PM Marape arrives in New Zealand for official visit

Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister  James Marape has just touched down in New Zealand for his official visit.

Upon arriving in Auckland from Fiji, PM Marape is scheduled to meet his New Zealand  counterpart, Jacinda Ardern, at Government House.

PNG Prime Minister James Marape with his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern at  Government House in Auckland, New Zealand, this morning.

There, PM Marape and his counterpart will hold a one-on-one prime ministerial discussion, followed by bilateral discussion with the PNG-NZ delegations.

Points of discussion include our diplomatic relations and political representation, immigration and consular relations, high level bilateral consultations, defence and security cooperation, trade and investment cooperation; development and technical cooperation, the Bougainville Referendum 2019; new areas of future cooperation  between PNG and New Zealand; along with selected regional and international issues.

After the bilateral discussions, both prime ministers will hold a joint media conference, followed by a courtesy call paid to PM Marape by New Zealand’s Leader of Opposition, Simon Bridges.

Prime Minister Marape is accompanied by Minister for National Planning Sam Basil, Oro Governor Gary Juffa, West New Britain Governor Francis Maneke and Tewai-Siassi MP Kobby Bomareo. 

PM Marape attends roundtable discussions at the Israel-Pacific Island Leaders’ Summit

Prime Minister James Marape, MP, attended roundtable discussions at the Israel-Pacific Island Leaders’ Summit in Nadi yesterday.

PM Marape (left) in talks with the Israelis 

In his intervention points, he acknowledged the Government of Fiji through the Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama for hosting the first meeting.

Prime Minister Marape thanked the people and Government of Israel for the initiative to have discussions on issues of mutual concern with leaders of 16 Pacific Island countries who are all members of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).

He said although there were 16 countries, when there are issues of common interest, their voices are combined as one through the PIF.

"And some of the common issues that we face every day include climate change and rising sea levels," Prime Minister Marape said.

“We may be small in land mass but the entire Pacific put together, is a big space that we occupy on planet earth.

"In the ocean that we share, we also have vast resources.

“Possibly 50% of the world’s tuna supply are caught in our waters."

The Prime Minister said Papua New Guineans were also known to be the first people to go into agriculture 10, 000 years ago and today, with Israel having advanced in agricultural technologies," we would like to embrace those technologies as well".

“PNG values the agricultural expertise and support from Israel and will continue to work together in this sector,” he said.

"We also welcome Israel scholarship programmes in the field of agriculture.

Prime Minister Marape is very appreciative of the Government of Israel's offer to train 100 professionals in Israel in areas of agriculture, technology and security.

Papua New Guinea established relations with Israel in May 1978 and Papua New Guinea has benefited from Israeli expertise in the field of agriculture, including citrus farming.

Bogia Coconut Syndrome workshop held in Madang

A two-day workshop on the Bogia Coconut Syndrome (BCS) and Related Phytoplasma Syndromes in Papua New Guinea was held in Madang on Feb 12-13.

It brought together scientists from Australia, PNG and other stakeholders to discuss BCS, a plant disease that has caused severe losses to coconut palms in the Bogia, Sumkar and Madang districts of Madang Province.

Workshop participants seeing coconut palms affected by Bogia Coconut Syndrome at Kananam along the North Coast Road of Madang.~Pictures by JAMES KILA

The BCS spread has now been reported on Karkar Island also in Sumakar district.

Many thousands of palms have been killed since it was first detected in Bogia in the late 1970s, where it wiped out coconut plantations at Yaro.

The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) has funded a project over the last five years with a multi-national team to undertake more in-depth studies to fill important knowledge gaps and to develop a clear understanding of the biology of BCS and related phytoplasmas in PNG.

Key partners included Ramu Agri-Industries (New Britain Palm Oil Ltd), Oil Palm Research Association (OPRA), National Agriculture Quarantine Inspection Authority (NAQIA), National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI), University of Southern Queensland, Charles Sturt University and Kokonas Indastri Koporesen (KIK).

Workshop participants at Kokonas Indastri Koporesen’s Stewart Research Station at Murnas along the North Coast of Madang.

Phytoplasmas are bacteria with no cell-wall that live in the vascular bundle of plant tissue blocking off water and nutrients that the plants need for normal growth and in severe cases can lead to death of the plants and in this case coconut palms. 

Insect vectors having fed on infected host plants can transmit the phytoplasma through their salivary glands in to healthy plants and cause them to become sick and died, something similar to mosquitoes when transmitting malaria.

An ACIAR Technical Report presented at the meeting said plant tissues of BCS symptomatic palms were found to contain the BCS phytoplasma and when its DNA was sequenced using the LAMP technology this closely matched a group of phytoplasmas that were responsible for Coconut Lethal Yellowing Disease.

“Coconut lethal yellowing-like diseases have been responsible for repeatedly devastating coconut industries around the world since the early 1900s,” it said.

