Lancos get more project deals

 MADANG landowner companies will benefit from new business opportunities, Ramu Nickel Co Ltd said during the signing of the project’s memorandum of agreement (MoA) in Madang recently.

The company said it would off-load 14 new business spin-off activities worth millions of kina to the landowner companies starting this year.

The new business activities would be in addition to 15 existing activities off loaded to landowner companies Kurumbukari Ltd, WassMatau Ltd and Maigari Ltd.

The new business activities will include :

• Chromite transport;  
• Fuel cartage;
• Road maintenance
• Rehabilitation work; and
• Construction of relocation hou­ses.

All landowner companies, including Basamuk Enterprise Ltd, will be contracted to provide trucks to transport chromite and fuel and to provide other equipment for civil works.

Existing business activities which KBK, WassMatau Ltd and Maigari Ltd are contracted to deliver included:

• Transport of general cargo – KBK;
• Civil works – KBK;
• Civil works – Maigair Ltd; and
• Civil works – WassMatau

Steven Saud, spokesperson for the four landowner associations and chairman for Coastal Pipeline Landowner Association, expressed satisfaction, saying that this was one of the positive outcomes that had come out from the review meeting.

Saud lauded Ramu NiCo Ltd for taking necessary steps to discuss with PNG Power ways to supply power to communities near its (Ramu NiCo Ltd) establishments.

He said if discussions between PNG Power and Ramu NiCo Ltd turned out positive, landowners would be happy as they would get electricity.

Saud said this would be an indicator of change in the lives of his people.

Mineral Resources Authority 

(MRA) acting managing director Philip Samar said: “As the facilitator and administrator of all MoAs in which issues such as business spin offs for landowners are captured, MRA was happy to see that landow­ners were getting maximum benefit from their resources.”