Congratulations to the Men's Basketball team with their 73-67 victory over Fiji at the FIBA Melanesian Basketball Cup in the final round and qualifying for the Pacific Games 2023. The Women's team went down to Fiji 65-54 however, they will have a second chance tomorrow in the finals. They have also qualified for the 2023 Pacific Games after they finished second behind Fiji. The Finals will take place today with PNG Women taking on Fiji whilst the Men take on New Caledonia. Both teams are on course to retaining the Melanesian Cup. Source: Team PNG

A successful career in the public service can only be achieved when public servants live by principles and values set in the public service code of ethics and business conduct, says an official. Manager Policy Coordination with the Department of Personal Management Mr Niwia Olewale issued this challenge to 52 recently inducted public servants from the Rabaul and Gazelle Administrations under the East New Britain provincial administration (ENBPA) at St Mary’s Secondary School on Friday (Oct 28th). The closing of the weeklong induction training saw the new public servants sign their oaths. The occasion was attended by Mr Olewale, Deputy provincial administrator for LLG and District Services Nicholas Larme, Human Resources Advisor Mr Thomas Nakui, HR officers, Rabaul Deputy District Administrator John Vule and Gazelle District Administrator Hubert Wangun. “On behalf of Minister for Public Service Joe Sungi and DPM secretary Ms Taies Sansan, I welcome you all to the public service and the ENBPA,” Mr Olewale said Mr Olewale said officers must make sure they live by and follow principles and values set in the public service code of ethics and business conduct and only through that, they will have a successful career in the public service. “You were recruited to the ENBPA because you are carrying a certain skill and knowledge that is required to deliver services the people of this province,” he said. He said the weeklong induction training emphasized on the Public Service Management Act, Public Finance Management Act, General Orders, and other regulations but this should not stop officers from doing their own research on other laws and regulations concerning their job. Meantime Deputy provincial administrator for LLG and District Services, Mr Nicholas Larme stressed on loyalty and commitment saying these are two important and critical factors for public servants to consider in how they deliver services to the people. “The first thing you need to do as a public servants is to commit yourself to delivering service- firstly how you groom personally, that you must be a role model for people to emulate, punctuality- coming to work on time and knocking off on time. These are the little things that add to the bigger picture and that is the goal of ENBPA and the public service which is service to the people,” Mr Larme said. Mr Larme told the officers they must see themselves as a solution instead of a liability to minimize issues of complacency creeping into the public service. “Let us change and bring back ENB to the state it was before- a well performing province. It can be a well performing province if you and I perform in our respective positions. There is no magic to it, but this must come from our hard work and efforts,” Mr Larme said.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk reportedly closed a deal to acquire Twitter on Thursday, ending a months long saga that cast Musk as suitor, critic, legal adversary and ultimately owner of the social media platform. The Washington Post, The New York Times and Wall Street Journal were among the outlets to report the deal closure, citing sources familiar with the matter. ABC News has not confirmed. Musk -- the richest person in the world, according to Forbes -- reportedly acquired Twitter at his original offer price of $54.20 a share at a total cost of roughly $44 billion. On Wednesday, Musk posted a video of himself walking into Twitter's offices with a sink, with the tagline: "Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in!" After initially reaching an acquisition deal with Twitter in April, Musk moved to terminate the agreement in July, citing concerns over spam accounts on the platform. [caption id="attachment_29240" align="alignnone" width="992"] Elon Musk's Twitter profile is seen on a smartphone placed on printed Twitter logos in this picture illustration taken April 28, 2022.[/caption] Soon after, Twitter filed a lawsuit against Musk over his effort to nix the deal. The judge in the trial, set to take place in Delaware Chancery Court, gave Musk a deadline of Friday to reach a deal or proceed with the trial. The deal completes a courtship that started in January when the billionaire first invested in Twitter. By March, Musk had become the largest stakeholder in Twitter with the social media company announcing in April that Musk would join its board. Days later, however, Musk said he had decided against joining the board. In April, Musk offered to buy Twitter at $54.20 per share, valuing the company at about $44 billion. The offer amounted to a 38% premium above where the price stood a day before Musk's investment in Twitter became public. Roughly 10 days later, Twitter accepted Musk's offer. One month later, however, Musk said he had put the deal "temporarily on hold," citing concern over what he said was the prevalence of bot and spam accounts on the platform. Roughly two hours later, Musk said he was "still committed" to the deal. Twitter said it had provided Musk with information in accordance with conditions set out in the acquisition deal. Eventually, Musk moved to terminate the deal in July. Soon after, Twitter sued Musk in Chancery Court in Delaware to force him to complete the deal. A scheduling decision made by the court in July -- to hold the trial over five days in October -- appeared to align more closely with a timeline requested by Twitter, which had sought a four-day trial in September. Musk asked the court to set a trial date no earlier than mid-February 2023. Now, the court case is off and the deal is done. Source: ABC News

