Dede Sophie

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister  James Marape, MP has handed over the Chairmanship of the Melanesian Spearhead Group to Vanuatu, after Papua New Guinea held it for three years. PNG Hands over MSG Chairmanship to Vanuatu  Prime Minister Marape handed over the Chairmanship yesterday in a small traditional ceremony held at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, Fiji. The incoming Chairman, Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Hon. Bob Loughman thanked Papua New Guinea for holding the Chairmanship for the past several years which were tough and committed to implementing the Objectives of the MSG. Next :  PNG Elections : Court to decide on Hagen Open Returning Officer’s Appointment

Prime Minister  James Marape has given his support to development of the oil palm industry in Papua New Guinea on a massive scale. PM Marape gave his support after he and East Sepik Governor,  Allan Bird, met with representatives of Pacific Elite Palm Oil Group in Singapore on Monday (November 21, 2022). The company currently runs an oil palm project in East Sepik, which it wants to emulate in all provinces, saying that it will be an economic gamechanger for the whole country. The company aims to create the largest agriculture-based wealth in the South Pacific, as well as generate electricity for PNG, using oil palm. Governor Bird told PM Marape that if a long-term oil palm development plan was drawn up, with the aim of economic independence for PNG, one million hectares of oil palm grown all over PNG would bring in an extra K100 billion for the country. “We can double our GDP just from palm oil,” he said. “If we go into downstream processing, this K100 billion could double, so that we