Hides 4 locals urge state to release K30m grant

By PATRICK TALU
The principal landowner leaders from the Hides 4 petroleum development licence (PDL7) of the LNG project are calling on the state and its expenditure implementation committee to release their K30 million infrastructure development grant (IDG) as per their project proposals made to the National Planning Department.
Leaders Andy Hamaga, Erick Haroli, Chiefs John Kaloma and Eya Yale said their K30 million IDG was tied to projects during the Kokopo umbrella benefits sharing agreement (UBSA) and the licence-based benefit sharing agreement (LBBSA) at Hides and must be released for projects identified and nominated by landowners.
Hamaga said half of this, (K15 million) was outstanding from 2010 year and which the government failed to release, while the other half was for 2011 as per the UBSA and LBBSA.
Hamaga said if the government could not release their IDG, it should be parked away until proper projects proposals were made to the National Planning Department to draw down the K30 million IDG.
“We want the government to release our IDG as per the project submission made to the National Planning Department and not to false proposals made by a few individuals from outside of Hides 4 PDL7 who have political and bureaucratic connections,” he said.
“We are aware of submissions made from outside of Hides 4 by outsiders.
“We want the EIC to hold our funds and release them after the legitimate project impacted area landowners submit their proposal to drawdown these funds.
“We haven’t submitted any project proposal to drawdown any funding from the IDG as there is no proper authority or any mechanism established to manage and coordinate these projects.
“The government has to release the K30 million as per the proposal submitted by the genuine and legitimate resource owners from Hides 4 PDL7 and not outsiders,” he said.
Kaloma warned if the government, through the EIC, ignored their call and proceeded to release the K30 million to non-landowners and it was paid outside of the nominated projects by all block landowners, it would create problems for the project.
“We won’t allow outsiders who have connections with the EIC and politicians to steal our rightful funds,” he said.
“If the State ignores our call, we will delay the project until the K30 million IDG for Hides 4 PDL7 is drawn down.”
It understood that project proposals submitted from impacted areas of the LNG project are undergoing vetting by the EIC.
Haroli alleged there were members of the committee who had their own vested interest in their respective projects areas and the leaders feared that the advice they gave to EIC would not be impartial.