NEC to discuss rice project plan

By ANCILLA WRAKUALE
THE proposed multi-billion commercial rice farming project in Bereina, Central pro­vince, is ready to go before the National Executive Council (NEC) this week for a final decision.
Agriculture and Livestock Minister Sir Puka Temu told The National yesterday that all negotiations were in order for the final submission to be made to the NEC.
“Cabinet will deliberate on it sometimes this week and the prime minister will make the decision,” he said,
Sir Puka said the two important things that would be the discussed would be the levy and exclusive tax breaks concessions for the company as per the deed of agreement.
However, Kairuku- Hiri MP Paru Aihi said the project would not proceed until landowner issues were sorted out.
He said Sir Puka could go ahead and bring the project to the NEC but the “NEC decision will be subjected to landowner issues”.
 “I, as the leader there, will not approve it and the project will not go on until I say so.”
Aihi said he wanted to see that the project would be inclusive of everybody and benefit the locals.
He said there were still outstanding landowner issues on incorporated land groups (ILGs) that needed to be sorted out.
The proposed rice project would be developed by Naima Agro Industries Ltd.
Sir Puka said the rice project was a K5 billion investment with an estimated annual turnover of K700 million.
He said the project would create more opportunities for nationals such as employment and income for households.
The project has already come under a lot of scrutiny, with many people opposed to some of the conditions in the DOA.
Landowners from the area told a meeting at the National Research Institute in February that most of them were in the dark about the project and were not satisfied with the DOA as it had little benefit for them.

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