Keeping environment safe vital: PM

PRIME Minister James Marape says the country will keep the environment safe for investors to operate in.
He yesterday tabled 11 amendments to legislations related to the P’nyang LNG project which were all passed.
The amendments were for the Customs Tariff Act, Excise Tariff Act, Goods and Services Tax, Income Tax, Insurance Act, Income Tax Dividends Withholding Tax and Interest Withholding Act, Konabada Petrolium Park Act, Oil and Gas Act, Price Regulation Act, Resource Contracts Fiscal Stabalisation Act and Stamp Duties Act.
Marape said they included changes and insertions of the P’nyang LNG project into the law that would enable the project to progress.
The construction is expected to start next year.
“P’nyang is our signature project and we have to do it right,” he said.
“The PNG LNG Project is sustaining our country now.
“P’nyang is a K13 billion project.
“Papua LNG is a K20 billion project.”
Marape said the P’nyang and Papua LNG projects would “really grow the economy”.
He assured the people of Western in the Star Mountains and the Oslobip areas that a development forum would be conducted to address their needs
“This is what we have to do at the national level, for the benefits that we have secured from 59 to 63 per cent,” he said.
“We’ll go to the development forum where landowners’ benefits will be discussed, including infrastructure grants, business development and others that would be granted to the P’yang landowners.
“We have a four-year lead period from now till 2027/2028.”
Marape said the petroleum development licence would not be granted until they went into feed “so that we have enough lead time to try our very best to please the landowners in the star mountains”.