With Papua New Guinea’s leading provider, Nasfund, smallholder growers who provide Oil Palm to New Britain Palm now have the chance to save for retirement.

In accordance with the Fund’s Eda Supa product, an initial 700 smallholders have now signed up for these superannuation contributions under the arrangement - which was facilitated by NBPOL.

To celebrate this initiative, a ceremony was held last Friday, November 13, 2020, in Kimbe, West New Britain. In attendance were Nasfund representatives, NBPOL, smallholder growers, and the provincial government which saw the first payment of smallholder superannuation contributions.

The initial contributions of K100,000 were presented to Nasfund, by NBPOPL.

Nasfund Chief Officer Member Services, Anne Wilson, expressed her gratitude to NBPOL. “This strategic partnership with NBPOL now enables our smallholder growers to have peace of mind that their hard work will reap rewards when they retire, with superannuation savings now being contributed to Papua New Guinea’s leading superannuation provider, Nasfund,” she said.

“This occasion is even more special, as it is Nasfund’s first engagement with smallholder growers under NBPOL in this industry that is essential to the economy, not only in the WNB province but nationally as well. You now join our more than 500,000 members from across Papua New Guinea in saving for retirement who also save with Nasfund. With the smallholders now a part of the Nasfund family, they can also receive the benefits that come with saving with Nasfund - Annual interest paid on savings; Access to the Housing Advance Scheme; Discounts at our Membership Discount Program partners; Access to our Member Online Portal; Access to our branch facilities here in WNB, and our Call Centre; Access to our Savings & Loan Society, NCSL – who are the leading Savings & Loan Society in the country.”

She added, “This is only the beginning of a long-term partnership to provide leading superannuation services to our people, wherever they are, in whatever industry they are in.”

Following a stringent process, the Tari Piwa Poultry Farm has achieved the leading global accreditation for food safety and quality, as accredited by the Hazard analysis and critical control points, or HACCP.

This is a global certification for quality and safety, including for storage, slaughter, processing and the sales and marketing of poultry products.

With this accreditation, the farm can sell its products to high-value clients, the like of Exxon, Oil Search and others.

Developed under a partnership between Hela Provincial Government and the Agri-Business Developer Innovative Agro-Industry (IAI), the Tari Piwa poultry farm is a modern farm that features a slaughterhouse and stock-feed production facility. This includes full downstream processing and marketing of quality products.

The farm has been in operations since 2016 under the brand Anderson’s Highlands Produce. From the beginning of 2019, the Tari - Piwa farm is managed by a born and raised manager from Piwa, Mr. Ben Ekopia.

Mr. Ilan Weiss, Executive Director of IAI said “This is an important critical milestone for the farm. This accreditation was received notwithstanding the many challenges faced by the farm with the situation on the ground. Innovative Agro Industry Limited, together with our partners at Hela Provincial Government are committed to providing poultry products that consistently meet our own and our customers’ high expectations”.

Left to right; Chairman Charles Vee, Julienne Leka-Maliaki; Doris Gedare

Julienne Leka-Maliaki and Doris Gedare join Nasfund board, the former to the Board of Trustees National Superannuation Fund Limited while the latter as Board Secretary. Leka-Mallaki replaces former director Hulala Tokome as an Independent Director.

Leka-Mallaki has over 26 years of experience in trade investment facilitation, private sector development, policy development, economic governance, and development cooperation. Presently, she handles the management and oversight of programs under the Australian Government’s Economic & Inclusive Growth Program.

Meanwhile, Gedare replaces Jack Parina who has gone on to explore other opportunities. For six years, she worked as Nasfund’s Manager Legal and has a law degree from the University of PNG and has been a practising lawyer for the last 20 years.

Nasfund Chairman Charles Vee welcomes them both to the board.

“We look forward to Julienne’s contributions and working with her for the best Interest of our members,” he said. “With the appointment of Julienne Leka-Malaki, we now have a good gender mix of three female Directors on the Board, the other two being Directors Florence Willie and Tamzin Wardley. This reflects my Board’s recognition of the experience, value and worthy contribution Women Directors bring to our Board.”

On Ms Gedare, he said, “We are confident Ms Gedare will continue to build on the good work commenced by her predecessor and look forward to her contributions.”

On November 5, ANZ opened its new corporate centre in Goroka.

Managing director, Mark Baker, said the new centre services its institutional and corporate clients in Eastern Highlands Province, putting special emphasis on the coffee export industry of the PNG. He also highlighted how Goroka has been at the height of the coffee export industry for decades, making a name for PNG.

