A circulated message on social media about a mass protest march tomorrow following several government departments’ announcement to reject services to unvaccinated citizens has been deemed as unlawful. NCD Metropolitan Superintendent Gideon Ikumu told this newsroom that all public gathering plans must go through the proper channel however this has not been the case for the supposed mass protest march. “It is a concern the people have and want to express but at the same time, we have to be mindful of the opportunity this might create for looters,” Mr Ikumu said. “I have sent police officers out to identify individuals who are planning this and if they do identify them, then we will speak with the leaders so that they come through the proper channel to get permission to protest.” Met Supt Ikumu further stated that the police hierarchy has also liaised with the PNGDF hierarchy who established that military personnel's’ participation in the protest will be against their code of conduct. The circulated message stated that PNGDF will be leading the protest following the passing away of a serviceman after being vaccinated against COVID19 and that the protest will be carried out throughout the city.

With the health and safety of close to 600,000 members in mind, Nasfund, following guidance from local health officials and the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a notice reminding the public of the following measures: No Mask No Entry Policy Members and other visitors will be denied access to all Nasfund offices unless equipped with medically suitable face masks. Compulsory Temperature Testing Visitors are required to submit for a compulsory temperature test before accessing any Nasfund office. Hand Sanitizing & Social Distancing All office locations are fitted with hand sanitation stations for members to use and social distancing markers where members and visitors are required to abide by being at least 1.5 meters apart from each other at any given time. Online Services Employers are encouraged to utilize the Employer Online portal for contribution updates and Members should use the Member Online portal for balance checks or account inquiries. Lodgments of Unemployment Benefit Payments and Housing Advance claims can be sent to us at e-withdrawals@nasfund.com.pg Presentation Alternatives Members and employers are encouraged to contact our Business Development team at clientrelations@nasfund.com.pg to arrange alternate means of receiving information on superannuation products, services, or ID card inquiries. Call Centre The Nasfund Call Centre is open for business from 8 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday and from 9 am to noon every Saturday. Members should contact us at help@nasfund.com.pg or call us on 1588 Super Saturday Service Employed members should utilize the Super Saturday services available in Port Moresby at the Boroko Service Centre and Lae at the Lae branch. Niupela Pasin Protocols will continue to be enforced. Nasfund’s Chief Executive Officer, Ian Tarutia, said we will maintain normal operations as best as we can to ensure that members continue to receive convenient services, without being unnecessarily disadvantaged. “As the largest superannuation fund in PNG, we have a responsibility to our members and employers to provide a safe environment for business to continue. All these protocols being enforced are for the safety of our staff, our members, and the general public. If we are required to make changes to our business operations and or public engagements that may disrupt our provision of services, we will communicate this immediately.”

Late Hon. Roy Biyama, Member for Middle Fly was finally laid to rest in his home village of Balimo yesterday. It was witnessed by his immediate family members, all five LLG Presidents, public servants, stakeholders and the people of Middle Fly District. It was an emotional occasion as thousands of grievers braved the hot sun with a guard of honor, choir groups with a beautiful tributary songs dedicated to Late Roy and a gun salute. Presentation and gifts were presented to the Funeral Organising Committee by all LLGs, communites, Chinese Community, District and Provincial Administrations to show respect and pay homage to their great leader. Most people described him as an humble, honest, humility and visionary leader leaving behind a good fond memories to cherish especially when it comes to delivering of basic government services to very remote places like Lake Murray, Bamu and other isolated hamlets. There are benchmark of Late Roy's projects like classrooms, teachers house, health facilitates including housing scheme project which he introduced for the people to have decent semi-permanent houses everywhere in all those five LLGs of Middle Fly. They said Late Roy had a great enthusiasm, pride in himself and was someone who was admired by many people, because of his humbleness to serve his people with whatever he earned from his business to support social and spiritual activities in Balimo he opted to contest for the 2002 National Election, which he won and served four consecutive terms undefeated till he succumbed to diabetic and met his fate. He was able to split Gogodala into Fly Gogodala and Aramia Gogodala LLGs which the district administration open their two new accounts and funded with K700,000 respectively. Under the leadership of Late Roy, District was able to bring in Sustainable Development Program (formerly PNG SDP) to live and operate out of Balimo town with support from the Western Governor and Provincial Administrator where there are lot of unprecedented development taking place within the precinct of New Town area. There were lot more to achieve which caspulated in the rolling District Development Plan, unfortunately he passed away.

