Bulolo gets mining royalties

 THE Morobe government had finally paid K1.1 million in mining royalties to Bulolo district this year, local MP Sam Basil revealed yesterday.

The payment comes three years after the signing of the mining royalty sharing agreement in 2009 which allocates 18% out of a 38% provincial government stake to Bulolo district. 

“The provincial government made K7 million in the last three years but they gave us nothing,” Basil said.

“This is why I went to court with former governor Luther Wenge and won. 

“Current governor Kelly Naru knows that and has awarded us 50%.” 

He said the money was with the district treasury and would go towards the construction of a new commercial complex in Bulolo. 

They are now waiting on the tenders board to award the contract before they look around for a bank or financial institution to counter-fund the project with a loan.

Basil was responding to queries raised by deputy provincial governor Morokoi Gaiwata into his expenditure of the 18% Morobe royalty payments since 2009. 

Gaiwata said infrastructure in the townships of Wau and Bulolo were in shambles and the Wau hospital had close on patients weeks ago.

He also raised concern over the use of the annual K10,000 allocation for the upkeep of airstrips in the districts.

“All eight airstrips in the district are in really bad state.”

But Basil said Gaiwata should be spending more time at home, especially with the council election coming up.

“Let’s not waste time arguing in the media, go back to Waria and get the people to give you a fresh vote of confidence.”