OTML revenue hits K4bil

 THE improvement in copper price after the global financial crisis has contributed to Ok Tedi Mining Ltd’s K4 billion in sales revenue last year

This revenue was 5% higher than 2008, reflecting improvement in copper price in the second quarter despite a 3% drop in the volume of concentrate shipments.

Gold price increased by 18% compared to 2008.

These were contained in OTML’s summary key results for last year, released yesterday.

The company did not provide any forward looking statement on its expected performance for this year or provide updates on the mine closure plan, to date.

Total gold production of 16.0 tonnes (515,685oz) was slightly higher against 2008 production, keeping OTML within the top three PNG gold producers.

OTML realised an average copper price for the period of US$2.94 (K8.05) per pound, compared to US$2.64 (K7.23) per pound in 2008.

Net cash generated before dividends was down 15% compared to the previous year, mainly due to the collapse of copper price in the third quarter of 2008 resulting in refund of money to customers on settlement of shipments.

OTML paid K933 million (US$350 million) in dividends (the same as 2008), which included K765 million for the benefit of PNG interests.

Mining royalties were more than 28 % higher than 2008, with the Fly River provincial government and mine area landowners each receiving K33.6 million.

Total taxes that included corporate and mining levy among others for the year were K 245 million.

Other compensation and benefits paid during the year, including land lease payments, trusts and community mine continuation agreements totalled K70 million.

The value of goods and services provided to OTML by PNG sources amounted to K810 million.

 

Seeto Kui aids Women in Business

Caption: WIB expo coordinator Ellas Terra (left) shaking hands with Seeto Kui’s national sales and marketing manager Anba Langa after receiving a trolley full of foodstuff.

Words and picture by DOREEN POLOH WAIM

THE Seeto Kui Group of companies in Lae has donated K3,500 worth of foodstuff to help those involved in the preparation of the inaugural expo being spearheaded by the PNG Women in Business (WIB).

The presentation was made at the company’s head office along Kisere Street at Lae’s main market yesterday.

Lae branch manager Mark Foung said the assistance was a gesture of giving back to the community especially in supporting women.

“Without women we could not be here.”

Mr Foung said the company would also be arranging technical skills training for women and would like to see more women grow corporately.

Cecilia Gilmai, one of the representatives from the PNG WIB organising committee, thanked the company for its contribution and said the support would go a long way in motivating more women to participate in the expo.

East Sepik women traders to attend Women in Business expo

Words and picture by CYRIL GARE

THESE 10 women (pictured) from East Sepik province and members of the Sepik Women In Trade (SWIT) were caught last week preparing identification cards at Wirui Press in Wewak.

They were preparing to travel to Lae, Morobe province,  to participate at the inaugural PNG Women in Business (WIB) expo to be held from  Friday up to Sunday.

Led by East Sepik provincial adviser for commerce Elizabeth Kaprangi (pictured right back row), SWTI is one of the four East Sepik women groups that will travel to Lae.

Other Sepik women groups include Foundation for Women in Agriculture and Development (FOWIAD) led by Monica Otto, Elsa Sumanop will lead East Sepik florist and horticulture group while Donna Hukaku Balamus will lead the Sepik Meri Self Reliance Business Foundation.

Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare would officially open the expo  while Morobe Governor Luther Wenge would host it.

The expo is being led by businesswoman and WIB president Janet Sape, who said  the event  was aimed  at “promoting business ideas and opportunities for Papua New Guinean women, to raise consciousness and exhibit women skills”.

 

 

Another escapee recaptured

Robbery suspect caught with two others near Morata

 One more escapee in the Jan 12 Bomana prison break out was recaptured yesterday, The National reports.

Kito Aso (pictured) was caught near the Morata swamp in Port Moresby at around 3.30pm yesterday.

Two other people who were with Aso were also detained and brought to the police station for questioning. Police were on routine patrol in the area, and got a tip off and moved in to arrest him.

Aso is classified as one of six high-profile detainees by Police and Correctional Service authorities. He was alleged to have been involved in the BSP bank robberies in 2008 along with William Nanua Kapris and Oliver Ben Gabi.

Gabi was the first to be recaptured, while Kapris was caught three weeks ago in a motel in the city.

Three other high profile detainees still on the run are Don Aka, Elizah Tingal and Ben Nom.

Of the 12 that broke out from Bomana on Jan 12, six have now been recaptured.

Police confirmed that Aso was not shot at or harmed as he did not make any attempt to escapee when they police arrested him.

Police confirmed last night that Aso and two other suspects were detained at the Boroko police station cell.

They said they were carrying out their operations effectively and were closing in on the other six remaining escapees and the mystery woman lawyer.

Police have also called on the woman “human rights lawyer” who aided the escape to voluntarily surrender. Police suspect a woman from Enga whose parents and relatives live in Lae.

The woman’s mother was questioned by police last week.

Meanwhile, Port Moresby general hospital staff said last night that, John Siko Wel, an escapee who was recaptured earlier this month and nursing bullet wounds to his right knee at the hospital was transferred to the surgical ward for a plaster operation last night.

He was transferred under heavy police guard.

Siko Wel is expected to be taken back into police custody this week. It is understood doctors elected not to amputate his leg. The escapee was shot in the right knee as he tried to escape when the police moved in to arrest him at a home in Gerehu

National Executive Council approves K42m for projects in WNBP

THE National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Kimbe has approved funding of 10 projects costing K42 million for West New Britain (WNB) province, The National reports.

The NEC gave the approval following a joint consultative meeting between Cabinet Ministers and the provincial executive council.

Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare made the announcement at a farewell dinner he hosted at the Kimbe Catholic Hall last Thursday evening.

“I am happy to announce that the NEC has approved the funding of the projects submitted by the province for funding under the Public Investment Programme (PIP),”Sir Michael said.

“These projects have been fully reviewed and their detailed project documentation already submitted to the national government.

“In addition, Treasury officials have assured me that K2 million for churches in West New Britain will be made available this week.

“I had alluded to a number of partnerships between the national government and the Provincial authorities in the implementation of certain projects like the Airport, wharf and road infrastructure.

“I am pleased to announce that K50 million is available from the ADB (Asian Development Bank), from which we can draw to assist with redevelopment of the Hoskins Airport, including the terminal facilities.”

He said the NEC had also noted the importance to the economy of the Kimbe Port development and had agreed to find the additional funds required for this project.

On the Kandrian-Gloucester road, he said the national government had already agreed to help with funding of this road.

Sir Michael also announced the appointment of Dr Victor Golpek as CEO of Kimbe Hospital.

“I have boldly stated that WNB is one of the few provinces that utilise properly what Waigani allocates through the annual national budget.”

“I did not say that because it was polite to utter those words for the occasion. 

“I was basically stating a fact, and I am proud of the performance of the WNB province.”

He said the economic activity in the province attested to this.

“Another aspect of the province that struck me, and for which you should be proud, is your ability to have different people from all parts of Papua New Guinea living in harmony.

“This is something that perhaps other provinces can learn from WNB.”

 

More sex scandals in Honiara mission

A SENIOR staff of the Papua New Guinea High Commission in the Solomons’ capital, Honiara, has reportedly paid 4,000 Solomon dollars as compensation for alleged sexual advances at a woman, The National reports.

The SB$4,000 (more than K1,500) was reportedly paid to the husband of the woman after he demanded compensation when he learnt of the staff’s advances.

The woman, a female staff at the PNG High Commission, had told the husband and colleagues of the alleged advances on three separate occasions since last Dec 19.

The Honiara-based weekly Island Sun newspaper last Friday broke the story, quoting unnamed sources. 

Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Sam Abal was understood to have been informed of the newspaper report on Saturday when he transited through Honiara on his way to Fiji and New Zealand on official duties.

The National was yesterday reliably told from Honiara that a senior officer (named) from Solomon Islands department of foreign affairs had sought information from the newspaper on Saturday to prepare a brief for Mr Abal during his stopover at the VIP lounge at Henderson International Airport.

The officer had reportedly tried to “squeeze” information from Island Sun on the sources of the story but to no avail and that he had verbally advised that he or the department would investigate the report.

The staff had also said the PNG Foreign Affairs Department and the Government was “dead worried” about the story as it wanted to build a good image following recent reports of an accident involving an official vehicles belonging to PNG High Commission in Honiara.

The story headline was, “Envoy pays husband $4,000 compensation”.

The alleged first approach to the woman was last Dec 19, during a Christmas party at the staff’s official residence, when he allegedly approached her after her husband was thrown out of the party by police for being drunk and disorderly.

The sources said the PNG staff forced the woman to sleep in one of the bedrooms in his house so he could pay her a visit later in the night, but she refused.

After that incident, the sources said the woman had thought her boss (the staff) had acted weirdly due to drunkenness but then on Christmas Eve last year, the staff asked her again and this time he instructed her to find a room at the Heritage Park Hotel so that he could make love to her.

They alleged that the staff promised her he could facilitate anything at all that she wanted, even a four-digit amount.

It was during this time that she knew the diplomat was serious in his initial approach to her at his residence and so told her colleagues of the incidents.

The sources said the last straw to the sexual harassment happened last week when the diplomat rang the woman from Mendana Hotel and told her to see him there.

They said the woman then told her husband about the call and the previous approach. 

The sources said the woman’s husband was furious and demanded compensation from the official.

They claimed the diplomat gave the woman’s partner SBD$4,000 as compensation for his sexual attempts on the man’s wife.

 

MCC waste disposal gets approval

By JEFFREY ELAPA

 

THE National Government has approved the design and construction of deep-sea tailing pipe (DSTP) for Madang”s Ramu nickel and cobalt project, Ramu NiCo (MCC) has announced, The National reports.

The Environment and Conservation Department (DEC) and Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) gave the approval, the miner said in a statement.

MCC issued the statement in response to comments on DSTP and the blasting of corals along the route of its planned waste disposal pipeline using high explosives.

Fisheries Minister Ben Semri and Governor Sir Arnold Amet, in a joint media conference, said as leaders of the province, they wanted all environmental impact and social obligations made known to the people with consistent consultation among stakeholders.

They also pledged not to support activities associated with the blasting of coral life due to their harsh impact on marine life. 

The blasting was planned to be operated this month and next month by a PNG licenced blaster.

It would be carried out within an area of 50m long and 5m wide, with two blasts each operating day.

Meanwhile, Ramu NiCo said all environmental impacts were “never” done in isolation and DEC and MRA were aware of the progress including the implementation plans.

 Ramu NiCo said Brass-Resan-Candive, an American-Canadian Joint Venture contractor with vast experience in the engineering, procurement and construction of submarine tailing disposal facilities for international resources projects, had been contracted to carry out the Ramu DSTP.

The company said it would continue to work closely with all stakeholders to ensure Ramu DSTP was built according to high industry standard and best practices.

They said to minimise the environmental impact of tailings disposal of Ramu refinery at Basamuk, the neutralised wastes would be secured 150m undersea through the DSTP system and will include two pipelines with diameter of 800mm that will be laid on sea floor.