The National Executive Council has appointed a panel of three independent experts to review the tax dispute between the Internal Revenue Commission and Barrick Niugini Limited. NEC noted the progress of the activities required to reopen the Porgera Gold Mine and was concerned that the tax matter was prolonged. While it continues to observe the independence of the internal revenue commission, it availed itself of the opportunity to be advised independently of the issues surrounding the taxation dispute. In its meeting of 01 February 2023, the NEC appointed, Mr. David Sode, former IRC Commissioner General, Mr. David Castiglione a specialist in Resource taxation, and Mr Ron Webb QC who will work with a legal firm review the legal analysis of the IRC’s position. These are reputable individuals who have the skills and experiences to review independently what the IRC has done with this assessment. Prime Minister Marape said that while the independence of the IRC remains paramount in his views, there was a need for an independent assessment to assure the Government that the assessment is correct in terms of its legal and technical basis, and that the government is positioned carefully to take its position in the dispute that stands in between the way of reopening Porgera gold mine. “The National Government notes differing reading of the same tax law by both IRC and Barrick and instead of allowing the deployment of tax tribunal as allowed by law for tax dispute resolutions, cabinet felt responsible to set up this review to ascertain law as it is so solutions can be found sooner rather then later as is the case with tribunals and arbitrations. “This independent review panel is not the tax tribunal that is provided for in the Income Tax Act, but it allows the State to independently look at the stand off between IRC and Barrick in as far as the reading of presently law is concerned to tax considerations IRC has made in respect to stripping definitions and others. I consider that the independent review panel is within our powers to establish independently, and to review the issues and advise the government in return.” The panel has two weeks from the date of receiving the NEC decision to complete and file its report back to the National Executive Council. The Prime Minister also acknowledged the leadership of the Minister for State Enterprises, Honorable William Duma and Mining, Hon Sir Ano Pala, who worked hard to bring this matter to the NEC.

The Papua New Guinea University of Technology (UoT) NCD Students Association have started their education awareness programs for secondary schools in Port Moresby. They started the program with a presentation at Gerehu Secondary school on Thursday where a few of the student representatives talked about their respective courses that they are studying. UoT NCD Students Association Vice President, Mr. Arthur Kondon said that the aim for this program is to motivate, educate and inspire youths. “We want to show these students that we were once them in school. We want the students to see that if we can do it, they can too.” Kondon said that they had student leaders from the different schools at the university who talked about their experience at the university, the courses they studied and what they wanted to do after they graduated. They offered encouragements and answered questions from the students. On Friday they had the same awareness program at St Charles Lwanga and will continue the awareness program this week at Tokarara Secondary and Gordons Secondary schools. Kondon added that they want to make the education awareness program an annual program so they can carry out the awareness at other schools that they are unable to go to this year. He further added that they want to visit more schools to inspire and motivates youths; however, they do not have the finances to do so. Currently they are using their own resources and would like to reach out to interested parties for financial assistance so they can keep carrying out this program. Meanwhile, Kondon would like NCD Students from the other tertiary institutions to partner with them so they can come up with other programs to give back to the communities here in Port Moresby.

