The AFL code is expecting the resumption of the usage of its sporting venues throughout the country by the weekend. The AFL PNG Senior Football Operations Manager, Mr. Rex Leka, said apart from Rugby League the Papua New Guinea Sports Foundation has not officially given permission to the various codes to commence the usage of their respective sporting venues. But that could change this week.  “I believe the National Control Centre will have information on the rest of the codes,” he said. The go ahead should be given by the Office of the Controller of the PNG COVID-19 National Pandemic Response. Therefore, he said the codes should get a confirmation of the resumption by the Sports Foundation by this week. Meanwhile the sporting codes, including the AFL code, should have their COVID-19 protocols and measures in place to be implemented at venues before resumption. “We also have our junior programs that we need to run as well, so as soon as the protocols are given, we will be able to run our senior and junior programs in the next couple of weeks.”

The return of the seven stranded Papua New Guineans in Tuvalu could be delayed by the current COVID-19 situation faced in Fiji. Fiji's main island of Viti Levu, where the capital Nadi is situated, is under threat following a surge in COVID-19 cases, which could lead to further flight restrictions. This would make transit flights difficult; therefore, the Tuvalu government has assured the group that once the situation in Fiji eases, the seven will be on the first flight out of Tuvalu back to Papua New Guinea. According to the group’s spokes person Mr. Isaac Ronnie, while they continue to remain in Tuvalu, they will be taken care of by the Tuvalu government. “We met with the Justice and Foreign Affairs Minister Mr. Simon Kofe. He advised us that during our stay in Tuvalu, the Government will support us with meal allowance until the Tuvalu Government repatriate us back home. Also the Tuvalu Government will pay all our outstanding fortnights,” said Mr. Ronnie. The seven were employees of the now liquidated Nawae Construction Ltd. Their former company was a sub- contractor to a Chinese company that was contracted by the Tuvalu government to work on a World Bank funded boat harbour project on one of the southern islands of Tuvalu. After the company (Nawae) went bankrupt mid last year and the sub-contract ceased, the seven were abandoned and had to struggle to survive whilst living on the vessels belonging to the company that they arrived on. The Tuvalu government later heard of their plight and came to their assistance.

PNG's leading alcohol producer, South Pacific Brewery is reducing the number of its workforce as COVID-19 continues to impact the company's economy and operations. The company’s Managing Director, Mr. Ed Weggemans, said since January this year SP Brewery has begun a redundancy program which will see a reduction of their employees by 20%. “This will have a ripple effect on many families in the community. We also anticipate that many other manufacturers, suppliers and customers are also downsizing their organization to cut down on costs relative to productivity.” SP Brewery has 2,682 licensed customers throughout Papua New Guinea that sell its products and restrictions in place will result in the closure of 2,228 of their outlets nation-wide. This will also result in 75% of SME customers affected. SP Brewery is equally concerned that the continued liquor restriction as part of the COVID-19 measures, is forcing consumers into illicit trade and the consumption of homebrew, while the government loses out on income as a result of the licit trade. Managing Director, Mr. Ed Weggemans said homebrew such as steam can have devastating effects on the consumer. “The production methods are extremely unsafe and the production process produces a product with an undefined alcoholic content, which in some cases causes blindness over time or acute organ failure in other cases.” Meanwhile, the illicit alcohol operators are thriving during the liquor restrictions as these present the ideal opportunity for uncontested sales.

At least some good news, the stranded seven Papua New Guineans in Tuvalu will return home soon. Apparently, the Tuvaluan Government has offered to help the men after being in the country for almost a year after their employer went bankrupt and a contract with a company on the tiny island nation, ceased. A very happy Mr. Isaac Ronnie, the group’s spokes person, said it has been a while since they weren't left there by their former employer, Nawae Construction Ltd, and it's time they head home. "The Tuvalu government will repatriate us back to PNG. They called us this morning to have a talk with them," he said. Meanwhile, it is understood that the Tuvalu government will be supporting them in the form of allowances whilst they continue to reside on the barges awaiting repatriation.

