Mining Minister Muguwa Dilu has stressed the importance of wrapping up negotiations for the Porgera Mining Project's Community Development Agreement (CDA), as it is a top priority for the Marape-Rosso Government. Dilu urged all involved parties - landowners, impacted communities, and stakeholders of the Porgera Mining Project - to expedite the process, “so that they could start receiving benefits, aiming to kick-start benefits swiftly.” He announced the CDA-proper talks are scheduled for May 15-30, 2024, and once completed, will pave the way for the mine to go into full operations. Dilu emphasized the need for cooperation and adherence to laws governing benefit distribution, echoing sentiments from Hela Governor Philip Undialu and local landowners. They seek clarity on benefits and their entitlements, as the government and stakeholders work towards fair agreements that respect legal standards while benefiting impacted communities. The Minister was speaking in Tari on Friday April 26, where he addressed the Hides-Porgera Power Line landowners of the Porgera Mining project. The meeting with the power-line landowners was the final one of a series of pre-CDA meetings, which the State Team has been conducting in the last few months, involving all landowners and stakeholders. The Minister told the power line landowners: "Yumi mas stretim olgeta hevi na wari blong yumi before long end of May-June." Pre-CDA meetings were to provide the State’s response to the position papers, create awareness, clarify issues, prepare landowners, and respond to specific pre-dominant agendas presented in position papers submitted by landowners and stakeholders. He said all landowner groups were important stakeholders of the project, and that the government would ensure their position papers are considered. He urged them to cooperate with the State Team and quickly find ways forward to addressing their positions on major potential benefit streams available to them such as equity and Business Development Grants. He reminded the landowners however, that there were laws and policies governing the potential acquisition of benefits. He said the State would not negotiate benefits outside of laws and asked for understanding from landowners and stakeholders. The Minister was accompanied to the meeting in Tari, by the Governor for Hela Province, Philip Undialu, and the Managing Director of the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) Mr Jerry Garry, who joined the State Team that had gone to Tari earlier in the week to conduct pre-CDA meeting. Governor Undialu said his government and his people supported the Porgera Mining project. However, he urged the State Team to clearly define the various benefit streams and how exactly his government and his people would benefit, considering the various laws and policies that govern benefits distribution. His landowners expressed similar sentiments.