PDL 1 head calls for transparency

A TRIBAL leader says the Hides Petroleum Development Licence 1 (PDL 1) Landowner Beneficiary Identification (Lobid) exercise must be done transparently.
Larry Andagali, who is Trans Wonderland Limited Group managing director and Hiwa leader from PDL1 Hides gas field of the PNG LNG project, urged Petroleum Minister Jimmy Maladina to ensure an independent facilitator be appointed to manage the final process and for the terms of reference to be clear.
“If we are not careful, more men will die and the Hela Laitebo prophecy where the mumu pig will never be enjoyed by the custodians of Laitebo gas will be fulfilled,” he said.
“We need to be proactive and need the Minister’s involvement to make things happen transparently.
“If this exercise fails, I will call for the closure of the PNG LNG project for good as the intended benefits will end up with the wrong people, and politics will hijack the system.
“This is serious but a right call for me to make to fulfill the prophecy.”
Andagali said the gas resource company for PDL 1 was established since the first LNG cargo shipment started in 2014 with Hela Governor Philip Undialu as interim chairman and Mineral Resource Development Company managing director Augustine Mano and Petroleum Department secretary David Manau ex-officio directors.
He said two independent facilitators needed to be appointed.
“I ask for two independent facilitators to be appointed. Precedence has been set during Umbrella Benefits Sharing Agreement (UBSA) and Licence-Based Benefits Sharing Agreement (LBBSA) where independent facilitators were appointed to ensure perceived conflict of interests were managed,” Andagali said.
“The three leaders who have dealt with PNG LNG Lobid issues and experience are Randal Rimua, Dr Fabian Pok and Sandy Talita. I recommend their services to ensure a decision in the best interest of the clans and PNG LNG Project.
“Social mapping and landowner identification happens before any project PDL is issued but this was never the case for PDL1.”