The Brian Bell Group began with a small gun shop in 1958, with Sir Brian Bell who opened up shop to citizens in Port Moresby.
For over 60 years, Brian Bell Group has thrived in Papua New Guinea. With 16 retails stores, 6 trade centres, a residential development and over 1,300 team members. The Group is the largest business of its kind with a mission and a scale to improve the lives for Papua New Guineans.
Yesterday, only 10 days into the new year, 2024, our nation’s capital faced chaos that saw hundreds of millions of kina worth of store goods ransacked from countless stores, buildings burnt, private property destroyed, multiple injuries and unconfirmed deaths.
The Brian Bell Group is among businesses that are today, making efforts to focus solely on their teams and their properties to ensure no further loss.
The group’s world-class warehouse that until yesterday, was able to hold, manage and deliver high volumes of stock than anywhere else in the country, was looted and greatly damaged. The K50 million investment located at Gerehu will no longer provide effective service to the Group’s other locations across the country.
Countless videos and pictures of men, women, and even children, carrying looted items from the warehouse continues to be shared on social mediums like Facebook and TikTok by bystanders and even, the looters themselves. A saddening watch. A disheartening time.
In regards to the loss of assets and the damage done to the warehouse, Brian Bell Group Chief Executive Officer, Cameron Mackellar said, “This was a catastrophic failure of law and order.”
Adding, “A very dark day indeed for all of PNG.”