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Showing posts from May, 2023

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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Ire over daughter’s TikTok post

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  May 11, 2023 Main Stories A TIKTOK post by Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko’s daughter, boasting of her trip to witness King Charles III’s coronation, has infuriated many citizens. Savannah Tkatchenko accompanied her father who represented the Prime Minster to attend the coronation on May 6. The video hash-tagged #aussiesinengland and showing selfies of Savannah at various stages of the trip with one scene showing her bare back getting dressed, brought angry responses on social media forum, many wanting to know who paid for her trip. Calls have been made for the prime minister to decommission Tkatchenko and to have him referred to the Ombudsman Commission. Tkatchenko has come to his daughter’s defence, claiming the social media posters were “opening their big mouths” without finding out the facts. He said because his wife could not make the trip, his eldest daughter, Savannah, had to represent her mother. “Savannah is a Papua New Guinean citizen, but holds an Australian...
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Staff locked out

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  By DYLAN MURRAY EMPLOYEES of the National Housing Commission (NHC) were locked out of the head office in Port Moresby, following differences over who is the rightful managing director, a spokesman says. A commission spokesman said that they had been locked out by police since Friday, preventing them from entering the premises. “Police had given instructions to the security company taking care of the premises, which is owned by Tropicana, to not let us in,” he said. The row began when the National Court in Waigani on April 28 quashed the appointment of Henry Mokono as the managing director by the National Executive Council in July, 2021, saying it did not follow proper process. The court upheld a judicial review application filed by former NHC acting managing director Elizabeth Bowada. Mokono in a statement claimed that Bowada last Thursday accompanied by police stormed into the NHC head office and demanded that the keys to the managing director’s office be handed to her. But Bowa...
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Kramer must appeal tribunal ruling

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  May 4, 2023 Letters IN the name of fairness and natural justice, the dismissed Member for Madang Bryan Kramer should be allowed to appeal the ruling of the leadership tribunal that dismissed him for scandalising the Judiciary. It is crucial for Kramer to appeal to the higher court his dismissal as most people want the higher court to interpret what is accorded in Section 46 of the Constitution in relation to whether there are limits in that provision on the freedom of expression. Here, Section 46 of the Constitution gives a person freedom to express what they see and feel as improper or can openly counter it by expressing via the public media on the suspicious conduct or malicious intent of other persons holding public office. Quite frankly, when Kramer’s alleged offence was spotted at that time, the tribunal provided no evidence of public outrage that could have resulted in open public protest or protest in other social media platforms that could nail Kramer to the cross. A parl...
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I will appeal decision, this is not the end: Kramer

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  SUSPENDED Madang MP Bryan Kramer says he will appeal the decision of a Leadership Tribunal recommending his dismissal from public office. He said outside court yesterday that he was not surprised by the tribunal’s decision. “I expected such penalty when looking at the decision on verdict,” he said. “This is not the end. “I will appeal the Tribunal’s decision in the National Court and Supreme Court – where necessary. “There are some past instances where MPs got dismissed, appealed their decision and got reinstated. “I will do the same.” The tribunal, consisting of Judge Lawrence Kangwia as chairman, and magistrates Josephine Nidue and Edward Komia, yesterday recommended to the speaker that Kramer be dismissed from public office for three years. They said Kramer’s social media post gave birth to public perception of corruption by the Chief Justice (CJ) and the judiciary, as the CJ could not be isolated from the judiciary. “The judiciary is the third arm of Government referred to as...
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Nasfund, IRC sign deal

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  May 4, 2023 Main Stories THE Internal Revenue Commission and Nasfund will work together to promote transparency and accountability in managing company and private employee benefits, and improve tax collection following an agreement signing in Port Moresby yesterday, commissioner-general Sam Koim says. Koim said non-compliance behaviours flourished due to information gap as such partnership and collaboration would help IRC to eliminate and reduce the gap and the information, especially in relation to private employees contributing to Nasfund. “Both organisations would enhance their information sharing capabilities, enabling the IRC to better comply with regulations and assess risks associated with salary packaging abuse by employees through their employers,” he said. “We look forward to a productive and mutually beneficial partnership with Nasfund.” Nasfund chief executive officer Rajeev Sharma said it was a significant step forward promoting transparency and accountability in the...
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K60mil for police allowances

