Story Kofi Assan
THE continuous power blackout in the Southern Highlands capital Mendi is affecting businesses and services delivery.
Local businesses, hospitals, schools, post office,
the bank, the local radio station and the provincial administration
which depend on PNG Power have already complained about the blockouts.
Southern Highlands Governor William Powi has asked the PNG Power manager
for an explanation but has not received a reply.
Provincial radio station, Nek blong Muruk is off the
air after its FM transmitter at the top of Agiru Building blew up,
cutting off service to the province. The station management said it
would cost K60,000 to replace and relocate the FM facility to the main
transmitter station at Kafe.
Local businesses have also claimed that electrical
appliances, grocery and perishable goods have been affected as result of
the continuous black out and the low power supply to the town.
Residents have complained that electrical appliances
such as TV sets, radios, freezes and rice cookers have experienced
circuit board complications as fuses blow. It was something they were
getting used to, they said.
A PNG Power technician said that the town’s generator
was ageing and did not have the capacity to provide sufficient power to
meet the town’s growing demand.
He also said that the Paunda hydro-electricity plant
at Kaupena in Imbongu district did not have the capacity to power the
needs of Southern Highlands and Western Highlands provinces.
Governor Powi and PNG Power management are in talks
to engage experts and financiers to upgrade Paunda’s capacity to meet
the demands of the people Southern Highlands and Hela provinces in line
with government plans to connect electricity throughout the provinces.
Electricity supply is an essential basic service and
for the LNG host province, the upgrading of the hydro-electricity plant
would be very significant and much appreciated as the LNG gas shipment
has begun.
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