Downturn affecting ops

BUSINESSES have been affected in the first half of this year because of not only the Covid-19 pandemic but also the downturn in activities such as mining operations, according to Bank South Pacific group chief executive Robin Fleming.
He tabled the group’s half year results in Port Moresby yesterday saying the main sectors affected were transport and tourism.
The downturn in activities included the closure of the Porgera gold mine in Enga and the 14-day suspension of the Ok Tedi mine in Western.
“All of the businesses have been affected,” Fleming said.
“In PNG, the main sectors have been transport, airline and road transport.”
He said road transportation was affected by the restrictions in movement in April and May.
“Another one is the hotel and accommodation sector,” Fleming said.
“Hotels have been very reliant on businesses related to travelling in Port Moresby.
“We have had a large number of businesses coming in to do work in PNG, and the hotels in Port Moresby have been extremely reliant on that segment.
“Outside of Port Moresby, we get a lot of smaller hotels and lodges which are reliant not on international tourism but domestic tourism.
“The change in the availability of flights makes it difficult to be able to travel and spend some time in accommodation and of course, uncertainty arises when we are talking about travelling from one province to another in a Covid-19 environment.”