Having extra cash set aside for the festive season helps you avoid debt and ensures you have enough to share with your loved ones, spend on gifts, decorations, entertainment, and travel without calling on your regular savings. NCSL’s Christmas Savings Account serves this purpose and members with saving under this account are eligible to transfer funds from their Christmas account into their Poro Accounts when the account opens for withdrawals commencing 01st of November. NCSL’s newly appointed Manager Member Services and Branch Support, Noel Keyala said having a Christmas account ensures there is savings set aside to celebrate the festive season. The account allows members to save for an extended period of time before accessing their savings to celebrate Christmas and welcome the New Year. “Christmas savings eases the burden of paying using your December pay packet and the burden of being in debt from borrowing. “It helps with your monthly budget when you contribute each month and it accumulates overtime,” he said. Interested members can deposit a minimum of K15.00 each fortnight and these contributions or deposits can be done through salary deduction, mobile and internet banking or depositing monies via the commercial banks. This interest-bearing account is accessible from 1st November each year through to 31st January the following year.

After three years of being neglected by the offices that they knocked on, the couple who owns the Nikhen Cotton Farm at Aroma Coast in the Central Province were so thankful when the Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru made time to see them on Friday, October 28, 2022. Helen Imana and Nama Imana started planting cotton seeds in 2017. They started with just two seeds that they had brought from Alotau to their Pelegai village in Aroma. “We planted those cotton trees in our yard because we loved their flowers,” said Helen. “After the flowers dried and the cottons came out, we had an interest to take those cottons and make pillows from them. Seeing the pillows that we had made from the cottons that we had grown gave us the impression that we could plant more cotton trees and make a living from it,” she said. Helen and Nama planted 76 more cotton trees in their garden from the seeds of their first two trees. Then they reached out to Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) for assistance and a team from DAL Southern Region visited the farm in 2018 and published a report in 2019. “The DAL team advised us that they would communicate with the Central Governor our local MP to see how they could support us, but we had not had any correspondence from them,” said Hellen. DAL Southern Region tasked Helen and Nama to plant the cotton trees on a hectare of land. The couple did not have the funds to have that task done so they reached out to SME Corporation who assisted them with K3, 000. After they completed the task, they received no further response or support from anyone to date. Despite, being neglected for three years now, the couple continue to keep their cotton farm alive which has about 4, 000 cotton trees that are currently growing in the bushes because of lack of support. “We are now preparing a hectare of land and nursing the cotton plants so we can start replanting next month,” said Helen. With thousands of hectares of land available, Helen and Nama are eager to have this industry go large-scale. Minister Maru was impressed with the couple’s effort and was also saddened to note that their efforts were not recognized and supported. “This (cotton) is a very important industry. We are currently importing: why are we not giving this a priority? I am very grateful to Nikhen Cotton Farm for the effort that they are putting through and we need to help them,” he said. Minister Maru made a commitment to Helen and Nama that the Government, through the Ministry of International Trade and Investment would have a look at the project and see how they could support. He said that if the Government was to be involved, then experts needed to be engaged to carry out a study and give advice before any Government resources were to be committed. “I want someone who has the knowledge in this industry to come and visit the farm to see the land there, the weather, the soil type, whether the variety of the cotton tree that is being grow there is the right type, how to do a big nursery, who the buyers will be, how much can be made per hectare, whether the cottons can be processed in the country, and how it can change the lives of the people there, ” said Minister Maru. As part of his commitment to support them, Minister Maru sent a team from his Ministry to visit the farm and to provide a report to him on the way forward to develop the industry if the potential was there. Source: International Trade and Investment of Papua New Guinea 

The 10 nations who will compete to be crowned Oceania’s best U-17 team have learned their group stage opponents following today’s draw for the OFC U-17 Championship 2023. The latest edition of the tournament will be hosted in Fiji from January 11-28, 2023.   Not only will teams be hunting for regional glory but also global recognition with the two finalists qualifying for the FIFA U-17 World Cup™ in Peru next year.   It is the first time the tournament is being played since 2018 due to the COVID-19 pandemic with fixtures taking place at the Ba Academy in Ba and Suva’s HFC Bank Stadium.   Four teams will contest; Group A, host nation Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea and Tonga.   Group B consists of reigning champions New Zealand, New Caledonia, and American Samoa.   In Group C, Tahiti, Vanuatu, and the Cook Islands will battle for a place in the quarter-finals.  Each team will play each other once in their respective groups. T he winners, runners-up and the two highest-ranked 3rd placed teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals on January 21 and 22.   The semi-finals will take place on January 25 with the tournament final set for HFC Bank Stadium on January 28.   The opening game of the OFC U-17 Championship 2023 will be New Zealand v New Caledonia on January 11 from the Ba Academy, Ba with a full match schedule available soon on the OFC website.  Source: Oceania Football. Com

