​PNG PM Demands Performance Overhaul at PNG Power

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has called for an urgent performance step-up across PNG Power Ltd and relevant government agencies following a high-level briefing on the country’s electricity sector.

Speaking after a presentation by PNG Power Chief Executive Officer Paul Bayly, the Prime Minister said the nation’s ongoing electricity issues were no longer rooted in generation shortages but in coordination, leadership and execution failures within the system.

He stated that the country already has sufficient installed power capacity, stressing that the main challenge lies in how effectively the existing systems are managed and utilised. According to the briefing, Port Moresby alone has about 284 megawatts of generation capacity, while peak demand stands at around 154 megawatts, leaving a large portion of available power unused.

Prime Minister Marape said the gap between available capacity and actual usage reflects delays in project delivery, inefficiencies and weak coordination among responsible agencies. He described the situation as unacceptable for a country that continues to pay power producers daily while transmission and connection issues remain unresolved.

The Prime Minister also criticised prolonged delays in critical transmission infrastructure projects, some of which have remained incomplete for more than six years, noting that such setbacks translate directly into financial losses for the state and the utility provider.

He has now directed the Chief Secretary to convene an urgent whole-of-government coordination meeting aimed at removing bottlenecks, accelerating contractor payments and enforcing clear timelines for the completion of key transmission links connecting gas-fired and renewable power sources into the national grid in Port Moresby.

Prime Minister Marape further instructed PNG Power to shift from a survival-focused approach to a stronger commercial performance model, prioritising customer connections, power sales, revenue collection and reduction of system losses to improve financial sustainability.

“We are not facing a power shortage problem — we are facing a performance problem,” Prime Minister Marape said. “The capacity is there. The systems exist. What is required now is a step-up in execution, coordination and results.”

Headlines

• PNG’s Economy Not at Fault in Grey Listing: Parkop
• ​PNG Kina Decline and Grey Listing Fears Raise Alarm : Nomane
• ​PNG Reaffirms Commitment to Reforms After Accepting Grey Listing Findings
• PNG By-Election: Chan Claims New Ireland Seat