The PNG Barramundis are the Crowned Champions of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup East-Asia Pacific Qualifier in Japan, following their all-round top-class performances that had them finish as the top team after the completion of the Super Six stage.The Barramundis produced a dominant performance throughout their campaign at the qualifying tournament by recording wins against Indonesia, Cook Islands, Samoa, and Vanuatu, while their only loss was to the host Japan in their final match yesterday (Monday 18th May). Both PNG and Japan finished with eight (8) points apiece; however, PNG had the highest and more superior net run rate of +2.1200 compared to Japan’s +1.4807, as PNG took out the honors of Champions. “We’re really happy; the team had prepared the opportunity to give themselves to play their best, and we’ve done that through different stages of the tournament, and we gave ourselves a buffer with the net run rate. So, I’m really happy for the team,” said Head Coach, Tim McCaskill. The Barramundis next assignment after this tournament is uncertain; however, McCaskill believes that they have secured a direct qualification spot for the T20 Men’s World Cup after their success in Japan. “With the win in this tournament, we’ve given ourselves an opportunity to go to the next qualification stage. And I’m really happy and thrilled for the team,” said McCaskill. The winning coach told PNG Haus Bung in an interview that the highlights for him and the team were the selection of four PNG players in the Team of the Tournament. “Tony Ura was terrific with the bat, Lega Siaka was the Lynch-pin to run chases and to setting totals at different stages, and Sese Bau was a big contributor with both bat and ball, and John Karioko has proven everyone that he is a real talent and a dangerous left arm spinner to lookout,” said the coach. The coach was very appreciative of the support they have received from back home in Papua New Guinea from all cricket supporters, as it really helped lifted the team. At the completion of the tournament, PNG scored a Total of 751 Runs across 100 Overs, while restricting opposition teams to 539 Runs scored against them from their allotted 100 Overs. The May 12-18, 2026, Qualifiers in Japan saw a total of six (6) Nations from the East-Asia Pacific Region competing for progressive opportunities towards the ICC Men’s T20 World cup. PNG’s strong all-round performances across the tournament highlighted the team’s consistency with both bat and ball, including dominant victories and disciplined bowling displays throughout the competition. Further details regarding the ICC qualification pathway and progression to the next stage are expected to be confirmed by the International Cricket Council in the coming weeks.

More than ten (10) Public Motor Vehicle (PMV) buses in Port Moresby city were removed from the roads and taken into the impound, as police continue the crackdown on road un-worthy and unregistered public transport buses.This morning the main Waigani-Morata bus stop was seen packed commuters scrambling about on any available buses to find their way to school and work, as police were on sight to remove buses breaching the traffic rules. Mostly, the old PMV buses that service the public on the Waigani-Morata route were removed by the police. PNG Haus Bung was on site and spoke to a Police Senior Constable from the Road Traffic Division. When asked what was happening? He said this was part of the ongoing operations to remove road-unworthy and un-registered buses on the roads in the city. He said apart from that, they were also looking at buses that were overloaded and continued to breach road safety rules. PMV buses that broke simple traffic rules were also taken off the road and were served with infringement notices according to the traffic offences they had committed. He added that they are also charging the bus crews that do not have the proper crew permit to operate. However, the general public especially the working population and school children were left stranded at the bus stop, to scramble for the few PMV buses that were given the all clear to operate. For those few buses operating, they were warned by the police to follow their correct routes and collect the normal approved bus fares from the passengers. Failure to comply will result in the buses remove and locked up, and the bus driver and crew charged.

