Include Enga in negotiations

Letters

PRIME Minister James Marape said he wanted to take back PNG soon after he took office.
People were eager to know what and how this propaganda would become a reality.
We saw Ok Tedi Mining Ltd starting off with a PNG 100 per cent ownership arrangement.
That’s the first step towards taking back PNG.
The Enga government took Marape’s vision to make it a reality.
The Enga government, after realising the Porgera mine leas was expiring last August, spent days and sleepless nights to come up with a position paper for the state to take full ownership of Porgera mine.
The state took over the special mining lease (SML) 11.
The lease was transferred to Kumul Mineral Holding Ltd just recently.
Peter Graham was appointed to oversee Porgera mine operations.
The Enga people including PNG thought that the state will take ownership of the mine and operate just as the OK Tedi mine.
We are surprised to see Marape telling Barrick’s chief executive officer different things.
Just look at Marape’s picture on page two of The National on Oct 19 with a serious face, taking no notice of Graham talking.
The article spoke about Barrick already aiming for tax holidays in exchange of lesser equity participation.
This is ridiculous. Barrick will not operate a mine with less benefits.
These are multinationals coming with all kinds of proposals to make sure PNG does not rise up from the financial and economic struggles it is facing.
We demand that Enga government should be part of the state negotiating team.
Enga should be included in the negotiations for the benefit of Enga and PNG.
Without Enga in the negotiating team, your dreams will not be a reality.
We are already having suspicions about the state negotiating team in Waigani, who will not feed you with the right information about what is actually going on.

Say Kongs
Wabag