The New Porgera Development Forum which was initially scheduled to start on Monday 21st of August 2023 started yesterday (22/08/23) due to a court order issued last Friday to halt the proceeding of the forum.
However following the Supreme Court decision on Monday, the meeting proceeds yesterday in Enga province.
The New Porgera Development forum aims to pave the way for the reopening of the mine earlier and is expected to last for two weeks to address all relevant issues among the stakeholders.
“The New Porgera Development Forum’s process is a required step to reopen the mine. Reopening the Porgera Mine is a matter of great national significance, and unnecessary delays must be avoided,” Prime Minister James Marape said.
Prime Minister Marape urged all stakeholders, including landowners and all the provincial governments, to heed the call made by Mining Minister Sir Ano Pala for Section 3 consultations to be started. He acknowledged the existence of various outstanding issues among the landowners such as SML, LMP, Riverine, Power plant and Power Pylon, which should be thoroughly discussed during the development forum.
“Under my administration, the government is committed to ensuring a more favourable arrangement in the New Porgera, building upon the insights gained from the past three decades,” PM Marape affirmed.
“Tomorrow is the first step in a process that will span at least two weeks, allowing for a comprehensive resolution of all pertinent matters.”
“I assure all landowners that the New Porgera Development Forum will serve as a platform to effectively address all concerns,” Prime Minister Marape assured.
The New Porgera Development forum will end on 7th September 2023.
