‘Give first priority to landowners’

LANDOWNERS of Hides gas in Southern Highlands province must be given the first priority in any business like awarding road and transport contracts at the LNG project by developer ExxonMobil.
Simon Ekanda, chairman Gas Apa Limited, a landowner company, said this during the launching of their new transport company called the Gasapa Transport Company in Hidges last Friday.
Mr Ekanda said it would be fair if ExxonMobil and Oil Search gave first priority to the landowners to run contract jobs in the multi-billion kina gas project.
He said landowners did not want to be spectators but wanted to participate in the developments that would take place.
Mr Ekanda said that this would be fair in wealth distribution if landowners were given the first priority.
He said Gas Apap Limited was a landowner company owned by the people as far as from Juha to the west, Angore to the east and Komo to the South.
Mr Ekanda said the Gas Apa Limited was a shareholder company of 7,000 members and if many of the contracts were given to the company, then most of the landowners would benefit apart from royalties.
He said the Gas Apa Transport Company would be joint venture with East-West Transport Company.
He thanked the East-West Transport Company for accepting them as partners in the transport industry, adding that they would be long time business partners with the transport company.