K133bil projects in pipeline

The National Main Stories

THE country has six multi-million kina projects with a total value of K133 billion in the pipeline awaiting government approval to get them off the ground.
They are the Papua LNG valued at US$13 billion (K45 billion), P’nyang at US$11.2 billion (K39.2 billion), Frieda River US$7 billion (K24.5 billion) Wafi Golpu- US$5.2 billion (K18.2 billion), Pasca US$1.6 billion (K5.6 billion) and Woodlark US$120 million (K420 million).
Prime Minister James Marape told Parliament recently that the Government was carefully considering all the projects in talks with project developers so that the landowners and the State get their “fair share”.
“For far too long, we have been denied a fair and equitable share of the benefits from the development of our natural resources,” he said.
“We continue to get such a raw deal because of the manner in which project agreements are negotiated and entered into.
“We welcome all investors to our country.
“They are entitled to a good return on their investment.
“But likewise, we too deserve our fair share.” Three of the projects in the minerals sector are still being considered, according to Mineral Resources Authority managing director Jerry Garry.
They are Wafi Golpu in Morobe, Frieda in Sepik and Woodlark in Milne Bay.
He said talks on the Woodlark project to be operated by GeoPacific was still in the preliminary stages. It will begin with the resettlement of locals and is expected to provide up to 1,000 jobs.
For Wafi Golpu, Garry said the state negotiating team was waiting for Cabinet to indicate how much equity the government would take in the project, plus royalties and tax concessions.
He said the project would provide not as any jobs as the mines in Ok Tedi, Lihir or Porgera.
“It will be a low-cost operation, less people, no blasts and no trucks. The blockcave method meant everything will be processed underground,” he said.
Garry said the Government was also waiting for PanAust for its proposal on the Frieda river project.

28 comments

  • PMJM, your thinking is good and I commend you for it. Why do developing nations have struggling economies? I think it is because officials responsible do not question and bargain enough with developers before reaching agreements. PNG officials need to be critical and think about the nation and its people. The opposition leader and Peter O Neil can go on and on to criticize the prime minister but I doubt they would stand up against any developer to get a fair share for PNG and its people. A short term pain is better for a long term gain. We need services and we have to gain a fair share from projects in the country to enjoy our lives as is in developed countries.

  • Say “NO” to Frieda River project. The livelihood of the Sepik people comes first, the present and the future genaration. Safety over Production must be considered at all cost regardless.

  • This will all be useless as the devalued kina would just create more hardships for the ordinary person living on imported goods and services.
    Unless corruption is dealt with by this government we will still continue with the current trajectory of economic demise.
    When one sees obvious incompetent ministers such as Delta Wong still occupying a spot in cabinet we can assume corruption is being swept under the carpet for political survival.
    I still do not believe James Marape is a saint as a lot of our people seem to believe.

  • The rest of the planned projects can go ahead, except for Frieda River, until we have a better, efficient, less damaging waste management mechanism. We don’t want repeat of Ok-Tedi experience along all river and stream systems and destructed, contaminated sources of livelihood for our people. PMJM in your own words “we don’t want long-term pain for short term gains”, our people, now and future, will live with the wrath and scourge of the mine wastes and tailings dumped in Frieda River, while you, rest of PNG, and developers will be gone!

  • I BELIEVE IN PMJM. THE BEST PM EVER PNG PRODUCED. PMJM GO AHEAD MAKE THE DAMAGES FOR YOUR COUNTRY. ONEIL AND BN ARE LOOSING GROUND ALREADY.

  • All those nay sayers can say what they want…. PMJM is the one Papua New Guinea is waiting for……
    And with PMJM at the hèlm, we will take back our oceans, trees, our mines, our rich oil and gas, and our country back from thieves, foreign puppeteers and corrupt politicians!!!!!
    And this time the world will know where Papua New Guinea is on the world map…..
    I for one have a strong belief in the vision that PMJM have for my country and will stand together as a true Papua New Guinean to support that leadership……

  • Good news and excited times ahead.

