Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari

In a letter dated Aug 23, 2016, Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari wrote to the Conservation & Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) Managing Director, Gunther Joku, asking why there were “sudden and unknown amendments to the Water Use Permit (WUP) that allows Lihir Gold Ltd to extract 4,400 cubic metres of water per hour…” instead of the permitted rate of 3,800 cubic metres per hour.  

CEPA is tasked with the job of issuing various water usage and water disposal permits to major resource projects in the country, including mining companies like Lihir Gold Ltd.

NDA president Dr James Naipao confirmed that Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari and Department of Health Secretary Pascoe Kase will respond to NDA’s petition 2 and 3 on Wednesday.

NDA has petitioned the Government for the more than 30 percent budget cut in the health sector, and non-financing of the K50 million earmarked for Church Health Services.

The third petition is NDA's condemnation of the closure of School of Medicine & Health Sciences at Taurama Campus, University of PNG.

The second part of this is to backdate the academics amounting to close to K5 million.