Dede Sophie

 Northern provincial election steering committee chairman, Trevor Magei has called on the PNG Electoral Commission (PNGEC) to release funds to airlift stranded polling officials and materials to remote areas. Magei, who is also Oro administrator made the call following no support from PNGEC as polling officials and teams remain stranded in Popondetta. He said majority of polling teams were still grounded as there was no definite response from PNGEC to airlift them remote to areas. “I have received reports from Kira, Tamata, Kokoda and Tufi Local Level Governments that polling officials are still stranded.  “This is the national elections and I need definite responses from the electoral commission as to when air support will come.” Magei, a former kiap, who also served as returning officer and assistant returning office for Northern, said he won’t allow polling teams to walk as there was no time or contingencies to do so. “Our other dilemma is the fact that major payments for provincial...

Papua New Guiena Prime Minister James Marape, MP officially opened the East Sepik Provincial Specialist Hospital today in WewaK, East Sepik Province. Prime Minister Marape said in 2022, the National Government made a decision to build provincial hospitals around the country in the 22 Provinces and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. “We made that decision after COVID-19 shutdown the country and revealed to us that we had only 44 beds with inbuilt oxygen valves in the whole country,” he said. “Another thing was that Health and the economy go hand in hand. Therefore in 2022, we gave more funding to the health sector.” Prime Minister Marape said in the 2022 Budget, his government also increased funding for education  infrastructure and roads that will contribute towards reducing the time people use to travel to their nearest health facilities. “Today we have more than 300 contractors working in road construction, Health infrastructure development and educat...