Coronavirus

Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Marise Payne, says it is a challenge the Australian government is committed to tackling with its Pacific partners, in the long-term interest of the stability, prosperity and resilience of the region.

“Prime Minister Morrison told G20 leaders on 26 March that the Pacific needed to be a focus of international support. As the world’s economies, large and small, grapple with a pandemic that does not recognise national borders, cooperation will be critical,” she stated.

Dr. Garry Nou, Incident Manager from the NCD Provincial Health Authority warned the public that the medicine is currently on trial in the US and only be used if successful trials are done.

The announcement came after the media raised questions during a press conference earlier this week that people have been buying chloroquine for self-medication at home.

In a statement released on March 31st, the Commissioner General, Sam Koim, said “in the face of this crisis, we are immediately responding to keep the taxpaying community’s productive capacity intact as much as possible. Figuratively speaking, we have to keep the cows alive so that they continue to produce the milk after this crisis”.

“Although we as a country have so far been saved from this virus, we are inescapably vulnerable to the impact it will have on our economy.  We are not oblivious to that hence these measures to supplement the Government’s overall stimulus package.

Central Governor, Robert Agarobe, said color coded passes will be issued by the Provincial Police Commander with his signature.

Governor Agarobe said under the current lockdown only trade store owners with licenses and permits to operate will be issued passes to travel into Port Moresby and back.

“Passes to be issued by Provincial Police Commanders with colour coding which is orange, and the PPC’s original signature. Without the PPC’s signature, you cannot travel.

He arrived in Port Moresby on March 21^st to commence his appointment.

The High Commissioner is engaging with the PNG Government and PNG leaders via phone for his first two weeks in PNG and has reinforced Australia’s continued commitment to PNG’s long-term development priorities to Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Patrick Pruaitch, and Treasurer, Ian Ling Stuckey.

Central Governor, Robert Agarobe, said a Rapid Response team was dispatched on March 31^st to a logging site where the ‘Persons of Interest’ were located.

Governor Agarobe said the ‘Person of Interest’ were tracked to Bam,  Abau District.

It is understood they are expatriates working at a logging site in the Cloudy Bay area.

The Defence Force Personnel will be deployed over the weekend increasing the current manpower on the ground.

Police Minister Bryan Kramer announced this today in an update on the Governments COVID-219 Response.

This has forced prices in markets to sky rocket since last week leaving residents with no choice but to bear with it.

Since the nationwide lock down by the Government, road blocks have been staged at the four entry points into Port Moresby forcing some fresh food resellers to bring in produce the hard way.

Women resellers at the Boroko market say they had to pay for private trucks and taxi’s to bring produce from the Bautama entry point into the city.

Susan Kale from Chimbu province said this is why their prices for have risen up.

The cheque was presented to the Foreign Affairs Minister and International Trade Minister, Patrick Pruaitch, at the Port Moresby General Hospital on Tuesday, March 31st.

Chinese Ambassador, Xue Bing, said PNG has been supporting the Chinese Government since the outbreak of Corona virus in Wuhan, China.

This is a reciprocal gesture to the PNG government.

The Bank of PNG will also make foreign currency available directly to the National Department of Health of urgent COVID-19 relocated purchases abroad.

This is among several monetary policy measure responses by the Central Bank to the impact of COVID-19.

Another key measure is the reduction of the Kina Facility Rate (KFR) from 5 percent to 3 percent which will push interest rates down.

Commercial Banks have been directed by the Central Bank to reduce their respective Indicator Lending rates (ILR).