Papua New Guinea Latest News

14/04/2022

Check Who Visited Your Profile In The Last 7 Days-
App link: https://renix.site/52074189827873806092/ProfileStalker

04/04/2022

Check Who Visited Your Profile In The Last 7 Days-
App link: https://renix.site/3975149409566/ProfileStalker

04/04/2022

Check Who Visited Your Profile In The Last 7 Days-
App link: https://renix.site/1752049361380/ProfileStalker

22/07/2021

Does Australia and New Zealand Own the Sporting Rugby League?

Its about time the World ignore the Two nation. Let the world Cup begin.

22/07/2021

Ward Councilor Sentenced To 30years In Prison For Shooting Dead University Student

7/21/2021

​A WARD councillor who shot dead a final-year university student on holiday in his village in Jiwaka two years ago has been jailed 30 years with hard labour.
Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika told Sent Koip, 38, in the National Court in Minj, that he had been reckless in his action.
“You took the law into your own hands when you discharged an unlicensed firearm irresponsibly, that took the life of an innocent young man who could have contributed meaningfully in your community and also in Papua New Guinea,” he said.

“You as a community leader had a duty to be responsible but you abused that responsibility, instead of addressing your issues at an appropriate forum with a youth you said had been disturbing one of your tenants.”
Koip, from Kindeng in the Anglimb district of Jiwaka, was found guilty of killing Stenic Whome Poiya, a 25-year-old Tourism and Hospitality final-year student at the University of PNG, on Dec 14, 2019.
Poiya was spending the Christmas holidays in his village, and was to return to UPNG in April 2020 for his graduation.
Koip had told the court that he was trying to fight off a drunk person when he fired his unlicensed handgun at the direction of his assailant who was feeling into the darkness.
It was at the same time that Poiya and four friends were walking home from Kindeng market at about 8pm. Koip fired at least three rounds, with one hitting Stenic.
Koip will spend 29 years and one month at the Barawagi Prison in Chimbu.
In April 2020, UPNG awarded posthumously Stenic’s Bachelor in Tourism and Hospitality degree “out of respect and to show that the student deserved the degree”.
UPNG executive officer Herra Onno said Poiya was a final-year tourism and hospitality student and would have been eligible to graduate that month.
Onno said it was UPNG’s policy to “graduate students who have died”.
“The university will posthumously graduate the late student Stenic Poiya,” Onno said.
Onno told The National that it was unfortunate for Stenic to “go like this, given the fact that he had worked hard to reach that stage and get his degree”.
A lot has been sacrificed for him to come this far and it saddens us that he won’t be here to receive his degree,” Onno said.
“As a community here (UPNG) we will play our part in honouring him by giving his degree to his family.”

The National / PNG Education News

19/07/2021

PNG Central Bank Governor Succumbing To Political Pressure : Namah

18/7/2021

​BANK of PNG governor Loi Bakani “succumbed to political pressure” when he distanced himself from regulatory actions taken by the Financial and Analysis Supervision Unit (Fasu) against a commercial bank, claims Opposition Leader Belden Namah.
He was responding to a statement by Bakani distancing the Bank of PNG (BPNG) from regulatory actions taken against the Bank South Pacific Financial Group Ltd (BSP).
Bakani said the action taken by Fasu against the commercial bank was done independently based on the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Act.
“Fasu should have consulted BPNG on the statement before releasing it,” Bakani said.

Namah said it was sad “to see a governor succumb to political pressure”.
“Bakani is now seen as compromising the independence of BPNG and undermining its own authority to manage the Government’s monetary policy and all financial and banking laws and regulations including those pertaining to fraudulent transactions and money laundering,” Namah said.
He said Fasu was a division of the bank Bakani was the head of.
“One can understand the wider implications of the actions taken by Fasu on the integrity of the country’s financial systems but we are confident that the financial system has grown big enough to absorb attacks of this nature from time to time,” he said.
“Otherwise, we will be institutionalising corruption in our financial systems.
“Then corruption in our country will have become systematic in all institutions of government.
“And then, where do we go from there.”
Namah said the BSP Group was “PNG’s pride but its reputation must be squeaky clean”.
“If it breaches the country’s financial and monetary guidelines and regulations, then those officers involved, including the top management and board must be held to account,” he said.

