As the Chairman of the Porgera Landowners Association (PLA), I am compelled to respond to the recent statement by Prime Minister James Marape on the achievements of New Porgera Limited (NPL) in the first quarter of 2025.
While the Prime Minister has every right to commend what appears to be a promising restart to operations, I must speak on behalf of the customary landowners of Porgera who have, for over three decades, borne the full weight of mining on their land often with little to show for it in return. The reality on the ground tells a different story, one that deserves equal space in the national conversation.
The report that NPL has poured 84,800 ounces of gold, valued at over USD 200 million, is notable from a production standpoint. However, such figures mean little to us if the wealth continues to leave Porgera faster than it is invested back into the lives of our people. The completion of the Mulitaka Bypass Road is being presented as progress. Let us be honest: that road was built to move equipment and gold, not schoolchildren or patients. Our people still walk for hours to reach health posts and basic services. Real development should be measured not in ounces of gold or kilometres of road, but in the human condition.T
The Prime Minister proudly announced USD 80 million in dividends and USD 48.9 million in corporate taxes. But we must ask: how much of that has reached the landowners? Where is the breakdown of the 15 percent landowner equity? Has a single kina been paid directly into landowner accounts? Have women’s groups, youth cooperatives, or affected communities seen any of that money? Yes, the government is seeing returns in Waigani, but here in Porgera, we still live with unsealed roads, untreated rivers, displaced homes, and uncertainty. Economic success must be measured by inclusive impact, not by boardroom balance sheets.
We welcomed the 51 percent national ownership structure including 15 percent for landowners. But equity is more than a percentage on paper; it must result in real, bankable, visible benefits. Landowners remain excluded from decision-making forums. The entities meant to represent our equity lack governance, transparency, and are marred by political interference. Without a seat at the table, ownership remains symbolic, not substantive.
The Prime Minister called the 2020 closure "bold." But for landowners, it was a time of economic ruin and social collapse. Thousands of jobs were lost. Small businesses folded. Law and order collapsed. Women and children suffered as livelihoods vanished. No safety nets were put in place. While the mine has resumed, many businesses remain locked out, and unemployment persists.
Our land is not a tool of the mining industry. It is the source of our life, our culture, and our future. The gold lies under customary land land that was never sold, never surrendered, only temporarily leased under SML. The Community Development Agreement (CDA) and Long-Term Land Compensation Agreement (LTLC) are not optional. They are the foundation of our rights and protection.
What we are asking is not radical. In fact, Barrick Gold has delivered similar or better benefits in other jurisdictions, and we demand no less. In Tanzania (North Mara & Bulyanhulu), Barrick created a Community Development Fund jointly managed with local stakeholders, investing in schools, water systems, hospitals, and agricultural initiatives. In the Dominican Republic (Pueblo Viejo), Barrick committed over USD 75 million in social development programs, including relocation and modern housing for impacted communities, plus environmental rehabilitation. In Zambia (Lumwana), Barrick supported local training institutes, agribusiness ventures, and infrastructure, while maintaining local hiring quotas and fair procurement policies. In Argentina (Veladero Mine), Barrick invested in sustainable energy, environmental monitoring, and emergency response infrastructure in partnership with local authorities. These programs demonstrate what is possible when landowners and host communities are treated as partners, not just passive stakeholders.
Resettlement remains the most urgent and overlooked issue facing the Porgera landowners today. The Prime Minister announced K700,000 in resettlement funds during his recent visit to Porgera. Yet there is no sign of leadership, no plan, and no clarity. If these funds are real, where are they kept? In what trust account? Who administers them? The people deserve answers. Instead, resettlement is being used as a political melody a convenient soundbite to justify the reopening of the mine without resolving the very humanitarian crisis caused by decades of displacement.
While K700,000 remains unaccounted for, K130 million has already been allocated to the Enga Provincial Government as Infrastructure Development Grants (IDG). We ask: where is the same level of urgency when it comes to rebuilding the lives of displaced families? People who lost their homes, gardens, and water sources are now being told to wait, while their suffering is repackaged as political success. This is not only unjust it is manipulative and dehumanizing.
Porgera’s resettlement is a human rights crisis. Our people have no land left to plant food. Food security is collapsing, and malnutrition is rising. If genuine leadership is not provided, if a proper, participatory, and transparent resettlement program is not rolled out we will be left with no choice but to shut down the mine. The world will not stand by while a gold mine operates in the heart of a humanitarian crisis. Resettlement must follow global best practices, involving landowners in planning, implementation, and oversight, ensuring dignity, justice, and long-term security for all affected communities.
I appreciate the Prime Minister’s effort to tell a story of national progress. But the landowners of Porgera must tell our story too. Without our land, there is no gold. Without our people, there is no Porgera.
We are not asking for charity. We are demanding our rightful share, our rightful say, and our rightful place in the future of this land. Let Porgera be a turning point the last time landowners are sidelined while their land lights up the wealth of others.
Sincerely,
Mark Tony Ekepa
Chairman, Porgera Landowners Association
Porgera, Enga Province