Papua New Guinea has found another important ally in the European Union for its push for greater environment conservation recognition, Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has said.

Prime Minister Marape said this as he commended Hungarian President, H.E Katalin Novak for agreeing to advocate for PNG at the EU when she chairs over the European block from next year 2024 onwards.

PM Marape said President Novak now joins French President Emmanual Macron who is a staunch advocate for PNG and the Small Island countries of the Pacific in environment conservation and climate change mitigation. 

He said, “I am glad to report that President Novak’s visit to our country has consolidated our bilateral relations with Hungary.

“From her conversations, she had a good visit to our country. She is fascinated with our environment, and agreed to partner with President Macron on our forests advocacy.  

“At our bi-lateral meeting this morning at the Nature Park, she said she would advocate for Papua New Guinea on the European Union when she assumes chairmanship in 2024.

“This is excellent news as we continue to strengthen our collaboration in environment advocacy, first with France and now Hungary through their Heads of State, who are becoming close friends of Papua New Guinea. 

“The European Union is a powerful block of nations, which has supported us with some trade and in our development agenda. President Novak’s chairmanship next year will help to strengthen EU’s connection to us in the middle of the Indo-Pacific focus,” said PM Marape.

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has expressed his commendation to International Trade and Investment Minister Hon. Richard Maru for his strong leadership in Papua New Guinea’s hosting of the World Indigenous Business Forum (WIBF) from October 24 to 26, 2023.

The international event, which drew participation from 150 international delegates representing 14 countries, as well as 350 participants from all corners of Papua New Guinea, reached its conclusion on the evening of Thursday, October 26.

Prime Minister Marape, speaking on behalf of the people of Papua New Guinea, extended his profound gratitude to WIBF for selecting Port Moresby as the host city and conveyed his appreciation to all international delegates who graced the event with their presence.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Marape lauded the diligent efforts of National Capital District Governor, Hon. Powes Parkop, and his dedicated team from ‘Amazing Port Moresby’ for their commendable work in promoting both Port Moresby and Papua New Guinea on the global stage throughout the duration of the event.

He also extended his thanks to the local businesses that seized the opportunity to showcase their products, establish global connections, foster partnerships, and explore market prospects among the diverse array of countries represented at the forum.

Prime Minister Marape emphasised the significance of Minister Maru’s strong leadership in successfully hosting the WIBF. He noted that this event stands as the most significant international gathering hosted by Papua New Guinea since APEC 2018.

The Prime Minister expressed his delight at the participation of micro, small to medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the WIBF, highlighting their ability to establish international contacts and gain insights from the global participants. He commended the wide range of products produced by Papua New Guineans and underscored the importance of exporting goods to boost the country’s economy.

He remarked, “Whatever we can export, whether big or small, brings in much-needed foreign exchange into our country and builds a stronger economy. I am very happy that Minister Maru is focused on ensuring that indigenous Papua New Guinea businesses are given greater support to progress into manufacturing and downstream processing. This very much complements the government’s focus on downstream processing.”

Prime Minister Marape emphasised the government’s commitment to supporting MSMEs, particularly women, with increased assistance to Women’s Micro Bank (Mama Bank). He pledged to review and enhance efforts to ensure that the benefits reach as many MSMEs as possible.

Encouraging investors to explore opportunities in Papua New Guinea, Prime Minister Marape said, “Papua New Guinea is in the most-exciting part of Earth as far as commerce, trade, and business are concerned. Our accessibility to the Asian market is second to none.”

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has urged participants of the three-day World Indigenous Business Forum (WIBF) in Port Moresby to "think globally and act locally" in as far as international commerce and trade is concerned.

This message was conveyed recently as Prime Minister Marape inaugurated the three-day WIBF, hosted at the APEC Haus in Port Moresby. The prestigious international event was attended by 150 international delegates from 14 countries, along with 350 participants from throughout Papua New Guinea. The event was organised by the Government, under the leadership of Minister for International Trade and Investment, Hon. Richard Maru, in collaboration with the National Capital District Commission (NCDC). Prime Minister Marape commended the efforts of Minister Maru and NCD Governor, Hon. Powes Parkop, along with his dedicated team from 'Amazing Port Moresby’.

The WIBF commenced with a grand opening ceremony hosted by NCDC and the Amazing Port Moresby team at Sir Hubert Murray Stadium on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, from 5pm to 9pm. The official forum proceedings were inaugurated today by Prime Minister Marape. The event will culminate with an official closing ceremony, orchestrated by NCDC and the Amazing Port Moresby team, at Ela Beach on Thursday, October 26, 2023, from 6pm to 9pm.

Prime Minister Marape, on behalf of the people of PNG, expressed gratitude to WIBF for choosing Port Moresby as the host city and extended a warm welcome to all international delegates. He also thanked Labor and Employment Minister, Hon. Kessy Sawang, who attended the 2022 WIBF as Vice-Minister for International Trade and Investment and played a pivotal role in bringing the event to PNG.

In his address, Prime Minister Marape emphasised the importance of thinking globally and acting locally, asserting, "Every human being must blend and coexist. The world out there needs us to interface and relate with them." He highlighted Papua New Guinea's rich diversity, with over 800 languages spoken by its people of Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian descent.

Prime Minister Marape stated that PNG has placed significant focus on micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) over the last four years to stimulate economic growth, investing K200 million annually since 2020. He committed to reviewing these efforts to ensure benefits reach as many MSMEs as possible.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Marape encouraged investors to explore opportunities in Papua New Guinea, stating, "Papua New Guinea is in the most-exciting part of Earth as far as commerce, trade, and business are concerned. Our accessibility to the Asian market is second to none."

In addition to the international attendees, the Prime Minister expressed enthusiasm for local businesses to seize the opportunity to showcase their products, establish global connections, forge partnerships, and explore market prospects among the diverse array of countries represented at the forum.

Minister for International Trade and Investment, Hon. Richard Maru says it is time the Government recognize the need for Papua New Guinean indigenous businesses to be recognized and supported as a unit in the country. Minister Maru said this recently during his closing address at the 14th World Indigenous Business Forum which was jointly hosted in Port Moresby by the Government of Papua New Guinea led by Prime Minister, Hon. James Marape and the National Capital District Commission led by NCD Governor, Hon. Powes Parkop from October 24-26, 2023.

“There are so many Papua new Guinean indigenous entrepreneurs who have done so much without Government support. This Forum allowed them to come and display their products and many of us were really inspired. I am so impressed of the energy and the drive of our people. They did not wait for the Government; they did what they had to do. Papua New Guineans have the potential. All they need is support. We need to look at how we can support our entrepreneurs, how we can nurture them, and how we can incentivize the growth of the indigenous private sector. These are the issues that we need to look at and organize ourselves to support our indigenous business community especially in industries that replace imports and grows our exports. Our Government must build a broad based economy that will create job and generate wealth,” said Minister Maru.

