Cocoa boost eyed for Markham

A landowner group in the Umi-Atzera LLG, of Markham district, will enter a joint venture with Mainland Holdings Ltd (MHL) to use their land for a cocoa development project.
In 2016, farmers in Markham alone earned K5 million from cocoa production.

Information from the PNG Cocoa Board during the period indicated that the district topped the province in cocoa production. More than 1000 hectares of land within the vicinity of the once-renowned Markham Peanut Butter facility will now be turned into a large-scale cocoa development project area.

Garam locals from Wafibampung village near the Leron plains have accepted an invitation from MHL to participate in this project.

MHL is the lease-holder of the land on which one of its subsidiary companies, Niugini Table Birds, operates the Garam Breeder Farm.

The company has used its discretion to formally invite landowners to participate in this business venture to improve and maximise landowner participation.
Six villages consisting of five clans, with a population of more than 7000 men, women and children, will be involved in this project.

Markham district development authority chief executive Henry Mileng said it was a significant opportunity provided by the company to involve local landowners.

He said Markham DDA would provide technical support to assist landowners prepare for the project.

Mileng said landowner participation would improve the rural economy and the lives of the people living in the surrounding communities. Garam landowners’ chairman Kevin Rifi said the landowners would work together for the benefit of the project.

“We have been waiting for such a large-scale impact project over the years,” he said.

“Markham is blessed with this massive landmass and to have a project of this magnitude is a blessing to us.”

Source: The National PNG

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Tourism eyed as mine backup

LANDOWNERS of the Ok Tedi mine area in Western want to venture into tourism as a backup for when the mine closes.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Landowners’ Royalty Trust and Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) in Port Moresby on Friday for this community-based project.

“I need tourism development,” chief landowner and president of Star Mountains local-level government Borok Pitalok said.

“It is a fall-back for my people.

“More good things will happen because the mine will one day come to an end.”

Royalty Trust chief executive Aubrey DeSouza, when signing the agreement with Tourism Promotion Authority chief executive Jerry Agus, said there was huge potential for tourism in the Star Mountains. The agreement will look at developing bird watching as a first project.

“We have got other investments in commercial, residential property, hotels, stocks and shares but what we are really excited about is that this is a project which is community based,” DeSouza said.

“Royalty Trust has 10 mine villages around Ok Tedi and about 5000 beneficiaries.

“Every year we inform them about the various investments for after-mine life to sustain them for the rest of their lives.

“We expect the project to grow and give them sustainable employment and other opportunities with technical expertise of TPA.”
Agus said this was the first time for a landowner company to partner with a government agency to support local people in the community.

“Most of the time you do not see landowner companies, especially from mining and petroleum-producing areas trying to partner with sectors in tourism and agriculture,” he said.

“You do not have to have huge capital investments to go into tourism.

“It is something that we live with every day, just like agriculture.

“What we will do is to market and promote tourism products in Ok Tedi and Tabubil areas.”

Source: The National PNG

LNG Project in PNG: First royalty payment successful

By SHIRLEY MAULUDU

THE first phase of the recommencement of landowner beneficiary identification (LOBID) within PNG LNG Project impact areas has been completed, Department of Petroleum and Energy spokesperson says.

The spokesperson said that the completed areas were for the pipeline segments starting from Kikori, in Gulf, to Beneria, in Hela.

Last November, Petroleum Minister Fabian Pok announced that the LOBID exercise had recommenced.
“Moran PDL 5 (petroleum development licence) was also completed while Gobe and Kutubu are subject to disputes settlement in court,” the spokesperson said.

“Department of Petroleum is preparing for final ministerial determination for Mineral Resources Development Company) to open up bank accounts for the respective impacted clans, so the royalty and equity benefits will be paid to those completed impacted beneficiaries.
“Meanwhile, clan-vetting will resume in February for Hides PDL1 and PDL 7.

Juha PDL 9 will be conducted in Koroba for Hela landowners and in Kiunga or Soabi for Western landowners.

Angore PDL 8 will be subject to alternative dispute resolution (ADR), resuming mediation process to identify the beneficiary clans.

The success of the first phase was dependent on local and provincial leaders and logistical support provided by ExxonMobil and Oil search. The clan-vetting team experienced no issues that may cause delays to the vetting.”

Pok said that following the successful completion of the distribution of royalty benefits in the plan site area last month, DPE had focused on resumption and completion of the landowner beneficiary identification – formerly known as clan-vetting programme) in other project areas.

“This is useful consultative process which enables me to then make an official ministerial determination under Sec 169 and Sec 170 of the Oil and Gas Act (1998) and allow the benefits to be distributed to the beneficiaries,” he said.

Source: https://www.thenational.com.pg/