Give land owners their payment

Letters

IT is a sad fact that PNG LNG project landowners seem set to end 2018 budget year without having been paid their benefits as important partners in the project.
Apart from the many outstanding commitments, both in cash and kind, from the oil regime, there is so much money the Government owes to the landowners in relation to the project.
A thorough review of the various MOAs, MOUs, prime ministerial commitments, ministerial commitments and various other Government commitments from the oil regime needs to be done.
A proper audit and a report should be compiled to satisfy all parties’ interests.
A quick review of the PNG LNG project takes us to 2009 when landowners and the Government were at loggerheads at Kokopo.
Landowners refused to sign any agreement to give effect to the implementation of the project.
This went on for days but a smart move by certain agents of the Government lured some so-called landowner leaders (cash handouts which were actually paid upon return to Port Moresby) into making the initial moves to put ink on the paper.
This ultimately resulted in landowners finally signing (but done reluctantly) the umbrella benefit sharing agreement (UBSA) which eventually led to signing of the license-based benefit sharing agreement (LBBSA) in Tari.
The Government cannot continue to downplay the call made by genuine landowners for release of what rightfully belongs to them.
Any further delays will definitely result in certain chain reaction actions which may set PNG back 50-plus years.

Albern David