The nomination of candidates contesting the Goilala Open seat in Central Province will resume tomorrow at the Electoral Commission Office at Boroko in NCD after it was paused over the weekend. Goilala Open Returning Officer Theodore Maia said so far, 25 candidates have already been nominated since last Thursday. He said they did not open up the office for nomination over the weekend in respect of the worshiping days. He further said the decision to use this venue instead of having it at the district headquarters at Tapini is because of logistical issues and the road to Tapini itself being in a bad state. “There has been only one female candidate who has nominated so far among her male counterparts,” Mr Maia said. “Mathilda Koma had contested in the last two previous elections and she had remarked that this is her final try.” Goilala District is without a current MP heading into this National General Elections following the passing of late MP William Samb early this year.

The Kivori villagers’ initiative to build a new road to avoid the abuse and harassment by the nearby Waima youths has been boosted with the support of Central Governor Robert Agarobe. After numerous law and order issues between two villages in Kairuku District of Central Province, the Kivori villagers took up their knives, axes, and spades to build the 12.7km road since last year. Chairman of Kivori road project, Francis Hau said Kivori villages consist of Kivori Kui, Kivori Poe, Kivori Meauri, and Kivori Hereparu and the villagers sought assistance from the Governor after presenting a submission for the new road project at a recent Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meeting. Provincial Administrator Francis Koaba last week did the launch on behalf of the Governor at the project site. “The district road is the responsibility of the Open Members while the provincial roads is the responsibility of the Governor in the province,” Mr Koaba said. Shape Makers Contractors are being engaged to begin work on the construction after the approval was endorsed by the last PEC meeting held recently in Port Moresby.

“The most important person in sport is the athlete, they are not just competing in their respective sports but they are also ambassadors of PNG when they participate in the respective Games, said PNG Olympic Committee (PNGOC) President Sir John Dawanincura during the Team PNG Bonding event on Sunday 15th May 2022, at the Gateway Hotel, Port Moresby. Addressing all Team Officials, he added that if we fail as administrators, the athletes will suffer. The combined Team PNG event was attended by 70 athletes and officials going to the Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games in June and those going to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in July. Athletes and officials who were out of Port Moresby also participated online on Zoom. Sir John encouraged the athletes and officials to use the opportunity given to them to ask questions about any Games information before going to the Games and urged all athletes selected for both Games to be the best they can be. Both Chef de Missions (CdM) of the Games also addressed the teams during this event. In his opening remarks to the team, Michael Henao, CdM for Team PNG to Birmingham said: “We are very proud to be flying the Kumul with you athletes at the Commonwealth Games come July”. Mr Henao provided games updates including travel dates, accommodation venues and games venues. “PNG will be represented in Athletics, Boxing, Squash, Swimming, Table Tennis and Weightlifting.” “Of these sports, four (4) athletes have qualified under the Regional Qualification Process confirmed by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF). They include Weightlifting’s Dika Toua and Morea Baru and Table Tennis’s Geoffrey Loi and Tammy Agari as announced in April,” said Mr Henao. “The General Management Team and I are here to give you athletes the support, before, during and after the Games and we encourage your respective family, friends, communities and PNG as a whole to fly the Kumul with you,” concluded Henao. CdM of Team PNG to the Pacific Mini Games Kila Dick, took the opportunity to congratulate the athletes for making it this far and being selected to attend the Games in the Northern Marianas Islands. PNG will be represented in Athletics, Golf, Tennis, Va’a, Weightlifting and Para Sports at the Pacific Mini Games. Organised by the PNGOC and the General Management Teams (GMT) to the Games, the Team PNG Bonding event had information booths for athletes and officials to access information, ask questions and also meet the GMT which includes the Medical Teams and Team Press Attaché’/Photographers to the Games. In his closing statement, Sir John acknowledged Kumul Consolidated Holdings for its sponsorship towards Team PNG's preparations for both Games and also the sponsors of the event Gateway Hotel for providing the venue for the event and Blue-7-Team for setting up the information booths. He said that despite the scourge of the pandemic the PNGOC was doing the best it can with whatever resources they had, and the support of our sponsors help make this event a success.” The Mini Games will be held from the 17th to the 25th of June followed by the Commonwealth Games from the 28th of July to the 8th of August which will be held in Birmingham, England.

