PNG to host and chair APEC in 2018

Papua New Guinea will for the first time host and chair the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in 2018.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill will formally announce this to APEC leaders in October this year when he attends the APEC Leaders’ Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

Peter O'Neill

In preparation for this major event, Cabinet in August 2012 established the PNG APEC Secretariat under the Office of the Chief Secretary to Government.

One million kina was allocated to start-up the Secretariat in its first year and Chief Secretary has appointed Mr Lahui Ako as the interim Director General for the Secretariat.

Since joining APEC in 1993, PNG remains the only member economy out of 21 developing and developed economies, yet to host and chair APEC.

All the member economies, (apart from Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei, who are Special Administrative Regions of China) have hosted and chaired APEC at least once since APEC was formed in 1989.

A draft Operations Plan for APEC PNG 2018 has already been completed by the PNG APEC Secretariat and circulated among stakeholder agencies and departments for comments and inputs.

Upon Cabinet’s endorsement of this plan, the Chief Secretary will convene the first national stakeholders’ meeting in March to formally commence preparations for this event. 

The government has also appointed Mr Ivan Pomaleu, Managing-Director of the PNG Investment Promotion Authority (IPA), as the new PNG APEC Senior Official. Mr Pomaleu takes over from Mr Ako, who had been acting in this role since September, 2010.

Mr Pomaleu’s appointment is in line with the government’s undertakings for APEC PNG 2018. 

Mr Pomaleu will now lead all PNG delegations to the APEC Senior Officials Meetings and will provide necessary policy support and advice to relevant Ministers and the Prime Minister, particularly during their participation at the APEC Ministers’ Meeting (AMM), the Meeting of APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT); and the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting (AELM).

Prime Minister O’Neill said he is very pleased with the progress so far as it will further propel PNG on the global stage as a very important player in economic and trade relations.

OTML spends K120 million on four new ships

By MALUM NALU

Ok Tedi Mining Ltd (OTML) will bring in four brand-new ships worth up to K120 million  over the next 12 months to carry bulk ore out of Kiunga, Western province, as well as bring in general cargo.

Manager of V-Ships (PNG), Jesse Som, revealed this in an interview with The National last weekend.

An OTL spokesperson confirmed yesterday that the company would be bringing in four new ships.

V-Ships, the largest shipping fleet manager in the world, already looks after mv Fly Hope, Fly Explorer, and Fly Warrior for Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) and will this year add the four OTML ships to its management.

The port town of Kiunga, Western province, on the banks of the Fly River, where copper concentrate from Tabubil is piped in for export.-Picture by MALUM NALU

“The OTML ships coming in, starting in June, are container ship Fly Reliance and bulk ore ships Fly Resilience, Fly Prosperity, and Fly Challenger,” Som said.

“They will be coming in between June and September 2013

“Three of them are being built at Patangas Slipway in Phillipines, and one is being built at Keppel in Singapore.

“While the three ships for OTDF were designed by a company called Shiptech, the four big ones for OTML have been designed by V-Ships subsidiary, Seatec.

“We (V-Ships) are designing, managing, and building the four vessels for OTML

“The four OTML ships will replace all the current OTML copper ships belonging to P&O, and Steamships.

“One of them will cost about K30m each,

“Ok Tedi will no longer hire ships from other companies like P&O and Steamships like it has been doing for the last 25 years.

“Ok Tedi’s going to save a huge amount of money by having its own ships.

“It costs about K60m annually use P&O.

“For the last 25 years, it’s been happening like that.

“That’s why I’m passionate about the project because at least we’re giving something back to the people of Western province and PNG.”

An OTML spokesperson said shipping was a vital and strategic component of the OTML supply chain.

“Both outbound saleable product and inbound materials essential to the mines’ operation move by sea and river on vessels chartered by OTML,” she said,

“Following a series of competitive sourcing activities in late 2010, OTML selected a naval architect for design, a shipyard for construction, and a ships manager to operate and maintain four new vessels - vital to our business.

“We pursued an option that was based on the acquisition of vessels jointly by OTML and OTDF, and a ships manager engaged to operate and maintain the vessels on the owner’s behalf.”

The spokesperson said the new vessels were purpose designed, optimised for Fly River conditions, including hull designs to reduce fuel consumption.

