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๐Š๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ ๐ƒ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐œ๐ญ? ๐‹๐ž๐ญโ€™๐ฌ ๐’๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ซ๐ž๐ญ๐ž๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐  ๐“๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ˆ๐ฌ ๐€๐›๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ƒ๐ž๐ฏ๐ž๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ-โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€“โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€“โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€“โ€”Another shiny political idea...
14/03/2026

๐Š๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ ๐ƒ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐œ๐ญ? ๐‹๐ž๐ญโ€™๐ฌ ๐’๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ซ๐ž๐ญ๐ž๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐  ๐“๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ˆ๐ฌ ๐€๐›๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ƒ๐ž๐ฏ๐ž๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ
-โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€“โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€“โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€“โ€”

Another shiny political idea is being pushed around New Ireland right now: creating a third electorate called Konos District.

Namatanai Star says itโ€™s about representation. It says itโ€™s about development. It says New Ireland is too big to manage.

๐‘ฉ๐’–๐’• ๐’๐’†๐’•โ€™๐’” ๐’‚๐’”๐’Œ ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐’“๐’†๐’‚๐’ ๐’’๐’–๐’†๐’”๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’:

Is this about helping the people โ€” or helping politicians?

๐‘ป๐’‰๐’† ๐‘ท๐’๐’‘๐’–๐’๐’‚๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’ ๐‘น๐’†๐’‚๐’๐’Š๐’•๐’š

New Ireland has roughly 250,000 people.

Thatโ€™s smaller than many single districts in Papua New Guinea.

Yet somehow we are supposed to believe the province urgently needs another MP, another administration, another bureaucracy, another office, another convoy of vehicles, and another layer of politics.

If geography alone justified new electorates, half the country would demand the same thing.

๐‘ด๐’๐’“๐’† ๐‘ซ๐’Š๐’”๐’•๐’“๐’Š๐’„๐’•๐’” ๐‘ซ๐’๐’†๐’” ๐‘ต๐’๐’• ๐‘ฌ๐’’๐’–๐’‚๐’ ๐‘ซ๐’†๐’—๐’†๐’๐’๐’‘๐’Ž๐’†๐’๐’•

Creating a district doesnโ€™t magically build:

โ€ข Roads
โ€ข Schools
โ€ข Hospitals
โ€ข Fisheries projects
โ€ข Jobs

What it does create is:

โ€ข More government salaries
โ€ข More administrative costs
โ€ข More political power struggles

Millions of kina go into administration instead of services.

๐‘ป๐’‰๐’† ๐‘ฏ๐’‚๐’“๐’… ๐‘ป๐’“๐’–๐’•๐’‰

If people in New Ireland still struggle with:

โ€ข poor roads
โ€ข weak health services
โ€ข limited economic opportunity

then the problem is not the number of districts.

The problem is how leadership and resources have been managed over the years.

You donโ€™t fix governance problems by drawing new lines on a map.

๐‘ป๐’‰๐’† ๐‘ท๐’๐’๐’Š๐’•๐’Š๐’„๐’‚๐’ ๐‘ฎ๐’‚๐’Ž๐’†

Letโ€™s be honest about how politics works in Papua New Guinea.

New districts often mean:

โ€ข new political bases
โ€ข new patronage networks
โ€ข new opportunities to control funding

Suddenly development becomes a campaign slogan instead of a real outcome.

And the people are told to celebrate it.

What New Ireland Actually Needs

New Ireland does not need more politicians.

New Ireland needs:

โ€ข stronger economic planning
โ€ข real investment in fisheries and agriculture
โ€ข better infrastructure management
โ€ข transparent use of district funds
โ€ข leadership that puts people before politics

๐‘ป๐’‰๐’† ๐‘ธ๐’–๐’†๐’”๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’ ๐‘ฌ๐’—๐’†๐’“๐’š ๐‘ต๐’†๐’˜ ๐‘ฐ๐’“๐’†๐’๐’‚๐’๐’…๐’†๐’“ ๐‘บ๐’‰๐’๐’–๐’๐’… ๐‘จ๐’”๐’Œ

Before cheering for a third electorate, ask one simple question:

Will this build a single road?
Will it fix a single hospital?
Will it create a single job?

If the answer is no, then maybe this isnโ€™t development at all.

