Take part in verification process, landowners told

The Government has urged people from the Hides area of Hela to return home to participate in a landowner verification process.
Petroleum Minister Dr Fabian Pok, pictured, said the exercise has been outstanding for the past 10 years and wanted it completed in the next two weeks.
This week Pok and a delegation consisting of stakeholders of the PNG LNG project arrived at Para village to launch the exercise for the PDL 1 and PDL 7 areas.
“I have given two weeks for Hela landowners to complete the draft,” Pok said.
“I will sign the determination (ministerial) in Hides.”
Officials from Petroleum Department were understood to be on the ground to commence the landowner beneficiaries identification (Lobid).
The main outcome from this Lobid exercise will be the formal determination of PNG LNG project area landowners to be formally accepted as beneficiaries.
They will be legitimately recognised as recipients of direct cash benefits – royalty and equity (dividends).
Pok explained yesterday that the exercise was to vet the preliminary data which the department presently had.
He also assured the people that more than K300 million in landowner benefits was still parked at Bank of PNG “untouched”. Pok said many people had passed on over the years without receiving a toea from the multi- billion kina project.
After the verification process, chairmen who will be appointed will be rotated every three years.
Tari-Pori MP James Marape supported Pok in calling on all Hides landowners to return home and claim ownership over their land in order to be recognised as project beneficiaries.
Marape, who is also Finance Minister, said: “I feel guilty when benefits are not paid.
“I appeal to everyone to go home.”
In relation to other PDL areas, Pok said Juha had been completed, reviewed and would soon be gazetted. He said Angore was nearly completed with only a block to go.