Photo: Mr Musje Werror The Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) Board Chairman Dr. Roger Higgins is concerned with the media reports on the purported removal of Mr Musje Werror. Mr Werror remains the Managing Director and CEO of OTML. Dr. Higgins makes particular reference to and agrees with the statement by the Minister for State Enterprise Hon. William Duma that only the OTML Board has the power to terminate its Managing Director and that has not been done. The Board understands the expectations of the government whose interest in OTML is managed by Kumul Minerals Holdings Limited (KMHL) on behalf of the Trustee Shareholder and Minister for State Enterprise. The Board appreciates that our majority Shareholder KMHL is concerned with the economic factors, including international copper and gold prices, as well as international energy prices, that exert pressure on the financial position of the mine, and has commissioned an independent peer review of the mine. The OTML Board and Management are fully supportive and cooperating with the review Consultant so as to deliver an outcome that can be beneficial to the company and all our stakeholders. Dr Higgins notes that the OTML board will meet in December and consider a dividend distribution as is normal practice. It is important that there is stability and confidence in the governance structure of the company and that a focus of the Board and Management is on safely meeting production targets.   Article courtesy of Ok Tedi Mining

Photo credit: Papua New Guinea Today Kumul Consolidated Holdings (KCH) has paid dividends to the State after 7- years.  The country's Minister for State Enterprise William Duma officially handed over a dummy cheque of K80 Million Kina to Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey and Prime Minister James Marape this week.  The dividend amount from all state-owned companies bypasses the executive government projected estimates by K60 million.     The conference room at the Manasupe Building was packed with board and executive management of State Owned Companies, to witness, long overdue dividend payments to the state.  The last combined dividend payment by Kumul Consolidated Holdings was in 2015.  State Enterprise Minister William Duma before handing over a dummy cheque worth K80 million praised Prime Minister James Marape for reforms introduced when taking office in 2019.  Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey praised the state business arm for exceeding the government's projected estimates of K20 Million.   Reference: Papua New Guinea Today (11 November 2022). “PNG's KCH pays K80 Million Dividend to the State after 7 years”.

Did you know that provincial bridges can be replaced quickly, easily and economically with innovative Engineered Wood Products produced right here in PNG?  With an installed cost base typically under half that of equivalent concrete or steel, NiuBridge from PNG Forest Products is a comprehensive bridge building system that provides a cost-effective solution for new bridge construction, as well as refurbishment of existing structures for spans up to 30m.  Suitable for installation on a variety of existing substructures including timber, heritage masonry, steel and concrete, NiuBridge is also ideally suited for installation on precast spread footing abutment systems, as well as the conventional piles and abutments. Easy to transport to remote locations and quick to install, NiuBridge comes with a 50 Year Treatment Warranty. The NiuBridge System includes deck, girders, kerbing and accessories, and comes with a pre-applied bitumen surface. Produced from PNG plantation pine, little maintenance is required thanks to PNGFP’s unique veneer preservation treatment, ensuring complete protection from termites and rotting. NiuBridge is manufactured to both AS/NZS 2269 and AS/NZS 1604 standards and exploits the advantages of natural timber, which is not subject to fatigue failure, unlike other materials such as steel and concrete. Available in single lane, dual lane, or custom design, NiuBridge is suitable for a range of load conditions including Austroads T44 and AS 500 Bridge Design.  NiuBridge and sister product NiuDeck are widely used by local and state governments across Australia and New Zealand and have been system-tested and certified by University of Technology Sydney, including full scale destructive testing. The peak body for the timber industry in Queensland has welcomed these products as a demonstration of the versatility and innovation of using Engineered Wood Products in bridge construction. “Using prefabricated timber systems in bridges is gaining greater market recognition due to their inherent strength, light weight and low carbon emissions footprint compared to other construction materials”, said the CEO of Timber Queensland, Mick Stephens.  For more information on NiuBridge contact the PNGFP team on 323 5995, email bridgesales@pngfp.com or download product brochures from www.pngfp.com.

