Aopi: PX, Telikom all out to compete

FLAG carrier Air Niugini is being “competitive probably of all the State-owned enterprises”, Gerea Aopi, chairman of Independent Public Business Corp (IPBC), said.
Telikom PNG Ltd was also very competitive, he added.
Mr Aopi made the observation last Friday during the opening of the State-owned enterprise (SOE) travel centre by Air Niugini at the headquarters at Seven-Mile in Port Moresby.
“We are now starting to be a little more competitive in the regulatory market,” he said as he encouraged heads of SOEs to lead their organisations ion being competitive and also to grab opportunities particularly in line with the PNG liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.
Mr Aopi also reminded his audience on the importance of paying dividends to shareholders and particularly the National Government, which holds majority of the shares in SOEs.
“You have a common shareholder and that is the Government and IPBC holds those shares in trust on behalf of the State.
“The return to shareholders is something we always look at and we expect SOEs to provide some dividends to IPBC and State.
He said the challenges to the SOEs were in terms of the pressure on the system – the utility – the power, water, among others.
Air Niugini chief executive Wasantha Kumarasiri, riding on the vote of confidence from IPBC, revealed Air Niugini’s redundancy and re-fleeting exercises and the domestic and international partnerships the airline was currently negotiating.