Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture

Cocoa Board PNG and the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture handed over the asset during the signing of the Cocoa Partnership Memorandum of Agreement (MoA).

Chairlady of Nasuapum Cocoa Farmers Cooperative Society, Namotz Apollo, said: “We are thankful to WGJV and Cocoa Board for the new facility, thank you for listening to our cries.”

She challenged the farmers to focus on cocoa and not wait around for the mine, and reiterated, “Look after cocoa and cocoa will look after you”.

The facilities were funded by Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture.

The WGJV’s Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WaSH) community development program, in partnership with AT Projects, delivered the new water supply facilities and included the installation of water storage tanks, taps, sinks, showers and toilets.

The water project will improve the lives of over 300 people by providing clean drinking water, washing facilities and improved sanitation through toilet installation.

The project acknowledged it as a significant milestone after a rigorous process of environmental impact assessment.

“The environmental permit is required under the Environment Act and is also a pre-requisite for the grant of a Special Mining Lease under the Mining Act,” said WGJV.

“WGJV looks forward to progressing the permitting of the project as soon as practicable under the Mining Act 1992.”

Meantime, CEPA said the permit is available for viewing by interested parties for 14 days from Monday, January 25^th, to Friday, February 12^th.

Ross Seymour says the Province and its people have always supported the growth and development agenda of the country and economy, but they should not be taken for granted.

In a statement, the Huon MP said they need to know that the State is putting their interests first.

Seymour said: “History shows that Morobe Province and the people of Morobe have always been at the forefront of progressing development of Papua New Guinea well before the birth of our new united country in 1975 to the present day.

He said there are many instances of MOUs being signed all over the globe as nothing more than as a statement of intention.

He shared the sentiments following the signing of the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture MOU signing.

After the signing of the WGJV MOU between the project developers and the state there have been numerous statements against the signing.

Garry said an MOU is simply an action plan signed by proponents of a project and should not be legally binding.

“For major projects as such, it's not very unusual.”

Newcrest Mining Limited and its Joint Venture partner Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (Harmony) announced this on December 11^th 2018.

In a statement released by Newcrest, the MOU establishes the framework for the parties to progress the permitting of the Wafi-Golpu Project as quickly as practicable in accordance with applicable regulatory processes.

Gender Development Officer, Cesley Aiong, said participants learned basic communication skills and approaches to use when negotiating for a win-win result, and on top of that they had training in crucial financial literacy like basic book keeping, banking and investment.

She said there were challenges the participants faced including time management and basic literacy skills.

However, some of them realised how important the adult literacy program that the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture runs was.

Responding to this need, the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture, through its Education Partnership Program, developed a desk that is portable, user-friendly and educational at the same time.

The Tutudesk initiative was launched at Wonkings Elementary School in the Babuaf area of Huon-Gulf District, Morobe Province.

Often with the little desks they have, priority is given to the upper primary school students.

For elementary school students, a piece of cardboard or plywood becomes their desk.

Bryan Bailie, the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture executive project director, and the project owner representatives Craig Jones and Johannes van Heerden, said that lodgement of the SML application represents a crucial milestone in progressing the Wafi-Golpu Project.

“The Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture has invested significant effort and resources to progress the Project exploration program and technical studies, and has engaged extensively with the local, provincial and national government, landowners and host communities and many other stakeholders,” said Bailie.