Ok Tedi praised for K43mil input

Agriculture Minister Aiye Tambua has praised Ok Tedi Mining Limited for investing about K43 million in an agricultural project.
Tambua said this when launching a vanilla project funded by Ok Tedi Mining Ltd in Kiunga, Western, recently.
“It’s a big agricultural project. In PNG, no mine or oil and gas company, has invested in an agriculture project,” he said.
“It’s the first time so we must appreciate and thank Ok Tedi.
“These oil and gas companies concentrate their investments in the law and order sector.
“In Enga and Hela, these companies invest K100 million to engage soldiers and police personnel.
“For law and order alone, I think we got it all wrong.
“Why are we are not investing this kind of money in agriculture?
“Instead, we are putting money to solve law and order issues.
“There is no investment in agriculture, forcing people to cause law and order problems because they are hungry and there is no food.
“Just imagine if such money is pumped into agricultural projects. Agriculture is the future of this country,” Tambua added.
“Agriculture will look after us and give us independence not oil, gas, or minerals.
“Your rubber in Western gave us independence, copra plantations in Madang, Manus, Bougainville, East New Britain and New Ireland gave us independence, cocoa plantations in ENBP and Bougainville gave us independence.
“So on behalf of the Government, I thank Ok Tedi for investing about K43 million into vanilla.
“Government policy directed that we go into downstream processing and at the same time, increase the production of agriculture commodities like coffee, cocoa, copra vanilla throughout the country but we failed ourselves.
“When oil and gas projects came in, we forgot about agriculture and wanted to get rich overnight from oil, gas and mining projects.
“Government has price and freight support subsidiary programmes but funds allocated are not enough.
“Now the Government is working on a policy to cut middlemen.”