For 30 Years, Oilmin Field Services has been part of remote field projects throughout Papua New Guinea. Oilmin has been a key stakeholder and partner in the evolving Oil & Gas Industry since 1992 and continues this legacy throughout Papua New Guinea today. Founded by the late George Leahy and partners, Leahy took full ownership of the Company several years later and launched OM Holdings. George was the son of Dan Leahy, famously known for his exploration expeditions with his brother Mick into the Highlands, later documented by Australian writers and filmmakers Bob Connolly and Robyn Anderson in the documentary, First Contact. Oilmin has grown and expanded in many ways since its inception and continues to diversify its business model. OILMIN - Earlier Years In the earlier years of operations, Oilmin was directly involved and responsible for the Community Affairs Management within a project. This was possible with a selective number of key Field Managers who had experience with these requirements. They possessed a sound understanding of Papua New Guinea and its people. The Core Business of Oilmin Field Services during the earlier years was Seismic Support Services. Clients at the time consisted of Chevron, Oil Search, ESSO PNG, Geco Prakla, and Union Texas, to name a few. Seismic Projects ranged from a vast number of services and Oilmin continuously delivered these services to its clients. Examples of these services included but not limited to – Community Affair Management Line Preparation Labour Hire & Management Logistics & Procurement Remote Bush Camp Construction (Fly Camps) Known for the ability to deliver projects in the most remote areas of the Country, Oilmin became a respected entity that specialised in lightweight, rapid deployment camps. These camps were portable by air and did not depend on machinery to mobilise and construct. They were fabricated from Oilmin’s Head Office, located in Mt Hagen. Over time, Oilmin Field Services diversified into a variety of industries and services that could be offered to clients for their project requirements. The diversification offered project solutions to clients in terms of Aviation, Shipping, and Timber Supply. Oilmin continued to diversify over the years and entered projects that were new to the company but expanded the core business and brought in many more employment opportunities for Papua New Guineans to be part of an experienced remote field team. It entered the Rig Pad Construction sector, and Oilmin managed to mobilise a fleet of heavy equipment into the remotest sites to clear and build rig sites for clients. The work involved with the rig pad projects is quite amazing and unique. The crews would disassemble heavy equipment into 4 to 6 different pieces and fly them under helicopters through the remote jungles before having to reassemble the machines ready for the civil works to commence. Oilmin has built and delivered over 20 rig pads throughout PNG. The terrain for each location is quite different and the project team adapted to the conditions and requirements for executing these jobs. The locations have been stretched through the provinces including Hela, Western, and Gulf Provinces. In 2015, the Company and the Oilmin Family were saddened with the news that it had lost its leader -- George Leahy passed away in his beloved town, Mt Hagen. His leadership in the company would be missed for the years to come. He left the company in the hands of his children, who had already been involved in the company and had been working on the remote Oilmin sites throughout the Country. Late George’s vision would live on through the next generation of Leahy’s to lead Oilmin forward. OILMIN - NEW GENERATION The Company focused on the core business, remote field services. Oilmin continued to service the Oil & Gas Industry throughout the later years to come and continued to diversify into Camp and Catering Services on the remote sites. It continued to excel with Camps and Catering Management Services, delivering services to the highest expectations. This would lead to the company obtaining International Accreditation for Food Safety and Quality. Its accreditation is still intact today with ongoing regular facility audits from an International External Auditor. The Auditors’ comments during the 2020 audit were truly pleasing to the management and team -- “The kitchen facility was the cleanest he has seen in all of his years auditing Catering Companies.” The team continued to invest in its personnel. Training and development have delivered several of its National Employees to being promoted and obtaining Management Positions throughout the Project Sites that Oilmin manages today. These positions include but not limited to: ​​Catering Managers Camp Managers Crew Managers Community Affairs Managers  Personnel Managers Construction Managers Logistics and Procurement Managers ​​​​A NEW SEISMIC PROJECT MODEL Oilmin partnered with Smart Seismic Solutions to offer clients an in-country solution to manage and execute Seismic Surveys. This new model of Seismic Project Management was developed for PNG and the Oil & Gas Companies that operate here. For the first time in PNG, a PNG-owned company is now operating a world-class seismic crew on behalf of international exploration companies. The crew has recently passed 1,000,000 man-hours on the project LTI Free. With vast local and regional knowledge and as one of the PNG’s leading suppliers of remote field support services, Oilmin aims to be the premier support service provider for major Oil & Gas Projects and other industries. PNG Company Oilmin is a TruTru PNG Company -- not just a registered PNG Entity, but a PNG-Owned Company that is and will be permanently in PNG for the good times and the bad. During the years, Oilmin has faced several situations that put the company through some tough and trying times. These challenging times have made the company what it is today. Stronger than ever before, Oilmin will continue to grow and expand into the future. With a new generation of the Leahy Family at the helm, Oilmin continues to expand and looks forward to new opportunities and further growth for our people. It is an exciting time at Oilmin, and the company and its staff all look forward to seeing what the years ahead will bring.