Minister Maru announced that first Papua New Guinea Indigenous Business Forum will be hosted next year with the theme ‘Replacing Imports and Growing Exports’.

“We need to help our indigenous businesses to rise up and take their place in this country,” said Minister Maru.

Minister Maru said he was happy that PNG connected with the world indigenous business family as a result of hosting the 14th World Indigenous Business Forum.

“The indigenous economy is a USD8 Trillion economy. We have been really inspired by all the presentations from the speakers who came from around the world and from our own entrepreneurs who spoke about their experience, their journey, their struggles, and their hardships. I want to thank Governor Parkop for co-hosting this event and for being behind MSMEs in Port Moresby since he became a Governor. Together we can provide the leadership and work on how we can mobilize our indigenous businesses, be their voice, and can work with them to unleash their talents,” said Minister Maru.

Minister Maru said he was very impressed with the quality and the ability of PNG indigenous women entrepreneurs.

“I want to tell all women entrepreneurs that our Government will get behind you. We are ready to back you up in the strongest way possible and we will start by supporting you to go and attend the Indigenous Women in Industry Conference in Aotearoa, New Zealand next year,” said Minister Maru.

“We also heard from PNG Women in Business Foundation of how they dreamed to have a bank and how they achieved that dream by establishing Women’s Micro Bank in 2014 with 90 per cent of its current clients being mothers from the villages. Our Government should really look at supporting them to grow,” said Minister Maru.

Minister Maru added that there were so many exciting outcomes from this Forum.

“The connections that we have made during this Forum will not stop here. The Papua New Guinea indigenous business community want to connect to the global indigenous business network, and we want to work with the Indigenous Leadership Development Institute to make sure we have a chapter in this country through a body that best represents our indigenous businesses so that we will connect directly with the rest of the world indigenous business community including recognizing our need to establish kava industry in Papua New Guinea. The demand for kava in Fiji and the Pacific has outgrown supply. Papua New Guinea has the potential to become the biggest producer of kava in the world if we establish kava as an industry and undertake multicropping with kava being planted under the cocoa trees to fully utilize the land so our farmers can make money from both cocoa and kava using the same land. This is one industry that is ready to boom,” said Minister Maru.

Minister Maru said he was also very impressed with National Fisheries Authority’s Inland Fisheries Unit.

“I am especially impressed with the very successful inland fisheries businesses in the highlands. We need to support them. Inland fishing is a huge industry in other countries.

This is an industry that we need to explore and invest more in to support our inland fish industry and our inland fish farmers,” said Minister Maru.

Minister Maru thanked Prime Minister Marape for his strong leadership and for his support in hosting this global event.

“We believe that we have delivered one of the best World Indigenous Business Forum ever hosted by any country in the world, and we could not have done it without the support of our Government and sponsors,” said Minister Maru.

Minister Maru also thanked all the sponsors who made it possible to host this event.

Mineral Resources Enga (MRE) on Friday October 13 2023, presented its position paper relating to the New Porgera Mine Community Development Agreement (CDA).

MRE Chairman Kurubu Ipara, accompanied by directors Nixon Mangape and Mark Yakka, presented the position paper to Mining Minister Hon Sir Ano Pala at the Mining Haus. The presentation was witnessed by the Acting Managing Director of the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) Jerry Garry, officials from the Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) Limited, MRA and the Minister’s office representatives.

Chairman Ipara said the purpose of their position paper was to formally state the MRE’s position on various key issues relating to the New Porgera Mine project CDA.

He said given that the MRE did not participate in the Porgera Project Commencement Agreement (PPCA), the Development Forum and the CDA processes were ideal opportunities to present the company’s position.

Key issues presented in the paper which MRE has taken specific positions on are:

1. Project equity
2. Board representation
3. Step-in-rights/Buyout of PJL equity
4. Future assignment of MRE equity
5. Stamp Duty Exemption
6. Porgera Sustainable Development Fund
7. Resettlement Fund and
8. Production Sharing Joint Venture

Minister Pala said when receiving the position paper, that it had been his intention to have all stakeholders including MRE, to present their position papers. He said he was happy that the process had been concluded successfully as the MRE’s presentation was expected to be the last paper.

Hon Pala said he was impressed with the manner in which the aspirations of the MRE had been captured in the paper, adding that the state team would incorporate their position into the matrix that had been formulated in preparation for the CDA process.

MRE is an incorporated joint venture between the Enga Provincial Government (EPG) and the Porgera Special Mining Lease area landowners. MRE currently holds 5 percent equity in the Porgera Project of which the EPG and the landowners have a 50/50 share equity arrangement.

A three-year technical cooperation between the PNG Extractive Industries Transparency (PNGEITI) and JICA will boost data transparency in the PNG Mining and petroleum sectors.

This will be made possible with the signing of “Record of Discussion” between PNGEITI Stakeholders and JICA experts undertaken in August this year.

The Record of Discussion which forms the basis for the execution of the technical cooperation was signed in Port Moresby today by Mr. John Uware who is acting Chairman of the PNGEITI Multi- Stakeholder Group with Mr. Matsuoka Hideaki from the JICA side.

This signing marks phase two of the JICA/PNGEITI technical cooperation aimed at Improving Resource Related Revenue Management through enhanced EITI Reporting. This second phase will commence in March, 2024.

The PNGEITI Head of National Secretariat Lucas Alkan thanked the Government of Japan through JICA for its continued support in the Government of PNG’s effort to implement the EITI Global Standard to improve extractive sector governance. He acknowledged JICA for coming on board for the second time to help improve extractive transparency which is the core mandate of the EITI – in the PNG Mining and petroleum space.

“PNGEITI is happy that we’ve signed on the record of discussions that was conducted within the month of August by JICA experts”, Mr Alkan said.

“The second project will be undertaken by JICA experts to continue building and improving capacity at the Department of Petroleum and Energy from work that was undertaken in Phase 1 of the project and at the same time, focus on building capacity at the Auditor General’s Office to improve financial data quality, reliability and timely availability of resource related data and information for public use,” Mr. Alkan explained.

The Head of PNGEITI Secretariat said that the three-year program would basically pick up from where JICA had left off at the Department of Petroleum and Energy when Phase 1 of the project ended a year ago and determine ways to improve the quality of the financial data for EITI reporting and to ensure that more resources-related information is made publicly available for transparency purpose as required by the EITI Global Standard. The project is also intended to assist strengthen capacity at the Auditor General’s Office to ensure that the financial data that are used in the EITI annual reports are audited and are reliable to improve the quality of these reports.

