Police Identified Route Used by Drug Cartels in Papua New Guinea

Pic and report: Post Courier newspaper PNG

Police Minister Jelta Wong said yesterday: “We are working with our international counterparts to curb these transit routes.”

RELATED READ: PNG PM Demands Thorough Investigation into Cocaine Plane Crash in PNG  

Police have identified possible routes used by international drug cartels in Papua New Guinea to smuggle drugs into Australia.

His comments come after a PNG woman, Dulcie Wagambio Witchard, 34, was arrested and charged in Australia with dealing in the proceeds of crime amounting to A$10,000 (about K24,000) in Brisbane, Australia.

According to Australian Federal Police, the conspiracy to import more than 300 kilograms of cocaine showed that it would be brought into Australia from Peru via Singapore and PNG.

Two Australian men were also arrested in Sydney last Friday and were expected to be extradited from Sydney to Brisbane to face drug trafficking charges.

Dulcie Wagambio Witchard faced court last week and was released on bail and her passport confiscated.

She is the second Papua New Guinea woman to be held in Australia over drug-related charges after Mary Yawari who was sentenced to nine and half years in jail for smuggling four kilograms of methylamphetamine, or ice, into Australia.

Witchard was charged after police executed search warrants at Airlie Beach in north Queensland and Woodridge, south of Brisbane.

AFP Queensland commander Sharon Cowden said the alleged conspiracy was foiled after a year-long investigation with international law enforcement.

Commander Cowden said the drugs had an estimated street value of $105 million (K254m), according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The men were arrested during raids in the Sydney suburbs of Maroubra and Rozelle.

Commander Cowden said the drugs were to be imported by small craft to Australia via the Torres Strait, the ABC reported.

She said the men could both face life sentences if found guilty.

The AFP said its investigation began in June last year after they identified an Australian and PNG-based syndicate suspected of planning to import drugs from Peru.

Commander Cowden said the syndicate tried to smuggle cocaine into Australia late last year but were unsuccessful.

She said while the syndicate moved to set up a second importation, more than 1.2 tons of cocaine was seized by law enforcement officers in Peru, ABC reported.

Commander Cowden said Peruvian authorities also arrested a businessman thought to have conspired with the Australians.

She said police also intended to pursue legal proceedings against a PNG man, who was allegedly part of the conspiracy to import the cocaine into Australia.

Investigations were continuing and authorities were expecting to make more arrests.

LINK TO THE STORY HERE

Post Courier Newspaper report (June 2018)

How to Submit Articles and Earn Money or Mobile Credits

PNG Insight is calling for awesome PNG Writers, bloggers and students to submit articles (assignment or research work) to us. We pay. 

How much money can you make (updated 2021)

In this update, we hope to encourage the young PNG Writers to write and enjoy the art of writing. And also earn a reward every time they submit an article to us. 

We believe this small reward is the first of its kind in PNG, aimed at getting students and esteemed writers to write and earn a small reward for every qualifying article. The payment break-down is as follows:

More information available on our website here

Established Writers

The benefits are many. For writers, we are thinking of giving you quality publicity and linkbacks to your social media profile or blogs and websites. In addition, if your articles have not been published anywhere, we would be happy to pay for the articles and publish them here.

Students Writers

We also would like to encourage student writers to write for us. Universities, colleges or secondary schools' students are encouraged to write and submit your work to us.

Class Submissions

If you are an English teacher, working on Class Topical Write-up with your students, you can choose your best work and submit to PNG Insight. We pay for every article. It would also be a good fundraiser for your Class/Grade.

Hobby Writers

We classify Hobby Writers as the unemployed and students who left school at Uni, colleges or grades 10 and 12. If you have time and want to develop your writing skills, why not write for us?

You do not have to be perfect. Write and submit your work to PNG Insight. We will review your work and if your story or topic appeals to us, we will edit it and publish it on our website.