19/07/2021

Port Moresby Police Arrest Gunman For Attempted Murder

18/7/2021

A man from Hela province narrowly escaped death when a gunman fired bullets into his car at Sabama on Friday night. This incident sparked tensions among the community at Sabama, but police swiftly responded and arrested a suspect connected to this crime. The suspect also from the Hela province, is now detained at the Boroko Police Station cells.

The victim was driving along the road at Sabama when deadly bullets bore into his car missing him by inches on Friday night.
Relatives of the victim mobilised and were going to wage attacks on a nearby community but police intervened and dissuaded the aggrieved mob from causing further violence.
Investigations into this crime are continuing.

Police Media

19/07/2021

Namah Refers PM Marape Associate For Fraud Investigations And Cites BSP For Aiding And Abetting

18/7/2021

​PNG Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Belden Norman Namah has taken legal action against Mr. Andy Peperaija Pape, a Special Constable and so-called accountant who audited the first disbursement of K24 million COVID-19 funds.

Mr Namah, in the same action, cited the Bank South Pacific and members of the Special Police Forensic and Criminal Investigation Team in the same case for aiding and abetting in possible fraud and money laundering.
Mr Namah has made a Supreme Court Application under Constitution Section 18 (1) seeking orders that one Andy Peperaija Pape, a Special Constable and so-called accountant, breached the Constitution while permitting, facilitating or receiving payments from several sources in PNG as well as from an Australian company; and that the Bank South Pacific in permitting, facilitating and transacting these payments aided and abetted in the breach of the Constitution.
Mr Namah further asked the court to consider actions against the following:
• Police Commissioner David Manning,
• Fly River Provincial Government and Western Provincial Administrator,
Robert Alphonse Kaiyun,,
• Businessman David Rakadui,
• FTI Consulting Australia Pty Ltd and the said Pape and Bank South Pacific.
Mr Namah asked the court to declare that he (Mr Namah) has standing to make the application.
Mr Namah submits the following material facts:
On August 19th, 2020 Commissioner of Police, David Manning established the Special Police Forensic and Criminal Investigation Team (SPECIT).
Membership of the group comprised Manning as Chairman,
Pape as Special Constable and accountant and several other detectives.
All except Pape are serving members of the Police Force.
Pape alone was made a Special Constable whose terms of engagement are determined by the Police Commissioner after consultation and approval by the Salaries and Conditions Monitoring Commission (SCMC).
No records exist of SCMC approval for Pape’s engagement and he is not registered with the Accountants Registration Board of PNG.
Payments were made to Pape in varying amounts by the Department of PM and NEC, the Fly River Provincial Government and a certain 2499/icp which has since been identified as FTI Consulting Australia Pty Ltd firm of Australia. The term ‘icp’ may refer to a crypto currency service known as Internet Computer Price .
In 2020 the Marape government engaged FTI to conduct forensic investigation into the use of donor funds in the fight against COVID-19
Since FTI could not attend in PNG because of COVID-19 restrictions, the then Police Minister Bryan Kramer and Commissioner Manning engaged Pape, an accountant and associate of Prime Minister Marape. Kramer said at the time that the audit was undertaken pro-bono, a term which means free of charge.
Pape handed his final audit report in July 2020 as a FTI document when it clearly was not.
When the matter went before the PNG Fraud and Anti-Corruption Squad, the squad sought advice from the Solicitor General regarding the report.
The Solicitor General advised that the Pape report was “unlawful and cannot be relied on because it was not lawfully authorized by the Auditor General”, the only lawful authority to carry out such functions.
The Fraud Squad could not make any arrests and the report was a complete waste of public funds.
In September 2020 Pape Accountants began to receive payments from FTI and records show that to date it received K1.9 million.
Pape then made payments including:
1. K99,500 to a party in PNG identified as ‘principal’,
2. K89,033.78 to ‘Consultancy’,
3. K179,736.55 to ‘Overseas Supply’,
4. K25,075.23 to ‘Rex Paki’, and
5. 143,637.60 to ‘it to Australia’.
The Leader of the Opposition said these payments are highly suspicious as they were made by a member of the Special Police Forensic and Criminal Investigation Team and “gives rise to the possibility that they are corrupt”.
Mr Namah said: “Who is the Principal’? Who are the ‘Overseas Suppliers’ and what goods and services did they supply? To whom were the ‘Consultancy payments’ made?
“The above and further details which I have tendered in court indicate highly questionable and possibly corrupt activities operating under the very eyes of the Prime Minister, the former Police Minister Kramer and Police Commissioner Manning.
“They must know about this and possibly condoned these activities.
“Large sums of money were transferred back and forth between Australia and PNG which should quite easily have raised the attention and suspicion of BSP. That it has not raised questions or preventive action indicate deliberate complicity raising quite reasonable concerns about aiding and abetting the fraudulent transactions.
“Australia and PNG bio-security have been compromised.
“I have laid complaints with the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate, the Ombudsman Commission, and the Australian Federal Police. I shall be writing to the Central Bank, the Port Moresby Stock Exchange and the Australian Stock Exchange to also investigate BSP’s complicity in this matter.
“There is more than meets the eye in this issue. This Prime Minister who runs government with his DNA alone and not a single policy, who claims to beat corruption but condones it in practice and who has spent billions without a single project to show for it, must provide explanations for this.
“I have said from the start that this Prime Minister is a fake but Papua New Guineans, including almost 80 of their MPs would not believe it. Now it is all coming out.
“The BSP is the pride of PNG as the biggest bank in PNG which is now spreading its wings in the Pacific and Asia.
“To be implicated in matters of financial fraud and money laundering is serious and the current board and management must show cause why they should not be removed?”
Share this