Remington Group has formally announced from its office last week (11 of November, 2022) that it is now calling on its interested applicant's to be part of the 2023 Apprenticeship Program . Students applying will be final year students in the field of electronics, IT, electrotechnology and similar fields.  The Apprenticeship Program is a four year program aimed at providing TVET graduates a career pathway and technical discipline.  The program is facilitated in conjunction with the Department of Labour and Industrial Relations (DLIR) through the National Apprenticeship Trade and Testing Board (NATTB). The apprenticeship program has so far assisted students in retaining certificates in their specialized trade since its inception in 2019 a total of 20 students have now passed through to its various development programs.  Remington Group CEO, Mr. Peter Goodwin said, "our Apprenticeship Program is a market leading program that we are particularly proud of as its sets us apart from our industry competitors. We closely support our Apprentices by creating a career pathway by closely pairing them with our experienced technicians and at the same time allowing them to earn a salary in a normal working environment".  " We believe in developing competent youths for today, equipping them for tomorrow's work challenges because we operate in a technological driven industry . In doing so we are contributing towards PNG's human resources through our engaged training programs", added Mr. Goodwin.  Students who would like to apply for the Apprenticeship Program and get more updates can visit Remington Groups Facebook page, Instagram or LinkedIn for further enquiries.

Photo credit: Sarimu Kanu Linkedin Page Kumul Minerals Holdings Limited has named Sarimu Kanu as its new managing director (KMHL). Nellie James, the KMHL's president, made the declaration. “Under the KMHL constitution, the power to appoint a managing director lies with the board,” James explained. According to James, Vanguard International's independent recruiting procedure resulted in Kanu's hiring, and the board's choice was based on the panel's recommendations. “He is a highly experienced senior national mining engineer with professional knowledge in mineral engineering, having held very senior management roles in the mining industry,” James said. “I congratulate Mr Kanu on his appointment and welcome him on board.” James also acknowledged Hengene Ivan for acting as MD over the past three months. Kanu graduated from the University of Technology in 1992 and has knowledge of the mining industry spanning 29 years. “Mr Kanu brings to the company a wealth of experience from the mining industry. His current role is country manager, PanAust, the developer of the Frieda River gold-copper molybdenum project in West Sepik. Additionally, he has served in a variety of high managerial positions for mining firms, most notably as vice president of the Ramu-Nickel mine in the Madang, according to James. “Mr Kanu as the managing director and chief adviser to Kumul Minerals is a game-changer for the company in the highly competitive and challenging mining industry, as he brings high experience and energy to the company,” James said. She continued by saying that the appointment would help the company carry out its responsibilities as the nation's mining company as it worked to increase PNG's involvement in significant mining projects across the nation.   Reference: The National (11 November 2022). “New Kumul Minerals Holdings Ltd MD appointed”.

