The Deed of Amendment to the Porgera Project Commencement Agreement (PPCA), and the Deed of Escrow to park 10% of the project equity were signed today at the Government House.

The PPCA was deemed concluded when Mineral Resources Enga signed on 3rd February 2022.

The PPCA is the central and structural document designed to elaborate and deal more specifically with what was set out in the Framework Agreement.

In a statement the Prime Minister explains that the PPCA is the main foundational agreement that establishes how the joint venture will operate and the operating model that delivers the agreed benefits to all parties.

It deals with legacy liability issues, taxation issues, license issues, the establishment of the incorporated joint ventures, benefit flows, landowner benefits, project financing, mine closure and reclamation, fiscal and regulatory stability issues, and other issues and legal terms supporting the recommencement of the mine.

The Prime Minister said this is a major milestone and the Government needed to ensure that all the important responsibilities and commitments by all stakeholders are captured in very clear terms under this agreement.

The Prime Minister acknowledged Barrick and its CEO, Mark Bristow, for his patience in allowing the state and its stakeholders to ensure that any matters, which were overlooked in the original PPCA, were captured in the amendment deed.

“The amended PPCA now paves the way for the parties to move very quickly to implement further series of documents which include, the signing of the shareholders’ agreement and the incorporation of the joint venture company, the operatorship agreement between the joint venture company, and Barrick as the operator, the fiscal stability agreement, a mining development contract, and the memorandum of agreement regarding benefit-sharing between the relevant provincial government and local level government.

In accordance with the PPCA, the shares in the new project company will be as follows: Barrick Gold and Zijin, 49%, Kumul Minerals Holdings Limited, 36%, Mineral Resources Enga, 5%, and Porgera Landowners 10%.

The parties to the PPCA have agreed that until such time a determination is reached by the landowners as to how the 10% is apportioned, at an appropriate forum, the 10% would be held in escrow.

Marape said this arrangement is important because they want a proper forum to be held to have the landowners themselves determine how the shares will be held to best represent their interests.

The intention of the escrow is to allow the project company to be incorporated in the short term so to enable the lodgment of its application for a special mining lease to be made.

It further allows important regulatory tasks to proceed unhindered while plans are put into place for the development forum to take place.

“I am also pleased to announce that the stakeholders have all agreed for the Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) to be the escrow agent. MRDC is an experienced company dealing with landowner matters in the oil, gas, and mining space. We are confident that they will be able to perform their tasks diligently in accordance with the Deed of Escrow.”

These important signings now pave the way for the final pieces of the puzzle to be put in place for the mine to be reopened.

“I have been briefed on the critical pathway to the reopening of the mine, and it remains my utmost priority to ensure that matters which are within the control of the government are concluded as soon as possible to allow the process to move and accelerate. The operator has already assembled their team to design the shortest possible pathway and I want to do what I can to assist in this regard.”

The National Court in Lae has ruled in favor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG to retain its land, Portion 354, located in Lae’s Malahang area.

According to the court order, ELCPNG is now the rightful owner of the land and residents on the land are now regarded as illegal settlers.

The Court Decision passed on the 25th of March ruled that settlers currently occupying the area are to take down their properties and vacate the area before the 25th of July.

ELCPNG National Church Secretary, Bernard Kaison and the National Church Treasurer, Noreo Keindip, met with settlers yesterday, and presented a letter, notifying them of the court decision and to vacate the area before the 25th of July.

“The reason we are meeting with you personally is so that you hear this from the Church and not from a second party. We have learnt from the Nagada experience in Madang where things got out of hand when settlers found out from other sources other than the Church”, said the Church secretary.

The Church Treasurer, Noreo Keindip explained to settlers that the land, Portion 354 was not on a 99-year lease as claimed by rumors, rather was on freehold to the church.

Some settlers said they were not aware of this when they purchased land in the area.

Keindip responded, saying the Church had taken a restraining order in 2011 stopping any sale to the 99.5 hectares of land.

“I personally walked through the communities and cautioned people; I gave letters.”

“Awareness was done since 2000, there’s no excuse for anyone to say you were not aware, the treasurer said.

The Lutheran Church will retain some hectares of the land while some will be given to the Provincial Government for development purposes; one of which is to revive the old coconut plantation in the area, in support of its plans to revive the copra industry in the province.

The New Usino Health Facility recently opened over the weekend is the first health facility in Madang province that complied with the National Health Services standard.

Acting Director of Public Health Services, Dr. Martin Daimen, says in the past health facilities were built following the implementers own plans and designs.

But it is now a requirement that all health facilities have to follow the health services standards.

“Now we have to follow the National Health Services Standards, we will not accept other standards or buildings that do not meet the required health services standards. Under the authority we work according to the National Health Services Standard. And Usino Health Facility is the first facility to follow the standard.”

