Juha and Angore groups want payments this week

 LANDOWNER companies from Juha and Angore involved in early works on the LNG project have demanded the immediate release of outstanding MoA commitments by this week.

Juha Landowner Association chairman Hengebe Haluya said last week after landowners from Hides PDL 1 and 7, Kutubu, Moran pipeline and Mananda started receiving their share of the K120 million business development grants or seed capital at the March Girls Resort outside Port Moresby.

The Department of Commerce and Industry started the payments on Tuesday after a week’s protest in front of Vulupindi Haus last week.

The landowner chairmen from Juha and Angore are expected to be paid today.

Meanwhile, Haluya called on the engineering, procurement and engineering (EPC) contractors especially MCJV and CCJV to involve landowner companies in early works.

He said the landowners had 49 trucks and light vehicles which were on hire by EPC contractors from the Hides Gas development company (HGDC) on an hourly rate of K350.

Haluya said ExxonMobil had failed to pay for the hire since last May and landowner contractors would shut down operations today while negotiations continued with ExxonMobil.