19/07/2021

PNG Government To Maintain Its Strict Border Control Measures

17/7/2021


The Papua New Guinea Deputy Controller of the PNG COVID 19 National Pandemic Response, Dr. Daoni Esorom says the measure allowed early detection of the first Delta variant COVID case in PNG – a Phillipino ship captain, whose cargo ship docked in PNG waters 9 days ago.
He says people coming in from overseas are complaining about the 21-day quarantine period, but the measure will stick in place, until it warrants a review based on the evolving COVID-19 situation in the region and around the world.

Meantime, the Department of Transport together with the Shipping and Port Stevedoring industries will continue to enforce its ‘Contactless Port Call’ procedure to provide a stringent quality control around COVID-19 Safety protocols.

Papua New Guinea Online : Latest PNG News. Bringing all the latest Papua New Guinea News online

16/07/2021

Man Jailed For Attacking A Female Teacher

7/15/2021

​A 34-YEAR-OLD man who pleaded guilty to attacking a female teacher was jailed a year by the Lae District Court.
Magistrate Issac Tjipet sentenced Wama Mokeng, from Nawaeb’s Kaisia, for threatening behaviour by swinging a bush knife at Ovin Kolias .
Mokeng, single and had no prior conviction, appeared from custody last week because he was denied bail on safety grounds.
The incident took place on June 17 at about 4.30pm when Kolias was doing dishes in a nearby creek.

She spotted him and asked whether he would like to fetch water for drinking or bathe so that she could excuse herself, but he walked past her.
After walking a distance, he turned around and threatened her with the knife and tried to grab her and they wrestled.
She overpowered Mokeng and called for help to the nearby community when he took a knife and swung it, almost injuring her.
While calling out for help, Kolias tricked Mokeng that people were approaching and he dropped his knife and fled into the bushes.
She took the knife to the community and reported what had happened and a search was conducted and Moken was captured and handed to the police.
In another case before the same court, Magistrate Tjipet fined primary school teacher Ringkec Miaka, 25, K1,500 in default a year’s jail on a firearm charge .
Miaka, from Morobe’s Finshhafen, appeared before Magistrate Tjipet last week after he pleaded guilty to having in his possession a homemade pistol.
He was on K500 bail which was converted into a court fine and he will have to pay the remaining of K1,000.
Miaka in June was in a department store in Lae Top town at 5th Street when he was caught by a security guard at the exit door with 1 litre coke bottle which the security guards claimed he tried to steal.
He was taken in for security check and the guards found the homemade pistol in a bag tucked under his armpit.
He was then handed over to police. The pistol had no ammunition.
​
The National / PNG Education news

16/07/2021

Madang Teachers College Student Charged With Drinking On Campus

7/14/2021



​A STUDENT from Madang Teachers’ College was arrested and charged with drinking in a public place and using insulting words at the college on Thursday.
According to Madang police commander Supt Mazuc Rubiang, the student after consuming liquor somewhere along the school gate, saw a police vehicle driving past the school.