Dr. Daimen explained that other health services starting from the aid post level to the provincial hospitals will need to follow the same approach.

Recently the Madang Provincial Health Authority Board has approved the Strategic Health Services Development Plan.

“The Development Plan is a roadmap to guide the establishment of health facilities like the Usino-Bundi Health facility”.

Dr. Daimen added that MaPHA has already planned out what kind of facilities to build in the province, while there is also a plan to set up district hospitals in the 6 districts of Madang.

For now, Madang has two district hospitals run by the Lutheran Health services.

Yagaum Rural Hospital in Madang District and Gaubin Rural Hospital on Karkar Island, Sumkar District.

“The other Districts would also have their own district hospitals. In Madang province the first district hospital, a pilot project in PNG first was in Pomio and the 2nd is in Daigul, Bogia District and work had already started to build the district hospital”.

Dr. Daimen says the task now lies with the local members and the District Development Authorities of each of the districts to work with MaPHA and to start work.

He is appealing to the people of Usino-Bundi and surrounding communities to take ownership of the new health facility and its health officers.

Madang has 48 major health facilities but two health centers in Raicoast District were closed due to criminal activities.

Walium Health Centre was also closed for a month as a result of law and order problems.

Dr.Daimen warned that similar actions will be taken if there are reports of staff harassment or breaking and entering or vandalism of the health facility.

He added that health services in Madang province have deteriorated over the years and the cost of delivering health care services has gone up.

“This is the risk MaPHA will have to take on. MaPHA Board, the senior executive management and staff will take on the cost of delivering health care in the province”.

Basic infrastructures like roads, bridges, airstrips and even law and order problems are some of the contributing factors affecting delivery of health care”.

Dr. Daimen says MaPHA will work with two specialized doctors to set up an eye clinic and a cancer unit at the new facility.

But there is still a need for other medical equipment that are yet to be fitted into the health facility with staff housing.

Local MP and Education Minister, Jimmy Uguro, says health facility was constructed through consultation with a team from the health department.

The team from the health department had done an assessment prior to the construction of the health center.

“Work on the Usino health facility is yet to be completed.

“This is phase one of the projects. The second phase is the construction of staff houses,” said local MP, Jimmy Uguro.

Uguro added that Usino Bundi’s district hospital will be a level 4 hospital as approved by the Health Minister and it will be built at Walium as that is the district’s headquarter.

Prime Minister, James Marape allocated funding of K5million, while the health department added another K5million for the district hospital.

Police in New Ireland carried out an awareness in Kavieng town for better policing in the Province.

According to Provincial Police Commander, Chief Inspector, Felix Nebanat, the Smart Policing Concept is the vehicle to drive change and set a road map to ensure there is a definite pathway in creating peace and good order in communities.

PPC Nebanat led the awareness campaign with the support from other police personnel and Community Auxiliary Police Officers who went out in two groups for the exercise.

“The concept is a bottom up approach by doing networking in partnership with stakeholders “said Chief Inspector Nebanat.

The exercise started off in and around the Kavieng Urban LLG and concluded at the Kavieng Club with emphasis on partnership in combating crime and town cleanliness.

“We can’t sit and wait; the awareness of the Smart Policing Concept sets the precedence of police presence in communities”, said the New Ireland PPC.

PPC Nebanat revealed that the next step of this program is to set up COP Shops in strategic locations around Kavieng Town where police will be stationed to monitor and maintain safety of people and the township.

Chief Inspector Nebanat said bonding is equally important to empower Auxiliary Police officers to revitalize community policing starting with Kavieng Urban LLG.

PPC Nebanat thanked business houses in Kavieng that supported the awareness campaign and acknowledged the participation of provincial authorities and other stakeholders.

Nebanat said smart policing is the ideal avenue to enhance capacity building in New Ireland which has been neglected and missing over the years.

Rubber farmers in North Fly District of Western Province will now enjoy an increase in rubber prices.

As of 1st April the farm gate rubber price increased to K2.00 per kilo.

Chairman and North Fly MP, James Donald confirmed this, saying the reason of the increase is self-explanatory as per the Joint Announcement Notice by North Fly Rubber Limited Chairman, Warren Dutton.

“This is the second time in the history of rubber price in North Fly with the previous between 2006 and 2007.

“Imagine the weight of 1000 kilograms will see farmers earn K2,000, “said MP Donald.

MP Donald urged rubber farmers to embrace the crop by planting more rubber trees to earn a decent income.

He said economically, farmers will benefit to meet other daily cost like paying school fees and medical expenses.

Donald said the North Fly DDA will continue to support the work of North Fly Rubber Limited (NFRL) in promoting the sustainable growth of rubber in the electorate.

“We will continue to improve with the aim to break the poverty cycle in every village, homes and families,” said MP Donald.

North Fly District in Western Province is one area in the country heavily involved in rubber production over the course of the past 5 years.