Mr Alkan said the JICA technical cooperation program in that it will specifically focus on building and strengthening capacities at two key government organisations; the Department of Petroleum and Energy and the office of the Auditor General. Addressing weaknesses in data reliability and quality in these two agencies would be important to the work of the PNGEITI Secretariat in its endeavour to addressing the data and information gaps as highlighted through the EITI reporting process.

Present during the occasion included key representatives from beneficiary government entities, namely the Department of Petroleum and the PNG Office of the Auditor General.

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has passionately called for China’s assistance in land reclamation, water desalination, and green energy initiatives to support small Pacific island states facing the challenges of climate change.

Prime Minister Marape, representing the Pacific Islands Forum, has proposed to China that countries with significant carbon footprints, such as China, should collaborate with smaller island communities and states to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Prime Minister Marape is in Beijing at the invitation of Chinese President H.E. Xi Jinping to attend the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Development and Cooperation, a prominent event spanning yesterday and today.

“I have consistently advocated for the preference of land reclamation over the relocation of islanders who are grappling with rising sea levels and the salination of their water and arable land,” Prime Minister Marape emphasised.

“I have been a staunch proponent of this approach and hope that nations like China can partner with Papua New Guinea, offering resources like rocks, soil, and sand to support land reclamation efforts.”

During discussions with Chinese leaders, Prime Minister Marape specifically highlighted Pacific Island nations such as Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Nauru. Additionally, he emphasised the importance of assisting islands and atolls within Papua New Guinea, including the Cartarets, Mortlock, Nissan, Wuvulu, and many others.

A team of investors from one of China's biggest cities, Guangzhou, will be in the country at the behest of their government to explore downstream processing opportunities in PNG.

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape was informed of this by Governor of Guangdong Province, H.E Wang Weizhong, when the two leaders met after PM Marape ended his attendance of the Third Belt and Road forum in Beijing.

At the meeting, Prime Minister Marape thanked Governor Wang for his warm welcome and also for promoting a development and economic cooperation with PNG.

PM Marape said he was "very happy" with progress being made to enhance development cooperation between PNG and China through Guangdong Province.

Governor Wang, in turn, congratulated the Prime Minister on the successful outcomes of the discussions between PNG and China in the areas of investment, trade, infrastructure, energy, sustainable development and climate change, among other areas.

H.E Wang also congratulated Prime Minister Marape on Papua New Guinea issuing a joint declaration with China and signing a cooperation agreement on the margins of the Third Road and Belt forum.

He then went on to update the Prime Minister on the International Air Service Agreement, which will see Southern China Airline fly direct to Port Moresby, starting with once a week schedule and eventually increasing as the demand for the route increases.

Trade between Papua New Guinea and China has surpassed K13 billion, with a surplus in our favour as PNG continues to export more to China than import from the Asian superpower.

This clearly demonstrates the huge significance in maintaining and expanding the existing bi-lateral relationship with China as the superpower continues to provide the needed markets for Papua New Guinea in Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, and Oil & Gas.

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape revealed this today as he provided a brief on his meetings with China’s two most senior leaders – Premier Li Qiang and President Xi Jinping, adding that the reception and opportunities for meetings accorded to him and his delegation were at the highest level.

He said: “I have had very successful separate bilateral meetings with the Premier and the President. Out of the 150 nations attending the Belt & Road forum, we were accorded this rare privilege – to meet the head of government and head of State in our own meetings. Not too many were given this opportunity.

“This shows the importance China has attached to the relationship it has with PNG. The PNG-China relationship is a result of work we have been doing over the years since I took office in 2019.

“We have successfully marketed our country as a place for the production of food and energy, and we are receiving very good response from China.

“China is no ordinary nation. It has security of markets for all our produce. Papua New Guinea needs good markets for the export of our natural resources, and China is that market – just as India, Indonesia and the rest of Asia are.

“We are successfully deepening the trading and bilateral relationship with China, and under my watch, we will continue to expand it even further.

“Over the last four years, trade volume between PNG and China has seen a surplus for our country, meaning that PNG is exporting more to China than we are importing.

“Today, K13 billion is the volume of transaction that has taken place between our two countries, making China the most important trading partner besides Australia,” said Prime Minister Marape.

The Prime Minister said because of this deepening relationship with China, it was important that relevant ministers in the fields of trade, commerce and investments accompanied him on the trip for implementation upon return to PNG.

“Papua New Guineans must see the big picture. You want the economy to grow, so does your government. This is the number one focus of our government since 2019, and we are making it happen now,” said PM Marape.

Over 500 delegates are expected to converge into Port Moresby next week to attend and participate in the World Indigenous Business Forum (WIBF) that will be hosted from October 24-26, 2023. From the 500 delegates, 150 will be international delegates who will be coming from 14 countries.

Minister for International Trade and Investment, Hon. Richard Maru said: “This is really a wonderful opportunity for us to market our country. I want to call on all our citizens, especially those in NCD to welcome all our delegates and give them a very good impression of our city. We must all work together to ensure that they go back with very good memories of their time in Papua New Guinea.”

“I also look forward to seeing our local businesses showcasing their products, building international networks, creating partnerships, and looking for markets among all the countries that will attend the forum. I call on all our indigenous SMEs and large companies who have registered to prepare well and take full advantage of this one-off opportunity to market your products and services and our country to the delegates from around the world who will be coming to attend this forum. You must also canvas new business opportunities and forge partnerships to grow your businesses with new indigenous partners from around the world,” said Minister Maru.

This three-day event will start with a grand opening ceremony hosted by NCDC and the Amazing Port Moresby Team at Sir Hubert Murray Stadium on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, from 5pm to 9pm. The forum will be officially opened on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, by Prime Minister, Hon. James Marape, and will end with an official closing ceremony which will be hosted by NCDC and the Amazing Port Moresby Team at Ela Beach on Thursday, October 26, 2023, from 6pm to 9pm.

The Minister for International Trade and Investment, Hon. Richard Maru says Papua New Guinea (PNG) needs investments in all sectors and not just in the mining and petroleum sector. Minister Maru said this after hosting of the inaugural PNG-Asia Investment Conference in Hong Kong on October 16-17, 2023.

