Deputy questions use of grants

 HELA Deputy Governor Thomas Potape has questioned the use of the infrastructure development grants (IDG) because there is still no development seen.

Raising his concern in Port Moresby on Wednesday, Potape, who is the Komo local level government president, said the annual IDG funding for the impacted liquefied natural gas project provinces was K120 million a year.

“Hela’s share is K68 million, but since 2010 when the funds were disbursed, Komo LLG, which is in the heart of the LNG project with six project areas, including the conditioning plant, is still in the dark,” he said. 

He said in the three years since the LNG project started, it had not delivered on the agreements signed.

“There is nothing on the ground to show for; there is not even electricity in Komo,” Potape said. 

He said as the host province of where 90% of the country’s revenue would be derived after gas started to flow next year, the Komo people had not seen much.

Potape said IDG money was a negotiated benefit for the impacted people to gain through business projects. 

He questioned where the money to build roads around the country, including the Lae to Nadzab Highway (K800 million), Kandep to Mendi (K500 million) and Togoba to Kisinapoi (K399 million) was.