Pictures of a flight between Tabubil and Port Moresby

By MALUM NALU

These are pictures I took of our Airlines PNG Dash 8 flight between the mining town of Tabubil and Port Moresby, via Kiunga, on Monday this week, January 7, 2013.

Tabubil golf course

Last view of Tabubil

Tabubil airport runway

Tabubil River

Between Tabubil and Kiunga

Fly River meanders like a snake near Kiunga

Kiunga

Between Kiunga and Port Moresby

Mine communities to benefit from K135.8 million projects

Community mine continuation Agreement (CMCA) communities in Western province will benefit from five major projects worth K135.8 million starting this year, four of which are tied up with economic development.

Mining Minister Byron Chan last month approved last month approved the money for the five projects.

The funding was approved following a submission of the respective feasibility studies made by Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) last September following funding from the CMCA’s Western province people’s dividend trust fund (WPPDTF).

The secretary of the Department of Mineral Policy and Geohazard Management is the custodian of the trust fund.

The five approved projects are Pampenai Road rehabilitation in North Fly district (K27.5 million), Ningerum Foot Bridge across Ok Tedi River in North Fly (K6.5m), Lake Murray-Aiambak Road in Middle Fly district (K58.8m), and Middle Fly and South Fly health plan (K43m).

Part of Lake Murray, Western province, where a K59.8m road will link up with Aiambak.-Picture by MALUM NALU

Pampenai Road is a 15km road linking six villages which have large stands of mature rubber trees.

There are 106 rubber farmers from these villages registered with North Fly Rubber Ltd.

Ningerum Foot Bridge will be a 162m bridge across the Ok Tedi River which once completed will provide a safe crossing for the people of Nupmo trust region into Ningerum.

Work on the Aiambak-Lake Murray Road will be the first step in what is expected to be the redevelopment of the entire road, formerly Barramundi Highway, linking Kiunga.

It is expected that the road will support expanding rubber developments, barramundi farming, and sustainable forestry projects taking place in the Middle Fly.

The Middle Fly and South Fly health plan is primarily targeted at funding the provision of desperately-needed primary health care to ensure general health services are affordable and consistent with community values while encouraging community participation.

“It features back-to-basic health care in line with the National Department of Health Plan 2011-2020,” said OTDF chief executive officer Ian Middleton.

“The health plan will be coordinated through the Western province health steering committee.

“OTDF is also committed to implementing the provincial education plan and a submission for funding will be made to the WPPDTF in 2013.”

K82 million spent on Ok Tedi projects

More than K82 million has to date been spent on community mine continuation agreement (CMCA) trust investment projects to date, according to Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) chief executive officer Ian Middleton.

He revealed these figures at the launching of mv Fly Warrior at Sturt Island in South Fly and Obo in Middle Fly at the weekend.

mv Fly Warrior, CMCA’s latest investment at a cost of K19 million, powers up the Fly River last Saturday.-Picture by MALUM NALU

The money has been spent on three vessels, two Twin Otter aircraft, and a new housing estate and OTDF office complex in Kiunga.

“The actual amount of money spent is K82, 775, 168.68, which not only includes the three vessels and the two Twin Otter aeroplanes, but also a new housing estate and the OTDF office complex both in Kiunga,” Middleton said.

“These investments will generate an 8% return per annum on each investment.

“These investments are all in the Western province and therefore visible to the communities that are here.”

The investments are:

·        Two Series 400 Twin Otters (K34, 708, 548.32);

·        Fly Hope (K6, 898, 442.71);

·        Fly Explorer (K5, 941, 842.68);

·        Fly Warrior (K18, 678, 496);

·        Kiunga office complex (K8 million); and

·        Kiunga housing estate (K8, 547, 838.97).

Approval of these trust investments is made following approval by the CMCA advisory committee, which is made up of 18 community nominated leaders from the 156 villages in the eight trust regions and mine villages; and the OTDF board which includes the four associate directors.

Middleton said the CMCA trust investment projects derived income from Western province people’s dividend trust fund (WPPDTF), PNG Sustainable Development Program (K21.5 million each year), and direct contribution by Ok Tedi Mining Ltd (OTML).

He said relationships with the Fly River provincial government headed by Governor Ati Wobiro had generally been very good.

“The relationship with the provincial government is excellent,” Middleton said.