New Ok Tedi deal is in pipeline, governor says

 WESTERN Governor Ati Wobiro says discussions and arrangements between stakeholders on new arrangements for Ok Tedi are near completion

Providing an update on the work of the Eminent Persons Group of Sir Rabbie Namaliu, Sir Puka Temu and Bart Philemon, Wobiro said: “I am confident that the Eminent Persons Group will gather the views of the four main parties, namely the State, PNGSDP, Fly River provincial government and the Community Mine Continuation Agreement (CMCA) leaders, including BHP Billiton to a certain extent, to reach an outcome that is favourable to all. “I have every confidence in the EPG for a just outcome, an outcome my people have been deprived of since 2001.

“The heads of agreement will be signed, agreeing on high level principles and then we’ll go down to discussing how it’s all going to be managed at the provincial level.”

Wobiro said he had always supported the position taken by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill that PNGSDP had “lost sight” of the purpose for which it was established in 2001 and instead “became alienated” from development needs,” he said