The well established and enduring relationship between Papua New Guinea and Australia was highly acknowledged by the Australian Minister of International Development and the Pacific, Hon. Pat Conroy during the introduction and launching of PNG Ports latest K2.2 million customized pilot boat project at Port Moresby's Fairfax harbour waterfront recently. In a small but significant ceremony, the K2.2 million customized pilot boat named as MV Paga was launched by the Minister Councillor to the Australian High Commission, Diane Barclay. MV Paga is named after the hill which overlooks the Fairfax Harbour where PNG Ports Corporation operates from in Port Moresby. MV Paga is part of the K11 million investment by PNG ports on the purchase of five first of its kind customized boats in which two similar boats were also delivered last year to boost its fleet, meet business demands and industry standards. Minister Conroy said it was a real great pleasure to be present and the event represents a series of combined efforts between the two nations. "It is really heartfelt, and we have so much in common between PNG and Australia. We are close neighbours and we are deep friends and that friendship only grows and our personal bonds, whether its in religion, sports, or education were it ties us together. And today is a special day for better economic cooperation so we can grow together, " Conroy said. PNG Ports Acting Chief Executive Officer, Rodney Begley said "PNG Ports and Australia have a long history together with the foundations of our 15 ports built under the administration of Australia". "Further strengthening our relationship, PNG Ports has also received funding support from the Australian Government to upgrade these ports. PNG Ports is thankful for this support by the people of Australia, and we hope to keep this partnership". He added. Meanwhile, Minister for State Enterprise, William Duma praised the launching and delivery of MV Paga as another milestone achievement. Duma said the launch of MV Paga marks the delivery of the third pilot boat departing from the people of Australia to the people of PNG and the PNG Ports Corporation. "Australia have been very generous in helping us when we needed them and today is another example of what the people and the Government of Australia have done by agreeing to fund our port facilities throughout the 21 maritime provinces and bring this very important pilot boats to help operations in the country". Duma said. Minister Duma further took the opportunity on behalf of the Government of PNG to acknowledge and thank the Australian Government for their generous support and assistance to the people of PNG.

Photo credit: Papua New Guinea Today Mark T. Robinson has been named group chief executive officer of Bank of South Pacific Financial Group Limited. With over 30 years of experience in establishing, developing, and emerging economies, Mr. Robinson is a senior financial services executive and a seasoned banking Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Robinson is the best candidate to lead the bank in its next stage of expansion, according to BSP Financial Group Chairman Sir Kostas Constantinou. Mr. Robinson has important knowledge in global emerging markets in wholesale, retail, and investment banking. Following a thorough and comprehensive worldwide executive search, managed by Ashurst Board Advisory, which took into account highly qualified applicants from throughout the world and the Pacific area, Mr. Robinson was appointed. Sir Kostas stated that Mr. Robinson's track record of creating and carrying out strategic plans that included high-quality revenue growth across several geographies, including operating in difficult situations, impressed the Board. Sir Kostas said that Mr. Robinson had extensive knowledge of the banking industry in the Asia-Pacific area and was well-versed in many different international economies. Chief Executive Officer of Commercial Bank International, a publicly traded bank with headquarters in the United Arab Emirates, Chief Executive Officer of ANZ Banking Group's operations for Southeast Asia, and a number of senior executive positions with Citibank, including ones in India, Russia, Turkey, and Hungary, are just a few of Mr. Robinson's previous positions. Mr. Robinson expressed his happiness at having been given this position in such a dynamic area with so much promise. He claims that BSP Financial Group has a highly talented staff and is well down the path of digital transformation. He adds he is looking forward to working with the team to further enhance customer experience and look into new growth potential. The regulator, the Bank of Papua New Guinea, has approved Mr. Robinson's appointment; the date of his start will be decided once PNG officials have approved his work permit and visa. In the meanwhile, Sir Kostas expressed his deep appreciation to Robin Fleming, the departing CEO. According to him, Mr. Fleming's efforts have helped the bank raise its profitability from K407 million in 2012 to K1, 075 million in 2021, dramatically develop its client base and deposits, and spread BSP throughout the area since his appointment in 2013. Mr. Fleming, according to Sir Kostas, has also spearheaded the digital transformation initiative, which is essential to the long-term viability and future of the Bank. After 42 years with the Bank, Mr. Fleming leaves BSP at the end of this year.   Reference: Papua New Guinea Today (3 November 2022). “Bank of South Pacific Financial Group ltd appoints new CEO”.

