The previously terminated and then reinstated senior staff of the Climate Change Development Authority (CCDA), Mr. Alfred Rungol, has accused the CCDA for misleading the public and stakeholders about the nature of his termination, which was presented in a press statement to the media just recently. Mr. Rungol has come out to give his side of the story to PNG HAUSBUNG, stating that all that was said in the statement made by CCDA’s Acting Managing Director, Mr. William Lakain, are not true accounts of what led up to his termination in 2022. “My reputation is on the line when CCDA puts a press statement on media; however, all these are false information,” he said. “I have sorted all allegations and went through all the process of court and it took me 15 long months to go through all the processes to provide all my evidence.” Mr. Rungol stated that CCDA took him to court, but the case was dismissed and that he was reinstated back to office, following processes which he went through.“I have two confirmation letter of reinstatement from the Department of Personal (DPM) Management, one was in October and another in September from the DPM Secretary Taies Sansan.” Rungol stated that he never expected this issue to surface again after it was already dealt with in court, and that the Department of Personal Management has found out that all accusations were baseless with no clear or proper evidence. Rungol said that because the CCDA cannot take him back to court, the only way to attack him now is to tarnish his reputation in the press statement that was issued to the media. Meanwhile, as per the press statement from the CCDA, in 2022 the CCDA terminated the employment of Mr. Rungol, who was a senior staff member, following a comprehensive review of a number of serious disciplinary matters by CCDA's Internal Disciplinary Committee. The statement read that the decision to terminate him was reached following due processes and in accordance with the terms and conditions of his employment contract then. The following are the series of serious offences that the CCDA said was committed by Mr. Rungol, which breached the conditions of his employment contract: 1. Swearing and Harassment of several CCDA senior female employees. 2. Fighting with one of his immediate subordinates at the CCDA premises whilst under the influence of alcohol in view of other staff and development partners. 3. Totally wrecked a CCDA hired vehicle, whilst on official duty travel, which cost CCDA K345, 000 to repair. 4. Causing disharmony and suppression within his Division and amongst other senior and General staff of CCDA. However, in Mr. Rungol’s version of the story, he refuted the series of offences stated by the CCDA as their base for his termination. Here is Mr. Rungol’s account of the incidents that led to the termination of his contract. 1) Rungol said he never swore or use any foul language against any female officer, nor did he harass any female employee. He said some female employees were drunk during official hours and one was involved in a sexual activity with someone who was not her partner. So, he had to report her for the misconduct. 2) With regards to the fighting, he said the statement was one-sided and did not get the full scope of the incident. He claimed that an immediate subordinate was disciplined for malpractice in CCDA, after he was caught drinking in the office. Mr. Rungol said that he and the highly intoxicated staff had an argument and the staff issued threats against him and his family. Mr. Rungol claimed that this incident took place in the presence of a very senior staff of the CCDA, but instead Mr. Rungol said he was disciplined for the incident and not the staff in concern. 3) In terms of the hired vehicle, Mr. Rungol said he never crashed any vehicles that belonged to the CCDA. He claimed that he was not even inside the vehicle at the time of accident and was never near the accident site and was only told about it the next morning. Mr. Rungol stated that his name was never on the police incident report when it was presented in court. 4) On the fourth incident, Mr. Rungol said he never caused disharmony amongst staff at work. He claimed that this was brought up because CCDA staff were engaged in corrupt practices. He alleged that some CCDA staff were doubling travelling allowances from both the government and the development partner funds and he was going to expose them. “These kind of small corrupt activities are happening within CCDA, so because I am a whistle blower, CCDA had to make false allegations against me so that they can continue with their corrupt practices,” Mr. Rungol said.

Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) has issued out a statement to provide clarification regarding the termination and subsequent “reinstatement” of Mr. Alfred Rungol, who was terminated in 2022. William Lakain Acting Managing Director for CCDA clarified that in 2022, the CCDA terminated the employment of Mr. Rungol, a senior staff member, following a comprehensive review of a number of serious disciplinary matters by CCDA's Internal Disciplinary Committee. Mr. Lakain stated that the decision to terminate was reached following due process and in accordance with the terms and conditions of his employment contract. The following are the series of serious offences committed by Mr. Rungol which breached the conditions of his employment contract: 1. Swearing and Harassment of several CCDA senior female employees. 2. Fighting with one of his immediate subordinates at the CCDA premises whilst under the influence of alcohol in view of other staff and development partners. 3. Totally wrecked a CCDA hired vehicle, whilst on official duty travel, which cost CCDA K 345,000.00 to repair. 4. Causing disharmony and suppression within his Division and amongst other senior and General staff of CCDA. Note that Mr. Rungol was terminated not because he was a “whistle blower,” but as a consequence of breaching the conditions of his employment contract. Thus, CCDA management would like to inform valued stakeholders and the general public of the miss-information that was circulated through various media platforms. Following his termination, Mr. Rungol took the matter to the National Court, challenging the validity of the CCDA’s decision.The National Court, in its judgment, determined that the CCDA had acted according to law to terminate Mr. Rungol. These proceedings are styled OS 41 of 2023 and OS No. 270 of 2022 and are available on PacLII website at www.paclii.org. Briefly, in OS 41 of 2023, it was decided by the Court that the decision to terminate Mr. Rungol, following CCDA’s internal disciplinary processes, still stands. In OS 270 of 2022, which Mr. Rungol himself initiated, he sought relief from the Court, (1) Affirming that the decision of DPM, is final, (2) Orders for Mr. William Lakain, to implement the decision of the Department of Personnel Management (DPM) to allow him to resume his substantive position, and (3) Prevention of Mr. Lakain and his servants from interfering with the smooth transition of him back to his substantive position in the CCDA, was dismissed with costs to be met by Mr. Rungol. Furthermore, the Office of the State Solicitor upon reviewing his termination and the processes invoked to terminate him, was satisfied with the process and advised that the termination was done correctly and is in order. However, it has come to CCDA’s attention that Mr. Rungol has provided misinformation to the Department of Personnel Management, on these cases, leading to his unlawful “reinstatement” despite the Court's ruling. Mr. Lakain added that CCDA respects the legal process, and the authority of the National Court, thereby emphasizing that we as an organization remain committed to upholding the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and accountability in all aspects of our operations. “Our disciplinary procedures are designed to ensure fairness and impartiality, and the decision to terminate Mr. Rungol was made after careful consideration of the facts, given the recent developments and potential miscommunication, CCDA is working closely with relevant authorities to address this matter.” “We are committed to resolving this situation in a manner that is consistent with the law, respects due process, and upholds the integrity of our internal disciplinary procedures,” said Mr. Lakain. Lakain further added that CCDA understands that this situation may raise questions and concerns among the stakeholders, and CCDA wants to assure them that CCDA continues to prioritize the welfare of its employees, its interests and the values that guide its work for the collective good for the country. CCDA welcomes the Court’s decision on the matter and would like to advise its stakeholders and general public that CCDA still maintains its position on Mr. Rungol’s termination. “Mr. Rungol is at liberty to seek redress from the Courts, should he wish to.”

25 youths from Ragamuga settlement outside 6mile were all smiles today when they graduated with certificates in different trades at Don Bosco Technical School. Ragamuga Youth Coordinator Adamson Nul highlighted that this was first of its kind where all fees were paid in full under the sponsorship of Moresby South member Justin Tkatchenko and NCD Governor Powes Parkop. “The short courses were part of the TVET scholarship which was facilitated by TVET Coordinator Ms Rose Agua in partnership with Don Bosco Technical School.” Mr Nul stated that most of the youths were grades 10 and 12 drop outs and this was their second chance to better their lives. He said there were actually 30 youths in the beginning who registered, however 5 left due to their own personal reasons and 25 completed the 5 months courses, 1 female and 24 male. “These youths took courses in IT, House wiring, Motor Vehicle Mechanic, Heavy Equipment fitter, welding and electricity.” Nul added that this graduation today brought great joy to the families of the graduates the community in Ragamuga. “These certificates received today is not the end, with the assistance of Justin Tkatchenko and Governor Powes Parkop under TVET, there are plans laid out for these youths to get their ITC 1 and ICT 2 papers next year at Don Bosco Technical school.”

