“Noken traim long muvim ol man meri igat bikpla bagarap, yu ken makim bagarap go bikpla moa, yu ken kamapim ol samtin osem bikpla pain (Do not try to move anyone that has sustained injuries, you can make their injuries worse or cause them pain)” “Ringim 111 na waitim ambulance long kam, stap wantem ol lain kisim bagarap (Call 111 and wait for the ambulance to come and assist people that have sustained injuries).” “ Only taim wea inap long yu ken muvim ol sick mahn em sapos ol stap long danger (Only time where you can move someone that is sick is if they are in danger),”said SJA Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Arabella Koliwan. Dr Koliwan said this after the St Johns Ambulance Team faced issues with people trying to pull out students from a PMV accident on Thursday. Dr Koliwan said that if the casualties are in danger such as in a fire then you can move them. Meanwhile, the St John Ambulance NCD/Central Southern Regional Commander, Terrence Torea said that another thing that people need to be mindful of when at accident scenes is to respect peoples' privacy. He urged people not to take photos of the casualties and post on social media.

Police in Hela have prevented a possible would-be killing of two patients at the Tari Provincial Hospital after enemy tribesmen tried to attack the two patients last night. Provincial Police Commander Teddy Agwi said he issued instructions for police to guard the hospital last night after receiving intelligence reports on the would-be-attack. “Earlier in the week, a tribal fight between two warring tribes within the town area saw two men from one of the tribes sustaining gun wounds and were admitted to the hospital,” Mr Agwi said. “Early last night, the enemy tribesmen drove in a vehicle into the hospital with the intent to finish off the two men.” “However, they saw my men guarding the hospital so they fired gunshots into the air at the hospital gate and drove off.” He said police will continue their presence at the hospital and he has instructed the hospital to treat the two patients and discharged them when they are medically fit.

Air Niugini would like to advise customers of the amended COVID19 test requirements prior to travel to the Philippines and also to United Kingdom(UK) via Singapore. All passengers flying to Manila: Philippines is now open for travel to non-citizens. Effective from 1st April, for passengers flying into the Philippines as their final destination, a rapid antigen test (RAT) administered and certified by a Doctor is accepted in lieu of a PCR test. You may either complete a negative RAT test at the airport, or you can bring a negative compliant RAT test certificate with you. The RAT test needs to be completed within 24 hours of departure. All passengers transiting via Singapore to the UK: Passengers are no longer required to undertake pre-departure testing and can progress directly to the Departures Check in through the Main Terminal Entrance. You will be asked for evidence of your travel to the UK at time of check-in Air Niugini and ISOS will continue to offer free PCR and Rapid tests at the airport at time of departure, for those who choose to do their tests prior to check in. The ISOS testing facility operating hours will now be 3 hours prior to the originally scheduled departure time for all flights. Even if departure time changes, ISOS will still close (due to staff roster requirements) 2 hours prior to originally scheduled departure time, unless you are specifically advised otherwise. The following requirements are unchanged: 1. Passengers flying into Australia: You must complete a negative rapid test within 24 hours of scheduled departure. This can either be conducted at the airport, or you can bring a compliant certificate with you issued by a doctor. A negative PCR test within 3 days of departure is also acceptable. 2. Passengers flying into Singapore: You must complete either a negative rapid test (or a negative PCR test) within 48 hours of scheduled departure. This can be conducted either at the airport, or you can bring a compliant certificate with you issued by a doctor. 3. All passengers transiting via Australia or Singapore to a third country (other than the UK): You must either complete a negative PCR test at the airport, or bring a negative Covid test certificate with you. If you choose to bring the certificate, the onus is on you to ensure it meets all the requirements of your final destination country and any countries of transit (including Australia/ Singapore’s requirements as above). This includes ensuring the test is taken within the timeframe required and is of the type and standard required. 4. All passengers to Hong Kong, or on unscheduled Air Niugini international charters to other international destinations: Passengers must complete a negative PCR test at the airport. Passengers arriving with their own compliant PCR or negative Rapid Test certificate conducted independently from the ISOS testing site can progress directly to the Departures Check in through the Main Terminal Entrance.

