Yeri Penna

Many foreign owned businesses in the country have been employing foreigners in jobs which once was restricted to Papua New Guineans. Governor for Northern Province, Garry Juffa, said many of these foreigners cannot even speak English which is a mandatory requirement into obtaining permit into the country.  Northern Province Governor, Garry Juffa . “Almost 90% of the foreign employees have valid work permits but cannot speak English according to a survey we conducted in Oro.  Locals in my area have reported that the required three year mandatory plan for companies who are employing foreigners have not been enforced and none of them had received skills transfer training because they cannot even speak English. Juffa said the situation is common all throughout Papua New Guinea and he questioned Labour Minister Benjamin Poponawa if stringent regulations are still followed into giving work permits to foreigners to protect local employment. “Jobs such as drivers, plu

People of Kairuku-Hiri in the Central Province and ordinary Papua New Guineans have been negatively affected since the subsidiary legislation passed by the National Capital District Commission board or Buai Ban took effect. Speaking in parliament on Friday during grievance debate was Kairuku-Hiri MP, Peter Isoaimo, who asked the government for a better alternative than banning betel nut in the city as it has more negative effects. He said it is not the filth and the rubbish that is the problem but rather the mindset of the people which must be achieved through developing their needs. “Regardless of the other views of elected leaders, I stand here representing my people of Kairuku-Hiri. My people are suffering because of the subsidiary legislation passed by the National Capital District Commission board which we call the buai ban law which has cost a lot of lives and have cost my people a lot and those that are involved in the informal sector. I speak on behalf of those

Treasurer, Patrick Pruaitch said the government will introduce a supplementary budget this month before the introduction of the National Budget in November. Pruaitch said the government officers are working around the clock to have appropriate strategies in place before a supplementary budget is introduced. “Before this parliament raises, the government is looking at gong to announce the corrective measures after realistically assessing the situation and we will introduce a supplementary budget shortly,” Said Pruaitch. Treasury Minister’s statements come after Goroka MP, Bire Kimisopa expressed concerns of breach in the parliamentary powers under the constitution and the denying of the utility of a supplementary budget if it is not introduced as soon as possible. “Supplementary budget must not be introduced with the National Budget in November because the utility of the supplementary budget will be lost and you will deny our people, the important stake holders such as who

Talks are in progress between the Governor for Southern Highlands and the Governor for Enga Province to have the Southern Highlands Students and the Enga students of University of Technology to come to a common ground before they resume classes at the end of this month. Higher Education, Research, Science and technology Minister, Frencis Marus said the Catholic Bishop conference who has volunteered to take part in the peace process between students will be called to participate in the ceremony with relevant stake holders present. Marus response comes after MP for Lae Loujaya Kouza questioned Marus in parliament regarding the peace process between students at Unitech.   “My department and the university council are working closely with them. Notice will be given on the date of the ceremony which they will be part and parcel of.” Marus said his Ministry has been working closely with the governors of the ethnic conflict provinces so that normalcy prevails wh

Parliament on Thursday (11.08.16) unanimously passed the national Cybercrime Code bill which will deal with crimes and offences committed against individuals, the public at large, government agencies or corporate entities through the use of information and communication technology. Communications and information technology minister, Jimmy Miringtoro said while the government recognizes the liberation of ICT, PNG has been exposed to cybercrime, information security threats and related offences like in other countries. “on a national basis, the legislation will enable law enforcement agencies to investigate and effectively prosecute such crimes in court, and on global plane, it will improve our country's position against foreign incidences of Cybercrimes, particularly where offenders who are likely to move such illegal activities into the country given our current lack of adequate legislative measures ," he said. The development of the bill was guided by the bas

East Enga's Talu Sepik head-wara sing sing group performing at Wabag town during the Enga Cultural Show. Wabag, Enga Province, came alive once again for the 22 nd time with various traditional hymns and diverse traditional dancing groups from all over the province for the annual Enga Cultural Show on the 5 th of August. After the 20 th Enga show two years ago, the show committee had aimed to promote purely the Engan Culture which saw over 30 different groups performing traditional dances, rituals, and displaying Enga’s unique flora and fauna, customary way of life to target the preservation of Engan Culture and Identity. Chairlady for the Engan Cultural Show, Margaret Potane said Enga as a province is aiming to make sure the traditional knowledge, culture and its way of life is not lost in today’s Morden culture.  Traditional Dancers from Mul-Baiyer .    Mrs Potane who has chaired the provincial culture show since its inception in 1994 said the

Heli Solutions chopper engineer ,Pao Kento, stands next to a helicopter at 7mile, Jacksons’s parade. Not often you hear a grade 8 leaver overcoming all odds and becoming a chopper engineer just to live his dream. About 4 feet tall, this tiny bloke from Kainantu, Eastern Highlands Province, is described by colleagues as a valuable asset. I was impressed when I learnt of his story and thought it would be refreshing to read about ordinary Papua New Guineans and their untold stories at a time like this when so much negatively is surrounding our beautiful county. It was on the day typical sunny Wednesday in Port Moresby when I arrived at Jacksons Parade, 7mile, where he was sitting comfortably under a shady tree with his son and his colleague.   He started fixing himself up when he heard a reporter was out at the Heli Solutions hanger looking for him. Smiling nervously the first thing he said when he saw me was; “plis mi ino redi yet na u kam ya.” (I wasn’t expe