He remarked that even if the ANZ model has changed, they still maintain their commercial and corporate presence.

Baker said, “And we’re still a major supporter of agriculture in general, whether it be coffee, whether it be palm oil, cocoa or tuna. But coffee is something which I believe, has such a promising future because of the quality of the product that comes out of PNG.”

Baker also added that local coffee buyers make up for a very huge and important part of the supply chain where they need a secure atmosphere for their banking needs. The facility provides such a service, never before seen in Goroka.

Furthermore, Eastern Highlands Governor Peter Numu expressed gratitude to ANZ for choosing Goroka, saying that the warm welcome of the people can bring about a safe environment where businesses can grow.

Bire Kimisopa and his wife, Governor Numu, Baker and Bank of PNG’s assistant governor of financial system stability, Ellison Pidik officially opened the building.

Steamships Limited has a history of supporting the fight against family and sexual violence (FSV) through its pioneer sponsorship of the Coalition for Change, an Advocacy Group that in 2013, successfully lobbied for the introduction of legislation to address FSV. This was a breakthrough, as for a long time FSV was seen as a ‘personal issue’ that needed to be treated with sensitivity in the absence of clear and appropriate legal recourse. The Family Protection Act enabled a change in thinking to view FSV as a critical staff welfare concern, an impediment to business success, and a scourge on community development. Over a five year period, Steamships has evolved in to one of several PNG businesses that are leading the corporate sector’s charge against FSV. Not only have they invested in a range of initiatives to support their own staff impacted by FSV but also the broader community. Steamships are sharing their story of evolving FSV support in the hope that other businesses will be inspired to take similar action.

Steamships’ FSV support journey evolved with its association with the 2014 founded PNG Business Coalition for Women – a collection of businesses that have become the corporate sector’s ‘go to’ resource for gender equality services and training. Steamships is a founding member of the ‘Coalition’ and its 2013-2014 General Manager for Shipping, Susana Germino, was a founding director and a champion of its development of several important ‘gender smart’ policies.

It was through the Coalition that Steamships became involved in Bel Isi PNG, a women’s refuge (seif haus) and FSV case management centre established in Port Moresby in 2018. Originally conceptualised in 2016 as a corporate-funded entity to service staff of subscribing businesses, Steamships Managing Director Peter Langslow was one of the driving forces on its steering committee. It was from Langslow’s early work helping to establish Bel isi PNG that Steamships helped position FSV as a very public matter and one highly deserving of both business and government attention.

“FSV is not a private matter but a very public one because it impacts all of us – individuals, families, communities, businesses and thus our entire country” explains Executive Director of the Coalition, Evonne Kennedy. She credits Steamships, together with Oil Search and BSP, as being the three businesses that contributed the most to the establishment of Bel isi PNG. Many significant contributions were made including BSP’s donation of the seif haus facility, Steamships’ provision of a rent-free location for the case management operation (the first in Port Moresby), and Oil Search’s project management and governance support.

Importantly, the initial Bel isi PNG concept soon evolved to include service provision to the general public in addition to staff of subscribing businesses. As such, the 14 businesses with a Bel isi PNG subscription are helping provide women and girls from all over Port Moresby with critically needed FSV support services. Steamships Chief Operating Officer, Rupert Bray, describes a Bel isi Subscription as an “exceptional opportunity for businesses to ‘walk the talk’ when it comes to showing genuine commitment to addressing FSV both in the workplace and in the community.” To date more than 600 women have utilised Bel Isi services. Steamships continues to play a significant role at Bel isi PNG with current MD Michael Scantlebury being represented on its board.

Steamships Group HR Manager, Seini Fisi’ihoi, admits that despite its excellent corporate citizenship around Bel isi PNG and a long history of being an employer of choice, it wasn’t until early 2019 that Steamships introduced a formalised and structured system of support for its own staff. “We already had our policies against sexual harassment and violence in the workplace, as well as an overarching code of conduct but we didn’t have anything that specifically addressed FSV until we implemented the Coalition’s FSV policy which included selecting our FSV contact teams and undertaking all of the necessary training.”

“Like many of the Coalition’s other member businesses, Steamships had a history of responding with compassion and doing what it thought was best when their staff presented with FSV” says Kennedy. “What is different now is that Steamships’ response is informed by a best practice FSV policy and underpinned by very specific training, enabling it to not just respond compassionately but professionally and systematically as well.” This is confirmed by Fisi’ihoi when she describes how Steamships’ FSV Contact Teams can literally swing in to action. “They understand the referral pathways and know what to do and who to call. They work together on behalf of the impacted staff member with their Bel Isi PNG contact person. We may have the natural compassion and influence to help individuals but significantly, our Bel Isi PNG subscription gives us a great sense of assurance that our staff and their situation is now being managed by experts.” The subscription also entitles Steamships to an ongoing range of refresher courses and workshops.

