Papua New Guinea ​Minister for Finance and Rural Development Sir John Thomas Pundari has given instructions to increase efficiency within the Finance Department. The Minister has instructed for the cancellation of all finance codes used to deduct loan repayments from public service payroll.
Sir John gave the ultimatum citing a needless waste of time and resources by the Finance Department. "The Department should not be used as a debt collector" said the Minister. "The Secretary has been instructed to cancel the codes pending a review of the process."
Minister Pundari advised the cancellation is in line with the Government's Take Back PNG priorities. He stated that from initial reviews that a very large sum of money; amounting to millions is deducted to only a few companies that have foreign ownership. 

THE Marape Government   Government is only acting on a court ruling to abolish the police department and the position of secretary to the department.
Minister for Justice Bryan Kramer and Minister for Police William Onglo in a statement responded to questions raised on the recent gazette regarding the abolishment of the Department of Police and the Office of the Secretary for the Police Department.
“The advice to revoke the 1976 Gazette G14 was based on the National Court’s judgment,” Kramer said.

​The Marape government has shamelessly claimed credit for a major project not of its initiative or design.
Former Prime Minister Peter O'Neill expressed disbelief at Treasurer Ian Ling Stuckey's bold claim last week that the EVEDU Transmission and Electrification project was the Marape Government’s “top priority project”.
Mr Stuckey’s statement reads in part: ‘The Australian Government has agreed to support the Marape Government’s top-priority EVEDU Transmission and Electrification project with funding of $US90 million (K315 million).
‘EVDU is part of the Papua New Guinea Electrification Partnership with Australia, the US, New Zealand and Japan, which aims to achieve 70 percent electrification across the nation by 2030.‘

Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika says the lack of medical facilities in the country is an issue that the State needs to address.
In a Ceremonial Sitting of the Court to honour and farewell Late Justice Tamate yesterday, Sir Gibbs stated that he is compelled to say such implications can raise Human Rights issues in most medical care cases.
The Chief Justice stated that our people must know that medical treatment is a human rights issue and if they think and believe that no proper treatment was given, they are entitled to have their grievances heard
Sir Gibbs says the medical equipment in our public health hospitals and clinics need to be the best to cater for the health of our people.

The PNG Acting Electoral Commissioner, Simon Sinai says a total of K400 million is projected to cover the cost of the 2022 national election.
He says the funding covers the 2021 preliminary preparations from electoral roll verifications to return of writs.
The Acting Commissioner says they wish to create an environment to bring back credibility to the democratic election process and develop strategizies to spread out the congested workload six (6) months before the election.
As preparation and talks on the national election are echoing in corridors of Waigani the Electoral Commission is projecting around K400 million for the cost next year compared to K300 million in 2017.

The PNG Electoral Commission (PNGEC) has selected and set the tentative program for the 2022 national election.
Acting Electoral Commissioner, Simon Sinai says the dates are however subject to change.

The Marape Government  has appointed Dr Daoni Esorom as the new Deputy Controller of the National Pandemic Response.
A statement from the National Control Centre says Cabinet made the appointment on the 19th of April.
The position was left vacant following the death of Dr. Paison Dakulala.
Dr. Esorom will support Controller David Manning to contain the rise in the COVID-19 cases.

​The Papua New Guinea  Opposition today condemned in the strongest term the government’s abolition of the Department of Police and the Office of the Secretary for Police.

The move was published in the National Gazette No. G279 of Tuesday May 04, 2021.

This move appears aimed at protecting Police Commissioner David Manning from being ousted by the court proceedings currently challenging his appointment on grounds of his qualification for the job.
“This is scandalous and the height of nepotism and cronyism,” Leader of the Opposition Hon. Belden Norman Namah said.

Vaccine was part of the national COVID-19 response strategy, says Prime Minister James Marape.
Mr Marape said this today when launching the National Rollout of COVID-19 vaccine at the APEC Haus in Port Moresby. 
He said the national strategy had from the beginning been always 'defence' against the spread of the virus and thanked those who made it possible for PNG to have access to vaccines, particularly WHO and the  Australian Government through its Prime Minister who made sure that PNG joined the cue for vaccines.
He said COVID-19 vaccine was now available, but it "still remains voluntary because no one will force anyone to be vaccinated''. 
 The PM said he was privileged to be the first person to be vaccinated. 
He said those who do not believe that COVID-19 is real can find out from those who had it as well as the loved ones of those who died due to COVID-19. 

​PNG Commissioner of Police David Manning has called upon the leaders of the Goilala and Hela people to take ownership of and end the ethnic clash in the nation’s capital.
Mr Manning said the recent ethnic clash has caused so much fear and anxiety within the community in the National Capital District over the last three days.
“Whilst Police is out on the streets of Port Moresby to prevent further blood-shed and keep the peace, real and lasting peace and normalcy can be restored with the assistance of the leadership of both groups at the family, clan, tribal, ward, district, provincial and national levels.
“These ethnic clashes have been going on for some time now between various ethnic groups within the NCD and also in other parts of the country. We need to seriously look into these clashes and identify the underlying causes. Whilst drugs and alcohol may be contributing factors, there could be other reasons as well.