Photo credit: Duffy Coffee Port Moresby based premium coffee shop Duffy PNG a subsidiary and business arm of Pacific Industries Ltd is currently embracing a potential shift into China's consumer market. China is the world's biggest consumer market and a surge in coffee consumers in China has made way and provided an avenue for Duffy PNG to make an entry to market premium high specialty grade PNG coffee to meet the coffee market in China. With an increasing population of over 1 billion, a small 1 per cent increase in the Chinese population of regular coffee drinkers directly equates to 10 million new regular coffee drinkers and consumers in China alone. Travers Chue owner of Duffy PNG is preparing to expand overseas, marketing Papua New Guinea specialty coffee and has been collaborating with small holder groups for the past 5 years mainly in Jiwaka province to produce premium coffee to meet global consumer standards. "PNG, of course, has some of the best coffee in the world but there was no barista culture to make the most of it". When we first started Duffy’s, our goal was to create the first specialty coffee house in PNG, but now we want to manufacture premium specialty coffee in PNG and export them to China and across the globe,’says Duffy’s owner, Travers Chue. Duffy PNG has been running an incentivised initiative program in which it provides financial literacy, assistance of asset acquisition for local farmers, building the capacity of small holder farms and rewarding farmers for compliance. This initiative within the company's program has seen many of the small holder farms improve their quality in production and consistency in supplying quantity. Chue’s approach to expanding to China is based around being a coffee shop and coffee brand that originates ‘from this exotic and mysterious land called PNG.’The secret, he says, is producing consistently high-quality beans. To establish a presence into the Chinese consumer market will mean greater demand for production on the farms and on the company itself, but Chue is confident that their quality systems to produce premium home grown PNG coffee will not be disrupted in their efforts to meet the demand. One of the challenges that they admittedly have faced over time is the lack of financial literacy amongst the small holder farmers, especially with many opting for roadside selling as a way of making fast income, this option has made many farmers pay less attention in following coffee processes to produce high specialty grade coffee which sells at a higher price and is what PNG coffee is renowned for. He also praises the Coffee Industry Corporation for its annual PNG Cupping Competition. ‘We are trying to teach the farmers that, if their coffee is getting higher cupping scores due to implementing and following strict procedures and practice, then we the roasters are willing to pay higher prices for their hard work. ‘Growers need to see that there is more profit to be made in producing higher grade coffee, from which they can earn more’ He says it is the only way coffee farmers can overcome poor infrastructure, erratic weather conditions, deteriorating tools and minimal training. ‘Most people who know PNG most probably know the country for its great coffee—and we intend serving them the best premium grade specialty coffee that PNG has to offer. This is going to be key to success in China. However, Chue believes that over time and with more training programs and interventions such as Duffy PNG's initiative program, PNG coffee will earn back its specialty grade status on the global coffee map.

Photo: Sergei Mossine The emergence and expansion of the Vitis Industries is the story of a husband and wife's sheer hard work that has turned a small alcohol brewing company into an agriculture, manufacturing, and retail giant in Papua New Guinea. Vitis industries is a family business owned by Sergei Mossine, his wife Vikki and their four children. The story highlights a family's commitment, determination, and challenges. Hardworking couple and husband and wife team - Sergei from Russian origin and Vikki from the Central Province in Papua New Guinea built up the Vitis industries Ltd Group for the past 18 years to its status. Vitis Industries Ltd Group is a 100 per cent PNG nationally owned company that started with only six employees in 2004 - to more than 2,000 plus workers today. From its humble beginnings in 2004, the family company initially started buying coffee and vanilla beans from local farmers in Kairiku, Rigo and Goilala districts of the Central Province to distill five Russian brands of alcoholic beverages. Today the Mossine family currently manufactures and retails alcohol beverages, wine, beer, water, fruit cordials, cigarettes, and food products in four different Provinces in PNG and are still expanding into other parts of the country. Apart from this they also own a vineyard, coffee and vanilla plantation and a coffee factory to produce washed parchment coffee in Wau Bulolo, Morobe Province. As put simply by Sergei Mossine; "In business it is important to have partners that you can trust and share your responsibilities. A good wife is a natural business partner for her husband in life and in business". Vitis General Manager Sergei Mossine is a former Soviet Union Army Lieutenant who served in combat operations in Africa and Afghanistan in his youth, Sergei later gained a scientific degree of Doctor of Science in Thermodynamics and became the Vice-Professor and Scientific Secretary of Moscow Railways University. He has also worked in state owned and private companies in various capacities such as food manufacturing, agro-industrial projects, distillation, equipment manufacturing, banking, computing, import-export trading, and property development until his move to PNG in 1994. His main role in Vitis industries is the development