Similar to other businesses that have implemented the Coalition’s FSV policy and identified and trained FSV contact teams, Steamships staff who are experiencing FSV are able to take advantage of a number of significant support mechanisms such as flexible work arrangements enabling them to take paid time off for hospital, case management and counselling appointments, as well as court attendances; relocation to another department or business (even in another province); security arrangements; as well as safe transport. “Our female employees play a central role in the success of our business and we want to ensure they continue to do so as their male counterparts would” emphasises Fisi’ihoi.

Early in 2020, Steamships implemented another of the Coalition’s programs to enhance the safety of its female workers. Its marine services business, Pacific Towing, rolled out ‘Gender Smart Safety’ a program aimed to maximise the physical, psychological and occupational safety of its female employees. Although the program doesn’t solely focus on FSV it does help Pacific Towing identify and then mitigate the potential risk of FSV. As such, the focus of Gender Smart Safety is on FSV prevention as opposed to response. The extent to which Gender Smart Safety will be implemented across other Steamships businesses is currently being discussed.

Bray says that Steamships is investigating what else it can do in the FSV space. “Within our businesses we are looking at ways to improve our support system. For example, effective communications across multiple businesses all over the country is a challenge and we still have staff who are not fully aware of the numerous ways in which we can support them. This obviously needs to change. Unfortunately, this problem is exacerbated by the huge holes in PNG’s FSV support system. There aren’t for example, women’s refuges and case management services in every location in which we operate, nor are there FSV units at every police station, or FSV centres at every hospital.”

Agreeing that there is only so much that the private sector can do to ‘plug gaps’ in the Nation’s FSV support system Bray still believes that there is scope for companies like Steamships to do more. “We can for example encourage businesses in our supply chains and distribution networks to introduce similar FSV initiatives to our own. Likewise we can use our Community Grants Program to channel funds into community FSV initiatives and urgently needed training.”

The Steamships Group, notably one of PNG’s oldest and most successful companies, is one of PNG’s strongest advocates of FSV support programs for both its staff and the broader community. Acknowledging its own FSV initiatives as a ‘work in progress’ Steamships is committed to refining and improving its staff support mechanisms and exploring additional ways in which it can facilitate enhanced FSV service provision in the community.

Pacific Towing (PacTow) has nearly 40 years’ salvage experience in not only its home country of Papua New Guinea but in the waterways of many countries in Oceania and South East Asia. Whether working in partnership with international operators, or individually, PacTow has considerable open ocean, coastal and also river and estuary salvage expertise and capacity. The company is a full member of the International Salvage Union and the International Spill Control Organisation.

PacTow built its salvage capacity in the 1980’s through early joint venture partners, Howard Smith Towage and United Salvage. Initially, United Salvage undertook the major salvages in PNG using PacTow crew and equipment supplemented with plant, tugs, salvage master, salvage engineers and other technical personnel from Australia where required.

General Manager, Neil Papenfus, says that the company’s salvage capacity and expertise has grown considerably with each operation since the 1980s. “In terms of vessels, we now have a fleet of 15 tugs, four of which are central to the majority of our salvage work. We also have a low draft vessel which is ideal for shallow water salvage operations in rivers and estuaries, such as one we’re working on right now on the Fly River. Our fleet of tugs is complemented by numerous additional support vessels, including dedicated dive vessels and a barge fitted with a 150 tonne capacity crane.”

When it comes to personnel, Papenfus is appreciative of the 200+ PacTow team, 97 per cent of whom are Melanesian. “We enjoy a position of market leadership in Melanesia because of our staff, many of whom have been with our company in excess of 10 years. No one knows the waterways and weather patterns here better than the locals and because of their longevity with our company, their salvage experience is the best in our region.” Critical to PacTow’s salvage capacity is its internationally trained and accredited commercial dive team, with members having worked on salvage operations as far afield as New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Solomon Islands.

The company’s salvage capacity is complemented by its spill response capabilities. PacTow is a member of the International Spill Control Organisation and partners with ‘sister’ company and global operator, Swire Emergency Response (SER) on spill control and prevention in PNG.

