Wan Squad are through to the semi-finals of the Hip Hop International Dance Competition after finishing 10th the preliminary round. Over 50 teams are competing in the competition. Wan Squad are competing in the adult division, which is historically the toughest in the competition. The top 21 teams make it through to the semifinals which happened this morning PNG time, with the finals on Saturday.  

The SP PNG Hunters will hold what could potentially be a farewell match at Bycroft Oval, Runaway Bay this Saturday at 3pm when they host the Townsville Blackhawks in Round 18 of the QRL Hostplus Cup. The Hunters are expected to return home to PNG in the coming weeks as they mark the end to a two-and-a-half year relocation period, meaning this weekend’s game could be the last time the Hunters play at their ‘home-away-from-home’ at Bycroft Oval. The Hunters’ last outing was a disappointing 44-6 loss to competition heavyweights the Sunshine Coast Falcons. Brimming with NRL experience and firmly entrenched inside the top four, the Falcons were too good for the Hunters last week but that didn’t prevent PNG from fighting until the final whistle. The PNG side gets a chance to respond this weekend when they take on the 10th placed Blackhawks on Saturday. The Hunters will have fond memories of the Blackhawks, having travelled to Townsville earlier the season and ambushing the locals 42-20 in a high-scoring affair. The PNG side played to their strengths in that game, compressing the middle with hard running forwards and changing their angles in attack to target spaces around ruck. Dilbert Issac, Sylvester Namo and Emmanuel Waine were standouts for the Hunters in that game, combining for a total 370 running metres, three tries, and 14 tackle busts. Issac remains in the casualty ward this week but Namo and Waine have been two of PNG’s bestthis season and profile as key forwards for the Hunters again on Saturday.

Due to election related violence happening in Jiwaka Province, Anglimp Secondary School students in Jiwaka haven’t been turning up for classes since the resumption of Term 3 on July 25th, 2022. School Deputy Principal – Administration, Mr David Opai said that teachers resumed but there were no students coming to the school. “Students were too afraid to come for classes and just stayed home with their families.” “Grade 12s came to the school and picked up their written expression booklets and went back home.” Mr Opai said that the Written Expression exam will go ahead next week and he is urging the grade 12s to come to the school to sit for their exam. “I have posted on social media as well as passing on the message to parents and students that we will finally resume for Term 3 on August 15.” Mr Opai also said that because the student have missed out on a few weeks of lessons, teachers have been working on a schedule for extra classes so they can catch up. He added that the grade 10s and 12s will need to have remedial classes aswell as mock exams as final preparations for the National Exams in October. Boarding students have started to make their way to the school in preparations to resume classes come Monday.

With generous support of the European Union, the FAO-led EU STREIT Programme officially opened a new 3 cluster office building on 10 August 2022, to host the Programme along with the East Sepik provincial divisions of Agriculture and Livestock, Cocoa Board and the National Agriculture Quarantine & Inspection Authority. The new-look office building is powered by 189 solar panels, which significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduces the collective dependence on fossil fuel. The solar panels supply the building with 90 KW of energy, relieving the resident agencies and authorities from relying on fossil-generated electricity for their needs, including lighting, ICT, water pumping, and temperature control. This zero-carbon-emission facility has the capacity to accommodate around 90 experts, technicians and extension service officers. Equipped with 120 batteries, the building can support staff’s operation for 36 hours in case of experiencing high cloud cover. he building, currently co-resided by the Programme and provincial agricultural bodies, will be transferred over to the East Sepik Provincial Administration at the end of the Programme and will continue to provide a sustainable base for sustainable support to agriculture-related services in the Province. Officiating the opening ceremony, His Excellency Ambassador Jernej Videtič, Head of the European Union Delegation to PNG, in his address, said: “I am happy to be here and to see that things are moving in the right direction to bring sustainable benefits to the people of East Sepik” Ambassador Videtič further highlighted that “with resources from the citizens of Europe to fund the EU-STREIT Programme in providing training, tools and support, the quantity and quality of cocoa, vanilla and fisheries products will increase. The objective is also to protect these quality products in international markets under the EU-STREIT introduced initiative of Geographical Indication.” The East Sepik Acting Deputy Provincial Administrator, Mr James Baloiloi, in his speech expressed his appreciation to the EU for funding the EU-STREIT Programme and the interventions that the Programme is doing in East Sepik and Sandaun provinces. “The STREIT Programme has gone ahead to introduce a culture of agribusiness that now enables the people of this Province and the people of Sandaun Province to have cash income that can sustain their livelihoods.” Mr Baloiloi added, “this infrastructure and building supports us and facilitates the service delivery to our people in this Province as well as Sandaun Province.”  THanking the EU for its generous funding support, Dr Xuebing Sun, the EU-STREIT Programme Coordinator, said: “the Programme has generated substantial impacts at beneficiary, local institutions and enabling business environment levels. This would not be possible with good partnership, increased ownerships and leaderships of the governments and implementing partners.” “This co-residing and close co-operation among UN agencies and their national partners in this integrated space reflect the partnership approach taken by the Programme to sustainably develop agri-enterprise activities in the region,” added Dr Xuebing Sun, adding “the new climate friendly facility, which is fully powered by solar energy, also provides a space to welcome, advise and serve the farmers, including interested women and youth, who play very important roles along agri-food value chains”. “This kind of ‘green investment’ enables a shift to a more green economy for local institutions and infrastructure to meet cocoa, vanilla and fishery value chains stakeholders” advised Anthony Bennett, the FAO Lead Technical Officer of the EU-STREIT PNG Programme. United Nations’ implementing partners supporting the FAO-led EU-STREIT PNG present in the office include the International Labour Organization (ILO), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The EU-STREIT PNG is being implemented as a UN Joint Programme (FAO as leading agency, and ILO, ITU, UNCDF and UNDP as implementing partners), is the largest grant-funded Programme of the European Union in the Country and the Pacific region. It focuses on increasing sustainable and inclusive economic development of rural areas through increasing the economic returns and opportunities from cocoa, vanilla and fishery value chains and strengthening and improving the efficiency of value chain enablers including the business environment and supporting sustainable, climate-proof transport and energy infrastructure development.

