Emmanuel MAIPE

Nambawan Super Limited (NSL) has final secured its final portion of land at Bush Wara at 9 Mile, Port Moresby following at lengthy court proceeding that took six years. Last Friday, 14 June 2024, the National Court ruled in favour of Nambawan Super by dismissing an appeal made by an illegal squatter, challenging the summary ejectment order of the District Court for NSL’s Land Portion 2158 at 9- Mile, Bush Wara. The Court found in 2017 that the illegal squatter, whilst working at the Department of Lands, fraudulently acquired the title to Portion 2158, and ordered him to vacate the land. But the squatter continued to occupy the land, in defiance of this Court Order from 2017, while launching several court proceedings against Nambawan Super, frustrating its efforts to secure possession of its rightful asset. Last week Friday, after the National Court reaffirmed its decision of 2017, refreshed orders were issued to proceed with the eviction of this particular illegal squatter. On Thursday, 20 June 2024, the Eviction Order for Portion 2158 was executed by the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC), with vacant possession secured and handed back to NSL who own the land in trust, on behalf of their 228,319 Members. Nambawan Super has followed all legal requirements to lawfully secure the titles of its Land Portions. The outcome of the National Court’s decision over Portion 2158 reaffirms Nambawan Super’s position, and that is to serve and protect the interests of its 228,319 Members. NSL has explored every possible option to find an equitable resolution for all parties. "Despite our efforts, all options have been exhausted, leaving eviction as the final recourse. In light of this, NSL requests the support and cooperation of all stakeholders, to ensure the carefully planned Bush Wara Eviction Program for Portions 2156, 2157 and 2159 is implemented in a safe and peaceful manner." Illegal squatters on the remaining Land Portions have been granted a 120-Day grace period that commenced on Tuesday, 12 March 2024 and will end on Wednesday, 10 July 2024. The Eviction Exercise will commence on Thursday, 11 July 2024. “We strongly encourage all illegal squatters to immediately dismantle your personal property and voluntarily vacate now, as you have less than 20 days remaining.” As a Trustee, Nambawan Super Limited cannot use Members’ funds to assist Squatters. Those who would like assistance should speak to the Police located at the Site Office at Bush Wara.

The public and business houses in the country will have to dig a bit deeper into their pockets to purchase Ramu Sugar following the announcement of a price increase on the locally refined sugar product. The Independent Consumer and Competitions Commission (ICCC) recently made this announcement just after acknowledging the increase of sugar price by Ramu Agri Industries Limited (RAIL) up by five per cent (5%). According to the ICCC Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Paulus Ain, the increase was due to RAIL’s factory- gate price. Ramu Agri notified the ICCC of the increase, stating that it was due to the high cost of operation and materials. “Upon ICCC’s assessment of the information provided by RAIL, the ICCC noted that RAIL’s price increases are mostly due to in- country cost, particularly its domestic production volume which is greater than its import volume,” said Mr. Ain. “Given RAIL’s high domestic production volume, the ICCC concluded that despite a reduction in international prices recently, this may not have a significant bearing on RAIL’s domestic prices. “We have observed that RAIL has been keeping its prices constant from 2018 to 2021, while international sugar prices have been increasing during that period, thus giving an indication that RAIL was not sensitive to movements in international sugar prices.” However, since December 2021, RAIL has been slowly increasing its factory- gate price between 3% and 5% as the global inflation continues to persist in the domestic economy. This Mr. Ain said is concerning for the Commission with the increase in price for sugar and other basic goods in the country. The ICCC is mandated to monitor the prices of basic household goods, including sugar and under the price monitoring role, it monitors the popular Ramu Mill White Sugar 1kg packs at the factory- gate level and at the retail level as well, against relevant international benchmark prices. As such, Mr. Ain said if there is a significant shift observed between domestic and international prices of sugar, then the ICCC may require RAIL to justify and if the ICCC is not satisfied with the justification, it can recommend to the Treasurer to declare sugar for stringent price controls. Nevertheless, the ICCC continues to urge other importers of sugar to reflect on their true cost in their pricing and they must not raise their prices unnecessarily to the detriment of consumers. Mr. Ain said the Commission will continue to monitor sugar prices to ensure consumers are not disadvantaged in terms of fair pricing.

The Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) Air Transport Wing (ATW) on Thursday 21st June saw the opening of its refurbished Hanger at 7 Mile, Port Moresby. Refurbished with the assistance of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), the facility was opened by the Australian Chief of Defence, General Angus Campbell along with the PNGDF Acting Commander Defence Force (CDF), Philip Polewara. The hanger, which was initially built in the early 1990s, got a much needed facelift and will continue to house aircraft and cater for other ATW activities in the country and the region into the future. General Campbell said this assistance shows the continued defence and security ties between the two countries, and commitments to improving the capacity of the PNGDF to support development in PNG and to assist in regional security as well. “This relationship is renewed in the continuing efforts between our countries; efforts between our two forces to build the Air Transport Wing,” said the ADF General when highlighting the importance of defence infrastructures and support. He said such infrastructure is a critical part of enabling the progressive development of air transport capabilities of both cargo and personnel from the PNGDF and also PNG. “Australia is delighted to be part of that story, a story that we are committed to and a story that will see overtime the development of the air capability that members of the defence force can relay on.” General Campbell went on to say that the support given to ATW is not just on infrastructures and equipment. “The work at ATW is not just here, but also in building that technical skills and competency through experience and training provided by Australia.” In saying so, he said that Australia is welcoming ATW into the Air Force gathering that will occur later this year in Darwin. An activity that will see twenty- four (24) countries come together to demonstrate airpower, air capability, air planning and logistics. “Our nations have been building defence capabilities together now for almost fifty (50) years,” remarked the General. “We’re going to continue to do that work and I’m also inspired by the potential of where we can go together.” Meanwhile, the Acting CDF thanked the ADF and the Australian government for the continued support and assistance over the years, saying that this partnership strengthens defence capabilities between PNG and Australia, and also strengthens regional security.

The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Trade Union Congress (TUC) has made its stand very clear in a press conference today on the matter of the Nambawan Super Limited (NSL) land portions and the looming eviction of squatters at Bushwara in 9- Mile just outside Port Moresby city. In that press conference hosted by the TUC at the Hilton Hotel this morning, the Vice President of the PNG TUC and Police Association President Mr. Lowa Tambua, made it clear that they represent their members, all 228, 000 of them and want the settlers to move out of their members' land portions before the deadline on July 10th. “So, we’re not speaking as unions, we are speaking for everyone, so long as you are a contributor to Nambawan Super,” said Mr. Tambua. He said the settlers had been initially dealing with the corporate trustees in the courts who were speaking on behalf of Nambawan Super. But PNG TUC’s position here is as a voice of the owners of the fund. “We represent all members who own the portions of land at Bushwara,” stressed the TUC Vice President when making a call to the squatters to vacate the land in a peaceful manner before eviction takes place. He said the courts have ruled in favour of NSL in the previous court cases and the latest was the ruling by the courts that the last remaining portion (Portion 2158), also belongs to Nambawan Super. This now gives all land portions from 2156, 2157, 2159 to now 2158 to Nambawan Super, where it has plans to develop the land and create investments for its members’ benefits. The President of the Correctional Service Employees Association, Mr. Daniel Mollen also assured the settlers that no one is an enemy in this matter and that everything is being done for the benefit of members of the NSL, which includes CS officers and staff. He said the land portions have been in court for almost 30 years and now that the NSL has been given its own lands back following numerous court cases, its time NSL use the land portions to make investments that would generate good returns for its members. Mr. Tambua said they sympathize with the settlers in that they would have to move but appeals for their understanding because the matter is for the benefit of everyone. “We encourage the squatters to start removing your house materials and gardens, so that they are not damaged in the eviction process.” Meanwhile, the settlers were given a120- day grace period since March 2024 following a court order issued, which has provided ample time for them to consider their future and voluntarily vacate the land with their properties. Police in Port Moresby since then have been also carrying out awareness in the illegal settlement area, urging the people to start moving. This grace period will end on Wednesday 10th July and the eviction will start on Thursday 11th July. And as of today, Friday 21st June 2024, the settlers have exactly 19 days left to vacate those land portions belonging to NSL.