Eight (8) teachers from Central Province received their Certificate Two in Early Childhood Education and Development, though a pilot program spearheaded the IEA College of TAFE and Digicel PNG Foundation.   The teachers now have an accreditation that is internationally recognised and it complements Digicel PNG Foundation’s investment in early childhood education centres and facilities.   IEA College of TAFE Manager, Dr William Pedley, said that TAFE was excited that it was a part of the Early Childhood Teacher training. “It’s an honour and a privilege to come to PNG because I’ve been here for one whole month and into this really exciting program. We (TAFE) entirely concentrate on helping Papua New Guinea develop further, building up the number of jobs to increase the wealth of the average Papua New Guinean and I am delighted to say Digicel Foundation has the same vision. I see that we are the forefront of the development of this country and it is a privilege to be a part of this important organization”, Dr William Pedley.   CEO of Digicel PNG Foundation, Serena Sasingian acknowledged the program saying that Digicel Foundation began its’ investment in Early Childhood Education in 2008 when it launched its first mobile education centre.   “The Early Childhood Education program has grown to impact over 300 community volunteers who have been supported by the Digicel PNG Foundation to run in formal pre-schools in settlements and rural communities around PNG. We began looking to see how we could help give accredited qualifications to the teachers who were running these amazing early learning centres, so that’s when we approached the IEA College of TAFE to deliver this pilot program”, Serena Sasingian   Ms. Sasingian said that the partnership was a significant step forward in helping the government implement its’ Early Childhood Education policy. Moreover, the pilot program had been running since last year by Pushpa Swaminathan an Education specialist who is an accredited trainer with the IEA College of TAFE.   The learning mode was a first of its’ kind in Papua New Guinea where it saw a mixed mode of both face-to-face classroom lectures and online video conference lectures, which is the future of learning.   To date Digicel Foundation has invested approximately K150milion into Education and health projects in all the 89 Districts of Papua New Guinea.

On Wednesday, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) partnered with Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) National Department of Health (NDoH) to improve access to health for persons with disabilities. TECO donated 40 wheelchairs to the NDoH, while USAID supported the distribution to 11 health facilities in Port Moresby’s National Capital District (NCD). This wheelchair donation supports PNG’s National Health Plan 2021-2030 and the country’s goals to increase access to health services for people with disabilities. Representative Liao thanked the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby for its assistance in coordinating with NDoH for the distribution of the wheelchairs. He also expressed his hope to continue working with the US and PNG Governments in the future to create a win-win-win situation here in PNG. “The United States Government is pleased to partner with the Taipei Economic and Cultural officer here in PNG for greater development impact,” said U.S. Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands Erin E. McKee. “Today’s donation creates an enabling opportunity for people living with disabilities and complements USAID programs already operating in these eleven NCD clinics.” Dr. Steven Yennie, Chief Executive Officer, NCD PHA, said, “Though we may encounter many challenges in regards to funding and resourcing, we can be assured that our development partners stand committed to providing vital services that will contribute to the goal of better health outcomes for our city of Port Moresby and throughout the country of Papua New Guinea.” Papua New Guinea is party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2013) and has a National Policy on Disability in place to protect those who are most vulnerable. However, there is a lack of accurate statistics about the number of men, women and children living with disabilities in Papua New Guinea. The pandemic has exacerbated the challenges experienced by people living with disabilities, putting them at higher risk of becoming victims of the virus. The wheelchair donation will improve the ability of people living with disabilities to access general health services, including COVID-19 treatment and vaccines.

The Milne Bay Province has successfully validated its Climate Resilient Green Growth Strategy (CRGG) for the province in a two-days’ workshop which concluded today. The CRGG Strategy captures how different sectors under the Milne Bay Provincial Administration (MBPA) have mainstreamed climate resilient green growth into their provincial plans and budget. After significant consultations with provincial stakeholders in 2021, the CRGG project implemented by the Global Green Growth Institute in Partnership with the Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA), have drafted the CRGG Strategy for the province. The Strategy reflects the province’s climate change priorities to be implemented under Milne Bay’s new integrated provincial development plan from 2022-2026. Milne Bay Provincial Administrator Ashan Numa, expressed that the CRGG Strategy is a significant roadmap for the province to identify, commence and upscale its climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. “Though Milne Bay Province does not have funds at its disposal for implementing climate resilient projects, the impacts of climate change will be continually felt in different sectors of the province. “The CRGG strategy is a way forward for the province to ensure realistic climate adaptation and mitigation measures are implemented and also a document which can be used to source funding to implement the strategy,” Mr. Numa said. In the strategy, key sectors under the Milne Bay Provincial Administration under which climate resilience green growth have been mainstreamed includes agriculture, health, transport and infrastructure sectors. The scope of work under the CRGG Project which led to the development of the strategy was funded by Papua New Guinea-Australia Partnership, implemented by GGGI with guidance from CCDA, Department of National Planning and Monitoring (DNPM), Department of Provincial and Local Government Affairs (DPLGA). Jonah Auka, Projects Manager at CCDA on behalf of CCDA’s Acting Managing Director Mr. William Lakain, thanked the Milne Bay Provincial Administration, GGGI, government counterparts, development partners, sector leads under the Milne Bay Provincial Administration for their invaluable support to formulate the strategy. “I believe that the priorities you have set in the documents are a reflection of your commitment and zeal to move this province to a level where the province can be able to leverage support from development partners. “With that, let me congratulate you all the effort you all have put in in the formulation of this strategy. It is a significant document which each of the sectors can use to align and mainstream climate change mitigation and adaptation priorities,” said Mr. Auka. GGGI’s Deputy Country Representative Mr. Peniamina Leavai highlighted GGGI’s roles and highlighted the CRGG Strategy as an important step for the province. Mr. Leavai added that it is important to capture achievable CRGG targets in the strategy which this validation workshop aims to achieve. The validation workshop was well attended by stakeholder participants from Milne Bay Provincial Administration, Government partners, NGOs and development partners.