Air Niugini flights to Kieta in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville are suspended until further notice following the closure of Aropa airport by the Autonomous Bougainville Government. The national airline is advising passengers holding tickets to or from Kieta to travel to or from Buka instead with no additional cost. It said they can also rebook their travel to Kieta for future dates without penalties. Air Niugini operates six weekly flights to Buka, daily except Sundays, using Fokker 100/70 jet aircraft. For bookings and further information, please call our Toll-Free number 1803444 or visit your nearest Air Niugini Sales Office or travel Agent. Air Niugini continues to observe strict COVID-19 protocols, including wearing of masks on board aircraft and within terminal buildings and use of hand sanitizer.

With the National Examinations currently underway in various schools throughout the country, students in Morobe Province are being called on to ensure they are not involved in any bad behaviour after their exams. Morobe Provincial Police Commander Superintendent Jacob Singura made this appeal to the Grade 12s who are currently sitting for their exams as well as the Grade 8s who will sit for their exams next week. He said having after-exam celebrations is not a bad thing, however it must be done in the family setting and in a safe environment. “Our advice is when you finish your exams, go back home safely and be with your parents,” Mr Singura said. “If you want to celebrate the completion of your exams, please do it at home with your family.” Meanwhile Grade 10 students throughout Morobe Province were commended for their after-exam behaviour following the end of their national examinations last week. Supt Singura said police have received no reports of any disturbances or incidents caused by students and gave credit to them for that. He also commended the parents and the respective schools’ administrations for ensuring that their message is being relayed down to the students. “I commend everyone involved, particularly the parents and the teachers and also our young students who are sitting for their exams and those that have completed theirs already.

Athletics PNG’s priority at the moment is ensuring that athletes can continue training for the PNG Air Grand Prix and National Championships, as these events will form an important part of the process for selecting teams for the Pacific Mini Games next year. Those who normally use PNG Sports Foundation facilities which are closed at present are being encouraged to think outside the box and look for alternatives. We saw last year during the first lockdown that coaches in Port Moresby were being resourceful and adapting to the situation. Coach Allan Akia in Lae is taking his athletes to work out on the road to Mount Lunaman several times a week and a large group of athletes went to Labu recently to do some training there on the beach. We are liaising closely with Pandemic Sports Committee through Dr Kapua Kapua for approval to continue training in small groups and have written letters to the Deputy Controller and to the CEO PNG Sports Foundation. The Sir John Guise Stadium is currently locked down for sanitisation but we are seeking permission for National Squad athletes to be allowed to use the track. We hope to gain approval for athletes to train in small groups (following strict covid-19 protocols) at Sir John Guise Stadium and it is after all a big open space. We have also issued a statement recently encouraging all our athletes and officials to get vaccinated in preparation for travel to competitions. Clearly the current situation will have an impact on the Southern Region Championships which was planned for November 6 and 7. No final decision has been made yet and we are waiting to see what happens in the next week or so. As far as the NGI Championships go we haven’t had any report of any lockdowns or measures in ENB that will have an impact on this event. For the PNG Air Grand Prix in Kimbe we remain hopeful that this programme can go ahead as it does not involve a large gathering of people. Its just a few events and a small number of athletes and officials and we are seeking a meeting with the authorities in Kimbe on this matter. Given the importance of the National Championship for selection purposes, every effort will be made to stage the event. If covid restrictions mean that we have to limit the number of participants and focus on the Open Division then that’s what we will do. Again, we are liaising with the Provincial Authorities in Kimbe to obtain approval to safely stage a successful Championships. With respect to the many questions about alternatives if the measure prolong, we believe that we have to adapt to the current situation and do not believe that suspending all activity is a necessary or a viable option. There has been widespread acceptance that Covid is a fact of life now,and that life must go , but the adoption of Niupela pasin. We have to learn to live with covid and we sincerely hope that the relevant authorities will allow us to continue our preparations for the Pacific Games and Commonwealth Games.

Since 2012, the Port Moresby Nature Park has been supporting over 30 local artisans who supply to its gift shop, a unique variety of local art & craft items that it sells conveniently to its guests. Despite the set-backs experienced by business houses through Covid-19 flight and freight restrictions, the gift shop has been consistently stocking up its many gift items, promoting PNG’s culture through its various displays thanks to its network of local artisans. One such artisan who benefits through this community network is Mr Max Tuhi. Max hails from Morobe and resides in Port Moresby. He has been providing unique hand-painted side bags of which he supplies to the gift shop to sell at between K15 – K20 each. Max says he is happy to provide this service to Port Moresby Nature Park as it enables him to market his products to more people while at the same time, sustain his family daily. There are some very unique items for sale at the Nature’s Gift. One such item is the traditionally crafted mosquito coil holder which is supplied by another craftsman named Frank Eafeare. This new product has quickly become a favourite, not only for its favourable price but mostly because of its quality of being both environmentally friendly and fire-proof. Port Moresby Nature Park’s Guest Relations Manager, Ms. Grace Giaruva said she is always happy to see local craft dealers earn themselves some money to sustain their families through this difficult time through their sale here at the gift shop. “It is a win-win situation for both Nature Park and the local artisans. We are grateful for this community that we have created where we all support each other in driving business growth both individually and as an organisation”, stated Ms Giaruva. The Nature’s Gift shop sells a wide range of gifts and souvenirs for all ages with crafts from all regions of Papua New Guinea. Visiting the Nature’s gift shop and making a purchase ensures the support of local artisans as well as helping the Port Moresby Nature Park maintain its 30 acre gardens and welfare of more than 350 resident native animals. Port Moresby Nature Park’s mission is to promote the protection of PNG’s unique natural environment and cultural diversity. By visiting the park, you help support their education, research and conservation efforts.

