Joint Task Force- APEC Security

As part of this, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said one of the most pressing issues before the JSTF is to enhance border security and he expects a high-level workshop to be hosted in the coming weeks.

“The safety and security of leaders, ministers, delegates, staff and members of the public is of primary importance to ensuring the successful delivery of Papua New Guinea’s APEC year,” the Prime Minister said.

“NEC has approved the establishment of the APEC PNG Joint Security Task Force, under the Command of the Commissioner of the RPNGC.

This is to cover one of the important elements to APEC Security, says Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

"Under the Joint Security Task Force, a Border Security Workshop will convene that will bring together relevant Government agencies to assess concerns and gaps, and set the way forward, not only for APEC but the longer-term border security of the nation,” the Prime Minister said.

"We have ongoing border security concerns that are being addressed, and we must increase the pace of these activities.

The three week training was funded by the Australian Defense Force and facilitated by an Australian Company; Explosive Protective Equipment.

Members from the RPNGC, PNGDF and PNGCS who took part and were trained under bomb specialists received certificates of course completion.

Under the Joint Task Force- APEC Security, Defence Corporation Program Lieutenant Colonel Campbell Paine says in terms of the skills, course and training that the officers have done, this is money well spent for the development of this important skill.

This is the start of a three week series of courses being run to prepare the PNGDF combined with the Police and the Correction Service to be able to conduct the task of search of any major event that the country will conduct in the future.

Under the Joint Task Force- APEC Security, Defence Corporation Program Lieutenant Colonel Campbell Paine says this week was basic of search course training  and next week will be a series of training activities that will see the trainees to be team leaders to lead a small group of men to conduct search.