PM ill-advised about OTDF’s role in Western
The National, Wednesday 10th April, 2013
I REFER to the prime minister’s outburst over the Ok Tedi Development Foundation’s (OTDF) Community Mine Continuation Agreement (CMCA) in Western (The National,April 2).
I am neither from Western nor have I any vested interest in the province.
But I am a keen follower of the CMCA since it was first signed and executed.
The CMCA is a unique agreement that has been widely applauded and appreciated by many – locally and globally – as a result of the out-of-court settlement for environmental damage caused by BHP Billiton.
The national government is involved through the department of national planning and monitoring (DNPM).
The government continues to have representatives from the Mineral Resources Authority, DNPM and the North Fly provincial government in OTDF’s regional trust board.
Although the government is represented in all aspects of the OTDF project delivery mechanisms, it fails to deliver one thing and that is political will.
OTDF and its management have always welcomed the government as a genuine partner in the region’s development, in which the current governor is very supportive of.
I urge our prime minister to first consult with the province’s political head to know what OTDF is doing in Western before jumping to conclusions.
Komberwa Constantine
Port Moresby