24 Aug 2022

PNG leader creates Minister for Coffee role

9:48 am on 24 August 2022

The new Papua New Guinea Cabinet will include a Minister for Coffee.

Re-elected Prime Minister James Marape has kept a number of MPs in the same roles as in the previous administration.

He has named John Rosso to continue as Deputy Prime Minister - a role he took after the death of Sam Basil in a car accident just before the election campaign.

The Papua New Guinea Parliament building in Port Moresby.

The Papua New Guinea Parliament building in Port Moresby. Photo: RNZ Pacific/ Koroi Hawkins

Ian Ling Stuckey continues as Treasurer, while William Duma retains the Ministry of State Owned Enterprises.

But there are innovations.

"The new ministries that have been created are pretty interesting ministries," RNZ Pacific correspondent in PNG Scott Waide said.

"One, the Minister for Oil Palm is Francis Maneke, and the Minister for Coffee is Joe Kuli.

"So those two commodities have had ministries specially created for them."

Coffee is one of the most commonly grown crops in PNG along with vanilla and cocoa.

Also retained in Cabinet is Justin Tkatchenko, who becomes Foreign Minister.

Richard Maru returns as the Minister of International Trade and Investment, while Don Polye, who was ousted in the previous election, is back in Cabinet as the Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Sport.

James Marape returns to the top job after turbulent general elections marred by claims of election fraud, widespread violence, deaths, and major damage to infrastructure across the country.

Marape, whose Pangu Party has emerged as the largest party, is set to lead a coalition government made up of at least 17 different parties.

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