Duban: State will pay

By GYNNIE KERO
PETROLEUM and Energy Minister Nixon Duban has promised a group of protesting landowners at a PNG LNG plant that they will receive their benefit payments once directors are elected next month.
Villagers from Boera, Porebada, Papa and Lealea gathered at the PNG LNG plant site outside Port Moresby yesterday in a protest over what they claimed to be the delay by the Government in the payment of their royalties.
Duban who was in his electorate in Madang yesterday said he was told of the protest.
He urged the villagers to work with him, the Department of Petroleum and Energy and the Mineral Resources Development Company.
Duban said accounts for the 98 clans from the four villages were opened last December with the Bank of South Pacific.
He said the payments would be made once directors were elected by the villagers.
“The protest has been noted and we must now allow business and normalcy to be restored to give confidence to settle this important agenda,” Duban said.
“I kindly ask the good people of the plant site area not to prolong such protest but allow the DPE and MRDC to conclude a process that we all started together.
“What we did last year (opening of accounts) was in line with the National Executive Council decision 98/2015 and 196/2016 that where there are no disputes of ADR (alternate dispute resolution) timely release of benefits should be implemented.
“We are anticipating that around the second week of March.
“The election of the directors of the four villages plus the chairman will be done by the Electoral Commission. In terms of the process,  the Bank of South Pacific has already opened 98 accounts.
“This covers all correctly identified clans through final ministerial determination including their agreed splits.
“Our people are key stakeholders and we are obliged to look into all representation issues.”