By MADELEINE AREK
THE management of Lae-based Lutheran Shipping Co has denied claims that it is losing business in the Momase region with the grounding of their shipping fleet.
The company said shipping rival Star Ships, which operated vessels along the Momase coast, did not have a business edge over them as it does not serve the same sea ports.
Kambang Holdings executive manager Joe Inara said the only ports they had a common interest are in Wewak and Madang but there was no competition.
He said unlike Star Ships, which served the main coastal ports of the country, Lutheran Shipping operates vessels in rural ports along the Morobe and West New Britain coasts in Madang and Wewak.
“We serve the rural people,” Mr Inara said.
Star Ships owns and operates the Queen ships in Solomon, Atolls, Buka, Kavieng, Rabaul, Kokopo, Kimbe, Pomio, Madang, Morobe and Alotau and barges Kuanua and Kondor.
They serve the Momase and New Guinea Islands region and Alotau and Popondetta.
Mr Inara also refuted claims that Bismarck Maritime posed a threat to them, adding the size of the ships and the services they operate are different from those offered by Lutheran Shipping.
“Bismarck Maritime has bigger vessels and barges.
“They used to operate passenger vessels but that was sometime back, now they do not do tha any more.
“Our ships are of smaller passenger vessels,” Mr Inara said.
He was reacting to allegations that the detaining of MV Maneba and Momase by the National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA) had been premeditated and was done to give business rival Star Ships an edge.
Mr Inara said decisions to have the two ships for the slipway were solely for safety reasons. He said the other ships currently undergoing maintenance were pulled out of the water by the company’s management and not NMSA.
NMSA is chaired by Bismarck Maritime owner Hamish Sharp.
His older brother Peter owns Star Ships, which operates Rabaul Shipping.