BSP Management confirmed that on Saturday 12th December 2020, the BSP sub-branch was broken into by criminals with approximately K220,000 in cash being stolen, not K1m as had been reported in the media. As a result of the theft, the sub branch has been closed for an indefinite period until investigations are complete and cash recovered. The closure of the Sub- Branch will affect many businesses in Kerema as well as public servants and other customers who will have to travel to Port Moresby for banking while the sub branch is closed. BSP apologises to its customers who will experience difficulties in undertaking their banking due to the actions of criminals.   BSP Group General Manager Retail Daniel Faunt said, “BSP is the only bank operating in the Gulf Province and while we regret to inform the public of our sub-branch closure during this time of the year, law and order issues such as this affects service delivery and at the same time disrupts economic development of rural people. The safety of our staff, branches and properties are fundamental requirements for BSP to continue to provide banking services in any community and in some cases, where no other banks do in some areas of Papua New Guinea,” In 2008, BSP closed its Kerema Sub-Branch after it was subjected to a robbery and in June 2014, BSP returned to Kerema after 8 years to provide the much-needed banking services to the Gulf people and residents. BSP called on the  people and leaders in Kerema and the Gulf province to take ownership of their community in a law abiding way and work with the Government and Law enforcement authorities to ensure there is  safety in the communities in order for business houses to continue service delivery. Responding to these issues, BSP Group CEO Robin Fleming said, “BSP has experienced ongoing issues of criminal activities in the past which had disrupted its services to the respective areas. While banking services is an essential service aimed at increasing financial inclusion for rural people, BSP sub-branches and agencies will only continue to operate in an environment where safety of bank assets and staff are guaranteed by the community concerned.”   Earlier this week, BSPs sub branch at Hoskins was subjected to an attempted robbery, which has resulted in this branch being closed temporarily, and our staff at Bialla have also been shot at numerous times while transporting cash. In the meantime, the Kerema incident is now under police investigations and all BSP Kerema sub-branch staff are being relocated which means customers will have to travel into Port Moresby to access banking services.  BSP encourages our customers to use our Digital Banking platforms – Mobile banking and Internet Banking which are very convenient for our customers.

H.E. Grand Chief Sir Bob Bofeng Dadae, GCL, GCMG, KStJ, Governor General of Papua New Guinea, has commended Members of Parliament and Speaker of National Parliament for the stance they have taken to accept the decision of the Supreme Court which had ruled the sitting of Parliament on November 17th 2020, unconstitutional and therefore nullified, the passing of the 2021 National Budget and adjournment of Parliament until April 2021. Grand Chief Sir Bob said, the conduct of Members of Parliament from both Government and Opposition camps to humbly accept the decision of the Supreme Court to go back to Parliament on December 14th, 2020 without reluctance or complaint, is commendable and demonstrates respect and acceptance of the democratic system of government we have and the demarcation of the three arms of government. Grand Chief Sir Bob said, Speaker of Parliament also played a commendable role in accepting the decision of the Supreme Court, as head of the Legislative arm of Government. “The actions of the Speaker alone in accepting the decision of the Supreme Court demonstrates the importance of the position he holds as head of the legislature. The stance he had taken to resign from a political party in order to maintain the neutrality of the Speaker’s Chair in Parliament is admirable as it is critical to the decisions he makes on the floor of Parliament and to maintain neutrality,” Grand Chief Sir Bob said. The Governor General also praised the public, in particular residents of the nation’s capital for not taking matters into their own hands and for respecting the Supreme Court’s decision on the matter. “”Whatever happens on the floor of Parliament, as law abiding citizens, we must not take the law into our own hands. If there’s a matter for the Courts to interpret, let the Law deal with it. The residents of our nation’s capital are to be commended for maintaining peace throughout this period. This demonstrates respect for the law and I urge us all to continue the same conduct,” Grand Chief Sir Bob said. The Governor General has also confirmed that he is well and healthy despite rumours to the contrary, and has decided not to take his annual leave this year and will remain in Port Moresby until such time the current political situation is settled.