“We need investments across all sectors in order to create jobs. From the presentations at the PNG-Asia Investment Conference, we learnt that ExxonMobil PNG only has 3, 000 employees after construction phase whilst New Britain Palm Oil which is the biggest agriculture company in PNG has 29, 000 permanent employees. We also learnt that one fish cannery can create 5, 000 jobs. If we have ten canneries in the PMIZ we will create over 50, 000 new jobs. The agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and the manufacturing sector will provide mass creation of jobs. That is why we are going to China to look for investors to come and invest in this space, and we also continue to encourage local investors to partner such investors. Our biggest national challenge is unemployment. We have the highest level of unemployment since independence. Our state of law and order is largely attributed to our very high level of unemployment. This is why we are desperately trying to market our country as an investment destination, and we are specifically looking for investors to come and invest in the critical sectors that will create more jobs,” said Minister Maru.

“The extractive sector brings in the revenue and we must re-invest it in the non-extractive sector to create jobs and for an inclusive and sustainable economic development,” added Minister Maru.

Minister Maru said the hosting of PNG- Asia Investment Conference in Hong Kong was a start of a new beginning in PNG’s relationship with the People’s Republic of China.

“China is our most important trading partner with two-way trade of approximately K15 billion each year and growing. With more mining and petroleum projects coming on board, China will continue to be our biggest market in the future. This conference is well overdue, and our decision to host the conference in Hong Kong is the start of a new beginning in our relationship with China. We want to take our relationship to the next level and anchor the future of our relationship on trade and investment. We know that China will continue to be a big market for our goods with trade currently in our favour,” said Minister Maru.

Minister Maru said PNG was serious with its relationship with the People’s Republic of China.

“Our decision to host the inaugural PNG-Asia Investment Conference in Hong Kong, the one-week State visit of our Prime Minister, Hon. James Marape to China for the Belt and Road Initiative Leaders Meeting in Beijing, the commencement of the joint feasibility study this week for a possible Free Trade Agreement between PNG and China, the first direct flight between Port Moresby and Guangzhou expected to take place in December this year, and the opening of a trade mission in Shenzhen early next year should be a statement to the Government and the people of China that PNG really wants to strengthen and deepen its relationship with China,” said Minister Maru.

Minister Maru said he was happy with the outcome of the inaugural PNG-Asia Investment Conference that was hosted in Hong Kong from October 16-17, 2023.

“Papua New Guinea is now walking across Asia and entering into meaningful partnership with China and other countries in the region to secure export markets for our products including our Liquified Natural Gas (LNG). China is an economic powerhouse and Papua New Guinea must establish a closer relationship with China for mutual benefit,” said Minister Maru.

“We have to consolidate and deepen our relationship with China in order to secure future market not only for our resource industries but also our non-extractive industries of forestry, fisheries, agriculture, and manufacturing,” added Minister Maru.

Minister Maru said the next PNG-Asia Investment Conference will be hosted in mainland China in 2025.

“I look forward to it been even bigger and better having learnt from all our experiences in our first ever PNG-Asia Investment Conference in Hong Kong,” said Minister Maru.

The European Union (EU) has transferred EUR 4.25 million (around 17 million Kina) to the Government of PNG to support key national policies on Good Governance and Anti-Corruption in the Social, Law and Order Sector (SLOS). With this grant, the EU recognizes and supports the Government’s commitment to the promotion of Good Governance and the eradication of corruption, along with its commitment to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

The EU has already disbursed EUR 3 million in December 2021 and this is the second disbursement under the EU sector budget support ‘EU-PNG Partnership for Good Governance’. In line with the National Policies and Strategies, the EU support aims to contribute to the Government of PNG’s effort in strengthening the Good Governance and the Rule of Law in the country.

"Good Governance is fundamental for the economic growth of a country and remains at the core of EU’s development cooperation in PNG,” said the EU Ambassador to PNG, H.E. Jacques Fradin. “The EU has been working side by side with the Government of PNG supporting it in its fight against corruption and will continue to work together towards its eradications.”

The programme of support to Good Governance reforms intends to provide a total of EUR 26.9 million (or approximately 110 million Kina). In addition to the budget support, which is linked to jointly-agreed performance indicators, the EU has also mobilised technical assistance under the 'PNG Anti-corruption project' (implemented jointly by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)) and a complementary assistance to the SLOS Secretariat to support in its coordination role, crucial for supporting economic growth and strengthening the national security.

The disbursement of this second payment comes after a positive decision of the Budget Support Steering Committee of the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships in October 2023.

Like other developing nations, Papua New Guinea has its fair share of problems including illiteracy and a dying need for human capital development especially for the youths who make up the majority of the country's population Life PNG Care is becoming a beacon of light for the silent majority of the population which are the children who will be the leaders of tomorrow.

Life PNG Care Inc. is a community-based not-for-profit organisation that helps underprivileged children, orphans, and youths of Papua New Guinea to grow in body, spirit, and mind and become a positive influence in society.

Founder and Director of Life PNG Care Inc. Mr. Collin Pake, who comes from a Christian background, has seen the society evolve from the traditional Melanesian culture to the modern society that has caused major social problems in the community with the rise of street kids, children left with dysfunctional families and orphans which has led him to create this charity organisation.

"Papua New Guinea is sitting on a time bomb and we have to address the crippling social issues that are affecting our nation by creating a solution. An achievable solution is to provide education to unfortunate Children and youths of today. They have to be in school and not prison camp. For they are the next group of workforce and leaders that the nation has and we have a total responsibility to embrace and empower this generation today or ignore them. 

"I see that the future that we all talk about or dream does not exist! 

"That future is at stake and our nation is at doom with such a huge dysfunctional family, and unattached lives of children and youths today. 

"The future is at stake either we build it today or live with regret as a nation tomorrow. 

"This generation is an invisible generation today, and tomorrow is determined by this generation, either we fall or rise as a nation entirely depends on them. 

"PNG is not PNG with resources such as Gas, Oil, Gold, Copper, etc. But PNG is PNG with People! To change PNG, we need to invest in a Generation today.

"We have to act and start now in providing ways to build a better society for our children whatever ways we can to help them grow to become contributors towards nation building.

"It’s a sad reality when 120, 000 students fail nationwide on their national examination annually which shows our children have not been performing well due to them being vulnerable said Mr. Pake.

Life PNG Care operates at their Family Home Care at Gerehu Stage 1, Adira Street, Debona Cress Port Moresby. The two key programs offered available for the children are called Strongim Pikinini Family Home Care and Strongim Pikinini Education Program.

Strongim Pikinini Family Home Care -  Life PNG Care is strongly committed to placing children in a family environment rather than in large institutionalised care settings. This concept of creating a family environment called home is sympathetic to the locality and culture of PNG. Believing each child will develop into adulthood to create a strong family unit if the program models a healthy structure and environment despite any early dysfunctional experiences growing up. A nurturing, well-structured family unit is the fundamental role model in any society in the world, and the primary focus is to build homes to raise the next generation of strong, happy, and healthy young adults. 