NCD Police have stopped a fight in the Sabama Suburb in the Moresby South Electorate which sparked when a drunk male sexually harassed a female at the Sabama market in the National Capital District on Monday. Badili Police Station Commander (PSC) Inspector Obert Jerry said the fight continued yesterday morning which caused a traffic congestion, affected students and workers as well as the closure of the Sabama market. Mr Jerry said the members of the Police Fox 100 Units and the Water Police were able to quell the fight from further escalation. He said they also cleared a roadblock set up by the villagers from Kira Kira. He said the fighting erupted when a female from Kira Kira village was sexually harassed by a drunk male at the Sabama market. The victim reported the incident to her family who are from Kira Kira village. The villagers confronted the drunk at Sabama. He allegedly retaliated and wounded a villager from Kira Kira. The residents of Kira Kira then mobilized and fought with the drunkard and his associates. Mr Jerry said the suspect was identified and arrested. He is now with the Police Criminal Investigation Division (CID) at Boroko for formal charges to be laid against him. Mr Jerry reassured the traveling public, the surrounding communities and the residents of Port Moresby that the situation is back to normal and business as usual. However, he said Sabama market remains closed until an understanding is reached between the villagers and the residents of Sabama.

The PNG NRI Diploma Certificate in Economic Policy Analysis has been conducted annually since 1989 as an intensive full-time course designed for individuals interested in improving their understanding of key government economic and other public policies that impact sustainable economic growth and development of Papua New Guinea (PNG). This year (2022), EPAC enrolled 37 participants (out of 71 applications) for eight weeks from 05 September to 28 October 2022. 34 participants completed the course. The other 3 did not complete the course – due to various reasons including bereavement and illnesses. The performance of the EPAC 2022 participants was exemplary. We had 10 students with Distinction; 20 with Credit; and the remaining 4 got a Pass grade. A Diploma Certificate in Economic Policy Analysis is awarded to a candidate who passes all 3 assessment components: Continuous Assessment, Final Examination and Policy Research Paper that are, respectively, weighted 30%, 30% and 40% to compute the candidates’ final score. The best performing student, Mr. Martin Goradim, who is a teacher at Port Moresby Business College received the Dux of the Year award. The Acting Secretary for the Department of Higher Education Research Science and Technology (DHERST) was the guest of honor. The Governor of East Sepik Honorable Allan Bird who is the Parliamentary representative on the PNG NRI Council was also present. Chairman of the PNG NRI Council and Mr Mark Worinu, Managing Director of Fresh Produce Development Authority and member of the PNG NRI Council were also present at the Graduation Ceremony. The Council, Management and Staff of NRI thank the sponsors and families for supporting the students during the last eight weeks.

