Chapman Freeborn to move LNG cargo

Partnership with Air Niugini

 

By YEHIURA HRIEHWAZI in Brisbane

 

ONE of the world’s largest air chartering companies, Chapman Freeborn, has entered into partnership with the national flag carrier, Air Niugini, to move construction cargo for the PNG liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, The National reports.

Chapman Freeborn has 32 offices in 22 countries and last year alone, it co-ordinated 5,000 charters, according to a statement on its website.

One of the aircraft being offered for use in the project is a large L-100 Hercules aircraft – one similar to the two from South America that were in joint-venture with Nationair in the mid-1980s to move cargo from Nadzab to Moro for the construction of the Kutubu oil fields and oil pipeline to the Kumul Marine Terminal in the Gulf province.

The cargo handling facilities are already available at Nadzab and it has anticipated that most of the PNG LNG construction cargo for the Southern Highlands will be airlifted out of Nadzab to Tari, Komo and Moro.

 The arrangement will provide Air Niugini with access to the international cargo charter market, allowing the airline to offer its clients freighter aircraft from third party operators managed by Chapman Freeborn.

Through the new venture, shippers and forwarders will be offered a one-stop shop for project cargo with main deck charter solutions to Port Moresby International Airport and onward connections to smaller airfields and unpaved strips across PNG.

Clients will also be able to utilise Air Niugini’s cargo capacity on their current scheduled passenger aircraft which offer the greatest frequency into the country.

The aircraft offer to the market included the highly capable L-100 Hercules which will be utilised to service specialised high altitude airstrips, to assist with the logistics relating to the development of a major LNG project and to supplement domestic cargo operations by Air Niugini’s Dash 8 freighter aircraft.

The L-100 Hercules is unequalled in its ability to lift up to 20 tonnes of cargo from unprepared and short airstrips.

Chapman Freeborn and Air Niugini are also studying a niche regional freighter for some of the smaller loads required in the country.

Shahe Ouzounian, Chapman Freeborn’s chief operating officer, said:

“We’re delighted that Air Niugini has chosen Chapman Freeborn as their partner in this venture.

“I’m confident that with their regional capabilities and unparalleled local knowledge, combined with our global expertise, together we will help to further unlock Papua New Guinea’s potential for shippers and forwarders worldwide.

“We are very pleased that this partnership allows the national carrier of Papua New Guinea to be an integral part of the air logistics involved in the LNG project in the country and we are proud of our association with Air Niugini.”

Air Niugini will, in turn, benefit from working in partnership with the world’s leading aircraft charter company.

Chapman Freeborn has a reputation for innovation, expertise and professionalism built up over 36 years.

BSP flaunts strength

Caption: The chopper flying the BSP banner across Fairfax harbour last Friday. It is the largest banner ever flown in the South Pacific. – Picture by ROCKY ROE

 

BANK SOUTH PACIFIC (BSP) last Friday showcased its innovation and strength by taking over the skies above Port Moresby city with the largest banner ever flown in the South Pacific, The National reports.

The seven-story high and 10,000sqft feet banner was flown above Port Moresby by helicopter where BSP was clearly seen and proudly showcased as “your bank”.

The largest banner fly-by was a reinforcement of BSP’s drive to transform into a modern bank.

BSP announced last year through its re-branding initiative that it was seeking to continue to grow from its position as a locally-owned banking group offering traditional banking services to its customers.

BSP has continued to grow its ATM network throughout PNG and aims at having more than 200 ATMs nationwide by year end.

The bank has also expanded its Pacific network with 29 branches in the Solomon Islands, Nuie, and more recently into Fiji.  

This year, BSP has launched an internal “transformation programme” aimed at improving all areas of its business.

Qantas' direct non-stop services to PNG

QANTAS has been swiftly given approval by the Australian government to operate direct non-stop services to Papua New Guinea, and has received all the seats that it requested, The National reports.

