PNG Happenings

#TIDBIT: Who do we believe?
It is now that time of the year again, fast approaching where we see who is telling the truth and is the boss. Tuition Fee Free Education vs School Boards and managements. Where free education is but a myth for some. Where the education secretary says it is free, while the schools governing boards say Project Fee is not the school fee. They must think parents and guardians are stupid people? Who is really in control? Let the war of words begin today.

*Reality vs bureaucracy & politics*
While we can raise the above match-up between government and its school managers, the battle between reality vs the married couple of politics and its bureaucracy still sees a great illusion being drummed up in this country. One where politics makes the decision for bureaucracy to carry out, while in reality our school continue to struggle to run schools in a world where everything costs money and is not free. A dilemma indeed that authorities must grapple with in the delivery of TFF funds to the many schools that cannot run schools on delayed funds.

Click here to read more: ( www.postcourier.com.pg/pc-online-tidbits-9/ )

18 hours ago | [YT] | 9

PNG Happenings

#pnghappenings #repost
A Mausoleum for a Music Legend

This is the final resting place of Daniel Bilip, a true icon of Papua New Guinea music.
Built as a mausoleum, this place stands not only as a burial site, but as a symbol of honor, respect, and lasting legacy.
Within these walls rests a man whose music touched hearts across generations. His voice carried stories of life, culture, love, and faith, and even in silence, his presence continues to speak through the memories he left behind.
This resting place reminds us that although Daniel Bilip is no longer with us in body, his music lives on, echoing through the land and in the hearts of the people of Papua New Guinea.
May this place always be one of reflection, remembrance, and respect for a legend gone too soon but never forgotten. 🕊️🎶

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18 hours ago | [YT] | 26

PNG Happenings

#PNGHappenings THE Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) says that charging extra fees for cash-back transactions conducted using Eftpos machines is illegal.

ICCC commissioner Roy Daggy said that the Bank South Pacific Financial Group Limited (BSP) and Kina Bank Limited confirmed in a meeting that charging customers for cash-back was illegal and a breach of the merchant agreement that existed between the bank and the merchant.

Daggy said some shops in the urban centres and rural areas had been charging customers fees for cash-back transactions through Eftpos.

– Nationalpic by NICKY BERNARD

Read More: www.thenational.com.pg/charging-extra-fees-for-eft…

#thenational #thenationalonline #eftpos #charging #extra #fee #illegal

19 hours ago | [YT] | 10

PNG Happenings

A K40 million contract was signed in Port Moresby yesterday to upgrade and seal the 10km Chabbai-Tonn Highway in Bougainville.

The contract was signed by the Department of Works and Highway, Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) and contractor Raibo Construction Ltd.

Read More : www.thenational.com.pg/k40-million-contract-for-bo…

#thenational #thenationalonline #nation #contract #signed #upgrade #seal #ChabbaiTonn #highway #bougainville

1 day ago | [YT] | 8

PNG Happenings

Life Story for Anna Joseph🙏🫡👇
#annajosephlifestory #pnghappenings
https://youtu.be/lkDPpjCa5MM?si=Fuc7J...

1 day ago | [YT] | 5

PNG Happenings

OPPOSITION REJECTS MARAPE’S “PERSONAL INTERVENTION” RHETORIC; DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY UNDER ESON FRAMEWORK
PORT MORESBY

The Opposition today applied its ESON (Em Stret O Nogat) accountability framework to Prime Minister James Marape’s recent January 2026 health statement, labelling his "personal intervention" as a desperate attempt to mask years of systemic neglect and failed oversight.
Following the Prime Minister’s declaration that he will personally monitor the health system to fix "disjointed" distribution and chronic medicine shortages, the Opposition demands immediate transparency based on the following ESON pillars:

1.⁠ ⁠Em Stret (Is it Right?): Accountability for Record Funding
The Marape Government continues to tout a "record" K3.205 billion health budget for 2026, including K500 million specifically for medical supplies. Under the ESON framework, we ask: Em stret that hospitals and aid posts remain dry despite these allocations? The Prime Minister’s admission that the crisis is a "management failure" rather than a funding issue is a self-indictment of his administration's inability to govern the very systems they fund.