Ok Tedi Mining Ltd (OTML) Chairman Sir Moi Avei KBE today announced that the OTML Board has declared a final dividend for 2020 of PGK400 million. This follows payment of an interim dividend of PGK150 million in September this year. Sir Moi said that despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a six week suspension of operations, “OTML has had a strong and profitable year and this has enabled the Company to complete thePGK800 million self-funded investment in the Crusher Replacement Project, distribute PGK550 million to our shareholders, and retain a strong and debt free balance sheet”. He added “I’m grateful to the management and staff of OTML, as well our business and community partners for their efforts and resilience during a particularly difficult period”. OTML is 67% owned by the State with three Western Province entities representing the Fly River Provincial Government, the Mine Area Villages and the Impacted Communities who collectively own 33% of the Company. OTML Managing Director and CEO Musje Werror said “I am proud of the way OTML had responded to the challenges we have faced this year”. The Company suspended operations in August and September 2020 in response to reported cases of COVID19 on site. This was in addition to two periods of lockdown. He noted that “a number of major changes to the business were necessary to resume operations without compromising the health and safety of our employees, business and community partners” and that “this year’s performance wouldnot have been possible if it wasn’t for their collective effort and support”. Musje added that OTML was pleased to make a contribution to the broader PNG economy in 2020 generating more than $1B of foreign currency earnings, directly injecting more than $550M into the local currency market and supporting hotels and the airline industry when business travel was at its lowest.

Three Generations of the Anana women from Pire Village in Kavieng, New Ireland Province are emerging new designers thanks to the PNG Fashion and Design Week’s 2020 Fashion Festival Workshop. It all started with Lyniata Anana from the now renowned Dahana Haus Designs. In 2016, Lyniata started sewing meri blouses to support her young family. She sewed Meri Blouses, Laplaps and T-shirts. Soon there was a demand for her products but she didn’t really know how to market her products or come up with other styles of garments and designs. At that time, it was just a means to support her family, it wasn’t until 2019, when she saw online the 2019 Fashion Festival Workshop for Kokopo. Lyniata applied online and was accepted. “I took a boat from Namatanai to Kokopo to attend the workshop and it opened doors for me to a whole new world, I never knew that there were platforms out there, market out there, where I could actually design and sew various types of garments with my own textile designs on it.” “I had the ideas, but it was like, I just needed someone to help me find a way to bring those ideas to life,” she said. Lyniata’s mother Janet Anana and her 12-year-old daughter Leilahnie are two of 54 participants now attending the 2020 Fashion Festival Workshop in Kavieng, New Ireland Province. 12-year-old Leilahnie has always loved fashion, she started drawing various styled dresses since she was four years old and always helped her mum with her sewing business and now the Dahana Haus Designs. “I’ve always loved drawing dresses and watching my mum sew, I help out where I can and hope to one day become like her.” “I want to learn as much as I can from this workshop so that I can assist her with her Dahana Designs but one day when I’m old enough I would like to start my own design and fashion brand,” she said. Lyniata’s mum, Janet says that they decided to sign up for the workshop because she wanted to know and to understand what her daughter was doing. “In 2019, Lenita after hearing that the workshop would be held in Kokopo, took a boat to Kokopo from Namatanai just to attend the workshop.” “Today, she has her own brand- Dahana Haus Bilas, as her mother, I want to be able to help her and support her.” “My grand-daughter Leilahnie, who is 12 years old, we both decided to sign up so that I could help my daughter and she could help her mother.” “And we are so grateful to be a part of this workshop, I want to acknowledge and thank Mrs Janet Sios and the PNG Fashion and Design Week, the Provincial Government and the Australian Government for supporting this project through the PNG-Australia Partnership Program,” she said. The three Anana Women also thanked Trainer Anna Amos from AA Tribal for making the time and having the heart to impart and share her knowledge and skills with Papua New Guineans nationwide. Amos who has just completed her nine days training of garment coloration, pattern cutting, textile designs and garments constructions says that she is more than honored to see three generations of women benefiting from the PNG-Australia Partnership Program. “This is the dream, this is why I do this, and I am just so happy to see that these three women, Janet Anana her daughter Lyniata and grand-daughter Leilahnie been a part of the 2020 PNG Fashion Festival Workshop.” “It’s all about making a difference and imparting skills and knowledge that will help others to sustain themselves,” she said.

