Ian Ling-Stuckey, Minister for Treasury, announced the introduction of a “Dominant Industry Player Levy” when handing down PNG’s 2022 budget which comes into effect on 1 January 2022. The levy applies to any bank in PNG that has total assets that exceed 40% of total assets as published by the Bank of PNG. "BSP Financial Group (BSP) is the only PNG commercial bank that will be required to pay the levy," said Mary Johns, Company Secretary of BSP Financial Group Limited. As reported in PNG’s 2022 budget the levy is a flat tax, calculation of which is not linked to profit or balance sheet size, will result in BSP paying an additional K190 million in tax in Financial Year 2022 (FY22). "The levy is non-deductible and it will have a direct impact on BSP’s net profit after tax of K190 million from 2022 onwards."

With the increase in budget allocation for public servants’ salaries, the Treasury Department have been asked on what is being done in addressing the issue of ghost names on the payroll. Executive Director of Institute of National Affairs Paul Barker during the budget lockup yesterday said while there is certainly the need to get more teachers and health workers, there are areas around the expenditures where there is justification for right sizing rather than downsizing. “I know there was an exercise recently with the Justice Department, especially courts where they found quite a number of ghosts in the system,” Mr Barker said. “Although I know the Department of Personnel Management and Finance have a few ghosts, when you do have a little sample of people around, you’ll find that they got quite a number of ghosts in their own family on the payroll. So, we know there is a significant number of ghosts in the public sector.” Acting Deputy Secretary of Treasury Budget and Financial Management Mrs Napa Hurim in response said as part of payroll cleansing, the Treasury Department along with DPM and Finance Department carried the staffing and establishment review this year in order to clear out ghost names on the payroll. “Through this exercise, we’ve identified names and we’re cleaning up the payroll,” Mrs Hurim said. “We’ve corrected this out in the Treasury Department as a sample and it was successful and we’re rolling that out on a larger scale.” “The biggest challenge is at the provincial level. It is easier for us at the national level to work with line agencies but for subnational level, we have to go down and do all the work with them,” Mrs Hurim added.

VIOLENCE IN THE ONLINE WORLD IS REAL - IT'S WRONG & MUST BE STOPPED It may seem like the online world is safe for women and girls. What could possibly happen, at home or in school or in an office, simply sitting in front of a computer? A lot, it turns out. Digital violence is devastatingly rampant. It is relentless, borderless and often anonymous. By one count, 85 per cent of women online have experienced it or witnessed it. Survivors may suffer fear, depression and suicidal thoughts, just as they do with other forms of violence. Digital violence takes many forms. Perpetrators may threaten and stalk women online. They may, without permission, attach pictures of women’s and girls’ faces to sexualized bodies and share them widely over social media, for years. Vicious online campaigns of hate speech and abuse target women with public roles, such as politicians and journalists as well as women’s rights activists. While we know that a lot of digital violence is happening, we do not yet know enough about it. To stop it, we need to do more to define and measure it. We must better understand what forms it takes, what impact it has, and what works to respond to and prevent it. Wherever violence against women and girls occurs, it is a violation of human rights. Every year, on November 25, the International Day to End Violence against Women and Girls, and through the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence Against Women Campaign, UNFPA takes a stand against all forms of violence. This year, we are calling on people everywhere to stop violence in the digital realm. In our increasingly online world, there are too many risks if we do not. Beyond the obvious threats to mental health and physical safety, digital violence is driving women offline because they cannot otherwise escape from it. When girls interrupt their education or elected women parliamentarians cannot carry out their duties because of a torrent of online assaults, they suffer violations of their rights. We all lose their capabilities and leadership in our societies. For these reasons, UNFPA is pushing governments and technology companies to take the lead in halting digital violence. We are calling on legislators, journalists, civil society and those with influence to speak out, stand up and take action. One simple yet devastating fact is that women around the world currently have fewer ways to protect themselves online than copyrighted intellectual property. Violating a copyright can result in immediate removal of materials and criminal and civil penalties. Women and girls facing the non-consensual sharing of their images should have even more vigorous protections. Digital violence cuts across borders and regulatory systems. Stopping it will require new ways of thinking and new forms of collaboration among regulators, tech firms, digital activists and women’s rights advocates. A special focus is needed on young people whose rapid uptake of technology puts them at higher risk. They must have the information and the means to fully protect themselves, especially young girls. Every day, more people, services and activities are moving online. That means more violence is happening to more women and girls. We must recognize the scope of this crisis and not delay action for even one more day. The right to live free from violence applies everywhere and does not disappear with an Internet connection. The virtual is real. It must be safe.

