Kua ‘shamed’ by late payday for landowners
14 March 2022
NEWS DESK
| Pacific Mining Watch
PORT MORESBY - Petroleum minister Kerenga Kua says he is ashamed of the PNG government for delays of up to 13 years in K120 million of payments to LNG project landowners.
Kua announced the outstanding funds will soon be released by the PNG Treasury after landowners from the Hides petroleum precinct gave the government 14 days to release the money and respond to other outstanding issues.
He said the National Executive Council (Cabinet) had already approved the release of funds and the payment needed to be settled.
“I must say that personally I am ashamed of the government,” Kua said.
“We got the Department of Petroleum and Energy and all the stakeholders to work together for two years until they condensed the outstanding to a figure of K120 million,” the Sinasina-Yongomugl (Simbu) MP said.
The issue dated from 2009 but most of the outstanding amount will now be paid.
Kua said the payment had been decided in June last year but the Treasury had not released the funds.
“I will continue to push the prime minister, treasurer and finance minister to release the money,” he said.
“This is not a disputed amount. All the paperwork to is ready, it’s just that we are waiting for the money.
Petroleum and Energy secretary David Manau said the payment was not dividends or royalties.
“It’s outstanding project money,” he said.
A little more on my restaurants. The first was in the town of Casino in the beautiful Richmond Valley of NSW. The second was in Darwin.
The large volume of cabbage was the essential ingredient for coleslaw. The potatoes were divided between chips and roasted.
On Christmas Eve 1985 (our final year in Casino), 903 barbecued birds and 60 cabbages in the form of coleslaw crossed to the other side of the counter.
All preceded by 36 hours of non-stop preparation featuring the cooking efforts of chef Geoff Little.
Posted by: Wm Dunlop | 19 March 2022 at 08:40 AM
I note the editor's correction of my slip between lip and cup with the word 'restaurateur' when I noted in these columns that I had once owned a restaurant.
I blame my eyesight. Iam fortunate in having a brilliant eye specialist in Mr Mahandaraja who has managed to retain my vision (glaucoma for more than 20 odd years). No mean achievement.
There have been quite a few operations. The left eye can read all but the bottom line in the doctor's eye chart. The right eye can see no letter at all. Furthermore, I am long-sighted in the left eye and short-sighted in the right.
I eventually sold my two Australian restaurants to Barry Hughes, formerly general manager of WR Carpenter's Supermarkets, who was to succumb to lung cancer just 18 months later.
Barry had planned to take The Golden Chicken to Moresby, Lae, Madang and Hagen.
Interesting fact - the restaurant had a weekly throughput of 1,100 chickens, one and a half tonnes of potatoes and 80 cabbages.
Posted by: Wm Dunlop | 18 March 2022 at 09:14 AM
The central bank's money printing machine has run out of ink.
Posted by: Kindin Ongugo | 16 March 2022 at 02:04 PM
Dear Bernard - Adapted from the great Australian lie, "The cheque's in the mail".
When I was a restauranter [I'm sure William doesn't mean 'restaurateur'] in the mid-1980s after PNG, I heard from a Tony of Manos Poultry, Adelaide.
A customer in Ballina explained to Tony why Manos Poultry had not received an outstanding cheque.
The stamp had fallen off, but the postal sorter recognised the handwriting and brought it back to the shop. A new stamp was firmly glued on and the cheque sent to Manos straight away.
So can we have our order dispatched, the customer asked.
Sure, when we get the cheque and it's cleared, was Tony's advice.
One of the better ones I've heard.
Posted by: Wm Dunlop | 16 March 2022 at 12:09 PM
The cheque's in the mail.
Posted by: Bernard Corden | 15 March 2022 at 09:48 PM