The scene at the National Parliament this morning was of organized groups gathering outside the parliament building in orderly fashion to enter the chamber to witness the day’s proceedings on the motion of a no confidence in Prime Minister James Marape. There were also no gatherings outside the main National Parliament gate and no sign of people holding up banners or signs protesting outside the parameters of parliament. Everything was quiet and calm. It was a normal day. Meantime, in the parliament chamber, the Members of Parliament (MPs) from both sides of the house entered the doors leading into the chamber at around 9:50AM, that’s ten minutes before the sitting time to start at 10AM. As the country anxiously awaits the results of today's parliament sitting, the MPs were in a cheerful mood chatting, laughing, hugging, shaking hands and smiling, a shake- off of the tension that has been building surrounding the proceedings of this vote of no confidence that was to come in few moments time. That short space of time was a moment of ease before getting down to business. The parliament's public gallery was packed with the people witnessing the sitting take place. The Speaker of the House (Parliament) commenced the proceeding and then the MP for Abau Sir Puka Temu, rising as the mover, moved the motion of no confidence followed by a few words to open the debate. “I move that parliament has no confidence in Prime Minister James Marape and nominate the Governor for Enga province, Sir Peter Ipatas to be elected Prime Minister of the independent state of Papua New Guinea,” Sir Puka declared. The good MP for Abau then went on to state the reasons for the no confidence in the prime minister, stating that James Marape has not done much to address the problems the country is facing and that what had been promised when he came into power six (6) years ago in 2019, most had not transpired and that things have now gone much worse than previously experienced in the country. He highlighted the high cost of living, the high unemployment rate, food security issues and law and order to just name a few issues that he mentioned. The good MP for Wabag, Dr. Lino Tom seconded the motion and also echoed similar sentiments made by Sir Puka. But following the short statement by Dr. Lino, a call to proceed to the actual Vote of No Confidence (VONC) to commence was made. It was at this instance that things started getting rowdy. The argument was that as per the Supreme Court order, parliament will debate the VONC before the voting can take place; however, the Speaker of Parliament, Job Pomat, argued otherwise referring to the parliament standing orders which states that in a sitting to entertain a VONC, parliament should move forward with the vote with no debate. There were shouts, angry gestures exchanged between the MPs on the floor of parliament and while this was going on, parliament security had to remove a man from the public gallery for allegedly using his mobile phone to either record a video, go live or take pictures of the proceedings, which was a big no- no. He was led out under the guard of security officers. Nevertheless, the Speaker prevailed and parliament then voted of which the outcome was 89 votes for Prime Minister James Marape to retain his seat and 16 votes for the alternate Prime Minister, Sir Peter Ipatas. A grateful Prime Minister Marape thanked his coalition MPs and Papua New Guinea, through the leaders, for having confidence in his leadership so far. Marape pledged to continue the work and deliver more for the people. Meanwhile, Governor Sir Peter Ipatas congratulated Marape and urged him to go further in serving the country by seriously addressing the current pressing issues faced by the people. He also urged all MPs to work together in addressing the issues in this country going forward. Sir Ipatas also thanked the Opposition and the people of PNG for their confidence in him and appointing him as the alternative Prime Minister. Prime Minister Marape will now continue his term until 2027, which is the National Election year, now that he has the 18 months Grace period working for him after this unsuccessful VONC.

On the eve of the vote of no confidence, Prime Minister (PM) James Marape has come out to say that he will concede to whatever the result will be during parliament sitting tomorrow, Tuesday 15th April. In a press statement the prime minister affirmed that whatever the outcome of Tuesday’s vote, he would honour the decision of Parliament. “If the majority of Members of Parliament (MPs) decide to elect Sir Peter Ipatas as Prime Minister, I will fully respect and support that decision. But if they express continued confidence in me, I will be humbled to carry on and complete the work we have started together,” he said. Prime Minister Marape reiterated that the vote is a constitutional process under Section 145 of the National Constitution and reflects the strength and maturity of Papua New Guinea’s democracy. “This is the democratic process at work. I appeal to all citizens to allow our Constitution to guide us through this moment with calmness, dignity, and respect.” Prime Minister Marape, who has led the country since May 2019, acknowledged that the vote comes at a significant time, as the nation prepares to mark its 50th anniversary of Independence in September. “As we approach our Golden Jubilee, I urge our people to remain united and tolerant of one another’s views and political choices. Papua New Guinea is the most diverse nation on earth, and national leadership must reflect empathy, understanding, and unity.” The PM then made a call to the public to remain calm, respectful, and united as the country prepares for the vote of no confidence motion scheduled for tomorrow.

