Marape sets deadline for LNG clan-vetting work

FINANCE Minister James Marape says he wants the clan-vetting exercise for liquefied natural gas landowners to be concluded by the first quarter of next year.
Marape said over K200 million was in the Central Bank for upstream landowners and they needed to cooperate with the Department of Petroleum for clan-vetting.
“I have asked the Department of Petroleum and the clan-vetting team to come back and conclude the process that they had started before,” he said.
“In the balance of December, I will make it my business. “I will be visiting the Hides, Komo, Angore as well as the other parts of the LNG project in Hela and prepare for the Department of Petroleum and the team to come in the new year.
“The clan-vetting team must come up there to conclude the process for a fair and transparent process to take place.
“Then we start to distribute the benefits in the first quarter of next year.
“That is the intention of the Government.
“Prime Minister (Peter O’Neill) has given strong direction to Department of Petroleum to ensure that they lead the team up there early in January and we try to bring the clan-vetting matter to conclusion. By late March, the benefits of landowners should be distributed to them.”
Marape said it was unfair when landowners from the plant site were getting their benefits while those in the upstream were being held back, as a result of non-conclusion of clan-vetting and other factors.
“Government has delayed the process and landowners themselves had taken up many court injunctions,” he said.
“All these conflicting interests have really stalled the clan-vetting exercise
“I appeal to the landowners: if you have some issues, discuss it among yourselves here, come back to the electorate, once Department of Petroleum comes up there, there will be a transparent process.
“Present your case, look at the list that we have at Department of Petroleum and affirm that these are the clans that are beneficiaries.”