Benefits issues need sorting

A LOCAL level government president in Hela has called on the Government to address outstanding issues affecting landowners.
Komo LLG president Thomas Potape said one of the issues was the splitting of benefits between Southern Highlands and Hela.
He urged the Government to organise a forum for the two provinces to discuss the liquefied natural gas (LNG) benefits.
Potape said five years had passed since the first shipment of LNG left Papua New Guinea and now more than 500 shipments had been made.
He said the proceeds from the sale of the LNG were held by the Central Bank.
Potape also called on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to honour his commitment to offload the 4.27 per cent share equity in the PNG liquefied natural gas project to the landowners and provincial governments.
He said 10 years had passed yet the landowners and provincial governments remained “mere royalty collectors”.