Authority to assess papers

THE Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) will assess position papers from landowners and local level governments from Morobe, an official says.
Development coordination division executive manager Andrew Gunua said MRA would bring the position papers to the State negotiation team to take to the upcoming forums regarding the US$5.4 billion (about K18.5 billion) Wafi Golpu project.
Yesterday, landowner association executives from Hengambu, Babuaf, Yanta, Wampar (pipeline), Butibam (pipeline) and Wagang (outfall) along with presidents from Mumeng, Wampar and Ahi local level governments (LLGs) presented their position papers to the authority.
The Morobe government presented its position paper the previous day.
Jack Laban, from the Babuaf Landowner Association, told MRA that his people needed roads to be able to access services and markets for their cocoa.
“Our biggest challenge is roads,” he said.
“First thing I want before the memorandum of agreement is to be connected with a road.”
Mumeng LLG president Amos Kekeng urged the State team discussing the development and construction of the Wafi-Golpu project to consider fulfilling their requests contained in the position papers.
He suggested that the mining township to be built at Mumeng.
Prime Minister James Marape recently tasked the MRA, the mining ministry and the State negotiating team to address the delay in starting the proposed Wafi-Golpu project by December. Last week, MRA managing director Jerry Garry told The National that discussions on a mining development contract for the project would begin soon.
He said the State and project’s joint venture partners had held talks and a review of those exchanges was underway.
Garry clarified that matter on the environmental permit which the Morobe government took to court did not affect other aspects of the process.