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  May 4, 2023 Main Stories POLICE officers will receive their outstanding service allowance this month, according to Police Association president Lowa Tambua. He said the outstanding allowances were owed for the years 2010 and 2015. The allowances were for not only for members of the association but also non-members. They are expected to receive their service allowances by the end of this month, Tambua said. He thanked police commissioner David Manning for securing the K60 million from the State to settle the outstanding allowances. “The allowance together with other categories of allowances enjoyed by the police are captured in the first enterprise-based agreement (EBA) signed between the Police Association, the Department of Personnel Management and the Police Department in 2006,” Tambua said in a statement yesterday. “It is a legally-binding agreement. Thus all allowances and all other employment conditions such as the Consumer Price Index (CPI)-related pay increases captured in...
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City Hall closes unlicensed shops

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  May 4, 202 3 Main Stories By SONYA KILAGI THE National Capital District Commission has closed down some retail shops in the capital city for health safety reasons and because they have no trading licence. City Manager Ravu Frank said: “It’s our duty to ensure that business houses comply with requirements because we are responsible for protecting the health of the general public and we will do everything to make sure that the business houses comply.” It is one of the requirements of the Boroko Precinct Transformation Project to start at the end of this month. Shops in and around Boroko lacking both requirements have been closed down until they meet the conditions. Taurama resident Max Ume said two shops were closed last week. “The shops are at a central location which makes it convenient for us. “We buy at a much lower and affordable price, so their closure have affected us,” he said. “We are hoping that the shop owners meet the requirements.” Ravu also reminded betel-nut chewers ...
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Court clears Pang of rape charge

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  Court clears Pang of rape charge May 4, 2023 Main Stories By BEVERLY PETER NATIONAL Court has acquitted Sanctuary Hotel operations manager Jamie Pang of a rape charge, saying there was no legal standing in it as force was not used in the alleged offence. Judge George Manuhu when ruling on Pang’s no-case application at Waigani yesterday, said he assessed Maki Jack’s conduct at that time from her place in Vadavada to Sanctuary Hotel that it did not demonstrate lack of consent. Manuhu said Jack did not refuse when her friend Belcey told her to stay in the hotel with Pang and left. “She would have known as it was obvious that sex was on the table. Any reasonable person on the street of Port Moresby would have agreed to this consolation. If Maki did not want sex, she had the opportunity to leave the room but she did not,” he said. Manuhu said the State had proven beyond reasonable doubt of the evidence of the allegations that there was no issue with Pang’s identification but the only ...
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Marape warns against negative comments about visits

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  Marape warns against negative comments about visits May 4, 2023 Main Stories PRIME Minister James Marape has cautioned Papua New Guineans about comments they make in the media regarding the visits by United States President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this month. “I appeal to all Papua New Guinea commentators, on both social and mainstream media, to refrain from unnecessary comments and innuendoes about the visits of President Biden and Prime Minister Modi,” Marape said. “Such visits are not easy to put together, as Papua New Guinea is not the only country in the Indo-Pacific that they could have chosen to visit, especially at a time like this. “Let us not take such visits for granted. “I appeal to all commentators on both mainstream and social media to refrain from making unnecessary inferences, especially on matters that they know little of, such as global geo-politics and various other issues.” Biden will arrive in Port Moresby on May 22 for a meeting wit...
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7 dead on road

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  May 4, 2023 Main Stories By CHARLES MOI   and AILEEN KWARAGU SEVEN persons are dead and 15 in critical condition after the truck they were travelling in ran off the road along the Hiritano Highway in Central yesterday. Provincial police commander Supt John Midi said the accident happened near the Mariboi Rubber Plantation at around 2pm. The seven dead included six women. Their bodies are still at the Agevairu Health Centre in Kairuku. “Arrangements will be made to transport them to the PMGH mortuary,” he said. Midi said the 15 in critical condition were taken to the Port Moresby General Hospital by St John Ambulance officers. Information received by  The National  last night was that the truck was from Amoamo village in Mekeo. Police said the truck went off the highway near Mariboi. It could not be confirmed what was the actual cause of the accident. It is understood that trucks from Mekeo usually pick up passengers from villages starting at Amoamo right up to Veif...
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REMNANT AJ Group Limited donated a new vehicle to NHC

