Porebada Village in Central Province has received over K3 million worth of community projects from Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) and Gas Resources PNGLNG Plant Ltd (GR PNGLNGPL).
MRDC and GR PNGLNGPL announced that more than K3.7 million worth of community projects include:
- A fully-operational community health centre;
- Three health staff houses;
- 35 dinghies with outboard motors;
- Two community trucks;
- One multi-purpose tractor;
- Two small-church trucks;
- An ablution building;
- Three incinerators with generators;
- A water tank for the health centre and;
- A board walkway for the Porebada-east community.
GR PNGLNGPL funded these projects under its 2019-2020 Porebada Community Infrastructure Trust Fund (CITF) which MRDC manages.
MRDC Managing Director, Augustine Mano, said: “These are vital projects that will deliver broader community benefits to the Porebada village.
“I am glad to see that under the strong leadership and cooperation of the GR PNGLNGPL board and the support from our key partners and stakeholders, these projects are now completed.
“Under the MRDC management, your company is certainly realising this vision.
“The onus is now on the community to take ownership of these community investments and look after them so that the community can continue to benefit from them,” Mano told the Porebada community and key stakeholders that gathered to witness the event, including the Central Provincial Government and its relevant agencies and partners.
Mano said, “As the trust company representing the four main villages of the PNGLNG Plant site – Papa, Lealea, Porebada and Boera, GR PNGLNGPL ran one of the most successful CITF program, delivering many social improvement and economic empowerment projects across the four villages since 2017.”
CITF is a 30 percent portion set aside from all landowner payments per the Oil & Gas Act to build infrastructure projects and support initiatives, which benefits the entire community. Another 30 percent is put aside for investment while 40 percent of any benefit acquired by the landowner company is given as cash payment to the beneficiaries.
Photo credit: MRDC