PNG Students and Academics overseas

Writing is an important part of academia. Therefore, the challenge is to see PNG students and academics who have the opportunity to study overseas write and tell their stories. 

In that way, you help others who are trying to get to follow your footsteps.

Perhaps the most important aspect of this initiative is to inform policy and decision making in your area of expertise. See below for the examples of discussion papers on Education and Development (SDG4) we published before the change in TFF policy. 

Why Write for Us

Perhaps the important reason is to help others who are seeking information on education and development in the country - the main aim for establishing PNG Insight.

Furthermore, this initiative creates a network of awesome PNG writers, hobby writers and students. All articles in this category aim to give the writers the publicity they need. This is also important because the writers can use that as a stepping stone for greater work in the future.

Individual writer's work can be added to their CV/resume when applying for jobs. For example, the potential employees, these days, are looking at your Facebook and Twitter profiles to see what kind of person you are. 

Published work gives employers the first impression of their potential employees.

Payment - receive money online

In the 'Paid Category', we are looking for UNIQUE articles. The articles will have to be more than 800 words. (I'm sure you can fork-out an 800-word article in under 1.5 hours). 

Unique articles are the ones that are not published online yet. And, the articles must be from the person who is submitting it. 

More information on PAYMENT can be found here.

Website Link back and Networking 

One of the ways to give prominence to your writings and blogs/website is to establish quality linkbacks and network online. As mentioned earlier, established writers and bloggers submit their published articles to get linkback to their blogs and social media profiles.

We started this blog in 2014 and our website in 2018. Both platforms, combined, have visits of over 200,000 visitors in the peak months of December 2019 and January 2020. Mostly from PNG and Australia.

Therefore, if you are a PNG Writer or blogger, get in touch. Submit an article and we'll link it back to you. 

Some examples

Here are some work on Education and Development (research work) and guest articles we published earlier. 

• PNG Writers’ Corner
• Education Policies
• TFF Discussion Paper
• PNG Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWF)
• History of PNG Immigration and Development

Article submission 

All articles submission should: 

• have a brief writer's bio
• be submitted as Word file to info@pnginsight.com

Earn Real Money Writing for us

Review stages

The articles submitted to us will be reviewed. It can take up to a week to get a response from us, and up to a month to see your article online. 

Meanwhile, we'll be in contact with writers who submitted articles to us to talk about payment. The payment can be either

• online back deposit into personal accounts or
• direct mobile phone credit top-up. 

More information available on our website here.

App to help LOs Report Illegal Logging on their Land

Lukim Gather, a phone application developed by Catalpa International will help PNG to monitor its protected areas. 

PNG UNDP 

The new system will allow Rangers, who work in isolated areas, to quickly record and report harmful activities, such as illegal logging, bush fires and natural hazards.

This initiative rolled out by the Conservation Environment Protection Authority is possible through the support from UNDP through funding from Global Environment Facility.

Read about it here. 

Source: PNG UNDP

AUSTRALIA AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS 2020-2021 [FULLY FUNDED SCHOLARSHIP]

Australia Awards Scholarships 2020-2021 is now open for applications. The Australian Government Scholarship is open to students of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Pacific. The Australia Awards Scholarship is a fully-funded scholarship for international students and is administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The Australian Universities Scholarships are highly paid international scholarships in 2021 for Masters/MPhil or Short Course (Some Regions) in Specific Fields in Australia. Selected students will be studying in top universities of Australia on fully-funded scholarships.

APPLICATION DEADLINE:
Please check the official website for the detail deadlines as it varies from region to region. The application deadline for most countries is 30th June 2020.

• HOW TO APPLY

• OFFICIAL LINK

A piece of information for potential student - reposted for students information ONLY.

The Australian Government offers full tuition fees, return air travel, establishment allowance, Contribution to Living Expenses (CLE), etc. This is the most competitive and best international scholarship program in the world. 