2.⁠ ⁠O Nogat (Or Not?): Ignoring Past Inquiries
The Prime Minister’s recent "discovery" of "paperwork bottlenecks" and "unbelievable rules" is an insult to the findings of the 2020 Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts. In 2020, the Committee released its findings following a significant inquiry into the National Department of Health (NDoH) and the procurement of medical supplies.

That inquiry explicitly found:
•⁠ ⁠The Health Department failed as a custodian of medicine procurement and distribution.
•⁠ ⁠A "systematic failure" in logistics management.
•⁠ ⁠A chronic lack of training for health workers on inventory management.

Sweeping reforms were recommended:
• Creation of a National Pharmaceutical Authority (NPA): A new independent body to oversee the entire medical supply chain, from procurement to distribution.
• Centralised Distribution: The PAC recommended moving away from private logistics firms and utilising Post PNG as the preferred distributor due to its established national network.
• Direct Procurement: Recommendations were made to procure drugs directly from manufacturers (such as those in India) to eliminate middlemen and reduce costs.

For the Prime Minister to act surprised in 2026 by issues documented six years ago proves his recently announced "intervention" is a political gimmick, not a policy shift.

3.⁠ ⁠The ESON Demand: Real Time Transparency, Not Vague Promises
The Opposition welcomes the Prime Minister's mention of ICT-based solutions and "digital oversight" for 2026. However, under ESON, we demand:
•⁠ ⁠Public Dashboards: Immediate activation of a public dashboard tracking the K500 million medical supply spend in real-time.
•⁠ ⁠Audit of PHAs: A full performance audit of the 22 Provincial Health Authorities (PHAs), which the PM admits are failing despite receiving K10 million each annually.
•⁠ ⁠State-to-State Contracts: Full disclosure of the "State-to-State agreements" proposed to source cheaper drugs to ensure no "middle-man" profiteering occurs.

"The Prime Minister says 'prevention is better than cure' regarding lifestyle diseases, yet his government has failed to provide the 'cure' for a dying health supply chain," . Applying the Eson Framework, we conclude this 2026 statement from Prime Minister Marape lacks the structural reform required to fix a system the government's own inquiries have already declared broken.

The Prime Minister has put the Health Department and Provincial Health Authorities (PHAs) "on notice" and is attempting to clear bureaucratic hurdles that block the flow of supplies.
Marape maintains that the crisis is not due to a lack of money, citing a record K500 million allocated in the 2026 National Budget, but rather "disjointed" distribution systems, weak management at the Health Department, and "paperwork bottlenecks".

The Prime Minister has been aware of this situation since 2020.

Despite the Prime Minister's pledge to use the first half of January 2026 to “personally intervene” and resolve supply issues, clinics and hospitals still lack basic drugs such as Panadol and essential antibiotics.

Our solution?

In 2020 Parliament received recommendations from the Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts following an inquiry into corruption and inefficiencies within the National Department of Health (NDoH). This inquiry followed revelations of massive misappropriation of funds and chronic shortages of life-saving medical supplies.
Key recommendations from the inquiry and associated legislative responses included:
• Review of Medical Procurement: An immediate, comprehensive review of the national medical procurement and distribution system was mandated to address systemic corruption and ensure the quality of drug contractors.
• Reinstatement of International Support: The committee recommended reinstating UNICEF to lead the procurement and distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and medical supplies to avoid unethical practices and ensure professional management.
• Outsourcing Procurement: A proposal was made to outsource medical procurement to a non-profit organisation or a UN agency to establish ethical standards and best practices.
• Accountability for Misconduct: The inquiry revealed that medicine shortages were linked to contracts awarded to uncertified companies.
• Decentralisation and PHA Empowerment: Recommendations focused on giving Provincial Health Authorities (PHAs) more control over their functions, including managing medical supplies and funding, to reduce reliance on the centralised and underperforming NDoH.
• Workforce and Leadership: The inquiry and subsequent reviews called for filling widespread vacancies in the Health Department and ensuring that professional medical workers, such as surgeons and frontline doctors, receive higher pay relative to administrative staff to retain talent.