Each home will have house parents who will provide unconditional love and care and other basic necessities of life that every child deserves. Life PNG Care established the first Strongim Pikinini Family Home Care accommodating twelve vulnerable children under the age of 5-8 years 13 years ago. This is the first pilot project creating a home/family environment for twelve orphaned and vulnerable children in the city of Port Moresby who have lost both or one of their parents through HIV Aids or through other social circumstances. They are happy to live in the family home environment where there is unconditional love and care. Since its inception in 2011, a total of 75 children have been living at the Family Home Care. 

They are also providing assistance to well over 600 vulnerable and homeless street children in Papua New Guinea. Life PNG Care accepts children from the age of 5 -10 into Strongim Pikinini Family Home Care (SPFHC). Once admitted into SPFHC the children remain a part of their family for life. The children and their house parents live in a home, with other volunteers giving support, in terms of health and education. Life PNG Care believes that as the children are trained holistically, they will enter society equipped with the necessary life skills and moral values enabling them to make a significant and lasting impact on the future of the nation.

Strongim Pikinini Education Program

Life PNG Care developed and implemented a key strategy to create the Strongim Pikinini Education Program (SPEP) identifying children under the category of unprivileged children and assisting them to go to school. A child who comes under this category will go through the LPC’s IAA process to qualify for education assistance under the SPEP.

Strongim Pikinini Education program is a long-term special education assistance program Life PNG Care runs. Under this program, the education and social worker team identifies school-age children or youth, aged between 5 to 18, who are in the category of orphaned and vulnerable and have never been to school or left school due to their background or situation.

Each child or youth is then registered after completion of the assessment process, which is a very important job to fully verify and confirm that each child/youth who is going to benefit under the education program must be genuine. That means they must be under the category of orphan or totally vulnerable living within the marginalized community or in a street situation. 

Once they are admitted into the program after the process, Life PNG Care supports them until they graduate from a college/university. It’s likely that SPEP will eventually grow into a foundation, whereby each child and youth can be fully given scholarships for higher education studies either domestically or internationally. Likewise, this program can be classified as development-based as it would provide technical education for youth from the local community transitioning into a skilled work environment. 

So far 12 youths have been admitted to Universities and Colleges with one graduating last year, 2022 from the University of Papua New Guinea with a degree in Accounting. He is Erise Touai from Goilala, Central Province and he’s currently working. This is the first student to graduate from a tertiary institution. Currently, there is a total of 615 students from all around PNG benefiting from the SPEP. 

Other Programmes include Health and Nutrition, Child Protection, and Community Health Awareness.

Life PNG Care’s program and activities is sustained through charity fundraising events, and generous giving of business, companies, churches, responsible government agencies, and other aid donors. Also, partners and support for Life PNG Care in Australia and the US provide technical advice and support, raising funds to ensure that Life PNG Care continues its programs in Port Moresby.  

Last year, Life PNG Care established its second branch in Lae, Morobe Province. There are 35 total students assisted to continue their primary and secondary school and a total of 50 kids are residential kids. 

Funding Source

To continue the charitable work and to sustain this life-changing programs and activities, there is a need to have a constant source of income stream. Unfortunately, this is none and they rely on 100% Donations and other support through cash and kind, by business houses and individuals or diplomatic communities. 

Therefore, the only way to raise funds for their operations is through hosting annual charity fundraising events. The two main Annual Charity Fundraise events which are;

Annual Charity Car Wash – Organized and sponsored annually by 2 Fast Motors Ltd. Raising some funds through this way by washing cars from 9 am to 6 pm at Vision City mega mall. All funds raised go into the children’s education program. For this year, Life PNG Care hosted the 6th annual charity carwash on the 30th of September, 2023 raising a total of K3000.

Annual Charity Fundraise Dinner – A Charity Fundraising Dinner Event is organized and hosted. Corporate tables will be sold and written to business houses and individuals to support. 

For this year, the 7th Annual Charity Fundraiser Dinner is on the 8th December, 2023. The target set to raise is K400,000 for next year’s education and other operations expenses for Life PNG Care. 

Governor General Sir Bob Dabae recently granted a special mining lease to New Porgera Limited (NPL), clearing the way for Barrick Gold Corporation to restart production at the gold mine, which has been on care and maintenance for three years.

This follows the signing of a mining development contract and the conclusion of a fiscal stability agreement for New Porgera between the government and NPL. NPL will meet the mine property’s landowners in the coming week to settle compensation agreements.

Barrick president and chief executive Mark Bristow said subject to agreement on compensation, the mine was positioned to restart before the end of this year. Recruitment was being accelerated to employ the full workforce that will be required when the mine starts ramping up operations as soon as the compensation agreements are in place.

“It’s been a long road, but the end is now in sight. Negotiations between Barrick, the government and the other stakeholders required patience and persistence but the spirit of partnership in which they were conducted eventually led to an outcome acceptable to all. Barrick’s commitment to partnership with its host countries is also reflected in NPL’s ownership structure, which ensures the equitable sharing of the value created by Porgera with all stakeholders,” he said.

The Bougainville Coastal Waters Survey Program is set to commence this month to map out areas that constitute as ‘Bougainville waters’, as part of the drawdown of fisheries powers and functions to the Autonomous Bougainville Government.

ABG President Hon. Ishmael Toroama officially launched the Survey today in Buka, signifying a milestone for Bougainville, being the first maritime region in Papua New Guinea to undergo this coastal mapping process.

“Today, we embark on a journey that will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Bougainville. This Survey will contribute to our preparation for political independence as it will mark the benchmarks for Bougainville’s coastal waters,” Toroama said.

“The delimitation of sea boundaries is more than just drawing lines on a map; it is about defining the territorial sovereignty and the rights of the people of Bougainville. It is about ensuring that Bougainville's voice is heard and respected on the global stage as we move closer to realizing their aspirations.”

The mapping of Bougainville’s coastal waters will enhance maritime services, regulate shipping services, reap economic benefits from infrastructure and marine resource development, as well as enable Bougainville to possess reference coordinates that determines its baseline, internal waters and coastal waters.

ABG technical officers from the ABG Departments of Primary Industries, Lands, Commerce, Mineral and Energy Resources and other supporting departments in the Bougainville Public Service, also completed a week-long workshop learning about using modern geospatial techniques to be applied during the field survey.

Beginning on 16 to 28 October 2023, four survey teams will be deployed to identified coastal communities across North, Central and South Bougainville to undergo the field survey of the coastal mapping. 

The Bougainville Coastal Waters Survey is being facilitated through the ABG Department of Primary Industries & Marine Resources, the National Fisheries Authority, the National Department of Justice and Attorney General, the National Maritime Safety Authority and the Geoscience Energy & Maritime (GEM) Division of Pacific Community (SPC).

