Create trust with shares, fund projects in Western

THE forum currently being conducted in Western to discuss alternative strategies on how to equitably and transparently distribute the 33.3 per cent equity in OTML given by the government is highly commendable.
This is one of the first forums hosted and facilitated by the people themselves and not by foreigners.
During the course of the forum, all Western individuals or groups should be given an equal opportunity to express their views.
It is in this vain that I am submitting my views on this issue as an affected person along the Alice River area in the Ningerum LLG of North Fly district.
When thinking about how to decide a way forward regarding the 33.3 per cent equity in OTML, it is important to use the principles of equitability, transparency, accountability and sustainability as guiding pillars.
Of course, not every stakeholder in Western will be happy with how the outcome would be as it is quite difficult to make all of them happy.
However, I am proposing an alternative way of how to use the 33.3 per cent equity and bring maximum benefit to the entire province.
I am proposing that instead of trying to distribute the equity, use the dividend proceeds to fund key infrastructure projects that will lay the foundation for social and economic growth of the province.
If we distribute the equity, it will become small and only piecemeal projects will be funded which will have no direct impact to the province’s overall growth and development.
In this vain, a development trust account should be created with one representative (trustee) each from the mine lease area landowners, community mine continuation agreement (CMCA) communities, non-CMCA communities, Fly River government, National Government and chamber of commerce and industry.
An independent and highly transparent procurement regime should be part of the trustee to do the tender and procurement for high impact projects.
These projects are: Construction of a mega four-lane highway starting at the coast right up to the northern part of the province; construction of feeder roads to link the major government centres; construction of a dam in the upper North Fly electorate to supply both electricity and purified clean water throughout the province; construction of a deep sea port at the coast; rehabilitation and expansion of Daru, Kiunga, Tabubil airports and all remote airstrips in the province; construction of wharves and jetties along strategic locations of the Fly River, Bamu River, Strickland River, Hebert River and Lake Murray areas; and the construction of a provincial referral hospital and the rehabilitation of Daru, Kiunga and Balimo district hospitals.
The Works Department’s provincial office should be adequately resourced so that it shall provide all feasibility studies, costing, design, documentation and overall project management and monitoring.
To ensure transparency and accountability, appoint an internationally renowned assurance company such as PricewaterhouseCoopers or Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu to undertake both compliance and operational audits and report to the people of Western.
The bottom line is to create a cost effective administrative mechanism which will channel the funds directly to projects instead of creating an ineffective and costly bureaucratic entity.
I would like to urge the people of Western not to think about today only, but to think also about the future as well.

Eugene Kambut
Port Moresby