of all products (spirits, coffee products, food & beverage, beer, and wine), banking, money management, production, construction, property development and sales. A huge population of the PNG community find the prices of Vitis products affordable compared to larger established competitors. "We started Vitis Industries with six employees and first five alcoholic beverages: Citronka, Tonika, Vodka Extra, Vodka Northern and Vodka Siberian. It was a small share of market then, " Mr Mossine said. Today his Wife and himself have expanded the Vitis Business Group with various business ventures and a total of more than 2,000 employees. Vitis has also expanded their own retail outlet in the Nation's Capital of Port Moresby with a three-story shopping mall building which includes a supermarket, department store, pharmacy, Liquor shop, seven food outlets, fashion shop, sports shop and 50 other shops that sell different products and provide different services. Mr Mossine said his main objective is to invest in PNG, we must re-invest all our profits in PNG to create jobs and opportunities. "It’s not easy to manage such a big and diversified business, especially in a country like Papua New Guinea with underdeveloped infrastructure, expensive and unreliable electricity, poor banking system, shortage of experienced managers and skilled workers, expensive coastal shipping, high taxes etc. "But we want to help the country to be more developed, to create more jobs and to process locally grown crops in PNG to give a better chance in life to our employees regardless of the obstacles. "When we develop our business then we must also set up our new goals, new targets and new ventures. We became involved in the coffee business because in 2010 our main popular alcoholic drink was 'Coffee Punch' and it was quite expensive to buy roasted coffee from other factories, that was when we decided that instead of spending money on expensive roasted coffee, we will utilise this money to establish our own coffee plantation and coffee factory to reduce extra spending and cost. "It is a similar situation with retail business, many shops had hesitated to sell our products, therefore we decided to also invest in our own retail shops and outlets as well as wholesale warehouses. "In terms of issues with electricity, we have installed solar panels on our buildings because the price of electricity from PNG Power Ltd is very expensive and there are too many constant blackouts. With solar energy we generate about 500,000 KWA at our processing plant and 300,000 KWA at our shopping mall in Port Moresby. Solar power has huge potential, but it is completely neglected by the PNG Government," Mr Mossine said. In relation to coastal and domestic shipping, "A 20ft container from Port Moresby to Kokopo is three times more expensive than to deliver the same 20ft container from Port Moresby to Shanghai. Due to these amounting expenses, we diverted our spending to purchasing a ship to carry and transport our products and containers across PNG" he said. Despite the relentless challenges and obstacles in maintaining a successful business, Mr Mossine wished PNG a great future and prosperity moving forward. The example of the growth and success of Vitis shows that anything can be achieved through dedication and hard work. "To become successful a businessman or woman requires special talent, patience and vision. Working together we can move PNG into a modern industrialized era to create prosperity and a decent livelihood for every Papua New Guinean". Mr Mossine said.

Zavath Seafood Limited, a subsidiary of Zavath Holdings Limited, made history on the 13th of October as it became the first locally owned company in Papua New Guinea to export its first seafood product, crab, to the Singapore Market on 14 October. Present to announce its operations to the media and the country at its operating office in Taurama was Mr. Alphonse Wong Parpa, the founder and managing director of Zavath Seafood Limited. Mr. Parpa said he had the idea of selling seafood products after seeing local Papua New Guineans struggling to sell their seafood, which usually takes them a whole length of time to sell in the market. He wanted to create an avenue where all seafood products could be purchased efficiently.  "I want to sell premium quality seafood for the world, and it will be starting with crabs for now." He further explained that the name Zavath was derived from the Hebrew word meaning "the promised land" and that Papua New Guinea “has a lot to offer.” The company has established a modern state-of-the-art seafood facility at Taurama Valley, Port Moresby, and is recognized by the national government as a model for setting "One Stop Shop for Seafood Trading Centre" in Papua New Guinea to supply the world with premium seafood products. In March, the National Fisheries Authority signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Zavath Seafoods Limited to distribute seafood in Singapore alongside its Singapore company One Solomon Pte. Ltd., which will store, repackage, and sell the Seafood to the Asian markets once they arrive from the Taurama Seafood facility in Port Moresby.  In September during Independence Eve, Zavath Seafoods Limited was able to secure an order of over 500 kg of mud crab on the first seafood show in Singapore.  The company now will have a first test trial of the market, and later will be able to involve local Papua and Guineans in the sale of crab per kilo once the price has been determined.  So far the company has been harvesting crabs at their local farm in Gavuone in the Central Province and has plans to include other maritime provinces once the company expands. An official date is yet to be set for the opening of the facility, which the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea has been formally invited to launch it.

