State enterprises urged to step up

STATE Enterprises Minister Arthur Somare yesterday said the demands of the PNG LNG project will be massive and the Government will ensure that all State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) are in touch and have the capacity to deliver services such as water and power.
Mr Somare said these were exciting times for Papua New Guinea and SOEs would play an important role to help economic growth.
“We are now entering a phase of development never seen before and it is vitally important for SOEs to build their capacity and resources to deliver,” Mr Somare said.
He said that successful SOEs fuelled proper environments for investors, developers and businesses to operate, by way of having effective and efficient services.
Mr Somare was speaking at the end of a whirlwind tour of Port Moresby water manager/provider Eda Ranu’s new project sites and its water treatment plant at Mt Eriama, outside Port Moresby.
Eda Ranu will lead a multi-million kina project to upgrade Port Moresby’s sewerage system and would also be channelling its technical expertise and resources to supply water to the PNG LNG plant site at Portion 152 in Central province.
“With all these developments, it is important for SOEs to step up and be effective and efficient in the delivery of vital services such as water and power,” the minister said.
Mr Somare once described SOEs as “sleeping giants” who needed to focus on having strong management, strong boards and good governance to start making their own capital.
He reiterated these yesterday in the presence of media personnel who had accompanied him and Eda Ranu executives.
Eda Ranu general manager Billy Imar and board chairman Michael Enos led the tour that took the minister to Joyce Bay where the new sewerage treatment plant would be sited, to Portion 152 where the new water pipeline would run and to the Mt Eriama water treatment plant.