Manus first to subscribe

THE Manus provincial government completed its K1 million share of subscription payment to the National Gas Corporation (NGC) which is expected from all provinces.
This was after Governor Charlie Benjamin made a K950,000 cheque presentation to the National Gas Corporation (NGC) yesterday which followed a K50,000 payment made 20 years ago.
Benjamin, when presenting the cheque, said he hoped that this opened the way for other governors to complete their payments.
He said that the NGC played an important role ensuring that provinces acquired a benefit from the country’s resources.
“The National Government has its own businesses that it takes care of at its end, landowners also have their own business but it will be only fair that provincial governments for the majority of all its people have these type of businesses,” he said.
“This will result in provincial businesses bringing services to the people in the provinces.
“Manus is only a small province and we might not contribute a lot in terms of natural resources.
“Our land is 2,100 square kilometres in size which is small with a small population size of 70,000 people but we have one of the biggest sea territory in the country which is about 276,000km².
“I thank those who have formed this corporation under the Oil and Gas Act and for letting us smaller provinces to be shareholders in the National Gas Corporation.
“This allows us to have access inside so that we are able to have some form of internal revenue.
“We will do well because gas and oil will remain for the next 50 years.”