Call to include Lands officers

I WRITE in light of the ongoing landowner issues in the country’s petroleum sector which are preventing distribution of royalties and equities.
Landowner issues in Papua New Guinea are different from Australia or the United Kingdom.
Developers, before they operate a project, have to read and understand the laws of the country, especially the Oil and Gas Act.
This is apart from other incentives that they factor into their decision to invest.
Statutory bodies and the government have failed immeasurably to regulate the petroleum sector.
In the Gobe oil project for instance, there was no input from lands officers in Nipa-Kutubu, Upper Kikori and Kagua-Erave districts in the absolute dispute resolution (ADR) proceedings headed by Justice Ambeng Kandakasi.
The Gobe oil project lies somewhere in the boundaries of these three electorates from two different provinces.
LLGs and local MPs can’t always wait for the services improvement programme (SIP) funds to fund their district and LLG plans.
They also need to look at the economics in their own electorates and LLGs, and identify potential advantages to trigger peripheral growth and development.
The petroleum sector is no different as companies pay various grants to LLGs and provincial governments.
Petroleum companies also support development through implementing community social responsibilities (CSRs) and tax credit schemes (TCSs).
They also create employment opportunities for locals, and spin-off opportunities for auxiliary companies and industries in the local economy.
I commend the unwavering commitment by Petroleum and Energy minister Dr Fabian Pok to fast-track the clan-vetting process in the PNG LNG Project, and the ADR process that is pending.
I would like to suggest that the ADR committee headed by Justice Kandakasi should include lands officers, who I believe are well abreast of local land boundaries.

Mike Haro