The Special Parliamentary Committee on Communication, chaired by Marsh Narawec and supported by Committee Members Robert Naguri, Casmiro Aia and Wai Rapa, recently completed regional consultations in Madang Province (17–19 June) and Jiwaka Province (22–24 June) 2025, as part of its ongoing inquiry into cyber safety, digital media standards and the role of communication in community development.
The regional visits are an integral part of the Committee’s nationwide public inquiry aimed at understanding the effects of cybercrime, misinformation and digital media abuse, while exploring ways to enhance public awareness, media responsibility and cyber safety.
In Madang Province, the Committee held consultations from 17th–19th June, starting with a team briefing upon arrival, followed by an informal dinner with key representatives from the Provincial Government, Police Force and the Vice Chancellor of Madang’s Divine Word University. This engagement served to brief provincial leaders on the objectives of the inquiry and coordinate security support for public hearings.
The Committee heard from a wide range of stakeholders including the Provincial Administrator, Police Cybercrime Unit, Divine Word University Journalism School, local media representatives (Post-Courier, NBC Madang, The National), independent journalists, churches, youth organizations and victims of cybercrime.
The Madang consultation ended with a site visit to the School of Journalism at Divine Word University, where the Committee toured media facilities and engaged with students before returning to Port Moresby.
In the Highlands Region, the Committee visited Jiwaka Province where the Committee once again engaged with provincial leadership, cybercrime officers, the academic sector, civil society, youth representatives and individuals affected by online abuse.
The regional consultations provided a platform for the Committee to collect firsthand accounts and institutional perspectives on cyber issues facing Papua New Guineans.
Regional consultations for the New Guinea Islands Region will be held from the 29th of June to the 1st of July in Kokopo, East New Britain Province with the Southern Region consultation to be held in Alotau, Milne Bay Province for the 2nd-4th July.