East New Britain

The other two LLGs are Toma in the Gazelle District and Kombiu in Rabaul District.

The programs were held in four locations to cater for the scattered communities within Sinivit LLG and the neighbouring wards in the two other LLGs.

The celebrations began on Friday, September 15 – a declared Public Holiday by the national government – and concluded today (Tuesday), to observe the 29^th anniversary of the volcanic eruptions that destroyed the former provincial capital in Rabaul town in 1994.

This is following vandalism at Tokua airport yesterday where the terminal sustained significant damage.

PNG Air in a statement cited safety concerns as the primary reason for this indefinite suspension.

It confirmed that flights will remain suspended until PNG Air can ensure safe operations in the province.

“The decision was made in the interest of passenger safety and to address the challenging circumstances on the ground,” it stated.

Host province Governor, Michael Marum and provincial government officials welcomed the first group of leaders and delegates starting on Saturday evening. The rest of the meeting parties arrived Sunday morning in Kokopo.

Two meetings will take place in Kokopo: the Forum Fisheries Committee meeting to discuss the United States Treaty regarding funds distribution and the East New Britain (ENB) Initiative.

These transformative initiatives encompass crucial sectors including health, education, roads, and law enforcement, propelling the district towards enhanced functionality and modernization.

The recent commencement of work on these pivotal government projects signifies a significant milestone in the district's journey towards progress. These projects, meticulously selected to address critical needs, have been formally endorsed by the Provincial Procurement Committee, and implementation is already in progress.

The nine standout projects include:

Delivered on Friday, August 18^th, the vehicle was a gift from the government and people of East New Britain Province. It was handed to the institution by Governor Michael Marum and a delegation.

The truck is among several others that have been delivered to schools around the province by the office of the Governor, on behalf of the ENB Provincial Government.

The school management said this vehicle will greatly assist the 700-plus students from the RVTC to travel to school from the main road, which is about a 3-kilometre walk through a dirt track.

Sinivit LLG President, Boniface Gerep, said this when distributing relief supplies to the affected wards of Ivon Gore, Floodway, Rieit Dadul and Sunam.

The LLG experienced flooding on Sunday, August 13^th, affecting 90 households.

The first batch of relief supplies was distributed yesterday by the Provincial Disaster Division.

Gerep said the LLG team will continue to re-emphasise the need to reside further away from the floodway, to avoid such natural disasters.

The main feature of the event is the famous Frangipani Festival, which will begin on Friday, September 15th, and continue to Saturday, which is PNG’s 48th anniversary.

The organising committee, headed by chairlady and local businesswoman, Susan McGrade, were on air at the local NBC East New Britain radio station yesterday to talk about the program.

Ms McGrade said the organising committee comprises of volunteers; three of which accompanied her for the talk-show – Lilly Blake, Albert Konie and Conrad Jui. All of them were born in Rabaul and are proud to call it home.

District and LLG leaders voiced their support during the commemoration of the International Youth Day, which falls on the 12^th of August every year.

KVULLG observed the event on Friday, August 11^th, with a march pass from the Kokopo Secondary School roundabout to the market, where speeches were held under this year’s theme of ‘Green Skills for Youths’.

KVULLG Manager, Freddie Lemeki, said the theme points to skills at home or in the communities, where young people can tap into to add value to their lives.

Nathan Singura said for youths to achieve their full potential, they need to be prepared to work hard.

“Looking for shortcuts in life gets young people nowhere, and often you will end up in trouble and even death,” he said.

Young Singura further encouraged his peers to not be ashamed of their disabilities, but look beyond to discover their capabilities.

Currently, a law-making workshop is being conducted in Gazelle District. On Monday, it was held in Kokopo, then yesterday, in Rabaul. Pomio will have its turn on August 21st. 

Legal consultant with the Secretariat, Matalau Nakikus, said ideally, this program would be better rolled out in two or three days, but he gave the assurance that follow-up workshops will be hosted to assist the districts and LLGs.