Air Niugini Destinations Loyalty Program has renewed the partnership with Kumul Consumer Goods (KCG) Limited for another year. KCG first came on board as a partner with Destinations in 2020. The renewal of this partnership now brings the total Destinations corporate partners to 10. Air Niugini Chief Executive Officer, Mr Bruce Alabaster welcomed the KCG renewal highlighting the importance of partnering with more organizations to add further value to the Loyalty Program and its members. He said “Having partnerships with a wide range of organizations allow Destinations members more options to either earn or redeem points across a variety of consumer goods in addition to airline tickets. “ Members must present their Destinations membership cards at the time of purchase in order to redeem points on specific KCG products. KCG Managing Director Benjamin Frame said, “KCG is pleased to extend the partnership with Air Niugini Loyalty Program, and we look forward to seeing Destination members utilizing the opportunity of redeeming points on selected products.” Air Niugini’s Destinations Loyalty Program currently has over 123,000 active members since it was launched in August 2009.

Trukai Industries recently donated kitchen items to the National Cancer Service at the Angau Memorial General Hospital. National Cancer Service Senior Radiation Therapist Becky Pais, while receiving the items on behalf of the Cancer Service was grateful of the donation stating that the kitchen items would greatly help her staff after their long shifts. “Staff work past their lunch break so patients can be attended to. The tea room is where we go to take a break and share our professional and private thoughts and activities with our workmates,” said Pais. Trukai Industries representative Anne Kewe while presenting the donation expressed how Trukai Industries was delighted to partner with the National Cancer Service as supporting communities was of one of Trukai Industries’ values. Chief Executive Officer of Trukai Industries Alan Preston reiterated that the support that the company had shown demonstrates that it cares for communities. “We believe in giving back to the community in which we live and operate in because the community supports us. That is why we at Trukai Industries will continue to support the National Cancer Service and build this relationship,” said Preston. Trukai Industries also supports NGOs in Morobe Province such as the Mountain Area Medical Airlift Foundation, Lae City Mission and Lae Cancer Foundation to assist them to further their community work within the province. The company supports a wide variety of community activities and programs for people living with disabilities, the homeless & less fortunate, achievement recognition awards, sports, education, and health projects

