Carry out mapping, dept told

 A PNG LNG project landowner company has called on the Department of Petroleum and Energy to carry out social mapping before incorporated landowner groups (ILGs) are identified.

The call was made by Juha principal landowners led by Juha Oil and Gas Corporation Ltd chairman Watex Kayanda, Dickson Dukupi, Hendry Kono, Frendy Eka, Tony Hondene and Rocky Sasu and other chiefs from the Juha PDL 9 area.

They said too many people were claiming to be landowners but they could not be identified because there was no social mapping.

Kayanda said it was important that the state through the department started carrying out social mapping to be followed by the ILG identifications.

He said the landowners had been waiting since 2009 for the exercise to be carried out. 

The landowners said any talks on identifying the landowners should be done at Topi village on the border of Western and Hela.

They also claimed that the Infrastructure Development Grants for 2011-12 were yet to be paid together with the business development grants, ministerial commitments and high impact projects as agreed to during the signing of the Umbrella Benefit Sharing Agreement in Kokopo.

They said the Juha Oil and Gas Corporation Ltd was formed by 34 council wards from the seven main landowning clans and had different Incorporated Landowner Companies.

They said any negotiation would only be done by the landowner umbrella company and not by any individuals.