THE National Government will roll out a youth mobilization programme aimed at engaging the youth of Papua New Guinea to address uneasiness and formal employment issues in the country, Prime Minister James Marape has said. PM Marape said today (05.02.23) the PNG Defence Force and the National Volunteer Service are being engaged in this intervention programme, and will be advertising this month for young unemployed people out of schools and colleges to link them back into continuing their education, and employment and/or self-employment in agriculture, livestock, forestry, fisheries, tourism and SMEs. The Prime Minister said this while urging Papua New Guineans flocking into urban centres in search of jobs to return their focus on their own land and start planning small businesses in agriculture, poultry, fisheries and tourism. “We will be working with provincial governments and districts for this youth mobilisation programmes so I encourage all youth to go back to your respective district or province of origin,” PM Marape said. “There aren’t enough jobs in towns. Since 1975, we have not created a sufficient employment generating foundation for the benefit of our people. Our largest employer is the Public Service with a maximum capacity of up to 200,000. “Even if we open 10 mines, oil and gas fields, the number of jobs they will create is still not enough to absorb our present population of youth and those coming out of schools, which numbers anything between 100,000 and 200,000 a year. “ That is the main reason why I keep repeating our government’s strong stance on developing the renewable sectors of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Tourism. “Our biggest available opportunities for productive engagement in business and employment that will successfully engage our people is in the agriculture, in livestock, poultry, forestry, fisheries and tourism. “ These sectors, when harnessed, will create thousands of sustaining jobs and businesses, and grow our economy.” Giving a demonstration of the kind of revenue Papua New Guineans can make on the land, PM Marape said one hectare of land is able to yield over K20,000 a year from cash crops, food crops, and livestock cultivation. “On one hectare of land you can generate over K20,000 a year from coffee, cocoa, vanilla, oil palm, copra, rubber, rice, and vegetables. Raising over 5000 chickens a year, you can raise over K20,000 a year. Breeding over 10 cows or pigs a year will earn you over K20,000 a year. Fishing over 100kgs of fish and marine products can earn you over K20,000 a year. Creating a good law and order in your community and receiving over 1000 tourists into your guest house can earn you over K20,000 a year;” said the Prime Minister “Why am I using the K20,000 figure? Because that’s the higher bracket average for a young Papua New Guinean starting employment in PNG. “ The K20,000 earning ability is much higher than someone who will be paid as a kitchen hand or a cleaner at Stanley Hotel, for instance. Papua New Guineans can earn much more money in the primary resource sector. “Every one of you out there looking for jobs has a family, tribal land, water or sea space here in this country. You are not poor; you, by your Constitutional right, own and have access to your land, water, and sea in this country. Why do you want to flock to a city that has limited employment opportunities for you?” The Prime Minister once more reminded Papua New Guineans of the support programmes already in place such as the Price Support and Freight Subsidy programmes in Agriculture, and the K100 million-per-year funding for SMEs since 2020 which should become good incentives for Papua New Guineans to return home to work their natural resources. PM Marape said rural-based economic activities abound demonstrating the successes of working the land or operating small businesses - such as MSME owners who have successfully borrowed from the government-supported SME facility since 2020, the artisan fish-buying depot in Manus, the crab exporting business in Central Province, the big engagement of villagers in cocoa cultivation and production in East Sepik, Morobe and Bougainville. "There is no shortage of examples of Papua New Guineans who are successfully engaging with their land or making a comfortable living from MSMEs. As the Government continues to open up our rural areas through the Connect PNG Programme and connect our people to markets, there is every reason for our people to stop migrating into towns for average-paid jobs and settle down on their land to make good money for themselves and in turn support the economy," said the Prime Minister. PM Marape said as the Government moves into unlocking primary resources even more through downstream processing, these would in turn create more employment, while the Government works with the Australian and New Zealand governments to export both skilled and unskilled labour into these countries’ markets. “These employment generation activities will take time for us to create. There is no quick fix to our country’s employment challenges; it is a long road to holistically address this big issue facing our country,” said PM Marape. The Prime Minister has urged Papua New Guinean youth who are not returning to school this year to look out for the upcoming youth mobilization programme to enlist in to get some direction and help.

At least 22 people have died in connection with widespread forest fires in south-central Chile, according to government officials. Interior Minister Carolina Tohá confirmed during a news conference on Saturday that 22 people are dead. There are 1,429 people in shelters, 554 injured and 16 suffering severe burns who are in serious condition, she said. Twenty-eight of the hundreds of fires in Chile in recent days have burned the amount of forest and woodland the country typically loses over the course of a year, Tohá said. The minister also described record high temperatures in several of the affected regions of Chile. “The thermometer has reached levels that we’ve never seen until now,” Tohá said. On Saturday, President Gabriel Boric announced via Twitter that neighboring Argentina will send firefighters and machinery to combat the fires engulfing Chile’s south-central area, according to CNN Chile. Boric said he had spoken to his Argentinian counterpart, Alberto Fernández, to “coordinate and thank Argentina in the fight against the fires. Besides firefighters, we will receive machinery.” Boric added that he will seek further help fighting the fires from other countries. “We are arranging support from various countries to face the emergency. We will not leave them alone,” he said tweeted. Source: CNN