The heinous, barbaric and horrific murder of a lone law enforcing officer in one of the isolated spots, whilst having a bath or washing the vehicle and unarmed in Hela province is one of the many primitive acts against the security forces in the recent years. This is an absolute civic anarchy, a total breakdown in moral and ethical principles that requires immediate government intervention. Police and other security agencies want to be partners in Hela through enhancement of national government's development policies. People in Hela must embrace the work of the police force, which is striving to instill law and order for the prevalence of peace and harmony. The people in Hela must, in collaboration with their leaders, identify and hand in the suspects immediately and most importantly, also state their reasons why they murdered the police officer within the next 48 hours. They must also state publicly to accept the responsibility of this killing and all other related expenses, including making peace with the victim's family. We demand the Hela Provincial Government and its national leaders to immediately hand over the culprits to face the full force of the law, if this is not appropriately addressed, there is no other option but to withdraw the services of the police and soldiers in that province and allow them to manage their own law and order issues.

Oceania Rugby confirmed today that the 2022 Oceania Rugby Men’s Championship, will be hosted by Papua New Guinea Rugby Union and held in Port Moresby at Sir Hubert Murray Stadium on 02nd -10th November. The tournament returns for the first time since 2019 following a covid induced hiatus and will feature national teams from the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and hosts Papua New Guinea. This year’s tournament will see Vanuatu make a return having not played in an Oceania Rugby Senior International Men’s competition since 2007. The Oceania Rugby Men's Championship (formerly known as the Oceania Cup) is Oceania Rugby’s premier senior men's XV's rugby event and was established in 2007. Teams eligible to participate in the Oceania Rugby Men's Championship include American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Nauru, Niue, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis & Futuna. The Oceania Rugby Men's Championship has served as a Rugby World Cup qualification tournament since 2009. The current Champion, Papua New Guinea PukPuks, claimed the title during the 2019 Oceania Rugby Men's Championship in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. A concerted effort sees the tournament return to Papua New Guinea this year with Oceania Rugby focused on establishing International XV’s rugby across development and performance unions, Oceania Rugby Interim General Manager Wayne Schuster said that whilst a small participation number in this year’s competition it will hopefully reignite regular and meaningful competition pathways for all unions. “We know there is a vast amount of rugby talent and potential across all of our Pacific nations, tournaments like this only serve to grow and develop the XVs game in all unions. “COVID has somewhat stalled our progress in this area, so we earnestly look forward to what the Oceania Rugby Men’s Championship will bring to our performance and development Unions. “We are sincerely grateful to Papua New Guinea Rugby Union and the country of Papua New Guinea for their determination in hosting the 2022 Oceania Rugby Men’s Championship, and we are excited with their vision to grow the competitiveness of the XV’s game not only in Papua New Guinea, but also across other nations in the region,” Schuster added. The competition structure will see one main pool and round-robin playoffs with the first round to begin on Wednesday 02nd November. In an ongoing commitment to leaving a lasting impact following all Oceania Rugby tournaments targeted professional development opportunities will be run in conjunction with the Oceania Rugby Men’s Championship for High Performance Coaches, Strength and Conditioning Coaches and Match Officials. All matched will be broadcast on EMTV with tickets starting at K10. 2022 Oceania Rugby Men’s Championship Schedule (Sir Hubert Murray Stadium Stadium) Match Round 1: Wednesday 02nd November 2022 3PM: Papua New Guinea v Vanuatu Match Round 2: Sunday 06th November 2022 3PM: Papua New Guinea v Solomon Islands Match Round 3: Thursday 10th November 2022 3PM: Vanuatu v Solomon Islands All Kick-Off times are local Papua New Guinea times. Ticket prices Grand Stand – K40, East Stand – K20, North/South Stand – K10

Prime Minister James Marape, MP has joined world leaders in congratulating the newly elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Hon. Rishi Sunak. “I join other global leaders in conveying warm congratulations on your recent election as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom,” Prime Minister Marape said. “It has indeed been an interesting series of events leading up to your rise to the most high office, and it is a clear demonstration of the Conservative Party’s trust and confidence in your leadership qualities for a sustainable and stable economy that is delivering for its constituents. The Prime Minister said above all, the election of Prime Minister Sunak is a historic event in British Political history for a person of colour, from South Asian descent, to assume the Prime Minister ship. Prime Minister Marape said this is a true indication and recognition of multiculturalism and the immense contribution of immigrant families that have and continue to participate in the achievements of the United Kingdom. He said relations between the two countries has seen significant improvements during his recent visit to London for the Official Funeral Ceremony of the Late Queen Elizabeth II, where aside from formalities, he was able to speak with former Prime Minister Liz Truss to increase trade, investment and public service, military and educational exchanges and opportunities. Prime Minister Marape added that he looks forward to working closely with Prime Minister Sunak during his tenure in office and looks forward to an opportunity to meet with him personally in the future.

