror said he met with Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru, and discussed this as to how this can take place in the near future. Werror said the government is looking at gaining assistance from the Japanese government to do overall economic plan for the country including Western province, which is something to look forward to. “I spoke with the minister, and he really wants to start off with Western province, on how the Japanese government through their team or agency can come in to help shape the future for Western province.” In addition to this, Mr. Werror said there are more donor partners in the province all looking at how they can assist the province. “They recognize that Ok Tedi is the focal point and one day with Ok Tedi gone, something must take place. So, that recognition is there so that’s another positive,” said the CEO. Meanwhile, OTML has about 10 more years left of mining life and after that, its closure and the benefits that go towards the resource landowners and the provincial government, will stop flowing as well

Local cocoa farmers in the East Sepik province are working towards having downstream processing for cocoa so that they can benefit more from the cocoas they produce. Mupa Cocoa Farming Founder and Director Mr. Sperian Kapia said that is one thing the farmers in Angoram district are doing with the help from partners like the European Union (EU). He said the farmers in the Yuat Local Level Government (LLG) want to establish a working downstream processing so to manufacture a semi- complete product to sell to the markets. “So, we want to produce powder (cocoa powder) in our villages so that we can sell and also add value to our product,” said Kapia. This is because with downstream processing, the farmers will do away with the middle- man or the buyer and make some good money from selling the powder directly to companies manufacturing finished cocoa products like chocolates. “We need to get them to downstream processing so that we give our farmers good prices so that the real farmers can enjoy the benefits.” He said in a village setting, some of the benefits this could bring about include access to better services like health and education. That is why the group of farmers is working on it and its getting better with the support of Streit PNG Program funded by EU. “Currently, there are 1, 500 seedlings in the nursery to distribute in the Yuat LLG by December. Our target is to get 250, 000 trees so that when we have the downstream processing facility, the consistency of supply will always be there,” he said. Mr. Kapia was at the 2022 EU- PNG Trade and Investment Conference in Port Moresby recently as a guest invited to showcase his cocoa products, which includes cocoa beans and even the finished product, chocolate. He said it is such events that expose local cocoa farmers to markets, even overseas markets and he was privileged to showcase products produced by his fellow cocoa farmers in East Sepik province.