Leaders start shipping firm

 THE Morobe Coast Shipping Services Ltd was set up by the five MPs from the five coastal districts of Morobe to address the deteriorating Lutheran Shipping services in their electorates.

The five districts are Kabwum, Tewae-Siassi, Finschhafen, Nawaeb and Huon Gulf.

Sea transport to Finschhafen, Tewae-Siassi and Kabwum has been the main travelling mode for the people since Lutheran Shipping was set up by the church missionaries more than 120 years ago. 

The areas had been served well by the shipping and airline services but air transport had decreased in the past 15 to 20 years.

“The shipping services have deteriorated very quickly over the last five years due to the ongoing management and shareholder issues with Lutheran Shipping and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG,” Finschhafen MP Theo Zurenuoc said.

“While this is going on, the people living in the FISIKA area are finding it difficult to travel and to transport their produce to the markets in Lae or for government services to be delivered to the districts. 

Zurenuoc assembled a small group of people from Morobe and formed an advisory committee

The initial proposal was to set up an independent shipping business entity for the districts. The advisory committee was also requested to include Nawaeb and the Huon Gulf districts.

Three options were presented to the MPs for their consideration:

n Provide direct financial assistance to Lutheran Shipping in terms of funding injection or the provision of new vessels to the company;

n set up a joint venture company with Lutheran Shipping to help rejuvenate the company and provide funding and, Set up a stand-alone shipping venture to operate and service the coastal districts of Morobe.