The family of one of the seven men still stranded in Tuvalu, after their employer Nawae Construction Ltd went out of business last year, wants their father back home with them. Mrs. Pricilla Ronnie, the wife of Mr. Isaac Ronnie, said the family has moved out of their rental home and are currently living with relatives who are currently supporting them in a settlement in Lae city. “We were unable to pay for the rent so we were removed from the property by the landlord. We are now living with my relatives,” she said. The family has no money since June 2020 and all their four children are not in school this year because of no school fees. Mrs. Ronnie said the eldest was supposed to do grade 9 this year, while the rest are still in primary school. The family is finding it tough financially and they need their father to be here to support them. Mrs. Ronnie is also appealing to the authorities and the government to consider the plight of her husband and the rest of the men in Tuvalu and help bring them back home to their families. The seven men were employees of the now liquidated Nawae Construction. After the company went bankrupt last year, the men were left there in Tuvalu after a contract with a company over there ceased. With no income for the past 21 fortnights, the men had to scratch a living from selling fish that they caught. Meanwhile, the company in liquidation is no longer responsible for repatriation of the group out of Tuvalu and as such they will have to find their own way to return home.

The PNG Opposition is currently seeking legal advice from its lawyers on whether the recent adjournment of Parliament is constitutional. This action by the Opposition comes as it moves to push a motion of a Vote of No Confidence (VONC) against Prime Minister James Marape. This motion of a VONC was filed this week in Parliament during Wednesday's sitting whereby the alternate PM candidate Peter O'Neill was submitted to the Speaker Job Pomat. However, the Opposition is aware that the Parliament adjourned date of August 10th 2021 will be within the 12-month period before the next general election and that a VONC during this period may not be possible. The Opposition maintains that if there are legal grounds stating that the adjourned Parliament date will affect the required 63 days for Parliament to sit in a year, then there are grounds for the Opposition to take legal proceedings and have the sittings completed. In this manner, the camp can still push for a VONC against PM Marape.

The International Organization of Migration (IOM) office in Fiji may be reaching out to give some form of assist to the seven stranded Papua New Guineans who are still in Tuvalu after their employer went bankrupt last year. According to the group’s spokesperson, Mr. Isaac Ronnie, the IOM office in Suva contacted him last Thursday and asked if all their passports are valid and the contact of the company of which he sent the information to Fiji. “Thursday, I sent expired date for our passports to Fiji migration. All our passports are valid except for Mr. Yamandi Mathias’s passport. It will expire on the 26th of May 2021.” Although he did say that the IOM office did not mention anything about giving assistance to them, he is still optimistic. “I believe this Monday (19/04/21) we’ll get good feedback. We’ll just have to wait and see." The seven were employees of the now bankrupt Nawaeb Construction and have been allegedly abandoned by the company for over a year after a contract with Nawaeb and a Chinese firm for a project that went sour. The seven have been without pay for 21 fortnights as of December 2020 up until last month. They have had to scratch a living together by fishing to sell for food, smokes, and credits to call family at home. Mr. Ronnie also claimed that the Papua New Guinea Foreign Affairs Department has not contacted them for a while now regarding their plight and organizing a way back home for them. Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs when contacted by this newsroom stated that they are in the process of verifying information and would respond once they have some information regarding the seven and their situation.

The body of the member for Kerema Open, the late Richard Mendani, lies- in- state today in the Grand Hall of the National Parliament to mark the start of the state funeral program after almost a month following his passing as a result of Covid-19 in a Port Moresby hospital. According to the Gulf Provincial Administrator, Mr. Emmanuel Xavier, the state funeral in the province will take place tomorrow at the provincial capital Kerema town, and it will be done outdoors so to avoid any spread of the coronavirus. The body of the late member will be flown out of Port Moresby city early tomorrow morning. The funeral service in Kerema town will start at 8am and ending at around midday. It will be presided over by the Bishop of the Kerema Diocese, Bishop Pedro Centeno Baquero. After the funeral service, the body will be flown inland towards the mountains to Kanabea village where he comes from. The state funeral program will end at the time when he is flown out back to his people and family. Government delegates, including some members of parliament, are expected to attend the funeral service as well in Kerema town tomorrow. Meanwhile, the issue with funding was behind the long delay to organize the state funeral of the late member soon after his passing. “The delay was due to funding issues, the government had to secure the for this service and arrangement for his body to Kerema.” According to the administrator, the current economic and the convid-19 situation, forced the national government to take time to secure funding for the service and the repatriation of the body of the late member back to his people. The late member passed away at the Pacific International Hospital (PIH) in Port Moresby on the 19th of March.