A GERMAN medical team is helping out at the Nonga Base Hospital in Kokopo, East New Britain, and will be there for three weeks. The team is one of the four Emergency Medical Teams to have responded to Papua New Guinea Government’s request to help in the COVID-19 response. CADUS Emergency Medical Team is based in Berlin, Germany, and is a not-for-profit organization, and its deployment to PNG has been made financially possible by the German Government. “We thank the German Government for helping fund our deployment in PNG,’’ said Team Leader Thorben Schulze-Hamann. “We’ve been deployed in other parts of the world, and this is our first time to come to PNG.’’ Some of the countries that CADUS has been deployed to in the past for natural disasters as well as medical emergencies include Namibia, Bosnia, Iraq and Greece. [caption id="attachment_17143" align="aligncenter" width="602"] A group picture of CADUS team members with NCC EMT staff[/caption] The 10-member team deployed to PNG comprises specialists in anaesthesiology , intensive care, surgery, nursing and paramedic. They will be at Nonga Hospital for three weeks, starting last Thursday. Prior to leaving for Kokopo, they were briefed by the National Control Centre EMT Team Lead Dr Gary Nou and his deputy Dr Kapua Kapua of PNG, ENB, and the health system in the country. The provinces that have recorded high numbers and ended up in the red or high risk group in the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic include ENB. It is still in the red while many other provinces, including most of the highlands provinces have now moved to the medium risk. Deputy Controller of the National Pandemic Response Dr Daoni Esorom thanked CADUS for responding to PNG’s request to come and give help. He said apart from work that they had come to do they should make time to visit Kokopo’s historical sites as they would find that ENB has a long history with Germany. [caption id="attachment_17144" align="aligncenter" width="659"] National Control Centre Deputy Team Lead Dr Kapua Kapua (front) and CADUS team at the debriefing at NCC.[/caption] Meanwhile, there is also a medical assistance team from New Zealand that is currently in the country. They have been deployed to Autonomous Region of Bougainville. Three of their members have also been assigned to help out at the National Control Centre in Port Moresby.  

The Connect PNG (Implementation and Funding Arrangements) Bill 2021 that was passed in Parliament yesterday will commit governments for the next 20 years and undermine the budget process by pre-empting it. Alotau MP Charles Abel said the main issue in relation to the new law is that this Parliament is trying to make budget decisions for the next four governments. He said such important legislation committing K20 billion over 20 years to be deposited into a trust account needs to be properly scrutinised and debated upon. “We have had so many bad experiences with the placement of funds into trust accounts where they tend to bypass proper scrutiny and are abused,” Mr Abel said. “We have bad experiences with the creation of structures like Kumul and the statutory authorities that undermine government and create parallel systems which results in government budgets having no money and running massive deficits.” “No one is against building the road network in PNG. In fact, we are talking about the same highways and missing links but each new government simply comes up with a new name for a new program and creates unnecessary confusion amongst government’s agencies and development partners.” Mr Abel also highlighted as an aside that seaways, waterways and rural airstrips continue to be given low priority. “My recommendation is that we support the government budget process and oversight, not undermine it like this new law does.”

Head of the PNG Defense Force Commander Major General Gilbert Toropo reassured the public that despite the differences between the disciplinary forces since the weekend which spilled over this week, they stand firm to deliver a safe and free election come next year with security high on the agenda. Major General Toropo said there are only a few members of the two disciplinary forces that are acting out of line but the rest of the members are intact and set for the 2022 National General Elections. “We have worked together over the years for the Police and Defence. Police Commissioner has put through a very good operations order and our members of the PNG Defence Force are working together with the police to ensure that our people enjoy the freedom of going to the Elections in 2022.” Toropo said the two forces will be working in unity as they have already started election preparations together and the public can be rest assured that security won’t be a problem during the 2022 National General Elections.