ALL major hospitals in the country are barely coping as they respond to the rising number of COVID-19 cases. These includes the Mt Hagen General Hospital, Angau General Hospital, Goroka General Hospital and Port Moresby General Hospital. “We’re at the moment barely managing with the existing load. There are surges occurring in all the major centres,’’ said Dr Gary Nou, Team lead for Emergency Medical Team at the National Control Centre and NCC clinical lead Dr Scotty Kandelyo, who is also the country’s Deputy Chief Emergency for the Highlands and Momase regions. In NCD, the COVID-19 isolation facilities at Gerehu General Hospital and Taurama Acquatic Centre are also full. “Patients are lying everywhere. The situation is dire,’’ said the two doctors. They said there are so many patients, not just those seeking help for COVID-19 but also other illnesses and the situation with COVID-19 is overwhelming for the health workers. The NCC EMT is currently working on bringing into the country medical teams to help the already exhausted health workers in different parts of the country. On Saturday, five members of the Australian Medical Assistance Teams (AusMat) arrived in Port Moresby to do the groundwork for the engagement of their members. AusMat meets the entire cost of their engagement with no financial help coming from the Government of PNG. Dr Nou said the other team, UK Medical Team, is also sending a team and are currently working on their visas. “These are clinical teams comprising of senior specialists, nurses and all cadres of health workers that are needed in the response. They are needed everywhere in the country. Our own health workers are overwhelmed. They are burned out,’’ said Dr Nou. In this third wave of COVID-19 many health workers have died, further putting a strain on the existing manpower as well as the weak health system. Meanwhile, Deputy Controller of the National Pandemic Response Dr Daoni Esorom has reiterated his call to everyone in the country to listen and follow the Niupela Pasin, including wearing facemasks in public spaces; avoiding of crowds; washing of hands regularly with soap or sanitizing if there is no water; and physical distancing by 1.5 to 2 metres in public venues, including shops, markets and bus-stops. “I cannot but continue to say this that unless we all cooperate, the virus will continue to spread in our communities. We’ve lost so many people and we cannot continue like this. Please listen and follow instructions.’’ Dr Daoni has also expressed concern that as the holiday season is approaching and people go to their home villages, they may take the virus with them so he urges everyone to do whatever they can to ensure the virus does not spread to the rural areas. “If it does, we will not be able to help many people because many villages are not accessible by road transport in order for people to go quickly to the health facilities to seek help when they are sick with COVID-19. Let us all be responsible and do what we are being told to do: Follow the Niupela Pasin. Together we will beat this pandemic.’’

123 COVID-19 deaths have been recorded so far in the Eastern Highlands Province within the months of September and October this year. The figure given by the COVID 19 care centre in Goroka stands as of yesterday (Monday, October 18, 2021.) Meanwhile, Eastern Highlands Provincial Health Authority CEO Dr Joseph Apa said the two containers used by the hospital to keep the pile of bodies of people dying from COVID-19 is full to its capacity and they are currently looking at options to accommodate for that. “The main hospital morgue is not going to be used to keep those bodies, we will try to get an additional container to cater for that,” Dr Apa said. “The bodies we’re receiving do not only come from those that pass away in the hospital but from the communities as well and that’s where we have the issue with storage capacity.” He added that the bodies come from all the eight districts of the province. Picture courtesy: EHPHA Media Unit

