Ok Tedi Mining Limited has spent about K3.5 million for the National Identity (NID) and birth certificate registrations in the Western Province, with a current total registration of more than 50, 000 people.

So far a total of 53, 915 people from the CMCA (Community Mine Continuation Agreement) communities, OTML employees, contractors and dependents from Kiunga, Tabubil, Bige and Port Moresby offices, including government workers and other service providers in Tabubil have registered.

There are currently two teams doing NID registrations for the CMCA villages; one covering land-based villages and the other covering river-based villages.

Land based villages include those along the Kiunga-Tabubil Highway, and river based are located along the Fly River corridor.

Ward Councillor for Komovai village, Phidelis Philie, thanked OTML for the service provided to the CMCA communities.

Mr Philie said, “NID and birth certificates is important for the community as it will allow easy access to services and open many doors for the people.”

Komovai Village Planning Committee Chairman, Markhus Kapi said the community has waited for NID and OTML has made it happen for them.

“When we go to the border of Indonesia to sell fish and exchange our local products they ask for our identification but we explain to them that we do not have any identification card. Port Moresby is too far and expensive to travel to register for NID. There is no NID office in Kiunga and that makes it hard for us. The government is unable to provide this service to the people due to the remoteness of our communities. Thanks to OTML for bringing this service to us, now we will have NID to prove our identification so we can access markets in Indonesia. Thank you OTML, we appreciate your help in this. We are very happy and have been waiting for this for a very long time and you have brought the service to our home,” said Mr Kapi.

The registration of river based CMCA villages started in March 2019 and there are only 14 more villages to complete. The team is currently doing registrations in Kaviananga Village in the Middle Fly and should cover all the middle Fly villages by 14th of December.

This registration project will cover 158 CMCA villages in the eight CMCA regions (North Ok Tedi, Lower Ok Tedi, Highway, Middle Fly, Suki Fly Gogo, Manawete, Kiwaba, Dudi), and Mine Villages.

The communities are grateful for this service delivery despite the challenges and costs faced by the project teams and stakeholders.

The NID and birth certificate registrations began in July 2018 after a MOU was signed between OTML and the PNG Civil and Identity Registry (PNGCIR).

Thanks to the great team of Community Relations officers, the NID officers and NID enumerators, OTML logistics team, and MV Sepura crew of Collins Shipping who have worked tirelessly to get these people registered. The project was well planned and safely carried out for the past 14 months.

OTML’s Community Relations Manager, Kuam Sanewai said, “OTML is fortunate and proud to have established a good partnership through an MOU with the PNG Civil Registry in delivering the NID project to the mine affected communities. We will continue to strengthen this partnership and improve on a turnaround time to deliver the end product to our clients.”

Mr Sanewai said, “Recently a new NID office was opened in Tabubil equipped with the printers to print registration certificates onsite and two site registrars commissioned. This is part of improving the service delivery. Down the line we would like to see the office upgraded with the capability not only to print certificates but also process NID cards on site.”

“Thank you to all our partners and the great team we have for the support, effort, commitment and faith in delivering the project. We also acknowledge the continue support from OTML Executive Leadership Team to the project.”