Douglas Tomuriesa, Pope Francis and James Marape

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  Opposition Leader Douglas Tomuriesa said he is disappointed and embarrassed over the way His Holiness Pope Francis was treated by Prime Minister James Marape over the last three-days during the Papal visit, and the lack of courtesy and respect shown by the Prime Minister. He said the Prime Minister continuously declares PNG as a ‘Christian country’ and prides himself on being a religious individual but he was surprised when the Pope was continuously snubbed by the PM over the weekend since the Pope’s arrival on Friday. “The Pope is the head of the Catholic church, the largest Christian church in the world and he is also a head of state. “PNG not only being a Christian country, but a country that prides itself as a ‘friend to all, enemy to none’, the PM should be according the Pope with the highest level of respect,” Tomuriesa said. The Opposition Leader pointed out that on Friday, the Prime Minister did not welcome the Pope at the airport, a tradition he had accorded to many othe...
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Mine asked to get ex-employees

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By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
PRIME Minister James Marape says 3,500 former employees of Porgera mine will be given “first consideration for jobs” when the mine reopens.
He told The National that the Government had asked the mine management for all former employees to be given first consideration. Marape was responding to a question about Porgera Mine and Allied Workers Union urging the Government “to honour the commitment to compensate the 3,500 Papua New Guineans who were made redundant by Porgera Joint Venture after the Government’s decision to not renew special mining lease”.
The union said the Government promised to pay compensation to the ex-employees and they have presented a submission but the government has not responded to their request.
In a statement, the Porgera Mine and Allied Workers Union said: “On Jul 27, 2020, executives and the Trade Union Congress met with Marape to air the grievances of the 3,500 plus redundant former employee. “At this meeting, Marape committed to pay K26 million plus as compensation to the former employees, to date, this has yet to eventuate,” the statement said.
When asked by the The National, Marape said: “When we make a commitment, it is always honoured.”
“A commitment is a commitment.”
The union said: “The patience of the Porgera mine employees, landowners, contractors and the entire benefit chain have ran out, the first follow up of our submission was to the National Executive Council last July and the second was on Dec 2 through Labour and Industrial Relations Minister Tomait Kapili, but again, there was no response from the Government.”

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