The Pacific Institute of Leadership and Governance (PILAG) has graduated its 8th batch of graduants under the Micro-Small Medium Enterprise (MSME) Financial Literacy & Digital Training program. Twenty-One participants received their certificates on Tuesday, 26th of October, 2022 after completing the two weeks training. The Training was based on the basics on operating a Micro-Small Medium Enterprise business while using the latest digitalized technology. The Chief Executive officer (CEO) for PILAG, Mr. Michael Barobe, congratulated the participants for choosing PILAG to enhance their knowledge on running an MSME business. He said PILAG has been producing leaders since 1963 and it continues to carry on that legacy with more leaders emerging from the Institution. He encouraged the participants to be agents of change after leaving PILAG and to utilize whatever knowledge they have gained from the training to grow economically. Mr Barobe, said the Institution has trained people in Business and Accounting, however the institution saw the need to train people to be directly involved in the economy of the country, and that is when PILAG developed the program MSME Financial Literacy and Digital Training. The program covers all units to do with starting a business, where to get the funding, how to budget money, how to save money, how to spend money and also to take advantage of technology while promoting and growing MSME businesses. Mr Barobe, said MSME Financial Literacy & Digital Training is also a Post – Public service program designed to cater for retiring public servants who may need guidance and knowledge on how they should use their retirement benefits and savings after they retire. The CEO stressed on the importance of spending money wisely for retired public servants. He said the MSME program has the much needed information and training for retired public servants who may require a bit of clarity and guidance on how they can use their retirement funds to start small businesses and contribute meaningfully to the economy development of the country. He said PILAG has developed such programs so public servants can go out as leaders and continue to create more employment opportunities in their respective communities. One of the course participants, Inspector, Shammah Krahwasi, Acting Director of the Police Air Wing Division, thanked the Course Coordinators and Trainers for a very intense and informative training. He described the training as from the “grounds up” with no stones left unturned. He said the training provided them the basics on starting a small business with information on where to acquire funding and everything else that falls in line when tapping into MSME businesses. The 8th Batch graduation of MSME Financial Literacy & Digital Training marks another milestone for this program and the interest shown by MSME owners, public servants and the general public has been massive. The final batch for this program for this year will be delivered on November 14th - 18th 2022. Source: Pacific Institute of Leadership and Governance

NRL referee Belinda Sharpe is set to tick off a three-year goal to again take charge of an elite men’s match after being appointed to control this weekend’s England-Greece World Cup fixture at Bramall Lane. Sharpe made history in 2019 by becoming the first female to referee an NRL match but since the scrapping of the two-referee system at the outset of the COVID pandemic she has worked solely as a touch judge for men’s games. The appointment of the 35-year-old comes after fellow NRL referee Kasey Badger controlled the Tonga-Wales World Cup match earlier this week and Sharpe said it was the fulfilment of a long-held ambition. “It is great that everyone is so supportive and have been looking forward to us refereeing but from a personal perspective it is a goal I have been working towards and something I have wanted to achieve in my career,” Sharpe said. “I was lucky enough to referee in the NRL a couple of years ago but since the change to the refereeing system I have had to start that process again and work towards trying to get back in the middle in the NRL again. “Myself and Kasey have been in the game for a fair while and I think people appreciate the level we are at now. “I came over here looking forward to being involved in my second World Cup and whatever opportunities that would bring, so I am thrilled that that has resulted in me getting to referee a men’s game.” [caption id="attachment_29249" align="alignnone" width="840"] Badger became the first female to referee a men's World Cup match[/caption] Sharpe was part of the match officials squad at the 2017 World Cup and has since refereed the 2019 Test between the Jillaroos and Kiwi Ferns plus a range of senior women's fixtures including Ampol State of Origin and NRLW Grand Finals. “Refereeing different players and different teams present different challenges so there is a lot you learn from being involved in a World Cup,” Sharpe said. “But it is not just about the games, it is the whole experience. We are in a camp with match officials from around the world and we are all learning from each other. “It is exciting, and it is something completely different for us that we enjoy. Seeing the hakas and the prayers before the games and going to English stadiums that we have only seen on TV adds to the experience we are having over here. “These are the games you work so hard to achieve, and I am sure it is going to be a great moment in my career.” With belief growing in England about the prospects of the host nation wining the World Cup, attendances have been strong for their games, with fans singing and chanting. Sydney Roosters lock Victor Radley will be a crowd favourite in Sheffield as his father, Nigel, is from nearby Barnsley, while fans rise to their feet in anticipation every time Knights winger Dom Young receives the ball. “Just to be a part of any game at the World Cup is special but to be involved in a match where the host nation is playing will be pretty exciting, in terms of the crowd and the atmosphere,” Sharpe said. “You can see how passionate the English fans are in the couple of games they have played already so I am expecting that it is going to be a great atmosphere and a great occasion.” Sharpe will also officiate as a touch judge in the Papua New Guinea-Wales match, refereed by Gerard Sutton, while Badger will this weekend be one of the touch judges for the Tonga-Cook Islands game. Source: NRL.com

