PNG Power to work with districts to light up homes

Main Stories

PNG Power Limited will work with districts to roll out electricity programmes, acting managing director Carolyn Blacklock says.
Blacklock said few districts had shown interest in working with PNG Power using their district service improvement programme funds.
“Since November last year, for us to have a successful start means connecting the actual houses and businesses. But it also means really good governance,” she said.
“If we connect houses and in three years someone does an audit and finds out that there were contractors and wiring is back or poor value for money, then we are not going to get this chance again.”
Blacklock has met 50 per cent of MPs to make sure they understood the role of PNG Power because of the increase in interest since the signing of the PNG electrification partnership agreement last year.
“Some people want to have their projects prioritised but we are after people who are committed, it makes it easier to work with them,” she said.
“We are seeing some community members come to us to assist them have their electricity supply. We need to ensure that the regulatory and the process are all very clear.”
Blacklock said PPL was mobilising funds from Kumul Petroleum Holdings to carry out the project.
“When we signed this agreement everyone was asking if the money was going to come. But it’s more than the money,” she said.