Landowners want to extract best benefit

Highlands

LANDOWNERS from a resource-rich area in Enga have formed a company in anticipation of any major development to extract gas, oil, gold or copper from their land.
The landowners of Momandi in Kandep district formed a company called Lake Papaili, which also has the support of the Tikioimbo association with its 32 executives who are working together to help the communities take part meaningfully in any future project.
Lake Papaili public relations officer Paia Aku Swal said in Mt Hagen that the company’s main role was to see how people could benefit from the minerals extracted from their land.
Swal said that in many parts of the country where minerals are found landowners have missed out on the spin-off benefits.
He said that this will not be the case with the landowners of Momandi as they have decided to get together and form the landowner company.
He said many landowners missed out on benefits because they did not plan well so they can benefit from what is in their land.
“We have come up with the idea to form the company in advance and prepare to welcome the project,” he said.
He said that the Department of Petroleum and Energy has listed Momandi and areas of Kandep as Petroleum Prospecting Licence (PPL) 260 which is a potential site for a multi-resource project.