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a step closer to complete significant guidelines which will support its efforts in mitigating the impacts of climate change through Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, known as, REDD+. During a workshop hosted by Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) today in Port Moresby, four guidelines referred to as the REDD+ Safeguards Guidelines were validated by CCDA, its partners and key stakeholders. The guidelines include, REDD+ Development Guidelines (RDG), Benefit Sharing Distribution System Guidelines (BSDS), Grievance Redress Mechanism Guidelines (GRM), and the Free Prior Informed Consent Guidelines (FPIC). CCDA’s REDD+ and Mitigation Division General Manager, Ms. Gwen Sissiou, highlighted the development of these guidelines as a significant step to adequately address critical issues such as the rights of local people, their participation, preservation of natural ecosystems, among others as PNG implements its REDD+ activities through policy-based interventions. “The Safeguards guidelines were developed in order to ensure social and environmental risks are minimized and that benefits from REDD+ activities are enhanced in the country. “The guidelines are also a prerequisite for PNG as a country participating in REDD+ under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),” said Ms. Sissiou. The CCDA through its REDD+ Branch, have developed and completed the specified safeguard guidelines to strengthen PNG’s adherence to UNFCCC safeguard requirements. The development of the guidelines was through extensive regional consultations with key stakeholders during the third quarter of 2021 with funding and technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness Project. Mr. Bir Mandal, the Head of FAO PNG, said, “Conserving PNG’s forest through REDD+ implementation will help communities for sustainable development and contribute globally on biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. FAO will continue supporting the REDD+ progress in PNG.” CCDA Acting Managing Director Mr. William Lakain expressed the validation of the four REDD+ Safeguards Guidelines as a significant progress for PNG and commended development partners and key stakeholders involved in the formulation of the REDD+ Safeguards Guidelines. “I express my gratitude towards the development partners, stakeholders from both the public and private sectors for supporting CCDA through the review process of the REDD+ Safeguards Guidelines. “With that being said, CCDA looks forward to continuously working with you all into the future”, said Mr. Lakain. The Government of PNG has continually pursed a viable means of minimizing greenhouse gas emissions whilst nurturing economic development. Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change Wera Mori who officiated the workshop said the Government of PNG’s vision through the Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) for REDD+, is for the mechanism to act as a Catalyst to transformational change within the forest and land use sector whilst aiming towards a new and responsible economy with lower Greenhouse Gas emissions. “The outcomes of today’s discussions will be critical towards ensuring the Government of PNG’s continues to pursue its vision for REDD+,” he said. “I urge you as the relevant stakeholders to utilize today’s forum to guide and strengthen the Government efforts towards ensuring practically in our approaches, I also encourage open dialogue today and move toward regarding the development matters at hand,” Mori said.

The University of the South Pacific (USP) has collaborated with Pherrus Financial Services to provide places for workplace attachment for Pacific Technical and Further Education (Pacific TAFE) students enrolled in the Diploma of Accounting (Level 5), Diploma of Business Administration (Level 5) and Diploma of Human Resources (Level 5) programmes. Pherrus Financial Services will also reward $500 prize money for the most outstanding Pacific TAFE Accounting graduate at the USP Medals & Prizes ceremony. Pacific TAFE is committed to becoming the centre of excellence for lifelong learning through delivering high-quality Preliminary, Foundation, and skills-based education and training in the Pacific region. Director Education, Dr Matthew Hayward thanked Pherrus Financial Services for assisting USP in bringing the world of work closer to students and collaborating to improve the quality of training and contribute to workforce development in Fiji and the region. “To facilitate the enhancement of graduate employability and portability of qualifications, Pacific TAFE has a requirement that all students undertake a mandatory practical before the completion of the programme,” he said. Dr Hayward emphasised the attachment intends to provide students with an opportunity to practice and demonstrate the skills and competencies required of them in the programme and subsequently produce ‘work-ready’ graduates. “This would maximise the employability and career prospects of its graduates and result in enhanced labour mobility and portability of its qualifications in the Pacific region and beyond,” he added. Pherrus Financial Services Local Engagement Representative, Ms Akisi Korodrau, said the agreement is the beginning of a closer working relationship in seeking high-quality candidates for work opportunities in the Accounting and Taxation field with Pherrus. “The development of technology advances has meant local students can learn and develop their careers in accounting and taxation in an Australian context,” she added. She said the partnership would foster a closer relationship between Pacific TAFE and Pherrus Financial Services as they build on continuing the legacy to develop the workforce. “We look forward to a stable, long term relationship for the mutual benefit of both parties,” Ms Korodrau said.