26 intending candidates have nominated so far since the nominations were open to contest the Rigo Open seat in the 2022 National General Elections. Rigo Open Returning Officer Murray Konido said 20 candidates nominated on Thursday when the nomination started and on Friday, five turned up. “The current sitting MP Lekwa Gure was the only one who turned up yesterday to nominate taking the total up to 26,” Mr Konido said. “Of the 26, two of them are female, including Future of PNG Party president Mrs Vickii Mosin and Melanie Vari.” He said other prominent candidates includes the former Department of Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs (DPLLGA) Secretary Dickson Guina, former Chief Ombudsman Ila Geno, former MP Ano and lawyer Gomara Gorua. Nominations is still continuing at this time until Thursday May 26, 2022 at 4pm.

Future of PNG Party endorsed candidate Jonathan O'ata was the first candidate to nominate in the newly created Kairuku Open electorate in Central Province on Friday. United Labour Party's candidate Bona Ine'e and People's Reform Party John Apini followed after along with others for the electorate’s inaugural National Elections. The nominations on Friday took place at Bereina Station before hundreds of the candidates' supporters as nomination around the country swing into action. Current sitting MP for Kairuku Hiri Peter Isoaimo nominated yesterday in full traditional regalia before hundreds of his supporters. Meanwhile New Generation Party Candidate Madonna Josephine Aoae officially made her stand yesterday when she nominated for the seat in the 2022 National General Elections. Ms Aoae, the only female candidate vying for the newly created seat satisfied and signed off her nomination at 2:35pm. She walked out of the Kairuku District Headquartes and received an applause from her small contingent of family and coordinators who were there to witness the occasion. Ms Aoae is following in the footsteps of her father, Late Joseph Aoae who was a three-term member of parliament representing the people of Kairuku-Hiri.

He's the home-grown Hollywood great known for his generosity. Now it has been revealed that Russell Crowe helped out two young pilots who were struggling to complete their aviation studies. Crowe offered Jed Katal and Clyde Awesa, both from Papua New Guinea, financial assistance so they could complete their flight training, reports The Daily Telegraph. [caption id="attachment_21828" align="alignnone" width="838"] Generous: Russell Crowe (pictured in Sydney in April 2017) offered financial assistance to two young pilots from Papua New Guinea who were struggling to complete their aviation studies[/caption] Now the pair have landed their first jobs as pilots with Torres Strait Air, an air charter company based out of Cairns North, Queensland. After arriving in Australia in 2018, the Covid pandemic put a halt to Katal and Awesa's studies two years later. The two men encountered further trouble when their flight school on the NSW Mid North Coast closed down. It was about this time that Crowe, who first met the men by chance on the tarmac of Coffs Harbour Airport, stepped in. [caption id="attachment_21829" align="aligncenter" width="839"] Soaring: Now the pair have landed their first jobs as pilots with Torres Strait Air, an air charter company based out of Cairns North, Queensland[/caption] The 59-year-old Gladiator star hooked the men up with a new flight school, White Star Aviation, in Ballina, NSW. While Crowe would not confirm his act of generosity, he told The Daily Telegraph he was proud of his friends' achievements. Crowe struck up a friendship with Katal and Awesa over their mutual love of rugby league. The Oscar winner later helped the keen footy players join the Orara Valley Axemen, a rugby league club based near Crowe's home near Coffs Harbour. [caption id="attachment_21830" align="aligncenter" width="845"] Footy lovers: Crowe struck up a friendship with Katal and Awesa over their mutual love of rugby league. He later helped the keen footy players to join the Orara Valley Axemen (pictured with coach Sam Burgess), a rugby league club based near Crowe's home near Coffs Harbour[/caption] Under the stewardship of coach Sam Burgess, formerly of Crowe's South Sydney Rabbitohs, the Axemen have a special place in the actor's heart. He has long had an association with the team, having helped save the bush club when it was forced to withdraw from the local competition in 2020. SOURCE: The Daily Telegraph

The Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee (PNGOC) is pleased to announce the justification process by the Justification Committee (JC) which started in the 4th Quarter of 2020, to identify sports and endorse athletes and officials for the 11th Pacific Mini Games has been completed. Whilst the Pacific Mini Games will be hosting nine sports – Athletics, Badminton, Baseball, Beach Volleyball, Golf, Tennis, Triathlon, Va’a and Weightlifting, PNG will only participate in five. The five (5) sports endorsed by the JC are Athletics, Golf, Tennis, Va’a and Weightlifting. Beach Volleyball and Triathlon were not endorsed and will miss out due to non-compliance with the Justification Committee's requirements. Baseball and Badminton National Federation opted not to participate in the Pacific Mini Games due to their team’s readiness. A total of 92 Athletes and Team Officials will be part of Team PNG attending this year’s Games scheduled to be held from the 17th to 25th June 2022. The JC is the committee under the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee (PNGOC), which screens and endorses sports and their athletes and officials to take part as Team PNG in the Olympic, Commonwealth and Pacific Games. The team is scheduled to depart for Saipan on 12th June 2022 and PNGOC is working round the clock to secure funds to meet the budget for Team PNG for both the Pacific Mini Games and the Commonwealth Games which follow soon after in July. President, Sir John Dawanincura said, “PNGOC is hopeful that the Government will step in to assist Team PNG to meet its budget shortfall”.

