The Commissioner of Police, David Manning, has issued a direction to the Bank of Papua New Guinea to immediately facilitate foreign currency exchange to Puma Energy for the purchases of crude oil and refined petroleum products.
He issued the direction under the Commissioner’s function as the Controller under the National Pandemic Act that is still in force as the PNG economy continues the long recovery from this period.
“The economic damages caused by the global pandemic still lingers and, in my capacity, I will not let this disagreement between BPNG and Puma set back our recovery,” he said.
Manning said these are big organisations who should have systems in place to prevent their disputes from escalating to the point of costing livelihoods and lives.
“When fuel supplies are reduced or cut, medicines cannot be transported, ambulance operations are hindered, businesses have to send workers home and food does not go to market,” he said.
He said energy security is central to economic stability and public safety, so the government has taken action to overcome an unacceptable situation created between high-level executives of the two organisations.
“In consultation with the Prime Minister and the Minister for Internal Security, I have issued this direction to BPNG and their compliance mandated by law, while Puma must now do the right thing and end the rationing,” he said.
He said Puma must immediately put an end to fuel rationing, restore fuel supplies from current stocks that are in the country and make urgent delivery of additional supplies.
“This is not the first time our people have been held to ransom over on this foreign exchange matter between BPNG and Puma. May it be the last,” Manning said.