An exclusive workshop facilitated by the South Pacific Community (SPC), in partnership with the PNG Office of Ocean Affairs (OOA), the Department of Justice and Attorney General and the European Union is currently underway in Port Moresby. SPC through the European Union funded Pacific Solutions Integrated Ocean Management (PSIOM) Programme, is supporting PNG to review existing legislations and policies with the aim of progressing the implementation of the National Ocean Policy 2020-2030. This comes in line with Papua New Guinea (PNG) taking bold steps to safeguarding its ocean resources and ecosystems, to ensure sustainability for future generations. Acting Director of the PNG OOA Grace Kaue said the State had a responsibility to plan and manage its ocean space to ensure all its users can sustainably benefit from ocean resources. “Integrated ocean management is a holistic approach to manage and protect ocean resources, including ecosystems, biodiversity and human activities in a coordinated and sustainable manner”. “While the National Ocean Policy commits to an integrated approach to ocean management, effective implementation will depend on the harmonisation of sectoral legislation and regulations and improved collaboration between key stakeholders,” Ms Kaue said. She said a key objective of the Ocean Law and Policy Review will be to identify sectoral recommendations to enhance the implementation of collaborative approaches which the Oceans Office can support and facilitate, through its governance committees. PNG is among several countries to have developed National Ocean Policies (NOPs) to address the increasing challenges of managing the needs of multiple ocean users, including fishing communities, the fisheries industry and private sector among others. SPC Ocean and Maritime Deputy Director Jens Kruger said through the PSIOM program, SPC is committed to supporting member countries to sustainably manage and protect the Pacific Ocean. “A common aspiration within national ocean policies in PNG and the Pacific is the growing desire for Integrated Ocean Management (IOM).” “In the Pacific, IOM recognises that traditional knowledge and culture, advanced science and robust laws and policies are key to understanding the ocean and effectively implementing ocean policies through stakeholder consultation, engagement and participation,” Mr Kruger said. A key highlight of the workshop was the presentation of findings and recommendations of the legal review to the PNG National Ocean Committee (NOC) and to establish the implementation status of PNG’s Ocean policy identify gaps and discuss opportunities. The Pacific Community Centre for Ocean Science is leading the PSIOM programme and works with Pacific Island government, sub-national authorities, and regional agencies to implement holistic ocean management practices.

In a country like Papua New Guinea, a nation with over 800 languages and tribal group, how do we define a Papua New Guinea woman in such a society? Dame Carol Anne Kidu DBE AO, the first women to enter politics in 1997 and having further served 3 terms in parliament recently defined what a Papua New Guinea woman. She stated that a modern Papua New Guinea woman operating in a Western World is climbing up the ladder efficiently now. It may be slow but it’s happening, this woman is also a traditional Papua New Guinea woman. “We must not expect Papua New Guinea woman to have agency in this cultural context,” said Lady Kidu. “They can be that Papua New Guinea women we have the image of, representing us regionally, internationally and in corporate sectors too but when they go back to their village, they have to play a different role.” Lady Kidu added that to isolate a Papua New Guinea woman from their traditional role in their traditional homes is a disservice to them. To bring all women leaders in the national level together to advocate and empower each other and to unite influential women leaders from across the nation to foster unity, cooperation, and strategic initiatives is very important but also very sensitive. “Gender relationships based on principles of equity is important for all PNG women and we need to keep developing that.”

