PNG Power Ltd can still do better

RECENT events and articles on social and the mainstream media about PNG Power Ltd (PPL) has prompted me to spark some serious discussions.
The former expatriate chief executive cited personal reasons for leaving PPL.
The one before him, an expatriate as well, gave similar reasons.
I believe they found it difficult to work because of the different culture of doing business in Papua New Guinea.
Things here aren’t the same as where they came from.
Perhaps, to further justify their actions, they got the employees to rebel against them by saying that the employees were involved in illegal power connections, which to me, is a lame excuse because that would be an internal management issue that the CEO is responsible to handle.
To me, PPL will continue to struggle.
We hear about the large amount of outstanding debts (in millions of kina) which had accumulated over several years.
The new extensions of the transmission and distribution lines will only add more pressure on PPL since it really needs sufficient funding to upgrade or carry out the much-needed maintenance of the existing infrastructures.
It should be noted that the Forex issue that the country had been experiencing is having great impact on PPL business.
After all, assets from power generation to transmission to substations to distribution and into businesses or domestic consumers’ properties, are all imported from overseas.
The high cost of fuel is not helping because PPL is running diesel generators and gas turbines right throughout the country and apart from the Port Moresby and Ramu systems that are profitable centres and are subsidising the operations of other centres whose operations are considered as breakeven or loss centres.
There is only one tariff applied throughout the country.
Successive governments had not helped much apart the former prime minister Peter O’Neill who purchased two gas turbines from Israel’s LR Group.
LR nearly squeezed more money from PPL, but it was unsuccessful.
Sadly, apart from the training during the installation by Israel Electric had not provided support (training) for PPL operation staff thereafter.
I hope the PPL board and the minister responsible are not looking at recruiting another expatriate CEO as PNG has enough personnel with MBAs who can do the same job as an expatriate, but at a lesser cost.
The information that the expatriate CEO used in his presentation to the business community are prepared and provided by the executive managers who are nationals.
There are those that came through in the CEO position in the likes of the late Lawrence Solomon, Tony Koiri, Chris Bais, Alex Oa and Douglas Mageo (who I hope PPL retain) amongst others, but due to politics, some were pushed out of the system.
I believe the PPL board should look at the performance of one or two of these guys and try them out because they have vast experience and knowledge of PPL business operations, having spent over 35 years or so in the industry.

Die Hard PPL Supporter