Papua New Guinea’s newest commercial bank to enter the banking sector, the National Banking Corporation (NBC), is looking at entering the stock exchange. The NBC is planning to publicly list its stocks for public purchase as early as next year 2026, with Prime Minister James Marape calling on Papua New Guineans to prepare themselves in anticipation of this event. Prime Minister Marape, while launching the new commercial bank on Thursday (10.04.25) evening, urged Papua New Guinea’s superannuation funds, provincial governments, landowner companies, nationally owned businesses, and individual Papua New Guineans to look forward to the announcement and to buy shares in the bank. NBC is expecting an Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the Port Moresby Stock Exchange toward the end of 2026. Marape said he wants to see 80 percent of NBC owned by Papua New Guineans and Papua New Guinean companies with only 20 percent shareholding remaining with the State, through Kumul Consolidated Holdings. “So, to all Papua New Guineans, get ready to invest in your bank. Let’s make NBC become the biggest commercial bank in the country. Be ready because I will ring the bell very soon,” he said, adding that provincial governments and their subsidiary companies, especially, must take a keen investment interest in NBC and prepare for the IPO. Currently, NBC has 10 branches in the country and working to expand to all provinces of PNG, including Bougainville. NBC is the upscaling of the former People’s Micro Finance bank, which focused on providing microfinance banking services to small income earners and ordinary Papua New Guineans. It was established in 2013. NBC remains the subsidiary of the National Development Bank (NDB), one of the nine State enterprises of PNG. The expansion into the banking sector is part of the reforms currently undertaken by the Marape-Rosso Government to revitalize State-owned enterprises to become commercially-profitable and better service oriented for the people of Papua New Guinea.

The latest report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has painted a very good picture of Papua New Guinea’s (PNG’s) economic growth, attributing it to sound economic policies and measures taken by the government. In an IMF article from that report published on Tuesday 8th of April 2025, it stated that PNG’s economic growth is projected to increase to 4.7 percent in 2025 with the outlook remaining broadly positive. It went on to say that continued fiscal consolidation would help to reduce debt risks, while a tighter monetary policy stance would reduce foreign exchange pressures, support the crawl-like FX arrangement, and keep inflation low. This positive outlook report came about following PNG authorities and the IMF team reaching staff-level agreement recently on the policies needed to complete the fourth reviews under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the first review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). The IMF staff welcomed the PNG authorities’ progress in implementing their homegrown economic reform agenda, which continues to bear fruit, according to the report. Meanwhile, the IMF team led by Mr. Nir Klein, mission chief for PNG, visited Port Moresby from March 27 to April 9, 2025, to review progress under the PNG authorities’ homegrown economic reforms supported by the ECF, EFF, and the RSF arrangements and discussed economic and financial policies in the context of the 2025 Article IV consultation. The Article IV policy consultation focused on policies to preserve fiscal space for development spending while re-building buffers against shocks, modernize monetary policy frameworks and restore kina convertibility, strengthen governance frameworks, enhance competitiveness, and build resilience to climate change. At the conclusion of the mission, Mr. Klein issued the following statement: “I am pleased to announce that IMF staff and the Papua New Guinea (PNG) authorities have reached a staff-level agreement on policies needed to complete the fourth reviews of the ECF and EFF arrangements and first review of the RSF arrangement.” The completion of these reviews would allow for the immediate disbursement of approximately US$161 million in financing under the ECF-EFF arrangements and approximately US$26 million in financing under the RSF arrangement. This would bring the total IMF financial support disbursed thus far to about US$616 million for PNG. “Despite a challenging environment, Papua New Guinea’s performance under the IMF-supported program over the past two years has been strong. The authorities have sharply reduced the fiscal deficit and adopted important amendments to the Income Tax Act—a major milestone in the simplification of tax policies; introduced critical governance enhancements to the central bank and strengthened its operations, leading to improved access to foreign exchange and mopping of excess liquidity; and supported the operationalization of the anti-corruption framework. “Papua New Guinea’s economic outlook remains positive. Growth is expected to increase to 4.7 percent in 2025 from an estimated 3.8 percent in 2024, supported by the gradual resumption of activities at the Porgera gold mine and improvements in access to foreign exchange," said Mr. Klein. He added that average headline inflation, which is largely affected by the betel nut price volatility, is projected to increase to 4.8 percent in 2025, after declining to a historic low of 0.6 percent in 2024; core inflation, which excludes betel nut and other volatile items, is projected to move up to 4.0 percent in 2025, staying below the historical average. Gross international reserves remained adequate at US$3.7 billion at end-December 2024 (equivalent to about five months of imports of goods and services), providing ample space to continue supporting the crawl-like arrangement. However, he did say, “The authorities should address the remaining gaps in the anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime and further strengthen governance frameworks. Allocating sufficient budget resources to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) remains critical to ensure its full and effective operationalization." On climate change mitigation, he simply said that to address longer-term challenges from climate change, the authorities should continue strengthening disaster risk management, integrating climate considerations in infrastructure governance, enabling climate finance, and setting up fiscal incentives for forest protection and energy efficiency, in line with their international climate commitments and supported by the RSF arrangement. “The IMF will continue to work closely with the Papua New Guinea authorities and stands ready to help them, not only through financing and policy advice, but also through technical assistance, coordinated with other development partners,” he said.

