Common ground is business: MD

By PETER ESILA
PNG Power Ltd managing director Flagon Bekker says there should not be any infighting in the organisation but common ground for the company should be its business.
Bekker, in his first meeting with the PNG Power Workers’ Union in Port Moresby on Friday, said now was not the time to argue.
He was asked during a meeting with stakeholders after his meeting with the union, about the issue.
“I believe that we have huge tasks ahead of us, we do not have time,” he said.
“Now is not the time to argue, let us agree on what our common goals are.
“There are things that we need to fix within and outside as well, in particular, theft.
“There is significant power theft problems in Papua New Guinea, costing the taxpayer K25 million a month.
“That is money not coming into the front door that I can pay.
“There are PNG Power people connecting power illegally.
“Most people do not have the electricity skills to do that, so I said to the union, I need your help, that money means jobs, salaries, bonuses, and the chairman of the union said whoever that is doing that, stop it.
“So for the union, the common ground has to be the business.
“If business is flourishing, we all will.
“Revenue must grow, profit must grow.
“We have aging workforce, happens all over the world.
“Because of this sector, most of the sector had deregulated.
“They had a very strong apprenticeship programme.
“This industry globally has problems with technical skills to replace the retirement, the answer is technology.
“At PNG Power we started the voluntary retirement programme.
“We looked at anyone 50 and above, offered them a voluntary.
“On top of that we offered an incentive, but it is pure voluntary.”