All 888 seats, or 12 weekly services with a 74-seat Bombardier, have been given the green light from the international air services commission, as there were no competitors who sought to block the move.

Interestingly, despite Qantas having requested the rights for its subsidiary QantasLink, the commission has given the carrier approval to also ply the route with its Jetstar brand if needed.

“Qantas is an established carrier which is clearly capable of obtaining the necessary approvals and of implementing the proposed operations,” the government in its announcement, said.

“This means that there is public benefit arising from the use of the entitlements.

“The commission will allocate to Qantas the 888 seats of capacity per week it has sought.”

Currently, Qantas code-shares on the route with Air Niugini, while Pacific Blue code-shares with Airlines of PNG.

Qantas plans to launch services in July this year.

This move is set to become QantasLink’s first international destination.

 

 

'We were conned'

Landowners frustrated over LNG participation

 

By JASON GIMA WURI

 

LANDOWNERS in the Southern Highlands province are becoming increasingly frustrated with the National Government over funds promised to them, and their lack of participation in the early works of the PNG liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, The National reports.

Landowners were promised K120 million in seed capital funding to start up businesses for their involvement in

the massive project.

It was because of this, and other financial commitments including K600 million for impact projects in the province this year, that they signed the umbrella and later the licenced-based benefits sharing agreements.

The signing represented the “green light” from them for the project to go ahead. 

Landowner leaders and even Government MPs spoken to admitted that the Government had promised 20% of the seed capital up front, but has failed to deliver.

“It is very disappointing for them, and I can understand,” a Government minister said.

 “Even the Department of Petroleum is so disorganised and not helping the landowners,” the minister added.

With the engineering, procurement and construction contracts (EPC) already determined, the landowners feel they will be spectators in their own land.

Some quickly negotiated and formed joint venture partnerships with foreign partners were now bidding for sub-contracts from the EPC contractors.

Yesterday, one group of landowners demanded not only their share of the K120 million, but also wanted the seed capital increased to K500 million.

The landowner representatives said after the Kokopo signing, they had realised that K120 million was not enough to divide among all registered landowner companies.

Chairman of the meeting and landowner Albert Mokai said no agreement or nomination of umbrella companies were made in Kokopo.

“We are here to cooperate and participate, but we want the agreement to be in our terms also and the State must respect the people,” Mr Mokai said.

 

Abduction claim surfaces at inquiry

PAPUA New Guinean border crossers were involved in abducting an Australian woman at gunpoint in the Torres Strait Islands recently, an inquiry has been told, The National reports.

PNG nationals, who are believed to be traditional border crossers, were also accused of crossing into the Saibai and Badu islands in the Torres Strait at will, “at any time they like, any time of the day and stay as long as they like”.

They were also accused of moving in and occupying 30 of the new 100 homes built on Badu Island and were involved in gun-running and drug smuggling – mostly cannabis.

The claims were made in a senate inquiry into matters affecting Torres Strait islanders on Thursday Island early last week and then heard further reports in Brisbane during the week.

Concerned about the reports, PNG’s consul-general in Brisbane Paul Nerau told The National he would make it a priority to visit Thursday Island and collect first-hand information regarding the situation on the ground and recommend a set of proposals to the Government on how best to deal with the problem.

Torres Strait regional authority chairman John Kris told the senate inquiry that islanders were basically without Australian police presence, which allowed Papua New Guineans to move at will and, recently, abducted a Sabai woman at gunpoint.

Torres shire mayor Pedero Stephen told the inquiry police response times were too slow because of travel times from their base on Thursday Island.

The five-man senate inquiry heard that the islands were vulnerable to border-hoppers from PNG, unresolved crimes and foreign diseases.

Reports in the past also pointed to drug-smuggling and gun-running between PNG and the Torres Strait Islands.

A 1985 Torres Strait treaty between PNG and Australia allowed for certain freedom of movement privileges among traditional border crossers.

Mr Nerau said the problem could be associated with lack of services on the PNG side of the border, but he would have to visit the area before making recommendations.