Prime Minister James Marape continues to drive his government’s commitment to transform the agriculture sector into a major revenue maker for Papua New Guinea (PNG). On Monday 7th April, in Lae city at the National Agriculture Industry Public- Private Sector Partnership Conference, he stressed this in his opening speech by issuing a call to action for PNG to transform its agriculture sector through unified public-private partnerships. In his address at the opening of the Conference, Prime Minister Marape said agriculture is no longer just a sector, it is the foundation for national survival, self-reliance, and long-term prosperity. “I am not a prophet, but I can see that food and water will be the biggest global challenges ahead bigger than oil, gas, or gold,” he said. “PNG must wake up and realize that agriculture is our biggest untapped wealth.” He emphasized that while global conversations focus on climate change, food insecurity is emerging as a pressing challenge, especially for highly populated neighboring nations like China, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. “When climate change disrupts global rice or wheat production, PNG must be ready to feed ourselves and supply our region,” he said. The Prime Minister outlined his vision to migrate one million households from subsistence living into commercial agriculture, leveraging PNG’s 97% customary land ownership and year-round sunshine. “If my mother could earn K10,000 annually selling cabbage at Tari Market in the 1980s, then in today’s K120 billion economy, one million rural families can do the same or more,” he said. “That’s K10 billion in grassroots income.” He argued that agriculture is not only key to import replacement but also a major export driver, highlighting PNG’s coffee, cocoa, copra, palm oil, livestock, and horticulture potential. Prime Minister Marape challenged the private sector, provincial governments, and policymakers to turn rhetoric into results by creating practical partnerships to unlock land, improve access to finance, and streamline regulations.

The 2025 Digicel ExxonMobil Cup Season has been officially launched with Round One (1) set for this Sunday 13th of April in Lae city, bringing in a season with so many expectations. The eventful launching took place last evening at the Gateway Hotel in Port Moresby city where guests witnessed the display of the Cup and the captains of all twelve (12) franchises in full display of their club outfits. Tony Archer - General Manager, Pathways and Performance, in his opening remarks, reflected on the 2024 Season, hailing it a success, but stressed that things are hitting up especially with the big announcement of 12th December 2024. He said the announcement of Papua New Guinea entering the Australian NRL Competition by 2028 now means the competition will lift its game, putting in more drive into the competition and contributing to further the development of rugby league in the lead up to 2028. The success of the development of rugby league, he said, depends now on everyone in the sport working together. “From 2025 we know it (rugby league) is going to improve while everyone is connected between community rugby league, PNG NRLC, Digicel ExxonMobil, and our youth comp and Santos, with the Hunters and with the NRL franchise. All of those connecting is what’s going to make rugby league in this country great,” said Mr. Archer. Also, one of the expectations is for rule changes in this season as is the case with most rugby league competitions worldwide, but the answer from Mr. Archer is a big no. “Rarely in rugby league do we go ahead without changing the rules, but for this year, there’s no real change to any of the laws of this competition. The Digicel ExxonMobil Cup competition will run under exactly the same rules as last year, as you’ve seen in all games around the world this year. So, it’s a realization that we change the rules too often, but the changing of the rules in a lot of cases has made our game better, but for this year no rule changes,” he said. Digicel PNG Senior Vice President Lorna McPherson who spoke as one of the main sponsors, talked about the partnership in driving the development of rugby league in PNG. "Previously, it was the Digicel Cup, now Digicel ExxonMobil Cup and I think it's about celebrating two partnerships between Digicel and ExxonMobil. We proudly stand as naming right sponsors, a collaboration that’s built on sheer commitment to nurture the growth of rugby league throughout Papua New Guinea,” said McPherson. Meanwhile, this Sunday’s Round 1 match will be between the Rabaul Agmark Gurias and the Lae Snax Tigers. The match will take place at the Lae League Oval at 3pm in the afternoon.

