Govt urged to settle outstanding payments

THE legitimate customary landowners in Gobe where the gas field is located raised their concern with the Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and his ministers for failing to honour commitments prior to the conclusion of the licence-based benefits sharing agreements (LBBSA).
PDL 4 Gobe gas field chairman Jerome Kairi and the Gobe landowners claimed the Government failed to settle outstanding payments, including whole or partly for the special support grants (SSG), backdating to 1998, promised by William Duma at the opening of the LBBSA forum in Gobe, on Jan 29.
“We have filed a legal suit for the Government’s failure.
“The 20% payment was for business development grant to Mainland Supplies and Service Ltd and Kiki Resources Ltd.
 “Another forum facilitated from the Government ensuring variations made to the contents of Gobe PDL 4 LBBSA, Gobe PDL 4 was not part of this LNG project,” Mr Kairi said.
The Gobe landowners wanted their equity to be managed by a newly-established entity and not Petroleum Resources Gobe (PRG) as sanctioned by the Oil and Gas Act, 1998.