Jeremiah Manele has been elected prime minister of Solomon Islands polling 31 votes to 18 over rival candidate and former opposition leader Mathew Wale with no abstentions. The final result of the election by secret ballot was annouced by the Governor General Sir David Vunagi on the steps of Parliament a short time ago in Honiara. Going into the vote, Manele’s camp had claimed the support of 28 MPs while Wale’s camp said they had 20. Manele’s victory signals a return of the incumbent government formerly headed by Manasseh Sogavare. Manele’s administration, which calls itself the Government for National Unity…
Author: Emmanuel MAIPE
Three representatives from the Yangoru- Saussia District of East Sepik province have joined others currently attending a Market Analysis Workshop in Alotau in preparation for the opening of the Womayen Market initiative in the district. The workshop, hosted by UN Women, will provide the opportunity for the participants to learn from each other’s experiences in supporting local markets and women entrepreneurs, allowing them to identify opportunities for growth and development within their districts, Whilst there in the Milne Bay province, the participants will also visit the Alotau Market to allow them to gain firsthand insights into successful market practices and…
The recent natural disasters that occurred left a lot of people displaced and with little food and water to go by, but with assistance from resources companies like Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML), the people can continue to progress towards getting back on their feet. Just recently, OTML donated K1 million to two provinces heavily affected by last month’s natural disasters, namely East Sepik and Chimbu Provinces with K500, 000 each to assist with relief and recovery efforts which are currently ongoing. In East Sepik, persistent heavy rainfall led to flooding and widespread destruction in communities along the Sepik River,…
The first phase of the State assistance for business houses affected by the Black Wednesday riots in Port Moresby city is underway with the relief package comprising of cash assistance, concessional loans, and administrative and policy support. The Chief Secretary to the Government, Mr. Ivan Pomaleu said the focus is on expediting relief efforts and facilitating the recovery process with three (3) companies already receiving their employee retention packages, marking the onset of the first phase, with additional claims being processed by the Inter-agency Task Force. The Government’s support initiatives are structured into immediate-to-medium-long-term assistance, categorized as Cash Assistance and…
The Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority (PNGTPA) and Air Niugini have joined forces in a move to further promote the country as one of the best tourism destinations in the world. The two organizations signed a Collaborative Agreement yesterday in Port Moresby with the aim to raise awareness and interests in PNG’s unique culture and natural beauty, and stimulate the growth of tourism in the country. PNGTPA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Eric Mossman Uvovo described this partnership as a necessary tool to promote the country as a tourist destination. “Today (Tuesday 23rd April) marks a significant milestone in…
The economy of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is expecting some favourable growth this year and next year due to positive outlook driven by improvements in the mining sector. Published in the recent edition of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) flagship economic publication- the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) April 2024, the report stated that despite economic growth slowing down to 2.0% in 2023 due to decreased production in the resource sector, the country’s economy is set to grow by 3.3% in 2024 due to resumption of production at the Porgera gold mine in Enga province. Meantime, the medium-term outlook for PNG’s…
The magnitude of trade between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and China over the years following trade agreements signed has seen China fast becoming the country’s most important trading partner. That was the statement from the Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru following his two-hour meeting with the Chinese Deputy Minister of Commerce, Mr. Tang Wenhong in Port Moresby over the weekend. “We are determined to grow and deepen our relationship with China and anchor it through a Free Trade Agreement between PNG and China if our joint feasibility study, which will be completed by July this year, confirms…
The people of Kiniambu village in the Yangoru Sausia district of the East Sepik province have offered up their land to support the development of agriculture. Kiniambu village is located on the Sepik Plains and the people there have offered to the government 10, 000 Hectares of grass land for oil palm development, which the Minister for International Trade and Investment and local Member, Richard Maru was witnessed to recently in his electorate. “All they (the Kiniambu people) need now is for the Marape-Rosso Government to come good and support them to have the land surveyed, ILGs registered, and a…
Unfortunately, there will be no AFL National Championships as planned for this year, instead the Papua New Guinea (PNG) AFL Commission has opted to hosting only the Regional Selection Trails to select new up and coming talents to form the senior men’s and women’s national teams. AFL PNG Senior Football Operations Manager, Mr. Rex Leka, told PNG HAUSBUNG that the decision had to be made to switch to the region selections because of the cost factor surrounding the event. “This is because for the regionals, it will be much easier for athletes to get to the centers to participate, and…
The National Government’s next phase of the relief support for the affected business houses from the Black Wednesday riots will be in the form of concessional loans for the restocking and rebuilding exercise, but government has been asked to reconsider its decision on this. This is because most of these business houses cannot be getting any further loans at a time like this, especially when they have the burden of repaying their other existing loans. The President of the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry (POMCCI), Mr. Rio Fiocco told PNG HAUSBUNG that the second batch relief support initial…