Ramu NiCo landowners assured royalty payment ‘soon’

The Government has assured landowners of the Ramu NiCo project in Madang that they will receive their outstanding royalties soon.
Mining Minister Johnson Tuke reassured the four landowner association chairmen of the Ramu NiCo project, and Madang acting provincial administrator John Bivi, that as soon as procedural matters were executed by relevant authorities, the amount owed to them would be paid.
Tuke, while sympathising with the landowners, said this matter had been dragged on for too long as a result of officers not doing their jobs as expected.
He added that as soon as the appointment of the acting managing-director of Mineral Resources Authority was approved by Cabinet, royalty payment matters would be the first thing he would address.
Ramu Nico Management said it had the money to pay landowners.
Chairmen present during the meeting included Toby Bare (Kurumbukari Landowners’ Association), Sama Mellombo (Basamuk Landowners’ Association), Peter Tai (Maigari Landowners’ Association) and Jeffrey Kinang (Coastal Pipeline Landowners’ Association).
Meanwhile, the landowner chairmen were concerned that opportunists from the recent crime upheavals in Madang would use the current situation with the mine landowner against the State to instigate trouble and damage mine properties and assets in the province. Tuke, however, assured them that as minister responsible for mining he would not allow that to happen.
He told the leaders that he would be visiting landowners and the people of Madang next Friday with the new acting managing director of MRA to attend to their needs.
Ramu NiCo Mining Ltd community affairs manager Albert Tobe said the company was ready to pay royalties to the landowners as soon as the State gave them clearance.