Vetting delay holding back benefits

THE failure of proper vetting of clans for the PNG LNG Project landowners has resulted in problems and many elderly people who took part in signing the agreement have died without receiving anything, says Minister for Mining and Petroleum Fabian Pok.
“The prime minister mentioned it in Parliament on Tuesday that there was no proper clan vetting done to identify the real landowners before going out and signing the project agreements,” he said.
Responding to Karimui-Nomane MP Geoffrey Kama about gas agreement negotiations and if the country had signed the agreement with project developer, Pok said a state negotiating team was in place headed by the chief secretary to look into.
He said signing of the gas agreement was not done yet.
Pok said a series of court cases relating to landowner issues impeded the vetting exercise and currently Justice Ambeng Kandakasi was in Hela dealing with the landowners at Angore.
“During the signing of the agreement, elderly landowners chanted with pride hoping to get something but sadly waited in vain and died receiving nothing,” Pok assured Parliament.
“It is a sad scenario and we do not want this to continue. We will make sure the clan vetting issue is properly handled and ironed out.”
He said a meeting would be held and next week a team would be sent to finish off the clan-vetting process at PDL 1 and PDL 7.
Pok urged landowners to wait patiently and allow clan vetting to be completed as the court battle in relation to landowner issues was affecting the work.
Abel, in response to MP Kua’s question on when the clan-vetting process will end as it had dragged on for too long, said work was underway t and nearing completion.
He said the continuous court battle was the main constraint in the process and in the Highlands, the earthquake was another hindrance to the successful completion.
“The benefits have not been used or diverted elsewhere, the royalties are sitting in the Bank of Papua New Guinea and it is accumulating,” Abel said.