A total of ten students from two major universities in the country have been given the opportunity to do some hands on work as part of their practical with one of the country’s major mining projects. These ten high-performance students from the Papua New Guinea (PNG) University of Technology (UOT) in Lae and the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) in Port Moresby, were given this opportunity of a lifetime after they were selected to be involved in an immersive 11-week industrial training program with Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) in the Western province. The trainees, seven from PNG UOT and three from UPNG, are all third-year undergraduates under OTML's Undergraduate Students Scholarship (USS) program. The trainees are embedded in various departments aligned with their academic disciplines, ensuring a hands-on experience gained to complement their classroom-based learning. These departments include Processing Mechanical Maintenance, Engineering and Roads, Power Services, Process Technical Services, Mine Production, Environment and Geology, and Exploration. Manager Training and Development, Mr. Ian Strachan, said this was a unique opportunity for these students to bridge the gap between theory and practice. “We aim to provide them with an environment where they can apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios, setting the stage for a successful career," he said. General Manager People and Culture, Mr. Mark Stone, congratulated the trainees on being selected for the scholarship program and encouraged them to seize every moment of the experience. "This is more than a training program; it's a chance for you to apply what you have learnt at university in the day-to-day operations of the industry, learn on-the-job from the best and forge connections that will support your future career," he remarked. Whilst the industrial training ends in January 2024, trainees who achieve a GPA of 3.5 or above in their final academic year may have the opportunity to join the Graduate Development Scheme (GDS) program, another stepping stone towards realising a career within the company.

The newly created district of Wau Wari in the Morobe province is now in the process of establishing its own youth program aimed at supporting and engaging the youths in the development aspirations of the new district. The Wau Waria district’s 'Youth Empowerment Program' was initiated by the Open Member Mr. Marsh Narewec, and for its effective implementation, the establishment of the youth council is the way forward. This then leading to the National Youth Development Authority (NYDA) being invited for a one-day consultation which was held on the 10th of November. The outcome of that consultation set forth three requirements for both parties to meet. 1. Establish partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), 2. Commence Ward youth registration, and 3. Establish and formalize the Local, and District Youth councils respectively. Present during the consultation were the District Administrator Mr. John Orebut, the Open Member's Political Officer Mr. Hercules Jim, the Town Mayor, District officers and representatives from the communities. The NYDA now looks forward to work together with the District to see the full establishment of the youth councils in Wau Waria.

The recently held 14th World Indigenous Business Forum (WIBF) lived to its purpose of making connections between indigenous businesses in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and indigenous businesses from overseas. A satisfied Minister for International Trade and Investments, Richard Maru, said these connections will go a long way to assisting Papua New Guinea (PNG) businesses find better market opportunities in the overseas markets. “The connections that we have made during this Forum will not stop here. The Papua New Guinea indigenous business community want to connect to the global indigenous business network,” said Minister Maru. “We want to work with the Indigenous Leadership Development Institute to make sure we have a chapter in this country through a body that best represents our indigenous businesses, so that we will connect directly with the rest of the world indigenous business community.” On that note, Minister Maru extended his thank you once again to Prime Minister James Marape for his strong leadership and for his support in hosting this global event, as it has achieved its intended purpose. “We believe that we have delivered one of the best World Indigenous Business Forum ever hosted by any country in the world, and we could not have done it without the support of our Government and sponsors,” said Minister Maru.