Young 24-year-old Shanelle Rahman, a recent graduate of the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) with a bachelor's degree in human resources management, is happy to be part of the 12 pioneer interns of the inaugural Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited (MVIL) Internship Program.The MVIL Inaugural Internship program was launched today at the MVIL Head Office in Port Moresby city. The inaugural program provides an opportunity for Ms. Rahman and 11 other interns who just graduated from various universities and tertiary institutions from around the country. The intern group consists of 6 females and 6 males. Speaking on behalf of the very first cohorts of the MVIL Internship Program, Ms. Rahman thanked MVIL Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Bafino Koi and his Executive Management team for their vision in establishing the internship program and providing such opportunity for her and the other interns. “Special thanks to our mentors and supervisors, who in the next 3 months will be opening their doors and their busy schedules to guide us through this program. Your willingness to invest in us, not just as interns but as future leaders, will not go unnoticed,” said Ms. Rahman. She called on her fellow interns, that as pioneers of this program, they hold a unique position as the first of MVIL’s internship program and it is their responsibility to set the benchmark, to learn and actively contribute to the principles and programs that defines MVIL. Ms. Rahman also expressed her deepest appreciation to MVIL for trusting them to bring their energy, fresh perspective, and dedication to serve in the organization. “This isn’t just a task-oriented internship; by inviting us into your professional world, you are showing a commitment to bridging the gap between academic theory and industry practice. And we appreciate this investment in our personal and professional growth,” said Shanelle. She concluded by emphasizing the importance of this program launch day, saying it marks the beginning of a legacy of excellence for the MVIL internship program. “We are ready to work, ready to learn and ready to contribute to the continued success of MVIL. And we are grateful and thank you again for this incredible opportunity.

Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited (MVIL) today launched its Inaugural Internship Program with the first 12 Interns as the pioneers, at MVIL head office in Port Moresby.The MVIL Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Bafino Koi welcomed the 12 university graduate interns into the organization and gave them an overview of the mandated functions and operations of the organization. “The MVIL internship program that we are launching today basically emphasize on MVIL’s commitment to young Papua New Guineans. We’ve seen a lot of applications coming through MVIL. But our workforce capacity is we can employ only up to 330 at the moment,” said Mr. Koi. The MVIL internship program is a means to also address the unemployment gap that continues to increase in each passing year. The aim is to give young graduates that come out each year an opportunity to start off their careers, a good way of giving back to the people. “Seeing that need, we decided as part of our plans and the way forward is to actually introduce this Internship program. We actually came up with this program last year and was included in our corporate plan this year. And with the necessary policies and guidelines put in place to operationalize it, we are actually seeing this internship program launched today,” said Mr. Koi. According to Mr. Koi, they are taking the first batch of 12 interns from the 30 or more applications they have received as they have met the criteria and passed the screening process. The program will carry on with another batch of interns to be taken in, once the first batch completes their internship after 3 months. The internship program will run for three (3) months. After completion, the interns will be given the opportunity to continue employment with MVIL or venture out to other organizations.

The final day of the 2nd Face-to-Face Pacific communities of Practice on Social Protection began with a knowledge sharing session on Digital transformation and how it can effectively improve implementation and strengthening of social protection programs across the Pacific Region.Fiji, Tonga and Kiribati, led the Discussion Panel by sharing some of their experiences with the use of Modern Digital Systems that has enhance the implementation of social protection programs in their respective country. The discussions centered around different digital systems or mechanisms that have helped them improve efficiency in the delivery of social protection programs. Some of the key digital methods shared by the panelists, received positive response and commendations from the other pacific island participants in agreement. With the transactions of payments to the beneficiaries through these methods, has made it safer, more accessible and more convenient. The participants were later divided into three discussion groups as they shared ideas on effective implementation, monitoring & evaluation, communications and data management. Some of the participants, especially from the smaller island nations, expressed gratitude to be part of such an important conference to share ideas and challenges, as well as learn from the other presentations on the positive outcome moving forward in addressing social protection across the Pacific Region. The event concluded yesterday, Thursday May 14th, with a certificate presentation for participation in the 3-day conference and the official closing dinner for the participants.

With 2 runs needed from 1 ball remaining, PNG Barramundis Alei Nao, played the last and final ball of the innings to the boundary for a 4 to win the match for the Barramundis as they beat Samoa by 2 wickets in the ICC T20s World Cup East Asia Pacific Qualifier 2026. The Barramundis Right-Arm fast bowler not only won the match for his side but also took out the Player of the Match honors with an impressive all-around performance.With his final ball heroic play, Nao finished with 15 runs (not out) from 12 balls faced, with the bat.While he also took 3 wickets from his fast bowling, at the expense of 30 runs from his regular 4 overs.The Samoans won the toss and elected to bat first, and were bundled out for 112 runs, as their final wicket fell on the last ball of the final 20th over.PNG’s John Kariko, was the best bowler in the match, finishing with 3 wickets from his 4 overs with an economy rate of 3.73 runs per over. Aue Oru continued his consistency with the ball as he collected 2 wickets, while Kabua Morea contributed with 1 wicket.The Samoan bowlers started well by dismissing PNG’s Openers with both Sese Bau (9) and Lega Siaka (2). Skipper Assad Valla (26) and Batsman Boio Ray (22) tried to steady the innings mid-way through the match, but the Samoans had other plans as they reaped through PNG’s batting order.As the match went into the 20th and final over, PNG needed 8 runs to win from just 6 balls with Nao and Morea at the crease. With one final ball of the match remaining, PNG needed only 2 runs to win. Nao stepped up to find the boundary as the Barrramundis clinched their 3 wins in the qualifiers.Match statistics are as follows Samoa 112 all out (20overs) and PNG Barramundis 115/8 (20overs), as the Barramundis escaped defeat.

