Lawyer backs Sir Peter’s renegotiation call

By GIBSON TORASO
ENGA Governor Sir Peter Ipatas’ call for renegotiation of the special mine lease (SML) for Porgera gold mine in Enga is gaining support.
Activist and lawyer Laken Lepatu has joined the bandwagon in calling for fresh negotiation that would benefit the developer, landowners, provincial government and the State.
Sir Peter on Tuesday said he wanted the same deal at Ok Tedi mine to be done with Porgera landowners.
He said the SML held by operator Barrick must not be renewed when it expired in August. Sir Peter said everything must be renegotiated and there was no point for a warden hearing in Porgera when the SML was coming to an end. Lepatu said he supported the call for fresh renegotiation to increase the benefits for landowners, Enga government and the State when the current SML expired in August.
“This is the golden time for the landowners, the people of Enga and the State,” Lepatu said.
“I call for a fresh SML and renegotiation for related tenements with new firms that are willing to increase benefits for landowners, the people of Enga and the state.
“Most importantly, we want a deal that will compensate sediment-affected landowners who had not been compensated for the last 30 years.
“We have been robbed of our gold under the current SML arrangement, wherein 95 per cent goes to the developer (Barrick) and we (landowners, provincial government and State) receive the remaining five per cent.
“We can turn that around and increase our wealth from our resources. This is the golden opportunity for us now.”
Lepatu said landowners must understand that they had little say and the State had the final say, despite warden’s hearings and reports.