Company chairman upset over handling of LNG issues

Source: 

The National, Friday 23rd March 2012

CHAIRMAN of Hides Gas Development Company (HGDC) Ltd, Tuguyawini Libe Parindali says he is “bitterly upset and frustrated” with the way the national government is handling landowner issues in the upstream section of the PNG LNG Project.
HGDC is the umbrella landowner company, representing Hides Petroleum Development Licence (PDL)-1, Hides PDL-7, Angore PDL-8, Juha PDL-9, Komo airfield development and Benaria pipeline.
Parindali said the Government had not taken ownership of the project and its presence was “literally lacking” on the ground.
He said ExxonMobil Corporation came at the invitation of the government and its people and invested US$20 billion (K41.49 billion).
“We have professional men and women from USA, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, Asia and our own Papua New Guineans employed
on the project who are scared and frustrated because of ongoing issues between the landowners and the Government.
 “The police are just driving around and not doing anything to protect the project and the employees.
“If ExxonMobil pulls the plug on the project, all spin-off businesses will go with it.
“Many people who have borrowed money from the banks to start their businesses will miss out.”
Parindali said the government had created a “cargo cult” mentality among the landowners whereby it handed out cash whenever there were issues on the ground.
 “I am warning the government, we will lose the project if we do not manage the issues properly.”