The National Government is expected to sign the Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) Share Transfer Deed this morning at the Government House in Port Moresby city to pave the way for the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) to own much of the Share of the Panguna Mine. The transfer of the shares – worth over K140.3 million at current market value – to the ABG will now change the control of BCL, with ABG and the people of Bougainville assuming ownership of 72.9 percent of BCL’s issued capital, in two separate tranches of 19.06 and 17.39 percentages share respectively. Prime Minister Marape said: “I am pleased to see us making progress in this matter. It is our expressed commitment to transfer the entirety of the 36.45 percent (%) shareholding to the government of Bougainville so the landowners of Panguna and the people of Bougainville can benefit better in the mine.” “The people of Bougainville deserve our respect for hosting Panguna Mine which fully supported our economy for 13 years after Independence, from 1975 to 1987, well before any of our national resources became available. “The transfer of the shareholding also complements this Pangu-led Government’s policies for Bougainville to be economically independent by raising its revenues internally to complement National Government grants as we prepare Bougainville’s future. “On the 50th anniversary of Independence, this is a good gift to the people of Bougainville. “I commend the ABG leadership of President Ishmael Toroama who also pushed for this to happen. This is a mutually reached decision on both sides that reflects on the work our two governments are undertaking for Bougainville,” Prime Minister Marape said. The transfer of the BCL shares to Bougainville also follows the decision of the National Executive Council for the people of Bougainville to own the shares currently owned by the State. The decision also meets the Joint Supervisory Body’s direction in its meeting on the 12th of March 2020 for the State’s 36.45 percent (%) shareholding in BCL to be transferred to the ABG. Meanwhile, BCL is a publicly listed company on the Australian Stock Exchange and its share price is currently trading at $0.39 (thirty-nine cents) per share. The current market value of the shares being transferred to the people of Bougainville through their Autonomous Government is worth Au$54,742,705 which, when converted to PNG currency, is worth K140,365,511.

Consumers nationwide can expect to see authorities responsible for the assessing and monitoring of prices of goods on their toes doing their duty, following the June 1st imposition of the zero- rated Goods and Services Tax (GST) policy on thirteen essential items by the National Government. This is because the Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) and the Independent Consumer and Competitions Commission (ICCC) are now working together on monitoring and enforcing it after the two state entities recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on ‘Information Sharing’. According to the IRC Commissioner General Mr. Sam Koim, from the tax perspective, the retail sector has been challenging to administer and manage resulting in the IRC’s inability to correctly audit, assess and penalize non-compliant taxpayers. This has resulted in a reduction and loss in the overall tax revenue, a drop-in tax compliance, a non-disclosure of revenue specifically and directly affecting GST with added costs passed on to the ultimate consumers. But now, with the inclusion of the ICCC and Customs, a more collaborative approach will be employed to hold non-compliant taxpayers accountable with punitive administrative penalties and prosecutions. “The GST zero rated measure will be applied at 0% on the 13 essential items, where no GST will be added either at the point of import or sale. As such, retailers are cautioned of any behavior that may result in price manipulation for an unfair gain,” he stated. Whilst this measure may seem little, Mr. Koim said it should be appreciated as it opens the fiscal space for future reliefs. “Strict compliance of this measure will be required by all registered suppliers, retailers and traders during the implementation phase.” The ICCC on the other hand welcomed this collaboration for the reasons that the MOU shall assist the ICCC to be cognizant of the tax compliant status of entities they regulate to encourage price control and competition. This shall assist in applying the correct penalties as well as prevent any future non-compliance behavior. Mr. Koim further stated that the strict monitoring and enforcement will commence immediately, and retailers found in breach of the changes in law will be severely dealt with through the imposition of the following measures. 1. Administrative penalties for non-compliance; and 2. Recovery of amounts wrongly collected; and 3. Suspension and cancellation of GST registration; and 4. Prosecution under section 95 (1) (f) (i) (ii) (iii) (4) (a) (b)of the Goods and Services Tax Act 2003. Meanwhile, this MOU paves the way for the two State agencies to share vital information to enforce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Zero- Rated Basket of Goods Initiative that came into force on 01 June 2025. This is the first set of tax reliefs the IRC will implement to reflect the government’s efforts to provide some form of relief for taxpayers. The Commissioner General, Mr. Koim strongly emphasized the need for complete compliance to see the success of this measure and for a possible extension after the legislated 12-month period.

