K150,000 for Wild Dog landowners

By ELIZABETH VUVU
TEN groups from the Uramat clan, under the Wild Dog Mine Area Landowners Association, received K15,000 each last Friday.
East New Britain Deputy Governor and Sinivit LLG president Boniface Setavo told the people to put the
money to good use particularly to benefit the entire family.
Setavo told leaders of the groups that the money was a windfall, a blessing and reward by New Guinea Gold Ltd (NGGL) for use of the people’s resources.
He said the landowners would be closely watched by the LLG, provincial government, administration and NGGL to ensure the money was used to benefit everyone, especially women and children.
He said customary landowners must register under incorporated land groups and landowner companies in order to formulate by-laws on how to manage and develop their land and how benefits could be distributed.
“Those are big issues and when we learn how to manage the development of resources and benefits, then we can say we are truly developing in the right approach.”
Wild Dog mine manager Eric Namaliu said the payments of compensation totalling K150,000 were being made under the conditions of the 1996 memorandum of agreement.
He said company was looking forward for the same process to eventuate in relation to payments of royalties.
The clans benefiting from the MoA from Uramat were three Kasapki groups, four Yaram groups, a Mararap, Namatlaman and Arabam group.