The review process of the National Youth Development Authority (NYDA) Act 2014, which was conducted very recently in the city of Lae for the Momase region, was done with the aim to amend the Act to align it with the revised National Youth Policy (NYP) 2020 to 2030. The purpose of the Act review is to identify and remove impediments in the NYDA Act and introduce amendments that will foster effective youth service delivery at the sub-national level and creating legal pathways for youth service providers to anchor youth interventions within the legal ambit. The current NYDA Act and the NYP are key statutory apparatus that guide youth service delivery at all levels, hence it is only fitting that the two synergize and align in all aspects. The amended Act will bestow more authority on the NYDA to regulate youth service providers so that the government has visibility on youth programs delivered by donor partners and stakeholders. The Minister for Youth, Religion and Community Development, Jason Peter, who officiated at the workshop, highlighted that youth issues need to be appreciated by all partners and stakeholders and forge a working alliance to manage youth issues in every setting. "Youth is described as a 'time bomb' in many gatherings. When are we going to defuse the time bomb? If we do not have appropriate interventions to defuse the time bomb, the time bomb will erupt in 5 to 10 years' time, and we will be victims one way or another." He further mentioned that the challenge is how to navigate the way forward to tackle the issues. Thus, the focus of the workshop was to identify legal and administrative loopholes that impede youth service delivery, and institute change for positive youth development in the country. The minister looks forward to presenting the amended Act to the National Executive Council (NEC) after all consultations. Meanwhile, the other three regional workshops will convene soon.

The country’s bid to get into the NRL Telstra Premiership in the near future would also depend on finding the best players that Papua New Guinea (PNG) can produce through the training programs especially from the junior programs up, to form that dream team. One person in particular who knows very well about this, is Brisbane Broncos Ambassador and former Club Captain Alex Glen, who was in Port Moresby recently with other Broncos team members including from the NRLW, on a run for BSP to support their financial literacy programs in schools. From his experience in the NRL and from his journey to the top league competition in Australia, he said to be a great athlete one has to develop good qualities and attitude. To achieve this, his advice to the young and upcoming rugby league players in PNG is to set goals and be willing to make sacrifices. “My advice is start setting down goals, writing down goals because goals helped me achieve everything, I wanted in rugby league,” Alex advised. “The reason I say this is because when I stared at my goals and dreams that I had on a piece of paper, it kept driving me on the days I didn’t want to train.” He said one has to be willing to make some big sacrifices as well to achieve the goals and dreams on becoming the best rugby league player. “What I mean by that is sacrificing the bad food, sacrificing the going to parties or hanging out with friends, in order to be able to train as hard as you can. Because nothing ever happens when you don’t put the work in.” Alex himself made 285 appearances, scored 58 ties and racked up 232 points during his career with the NRL and the Brisbane Broncos.

Driving change through the establishment of a small businesses may seem way off for some small startups, but with commitment and the right attitude this can be achieved. That was the message from Brisbane Broncos Ambassador and former Club Captain, Alex Glen when speaking about his small business and who he got into the idea of helping the youths in his community in New Zealand, find that right path in life. The former professional rugby league player turned SME owner, said one thing that rugby league taught him in his run with the best team in the Australian NRL was discipline, commitment, the right attitude and having that high fitness level. This is what he wants to pass on to the next generation so that they too can progress in life and achieve things that he and others in his age group and older, have not been able achieve. “The feeling that you get, when you give and you see people thrive, it’s worth more than money. That was what I wanted to do. That was my passion,” said Alex. He also encouraged SMEs in Papua New Guinea to also thrive in what they do and also give back to the community that has helped them grow. Alex said this when speaking at the BSP Leadership & SME Immersion 2023 event held last evening in the Port Moresby where the Broncos team representatives were the guests of honour.