    PMJM had done very well so far with some existing mining projects in the country.
    However, can the government sort out existing petroleum project and other resource landowners first before boasting and giving too much high hopes to all the stakeholders of the new projects? PNGLNG project and other project Agreement reviews are long overdue.
    PNGLNG project landowners have been given false hope over their rightful Infrustructure Development Grants and other benefits as stipulated in the Benefit Sharing Agreements. PMJM has been making empty promises to PNGLNG landowners over their benefits which the state had not fully paid for the last 10 years.

    The Government cannot bulldoze and overlook resource owners’ rights everytime. Let’s not pretend to the international community and the foreign investors that PNG is a very good investment destination where the government honours its benefit sharing agreements and fairly treats its resource owners.

    Regardless of our abundant resources, we will still be like the resource rich yet war-torn and poverty stricken African nations, if the government continues to overlook and undermines the plight of resource owners.

  • Good news and excited times ahead.

    PMJM had done very well so far with some existing mining projects in the country.
    However, can the government sort out existing petroleum project and other resource landowners first before boasting and giving too much high hopes to all the stakeholders of the new projects? PNGLNG project and other project Agreement reviews are long overdue.
    PNGLNG project landowners have been given false hope over their rightful Infrustructure Development Grants and other benefits as stipulated in the Benefit Sharing Agreements. PMJM has been making empty promises to PNGLNG landowners over their benefits which the state had not fully paid for the last 10 years.

    The Government cannot bulldoze and overlook resource owners’ rights everytime. Let’s not pretend to the international community and the foreign investors that PNG is a very good investment destination where the government honours its benefit sharing agreements and fairly treats its resource owners.

    Regardless of our abundant resources, we will still be like the resource rich yet war-torn and poverty stricken African nations, if the government continues to overlook and undermines the plight of resource owners.

    • Why all the time talk about more benefits to land n resource owners of mineral, oil and gas projects. They have not lost a lot of land like us in WNB. We have sacrificed over 80,000 Ha, way more than all mineral n oil gas projects combined to oil palm Industry that generate billions in revenue for the country. We get nothing, not a single toea for our vast land. Very unfair. The Government should be fair to us too

  • Submit yourself and resist the devil, and God will raise you up. PNG is Declared Christian Nation. So let us all raise our hands in prayer for God’s Wisdom upon our Prime Minister JM so he will make good decision for our Nation. It’s hard for him to make decision for the nation, therefore he need our supportive comments, our encouragement and most of all our prayers of wisdom, guidance and protection. Let us stand together as Christian Black Nation.

  • There are bigger projects yet to come to light. PMJM is setting the stage for PNG’s enrichment to become real but Waigani is full of non visionary bureaucrats. People of PNG who own land upon which the projects are developed must get more recognition. Only then PNG will be wealthy. We have to rise up now & point the direction for the government. There are untapped concepts that have not been visited yet. We have to look there.

  • PMJM I for one believe that theses are the last resources that we will be considering when all other money making avenues were exhausted. Why aren’t we revive the agriculture marine and tourism industries that can generate huge income for the country.
    These renewable resources have the capability to provide income for the country as was in the early days of our fathers before independence. Agriculture, logging, forestry, tourism and fishing industries will remain as the backbone of this country once all the other non – renewable resource are gone.
    Currently we have almost 6 mines plus 4 oil heads in full operation and yet we ranked as the poorest and lest developed nation with high corruption rates.
    If we can properly manage these current projects in operation plus our Non – renewable resource could be making a lot of money that can last for generations.

  • We should all be supporting what PMJM and his Goverment are doing.Far too long we have allowed these filthy rich corporations to dictate our share if the benefits.Look elsewhere in the world,they continue to do this to third world Nations.Given the fact that these countries do not have the capital doesn’t give them the right to capitalize on this as the reason.We just need to control our expenditure ,invest more in agriculture and delay these non renewable resouces for the future.

  • PMJM is a real Papua New Guinean, a patriotic and the first PM putting his people first (resource owners) over anything else. PO you we know what you did to us. Under your care you plundered our resources, you gave away our land, our resources for mere 2% equity. You borrowed money to buy back what was originally ours. You know where the borrowed money ended up and we never buy back what was rightfully ours. So you see PO all along you never fought for us. You gave the developers free tax holidays, free land, free resources. PMJM is doing the correct thing you were supposed to do and you failed. BN articulations is negative force which is not good for our country. Mind you PMJM is right, if developers don’t agree, they can pack up and go. We won’t die, our resources remain as long as we get what is rightfully our share. PMJM don’t listen to the prophets of doom, we are with you.