SER stores its oil spill response equipment (e.g., booms, skimmers, pollutant recovery and storage pods) at PacTow’s dedicated tug base in Port Moresby for ease and speed of deployment. Both SER and parent company Swire Pacific Offshore (SPO) also provide PacTow staff with valuable training.

Although not immune to the impacts of COVID-19, PacTow is still managing to crew and despatch its vessels and has additional capacity to support other marine service providers and salvage operators in the region. It has proactively and strategically deployed assets to four major PNG ports in a ‘standby’ capacity so as to better provide rapid emergency response, salvage and spill services when required.

To learn more about PacTow’s salvage capabilities, as well as its breadth of other marine services: www.pacifictowingmarineservices.com.

Father of four and midwife at Susu Mamas Clinic in Lae, Simon Amos, is proud to be providing maternal and child care to mothers and babies in PNG's second-largest city.

After working as a nursing officer for 10 years, Simon was inspired by a tragic personal experience to pursue midwifery studies and support better health outcomes.

“My niece went into labour in Markham [57km outside of Lae] and had to be brought over to Angau Memorial General Hospital. She passed away on her way to the theatre,” Simon recalls.

“This motivated me to become a midwife and serve the people back home”.

Simon completed his Bachelor of Midwifery at Pacific Adventist University in early 2020. He is one of 40 Australia Awards In-PNG Scholarship midwifery and nursing awardees sponsored by Newcrest since 2017.

The partnership between Newcrest and Australia Awards PNG contributes to workforce development and health service delivery. It also supports capacity development at PNG tertiary institutions.

Health Service Programs Manager at Susu Mamas, Caroline Ninnes, welcomed the support from Newcrest and said, “Susu Mamas is grateful for Newcrest’s support for midwifery training in PNG. As a non-profit organisation, we welcome all private sector support at times when access to funding is challenging.”

Now with new skills on hand back at Susu Mamas, Simon is ensuring that mothers and newborn babies from across Morobe are in good health.

“I examine especially the newborn babies to ensure that they are breastfeeding well and [also] perform neonatal checks,” Simon explains. "Many mothers come to our clinic because they appreciate the full service we offer. We assist and perform [all necessary checks] just as we were taught in the [midwifery] course."

To build on the skills and knowledge acquired during study, Simon recently participated in a workshop organised by senior nursing officers of ANGAU Memorial General Hospital to review antenatal and maternal health care in Morobe Province. Simon hopes to work in a labour ward in the future so he can apply his expertise as widely as possible.

"The support from Newcrest and Australia Awards has allowed me to gain knowledge about identifying problems that mothers face. This now allows me to identify problems in the early stages and quickly refer them to doctors.

“This I believe, contributes to reducing maternal deaths in our country."

Simon hopes he can set an example for other Papua New Guineans to follow in his footsteps and contribute to community health.

“I encourage other male nurses across PNG to not be afraid to take up midwifery. We can make a difference, especially in remote areas.”

A strategic partnership aims to provide affordable medical access to members of Papua New Guinea’s leading superannuation provider, Nasfund.

Through the PIH-Nasfund Healthcare Partnership, active nasfund contributors, and their beneficiaries can take advantage of discounts at the PIH Clinics in NCD, as well as the Lae International Hospital in Morobe province.

These include the following;

50% discount on GP consultation,

50% discount on Specialist consultation,

20% discount on laboratory and radiology services,

20% discount on total costs incurred for in-patients

10% discount on Pharmacy services

Free Eye checks

Free Dental checks

The agreement sealing this pannership was signed by CEO’s of both organizations, in Port Moresby today.

According to Nasfund CEO Ian Tarutia, the partnership, which comes under the fund’s Membership Discount Program (MDP), aims to make healthcare more affordable to Nasfund members, in these major centres, during these difficult times.

“2020 has been a year where the need for access to quality, affordable healthcare has become more evident. And as the leading superannuation provider in the country, we took it upon ourselves to ensure that we partner with a medical provider who can provide value added services for our members, the majority of who are in the private sector, and who reside in both NCD and Morobe provinces.

All our members have to do is to provide a valid Nasfund membership card when accessing services at PIH in Port Moresby, and Lae international Hospital.

This is all part of adding value to our members especially when health and wellbeing is a focus for many of us at this time. In order for members to enjoy their wealth tomorrow, they must be healthy today. We take care of them today, so that they are ready for tomorrow.

We would like to thank the Management of PIH for coming on board through the Nasfund MDP, and we look forward to a long partnership, for the benefit of our members."