Prime Minister James Marape appealing to all public servants to remain loyal to their duties and refrain from engaging in political commentary or activity. He made this appeal after the Motion of No Confidence against him was put on the notice paper today to go through its constitutional process before it is debated on the floor of parliament next week Tuesday. The process under Section 145(1)(b) of the Constitution is now in motion, with the Notice of the Motion of No Confidence tabled today. “In accordance with the Constitution, Parliament will reconvene next Tuesday to deliberate on the Motion of No Confidence. This is democracy in action. I urge all citizens to respect the process and allow it to unfold without interference,” said Marape. In the meantime, he is urging public servants not to allow politics interfere with the duties and to remain neutral and focus on delivering service to the people. “I urge all public servants: Keep your political views at home. When you report to work, be loyal to your role as a servant of the people. Remain productive. Historically, Motions of No Confidence have disrupted the public service. We cannot allow that to happen again,” he said. He cited the instability that plagued Papua New Guinea from 1975 to 2002, during which the average lifespan of a government was just two and a half years, leading to poor economic growth and a weakened public service. “It wasn’t until the Organic Law on Political Parties and Candidates was introduced in 2001 that we experienced stability under the Somare Government. That gave our economy space to grow. We must not return to the instability of the past.” Nevertheless, Prime Minister Marape reaffirmed his commitment to unity, the Constitution, and democratic values. “As we move towards 2027, I urge all Papua New Guineans to respect our Constitution, our Courts, and the democratic process. If you have concerns, express them through your vote– not by undermining the institutions that hold our nation together. Next week, either I or Sir Peter Ipatas will be Prime Minister. Regardless of the outcome, I call on the public service to stay focused, and on our people to remain united.”

Parliament has been adjourned as of this morning to next week Tuesday to allow the motion of no confidence go through its constitutional process before debating it, something which Prime Minister James Marape himself gladly accepted. Prime Minister Marape fully welcomed today’s special sitting of Parliament, commending the Speaker and Members of Parliament (MPs) for complying with the Supreme Court’s directive and setting a strong precedent for future leaders of Papua New Guinea (PNG). He acknowledged that today’s sitting was convened under the direction of the Supreme Court and with the leadership of the Speaker, demonstrating respect for the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution. “Parliament convened today not by defying the Court, but by upholding it. I commend the Speaker for allowing the sitting to proceed in compliance with the Court’s order. This moment stands as an important reminder that no one – including Members of Parliament – is above the law,” Prime Minister Marape said. The Prime Minister reflected on the events of 2011, when a previous Parliament failed to honour a Supreme Court ruling that restored the government of the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare. “We must never repeat the mistakes of 2011. Back then, Members of Parliament took actions that undermined the authority of the Supreme Court and eroded our democratic principles. Laws were passed that, in some instances, made the father of our nation a stranger in his own Parliament. That must never happen again,” he said. Prime Minister Marape stressed that in a country as politically, culturally and economically diverse as Papua New Guinea, leaders must be seen to uphold the law. “The Courts interpret the law. Parliament legislates. Each institution has its place in our democracy, and when the Supreme Court speaks, we must comply. If there are uncertainties, the law provides avenues for appeal and clarification. But we do not defy the Court – we honour it,” he said.

The Supreme Court ordered parliament recalled sitting commenced this morning with the Members of Parliament from the Government team punctual arriving 20 minutes before 10am. Most of them were seen leaving the State Function Room walking briskly to the main chamber to start the day's business. Today's sitting is expected to see the Opposition file the motion of a no confidence on the notice paper, which will then allow for a seven-day suspension for the process to take place and parliament to resume next week for the actual Vote of No Confidence to proceed.

