Clans want funds probed

 CLANS who own Tari town and airport land want Task Force Sweep to find out what happened to the K11.7 million allocated by the national government for business development.

The Tari town and airport umbrella company in Hela (ATTCC) is owned by the 26 clans who own the town land and airport.

The ATTCC (Airport, Tari Town Construction Company Ltd) wants to know how the funds were used because they themselves did not benefit from it.

Representing the clans were Kaloma Minape, Pukali Mindiri, Ken Minape, Alia Kayuali, Soti Ekopoa, Kai Harigali, Ben Mangope, Ben Payape, 

David Kulu, Aluya Tipya, Etabe Mulupu, Jocky Tapa and Alia Wabe.

Managing director of ATTCC Thomas Pole -Minape said under the PNG LNG project umbrella benefit sharing agreement signed at Kokopo in April 2008, the state was to allocate K100 million of which K10 million was to be distributed to landowners of Tari airport to go into business.

Minape said the government did give K10 million while the provincial government added another K1.7 million in 2011. 

He said the 26 landowners clans wanted the government to pay 

them the second batch of K10 million for last year.

He also urged the provincial government to:

l establish a committee to identify all the 26 landowner clans;

l With the national government allocate another K10 million for the legitimate landowners who missed out on the first K11.7 million allocation;

l Appoint land mediators on Tari town and airport dialogue;

l Call on the task force sweep to investigate the K11.7 million;

l Include company representatives on the working committee; and

l Publish the names of the clans that received the first K11.7 million