Provincial Infrastructure Push: New Ireland unveiled a revised K499.57m budget, with K268.3m earmarked for transport and public works, including road sealing and highway continuation, as it targets growth and more provincial autonomy. Digital Forestry Upgrade: The EU-backed Forestry-Climate-Change-Biodiversity programme delivered new comms and video-conferencing gear to the PNG Forest Authority to cut costs and improve coordination across 22 provincial offices. Coffee Export Momentum: PNG coffee exporters project K9.7m in sales after Melbourne’s International Coffee Expo helped them secure new buyer links and market feedback. Skills for Industry and Defence: Newmont PNG expanded trade training with NATTB-accredited onsite Belt Splicing testing at Lihir, while PNG Defence Force personnel completed automotive and carpentry training under the PNG-Australia partnership. Jobs Gap Warning: A World Bank report says PNG’s growth is strong, but formal jobs and living conditions lag, with most work still informal and earnings often staying offshore. SME Funding Under Scrutiny: PNG’s Commerce Minister Win Bakri Daki faces renewed calls for an independent probe into the K200m SME scheme as the government orders a review to protect funding integrity. Mining Tailings and Forestry Value-Add: Ok Tedi submitted its ESIA for a major tailings storage facility, and Oro’s Kararata balsa processing MOU points to a future special economic zone to lift export value. Food and Water Systems: NCDC ran a food safety workshop for Moresby businesses, while a Wau-Waria WASH rollout added community water supply and school fencing. Regional Trade and Standards: Australia’s National Measurement Institute donated fuel measurement trolleys to PNG and other Pacific states to improve pump accuracy and fair fuel transactions. Education Tech Leap: Western Pacific University launched an AI-enabled digital knowledge hub (LearnX) and rolled out SmartX learning tablets.