Save the Children in partnership with Digicel Financial Services Limited recently worked together to reach 2,016 people in 339 households in disaster prone areas in the Morobe province as part of disaster preparedness work. A total of K161,760 was distributed in the Mumeng and Watut local level government areas of the Bulolo District reaching a total of 2,016 men, women, youth, and children. This follows a signing of a Memorandum of Agreement with Digicel Financial Services Limited and Save the Children in October last year to work in partnership on Mobile Cash Transfers. The MOA paved way for Save the Children beneficiaries to receive cash support on their mobile phone using Digicel’s CellMoni. CellMoni Supervisor for Momase Region, Anne Unage says, “We thank Save the Children for using CellMoni to do Cash and Voucher Assistance [CVA] with communities in Bulolo. The partnership enables beneficiaries to receive assistance in a faster and transparent way and to be financially included. We are grateful to our partners such as MiBank and our authorised CellMoni Agents in Bulolo for facilitating cash withdrawals to the beneficiaries and their families. CellMoni is a digital wallet from Digicel that allows everyone to avail for digital payments without the need to have a formal bank account. With CellMoni, customers can make cashless transactions to do bill payment, airtime top-up and send, receive and withdraw money using their Digicel phone. The Mobile Cash Transfer is part of Save the Children’s Disaster Preparedness work under its CVA project supported by the Australian Humanitarian Partnership to have mechanisms in place to help families following a disaster like a landslide, cyclone, earthquake, or pandemic with cash payments for essential items. Save the Children Humanitarian Manager, Isimel Tuembe says, “This is the first distribution in rural communities. We had challenges but turned them into successes in the end.” “Apart from cashing out, beneficiaries were also able to open accounts with MiBank and that is a success for us because MiBank is also reaching out into the communities in terms of transferring funds from Digicel Cell Moni to MiBank then using the MiBank card to access funds and that is a success for us. And going forward we would like to use that relationship where Cell Moni has with MiBank in other provinces.” Prior, to the distribution’s community sensitizations were also conducted in the district to ensure people understood the purpose of the activities by the Save the Children and CellMoni teams. Selection of these communities were done in collaboration with the Morobe Provincial Disaster Office. The pilot in Morobe Province demonstrates how private and non-profit organisations can collaborate successfully for digital cash disbursement in Papua New Guinea.

Two Medical officers in Madang Province are set to be penalized after breaching direct instructions from the Madang Provincial Health Authority to not take part in electoral processes in this year’s National General Elections. Dr. Mantin Daimen, Director of Public Health in Madang advised that due to manpower issues, a directive was handed down from the PHA to health workers to not leave their post and take part in the election processes. “There are some health centres in the province that are attended by only 1 or 2 health workers,” Dr. Daimen said. Even though there are provisions made for public servants to take part in elections, the PHA has issued a stern warning, calling all health workers in the province not to take part as currently there is a shortage of manpower. The two officers, though not directly involved clinical practice, will be penalized and asked to go on Leave without pay for an indefinite period. So far, there has been no known reports of other health care workers leaving their post to take part in the election processes.