A young Brisbane Broncos outfit posted eights tries in a clinical 44-12 trial win over Wynnum Manly Seagulls at Kougari Oval. Built on tireless efforts by lock Shalom O’Ofau and prop Logan Bayliss, the Broncos’ ball players were able to run rampant with fullback Tristan Sailor a standout with three try assists and a four-pointer of his own. Playmaker Josh Rogers and hooker Tyson Smoothy also impressed, as did centres Deine Mariner and Ethan Quai-Ward who looked sharp collecting a try each and being sharp in defence. The young Broncos carried the ball strongly in the early exchanges and were rewarded when Smoothly darted over from dummy half after a repeat set to make it 6-0 in the 3rd minute. And the Broncos went ahead 10-0 soon after when Smoothy and fullback Tristan Sailor combined with some slick passing up the middle of the ruck to put Diene Mariner in the clear, the centre taking the tackle before playmaker Josh Rogers produced a pinpoint cross-kick for winger Israel Leota to catch and score in the left corner. Sailor turned creator again in the 19th minute when he held up the ball nicely before feeding Mariner with a lovely face ball that sent the centre crashing over for a 16-0 lead. The Broncos spend a 12-minute period stuck inside their own half and showed good defensive resilience before it was Sailor in the action again, grabbing an intercept and racing 50 metres before offloading to Liam Horne who was pulled down just short of the line. The ball was then spread wide to the left through multiple sets of hands for centre Ethan Quai-Ward to stroll over in the corner to make it 20-0 after 42 minutes, and it was 26-0 a short time later when rangy young winger James Johnson showed great determination to scramble over from close range. Jack Campagnolo did some nice work to score in the 50th minute before Sailor registered a try of his own after setting up three, producing a nicely timed run to hit a lovely pass from playmaker Josh Ahern and score on the right edge to make it 38-0. Backrower Will Samuel finished off some crisp passing close to the line to make it 44-0 before a couple of late tries to the Seagulls.   Source: NRL.com

Samarai Murua District Authority (SMDDA) and Women’s Microbank Limited (WMB) launched the MSME Credit Scheme on Friday (03/02/23). Local MP Isi Henry Leonard who is also the Minister for Tourism Arts and Culture expressed the importance of this partnership during the signing of the agreement at the WMB Headquarters in Port Moresby. Mr Leonard wants to see his people involved in SMEs and to be financially empowered. He said partnership was the way and the signing of the agreement with Women’s Microbank Limited was the catalyst to drive financial literacy and economic inclusion in his district. “Banking cannot be ignored neither can it be denied, it’s a core fundamental institution that is a must for progress and prosperity. If you want to develop a society and community, we must provide in financial literacy programs and training,” he said. “Giving knowledge alone is not important, but we must also enable them to amass the little resource they have to group it together, bulk it and compound it together so we can all use it communally for the purposes of business,” Minister Leonard said. He took it as a challenge to drive the Marape-Rosso Government’s determination to go rural with its programs to engage with the people, to make it simple, basic and applicable to everyone in the rural areas, in the villages and wards to participate meaningfully in the pursuit of development and self-sustenance. Mr Leonard reiterated that the DDA was an enabler and he was determine to see it provide the necessary foundation for his people during his second term as an MP. Adding that it was vital for the people of Samarai Murua to have access to such financial services and facilities. The scheme provides the opportunity for accessible loan facilities for entrepreneurs in rural Samarai Murua District to participate in income earning opportunities. WMB provides gender balanced economic pathways for financial inclusive and sustainable development. The partnership will; - Generate village-based income generating activities relating to Agriculture, Informal and Commercial Projects in selected and viable areas of SMD. Utilizing government and NGOs amongst other things. - Assist in improving socio economic lifestyle for rural SMD Key products will include; 1. Microfinance Credit Scheme – Loans from PGK300.00 – PGK5,000.00 2. SME Credit Scheme – Loans from PGK10,000 – PGK150,000.00 Since the closure of banking institutions in Samarai Murua District, people have had to travel to Alotau, which is an expensive and risky exercise. The SMD and WMB partnership will allow our citizens to conduct their loan activities in the district capital – Bwagaoia, Misima Island. With the partnership now been established, Mr Leonard said security was fundamental to any progress whether it was social or economic development. He highlighted that cross-sectorial security support programs such as the tourism policy will alleviate the issue. He is committed to see the Tourism Policy roll out first and piloted in his district in partnership with the Tourism Promotion Authority. He confirmed the announcement had been made by the Tourism Promotion Authority recently. The rollout of the tourism policy program will see the district engage its own people, trained to respond to Law and Order issues. He said his District Scholarship Scheme will also see youths from his district with minimum grade 12 education sponsored to attend formal police training programs. Among the many issues, he highlighted the need to assist those living with disabilities in the district. “I provide assistance to those with disability or if there is a death and the people need my support, I help because it is our culture to assist where we can. I do not have the capacity to provide all the help, so we need the Bank to help us with our disability program. “This includes the elderly; our culture demands that we care for our old folks because we do not have social programs to support them. I want a bank that can help support our people living with special needs and old age people through the respective programs we will initiate,” Mr Leonard said. The MOA with WMB will go into full swing after his DDA meets to resolute next month. The initial discussions between the Office of the Member for Samarai Murua and the WMB were held before the 2022 national General Elections but the program was delayed due to COVID in the past two years. The signing of the agreement was witnessed by Minister Leonard, his staff from the Electorate and Ministry including the Board and Management of the Women’s Microbank Limited.

