PNG ‘blessed with blackouts’

 GOROKA  MP Bire Kimisopa has described Papua New Guinea as a country “blessed with blackouts”.

He said that in questions addressed to State Investments and Public Enterprises Minister Ben Micah about the Ramu Grid.

“The supply and deliver of power in this country is a national disgrace,” Kimisopa said.

“We are blessed with so much in this country – the economy is growing, so many resources – but we are blessed with blackouts.”

Micah agreed with Kimisopa that people were “still in the dark” in many parts of the country. “Ninety per cent of people don’t have access to the grid,” he said. “They are in the dark, including people in the Markham Valley, Ramu Valley, along the ExxonMobil pipeline, where the source of energy is passing. (They) use bombom (coconut leaves) and kerosene lamps. PNG Power is providing electricity to five per cent of the people only.”

Micah said he would be presenting a comprehensive report to Parliament in the next session on the status quo of electricity in the country.