Dept secures funds to complete clan-vetting

National

THE Department of Petroleum and Energy will send its officers to complete the clan-vetting process for landowners in the PNG LNG impacted areas, particularly upstream, an official says.
The acting secretary for the department, Kepsey Puiye, said they had secured funds to carry out the exercise.
“We are now ready to send some officers to the field,” he said.
“When we pay landowners at the plant site, we need to give a signal to the upstream landowners that the process (clan-vetting) will be fast-tracked and they will get benefits soon.”
Puiye said it would be in areas where there were no disruptions.
“In areas where there are disputes, we will allow the ADR (alternate dispute resolution) team led by judges or the court to finalise the process,” he said.
“As part of the PNG LNG project security arrangements, we want to manage landowner-related risks.
“We want to make sure the PNG LNG project is fully and adequately insulated from any risks associated with the landowners, so clan vetting will be done.”
Puiye said the upstream landowners would will be getting 72 per cent of the total royalties and equity payments paid by the project.
“Let’s say if it is K100 million, you are looking at K72 million going upstream and the other K28m goes to the pipeline and plant site landowners,” Puiye said.
“That is the arrangement agreed to under the UBSA (umbrella benefits sharing agreement) in Kokopo.”
Hela Governor Philip Undialu this week demanded that the Government fund the clan-vetting process as a matter of priority.
Undialu also admitted that the landowners were to be blamed for derailing clan the process.