In yet another show off support and close ties between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Australia, both nations today signed the Joint Statement of Intent intended to support the PNG's Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector. The PNG caretaker Minister for Higher education, research, science and technology and sports, Lucas Dekena, following the signing at the PNG- AUSTRALIA Ministerial Forum today in Port Moresby, said the signing now means the TVET sector will be getting the attention to further boost the training of young Papua New Guineans in technical and trade skills to very high international standards. "This agreement reaffirms our shared commitment to enhance Papua New Guinea's TVET sector and to increase Papua New Guinea's chances to seize economic growth both domestically and internationally," said the minister. Minister Dekena said the signing today continues the long standing partnership between the two countries in education, stating that TVET remains a priority under the PNG- Australia Partnership. Meanwhile, the original statement of intent was signed on August 2020 and reaffirmed during the 29th Ministerial Forum in 2023. Minister Dekena concluded by stating that improving TVET across PNG will empower more Papua New Guineans to support the country's growing industries and benefit from opportunities provided by Australia's Labour Mobility programs. The signing of the Statement of Intent today was between Minister Dekena and Australia's Minister for Defence Industry and International Development and Pacific, Pat Conroy. Minister Conroy said the Australian government gives this support because Australia recognizes the vital role that education and training play in national development and in fostering a vibrant economy.

The affected communities in Enga province where the landslip destroyed homes and took lives, continue to get much needed support following the devastating natural disaster. This time its from Kumul Petroleum Holding Limited (KPHL) where the local resource company handed over a cheque for K1 million to Enga Governor, Sir Peter Ipatas on Tuesday 18th June in Port Moresby to assist with the ongoing disaster relief effort at Mulitaka. Kumul Petroleum Managing Director, Mr. Wapu Sonk when presenting the cheque said, “There has been a lot of support coming from other countries, companies and the community at large but as PNG’s national gas and resources company, we also want to assist with the relief effort.” “The funds, approved by the KPHL Board, are to assist the disaster relief committee on the ground in their efforts to bring some comfort and relief to people who have lost their loved ones and homes in this terrible landslide.” “I understand that there are people that have been displaced through the landslide and they are not able to return to their land, we hope that our contribution can be used for in-kind support in their resettlement.” “On behalf of the Board, management and staff of Kumul Petroleum, we extend our heartfelt sorrow to those families that have lost their loved ones and homes, but we also want to encourage them to be resilient.” Mr. Sonk said.