Santos PNG Orchids captain Elsie Albert needs little introduction. Spurred on by watching the Orchids’ international debut at RLWC2017, she took up rugby league in 2018 and was selected to represent her country later that year. The Southern Highlander captained the Orchids in the 2019 test series against England, raising her international profile and earning a professional contract with St George Illawarra Dragons in the NRLW – the first PNG-based woman to do so. Elsie has now played three seasons of NRLW, including one Grand Final, with the Dragons, and will again captain the Orchids at #RLWC2021. “It's an honour for me to be given the opportunity to captain my country but this time on the World Cup stage,” Elsie says. “In 2017 when I watched the girls playing in their first ever World Cup, it was pioneer Orchids like Cathy Neap and Della Audama (now Orchids assistant coach) who inspired me. “Now, I think me being in the NRLW system inspires the girls back home. I get a lot of messages saying, ‘seeing you play inspires us to get our boots on and get onto the field’. “When I run out as captain, I think about the girls back home who are inspired by me to play rugby league or are sitting at home not knowing what to do…it’s about inspiring the next generation of girls to play rugby league, or those who want to do things in other male-dominated areas. If you put your mind and hard work into anything, you can achieve it.” Source: Santos PNG Orchids

The official opening of the New Kavieng Airport Terminal has been confirmed and fixed for 03rd November, 2022 after having to go through two postponements at the request of the Prime Minister. The controversial opening ceremony, first scheduled for 20th October was deferred tentatively to 27th October while awaiting a confirmed schedule from the Prime Minister has angered the New Ireland Provincial Government. New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan made a decision after the numerous deferrals not to attend the opening and had pulled out from organizing the event towards the opening. Prime Minister James Marape will be Guest of Honour and will officiate the Official Opening of the New Kavieng Airport Terminal and other upgraded airport facilities. National Airports Corporation Managing Director and CEO Rex Kiponge has invited the people of New Ireland and Papua New Guinea to attend this milestone event in the province. The project was implemented by NAC through the Civil Aviation Development Investment Program (CADIP), funded by the Government of Papua New Guinea (GoPNG), in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

NCSL is excited to welcome its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Keith Raimo, and Manager Member Services and Branch Support, Noel Keyala. Keith Raimo possesses more than 12 years of experience in the area of accounting and financial management, including senior management roles with Digicel, Capital Group, and recently with Paradise Private Hospital before joining NCSL. He is keen to look at technology to accelerate transformation with a view to ensuring greater efficiency and achieving quicker turn-around times. “I believe technology is vital to creating greater efficiency in member service and reporting. Technology will be the enabler for the delivery of key strategic outcomes. Equally important are people and process development. Without good people following good processes, there is no implementation. These to me are key to positioning NCSL as the go-to brand for our current & future members. Great systems, great people, great service,” Raimo said. Raimo is also passionate about helping people. “Helping and developing people leaves a legacy. I believe the work at NCSL to develop financial literacy and other people development initiatives are key value-added services for our membership,” he added. Manager Member Services and Branch Support, Noel possesses more than 14 years of banking experience. He was previously Manager Contact Centre and Manager Client Services with Kina Bank, then Acting Head of Customer Experience prior to joining NCSL. “I am thrilled to join at an exciting time and be part of NCSL’s transformation and journey as it aspires to become an e-bank,” Keyala said With an expansion in membership growth- and business demand, NCSL also expanded its Lending team with two new additional Lending officers namely, Rebecca Manihoru and Fidelma Watir. NCSL Chief Executive Officer, Vari Lahui said ncsl is delighted to have such talented officers with fresh ideas joining the ncsl family. “I am confident with their level of experience, expertise, and contribution, NCSL will reach greater heights,” the CEO said when welcoming the new faces.

