COVID-19

Lockdown forces market prices up

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.

China donates US$300K for COVID-19 response

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.

 

BPNG directs FX priority for COVID-19

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).

KPHL backs COVID-19 response

KPHL recently presented K5 million, on top of a K100 million dividend payment for 2020, to the to the National Government to assist with preparedness to combat and contain Coronavirus in the country.

The presentation was made on Friday, March 27th, 2020 by KPHL Managing Director Wapu Sonk.

More interventions in health post-COVID19

He said the Government is now planning on making more investments into tghe health sector post-COVID-19.

“I’m announcing to the country, I’m looking at life beyond coronavirus.

“The coronavirus has given us an opportunity to make good interventions in our health sector, something that we have taken for granted and we have left it to erode over a long period of time,” said the Prime Minister.

He added “I remember when SARS was a global pandemic, we never had proactiveness to respond in ensuring that our health system is prepared with this matter.

UNDP seeking unprecedented COVID-19 support for vulnerable countries

Income losses are expected to exceed $220 billion in developing countries, and nearly half of all jobs in Africa could be lost. With an estimated 55 per cent of the global population having no access to social protection, these losses will reverberate across societies, impacting education, human rights and, in the most severe cases, basic food security and nutrition.

Betel nut bags disposed off

The betel-nut bags were intercepted by police on Sunday, March 29th, when being smuggled into Port Moresby by three boats.

There is currently a ban on the sale and chewing of betel-nut under the current State of Emergency.

Following a tip off, Water Police intercepted three boats smuggling betel-nut into Port Moresby, late on Sunday afternoon.

The confiscation is part of the implementation of the State of Emergency in which the sale and chewing of betel-nut has been banned in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Belarus Premier League attracts global attention as it plays on

The Belarusian Premier League rarely gets a mention in normal circumstances yet it is attracting attention from foreign fans as one of the few places around the globe - and the only place in Europe - where football is still being played.

On Saturday, there were six top-flight games in the eastern European country including the derby between FC Minsk and Dinamo Minsk watched by a capacity 3,000 crowd in Belarus' capital.

"It so happened that this derby was practically the only official football match on earth," read Dinamo's match report after their 3-2 defeat.

Update from SOE controller

SOE regulations

Under the Regulations, the Emergency Controller has the powers to, amongst others;

Latest New Zealand government travel advisory

If passengers are symptomatic or unable to present a credible self-isolation plan, they will be placed in managed isolation at an approved facility.

The New Zealand borders are closed to incoming transit passengers. Immigration New Zealand will not allow uplift for any passenger who are scheduled to enter the New Zealand transit area after 0200 Thursday 26 March NZT.