Esso: Govt’s duty to build roads, not ours

By PATRICK PANIWA SAKAL
THE Esso Highlands has nothing to do with roads and infrastructure services within the PNG LNG plant processing facility site, the company’s media officer Rebecca Arnold said yesterday.
“The infrastructure services have to come from the government,” Arnold told The National.
Landowner leaders from area in portion 152 voiced their concern to Central’s new Governor Kila Hoada about the lack of service delivery as landowners’ benefits in the PNG LNG project.
The leaders claimed the much-talked about development benefits to the four communities there as promised by the Esso Highlands during pre-construction were not delivered.
“From our perspective, we have assisted thousands of people from the impact areas in Boera, Porebada, Papa and Lealea within portion 152 in the Hiri district with education and health projects,” Arnold said.
She said Esso Highlands had supported these impacted communities with education and health programmes and also provided business services through the landowner company Laba Holding.
She said the company was also supporting Laba Holding by providing security and trucking services to the project, which was greatly benefiting the local communities.
“We also provide business skills through the enterprise centre with training equipment to   empower locals with entrepreneur skills,” Arnold said.