Gas landowners known, says Pok

By LEMACH LAVARI
The Government has announced that the landowners who will benefit from the PNG LNG Project pipeline have been identified.
Petroleum Minister Dr Fabian Pok said yesterday in Port Moresby that landowners for the eight segments of the PNG LNG project pipeline areas were identified after a two-month vetting process carried out by his department.
Pok, Treasury Secretary Dairi Vele and Petroleum acting secretary Kepsey Puiye signed the landowners’ identity documents.
He said the process was comprehensive.
“The determination made here has been based on exhaustive consultation,” Pok said.
He said the documents would be gazetted this week.
Mineral Resources Development Company managing director Augustine Mano said the royalties for those landowners were at Bank of PNG and the equities with Mineral Resources Development Company.
Mano said 28 days were being given for any dispute to be lodged.
“If there are no disputes, we will go ahead to open the accounts,” he said.
“It’s about 400km of pipeline where all the beneficiaries are.
“What we will do is to facilitate their elections so that they have representatives. Following that we will do all the payments.”
Mano said he would not disclose the amount to be paid yet.
Pok said the signing for brown fields such as Moran, Gobe and Kutubu would be made soon.
“The clan-vetting process for these extraction areas (brown fields) has already progressed and we are ready now to complete it,” he said.
“Next week, the team will go to Kiunga to complete the clan-vetting exercise for Juha.
“This will be followed by Hides PDL1 and PDL7, and Angore.
“The only form of benefit for our people is through royalties and equities.
“Those can only be paid when landowners are identified..
“Many people who have signed the agreement have passed away without benefiting, because of the quarrel over who is the landowner.”