Great shame, PM says
The National, Monday February 24th, 2014
PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has described the lack of development in the resource rich provinces of Hela and Southern Highlands as shameful.
“Over 20 years or so since the first export of oil in the Southern Highlands, there have been some payments made under MOA commitments in the past and some of them were related to projects,” he said.
“Although the money has been spent, none of the projects have ever been implemented.
“Even after 25 years of hosting the project, you’ll see that there is not much change.
“If you go to Bimaka hospital in Lake Kutubu, you’ll see that mothers are delivering babies on the floor.
“This is just a great shame so I don’t want us to repeat the same mistake.”
O’Neill told Parliament last Friday that a meeting would be held on Thursday between officials from relevant departments to discuss what the Government has paid so far to the landowners.
Koroba-Lake Kopiago MP Philip Undialu had asked O’Neill about the outstanding petitions from landowners in the impacted area where the Liquefied Natural Gas project production was taking place.