They aim to contribute to the development needs of Australia’s partner countries in line with bilateral and regional agreements. They provide opportunities for people from developing countries, particularly those countries located in the Indo-Pacific region, to undertake full-time undergraduate or postgraduate study at participating Australian universities and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions.

The study and research opportunities provided by Australia Awards Scholarships develop the skills and knowledge of individuals to drive change and contribute to development in their own countries.

AUSTRALIA AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS DETAILS:

HOST COUNTRY: Australia

ADMINISTERED BY: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government

LIST OF AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTIONS THAT PARTICIPATE IN AUSTRALIA AWARDS:

• Australian Catholic University

• Aviation Australia

• Bond University

• Box Hill Institute TAFE

• Bureau of Meteorology

• Canberra Institute of Technology

• Carnegie Mellon University

• Central Queensland University

• Charles Darwin University

• Charles Sturt University

• Chisholm Institute of TAFE

• Curtin University of Technology

• Deakin University

• Edith Cowan University

• Federation University

• Flinders University

• Griffith University

• Holmesglen Institute of TAFE

• James Cook University

• Kangan Institute

• La Trobe University

• Macquarie University

• Melbourne Polytechnic

• Monash University

• Murdoch University

• Queensland University of Technology

• RMIT University

• Southern Cross University

• Swinburne University of Technology

• TAFE NSW

• TAFE Queensland

• TAFE SA

• Tasmanian Polytechnic

• The Australian National University

• The Gordon Institute of TAFE

• The University of Adelaide

• The University of Melbourne

• The University of New England

• The University of New South Wales (including ADFA)

• The University of Newcastle

• The University of Queensland

• The University of Sydney

• The University of Western Australia

• University College London

• University of Canberra

• University of South Australia

• University of Southern Queensland

• The University of Tasmania (including the Australian Maritime College)

• University of Technology Sydney

• University of The Sunshine Coast

• University of Wollongong

• Victoria University

• Western Sydney University

• William Angliss Institute of TAFE

COURSE LEVEL: Masters/MPhil

Short Courses (For Some Countries)

SCHOLARSHIP VALUE/BENEFITS: The Australian Government Scholarships will cover all the costs of the selected candidates. It includes:

Full tuition fees

• Return air travel—payment of a single return, economy class airfare to and from Australia, via the most direct route
• Establishment allowance—a once only payment as a contribution towards accommodation expenses, textbooks, study materials
• Contribution to Living Expenses (CLE) – a fortnightly contribution to basic living expenses paid at a rate determined by the department.
• Introductory Academic Program (IAP)—a compulsory program prior to the commencement of formal academic studies covering information on living and studying in Australia
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of the award (for award holder only)—provided to cover the scholar’s basic medical costs (with the exception of pre-existing conditions)
• Pre-course English (PCE) fees—if deemed necessary PCE may be available for students for in-country and/or in-Australia training supplementary academic support may be available to ensure a scholar’s academic success or enhance their academic experience
• Fieldwork (for research awards and Masters by coursework which has a research component where fieldwork is compulsory) may be available for eligible research students for one return economy class airfare via the most direct route to their country of citizenship or within Australia.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: To be eligible to receive an Australia Awards Scholarship, applicants must: 

