FIVE landowners of Ramu Block 1 FMA have accused Forest Minister Belden
Namah of breaching the national forest policy and acting in contempt of
court.
They reaffirmed that the Middle Ramu concession was still being contemplated by the Madang Provincial Forest Management Committee (PMFC) in line with a court order and the amended Forest Act.
“We are in full support of the National Forest Board’s decision to select Timbers PNG Ltd as our sole investor developer,” they said in a statement.
The five are Henry Maron, Martins Arumbi, Paul Usap, Petrus Andumen and Felex Arumbunai.
They were responding to the minister’s decision to award the concession to Madang Timbers Ltd, one of three companies which had tendered but was rejected by the board.
Under the Forest Act, a PMFC must first vet the tenders before submitting a recommendation to the board which will then make its own recommendation to the minister for formal approval.
Should the minister disagree, he must first secure approval from the National Executive Council before he can act differently.
A few years ago, the board selected Timbers PNG Ltd and Namah, who was also the forest minister in the then Somare government, approved it.
Madang Timbers, however, appealed and the court ruled for the matter to go back to the PMFC to re-evaluate again.
Although the PMFC has yet to submit its recommendation, the government decided to give the concession to Madang Timbers.
The five landowners said the selection of Madang Timbers was not in their interest and that the minister never consulted them before going to the NEC.
They added that they were also not happy with the decision to suspend National Forest Authority managing director Kanawi Pouru.
In Madang, some landowners also fronted up to The National’s office to express their disappointment with the minister’s decision.
They said that unlike Timbers PNG, which was initially awarded the concession, Madang Timbers was not providing tangible services or infrastructure.
“For the last 30 years they have been harvesting timber and have never built one single proper road or bridge,” Oscar Damon, from Kwarigri village in the Gama local level government area, said.
“The Sogeram Bridge which we now use was from Timbers PNG. They have built proper roads, schools and even clinics and brought services which we didn’t think would be possible before.”
Madang Timbers had logged from Ulingam to the North Coast but left nothing tangible for the people, he said.
Jacob Bremai, from Usaruk village, said Timbers PNG always made the royalty payments on time.
He was also grateful to the company, a subsidiary of the Rimbunan Hijau (PNG) Group, for upgrading the road and making services accessible.
“We have suffered enough at the merciless plundering of our forest from forest giants. All we ask for are basic health and infrastructure services, road network and commitment from developers in terms of royalty payment to better our lives.
“We have no problems with Timbers PNG,” said the 42-year-old villager who owns a large forest area.
A former manager of Madang Development Corporation, a business arm of the provincial government which was recently revived, said that during his tenure he never saw Madang Timbers pay any dividend to the company.
He said Madang Timbers was a “broken down company” and he could not understand why the concession could be awarded to it.
“How can such a small company be considered to develop one of the biggest forest areas in the southern hemisphere? Is this the same company I know or is this a different one?
“What criteria did the government use to consider its tender especially when the Madang Provincial Forest Management Committee had not submitted a recommendation?”
They reaffirmed that the Middle Ramu concession was still being contemplated by the Madang Provincial Forest Management Committee (PMFC) in line with a court order and the amended Forest Act.
“We are in full support of the National Forest Board’s decision to select Timbers PNG Ltd as our sole investor developer,” they said in a statement.
The five are Henry Maron, Martins Arumbi, Paul Usap, Petrus Andumen and Felex Arumbunai.
They were responding to the minister’s decision to award the concession to Madang Timbers Ltd, one of three companies which had tendered but was rejected by the board.
Under the Forest Act, a PMFC must first vet the tenders before submitting a recommendation to the board which will then make its own recommendation to the minister for formal approval.
Should the minister disagree, he must first secure approval from the National Executive Council before he can act differently.
A few years ago, the board selected Timbers PNG Ltd and Namah, who was also the forest minister in the then Somare government, approved it.
Madang Timbers, however, appealed and the court ruled for the matter to go back to the PMFC to re-evaluate again.
Although the PMFC has yet to submit its recommendation, the government decided to give the concession to Madang Timbers.
The five landowners said the selection of Madang Timbers was not in their interest and that the minister never consulted them before going to the NEC.
They added that they were also not happy with the decision to suspend National Forest Authority managing director Kanawi Pouru.
In Madang, some landowners also fronted up to The National’s office to express their disappointment with the minister’s decision.
They said that unlike Timbers PNG, which was initially awarded the concession, Madang Timbers was not providing tangible services or infrastructure.
“For the last 30 years they have been harvesting timber and have never built one single proper road or bridge,” Oscar Damon, from Kwarigri village in the Gama local level government area, said.
“The Sogeram Bridge which we now use was from Timbers PNG. They have built proper roads, schools and even clinics and brought services which we didn’t think would be possible before.”
Madang Timbers had logged from Ulingam to the North Coast but left nothing tangible for the people, he said.
Jacob Bremai, from Usaruk village, said Timbers PNG always made the royalty payments on time.
He was also grateful to the company, a subsidiary of the Rimbunan Hijau (PNG) Group, for upgrading the road and making services accessible.
“We have suffered enough at the merciless plundering of our forest from forest giants. All we ask for are basic health and infrastructure services, road network and commitment from developers in terms of royalty payment to better our lives.
“We have no problems with Timbers PNG,” said the 42-year-old villager who owns a large forest area.
A former manager of Madang Development Corporation, a business arm of the provincial government which was recently revived, said that during his tenure he never saw Madang Timbers pay any dividend to the company.
He said Madang Timbers was a “broken down company” and he could not understand why the concession could be awarded to it.
“How can such a small company be considered to develop one of the biggest forest areas in the southern hemisphere? Is this the same company I know or is this a different one?
“What criteria did the government use to consider its tender especially when the Madang Provincial Forest Management Committee had not submitted a recommendation?”
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