The Nadi Weather Office says they are anticipating Tropical Disturbance TD02F to become a Tropical Cyclone in the next 6 to 18 hours, and we are expected to feel further effects from tomorrow into Wednesday. The centre of the Tropical Depression is located 1,000 kilometres West North West of Rotuma or 1,300 kilometres North West of Yasawa I Ra. Based on the current forecast track, the cyclone is expected to pass to the West of Viti Levu with a possibility of landfall on the Western Division. It is expected to be a Category 2 Cyclone when it affects most of the Western Division. The weather system is expected to move South East eventually away from the group in the next 2 days. They say the onset of Gale Force winds is expected to affect Yasawa from midday tomorrow and gradually spreading to the rest of the group. This means damaging winds and cyclone impacts could begin several hours prior to the cyclone centre passing over or nearby. Please secure your homes and properties and know your evacuation centres. A Flash Flood Alert is now in force for flood prone areas, small streams and low lying areas within Bua-Lekutu, Dama, Solevu, Wainunu to Kubulau, Wailevu West Coast, Savusavu, Coastal Vaturova – Koroalau; Upper Wainimala, Koro Island, Ovalau Island and Tailevu North. This means flooding of roads, Irish crossings and bridges in low lying areas and flood plains. A Gale Alert remains in force for Rotuma. A Storm Alert remains in force for Yasawa and Mamanuca group, Western, Northern and Southern Viti Levu, Vatulele, Kadavu and nearby smaller islands. A Gale Alert remains in force for the western half of Vanua Levu (Dreketi, Bua to Savusavu), Eastern Viti Levu and Lomaiviti group. A Strong Wind Warning remains in force for the rest of Fiji. A Heavy Rain Warning remains in force for the whole of the Fiji group. An active trough of low pressure with associated cloud and rain is affecting the country. The Weather Office says for Rotuma, expect strong Southeasterly winds up to 45 kilometres an hour with gusts to 80 kilometres per hour with winds increasing to 65 kilometres an hour with gusts to 90 kilometres an hour from early tomorrow. They also say there will be periods of rain, heavy at times and a few thunderstorms with rough to very rough seas. For Yasawa and Mamanuca group, Western, Northern and Southern Viti Levu, Vatulele, Kadavu and nearby smaller islands expect strong Southeasterly winds up to 45 km/hr with gusts to 80 km/hr, and winds increasing to 95km/hr with gusts to 130km/hr and becoming clockwise from later tomorrow. There will be periods of rain, heavy at times and a few thunderstorms with rough to very rough seas. For western half of vanua levu [Dreketi, Bua to Savusavu], eastern Viti Levu and Lomaiviti Group expect strong Southeasterly winds up to 45 km/hr with gusts to 80 km/hr with winds increasing to 85km/hr with gusts to 120km/hr and becoming clockwise from later tomorrow. For the rest of the Fiji group expect strong southeasterly winds up to 45 km/hr with gusts to 80 km/hr. winds increasing to 55km/hr with gusts to 80km/hr and becoming clockwise from later tomorrow with occasional rain, heavy at times and few thunderstorms over most places. There might be localised flooding of susceptible communities, businesses and low lying areas. Also localised flooding of minor roads, Irish crossings and bridges with some disruption to traffic flow. There will be poor visibility at land and sea with increased risk of motor vehicle accidents due to slippery roads. Possible impacts due to expected tropical cyclone from later tomorrow with significant damage to houses of very light materials and old galvanized iron roofs blown off. There is also a risk of disruption in communication network and power supply due to damaged power lines. Most plants and crops are expected to be damaged and downed with a few small trees broken and blocking roads with major disruption to traffic flow. There might be flooding of roads, settlements, properties and infrastructure near streams and river banks with displacement of communities near streams and river banks due to flooding with danger to life Also localised disruption of essential services with a very high risk of sea travel for all types of sea crafts Source: Fijivillage.com.fj

