Porgera MoA talks aborted

THE Porgera mine memorandum of agreement (MoA) review meeting ended prematurely on Tuesday in Kokopo when the Enga provincial government (EPG) team was ordered to return to Wabag.
The review meeting was between representatives of the state and EPG.
A statement sent from Kokopo said the EPG representatives left on direction from their “political masters”.
EPG representative Sandis Tsaka told the state team they had to abort the meeting and go back under instruction from their leaders.
Tsaka could not say what the reasons were.
The state team’s leaders were disappointed with the withdrawal as they were committed to getting the review done after the last review in 2008.
Enga Governor Peter Ipatas, who had ordered the withdrawal, said there were outstanding issues that needed to be resolved by the provincial executive council for an official position on the MoA review.
He said the Enga government had not reached an official position on issues that would come before the review.
Ipatas said the special mining lease (SML) landowners had a good understanding with the provincial government and had agreed in principle to hold discussions and negotiations before an agreement was reached.
“We need to talk with landowners and come up with a common stand on the issues before us.”
He said outstanding issues that needed to be  resolved in the Porgera mine review included the Enga provincial hospital and jail reconstruction, Wabag and Paiam town development and the fly-in, fly-out arrangements which had never been implemented.
Ipatas said other issues were the upgrading and rehabilitation of the Wapenamanda Airport, which after sealing had not been  fenced yet, and the deteriorating Wabag-Wapenamanda road.