The launched of the Finance Department’s three new online systems, not only marks a milestone achievement, but it also focuses on addressing certain issues faced by the department and one of those issues is the leakage of confidential and sensitive information out to the public. Speaking at the launching of these new financial online system on Friday 20th June in Port Moresby city was the Department’s Deputy Secretary Operations, Mr. Stephen Nukuitu, who said the introduction of the Document Management System (DMS) aims to prevent document leaks. “With the DMS, we will strengthen accountability and streamline document workflow.” “In the past, in the traditional process, we witnessed a lot of documents have gone out to the public. So, our reputation and confidentiality of the documents were always compromised by these unethical officers who have divulged very confidential government information.” “So, through this DMS, we hope to control the document flows,” said Mr. Nukuitu. The DMS enhances a paperless process that is secure and efficient. Its key features are a centralized repository for financial reports, policies and official records, advance research and retrieval for quick access to critical documents and some of those include access control ensuring data security and confidential and audit trails to track history and modification.

The Governor General of Papua New Guinea (PNG) His Excellency (H.E.) Sir Bob Dadae along with the British High Commissioner, H.E. Anne Marco, presented the King’s portraits to various government departments recently. The presentation event, although small, was significant as it marks the significant role and relationship the 15 democratic nations in the Commonwealth realm have with the Crown. The British High Commissioner said the presentation of the portrait of King Charles III is part of the King’s Birthday cerebrations and it is especially more significant given that the King’s connection to PNG goes back when he was just a schoolboy. “His majesty’s connection to and interest in Papua New Guinea are well known, having travelled to PNG as a student and he has been here on several occasions since.” “His long-standing connection to youth engagement and protecting the environment resonates deeply here in Papua New Guinea,” said High Commissioner Marco. Governor General Bob Dadae highlighting the significance of the King’s portrait, said it has always been a tradition for centuries that portraits of Kings and Queens hung on the walls of government institutions especially in countries loyal to the Crown. “Today, the King’s portrait signifies the King as the Head of State and long relationship that the King has with certain organizations that display the Crown, such as the Defense Force, National Parliament, the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNG), Correctional Service (CS) St John Ambulance to name a few.” “At the real of the Commonwealth nation’s, we are remaindered of our unique place in this arrangement of democratic system of government we enjoy as well. Importantly, may it remind us of the importance of our service in our community,” said the Governor General. Meanwhile, in closing the event, the King’s portraits were presented to the RPNG, Correctional Services, the office of the Clerk of Parliament, the National St John Ambulance Service, Department of Foreign Affairs, NCD Governor Powes Parkop, the Deputy Prime Minister’s office and the office of the Minister for Internal Security. The presentation took place outside the Government House in Port Moresby city on Friday 20th June 2025.

The Department of Finance just recently launched its three new digital systems that will further enhance its service to the people of Papua New Guinea (PNG) as the country marks is 50th Independence Anniversary. The new systems are the official Finance Department Website along with the online Blended Learning System and the Document Management System (DMS). The official website houses these two systems. The DMS enhances a paperless process that is secure and efficient. Its key features are a centralized repository for financial reports, policies and official records, advance research and retrieval for quick access to critical documents, and some of those include access control ensuring data security and confidential, and audit trails to track history and modification. The online Blended Learning System enhances learning capacity and ensures continuous professional development across public services. It provides online training and certification of all department of finance staff, interactive courses on public finance management, compliance and public sector reforms, self-pace leaning with progress tracking and automated assessment and grading and secure access for authorize personnel. Speaking at the launching of the digital systems at the APEC Haus in Port Moresby city of Friday 20th June, the Department of Finance Deputy Secretary Operations, Mr. Stephen Nukuitu said the launching is a milestone achievement for the department’s journey towards digital transformation and improved service delivery. “These tools are not just systems, they represent the cultural shift in how we work, learn and serve. With the new website, we will improve how we communicate with the public stakeholders and shareholders,” he said. He also said the theme of the official launching of the three systems, “Digitalize, Learn, Transform: Advancing Finance for Tomorrow”, capture their shared vision. “It is a call to embrace innovation, build capacity and future systems in service of stronger, smarter government,” said Mr. Nukuitu. The Deputy Secretary Support Services, Margaret Tenakanai said the launch is part of a journey towards a digitally enabled public service in aligning with PNG E- Government policy and broader digital agenda that was part of the greater agenda and derived from the department of Finance Corporate Plan 2023 to 2027, which was recently launched this year. She said these developments are in full alignment with the National Government Medium Term Development Plan IV (MTDP 4) 2023 to 2027 that has institutional effectiveness and service delivery which emphasize digital transformation as a critical enabler of government efficiency. Moreover, she said these digital initiatives are underpinned by key legislative frameworks including the digital government act 2022, which provides framework for digitalizing government services and information. The national ICT policy which outlines strategies for e- government and digital inclusion and of course, the Public Finance Management act 2016 which promotes efficient use of public resources and timely reporting. “As we move forward, we committing that these systems are secure, accessible and continuously improved to meet the evolving needs of our people,” said Tenakanai, adding that the launch is a reflection of the department to modernize and innovate. “These systems are the foundations of a broader digital transformation agenda that will not only improve the way we work, but also the way we serve, advancing governance through technology." "The government of PNG recognizes that to deliver better services, we must modernize how we work, how we communicate and how we engage with our citizens and stakeholders.” Deputy Secretary Operations Mr. Nukuitu thanked the department’s inhouse team involved the development of the new online systems. “Your efforts today will shape a better tomorrow for finance and nation,” he said. Meanwhile, the official launching of the three new online systems was done with a push of a button by the new Finance Minister, Thomas Opa, who was there to witness the significant event.