NCD Governor Powes Parkop launched the “By Her, for Her Supported by Him” Art project at Ela Beach on Sunday. As part of the 16-days of Activism to end violence against women in PNG and in commemorating the Human Rights Day, NCDC, Amazing Port Moresby in partnership with UNFPA was honored to have launched the new Art Project by women only artists in PNG. "We celebrate Human Rights Day, held each year on the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This year, a year fraught with so much difficulty including a devastating pandemic, we must promise to our families and communities that we will do better. "Let us embrace human rights, each of us, and not just in our laws and declarations, but in committing ourselves to uphold them in practice in our daily interaction with those around us," said Governor Parkop. The United Nations Secretary-General has issued “A Call to Action for Human Rights” reaffirming “that a culture of human rights must permeate everything we do”. For them at the UNFPA, that means preventing and eliminating discrimination in all our work processes, providing quality services that meet international human rights standards, and holding ourselves accountable at all times. Mr Parkop said that for us as individuals, it means standing up for ourselves and others because that is what defending human rights means. And when we cannot do it alone, we must do it together, and call on the people and institutions obligated to advocate for, defend and promote human rights. Supported through the European Union – United Nations Spotlight. This Art Project is an initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls in PNG. The project called for action on Human Rights is commemorated every year on 10th December.

Aitape Lumi MP Patrick Pruaitch is the appointed alternate Prime Minister for the Opposition camp. Aitape Lumi MP and Oppositions alternate PM Patrick Pruaitch This was announced in a media gathering soon after the adjournment of parliament sitting on Monday as the opposition filed for a motion of no confidence against PM James Marape to the Speaker. Alotau MP Charles Abel said he was disappointed at the turn of events in parliament as it reconvened, describing it as "frustrating the process". " We are doing our utmost best to follow all legal requirements" "Unfortunately, it would seem that we are being deliberately frustrated in this process " Abel said the government didn't have the numbers and used what transpired on the floor to escape from being held accountable. "We gave the government an opportunity to show its numbers" "All they could do is shout and yell and avoid the issue" He said the Speaker also was talking about some irrelevant legal issues. "Even after the Supreme Court made a unanimous ruling making it quite clear to the speaker that he is obliged to allow parliament to sit, it appeared today again, another attempt to frustrate the process" Abel said the PM keeps telling them to show their numbers and when they attempted to do so, the process had to be frustrated again. "Why is that? It is simply because the government does not have the numbers" "It is a minority government" "It has lost the mandate in parliament" "Therefore we call on the PM to resign" The Opposition claim to have 55 MPs on their side and they are challenging the government to show their numbers on the floor of parliament. Opposition MP's at a media gathering this week

The supreme court-ordered parliament sitting reconvened today in accordance to orders by the high court, but was short-lived due to another adjournment. The Parliament turned into a yelling and screaming quorum from MP's on both sides of the house this morning when Speaker Job Pomat sought to seek legal clarity regarding an insolvency court case against  Kerowagi MP Bari Palma. It is understood a document from the National Court was served to the Speaker this morning regarding the insolvency case against Bari Palma. The court document clearly stated that Mr Palma is no longer insolvent, and is qualified to attend the sittings, however the speaker forced an adjournment to seek clarity from the judiciary on the status of Mr Palma as an MP. "It is my intention to refer this matter to the appropriate authority for adjudication" "I cannot be seen to be  observing the power of the judiciary to make a literal decision on the status of the Honourable member for Kerowagi" He adjourned parliament to the Wednesday 16th December to use the two days to get some clarity from the National Court.