Delegates from twelve Pacific Island countries who attended the 2nd Face-to-Face Pacific Community of Practice on Social Protection Conference at Hilton Hotel, in Port Moresby, expressed interest in the Social Protection Policy Framework presented by the PNG Social Protection team.Assistant Director for Social Protection with the Department for Community Development and Religion, Mr. Allan Gene gave a detail insight of the Social Protection Policy Framework, that drew in few reactions from the other delegates, which was discussed in the Q & A session after his presentation. According to Mr. Gene’s presentation, the Policy Strategic Direction, is grounded on five Guiding Values which are, Inclusivity, empowerment, integrity, collaboration and sustainability. He said that it is all about building a just and inclusive nation, together. The Social Protection Policy also highlighted the social and economic issues faced, including, High rate of Gender-Based-Violence (GBV) & Sorcery Accusation Related Violence (SARV), High rates of Child Nutrition & Stunting, poor enrolment in ECD & school dropouts, inadequate housing and homeless, lack of government services and infrastructure at the rural communities, lack of social and economic opportunities and uncontrolled rural-urban migration. The policy focuses on the vulnerable and disadvantaged group prioritizing seven key areas: 1. Children (0-18 years) 2. Child Nutrition 3. Youth (12-35 years) 4. Elderly (65+ years) 5. Persons with Disability 6. Survivors of GBV/SARV 7. Marginalized Groups/Communities Centered on these seven key areas, the proposed programs include services and infrastructure, pensions, public works income generation, free education and scholarships for tertiary students, early childhood care and development, maternal and child health and nutrition, food vouchers, and cash transfers. Mr. Gene stressed that the financing part of the policy programs is definitely a daunting challenge. However, the development of partners and donor agencies has been the main go-to partners in terms of the program roll-out. On behalf of the government, the department sincerely thanks the partners for their continuous support. “Great partnerships and collaboration are needed right across- starting with government agencies, corporate organizations, state-owned-enterprises, development partners, non-government organizations (NGO’s), faith-based and community-based organizations (FBOs/CBOs).” “Our goal is to leverage collective strengths and resources to deliver lasting impacts and improve lives and livelihoods.”

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is hosting a three-day Conference on the Community of Practice for Social Protection from the 12th to 14th of May this week at the Hilton Hotel in Port Moresby city. This event is hosted by the Department for Community Development and Religion, who is one of the three custodian government agencies entrusted with Social Protection. The conference is also supported by the Australian Government through DFAT and World Bank. This conference provides an important platform for sharing knowledge, expertise, experiences and practical lessons from advocators, organizations and practitioners from twelve (12) Pacific Island Countries. Through peer learning, collaboration, and open dialogue, this conference aims to generate new ideas and identify practical approaches to better support and protect the vulnerable and marginalized member of affected communities within the Pacific Region. Speaking at the Welcome Dinner Reception for the participants on Monday evening, Minister for Youth, Religion and Community Development, Jason Peter welcomed the visiting delegates saying that Papua New Guinea is deeply honored to host representatives and practitioners from across the Pacific Region. “Your presence here this evening reflects our collective commitment and effort to strengthening social protection systems that respond meaningfully to the realities faced by our communities across the Pacific. “Across the Pacific, we continue to face many common development challenges. Poverty and unemployment remain pressing concerns for many households and communities. At the same time, our region is experiencing changing demographics, including the growing needs of aging populations, while persons living with disabilities continue to face barriers in accessing opportunities and essential services,” said the Minister. He also emphasized that Social Protection is simply not a policy discussion. It is about protecting lives, preserving dignity, and building resilience for our people that continue to be affected by natural disasters and the impacts of climate change. “Every country represented here brings valuable experiences, innovations and perspectives that can contribute to stronger outcomes for our region as a whole. There is much we can learn from one another, from successful programs and policy reforms to community-based approaches and practical experiences in implementing social protection initiatives within our unique pacific contexts. May this Community of Practice for the Social Protection strengthen our partnerships, deepen our understanding and inspire practical actions that will improve the wellbeing and resilience of our people across the Pacific Region.” the Minister concluded. The three-day conference commenced today, Tuesday 12th May, and will end on Thursday 14th May.

