PPL chairman Nupiri steps down

PETER Nupiri says he is stepping down as chairman of the PNG Power Limited board of directors.
“I have been made aware from sources that last week, the National Executive Council revoked my appointment as chairman of PNG Power and has appointed a new board chairman,” he said in a statement.
“I have, therefore, decided to stand down from my role as chairman of PNG Power effective today (yesterday) to make way for the new chairman to take office once gazettal is sorted.”
Nupiri said he had enjoyed the 34 months as PNG Power board chairman despite the many challenges.
He said PNG Power badly needed capital investment to upgrade its aging infrastructure both in transmission and distribution, and power generation.
“The ongoing lack of payment from our largest customer and shareholder, the Government, does not make day-to-day operations easier as this affects our cash flow significantly,” Nupiri said.
He said the departure of acting managing director Carolyn Blacklock in 2019 “slowed much of the reform progress”.
“PNG Power has suffered from poor leadership and an unsustainable business model dependent on high cost, imported fuels and expensive IPPs resulting in a history of government bailouts, tariff increases and debt to prop the company up,” he said.
“Poor financial performance has been exacerbated with a workforce that has had no trust in leadership and thus turned to a militant union.”
He urged the Government to strongly support the PNG Power reform, especially the implementation of the least cost development plan, transmission master plan and the electrification plan as drivers to new investments, financing and projects.
“PNG Power and other SOEs must be allowed to operate independently with minimal political interference,” he said.