PNG Prime Minister James Marape will take on the duties of the Mining Minister pending the outcome of a vote recount.
The PNG Supreme Court has upheld a National Court decision to conduct a recount of the votes that saw Muguwa Dilu take the Kundiawa-Gembogl seat.
As reported in The National, the recount must be conducted within 30 days, and Marape will continue to be the acting Minister of Mining pending the outcome.
Marape has been keeping busy these past few weeks, most recently marking World Environment Day 2024 by planting trees in Port Moresby.
“In the midst of the current political landscape, we, as a government, have gathered here to plant a tree in honour of this significant day,” he said.
“Trees produce oxygen. Oxygen gives life. I want to encourage every Papua New Guinean right across the country to plant one tree a year.”
Marape also commended this year’s World Environment Day theme: Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience – Our Land, Our Future, We are Generation Restoration.
Earlier in June, Marape visited the landslide-affected Enga Province, providing K20 million ($7.8 million) in government assistance.
“I assure the people of Maip-Mulitaka, Porgera-Paiela, Enga, and Papua New Guinea that you are not alone in this difficult time,” he said. “I express my heartfelt sorrow to the people of Maip-Mulitaka who lost loved ones in the disaster.
“I thank our partner countries including Australia, New Zealand, (the) US, Japan, China, (the) UK, Indonesia, France, Israel, South Korea, the Phillipines, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Czech Republic and many others, (and the) United Nations International Organisation for Migration and Pacific Islands Forum for responding very quickly to the disaster.”
Subscribe to PNG Mining and receive the latest news on product announcements, industry developments, commodities and more.