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  REMNANT AJ Group Limited, one of the contactor who was engaged by the National Housing Corporation to connect the sewage system at the NHC’s new Durand Project site donated a new vehicle to NHC on Friday, 7th June, 2024. The key of the new vehicle that costed the company close to K150, 000 was presented to the NHC’s project management division who will be using the vehicle to do inspection on the Durand project site on a daily basis. NHC Acting Managing Director Abel Tol while thanking the Company Managing Director Andy Minok, he said purchasing a vehicle by the contractor and donating it to NHC was one of the requirement written on the Contract signed. Tol said this company, Remnant AJ Group Limited was awarded a K3. 2 Million worth Project and that was to fix and connect the sewage system from the MacGregor Police Barracks all the way to the main Sewer. This contract was awarded to this named company in July last year and this is one of the few contractors who were engaged by N...
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MARAPE’S DECISION DEFICIENCY

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MARAPE’S DECISION DEFICIENCY* Wednesday 5 June 2024 Approved for release – Recently some political commentators who blindly endorse Hon James Marape as the Prime Minister, decried the Opposition’s push for a VONC, arguing that “a change in the Prime Minister will not fix the problems the country has.” This is where they are wrong. Decisions have the power to affect people and the decisions, or indecision, of a Prime Minister, affect the nation. This is the most important leadership quality that evades Marape – the innate ability to make decisions that are in the country’s best interests.  If Marape was serious about the country, he would make the following decisions to save PNG:  1) Review the national budget and cut spending, stop borrowing, and reduce taxes.  2) Give the Central Bank their independence back.  3) Stop printing money at the Central Bank.  4) Stop Connect PNG and other pork-barrel programs.  5) Give each province Block Grants and greater aut...
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Speaker's Decision Sparks Controversy in Parliament

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The parliament’s speaker Job Pomat’s decision on Wednesday has ignited a fierce debate among members, highlighting the complexities and challenges of parliamentary procedures.  In a phone interview yesterday afternoon with Kalang News, Douglas Tomuriesa, the Member for Kiriwina-Goodenough, and the Opposition Leader expressed the oppositions concerns regarding the Speaker's ruling, which they argue undermines the decorum and impartiality expected of the chair. Tomuriesa emphasized the importance of maintaining respect and dignity in the House, asserting that the Speaker must embody impartiality. "The decorum of the House depends on the chair, and the respect, the dignity of the chair must always be maintained. In this case, impartiality is very important," he stated. He criticized the Speaker's approach, questioning the decision to seek court clarification after making a ruling. "It's like putting the cart before the horse. How can you make your ruling and lat...
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Cockfighting ops busted

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  February 1, 20 22 Main Stories Police rounding up the men and a woman at Sumomini, West Sepik. By MIRIAM ZARRIGA in Vanimo POLICE have busted an illegal cockfighting operation run by expatriates in the mountains of Vanimo-Green’s Sumomini in West Sepik on Sunday afternoon. About 30 men from Indonesia, Malaysia and China, and a woman from Indonesia, had been taking bets on the cockfights were arrested. Police Commissioner David Manning was informed of the bust by policemen in Vanimo on Sunday afternoon after they returned from the mountains. Manning told  The National  that the cockerels were specially bred and conditioned for increased stamina and strength to get them more aggressive. “The cockerels are injected with drugs brought in by their owners. “The birds are then fitted with razors, known as gaffs, and the ‘armed’ cockerels are then put into a ring, called cockpit, to fight until one is maimed or dead. “I have told the policemen to ensure that the expatriates are...
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Provincial MP for West New Britain, Sasindran Muthuvel has called on the government to commit to the people of Papua New Guinea that it will prioritise Papua New Guineans in the sale of Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited’s (MVIL) shares in BSP Financial Group.

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 Provincial MP for West New Britain, Sasindran Muthuvel has called on the government to commit to the people of Papua New Guinea that it will prioritise Papua New Guineans in the sale of Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited’s (MVIL) shares in BSP Financial Group.  Governor Muthuvel said that given the National Executive Council has approved this decision and is now a foregone conclusion, the next best step is to ensure Papua New Guineans do not lose shareholding in such an important commercial entity.  Mr Muthuvel said: “I understand the government has indicated unofficially that its intention is to sell these shares to Papua New Guineans, but they must put this commitment on paper to properly assure the nation.  “Contradictory to these remarks, the NEC decision that gave effect to the selling of shares has no explicit directive to ensure these shares are  exclusively sold to Papua New Guineans.  “Majority ownership of BSP shares are one of the biggest assets ou...
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