Vaccination requirements and 60-day approvals for international travellers, PNG DataCo gets over K60 million worth of Telikom assets and Santos strikes deal with newly minted joint venture. The business news you need today.

Representatives from Santos, Transwonderland Limited Group and Pentagon Freight Services sign a five-year contract. Credit: Santos

Superannuation

Ok Tedi Mining Limited, Hargy Oil Palms and the National Agriculture Research Institute were the winners of the Nasfund Employer Awards 2021, which were announced last week. (The National)

Telecommunications

Over K60 million worth of Telikom PNG assets have been transferred to PNG DataCo. It’s been reported that the assets are key to deliver broadband and communication services. The assets include three internet domestic gateways, a domestic satellite, the land and buildings where the satellite network is located and the PPC 1 cable network.

About the transfer, William Duma, Minister for State Enterprises, said: ‘We have initiated a partial privatisation and capital raising program. We have started major rehabilitation projects; a mobile network integration project and we successfully concluded the merger of Telikom and bmobile.’ (The National)

Environment & climate

The Protected Areas Bill 2022 has been finalised. The document will help in the establishment and management of system of protected areas around the country. It’s expected the bill will help preserve PNG’s unique flora and fauna. (The National)

Manufacturing

Over 85 per cent of Brian Bell‘s inventory is imported, said Cameron Mackellar, Brian Bell Group Limited CEO. He told the Post-Courier that this is the case because of lack of local manufacturing of those items.

‘It would be nice to see the government providing better support for these essential household items through reduced duties or encourage more onshore manufacturing,’ he said. (Post-Courier)

Resources

PNG’s largest landowner companies in the LNG project area, Transwonderland Limited Group, and specialised international firm Pentagon Freight Services have formed the joint venture, PenTrans, which has been awarded a five-year contract with Santos. PenTrans will assist Santos’ PNG operations deliver freight forwarding, road transport and warehousing services.

Leon Buskens, Santos Executive Vice-President and Co-Head PNG said: ‘Through its newly formed JV partnership with Pentagon, we will see enhanced service delivery and reach, facilitating greater penetration into the market outside of the project area. Furthermore, there would be training opportunities for TWL personnel in international freight forwarding.’ (Santos)

COVID-19

From 28 January, international travellers who have received an approval to enter PNG in accordance with Measure 2, International Travel Measure can enter PNG at a designated point of entry as many times as necessary within a 60-day period. Subsequent entries while still using the original 60-day approval ‘must satisfy all other entry requirements within Measure 2, International Travel Measure. (Office of the Controller)

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The Commissioner of Police & Controller of PNG COVID-19 National Pandemic Response, David Manning, also issued new directions on COVID-19 vaccinations for international travellers: ‘No person over the age on 18 is permitted to board an aircraft for Papua New Guinea unless they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 using one of the following vaccines: Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca-Oxford, AstraZeneca (COVISHIELD/SII), Johnson & Johnson (Janssen), Moderna, Sinopharm, Sinovac, Covaxin (Bharat Biotech), Covovax (SIINVX-CoV2373) and Novovax (NVX-CoV2373/Nuvaxovid). (Office of the Controller)