A house at Kananam outside Madang surrounded by Bogia Coconut Syndrome-affected palms.

“This was the first time a coconut lethal yellowing disease has been found in the Oceania region and concerns were raised for the PNG coconut industry.

“Previous outbreaks of this disease in other parts of the world caused widespread death of millions of coconut and other closely-related palm trees.

“A molecular study also found banana plants with similar yellowing symptoms contain a closely-related phytoplasma which was called Banana Wilt-Associated Phytoplasma (BWAP) now widespread in Madang, Morobe, East Sepik, Western and North Solomon provinces.”

A banana tree affected by Banana Wilt-Associated Phytoplasma (BWAP) in Madang.

Early responses to the discovery of this disease included a road block preventing the movement of coconuts that has not been de-husked and any planting materials going out from the Madang Province.

An extensive awareness programme was also initiated in the affected areas.

Workshop participants also saw for themselves palms affected by BCS at Kananam along the North Coast of Madang, and visited the International Coconut Gene Bank at Murnas Plantation.

PM Marape reveals next step after P’nyang stalemate

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has informed the nation and all stakeholders what happens after the stalemate between the State Negotiating Team (SNT) and ExxonMobil over P’nyang LNG Project.

Prime Minister Marape

 “It is no secret that I am not pleased with the lack of interest shown by ExxonMobil to migrate towards a mid-point,” Prime Minister Marape said.
“A mid-point in which the State takes home a better deal, instead of terms similar to concession-based gas agreements Papua New Guinea has signed with ExxonMobil and partners of PNG LNG, and Total and partners of Papua LNG.
“I am satisfied that our SNT has subscribed to the mandate bestowed upon Petroleum Minister, Hon. Kerenga Kua.
“ExxonMobil has been told what our intentions are.
“In the interests of fairness, a Ministerial Gas Committee (MGC) will request both the SNT and ExxonMobil to present their positions for the State - through a committee of leaders - to decide what is the best outcome for PNG.”
Prime Minister Marape said he had indicated on all levels of discussions that fundamental policy principles that influenced his Government’s mindset would not change.
“These include no fiscal concessions in P’nyang, treating P’nyang as separate from both PNG and Papua LNG projects, increase in Domestic Market Obligations (DMOs) and local content participation,” he said.
“These will be fundamental in progressing P’nyang.
“In the meantime, I call upon ExxonMobil and Oil Search not to hold the Total project in Gulf to ransom.
“I call upon these two multi-nationals to work with Total to deliver Papua LNG.
“You are beneficiaries of concessions previous Governments have given.
“If you model the project to be uneconomical, then don’t push it: let’s leave the gas in my land and you develop Papua plus further work in PNG LNG.
“After SNT and ExxonMobil present to the MGC, Cabinet will decide on P’nyang.
“We will shift focus to Wafi-Golpu and Porgera mines, Pascal LNG plus other resources sectors so life in PNG is not only dependent on P’nyang and other LNG projects.”
Prime Minister Marape assured the nation that the Mining and Petroleum Ministers would bring in reforms to the Mining and Oil and Gas Acts through enabling Organic Laws this year.

PM Marape talks to people of New Ireland

Prime Minister James Marape engaged in a  series of heart-to-heart conversations with the people of New Ireland during his three-day visit to Kavieng, Lihir and Namatanai.
He was in Kavieng on Tuesday, Lihir on Wednesday and Namatanai today.

PM Marape welcomed by Lihir dancers on Wednesday. 

“Development is a shared responsibility between National Government, Provincial Governments, District Development Authorities, Local Level Governments and our people,” Prime Minister Marape told Governor Sir Julius Chan and his Provincial Executive Council on Tuesday evening.
On Wednesday, while addressing Nimamar LLG on Lihir Island, Prime Minister Marape encouraged ward Members and Presidents to continue on being the “face, arms and feet of Government” in service delivery.
He said this while commending the LLG on its effective functioning.
Prime Minister Marape offered National Government help through their DDA for the betterment of Lihir islanders.
He also told thousands of local people who gathered outside the LLG chamber, that the Marape-Steven Government was all about “economic empowerment”.
“The Government is making funding for micro small to medium enterprises available for people to start businesses,” Prime Minister Marape said.
He paid special appreciation to an emerging agriculture partnership between Namatanai District and Newcrest Mine.
The district mobilises people into agriculture, partnering with PNG Micro Bank, with produce sold to the mine.
“Every day, about K10,000 worth of vegetables is bought by the district company and sold to the mine,” Prime Minister Marape said.
“This is a classic case of people starting in business that they are comfortable with.”
The Prime Minister travels from Lihir to Namatanai, where he will overnight.
He flies to Bougainville tomorrow to address the people in Arawa after an overwhelming vote for Independence this week.
“This will be the longest regional tour I have undertaken,” Prime Minister Marape said.
“We will visit more rural areas of PNG as my focus is to economically empower and connect the country.”
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PM Marape welcomes Japanese investment in petroleum sector

Prime Minister James Marape says Papua New Guinea welcomes any investments in the petroleum sector.
He said this during a meeting with representatives of Japanese investor, LNG Japan Corporation, in Port Moresby last week.
The LNG Japan delegation was led by President and CEO Hiroshi Kawahara (pictured below with Prime Minister Marape).