United Nations Development Program in partnership with Australian Government and the Joint Parliamentary Women’s Caucus -PNGs National Parliament and Bougainville House of Representatives has held Woman in Leadership retreat, which was launched on Thursday 09th November 2023 and is running a one-day retreat today Friday 10th November 2023 at the Hilton Hotel here in Port Moresby. The joint Parliamentary women speakers plays a pivotal role in unifying forces for female members of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea and this retreat is to bring all women leaders in the national level together to advocate and empower each other. This transformative gathering unites influential women leaders from across the nation to foster unity, cooperation, and strategic initiatives. The primary objective is to advocate for Gender Equality, Women's Empowerment, Women’s Political Participation, and the eradication of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) UNDP Residence Representative Mr Nicholas Booth in his opening remarks stated that gender Inequality is certainly among the biggest challenges PNG faces. “In the UNDP Inequality Index, Papua New Guinea ranks 169 at the bottom, but Gender based Violence, PNG is at the highest level in the Pacific and the Pacific level of Gender Based violence is the highest in the world.” Mr Booth stated that this is an incredibly serious problem that needs to be addressed. “But here is the extra dimension of the problem, you will never see Gender Inequality and you will never get to gender equality unless women have the same power as men, unless women lead equality with men.” Mr Booth added that here in PNG the ceiling is like concrete, and it takes strong women do break through it and the question is, how do women break through that? That is why the Woman in Leadership retreat is important it creates a space for powerful women who can come together and can work together. “Having a retreat like these joint women coercers is such an important way for powerful women leaders to come together for advocacy, to work on issues around them, to learn the tricks and to share the strategies.” Mr Booth further encouraged all women to empower and share and let us spread the partnership for women’s leadership at every level throughout this country. “Country PNG bai i nonap stap orait sapos ol meri ino stap.”

With the interest of the athletes at heart, the Board of the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee Inc. ("PNGOC") resolved at its meeting on 08 November 2023 to extend the payment deadline for National Federations ("Sports") to pay the mandated K2, 000 levies per athlete and official for the upcoming Pacific Games. The extended deadline will be around lunch time today, Friday 10 November 2023 and the PNGOC has already contacted each of the Sports yet to pay in full and urged them to meet their obligations to their athletes. This is the fourth and final deadline for payment, the first being May 2023. At present, outstanding levies remain due from the Sports of Bodybuilding, Power lifting, Table Tennis (including Para Table Tennis), Taekwondo, Triathlon, Basketball 3x3 and 5x5, Football, Hockey and Touch and these entire amount totals up to K349, 500.00. Sports that have paid in-full are Athletics (including Para Athletics), Boxing, Golf, Swimming, Tennis, Va'a, Netball, Volleyball, Rugby 7s and Weightlifting. In acknowledging that some Sports have, amongst other things, made part payments or provided undertakings to pay, the Board stressed that such efforts fall short of the commitment made by these Sports to the Nation and Team PNG, when they applied for justification over 2 years ago. The Board calls on National Federations of affected sports to meet their obligations to their athletes.

PMG Motors has made a significant donation of a brand-new vehicle to Businesses for Health Papua New Guinea (B4H)— a new project vehicle to support the important work of Businesses for Health TB & HIV project. This generous gift underscores PNG Motors' commitment to improving workplace health and productivity outcomes in Papua New Guinea and addressing the nation's high burden of Tuberculosis and HIV. The Businesses for Health TB & HIV project was established in response to the alarming and increasing rates of Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV in Papua New Guinea, which places immense strain on individuals, productivity, and the entire national economy. Worldwide the mantra for ending TB is that TB is preventable and curable, but here in PNG 5,200 people lost their lives to TB last year. Young people of working age make up most of the case of TB, so the loss of life is often the loss of a family breadwinner, and it is even sadder that in 2023, more babies were born with HIV. Loss of income devastates families and helps to drive conditions which TB loves – overcrowding and untreated coughs. The B4H project plays a pivotal role in raising awareness, providing training for businesses in better workplace management of cases, and facilitating initiatives to find cases of TB earlier and to promote the need to know one’s HIV status. The addition of this new vehicle from PNG Motors significantly enhances the project's capacity to reach workplaces, support our workplace-based TB wardens, and engage with businesses across the NCD. When our trainees save the life of an employee it sends powerful messages about TB prevention and the messages to families and their local communities. Dr