• Be a minimum of 18 years of age on 1 February of the year of commencing the scholarship;
• Be a citizen of a participating country (as listed on the Australia Awards website) and be residing in and applying for the scholarship from their country of citizenship;
• Not be a citizen of Australia, hold permanent residency in Australia or be applying for a visa to live in Australia permanently;
• Not be married to, engaged to, or a de facto of a person who holds, or is eligible to hold, Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency, at any time during the application, selection or mobilization phases (note: residents of Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau with New Zealand citizenship are eligible but must apply for a Student visa [subclass 500]);
• Not be current serving military personnel;
• Not have previously received a long-term Australia Award unless they have resided outside of Australia for twice the length of the total time that they were in Australia (for example, a previous awardee who has been on an Australia Awards Scholarship in Australia for four years will not be eligible to apply for another Australia Awards Scholarship until they have resided outside Australia for eight years);
• Have satisfied any specific criteria established by the Program Area or the government of the applicant’s country of citizenship (e.g. having worked a certain number of years in an appropriate sector);
• Be able to satisfy the admission requirements of the institution at which the award is to be undertaken (this may mean that Program Areas will need to withdraw an award offer if the recipient cannot satisfy the institution’s admission requirements. This may not be known until Program Areas request a placement at selected institutions);
• Be able to satisfy all requirements of the Department of Home Affairs to hold a Student Visa. This may mean that the Program Area will need to withdraw an award offer if the recipient cannot satisfy the visa requirements;
• Not be applying for a scholarship for a course of study at an academic level lesser than they have already achieved (eg be applying for a Master’s scholarship when they already hold a PhD); and
• Applicants must inform the Program Area of any connection or relationship to staff employed at Program Areas (including locally engaged staff at the post) or with managing contractors so that the application may be properly and transparently managed

Eligibility Criteria for Australia Awards Scholarships varies from country to country. Please visit the Australia Awards Scholarship participating country profile for more details about the scholarship requirement. 

ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES:

Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Palestinian Territories

AWARD CONDITIONS

Applicants who want to accept an Australia Awards Scholarship will need to sign a contract with the Commonwealth of Australia declaring that they will comply with the conditions of the scholarship.

Scholars are required to leave Australia for a minimum of two years after completing their scholarship. Failure to do so will result in the scholar incurring a debt for the total accrued cost of their scholarship.

HOW TO GET AUSTRALIA AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS 2020-2021?

APPLYING ONLINE

Go to the Online Australia Scholarships Information System (OASIS). When you register online, you will be required to answer some questions to establish your eligibility. You will then be given a unique registration number, username, and password.

You do not need to submit your application immediately. You can set up a draft application form and update it, and your supporting documentation, until the designated closing date as on the relevant participating country profile.

Once submitted, your application cannot be changed. We strongly advise applicants applying online to do so well before the closing date. OASIS experiences peak usage in the days leading up to the closing date and applicants may experience delays.

Refer to the Applicant’s Online User Manual if you need help.

APPLYING BY MAIL

If you are unable to submit your application online, you can apply by mail. Please check your participating country profile for contact details to obtain a hardcopy application form and any other templates such as referee reports (if applicable).

Completed hard copy application forms and supporting documentation must be submitted by the deadline specified by your country. See the opening and closing dates for each country.

Want to study in Hungary? Apply Now for the Fully Funded FAO Hungarian Government Scholarship 2020-21 

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

Please check the official website for the detail deadlines as it varies from region to region. The application deadline for most countries is 30th June 2020.

• HOW TO APPLY
• OFFICIAL LINK

A piece of information for potential student - reposted for students information ONLY.

2020 Young Pacific Leaders Conference Now Accepting Applications | APPLY NOW

The application for the Young Pacific Leaders (YPL) Conference in Papua New Guinea in April is now open. 

2020 Young Pacific Leaders Conference | Apply NOW

The seventh YPL conference aims to enhance leadership skills and regional knowledge of young Pacific Islanders ages 25 - 35 years.

The YPL Conference will include

• informational sessions, 
• skills workshops, 
• cultural activities, 
• and site visits

All aim to deepen participants’ capacity to address regional issues related to YPL’s four programmatic themes: 

• Education; 
• Environment and Resource Management; 
• Civic Leadership; and 
• Economic and Social Development.

Applicants will be selected from across 

• the independent Pacific states, 
• Australia, 
• New Zealand, 
• Papua New Guinea, 
• Pacific French Territories, and 
• the American-affiliated Pacific (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Hawaii). 

Outstanding alumni of previous conferences are also invited to apply to participate in the 2020 YPL Conference as alumni mentors.

 All applications are due by February 3, 2020 and can be completed online.

