PNG Ports Corporation has paid about K126m to the State over the last 18 months.
PNG Ports Managing Director Fego Kiniafa said this payment includes the taxes for 2019 to 2021, and dividend payments for the 2019-2020 fiscal years.
He said these payments were made since the declaration of the pandemic in March 2020 to assist the economy in dealing with the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic.
The K126 million consists of K43.9 million in taxes for 2019 and 2020, K21 million dividend for 2019, K20.9 million dividend for 2020 and K40 million in taxes for 2021.
“This amount excludes all other taxes for income, goods and services, and others.”
“We have been hard hit by the pandemic because we are a demand-derived business and depend on the global market trends.”
However, PNG Ports has chosen to be prudent and strategic in our management of business which has enabled us to at least pay something back to the government,” Mr Kiniafa said.