Firm explains stance on damage claim

NEW Britain Palm Oil Ltd (NBPOL) has distanced itself from allegations of causing environmental damages to oil palm block holders in Northern, NBPOL company secretary Teup Goledu says.
“Despite a joint investigation in 2015 with the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (Cepa), we have not received any instruction from Cepa till to date,” he said.
“Cepa has not come back to us after we wrote to them on July 1, 2016, giving our side on the claims of environmental damage and compensation against Higaturu Oil Palm (a subsidiary of NBPOL).
“We believe Cepa has accepted our responses and found no further cause or reason to inquire with us on the report and the complainant’s (Kaki family) claim.”
Goledu said this yesterday after a block holder, McDonald Kaki, claimed that NBPOL had diverted the Sembogo River, in the Oro Bay local level government area of Ijivitari, from its original course which had damage his block causing K171,440 worth of damage.
Goledu said the Kaki family alleged that the repair work carried out by NBPOL at the Sambogo Bridge had diverted the river onto their land and washed away oil palm trees from their block thus also causing economic loss to themselves.