In the last quarter of 2019, PNG Air provided the Aviation Industry with a crucial Media Release: the company received approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

EASA has the pivotal role of carrying out certifications, regulations and standardisations while also performing investigations and monitoring. It also works on an international scale with other aviation organisations and regulators being its core “Your Safety is Our Mission”.

This incredible achievement came out as a result of the intensive EASA audit that was performed on all the PNG Air maintenance, training, quality and procurement procedures.

So, what does this mean from a practical point of view?

The airline will be now able to conduct maintenance for the ATR 72, Dash 8 aircraft and additional components. This also means PNG Air can now perform maintenance for any airline accepting EASA approvals.

For PNG students willing to commence their career in the Aviation industry this opens an incredible opportunity to seek a spot to start their training at Aviation Australia (Brisbane International Airport Precinct Campus). Currently holding an EASA Part 147 approval, the training organisation is the only one Australia wide delivering the “Aircraft Maintenance Engineering” (AME) program under Mechanical and Avionics streams.

By successfully completing 90 weeks of training (1242 hours of theory & 1164 hours of practical delivered on fully owned aircraft) students will be able to obtain:

EASA Certificate of Recognition (pivotal to start working in the Industry)

Journal of Experience (recording all maintenance training)

Reduction in obtaining licence (only additional 2 years of OJT required)

Diploma of Aircraft Maintenance Engineering

This course will equip PNG students with the technical knowledge and skill set required as per EASA standards to be working into a Maintenance Repair Organisation (MRO) and will definitely represent an asset not only for the ones looking at starting their career in the Aviation Industry but also for the companies willing to employ highly trained personnel.

Aviation Australia has currently closed all 2020 intakes, but applications are now open for 2021 (only January – April – September classes available).

For any additional information visit: https://www.aviationaustralia.aero/engineering-int/ or contact intl.info@aviationaustralia.aero

At James Cook University Brisbane, we try to instil a real community spirit into our students, embracing cultures from all over the globe and celebrating diversity. A recurring theme with our international students is the desire to inspire others from their home country. One student who has taken this to new levels is Michelle Numambo Joseph who has turned to sport to influence change in her native Papua New Guinea. Michelle, daughter of Mary Tali-Joseph and the late Joe Lama Joseph is immensely proud of her heritage and her deep roots with the Gabone Kilivana Rugby League team.

Her father, Joe Lama Joseph, comes from mixed parentage of Gabone Village and Kameneku Tribe, Simbu Province in the Highlands of PNG. Michelle’s mother, Mary Tali-Joseph, is full parentage of Gabone Village. They are from the Boloko and Gimulu Clans respectively in Gabone Village. Throughout Michelle’s upbringing her parents have been an integral part in supporting Gabone Kilivana.

Michelle has fond memories as she recalls her father first taking on the responsibility to manage a local rugby competition in Gabone Village. That was the beginning, but her father was optimistic for the team and did not want to stop at a village level.

“He brought the team to participate at a district level competition at Kwikila Station where it was formally affiliated with the PNGRFL. This was the Southern Zone 9's ‘Somare Cup’ competition which was sponsored by the Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare. My father took the team to the next level; he rallied the boys up and they competed at the Lloyd Robinson Oval, now known as the National Football Stadium of PNG. They were undefeated until they lost in the Cup Finals. They returned the following year and again, unfortunately, finished short at the Cup Finals.” says Michelle.

Studying at James Cook University Brisbane, Michelle was far from the action but wanted to continue supporting a team with whom she grew up. As a former Student Association Leader, Michelle is a well-known and important part of the university community. When she reached out to me for assistance with supporting the Gabone Kilivana Rugby League team, I knew it was a cause we wanted to support. James Cook University Brisbane was able to donate training shirts for every member of the squad.

“To gain the support from a prestigious institution like James Cook University Brisbane is surreal. Even putting on the branded t-shirts makes them feel a part of the JCUB community already. Nonetheless, it definitely boosts their confidence to keep aiming high. I am humbled and proud to share my privilege as a JCUB Alumna with my local community,” Michelle says proudly.

The players have since received these shirts and are thrilled with the donation. In an official statement, a representative of the Gabone Kilivana Rugby League Association said, “The day that all the players have been looking forward to has finally arrived."

As another weekend of footy has come to an end, The Gabone Kilivanas have also wrapped up their first weekend of footy on a high note.

It was a great feeling and sight to see the majority of the community and families come together after almost a decade to witness the first football match with so much hype and enthusiasm.