The formalizing of Bougainville’s maritime boundaries is being done under the guidance of the international framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 

Bougainville President Hon. Ishmael Toroama has expressed great disappointment at several parties who have been misleading the people of Bougainville on the Autonomous Bougainville Government’s proposals to review the 2015 Bougainville Mining Act.

President Toroama made this statement during his maiden address to the Bougainville House of Representatives as the ABG Minister for Mineral and Energy Resources.

President Toroama explained that the selective review of the 2015 Bougainville Mining Act will, as required by law, go through a transparent process which will involve wider stakeholder consultations and will require approvals from the Bougainville Executive Council before any proposed amendments are tabled in Parliament.

“I put on record that current work on amendments stem from Panguna Mine Dialogue consultations and have nothing to do with or any links to Caballus proposals of prior years. Further, there are absolutely no plans or intentions to amend or remove Section 8 which vests mineral ownership with customary landowners. And there are also no proposals to replace landowner consent with Community Government consent”.

President Toroama further expressed that those responsible for fueling such malicious allegations were acting against the interests of Bougainville and were trying to create an environment of instability in the region.

President Toroama also warned that the government will be taking a tough stance against foreign elements who are meddling with the government’s affairs by creating distrust, disunity and instability on Bougainville.

He urged all to consult with relevant ABG authorities to get first-hand information on latest developments and to refrain from resorting to reactions based on misleading information from those with ulterior motives.

The Manetai Limestone Project is progressing to its next phase of development as road access clearance and grubbing work in the project area paves the way for limestone resource drilling.

In providing a project update to parliament, Hon. President Hon. Ishmael Toroama in his capacity as Minister for Mineral and Energy Resources reported that incremental activities and prolonged access to site is now possible following the signing of the Land Access and Compensation Agreement (LACA) between the traditional landowners and Lakeville Mines Ltd, the project license holder, in April this year.

President Toroama reported in Parliament that after signing of the LACA, activities pursued by Lakeville have included social mapping and a related landowner identification study.

These have been undertaken in close collaboration with relevant ABG departments and landowners belonging to six clans including the Awora, Makiara, Muruan, Dosiana, Bakorin, and Barapa clans.

Land disagreements amongst the clans make the Landowner Identification and Social Mapping important tools for mitigating disputes between clan members of the landowner groups.

“Lakeville has also completed their initial Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) which included both desktop studies involving market analysis, geology, engineering and also initial on-site assessments of historic facilities. The PFS has provided valuable insights into the technical and financial viability of the project,” President Toroama said.

Following the completion of these preliminary assessments, Lakeville is now progressing into activities that will lead to the commissioning of a full Feasibility Study. A key aspect of this next phase is taking more samples to depth via drilling, which aims to confirm the extent and quality of the limestone resource. A completed Feasibility Study is crucial for project financing purposes.

According to the President, the steady progress and positive change in attitude from within the community with respect to the ongoing Manetai Limestone project activities is the direct result of awareness initiatives carried out mutually by Lakeville, the landowners, and the Department of Mineral and Energy Resources, with support from other ABG departments in their respective areas.

Recently a compensation determination exercise involving the landowners and company representatives was undertaken to help them understand the guidelines and rates for compensation for damages and cash crops.

“This milestone not only promotes positive relations with our Manetai Landowners but also reflects the Government’s and project stakeholder’s commitment to responsible resource development on Bougainville.”

The Manetai Limestone Project is a key project of the Toroama-Nisira Government towards advancing Bougainville’s economic growth, with potential to supply local and international markets and potential to eliminate the reliance on importing cement and quicklime; including for supply to mining projects across the country.

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has hailed the signing of four agreements on Friday, October 13, 2023, as a “giant leap” towards the reopening of the Porgera gold mine in Enga. The agreements signed between the State and New Porgera Ltd include the Mining Development Contract, Special Mining Lease 13, Fiscal Stability Agreement, and Escrow Arrangement for Landowners.

The mine is expected to commence operations before the end of the year, with full production anticipated within six months, contingent upon the finalisation of compensation agreements for landowners.

Operated by New Porgera Ltd, a company with a 51 percent ownership by Papua New Guinea stakeholders and 49 percent by Barrick, the momentous signing event took place at Government House, witnessed by Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae, Prime Minister Marape, Barrick Gold Corporation President and CEO Mark Bristow, company representatives, Enga Governor Hon. Sir Peter Ipatas, Ministers and MPs, Porgera landowner representatives, members of the State Negotiating Team, and others.

Prime Minister Marape expressed his gratitude to Mr. Bristow and the Barrick team for their care and stewardship of the mine since its closure in April 2020. In his words, “I want to say today, October 13, 2023, is a day in which we have taken a giant leap from April 24, 2020. Today’s signing of four key instruments is a big step towards reopening Porgera.”

Prime Minister Marape emphasised the significance of the partnership, stating, “This is the first time that a Papua New Guinea company has merged in a joint venture with a global supermajor like Barrick. This incorporated joint venture is structured in a way where accountability of all parties is on the table. I want to assure everyone that this has been done transparently.”

Regarding crucial issues such as the resettlement of Porgera landowners, Prime Minister Marape expressed his gratitude, saying, “We thank everyone for their patience and support. We believe that what has been secured under SML 13 is in the best interests of everyone, and we look forward to the next 20 years. It is my view, and the Enga Governor’s view, that this arrangement will lift the living standards of Porgera Valley landowners, Enga Province landowners, and Papua New Guineans.”

Mr. Bristow, President and CEO of Barrick Gold Corporation, described the day as “special,” with the signing of SML 13 occurring on Friday the 13th. He stated, “It’s a milestone. We have an exciting voyage ahead of us. The important thing, as the Prime Minister said, is that it’s a real partnership. We’ve worked hard to get here, and it’s important now to finish the last step, and that is the compensation arrangements for all the landowners. We want to get that out of the way as quickly as possible. We believe that we can do that with the help of everyone.”

This historic agreement marks a significant step forward in the reopening of the Porgera gold mine, ushering in new opportunities and prosperity for the region.

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has welcomed H.E Satu Mattila-Budich, the Ambassador-designate of the Republic of Finland to Papua New Guinea.

Her Excellency, Mrs Mattila-Budich was introduced to the Prime Minister at his Sir Manasupe House Office, as PM Marape took the opportunity to invite Finnish investments into the country and highlight PNG’s proximity to the huge, flourishing markets of Asia.

Prime Minister Marape pointed out to the Ambassador-designate investment opportunities in the resource sectors of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, Green Energy, Information Technology, Telecommunications and Manufacturing.

