Dede Sophie

The Papua New Guinea Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai says ballot papers produced earlier for the seven electorates that were split with the creation of seven new ones will be publicly destroyed this weekend. Papua New Guinea Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai[NBC photo] Mr. Sinai, in a statement last night, says the ballot papers, about 1,305,000, were initially printed for 111 electorates and sent to Port Moresby on the 3rd and 4th of April this year. He says this was before Parliament adopted the Electoral Boundaries Commission report and voted for the creation of the seven new electorates, to be included in this national election. Mr. Sinai says they had to seek Australia’s assistance again to cater for the increase in the number of Parliamentary seats, and reprint the ballot papers for the seven affected electorates and the seven new electorates.  The electorates are Komo-Magarima in Hela Province, Lagaip Porgera in Enga, South Fly in Western, Kairuku-Hiri in Central, Sohe in No

The Papua New Guinea Kumul Consolidated Holdings (KCH) has paid dividends to the State after 7- years.  The country’s Minister for State Enterprise William Duma officially handed over a dummy cheque of K80 Million Kina to Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey and Prime Minister James Marape this week.  The dividend amount from all state-owned companies bypasses the executive government projected estimates by K60 million.     The conference room at the Manasupe Building was packed with board and executive management of State Owned Companies, to witness, long overdue dividend payments to the state.  The last combined dividend payment by Kumul Consolidated Holdings was in 2015.  State Enterprise Minister William Duma before handing over a dummy cheque worth K80 million praised Prime Minister James Marape for reforms introduced when taking office in 2019.  Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey praised the state business arm for exceeding the government’s projected estimates of K20 Million. NBC News / PNG Today