PNG election polling date moved to accomodate threat of COVID-19 surge: Sinai
The PNG election polling date has been moved forward to 18 June from 25 June, Papua New Guinea Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai has announced. Sinai said this cut the campaign period to 52 days from 28 April to 18
‘New Dedicated Harbour Tug for PacTow’
Pacific Towing (PacTow) has expanded its fleet with the purchase of a dedicated harbour tug ‘Koranga’ from Singapore. Koranga is scheduled to arrive in Lae in March where she will be permanently stationed to better
Pacific corruption scores continue to stagnate: Urgent action required
Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index adds Fiji as a fourth Pacific nation, as stagnation demonstrates the critical importance of corruption reform in the region to secure basic rights and freedoms.
Low vax rates threaten PNG economy
By Kevin McQuillan COVID-19 will remain a threat to the Papua New Guinea economy throughout 2022, due to the low rate of vaccination and poor health infrastructure, compounded by a lacklustre foreign investment climate.
Political leadership in PNG: women parliamentarians in the 2017 election
The three women parliamentarians who were elected in the 2012 Papua New Guinea (PNG) election failed to win re-election in the 2017 general election. Their electoral defeats only deepen the concern for gender
Five-year timeline to vaccinate
By Kevin McQuillan New modelling has revealed that Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea will have vaccinated less than 20% of their adult populations by the end of this year and it could take five years to
Refugee processing in PNG to end
Australia and Papua New Guinea have announced the closure of Canberra’s offshore refugee processing program by the end of this year, leaving responsibility for the remaining asylum seekers and refugees to Port
Port Moresby General hospital on the verge of collapse
PNG COVID update: Papua New Guinea’s Port Moresby General Hospital(PMGH) says it is reaching a crisis point, with services teetering on collapse unless they are immediately given more support. “We urgently need
Transformation of a Port Moresby settlement
Joyce Bay settlement, formerly known as Horse Camp, is a notorious settlement in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG). It has been known for criminal activity, and as a place where many criminals live. The settlement is
Reeves Envico supports a COVID-safe environment in the Pacific
Reeves Envico is committed as an employer in supporting a healthy and COVID-safe environment across all our project sites and in the local communities we operate in. Our recent initiatives have helped workers access
PNG edges closer to sovereign wealth fund
By Kevin McQuillan The PNG Parliament approved establishing a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) more than a decade ago but it’s only this month that Prime Minister Marape indicated moves towards its establishment. In
Kina’s acquisition of Westpac Pacific operations thwarted
Papua New Guinea’s Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) has rejected Kina Securities Limited’s proposal to buy out Westpac Bank’s PNG operations. The ICCC’s decision reflects its concerns about
UBS Inquiry: Loan losses quantified
Papua New Guinea lost US$432 million on a loan arranged by the Sydney office of the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) in 2014, far more than earlier thought, the UBS Inquiry has heard. Current Prime Minister, James
Loan losses quantified as PNG Inquiry prepares to release report
Papua New Guinea lost US$432 million on a loan arranged by the Sydney office of the Union Bank of Switzerland in 2014, far more than earlier
Weaving a path to sustainability
As founder and creative director, Jessica Cassell’s ambition for Papua New Guinea’s Bilum & Bilas is for the venture to be well-known internationally as “a brand that has best practice around in working with
USP’s regional students struggle to study
By Leila Parina Regional students studying at the University of the South Pacific’s Laucala campus in Fiji have had another difficult semester. The COVID-19 outbreak which began in April this year and has claimed over
“We can’t just sit back and wait for the tourists to come”
By Samantha Magick Banz Kofi’s online business was transformed when owner Patrick Killoran negotiated a significant reduction in freight rates. Last year during COVID, while regular sales out of the company’s
Coping with COVID in PNG
By early June, Papua New Guinea’s COVID-19 cases stood at 15,938 and 15,088 of that number have recovered. There have been 162 deaths, and so at the time of reporting, there were 688 active cases. So how is the PNG
Oil Search rejects Santos bid
Oil Search rejected an unsolicited scrip-based takeover proposal from Santos Ltd that valued the Papua New Guinea-focused oil and gas producer at AUD$8.8 billion (US$6.5 billion), the two companies said on Tuesday.
COVID-19 Delta variant reported in PNG
A single positive COVID-19 case with the Delta mutation has been detected in Papua New Guinea. Deputy Controller of the PNG COVID-19 National Pandemic Response Dr Daoni Esorom confirmed a 65-year-old Philippine national
BSP and FASU clash over alleged money laundering warning
The Bank South Pacific Financial Group Ltd (BSP) has always complied with its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) obligations in Papua New Guinea, says chairman Sir Kostas Constantinou. He made
The crisis of governance in PNG’s power sector
The recent spate of power outages (70 in a week according to the Post Courier), and the sudden resignation of yet another PNG Power Chief Executive Officer after only nine months in the job have brought into stark
Gender-based violence report to go to PNG parliament
Papua New Guinea Special Parliamentary Committee on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) will table a report for the August session of parliament which will include concrete, practical recommendations for action aimed at