The Supreme Court ordered parliament recalled sitting commenced this morning with the Members of Parliament from the Government team punctual arriving 20 minutes before 10am. Most of them were seen leaving the State Function Room walking briskly to the main chamber to start the day's business. Today's sitting is expected to see the Opposition file the motion of a no confidence on the notice paper, which will then allow for a seven-day suspension for the process to take place and parliament to resume next week for the actual Vote of No Confidence to proceed.

Prime Minister (PM) James Marape is in Brisbane, Australia this weekend on another official trip, using this trip to give Members of Parliament (MPs) space to reflect freely ahead of the looming motion of no confidence. The visit comes at a significant political moment, and Prime Minister Marape said his decision to travel is also intended to demonstrate respect for the democratic process and to avoid any perception of exerting undue influence on Members of Parliament. “There is much political noise in the air, with accusations labelling me a control freak or a dictator,” Prime Minister Marape said. “To respect the integrity of the process, I am deliberately stepping back from close proximity to Members of Parliament so that they can decide freely, without pressure, what is best for the country.” He said this was not a time for campaigning, but for reflection and fair judgment. “After six years as Prime Minister, I am placing my record before Parliament and stepping back. I’ve told my caucus, my coalition partners, and all Members of the Pangu Pati that I will not be actively present among them this week,” he said. “Instead, I encourage them to assess both candidates fairly — myself, and the alternative presented by the Opposition, Sir Peter Ipatas.” The Prime Minister acknowledged Sir Peter as a senior and experienced leader and emphasized that Members of Parliament must now exercise their judgment based on conscience and national interest. The Prime Minister also highlighted his government’s commitment to equitable service delivery during his term as the head of the country, stating what his government has done so far. “Contrary to some claims, we have been fair to all MPs — both in Government and Opposition. DSIP and PSIP funds have been distributed without bias. A good example is James Donald, who opened a new terminal funded from DSIP allocations my government approved.” He reaffirmed that he will return early next week but may also take additional time away once the motion is formally placed on notice. “I value taking short periods of reflection during moments of political pressure. It helps me reset and return focused. More importantly, I want the country to know that Members of Parliament are making their own choices, freely and in good faith.” The PM’s trip to Brisbane was to attend a series of high-level engagements focused on strengthening Papua New Guinea’s partnerships in sports and education. During his visit, Prime Minister Marape was the special guest of the Brisbane Broncos at yesterday’s NRL match against the Wests Tigers, where the Broncos thrashed the Tigers 46 points to 24.

Prime Minister (PM) James Marape has accepted the 10% tariff slapped on Papua New Guinea (PNG) exports to the United States (US) by President Donald Trump but says local exports could be redirected to friendlier markets should things get too difficult. Prime Minister Marape in an official statement said the Government had been formally briefed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and recognizes that the tariff imposition is a decision made under the current U.S. administration’s domestic trade priorities. “As a sovereign nation, we respect the right of the United States Government to make trade policy decisions in accordance with its national interest,” Prime Minister Marape said. “We have no issue with this development and do not intend to retaliate with counter tariffs, as others may have done. Instead, we reaffirm our long-standing commitment to free and fair trade.” The Prime Minister said that PNG values its bilateral relationship with the United States, a country that shares many of the same principles of democracy and open markets. “The U.S. remains one of the world’s largest free-market democracies, and Papua New Guinea shares this worldview,” he said. “We are a democratic nation that believes in rules based international trade. While we reserve the right to protect our domestic industries when needed, in this instance, we will not respond with hostility or punitive measures.” Prime Minister Marape also noted that PNG's trade footprint is increasingly diversified, with strong and growing markets in Asia, Southeast Asia, the broader Pacific region, Japan, South Korea, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. “Our trading partners in Asia — including China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and others — have treated Papua New Guinea with respect, honour, and fairness,” he said. “These are our closest neighbours and represent proximity markets that continue to offer growing opportunities for our producers.” “We will continue to strengthen our trade relations in Asia and the Pacific, where our produce is welcomed. If the U.S. market becomes more difficult due to this tariff, we will simply redirect our goods to markets where there is mutual respect and no artificial barriers.” The Prime Minister concluded by reiterating PNG’s openness to all partners, including the United States, but stated clearly that the country would act in its best interests without compromising its values. “We remain open for trade, we remain a friend to all, and we will continue to stand by our principles of cooperation, respect, and economic diplomacy.”