The Port Moresby Moni Plus AFL season in 2023 saw a couple of issues that popped up during the season especially towards the end of the competitions, but this has not been the case for this season so far since its commencement in early April. The President of the Port Moresby AFL Association (POM AFL) , Mr. Douglas Lai told PNG HAUSBUNG that so far, the competitions have been running smoothly with the men’s and women’s competition in play as they look forward to the Regional Championships coming up later this year. “The women’s competition will head into the finals this weekend following a successful normal season while the men’s still have about six to seven more weekends to go before their finals,” said the president. However, he said POM AFL is considering hosting the Regional Championships for the Southern Region, which should include a couple of clubs from the Central province to participate, towards the end of the month or the next month. He said there have been some delays on the part of the Papua New Guinea AFL Commission on the timings to stage the Regional Championships, so the Association decided to go ahead and stage their event, but the actual dates will be confirmed later by POM AFL pending approval from the Commission. But first things first, Mr. Lai said the focus here now is to close off the women’s competition first and from there, look at moving on to the hosting of the Regional Championships for the Southern Region, which will take place in the city of Port Moresby with all matches to be played out at the Colts Oval.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Wau Waria District of the Morobe province, Marsh Narewec, is calling for a reform of the National Youth Development Authority (NYDA) Act 2014 to ensure the provinces and districts work closely with the youth authority in organising youth activities and programs. This call follows Prime Minister James Marape’s bold statement on the 18th of January 2024 on the urgency of mobilizing all youths around the country for productive engagement in reaction to the events of the infamous “Black Wednesday”. The call was put out for all youths between 15 and 30 years of age to be mobilized and the responsibility for mobilizing these youths around the country will be passed back to all Provinces and Districts in the country, through the existing Service Improvement Program (“SIP”) funding from the National Government. However, as it currently stands, the NYDA structure which is responsible for the mobilization of all Youths in the country does seem to have a disconnect with the Provincial Assemblies, District Development Authorities (DDAs) and Local Level Governments (LLGs). This could potentially limit the effectiveness of youth representation in decision-making processes, particularly where SIP funding is concerned. The MP called upon the National Government to consider the following potential steps for reform: 1. Legislative Change: Pass laws that provide a legislative basis for youth representatives from the Youth Council structure to participate in decision-making at all levels of government. 2. Integration of Structures: Consider restructuring NYDA to integrate it more closely with Provincial Assemblies, DDAs and LLGs. This could involve creating formal links or pathways between these entities and the Youth Councils. 3. Representation in Decision-making Bodies: Push for seats to be reserved for youth representatives in the Provincial Assemblies, DDAs and LLGs. This would ensure youth voices are heard directly where decisions are being made; and 4. Youth Consultation: Implement regular consultation processes with youth and youth organizations when making decisions, particularly those that directly affect young people. The MP also recommends that any public consultations on the reform of the NYDA structure must be co-led by a credible Youth NGO so that the reforms are not only meaningful but must be aggressive so as not to protect the interests of Government bodies only but must seriously addresses the concerns of all stakeholders. “I look forward to working closely with the Ministry for Community Development, Religion and Youth to follow through on the outcomes of the proposed areas for Reform to ensure that we have a response from the National Government on its strategy for mobilization and engagement of youths and to have these longstanding issues addressed immediately.” Mr. Narewec has commenced engagements with the National Youth Development Authority and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that the reform process flows smoothly, and the issues are addressed.

This week saw an important Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing that took place between a financial institution and a university in the country, all to support programs provided to students taking up studies in the field of business and finance. This MoU was signed between the Center for Excellence in Financial Inclusion (CEFI) and the IBS University and IBS Center of Excellence (IBSCOE) Limited on Tuesday 11th June in Port Moresby city. According to CEFI’s Executive Director, Mr. Saliya Ranasinghe, this MoU signifies a collaborative effort to advance education, particularly in the realms of entrepreneurship and microfinance, fostering mutual growth and development. Through this MoU, CEFI, IBS University, and IBSCOE will combine their expertise and resources to promote entrepreneurship and microfinance education. By using each other’s strengths and resources, this partnership aims to nurture a generation of individuals equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complexities of the financial landscape. He also stated that this partnership endeavors to integrate CEFI’s proficiency in digital financial literacy and online training methodologies with IBS University’s esteemed academic programs. Through this MOU, both parties commit to the following objectives: · Collaborative Curriculum Development, · Capacity Building and Training for Students and Staff, · Mutual Learning and Exchange, and · Promotion of Financial Inclusion. The MoU also sets the roles, responsibilities, and commitments of all parties to ensure that these objectives are met. Through these collaborative efforts, CEFI, IBS University, and IBSCOE aspire to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of education and socioeconomic development within Papua New Guinea.