He said: “I welcome and congratulate you as you take up your appointment as the Ambassador of the Republic of Finland to PNG. We look forward to working closely with you during your tour of duty.

“Papua New Guinea is a leader among the small island nations of the Pacific. We have a robust democracy and a strong cultural affinity to Asia.

“Over the years, we have developed strong relations with nearly all countries of Asia – Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, India, South Korea, and China.

“Our Foreign policy is defined by our philosophy to be a ‘Friend to All and Enemy to None’ because we ourselves are a nation of huge diversities. So we tolerate diversity.

“In the area of Agriculture, we have a great deal of arable land with produce that are still very much organic.

“I invite businesses and companies from your country to ours, whether your businesses want to partner with our State-owned companies, with other businesses in our private sector, or set up on their own; the opportunities are here.

“There is now a direct trade route from Papua New Guinea to Asia and I invite Finland to capitalize on this opportunity.

“China, for example, has a huge market on its own with nearly 1.5 billion people; India with over 1.4 billion; and Indonesia with over 273 million; while the total Asian market is nearly 5 billion people.”

Papua New Guinea and Finland formally established diplomatic ties on 25 August 1977 at a non-resident ambassadorial level.

Although trade and economic activities have been small between the two countries with volume of trade in Finland’s favour since 2015, PM Marape is keen on increasing this with the new post being taken up by Mrs Mattila-Budich.

In regional matters, Finland has been supportive of Climate Change efforts in the South Pacific with the establishment of the Finnish-Pacific Project through the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SHREP).

Minister for International Trade and Investment, Hon Richard Maru officially announced the commencement of the joint feasibility study for a possible Free Trade Agreement between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Minister Maru made the announcement today on the eve of Prime Minister, Hon. James Marape’s official state visit to China next week for the Belt and Road Summit in Beijing where one of the key agenda for discussion will be the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries.

“This joint feasibility study was agreed to at a meeting between our Prime Minister and the Chinese President, Xi Jinping during Prime Minister Marape’s state visit in 2021. This joint feasibility study will commence next week after the contract is being executed between the state through the National Trade Office and the consultants this Friday,” said Minister Maru.

“This feasibility study is of our highest priority as this will serve to further strengthen our trade and investment relationship with China which is our most important trading partner with two-way trade of approximately K15 billion each year and growing. Our second highest priority is to undertake similar study with Indonesia which has the biggest opportunity for us,” said Minister Maru.

Minister Maru thanked the Government and the People’s Republic of China for providing the funding to undertake this study. The PRC provided K1 million under the Grant Assistance Program and the Government of PNG provided K2 million for this study.

“This joint feasibility study is very critical for two reasons; Firstly, the National Trade Policy 2017-2032 stipulates that a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) be conducted and all affected stakeholders to be consulted before committing the country to any form of Trade Negotiations or prior to signing any Trade Arrangement/Agreement amongst other guiding principles and measures. Secondly, China is a global economic superpower, and any trade and economic relations must be treated carefully on the socio-economic impact it will have particularly for a small economy like PNG. PNG’s exports are mainly raw and semi-processed, and the Government is embarking on policies and reforms towards downstream processing of our raw materials and to become a net exporter of processed goods to create employment and wealth for our people in the long term. Therefore, the study is important to determine what areas or sectors to open up and reserve sectors that are critical in line with Government policy for development. In the event that the Government decides to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement with China our negotiators need to have the data, facts, and figures in the respective sectors to maximize gains from the free trade,” said Minister Maru.

Minister Maru said the feasibility study will commence next week and should be completed within 70 days and negotiations should commence thereafter depending on the outcome of the study.

“The study will be undertaken by a group of consultants as the scope of study is very wide and covers a lot of sectors and or issues, such as trade in goods, trade in services, investment, intellectual property, MSMEs, climate change, and digital trade and development amongst others. PNG is a party to several bilateral, regional, and multilateral trading arrangements but we have not covered much of these issues in these agreements. It is, therefore, incumbent on us to do a proper analysis on the respective sectors,” said Minister Maru.

“I look forward to the outcome of the study and eventually a Free Trade Agreement between PNG and PRC that is beneficial to both countries,” added Minister Maru.

The first direct flight between Port Moresby and Guangzhou of the People’s Republic of China is expected to take place in December this year. This announcement was made yesterday by the Minister for International Trade and Investment, Hon. Richard Maru.

The discussion on opening of direct flights between Port Moresby and Guangzhou was held between Prime Minister, Hon. James Marape and the Governor for Guangdong Province of China, Wang Weizhong during his visit to Port Moresby in July this year. This was further discussed when Minister Maru met with Governor Weizhong in his recent visit to Guangzhou.

“On the eve of Prime Minister Marape’s state visit to the Republic of China to attend the Belt and Road Summit, we are glad to inform the country that the proposed direct flight between Port Moresby and Guangzhou looks positive and possible,” said Minister Maru.

A technical team from the China Southern Airlines visited Port Moresby last week and they met with the Department of Transport, Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), and National Airports Corporation (NAC).

“They are planning to have the first direct flight between Guangzhou and Port Moresby to take place in December this year. Prior to that, a technical team from China Southern Airlines will return to Port Moresby in two weeks’ time to meet with CASA to make sure all technical requirements are met before the flight resumes,” said Minister Maru.

Minister Maru said the opening of the direct flights between Port Moresby and Guangzhou will improve more business connectivity between PNG and Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, and China.

“It will also strengthen the sister-city relationship between Port Moresby and Guangzhou; strengthen our proposal to open a Trade Commission in Shenzhen; and it will now call on us to quickly open a Consulate in Guangzhou to facilitate visas for not only business travelers but also for tourists with tourism being a huge market in Papua New Guinea which is untapped. China has 100 million tourists that travel the world every year. This direct flight will give us the greatest opportunity to start tapping into this market. I will be working very closely with the Minister for Tourism, Arts, and Culture, and the Tourism Promotion Authority to look at how we can develop products and a plan to market Papua New Guinea as a tourism destination specifically for Chinese tourists. This is a very exciting development as we will tap into huge tourism market that Papua New Guinea has not tapped into all these years,” said Minister Maru.

Minister Maru thanked the Premier of Guangdong Province and China Southern Airlines for their commitment to starting the process to having direct flights between Port Moresby and Guangzhou.

“Prime Minister Marape, on his way back from Beijing will call in at Guangzhou to meet with Governor Weizhong and the China Southern Airlines to reaffirm our partnership,” said Minister Maru.

On October 16th & 17th, 2023, Papua New Guinea (PNG) Chamber of Mines and Petroleum will host the inaugural Papua New Guinea – Asia Investment Conference in the Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel in Hong Kong, with support of, and in partnership with, the National Government.

