All workers in the country should be glad to know that a review of the current Minimum Wage Rate and a possible increase, is one of the priority items on the to do list of the National Government that it will be undertaking this year. Minister for Labour and Employment, Kessy Sawang said that there have been a lot of calls from workers in the country to increase the minimum wage which is currently at K3.50 per hour, which was set in 2014 when the last minimum wage review was undertaken. As you've heard, our Prime Minister James Marape had informed our country that the Minimum Wage Review will be one of the key things that we are going to do this year, Minister Sawang said. To do that, Minister Sawang explained that there is a council called the National Tripartite Consultative Council (NTCC), which is the body that is made up of the government including the representatives of the employers and the employees. The Tripartite Council is chaired by Minister Sawang as the Minister for Labour and Employment, four other State Ministers and heads of institutions from both the employers and employees. In November last year, I appointed the members of the Tripartite Council who are representatives of the employers and the employees, and its been gazetted and by law we had to give six weeks notice in advance. On that note, she is happy to inform that as of last week Friday, they have given the notice to all the social partners, tripartite members, the Ministers including the representatives from the employers and the employees that on the 15th of March, the NTCC will meet and the review of minimum wage will be one of the main agenda items for the meeting. Currently, the working committee is made up of the social partners including key government agencies. They are working on the Terms of Reference (TOR). There must be a Terms of Reference for the review to happen, so I am happy to inform the country that they have already progressed well in advance with the TOR. By 15th of March, I should inform the country on what the council decides on the TOR, added Minister Sawang. For the employers, the Tripartite Council members who have been appointed are representatives of the Employers Federation of PNG, Manufacturers Council, Rural Industries Council, Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry and PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum. For the employees, the Tripartite Council members appointed are from the PNG Trade Union Congress, Police Association, Banks and Financial Sectors Workers Union, PNG Nurses Association, PNG Teachers Association and Commercial Workers Association. I look forward to conducting the review, which is one of my Key Performance Indicator (KPI) as a State Minister.”