O’Neill, ministers, officials talk LNG

 PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill met with two ministers and three department heads last Thursday to discuss commitments to Hela under the PNG LNG project agreement.

Present were Finance Minister James Marape, Petroleum and Energy Minister William Duma, chief secretary to government Manasupe Zurenuoc, finance secretary Steven Gibson, acting secretary for petroleum and energy Rendel Rimua and Mineral Resources Development Company managing director Augustine Mano.

They discussed concerns raised by Hela Governor Anderson Agiru in a petition to the government.

O’Neill directed both departments to provide details of all commitments that the national government has to fund under the umbrella benefits sharing agreement and licensed-based benefits sharing agreement.

He said this included all financial commitments for projects made to Southern Highlands and Hela landowners, Gulf and Central and the commitments yet to be funded.

“The people of Hela must know this: our government is committed to funding commitments that we are obliged to under the agreements relating to the LNG project,” he said.

“But they must also know that we have paid millions of kina already under these agreements. 

“Is there anything on the ground to show for these millions of kina already paid out?

“If not, the people must hold their leaders to account. I am now getting all the information from finance and petroleum departments. The details of where all the money went will be made public. 

“The people of Hela have the right to know this because it is for their benefit that the government instigated these commitments when we signed the LNG agreement.”

He will release details of these commitments this week.