The Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) on Friday signed four key agreements aimed at transforming the lives of landowners and the people of Hela Province.
These agreements include:
1. 5MW power supply from Hides into Tari
2. Shareholders Agreements and Ground Breaking Ceremony for the Hela Heritage Hotel
3. Opening of a MRDC Office in Tari
4. Yearly K1 million support from Petroleum Resources Kutubu (PRK) to Hela Provincial Health Authority.
Addressing a gathering in Tari on Friday, Managing Director Augustine Mano said with ExxonMobil agreeing to provide gas for up to 5MW of power, landowners from the licence area in Hides, Tari town, its surrounds and other districts of Hela will benefit from the cheapest power in PNG.
“This has been the dream of our leaders like late Anderson Agiru, and Prime Minister James Marape (then Finance Minister) when they signed the PNG LNG Gas Agreement in 2009. It has taken a while to deliver because we had to negotiate. But it is finally a reality and I want to thank the leaders involved, and the landowners and Hela people for being patient.”
“Through power, places change, development happens through investments. Hela will get the cheapest power in all of PNG and its reliable. There will be no blackouts,” Mr Mano said.
Prime Minister James Marape, who is Trustee/Shareholder of MRDC and the local MP for Tari, officiated at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Hela Heritage Hotel within the township.
Mr Mano said the hotel, to be completed by early 2027, will be more a cultural hub where visitors and guests can learn more and appreciate the deep traditions and culture of the Hela people.
“The Hotel is to be the cultural center of Hela. Hela is beautiful with its unique culture, how do we show it, this Hotel will provide the hub so that the culture of Hela must be appreciated, enjoyed and preserved.”
Mr Mano said the Heritage hotel will complement existing lodges and guests houses operated by local businesses in the area. He said he expected the volume of trade and business to increase in Hela in the coming years, and this will support the hotel operations.
The hotel will create employment and support service business opportunities for locals during construction, and when operational.
On the agreement signed with the Hela Provincial Health Authority, MRDC’s subsidiary the Petroleum Resources Kutubu 9PRK) has agreed to provide K1 million annually as incentive for health professionals who serve in the Hela region.
“We have many good doctors but they don’t come to the provinces to work because of many challenges so they must have incentives. So this K1 million is their incentive. We have also done the same for Southern Highlands and Gulf provinces.
MRDC also opened its office in Tari at the Hela 2 building complex. This office will specifically deal with landowner issues.
“The days of landowners flying to Port Moresby to have their issues addressed is over. We now have an office in Tari to deal with all that..
“I want to encourage landowners to stay in the province. Deal with issues here. Receive your royalty and equity benefits here, and spend it here so the Hela economy can prosper more.”
Mr Mano commended Hela governor Philip Undialu for providing strong leadership on the ground, addressing law and order and building infrastructure, giving confidence to businesses to invest in the province.
