LNG success at stake, says landowner

FAILURE by the government to address landowner issues is going to put the liquefied gas project at risk, a chief landowner has said.
Chairman of Hides 4 Landowner Umbrella Association Chris Payabe said the government had continuously failed landowners with its deferred promises over the payment of their development grants.
He said this had led to a build-up of frustration and this was a dangerous trend for a multi-billion-kina project.
“If the government is serious about seeing the PNG gas project proceed as scheduled, it has to take a stance and close its committed project deals with the landowners as soon as possible,” Payabe said.
He said it was important that infrastructure development grants should not be given to provincial governments to distribute because they already haa the high impact project funds captured in the umbrella benefits sharing agreement.
He said the IDGs were specifically for landowner companies tied to their respective license-based benefits sharing agreement.
Payabe also called on the prime minister to intervene and pay the landowners before the end of this month.
“I want my people to return home to Southern Highlands and not wander around Port Moresby and creating a lot of nuisance.”
He warned of problems at Hides PDL4 and PDL7 if the funds were not paid by this week.
“I want to ask landowner leaders to also stay away from Vulupindi Haus so that our government workers can work freely and sort out our outstanding payments.
“The more we stay there and threaten them, public servants will stay away from work and nobody will attend to our issues,” he said.
“Ministers and public servants must stop meddling into our people’s
financial affairs and instead do their jobs and pay us what we are owed.”