Photo credit: Ry Crozier - Telstra The Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) ruled that Telstra's planned acquisition of Digicel PNG would not impair competition in the telecommunications industry, thus the deal is likely to go forward. Members of the public can still offer their opinions, which will be taken into account, according...

Photo credit: Ok Tedi Mining - Part of the Tabubil/Telefomin road currently under construction is one of the TCS funded projects. Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) has signed a PGK50 million project agreement to commence the upgrading and sealing of the Kiunga-Tabubil Highway.  The agreement was signed today (11th January 2022) in Port Moresby between O...

Photo credit: PNGEITI - Lucas Alkan Papua New Guinea’s prominent petroleum company, Oil Search Ltd merger into Santos has been welcomed by the PNG Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (PNGEITI).   PNGEITI hailed the merger as a milestone achievement for both companies who are prominent and competitive players in the PNG petroleum space.   ...

World Bank and UNICEF surveys of Papua New Guinean families have found that while levels of employment, access to education and healthcare remained relatively stable from January to June 2021, 93% of households in PNG had used at least one economic coping strategy since the beginning of 2021, and 40% had used five or more coping strategies. According t...

The Autonomous Bougainville Government has approved a budget of nearly K500 million for the fiscal year 2022. The 'One Post Referendum Budget' was the topic of the 2022 ABG Budget, which was presented in parliament by ABG Minister for Treasury and Finance Hon. Salas, Mathias “The budget directly addresses all priorities that the ABG has set towards ...

The third Papua New Guinea-Australia Annual Leaders' Dialogue was conducted virtually on December 8, 2021, between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Prime Minister James Marape. The two Prime Ministers recognized the fundamental importance of the bilateral relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea, as well as our shared interests in a safe, s...

CEFI Executive Director Saliya Ranasinghe (3rd from left), Bank of PNG Assistant Governor Ellison Pidik (4th left) and AOR / Development Assistance Specialist, USAID Julie Hulama and Maurice Knight (Cardno LGP Chief of party) with the signed financial inclusion partnership documents. The Lukautim Graun Program (LGP) — funded by the United States Agency...

During his official visit to West Sepik, James Marape inaugurated a number of impact initiatives. PM Marape described his visit as a watershed moment, not only for the official opening of the new West Sepik Provincial Administration Building but also for the announcement of other significant projects. “I want to acknowledge the leadership of the Gov...

By the year 2030, Papua New Guineans could anticipate decent healthcare services "within an hour's reach" across the country, according to Prime Minister Hon. According to James Marape. As he summarized the National Health Plan 2021– 2030 before unveiling it in Port Moresby, the Prime Minister gave this command to the Department of Health, namely the H...

Photo credit: Share GK - Flickr The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has welcomed the publication of the Kumul Consolidated Holdings Authorisation (Amendment) Act 2021 in Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) National Gazette, a key step in efforts to reform governance, increase transparency, and improve the performance of the country’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs). ...

Senator Zed Seselja, Australia's minister for international development and the Pacific, said the Australian government will continue to engage with Papua New Guinea to reopen borders and normalize commerce and trade. Seselja addressed the 2021 PNG Mining and Petroleum Conference and Exhibition yesterday that the government has received about AU$340 mi...

The mining and petroleum industries' continued drop in exploratory activity is a source of concern for the industry. Exploration activity has been declining and falling since 2019, with no obvious signs of recovery, although the sector remains confident that this will soon reverse. In his opening remarks at the 2021 Mining and Petroleum Conference y...

Papua New Guinea, according to James Marape, has never been an "uncertain area to invest." In Port Moresby, he said this while speaking digitally at the 2021 PNG Mining and Petroleum Conference & Exhibition in Brisbane. “We are an oil, gas and mining nation,” the Prime Minister said. “This is evident in the fact that quite a substantial part ...

According to James Marape, the 2022 Budget puts a greater emphasis on the health sector than ever before. He mentioned this during the opening of the K500 million, 300-bed Central Provincial Hospital for Central and Papua New Guineans in Bautama, Central. Roads, housing, power, and other infrastructure in the new Central City at Bautama, which is ad...

Photo credit: PM James Marape News Page - National Planning and Monitoring Minister Hon. Rainbo Paita in traditional dress during Budget debate. The K22 billion 2022 Budget, which was passed without opposition by Parliament recently, has been dubbed a "milestone budget" by James Marape. “This is a milestone budget because it is the first budget-prop...

Photo credit: PM James Marape News Page - Treasurer Ling-Stuckey tabling the 2022 Budget Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has welcomed the tabling of the record K22.175 billion 2022 Budget by Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey in Parliament. He said it would help Papua New Guinea on the path to economic recovery as well as support successful delivery of the...