PNG win Oceania Cup rugby title in style

Papua New Guinea smacked Solomon Islands 58-19 to seal the Oceania Cup rugby title in style. The Pukpuks finished unbeaten in their three games in Port Moresby to go one better than their runners-up finish two years ago. Tahiti finished runners-up after beating newcomers American Samoa 20-8 for their second win of the tournament, while Solomon Islands finished winless. The next Oceania Cup is in 2017...

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InterOil restarts drilling in PNG

InterOil Corp. proclaimed that the PRL-15 joint venture has commenced drilling a side-track well at the Antelope-4 site, as part of its appraisal campaign on the Elk-Antelope gas field in Papua New Guinea. The Antelope-4 appraisal had been deferred in May 2015 at a true vertical depth sub-sea of 2056m (6745ft), roughly 158m above the field gas water contact. Well operations, which restarted on 13 August, 2015, included the on-site preparation...

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Papua New Guinea Preparing to Host the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Summit

Papua New Guinea is preparing to host the Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ summit and celebrate 40 years of independence from Australia this month (September). These events are destined to be a high point in an imperative year for Papua New Guinea, imbedding its prestige as regional leader among Pacific island states and a confident emerging economy. Relations with Australia, a significant backer of Papua New Guinea’s regional leadership...

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PNG and India Discuss Resource Exports, Education and Healthcare Support, UN Security Council Membership

The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Peter O’Neill  has thanked the Prime Minister of India for extending support in healthcare and education to Pacific Island nations, and offered Papua New Guinea’s support to India for proposed reform of the United Nations Security Council that would include India as a permanent member. The Prime Minister made the comments following a substantial bilateral meeting with his counterpart, the Prime...

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Oil Search sitting pretty to buy Santos assets in PNG

Oil Search is eyeing some of Santos' assets in Papua New Guinea for potential acquisition, including its stake in the $US19 billion ($26 billion) PNG LNG project, as it looks to take advantage of its balance sheet and the low oil price environment to add high-quality assets in its home market. Managing director Peter Botten said Santos, which has all its assets under review, had "a number of potentially interesting assets" for Oil Search. But...

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Govt examining PNG vegetable ban

THE federal government is seeking to clarify whether Papua New Guinea's recent import ban on fresh vegetables complies with global trade rules. PNG instituted the ban earlier in August with the aim of helping local enterprises. "We are seeking to further clarify the PNG government's reasons for the ban, including whether these are World Trade Organisation consistent," an agriculture department spokesman told AAP on Wednesday. Items...

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PNG will cancel contracts of Australians advising government, says Peter O'Neill

Papua New Guinea will boot out Australian officials working for its government by the end of the year.The Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill, told the PNG parliament he was concerned about foreign advisers spying while their presence caused local public servants to slack off. O’Neill’s shock statement came during a debate on PNG’s national intelligence organisation, the ABC reported. “We’ve got people working in many of our departments that...

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Catch a glimpse of the rare mollusc in PNG

An exceptional mollusc, hitherto feared extinct, has been recently discovered at the coast of Papua New Guinea. Environmentalist Peter Ward returned from the South Pacific in early August with news that he had encountered what he deliberates to be the world’s rarest animal. The University of Washington professor was part of the innovative discovery team that first found Allonautilus scrobiculatus, a“fuzzy, slimy” mollusc with an iconic twirled...

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PM O’Neill looks to Greater India Engagement with Pacific Islands

The Prime Minister, Hon. Peter O’Neill CMG MP, has outlined Papua New Guinea’s desire to see greater engagement by India with Pacific Island nations. Speaking at the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Co-operation (FIPIC) in Jaipur city, he said India’s outreach to Pacific Islands Leaders, led by Prime Minster Modi, is the first of its kind by an Indian leader or government. “I want to assure you that India has true friends in the Pacific and we...

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Best Practice in Tourism Development – Shared Attributes for Developing Indian and Papua New Guinea Tourism

The Prime Minister, Hon. Peter O’Neill CMG MP, has highlighted the way in which India has developed a strong cross-sectoral approach to strengthen its tourism industry. PM O’Neill made the comments following a visit to the World heritage listed Taj Mahal in the Indian city of Agra, and a briefing from India’s Tourism Ministry. “While our nations are different in population and landmass, India and Papua New Guinea share common attributes...

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Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea arrives in India for FIPIC Summit

Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Hon’ble Peter O’Neill arrived in New Delhi, India on August 18, 2015. The Prime Minister along with a high level delegation arrived at Hotel Taj Palace in the evening. The Prime Minister then attended a dinner hosted by Essar Group of Companies. Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill in his maiden visit to India visited Rajghat on the morning of August 19, 2015 where he laid a wreath at the Gandhi memorial and paid...

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McCully to lead NZ delegation to PNG, Solomons

New Zealand's Foreign Minister Murray McCully is to travel to Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands this week leading a delegation of aid officials and business people. The companies travelling with the delegation represent a range of sectors including energy, infrastructure development, and broadcasting, as well as regional business organisations. In Port Moresby Mr McCully says he will meet with PNG's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill and other...

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PM says PNG economy is stable

The prime minister of Papua New Guinea has hit out at warnings by economists about the country's fiscal position This follows the release of his own government's mid-year economic outlook, which revised the 2015 budget deficit from 4.4 percent of GDP to 9.4 percent, with revenue set to shrink by 20 percent this year. A former Australian official within PNG's treasury, Paul Flanagan, led the chorus of economists warning that the Peter O'Neill-led...

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PNG Govt working on new media law

A proposed law on a cross media ownership is currently being worked on by the government of Papua New Guinea. Minister responsible for Communication Jimmy Miringtoro said the law will allow Papua New Guineans to own shares in the media organisations in the country. He told Parliament during Question Time last week that foreign companies have come into the country to invest in mobile phones but had ventured into television, broadcasting,...

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PNG to Review Policing Partnership

Australian assistance money to Papua New Guinea is being wasted on "middlemen", such as lawyers and consultants, PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill says. In a press release, Mr O'Neill said PNG wanted to safeguard that financial support develops real long-term capacity and skills, and not just temporary relief. "As a developing country we don't want handouts, we don't want Australian taxpayer money wasted and we don't want boomerang aid. Papua...

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