It is time to get to work to grow the economy of Papua New Guinea to a K200 billion economy through initiatives like the Special Economic Zone (SEZ). That was the stern message from Prime Minister James Marape last night when launching the Special Economic Zone Foundation Policy 2025- 2032 at the APEC Haus in Port Moresby city. The launch of this policy will result in the current SEZ Act of 2019 being repealed and a new Act will be enacted to reflect the changes in the foundation policy. The policy defines what SEZs are and the different types of SEZs. It tells the types of industries within SEZs, and it talks about the incentives that are going to provide for investors who are located within SEZs. The new policy also talks about the various fees that will be charged by the SEZ Authority to those who are primary locators or invested within SEZs, and those who are located within the various SEZs in the country. Prime Minister Marape said the Special Economic Zone is not a new conversation. The initial ones include the Malahang Industrial Park in Lae city which was established somewhere in the 1990s. Since then, it has become clear that the SEZ is a potential approach to achieving economic independence and creating employment opportunities for Papua New Guineans. “That’s why when we took office in 2019, we were directed to the point to Take Back Papua New Guinea (PNG). To grow our economy at the very earliest to a K200 billion framework, envelope in our view that was at least a best pace to sustain a population that was growing.” PM Marape further stressed that now it’s time to get to work on the SEZs. “I want to point all of us straight to the point, let us work and not talk. We got enough stories in the region and so I don’t think we need any more conversations. We just need to get to do the work.” He said since 2019 when his government came into power, a lot of efforts were put in to enable a conducing environment to do business like improvements to ports and the Connect PNG program to link the rural areas to the main centers to enable movement for farmers to the markets. The beefing up of the SEZ is part of this effort. On that note, the PM urged cooperation from all government agencies to work together to enable further developments to support the growth of business. “Whatever you must do, you must do with haste so we grow the economy at the very earliest to a minimum K200 billion economic float that will sustain the growth of the population we have today. We need money for roads; we need money for schools. A big economy gives affordability to any government of the day to collect from to formulate the annual fiscal budget. Right now, SEZs must be seen in the context of trying our very best to grow our economy,” said the prime minister. Meanwhile, present to witness the launching include the Secretary of the Department of International Trade and Investment Jacinta Warakai- Manua, representatives of business houses, foreign missions, and Members of Parliament including Mining Minister Ranbo Paita and the Leader of the Opposition and new People’s Progress Party (PPP) Leader, Douglas Tomuriesa.

