Saonu pushes for proper scanning of containers

By PISAI GUMAR
Morobe provincial government is talking to Customs and PNG Ports Corporation Ltd about getting the wharf container scanning facility project started.
Governor Ginson Saonu said officers from the provincial government discussed with the two organisations last Saturday on the building of the project for scanning of imported containers.
Saonu spoke after witnessing Ahi Investment Ltd giving K1.74 million to the Ahi Prudential Development Ltd, the trustee of AIL. The company also gave one bus and K20,000 each to the six Ahi villages.
It was the result of AIL’s success in stevedoring activities through Riback Stevedoring Ltd, in which AIL own 15 per cent.
Saonu said Riback Stevedoring needed proper container scanning facilities to make their job easier.
Meanwhile, the delay in the construction of the container scanning facility was raised during the Customs’ business consultative forum in Lae from Sept 26-27.
Saonu said the port was an important facility for imports and exports to and from Lae and overseas.
That requires immediate attention to be set in place to minimise security risks and encourage honest flow of the business in country.
Customs’ assistant commissioner modernisation William Sapak told the forum the Morobe government had made available three hectares of land for the project.
Elsewhere, Saonu said he met with Markham landowners on Tuesday regarding the statement by Minister for Public Enterprise and State Investment William Duma regarding the Ramu hydro-power project.
“I instructed the provincial administration to set in place a committee to address the matter and other outstanding issues,” he said.