  • In every tunnel there is always a light at the end, relax just wait and see..In the history of this great nation PMJM is the best prime minister we have so far…mark my word…

    • You seem to be still in the dark, Observer. That’s why you can’t see anything.

      Need to come out to the light. Otherwise you will be left behind.

  • People are now understanding really indeed that their blessed resources had been cheaply or freely given away by those former PM’s and PO has freely sold our resources for his personal gains ignoring the benefits of local land and resource owners.
    Now these PNG resource owners (local people) are really supporting Hon PMJM for coming up with his slogan! TAKE BACK PNG.
    PMJM, now onwards is Pangu’s time to take over PNG through the elections of leaders and first it is demonstrated by the resource owner people of Goroka by voting in Pangu man, What else PO & BN want to see, PNG people’s mind has already spoken out by Goroka people. Well done Goroka and PNG for Pangu Party.
    Hon Prime Minister James Marape, Thank you for standing up for PNG resource owners to benefit rightfully.

  • PM JM, Yu are doing the right thing to restore economic independence. Great vision. Leaders who take risks become successful and great leaders. Yu are putting png on the right track. Hats off for yu.

  • PNG will not stay the same, it’s developing and will be developed soon. Let impact projects be implemented and they will generate more income for our beautiful country Papua New Guinea, why worrying about future generations, for the impacts the projects will have on them. We are living in a changing world, we can’t expect things to stay the same. FORGET ABOUT PAST THOUGHTS. (Putim tingting blo papa-tumbuna go baksait). We need change!
    Thanks Hon. PM JM for your good decisions.

  • PPMJM please stop price tagging on the mineral resources and fooling the citizens of this country. Psychologically you are misleading the nation. Some or almost all of these mineral resources will never come into reality if we have a good and honest governance in the spirit of political stability. The life of people come first than material things on the earth. You are talking and looking for wealth. Not wealth alone will comfort life. PNG can not contain mineral waste unless you want to kill the people first before protecting the environment.

  • PMJM is taking the right stand in decision making for the good of this nation. He should consider and reconsider who is has appointed to the key ministerial portfolio.

    PNG can develop its own natural resources and sell out finish products to the market and make 100% return for the country than inviting developers. The government has to finance technologies that PNG can not produce because PNG produces top experts who are working for other countries.

    If only we can develop our own resources we will resolve all economic issues at end.

  • Thanks PM James Marape

    This was also in the Newspaper,
    Devaluation won’t help, says Peter Barker
    Date: 9th October, 2020 by Clarissa Moi

    “Extractive industries can undermine diversified economic activity, unless concerted efforts are made to stabilize heavily fluctuating export earnings and revenue, and sanitize some of the proceeds through tools such as a Sovereign Wealth or Future Fund.

    *Sovereign Wealth or Future Fund is good for the country for the long term for all Papua New Guineans regardless if your landowner or not in the mining sector, an example is Norway, Switzerland that invested its revenue generated from the oil and gas sector a decade ago to its Sovereign Wealth or Future Fund and now has an asset of $1 trillion dollars and its growing fast.

    Therefore in term of money for the Switzerland people, every individual person is a Million Air living in that country. So, University tuition/ fee, school fee, and Health(hospitals) are all free to the citizens of Switzerland.

    Government is keen in making the Png the Richest black nation then todays government must think in investing in Sovereign Wealth or Future Fund, I know that Bank of Papua New Guinea is going to creating a Sovereign Wealth or Future Fund for Papua New Guinea.
    The Sooner the better for this God blessed nation.

    Regards & God Speed
    WG

  • Uncle Glop, I disagree with your statement but may be give a chance to PMJM. He may be on the right track because I like the slogan he is using ‘TAKE BACK PNG’. He may be one person out there but there are millions of PNGans with a similar vision crying out silently and praying.

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