The incoming Papua New Guinea (PNG) national MP for North Bougainville, Francesca Semoso, says "what you see is what you get". Semoso is the third woman MP in PNG's national parliament and the first woman from Bougainville to win The incoming Papua New Guinea (PNG) national MP for North Bougainville, Francesca Semoso, says "what you see is what you get" seat in the national parliament. A staunch advocate for Bougainville's independence, she is part of the PNG prime minister James Marape's Pangu Pati. Semoso said Marape knows she has been pushing for independence in Bougainville for the past twenty years. She said the catalyst for standing in the by-election for the national seat, after two terms in the Bougainville parliament, was the overwhelming result for independence in the referendum in 2019. "Knowing in 2019 when the results came out that the people of Bougainville wanted to be independent, which they assured through the ballot box, it dawned on me that we had to have a voice that would actually be pushing for that particular issue," she said. "But never did it ever cross my mind that I would be running for the national election. I thought the stakes were too high for me at that time." She said the four Bougainville MPs must work together to get the independence message across. Bougainville is expecting to achieve independence by 2027 but this is reliant on the PNG Parliament backing their plan. Semoso said they all need to work together to convince their other colleagues. "We have got to start dialoguing. We need to make the non-Bougainvilleans in that parliament, we need to start sensitising them about where we have been, to where we are, to where we are going," she told RNZ Pacific. "So, nothing will be understood until after I and the other three MPs start talking about the issues of Bougainville." Passionate about women in politics The new national MP also spoke about her time in the Bougainville parliament, in which she spent two terms from 2005 to 2010 and then from 2015 to 2020, holding one of the three seats reserved for wommen. Semoso said she has always advocated getting more women into parliament, and is passionate about the Bougainville reserve seats. "I have always looked at the reserve seats in Bougainville as a launching pad for aspiring women politicians." Marape said Semoso's election showed his Pangu Pati's commitment to promoting women into leadership roles. The victory bolsters Pangu Pati's representation, giving them 54 seats in the national parliament, up from the 39 they won in the election in 2022. "Semoso's election stands as a beacon of hope and progress, highlighting the remarkable strides being made towards gender equality in PNG," he said. Source:rnz.com

The newly opened Papua New Guinea (PNG) Embassy in Jerusalem in Israel remains closed at this time after opening just last month, due to the current Israel- Palestine war that has left most of Gaza in ruins from Israeli bombardments. The Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary, Mr. Elias Wohengu in a statement said that the two PNG Foreign Affairs officers assigned to the new Embassy there have already departed Jerusalem after the Embassy was closed on the 17th of October in view of security concerns. The two officers left Israel on the same day. “A number of PNG citizens in Israel at the time also departed with the kind support of the Australian Government as part of their evacuation exercise extended to nationals of other countries. The department is aware that eighteen PNG citizens departed Israel under this evacuation exercise,” said the secretary. Secretary Wohengu also stated that the Embassy’s closure is only temporary. Meanwhile, the Department is asking the members of the public who might know of any fellow PNG citizens that is still in Israel and wishing to return to the country, to contact the Office of the Chief of Protocol, Department of Foreign Affairs on phone 301 4115 or 301 4196 and email protocol@dfa.gov.pg. The Department will continue to monitor the situation and re- open the Embassy in Israel when deemed conducive to do so.

The Brisbane Broncos team are in Port Moresby once again for a visitation to schools, to BSP branches and other organizations, and this morning the team dropped by the PNGFM office to pay a visit to the Yumi FM, Nau FM and Legend FM studios and meeting the staff and radio personalities. Former club Captain and Broncos ambassador, Alex Glen is among the group members that dropped by. The team included Broncos hooker Tyson Smoothy, Cameron Bukowski who joins the NRL Squad this year after graduating from High School, and the NRLW team representatives Romy Teitzel and Annette- Claudia Nu’uausala. Alex, who is on his second visit to Port Moresby, told the PNGFM staff about their trip so far and what they have been doing in the city. He also said that the reception they had from the people was awesome. “We went to some of the schools we yesterday. Some of the branches (BSP) around Port Moresby as well. It’s unbelievable, it’s something you cherish,” said Alex. “Back in Brisbane everyone loves the Broncos, but when you’re here you know you’re at Broncos territory. It’s a beautiful thing.” The former Captain also said that the Broncos legacy that they have is so much more than just footy now, which plays into their trip to Port Moresby. “We got our community programs with the Beyond Broncos, we go out to 54 schools and mentor a lot of youths.” "That’s what it’s about right? It’s about being mentors and leading by example for our kids so that they can go on and achieve greater things that we never did,” he said. Meanwhile, the Broncos team had a fun morning with the PNGFM team, taking questions from the staff and also visiting the studios and photo shoots. The PNGFM steam were also grateful for the visit. The visit by the Broncos team to Port Moresby was made possible once again by its partner BSP Financial Group Limited (BSP).