Two police officers were among three other individuals busted by police in major drug operation in Port Moresby city yesterday. According to a police statement released today, a senior police officer and a police constable were among three civilians who were arrested in a major drug bust in a hotel room. National Captial District (NCD) Metropolitain Supervenient, Warrick Simatab, confirmed that the senior police officer is Inspector Potol Husein and the junior officer is Constable Emmanuel Somon. The three civilians were Japheth Warus, Rick Posing, and Cathleen Tau. He said they were apprehended in the hotel room where they were found consuming illicit substances, appearing to be under the influence, and were in possession of drug implements. The police forensic team, who attended the crime scene, has since confirmed the illicit substance to be Methamphetamine. "I want to expressed profound gratitude to the public for their crucial tip-off that led to these significant arrests," said Mr. Simatab. "This operation is a direct result of the excellent intelligence work by my police team, and it underscores the effectiveness of the smart, intelligent, and proactive policing that the NCD police command is diligently focusing on. We appeal to the public to continue to support the police with vital information; your partnership is instrumental in combating criminal activities within our communities." Met. Supt. Simatab while addressing the severe nature of police involvement, issued a strong warning to those police officers who act as criminals in disguise in police uniform. He said if the officers choose to act like criminals, the police will treat them like other criminals. Simatab also confirmed that Inspector Husein and Constable Somon will be terminated from the police force and will face court proceedings as civilians. Their police status will be stripped off and they will be treated as civilians. He further added that Husein also has outstanding police disciplinary issues, summary and criminal allegations. "The RPNGC is unwavering in its commitment to addressing law and order challenges and is working tirelessly to win back and maintain public trust. We are actively separating the bad apples from the good," the Metropolitan Superintendent emphasized. "Incidents like this, while deeply regrettable, demonstrate our absolute resolve to clean our own ranks and hold every individual, regardless of their position, accountable under the full extent of the law." All five suspects are currently detained at Boroko cells and will be processed and appear in court soon to face charges related to the possession and consumption of Methamphetamine,” Simatab said.

Tomorrow, the National Government through the Department of International Trade and Investment is expected to launch the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Foundation Policy that defines the various SEZs, and their different investment opportunities available. This Policy will also talk about the various fees that will be charged by the SEZ Authority to those who are primary locators or invested within SEZs, and those who are located within the various SEZs in the country. But what is a Special Economic Zone and why is the National Government so focused on establishing a number of them in the country in the next decade? So, a Special Economic Zone is an area in a country that is designed to generate positive economic growth. This means generating revenue and employment through manufacturing and production of goods through downstream processing, which simply means the making goods and products using the country’s own resources and then selling them to markets in other countries. The Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru gave a clear explanation of how a SEZ functions, differentiating it from a regular business operation. “In SEZs you give a red-carpet treatment to all your investors. You give them work permits within the SEZs; you give them visa on arrival within the SEZs. You give them incentives, like you don’t pay duty on the goods coming in or they don’t pay taxes like other companies do. This is a special geographic area where you give special treatment to investors to attract them to come,” said the Minister. PNG must also step up and compete in gaining investors in the SEZs. Minister Maru said the rest of the world is competing for investments and PNG is stepping up. “We are stepping up, the Marape-Rosso Government is stepping up. To go from only one SEZ in the last five years to seven more new ones this year, is a great achievement by our government,” said Minister Maru. Meanwhile, the launching of the SEZ Foundation Policy will take place at the APEC Haus in Port Moresby city, the event commencing at around 6pm in the evening where representatives from the government, businesses and investors are expected to attend.

Health authorities in Papua New Guinea will very soon rollout the first round of vaccination to tackle the poliovirus, now that the much-needed vaccines have arrived in country. On Friday 13th June, 4.6 million lifesaving vaccine doses arrived in Port Moresby city. The arrival of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) has set the stage for the launching of the first round of emergency vaccinations to stop the spread of poliovirus. The intensive two-round campaign is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the Australian Government. The vaccine delivery comes just weeks after PNG declared a national health emergency. Circulating poliovirus was detected in environmental samples and healthy children. “This is an urgent race to protect our children and stop the virus in its tracks,” said Dr Veera Mendonca, UNICEF Papua New Guinea Representative. “The arrival of these vaccines is a vital first step. Now we need to get them to every child.” Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea H.E. Ewen McDonald said his country was pleased to provide an immediate contribution of AUD 5 million to support PNG’s response. “The arrival in Port Moresby today of a large shipment of polio vaccines is an important milestone,” he said. H.E. Mr. McDonald said Australia would continue to work with PNG to protect children, reduce the risk of future outbreaks, and support a healthier, more resilient region. Meanwhile, the vaccines will be distributed across the country in the coming weeks. Health workers will deploy by air, foot, boat, helicopter and vehicle to reach children in even the most remote villages. PNG had been polio-free for 25 years until a previous outbreak in 2018. The current outbreak was detected in April and May (2025) through environmental surveillance in Morobe Province and Port Moresby city. No cases of paralysis have been reported.

The Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru has confirmed that the official launching of the new Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Foundation Policy will take place on Sunday 15th June in Port Moresby city. The launch of this policy will result in the current SEZ Act of 2019 being repealed and a new Act will be enacted to reflect the changes in the foundation policy. “The policy will define what SEZs are and the different types of SEZs, it will tell you also the types of industries within SEZs. It will also tell you about the incentives that are going to provide for investors who are located within SEZs. Our policy will also talk about the various fees that will be charged by the SEZ Authority to those who are primary locators or invested within SEZs, and those who are located within the various SEZs in the country,” said the minister. He said since the passage of the SEZ Act in 2019, only one SEZ received license and that is the Paga Hill SEZ in Port Moresby city which is currently in the construction phase. “So, it’s a very exciting journey that we are going to start on Sunday.” Minister Maru also stressed the importance of all stockholders attending the launching on Sunday. “I’m talking provinces and districts who want to be in the SEZs. They need to come, take the policy, ask the questions they need to ask and be clear. Invitations have gone out to our leaders, department and agencies, the private sector and the provinces and I look forward to having them all come together to be part of the launch of our PNG SEZ Foundation Policy on Sunday,” said Minister Maru. Minister Maru stressed again the importance of SEZs in job creation and revenue generation, stating that he is expecting seven new ones being granted licenses this year, a boost to the country. He explained that SEZs are unique, given that they are given special treatment by the state in order to lure in investments for development, hence, the new SEZ Policy will play a big part in the development of SEZs in Papua New Guinea.

The country’s consumer watchdog- the Independent Consumer and Competitions Commission (ICCC)- is warning retailers and wholesalers nationwide to comply with the government imposed Zero- rated Goods and Services Tax (GST) relief policy. The ICCC Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Paulus Ain explained that this initiative is expected to deliver nearly K800 million in GST savings for all the households nationwide and the ICCC will work with relevant authorities to enforce this. “The ICCC will assist the IRC (Internal Revenue Commission) and PNG Customs in ensuring that the intended relief reaches consumers, and that prices are fairly adjusted in line with tax changes,” said Mr. Ain. “The compliance and enforcement will be led by the IRC as the lead agency, and will be conducted in close partnership with the ICCC and Customs.” The Commission is committed to working alongside the IRC and PNG Customs to monitor market behavior and ensure businesses are passing on the GST savings to consumers, as required by law. “As a regulator, the ICCC endeavors to complement the efforts of our partner agencies while ensuring that customer protection remains at the forefront,” Mr. Ain said. Meanwhile, the tax relief policy marks an important intervention by the government to relieve cost of living pressures, and the ICCC remains committed in ensuring that the policy is complied with by the retailers and wholesalers.

It has been revealed that one of the police officers involved in the rape of a young woman in their custody at the Saraga Police Station in Port Moresby city, was supposed to be serving a prison sentence. The Police Commissioner, David Manning, revealed this in a statement released over the weekend, confirming that an immediate inquiry is underway by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Internal Affairs) to determine how this particular officer, Constable Danny Karaio, who was sentenced in 2012 to more than 14 years imprisonment, was not still in prison, obtained a police uniform and had been acting under the command of a supervising officer. “Initial facts established by the inquiry have revealed an unacceptable failure by Karaio’s commanding officers when he was convicted in 2012. Karaio’s supervising officers at the time, the Metropolitan Superintendent, and the Divisional Commander NCD, failed to ensure he was dismissed from the Force. They failed the Police Force and they failed our public,” said Commissioner Manning. Manning said what had transpired back then showed a clear and disgraceful dereliction of duty from Commissioned Officers who owed the public better when this person was arrested in 2010 and when he was convicted in 2012. “By operation of law, this individual had no place in the Police Force. By operation of Standing Orders, his supervising officers had a duty to ensure he was removed from the Force. By Common decency, any member aware of his actions should have ensured he was removed from uniform and put behind bars,” Manning said. So far, three officers involved in the rape of the woman, including Karaio, have been arrested and charged, while the fourth one is still on the run. Commissioner Manning assured the public that the fourth officer, an Auxiliary Officer, will soon be apprehended as police officers are closing in on him.