PPL boss quits after 20 months

PNG Power Ltd (PPL) acting managing director Carolyn Blacklock quit her job yesterday saying that she was making way for a more productive and healthy relationship with the Government.
In a letter to her team, she said in recent months: “PNG Power had suffered badly from lack of payment for electricity from our largest customer and shareholder the Government”.
Blacklock said PNG Power under her leadership for 20 months had been unable to achieve dispatching power from the commissioned low cost, clean gas-fired NiuPower Power Station.
“As a result, our costs have remained high and we are unable to sustain the double impact of continuing higher costs due to the failure to dispatch from NiuPower and Government not paying its way for electricity.
“I have made a very hard but strategic decision to stand down in the hope it allows relations between PNG Power and our shareholder to normalise and thus allow the reform of our company to continue.
“You have proven that when good people put their heads together, treat each other with care and respect and work hard, anything is possible.
“A change of the scale we have underway requires strong leadership from the board and management but it also requires collaboration and genuine intent from all of you, our customers, development partners, financiers and suppliers.
“You are all trusted to deliver. I am very proud of each little and large effort you have made as individuals and team to make PNG Power a better company.
PPL board chairman Peter Nupiri, who announced Blacklock’s resignation, told The National that she had stepped down as the acting managing director after being appointed by the O’Neill-government in January last year.
He said the board would meet soon to appoint an acting chief executive officer in the interim while recruitment would start for a replacement.
Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari in a statement last night, said: “I am not surprised with Carolyn’s blame game over her resignation.
“She is known to be involved in corporate and local politics and has a habit of undermining established processes and people in Government at all levels.”
Lupari claimed Blacklock undermined the Dino Power Project, owned by landowners from Southern Highlands, Hela, Gulf Western and Central from day one.