The 5000 plus students of University of Papua New Guinea students will be returning to classes on September next month after the academic year was terminated last month.   New Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science & Technology, Francis Marus announced early this week during his official handover of the ministry that students must resume classes as soon as possible.   Soon after he was handed over the ministry portfolio by former Minister, Malakai Tabar, Marus had a briefing with the state University chancellor’s to salvage the academic year. Vice Chancellor of UPNG, Professor Albert Mellam said the credibility, standard and quality of university programs will not be affected. “We don’t want to sign off on the output of a degree and have stake holders to question us. So we have look at the timeline and we will front load 2017 because 2016 is gone. It will be the normal calendar accept for semester 1 which we will backtrack it by about five weeks. We also d

The Standard Based Curriculum is on target and will be rolled out in 2017 after the completion of elementary teacher guides and syllabus last week. Assistant Secretary for Curriculum Development, Steven Tandale said Treid Print has won the bid to print and deliver the SBC materials to respective clusters which he expects to be delivered all throughout the country by the end of September this year. “We have delivered the standard base curriculum for English, Mathematics and Culture and Community to Treid Print for printing now,” He said. The SBC materials to be printed for elementary includes 3x Syllabus and 9x teacher guides which the three subjects will have three teacher’s guide respectively for Elementary Prep, Elementary one and Elementary two. “English itself is a kit which will be printed by Tokiwa Printing which has got the syllabus, three teacher guide for EP, EP1 & EP2. Besides that we’ve got a kit that got a kit that’s got shelf books, journals, CD’s, SD

UPNG Vice Chancellor Professor Albert Mellam addressing UPNG Medical students at Taurama Campus.   UPNG Vice Chancellor, Professor Albert Mellam has strongly advised students to return to classes tomorrow, Monday. Professor Mellam when addressing Medical students at Taurama campus on Friday reiterated that the boycott and forums are illegal as proper procedures where not followed. He said while the administration understands the rights of the students to exercise their civil rights on issues they feel strongly about, their purpose at the university must also be considered.   “The continuous boycott of classes by students is illegal. I say illegal because I draw that reference from the SRC constitution where the provisions that guides how boycott of classes are done. That’s the specific reference. The senate has looked at the boycott of classes; the senate has looked at the issues that you have raised,” He said. Professor Mellam explained that the academic s

 President Shri Pranab Mukherjee of India pays his respect to a bust of Mahatma Ghandi which was he unveiled during his visit to UPNG last month. Google pic             A bust of Mahatma Ghandi, a symbol of Indian non-violent civil disobedience and peaceful protest, at the University of Papua New Guinea was this week desecrated by some students. Vice Chancellor Professor Albert Mellam has expressed regret upon hearing that the recently unveiled bust by the Indian President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, has been removed by some students. “It is extremely regrettable because than you cross the PNG boundary and now removing a world leader. Nations and communities revered for what he stood for and this action sends a very bad message about UPNG as a university and of course our students.   I do not want to think about the consequences but people will not forget this type of action,” He said. An unimpressed Mellam conveyed his apologies to the Indian gove

University of Papua New Guinea students have threatened to withdraw en masse if the UPNG Senate decides to cancel first semester or the academic year. The students who were warned by the senate through a circular released last week that if the boycott continues through to Friday 13 th May 2016, the school year will be affected. However, students have maintained a strong stance to continue boycotting classes through to next week. The students threatened at an open Forum at Waigani campus that if the UPNG senate decides to end the first semester, they will call for a mess withdrawal under the condition that the school must: 1.      Refund their tuition fees 2.      Pay for their air fares & 3.      Other allowances that they as students are entitled to such as allowances. Despite the Senate Decision that the student boycott is illegal, Student Representative Council through a media release on Tuesday disagreed on the senate resolution by stating that prope

Sunday 8th may, 2016                 University of Papua New Guinea students burnt The National Newspapers and Post Couriers on Friday morning after they assumed the papers to be biased in their stories on what actually was happening at Waigani campus. The students who have boycotted classes since Monday are demanding the Prime Minister, Peter O’Neil to step aside and submit himself for questioning and for Police Commissioner Gari Baki to reinstate Fraud Squad Director Matthew Damaru and re-open the Fraud squad office as per the court’s direction. The student representative council who had on Monday and Tuesday put a ban on media to not enter the campus had uplifted the ban on Wednesday last week. According to President Kenneth Ropa, the media is an important partner in the student’s cause and had called the media to come into campus. The students who did not want to be named said they were on their way to the bus stop to do public awareness about t