Arrangements for persons with disability (PWDs) to vote in the upcoming National General Elections has not been made clear as yet by the PNG Electoral Commission raising concerns from the PNG Assembly of Disabled Persons (PNGADP). A report by the Media Development Initiative stated that PNGADP Co-chair Jacqueline Garoau had said that there has not been efficient consultations with the PNGEC around disability access to polling and enrolment. In the 2017 National General Elections in NCD, PWDs were allowed to vote in a separate polling station at the Cheshire Disability Services at Hohola. This was the only station for the whole of NCD and the polling team received only half of the ballot papers they requested for in addition to their request to have two more polling stations in each of the other two electorates. Cheshire Disability Services have also confirmed that there is yet to be a similar arrangement with the PNGEC for the 2022 NGE. The report concluded in questioning whether or not there is a strategy in place for ensuring PDWs have access to polling and enrolling and how and where those who live in remote areas will be able to access polling venues to post their votes.

Access to quality childcare and education can have a remarkably positive impact on children, especially for those children who face developmental, physical or economic challenges. Ten years ago, BSP Financial Group Limited (BSP) saw the opportunity to address this need to partner with Buk Bilong Pikinini (BbP) Children’s Libraries, with an emphasis on serving children from diverse backgrounds and with diverse needs as part of the banks community values. The partnership has seen BSP supporting BbP in funding its operations at 3 libraries in Lae (Unitech), Manus & Goroka since 2012. This year, BbP celebrates its 15 years of establishment in the country since in 2007, whilst recognising the 10 years of continued support by BSP as platinum sponsors of the program. Speaking at the anniversary celebration and Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) signing at the BbP Library Centre in Lae Unitech Campus, Leanne Resson Executive Officer for BbP said, “Fifteen (15) years ago we opened doors with limited resources for children, today we have facilities and resources to care for the number of children we have each year. Less than 10% of our enrollment is also reserved for children with special needs. Thank you BSP for the continued support.” “All we want is to provide quality, affordable, childcare, pre-school education for families of all economic backgrounds with a mission to help increase literacy rates in PNG. We are keen to provide an opportunity for the most vulnerable children in society by opening to doors of their young minds high quality children's books as well as educational toys and craft materials,” Resson said. BSP Group CEO Robin Fleming also present at the celebration commended the BbP for the wonderful work in empowering and educating children who are the future of this nation. “We understand that from current early years’, children learn best through play-based learning. Early learning programs delivered by qualified educators make a big difference to children’s outcomes. And, in the right environment, under the guidance of passionate and qualified educators, children will learn valuable skills to help them have a confident and successful start to school. We believe BbP has it all,” said Fleming. Fleming added: “We are pleased that we have invested in a program that contributes to the development of our people and community, and even more about educating our children on the innovative early childhood learning and providing children with the skills they will need for the emerging world.”

THE Port Moresby General Hospital Emergency Department has reported receiving one casualty and 16 injured persons from a motor vehicle accident early this morning. The majority of the 16 injured were students from Badihagwa Secondary School and the lone casualty is the bus driver who was pronounced dead upon arrival. Acting Emergency Department coordinator Dr. Duncan Sengiromo said that the students were in shock and some were in tears but fortunately, they only suffered minor cuts and bruises. “One of the students just returned been confirmed to suffer from fracture of both legs (bilateral tibial fractures). That’s the only serious one. The rest are soft tissue injuries,” Dr. Sengiromo said. He added that others passengers unaccounted for may not have suffered any serious injuries hence they did not present at the Emergency Department. Picture: Tasminnie ISIMELI

Port Moresby North West MP Lohia Boe Samuel was arrested and charged for murder and locked up at the Boroko Police Station cells today. Commander NCD/Central Assistant Commissioner Anthony Wagambie Junior said the MP was invited to Boroko. Police station, escorted to the NCD Homicide section and charged today under section 300 sub section (1) (b)(ii) of the PNG Criminal Code Act. The firearm is owned and licensed to the Member of Parliament. Mr Wagambie said the investigators had to piece together information and evidence before effecting the arrest today. At the time of the incident, the MP was in the company of one of his staff and the deceased. Commander Wagambie said while we understand the emotions and public outcry through different forms of media, the Constabulary has a Constitutional duty to perform and must remain focused throughout the investigation. He stated that Police Investigators had to gather evidence and information to ensure that the right person is charged for discharging the firearm resulting in death. The Member for Moresby North West has been detained at Boroko Police Station cell and refused Police bail. His staff member, is currently being interviewed.