Papua New Guinea’s only environmental conservation, education and wildlife rescue hub – Port Moresby Nature Park along Goro Kaeaga Road, Reinbo – is announcing a new management team to guide the Park’s future. The new team is built on diversity and inclusion, with a blend of four PNG & international executives, together providing over fifty years of in-country and global experience in business, conservation and tourism. Dr Adrian Fowler (Chief Executive), Joanne Ponduk (Chief Finance Officer), Brett Smith (General Manager of Life Sciences) and Oliver Isaacs (General Manager of Operations), between them, have experience of managing visitor attractions in the USA, Europe, Africa and Australasia, and over a decade at Port Moresby Nature Park itself. The Nature Park’s new Chief Executive, Dr Adrian Fowler, is a wildlife veterinarian and former CEO of California’s Sacramento Zoo and Director of The National Aquarium of New Zealand. Adrian’s background includes wildlife rescue with SANCCOB’s “Penguin Hospital” in Cape Town and managing some of the world’s biggest zoological parks; most notably the 2,000-acre North Carolina Zoo and Houston Zoo in the USA. “Papua New Guinea is the exclusive home of some of the world’s most spectacular wildlife and incredible cultural history”, says Adrian. “It is a great honour to be a part of the team showcasing the magic of PNG’s natural heritage”. Brett Smith is no stranger to the Nature Park. As the Park’s General Manager of Life Sciences, and an expert on some of Papua New Guinea’s unique animal species, Brett is credited with developing Port Moresby Nature Park into the facility it is today. Brett’s dedication to PNG started 26 years ago as a visiting tree kangaroo researcher, while Curator of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Australia. Over the last 10 years, Brett has been responsible for not only all the animal and plant collections at the Nature Park, but the wide-reaching education and conservation programmes too. “The Nature Park will continue to expand on the welfare, research and conservation of the animals in our collection and in the wild. Our education programs will continue teaching the next generation of conservationists who will protect the flora, fauna and culture of PNG,” says Brett. The Nature Park’s Chief Finance Officer, Joanne Ponduk, gained her Bachelor’s degree in Business at Pacific Adventist University and spent 10 years with Deloitte, one of the big four chartered accountants, as a Manager of Risk & Consulting. As a Papua New Guinean woman, Joanne has seen a lot of change in PNG equality and diversity. “I look forward to embracing such changes and introducing opportunities for the team at Port Moresby Nature Park”, says Joanne. Oliver Isaacs, the Nature Park’s new General Manager of Operations, has a career in creating the very best guest experiences for some of Australia’s leading attractions. Oliver has run Operations at The National Maritime Museum and Taronga Zoo in Sydney. “Port Moresby Nature Park has grown into a highly-respected environmental organisation while remaining the main recreational park for communities in and surrounding the National Capital District”, says Oliver. “I am very much looking forward to welcoming our guests and working with our strategic partners”. The Port Moresby Nature Park has come a long way over the last decade and has always been supported internationally, both with funding and expertise, to achieve its’ goals. The new Chief Executive says, “Our next step is to ensure Papua New Guineans become leaders on the international conservation stage". "Our mission is simple: Only through developing Papua New Guinea’s home-grown talent, be that at the level of schools or management, can we succeed in protecting PNG’s environment for future generations. It is an enormous challenge but an exciting journey as we look to bring together communities, business, academia, NGOs and government as one team for nature: Team PNG.” Port Moresby Nature Park is a charity organization that relies on grants and donor funding to operate. By visiting the park and joining our Membership program, you help support the Park’s efforts in preserving PNG’s unique natural environment for future generations, including the Park’s 550 resident animals, majority of which have been surrendered to the Park for care. Source: Port Moresby Nature Park. org