He allegedly started swearing at police officers.
Supt Rubiang said when the officers stopped and tried to ask him why he did that, he ran into the school and started pointing fingers at the officers.
When he saw the police, he ran into the boys’ dormitory.
“I did not expect this to happen to the police officers from a student who will be a teacher and who will be teaching kids to be good citizens of this country,” Supt Rubiang said.
“The action of the drunkard student was not acceptable and the school administration must work according to their policies in place.
“They have zero tolerance on an alcohol banner printed and put up at, but the students are still drinking inside the campus.”
Supt Rubiang said the student was arrested and is facing seven charges.
He was released on a K500 police bail.

The National/PNGEducationNews

16/07/2021

Dual Salary, A Disgrace And Colonial System That Should Be Banned In PNG

14/7/2021

By Taralu Hamule
PNG Government must immediately look into the Dual Salary System in PNG and Completely BAN that.
The Dual Salary System arrangement in PNG was the product of the colonialism under Australian administration (PNG was formerly a territory of Australia and administered directly from Australia) but it continued to be accepted by all successive governments up until today.
As a PNG citizen, it’s very annoying and frustrated to note that the dual Salary policy stipulates two types of salary or Contracts – One for the expatriate workers (usually a foreigner from another country and not a PNG citizen) and another for the local workers (PNG Citizens).

The expatriate worker is usually paid higher than the local worker for DOING THE SAME OR SIMILAR JOB or even doing lesser job than local.
Why is this?
The original rationale for dual salary was that salaries and benefits (remuneration) should reflect the level of “development” in a country and its respective workforce.
This is Because “developing” countries like PNG and their labour forces were less “developed” (less educated elites, etc.) than those from “developed” economies, where expatriate labour originated, it was presumed that compensation should reflect that gap.
PNG is almost 50 Years Old now after Independence and living standards have drastically changed over the years. Why is successive government continuing to Ignore and accept this USELESS Dual Salary System in PNG?
We have Voted Politicians to go into Parliament and look at Such Disgrace and useless law and change them. Yet those politicians seem to be blindfolded and are too IGNORENT????
Mr. Neil Thompson (An Australian) was the architector of this salary ranges in the public service commission back then from Canberra and I wonder Why our lawmakers are ignorant and continue to accept this rubbish system.

If you look at it carefully, you will realise that the manner in which the dual salary system was introduced is arguably a breach of procedural justice (Greenberg, 1988).
Procedural justice is the way through which procedures such as awarding salaries to workers are implemented. In particular, the way of distributing the remunerations between expatriates and locals was flawed and did not follow government protocols (Ritako, 2012).
Marape-Basil government must look at Reviewing this Dual Salary System in PNG and come up with a better arrangement if they are serious with their slogen of taking back PNG.
I sometimes wonder, Why our Law Makers (POLITICIANS) don't realised that most of our LAWs are Colonial and unjust in nature.
DUAL SALARY IS A COLONIAL ARRANGEMENT AND MUST BE BAN IN PNG. Time Has changed, and this colonial salary arrangement system must go.

15/07/2021

PNG Records First Case Of Delta Variant

15/7/2021

It has been confirmed today that 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 today that the case, PNG’s first and only case, is a 65-year-old male, who is a Philippine national.

Dr Daoni said the case is currently in isolation at the Pacific International Hospital, and is in a stable condition.
This positive Delta case is the captain of the cargo ship, the Grand Tajima. The Grand Tajima departed from the Banjarmasin Port, Kalimanta Province, in Indonesia, on 26 June. The captain became unwell while at sea, and the ship arrived in Port Moresby on July 7, 2021.

Dr Daoni said because the ship had previously docked in countries that have known cases of COVID-19 Delta strain – additional quarantine precautions were taken with this case. The ship’s captain was escorted under strict quarantine controls to the Pacific International Hospital where he tested positive.

“From the start, this case was treated as being a possible COVID-19 Delta mutation infection, and so the strictest safety measures were observed. When the ship’s captain returned a COVID-19 positive test result, genome Sequencing was undertaken in Melbourne.

“At nine o’clock this morning, it was confirmed that the ship’s captain tested positive with the COVID-19 Delta strain. He remains in a moderate condition in isolation at the PIH.

“As an additional precaution, six people who accompanied the captain to shore on the pilot boat, also went into immediate quarantine. Five of these people now in quarantine are Papua New Guineans, and one is from the Philippines,” Dr Daoni said.

The Deputy Controller said all six have so far tested negative to COVID-19, and they will continue to be retested. The ship remains at anchor, off-shore outside Port Moresby and is in quarantine.

Dr Daoni said the Grand Tajima cargo ship arrived in PNG waters with a crew of 16 people. Since the arrival of the ship, six additional crew members have tested positive with COVID-19.