 

 

ABG now accepting election candidates

WRITS for the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) second general election were issued last Friday by the House of Representatives Speaker Andrew Miriki upon the advice of the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner Reitama Taravaru, The National reports.

This means nominations for the elections are now open and will close on April 2.

ABG President James Tanis was the first nominated candidate for the presidential seat.

Two candidates for the Atolls seat, one candidate for the Mahari seat and candidates for the Haku seats were also named.

Last Saturday, Hagogohe incumbent MP and Minister for Peace and Reconciliation Robert Hamal Sawa was nominated.

The Tsitalato seat saw the nomination of businessman Cosmas Sohia Ceetow.

Former Bougainville governor John Momis is expected to be nominated today along with with several other hopefuls.

Most candidates for the seats in central and south Bougainville will also receive nominations in their respective districts.

A total of 40 seats are up for grabs in this general election.

There are 33 single constituency seats, three seats for women representatives for north, central and south Bougainville.

 

How could Australia help Papua New Guinea break their 'Gordian Knot'?

From PAUL OATES

In ancient times, the Macedonian Greek prince Alexander, later called 'The Great', led his army into Asia and encountered a city whose doors were held together by a knotted rope. The knot in the rope was so complicated that legend had it that whoever undid the knot would be the city's ruler. Clearly a man who possessed 'lateral thinking', Alexander reportedly drew his sword and cut the knot to pieces and went on to take the city.
So what could be done to break the current impasse where it seems, nothing is happening to improve PNG's domestic woes? Continual complaining about the metaphoric knot holding up improvement will clearly not produce any change to the 'status quo'.
An impartial observer however, often finds it easier to highlight a significant problem than people who have already been grappling with it for some time. It seems a human trait that the more one is immersed in trying to understand the problem, the greater the risk is of losing objectivity.
It's a bit like looking at something from atop a mountain and, having become interested, walking down to have a closer look. After a while, you end up climbing over fallen trees and losing sight of whatever it was that caught your eye.
Solutions are also easier to understand if they are kept simple: that's the KISS principle; 'Keep it simple, stupid'.
To use yet another analogy, in Tokpisin a tok piksa, what might be the 'helicopter view' of what is happening in PNG at the moment?
Put simply, there is a lot of input of resources but few results. One could say that much of the effort to make things work better seem to vanish. Why is this so? as old Professor Julius Sumner Miller used to ask.
Clearly the well intentioned efforts and significant resources of entities such as AusAID are misdirected. The time has come when a change in direction is warranted.
While many PNGians despair at where their country is going, no real connection seems to exist between the vast majority of voters and those leaders who are determining PNG's priorities.
The sophisticated, urban elite is doing very nicely, thank you. But the urban poor are increasingly turning to crime to survive. And the rural subsistence farmers are almost totally disconnected from day to day events.
So what's the answer? Why not have some of the AusAID millions sponsor an effective communication program for the vast majority of PNGians? Roll out community radio and television facilities to each local area.
How would this work in practice? Well, each, self identified community would be required to specify a public meeting place where that community could meet each evening.
This could be a Local Level Government hall or perhaps an NGO or Church building. The community would elect a volunteer committee to apply for an equipment grant.
The application must specify who the volunteers were who would be held accountable for the equipment and guarantee the security of those who may freely attend. The program must also be self sustaining and would therefore require provision for ongoing maintenance and supply of subsidised items like a solar generator and batteries, light globes, etc.
An essential and significant point would be that this program must not be in any way associated or linked to any government body or authority. Each community would have understand that they, themselves were responsible for the security and upkeep of this public facility. There must be public ownership to ensure people will value what they themselves own.
This would not be a PNG government run arrangement and those who were required to run this program could well be recruited by AusAID from Service Clubs and Church organisations on a purely volunteer basis. School principals could for example, effectively use this program to help their students.
So might this work? Surely it couldn't be less effective than the current arrangement.
Any comments or suggestions?