The SP PNG Hunters have announced a strategic pathways partnership with the Dolphins NRL franchise that will include participation in a full NRL pre-season for four young Papua New Guinean players. This agreement will provide a genuine pathway for Papua New Guinean rugby league players beginning in the Digicel Cup, through to the Hunters and right into an NRL system. The partnership is in alignment with the Hunters’ strategic plan to develop more Papua New Guinean players into the NRL competition by 2025. Under the agreement, four Hunters’ players will attend a full pre-season with the Dolphins NRL squad, starting in 2023. Of those four players, two will be selected by the Dolphins to stay on and train with their NRL squad for the remainder of the season. If not selected to play for the Dolphins NRL side, those players will come back and play for the Hunters in the 2023 QRL’s Hostplus Cup. SP PNG Hunters’ CEO Scott Barker said the partnership was a huge opportunity to develop the talents of Papua New Guinean players to NRL levels. “I am extremely thankful that the Dolphins have recognised the pathway the Hunters can provide,” Barker said. “We know there is a wealth of rugby league talent and potential within Papua New Guinea, and this is the next step in our mission to introduce that talent into the NRL. “I am very excited with this partnership and the opportunities it will bring for Papua New Guinean players.” Hunters’ Chairman Stan Joyce CSM said the partnership was another boost towards the goal of seeing more Papua New Guinean players in the NRL. “On behalf of the SP PNG Hunters Board and Management, I’m really pleased to see this partnership come together,” said Mr. Joyce. “This is a big step towards creating a genuine pathway for Papua New Guinean rugby league players into the NRL, something the Hunters will continue working tirelessly towards.” Dolphins’ chief executive Terry Reader said the Dolphins recognised the talents of Papua New Guinean players and wanted the club to play a major role in developing them. “Through previous visits to the country, we understand how passionate the entire nation of Papua New Guinea is about the game of rugby league,” said Mr. Reader. “Our head coach Wayne Bennett has long admired the unique talent players from Papua New Guinea possess and the way they approach the game. “We are very pleased to offer a pathway for player development that will open up opportunities for players from that country to succeed at the highest level of the game.”

Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mr Simon Sinai clarified yesterday that Writs for 2022 National Elections were issued last Thursday (12/05/22) but nominations will be taken starting today (19/05/22) throughout the country and its starts at 8am. “Let me reaffirm what I said earlier; the writs for the 2022 National Elections have now been issued by the Governor General, H.E Sir Bob Dadae as of Thursday 12th May 2022, thus formally kick-starting the election process.” “But out of respect for the tragic and unexpected passing of Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the United Labour Party, the late Sam Basil. ULP is a major coalition partner in the current government and we had to give them time to reorganise themselves because they are part and parcel of our election process and the passing of their leader has affected their preparations and we had to be fair to them.” he said. Mr Sinai said Returning Officers will start taking nominations from tomorrow (19th/05/22) onwards starting at 8am. “The close of nomainations will therefore be at 4:00pm on Thursday 26th May 2022, seven (7) days after the nominations.” Mr Sinai said. Chief Commissioner Sinai said writs have also been dispatched to all provinces and their respective nominations will begin as soon as the Returning Officers and their officials receive them. Mr Sinai said polling would start on 2 July and end on 22 July 2022 with the Return of Writs expected from 23-29 July 2022. “Let me reassure our people, the various political parties and candidates, stakeholders and everyone else that the National Elections are on schedule to be delivered as per the requirements of the Constitution and the Organic Law on the conduct of this national event.” “I am confident that by working together, we will deliver a fair and just elections result that our country expects and deserves,” he said.

The PNG LNG Project has paid over PGK 14 billion to the State since the start of LNG production. In 2021 alone, the State earned record revenues from the Project, with over PGK 2.2 billion delivered to the government. Revenues delivered by the PNG LNG Project include PGK 7.1 billion flowing to Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited and an estimated PGK 4.5 billion in various taxes paid to the Internal Revenue Commission. “The revenues and associated benefits from the PNG LNG Project provide the PNG government the opportunity to promote sustainable, long term economic development.  We are extremely proud of our performance in contributing to the PNG economy,” said ExxonMobil PNG Managing Director Peter Larden. “Since 2014 we have delivered over PGK 14 billion to the country, including some PGK 4.5 billion in taxes. This includes the April payment of PGK 1.1 billion in estimated tax for the first four months of 2022 linked to increased global oil prices and sustained volumes. This is one of the largest single tax payments by the PNG LNG Project to date.   We are pleased to see this increased revenue going to the State.” Revenues from the PNG LNG Project are delivered through different mechanisms, including corporate and payroll taxes, equity (through State participation), development levy and royalties. As a founding member of the PNG Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative (PNG EITI), revenues and benefits from the PNG LNG Project as well as the broader petroleum and mining industry are reported and made publicly available. Further detail on the types of direct and indirect benefits to PNG as well as the process through which revenues are delivered to the State, provincial government and landowners can be found at https://www.pngeiti.org.pg/. ExxonMobil PNG Limited (33.2%), a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation, constructed and operates the PNG LNG Project on behalf of joint venturers: Santos Limited (42.5%), Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (16.8%), JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Corporation (4.7%), Mineral Resources Development Company Limited (2.8%).  Petromin 0.2% was incorporated into Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (KPHL) in 2016.