Sir J commends Budget 2012

NEW Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan has commended the 2012 national budget but criticised the government for not honouring its commitments in the Lihir memorandum of agreement.
Sir Julius told parliament that the government should pay its outstanding commitments under the Lihir agreement.
“Government must provide full payment of all arrears, turn over the New Ireland Trust Fund to the government of New Ireland and immediately implement the four major infrastructure projects under the Lihir MoA,” he said.
He said New Ireland had contributed immensely to the public coffers from the proceeds of Lihir and Simberi mines and was yet to see or receive any tangible benefit after waiting for a long time.
“New Ireland has hundreds of millions of kina both cash and project that have been due for 15 years under the MoA for the Lihir Gold Mine. It has sat down 12 times over the past four years with representatives of both the Somare government and the new government.
“New Ireland has had promises that the back payments in infrastructure development grant, the backup payments in major infrastructure projects would be made. Have they been made? No!
“We demand what is ours. We demand full payments of the special support grant arrears. We demand full payment of the infrastructure development grant arrears. If the government fails to do this, we will shut down the mines,” he cautioned.
The governor added that his government would no longer allow mines to be operated in his province when the benefits of those mines flowed to everyone else except New Irelanders.
“The national government has gotten fat from Lihir and Simberi and has made billions of kina from the wealth in mama graun in New Ireland
province. But today I tell you that is at end.”