Marape recognises Ok Tedi association

By ADRIAN MATHIAS
FINANCE Minister James Marape has stopped Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) from accessing funds under the community mine continuation agreement (CMCA).
Marape had, instead, recognised the Ok Tedi Mine Impacted Area Association (OTMIAA) as the only entity that would have access to the CMCA funds held in the Western Province People Dividend Trust Fund.
He signed the trust on Feb 4 on behalf of the state, which is the major shareholder of the giant Ok Tedi mine in Western.
OTMIAA president Nick Bunn said he was happy with Marape for the change in authority.
He said they have been fighting for years with Ok Tedi Mining Ltd, OTDF and PNG Sustainable Development Ltd for recognition but had been denied access to the use of their own money.
“Since the signing of the agreement in 2006 on the extension of Ok Tedi mine, OTDF has been accessing money belonging to more than 100,000 people in the impacted 165 villages in Western and has been telling them that OTDF was their entity while, in fact, it was owned by Ok Tedi (75%) and PNGSDP (25%),” the OTMIAA said in a statement.
The association said
they have been visiting offices of Mineral Resources Authority (MRA), Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) and mining minister for assistance but got little help from them.
Last month, they sought an injunction in the National Court in Port Moresby stopping the use of K139 million held in WPPTDF until all issues were resolved fully in court.
Bunn and other members of the association said the people of the CMCA were promised benefits in 2006 and they signed the agreement for the Ok Tedi mine to continue.
They said one of the promises Ok Tedi made was to create an independent CMCA entity that would give them a sense of ownership and control over their resources (funds) and programmes of which OTMIAA was a by-product.
Association members Steven Wembut and Michael Gen said they were part of the transition group that saw the establishment of this entity (OTMIAA) and was approved by the National Executive Council decision number 272 of 2006.
Wembut said they were told Ok Tedi Fly River Development Foundation (OTFRDF) would replace the role of OTDF after two years but to date, this had not been done.
He also claimed they were mislead by OTDF chief executive Ian Middleton and OTML general manager community and business support Musje Weror to believe that OTFRDP was their entity.
OTML had designed OTDF to “manipulate and suppress” them to access and fund community projects using their dividend money.