The Minister for PNG Correctional Service Hon. Chris Yer Nangoi says he expects more input from all PNGCS officers around the country in taking back PNG, in alignment with the Marape-Steven government’s slogan.

Minister Nangoi says this call is for the Commanding Officers right down to every Officer and detainee in Correctional Service to stand up and be counted as contributors and make Papua New Guinea Correctional Service as one of the best departments in the government.

“We can do this by making sure that we grow our own food to sustain and also to supplement the rations given to our Detainees.

“We can do this by carrying out and maintaining our facilities; like maintenance work to staff houses and other facilities.”

“I would like to see more low risk detainees being sent out to provide Community Service work to clean towns, do maintenance work for schools and hospitals, and to carry out awareness campaigns to educate and encourage school aged children and young people to stay away from crime.” he said.

“This will ensure that we stop detainees from escaping in our Correctional Institutions,” Nangoi said.

He said he expects Commanding Officers, Commissioned Officers, and Officers at Institutions to always be at their highest discipline, at work and during your off-days as they are members of one of the country’s three disciplinary forces.

Nangoi says in his short time in office, he has made a commitment with the Commissioner to make sure that Community Correctional Centre’s (Rural Lock Up) in Bogia, Menyamya, Kabwum, Baiyer and Balimo be commissioned between 2019-2022.

“I want to push to the Government for more budgets to fix the ongoing infrastructure problems we face like poor staff houses, poor detainee facilities, fences etc,” he said.

He said together, they all can make the CS Department a corruption-free organization when they comply to laws, and to instructions from the Government, from him as Minister, and from the Commissioner, and use the budget, resources and time wisely.

Nangoi told the Beon officers that he wants to see every Officer working in Operations as Custodial Officers, as Project Officers so that Beon Jail in Madang can become the best model correctional institution in this Country.

Papua New Guinea is among other Pacific island countries acknowledging that 'climate change is a crisis' in the Region.

Prime Minister James Marape who left Tuvalu today following the conclusion of the 50th Pacific Islands Forum, says he is deeply concerned about the effect of climate change as it is also affecting many small islands of PNG, especially the Carteret Islands.


Mr. Marape said he will be vocal about that when he attends the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September this year.

“PNG whilst we may seem to be the biggest country in the Pacific with the biggest land mass and many may make inference that we are not susceptible to climate change, but I have over six hundred small islands in my country and they are being totally exposed to this changing weather patterns and rising sea levels.

For instance, the Carteret Islands was among the first to be known globally as being affected by the sea level rise.

One thing that came out from yesterday’s discussion was the fact that Paris Agreement and the intention of Paris Agreement ought to be honored at every instance.

“Australia put to the table their fulfillment in regards to what they commit in as far as the Paris Agreement is concerned and I note substantial effort made by Australia to stick to the intention of Paris Agreement,” Mr. Marape said.

Climate Change which was among the top agendas for the annual meeting, saw Australia and New Zealand not so keen with the 'Climate change crisis' wording in the final communique, which has resulted in most of the Pacific countries being left largely disappointed.

Despite this, the Small Island States of Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau and Tuvalu have drafted a separate Kainaki II declaration for urgent climate change action - one that is more strongly worded on the calls to limit global warming as opposed to the Tuvalu declaration.

The forum saw eighteen island countries including Australia and New Zealand attending from the 13th-16th August.

Vanuatu will be the next host in 2020.

NBC News/ONE PNG

Photo Source: Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Funafuti

Nauru’s President Baron Waqa maintains his nation has benefited greatly from its diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (ROC-Taiwan), as another Pacific nation, Solomon Islands considers switching to Beijing.

President Waqa was asked if he had any advice for his Solomon Islands counterpart Manasseh Sogavare, who has until the end of the month to consider severing ties with Taiwan, as lobbied by some members of Parliament.

“As you know Taiwan has strong allies with a few countries in the Pacific. And both Nauru and Tuvalu recognise Taiwan diplomatically".

The Nauru leader said his small island nation has benefited from training and other development co-operation with Taiwan

“While we don’t want to be seen to interfere in the domestic politics of another country, I’s like to emphasise that Taiwan is a very strong partner with those of us in the Pacific - where we benefit from training and other co-operation in many fields. Not only that, we are also proud to recognise Taiwan as a democratic country of between 20-21 million people.

President Waqa said, “Our only concern is that Taiwan is not allowed to participate in international fora where they can bring their expertise in so many fields, in technology and other areas where the rest of the global citizens can benefit, said the Nauru President, who has been one of Taiwan’s strongest advocate in the Pacific region.

Nauru established diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 2000.

“We are concerned the United Nations and the rest of the world are not living up to their principles and policies of not leaving anyone behind. Obviously the people of Taiwan are isolated from the rest of the world.

“You ask around the region, even those who don’t recognise Taiwan appreciate that Taiwan is participating well in the Pacific especially in improving the quality of life, was the advice President Waqa had for Solomon Islands.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare told PACNEWS earlier in the week his government will wait for the Taskforce report from its consultations around the Pacific and in Beijing before it reaches a decision.

“We also have a parallel process happening at home where the Standing House Committee is also gathering the views of various sectors and from the people of Solomon Islands. We hope to make our decision, as we’ve said, during our first 100 days in office, said Sogavare.

PM Sogavare has been reported as saying government will make ‘á sovereign decision in the best interest of the country and its people.’ Solomon Islands and Taiwan have been diplomatic allies since l1983. 

The 100 days expires at the end of this month – but senior government officials have confirmed to PACNEWS a decision is unlikely to be made as anticipated because government will need to exhaust all means of consultation and in-depth analysis of switching allegiances, if it is to happen.

Taiwan’s six allies in the Pacific are Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

SOURCE: PACNEWS