Edwaki in West Sepik identified as hotspot for election violence

Edwaki in the Namea Local Level Government, Telefomin District in West Sepik has been identified as a hotspot for possible election related violence.

Vanimo town, the provincial headquarters of West Sepik

Provincial Police Commander Chief Inspector Joe Poema said in a statement released by police media that Criminal Investigation Division (CID) officers in Vanimohave been deployed to the area to collect intelligence reports on the killings of a policeman and two locals last year.

The killings were reported to have been a result of a confrontation between police mobile squad members and local villagers last year over logging disputes.

Poema in the police statement said the area was 'volatile' and identified as a hotspot.

The CID officers were needed to collect intelligence reports and information gathered would assist them develop security operation plans and deploy personnel.

Poema said policemen were also on standby to travel to Telefomin station this week under the sponsorship of Telefomin District Development Authority (DDA) to conduct awareness and gather intelligent assessment reports.

They will remain there till the end of this month.

He said if there is air transport support then they will go to Oksapmin, Yapsie and the Namea Local Level Government areas as well to conduct awareness campaigns and do risk assessments.

Namea LLG which Edwaki comes under is near Lumi and Nuku on the Sepik plains.

Election security plans for West Sepik are on track though with guidance from the Provincial Election Steering Committee (PESC)

Poema said they were conducting election briefings weekly to ensure policemen and women are taking ownership of the security aspect of the election before going into the election campaign and the polling periods.

Marape says anyone implicated in the controversial UBS loan will be dealt with

 Prime Minister James Marape today received 15 volumes of the Commission of Inquiry report into the controversial Union Bank of Switzerland loan to buy shares with Oil Search.

This transaction happened when Ialibu Pangia MP Peter O'Neill was Prime Minister and Marape was the Finance Minister in 2014.

Prime Minister James Marape when giving his acknowledgement to the COI team

Upon receiving the report tabled in 15 volumes Marape said his government had to ensure there was an inquiry taken place based on an Ombudsman Commission report.

"We knew something went wrong based on the Ombudsman Commission report," Marape said.

And in receiving the completed report which will be availed to all parliamentarians, he described the occasion as very important.

He said he was not privy to the report but said based on the findings and recommendations from the report if anyone will have to restitute money back to the people of Papua New Guinea, it should happen and if anyone involved will have to be criminally prosecuted, it must happen as well.

Marape said the report will not collect dust.

Chief Commissioner Sir Salamo Injia said there will be sufficient copies available for all Members of Parliament by the last sitting of the 10th Parliament at the end of the month.

Marape was grateful for that saying all MPs will be privy to the report.

The report culminates a two and a half years of inquiry and subsequent compiling which involved a handful of competent local and expatriates in law, ICT, transcriptions and writing reports.

It contains evidence, analysis, findings and a summary.

Marape said all transactions of public funds must not be hidden from the public and no matter how much it costs and how long gone a controversial transaction was made, there must be findings made and clarity put to it.

In 2014, the PNG Government took out a $AUD 1.2 billion loan through the Sydney office of UBS to buy shares in the ASX-listed company Oil Search.

Bulolo Water Supply Development Launched

Saturday 19th March 2022, Bulolo, Morobe Province.
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Witnessed by a packed crowd of town residents and a few MPs, the Bulolo Town Water Supply project was finally jointly launched on Saturday 19th March 2022 in Bulolo by the Deputy Prime Minister and Member for Bulolo, Hon Sam Basil and Minister for State Owned Enterprises Hon. William Duma.

In 2013 the then Peter O'Neill government challenged SOE's to bring utility services to rural areas.

It declared 2013 as the year of implementation.

Ministers Sam Basil and William Duma posing with other officials at the launch PC: DNPM and ULP

The project has been planned over a period of 12 years since 2011, initially proposed by the Hon. Member and after years of planning, feasibility, design and securing of funds, Water PNG Limited has finally concluded the awarding and signing off on the Bulolo Town Water Supply project last October.
Fully funded through a World Bank Concessional Loan (IBRD 155-047), the Bulolo Town Water Supply development is one of 9 District Towns to be supported through this loan.
Bialla is the first District Town to opened/commissioned under this loan facility.
The laucching will see the first phase of development take off, worth K23.0m and this is expected to be completed in 12 months with the second phase (worth K25.0m) to immediately follow.
The full development of the Bulolo Town Water Supply project should see about 1700 service connections which will also include schools, the hospital and small operating SMEs.
In thanking all stakeholders the Deputy Prime Minister acknowledged the Department of National Planning and Monitoring for its continued support throughout the years.
Through the Capital Investment Budget, the DNPM had allocated about K4.0m to Water PNG Limited for project design and administrative cost.

Saturday March 19, 2022 is a significant day for Bulolo residents PC: DNPM and ULP

DPM Basil reminded the Bulolo Town Authority and residents to work with Water PNG Limited and the Contractor SinoHydro Limited to see the project implemented well.
Water PNG Limited will initially operate and manage the water supply system with plans to hand over to the District in the long run.

-Press Release