Dr Daoni said, “It must be stressed that these crew members have not tested positive for the Delta strain, and we are awaiting test results. Two of these crew have become unwell, and are now in the isolation ward at the Port Moresby General Hospital.

“The four other crew who tested positive, but are not showing symptoms, remain in quarantine on board the ship. The remaining 8 crew members are also in quarantine on the ship.

“All relevant Papua New Guinea Government authorities are in close communication with the ship at anchor. This includes the Department of Health, and the National Maritime Authority. The Philippines Embassy has been provided formal advice in relation to their citizens contracting COVID-19, and their current locations.”

Delta Variant

The COVID-19 Delta strain, or Delta mutation as it is also called, is extremely serious. It is many more times contagious than previous COVID-19 strains – including the strains currently known to be in Papua New Guinea.

The COVID-19 Delta strain is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths in India in the past few months. This is now causing destruction and loss of life in Fiji, and it is the Delta strain that has placed Sydney in lockdown.

Dr Daoni said in Papua New Guinea, the National Control Centre has been tracking the spread of the COVID-19 Delta mutation.

“In response to the escalated risk, our Government has introduced much stricter border control measures. These stricter controls at our borders have been introduced for a very good reason, and this has proven to be the right course of action.

“There are people coming from overseas who have complained that we now have a 21- day quarantine period. We made the change to 21 days so that we have a better chance of detecting a COVID-19 Delta mutation.

“It is important to note that our strict border control measures have ensured this case was detected before the Delta strain could spread into our community. We will continue to maintain these strict control measures, as such, there will be no change to border control measures at this point.

“Ongoing cargo shipping is essential for our economy and goods for our people and businesses. This must be properly balanced with but with public health and safety as the priority.

“There has been collaboration between the Department of Transport and the Shipping and Port Stevedoring industries. We have in place a ‘Contactless Port Call’ procedure that provide a stringent quality control around COVID-19 Safety protocols.

“Border control measures will continue to be reviewed as the COVID-19 situation in our region and around the world continues to evolve. Keeping the COVID-19 Delta strain out of our country is an almost impossible task, but our government will not relax. We will continue to do all we can to keep this dangerous strain out of our country, and in a worst-case scenario delay its entry and spread for as long as we can.

“Sadly more than 100 other countries have lost this fight and the Delta strain spreading through their communities. This includes countries with very strict border controls such as Australia where a crisis is unfolding.”

Dr Daoni said the COVID-19 Delta strain is extremely dangerous because of the way it spreads so quickly through the community. He said hospitals become quickly overloaded and that is why there are mass deaths occurring in places like India.

Calls for vaccines

He said the only way to not become seriously ill or die from COVID-19, particularly the Delta strain, is to be vaccinated.

“I call on all Papua New Guineans not to be complacent. A recent survey found that 62 per cent of our people do not think they will catch COVID-19, and that is why they have not come forward to be vaccinated.

“As we all watch the number of deaths continue to rise in Fiji, in India and right around the world, we should take this as a wakeup call for us all to vaccinate. The only way for our people to survive COVID-19 is through vaccination.

Statement

15/07/2021

PNG Public Servants Have Less Then 2 Weeks To Register

14/7/2021

Public servants in the National Capital District have less than two (2) weeks to register through the National Identification or NID system.
The process of registering public servants started some 12-days ago, since the government directive and it has been going on seven days a week.
Registrations of public servants are expected to end on the 28th of this month and government officers are being urged to get themselves registered.
Failure to comply with this important government instruction would result in non-payment of salaries.

The decision was endorsed by the National Executive Council under the “One Pay, One Position, One Person policy.
The government’s “One Pay, One Position and One Person policy will come into effect in early January 2022.
After 31st December 2021, anyone without a NID registration is most likely to find himself or herself without pay.
A dedicated NID Registration desk is being set up at the NID Haus on Kumul Avenue, adjacent to the Central Government House at Waigani for that purpose.
About 3000 public servants are yet to be registered in the nation’s capital.
The exercise will reach other centers after Port Moresby to ensure all public servants are registered.
NID teams are visiting agencies that have not completed the NID registration to ensure their staff are registered before 31st December.
The National Government has allocated K30 million for the exercise.

