The CEO for Porgera Development Authority, John Miukin, says a closure is looming if funds for the authority are not released by the government.
“Even though the Porgera Gold Mine contributes 30 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, the National Government still owes PDA more than K100 million in royalties.
“If Governor Peter Ipatas does not come to our aid in the next three months, we will wind down our operations,” Miukin told a huge crowd last Saturday in Porgera, Enga Province.
He warns that there will be no future in mining if they shut down their operations.
Miukin says Opposition Leader Don Polye and his team in the alternate government were prophetic in projecting the country’s cash flow problem.
Meanwhile, Lagaip-Porgera MP and Opposition supporter, Nixon Mangape, says his bid to split Enga into two provinces has failed.
Mangape attributed it to the government’s cash flow problem.
“West Enga, including Kandep, Lagaip and Porgera, is populous and most services haven’t reached the people,” he revealed.
(PDA CEO Miukin addressing a crowd in Porgera last Saturday.)