Maru plans to meet Angore landowners

 TRADE, Commerce and Industry Minister Richard Maru will meet landowners in the Angore (PDL 8) areas in Hela regarding the outstanding K12 million business development grant.

He will arrive in Hela on Sunday accompanied by Tari-Pori MP and Minister for Finance James Marape, Chief Secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc and MPs from the province.

They will visit the Well Head area (Block 1715), Komo Airport site (Block 1787) and the pipeline area at Awatangi (Block 1788).

Maru is expected to meet Women in Business groups, small and medium entrepreneurs and indigenous business owners from the province.

The department’s assistant secretary and provincial liaison officer David Ganaii told The National yesterday that Maru’s visit was also to identify a landowner company before the K12 million was paid.

“In 2010, K120 million was allocated for business development grants and were to be disbursed to all PNG LNG project area licenses.

“However, Angore’s was delayed because of multiple court injunctions regarding ownership of PDL 8. 

“The government had to follow through the court processes causing the delay,” Ganaii said.

Ganaii said the landowners were looking forward to the visit as it would be the first since the signing of the umbrella benefits sharing agreement and licensed based benefits sharing agreement.