EMTV
The chairman of PNGSDP and ousted OTML chairman Sir Mekere Morauta called on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to tell the nation and the people of Western Province where the funds received from the Ok Tedi mine are.
The chairman of PNGSDP Sir Mekere Morauta yesterday pointed fingers at the national government for the lack of infrastructure and social development in the Western Province.
The figure Sir Mekere put was well over 11 billion kina.
He said from 2002 to the end of 2012, the National Government received a net K11.2 billion from the mine – K6.9 billion in taxes and charges and K4.3 billion in dividends.
Sir Mekere said on a pro-rata basis, the O’Neill-Dion Government would have received almost K2 billion between August 2011 and August 2013.
He reported that from 2002 to 2012 PNGSDP received a net K5 billion in dividends.
From that money he said PNGSDP spent about K650 million in Western Province, K537 million in the rest of the nation, and saved 1.4 billion US dollars for the province after mine closure.
From that money he said PNGSDP spent about K650 million in Western Province, K537 million in the rest of the nation, and saved 1.4 billion US dollars for the province after mine closure.
He called on the Prime Minister to conduct an investigation into these funds immediately.
He said it is government’s responsibility to rehabilitate the services such as the Daru General Hospital, its water and sewerage systems, the Trestle Wharf and Daru Airport, the education and health sectors.
He said this is not PNGSDP’s responsibility and the National Government should not blame them.
Last month Prime Minister Peter O’Neill terminated Sir Mekere from the Ok Tedi Mining Limited Board and launched an investigation into PNGSDP.
This investigation aims to find out where and how all these funds were used.