Emmanuel MAIPE

The Provincial Health Authorities (PHAs) have come under the gaze of the prime minister after concerns were raised about how these health authorities are operating and their use of funds for health sector administration in the provinces. Prime Minister (PM) James Marape in parliament today, without revealing too much about the 2024 budget allocation for the health sector, said that health will continue to be a major priority. “We are ramping up more allocation to the health sector. The health sector will continue to receive great support,” said the PM. “I will ask the health minister to present all PHA reports to this parliament and we take a stock as to what is happening in respective PHAs across the country.” He said PHAs are operating autonomously, meaning they run their own operations without answering really to anyone. Marape said in 2021, the government gave more funds straight to PHAs for work such as data collection, health service delivery and the main administration of the health sector in the provinces, which is the main priority of the PHAs. But, the concern here is what they are really doing if they don’t answer to the health department and the government. Marape said his government discovered as well that some PHAs have been recruiting people without any medical background into positions in the PHAs. This was discovered in 2020 when COVID- 19 hit the country. As such, he said parliament made amendments late last year to make PHAs be accountable to the National Department of Health and will continue to monitor this in real time.

Credit Corporation (PNG) Limited has extended its financial services to the Highlands region with the recent opening of its new branch in the city of Mt. Hagen, Western Highlands Province (WHP). The new branch is located at the Gapina Development Building and offers customers a range of financial services for individuals and businesses. The opening of the branch was officiated by Credit Corporation’s Head of Lending, Ben Kaspar who stated that the branch is a testament to the company’s dedication to improving customer accessibility and service quality. "Our customers are at the heart of everything we do here at Credit Corporation," said Kaspar. "We understand the importance of having easy access to financial services, and our new branch is a reflection of that commitment." Mr. Kaspar also emphasized on the significance of establishing a branch in Mt. Hagen, recognizing it as a central hub of businesses within the Highlands region of the country. The opening of the new branch also aligns with Credit Corporation's commitment to better serve the communities in which it operates, fostering economic growth, and contributing to the overall development of the Highlands region. “Our Mt. Hagen branch will serve not only our customers in Western Highlands, but also in surrounding provinces such as Enga, Southern Highlands, Jiwaka and Simbu,” said Kaspar. He further added that Credit Corporation has been providing valuable financial services to the people of WHP since 2014, and the decision to establish a new branch reflects the company’s confidence in the region's growth and development. The official opening of the new branch took place on the 15th of November and was officiated by Mr. Kaspar, who stated that the branch is a testament to the company’s dedication to improving customer accessibility and service quality. The new branch is located at the Gapina Development Building and offers customers a range of financial services for individuals and businesses.

After over a decade of continuous hard work to establish a platform for the youths of the Sinesine Yongomugl district of Simbu province to voice their concerns, the district finally has a new District Youth Development Council to do that, and more, all thanks to some great collaborative work. It took 11 years of continuous work in order to have a formal, independent youth voice mechanism and structure that is legitimate and recognized by the Youth Development mandated agency, under the leadership of the local Member of Parliament, Kerenga Kua, who set the foundation of establishing the United Sinesine Yongomugl Youth Association, which has transitioned into a District Youth Development Council that connects youth representatives from Ward level, to the Local Level Government (LLG) and then to the District. The outcome was a collaborative effort of the National Youth Development Authority (NYDA) and the District Development Authority of SineSine Yongomugl, with the support from the Minister for Petroleum and MP, Kerenga Kua. The commissioning of the interim executives of the youth council and the official launching ceremony, which was hosted by the Director General of the NYDA Mr. Joe Itaki, was held at the Ku Junior High School on the 17th of November, and witnessed by the Provincial Administrator for Simbu Province Mr. John Punde, Simbu Provincial Community Development Advisor Ms. Catherine Aiwa, as well as the Sinesine Yongomugl District Development Authority (DDA) representative Mr. Dennis Bal and his delegation. During the launching ceremony, Mr. Punde congratulated NYDA and the DDA for establishing the first District Youth Development Council in the province, and he went on to invite NYDA to establish youth councils for the remaining 5 Districts in the Province. Mr. Itaki in his remarks acknowledged the call to action by the Provincial Administrator and further stated that the youth council in the district opens many opportunities for the personal and skills development of youths. It is an avenue that will groom young leaders to be agents of change in society. He added that the NYDA considers the youth council network as a vehicle for youth service delivery that acts as the engine room for youth development work, resource mobilization, and meaningful youth engagement in LLGs, Districts and in the Province. The same sentiments were shared by Ms. Aiwa. “The National Youth Development Authority will return next year to continue to build the capacity of the youth council by conducting Leadership Capacity Building workshops and Skills Development Trainings to empower youths within the district,” she said. “At the same time, it will consult with the remaining 5 Districts within the province in preparation for the setup of their district youth councils as well and hopefully the Provincial Youth Development Council of Simbu.”

The people living along the Purari River in the Gulf province who have been facing some serious times with the bad weather conditions, are now getting much needed relief supply with the help of the Papua LNG Project team. The local communities along the waterway, have been greatly affected by the recent flooding and king tides that destroyed farming land, clean drinking water and land for shelter. In response to this, the Project team launched a Disaster Relief Mission on the 02nd of November to assist villages in its area of influence, with 30 tonnes of food rations and medicines. Not only that, in coordination with the Gulf Provincial Authority, the Project team will also be providing relief assistance to communities outside its area of influence. Further to this, in recognition of the need for the Provincial and District Administrations to enhance their social service delivery to the waterway communities, the Project team will be allocating one dinghy each, to the Baimuru Local Level Government (LLG) Administration, the Ihu LLG and the Kerema Disaster Office. These dinghies will go towards supporting these offices in carrying out their respective functions to provide social services to the waterway communities. The mission began at Apiope village at the mouth of the Purari River with Project staff distributing food rations and medical supplies, which were specifically handed over to a Community Health Worker based at the aid post or the health centre in the village or administered by the team doctor himself. Food items such as rice, tuna, noodles and biscuits, as well as essential items such as buckets, mosquito nets, anti-malaria and water purification tablets, were donated to 15 identified villages along the Purari.

A total of ten students from two major universities in the country have been given the opportunity to do some hands on work as part of their practical with one of the country’s major mining projects. These ten high-performance students from the Papua New Guinea (PNG) University of Technology (UOT) in Lae and the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) in Port Moresby, were given this opportunity of a lifetime after they were selected to be involved in an immersive 11-week industrial training program with Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) in the Western province. The trainees, seven from PNG UOT and three from UPNG, are all third-year undergraduates under OTML's Undergraduate Students Scholarship (USS) program. The trainees are embedded in various departments aligned with their academic disciplines, ensuring a hands-on experience gained to complement their classroom-based learning. These departments include Processing Mechanical Maintenance, Engineering and Roads, Power Services, Process Technical Services, Mine Production, Environment and Geology, and Exploration. Manager Training and Development, Mr. Ian Strachan, said this was a unique opportunity for these students to bridge the gap between theory and practice. “We aim to provide them with an environment where they can apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios, setting the stage for a successful career," he said. General Manager People and Culture, Mr. Mark Stone, congratulated the trainees on being selected for the scholarship program and encouraged them to seize every moment of the experience. "This is more than a training program; it's a chance for you to apply what you have learnt at university in the day-to-day operations of the industry, learn on-the-job from the best and forge connections that will support your future career," he remarked. Whilst the industrial training ends in January 2024, trainees who achieve a GPA of 3.5 or above in their final academic year may have the opportunity to join the Graduate Development Scheme (GDS) program, another stepping stone towards realising a career within the company.

The newly created district of Wau Wari in the Morobe province is now in the process of establishing its own youth program aimed at supporting and engaging the youths in the development aspirations of the new district. The Wau Waria district’s 'Youth Empowerment Program' was initiated by the Open Member Mr. Marsh Narewec, and for its effective implementation, the establishment of the youth council is the way forward. This then leading to the National Youth Development Authority (NYDA) being invited for a one-day consultation which was held on the 10th of November. The outcome of that consultation set forth three requirements for both parties to meet. 1. Establish partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), 2. Commence Ward youth registration, and 3. Establish and formalize the Local, and District Youth councils respectively. Present during the consultation were the District Administrator Mr. John Orebut, the Open Member's Political Officer Mr. Hercules Jim, the Town Mayor, District officers and representatives from the communities. The NYDA now looks forward to work together with the District to see the full establishment of the youth councils in Wau Waria.

The recently held 14th World Indigenous Business Forum (WIBF) lived to its purpose of making connections between indigenous businesses in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and indigenous businesses from overseas. A satisfied Minister for International Trade and Investments, Richard Maru, said these connections will go a long way to assisting Papua New Guinea (PNG) businesses find better market opportunities in the overseas markets. “The connections that we have made during this Forum will not stop here. The Papua New Guinea indigenous business community want to connect to the global indigenous business network,” said Minister Maru. “We want to work with the Indigenous Leadership Development Institute to make sure we have a chapter in this country through a body that best represents our indigenous businesses, so that we will connect directly with the rest of the world indigenous business community.” On that note, Minister Maru extended his thank you once again to Prime Minister James Marape for his strong leadership and for his support in hosting this global event, as it has achieved its intended purpose. “We believe that we have delivered one of the best World Indigenous Business Forum ever hosted by any country in the world, and we could not have done it without the support of our Government and sponsors,” said Minister Maru.

The review process of the National Youth Development Authority (NYDA) Act 2014, which was conducted very recently in the city of Lae for the Momase region, was done with the aim to amend the Act to align it with the revised National Youth Policy (NYP) 2020 to 2030. The purpose of the Act review is to identify and remove impediments in the NYDA Act and introduce amendments that will foster effective youth service delivery at the sub-national level and creating legal pathways for youth service providers to anchor youth interventions within the legal ambit. The current NYDA Act and the NYP are key statutory apparatus that guide youth service delivery at all levels, hence it is only fitting that the two synergize and align in all aspects. The amended Act will bestow more authority on the NYDA to regulate youth service providers so that the government has visibility on youth programs delivered by donor partners and stakeholders. The Minister for Youth, Religion and Community Development, Jason Peter, who officiated at the workshop, highlighted that youth issues need to be appreciated by all partners and stakeholders and forge a working alliance to manage youth issues in every setting. "Youth is described as a 'time bomb' in many gatherings. When are we going to defuse the time bomb? If we do not have appropriate interventions to defuse the time bomb, the time bomb will erupt in 5 to 10 years' time, and we will be victims one way or another." He further mentioned that the challenge is how to navigate the way forward to tackle the issues. Thus, the focus of the workshop was to identify legal and administrative loopholes that impede youth service delivery, and institute change for positive youth development in the country. The minister looks forward to presenting the amended Act to the National Executive Council (NEC) after all consultations. Meanwhile, the other three regional workshops will convene soon.

The country’s bid to get into the NRL Telstra Premiership in the near future would also depend on finding the best players that Papua New Guinea (PNG) can produce through the training programs especially from the junior programs up, to form that dream team. One person in particular who knows very well about this, is Brisbane Broncos Ambassador and former Club Captain Alex Glen, who was in Port Moresby recently with other Broncos team members including from the NRLW, on a run for BSP to support their financial literacy programs in schools. From his experience in the NRL and from his journey to the top league competition in Australia, he said to be a great athlete one has to develop good qualities and attitude. To achieve this, his advice to the young and upcoming rugby league players in PNG is to set goals and be willing to make sacrifices. “My advice is start setting down goals, writing down goals because goals helped me achieve everything, I wanted in rugby league,” Alex advised. “The reason I say this is because when I stared at my goals and dreams that I had on a piece of paper, it kept driving me on the days I didn’t want to train.” He said one has to be willing to make some big sacrifices as well to achieve the goals and dreams on becoming the best rugby league player. “What I mean by that is sacrificing the bad food, sacrificing the going to parties or hanging out with friends, in order to be able to train as hard as you can. Because nothing ever happens when you don’t put the work in.” Alex himself made 285 appearances, scored 58 ties and racked up 232 points during his career with the NRL and the Brisbane Broncos.