Both Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts spoke to the media on Thursday as they recognized the significance of being the first two Black quarterbacks to start in the same Super Bowl. Almost exactly 35 years after Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl with the then-Washington Redskins, Mahomes and Hurts made history as the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles reached the NFL’s season finale. For 27-year-old Chiefs quarterback Mahomes – who is looking for his second Super Bowl ring when the two teams face off in Arizona on February 12, which would make him the first Black quarterback to win multiple titles – the moment of history is “special.” “I’ve learned more and more about the history of the Black quarterback since I’ve been in this league,” he told reporters. “The guys that came before me and Jalen set the stage for this, and now I’m just glad we can set the stage for kids that are coming up now. It’ll be a great game against two great teams and against another great quarterback. I’m excited to go out there and do what we can against a great team.” Eagles quarterback Hurts, in just his second full season as a starter, is just the eighth Black quarterback to start in the Super Bowl and Philadelphia’s second Black quarterback to start in a Super Bowl, joining Donovan McNabb who started Super Bowl XXXIX. “I think it’s history,” Hurts said. “I think it’s something that’s worthy of being noted and it is history. It’s come a long way. I think it’s only been seven African-American quarterbacks to play in the Super Bowl, so to be the first for something is pretty cool. I know it will be a good one.” Should the Eagles win at State Farm Stadium, Hurts will become the fourth Black quarterback to win an NFL championship after Williams in 1988, Russell Wilson with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014 and Mahomes in 2020. Mahomes outlined that he has come to understand the platform he and others in his position have to push others forward. “I think you’ve seen over time,” Mahomes said, “whenever a guy like Doug Williams or Michael Vick or Donovan McNabb go out and play great football, it gives other guys like me and Jalen this platform and have this spot on another NFL team. “If we can continue to show that we can consistently be great, I think it will continue to open doors for other kids growing up to follow their dreams and be a quarterback of an NFL team. It’s good we have guys like Jalen on the other team because he’s a great person and, obviously, a great quarterback.” Both Mahomes’ and Hurts’ runs to the Super Bowl are inspiring to their contemporaries around the league. “I know those guys are going to be hyped up and ready to play,” Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields told CNN Sport. “But it’s definitely a big moment for a lot of Black, young QBs coming up and having them inspire them and maybe they’re saying to themselves: ‘That could be me one day.’” Fields added: “Jalen and Patrick, they can do a lot of great things on the field in terms of throwing the football and being able to extend plays with their feet. “It’s just awesome – having the first Super Bowl [with] two Black quarterbacks in is definitely a historic moment, for sure.” Source: CNN