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Cultural Vistas at YPL@culturalvistas.org for any questions about the conference, or to request a fillable PDF version of the application if needed. 

Participants will be required to attend the full conference program (April 21 – 24, 2020, not including travel days). 

All travel, lodging and meals will be provided to selected participants and alumni.

At the conclusion of the YPL Conference, all YPL alumni will be eligible to compete for small grant funding to support projects in their countries and the region. 

In addition, conference participants and the larger YPL community will participate in YPL LEADS throughout the month of May, a month-long event highlighting the YPL program through service-related activities in their communities.

Source: adapted from https://fj.usembassy.gov

Original announcement: https://fj.usembassy.gov/applications-now-open-for-young-pacific-leaders-conference-2019/

Rugby League World Cup Draw 2021: PNG, Tonga, Wales and Cook Islands

The Rugby League World Cup Draw for 2021 as seen PNG pooled against Tonga, Wales Cook Islands. The draw took place at Buckingham Palace was witnessed by the Rugby Football League patron Prince Harry. 

IMAGE: Twitter/@RLWC2021

• Dates: 23 October to 27 November 2021
• Host country: England 
• Venues: 17 cities across England including Newcastle, Leeds with the final games at Old Trafford, Manchester, on 27 November 2021.
• Rugby League World Cup Draw 2021 (Men and Women see below)

In the men's pool, the Cook Islands Rugby League team is the underdog in Group D. Papua New Guinea Kumul are drawn against Wales and Tonga who are the competitive teams in the international rugby league competitions.

It is not going to be easy for PNG Kumuls in this Pool D. 

Many rugby league commentators are behind the 1995 and 2000 semi-finalists Wales in the PNG pool games. However, Tonga has featured strongly against the rugby league giants Australia and New Zeland in recent games. 

The Pool D games are going to be as tough as it comes.

Men's Rugby League World Cup Draw draw

• Group A: Samoa, England,  France, Greece
• Group B: Fiji, Australia,  Scotland, Italy
• Group C: Jamaica, New Zealand, Lebanon, Ireland
• Group D: Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Wales, Cook Islands

Women's Rugby League World Cup Draw draw

• Group A:  Papua New Guinea, England, Canada, Brazil
• Group B: Cook Island, Australia, New Zealand, France

Rugby League World Cup 2021 News and update links

Twitter: @RLWC2021

BBC UK | Rugby League News 

Chinese Government Scholarships for PNG Students 2020/2021

In accordance with the MOU on Educational Cooperation between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea. The Chinese Government will provide twenty-two (22) full scholarships for Bachelor’s Degree and three (3) full scholarships for Master’s degree for PNG Students to study in China for the academic year 2020/2021.

DHERST | CHINESE-PNG SCHOLARSHIP

Qualification Requirement:

Applicants for postgraduate must be:

• Be PNG Citizen and in good health
• Be under the age of 35 with a Bachelor Degree or higher
• Complete 3-5 years’ work experience

Applicants for graduate/undergraduate program must be:

• PNG Citizen & in good health
• Be under the age of 25 with a Grade Twelve (12) Higher School Certificate with good academic performance of 2.5 GPA or above.

Main Requirements:

Applicants are required to submit x2 Certified Photocopies of relevant application documents listed below:

• Printed Online Application Form for Chinese Government Scholarship after the online application
• Higher School Certificates (Grade 10 & 12 with internal transcripts)
• Academic transcripts & Certificate (Undergraduate Degree with transcripts)
• Curriculum Vitae
• Detailed Study Plan; 500 words for undergraduate and 800 plus for masters
• Two recommendation Letters from previous schools
• A Character Reference Letter from a Parish Priest/Pastor/Church Elder (with valid contact number)
• X4 passport size photos
• Birth Certificate, NID card
• Police Clearance Certificate
• Current/Valid contact information of Parent/Guardian (separate sheet)
• Applicants planning to stay in China for more than 6 months must submit a photocopy of the Foreigner Physical Examination Form completed in English

Priority field of study:

The priority areas of study include; sciences, technology, agriculture, medicine, economics, management, education, history, liberal arts and philosophy.