Maybe itโ€™s just politics wearing a development costume.

And New Ireland deserves better than that.

 NATIONS LOCKED IN FOR WORLD CUP 2026๐Ÿ”’ Your thoughts on the Orchids locked in whilst the Cook Island Moanaโ€™s missing out...
27/10/2025



NATIONS LOCKED IN FOR WORLD CUP 2026๐Ÿ”’ Your thoughts on the Orchids locked in whilst the Cook Island Moanaโ€™s missing out???

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฌ ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ ๐Ÿ‡ผ๐Ÿ‡ธ ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ฏ

East New Britainโ€™s Member for Pomio Open, Elias Kapavore, has made the decision to return to the government side, follow...
29/08/2024

East New Britainโ€™s Member for Pomio Open, Elias Kapavore, has made the decision to return to the government side, following requests by the Local Level Government (LLG) presidents of Pomio District.

The MP had defected to the Opposition side three months ago, after joining the ruling coalition mid last year.

However, the continuous support from the Marape-Rosso led government has seen development taking shape in all the seven LLGs of Pomio District and this has prompted the concerned LLG presidents to plead with their political head to reconsider his decision.

Making the announcement last night (Aug 28), Kapavore said he agreed with the sentiments raised by the presidents for Sinivit and Melkoi LLGs on the fact that, of the number of districts that the Prime Minister has supported, Pomio is a major recipient of projects.

โ€œAfter joining PANGU Pati, we have seen a lot of support especially with the connection of the missing link along the south coast corridor, which has been overlooked by previous governments

3 women and 1 man were arrested by 6 Mile police at Hideaway Hotel after a tip-off for consuming m**hamphetamine. M**h a...
06/06/2024

3 women and 1 man were arrested by 6 Mile police at Hideaway Hotel after a tip-off for consuming m**hamphetamine. M**h apparatus and a s*xual device (rubber d***o) were confiscated as evidence.

M**hamphetamine, commonly known as m**h, is a highly addictive and powerful stimulant that affects the central nervous system. Its use can lead to a range of severe health issues, including heart problems, brain damage, and an increased risk of stroke. M**h significantly increases dopamine levels in the brain, leading to intense euphoria. However, this surge depletes natural dopamine levels, causing severe depression and an inability to experience pleasure without the drug. Long-term use can result in cognitive impairments, memory loss, and emotional disturbances.

The dangers of m**h extend beyond physical health. It is often associated with risky behaviors, including unprotected s*x and sharing needles, increasing the risk of contracting infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. M**h addiction can lead to severe psychological issues, including paranoia, hallucinations, and violent behavior. The social impact is also profound, as addiction can lead to job loss, financial ruin, broken relationships, and criminal activity. Overall, m**hamphetamine poses a significant threat to both individual well-being and public health.

Let us all help safeguard or communities and families by reporting any activities relating to this drug.

โ€”Source: NCD Crime Alert WhatsApp Groupโ€”

PM MARAPE WELCOMES SPEAKERโ€™S DECISION TO SEEK COURTโ€™S INTEPRETATION OF FILING OF VONC MOTIONPrime Minister Hon. James Ma...
05/06/2024

PM MARAPE WELCOMES SPEAKERโ€™S DECISION TO SEEK COURTโ€™S INTEPRETATION OF FILING OF VONC MOTION

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has welcomed Speaker Hon. Job Pomatโ€™s decision to ask the Courts for clarification on the process of bringing to Parliament the Motion of Vote of No Confidence in the Prime Minister as per Section 145 of the Constitution.

PM Marape was speaking this afternoon in light of the decision by the Parliamentary Private Business Committee to reject the latest motion filed by the Opposition on the basis that certain sections of the application had not been filled in properly as per the requirements of parliamentary standing orders.

This is the fifth attempt by the Opposition to lodge the motion which has been found to be erroneous in some way, PM Marape said, and questioned why the Opposition was continuously making these basic mistakes.

โ€œThe proposal to change Government is no lightweight matter. It is a Constitutional matter of attempting to change a government mandated through elections.

โ€œIt has become apparent that for the fifth time in a row, the Opposition has made mistakes in filling a basic form according to the requirements of law and parliamentary standing order.

