Laba Holdings Limited, the landowner company of the four impacted villagers of Papua LNG project site, Boera, Papa, Lealea, and Porebada held a forum to discuss way forward for the organization and how they can help their people to benefit from the project spin off and tax credit scheme.
The forum was held at the Kone Hanua village of Hiri West in the Hiri Koiari district of Central province yesterday.
Present to participate in this important forum were Petroleum and Energy Minister Kerenga Kua, Gulf Governor Chris Haiveta, Central Governor Rufina Peter, Hiri Koiari MP Keith Iduhu, Laba holdings director Sir Moi Avei, impacted villagers of Central and Gulf provinces and other important dignitaries in the mineral resource sector.
Chief Executive Officer of Laba Holdings limited, Isikeli Taureka expressed that the forum was purposely held to bring their stakeholders and beneficiaries together to discuss and understand their past and focus on the future.
“The forum is for our leaders to come down and outline the overall frame work of how everybody should be moving between Gulf and Central province in relation to the upcoming development forum, that’s where the benefit distribution will be discussed,” Taureka said.
“And also, Laba holdings getting ready to be the preferred company to do the construction, accommodation and other services as we did for PNG LNG foundation,” he said.
Petroleum and Energy Minister Kerenga Kua, Gulf Governor Chris Haiveta and local MP Keith Iduhu strongly emphasized in the forum for collaboration and unity among the beneficiaries.
Minister Kua told landowners not to create different or many associations as this will affect their benefit sharing and encouraged them to have few associations by involving everyone.
“If we don’t manage carefully with caution and diligence, we will destroy the opportunity available to us and remember time becomes an asset,” Kua said.
“All issues must be buried among us, plenty of room for cooperation”
“We must remember as a group and individuals to carry that responsibility of ensuring that benefit is not just for us as individuals or group but for all of us,” he said.
The Hiri Koiari MP Keith Iduhu commended Laba holdings limited for organizing this forum saying this will help to ensure project delivery on time for people’s benefit.
“The fact that we see today is the testament of how organize we are. The duty is of course on all of us as stakeholders to carry a burden but with responsibility and care as we discuss this, could be our second but we discuss second and learn from our first to perfect it as the Hiri trade,” Iduhu said.
This is the first forum held since the organization was established in 2009 to discuss and help landowners benefit from the Papua LNG project.