PNG now has over 1,000 workers in Australia, earning good wages, learning new skills and sharing income back to their local communities. Over 1,400 workers are expected by the end of the year. This represents an explosion of nearly a 1,000 per cent increase from the low numbers inherited by this government. "These increases are good news for our people, for our economy, and for our broader relationship with Australia” stated the Treasurer, Ian Ling-Stuckey. “Given the explosion in the numbers of our workers going overseas, we must now quickly adapt our management structures and processes. During my recent visits to Australia, and in discussions with officials from their Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, we agreed we should move towards the creation of a “one-stop shop”. This One-Stop Shop would cover all government requirements such as health checks, police checks, identity checks, passports, visas and education programs. This will require new and expanded management structures. The plan is to shortly start recruiting a new CEO for PNG’s Labour Mobility Unit. We are also working to ensure the experience in Australia is a positive one with actions to improve welfare activities available in Australia. In addition, actions are underway to help mobilise the World Bank’s program of support to labour mobility." “I want to simplify the process to make this extraordinary opportunity open to more of our people. There is good money to be made – much more than workers usually earn in PNG." The minimum wage in Australia is AUD21.38 (Kina 59.40) per hour. In some sectors, pay rates are even higher. Even after allowing for accommodation and transport and insurance costs, our people can earn good incomes as well as new skills. And studies indicate that a large share of these earnings will come back as remittances to PNG. This will lift our foreign exchange reserves and help support our Kina. They can also provide a valuable source of shared income back to our villages. This will build our economic independence as a proud country trading with the world in both goods and services. The “one-stop shop” will be supported by expanded programs to get out into Provinces. This will not be just an urban based exercise but focused on rural communities. For those clearances that require a physical check (such as a medical), the plan is to ensure that the medical checks can be done in all of our Provinces. “The “explosion” in labour mobility numbers is good news. We need to adapt and modernise our management arrangements to meet the challenge of seeing tens of thousands of our people being able to voluntarily decide to work overseas. International experience is clear that schemes such as this must be driven by the private sector. Specifically, it is the employers in Australia that must want our workers and this means they will be the ones making the key decisions. Working in Australia under the labour mobility program is a privilege, not a right. The Government of PNG can assist with the process, and the creation of a one-stop shop is an important step along this path. I look forward to working with other members of Parliament to encourage take-up of the scheme within each of their electorates” stated the Treasurer.

Prime Minister James Marape has condemned in the strongest terms the killing of Port Moresby-based policeman Senior Constable Nelson Kalimda in Hela. He said this today (October 31, 2022) when passing his sympathies to the widow, children, family members and officers of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary on the killing. “I condemn in the strongest possible terms the killing of the policeman in Hela,” PM Marape said. “No person can take the life of a policeman or another person in this manner. “It is now becoming common for criminals to be no longer fearful or respectful of police, and this is not good. “Police personnel must be given full respect and appreciation by the community. “We will assist Police to bring the criminals to justice. “Going forward, we will amend laws to bring higher penalties to those who commit offences against Police personnel.” PM Marape said Police should carry out a thorough investigation as a matter of urgency into the death of Senior Constable Kalimda, whose body was discovered at the Andapali River in Margarima, Hela, on Sunday (October 30, 2022). PM Marape said the investigation would put to rest all the speculations into the death of the policeman. “The officer drove out by himself without letting his colleagues know, only to be found dead a few days later,” he said. “This demands a full investigation by Police to ascertain his line of duty, why he drove out, mobile phone communications records, and where he went to, leading to his unfortunate death.” PM Marape said he appreciated the work of Hela Governor  Philip Undialu leading to discovery of the body of Senior Constable Kalimda. “I appreciate the assistance of the Hela Provincial Government and Governor Undialu, who assisted the police investigation, which led to location of the vehicle and later the body,” he said. “I call upon all persons with any information to come out so that the criminals can be arrested, and the full story behind the Police officer going missing and killed is established

