Kandep MP, Don Pomb Polye has welcomed the K700 million commitment, by the National Government through the Mineral Resource Authority, for infrastructure development and resettlement of SML occupants within the Porgera Gold Mine precinct in Enga Province.
A fortnight ago Polye highlighted that gold fraud on the mine was inflicted by illegal miners living around the SML area. He cited illegal mining also contributed towards the escalating lawlessness in the area.
Polye’s call for resettlement was met with this favorable response.
This week, Polye thanked MRA and the Marape-Rosso Government for acknowledging his call for them to give priority to the resettlement of the SML indigenous occupants in Porgera during this critical time.
MP Polye said in a statement that: “I am happy that the Mineral Resource Authority (MRA) has shown interest and commitment on the settlement of the Porgera Mine SML Settler.”
Kandep MP said he was convinced that the official decision to relocate the SML LOs to a different location will solve many issues.
He highlighted as well that “illegal mining will not be easily caused as most illegal miners are bred from the wantoks, relatives, friends and immigrants that have lived and increased the SML population over the 30 years period of the old Porgera.”
Polye added that: “The relocation of these people will slow down illegal mining and cease it completely.”
Additionally , he highlighted two pertinent issues regarding the resettlement.
Further, he suggested that the funding for the resettlement be parked in one place for prudent management, accountability and ease of governance. The avenues would be the Porgera Development Authority (PDA) or the Enga Provincial government.
“A much better structure would be to have the funds put in a trust with PDA, EPG, the Finance Department and the MRA as trustees (signatories).
“The PDA be given the responsibilities of implementation of the resettlement programmer. The acquisition of new land, the development of the land, the settlement and serviceability, like power, water, hospital etc… and building of socioeconomic viability and economic sustainability on the new settlement should be undertaken by the PDA.”
The Provincial government Administration, he said, should be given the task of overseeing, managing, supervising and ensuring the funds are spent wisely to bring to fruition a successful relocation of people on the SML.
The Department of finance should enforce the financial regulatory operations of the funds and the acquittal of the funds, he continued.
The Department of finance, he said, should also determine on the budget and additional requirement of moneys for the works as and when justified.
The MRA would be carrying out its normal duties on the Porgera mine, he further stated.
“Such a financial and administrative structure put in place would be fair, transparent and prudent to ensure the main objective of resettlement is successfully achieved.
“The argument of distributing the funds to various entities for the resettlement exercise is foolish and unjustified except for abuse to occur and no successful resettlement to be achieved and chronic problems in Porgera mine to perpetuate,” said Polye.
Polye said the land for resettlement should be located by PDA and the SML landowners themselves as to where is suitable.
“There may be more than one land proposed but proper social mapping and ethnicity understanding as well as socioeconomic studies should be done to choose the best location for settling the SML LOs.
The ideal place should be where the SML LOs traditional tribal clan and ethnicity tie is.
“For example, the SML LOs could not be relocated to Kompiam, Wapenamanda or to outside of Enga Province. The reason being that in the many future years the people of Porgera should have an economy built for them around the vicinity of the mine, not far away.”
The mine should not become a ghost town. There are infrastructure and services there already in Porgera, he uttered.
“Therefore, it is more economical to relocate them to a new land within the locality of Hela Province and Enga Provinces, within the radius of Kandep District, Laiagam District, Margarima District, Komo District and Tari Pori districts.
The people of Porgera are a people who are very much integrated with the people of the above districts in the two provinces.
“The PDA and Enga Provincial Administration, and the Department of Finance should be conferenced by MRA to affect the establishment of the structure and implementation of the resettling exercise,” Polye concluded.