PNGDF Ready to Expand Peacekeeping Role

The Papua New Guinea Defence Force is willing and ready to deploy more officers for UN Peacekeeping missions to other parts of the world.

Commander of the PNGDF, Brigadier General Francis Agwi made this known when farewelling Major Kingsley Wowoda who is being deployed for UN Peacekeeping Mission duties in Darfur, Sudan.

Major Wowoda being farewelled by his family and fellow officers

Speaking at a small reception, Brigadier General Agwi said that the PNGDF “will look at opportunities to start sending troops to go for UN Peacekeeping Mission once (approval is given by the) UN and PNG Government.”

Agwi also expressed satisfaction that the PNGDF troops deployed for RAMSI operations in the Solomon Islands had been doing well.

He said as the Force moves forward in taking part in UN Peace Keeping Missions, a PNGDF National Command Team will be established to operate at UN Peacekeeping Operations Centers.

Commander Agwi said there are other bilateral countries like Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and United States willing to assist PNGDF deploy its troops to UN Peacekeeping Missions.

Commander Agwi also urged Colonel Wowoda to be a good ambassador of the PNGDF and the country while serving in Sudan. He reminded him to keep in constant contact with his family and the PNGDF while serving.

Major Wowoda in return thanked his Commander and promised to maintain high standards while deployed.

“I know that PNGDF has been performing extremely well in UN Peacekeeping Missions in Sudan and I promise to keep the standards high. I am also looking forward for challenges coming ahead,” Major Wowoda said.

Major Wowoda is replacing Major Bruno Nalau who had successfully completed his tour of duty in Sudan and is expected to arrive in the country today.

Major Wowoda will serve for one year

PNGDF To Upgrade Naval Element

The Papua New Guinea Defence Force Navy is set to boost its naval fleet by June next year.

HMPNGS Port Moresby's winning crew

This was the assurance given by PNGDF Chief of Operations Colonel Walter Enuma when welcoming the Force’s Navy team back from a recent bilateral exercise with the Royal Australian Navy.

Colonel Enuma said the issue of Policy and Development will be his key priority in 2013 and “this is to make sure all our navy ships are put in good condition and operational.”

“We must also take ownership off our own ships and can’t continue to survive on Australian aid,” Colonel Enuma said.

Col Enuma said he will also be looking to improve the Navy’s manpower strength.

While commenting on the Tarangau Naval Base in Manus, he stressed that the asylum processing center on the island province must only serve as a temporary facility due to national security concerns.

He also expressed concern at the engagement of an international security company to provide security at the processing center.

PNG working on infrastructure, corruption

Story: AAP

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is working on improving its infrastructure and stamping out corruption, which will make it a more attractive place to do business, its Prime Minister says.

Peter O'Neill also told a mining conference in Sydney on Monday that the PNG political environment had continued to stabilise since the elections earlier this year.

He said the improved political stability would be of benefit to the resource companies seeking to do business in the country.

"We have established a very strong and very stable political environment," he told the conference.

"We will soon make it stronger and more stable."

Mr O'Neill said the new government was also working hard to stamp out corruption, which was often an impediment to business, and had set up a taskforce to tackle the problem.

"We will take an uncompromising stand against corruption that our people are now demanding," he said.

"I will not pretend we can eliminate corruption completely but we will give it a very good shot."

The new government would also invest in much-needed infrastructure, which included roads to mining projects and improved telecommunications, which would encourage resource companies to invest in PNG, he said.

"There is no doubt the poor state of our infrastructure has added to the cost of mining," he said.

Resource companies would be consulted about which infrastructure areas needed to be prioritised, he said.

Productivity was another issue that PNG planned to tackle.

Mr O'Neill said the government was planning to establish a productivity commission.

The government was planning to review its taxes on mining and petroleum companies, but Mr O'Neill stressed that any changes would not act as a disincentive to business.

It would also be encouraging mining companies to keep their fly-in, fly-out arrangements for employees within PNG, in order to provide increased benefits for the local economy.

"We can then build more regional sectors that can benefit from some of these projects," he said.