(Left to right) Head of Agriculture Department Prof Mcquine Maino, Unitech’s Vice Chancellor Dr Ora Renagi, Trukai’s Chief Executive Officer Alan Preston, and Rice Development Manager Aina Davis during the signing of the MOA between Trukai Industries Ltd and Unitech. Trukai Industries Limited has ventured into a partnership with the University of Technology to train local farmers under its Smart Farmer Program at the University of Technology Taraka campus in Lae on Wednesday 12th October. The partnership was formally announced with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding. This five-year agreement is a private-public partnership for the promotion of academic and professional collaboration of rice research and training through the advancement of science and Technology at the university. Trukai Industries Chief Executive Officer Alan Preston said this partnership demonstrates the company’s support for local rice farmers through Trukai’s Smart Farmer Program and is its contribution towards rice development in PNG. Trukai Industries Rice Development Manager Aina Davis said this training will be more practical-based and will be for a period of two weeks. Through this program, the company aims to enable local rice farmers to become smallholder farmers and then transition into semi-commercial and commercial farmers. Registration will open for the Certificate in Irrigation Rice Farming later this year. The Trukai Smart Farmer program will see 300 farmers certified in its pilot training in 2023. Davis said the Trukai Smart Farmer Program will touch on the basics of irrigation rice farming and will be for farmers of all levels, from elementary to commercial-based farmers. The collaboration with the University’s Agriculture Department will enable farmers to share and access classrooms, research laboratories, and farm or field facilities for farmer training, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate student training, research and development, and extension activities. Professor Macquin Maino, Head of the Agriculture Department, stated that the department and university are pleased to collaborate with Trukai in this five-year agreement. He said this MOA is beneficial for students from the department as well, as part of the agreement will have students engage in work-integrated learning experiences with Trukai and learn hands-on skills from professionals in the field. Prof. Maino added that as part of the agreement, the University will provide eight hectares of land at the University Farm for the purpose of rice development projects and training on rice farming systems. Vice Chancellor and Associate Professor Dr. Ora Renagi said Trukai Industries is a long-time partner and supporter of the University and the Agriculture department for over 20 years. This partnership further strengthens the professional relationship between the two organizations, she added.

Blue Water Shipping is proud to announce the Kumul Service - a new regular liner service between North Asia and Papua New Guinea (PNG). The service will be an extension to the current Blue Water Shipping liner service through to Lihir, PNG, and will now offer customers a further solution into Lae. Steven Lofaro, Regional Director, Energy, Ports and Projects Oceania, sees a growing demand for cargo capacity, particularly for Breakbulk cargoes, in and out of Papua New Guinea. The Kumul service, operating with the MV Gala - a multipurpose vessel with a single lift capacity of 150 mt . enables Blue Water Shipping to provide a regular and efficient solution that can benefit a wide range of industries due to the ability to receive containerised, break-bulk, project and out-of-gauge cargo. “It is exciting to offer our industry a regular and reliable service. The solution will help strengthen the supply chain for organisations based in PNG, focusing on optimisation through both the importing and exporting of equipment in and out of PNG”. The maiden voyage will depart from Asia early-December. Moving forward, the service will offer regular sailings from China, Korea, and Japan into PNG every 30 days. For Steven Lofaro, the service complements the Blue Water Shipping capabilities within Projects Logistics to ensure efficient cargo flows for our customers. As a full end-to-end provider, we offer additional services, including landside freight, consolidation, piece checking, warehousing, cargo handling, and customs clearance. Globally, Blue Water has more than 70 offices worldwide, and the company provides all logistics services in modern supply chain management.

