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Resources companies must register Landowners through NID, says Maru

Papua New Guinea National Planning Minister, Richard Maru, is calling on resource companies in the country to ensure all landowners are registered under the national identification project.

He says this will enable them to identify legitimate landowners.

He adds that the government will not allow any more companies to get special mining leases, without identifying the landowners:

"I am very proud of Papua New Guinea's own mining company, Ok Tedi Mine. Its the first in the country to provide office, provide staff and now we are rolling that (NID registration) out in Western Province.

"And Im calling on all the other companies ExxonMobil and Lihir Mine to start organizing registration.

"How are you going to identify landowners if you don't register them?

"This government is not going to allow any more mining companies or petroleum companies, for that matter, to get special mining lease of petroleum development license without identifying landowners first.

"That is not the function of government.

"Under law it is a function of the resource companies,"Mr Maru said.

He was speaking at the opening of the new PNG Civil and Identity Registry office in Port Moresby today.

NBC News
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