by Jack Lapauve Jr, EMTV – Port Moresby
Trade Commerce Minister, Richard Maru, says Papua New Guinea will continue to lose K2 billion every year if the Pacific Maritime Industrial Zone project is halted.
This morning in a news conference, Minister Maru clarified that the project was initiated by the Somare led government and the O’Neill-Dion Government will fully support this decision.
Maru said the landowners must not serve one’s interest.
Minister Maru says, the project has been politicised but locals must fully understand the project.
For the past two months, landowners in Madang have protested over the ownership of the land, and concerns to the environment.
In his response, Minister Maru said the land was bought from the Catholic Church and no community is titled to that land.
The PMIZ project has received criticism by landowners in the past two months over land rights.
Currently, a restraining order is being served to landowners in the project area, including Sumkar MP Ken Fairweather, Anthropologist Nancy Sullivan, Environment Activist Dorothy Tekwe and 11 others.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=JITgHpE9Qjg%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