The players and officials were quite exhilarated to finally put on their t-shirts that were proudly donated by James Cook University Brisbane. As streamed in the video, the entire team of Gabone Kilivana and the Village have extended their gratitude and appreciation once again towards the Management and Staff of JCUB for their invaluable support”.

This wonderful initiative by JCUB Alumna student, Michelle Numambo Joseph is something that everyone at James Cook University Brisbane is proud to be part of. A small donation here in Brisbane, Australia has created a huge impact in Gabone Village, Papua New Guinea bringing a community closer together.

Written by Mr. Tom Collin – Student Marketing Officer for Papua New Guinea at James Cook University Brisbane

A group of Certificate IV in Business students from Papua New Guinea who have limited computer experience are revelling in the challenge of online learning in the wake of COVID-19.

The 10 students, who arrived in Rockhampton to study Business and English with CQUni in March, are just some of the thousands of students who are now studying online because of the coronavirus pandemic and for them it is truly a unique experience.

Student Danny Nos, like the others in his class, have some experience with computers, but very little experience with online training.

“I am new to experience the online classes, but it is interesting and exciting to me, when we see ourselves in the screen,” he said.

He said when he wasn’t studying, he and other PNG students were living at the Residential College at CQUni’s Rockhampton North campus.

“Living at the res college is all good, but when it comes to dinnertime, we have to sit two meters away from each other and one long table will only seat three people,” he said.

He hoped to return to PNG and become an ambassador for tertiary education.

“I want to go back to my country and implement the new ideas and skills to make things happen,” he said.

Jerusa Tilau also found positives in learning her course online.

“I have a basic knowledge of computers, but with online I am learning a lot of new stuff too, which is great,” she said.

“I can learn anywhere and it’s fun too. I hope to have a much broader knowledge about business and of course, an Australian qualification.”

Batshiba Tallis said she enjoyed the newness of the online classes.

“I have never experienced anything like that before,” she said. “I like it because I can stay anywhere but still have access to all the learning materials and lectures from the teacher.”

She said although she understood the need for social distancing, she did miss connecting with other students.

“It is a little bit awkward because we were asked to keep social distancing of about 1.5 meters to 2 meters in every corner of the res, even in the hall, so there is less communication and we can’t get to know the other international students,” she said.

Teacher Narelle Tamblyn said although the students had adapted well to the online training and were progressing well, they were starting to feel the impacts of social isolation restrictions because of COVID-19.

“CQUniversity is a holistic experience made up of academic study and social networking and the students are finding the social restrictions difficult,” she said.

“Hopefully things will improve soon and they can get back to socialising together.”

East West Transport (EWT) continues to expand its fleet and secure additional ISO accreditations despite the challenges and uncertainties of PNG’s current business environment. One of the country’s largest logistics companies, EWT deployed 14 brand new fuel trucks to Lae, Wewak and Madang in September to service the extension of its five-year contract with Puma. November will see the arrival of three more EWT trucks for new client, Total.

The company’s 2020 fleet expansion follows last December’s arrival of five new rigid side-loaders for Coca-Cola Amatil’s Port Moresby operation. “Our growing fleet not only gives us the capacity to provide a consistently high quality and reliable service to our clients but it also enables us to employ and further capacity build our staff” says EWT General Manager, Gary Dobson. One hundred percent of EWT drivers are PNG Nationals and they all undergo a rigorous training program.

EWT is the only logistics company in PNG with its own driver training simulator. The simulator, which has been central to the training of hundreds of EWT employees, has a dashboard display in accord with Kenworth, Howo and Hino trucks. Experienced EWT drivers as well as novices receive simulator training. “Having our own simulator gives us an edge with regard to both training and safety in comparison to competitors” says Dobson. “It enables us to train and evaluate our drivers before they commence on-the-job training out on the road – safer for our staff, safer for our communities and better for our vehicles.”

In addition to expanding its fleet, EWT is also expanding its suite of ISO accreditations. The company was already 14001 (Environment) and 18001 (Health & Safety) accredited leading in to 2020, but June saw it gain both 9001 (Quality) and 45001 (OH&S, superseding 18001) accreditations too. EWT is the only logistics company in PNG with all three of these accreditations, attesting to its professionalism and commitment to continuously improve its operations.

The recent recruitment of National Transport Manager, Philip Burke, will further drive EWT’s professionalism and operational capacity. Burke, who has 30+ years logistics experience including time in PNG, took up his post in Lae in August. He is working closely with sister companies in shipping (Consort Express) and stevedoring (JVPS), enabling the provision of highly valued end-to-end logistics solutions not just in Lae but throughout the country.