โ€œI am happy that the Speaker is going to the Courts to clarify himself. Only the Courts will clear whether the Private Business Committee is right or wrong,โ€ he said.

PM Marape said Papua New Guineans must start questioning why the Opposition keeps failing to properly bring to Parliament the VONC motion.

He said the Opposition had been amply notified of the length of this session of Parliament and kept making mistakes, adding that it also failed to stop the adjournment as its final opportunity to pursue the motion because it lacked in numbers.

โ€œYou donโ€™t go fishing for numbers. You produce your numbers, stop the adjournment and change the course of the Parliament sitting.

Unfortunately, they did not have the numbers once again. โ€œTo our people of Papua New Guinea, do not get caught up by the game being played by the Opposition because they do not have the numbers,โ€ said the Prime Minister.

PM Marape appreciates majority Pangu and Coalition Parties in URP, SDP, PFP, PP, NA, PMFC, MA and MLF for coming in for ...
27/05/2024

PM Marape appreciates majority Pangu and Coalition Parties in URP, SDP, PFP, PP, NA, PMFC, MA and MLF for coming in for Government retreat in the face of movement of a minority leaders. But 6 of the 18 leaders who were in Sanctuary returned to the coalition government as of this afternoon. They are our colleagues and if they want to come back, we will have time and space for them.

Just some updates on numbers; we were a very big collation of 93 MPs, we now have 70 plus MPs. Today they all came in to announce their support for the Pangu Government and expressed that today is not the time for instability but reconstruction under present Government for better delivery to PNG.

And so we will take these two weeks to review our work in all sectors and improve where we need to better for our people and country. Our policies are for our people and good for the country but sometimes delivery has been impeded by many factors including politics.

We taking the next two weeks to not just consolidate Government but review work programs in the face of disasters, economy, census , LLG elections, Bouganville, decentralisation, foreign relations and etc.

In the face of VONC, we welcome this section 145 process where majority Members affirms government. At the moment majority threshold is 56 MPs and Pangu Coalition right now is not threaten with being in the minority.

God knows what is best for PNG, all Christians are asked to pray that Godโ€™s Will for PNG prevails at all time!

PMJM 27/05/2024
Loloata Island!

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape Commends Progress on Gurney Airport Project in AlotauPrime Minister Hon. James Marape l...
14/05/2024

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape Commends Progress on Gurney Airport Project in Alotau

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape lauded the National Airports Corporation (NAC) and the Civil
Aviation Development Investment Project (CADIP) for their significant role in constructing the new K76.8 million Gurney Airport in Alotau, Milne Bay Province.

He expressed his commendations during the groundbreaking ceremony held in Alotau, highlighting the initiative as a crucial component of the Government's Connect PNG initiative.

In partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the upgrade of provincial airport
terminals under CADIP represents a strategic element in the nation's infrastructure development aimed at bolstering economic growth and tourism.

Since its initiation in 2010 with CADIP1, the project has facilitated the enhancement of numerous airports across the country, accumulating investments totaling up to K1.6 billion.

The project, expected to complete within 26 months, aims to enhance travel time, cargo and
passenger handling services, and overall facilities for travellers.

This initiative not only supports improved operational efficiencies but also fosters economic growth and tourism development throughout the region.

Prime Minister Marape extended his gratitude to the ADB for their enduring support and
underscored the importance of infrastructure in improving the livelihoods of Papua New
Guineans.

"Upgrading airport terminals, enhancing safety and security, and generating job opportunities are pivotal for the holistic development of the region," stated Prime Minister Marape.

He also remarked on the promising prospects for tourism in Milne Bay and encouraged local
leaders to prioritise this sector.

The collaboration among the National Airports Corporation, various
investors, and the ADB exemplifies a unified commitment to advancing transportation and
connectivity within Papua New Guinea.

Alotau's Gurney Airport proudly stands as the first recipient under the second phase of CADIP,
denoted as CADIP 2.

"The diligent efforts by our investors compel us to rise to the occasion, ensuring we match their
commitment to delivering 21st-century infrastructure," added Prime Minister Marape.

Good morning all, whilst there are many challenges facing our country , it is good to know the Christian Churches are do...
13/05/2024

Good morning all, whilst there are many challenges facing our country , it is good to know the Christian Churches are doing their part with less murmuring .