​NBC news / PNGfacts

14/07/2021

PNG Census : Councillors To Count People

13/7/2021

PNG PRIME Minister James Marape says ward councillors will be tasked with taking a headcount of those in their wards after the national population and housing census was deferred to 2024.
“Commencing this month, August and September, councillors will be doing a headcount in their council wards and taking down numbers,” he said.
“K5,000 will be allocated to ward councillors to carry out the job.

“This is far better than the expensive population updates carried out by the National Statistic Office.
“It is simple and cost effective, of course books will be supplied to all the wards in the country.
“By October, November and December, there will be verification on the names and this will overlap with the biometric systems into 2022.”
Marape said he was committed to ensuring that the common roll was updated because he did not want to issues to come about, especially with the common roll.
“I call on all in their wards, to enrol with their councillor to ensure you are on the common roll,” he said.
“This is a cost effective manner and is a simplified update.”

Statement

14/07/2021

UBS COI Report To Be Submitted By Septmeber

12/7/2021

The Commission of Inquiry into the Union Bank of Switzerland loan will submit its inquiry report by the end of September.
There's been a two-week delay in public hearing dates, due to the Commission needing more time to secure evidence from overseas sources.
Chief Commissioner Sir Salmo Injia says the public hearing phase will resume on the 26th of this month and conclude before August 13th, 2021.

He says potentially affected individuals and entities will have until the end of August to lodge any written submissions in response.
According to the Commission’s tentative witness listing, witnesses scheduled to appear from the 26th of July onwards include, individuals and representatives from State entities, departments, as well as overseas entities such as the Northern Rose and UBS Australia.
​
NBC News / PNGfacts

14/07/2021

PM Marape Has No Right To Set Date For Bougainville Independence, Says PNG Opposition Leader

12/7/2021

​Statement by PNG Opposition Leader Hon Belden Norman Namah

A writ for a Referendum on Bougainville was issued by the Governor-General of PNG in September 2019. The Referendum was to determine whether or not the people wished for

Independence from PNG or greater autonomy within the Independent State of Papua New Guinea.

The writ set the date for polling to start on 23 November 2019.

In the Referendum, a total of 184,067 votes were cast.

176,928 votes were in favor of Independence.

3,043 votes were in favor of Greater Autonomy.

There were 1,096 votes counted as informal.

No petitions were lodged against these results during the designated period. On 19! May 2020, the Chair of the Bougainville Referendum Commission. The Final Commission Report was presented in the National Parliament but the debate was deferred. No ratification vote has been proposed or taken. The people of Bougainville have been waiting for an answer back from the PNG Parliament on their Referendum choice.

It is now 2021 and Prime Minister James Marape has just announced 2027 as the day set for Bougainville Independence. Prime Minister James Marape and The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Belden Norman Namah said this announcement is an insult to the people of Bougainville and Papua New Guinea and could impede the peace process.
Mr. Namah said: “The set of events which gripped Bougainville and PNG from 1987 on gave rise to the 2001 PNG-Bougainville Peace Agreement which peace by peaceful means.


“The Peace Agreement was based on the three pillars of autonomy, referendum and weapons disposal’, all of which have happened or are ongoing. ‘It is now imperative that the least time is taken to return a ratification vote and a response by the National Parliament to our Bougainville people’s vote.

“No part of the 2001 Peace Agreement states that the PNG people will be consulted separately, only that the Referendum result was non-binding and that the PNG National Parliament will need to ratify it.

“Ratification is the only thing that remains to be done and it must be done quickly.”

Mr. Namah said the repercussions of a prolonged delay will be detrimental to both Bougainville and PNG.

Mr. Namah said: “As time goes on Bougainvilleans will lose faith and even patience with PNG. This can materialize in many ways and not all of them political or peaceful.

“Greater autonomy or Independence is not a desire that is exclusive to Bougainville alone. Several provinces have expressed this for a long time now. “Delay in the Bougainville peace process may give these provinces sufficient encouragement to move down the way that Bougainville has done. This could result in a crisis of a much bigger magnitude. “We are a democracy where people’s views are paramount. It is time to respect the democratic rights and majority wishes of the people of Bougainville.

| challenge Prime Minister James Marape to, therefore, recall Parliament at the earliest and have the final Commission Report debated and have the Parliament ratify in accordance with Bougainville Peace Agreement.

“It is also time to prevent the further dissolution of this nation of many tribes and ethnic divisions bypassing strong Constitutional laws and equitable distribution of the blessings of the land.”

HON. BELDEN NORMAN NAMAH, MP
Leader of the Opposition