The rugby league world is in mourning after the sudden death of Paul Green at 49 years old in his Brisbane home on Thursday morning. The Daily Telegraph reported that Green had not said anything about feeling ill before his sudden passing, with a post-mortem to determine the cause of his death. Green had been in Sydney last weekend for the Cronulla ex-players’ reunion, one of five teams the former Australian and Queensland representative halfback played for during his career. Green had a decorated playing career which spanned 162 games, suiting up for the Cronulla Sharks, North Queensland Cowboys, Sydney Roosters, Parramatta Eels and Brisbane Broncos. He then made the switch to coaching after he hung up the boots, taking the Cowboys to their first-ever premiership in 2015 before also taking over the Queensland Maroons Origin side. Former Melbourne Storm and Maroons hooker Cameron Smith called it “shocking news” on SEN Radio. “A very sad part of the day,” Smith said, reacting to the news alongside Denan Kemp, who was coached by Green in the early stages of his rugby league career. “It’s certainly rocked myself and Kempy in the studio and everyone in the rugby league world. “It’s a sad day for everyone involved in the rugby league family and community. We send our best wishes and condolences out to the entire Green family.” Kemp spent a bit of time learning from Green in the early stages of his career and paid tribute to his ability to turn around Queensland Cup team the Wynnum Seagulls after a challenging start to the season. “I was fortunate enough, he was my kicking and catching coach when I was coming through at the Broncos and he was also my coach when I was at Wynnum,” Kemp said. “I had a small amount to do with him but in the time I did, it was actually really interesting the year I was at Wynnum I ended up signing with another club to leave but we had a really tough start to the season. Greeny managed to turn the Wynnum Seagulls around and we won the premiership that year. “He’s a fighter. It’s a very sad day to see Greeny go like that.” In a playing and coaching career of many highlights, Green’s greatest would be his role in taking North Queensland to its maiden premiership in 2015. Green first took the helm at the Cowboys in 2014 and saw immediate results as the Cowboys won the inaugural NRL Auckland Nines tournament. North Queensland carried the pre-season form into the season proper, finishing in fifth spot on the ladder before being eliminated by the Roosters in dramatic fashion in the semi-finals. The Cowboys improved to third in the 2015 season and this time around went all the way to the title, taking down the Broncos in a golden-point thriller for the ages. North Queensland got back to the grand final under Green’s watch in 2017 too, even without legendary halfback Johnathan Thurston, but were outclassed by Melbourne. Last year Thurston revealed the first conversation he had with Green that led to the drought-breaking title triumph in 2015. “He arrived to the club in 2014 and I remember the first meeting we had at the Dally M’s of 2013,” Thurston told WWOS. “He asked me what was the perception of the Cowboys at that time. I said, ‘We’re pretty inconsistent’. He stopped me pretty much and said ‘You can’t win away from home, and you can’t win when you’re on the sidelines’ so what do I need to do to change that? “We needed to get everyone training to an intensity that is required and he did that, and over those years we went on to win a premiership, make four straight finals and another grand final so he’s a great coach. “I was bought to the club in 2005 to win a premiership. He got everyone to that level and won that first ever premiership for the club which was great scenes for North Queensland and we’ll never forget it.” Green said he would “always treasure” the premiership-winning year with the Cowboys upon his exit from the club in 2020. “I am grateful to the board for allowing me to lead this club whilst creating some lifelong memories,” he said at the time. Source: Foxsports.com

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) supports 477 people to graduate from financial literacy training in Lae, Morobe Province, with a majority 415 (87 percent) of the total number of graduates all women. This is part of USAID’s commitment through the PNG Lukautim Graun Program (LGP) and its partnership with Center for Excellence in Financial Inclusion (CEFI) to deliver financial literacy training for Papua New Guineans, with a focus on economic empowerment of women and people from rural communities. For many people in PNG, especially women and marginalized populations living in rural and remote communities, it can be difficult to access basic financial services like banking, and saving and loan schemes to grow their small-scale business and improve their livelihood prospects. With USAID support, eight CEFI certified trainers conducted financial literacy training between July 25 to August 5, at seven different locations in Morobe Province, including Tent City Primary School, Abong Literacy School, Tent City Stage Three, Kamkumung, Poaba Village, Tanam Village, and Nasuapum Village. As a result, 477 participants graduated with financial literacy certificate and now have an improved understanding about the basic principles of saving and budgeting, which are the foundational skills for creating new enterprises and increasing household and personal financial security. Elizabeth Bou, a teacher from Tent City Primary School said, “I’m so happy that I attended this training. Even though I’ve been a teacher for 39 years, I haven’t been very good at budgeting and saving. Through this training, I have realized my mistakes. This will be my last year of teaching and I plan to pass on the skills and information I’ve learnt from this training to help others in my community like our local women’s and church groups”. Participants who complete the financial literacy training are given the opportunity to open saving accounts with MiBank, a nationwide micro-bank. In addition, graduates become eligible to apply for access to MiBank’s lending options for growing their small-scale or improving their livelihood activities. Lanes Jeari, a resident of Abong said “Thank-you to USAID for this training, it has helped me open a new bank account with the bank (MiBank). I can now visit the bank and save some money from my table sales business”. Led by Cardno International Development – a DT Global Company, USAID’s PNG LGP works in partnership PNG Government, local communities, and a range of implementing partners from the private sector, faith-based organizations, and civil society organizations. The overall objective of USAID’s LGP program is to empower traditional landowners to sustainably manage their resources and particularly to economically empower women as full participants in PNG’s economy. By improving people’s livelihood prospects USAID is building local capacity by helping communities to reduce pressure on forest resources and contribute to protecting PNG’s rich biodiversity for future generations.