I want to thank the SDA church for the recently concluded evangelism which saw over 180,000 baptism ( still counting ) into a faith that preaches and practices self reliant, health and hygiene and lawful living . I saw bulk of those baptized were youths. This means youths being moved away from lawlessness, drunkenness, buai chewing /spitting etc .

Over 15,000 youths in Tari/Hela baptized and committed their lives to Jesus which means 15,000 less tribal problems for our police and community in respect to lawlessness. I was advised my Police Minister that it was very quite the last two weeks that coincided with over 2300 sites in PNG doing worship programs.

I want to take this time to thank SDA and all other Christian Churches for their faithfulness and commitment to the betterment of our citizens and our country.

Keep on working. In September this year we will welcome Pope Francis as he visits his Catholic faithfuls and as a Christian country we stand ready to welcome leaders of all Christian faith as we did with President of SDA Elder Ted Wilson and his 600 plus church workers who came with him.

Character of a nation is shaped by the sum of citizenry. So it is fundamental that the Christian messages of love, forgiveness, kindness, care and law abiding takes residence in the hearts of our citizens and especially our youths and children.

And Christian churches can do this more deeper then civic society or Government hence my Government will continue to partner all Christian Churches in their outreaches.

PMJM 13/05/2024

Agriculture Exports Surge Under Marape Government's Initiatives, Says Dr. Sergie BangNational Agriculture Research Insti...
12/05/2024

Agriculture Exports Surge Under Marape Government's Initiatives, Says Dr. Sergie Bang

National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI), Bubia, Lae, May 10, 2024 - At the inaugural Agriculture Ministerโ€™s Seminar held at the National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI) in Bubia on May 10, 2024, Dr. Sergie Bang, Secretary of Agriculture, highlighted significant growth in the agriculture sector's export earnings from 2019-2022. This period marks a notable increase under the current Marape Government's intensified focus on agriculture.

Dr. Bang revealed that the average annual export earnings for the years 2019-2022 reached K4.576 billion, compared to K3.379 billion annually from 2015-2018. Detailing the yearly earnings, he noted: 2015 โ€“ K2.368 billion, 2016 โ€“ K3.340 billion, 2017 โ€“ K4.012 billion, 2018 โ€“ K3.798 billion, 2019 โ€“ K3.409 billion, 2020 โ€“ K3.783 billion, 2021 โ€“ K5.782 billion, and 2022 โ€“ K5.332 billion.

โ€œThe emphasis on agriculture by the Marape-Rosso Government, where the policies are right and resources are going to the agriculture sector has yielded increases in our foreign exchange," Secretary Bang stated at the seminar, a key component of the annual NARI Agricultural Innovation Show.

"In the previous four years, from 2015 to 2018, there was a K3.3 billion average annual export, while for the next four years, from 2019 to 2022, we have seen a K4.6 billion average annual export."

โ€œThis is a 35 per cent increase in gross domestic product (GDP) generated by the agriculture sector which we can attribute to the positive support of the Marape-Rosso governmentโ€™s support in terms of both policy and funding,โ€ he added.

Secretary Bang also detailed the sector's contribution to GDP from 2016 to 2021, which averaged 28.1% annually. Specific contributions by year were: 2016 โ€“ 30.5%, 2017 โ€“ 30.4%, 2018 โ€“ 25.9%, 2019 โ€“ 20.5%, 2020 โ€“ 24.1%, and 2021 โ€“ 37.1%.

In addition, he announced the agriculture export figures for 2023, with palm oil leading at 673,000 tonnes, earning K2.495 billion, followed by coffee at 60,171 tonnes earning K803.5 million, cocoa at 40,090 tonnes earning K418 million, rubber at one tonne earning K3.5 million, spices at 300 tonnes earning K591.6 million, and coconut at 39,019 tonnes earning K84.3 million. The total tonnage of agricultural exports in 2023 was 812,581 tonnes, which generated K4.396 billion for Papua New Guinea.

PNG IS NOT PRINTING MONEY - OPPOSITION NEEDS TO CHECK FACTS.โ€œOnce again, the Opposition is trying to mislead the people ...
12/05/2024

PNG IS NOT PRINTING MONEY - OPPOSITION NEEDS TO CHECK FACTS.

