Landowners stand by project

THE Sigite Mukus Integrated Rural Development Project in West Pomio, East New Britain, is a special agriculture business lease (SABL) success story, say local landowners.
Landowner chairmen Mathew Lila, James Lutkal and Bruno Tevolmana said this in response to a statement by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill in the Post-Courier dated March 14, headlined, “All SABLs illegal”.
“The Sigite Mukus SABL project is currently the only single and sustainable socio-economic and infrastructure project in the West Pomio region of East New Britain,” they said in a statement.
“This project has already opened up the entire region for other economic development activities and opportunities because of the new road infrastructure and sea and air transport services.
“Given the growing population and commerce industry activities within this region, all government services at Palmalmal must increase in capacity, so that our people can be properly assisted and supported.
“No matter the odds, our Sigite Mukus project is a successful SABL story.
“We have weathered the stormy Greenpeace and other NGO’s green campaigns and proven them all wrong.
“Greenpeace has thrown in the towel and gone home.
“The faceless remnants with the likes of Act Now are still around, continuing to muddy the waters so that they can continue to earn their bread and butter from their donors- at the expense for the people of Pomio.”
The landowners said O’Neill’s statement was a disincentive to foreign investors.
“Prime Minister, enough is enough,” they said.
“Your public statements on SABLs are disincentive to genuine developers like us and PNG as an investment destination.
“Without foreign investment partners there will be no LNG, oil, gold, coffee, fish, timber and palm oil exports. There will be no foreign exchange earnings that the country badly needed.
“So don’t send our investment partners home because the NGOs say so. Send the NGOs home and shut them up.”