Tuition Fee Free (TFF) payments for the first term have been made to schools, according to Education Minister Nick Kuman.

Kuman, pictured, told those at the launching of online student data collection in Port Moresby yesterday(16/04/19) that a full payment of K150 million was paid last week for the first term and in a week they would start work on the payments for the second term.

He said the national budget allocated for TFF this year was K615 million, an increase of K15 million on last year.

Papua New Guinea ​Attorney General and Justice Minister Davis Stevens has resigned as the country’s legal advisor.

Minister Stevens said he wanted to concentrate in his electorate because for too long he has neglected his people.

He said he is still a member of the ruling People’s National Congress Party (PNC) and has spoken to Prime Minister Peter O’Neill about his resignation.

​Port Moresby Governor Powes Parkop has called on men in the city and around the country  to refrain from using penis enlargement chemicals and injections, saying size doesn’t matter.
He said although there was no law against it, men should be concerned about their health.
He was responding to reports of local men injecting various chemicals and liquid such as coconut oil into their penises in the hope to enlarge them. The reports quoting a local doctor who claimed to have treated more than 500 men complaining of pain and health problems after injecting themselves.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says his People’s National Congress Party-led coalition government is stable and intact.
 
He said last week’s resignation by Finance Minister James Marape did not affect Cabinet and the Government as he had “enough capable members to take over”.
 
He was accompanied to Government House  for the swearing-in of Sam Basil as Finance Minister and Koni Iguan as Minister for Communication and Information Technology by some cabinet ministers and coalition MPs.

Lands and Physical Planning Minister, Justin Tkatchenko has denied any knowledge of how a prime piece of land in Port Moresby has been acquired by a Chinese developer to build a China Town worth over a billion Kina.

​Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill will represent the Pacific in the upcoming Second Belt and Road Forum for international cooperation in Beijing next week, which will be chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
 
O’Neill confirmed that PNG will represent the Pacific in the upcoming belt and road forum in Beijing next week which he will attend.

DEFENCE Minister Solan Mirisim has denied speculation that he is quitting Cabinet, saying he remains loyal to the O’Neill-led Government.
“I am here to clarify to my family, my voters, the people of Telefomin, the people of PNG and the members of the defence force the social media speculation that I have resigned as the Minister for Defence,” Mirisim said.

NCD Governor, Hon Powes Parkop has expressed disappointment over social media comments, specifically on 'The PNG News Page' regarding the proposed K2billion development in Port Moresby.

Mr Parkop said people were making comments without knowing the facts about the development. He is particularly concerned about the funding and the use of the name 'China Town'.

" Firstly, it is not a loan. There is no Government funding involved as it is totally private funding".

Papua New Guinea Government will build China Town in ​Port Moresby  northeast District that will be the pioneer city of friendship between China and Papua New Guinea.

Chinese company Baosen will build the town, a state of the art masterpiece which will change the face of Port Moresby further.

PORT MORESBY: Papua New Guinea’s finance minister resigned on Thursday, days after the country signed a multi-billion dollar gas contract with energy majors Total and ExxonMobil.

James Marape, who also leads the government in parliament, resigned citing the failure of the government to ensure national firms and locals benefit from the contract.

On Tuesday Prime Minister Peter O’Neill announced the US$13 billion project that includes the extraction, pipelines and an upgraded LNG facility to ship the gas overseas.