Papua New Guinea Minister for Petroleum and Energy Kerenga Kua has deferred his trip Sembirigi in Southern Highlands scheduled today.
The trip was postponed to further in the week due to the delay in re-issuing of some of the royalty cheques for Gobe landowners.
Mr Kua sends his regret to the Gobe landowners and assures them that as soon as the Finance Department re-prints the cheques that had been previously cancelled, he re-confirm the new date of travel which is scheduled for Thursday 14th of May.
“I assure landowners that an internal investigation, is underway in the Department and officers involved in the covert issuing of cheques will be dealt with and if need be, face possible charges. This is a serious situation that has regularly occurred in the past and as a result given a bad name to the department. I want to see an end to this and bring trust back into the department.”
Kua says cheques for the other Gobe landowners are ready but he’s now awaiting the other nine cheques for the clans of Imawe and Bogasi so that they can all be presented at the same time.
Now that the trip has been delayed, Mr Kua says he will use the opportunity today to inform the Prime Minister what has happened and that his trip has been rescheduled to Thursday where he will personally witness the presentation of royalty payments to the real beneficiaries in their home environment.
“In my term I want to see that outstanding payment for landowners are settled and it is my hope that these funds can be used efficiently for tangible development to take place in your villages and hamlets,” said Mr Kua.
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The trip was postponed to further in the week due to the delay in re-issuing of some of the royalty cheques for Gobe landowners.
Mr Kua sends his regret to the Gobe landowners and assures them that as soon as the Finance Department re-prints the cheques that had been previously cancelled, he re-confirm the new date of travel which is scheduled for Thursday 14th of May.“I assure landowners that an internal investigation, is underway in the Department and officers involved in the covert issuing of cheques will be dealt with and if need be, face possible charges. This is a serious situation that has regularly occurred in the past and as a result given a bad name to the department. I want to see an end to this and bring trust back into the department.”
Kua says cheques for the other Gobe landowners are ready but he’s now awaiting the other nine cheques for the clans of Imawe and Bogasi so that they can all be presented at the same time.
Now that the trip has been delayed, Mr Kua says he will use the opportunity today to inform the Prime Minister what has happened and that his trip has been rescheduled to Thursday where he will personally witness the presentation of royalty payments to the real beneficiaries in their home environment.
“In my term I want to see that outstanding payment for landowners are settled and it is my hope that these funds can be used efficiently for tangible development to take place in your villages and hamlets,” said Mr Kua.
Next: