After so much work and preparations, five young Papua New Guinean missionaries of the Society of Divine Word (SVD) will now be taking up their missions abroad. A Mission Cross service was conducted at the St. Paul’s Parish in Mt Hagen in Western Highlands Province, where Fr. Jerry Kurai of Enga, Fr. John Sine of Simbu, Fr. Rex Andrew of Mt Hagen, and Fr. John Hal of Mendi with Br. Raphael Goima of Mt Hagen were commissioned. The missionaries were blessed and bestowed with the Mission Cross, allowing them to be of service to people and communities they will be working with in countries they are assigned to. SVD Provincial Superior, Fr. Jose Orathinkal said that the giving of the Mission Cross is a practice that has been carried down from the founder of SVD Congregation, and that the Cross of Christ protects the missionaries from all forms of harm, giving hope and encouragement when the missionaries grow weary from toil. The PNG SVD Provinces were joyful of the four priests and the brother who were assigned to countries where they are needed to administer the Word through pastoral programs. “It is a moment of great joy, gratitude, and pride not only for the SVD Congregation and family of these missionaries, but also for the Church in PNG.” Fr Jerry Kurai was assigned to Chad (Central Africa), Fr John Sine to Argentina, Br Raphael Goimba’s mission in Zambia (Africa), Fr Rex Andrew to Kenya (Africa) and Fr John Hal to the Philippines. The five will add up to the other nine already serving overseas whom are Fr. Francis Koimb from Mt Hagen serving in Ghana, Fr Dennis Nyaura from Sepik working in Bolivia, Fr. Paul Bina from Simbu in Argentina, Fr. Andrew Masi from Sepik in Timor, Fr. Alex Garuai from Buka in Zimbabwe, Fr. Shadrach Ketiga from Mt Hagen in Jamaica, Br. Aloysius Aisi from Port Moresby in the US, Br. David Nikins of Mt Hagen in the US, and Fr. Jeremiah Kaumbal from Sepik in Germany. The local missionaries going abroad are assigned to four regions of the world; the Asia-Pacific, Africa, Americas, and Europe. Furthermore, the SVD PNG Province has come of age since 1896, and it is now time for PNG to reach out to places, families, people, and communities where they have been sending missionaries to serve Papua New Guinea over the years. “SVD PNG Province is also grateful to eight of our missionary priests who have served abroad starting from early 2000 and have returned back to the country. You all have done the SVD PNG Province proud in taking the Word there, and also represented PNG well during the time of your mission work.” There are now 14 Papua New Guinean SVDs missionaries working in different parts of the world. While some have worked for some years and have come back, there are also around 12 Papua New Guinean SVD seminarians studying abroad.

Faith based organization Believe Global, recently opened its first Community Hub in Mandress in Gazelle district in the East New Britain Province. The community hub first opened on the 22nd of April in the presence of East New Britain Governor, Michael Marum, Open Member for Gazelle and Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources Jelta Wong as well as Believe Global Director, Neil Smith along with leaders and members of the community. The opening ceremony was a momentous occasion not only for Believe Global but for the local community, the district and the province as a whole. Believe Global exists to bring positive impact in five key spheres of influence; leadership, business, education, health and the church. With that, the Community Hub functions as the infrastructure needed to bring transformation and uplift in these areas. Hubs are designed to provide dedicated youth development programs such as education training, health services and general community support in rural areas across the nation which are equipped with high-tech A/V connections via internet for ease of global connectivity and program delivery. Meanwhile, this Hub model breaks away from the traditional “silo” model of community services, providing a holistic and integrated model that fosters community engagement and connectivity with the belief that the installation of these Hubs will significantly contribute to Papua New Guinea’s 2050 vision of becoming a smart, wise, fair, healthy and happy society, transcending geographical boundaries to build a stronger nation and brighter future for all. According to Believe Global Director, Neil Smith, the Community Hubs are the realization of a vision that began in 2015, and the product of a strong partnership with Minister Jelta Wong. “Believe Global has been involved in community initiatives, youth development and education programs in Papua New Guinea since 2015 and has been expanding since.” Governor Michael Marum expressed that he was impressed by the scale of the project, which exceeded his expectations and looks forward to the positive outcomes that will emerge over time, especially for the youth of the community. In addition, Minister Wong, in turn, communicated his deep appreciation of the Believe Team and encouraged everyone to make the most of these facilities for the betterment of the community. The recent launch of the Community Hub is just the first of many and hopes to see many more in the future.

Warangoi Secondary School in East New Britain Province resumed its second term on a high note with majority of the students returning from their term break on time. Principal of Warangoi Secondary Mrs. Naomi Vuvu said the first week of school went well with no major issues. “We have had our students return to school back on time and are now looking forward to term two.” “We successfully completed the first term as we experienced some new changes, such as the introduction and implementation of the new curriculum, which is the Standard Based Education/ Curriculum.” “The curriculum will only be applied by our Grade 9 students just for this year and then to next year where the grade 10s will then start applying it as well and so forth.” However, Vuvu expressed concerns that further knowledge is needed on the new curriculum and what is required of it. She also made mention that there is already someone in place appointed by the provincial education board who is going around to schools to educate them more on the new curriculum. Apart from this, with the school’s resumption of term two, the school has not yet received its second quarter of the Government Tuition Fee Subsidy (GTFS), but Vuvu is hopeful that they receive it by next week in order to fund and maintain the school. “For now, we the school are borrowing money from other project funds to run the school.” Furthermore, in terms of infrastructural projects, the school is also looking at extending the school mess to be used for recreational purposes as well as hosting school meetings and is also looking at building a 4 in 1 classroom. “A proposal has been sent to the provincial education board for approval and funding in which we are now awaiting a response from the provincial education advisor.”

The National Capital District (NCD) is leading the way in the implementation of the Urban Youth Employment Project Phase Two (UYEP 2). NCD Governor Powes Parkop supports this because he wants to see youths become employable and self-reliant in line with the National Youth Strategy, which goes in lines with the Government’s Vision 2050 Plans. UYEP II Project Coordination Manager, Tom Gilis said with the success of the Project in Phase One (UYEP 1) from 2011 to 2019, the PNG Government has approved the Project to continue in NCD and will then expand to Lae, Morobe Province. “You are the first of the trainees, in which NCDC decided to kick start the project with the indigenous people of this city.” The UYEP 2 Project is being implemented by the National Capital District Commission (NCDC) under the leadership of City Manager, Mr. Ravu Frank. The 24th of April will see the first intake of UYEP II start their 30-day urban civil works experience at Hanuabada village in the Northwest electorate in Port Moresby. A total of 53 young people, ranging between the ages of 16 and 29, are from Ward One in Hanuabada village and out of that group, 52% are women. In addition to this, the overall number of youths are from the Motu-Koitabu area, 78% of them. Furthermore, the development objective of the five-year UYEP II Project is to improve the capacity of participating young men and women in project areas and to engage in productive income generating activities. The Project is inclusive of all youths, including those living with disability, and has a gender target of 50% females. The project is an initiative of the government and jointly funded by the World Bank. It was approved in April 2020 and was formally signed two months later where the implementation began in July of 2021.

Papua New Guinea (PNG) representative Ua Ravu, has officially signed a deal with the Canberra Raiders for the clubs inaugural season in the NRLW. The PNG Orchids representative plays for the Harden Worhawks in the local Katrina Fanning Shield (KFS) competition. Ravu attended the club’s Regional Women’s Skills clinic in Griffith in January and was also part of the KFS Academy that ran for six weeks earlier in the year. This will be her first NRLW contract; a proud moment for the young PNG lass. Ravu represented the Orchids at the 2021 World Cup as well as the 2019 World Cup Nines and the nation’s two Test Matches against England in the same year. The 26-year-old who grew up in Leeton, New South Wales, now lives in Griffith where she is a Game Development Officer for the NRL. Ravu expressed how grateful she was for the opportunity to join the Raiders and can’t wait to get started. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I’m still getting all the emotions and there’ll still be more to come but it feels really good, it’s very exciting and I’m looking forward to it.” “It’s something I’ve always dreamed of doing, so I’m very grateful for the opportunity.” In addition, Raiders NRLW coach Darrin Borthwick stated that Ua was obviously rewarded with some good form at the local KFS competition with her PNG representation at the World Cup. “I am really excited for Ua. It’s another good story where she moved over to Australia at a young age and never had that opportunity to travel to Sydney to play in an elite state comp. “We talk about fitting the mould of being a good person but being a good player as well that’s what I’m most excited about with Ua. I can’t wait for her to get here and fulfil the dream she’s had for a long time of playing for the Canberra Raiders.” Meanwhile, young Ua is joined by Elise Smith, who has a similar background as Ua in the KFS and was part of the Yass Magpies’ 2022 KFS premiership winning team. Smith who lives in Junee, New South Wales, started playing footy after she finished school and has played both Rugby League and Rugby Union over the past decade. She represented the Riverina Bulls in the NSW Country Championships in recent years and has also been part of the ACT Brumbies wider squad. “I’ve been blessed and I’m just so grateful to be able to put this green shirt on, it means so much to me. I’m so happy and excited for the journey.” Furthermore, Coach Borthwick is excited to see the talented duo from the Riverina be part of his inaugural squad and is looking forward in seeing what their performance can bring to the team.   Source: raiders.com.au

The country must revisit and drastically revise its approach to royalties, equity participation and taxation in the mining, oil and gas sector. This was the remark from New Ireland Governor, Sir Julius Chan whilst speaking to an enthusiastic crowd of students at the IBS University in Port Moresby this week. Sir Julius who was invited by the University to address the future leaders, spoke on the theme; “Dramatically increasing the Benefits stream from the Mining and Oil and Gas sector,” stating that implementing reforms in the Oil and Gas sector will have a positive outlook on PNG’s economy. He said that the key areas of concern in structuring the legislation and regulation for any agreement for a natural resource project include; 1. The level and structure of royalties 2. The structure of equity participation by the State and 3. The structure of taxation system. Sir J explained that the structure of mining, oil and gas regimes in PNG was established in the period 1958-1998 where legislations for negotiation were drafted at a time when PNG had little experience in the way countries from around the world structured their mining and gas laws. In PNG, legislations were flawed to provide a fair and dependable reform to respective stakeholders. “The level of royalties paid in the Mining and oil and gas sectors in PNG are very low by international standard.” The Mining Act 1994 establishes State equity at 22.5% of the project. Once a lease is issued the State gives away all the minerals, which is different from countries around the world, where the State receives automatic equity in any extraction project. “Most of these International countries receive a carried Interest of between 30-50% in such projects. Under this approach, the company pays all exploration and development cost and when the project begins producing, the State receives a share of profit equal to its share of exploration and development cost. Sir J therefore, stated that PNG must insist on at least 30% Carried Interest in all mining, oil and gas projects in the country. “In the taxation system, PNG still has so much to learn from the world; therefore, must implement reforms in the PNG tax laws to make Effective Tax Rate consistent with International Standards, which will result in additional income for the State.” As one of the last founding father of the nation, Sir J urged for implementation of these reforms, for increase in the country’ revenues and to make our country financially independent and debt free.

In preparations for their first ever Lavagirl Xplosion Fashion Show, PNG’s fashion brand Lavagirl and Maku Gifts are working around the clock to finalize things before the event takes place on the 6th of May at the APEC Haus in Port Moresby. Entrepreneur and Owner of Maku Gifts, Annette Sete stated that they have so far conducted a model audition in which fifty out of 140 models have been confirmed to take part in the runway show. “We have had a total of 680 applicants who have shown a huge interest in taking part in our Runway Show in which we shortlisted 140 models.” “From there, we cut down to now a total of 50 models who will be taking part in the show in which they have begun rehearsals this week.” “We should have a final team ready before next week so we can get into the routine of the show.” The show itself is an opportunity for Lavagirl to be creative and create something different. Sete added that they aim to bring about to the audience something PNG hasn’t seen. “Also with mother’s day coming up, we would also like to use this opportunity to drive traffic to our shops as well as a sneak peek on what we have in store here at our Maku Gifts shops.” Sete further outlined a major challenge in preparations which was being able to prepare everything on time to avoid any last minute hiccups. The show will present a total of twelve collections, and has placed pressure on the team to complete them on time. In addition, Sete stated that she has two designers who will be working alongside her in preparations for the show. This including Fiji fashion designer, Micheal Mausio who will use this opportunity to sell his products on the day. “Micheal Mausio who has been in partnership with Lavagirl, has been selling our products in Suva, therefore we want to be able to get him to showcase his products in the PNG market.” Tickets are still selling at the cost of k300 per ticket at any of the Maku Gifts shops. “The show will only cater for 300 people so purchase your tickets now and don’t miss out.”

The National Capital District City Manager, Mr. Ravu Frank, has expressed disappointment in discovering this morning that the Poinciana trees planted as part of the Boroko Precinct Transformation Program have been removed. Frank stated that the trees when fully grown are magnificent and will enrich the look and feel of the CBD. “Street signs, lights, flower beds and other public goods continue to be vandalized and the public accepts this as norm.” “Public assets are for everyone to enjoy and we must be appreciative and responsible.” “The efforts of many are dampened by a few individuals who have complete disregard for the community and city authority. When will we start taking ownership of our city?” An investigation will be conducted with the assistance of the police who have CCTV cameras installed around the area as Frank has made it clear that this issue will not go away quietly. “We will find the culprits and make examples of them. Enough is enough.” NCDC has encouraged the public to start keeping a watch out for vandalism and to report immediately to a hotline that will be set up. “Residents must protect our city assets by isolating and discouraging reckless behaviour by few individuals.”

The University of the South Pacific recently hosted a 2023 Board Meeting of the Pacific Islands Universities Research Network examining the outcomes of what has been achieved in the past ten years. The high-level meeting also focused on the impact PIURN has made since its inception in 2013 and in preparation for the 5th PIURN Conference hosted by USP Cook Islands Campus (4-6 July 2023) and to discuss the future of the Network. USP Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Pal Ahluwalia, President of the University of New Caledonia (UNC), Professor Catherine Ris, as well as co-chairs of PIURN, welcomed the member universities of the consortium, which included Vice-Chancellors from Universities of French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. The meeting allowed PIURN Board members to reiterate their commitment to enhancing academic and research collaborations between the 14 members’ universities, with a joint PIURN call for research proposals. They also discussed the Network’s vision, a regional strategy to adopt and critical activities to develop and strengthen PIURN. USP VCP Professor Ahluwalia described the achievement in ten years as something marvelously done as the network was gathering momentum and acknowledge the work of researchers that made the PIURN research projects a reality. USP Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education Professor, Jito Vanualailai, on the other hand, highlighted common challenges faced by the Universities in the region such as attracting research funds, building a research culture in the Pacific and increasing outputs, attaining international recognition, improving the wellbeing of communities and advising national and regional policies. PIURN is now recognized as an essential stakeholder in the Pacific region and has demonstrated its capacity to catalyse the emergence of joint academic projects of regional relevance. It has secured significant research grants successfully, and the biannual conferences have made it possible to scale up the collaborative dynamic amongst researchers and promote our postgraduate students’ work. During the meeting, PIURN Coordinator, Mathilde Souchon, presented the impact assessment of PIURN Projects that attracted 2.5 million in research grants following the 17 PIURN research collaborative projects. “The joint USP-UNC master’s degree in Sustainability Sciences is also an example of the strong dynamic of the Network.” Additionally, the PIURN Board Meeting was also a chance to leverage the Network’s success, discuss a new vision and mission for PIURN and examine the new memberships’ applications to the Network.

“Our top priority at Air Niugini is ensuring the highest levels of safety for our passengers, crew, and the public.” “We are fully committed to this goal and will take all necessary measures to maintain safety standards.” That’s from Air Niugini’s Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gary Seddon, following recent flight delays and queries from the traveling public. “This includes the possibility of delaying or cancelling a flight due to factors such as bad weather, security issues, technical problems, or operational requirements.” Seddon said that the airline’s dedication to safety is unwavering and will not compromise for any reason. “While the inconvenience caused is regrettable, safety will always be given priority over other interests.” Seddon added that the company boasted a team of highly skilled engineers and maintenance personnel who are dedicated to safety and work tirelessly day and night to ensure that the aircrafts are safe to operate. “Since April of last year, Air Niugini has operated over 26,000 flights and carried 1.2 million passengers.” “Last month, they operated over 2,000 flights and carried 102 thousand passengers.” “With 92.21% of sectors completed, over 7% of the flights were cancelled, for various reasons. Over the same period, Jetstar cancelled 6.4% of its flights, Qantas 4.4% and Virgin Australia 3.5%.” He added, “While the Fokker jets have served the country well, it's time to replace them with larger modern aircraft that features the latest technology with enhanced fuel efficiency.” In addition, Seddon stated that Air Niugini has reviewed various new fleet options narrowing the selection to the new Airbus A220 and Embraer E2 regional jets. “This will enable Air Niugini to better serve its domestic and regional markets.” Meanwhile, in the interim, Air Niugini is in the process of acquiring six Boeing 737-800 and Dash 8 Q400 aircraft, expected from September this year.

Air Niugini wishes to advise the travelling public that the airline has resumed its Fokker jet services to Mount Hagen city’s Kagamuga Airport, Western Highlands Province effective from Tuesday 18th April 2023. The resumption of Fokker flights follows the completion of runway maintenance and repair works by the National Airports Corporation (NAC). Since the work on the critical section of airport runway commenced on 08th March, Air Niugini has maintained air services to Mount Hagen using smaller Dash-8 aircraft, but with passenger numbers restricted to as few as 23 at times because of the shortened runway. According to Air Niugini Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Gary Seddon said, the last six weeks of restricted operations at Mount Hagen has been inconvenient for both the customers, business houses around Mount Hagen, and the airline. However, Seddon commended the work done by NAC to repair the runway and return it to the standard required for jet aircraft. “Air Niugini is pleased that the works are now complete and we can resume our Fokker 100/70 jet services into Mount Hagen airport.” In addition, effective from the 19th of August, Air Niugini will operate up to four Fokker jet services each day between Port Moresby and Mount Hagen. Safety is paramount in their operations, and Air Niugini appreciates the travelling public’s patience and understanding on these matters.

 Live long and prosper, Michelle Yeoh. After winning a best actress Oscar for her role in “Everything Everywhere All At Once” last month, Yeoh is preparing to step back into the Star Trek universe to reprise her role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou in the new “Star Trek: Section 31” movie. Yeoh was first introduced as the character in 2017, when the Emmy-winning “Star Trek: Discovery” TV series debuted on Paramount+. Paramount+ and CBS Studios announced the news on Tuesday. Yeoh will also serve as an executive producer on the project. Yeoh said in a press release that she is “beyond thrilled” to reprise her role in the “Section 31” movie, which she says “has been near and dear to my heart since I began the journey of playing Philippa all the way back when this new golden age of ‘Star Trek’ launched.” “To see her finally get her moment is a dream come true in a year that’s shown me the incredible power of never giving up on your dreams. We can’t wait to share what’s in store for you, and until then: live long and prosper (unless Emperor Georgiou decrees otherwise),” she continued. It truly has been a year of dreams coming true for Yeoh, who made history as the first woman of Asian descent to win an Oscar in the best actress category in March. “Everything Everywhere All At Once” took home seven Oscars that night, including Yeoh’s big win and the top prize for best picture. “Section 31” will showcase Yeoh’s character as she joins a secret division of Starfleet and is “tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets and faces the sins of her past,” according to an official synopsis. “Star Trek: Section 31” will begin production later this year. Source: CNN News