PNG LNG project area needs Govt presence

By MOHAMMAD BASHIR

LACK of government presence in the PNG LNG project area is giving room for landowners to take matters into their own hands but the worst case scenario where the project is abandoned will spell disaster for the country.
This was the warning from Chairman of the Hides Special Purposes Authority (HSPA) Lemson Mapiria and Hides Gas Development Company (HGDC) Libe Parindali yesterday said at a joint press conference. 
They said that since the signing of the Licence Based Benefit Sharing Agreement (LBBSA) forum, there was no government presence in the project sites.
As a result, the two leaders want whoever is appointed the new Petroleum and Energy Minister to immediately look into deploying officers on the ground so as to give confidence to the landowners as well as the developer.
"The government has a 22 per cent equity in the PNG LNG project and with every disruption and stoppage to the early works, the government is also loosing out," Mr Mapiria said.
He said security issues was a direct result of lack of government presence in the area as landowners want attention to express their grievances.
"Since the LBBSA, the government has not taken ownership of the project and left it to the developer and landowners without realising that there are three important partners in the project," Mr Parindali said.
Mr Parindali said a permanent Secretary to the Department of Petroleum and Energy must be appointed immediately to facilitate the government presence that is lacking.
"We (HGDC and HSPA) are seen as the de-facto government on the ground and in the process, the government is leaving the project to the dogs," he said.
Mr Parindali said in the event of the project being forced to be abandoned, the economic effect would be detrimental.
"The real estate industry will collapse and I assure you, owners of buildings will commit suicide," he said.
Mr Parindali said the PNG LNG project was the lifeline and saviour of this country and urged the government to handle its responsibilities to the project seriously.

(Post Courier, June 2011).