Govt rejects association claims

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Wednesday 19th of February, 2014

THE New Ireland provincial administration is  calling on the Lihir Mining Area Landowners Association to stop issuing misleading statements, diverting attention away from more pressing issues affecting the people.
Provincial administrator Monovi Amani said association executives were misleading the people by opposing the signing of the revised Lihir MOA when it had two representatives at the full briefing before the signing of the deal.
Amani refuted claims by the association that Lihir landowners were not involved in the revised MOA because there were landowner representatives from the ward councils present with Nimamar local level government president Ambrose Silul, who fully supported and agreed with the provincial government and the revised MOA.
He said by signing, stakeholders had a common position on the terms and conditions of the review. That  position was endorsed by all New Ireland stakeholders in September 2012. He said the association was not a signatory as the MOA was exclusively between the provincial government, the Nimamar LLG and the national government.