During the official swearing-in of the NICTA board members this morning, NICTA acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Polume Lume, was officially sworn in as the new CEO and the Ex-Officio member of the NICTA Board. In his response after the swearing-in, Mr. Lume thanked the Government of Papua New Guinea, the NICTA Board and all stakeholders for the confidence entrusted to him to lead this important institution as the country heads into a digital journey. He said NICTA sits at the centre of Papua New Guinea’s digital future but undertaking a hard and honest assessment of the institution, he identified serious governance gaps, operational weakness, enforcement failures, fragmented systems and declining public confidence. “But then we also identified enormous opportunity. An opportunity to rebuild, an opportunity to modernize, and an opportunity to restore trust. An opportunity to transform NICTA into a proactive, transparent, respected and future- ready regulator. Today, I reaffirm our commitment to four core strategic priorities that will guide NICTA moving forward for the next 5 years,” said Mr. Lume. He listed the priorities as measurable commitments that they have already begun implementing major reforms. 1. Strengthening and improving internal governance systems, 2. Enforcing the law firmly, fairly and consistently, 3. Creating sustainable revenue streams for long-term institutional resilience, and 4. Expanding the ICT sector to unlock national economic growth. He said, for too long, non-compliance within the sector was tolerated. That era will end with this new board and management at the helm. A regulator that does not enforce the law cannot effectively protect consumers, uphold standards, or maintain industry confidence. Going forward, NICTA will become more visible, more responsive and more accountable in carrying out its mandate,” said Mr. Lume. Furthermore, he emphasized that the licensing of Starlink demonstrates that Papua New Guinea is open to innovation, open to competition and serious about accelerating digital transformation. He said, this achievement is not simply about one company entering the market. It is about expanding opportunities for schools, health centers, businesses, government services, security operations, and ordinary citizens across the country. It sends a strong message that NICTA is prepared to embrace emerging technologies while ensuring proper regulatory oversight, consumer protection, and fair market participation as Papua New Guinea enters a New Digital era. “Satellite connectivity, digital identity systems, cybersecurity, fintech, artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, data governance and digital public services are no longer distant concepts. They are here now.” He aims is to see that NICTA is positioned at the forefront of all these ICT and Digital transformations, emphasizing that his vision as the CEO is to build an ICT ecosystem that is accessible and competitive. Mr. Lume said restoring public confidence requires transparency and accountability.

Following PNG Barramundis strong winning performances over the weekend at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup East-Asia Pacific Qualifiers, they are now focused on this Wednesday’s Super Six fixture up against Samoa. PNG HAUSBUNG reached out to the victorious Barramundis Head Coach, Tim McCaskill in Japan who said the team’s all-around performance was great. “Firstly, thank you for the congratulations, and the support of the cricket community back home is greatly appreciated," the Head Coach gave his appreciation. "We had targeted the first 2 games as very important for the tour, played to our potential and won both to finish top of pool C, then head into Super 6 stage with carry over points. We did this and we are very pleased, our batting was outstanding, and the pressure placed on teams with both bat and ball has allowed us to hit all our match targets." “Tony Ura has had a blistering start to the tournament; he has carried his form from Mackay into the first 2 games. His ability to find the boundary regularly has teams on the back foot. This pressure has also allowed Sese Bau to play with freedom, so it’s a one / two punch in the powerplay. Lega Siaka showed in the second game that he is in good form, he rotated strike well and kept scoreboard pressure constantly and when required, displayed his power to find the boundaries. Very happy with the performance of senior players." He said the Cook Islands in their first game had hitting power and were going to be dangerous. "With a score of 200 to chase, they had to come hard from the start, and we discussed with bowlers that there could be immediate pressure." Assad did a fabulous job rotating the bowlers, breaking the momentum with smart use of pace and spin options each over. "They had some big overs, but we held our nerve, and bowlers were well supported by fielders who added pressure with speed to ball and clean hands." The Coach said heading into the Samoa game will be another opportunity for them to play their game. "We have trained strongly since the start of the year and have developed a style of play that is built around our strengths. That will be our focus for not only the Samoa game but all remaining games, we believe in our style of play and players have belief in each other." “Thanks again to all cricket supporters back in Port Moresby and keep barracking hard for the remaining games.”