The very recently held 14th World Indigenous Business Forum (WIBF) brought to light some of the important things that needed to be addressed going forward in supporting the growth indigenous businesses. The Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru said that it is high time the National Government recognizes the need for Papua New Guinean indigenous businesses. “There are so many Papua new Guinean indigenous entrepreneurs who have done so much without Government support. This Forum allowed them to come and display their products and many of us were really inspired. I am so impressed of the energy and the drive of our people,” said the minister. “They did not wait for the Government; they did what they had to do. Papua New Guineans have the potential and all they need is support. We (government) need to look at how we can support our entrepreneurs, how we can nurture them, and how we can incentivize the growth of the indigenous private sector.” Minister Maru said these are the issues that the State needs to look at and organize itself to support PNG’s indigenous business community, especially in industries that replace imports and grow exports. “Our Government must build a broad-based economy that will create job and generate wealth,” Minister Maru added. Minister Maru said one of the ways to help the local indigenous businesses grow, is through such forums. And with that, the announced that first Papua New Guinea Indigenous Business Forum will be hosted next year with the theme ‘Replacing Imports and Growing Exports’. “We need to help our indigenous businesses to rise up and take their place in this country,” said Minister Maru.

The New Porgera Limited (NPL) is in support of a recent media statement by the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) stating that the recent signing of the Mining Development Contact and the grant of Porgera Special Mining Lease (SML) 13, fully complied with the country's processes and law. Although the SML13 has now been granted under the Mining Act, no mining activities can be conducted by NPL prior to compensation being agreed with landowners or otherwise determined in accordance with the Act. NPL began discussions in Porgera last week with 14 mining tenement landowner clans represented by their agents. Under the Mining Act, compensation agreements are between landowning clans, represented by their agents, and the tenement holder. NPL has asked landowners to agree to continue honouring the old Porgera compensation arrangements to allow the mine to reopen this year, ahead of a review of compensation arrangements planned post reopening of the mine. Any increase in compensation amounts determined as a result of that review will be backdated to ensure that landowners are not prejudiced by the deferral of negotiations. The overwhelming majority of landowner agents from each tenement were in favour of the NPL proposal and expressed their wish to see the mine reopen as soon as possible. They said they had suffered with the mine closure for over 3 years, which had badly impacted the lives of their families and did not want to see restart postponed further. The landowner agents were also adamant that all negotiations on compensation agreements should be held in Porgera and should not involve “paper landowners” living in Port Moresby or elsewhere. NPL representatives plan to return to Porgera next week to continue the discussions with Porgera tenement landowner agents with the aim of reaching a resolution on compensation agreements as quickly as possible, so that the Porgera Mine can restart. The company also intends to commence meetings with the Hides Transmission Line agents next week.

Perhaps one of the significant achievements for local indigenous women in business at the 14th World Indigenous Business Forum (WIBF) in Port Moresby, was for Papua New Guinea (PNG) to be a part of and be represented at the Indigenous Women in Industry economic summit coming up in New Zealand. Ms. Rachel Petero, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rise2025 Global- an indigenous company, said through her company they have helped in growing indigenous leaders and all women for 7 years now. “We have to build pathways that our women can see the pathway to leadership, see the pathway to entrepreneurship and see the pathway to sustainability,” said Ms. Petero. She said that it is because of this that they have come together to host a first of its kind business get together for all indigenous women in business next year. “As part of Rise, what we’ve been doing is building partnerships and we’ve been building a new partnership which is coming to Aotearoa next year February and that is called IWI, which means tribe in New Zealand.” “So, we a growing an Indigenous Women in Industry global tribe. We’re starting in New Zealand on February 04th and Papua New Guinea is going to be part of this economic summit.” To represent PNG at the IWI summit is Ms. Linda Paru, who was appointed by the New Zealand team as PNG’s new Ambassador for the Indigenous Women in Industry body. Ms. Paru said the appointment came as a surprise to her and she accepted it graciously. Ms. Paru was appointed because of her work in the country to help the progress and success of women operated businesses. “I run a social enterprise, PNG Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs Connect. It’s 10 years old and it has 36, 000 members country wide, and this for me is very big because I see it as a blessing because we worked so hard to help women in business.” “I am greatly honoured representing these women and I’d like to say thank you so much to Rachel and the team, the World Indigenous Business Forum for making this possible.”