Pruaitch clarifies his role

Posted on The National

Opposition leader Patrick Pruaitch, pictured, says he is saddened by Prime Minister James Marape’s criticism over his role as a former Treasurer in previous governments led Sir Michael Somare and Peter O’Neill.
Pruaitch, in a statement, said: “As part of the ruling National Alliance Party, we have to take full credit or blame for government performance from 2002 to 2011.
“Subsequently, credit and blame should be directed towards the O’Neill government’s ruling People’s National Congress, where Prime Minister James Marape played a key role.
“I admit to being a little confused now as to why Prime Minister Marape approached the Opposition early this year for assistance to topple the O’Neill government since he had embraced all previous government policies and publicly announced there will be no major changes.
“I cannot recall a single major policy announcement in the past two-and-a-half months even though the prime minister has acknowledged “a tough 2019 fiscal year”.
“For the first time today (yesterday), he mentioned the “possibility” of a supplementary budget even though he remains reluctant to state what this might achieve.
“Marape has repeated the mantra that he wants a balanced budget and less borrowing on many occasions,” he said.
“The recently released 2019 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook shows the deficit has blown out to K1.7 billion in the first six months with continuing inaction set to blow it out to a highly damaging figure in excess of K3 billion.”
Pruaitch said he was confident most Papua New Guineans would welcome a Supreme Court ruling that proper Parliamentary procedures and the PNG Constitution, had been honoured during the May 30 election of the prime minister.
“Never again in our history should the letter and spirit of the PNG Constitution be breached, as it was in August 2011 when Parliament ignored two Supreme Court rulings that the election of Prime Minister O’Neill had been unconstitutional,” he said in a statement.
Pruaitch said concerns had been raised that the recent election of the prime minister may have breached procedures laid down by the Constitution and this will be ascertained during the Supreme Court hearing.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/pruaitch-clarifies-his-role/

Decision to bring in Cuban doctors to be reviewed

Posted on The National

HEALTH and HIV/AIDS Minister Elias Kapavore, pictured, says he will be reviewing the decision to bring Cuban doctors into the country because there is a shortage.
Kapavore said the doctor-patient ratio in the country had dropped further down to 1:22,000.
“The decision to bring in Cuban doctors was made before my time, so I will have to check the information again,” he said.
“I don’t know the details surrounding the Cuban doctors project but I will review it and if it is good for the country, then I will consider it.”
Kapavore said in the meantime, he was looking at sending a team to Divine Word University to look at their medical school curriculum.
“The University of Papua New Guineas medical faculty produces 50 students per year, but we should be able to double this number by 2021 when we have some more students graduating from Divine Word University.
“Because currently I understand that there is a huge shortage of doctors. I also know that there are some doctors still jobless due to delay in registration, so I am now setting up a deployment unit to keep track of all graduating doctors so that they can be fitted into the public health system.”
Kapavore said bringing in doctors from overseas was an option he would be looking at as the country’s population was growing rapidly.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/decision-to-bring-in-cuban-doctors-to-be-reviewed/

Certified firms to import drugs

By LULU MARK - The National 

ONLY certified companies will import medicines that are approved by the new PNG Medicine Marketing Authorisation System (MMAS), Health secretary Pascoe Kase, pictured, says.
The launching of MMAS which would strengthen the pharmaceutical regulatory system of the country was witnessed by Kase, World Health Organisation country representative Dr Luo Dapeng and medicine importers in Port Moresby yesterday.
Kase said all the laws that were made to manage medicines were outdated and despite the system being in place for years, it was not effective. Hence, it was reviewed to ensure PNG was on par with the world.
He said according to the law, all medicines brought into the country must meet all the standards.
Kase said with the system, the department would ensure that only medicines of assured safety, efficacy and quality would enter the country by certified importers.
Pharmaceutical companies, he said, came with a lot of experience from overseas to do their business but there were regulatory mechanisms within the country to protect the people and what was brought which they had to comply with.
Kase said despite the lack of infrastructure to test and guarantee the safety and quality of medicines, technical collaboration organisations such as WHO had ensured that everything that were allowed into the country were compliant with standards.
“Medicines are very important products that must be taken care of from manufacturing all the way to where it is going to be used,” he said.
“The Health Department has been working hard over the years to ensure that mechanisms are in place to protect the strength and quality of the medicine at all times.”
Kase said the WHO regional office had made a resolution to enforce and implement a medicine regulation system and PNG was one of the first to be part of it.
The Health Department acting executive manager of medical standards division Dr Duncan Dobunaba said before all medicines were ordered they had to be approved.
The Health secretary urged all the importers to start applying for their certificates. He congratulated Sesago Health Care Ltd on getting the first MMAS certificate.
He said they were looking to all the pharmacy service providers to participate which included City Pharmacy, Borneo Pharmacy, Chemcare, Johnston Pharmaceuticals Trade Link, Tropicana, RSCPA PNG, PNG Medical Suppliers, Pacific Asia Medical Pharmaceuticals, and others.
“If you are importing medicines the law requires you to register,” he said.
He said the registration of medical equipment was something they have to look into because it was required by the law be certified in order to import.


Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/certified-firms-to-import-drugs/

Tuvalu launches initiative for skills, workforce development

Posted on The National

AN initiative to harness the benefits of data and technology to match jobs with skills and support policy makers to plan for workforce development was launched at the 50th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Tuvalu on Wednesday.
The Pacific Skills Portal Initiative is a collaboration between the Pacific Community’s Pacific Data Hub, the Australia Pacific Training Coalition, International Organisation for Migration, Pacific Immigration Development Community, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Unicef and the University of the South Pacific.
The Pacific Skills Portal is the second deliverable under the Pacific Skills Partnership launched at the 49th Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru. Its purpose was to improve access to and sharing information about skills requirements of Pacific economies to inform policy and planning.
Forum chair and Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Enele Sosene Sopoaga emphasised that a crucial part of securing a prosperous and secure future lay in evidence-based decision-making to secure investment in skills development.
“Tuvalu welcomes the intent of this Pacific Skills Portal Initiative to consolidate and make accessible labour market data and skills relevant information,” said Sopoaga.
“If we are to lead and drive our own technological advancement, innovation and change that informs and responds to a 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific, then we must elevate the prioritisation of human development and investment in essential skills for Pacific people.”
Dr Audrey Aumua, deputy director-general of the Pacific Community added that: “Partnerships such as this are the right way to proceed and that synergies and data governance are essential to growing a Pacific data ecosystem that can serve the region’s needs and answer questions posed by island countries to inform their development priorities.”
Dame Meg Taylor, secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, highlighted the central role of skills development for the Pacific, saying: “I’ve always been a firm believer in the capacity and ability of our Pacific people and am an ardent supporter of investing in strengthening the capacity of our people to deliver for our people and secure our future here in the Pacific.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/tuvalu-launches-initiative-for-skills-workforce-development/

Koim gets IRC top post

By REBECCA KUKU - The National

SAM Koim has been appointed Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) acting commissioner-general.
The former chairman of the anti-corruption team Task Force Sweep said he had two messages for companies and individuals.
“To those who are genuinely struggling to pay their taxes, the commission will find ways to help you meet your obligations.
“To the tax-dodgers, we’ll find you,” Koim said.
Treasury Minister Sam Basil announced the appointment at a press conference in Port Moresby yesterday.
He said the National Executive Council’s decision had been approved by Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae.
“The IRC is the premier tax collecting body and with Koim as the acting commissioner, the Government hopes to see an increase in its productivity,” Basil said.
Koim thanked the Government for his appointment and said that he would be fair and equitable but “brutal in the enforcement of our tax laws.”
“To those who employ convoluted and pernicious strategies to escape your tax obligations, we will find you and you will face penalties under our tax laws. That extends to tax advisers,” Koim said.
“To those who deceitfully evade paying tax, let me warn you that tax evasion is not a victimless crime.
“It is not simply a matter of failing to pay one’s debt to State.
“It is theft, and tax evaders are thieves,” he said.
Koim said that those who systematically conspired to defraud the public revenue would be criminally prosecuted.
“Tax agents and advisers will be regarded as co-conspirators and prosecuted.
“I will be initiating corporate criminal prosecutions for those corporations that defraud the State of monies that are due to the State in tax.
“I intend to fill the court rooms with tax fraudsters in the coming months.
“I have been given the full mandate of the Government and all powers enabling me by law to mobilise all the resources and technical expertise needed to achieve this mission,” he said.
Koim also said that he was looking forward to working with the commissioners and staff of IRC and admitted that he was not there as a one-size fit all solution to the challenges in IRC.
“I am not here to celebrate mediocrity either.
“I am here with a burning sense of urgency to empower you for optimal performance.
“You have the skills and technical expertise to do the job.
“I am new to this organisation but I am not new to compliance.
“I am hoping that the fire burning in me will burn within you and not beneath you,” he said.
“Let us all take back what has been stolen from us. Let us take back PNG.”

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/koim-gets-irc-top-post/

Doctors: Stop drug contracts

By REBECCA KUKU - The National

THE National Doctor’s Association (NDA) has questioned the Government’s rationale of awarding contracts to the private sector for the supply of medical kits and medicine.
“Why can’t the Government set up its own department to procure medical kits and medicine directly, either, from the World Health Organisation (WHO)-certified suppliers, like the International Dispensary Association (IDA) or equivalent, or directly from manufacturers in Asia, Australia, the US or Europe?
“Generic medicines procured this way will be cheaper and effective,” NDA secretary and chief of emergency medicine Dr Sam Yockopua lamented to The National yesterday.
“The Government could have just established its own procurement department or unit comprising officials and experts from the National Department of Health (NDOH), Planning, Finance, Medical School, Port Moresby General Hospital, Medical Board, Pharmacy Board.
“They can then create an Information Communications Technology (ICT)-backed system that is fully funded and utilised in the Area Medical Store (AMS) supply system,” he added.
Yockopua was commenting on The National’s front page report that Borneo Pacific Pharmaceutical Ltd (BPPL) has secured two one-year contracts worth more than K100 million to supply medical kits and antibiotics.
Health secretary Pascoe Kase announced yesterday that the National Executive Council (NEC) approved the recommendation by the NDOH to award the contracts to BPPL.
The contract for medical kits is worth K65.3 million and the other for antibiotics is K43.5 million.
Yockopua said: “The medicine testing laboratory that was purportedly set up by NDOH check medicines supplied is no longer functioning.
“So we don’t know what the private sector suppliers are bringing in to us. We have seen medicines that are close to expiry dates.
“We have also seen medicines that did not work, so some may even be fake medicines and that is why NDA has been urging the Government to review or stop the current procurement system of tendering out supply of medicines to the private sector,” he said, adding that people must now be prepared to suffer further.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/doctors-stop-drug-contracts/