PM: Safe to invest

Posted on The National

PRIME Minister James Marape, pictured, has assured investors that the Government is pro-investment and pro-business and will protect the nation’s reputation as a safe investment destination.
He was responding to his predecessor and Ialibu-Pangia MP Peter O’Neill who said last week that the shutting down of the Ramu nickel and cobalt mine in Madang was “bad for investment”.
“It is greatly irresponsible of the former prime minister to paint a negative image with smear motive, when responsible agencies of State are doing their job to ensure that the mine operation is assessed for its safety compliance after the spill,” Marape said.
“I will be the last prime minister to compromise the safety of our people and environment. It is prudent that reviews are undertaken so that the mine is safe from structural and systematic defects.”
Marape said negotiations teams led by resource ministers had been set up for key resources projects such as in Pogera, Wafi Golpu and the Pynyang LNG.
He expects that in December, “the form and shape of those discussions should emerge”.
He said the Papua LNG that O’Neill oversaw “is now progressing with Parliament amending laws congruent to the Gas Agreement.”
“And I am informed that Total is mobilising,” Marape said.
“This all happened after Petroleum Minister (Kerenga) Kua was able to pick additional winners which the agreement (engineered by O’Neill) overlooked.
“We have been engaged with the industries as well as landowners and provincial governments. The country must know that we have not been doing nothing.”
He said investment partners must know the laws and comply with them.
“We are restoring a broken down system of government which the former PM weakened in the eight years he led the country. No prime minister must become the lead project negotiator as it was the case on Papua LNG.
“The country is bigger than the PM and I believe in the power of the system of government filtering project proposals. Many heads discuss our national interest instead of one person in a bar or a private boardroom somewhere.
“And we want to progress the projects at the earliest but on terms that respect our laws and the future we want to take our country into as far as project agreements and resource harvesting are concerned,” Marape said.


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