Landowners question delay in MOA review

THE memorandum-of-agreement (MOA) for the Hidden Valley mine in Morobe has not been reviewed and signed by authorities for the last two terms, according to their landowner association.
Attempts to get Mineral Resources Authority and Mining Department to comment on the matter have been unsuccessful.
Nakuwi Landowners’ Association chairman Rex Mauri raised the concern last week after unsuccessful attempts to have the MOA reviewed and signed.
He said several things were not right and needed to be addressed through an MOA review.
“Authorities must do the review quickly as some things have to be ironed out in the MOA,” Mauri said.
“They have to come out clear and tell us landowners.”
“What is the delay in reviewing and signing of the document?”
Mauri said there were many such MOAs for major mining projects around the country that also needed to be reviewed and signed.
Nauti landowners’ grievance committee chairman
Ben Joseph said it was nine years now since the mine operations started, however, landowners had not been fully compensated through benefits.
“This review and signing of the MOA is important as it may share some light on our plight for the real benefits,” he said.