Landowners must be partners in development

 THE Government’s announcement to create a private public partnership policy, as declared by Public Enterprise and State Investment Minister Ben Micah is the way forward. 

The wharves and port terminals are resources similar to oil and gas resources. 

Landowners of our major ports must be allowed as partners in both port developments and port investments.  

The Motuans, Labus, and Ahi people, being traditional land owners, have been part of Motukea and Lae main port for almost 50 years. Their contributions as both maritime workers and investors to the ports industry must be acknowledged.

Concerns raised by the Lae Maritime Workers and the Lae Maritime union are quite genuine. 

Once an international terminal operator bids and gets appointed as the new international overseas terminal operator for our national ports, he as investor, retains the right to dictate ports operations to maintain and regain his investment interests. 

Our national workers and local land owner companies stand to lose greatly if that happens. Their willingness to accept port changes and port developments must be commended. 

The Government must support their hard work and investments and provide partnership opportunities.   Morobe’s politicians must work together to ensure that one of the province’s biggest tax and employment resource is developed appropriately to cater for its own people. 

Gilinde Kitoria

Ahi Nga’pali, Lae