Oil palm project benefiting locals

By GYNNIE KERO
LANDOWNERS in Pomio, East New Britain, have already received more than K38 million in royalties and levy payments for the oil palm project there, according to the project operator Rimbunan Hijau (PNG) Group.
Operations manager Andrew Tiong said during the commissioning of six community projects established by the group’s subsidiary Gilford Limited in Pomio last Friday, more than 15,000 hectares of oil palm had already been planted in the district.
“We have built a palm oil processing facility, a sea port and an airstrip. And we are already exporting palm oil made in Pomio to the world,” he said.
“Almost K62 million in wages (since the project started in 2011) have already been paid (to more than 4000 employees).
“Landowners have already received over K38 million in royalties and levy payments and this is just the beginning.
“The project has so far contributed K115 million in tax revenue to the state. We have spent K103 million on infrastructure projects. An additional K1 billion will flow directly to the state and local communities throughout the project life.
“We are working with the provincial government on a major road project to link different parts of the community and help farmers’ access markets.
“We have built two key bridges, before heavy rain would cut off children from attending school or make river crossing dangerous even for adults.”
Mathew Lila, the chairman of the landowner umbrella company Memalo Holdings Ltd, said locals were now seeing benefits from the oil palm projects.
Lila said the people now had job opportunities and their living standards were improving over time.