Wild weather is battering a 1,000km (621 miles) stretch of Australia's east coast, bringing torrential rain and "abnormally high" tides to cities including Brisbane and the Gold Coast. More than 2,000 homes in the cities were out of power on Monday after strong winds tampered with power lines. Tides up to 8m (26 feet) high were recorded, eroding the shoreline in some areas. Emergency services said they had had over 700 calls for help since Sunday. About half a dozen people stranded in floodwaters had been rescued, they added. Meteorologists have warned that this Australian summer will see the impacts of a La Niña weather pattern, which typically brings more rainfall and tropical cyclones. The current wild weather has hit popular holiday spots such as the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast in Queensland, and Byron Bay in New South Wales (NSW). Many beaches were closed on Monday amid the dangerous conditions. The border between the two states recently re-opened following pandemic-related closures, and authorities have warned people travelling for end-of-year holidays to exercise caution.

The founder and CEO of FRIEND Fiji Sashi Kiran says the situation in the Western Division has continued to deteriorate with some families now surviving on one meal a day while some families have nothing to eat. She says the worst effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and unemployment have emerged over the last two months, and they have seen the need for food in Nadi go through the roof. Kiran adds in the last couple of weeks they have also noticed that people cannot come to their centre in Navakai to collect food because they don't even have bus fare. Kiran is urging the nation to look at the food needs of the 150,000 people and their families who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19. She also says that some houses in the Western Division are now catering for as much as 18 people because those who cannot afford to pay rent are moving in with those who own homes. Kiran says some people who have left for urban areas have returned to find out that their land is being utilized by others which is causing a lot of conflict. If you want to assist FRIEND Fiji, you can contact them on 8983183 or friend@connect.com.fj. You can also visit our Hands Across Fiji page on fijivillage to get the details. Source: fijivillage

Tonga and Fiji are in store for some rough weather this week with the first cyclone of the season gathering strength and a second set to emerge later tonight. Cyclone Yasa is currently a Category One storm with at least 65 kilometre an hour winds but was expected to strengthen to a Category Four system with more than 160 kilometre winds by Wednesday. Sakeasi Waibuta from Fiji's Met Service said the storm was gathering intensity in the waters between Fiji and Vanuatu. He said it bore a remarkable resemblance to April's deadly Cyclone Harold. "It will make a loop in the next, today and tomorrow, it will make a clockwise loop before it heads southeast towards Fiji. The current track that it is showing it will track similar to Harold." Waibuta said there were high pressure systems to the south that were hindering the storm's movement causing it to build intensity over the open water. Cyclone Harold devastated parts of Vanuatu and Fiji intensifying to a Category Five storm at its height. Waibuta said another cyclone was forecast to emerge tonight which could impact the Tongan islands of Vava'u while at category one strength. "There is a high probability within the next 24 hours, [that a second cyclone would form]." The new storm would be named Cyclone Zazu. Source: RNZ news

Melbourne have been rewarded for their premiership-winning season with six players named in the Gallagher Kangaroos Merit Team. NRL CEO Andrew Abdo and national selector Laurie Daley named the squad at Rugby League Central on Monday and also announced broker Gallagher as the new naming rights partner of the Australian Kangaroos.  Australian skipper Boyd Cordner retained the captaincy role in the Merit Team for his efforts in a season full of obstacles at club and state level. Along with Test regulars Josh Addo-Carr, Cameron Munster and Felise Kaufusi, their Storm teammates Christian Welch, Tino Fa'asumaleaui - who will play for Gold Coast next year - and Ryan Papenhuyzen were recognised with selection. Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary unseated Test incumbent Daly Cherr-Evans for the No.7 jersey in the merit team while Rabbitohs star Cameron Murray got the jump on Manly's Jake Trbojevic for the lock's role. Roosters winger Daniel Tupou, who has not represented Australia since his lone Test in 2014, was another player who came from the clouds to get a spot in the squad after a superb season for his club and NSW. Cleary, Welsh, Papenhuyzen, Crichton and Fa'asumaleaui are the five players chosen in the merit team yet to represent Australia in the Test arena. They will be strong contenders to make the squad for next year's World Cup in the UK. Source: NRL.com

Security has been heightened with heavy police presence at entry points into the parliament house precinct this morning as the house prepares to convene at 10am today. The Supreme Court ordered that parliament be recalled in its decision last week. Meanwhile the government has filed an application to stay the high courts decision to recall sitting. Listen in to the news on our stations Legend FM, Nau FM, Yumi FM or follow our website pnghausbung.com for more on this story.