Credit Corporation PNG Limited staff recently participated in a mangrove planting initiative at Gaire village in Central province. Risk Support Officer Hindira Ivahupa says the initiative is one of the company’s sustainable projects undertaken as part of its corporate social responsibility. “The goal of this initiative is to promote sustainable development by providing our staff with environment conservation activities that will benefit both the community and the environment,” said Ivahupa. “Our sustainable projects are also a great way to connect with the local communities we operate in and raise awareness on the importance of being environmentally conscious,” she further added. Ivahupa also acknowledged the community-based organisation, ARO who initiated the Gaire Mangrove Conservation and Rehabilitation program for their support in helping Credit Corporation to undertake its first mangrove planting initiative. A donation of K2000 was also presented to ARO in support of the organisation’s conservation efforts within the community. In thanking Credit Corporation for its generous donation, ARO Project Coordinator and Gaire local, Roy Hitolo, said the aim of the project is to restore degraded mangrove areas along the village’s coastline and river system. “We started in 2020 with a group of 20 youths, all from Gaire and we are now in our third year. We are aiming to plant 20,000 mangrove seedlings before 2025. So far, we’ve planted a total of 3,000,” said Hitolo. He further added that mangroves play a very important role in preventing the rise of sea levels and preserving coastal ecosystems and encouraged coastal communities around the country to start up mangrove planting projects to protect their coastlines. “We all have role to play when it comes to conserving our natural environment and I would also like to thank Credit Corporation and its staff for their contribution to the fight against climate change,” said Hitolo.

BSP’s strong business performance across the Group was maintained in the third quarter of 2022, with Group net profit after tax of K672m, compared to K699m for corresponding 2021 period. This sound performance was achieved notwithstanding BSP having expensed the Additional Company Tax (ACT) payment of K190m, which was introduced this year. According to BSP Group CEO Robin Fleming, the company’s underlying profit growth reflects the improved economic conditions in the region, resulting in loan growth of +5.6% and increased transactional activities, which has contributed to non-lending fee income increase of +14.3%, despite BSP continuing to reduce its fees. Overall Group expenditure increased by 15.1% in Q3-22, compared to Q3-21. This higher level of expenditure was driven by additional roles being created in Retail, Operations and Compliance teams to support customer growth, more effective compliance, higher channel related costs (contributing to the higher channel revenue raised above) and property maintenance costs. With the support of its shareholders, BSP is pursuing a judicial review to challenge the constitutional validity of the ACT, given its material impact on shareholder returns. Nevertheless, the K190m tax was paid on 30 September 2022 into an escrow account held with BPNG, pending the outcome of BSP’s legal challenge to the ACT. The full K190m was taken up in BSP’s first quarter accounts. Despite the above, Mr Fleming stated that BSP Group’s key performance ratios remained strong, with cost-to-income improving to 37.7%. He added that BSP’s capital base remains robust, with total capital adequacy as at September 2022 at 23.3%, in line with September 2021 levels, well above the minimum Bank of Papua New Guinea prudential requirement of 12.0%. Group Return on Equity (ROE) was 27.1% in Q3-22, impacted by the ACT. Mr Fleming also said that irrespective of the K190m Additional Company Tax, BSP has expanded its branch network, with Eriku branch opening in the first week of November 2022, NCD Lending Centre in Port Moresby in December 22, Telefomin hybrid sub-branch in the first quarter of 2023, and Dobel branch in Western Highlands in the first half of 2023. Mr Fleming concluded that BSP remains the largest and most profitable bank in the South Pacific. BSP also continues to deliver sustainable growth, as evidenced by its strong year to date profit results.