Madang LO

PM O'Neill challenges project landowners

He said with the long delay to get the project off the ground it had increased the project cost.

"The cost has increased by 50 percent," O'Neill said in Madang this afternoon.

He said that with the increase in cost it meant benefits to the National Government and landowners would be delayed.

When the project was signed between the State and Exim Bank of China in 2011 it showed phase one would cost US $95 million.