PNG Power workers protest lack of consultation and transparency, China delivers 200,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to Papua New Guinea and Kina Asset Management Limited presents its annual report.

The Chinese Ambassador to PNG Zeng Fanhua, the Minister for National Planning and Monitoring Reinbo Paita and Deputy Controller for the National Pandemic Response Dr Daoni Esorom at the airport receive the Sinopharm vaccine doses China sent. Credit: Andrew Philip/PNG Department of Health

Power

Last week, PNG Power workers went on strike to protest the alleged lack of consultation and awareness about changes to the company. (EMTV)

National

All PNG government and state entities’ social media accounts and websites must be declared before 30 July to the PNG Department of ICT, according to Steven Matainaho, Secretary at the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

He said that websites and social media accounts not reported will be taken down as part of an exercise that seeks to establish the ‘scope of official social media accounts operated by Government Departments and Public Authorities to date.’ Starting on 2 August, the Department has committed to publishing a list of all official sites and accounts.

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Prime Minister Marape has launched the Public Service Human Resources Development Strategic Plan 2020-2050 last week at the Lamana Hotel.

SMEs

During a speech for PNG’s SME Week last week, Prime Minister Marape thanked the banks for supporting SMEs. The Prime Minister addressed the K80 million his government has granted to the National Development Bank (NDB) for loans to SMEs and said he would have a ‘session’ with the NDB this week to see what the bank is doing.

Marape thanked Kina Bank for supporting the SMEs sector without government support and concluded: ‘So we’ve delivered funding to BSP and NDB. We might review how we relate with Kina Bank.’ (Post-Courier)

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During SME Week, there was talk about a revised Investment Promotion Authority Act and the reintroduction of the reserve activity list. The Founder of the Micro Small Medium Enterprise (MSME) Council, James Gore, noted that the Council had been waiting since March 2019 for the  IPA Act Amendment Bill. The MSME Council current President, Des Yaninen, reportedly said that the list should be tabled in Parliament in August.

COVID-19

Last week, a donation of 200,000 doses of the Chinese vaccine Sinopharm arrived in PNG to be distributed first to Chinese nationals and then amongst the population. The Sinopharm vaccine was is gazetted for use in PNG earlier this year and was listed in May by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for emergency use. The National Department of Health will roll out the vaccinations. (PNG Department of Health)

Aviation

Air Niugini has announced that its Fokker jet services to Tokua airport in Rabaul have resumed after over a year of runway maintenance. The airline also announced changes to its services to Lae’s Nadzab airport. Services to this airport will be operated by Dash 8 and Q400 aircraft because of runway upgrade works, which are expected to continue for the next seven months.