For Thelma Hungito, being at the centre of efforts to combat family and sexual violence in one of PNG’s most heavily populated provinces is much more than just a job. As Coordinator of Morobe’s Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee (FSVAC), Thelma is at the forefront of action to tackle everything from violence against women, children and those accused of sorcery to improving services for people living with a disability. It is a demanding role made tougher by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused a surge in calls for assistance. Even after five years in the role, Thelma’s determination to improve lives and drive change is undiminished. “Violence against women continues to occur at an alarming scale,” she says. “Too often it is accepted as normal behaviour.” “To end violence against women, children and the vulnerable, we need to challenge the attitudes that perpetuate, rationalise and normalise violence and deny everyone’s right to safety.” After graduating with a Social Work Degree from Divine Word University in 2013, Thelma joined the Morobe Provincial Administration’s Community Development Division where she was employed as Social Welfare Officer. It became apparent to Thelma just how prevalent violence against women, children and the vulnerable was and she decided to do what she could to help combat it. Over the next two years the idea of establishing a Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee in Morobe gained momentum and in 2016, Thelma was appointed inaugural FSVAC Coordinator. Thelma threw herself into the role with enthusiasm, building networks, writing budgets, sourcing funding, running workshops and training sessions, working with partners, strengthening referral pathways, recording data and attending meetings. The pressure has barely let up since and Thelma admits that at times it can almost feel overwhelming. But she finds strength and support among Morobe’s tight-knit group of experienced women leaders campaigning against FSV. Thelma takes the daily challenges posed by limited resources and logistics support, inadequate office space, tight budgets and attacks by critics in her stride, regarding them as steppingstones rather than obstacles. “As long as I am doing my work holistically and people are receiving services from providers, I am happy with the work I am doing,” Thelma said. One of her proudest achievements is helping oversee the decentralisation of FSV services within the province. So far, she has assisted in establishing FSVACs in six of Morobe’s nine districts, with the remaining three well on their way. “We aim to empower Village Court officials in the communities,” Thelma says. “We sensitise and train them on the Family Protection Act and how to issue Interim Protection Orders to protect survivors and their families.” She views this work as essential in helping ensure FSV survivors have ready access to effective legal and support services in their communities in the Districts. “We don’t want survivors to spend huge sums of money to come into the city to get help.” Thelma says. Thelma is just as pleased to be involved in training police officers about the importance of gender awareness in their work. “We’ve seen changes in how male officers attend to FSV complaints unlike before when they don’t prioritise these cases.” Thelma is grateful for the support she receives from the Australian Government through the Papa New Guinea-Australia Partnership that has helped her grow and do her job. Thelma knows there is still a long way to go but she remains resolute. “Shifting behaviour is hard and slow but gender equality means all of us and working with all genders is the only way to see true change,” she says.  

South Pacific Brewery (SPB) joined other HEINEKEN operating companies across the globe to host World Quality Week on Thursday 11th to Friday 19th November 2021. “Quality is the foundation of sustainable growth in our company, supporting our 2030 Brewing A Better World." "Passion for customers and consumers underpins our obsession for quality. A strong Quality culture is essential to make sure consumers and customers are at the heart of everything we do,” said Jamosah Verave, SPB’s Quality Assurance Manager. World Quality Week saw SPB staff engaged in safety and quality checks, food safety virtual Webinars as we progress into meeting the Food Safety Standards Certification 22000 and brewery tours. Staff who have never visited the packaging hall were given the chance to see how our products are packed. Staff were encouraged to embrace the opportunity to learn together, so that SPB continues to brew the highest quality beers and beverages to best serve its’ customers. “I was really excited to receive great feedback from staff who participated in the World Quality Week. They found our program insightful,” said Ms Verave. Wesley Rabuni (Site Nurse, SPB Pom) “I’ve worked in the Brewery for three years but never really understood the quality process until I went on the tour. Processes such as ‘Entrance Quality Control’ (EQC). The first check done was to verify if all raw and packaging materials meet defined specifications before releasing into production. In this case – packaging material EQC are done before releasing into the packaging process to pack our respective brands. Sullyanne Sisii (ICT Network Support Officer, SPB Pom) “We only see the products out in trade, but we don’t see the hard work that’s put into maintaining the quality of the products in packaging.” Qwati Taureka (Off-Trade Metro Manager, SPB Lae) “Seeing the quality and testing processes of how beer is manufactured was a great learning experience. I gained so much insight that will enable me to provide the right information to customers, when I am out in trade. I am now equipped with information to talk about our quality checks and processes.” Ms Verave added: “When we look at it, overall, Quality is a sequence of systematic processes developed to maintain the following: ▪ Product quality ▪ Process Quality and ▪ System Quality “Nothing works well without an effective interaction of each processes from start to finish. Everyone plays an important part in making and getting our product out in market. Quality is everything we do - it is our culture."