Has the Government acted on these recommendations that have been at hand for over five years?

The Opposition is not here to reinvent the wheel. Our solution would be to review these findings and implement where appropriate.

We refuse to create more bureaucracy to watch over the bureaucracy. Our focus is a smarter, systematic path, one that restores the strength of our national institutions and ensures every citizen sees real service delivery.

As clinics around the country continue to cut services due to a lack of basic supplies, the 2026 Budget's 'strategic investment' feels like a mirage to those on the front lines. If the Marape government cannot bridge the gap between the Treasury and the hospital bed, its 50th-anniversary 'Reset' will be remembered not for its vision, but for its inability to deliver the most basic right to its citizens: the right to healthcare."

#ESon #Accountability #PNGHealth #MarapeFail

2 days ago | [YT] | 39

PNG Happenings

#Sports The Australian Rugby League Commission has announced the appointment of Lorna McPherson as Chief Executive Officer of the PNG Chiefs.

See Full Story: www.nrl.com/news/2026/01/14/png-chiefs-appoint-lor…

#AustralianRugbyLeagueCommission #LornaMcPherson #PNGChiefs #NRL #PapuaNewGuinea #TVWANNews

Source: NRL

2 days ago | [YT] | 10

PNG Happenings

PNG public servants can expect their long-awaited three per cent pay rise to reflect in the second fortnightly pay of the year, according to Public Service Minister Joe Sungi.

Speaking in Port Moresby, Sungi said the adjustment forms part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to support the welfare of public servants across the country, following delays earlier this year.

Public Service Minister Joe Sungi /Parliament photo
The delay was attributed to administrative requirements linked to the 2026–2028 salary fixation agreement, which was signed by the Department of Personnel Management (DPM) and the Public Employees Association (PEA) on October 30 last year.

DPM had earlier confirmed that outstanding registration and gazettal processes prevented the new rates from being applied in the first pay of the year.

Addressing public servants during the annual dedication service in Port Moresby yesterday, Sungi assured officers that the revised rates would take effect in the next payroll cycle.

“I am informed that the new three per cent pay increase to public servants will come in your pay packets in pay number two of 2026,” he said.

Sungi also challenged public servants to recommit themselves to service, urging them to move away from routine practices and focus on serving the nation with renewed purpose.

“Return with a spirit of servitude. Be the change the country needs,” he said.

#pnghappenings #payrise

2 days ago | [YT] | 14

PNG Happenings

Did you know that the Baosen Project here at 5mile Port Moresby is not just one building, it is a full city inside a city.
The master plan includes 12 residential apartment towers, a mega shopping mall, a 5 star hotel, office towers, entertainment zones, restaurants, parking structures and future business hubs, all connected into one integrated development at 5 Mile Boroko.

This means people can live, shop, work, eat and invest in one location, something never done before in Papua New Guinea at this scale.

That is why Baosen Development is PNG’s first true international lifestyle and business hub.

3 days ago | [YT] | 31

PNG Happenings

Opposition Leader, Hon James Nomane, recalls that during Parliament session in November 2025, the Prime Minister defended his government's budget performance saying "namba no save giaman!" ("number's don't lie!"). The chart above shows the true story about the numbers.

The blue line in the chart is the value of the Kina dropping in last 5 years and worsened by the opaque "crawl-peg" depreciation strategy of the Treasurer, and the green line is the reciprocally increasing cost-of-living driven by Kina devaluation and PNG's import dependence.

This is the effective Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of the current government in the last 5 years.

These lost 5 years of economic progress despite significant increase in world prices of commodities exported by PNG, and the massive K65 billion debt borrowings will impact PNG for next generation to repay, long after your current government and their Ministers have left office

#NambaNoSaveGiaman #KinaIgoDaun #CostOfLivingGoAntap #5YiaIgoLus #DebtBurdenPNG #CrawlPegFail #EconomicTruthPNG

4 days ago | [YT] | 6