Kua: Include districts in reforms

PETROLEUM Minister Kerenga Kua says it is important that district development authority (DDA) boards must be captured in any oil and gas Act reform to ensure they take part in benefit-sharing of resource projects such as the PNG LNG.
He was responding to Kairuku-Hiri MP Peter Isoaimo who asked in Parliament if DDAs would be included in the reforms.
Kua said the involvement of DDAs was not captured initially because they came into existence through a legislation after the PNG LNG started.
“The PNG LNG project started earlier and the DDA Act was passed in Parliament afterward,” Kua said.
“So when agreements were signed to distribute benefits, authorities and institutions which were already in place at that time were accommodated.
“The DDA boards came in subsequently.
“That’s why within the existing framework of the Oil and Gas Act and umbrella benefit sharing agreement (UBSA) and LBSA (license benefit sharing agreement), DDA boards are not captured,” he said.
“That is one of the important developments that we need to accommodate in any subsequent reform we want to make. We must incorporate DDA boards for the benefit sharing scheme.
“This is so that the provincial government, DDA boards and LLGs will all participate in sharing benefits in their areas.”
Kua said in terms of PNG LNG pipeline areas, those that were impacted all had the right to get some benefits.
“All the pipeline landowners and project landowners and facility landowners are getting some benefits which is determined by landowner identification done before the project began.”