Specific Instruction to Apply:

For more information regarding the scholarships, requirements and instructions to apply online, visit; http://www.csc.edu.cn/studyinchina.

To apply online visit the following links: www.csc.edu.cn/laihua or www.campuschina.org 

Click ‘Scholarship Application Online for International Students’. The ‘Program Category’ is: Type A and the ‘Agency Number’ is: 5981. 

You can also visit DHERST website; www.dherst. gov.pg to download Instructions of the Chinese Scholarship Online Application Information System to guide you.

Completed Online Application Forms must be downloaded and printed out in two copies(x2) including all required documents listed above be sent to:

Department of Higher Education, Research Science & Technology,

Ground Floor, Aopi Centre,

Waigani Drive,

P.O. Box 5117, BOROKO, NCD.

Attention: Manager - Overseas Scholarship

Application Deadline:

The applications should reach the office no later than Friday, 31st of JANUARY, 2020. All applicants must apply online and submit two hard copies of the application form. 

Failure to apply online will automatically disqualify your application. Faxed applications will not be accepted.

Please take note that:

• The Under-Graduate program is a FULL Chinese Language study program;
• The Foreigner Physical Examination Form will only be completed by the short-listed candidates only and;
• If you do not receive any response from DHERST or the Chinese Embassy in PNG after the 21st of FEBRUARY, 2020 then please consider your application as being unsuccessful.

For further information, please contact the following telephone numbers: 3012006/2012039 or email: chinese@dherst.gov.pg or visit the website; www.dherst.gov.pg

Higher Education Tuitions Assistance Schemes TESAS and HELP will run simultaneously

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape says the Government has not scrapped the Higher Education Contribution Assistance Scheme (HECAS) and Academic Excellence Scholarship (AES) in favour of the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP).

CLICK HERE TO READ THE POSTS ON HELP & HECAS

He said this today when clarifying misconceptions among students and institutions that HECAS and AES had been done away with.

 “HELP is a facility made available by Marape-Steven Government for students who will need help for their tuition fees this year and beyond,” Prime Minister Marape said.

“AES students will continue to receive this Government incentive, but there are still many students who remain outside of formal Government assistance, for whom HELP is intended.

“Students who need assistance are required to present their acceptance letters at registration.

“School registrars will facilitate their enrolment with tuition fee guaranteed from the HELP scheme. 

“This is not compulsory, but for students who need a helping hand.”

Prime Minister Marape also clarified repayment time for the HELP.

“This loan scheme will not be burdensome on present student borrowers,” he said.

“It will have no time limit for repayment, is interest-free and you can take your life-time to repay. 

“It is structured in a way to give assistance but, has citizen responsibility towards repaying.

“Into the future, a correct endowment fund structure will be set up to ensure sustainability for future generations. 

“We also thinking of linking 7 per cent of National Gaming Board funds into this scheme for student assistance. 

“During the course of the academic year, working together with Census 2020, proper National Identification (NID) numbers of students will be issued.

“We will entrench this scheme for 2020 and beyond.”

Next Tuesday, Prime Minister Marape and Higher Education Minister Hon. Nick Kuman will meet all universities and college administrators to tidy up on this facility, as well as 2020 school programmes, so there are no hiccups.

“Government will work with the schools to ensure timely quarterly disbursements to schools, starting at the opening of the academic year 2020,” Prime Minister Marape said.

“I am adamant that this must happen.

“Where there is a will, there is a way.

“The rich and employed can afford school fees for their children, but what about those who can’t afford?

“This policy is for them.”

PM Marape: Government has not scrapped HECAS and AES

Approved for Release.  January 13th 2020

Source: Facebook, PM & NEC page, 14/01/2020

HELP Studentships: What Are the Benefits? Media Statement

Below is an adapted version of the media statement released by DHERST per the HELP (PNG Higher Education Loan Program) studentship load program for 2020. The original version can be found via the link provided below. 