A 30-year-old Portuguese dog has been named as the world's oldest ever by Guinness World Records - beating a record that stood for a century. Bobi is a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo - a breed that has an average life expectancy of 12 to 14 years. The previous oldest dog ever was Australia's Bluey, who died in 1939 at the age of 29 years and five months. As of 1 February, Bobi was 30 years and 226 days old, and is said to be doing well for his age. His grand old age has been validated by the Portuguese government's pet database, which is managed by the National Union of Veterinarians, according to Guinness World Records. He has lived his whole life with the Costa family in the village of Conqueiros, near Portugal's west coast, after being born with three siblings in an outbuilding. Leonel Costa, who was eight years old at the time, said his parents had too many animals and had to put the puppies down, but Bobi escaped. Leonel and his brothers kept the dog's existence a secret from their parents until he was eventually discovered and became part of the family, who feed him the same food they eat. "Between a can of animal food or a piece of meat, Bobi doesn't hesitate and chooses our food," said Mr Costa, who always soaks the food in water to remove most of the seasoning. Apart from a scare in 2018 when he was hospitalised after suddenly collapsing due to breathing difficulty, Mr Costa says Bobi has enjoyed a relatively trouble-free life and believes the secret to his longevity is the "calm, peaceful environment" he lives in. It may also be in the blood - Bobi's mother living to the age of 18. However, time has taken its toll on Bobi, who now has trouble walking and worsening eyesight. Mr Costa says Bobi is the "last of a long generation of animals" in the Costa family and describes him as "one of a kind." Bobi's crowning as the oldest dog ever comes just two weeks after Guinness World Records named another dog, Spike the Chihuahua, as the oldest living dog - at 23 years old. Guinness have since updated its records, and announced Bobi as both the oldest dog living, and the oldest dog ever. Source: BBC

Cancer is destructive, threatening every single country, claiming thousands of lives each year and impacting the lives of countless others. Cancer isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but it’s incredibly important to be aware of the impacts and the ways you can detect and even reduce the chances of getting cancer. The World Health Organisation is making it their mission to ‘close the care gap’ this year focusing on uniting our voices and taking action. Because the more we share new ideas and keep the conversation going, we can achieve almost anything. At the Sir Brian Bell Foundation, we’re on the same page and are working with many special organizations and individuals to put an end to preventable cancers in our communities such as Sir Brian Bell Centre for Transfusion Medicine, we’re committed to collecting blood donations for those affected by cancers and performing mini health checks. Grass Skirt Project - GYMBOX, combining a sport and wellness centre to get our bodies active and moving while also providing health and nutrition advice and Queenpads which teaches women about menstrual hygiene and how to notice menstrual changes which can signify cancer. We’re also committed to supporting communities through health and education and connecting people to the right health information in the hopes of preventing some types of cancer. The most common types of cancer in Papua New Guinea are breast, lip, oral cavity, cervix, uterine, liver and prostate. The good news is that in most cases, these types of cancer (and others) can be prevented. Some easy ways you can look after yourself and help prevent cancer include avoiding chewing betel nut, smoking tobacco, eating unhealthy foods, binge drinking and failing to exercise. We will continue to work alongside Papua New Guinea Cancer Foundation to minimise the impact cancer has on our communities, you can check out a range of cancer awareness resources on their website. “Remember, your body is your business. If you notice any changes in your health—even small things—talk to a medical health professional and schedule regular check-ups. It just might save your life” commented Sir Brian Bell Foundation CEO Bronwyn Wright. This World Cancer Day (Feb 4th), we’re calling on you, whoever and wherever you are, to play your part in creating a cancer-free world. What will you do to close the gap in cancer care? You can start by sharing this post with your friends to spread the word! Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) World Cancer Day 2022-2024 “Close the Care Gap” This World Cancer Day, we recognise the power of working together. We know that every single one of us has the ability to make a difference, large or small, and that together we can make real progress in reducing the global impact of cancer. This 4 February, we call on you, whoever and wherever you are, to play your part in creating a cancer-free world. This World Cancer Day, what will you do to close the gap in cancer care. 2023: Uniting our voices and taking action. As our campaign continues, we will join with like-minded people because we know that we are stronger when we are united. We will celebrate real-world progress in its many forms and allow that momentum to fuel our fight for fairness. We’ll do more than spread the word—we’ll shout it from the rooftops. We’ll build stronger alliances and innovative new collaborations. Our actions can take countless forms: motivating neighbours to provide transport to cancer treatment for a fellow resident or ensuring that healthy and affordable food options are offered at the local school. We’ll mobilise our friends, family, co-workers, and communities because we know that together we can achieve almost anything.

