Morauta: IPBC streamlined

OUTGOING Minister for Public Enterprises Sir Mekere Morauta says there is more purpose and direction in the Independent Public Business Corporation.
He told a dinner hosted for him by the IPBC last Thursday that when he took over the reins, his first task was to clean out IPBC and restore a clear purpose and direction to the organisation. 
“Central to the cleaning and strengthening exercise was amending the IPBC Act to restore proper governance and accountability to IPBC and to public enterprises,” Sir Mekere said.
“The amendments came into effect two weeks ago. 
“In nine months, IPBC has demonstrated that reform is possible. 
“Clear vision – political leadership able to navigate the political highways and byways and a committed and capable board with a professional management team to support it, were the foundation.
Sir Mekere said since August last year:
l    IPBC had opened its books to public scrutiny and published plans for rehabilitating public enterprises;
l    IPBC had reintroduced commercial discipline and has already paid K77 million in dividends to the State – Air Niugini’s first dividend in more than 16 years, of K6.4 million was paid to IPBC last Wednesday;
l    IPBC had also made inroads on improving port services, electricity supply, water and sewerage systems, and the national telecommunications network.
He said projects being delivered by IPBC, working in partnership with public enterprises and the private sector, included:
l    A K1 billion redevelopment of the Lae port to underpin economic development in Morobe and the Highlands region;
l    Examination of options to re-locate Port Moresby port;
l    Rehabilitation of Port Moresby power;
l    A K2 billion expansion to the Yonki hydro project to provide cheap and reliable power to Lae, Madang and the Highlands; and
l    A K500 million National Transmission Network that would connect provincial centres throughout PNG with fast and reliable internet services, paving the way for an information revolution. 
The government had already established the first base for this, with IPBC, PNG Power and Telikom collaborating to complete an optic fibre connection from Madang to Lae, which would open up high speed internet services to businesses and residents in Lae.