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Monday, 7 October 2019

Marape Pushes Onshore Log Processing

Prime Minister James Marape has revealed he wants to have timber processing done on shore.
Marape says he will be meeting with people in the logging business next week and he plans to talk to them about processing timber in the country.

He revealed this in his two-day visit to Manus.
The Prime Minister said he understands this may upset owners of logging businesses but it is time to start downstream processing.

On that note, Marape says his Government will work on some laws that will change the way we manage and carry out work in the country.

The Prime Minister stresses that he wants an inclusive and sustainably developed PNG, adding the country has all the resources in the world yet poverty, lack of education and employment and lack of meaningful engagement is rife amongst us.

Marape said for so long, focus on development has been on Port Moresby even though other provinces including Manus, also want the same services.

The Prime Minister urged the people of Manus to work together to grow the economy and develop the country so that no child is left behind, saying he would like to see every citizen involved in business activities.

Meanwhile, the Manus Provincial Administration yesterday received two cheques totaling K7 million from Prime Minister James Marape as part of his two day visit to the small island province.

The first cheque of K5 million was set aside by the Department of Works to start construction of the planned Manus ring road road from Lorengau to the West Coast.

Another cheque of K2 million was given by the Department of National Planning to start work on water supply projects in the Province, especially the outlying Islands.

Prime Minister Marape told the people present at the cheque presentation ceremony that building the road from Lorengau to the West Coast will cost a lot of money therefore it will be better to start building the road one kilometer at a time.
He challenged the people of Manus and the Provincial Administration to ensure the road is completed in his lifetime so when the country celebrates 50 years of Independence, he can drive from Lorengau to the West Coast.

(Photo Credit: PM's Media Unit)
Loggs in New Guinea Island

PNG Prime Minister James Marape

Source: RNZ

Wednesday, 25 September 2019

Tuesday, 17 September 2019

Perparing the 2019 09 13 Vanimo Papua Merdeka Peaceful Demonstration



Melanesians from Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea preparing for demonstration against Indonesian consulate in Vanimo Town, Papua New Guinea.

Three main issues raised:

1. West Papua is one people, one land mass, one culture, one ancestor with Papua New Guinea. We are the same people, and we are united to Free West Papua.
2. Papua New Guinea is politically independnet, but its economy is being hindered because the other half of the island is still occupied by foreign powers. They are using West Papua as the gate into Melanesia. As long as West Papua is occupied, no single Melanesian countries will be independent economically. To Free West Papua is to Free all Melanesian countries economically.
3. This campaign will continue on regular basis, and will spread across PApua New Guinea and across Melanesia.

Military presence has increased in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and...

Thursday, 8 August 2019

PNG Air, Virgin Australia announce start of codeshare agreement

PNG Air 
PNG Air and Virgin Australia announced the commencement of a codeshare agreement between the two airlines, with flights now available to book.

PNG Air chief executive officer Tony Abbot said it represented a coming together of two well established carriers with equal commitment to quality and value.

“The key aim is to offer travelers in both Papua New Guinea and Australia a greater level of comfort and choice,” he said.

PNG Air

“Under the codeshare agreement, PNG Air passengers will be able to book and travel all the way through and from airports in PNG to their destinations in Australia with the codeshare providing seamless travel from Popondetta to Perth or Brisbane to Buka.”

Abbot said the agreement had generated a lot of interest from across the country and has been a focus of activity for the PNG Air team since being approved by regulators earlier this year.

“This agreement has been developed for the convenience of passengers travelling to and from destinations across Papua New Guinea and Australia, whether it be for work, business or leisure,” PNG Air’s chief commercial officer Michael Fry said.

“It’s critical we have a seamless transition and we will be phasing in reservations and travel bookings between Port Moresby and Brisbane today, transitioning to the Papua New Guinea domestic network and then Australian domestic, before offering full point to point bookings from one domestic market to the other.”

“Despite the regulatory need for customs, quarantine and immigration checks at international ports of departure and arrival, the codeshare offers a much more streamlined service to air passengers.

“It provides greater choice and competition for air passengers travelling between PNG and Australia.” The National/PTA

Source: https://travel.pngfacts.com/2019/08/png-air-virgin-australia-announce-start.html

Friday, 22 February 2019

ICCC plans to grant PNG Air, Virgin Australia code sharing

The Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) has proposed to grant authorisation to PNG Air Limited (PNG Air) to give effect to a code-share agreement it has entered into with Virgin Australia for services between Port Moresby, PNG, and Brisbane, Australia. Picture: POST COURIER
PORT MORESBY, 22 FEBRUARY 2019 (POST COURIER) – The Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) has proposed to grant authorisation to PNG Air Limited (PNG Air) to give effect to a code-share agreement it has entered into with Virgin Australia for services between Port Moresby, PNG, and Brisbane, Australia.
Commissioner and chief executive officer Paulus Ain said: “While acknowledging that free sale code-share arrangement is not very competitive, the arrangement will allow a new marketing carrier to enter the market.
“The ICCC considers that in the present circumstances, it is better to have PNG Air start with the free sale arrangement.”
It has considered that the following public benefits are likely to result if the parties provide the code-share services: Travelers’ choice of marketing carriers would be increased (from three to four; travelers’ would benefit from competitive airfares; direct connections and ease of luggage transfers for PNG Air’s domestic services; making Port Moresby as a transit hub; code-sharing would result in aggressive competition; increasing domestic competition; increase Port Moresby traffic for frequent service.
On the other hand, the ICCC noted that the following public detriments are likely to result; however, these are outweighed by the mentioned public benefits: Infrastructural barriers such as the availability of slots at the Port Moresby Jackson’s International airport.
The ICCC considers that despite the recent redevelopment at the Jackson’s airport, there was no evidence which suggested that slot availability was increased.
Another detriment was regulatory requirements such as airline designation and capacity requirements as per bilateral agreements between PNG and Australia can prove at times, to be a barrier to entry.
Before an airline could operate international services to another country, the government must first negotiate a treaty level agreement with the destination country’s government.