The Minister for International Trade and Investment Richard Maru announced that a compulsory consultation will be held in Kokopo on Monday next week following the completion of the investigation of East of New Britain Resource Group (ENBRG). “I will be travelling to Rabaul with the lawyers representing the Government and the Investigation Team for this compulsory consultation with all stakeholders including ENB Provincial Government, leaders of ENB Province, the representatives from the company (ENBRG), and the representatives of the landowners and oil palm growers to discuss the findings and recommendations from the investigation and the way forward,” said Minister Maru. Minister Maru said the two immediate non-negotiable actions that the Government will take, based on the findings and the recommendations from the investigation, are: Support the landowners in ENB Province recover the estimated K38 million from underpayments from the first oil palm plantings in 2009 to October 2024; and ENBRG to immediately apply the same national price formula used by Hargy and New Britain Palm Oil Limited, effective immediately, so the oil palm growers and their families in ENB Province can see 500-600% increase in the palm oil prices similar to what the farmers in West New Britain Province are enjoying. “The Government is keen on an out-of-court settlement through a Deed of Settlement for these issues and we would like to wrap up these negotiations with the Deed signed in the matter of two weeks,” he said. Mr. Maru added that the ENB Provincial Government had been tasked to arrange the venue for this consultation that will be hosted in Kokopo, starting at 10am. “I want to appeal to all stakeholders to attend this consultation so we can sort out these issues in the interest of our oil palm growers and landowners and the palm oil industry in ENB Province,” said Minister Maru. He said the Government is very keen for the palm oil industry to grow, not only in ENB but in the country. “We currently have 300,000 hectares planted with oil palm and the Government is keen to increase this to 5-10 million hectares especially in the areas with savannah land,” he added.