Prime Minister James Marape has acknowledged the contributions of Middle Fly MP, the Late Roy Biyama, to Papua New Guinea. He said this in a brief address at the Fly River Provincial Assembly in Daru on Monday when delivering the body of late Biyama to Daru. Biyama, aged 54, a four-term Middle Fly MP since 2002 and a member of PM Marape’s ruling Pangu Pati, passed away on September 12. He was farewelled in Parliament last week with glowing tributes from MPs. PM Marape apologised to the people of Middle Fly, and Western, that he could not deliver the body home to Balimo. “On behalf of the people of Papua New Guinea, we would like to pay respect to him (Biyama) for the services rendered to our country,” he said. “He was a gentle guy who talked less, but worked hard for the country, worked hard for his people, worked hard for his family. “He worked hard all the way to his passing.” PM Marape said he had asked Biyama to rest from his work, after he had fallen ill, but the Middle Fly MP continued to work until his passing. He said a classic example of this was the recent Porgera landowners’ meeting in Wabag, where Biyama accompanied the Western Governor and South Fly MP to express concern about tailings being dumped into the Lake Murray, Strickland River and Fly River systems. “This is testament of a leader who worked all the way, and sacrificed himself, for the betterment of his people and his country,” PM Marape said. “I came here, representing the greater people of our country, to pay respect to this giant of a man, humble as he was, whose heart was in the right place, serving his people until his passing. “We may not adequately fill in the vacuum at his home, his tribe, his district and his province, and his network of friends throughout the country.” PM Marape passed on the condolences of the ruling Pangu Pati, and on behalf of himself and his family, to Biyama’s family, friends, people of Middle Fly and Western. “May his memory live on,” he said. “May God bless his soul, his family, his people. “Rest in peace, brother.” Picture courtesy: Parliamentary Media Services

Jungle Online Marketplace is changing the retail landscape in PNG from having to physically visit multiple shops to a virtual marketplace that sells products from a variety of retailers and brands. Established in 2021 and trading as Jungle Online Marketplace brings sellers and buyers together. Demetri Allayialis, Chris O’Brien, Tom Bill and Michael Allayialis, Co-Founders of the business, created Jungle to give everyone in PNG access to the same products that would normally only be available in major cities. “Our vision at Jungle is to enable the widespread distribution of products to business and the public of PNG at cost-effective prices. With our optimised site, Jungle offers customers 24 hours, seven days a week, convenient method to order products for your business or for you personally from the safety of your establishment or home. Especially in these COVID times when it is harder for businesses to operate and customers to physically visit stores. In the future, we hope to be able to provide a huge range of in-demand products to the remotest places in this ‘land of the unexpected”, Demetri Allayialis – Co Founder of Jungle Online Marketplace. Jungle lists products from a growing range of retailers from popular local SMEs (especially women entrepreneurs) to large corporate brands such as Brian Bell Home Centre, RH Trading and Agmark Gurias. Instead of or as well as setting up their own online stores, retailers can utilize Jungles simple and effective online platform to advertise and sell their products. Customers can simply go to www.jungle.com.pg using a computer or mobile phone, shop and pay online and get purchases delivered or alternatively pick up from store. At present, Jungle can deliver to 22 towns and villages in PNG. Many customers are now looking at more accessible and quicker shopping alternatives, with easy payment options. Online payments are becoming a necessity for businesses who can provide pick-up and delivery services to customers. With BSP Pay on Jungle Online Marketplace, anyone with a BSP account can purchase items on Jungle. To find out how to register for BSP Pay please visit the BSP website www.bsp.com.pg. BSP Digital General Manager Nuni Kulu said, “The Payment Landscape continues to evolve at a growing pace with consumer needs and, or demands pushing for advanced convenience and cheaper options to purchase goods and services, household items, and utility payments. BSP understands that Digital adoption will encounter geographical dependencies considering the service availability and reach, specifically within rural PNG." "This financial gap provides opportunity to resolve payment constraints and connect buyers and sellers via digital commerce. Jungle online will avail online shopping to 1.4 million customers nationwide and will play a critical role in aiding digital adoption and influence consumer payment behavior in the 22 towns and villages where we expect to see an increased transition from traditional payments on to an alternate online payment service”. Online payments are a fast, convenient and secure for customers and improves business cash flow with real-time payments. Businesses interested in setting up an online payments page on their website or app can email BSP via servicebsp@bsp.com.pg or call 3201212/70301212.

Port Moresby General Hospital has suspended all clinical examinations indefinitely in the hospital with immediate effect due to the spike in COVID-19 clinical cases. PMGH's Chief Executive Officer Dr. Paki Molumi said apart from the increased number of cases the hospital is treating, the suspension of examinations will ease the unprecedented exertion of pressure on the already limited capacity the hospital can cater for. Dr. Molumi said this is also further in line with the hospitals circular earlier this month on the scale down of services at the Port Moresby General Hospital. "All undergraduate and Post Graduate Clinical Examinations are now suspended indefinitely with immediate effect," said Dr. Molumi. He said it is therefore important that all available resources, in particular clinicians, nurses and support staff be deployed in efforts to combat and mitigate the effects of COVID-19 in the hospital. "I urge full cooperation from everyone and for all to adhere to this instruction as we navigate through this extremely difficult situation."