Ann Clarke, project supporter at B4H, expressed their gratitude for PNG Motors' generous contribution, saying, "This vehicle represents a significant milestone in our recovery from the devastating impact of COVID on the TB response and our mission to end Tuberculosis and HIV.” “We are immensely thankful to PNG Motors for their support; our existing vehicle was donated to the Business Coalition against HIV and AIDS (BAHA) in 2013 and we have literally worn it out delivering HIV information, condoms and now education about TB, coughing and the better management of TB.” Dr Clarke further stated that the economy is in such terrible shape there no way they could ever raise enough money for a new vehicle, but with the new vehicle, they can continue to visit workplaces, support TB patients into the right services. It enhances their impact, and work toward a TB-free Papua New Guinea. PNG Motors has a longstanding history of corporate responsibility and community engagement. This donation exemplifies their dedication to playing an active role in addressing PNG deadliest infectious disease and social issues within the nation. Mr Steve Lane, Marketing Manager at PNG Motors, during the presentation of the vehicle stated that PNG Motors is proud to contribute to the Businesses for Health TB project. “We have seen our staff succumb to TB and the Cover your cough team present such a positive health message while also addressing Tuberculosis in Papua New Guinea.” “We are not just delivering a safe mode of transport. Our friends at Biz Print have ensured it is also moving billboard sharing the “cover your cough” message and Pacific Assurance mean the team are well insured.” The B4H team have taught us, “Coughing is not normal”, Coughing is a sign of disease, and coughs need to be checked for treatable TB. “This moving billboard means more awareness, and support where it is needed most -which is out on the streets of Port Moresby. We are committed to the success of this B4H and its role in creating a healthier, wealthier future for our nation,” said Steve. This generous gift of a new project vehicle from PNG Motors further strengthens the partnership between the private sector and B4H, demonstrating the profound impact that collaborative efforts can have on improving public health in Papua New Guinea,

The Melanesian Spearhead Group has appointed Fiji and Papua New Guinea prime ministers Sitiveni Rabuka and James Marape as special envoys to Indonesia to "address the West Papua issue", a move that has been welcomed by the Pacific Conference of Churches. The sub-regional group met for its caucus meeting on Monday (Cook Islands time) ahead of the official opening of the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Rarotonga, during which Rabuka proposed sending a representative to Indonesia to facilitate dialogue on the West Papua situation. Rabuka and Marape's mandate will be to meet with Indonesian President Joko Widodo to discuss the pressing issue of West Papua. The MSG caucus reached a consensus that sending a ministerial envoy, as opposed to a bureaucratic-level envoy, would be the most effective approach to addressing the West Papua issue. "Earlier today, the Melanesian Spearhead Group Caucus appointed me as a Special Envoy to address the West Papua issue," Rabuka posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). "Alongside Prime Minister James Marape of Papua New Guinea (PNG), we've been tasked with meeting the President of Indonesia to discuss this pressing matter." In August, the MSG leaders failed to reach a consensus in Port Vila to accept the United Liberation Movement for West Papua's (ULMWP) bid to become a full member of the sub-regional grouping, defering the issue to the Forum Leaders Meeting. Vanuatu Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu said Rabuka and Marapae's appointment was "an additional measure" on the West Papua issue. "This is an additional measure agreed to by the MSG which supplements the existing decisions of PIF and MSG for an independent assessment by the UN Human Rights Commissioner and an MSG Leaders visit to West Papua," Regenvanu posted on X. The Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) has said it "welcomes [the] Melanesian Spearhead Group move to engage further with Indonesia on the situation in West Papua and calls for an inclusive process of engagement that doesn't leave West Papuans out of the talanoa." General secretary Padre James Bhagwan said the PCC "the engagement of ULMWP as MSG Observers will need to be secured by PMs for this process to have legitimacy." However, the PCC is also calling for an imminent persons group, including civil society to accompany the process, for transparency. "The situation in West Papua will also be on the Agenda of the 12th [PCC] General Assembly, which begins in just over a week in Kanaky-New Caledonia," Padre Bhagwan said on X. The PCC General Assembly is expected to gather almost 200 delegates from 35 churches and 12 national councils of churches and regional faith organisations from over 18 Pacific Island countries and territories, making it the largest constituent assembly in the region, he added. Source : RNZ.com