The PNG Asia Investment Conference will feature Prime Minister Hon. James Marape and his government, outlining opportunities for investment and trade with PNG, success stories of Asian investment in PNG, and how PNG is powering Asian growth through supply of energy and other exports.

This event aims to position PNG as an alternate safe investment hub right in the face of Asia by promoting investment engagement with existing important investors and trade partners in China, Japan, Korea, India, and other Asian markets through this inaugural PNG Asia Investment Conference.

The conference will provide a unique opportunity to share and engage on success stories and opportunities for Asian investment in PNG, and for enhancing and expanding trade and export opportunities with major Asian markets such as China, India, Japan, and Korea. Over 500 delegates are expected to be present on both days of the event – which is testament to the appetite for investment in PNG.

Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea Hon. James Marape, said: “There is money in Asia especially in investment dollars and so we will be innovative in our presentation to utilize our bilateral network with China, Korea, Japan, India, Indonesia and of course our network into ASEAN, a big 4 billion people in that reach, to maximise trade and investment opportunities.”

"Government’s interest is to diversify a big economy base where you are employing Papua New Guineans in the long run.”

“For far too long we’ve been on inward looking and relying on one or two sectors. The conversation that rotates around Indo-Pacific is an exciting conversation for PNG and in the heart of Indo-Pacific conversation is PNG. We have food, energy, amounts of our geography offers for tourism and leisure and recreation is second to none.”

“The investment conference in Hong Kong is not accidental, it is deliberately targeted at those who would invest, and also looking forward to my meeting with Chinese Premier and the Chinese President the next day after the conference,” he continues.

Papua New Guinea Chamber of Mines and Petroleum President Anthony Smaré, said: “As the Prime Minister says investment is critically important to the country, we must create jobs for our young people and there is a huge pressure in the entire country, not just the government but particularly the business community, to create more employment for our young people. Increased investment and increased trade will create those jobs and opportunities, and that is why investment conferences like the PNG ASIA Investment conference is extremely important to unlock trade and investment opportunities that we need to grow the country further.”

"We are going to send a strong message that PNG is open for business and the rest of us will come behind the government to support and deliver that message to unlock the trade and investment opportunities that will come from this PNG Asia Investment Conference in Hong Kong and from our mega Sydney conference in December,” he adds.

Organizations who want to be a part of the inaugural PNG-Asia Investment Conference can register their interest with the chamber on proj3@pngchamberminpet.com.pg

More information on the PNG Asia Investment Conference on 16th & 17th October, Hong Kong, can be found at www.pngasiaconference.com.

Ok Tedi Mining Ltd (OTML) conducted a 2-day meeting with its stakeholders over the weekend in a bid to commence awareness as a lead up to the upcoming Community and Mine Continuation Agreement (CMCA) Review planned to commence in early 2024.

The meetings hosted at the New Century Hotel in Kiunga was attended by more than 100 leaders and representatives from the Mine Villages, CMCA Communities, Fly River Provincial Government, State Agencies, Mineral Resources CMCA, Mineral Resources Star Mountain (MRSM), Mineral Resources Development Corporation (MRDC), Kumul Mineral Holdings Limited (KMHL) and the PNG Sustainable Development Program (PNGSDP).

OTML Manager, Community Relations and Sustainability, Jeffery Tom elaborated that the purpose of the meeting was to provide operational updates to the OTML’s stakeholders; communicate key information to mine associated communities in preparations for the CMCA Review that will commence in 2024; stakeholders responsible for managing community business and development interests updating their programs, performance and work plans; and to provide a forum for Mine Villages and CMCA Communities through their leaders to raise any issues of concerns and provide feedback to OTML and other stakeholders’ performance.

“We want to ensure all our stakeholders are informed of what OTML intends to do prior to the actual CMCA Review consultations commencing in 2024 that will lead to the eventual negotiations and signing of the revised CMCA at the end of 2025. The planned CMCA review in 2024 will continue to provide the affected communities Free, Prior Informed Consent which underpins the Social License to continue operating while meeting its obligation and corporate social responsibility,” Mr Tom said.

The CMCA Review Process is expected to be carried out in three phases. Phase 1 involves village meetings creates initial awareness, appointment of village leaders and communication of the information needed by the 158 mine impacted communities to make FPIC decision. Phase 2 involves meetings by community and CMCA leaders to draft position paper and Regional Strategic Plan that will be communicated to the villages by the respective community leaders. A total of 177 meetings are planned for these two phases.

Phase 3 will see the commencement of the working group meetings that include round table discussions and negotiations, drafting of CMCA compensation and benefits packages as well as the drafting of the CMCA Agreement. A total of 169 meetings are planned for this phase to conclude the discussion, development signing of the agreements and communication of the new agreement to the 158 CMCA villages.

OTML’s current Social License was signed in 2012/2013 for the Life of Mine (LOM) up to 2025. The extension bid is for the LOM to be extended to 2033, an additional eight years from 2026. The Mine Life Extension beyond 2033 has been approved in principle by the OTML Board last month but the proposed extension is only to 2033.

So far the Ok Tedi Project has conducted two CMCA negotiations and one CMCA review. The initial CMCA negotiations occurred in 2001 and the current one in 2015 while the review occurred in 2006/2007.

The OTML contingent in the 2-day meeting led by the General Manager, Social Performance and Sustainability Jesse Pile, and supported by CR Manager Jeffrey Tom, Environment Manager Erizo Kepe, Economics Program Manager Steve Hoap and Bige Operations Manager Naimen Kepan provided OTML operational and departmental updates to the stakeholders.

While providing the OTML operations update to the stakeholders, Mr Pile said OTML had restructured the company to align with its new vision, to deliver sustainable economic and social benefits to the people of Western Province and PNG.

He said, “We want to ensure the mine affected communities are able to develop and sustain a better quality of life and wellbeing long after mine closure by extending the life of mine to sustain the benefits in terms of employment, business, dividend, royalty and compensations payments.”

The stakeholders attending the meeting were excited with OTML’s New Vision of ‘We operate with excellence, maximising the value of our mineral resource in an environmentally responsible way, to deliver sustainable economic and social benefits to our communities and the people of PNG’.

“With this new Vision, we are excited about Ok Tedi’s future, as it provides the opportunity for business partners and stakeholders to collaborate with OTML to address the social and economic sustainability gap in the Western Province, particularly the mine associated communities,” he added.

The Ok Tedi Mine is 100% PNG owned with the State of PNG through the Kumul Minerals Ok Tedi Ltd owning 67% while three Western Province entities hold the remaining 33%.