LNG Japan is studying feasibility of potential LNG-to-power projects in PNG, leveraging its long experiences in the LNG industry, including a small-scale domestic LNG sea transportation project in Indonesia.
It is also looking at producing methanol as a raw material for plywood manufacture, hence, contributing to downstream processing of logs.
National Planning Minister Sam Basil (who is responsible for Kumul Petroleum Holdings Ltd), Commerce and Industry Minister William Duma, and KPHL Managing-Director Wapu Sonk also attended the meeting.
“I will give 100 per cent support if you show me that you can create employment,” Prime Minister Marape said.
“I don’t mind giving you a tax-holiday, if you can create employment for our citizens.”
Prime Minister Marape welcomed LNG Japan Corporation plans to operate in Kikori, Gulf, where a Special Economic Zone is planned to be built.
“We want to create cheap electricity for the whole country over the next 10 years,” he said.
“This is why we are pushing for a minimum 10 per cent of any gas found in the future.
“Kumul Petroleum will pick up this 10 per cent and use it.
“We will want to create by-products from this gas, but first and foremost, is cheap electricity.”
Prime Minister Marape told Sonk to continue discussions with LNG Japan Corporation and keep Ministers Basil and Duma in the loop
LNG Japan Corporation, established in 2001, is a 50-50 Venture between two leading Japanese trading companies, Sojitz Corporation and Sumitomo Corporation.
LNG Japan, from the days of its predecessor, has over 40 years of experience in upstream development, financing, marketing, trading and shipping in the global LNG Industry.
LNG Japan and Kumul Petroleum entered into a joint venture agreement on June 7, 2017 (amended on August 2, 2018) to set up the unincorporated joint venture for marketing of spot and short-term cargoes from PNG LNG.
The company, together with JX Nippon Oil and Gas Exploration Corporation and Marubeni Corporation (Japanese consortium) and Kumul Petroleum entered into a memorandum-of-understanding on August 30, 2018, to jointly pursue any opportunities to participate in the Papua LNG Project, as equity participants and financiers.
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PM Marape: More local participation in mining and petroleum

Prime Minister James Marape has emphasised the importance of local participation in mining and petroleum projects in the country.

Prime Minister Marape addressing the Mining and Petroleum Conference

He said this on Tuesday when addressing the PNG Mining and Petroleum Conference at the Stanley Hotel in Port Moresby.

“I think it is about time that we define what local content is,” Prime Minister Marape told a full house crowd.

“Our country has the capacity to ensure that our citizens participate in majority of the spinoffs taking place in this industry.

“If Government and the sector can sit down and better define what is local content, in my view that can also be encapsulated and properly defined, if not in agreement then in policy.

“This is borne from the experience of many of our projects in the past.

“We want to create sustainable businesses that go past oil and gas, go past construction phase, and go past the boom cycles of mining and gas in our country.”

Prime Minister Marape assured industry players that the Government would work hard to ensure that they were given proper support.

“We know discussions on many resource projects like P’nyang, Porgera, and Waffi are going on as we speak,” he said.

“Sometimes, I’m being sensitive to the timeliness in which we conduct these discussions, but here in Papua New Guinea you have to have all the groundwork and dots ticked off, right from the start.

“We’re trying to find the right balance so that we are not stepping on each other’s toes as we go into the future.

“Our Government, whilst preparing for these projects, is now seeking investment in a big way.

“The Budget that was handed down by our Treasurer last Thursday shows significant investment in enabling infrastructure.

“This time 10 years from now, I want to drive from Lae to Port Moresby, I want to drive all the way from Lae to Vanimo, we want to drive from Kerema all the way to Alotau, cross over from Popondetta to Port Moresby.

“We want an enabling electricity network that runs parallel with these.

“We want to open up economic corridors.

“Ten years from now, I look forward to a country with a better environment, and not a country of third-world status as we are today, and not a country that is heavily dependent on the industry to subsidise social services and infrastructure building.

“That is Government’s role.

“We will do our absolute best to ensure enabling infrastructure is built, whilst at the same time shifting our people into sustainable industries, more so in agriculture and other industries.

“I look forward to you in the mining and petroleum sectors giving greater participation to our landowner companies to participate more freely and better in businesses."

Prime Minister Marape acknowledged that several landowner flagship companies had grown because of the support of the mining and petroleum sector.

"If I can be a bit greedy here, I want more of these sort of companies to develop from resources on land that is theirs," he said.