To learn more about East West Transport including its new fleet and enhanced capacity to service diverse clients across multiple industries: www.eastwesttransport.com.pg.

Ark Pacific is celebrating 10+ years of delivering all kinds of fit-for-purpose modular buildings throughout Papua New Guinea. Specialising in camp accommodation and office complexes for the resource sector, the company has a reputation for successfully delivering their projects no matter how challenging the building scope or remote the location.

Ark’s modular building systems have gained considerable traction across PNG since they were first introduced during the LNG construction phase for a 1,000 man multi-storey accommodation complex and associated support buildings. Numerous and diverse Ark buildings can also be found on the gold mining island of Lihir where Ark has been successfully delivering projects for their client for four years. Currently, Ark Pacific is part way through the delivery of a new two-storey camp on Lihir to accommodate 750 personnel.

Although Ark has two distinct modular building systems – Flat Pack and Solid System (‘Ready Box’) –it is their innovative flat pack system that is primarily driving Ark’s success. Ark’s flat pack buildings are quicker to install than any others available in PNG – taking a minimal workforce hours per unit not days. The rapid assembly speed minimises construction time and therefore drives down overall project cost.

Importantly, unskilled labour forces are also able to be quickly trained in Ark Pacific flat pack assembly. The company is experienced at partnering with landowners on construction projects and capacity building their local workforces. Furthermore, clients can choose their own installation team or have Ark Pacific organise this for them.

It is not just assembly speed and the ease at which local workforces can be utilised in their construction projects that makes Ark’s the ‘perfect flat pack for PNG’. Another key advantage of the company’s flat packs relates to transport; with six flat pack units taking up the same space as a standard 20 foot shipping container. The flat packs have been specifically designed for ease of transport which means they require much less shipping space and fewer trucks to transport them in comparison to competing products, resulting in lower freight costs plus a reduced freight footprint.

In addition to the construction and freight savings enjoyed by Ark Pacific clients is the peace of mind that comes with the company’s quality control, after sales service and warranty. Ark Pacific’s building systems are characterised by high-tech modular componentry built to PNG, Australian and New Zealand standards and Ark managers are available to oversee all projects. The company believes that it must be doing something right because its customers keep coming back.

To learn more about Ark Pacific, including its ‘perfect flat pack system’: www.arkpacific.net

Pacific Towing (PacTow) has nearly 40 years’ salvage experience in not only its home country of Papua New Guinea but in the waterways of many countries in Oceania and South East Asia. Whether working in partnership with international operators, or individually, PacTow has considerable open ocean, coastal and also river and estuary salvage expertise and capacity. The company is a full member of the International Salvage Union and the International Spill Control Organisation.

PacTow built its salvage capacity in the 1980’s through early joint venture partners, Howard Smith Towage and United Salvage. Initially, United Salvage undertook the major salvages in PNG using PacTow crew and equipment supplemented with plant, tugs, salvage master, salvage engineers and other technical personnel from Australia where required.

General Manager, Neil Papenfus, says that the company’s salvage capacity and expertise has grown considerably with each operation since the 1980s. “In terms of vessels, we now have a fleet of 15 tugs, four of which are central to the majority of our salvage work. We also have a low draft vessel which is ideal for shallow water salvage operations in rivers and estuaries, such as one we’re working on right now on the Fly River. Our fleet of tugs is complemented by numerous additional support vessels, including dedicated dive vessels and a barge fitted with a 150 tonne capacity crane.”

When it comes to personnel, Papenfus is appreciative of the 200+ PacTow team, 97 per cent of whom are Melanesian. “We enjoy a position of market leadership in Melanesia because of our staff, many of whom have been with our company in excess of 10 years. No one knows the waterways and weather patterns here better than the locals and because of their longevity with our company, their salvage experience is the best in our region.” Critical to PacTow’s salvage capacity is its internationally trained and accredited commercial dive team, with members having worked on salvage operations as far afield as New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Solomon Islands.

The company’s salvage capacity is complemented by its spill response capabilities. PacTow is a member of the International Spill Control Organisation and partners with ‘sister’ company and global operator, Swire Emergency Response (SER) on spill control and prevention in PNG. SER stores its oil spill response equipment (e.g., booms, skimmers, pollutant recovery and storage pods) at PacTow’s dedicated tug base in Port Moresby for ease and speed of deployment. Both SER and parent company Swire Pacific Offshore (SPO) also provide PacTow staff with valuable training.

