Landowners in Angore urged to sort out conflict

By YEHIURA HRIEHWAZI
COMMERCE and Industry Secretary Stephen Mera yesterday made a strong appeal to Angore gas project landowners to quickly sort out their differences and collect their K12 million in seed capital.
He said Juha landowners were next in line to collect their K12 million this month after their disputing parties had resolved to work together.
Mera made the call to Angore’s disputing landowner groups  as he paid over K3.3 million to Buria Rearea landowners in the Caution Bay area – about 20km north-west of Port Moresby, where the PNG LNG liquefaction plant is under construction.
He expressed fear that if the funds were not paid out quickly to the landowner companies to invest in business, the Department of Treasury could recall the funds from the trust accounts.
Mera said the government had instructed them to release the funds to lancos (landowner companies) within 12 months, “but it is now the 25th month and going into third year”.
He said K120 million was set aside in trust accounts to be paid to landowner companies as seed capital for the PNG LNG project impact areas.
“It’s a one-off payment under the LBBSA and UBSA agreements,” he said.
So far K97 million had been paid and only Juha and Angore were outstanding with Buria Rearea getting paid yesterday.
Mera urged lawyers involved in the various court battles to consider the greater interests of the people who were being left out.
He said his staff would contact the lawyers and try and try to get out of court settlements and free up funds so that the affected people could start businesses and benefit from the multi-billion kina LNG project.