Three new board members of the National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NICTA) were officially sworn in today at NICTA’s Head Office in Port Moresby city. It is a four (4) member board, headed by Mr. Brian Riches as the Board Chairman. The three members sworn in are Mr. Charles Chew as Independent Expert, Mr. Charlie Gilichibi as the Non-Executive Director and NICTA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Polume Lume as the Ex-Officio member of the Board. In his welcome remarks to the new board members, Chairman Mr. Riches congratulated the three members on their appointment to join him on the board, especially the CEO Mr. Lume. He firmly believes that he is the right person, at the right place, and his appointment is right and timely. He said, these three members are the right people for a time that is very exciting for Papua New Guinea. And with the people supporting them, the country needs the right people in the right place at this time, especially with what’s been going on recently in the public arena. “I just have great faith in their capacity and ability to contribute to NICTA, in our decision making that has huge implications across our country and our people. We have the ability to make significant change to our lifestyle, and to our ability to just do normal day to day functions.” “What I do wish to stress is that NICTA is in a state of change, in a time of significant strengthening in our capacity to support the ICT sector and support those that operate within the sector,” said Mr. Riches. He further added that with this board in-place, the focus is now on restoring public trust and strengthening institutional governance and performance. He also pointed out that they will be focusing on good governance, accountability, and transparency, which he is very stern on. “Quite frankly, the three members who are now being sworn in today, they do also have the same ethics and the same desire to do the best we possibly can, in the time that we have.” “Our country is in the beginning of massive change, and the level playing field that we wish to bring to our ICT sector for all the operators within it should bring enormous benefits to each and every one of you, your family, your friends, your children and your grandchildren to come.” “I affirm the board's support in practical reform, the internal coordination policy review and stronger legal and enforcement capability,” he said. The board members were indorsed in a Dedication Prayer by Pastor Mathew Tapus from the Christian Apostolic Church, while the Official formalities of Oath taking and Affirmation of Office was facilitated by Mr. Billy Pidu – Senior Provincial Magistrate, NCD.

Club members of Bisini Lawn Bowls Club, along with their family members and friends, concluded a week-long Financial Literacy Training facilitated by the Centre for Excellence in Financial Inclusion (CEFI) in partnership with the Informal Sector Branch of the Department for Community Development and Religion that was held from the 5th-7th of May. A total of 46 participants are now officially financial literacy certified upon receiving their certificates yesterday. The training concluded following an intense 4-day retail training program for the participants as they were taken through in-depth training on financial security and investment opportunities. Financial institutions including, BSP, Kina Group, and Mama Bank, were also invited to showcase their different products and help assist participants in opening their own new accounts as part of the training. The initiative was part of a conversation held between Bisini Lawn Bowls President Mr. Victor Lismond and a couple of Executive club members held in mid-2025. Transforming those conversation into action was very encouraging, especially for the family members and friends of the club. “Some of our club members are not working”, said Mr. Lismond. “They live and survive engaging in the informal sector.” “So, what we are doing now is do give back to them in a way that, they can use these skills set acquired from this training and build on something positive for their future.” Meanwhile, Program Development Director Mr. George Kulisi, representing the Department Secretary Mr. Jerry Ubase, and the Minister for Youth, Religion and Community Development Jason Peter, congratulated the participants and urged them to utilize this training to improve their lives by starting from small and learning to save. “This training is a mindset life changing training for Papua New Guineans.” “This training is not only for the women, but the department is also all about family in which will help improve a family’s lifestyle if used correctly.” “Basically, this is just one of the Department’s Empowerment and protection program.” As part of their support to this training, Chief Executive Officer of Mama Bank Mr. Guninandhi Das, announced to the participants that Mama Bank will loan them a SME Seed Capital of K300 each after they assist them to opening their bank account with Mama Bank.