Support continues to pour in for the landslide affected communities in the Enga province at their time of grief and suffering, this time from the big LNG company in the country. ExxonMobil PNG Limited and Mobil Oil New Guinea Limited announced on Tuesday 11th June commitments of up to K1 million in funding as well as 40, 000 liters of diesel fuel to help support the ongoing relief and recovery efforts in Enga Province following the devastating natural disaster in Mulitaka. “Our hearts go out to those impacted by this tragedy, including the friends and family of our ExxonMobil PNG staff,” said Tera Shandro, Chairperson and Managing Director of ExxonMobil PNG. “As one of the country’s largest private sector companies, it is only fitting to do our part to aid the ongoing response efforts by the Government of Papua New Guinea and its broader partners.” “Fuel supply reliability is also particularly critical during humanitarian responses, and it is our hope that Mobil’s donation of 40, 000 liters of diesel will help to sustain response efforts on the ground,” Shandro added.

The much- anticipated Highlands Regional Youth Games (RYGs) is set to roll following the signing of the Host Contract Agreement. The Host Contract Agreement was finally signed this week to convene the Inaugural Highlands RYGs that will be hosted by the Goroka District of Eastern Highlands Province (EHP). The Agreement was signed at the PNG National Sports Institute in Goroka between EHP Provincial Administrator, Mr. Allen Los and RYG Council Chairman and National Youth Development Authority (NYDA) Director General, Mr. Joe Itaki, and witnessed by Goroka District Administrator, Mr. Benson Imara. Youths from the highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG) will converge in Goroka in a few weeks' time to showcase rural talents in the different sporting codes. The games will be staged from the 1st of July to the 6th ​‌July at the PNG National Sports Institute in Goroka town. The Regional Youth Game concept aligns with three important government policy; PNG Sports Policy, National Youth Policy and Integrated Community Development Policy, making it a home-grown concept with rural focus and aims to identify rural talents and push them for further skills development. The first RYGs was the Momase Regional Youth Games held in Madang last year which saw over thousands of youths from the four provinces in the Momase region converge on the sporting grounds in Madang town in September for the games. The Momase RYGs was hailed a success. The Highlands RYGs is the second to be hosted and the concept will also cover the Southern and then the New Guinea Islands regions.

The Ok Tedi Development Foundation’s (OTDF’s) access to isolated communities in Western province to ensure services reach them has been boosted recently with the donation of a dinghy and outboard motor. The timely donation of the 23- footer dinghy and 85 horse- powered outboard motor was from Upper Lower Ok Tedi Investment (ULOTI) Limited, presented by the company’s Chairman himself Mr. Paul Yarokam, to OTDF staff and management on May 31st at the Kiunga waterfront. “Most of the dinghies purchased by Wait Tri Trust provide service along the Alice River only, so ULOTI want to change this and serve communities along the Fly River with this new dinghy and motor.” “I wish for the other CMCA investments companies to come together and do the same to share resources for development,” said the Chairman. OTDF Trust Administration Manager, Mr Johanis Saferius who received the assets on behalf of OTDF, expressed appreciation for the local company to collaborate with OTDF. The investment company purchased the assets with the intent to lease to OTDF so the asset can be maintained while generating funds for ULOTI Ltd. Mr. Johanis Saferius congratulated the company directors for their stewardship in leading development efforts within their Wai Tri communities through their local investment company. He remarked, "Upper Lower" is a Subsidiary of Wai Tri Trust representing the upper six villages. This is an investment added to their current portfolio complementing real estate. The dinghy will be leased to OTDF Trust Administration when required, but also open to other OTDF programs, on a fixed rate. It is a privilege to be receiving these assets from the chairman and we will take care of it while giving back to the company through lease payments.” The event also marked a significant milestone in the company’s ongoing investment efforts for six villages of Birimkamba, Komokpin, Ambaga, Kungim, Kungembit and Putmambin. OTDF is committed to overcoming logistic barriers to ensure that even the most isolated communities receive the support they need.