Polye requests for work at plant site to continue

 THE government negotiating team to Hides has urged landowners to allow construction work on the LNG plant to continue.

However, landowners at the site demanded the presence of key ministers involved in the UBSA and LBBSA signing to address the people on outstanding commitments made by the state.

The government team, headed by Foreign Affairs Minister Don Polye and Education Minister James Marape, also included chairman of Hides Special Purpose Authority Lemson Mabiria and Libe Parindali and Police Commissioner Tony Wagambie.

The team visited the people at Hides 4 PDL 7 but was told they were not the ministers the people wanted to meet.

Marape told The National by telephone from Hides yesterday that landowners were demanding the presence of government ministers who made commitments at both the UBSA and LBSA. 

He said he was there as chairman of Hela Transitional Authority, member for Tari-Pori and a landowner. 

“I have to be here at the expense of my own popularity. The issues we addressed are the agreements we signed.”

He said the government team was given the opportunity to address the people, urging them to allow project construction to go ahead while these issues were being attended to by government. 

The landowners gave 11 days for Finance and Treasury Minister Peter O’Neill, State Enterprises Minister Arthur Somare, National Planning Minister Paul Tiensten, Petroleum Minister William Duma and Governor Anderson Agiru to address the people.

Marape said Polye assured the people that their request would be presented to the prime minister in Port Moresby.