Landowners can expect share

LANDOWNERS from Juha in Western can expect their share of royalties from the PNG LNG project this week, Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) says.
This announcement followed a visit by officers from MRDC and the Petroleum and Energy Department to Kiunga over the weekend.
According to MRDC, the visit aimed at finalising the remaining paperwork for the Western fraction of the PNG LNG pipeline segment one beneficiaries.
Segment one has 13 beneficiary clans – four from Western and nine from Hela.
MRDC said they would be receiving 1.78 per cent of K21.9 million which was earmarked as cash benefits for the entire PNG LNG pipeline landowners from segments one to eight.
The cash benefits (K21.9mil) is 40 per cent of royalties from 2016-2018 and equity from 2014-2016, totalling K54.26 million.
Of the remaining 60 per cent, half will be spent on community infrastructure projects, while the other half will be retained in the future generation trust fund for investment.
Nomad local level government president Daba Sodu, representing pipeline landowners from Western, said the people of Juha segment one were joyous because this would be the first time they will be receiving benefits from the resource project after years of waiting.
“Our children will now benefit,” Sodu said.
“We are thankful you are here with us to share this wonderful news.”
Deputy provincial administrator Rupert Tabua said: “This is the first of its kind, it’s a special day for the people and for us.”
The team is expected to continue onto Hela to meet with the nine clans there in coming days.
To date, the MRDC has completed payments for segments seven, eight, four and five and is currently working on crediting accounts for segment three beneficiaries.