175 arrivals explained
By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
THE Government has clarified that the 175 workers from China who arrived in Port Moresby yesterday from the Philippines had complied with all Covid-19 entry requirements and hygiene protocols.
National Pandemic Response Controller David Manning said the Chinese workers had been working on Government projects in PNG and had gone home for a break before the pandemic struck. But they were unable to return until yesterday because of international flight restrictions.
They arrived on a Philippines Airlines flight around noon yesterday and were whisked away in buses to their hotels for the 14-day quarantine.
“Their arrival is not part of any repatriation exercise,” Manning said.
“All protocols were followed. It included testing prior to their arrival and isolation.
“And when they arrived, they automatically go into a 14-day quarantine in authorised hotels (as required) in the new normal measures.”
He said the workers had returned to complete Government projects.
“They are not here as trade store owners (or) other smaller investments. They will all be here for the next six to 12 months. No crew-change for them,” Manning said.
“We have taken all precautions to ensure we do not put (PNG) people at risk, hence the stringent restrictions and testing regime prior to arrival and during quarantine.”
He said the 175 were construction managers and workers of major Chinese state-owned enterprises engaged in major government infrastructure including a hydro-power station, provincial airport redevelopments, highway constructions and construction of the National Court and Supreme Court building.
The projects are funded by international funding institutions such as the Asian Development Bank.
“The fundings will be cancelled should we fail to complete these projects on time for whatever reason. We do not want this to happen as these are important projects that will have a positive impact on our people and country,” Manning said.
He said the country must return to normalcy with as little disruption as possible.
Manning added that other expatriate workers involved in important government projects around the country would be returning too.
“However, these will be done under stringent control measures,” he said.
Manning said new measures were in place for international travel.
“No person is permitted to board an aircraft bound for Papua New Guinea unless they have been tested for the Covid-19 within a seven-day period prior to boarding an aircraft, have been tested for the Covid-19 using real time reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests (and) their tests have returned negative for the Covid-19.”
25 comments
Hope they are doing and will do quality jobs for the people of this country.
Is this construction more vital than the lives of the citizen of this country? God!!, COVID -19 is real and lives are lost. Government priority is the development and soon or later this nation will be swept away by COVID – 19.
175 jobs to go to foreigners, why not 175 jobs going to Papua New Gineans. What a shame.
Allowing more expatriates into the country and the number of Covid 19 cases also increases…
Hope their work benefits the people of PNG.
Why China and not our closes neighbour Australia. Atleast some European Nation would be better. Chinese with their fake product, maybe png is a fake nation. Hope their work will last a decade.
Some fake products and cheaper quality checks jobs for them to do suck money and go
LUK OLSAM CASES BY INCREASE MORE YET NAU.
When you deal with loans from China, that is what happens – they have strings attached – that they will have to supply manpower, regardless. Most of those will say that they are engineers, scientists, accountants etc… but in fact they are lollipop man coming here as experts and will get the big pay packets sending the money back to mother land – China. PNG has enough experts who are more than qualified to do that job, but cannot because of the strings attached. The government seriously need to look into that. Why allow them? Do PNG not have any of those qualified personnel? I don’t think so. We have a lot of qualified PNGs who can do the job. Why foreigners???? PNG government seriously needs to look into foreign employees policy and sort this mess.
Fully support the sentiments put forward by Petrus.
This is ‘the prize PNG pays’ for dealing in such contracts.
Thanks very much for allowing them back to our country because they are the backbone for the development of the country.
Yes, true PNGeans have more than qualified people but no work ethics, clock in at 9 am and leave at 3pm type people, no client focused but status oriented type of people we are. If we think Papua new Guinean, we will have papua new guinean solution to papua new Guinean problems. Now we are not there yet so lets accept what is given.
Uncle, trupla tok. Papua New Guineans have the mouth to say all manner of things but we don’t have the guts to put our heads down and work hard to earn an honest living. We have the land. We have the resources. But we are just too lazy to get our hands dirty and work on the land. We expect too much free handouts, just laze around in towns and cities, and become nuisance and parasites to other people. Then we complain too much as if this country owe us anything. This Chinese are hard working people. So please don’t get jealous of them. We can’t go to China and do likewise because we don’t work hard like they do. We can work hard and defeat them because this is our land and we have everything on the with us. They are just guests in our country. Work hard for an honest living, mind your own lives and you will be blessed.
We don’t Chinese coming here to look for Work.
Why not recruit Chinese Lecturers who can teach our Kids in Universities to become Engineers, Doctors and in Agriculture to farm our rich beautiful Land. Rather than getting rubbish that increases the rate of unemployment amongst Papua New Guineans.
The PNG Govt must have a forecast for the future of this nation.
45 years pinis na babi tinting tumas.
Future of this country is in the hands of every every Papua New Guinean. We all must have a purpose in life.
I personally travelled to Beijing n climbed the great wall, meet a good number of people from the 27 provinces during my 10 days visit. Chinese people are very friendly and have good intentions for their friends. Virus pandemic can break out from any Country. Let’s not blame China. We are a Christian nation so be mindful of your comments n your views. There must be 100 percent TRUTH in what you post on this forum. Anything less is false and a lie.
Thank you Peter. We must think first and post only sensible, positive and encouraging comments.
Please ol govman mas tinting gut na mekim samtin, letting chinese in png the covid increasing, please try and looking forward to some big things like country development. we are still way back yet. funny lo yum yah please..
Lets not judge others but do something to bless other nations. PNG for all. God bless PNG and PNG bless others.
Uncle Jay, Beli and Peter Aglua I concur with you. PNGeans claim that you can handle everything in this country but we’ve not done it so far after 45years of independence, lots of PHD’s, Masters and Undergraduate degrees to date – our work ethics, discipline, management style etc has not been up to worlds’ standards yet.
Pointing one finger to the gov and rest come back to you. Just let the gov do the job and you do mine. Our words are louder then our action so don’t be worry just patrician see how country is running. THANK YOU.
In the meantime, PNG citizen cannot return home and are stuck in different countries around the world. Well done government. Tingim ol’ kongkong igo Pas long ol pipol blo yupla yet.
We don’t seem to care or we’re always on the wrong side of the deal. The Govt continue to get loan from China with strings tied. They dictate the terms and condition of the loan.
Reason provided by the controller is a coverup .Its about time we stop such deals and use this opportunity to create jobs for our people..
How can we take back PNG when we continue to entertain such deals .
Petrus and Uncle Jhay- You are all [utting something good out there for people!
Just one from Me: These 175 Chinese are almost all men, and will be in the Country for 12months!
Guess what? 175 Chinese Men x 175 PNG Girls =175+ Bastard Babbies!!! How Interesting!
Then, the cycle of Poverty, Unemployment, Petty Crimes, Bank Robberies etc Continuous FOREVER!
Gov’t is really UN-FIT to RUN this NATION. Yupla lukim too or am i the only one seeing this happening?
Moni blo baim ol wokmanmeri blo gapman ya.. em ol usim lo baim ol wokman blo napla country stap… na yet namba blo vovid 19 bai i go antap nau
I totally AGREE and concur 100% with Uncle Jay and Kaga FULLSTOP. We only have big mouth to criticize but majority of us are bunch of dishonest lazy people however, thumbs up to those very few minority honest hard working Papua New Guineans.
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