LANDOWNERS of Papua New Guineas 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.”

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Mori clears Chimbu limestone Project puzzle

THE Chimbu Limestone Project in Chuave is a national Government project, Commerce and Industry Minister Wera Mori says.
He was responding to comments raised by Chimbu Governor Michael Dua regarding the handling of the limestone project, both in the past and present.
“It will run under a new company that we have registered under the name Elimbari Lime and Cement Ltd,” Mori said.
He said they recently appointed Kohn Digan, a senior geologist in the country, as acting chief executive of Elimbari Lime and Cement Ltd. Mori said the project was structured in such a way that it would be run like a business with no political connotations.
“Elimbari Lime and Cement Ltd will be owned by the national Government in due cause and time through Kumul Consolidating Holdings as well as the Chimbu government, Chuave district and landowners from Mam and Duma,” he said.
Mori said under that arrangement, neither himself nor the three local level government councils in Chuave, Dua nor any other politicians would become directors or shareholders of the company.
“The board composition would be drawn from the provincial government, through the office of the provincial commerce division which will look after the interest of the provincial government,” he said.
“The Chuave district, which comprises of three local level government councils, will be represented by the district administrator.
“The landowners are going to be represented by their own landowner companies of the Mam and Duma people.”
Mori said the Government had released K5 million for the project.

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Ramu NiCo goes to school to convince students discharge safe