Former governor urges change to PNGSDP

 FORMER Western governor Norbert Makmop is calling on the Fly River provincial go­vernment and people of Western to voice their concerns about the PNG Sustainable Development Program (PNG­SDP), which he claims is not addressing their real needs and aspirations.

And he said that the pre­sent concept of PNGSDP was “too discriminative and manipulative” by expatriates and people outside of the province. 

He said for example, members to the PNG­SDP board were mostly from outside the province except for acting provincial administrator Dr Modowa Gumoi, who is from Tati village in the South Fly district.

The former two-term governor said the same applied to the Ok Tedi Mining Ltd (OTML) executive and middle management.

Makmop said PNGSDP projects funding were being unevenly shared in the province and Olsobip sub-district in North Fly was an example.

Makmop claimed that Olsobip, comprising about 16 ward councils, did not receive any project funding from PNGSDP since it was established in 2002.

“Olsobip gets nil from PNGSDP. Likewise, Ningerum and Nomad local level governments,” he said.

He said he would like the name PNGSDP be changed to “Western Province Sustainable Development Program” or WPSDP to allow people from Western to  get maximum benefits in return for the vast destruction caused by the Ok Tedi mine.

Makmop said PNG should learn from Bougainville as an example and give equal opportunities to local landow­ners.