Ela Motors on Wednesday this week, donated PPE Supplies worth K40,000 to the Covid Center at Port Moresby General Hospital. This is part of their continuous support to the hospital since the pandemic began in 2020. Ela Motors National Marketing Manager, Benjamin Niligur, expressed his appreciation towards Friends of POMGEN and their effort to support POMGEN. “On behalf of Ela Motors, we would like to extend our appreciation to Friends of POMGEN and what they do for our National Hospital and as part of our annual ‘Corporate Social Responsibility Program’ we are happy to donate a total of K40,000 worth of PPE Supplies ranging from face shields, gloves, hand sanitizers, masks and gowns”. “We continue to support hospitals around the country especially during this pandemic”, added Mr. Niligur. FOPG Officer, Ms. Grace Roland POMGEN and POM Gen Stores Manager, Ms. Theresa Gairi, were on hand to receive the donation. Ms. Roland thanked Ela Motors for their generosity and continuous support towards the hospital and said, ‘We are forever grateful to our friends at Ela Motors. They are always looking out for the hospital, the staff and our patients."

Trukai Industries recently donated K5,000 towards a fundraiser to send 500 unfortunate children to school in 2022. This donation will go towards Life PNG Care’s fundraising drive to raise K400,000 towards their Strongim Pikinini Program. There are three programs that come under their Strongim Pikinini Education program. They include the Underprivileged Student Sponsorship Program, Mobile Education Program and Home Schooling Program. Trukai Industries’ Public Relations and Communications Manager Andrea Tagamasau, when presenting the cheque commended Life PNG Care for the work they have done through their various education programs. “We know that with this support Life PNG Care can be able to impact more lives by giving unfortunate children the privilege of education and we wish them all success in their fundraising drive,” said Ms. Tagamasau. Founding Director of Life PNG Care Collin Pake Yakio said they have been able to raise K226,000 so far and thanked Trukai Industries for their support. “We really appreciate Trukai's continuous partnership and commitment with our vision to impact the next generation for a better PNG,” said Mr. Yakio. “Children should have access to education as it is a fundamental human right that can have a dramatic impact on their future, thus this fundraiser is entirely for this course,” said Mr. Yakio. Life PNG Care is a registered community based organization that promotes, supports and initiates grass roots social aid programs within local communities. Trukai Industries has been supporting Life PNG Care for over 10 years and continues to support them and similar organisations when it comes to education, health, sports and people living with disabilities through their Corporate Social Responsibility Program.

The Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ) project in Madang was given a K100 million allocation in the 2022 national budget that was tabled today in parliament. Minister for National Planning and Monitoring Rainbo Paita said PMIZ is one of the long awaited projects that has been stalled over the years due to funding constraints and therefore was captured in the budget. “The project looks at generating over 40, 000 jobs for ordinary Papua New Guineans as well as several billions of kina for the national coffers,” Mr Paita said. Fisheries Minister Dr Lino Tom said in parliament last week that the project will kick off next year when funding is made available. The Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ) project in Madang was launched in November 2015 and also captured in the recent Fisheries Strategic Plan 2021-2030 where the special economic zone for fisheries will provide necessary infrastructure for downstream processing of fish products.

THE high increase in the number of people going for vaccination in October has dropped drastically this month. This seems to be linked to the drop in the number of COVID-19 cases being reported this month as compared to the month of October. As of today, 25th November, 2021, a total of 272, 141 have received at least one dose of a  COVID-19 vaccine which is 14.6 per cent of the target population of 1, 869, 279 for 2021. Those fully vaccinated stand at 201, 318 which is 10.8 per cent of the target population for 2021. The three vaccines being administered in PNG are AstraZeneca Oxford, Johnson and Johnson and Sinopharm. So far, a total of 359, 659 doses of the three vaccines have been administered of which 227, 858 (63.4%) were for Astrazeneca, 113, 800 (31.6%) were for Johnson and Johnson and 18, 001 (5%) were for Sinopharm. Deputy Controller of the National Pandemic Response Dr Daoni Esorom has expressed his concern over the behavior of the people towards COVID-19. He said this virus will not go away on its own; people  have to do their part and the most effective weapon against it is the vaccine, including adhering to the Niupela Pasin strategies and interventions. “A lot of people came to get vaccinated when they saw the cases increasing and people dying, but when the numbers went down, the number of people coming for vaccination also dropped,’’ said Dr Daoni. “This really reflects the general behavior of our people in all health matters. They do  not take preventive measures until something happens to them and they react. This is why we had lost so many people in this wave, driven mainly by delta variant. Had people listened and got vaccinated earlier, they would have developed some immunity with the help of the vaccine long before the delta variant arrived.’’ He added: “You can’t get vaccinated today and expect to be protected against the virus in the next few days as some had done and unfortunately did not make it when they got the virus. It takes time for the vaccine to work so people have to be smart and get vaccinated now when they’re well and healthy.’’ Despite the number of surges going down,  the number of new cases being reported per day are still high. As of the 24th November, 2021, there were 102 new cases reported raising the country’s confirmed cases to 34, 707. There were also 13 new deaths which raised the confirmed known deaths to 542.