Aid for district hydro project

LANDOWNERS of the Warangoi Hydro facility in the Sinivit local level government (LLG) in Pomio, East New Britain, will soon get aid from the Government.
According to Sinivit LLG president Boniface Gerep, a special Pomio development authority (DDA) board meeting on Tuesday endorsed an information paper to aid landowners of the Warangoi hydro facility, which is currently operated and owned by PNG Power Ltd.
Gerep told The National in Kokopo on Thursday that a special DDA board meeting had resolved to support the demands by the Warangoi Landowners Association (WLA) before the hydro facility could resume operation, following a major rehabilitation done by contractor AG Energy Ltd.
He said the landowner demand was for the PPL and the Government to address their concerns before water could be allowed into the dam.
Gerep said the landowners wanted the government authority to do a one-off payment of K5 million to them.
Gerep said the payment was to enable landowners of two major clans of Mali and Uramat to start economic activities as they had not benefited directly from the hydro scheme since it began operating 38 years ago.
“The nearby communities still lack power services, despite the fact that they are the host of this facility, which supplies electricity services to the rest of Gazelle Peninsula area of East New Britain,” he said.
Gerep said while waiting for the Government and PPL to make the payment, the Pomio DDA had approved funding to the landowners to help address outstanding matters and to follow up on a draft memorandum of agreement at the provincial and national level.