Ramu NiCo’s headquarters in Madang commemorated the country’s 48th Independence anniversary on Thursday 14th September which was special and different as most Papua New Guinea nationals were not aware of it till the moment when the commemoration staged.
At 11 in the morning, when the employees from PNG dressed in festive attire reflecting PNG’s unique cultural characteristics entered the lobby of the office building together with the employees from China, the commemoration started. The lobby was beautifully decorated with streamers and colorful balloons. A variety of cakes and delicious dishes were prepared for everyone. While enjoying the food, employees from both PNG and China engaged in cheerful conversations, creating an atmosphere filled with laughter and joy.
What became an in-house tradition of Ramu NiCo over years, the company had employees (Chinese and PNG Nationals) from all departments, also including contractors from RAIBUS Engineering and RAIBUS Security Services, to join together for the Independence anniversary luncheon.
Mr. Martin Paining, General Manager of Ramu NiCo’s Community Affairs, acknowledged the efforts put into hosting and the support of the company and said, “We must acknowledge that this is promoted and facilitated by our company at the highest level.”
Mr. Paining, who was a young man when PNG gained Independence in 1975, emphasized, “The commemoration of Independence should be a time to reflect on how far we’ve come as a country, to help we are going forward.” He reiterated, “As individuals, we must work diligently and do our best to facilitate development of the country, we must bear in mind that our future depends on our choices today.”
A long serving employee, Janet Tindipu also shared the same sentiments and pointed out that the commemoration this year is different from previous ones.
Security personnel from contractor RAIBUS Security Services Limited led by Mr. Sailas Saiti also acknowledged the gesture of Ramu NiCo, and the recognition given to the prominence of Independence anniversaries by a Chinese company like Ramu NiCo, which showed the company’s appreciation for its PNG employees and their contributions to the company in areas they’re specialized in.
Corporate Office General Manager Charlie Hu said, “Ramu NiCo has been in operations for more than 10 years now. Through events like the Independence anniversary commemoration, the company can develop a multi-culture working environment and encourage all the employees to learn to respect different cultures.”
