Sir Mekere willing to work with State

PNG Sustainable Development Programme chairman Sir Mekere Morauta says there is room for peace between the company and the State after a bitter and expensive battle between the two parties.
He said this yesterday after the PNGSDP annual results meeting in Port Moresby.
“The State started the fight, not SDP,” Sir Mekere told The National.
“We’re only defending it – that’s all we’re doing.
“If we want to stop the fight, we can stop the fight tomorrow.
“It’s up to the prime minister.
“If he wants to talk to me, I’m open, but I have a duty to protect the company and I’ll continue.”
Asked to comment on Sumkar MP Ken Fairweather’s recent call for PNGSDP and the State to put aside their differences so that PNGSDP could bail out PNG from its economic woes, Sir Mekere said: “The money is for the people of Western province.
“Under the right conditions, we’ll consider the PM’s request.
“I’ve set out four or five conditions – one of them is that we withdraw the court cases and another is for the PM to stop trying to take over PNGSDP.
“I won’t make a commitment but I think there are certain things that must happen first before I sit down to talk.”