Although not immune to the impacts of COVID-19, PacTow is still managing to crew and despatch its vessels and has additional capacity to support other marine service providers and salvage operators in the region. It has proactively and strategically deployed assets to four major PNG ports in a ‘standby’ capacity so as to better provide rapid emergency response, salvage and spill services when required.

To learn more about PacTow’s salvage capabilities, as well as its breadth of other marine services: www.pacifictowingmarineservices.com.

Protecting lives, assets, land and reputations, Parabellum International delivers unrivalled emergency and medical response, safety, security and risk management services, along with equipment and vehicles to some of the largest capital and operational projects in the oil, gas, mining, resources and construction industries. Parabellum can support you throughout your operations lifecycle from exploration, construction, and production. Our depth of experience and knowledge operating in demanding high-risk conditions and remote environments sets us apart. We hold ourselves to the highest standards protecting both our client’s reputations and Parabellum’s standing in the industry.

By working in partnership with you, Parabellum International allows you to focus on your core operations with confidence. Our personnel do not just respond to emergencies, they become a comprehensive resource to assist in the proactive planning and implementation of your site’s health, safety, and environmental protection initiatives. Our experienced personnel work with your safety and operations teams to ensure that the potential for incidents is reduced. Incidents that do occur are quickly contained therefore minimising injuries, operational delays and remediation costs. Our teams are supported by globally compliant procedures, processes and systems.

“We are setting new standards for site Emergency Response Services and providing our clients with a single source for obtaining experienced expert personnel, accredited training, critical advisory and audit services, customised vehicles and innovative equipment all designed to meet our client’s needs,” said Parabellum International’s Manager APAC, Nathan Turner, a 40 year veteran of PNG. “Having worked on projects as diverse as the Frieda River Exploration Program, PNGLNG Construction at both Hides and Komo, early works at Wafi Golpu and delivering packages of work at OTML, OSL operations Kutubu, USAid UXO program in Torokina Bougainville and Australian Aid (DFAT) Security Programs in Honiara Solomon Islands, I am confident that as a company, with a core APAC presence, Parabellum International has the technical and social capabilities to deliver exceptional Fire and Emergency Response Services in PNG,” said Turner.

Parabellum International’s specialist trainers are not only experts in their field they also have real-world experience in responding to emergencies and medical incidents. At Parabellum we do not just help our clients tick the box for training, we provide internationally accredited Emergency Response Training that is tailored and relevant to your industry and site. We are also fully committed as a company to provide local employment opportunities on all our operations and having the internal capability to provide the relevant training to personnel makes employing locally possible.

Parabellum International’s current project experience includes a variety of oil, gas, mining, construction and expansion projects including LNG, Bauxite/Alumina, Gold and Iron Ore internationally. Parabellum operates to the highest standards and delivers solutions that are planned, supported and reviewed with their clients as partners rather than in isolation. We have a proven track record of having the agility to mobilise our personnel, equipment and vehicles at short notice when needed for clients unplanned needs. When you partner with Parabellum International you are assured of collaborating with a market leader who operates to the highest standard of emergency preparedness. Should an on-site emergency occur, Parabellum is able to provide swift and appropriate responses.

Our offices are located throughout the APAC region, with long-time PNG resident and Resources industry advisor Nathan Turner as Regional Manager. You can be guaranteed that Parabellum International will provide trusted advice, consistent service delivery and compliant, accredited, best practice training for your entire Emergency Response and Fire Rescue needs across your project lifecycle.

Don Kyatt Spare Parts, Terrain Tamer have officially opened their new warehouse in Lae.

The warehouse is the second Papua New Guinea branch for the Australian 4wd Parts company, and their 15th internationally, including locations across Australia, Europe, New Zealand and Fiji.

After the success of their Port Moresby branch, which opened in early 2018, Terrain Tamer was looking to expand, to service a wider area of Papua New Guinea’s strong agricultural and mining industries, as well as recreational drivers, with their range of over 40,000 4WD spare parts.

General Manager Brent Hutchinson says the company chose Lae for the new warehouse because it is an industrial hub for Papua New Guinea, with good access to the mountain ranges and islands that are hard to reach from Port Moresby.

“The conditions and terrain around Lae and the surrounding mountains mean that 4WD owners there really rely on strong, rugged and reliable operation of their vehicles.” Mr Hutchinson said.

“Terrain Tamer parts are made to be equal to or stronger than their OE equivalent, so we are well suited to these types of areas.”

The Lae branch is managed by Eddie Saria, and is now open at Shed No 1, Lot 13, Portion 345, Malahang Industrial Estate.

For more information visit terraintamer.com