Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday announced Australia will refund visa fees for vaccinated backpackers who arrive within the next three months. The country — whose tight, pandemic border policies locked out its citizens, and more recently, one of tennis’s biggest stars — is encouraging backpackers to visit. And it’s doing so because it wants to reduce labor shortages that have been made worse by Covid-19. “My message to [backpackers] is come on down,” Morrison said this week. “You’ve got your visa, we want you to come to Australia and enjoy a holiday here in Australia, move all the way ……
Author: PNG Haus Bung
The Hiritano and Trans Highway that link NCD, Central and Gulf Provinces has not received any major funding from the past and current government in order for a major road upgrade work to be undertaken. Works Minister Michael Nali revealed this in parliament recently when responding to questions by Kairuku Hiri MP Peter Isoaimo on what the Department of Works has done to address the deteriorating sections of the highway. Isoaimo said officers at the Works Department have been entertaining incompetent road contractors over the years while depleting the funds allocated by the national government last year with K10million and…
The case of the missing person on a boat between Lou and Baluan Islands on New Year’s Eve is now being treated as murder after a lengthy investigation by police. Provincial Police Commander Chief Inspector David Yapu said the missing person was identified as Steven Chauka, 42 years from Mouk Baluan Island and he was travelling with three other persons at the time of the incident. They departed from Loniu Bridge and were traveling to Baluan Island to celebration new year. On the way, they consumed alcohol and a commotion started resulting in the deceased being thrown out at sea.…
Air Niugini is pleased to advise customers that effective from 1am Saturday 22nd January, fully vaccinated international passengers can fly into Queensland with no requirement for any quarantine on arrival. Passengers will be required to self-conduct a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) within 24 hours of arriving in Australia. Fully vaccinated passengers have been allowed to fly into Sydney, NSW since late last year without quarantine. Air Niugini operates six services per week to Brisbane (daily except Mondays), twice weekly to Cairns (on Wednesdays and Saturdays), and a Monday service direct to Sydney, NSW. At present travel remains restricted to Australian…
Following the detection of the first Omicron variant case in PNG the Commissioner of Police & Controller of the Papua New Guinea National Pandemic Response David Manning has banned public gatherings of more than 100. All events or public gatherings of more than 100 people will not be allowed until March 1, 2022. The ban which has become effective as of Friday, 14 January, 2022, means that spectators will not be allowed if a sport requires 100 team members. Big gatherings have proven to be avenues through which large numbers of people become infected with infectious diseases such as COVID-19.…
Afghanistan defeated PNG in their first game of the World Cup. After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Afghanistan scored 200 all out and in response PNG were all out for 65. Coach Rodney Maha was pleased that the PIH Under 19 Cricket PNG side restricted Afghanistan to an achievable target “Katenalaki Singi had a great debut match with figures of 4/18 and Rasan Kevau continued to take regular wickets with 3/23. Our innings started disastrously with Peter Karoho bowled off the first ball of the innings. Unfortunately, we were never able to get in the game with…
Two high-achieving Australia Awards scholars from PNG have been awarded the Allison Sudradjat Prize for 2021 for their leadership skills and determination to contribute to the country’s development. Deputy Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea His Excellency Paul Lehmann presented the prestigious prize to Benishar Kombut, a scientist working in community health, and Posangat Ilius, a public sector human resource expert, at a ceremony at the Grand Papua Hotel, Port Moresby on 18 January. The Allison Sudradjat Prize is awarded annually to two Australia Awards scholars from PNG and four from Indonesia. It honours the late Australian official for…
Police Commissioner David Manning issued instructions for police to find and arrest a woman who took a video of herself sexually abusing an infant. The shocking and disturbing video which was posted on the internet shows an adult female sexually assaulting an infant. The 2-minute 24 seconds video show the woman undressing herself before abusing the child. “This is a sick person who must be found, arrested and locked up. No child is safe around this person,” Mr Manning said. Anyone with any information of the identity of the woman are urged to contact Sergeant Job Eremungo of the Family…
Parliament today (January 19 2022) passed the Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) Ltd Authorisation (Amendment) Bill 2021, after it was introduced by Prime Minister James Marape. The Bill allows for governance procedures relating to appointment of directors on the MRDC board, and the election of directors for the MRDC company boards, to commence as mandated by its respective company constitution. It rectifies the unintended consequences of the current provision in the Principal Act, in that it prevents the refreshing of representational mandate for directors on the MRDC board as well as project area representative directors on their respective MRDC Company…
Prime Minister James Marape has reiterated that no new round log export licenses have been granted to foreign companies as of 2020. He told Parliament today that by 2025 there must be no more round log exports. PM Marape said this when answering questions from Ambunti-Drekikier MP, Johnson Wapunai, about round log exports by foreign companies. “My Government has a clear policy view (on round log exports),” he said. “There must be a time when we stop round log exports. “We must process our logs in-country. “That commitment still stands. “When we came in, we said that from 2020 onwards,…