ABG

The money given was in conjunction with the 100 years Centenary Celebrations of the United Church in the Siwai District in South Bougainville.
ABG President, Dr John Momis commended the United Church for reaching this milestone in the history of the denomination.
“I remember some of the early United Church missionaries who were in South Bougainville, I pay tribute to these servants of God who came with the purpose of spreading God’s word.

The shares were transferred to the impacted landowners of the abandoned Panguna Mine.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill last month announced the shares transfer to mine landowners, bypassing ABG. This did not go down well with the PNG’s semi-autonomous province.        

In a combined statement, Panguna Mine Affected Landowners Association and the Me’ekamui Government of Unity stated that the equity must be transferred to ABG to look after on behalf of all the people of Bougainville, including the impacted landowners.

Describing it as a major blow to the organizing committee on the ground, who have spent sleepless nights preparing for the event.

President of the Bougainville Football Federation Justine Helele told PNG Loop in Buka that he only learnt of the change of venue by reading it in the Post Courier.

“According to our NGI Presidents meeting in Goroka, Buka was chosen and we were all preparing and looking forward to the event but then without notice it changed.” Helele said.

He said the Bougainville Government’s decision to tax the sale of beer was well judged. 

“All communities know that the true cost of South Pacific beer is more than the price of a carton.”

The true cost includes:

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill confirmed this to Loop PNG this morning.

He said the discussion will not only relate to Bougainville shares but LNG shares, Western Province Ok Tedi shares and others.

“This government wants to empower landowners to have rights and ownership of their resources.

“And I will deliver that before I go to the elections in 2017”.

The representatives include the Regional Member for Bougainville and Minister for Bougainville Affairs Joe Lera, and the Clerk of the Bougainville House of Representatives Robert Tapi.

The training was held from 20-24 June 2016.

It focused on the role of parliament in the process of national peacebuilding.

The training covered a range of issues, including the oversight functions of the parliament, social accountability, inclusion of civil society and citizens as tools for effective peacebuilding approaches to gender mainstreaming and more.

With the lifting of the moratorium, the ABG can easily apply for a new prospect anywhere else on the island, and negotiations for Panguna have been dragging for too long and a lot of money has already been spent.

This was revealed last Wednesday by the Vice-President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government Patrick Nisira at the 11^th inauguration celebration at the Hutjena Oval.

“We can open any new prospect now because with the moratorium off, Panguna will become less important now, and if it drags on more, we will just quit it all now,” Nisira stated.

Australia’s Ambassador for Women and Girls, Natasha Stott Despoja, joined representatives of the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) in launching the Bougainville Women’s Federation facilities in Buka yesterday.

 “We are delighted that this hub will assist the Federation to strengthen women’s leadership in the region,” Ambassador Stott Despoja said.

“It includes an office that will give women a proper place to work and discuss key issues of concern. It’s appropriate that it’s located at the market where so many women gather to sell their produce."