โ€œOnce again, the Opposition is trying to mislead the people of PNG. A number of their recent statements claim that PNG is printing money to fund the budget deficit. This is just wrong.The IMF verifies this is wrong. It is a condition in the IMF program that PNG does not print money to finance the deficit. When we pass an IMF review, as we have just done again with the recent IMF mission, this means we have not printed money. This is not an imposed condition from outside โ€“ it is a condition that the Marape-Rosso Government believes in. And once this claim of printing money is proven to be false, then the rest of their arguments collapse with no credibilityโ€ stated the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Treasury Matters, Ian Ling-Stuckey

โ€œOf course, the new Opposition may be remembering the disastrous budget management of their old Opposition friends. PNG did print money โ€“ known as the โ€œslackโ€ arrangement during 2014 to 2016. This was at a time when economic mismanagement had led to a massive blowout in budget deficits โ€“ from a planned budget surplus in 2012 to a budget deficit of K3,278m or 10.4% of GDP in 2013, K3,579m or 9.5% of GDP in 2014, K2,785m or 7.0% of GDP in 2015 and K3,087m in 2016. No budget repair going on through those years! The only trick in 2017 was to revalue the size of GDP by 50% - just made their budget deficit to GDP figures look just a little bit better.

โ€œThese high deficits and rapidly growing debt, which was 2.5 times larger in just 4 years, meant the Oโ€™Neill government was struggling to finance such huge deficits. Domestic interest costs had risen to over 12% for government bonds, there was no credible budget repair program in place to attract low-cost international financing, Treasury Bond auctions kept failing. Reports suggest the Government at the time forced BPNG to start printing money, even though it was probably illegal for them to do so.

โ€œIn contrast to the above desperate situation, the budget is now in a much better position. Domestic interest costs on government bonds have dropped from 12% to 6%. There is a credible and performing 13 Year Budget Repair Plan that has reduced the debt to GDP ratio from 8.9% of GDP in 2020 during COVID, down to 4.3% in 2023 and on track for a surplus by 2027. Treasury Bond financing was regularly oversubscribed during 2023 despite offering lower interest rates, and we are well ahead of pro-rata raisings in 2024. The Marape Government introduced changes to the Central Banking Act which made very clear that printing money in times such as 2014 to 2016 is illegal. Absolute limits on the size of BPNG holdings of government securities have been introduced and put into the new CBA laws. These are being monitored by the independent IMF.

โ€œThe Marape-Rosso Government worked hard to fix the errors of the previous government. The performance over the last five years is so much better. The Opposition claims we should exercise fiscal restraint. We are. We are cutting the budget deficit by a billion Kina a year. PNGโ€™s rate of budget repair is ranked in the top 10% of all countries in the world. This is the right balance between repairing the budget, and not causing unnecessary hardship to our families by cutting even harder. The Marape-Rosso Government understands the budget problem, and has demonstrated the courage to deal with itโ€ stated the Minister.

Hon. Ian Ling-Stuckey, CMG. MP
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Treasury Matters

Bougainville President H.E Ishmael Toroama addresses the opening of the Bougainville Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) Meetin...
09/05/2024

Bougainville President H.E Ishmael Toroama addresses the opening of the Bougainville Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) Meeting at APEC Haus in Port Moresby on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.

President Toroama, alongside Prime Minister Hon. James Marape, addressed crucial issues concerning the ratification and aftermath of the Bougainville referendum at the one-day JSB meeting.

The meeting concluded successfully with several significant agreements.

Bougainville President H.E Ishmael Toroama addresses the opening of the Bougainville Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) Meeting at APEC Haus in Port Moresby on Wed...

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About APEC News & Updates

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional economic forum established in 1989 to leverage the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific. APEC's 21 members aim to create greater prosperity for the people of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth and by accelerating regional economic integration.

APEC ensures that goods, services, investment and people move easily across borders. Members facilitate this trade through faster customs procedures at borders; more favorable business climates behind the border; and aligning regulations and standards across the region. For example, APEC's initiatives to synchronize regulatory systems is a key step to integrating the Asia-Pacific economy. A product can be more easily exported with just one set of common standards across all economies.

Papua New Guinea is preparing to host this yearโ€™s APEC summit so this page will bring you updates and news on meetings already underway and preparations yet to be completed to host the leaders of 21 Economies of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) that will come.