Awareness conducted on 33pc shares

AN awareness is being conducted in Western on the 33 per cent share for locals in the province.
This followed the launching of a committee in Kiunga last week.
Dume Woo, the chairman of the OK Tedi 33 per cent equity community awareness steering committee said the programme would cover North, Middle and South Fly districts.
Woo said the provincial government and the district development authority had sanctioned the programme to fulfil the wishes of the people of Western expressed in a letter to Prime Minister Peter O’Neill on July 26.
This is done before the statement on issues of resources ownership and equity shareholding is delivered by O’Neill in the last sitting of Parliament next month.
Woo said the people of Western had to be fully consulted and give their consent in the sharing of the 33 per cent equity in OK Tedi Mine, plus the nomination of their holding companies.
He said this would promote ownership, accountability and transparency.
“The 33 per cent equity is a benefit to the people of Western endorsed (by Cabinet) and has nothing to do with the OTML or OTDF,” he said.
“As such the provincial government has taken the lead in this community awareness programme so that the people are fully consulted.”
Acting provincial administrator Gull Gorgom appealed to the people to respect the process of consultation so the benefits were equitably shared in an accountable and transparent manner.