Government urged to clarify payments

THE national government has been urged to clarify the different payments disbursed for the multi-billion-kina liquefied natural gas project.
Speaking during a meeting with landowners and local level government representatives at Gaire outside Port Moresby yesterday, Komo local level government president Thomas Potape said the government, through the departments of National Planning and Monitoring, Petroleum and Energy and Finance and Treasury, must clarify what was contained in the memorandum of agreement (MoA) payments, the infrastructure development grants (IDG) and the high impact projects (HIP) payments.
“Those responsible must also tell us how much has been allocated for each of these three categories,” Potape said.
“All these payments have their own guidelines and we, the landowners and our local government representatives, need to know the break-up.”
He said the IDG and HIP payments were not landowner funds and an explaniation must be given so that people do not go to Vulupindi Haus (at Waigani) unnecessarily and expect payments to be made them.
“What is owed to the landowners must be paid to them now.”
Potape said all project activities at this point were concentrated at the Hides PDL1 and PDL7 areas.
“As such, this is where payments should be concentrated on, not at Juha or Angore where no operation has started as yet,” Potape said.
“The Komo LLG has missed out on the recent payments and we, the councillors, need to know what is going on,” he said.
“While we are happy with the O’Neill-Namah government taking up office, we also want them to know that we have been waiting for more than three years.
“There should not be any more delays and they have to tell us clearly what payments they are making and what to expect next,” Potape said.