Locals have one ‘voice’

 By ELIZABETH VUVU

LANDOWNERS of the Sinivit gold mine in East New Britain will now have one political voice to air their concerns.

This follows the elections of the recently formed Sinivit landowners association yesterday.

The ENB provincial administration, Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) and provincial electoral office conducted the election of directors of the Sinivit landowners association yesterday at Gaulim and Riet. 

Counting will be conducted at the Sinivit LLG chambers.

The election was a result of resolutions of a review of the mine project’s memorandum of agreement that took place early this month in Kokopo.

The provincial administration team led by deputy administrator corporate affairs Ephreddie Jubilee, MRA delegation, the new project coordinator of Sinivit Gold mine, MarikeTako, ENB election manager Joab Voivoi visited Reit and Gaulim this week in preparation for the polling exercise to take place.

Tako said there would only be one political voice to represent the seven sub-clans of the mining area.

“The provincial administration and MRA involved PNG Electoral Commission to ensure the elections of directors was done legally and in a more transparent way,” he said.

He added that a second review of the agreement would take place in two weeks. 

They had to form one voice for the landowners and elect one body.

Another election for the Uramot Landowner Investment Company would also be conducted in due course.

“With the review of MoA, transparency is being strengthened so people are aware of benefits they were entitled to like the special support grant which they have not been getting until now and we are looking at making sure this happens next year,” Tako said.

“We are now making a submission on behalf of the provincial administration to the National Planning Department to allocate this money from 2007 to 2012,” he said.

He also said the 50% of their royalties were still parked with MRA and the Department of Finance and they would be preparing a trust deed to regulate these monies. The other 50% royalties were earlier this year.