The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on Friday 14th July to make way for a Joint Venture (JV) partnership between the State and the RD Group, marks a turning point for Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the fisheries industry. Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru, said that for far too long PNG has only been giving out licenses to fishing companies to come into PNG waters, fish and take about 80% of catch from the country’s waters to canneries and processing plants in other countries. “We have not learnt to fish in commercial fishing boats, we have no master fishermen. Effectively, our country has been a rent collector and a spectator in this very important resource for a very long time,” said Minister Maru. “Our goal is simple; at some point we want to see 100% of our catch caught and processed in Papua New Guinea. This will result in the creation of 10 more processing plants and employ Papua New Guineans.” That is why the MOU signing was important because the RD Group already has fish processing plants in Madang and has been operating in the country for 28 years now, which means it would be easier to establish as larger operation in a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) as JV partners in commercial fishing. The MOU signed in Port Moresby aims to negotiate commercial terms for the State and RD Group to set up a Joint Venture (JV) company to initially fish and process all the catch in a new possible cannery within the Pacific Maritime Industrial Zone (PMIZ) in Madang as a SEZ. “We will work together with the State Negotiation Team to come up with an agreement that suit both parties and I’d like to hope that the conclusion of three months, both parties through the State Negotiation Team will arrive at an agreement that we are both happy with.” Minister Maru later thanked Prime Minister (PM) James Marape for the support for this major project that has eventually resulted in the signing of the MoU between the State and RD Group. “This is about taking back PNG, this is about creating 50, 000 jobs, this is about processing all our fish on shore, and maximizing the benefits for our country.” The MOU was signed between the Ministry of International Trade and Investments (MITI), Kumul Consolidated Holdings (KCH), National Fisheries Authority (NFA), and the RD Group.

The National Government has signed a Memorendum of Understanding (MOU) with RD Tuna Corporation that will see in the near future more locally owned fishing boats fishing within the waters of Papua New Guinea (PNG), creating more employment opportunities for the people. The MOU signed this morning in Port Moresby aims to negotiate commercial terms for the State and RD Corporation to set up a Joint Venture (JV) company to initially fish and process all the catch in a new possible cannery within the PMIZ in Madang as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru, who had been negotiating with RD Corporation, said that this MOU is a big achieve for the government. "This is a historical initiative of the Marape- Rosso government to go into domestication of the fishing industry where out of these negotiations we could for the first time have a large fishing company to fish our own waters with PNG owned fishing boats and our fishing crew, " said the minister. "This will result in us one day having our own master fishermen and owning and participating the full value chain of the industry to maximize our returns for our fisheries , including creating many jobs for our young people. " After signing the MOU, the State Negotiation Team will meet with the RD Team to commence the negotiations. The members of the State Negotiation Team are: 1. Mr. Issac Lupari (Chairman) 2. Mr. Daniel Rolpagarea- State Solicitor (Deputy Chairman) 3. Dr. David Kavanamur- Managing Director of KCH 4. Minister Kessy Sawang (Madang Representative) 5. Madang Governor Ramsey Pariwa 6. NFA Managing Director Justin Ilakini 7. Acting Secretary Department of International Trade and Investments, Mrs. Jacinta Warakai Manual. The State Negotiation Team will have three months to complete the negotiations and report back to the National Executive Council (NEC) with a proposal that both partners are happy to advance the JV agreement to set up the proposed new JV fishing company. "The contribution to the State to the JV company can both be a cash equity injection and the PMIZ land, and the contribution of RD Corporation would be the fishing boats they own, their wharf, office, and cold storage facilities at Vidar. This is of course subject to valuation and negotiation, " said Maru. Minister Maru added that the JV company is expected to create employment for 50, 000 people. The MOU was signed between the Ministry of International Trade and Investments, Kumul Consolidated Holdings, National Fisheries Authority, and RD Corporation.