Driving change through the establishment of a small businesses may seem way off for some small startups, but with commitment and the right attitude this can be achieved. That was the message from Brisbane Broncos Ambassador and former Club Captain, Alex Glen when speaking about his small business and who he got into the idea of helping the youths in his community in New Zealand, find that right path in life. The former professional rugby league player turned SME owner, said one thing that rugby league taught him in his run with the best team in the Australian NRL was discipline, commitment, the right attitude and having that high fitness level. This is what he wants to pass on to the next generation so that they too can progress in life and achieve things that he and others in his age group and older, have not been able achieve. “The feeling that you get, when you give and you see people thrive, it’s worth more than money. That was what I wanted to do. That was my passion,” said Alex. He also encouraged SMEs in Papua New Guinea to also thrive in what they do and also give back to the community that has helped them grow. Alex said this when speaking at the BSP Leadership & SME Immersion 2023 event held last evening in the Port Moresby where the Broncos team representatives were the guests of honour.

The incoming Papua New Guinea (PNG) national MP for North Bougainville, Francesca Semoso, says "what you see is what you get". Semoso is the third woman MP in PNG's national parliament and the first woman from Bougainville to win The incoming Papua New Guinea (PNG) national MP for North Bougainville, Francesca Semoso, says "what you see is what you get" seat in the national parliament. A staunch advocate for Bougainville's independence, she is part of the PNG prime minister James Marape's Pangu Pati. Semoso said Marape knows she has been pushing for independence in Bougainville for the past twenty years. She said the catalyst for standing in the by-election for the national seat, after two terms in the Bougainville parliament, was the overwhelming result for independence in the referendum in 2019. "Knowing in 2019 when the results came out that the people of Bougainville wanted to be independent, which they assured through the ballot box, it dawned on me that we had to have a voice that would actually be pushing for that particular issue," she said. "But never did it ever cross my mind that I would be running for the national election. I thought the stakes were too high for me at that time." She said the four Bougainville MPs must work together to get the independence message across. Bougainville is expecting to achieve independence by 2027 but this is reliant on the PNG Parliament backing their plan. Semoso said they all need to work together to convince their other colleagues. "We have got to start dialoguing. We need to make the non-Bougainvilleans in that parliament, we need to start sensitising them about where we have been, to where we are, to where we are going," she told RNZ Pacific. "So, nothing will be understood until after I and the other three MPs start talking about the issues of Bougainville." Passionate about women in politics The new national MP also spoke about her time in the Bougainville parliament, in which she spent two terms from 2005 to 2010 and then from 2015 to 2020, holding one of the three seats reserved for wommen. Semoso said she has always advocated getting more women into parliament, and is passionate about the Bougainville reserve seats. "I have always looked at the reserve seats in Bougainville as a launching pad for aspiring women politicians." Marape said Semoso's election showed his Pangu Pati's commitment to promoting women into leadership roles. The victory bolsters Pangu Pati's representation, giving them 54 seats in the national parliament, up from the 39 they won in the election in 2022. "Semoso's election stands as a beacon of hope and progress, highlighting the remarkable strides being made towards gender equality in PNG," he said. Source:rnz.com

The newly opened Papua New Guinea (PNG) Embassy in Jerusalem in Israel remains closed at this time after opening just last month, due to the current Israel- Palestine war that has left most of Gaza in ruins from Israeli bombardments. The Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary, Mr. Elias Wohengu in a statement said that the two PNG Foreign Affairs officers assigned to the new Embassy there have already departed Jerusalem after the Embassy was closed on the 17th of October in view of security concerns. The two officers left Israel on the same day. “A number of PNG citizens in Israel at the time also departed with the kind support of the Australian Government as part of their evacuation exercise extended to nationals of other countries. The department is aware that eighteen PNG citizens departed Israel under this evacuation exercise,” said the secretary. Secretary Wohengu also stated that the Embassy’s closure is only temporary. Meanwhile, the Department is asking the members of the public who might know of any fellow PNG citizens that is still in Israel and wishing to return to the country, to contact the Office of the Chief of Protocol, Department of Foreign Affairs on phone 301 4115 or 301 4196 and email protocol@dfa.gov.pg. The Department will continue to monitor the situation and re- open the Embassy in Israel when deemed conducive to do so.