Consumers nationwide can expect to see authorities responsible for the assessing and monitoring of prices of goods on their toes doing their duty, following the June 1st imposition of the zero- rated Goods and Services Tax (GST) policy on thirteen essential items by the National Government. This is because the Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) and the Independent Consumer and Competitions Commission (ICCC) are now working together on monitoring and enforcing it after the two state entities recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on ‘Information Sharing’. According to the IRC Commissioner General Mr. Sam Koim, from the tax perspective, the…
Author: Emmanuel MAIPE
The launched of the Finance Department’s three new online systems, not only marks a milestone achievement, but it also focuses on addressing certain issues faced by the department and one of those issues is the leakage of confidential and sensitive information out to the public. Speaking at the launching of these new financial online system on Friday 20th June in Port Moresby city was the Department’s Deputy Secretary Operations, Mr. Stephen Nukuitu, who said the introduction of the Document Management System (DMS) aims to prevent document leaks. “With the DMS, we will strengthen accountability and streamline document workflow.” “In the…
The Governor General of Papua New Guinea (PNG) His Excellency (H.E.) Sir Bob Dadae along with the British High Commissioner, H.E. Anne Marco, presented the King’s portraits to various government departments recently. The presentation event, although small, was significant as it marks the significant role and relationship the 15 democratic nations in the Commonwealth realm have with the Crown. The British High Commissioner said the presentation of the portrait of King Charles III is part of the King’s Birthday cerebrations and it is especially more significant given that the King’s connection to PNG goes back when he was just a…
The Department of Finance just recently launched its three new digital systems that will further enhance its service to the people of Papua New Guinea (PNG) as the country marks is 50th Independence Anniversary. The new systems are the official Finance Department Website along with the online Blended Learning System and the Document Management System (DMS). The official website houses these two systems. The DMS enhances a paperless process that is secure and efficient. Its key features are a centralized repository for financial reports, policies and official records, advance research and retrieval for quick access to critical documents, and some…
It is time to get to work to grow the economy of Papua New Guinea to a K200 billion economy through initiatives like the Special Economic Zone (SEZ). That was the stern message from Prime Minister James Marape last night when launching the Special Economic Zone Foundation Policy 2025- 2032 at the APEC Haus in Port Moresby city. The launch of this policy will result in the current SEZ Act of 2019 being repealed and a new Act will be enacted to reflect the changes in the foundation policy. The policy defines what SEZs are and the different types of…
Two police officers were among three other individuals busted by police in major drug operation in Port Moresby city yesterday. According to a police statement released today, a senior police officer and a police constable were among three civilians who were arrested in a major drug bust in a hotel room. National Captial District (NCD) Metropolitain Supervenient, Warrick Simatab, confirmed that the senior police officer is Inspector Potol Husein and the junior officer is Constable Emmanuel Somon. The three civilians were Japheth Warus, Rick Posing, and Cathleen Tau. He said they were apprehended in the hotel room where they were…
Tomorrow, the National Government through the Department of International Trade and Investment is expected to launch the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Foundation Policy that defines the various SEZs, and their different investment opportunities available. This Policy will also talk about the various fees that will be charged by the SEZ Authority to those who are primary locators or invested within SEZs, and those who are located within the various SEZs in the country. But what is a Special Economic Zone and why is the National Government so focused on establishing a number of them in the country in the next…
Health authorities in Papua New Guinea will very soon rollout the first round of vaccination to tackle the poliovirus, now that the much-needed vaccines have arrived in country. On Friday 13th June, 4.6 million lifesaving vaccine doses arrived in Port Moresby city. The arrival of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) has set the stage for the launching of the first round of emergency vaccinations to stop the spread of poliovirus. The intensive two-round campaign is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the Australian Government. The vaccine delivery comes just weeks after PNG declared a national…
The Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru has confirmed that the official launching of the new Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Foundation Policy will take place on Sunday 15th June in Port Moresby city. The launch of this policy will result in the current SEZ Act of 2019 being repealed and a new Act will be enacted to reflect the changes in the foundation policy. “The policy will define what SEZs are and the different types of SEZs, it will tell you also the types of industries within SEZs. It will also tell you about the incentives that are…
The country’s consumer watchdog- the Independent Consumer and Competitions Commission (ICCC)- is warning retailers and wholesalers nationwide to comply with the government imposed Zero- rated Goods and Services Tax (GST) relief policy. The ICCC Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Paulus Ain explained that this initiative is expected to deliver nearly K800 million in GST savings for all the households nationwide and the ICCC will work with relevant authorities to enforce this. “The ICCC will assist the IRC (Internal Revenue Commission) and PNG Customs in ensuring that the intended relief reaches consumers, and that prices are fairly adjusted in…