Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has urged PNG LNG Project landowners from upstream Petroleum Development License (PDL) areas to organise themselves to benefit from over K1 billion sitting idle in trust accounts for several years.

He said landowner direct royalty and equity entitlements from what was signed in the Umbrella Benefits Sharing Agreement (UBSA) at Kokopo, and split by percentage at all the Landowners Based Benefits Sharing Agreements (LBBSAs), need their help to be released for their use.

“This fund is now over K1 billion that is sitting in accounts held by both Government and Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) at Bank South Pacific and Central Bank,” Prime Minister Marape said.

“I encourage landowners to assist the Department of Petroleum in resolving all outstanding issues. This will allow for their rightful entitlements to flow through like what the landowners of Papa-Lealea in Central Province are presently receiving.”

Prime Minister Marape also informed landowners that whatever else was owed, as per UBSA and LBBSAs, would be verified and settled.