Consultation

This was the assurance by Minister for Petroleum & Energy, Kerenga Kua, when presenting at the recent 2023 PNG Resources & Industry Investment Conference in Sydney, Australia.

Minister Kua reassured those present that the Marape-Rosso government remained committed to maintaining a clear channel of discussions with the industry, especially on significant policy changes, including exempting the mining industry from the proposed production-sharing regime.

Acting Chief Commissioner of the Bougainville Taxation Office, Dr Alois Daton, says his office will begin the awareness program in Buka this week with stakeholders in business, government and the public.

Bougainvilleans from Enga, Jiwaka and Don Bosco Technical College in Simbu traveled in to Mt Hagen yesterday to welcome the Commissioners and participate in the consultation. 

The consultation is to gauge views and contribution of Bougainvilleans to draft an autochthonous or home grown constitution for an independent nation. This follows the referendum held in 2019 which resulted in 97.7 percent of Bougainvilleans voting for independence from Papua New Guinea.

The situation has forced the deferral of the consultation on the review of the election laws in the province last week.

The Constitutional and Law Reform Commission team was in the province to carry out consultations on the 28th and 29th of November. However, Chairman Robert Atiyafa said they were unable to do so because of the volatility of the situation on the ground.

Minister for Religion and Community Development Soroi Eoe presided over the launching, saying the finalised draft of the Bill must capture the wider aspects of service delivery framework for Persons with Disabilities for a more inclusive society. 

At the launching of the Consultation on Draft Disability Authority Bill 2018 in Port Moresby, Minister Eoe said the Authority Bill is a way forward for the Department of Community Development and Religion to pursue the global agenda of disability inclusiveness in development planning, budgeting and service delivery.