The National Energy Authority as the regulator, is mandated to develop policies and clear guidelines, do research and implementation of technologies in the Energy Sector, both in the electricity space and the refine petroleum products. That’s from National Energy Authority (NEA) Managing Director Mr. Ronald Meketa who said this as he outlined the country’s journey into achieving clean energy. Mr Keketa stated that the good news is Papua New Guines is not a Coal Burning country and about 40% of our total power generation is fossil fuel and 60% is hydro, so that makes Papua New Guinea to be in the 60% renewable power generation space. “The 40% refine, petroleum products are mostly diesel, heavy fuel oil and we have 2 new gas turbine power generation limits.” “In terms of technology now, we are switching from 100% diesel to a dual fuel system, meaning we now have generators that can switch between diesel and gas.” Mr Meketa added that the new power gas engine power plant at Papa is doing up to 50 mega watts, and they are using gas engines and those are the cleanest sort of technology available and it is currently in the ranking cycle. “We are already moving into that space and NEA as the regulator, we are focused on key policies, we already have the draft for solar policy, hydro power policies, geothermal policy and wind energy policy, we also working on hydrogen policy as well as clean green harmony policy.” Mr Meketa further highlighted addition policies that have already been drafted, like the Carbon Capture Storage (CCS) which is a new technology in terms of carbon storage. “Either we have the forest as the carbon sink hole or we extract CO2 from the air and pump them into a gas reservoir that can store CO2, and we are already applying that in PNG and we are not that far in terms of technology exchanges”. He added that unlike five years ago, we are now already stepping into having policy guidelines in place, so we are not at the back and trying to catch up on those advancements in technology. “With PNG having the 2050 vision already in place, given that 40% of our total power generation is based on transitional energy now and we are moving into that space we can achieve renewable energy in less than 10-15 years.”

The Matupit Island Communities in Rabaul District, East New Britain province, recently initiated a mangrove nursery as a community-driven effort to combat climate change under the theme “Greening the Future". The aim of the program was to raise awareness about the importance of mangroves and promote their conservation. The newly established nursery is situated in Matupit Ward 1 and will distribute over 280 seedlings to other wards for planting along their respective beachfronts. The mangrove nursery program received support from the district administration under the Kombiu Local Level Government (LLG), which facilitated an integrated climate change approach incorporating the work of fisheries, agriculture, and climate change authorities. Witnessing this small yet significant occasion were officers from the provincial fisheries division, provincial climate change unit, district officials and the Matupit community. Speaking during the launching was the District Rural Development Officer Mr. Murphy Selep, who expressed gratitude to the district and Kombiu LLG management for their support in ensuring the successful completion of the project. Mr. Selep also commended the community for their active engagement and collaboration in establishing the mangrove nursery. Also, during the launching of the mangrove nursery program, the Provincial Climate Change Officer Ms. Maryanne Wariga also conducted a brief awareness outlining the effects of climate change and emphasized the significance of planting mangroves. She further highlighted their role as barriers against storms, prevention of soil erosion, enhancement of fishing grounds, and protection of the overall eco-system. Member for Ward 1 Mr. Waninara Vuia who was also present at the launching, also expressed gratitude to the Rabaul District Economic sector for their contribution towards meaningful community projects. Mr. Vuia encouraged community members to take ownership of the mangrove nursery initiative, stressing the importance of collective responsibility in environmental conservation. The launching program of the mangrove nursery in Matupit Island Communities showcased a commendable community-driven initiative to combat climate change, and also successfully raised awareness about the benefits of mangroves in mitigating the impact of climate change and protecting the local ecosystem.