MP refuses to sign deal

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Thursday March 20th, 2014

 MOROBE Governor Kelly Naru said he declined to sign the K22 million tuna project for Morobe yesterday in Port Moresby because his government and the provincial executive council were not consulted.

Naru has called for greater consultation in the future on important projects in Morobe before agreements are signed.

He said this in relation to the cancellation of the signing of the Halisheng tuna project agreement at Government House in Port Moresby on Tuesday.

The foreign investor had committed K22 million to the project to be based at Malahang in Lae. 

But Naru said yesterday, he was not even aware of the project and its signing until late on Monday afternoon when a letter was forwarded to his office by the National Fisheries Authority.

He said: “While I welcome investments in Lae and Morobe province, I refused to go to Port Moresby to sign this agreement for two reasons.

“Firstly, I have not been briefed.

My office and the Morobe provincial government through the provincial executive council, has not fully been consulted and briefed on the project details and MPG’s position with regards to and in this venture.

“I refuse to sign because the project has not come to the PEC for our endorsement to enable me to sign.

“If there was any previous PEC decision relating to this project, then I have not been made aware of it by the administration and fisheries officials.

“While I welcome the investment on this project, I would like to request the State, Fisheries Minister and Fisheries Board to delay the signing of the agreement until MPG has had a chance to appreciate the nature and extent of that project and the position it will take in relation to this project.”

Naru said  if the traditional landowners had been consulted and they had agreed, then “I want to know the consensus that was reached between the developer and State and the landowners as an interested party and a son of Ahi”.

Naru said many agreements tended to be lopsided, favouring developers and not landowners.

“We have to carefully consider the interests of the government and landowners,” he said.

“I want greater dialogue, openness and transparency in this project so those who are going to be impacted know the full extent of the impact on their land, forests, waters and their lives.”