Trucking firm stops services over ongoing holdups

TRANS Wonderland Limited, one of the major road transport companies in the country, has stood down all its trucks serving the Hides and Kutubu oil and LNG operations through the Komo, Tari, Nipa and Mendi roads yesterday.
Managing director Larry Andagali told The National the road from Mendi to Tari, especially the Wara Lai, Poroma, Tindom Hill and Nipa sections have turned into a “hell hole”.
Sections of the Nogoli-Kobalu road are in similar condition.
“These roads are the key supply routes to support PNG’s oil and LNG production and operations facilities,” Andagali said.
He said the company’s truck drivers were held up at gunpoint and ordered to return to where they were travelling from.
“In some instances our drivers were dragged out of trucks, stripped naked and robbed of their clothes, shoes and money.”
Andagali said the robbers also emptied fuel from rucks.
He said people in authority had disregarded such lawlessness in the resources areas.
“It does not take a rocket scientist to understand that PNG needs oil tax and oil production to continue to support the national budget.”
Andagali said the Government needed LNG taxes which would hit the national budget in 2019 and 2020 after all LNG assets depreciated under the “accelerated depreciation” clause in the gas agreement.
“PNG’s reputation hangs in the balance if the project cannot continue to operate because essential cargo to keep these operations going is delayed and cannot reach them in time.
“Such actions by our people must be condemned in the strongest possible terms and a senior citizen of Hela and Southern Highlands.”