One hundred percent locally owned Sky Health and Medical Service (SHMS) Clinic is expanding its services to international standards. It is working with Papua New Guineans business houses and the government health sector to deliver maximum services as it will officially open its 8Mile headquarter Clinic in a few weeks in Port Moresby. An official tour of the headquarters facility was given by the Acting General Manager of Sky Medical Clinic Doctor Wilson Pakalu with its state-of-the-art equipment and office. The Thermo Fisher 7500 series high-end PCR machine The Thermo Fisher 7500 series high-end PCR machine, Automatic Extraction Workstation, and Quigen Automatic Liquid Handling System are all installed and operational for SHMS. Sky Health is the only private lab operating such sophisticated systems, which has increased its testing capacity to 5,000 samples per day, and fully automated systems greatly reduce any human error in the process. This now elevated the SHMS-operated PNGML as the most sophisticated high-end molecular lab in PNG testing COVID-19 for now, and Pakalu said it will go into HPV screening and other molecular diagnostics as well. Ambulance Services SHMS has 3 ambulances to boost its Emergency Response Services -- one sent to Lae, while the other one will join Sky Health’s other fleet for POM operations. They are now being sent for full kitting and branding. Digital X-Ray Machines Testing and installation of its Siemens digital X-ray including leading completed to meet NDoH standards. Supply and installation are done by Meddent at the 8 Mile Medical Clinic Conference Room SHMS also has an extensive management and staff meeting room. Sky Health’s other branch in Port Moresby is located at Konedobu, which mainly specializes in Occupational Health and Safety Check-ups and Pre-Employment Medical Reports for companies. "An advantage that we have is we as Papua New Guinean clinicians understand better the disease patterns here in Papua New Guinea, and we try our best to provide affordable, reliable, and efficient medical services to our people,” Dr. Pakalu said. He explained that they are looking to work under a public-private partnership for effectively service delivery in the health sector. Early this year, SHMS assisted the Port Moresby General Hospital laboratory services by processing all their blood tests when their lab machines were down. “We are trying to do the same thing with NCD PHA,” Pakalu said. Dr. Pakalu Sky Health Medical Services Ltd has over 42 hard-working staff including 4 doctors. It has a centre in Lae operating as well (see picture 12). SHMS provides support to the Mining and Petroleum Industry, Primary Health Services through a network of clinics across the country, Emergency Medical Services, Domestic and Trans-Boarder Medical Evacuation Services, Search & Rescue, Tactical Medical Services; Occupational Health Services including Pre-Employment and Annual Medical Checks, Laboratory Services including COVID-19 RT-PCR testing., Dental Services, Radiological Services, and Medical Staffing Support Mining and Petroleum Industry, Primary Health Services through a network of clinics across the country; Emergency Medical Services, Domestic and Trans-Boarder Medical Evacuation Services, Search & Rescue, Tactical Medical Services, Occupational Health Services including Pre-Employment and Annual Medical Checks, Laboratory Services including COVID-19 RT-PCR testing, Dental Services, Radiological Services, and Medical Staffing Support.

Photo: (From left) Dawn Robinson, Project Wok Coordinator of Project Yumi Inc.; Project Yumi PNG Regional Coordinator Jessica Bablis; and General Manager of FX Business Centre Jeremy Nicdao presenting the Cheque FX Business Centre is assisting in the setup of the Pari Early Childhood Centre in the Central Province by donating K5,500 to Project Yumi Inc. to sponsor a classroom setup there. Mr. Jeremy Nicdao, FX Business General Manager, presented the cheque for the donation to the Project Yumi Team on 25 October at the FX Business Centre Office. He said that as an important member of the Remington Group of Companies, FX Business Centre PNG and Fujifilm Australia “is proud to join with Project Yumi to deliver on the Group’s vision of developing our people, this time providing much-needed school equipment for our PNG leaders for tomorrow.” “After decades of operations in Papua New Guinea, it is wonderful for FX Business Centre PNG to engage with our local communities through important educational and social projects," Nicdao said. Through its Project Skul Sponsorship Program, Project Yumi has supported over 60 schools since commencing the project. Seven schools have been supported in this way since the inception of the corporate Sponsorship Program mid-2022. Dawn Robinson, Project Yumi Wok Coordinator, said the group, through Project Skul, is grateful for the support provided by FX Business Centre. "It is wonderful to see a business committed to assisting local communities and even more so when it is focused on improving the education of the young children," she said. The Pari Early Childhood Centre project, managed by Project Yumi through its Project Skul Sponsorship Program, will see 143 young students and their teachers better equipped with desks, chairs, reading books, and stationery.