PNG LNG Project Employs 6,600 Papua New Guineans

More than 6,600 Papua New Guineans are part of the growing workforce to construct infrastructure and facilities for the PNG LNG Project. The Project’s second quarter 2011 Environmental and Social Report features this and other highlights in employment, compensation, construction, community investment and engagement, and environmental protection.

The total Project workforce grew by 30 percent over the second quarter to more than 9,000. Landowner companies, or Lancos, are the primary source of Project workers.

“About 75 percent of our PNG workforce has been recruited through Lancos,” PNG LNG Project Executive Decie Autin said. “Lancos have provided employees for work such as catering, linen services, equipment hire, camp management, security and highway trucking.

“With construction activities ramping up significantly in 2011, the Project has undertaken the enormous task of providing the right skills and training to the entire workforce. We are offering training programs as diverse as advanced first aid, rigging and truck driving.”

Ms Autin said the Project is also focused on developing PNG businesses.

“To date, the Project has invested more than three billion Kina (US$1.3 billion) in PNG, with almost 400 million Kina (US$180 million) directed to Lancos.

“Developing Lancos remains a priority and the ongoing effort to build these businesses is supported by the PNG LNG Enterprise Centre through its capacity-building programs. The Centre has provided more than 2,000 days of training and assisted more than 8,500 entrepreneurs over the past year. The recent focus is to deliver business management skills to groups, including to the all-women company Papa Magia Limited from Papa village, near the LNG plant site,” Ms Autin said.

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Source: PNG LNG, September 12, 2011;