New bosses named for telcos and PNG Power

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
ANDREW Johnson is the new chairman of the Kumul Telikom Holdings Limited board, according to Public Enterprise and State Investment William Duma.
He also announced yesterday that Carolyn Blacklock began on Monday as the new PNG Power acting managing director.
Duma said KTHL was now a big new company overseeing the operation and administration of State-owned telecommunication companies Telikom, PNG DataCo and bmobile.
He said Cabinet had restructured the telecommunication companies to come under one big company called KTHL – with only one board.
Duma said Johnson had a lot of experience in the industry.
He said Blacklock was currently the special adviser to Prime
Minister Peter O’Neill on infrastructure and major initiatives.
“Blacklock is a strong leader who we can rely on until a permanent managing director is recruited, to motivate the collective resources of PPL and our partners to deliver the goals and in doing so drive PNG’s economic growth and social development,” Duma said.
He said Blacklock began in her new position on Monday.
Kumul Consolidated Holdings Ltd will advertise the position of the PNG Power managing director in the open market “to allow suitable candidates to apply for the position”.
Duma said they would have appointed a permanent managing director a long time ago.
“But the PNG Power Workers Union always has issues with who we appoint. After all, the union is an important stakeholder in the running of PPL so we have to sometimes accept its views,” he said.