Over 30 youths from the Western Highlands province are now in a better position to start their own small businesses after completing a Youth in MSME training program conducted at Ogelbang, Mt. Hagen Central. The training is the culmination of work progressed since 2021 after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Small Medium Enterprise Corporation (SMEC) and the National Youth Development Authority (NYDA). The training started on Monday the 26th of June and officially ended on the 4th of July, which saw 32 Youth participants graduating with a certificate in Youth in MSME, which is an internationally accredited and ILO Certified training program. The training was made possible with the support of the NYDA and SMEC and The Mt Hagen City Authority. This partnership forged so far, is having great impacts on the lives of out-of-school youths of the district. The Graduation Ceremony was attended by the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Mt Hagen City Authority, Mr. Jim Pena and the Managing Director of SMEC, Mr. Petrus Ralda. Both leaders spoke highly of the partnership approach, saying that it is the ideal method to foster change in the minds of youths. The leaders acknowledged and appreciated the work of NYDA in bridging and reaching the young people right down to the ward level through the District Youth Development Council (DYDC) network. To kick start the youth in MSME activities, each agency gave K 10,000 (total K20, 000) to the Mt Hagen District Youth Development Council for them to drive the program at the Local Level Government (LLG) levels. The President of the Mt Hagen District Youth Council, Mr. Philip Mumuky was grateful to the NYDA for the delivery of this “Youth in MSME Training,” which he acknowledged was the catalyst to source support from other stakeholders in the province. He also stated that the presence of NYDA in the district through this program gives more prominence to the work of Mt Hagen Central DYDC. Since its establishment in 2021, this is one of the big activities rested on the DYDC and they are excited to drive it forward. "Under the NYDA/SMEC partnership, we intend to rollout out a similar program in other districts. Empowering youths via MSME program sets a better motivation for youths to plot their future in the right direction." NYDA hopes to continue to groom the next generation of young potential entrepreneurs through such intervention in partnership with all stakeholders.

The recent opening of the new police station at the notorious Koki area in the city of Port Moresby has been welcomed by the public and the business community in the area. In recent times this area has been the site for ethnic clashes, riots and criminal activities, affecting the residents, people that frequent the area and shop and business owners in Koki. Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry (POMCCI) President, Mr. Rio Fiocco, when commenting recently on the riot and looting last week Monday at Koki, said it was important that the police manpower in the area is beefed up and well equipped to handle the law-and-order situation that may arise in the future. He said just having security or surveillance cameras alone installed in the area is not enough to address the law and order at Koki. “Having CCTV cameras put up around the Koki area is not going to solve the problem, we need police manpower who have proper communication and vehicles to be ready to respond to these emergencies when they happen.” “We’ve seen what happened. It’s clear to all of us that we need more stations in the city, and they (Police) need to be better trained and quick to respond.” He said what had happened in Koki on Monday 03rd July, clearly shows the breakdown of law and order. "Therefore, for the old police post to be upgraded to a new police station at Koki, is a way forward to reducing the law and order issues, for freedom of movement for public and business houses operation and services to the people."

The inaugural Momase Regional Youth Games (RYG) is set to be hosted in Madang this year. This is after the Madang Provincial Administration and National Youth Development Authority (NYDA) with partners PNG Sports Foundation and DFCDR, signed the Host Contract Agreement recently. RYG is a new sporting concept targeting the rural youths who have less opportunity to participate in formally sanctioned sporting codes. “We have huge sporting potential and rural talents locked in the rural areas, they need some exposure in the mainstream sporting arena, hence the RYG concept creates that platform for them to showcase,” said the provincial administrator. “We acknowledge the Madang Governor for having the foresight on youth empowerment activities in the province." "Youth issues are cross-cutting and complex as we all know, therefore engaging youths in one way or the other is the way forward for us to manage and contain law & orders, whilst empowering them to be self-reliant, self-disciplined." "Such is a proactive approach in all endeavors to create a sustainable future." Youth from the Momase Region are expected to converge at Madang in September for the week- long sporting activity. The host contract was signed by the Provincial Administrator, Franck Lau, Director General NYDA, and Deputy Secretary- DFCDR, Jack Simbou.

The relationship between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Japan has always been an important one with both nations enjoying trade and people to people relations and military assistance, especially for PNG. Japan’s Ambassador to PNG H.E Nobuyuki Watanabe, when speaking recently at the welcoming ceremony of the visiting Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) flagship JS Izumo, said that both countries have developed a very important and good relationship as nations in the pacific and that relationship has been beneficial for both nations over the years. “In particular, since Papua New Guinea gained independence in 1975, we have deepened our cooperation and people to people exchange in a wide range of field, including infrastructure, fisheries, forestry, mining, education and health,” said the ambassador. He added that more recently, exchanges in the security field have been rapidly extended. Among many of the examples are the capacity assistance to the Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF) band and the technical training program for PNG military engineers, which was launched just last year (2022). Meanwhile, he said the visit of the JS Izumo is not only an embodiment of the strong tie Japan and PNG has, but also a great milestone for the future development of exchange between the two countries in a wide range of fields.

