The announcement by the Minister for Public Enterprise William Duma in parliament this week on the government making funding available to pay outstanding payments owed to service providers, should be welcoming news for many that are still waiting, including the Independent Power Producers (IPP). NiuPower Limited is one of that IPPs and its External Affairs Manager Mr. Wellington Bellawa, has welcomed the announcement and said this should ease things a bit with payments owed for the company’s service to the people, which it provides through its partner PNG Power Limited (PPL). “The minister has made that commitment to ease some burden of debts that independent power suppliers are carrying and one of them is us. All I can say is thank you very much, if they’re thinking of paying some money, we are happy.” Mr. Bellawa added that it is through these funds that a lot of things such as the company’s operational costs and its Community Investment Program, are being supported and implemented. Currently, the private power company is implementing several projects under its community support initiatives in the four PNG LNG impacted villages in the Central province. These projects include water and sanitation, education and health, sports, and life skills development and training. Meanwhile, Minister William Duma said that the Cabinet recently approved nearly K100million to pay several service providers that a still owed outstanding payment, they include PNG Power as well and the IPPs.