The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), that will result in greater cooperation and competition between the two FIFA Confederations for the benefit of football in the Pacific and Asia. The MOU signed after the 33rd AFC Congress in Bahrain will run for three years and will see the OFC and AFC strengthen their ties through more matches between teams from the two Confederations. It represents a further strengthening of a strong relationship forged between the Confederations who first signed an MOU in 2016. OFC President Lambert Maltock is hailing the MOU as hugely significant and beneficial for football in Oceania and reflects a long-standing relationship that has been built from AFC’s and OFC’s commitment and love for football. “We are pleased that the implementation of this agreement means a focus on high level competitions between representative teams from both confederations,” Maltock said. “The development that Oceania men’s and women’s teams will gain from these competitions are hugely beneficial, and reinforces OFC’s commitment to the strategic pillars of development and high performance within the OFC Strategy.” AFC President Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa believes the MOU will strengthen both Confederations. “This Memorandum of Understanding symbolises the long-standing partnership between the AFC and the OFC and reinforces our commitment to unlock the opportunities to further expand the growth of the game in this passionate Asia-Pacific region,” Al Khalifa said. Both the AFC and the OFC share similar challenges as well as common interests and I am confident that the exchange of best practices will provide fresh impetus to take the beautiful game to even greater heights.” There are 11 national football associations in the OFC and two associate Members, and 47 in the AFC. The two Confederations intend to foster cooperation and dialogue for the purpose of building a solid legacy, with an aim to give rise to sporting, social, cultural and educational benefits. The MOU will focus on creating high-level competition for men’s and women’s teams and the exchanging of knowledge, experience and resources through the technical and administrative training of the respective Confederations.   Source: Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)

City Pharmacy and Paradise Private Hospital joined the PNG Cancer Foundation to host basic health checks and cancer awareness sessions at the Holiday Inn (Waigani, Port Moresby), closing off a 2-day workshop schedule held ahead of World Cancer Day (4 February). More than 60 participants from corporate companies, individuals and the hotel staff took the opportunity to get their basic health check done and participated one of three (3) different cancer information sessions conducted by the PNGCF Health Educator team, including Paradise Private Hospital's Dr. Polapoi Chalau who facilitated a session on breast cancer. The health check campaign is an initiative aimed at building a stronger cancer prevention campaign in 2023 by incorporating basic health check as a component of the foundation's existing education and awareness programs.PNGCF is grateful to the supporters of the health check campaign including volunteers from Port Moresby General Hospital & UPNG, and implementation support from CPL PNG , Paradise Private Hospital and the Holiday Inn.

London Broncos are pleased to confirm Papua New Guinea international Emmanuel Waine has signed for the club, subject to VISA approval. The 26-year-old back-row middle joins from the PNG Hunters who compete in the Hostplus Cup, the second tier of Rugby League in Australia, and has more recently been training with NRL side The Dolphins. Waine started in Papua New Guinea’s 36-0 win over Wales at the recent Rugby League World Cup where he combined with new teammate Wellington Albert. He said he can’t wait to journey over to the UK and begin in his first campaign with the Broncos. “This is a really exciting opportunity for me, and I’m pleased to be part of the Broncos squad,” said Emmanuel. “I enjoyed my first World Cup in the UK during the autumn which was a great experience and hopefully I can develop my own game in the coming months. “It will be good to link up with Welly again and meet my other new teammates. I’ve kept myself fit by training with The Dolphins and will be ready to go straight into battle when I arrive.” Mike Eccles was equally pleased to add Waine to his squad and described him as an explosive and dynamic individual. “Emmanuel is a very explosive and dynamic player who will be hard to handle when carrying the ball,” said Eccles. “He’ll compliment our current squad really well and joins from a fantastic background. “We’re delighted to have him onboard and look forward to his arrival in the UK. His World Cup performances for Papua New Guinea really caught our attention where he partnered well with Welly (Wellington Albert). “We won’t be rushed into making signings for the sake of it. It’s a priority to ensure every player we recruit adds real quality to the team and Emmanuel ticks this box and can help push the Broncos forward.”     Source: Broncos Media