2025 in Papua New Guinea

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Decades:	2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	Other events of 2025 Timeline of Papua New Guinean history

Events in the year 2025 in Papua New Guinea .

Incumbents

• Monarch – Charles III

Federal government

• Governor-General – Bob Dadae
• Prime Minister – James Marape

Provincial Governors

• Central: Robert Agarobe
• Chimbu: Micheal Dua Bogai
• East New Britain: Michael Marum
• East Sepik: Allan Bird
• Enga: Peter Ipatas
• Gulf: Chris Haiveta
• Hela: Philip Undialu
• Jiwaka: William Tongamp
• Madang: Peter Yama
• Manus: Charlie Benjamin
• Milne Bay: Sir John Luke Crittin, KBE
• Morobe: Ginson Saonu
• New Ireland: Julius Chan (until 30 January); Sammy Missen (since 30 January)
• Oro: Gary Juffa
• Sandaun: Tony Wouwou
• Southern Highlands: William Powl
• West New Britain: Sasindran Muthuvel
• Western: Taboi Awe Yoto
• Western Highlands: Wai Rapa

Events

February

• 6 February – A twin-engine aircraft operated by TropicAir undergoes a runway excursion during takeoff at Kerema Airport due to strong winds. No injuries are reported among its eight passengers and crew. ^{[1] [2]}

March

• 20 March – Prosecutors in Australia drop charges of assault against former petroleum minister Jimmy Maladina. ^[3]
• 24 March – The government imposes a ban on Facebook as part of a "test" to limit hate speech, misinformation and pornography. ^[4]

April

• 5 April – A magnitude 6.9 earthquake hits off the coast of Kimbe. ^[5]
• 10 April – The government lifts a three-year moratorium on its carbon credit schemes. ^[6]

May

• 16 May – A polio outbreak is declared by the World Health Organization following the discovery of two cases in Lae. ^[7]

September

• 5 September – 2025 Bougainvillean general election: President Ishmael Toroama is reelected with more than 90,000 votes. ^{[8] [9]}

October

• 6 October –
  • Prime Minister James Marape and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sign a mutual defence agreement in Canberra. ^[10]
  • Ishmael Toroama is inaugurated for a second term as president of Bougainville. ^[11]
• 7 October – A magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits Morobe Province, destroying several homes in Lae. ^[12]
• 19 October – Pope Leo XIV canonizes Peter To Rot, a lay worker who was killed by the Japanese during World War II for opposing polygamy, as the first Catholic saint from Papua New Guinea. ^[13]
• 31 October – At least 21 people are killed in a landslide in Kukas, Enga Province. ^[14]

Holidays

Further information: Public holidays in Papua New Guinea

Source: ^[15]

• 1 January – New Year's Day
• 26 February – Remembrance Day of the Late First Prime Minister
• 18 April – Good Friday
• 19 April – Easter Saturday
• 21 April – Easter Monday
• 17 June – King's Birthday
• 23 July – National Remembrance Day
• 26 August – Repentance Day
• 16 September – Independence Day
• 25 December – Christmas Day
• 26 December – Boxing Day

Deaths

• 10 January: Charles Lepani, 77, diplomat. ^[16]
• 30 January: Julius Chan, 85, prime minister (1980–1982, 1994–1997, 1997) and Governor of New Ireland Province (since 2007). ^[17]
• 13 September: Luther Wenge, 65, judge, MP (1997–2012, since 2022) and twice governor of Morobe Province. ^[18]

References

1. "Strong winds causes plane to ditch". Papua New Guinea Post-courier. 6 February 2025. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
2. "Investigations continue on the plane crash at Kerema Airport". Papua New Guinea Post-courier. 6 February 2025. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
3. "Australian prosecutors drop assault charge against Papua New Guinea minister". Associated Press. 20 March 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
4. "Outcry as Papua New Guinea blocks Facebook". BBC. 26 March 2025. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
5. "A tsunami warning has been canceled for Papua New Guinea after a strong magnitude 6.9 earthquake". AP News. 5 April 2025. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
6. "Papua New Guinea lifts ban on forest carbon credits". France 24. 10 April 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
7. "WHO declares polio outbreak in Papua New Guinea". BBC. 16 May 2025. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
8. "Bougainville polling pushed back to Friday". Radio New Zealand. 3 September 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
9. "Ishmael Toroama secures second term as Bougainville president after strong election win". Radio New Zealand. 29 September 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
10. Lana Lam; Kelly Ng (6 October 2025). "Australia signs key defence deal with Papua New Guinea". BBC News. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
11. "Bougainville president sworn in after landslide re-election, announces caretaker government". Radio New Zealand. 6 October 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
12. "6.6 earthquake causes chaos at Wenge's funeral". The National. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
13. "Pope Leo XIV canonizes 7 new saints, including first from Venezuela and Papua New Guinea". Catholic News Agency . 2025-10-19. Retrieved 2025-10-19.
14. McGuirk, Rod (2025-10-30). "A landslide kills at least 21 people in the Papua New Guinea highlands, a report says". Associated Press . Retrieved 2025-10-31.
15. "Papua New Guinea Public Holidays 2025". Public Holidays Global. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
16. "Former diplomat Sir Charles Lepani passes away". Papua New Guinea Post Courier. 2025-01-11. Retrieved 2025-01-11.
17. "The "Last Man Standing" Falls". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 30 January 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
18. "Rosso pays tribute to Late Morobe Governor Luther Wenge". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 13 September 2025. Retrieved 15 September 2025.

External links

• Online calendar

• 2020s portal
• Current events portal
• Oceania portal