By ESWIN PLESIO
Central Province Governor Rufina Peter has called for fairness, transparency and the inclusion of all legitimate landowners as discussions on the Papua LNG Project officially got underway at the Papua LNG Development Forum in Port Moresby today.
Speaking at the forum’s opening at APEC Haus, Governor Peter said the project has the potential to transform Papua New Guinea’s economy by creating jobs, generating business opportunities and bringing billions of kina into the country over the next two decades.
As the nation prepares to celebrate its 51st Independence anniversary, she said Papua LNG offers a chance to reshape the country’s economic future, but only if the benefits are shared fairly among those directly affected.
While reaffirming Central Province’s full support for the project and its push towards a Final Investment Decision, Governor Peter stressed that long-term success depends on earning the trust of landowners.
She said some project-affected communities in Central and Gulf provinces have raised concerns about being left out of the social mapping, landowner identification process and subsequent ministerial determinations.
“We cannot allow legitimate customary clans to be marginalized,” she said.
Governor Peter warned that failing to resolve genuine landowner concerns could result in disputes and court challenges that may delay the project. She urged the State and project developers to address all outstanding grievances openly and ensure every rightful landowner benefits from hosting the project.
She also expressed concern over the proposed sharing of project benefits between Central and Gulf provinces, saying Central Province would not accept a repeat of what happened during the PNG LNG Project.
According to Governor Peter, Central Province’s contribution to the PNG LNG Project was undervalued despite hosting the downstream facilities where gas is processed and prepared for export.
She said the Papua LNG Project is expected to use the existing gas conditioning and liquefaction facilities in Central Province, saving developers billions of kina in construction costs and significant operating expenses.
“For that reason, Central Province expects a fair and equitable share of the benefits as the host of the infrastructure that processes and prepares the gas for export,” she said.
Governor Peter also called on the State and project developers to provide complete and transparent information to enable the province to make informed decisions during the negotiations.
She said any agreement reached at the forum should be guided by the Constitution, the Oil and Gas Act and other relevant laws, rather than politics.
Concluding her address, Governor Peter called for respectful and constructive negotiations, saying Central and Gulf provinces share a long history and should work together as equal partners to ensure the Papua LNG Project delivers lasting benefits for their people and the country.
The Papua LNG Development Forum brings together the National Government, provincial governments, project developers, landowner representatives and other stakeholders to negotiate benefit-sharing arrangements before the project moves closer to its next stage of development.