Before we get started some small print: This is (ideally) a weekly update about events in Porgera. Before we get started a few caveats: I’m not in Porgera and I’m only relying on my own knowledge of the valley and open sources. I am not a lawyer. I do my best to keep the dates straight but they may get a day off due to my being in a different time zone than Porgera. Thanks to everyone who sent me links and articles. I’m always interested in hearing more about Porgera if you have information to share. With that out of the way, let’s talk about what has happened since around roughly the 11th of December:
Over at the Post Simon Yandapake is reporting that Porgera will host a law and order forum from 18-20 December.
Big news: On 12 December the Post announced that the long-term compensation agreement has been signed. They report that the LTCA replaces the CCA (consent compensation agreement). The LCA’s signators include representatives of “14 of 15” tenements, including not just Porgera, but also Tari (the power line, presumably). The negotiations began in February, and people signed between 24 November to 5 December. The post reports that “Tieni-Yangua” did not sign, over 94% of landowner agents did. The article is a repackaging of the NPL press release which says the same thing.
Apparently the CDA (or community development agreement) negotiations are still on-going. The National reports on a speech from mine manager James McTieran where he describes the state of the negotiations so far, where issues include: How the landowners and EPG will split a 15% equity in the mine, a 3% royalty (up from 2%), a US$15 million “landowner restart payment” , and Porgera Sustainable Development Fund (soon to be called the PSDF no doubt). According to previous reporting, the CDA was initialed in October and is working its way through the bureaucracy.
Finally, on 12 Dec the Post reported that the Mulitaka bypass road was now open for “light vehicles”
Alex Golub 