Team Papua New Guinea will arrive back in the country at 5:10am on Friday morning (August 12) from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The contingent departed Birmingham on Wednesday, August 10 and will transit through France and Singapore and on then on to Port Moresby. Three members will go through Dubai and then meet up with the rest of the contingent in Singapore for the final leg home. The US based athletes of Team Papua New Guinea are already en route back to their respective states. The swimming team have already arrived safely back in Brisbane, Australia. The official welcome back function for Team Papua New Guinea will be held on Saturday, August 13 at the Taurama Aquatic Centre from 12pm-2pm in Port Moresby. Team Papua New Guinea finished 35th at the Games with one silver medal.

Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai has thanked all his electoral officials across the country for doing a tremendous job and returning majority of the Election Writs in time of 11th Parliament to convene and conduct the first business of the day in electing a new government. He said about 109 Writs were returned after counting for Provincial and Open Electorate were completed in many parts of the country. Mr Sinai thanked all election officials in doing a tremendous job under difficult circumstance, particularly in the Highlands Region in making  sure counting was completed and winners declared. The commissioner urged electoral officials in those electorates that are still counting to speed up and complete counting before Monday 151th August and have the remaining Writs returned. "While I have returned majority of Writs last Friday to the Governor General, the remainder will follow as they are  received by the Commission. This is provided for under the legal frame work, and I will evoke Section 81(3) of the Electoral Law to extend the date for the date of the return of Writs for those specific provincial and open electorates," he said. Mr Sinai appealed to all leaders, political parties, candidates, and scrutineers and their fellow supporters to respect the electoral process and allow counting to progress until the remaining seats are declared. The Electoral Commissioner also clarified the position of the commission on the declaration he made for Markham and Kabwum under the Special Circumstances provision of the Organic Law. He said the decision to declare the leading candidates of the two electorates following the burning of ballot papers and destruction of counting centers and property was made after careful consideration. " The decision was not taken lightly. Wider consultation was required and I consult my lawyers and seek legal advice and sit with my senior management team, the provincial election manager and the respective Returning Officers for the effected electorates before we took a decision to accept the Writs for Markham and Kabwum." he said. The Commissioner said the destruction of  ballot papers and the counting  centers were pre planned to sabotage the electoral process by disgruntled candidates and their supporters particularly to disturb and deny the leading candidates from winning. "The Commissioner took the view that to conduct a supplementary or by election in these two electorates would mean the commission is surrendering its powers and authority to the criminal element to disturb counting processes in any time and with intention to call for a by election.  These incidents are first of its kind in PNG and decision we take now in election management body must serve as a deterrent so such is not repeated in the future."   Pic: Ruben Giusu

Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) is committed to ensuring the closure of the mine is done in accordance with the approved mine closure plan when the mine ceases production. The plan which has been developed and updated since 1997 includes the decommissioning of mining infrastructure, the rehabilitation of operation sites, the ongoing monitoring of the affected environment the transfer of public infrastructure or services currently provided by OTML and the establishment of a fund to implement the plan. The Company stated this during a Mine Closure Consultation Meeting that was held in Port Moresby from August 03rd - 05th 2022 which was organised by the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) and attended by landowners, government and OTML representatives. The meeting was held to discuss OTML’s closure plan which is being reviewed and will be submitted to the MRA before the end of this year. OTML is required under the Ok Tedi Act to review and submit an updated closure plan to the MRA every 3 years. One of the key challenges is the transfer of public infrastructure and services which include the Kiunga power, water & sewerage systems, the Tabubil Hospital, the Tabubil township, and the maintenance of the Tabubil/Kiunga highway to third parties before mine closure but is not that simple since the operations of these facilities and assets are heavily subsidised by OTML. Third parties have shown interest but have been reluctant to take on these assets since they are not viable without OTML’s subsidies. For example, each year the Company spends over K10 Million to subsidise power, water and sewerage services in Kiunga, a government township that has a population of over 20,000 people. OTML continues to have discussions with potential partners including the Fly River Provincial Government to develop a practical model that will sustain these services post closure and OTML’s plan is to handover these services to the new owners while OTML is still operating. It was also revealed at the meeting that the Company has set aside USD245 million for the sole purpose of implementing the closure plan when the Company ceases production. The amount is reviewed every 3 years as part of the closure planning process and additional contributions to the closure fund will be made if the estimated closure costs exceeds the current amount.