PNG PM Marape Commends MPs for Passage of Six Bills in Parliament
PNG Prime Minister James Marape has commended Members of Parliament for passage of six important bills during the August Parliament session which ended last Friday (August 20th 2021).
The six bills are the:
- Motor Vehicles (Third Party Insurance) (Amendment) Bill 2021;
- Motor Vehicles (Third Party Insurance) (Basic Protection Compensation) (Amendment) Bill (Chapter 296);
- Kumul Consolidated Holdings Authorisation (Amendment) Bill 2021;
- Public Services (Management) (Amendment) Bill 2021;
- Medical Registration (Amendment) Bill 2021; and
- Oil and Gas (Papua LNG Project) (Amendment) Bill 2021.
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| PNG Prime Minister James Marape |
PM Marape said these were all important bills and continue his Government’s reforms of outdated laws which do not serve the interests of the people of Papua New Guinea.
He thanked State Enterprises Minister Hon. William Duma, Public Service Minister Hon. Joe Sungi, Health Minister Hon. Jelta Wong and Petroleum Minister Hon. Kerenga Kua for tabling the bills and MPs from both sides of Parliament for supporting them.
“Passage of these six important bills – which will have a lasting impact on our country - clearly shows that my Government is functioning,” PM Marape said.
“I indicated, when I took office in May 2019, of reforms to existing laws which are now in motion.
“I thank Members of the Opposition for their bipartisan support in most cases.”
The Marape Government also made history last Wednesday by allowing the live broadcast and telecast of National Parliament proceedings in its entirety to PNG and the world.
This breakthrough means that National Broadcasting Corporation television and radio services will be carrying the sessions live past Question Time and the Grievance Debate.
- Motor Vehicles (Third Party Insurance) (Amendment) Bill 2021: The significance of the Motor Vehicles (Third Party Insurance) (Basic Protection Compensation) (Amendment) Bill 2021 is that, by introducing a new Section 18, MVIL will pay K10,000 to dependents of a person who dies as a result of a motor vehicle accident – whether the deceased is a male, female or minor.Under the current legislation, MVIL pays K5000 to dependents of the deceased if the deceased is a male, and K2500 to dependents of the deceased if the deceased is a female.
- Kumul Consolidated Holdings Authorisation (Amendment) Bill 2021: This important bill, which was introduced by State Enterprises Hon. William Duma, will restore the capabilities for monitoring, accountability and governance across the Majority State Owned Enterprises (MSOEs) and help set them on the course to recovery.
- Public Services (Management) (Amendment) Bill 2021: A public servant who wishes to contest the general election will resign 12 months prior to the issuing of writs, as compared to the six months’ notice, and this will be implemented in the 2027 General Election and general elections thereafter; and an officer who contests in the general election and is unsuccessful can be employed into the Public Service after a period of five years from the general election he/she contested in, but through the normal selection and recruitment process. This amendment will take effect from the 2022 General Election and general elections thereafter.
- Medical Registration (Amendment) Bill 2021: The landmark bill, which supersedes the outdated Medical Act of 1980, allows for medical doctors who graduate from Divine Word University (DWU) and any other universities in future to be registered.The Medical Registration Act of 1980 restricted the registration of medical doctors to only graduates of University of PNG and foreign-trained doctors.The bill has made its first major breakthrough by allowing for 19 newly-trained doctors of DWU, who graduated in March 2021, to start their residency training programmes around the country.
- Oil and Gas (Papua LNG Project) (Amendment) Bill 2021: An Act to amend the Oil and Gas Act 1998, in relation to the Papua LNG Project. The bill clarifies the amendments to the Oil and Gas Act 1998, made by the Oil and Gas (Amendment) Act 2020. It gives comfort to project partners and financiers to progress the Papua LNG Project.
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