PNG Ports assists volcano disaster victims

(L-R) Chief Commercial Officer, Mr Ian Hayden-Smart, PNG Ports Chairman, Sir Nathaniel Poya, Talasea MP, Francis Maneke and PNG Ports Acting Managing Director, Mr Fego Kiniafa displaying the mock cheque of K100,000.00 during the cheque presentation ceremony at the PNG Ports Head Office Boardroom.

PNG Ports Corporation Limited (PNG Ports) has donated K100,000.00 to assist the West New Britain Provincial (WNBP) Government to re-open schools, aid posts and health centres in the volcano disaster area.

In thanking the Board and Management of PNG Ports, Member for Talasea Francis Maneke, during a cheque presentation ceremony on Wednesday in Port Moresby, said the funds will be used to assist re-open the schools, aid posts and health centres so that students will go back to school sooner and people can have access to clean water and medicine when they are resettled back to their villages.

Mr Maneke commended PNG Ports for the special recognition and support and praised the company on its successful business management, operations and continued growth in PNG and WNBP also.

The donation was recommended by the PNG Ports executive management and approved by the Board of Directors in their recent meeting.

PNG Ports management made this decision to reach out to the volcano disaster victims in WNBP after the recent Mt. Ulawun volcanic eruption were thousands of people have been displaced and in need of proper food, water and medicine supplies.

Acting Managing Director of PNG Ports, Mr Fego Kiniafa said “as a Good Corporate Citizen of PNG, and specifically WNBP, and as part of PNG Ports’ Community Service Obligations to the people of PNG were our ports are located, a donation to the sum of K100,000.00 was recommended to the Board for approval to assist the volcano affected citizens of PNG.”

“PNG Ports is seen as a leading Corporate Organisation in PNG and a Good Corporate Citizen and under its internal policy for Community Service Obligations is reaching out to the PNG citizens in times of disasters,” Mr Kiniafa stressed.

He said this was also in response to the Minister for Public Enterprises and State Investments, Sasindran Muthuvel’s appeal (The National newspaper, 02.07.19) to all corporate companies in WNBP to treat the situation as an emergency and assist in any way possible.

Minister Muthuvel said in The National newspaper dated Tuesday, July 2, 2019, page 6, that 10,675 people in WNBP were displaced at last count and people were struggling without proper food.

Mt. Ulawun volcano in WNBP erupted at 6am in the morning of Wednesday, June 26, 2019. The eruption has since ceased after 24 hours, however, it has forced the displacement of over 10,000 people due to the eruption.