The four days stopover of the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) carrier the Izumo, is part of Japan’s relationship with other maritime nations in the pacific to ensuring peace and prosperity in the region. The Commanding Officer of the JS Izumo, Captain Takemasa Jo, said that Japan being a maritime nation itself in the pacific has developed ties, called “Kizuna” in Japanese, with other maritime nations like Papua New Guinea (PNG), in the political and economic areas as well as in national security between countries for decades. “Such a special relationship can be constructed by sharing a common sense of value, virtue and experience between each other and we have shared many things between our countries through various interactions,” said the Captain of the Izumo. “These are everlasting values, for instance freedom of the seas and the rules based international order, which are indispensable to the citizens of the maritime nations in order to protect the beautiful and blessing seas of the pacific.” He also added that at the same time, the international situation is getting more complicated and uncertain in recent years. “Under these circumstances it is necessary to cooperate with the likeminded countries, which we can share prevailing values, customs and norms cultivated for decades in the global society.” He said the visitation of the vessel and crew to PNG is part of that tie or relationship. This recent visit follows the visits from JS Kirisame last year and the JS Makinami two years ago. “Also, the annual deployment shows that Japan thinks your country is a very important partner and vice versa, therefore, I believe it is very important to make our Kizuna across the Pacific stronger than before for our prosperity and stability in the region.” The JS Izumo arrived in Port Moresby yesterday, Friday 07th July and will be here for four days. The carrier is currently anchored off the coast facing the Ela Beach because it is too big to fit in the main wharf in Port Moresby.

Prime Minister (PM) James Marape now wants everyone from the political level down to the departments, and the provinces and districts to work together to fully implement the newly launched Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) 4 (2023- 2027) to achieve the development aspirations of Papua New Guinea (PNG). During the launching of the MTDP 4, Marape plainly stated that this next phase of the development plan is important for service and development to reach the people in the remotest parts of the country; therefore, it will only fully achieve its set out priorities when everybody work together. “This is a collective work and for those of us who are leaders in office, both elected and non-elected, it is really up to us now to make it happen for our country." “This plan is a K51billion plan to be implemented in the next four years that should improve health, education, infrastructure, law and order, and the economic sector for all parts of the country.” The MTDP 4 is an integral part of the National Development Framework that provides the strategies for the government’s medium- term goals, priorities, investments, targets and indicators. The successful implementation of the MTDP 4 is key to PNG achieving Vision 2050 to be a smart, wise, fair, healthy and happy society and to be ranked in the top 50 countries in the United Nations Human Development Index by 2050. The MTDP 4 was officially launched on Friday 07th July at the APEC Haus in Port Moresby by the PM and the Minister for Finance and Implementation, Rainbo Paita.

The flagship of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF)- the JS Izumo and its crew, is now anchored off the coast of Port Moresby city for a four-day visit to the country, which will include dialogues with the Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF) and other activities. PNGDF Navy Captain Peter Tupma, the Chief of Force Capability and Development Branch, in welcoming the JS Izumo to Papua New Guinea (PNG), said that the visit of the flagship shows the strong relationship between the two countries. “The visit signifies that Papua New Guinea and Japan are more than just friends, we are partners. We collaborate closely on matters of critical importance and shape our partnership,” said Captain Tupma. The Captain added that the PNG/ Japan relationship has a solid foundation for further development and growth. “I am happy to state on behalf of the Chief of Defense Force (CDF) that our partnership and cooperation with the Japanese Ground Defense Force, has extended into civil engineering and we have engagement in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.” Japan’s Ambassador to PNG H.E Nobuyuki Watanabe added that the partnership with PNG dates back to independence in 1975 and since then, the Japanese government has supported the development aspirations of PNG through JICA. In military support, the Japanese government continues to support the 2022 launched Technical Training Program for PNG Military Engineers, and the support for the PNGDF band through training, the supply of instruments and the uniforms. “Even though the visit to Papua New Guinea will be short with only four days, we hope it will provide great opportunity to deeper exchange with the local government and military officials during the visit,” said the Japanese Ambassador. “I also hope that the crew members will take this opportunity to enjoy and have first-hand experience of the beautiful and fascinating culture of Papua New Guinea.” The JS Izumo is a helicopter carrier ship and sailed out of Japan and into the pacific on the 31st of May. The Izumo is the largest ship in the JMSDF fleet and after sailing for over a month, it finally reached PNG today. Meanwhile, amongst the activities the crew of the JS Izumo will be engaged in whilst here, includes a memorial service to be hosted on Sunday 09th July for all who were lost during conflicts. The event will be held at the Ela Beach Memorial Park.