Australian Football League (AFL) fans in Port Moresby need not have to worry about disruptions to the 2021 season because the city’s AFL management is taking steps to ensure that there will still be a competition in case the covid-19 situation in the country force sporting activities to continue the suspension for an extended period. According to the Port Moresby AFL President, Mr. Douglas Lai, a plan has been put together already that would enable a short season to take place just like last year, if sporting activities are forced again to start late in the year. “We want to have a state of origin type of a format for the matches instead of the usual club footy. But I have to meet with the club executives first to get their views and the approval of the plan,” said Mr. Lai. The president added that although the Papua New Guinea Sports Foundation (PNGSF) did not give any official announcement of a further extension to the closure of sporting venues nationwide, there might be an extension considering the increasing number of covid-19 cases and deaths, so it is best to prepare if things get pushed close towards the end of the year. Meanwhile, the Sport Foundation did indicate that there could be an extension of the initially two weeks suspension to up to four or eight weeks, depending on the current covid-19 situation in the country.

The suspension of sporting activities in the country, issued by the Papua New Guinea Sports Foundation (PNGSF), is most likely to continue for more than the initial two weeks given. According to the Sport Foundation’s Committee Chairman, Dr. Kapua Kapua, the suspension will likely go on for four to eight weeks following the current trend in Covid- 19 transmission. “We are in a very precarious situation now in PNG and nothing is certain for the next few weeks. What is clear is that cases are increasing and deaths are rising.” “So we will hold off till we see a change in the trend and the health authorities and Controller give us the go ahead.” The PNGSF shut down all its sporting venues nationwide on the 22nd of March, initially for two weeks, in compliance with the National Isolation Strategy to tackle the latest Covid-19 surge around the country. Although this extension may not be acceptable news for the various sporting federations that have had their competitions halted, this extension is to help in reducing the community transmission of Covid-19.

The United Labour Party (ULP) has endorsed Joe Tonde as its candidate to contest the Moresby Northwest seat by election.  Party Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Sam Basil, said Mr. Tonde exhibits good quality of leadership in community work, especially in the church and health services.   “He has been a very active community member of Moresby Northwest by providing services in health and of course small community projects in all the ward areas in Moresby Northwest. He is a very strong candidate that has support and we seen what his done, he is a hands-on man whose done some work, so we have a big trust in him that if get elected he deliver services to the people of Moresby Northwest,” said Basil.  52-year-old Tonde, who is originally from Wabag in Enga province, is not new to the elections having contested the Moresby Northwest seat during the 2017 National Election, where he came third.  “I know ULP is one party I will work well with because I have the same ideas, policies and the same visions. I am happy to work without leader here because he has vision,” said Tondep.  Basil added that Tonde’s priorities are the health and settlement issues, water and sanitation access, settlement land issues especially title issues, and public servants housing scheme and of course empowering landowners the Motu Koitabuans   “So, once we put those policies on our posters, the party will make sure he delivers those, we will be behind him to make sure he delivers.”  Meanwhile, after being endorsed by UPL, Tonde went to the NCD Electoral Office to be nominated to contest the seat.  Meanwhile, the nominations for all intending candidates for the Moresby Northwest seat will close this afternoon at 4pm.  

A two weeks mourning period has been announced by the Prime Minister James Marape starting Friday 26th February to Friday 12th March, to pay respect to the founding father of Papua New Guinea, the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare.  The PM also says Cabinet has designated Monday the 1st of March to be a Public holiday for the nation to start remembering the late Grand Chief. The 12th of March 2021 has been designated by the Cabinet as another day of public holiday.   “Hopefully if the national organizing community led by myself and the Prime Minister’s Department and the National Events Council and if we liaise with the East Sepik provincial government and the East Sepik Provincial Assembly as well as the family, hopefully we designate 12th of Mach 2021 another public holiday and we hope that on that date we will out the grand chief to a rest he truly deserved."  “Cabinet has made approval for the dates in which Sir Michael passed on (26th February) to be a national day of remembrance for our country and that day has been designated and we will get all protocols get ticked off to ensure this day becomes significant day in our calendar.”   ‘We’ve also set up a body of leaders to be associated in these series of events that will take place. Sir Michael’s life death is no ordinary death, his greater than life personality, greater than myself and others who will come after me and so he deserves full effort by the leadership and all instrumentality of government to ensure his final moments on the surface with us is given due respect be he is finally rested.”   The PM also extended his thank you to the whole nation for respecting the passing of the late Grand Chief.  “I thank the nation so far, early this morning when he passed on, since then the nation has been in total respect." "There has been no disruption and from all indication I have received from all over the country, we come in mourning in peace and serenity in accepting the passing of the father of our nation.”