Sandaun govt yet to be briefed on project: Mai

Business

THE Sandaun provincial government is yet to be briefed by Sandaun Petroleum Energy Development Limited on developing a proposed petroleum project in the province, Governor Amkat Mai says.
Sandaun Petroleum Energy Development Limited chairman Florian Sarwap, a landowner of the proposed multi-billion kina oil and gas project to be developed in Aitape sub-basin, recently made a call for all MPs from the province to support the project.
Sarwap said the project would be jointly developed by SPEDL and Yongzheng Financial Holding Company Limited of Hong Kong and China.
The project is expected to generate thousands of job opportunities for locals and to improve the economy of the province and country.
“Considering the fact that Sandaun is among the least developed provinces in the country with poor infrastructure and poor delivery of government services compared to other provinces in the country, Sandaun Petroleum Energy Development Limited is determined to improve this situation through this project,” Sarwap said.
He said SPEDL and the investor company had signed a  memorandum of agreement  to work together to bring better development benefits to the resource owner, districts, province and country as a whole.
Sarwap said the project was initiated in 2012 on realising the struggle, hardship and the need to bring more development and employment opportunities to the people.
The project stretches to Torecelli-Bewani range, Nuku-Lumi areas, Ramu basin and Salawati basin in Indonesia.
“It is my dream to develop the area through this project,” he said.