Indonesian investors have been urged to consider investing in the development of oil palm projects in Papua New Guinea (PNG) to develop the palm oil sector and tap into the opportunities in oil palm production and export. Minister Maru said Indonesia has a big demand for palm oil, and the opportunity that PNG presents is something Indonesian investors should look at very closely. “We have a lot of resources, a lot of investment opportunities. We have millions of hectors of grassland that can be used for oil palm,” said the minister. The availability of grassland is important because currently, world markets are strict with oil palm exports. “I know the rest of the world is now making it tougher to export oil palm, if they think you are involved in deforestation.” By this statement, the minister meant that the availability of hectors of grassland in the country means that there will be no need to clear forest land to plant oil palm, thus no deforestation. This means oil palm exports from PNG should not be questioned by world markets. Minister Maru said Indonesia has also decided to decarbonize and use oil palm to produce biofuel and PNG has the capacity to satisfy Indonesia’s biofuel demands, through the availability of hectors of grassland for oil palm projects. “PNG is a market that is ready to export to your country. This is one sector Indonesia should seriously look at investing into,” Minister Maru said. “We will do everything and anything to support you to do that, because we know your appetite,” said he said. Minister Maru also told the Indonesian delegation at the Inaugural PNG- Indonesia Business Forum in Port Moresby on Wednesday, that oil palm is part of the Special Economic Zones that the PNG government is implementing and the potential of making good investments in palm oil, is even greater.

The Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru has revealed that trade between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Indonesia over the years has been quite low despite the bilateral relationship between the two countries. Minister Maru, when giving his remarks at the Inaugural PNG- Indonesia Business Forum at the APEC Haus in Port Moresby on Wednesday 05th July, revealed that the two-way trade between the two countries stands at only USD$207million. “For us in Papua New Guinea, it means Indonesia is not even within the top ten trading partners of Papua New Guinea, nor are we, and yet we are the closest of neighbours and we haven’t been able to build a trade and investment relationship over the last 48 years, that is the truth." "It is not a time to talk about our past, but it is a time to charter a new future,” said the minister. Maru said both countries now have the opportunity to really take this relationship to the next level and the recent flight of Citilink from Indonesia to PNG, is a good start. The minister said Indonesia has a growth rate of 6% and 5% per annum, a GDP of nearly USD$400million, and one of the fastest growing economies with a population of 273 million. “You are a huge export market for PNG, but we never tapped your potential.” On the other, Maru said PNG has a lot of resources, a lot of investment opportunities, but Indonesia has not tapped into these opportunities. However, Minister Maru also made it clear that for this relationship in trade to be strengthened, there has to be commitment by the business sectors and the governments of both countries. “This is a time to make a new beginning and I want to tell you that my office and my department and our Prime Minister and our government is committed,” said Minister Maru. With that the Minister announced that the government will start a six-month study on the viability of establishing a free trade agreement with Indonesia. The study is expected to start next month.

Prime Minister James Marape extends his heartfelt appreciation to Indonesian President H.E. Joko Widodo for his immensely successful one-day visit to Papua New Guinea on Wednesday, July 5, 2023. The visit resulted in several significant accomplishments and outcomes. Reflecting on the visit as President Widodo departed Port Moresby, Prime Minister Marape expressed his jubilation and commendation for the fruitful discussions and achievements reached during the high-level engagement. "We are deeply honored to host President Widodo, especially considering Indonesia's remarkable position as the 16th-largest economy in the world with a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of US$1.392 trillion and the 7th-largest by purchasing power parity (PPP) GDP of US$4.398 trillion." "We are privileged to have such an economic giant as our neighbor," Prime Minister Marape remarked. He further emphasised the significance of President Widodo's monumental visit, which focused not only on government-to-government matters but also on the core objectives of Marape's Pangu Pati: fostering economic growth and enhancing commerce and trade relations. "The business relations between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea have reached unprecedented levels," Prime Minister Marape declared. "We have opened the doors for increased business-to-business engagements between our two countries." To facilitate this collaboration at the highest level, Prime Minister Marape announced the establishment of a task force, led by Deputy Prime Minister Hon. John Rosso and International Trade and Investment Minister Hon. Richard Maru, in partnership with the Indonesian counterparts. One of the notable achievements of the visit was the agreement for Indonesia to sponsor 2,000 Papua New Guinean students to pursue higher education in Indonesian colleges and universities. Prime Minister Marape highlighted the reciprocity of the arrangement, stating, "For every student Indonesia sponsors, we will match their support by sponsoring another student from Papua New Guinea." "We aim to foster increased business-to-business and people-to-people relations between our nations." Recognising Indonesia's standing as an economic powerhouse in terms of commerce and trade, Prime Minister Marape expressed the commitment of Papua New Guinea to work closely with Indonesia on trade protocols and border-related issues, with the shared goal of elevating their bilateral relationship to new heights. Prime Minister Marape concluded by expressing his gratitude once again to President Widodo for his visit and the positive outcomes achieved, expressing optimism for a future characterised by robust cooperation and mutual prosperity.