Richard Maru

He made the challenge to the Lihirians at the recent launching of the Lihir Investment Fund (LIF) in Lihir, New Ireland Province.

Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru emphasized in his first meeting with the new Australian High Commissioner to PNG, His Excellency John Feakes.

Minister Maru said, “I want to make it very clear to the Australian Government that PNG is not interested in the PACER Plus because Australia hardly buys from PNG with trade skewed in Australia’s favour for decades.”

This follows a strong representation made by the Global Managing Director of the TBI, Michael McNair in a meeting with the Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru at the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos- Klosters, Switzerland last month on their eagerness to open a fully-fledged office in PNG this year.

Rigo Rice has offered to the state, 5000 hectares of land that will be converted to shares in this new joint venture partnership.

Over 40 people from the Yangoru-Saussia District travelled by sea and road from Wewak to Madang to farewell the Late Minister for Education and Member for Usino-Bundi, Jimmy Uguro whose final call of duty was to Yangoru-Saussia District where he visited Wingei High School and Pomalmal High School in the West Yangoru LLG on February 5, 2024.

Ambassador Abal says this commitment must be made by releasing funding making sure PNG has its pavilion and participates actively at the 2025 Osaka World Expo in Japan.

“This Expo is Japan’s premier event that will expose them to the world and they are very keen that all their traditional partners and special friends like PNG support them in this Expo. Japan is a major export market for our LNG; the trade between PNG and Japan is in our favor; Japan has supported us in times of disaster.

The classrooms and an office which cost the Yangoru-Saussia District Development Authority (DDA) over K400,000 to complete was officially opened by the late Minister for Education, Jimmy Uguro.

Late Minister Uguro committed K1 million to support the school in building a fully kitted science lab at Pomalmal High School as the Government’s contribution to support the efforts of the Yangoru-Saussia DDA.

Minister for International Trade and Investment & Yangoru-Saussia MP, Richard Maru thanked the late Minister Uguro for his commitment to support Pomalmal High School.

The groundbreaking ceremony was officiated by the late Minister for Education, Jimmy Uguro, local MP and Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru, and the Secretary for Department of Education, Dr. Uke Kombra.

This marked the elevation of the school from a junior high school to a secondary school and also commenced the construction of the secondary school.

Wingei High School is one of the newly established high schools in Yangoru-Saussia District. It was established in 2020 under the leadership of Minister Maru.

Local member and Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru said, “We are privileged to be situated along one of the busiest highways in the country - the Sepik Highway where we have people travelling between East and West Sepik Province and there is a lot of money flowing through this highway. To capture that, we need to build proper markets along the highway. The vision of the Yangoru Saussia District Development Authority (DDA) is to construct five new markets along our stretch of the highway.”

Minister Maru met with the Institute’s Global Managing Director, Michael McNair.

In a meeting at the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos- Klosters, Switzerland last week made a very strong representation to Minister Maru on TBI’s eagerness to open a fully-fledged office in Papua New Guinea (PNG) this year.

The institute has offices in Indonesia and Timor-Leste. In every country they operate in, they have up to six full-time staff both local and international.