Papua New Guinea have secured a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals after beating Wales 36-0 in Doncaster this morning. In driving rain, PNG crossed over in just seven minutes through five-eighth Kyle Laybutt, and from there the Kumuls piled on five more tries, with doubles to Nixon Putt and young-gun Jimmy Ngutilk. It was clear from the kick-off that the Kumuls were determined to book their quarter-final spot, scoring two converted tries in the first 11 minutes through five-eighth Kyle Laybutt and Putt. Papua New Guinea went further ahead in the 23rd minute when 21-year-old Jimmy Ngutlik put the burners on to break Wales' line and run over 60 metres to score his first try for the Kumuls. Too big and too strong, PNG went over again in the second half, with interchange Dan Russell finishing off some crisp ball movement from close range to stretch over the stripe and extend PNG's advantage 24-0 at the break. The opening of the second stanza saw some desperate defence by Wales but weight of possession eventually saw the Kumuls cement their lead with Putt bulldozing his way through Welsh defenders to score his second for the night. The wild conditions looked to take their toll in the final stages of the match, with a string of costly errors from both sides, but Papua New Guinea had the final say with four minutes to play, when a high ball bounced perfectly for Ngutlik to finish with a double. Source: NRL.Com

Josh Mansour scored a hat-trick of tries as Adam Doueihi steered Lebanon to a 74-12 defeat of Jamaica that sets up quarter-final clash with Australia and secures a place in the 2025 World Cup. The Cedars play the Kangaroos at Huddersfield on Friday night after finishing second behind New Zealand in Pool C of the tournament and the 13 try effort was an ideal warm-up for playing the world champions. With his side leading 44-0 at halftime, Lebanon coach Michael Cheika rested star halfback Mitchell Moses for the second term and Doueihi ensured that the intensity remained high in his absence. The Reggae Warriors, playing in their first World Cup, scored two tries in the second half through winger Mo Agoro and forward Jordan Andrade. Source: NRL. Com

The University of Goroka (UoG), Papua New Guinea’s third largest University, is planning to set up a campus in Port Vila, Vanuatu. This was revealed by UoG’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr Teng Waninga during the University’s inaugural Vanuatu Graduation Ceremony in Port Vila this week, where 15 students were conferred their degrees after completing four years of study. They were awarded their academic papers in a packed conference room at the Ramada Hotel in front of their proud parents, family members and community elders. Dr Waninga said he was proud to reveal that, overall, the Ni-Van students topped the high-achiever awards given out by the University of Goroka to its graduating students. He also emphasized that, like other Universities and Higher Learning Institutions in Papua New Guinea, the UoG had a long history of building the human resources of Vanuatu and was committed to continuing this service. [caption id="attachment_29406" align="alignnone" width="461"] Director General of the MSG Secretariat, Leonard Louma receives a gift from UoG’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr Teng Waninga.[/caption] He noted that some members of the Ni-Van Goroka University alumni were present to witness the graduation occasion. “We have a vision to establish a campus here, not to challenge or compete with other universities that are already here in Vanuatu but to simply bring in our expertise in the area of teacher training and contribute to the development of Vanuatu’s human resources,” he noted. "We want to bring our service to Vanuatu to reduce costs and make it more affordable to all stakeholders," he added. The Director General of the MSG Secretariat, Leonard Louma, who was a guest at the occasion, welcomed the move saying that this initiative by the UoG is consistent with what the MSG Leaders envisage in their desires to see greater cooperation amongst MSG members. It is in line with one of MSG’s core objectives as endorsed by Leaders in the “MSG 2038 – Prosperity for All Plan”, to develop human resources through increased education investment and quality training. “This is a very encouraging move where universities can cooperate to avoid duplication of work and focus on their strengths in order to develop human capital in the context of an increasing MSG population,” he stated. Source: MSG Secretariat 

Today I will travel to Papua New Guinea to deepen the relationship between our nations. This builds on the high tempo of ministerial engagements since elections in both our countries. Australia’s relationship with PNG is profoundly important and built on a strong foundation of friendship and respect. I will attend events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Kokoda campaign – an important part of our national stories and shared identity with PNG. I will meet Ministerial counterparts across a range of portfolios, listen to how Australia can best support PNG’s priorities and consult on Australia’s new development policy. I am looking forward to attending the PNG launch of a new PacificAus Sports partnership, visiting health and infrastructure investments supported by Australia and talking with young Papua New Guineans about their aspirations for the future. Australia is committed to working together with PNG in the interests of a peaceful, prosperous and resilient Pacific.