PNG line slips far

into the red

The government-owned Papua New' Guinea Shipping Corpor ation Pty Ltd and its subsidiaries lost K 250 000 (5A325 000) last year. The loss is revealed in the 1979 report on the company’s operations.

The report covered the oper ations of the Shipping Corpor ation, Mainporl Cargoes Pty Ltd, PNG Offshore Tug and Salvage Ply Ltd, and P. J. Poon Pty Ltd.

A well-informed PNG source told Luke Sela, editor of the Papua New Guinea Post- Courier: The company is over spending, buying bigger ships that are not required here and do not fit into the type of trade

in the country . . .

’(Transport Minister) Mr Okuk is known to be very concerned that the corporation has expanded its overseas ser vices at the expense of the coastal trade.’

Mr Okuk has called for a comprehensive report on the work of the corporation, and is reported to be planning sweep ing changes within it.

The source told Luke Sela that the chairman of the Ship ping Corporation, Sir Maori Kiki, had resigned because of other commitments. ’Mr Okuk is now considering several possible candidates as chairman including other mem-

bers of the board,’ the source said.

The corporation began oper ation in 1977 with one ship. It now operates four.

The acting general manager of the corporation, Ed Richardson, said he would like to see the report before he gave a reply. At time of publication of Mr Sela’s story, the report had yet to be presented to the National Executive Council.

Transport Minister Okuk

Thirty years ago Captain Trevor Withers of Fiji founded the now widely-known Blue Lagoon Cruises which take visitors to the Yasawas Group in the Fiji Islands. On an anniversary cruise to mark the occasion Captain Withers (left) is with the Governor-General of Fiji, Ratu Sir George Cakobau.