Decision on dept to awaits next govt: Duban

A GOVERNMENT decision to transform the Department of Petroleum and Energy into an authority will await the next government, Petroleum and Energy Minister Nixon Duban, pictured, says.
He said the Government allocated K2 million in the 2017 budget for the transformation process.
However he said the change into an authority was yet to be done.
“This year would be a good year for that particular transformation to be completed,” Duban said.
He said it was important for the new Government to set a new policy objective for the department.
“Our department hasn’t really operated efficiently,” he said.
“We need to build a new DPE building.
“This Government is winding down.
“Whatever new proposal to be put forward cannot materialise until we know who is in control of the new government.”
On the payment of benefits to PNG LNG landowners in the upstream, pipeline and plant segments, Duban said the Government did not want to create chaos when it released funds.
“If we are to release payments, we have to be careful on the reactions that people will have especially when they are suffering also at the upstream,” he said.
“For plant site landowners, we have gone ahead and opened accounts already.
“We are looking for them (plant site) to put together office bearers for landowner groups. We are hoping that it will trigger some more commitment from the upstream.”