By PRUDENCE AUVITA IPAPE
GULF Governor Chris Haiveta has called on Prime Minister James Marape not do the same mistake done on the PNG LNG project to be repeated in Papua LNG.
“Total is a new company, you and I know that our experience as Members of Parliament Exxon Mobil and Oil Search promised the landowners, the provincial government, and the national government for many productive results with the previous agreement being signed. However, the two development partners in the joint venture made empty promises resulting in the government being given its shares and not landowners,” Mr Haiveta said.
“Today, I want to remind you that the State got what was promised but the landowners are yet to get what was promised to them. So from this experience, I want to strengthen you, the Prime Minister of this nation going forward and towards the next phase of the milestone achievement with the development agreement to not listen to the developer and work to protect and look after the interest of Papua New Guinea
Don’t let them confuse you because there’s process in place, we didn’t identify landowners properly before signing off the License Based Benefits Sharing Agreement (LBBSA) and Umbrella Based Benefits Sharing Agreement (UBBSA) and today we are working hard and struggling. For that reason this must not happen again with the project in Gulf province or any other part of the country.
For this I must stand on my words and remind and assure you that Gulf Provincial Government and the landowners are here to help you. We are here to help the government and developers with the conflicts that come with it, the court cases that are in place must be looked at, but please let us identify the very people who are affected the most before going into construction phase,” Haiveta cautioned.
He also reiterated: “There are other issues there but has John Mark representative for Total Company Mentioned, Gulf will be fair and will protect the interest of our people and I thank all of you who have made it possible for this occasion to happen.”
“As the governor for the host province (Gulf) representing my people, project area Ihu and Baimuru with the ward leaders being present, I would like to take this time to say thank you to the Minister for Petroleum Hon. Kerenga Kua and the government Hon. Prime Minister James Marape even though two years of the project has lapsed but finally this joint agreement has been signed and ready to kick off this year.
“We as the citizens and beneficiaries of this Papua LNG project are happy and looking forward to the joint venture between the State and Total Company to produce good results for the people and for our country,” Governor Haiveta assured.