IMAGE: DHERST Media Release

Key points about PNG Higher Education Loan Program

• HELP student loan is 'interest-free' with lenient repayment plans and schedules
• Application for HELP is online via DHERST website
• Students will begin repayments on their loan about six months after their graduation
• HELP studentships will commence during the opening of the first semester of the academic year 2020.
• You DO NOT have to get the loan if you can afford to pay higher-education fees or have secured a sponsorship.
• HELP covers a wide range of students as long as the students secured a place at a tertiary institution in the country: self-sponsored, drop-outs/self-withdrawn, selected students, post-graduate students, etc

One disparity between an NBC new article (READ IT HERE) and this press release is the difference in HELP 'commencement dates'. But, understandably the date of commencement stated by DHERST (first semester of the academic year 2020) could be considered.

HELP is 'far-reaching'

Government is committed to providing financial assistance to students this year through the innovative and far-reaching HELP program that has been carefully designed with the PNG context in mind.

Whilst we wish to reward academic excellence, it should be noted that HELP will fund those students who, for different reasons, may have not met the qualifying criteria for TESAS.

To clarify the situation, during this academic year a full awareness-raising program will be carried out across all institutions of higher learning and the public at large.

The HELP program is inclusive and will also extend to those students who are self-sponsored. 

In future years the program will embrace students who have ‘dropped-out’ for whatever reason and wish to return to further their education in either government or private higher education institutions.

Government is firmly committed to the principle of equal value in education, seeing it as a fundamental right, and will ensure that no child or student is left behind.

How to apply for HELP?

Those seeking access to HELP studentships will download and complete application forms from the DHERST website once they have enrolled with, and been accepted by, an HEI for the 2020 academic year. 

During the coming year, we will register all prospective students through the issue of National Identity Cards.

The rollout of the HELP studentships will commence during the opening of the first semester of the academic year 2020.

Many people are understandably hesitant to borrow money. Any loan is a serious commitment, and should not be entered into lightly.

Having said that, student loans are often necessary to make it possible for a young person to fulfil their university or college dreams.

HELP terms and provisions

The PNG Higher Education Loan Program (HELP), offers special terms and provisions that make them a more affordable and manageable commitment for young university or collegebound students.

Around the world, most student loans offer lower interest rates, but the PNG HELP is interest-free, provides for deferred payment options together with a repayment grace period following graduation.

Under the HELP, student borrowers can also take advantage of more lenient repayment plans and schedules that are exclusive to HELP, unlike the more restrictive terms and conditions of a standard loan.

HELP studentships offer greater flexibility and more manageable terms and conditions than standard non-education loans.

For many students, an education loan will be their first major financial transaction. While taking out a studentship may seem a daunting prospect, it is also the perfect opportunity to begin to build a solid credit history.

HELP is the beginning of many students' financial history. By keeping up to date on all university or college loan repayments a student can begin to lay the foundation of a good credit score, which will prove greatly beneficial in later life.

One of the many advantages of a HELP studentship is that the student does not need to repay before he or she graduates. The HELP scheme will allow students time to seek a job before repayments commence.

Generally speaking, students will begin repayments on their loan about six months after their graduation.

Benefits of HELP Loan

There are clearly many benefits of a HELP studentship.

Naturally, there will be students who are wealthier than others and who may not need to consider such an offer. However, for most students, a HELP studentship is a mean (way) of allowing them (poor students) to concentrate on their studies rather than worrying about the source of funding for their tertiary education.

Professor Fr. Jan Czuba

Secretary DHERST

Source: DHERST, HELP Studentships: What Are the Benefits? [ORIGINAL PDF DOC] released 13th January 2020

Note: The media statement was adapted for an easy read. The signed original copy can be found via the link above.