Thirty executives of the Ladolam Pit Association (LPA) linked to the Lihir Mining Project have completed a series of capacity-building courses aimed at strengthening governance, leadership and financial management among resource owners.
The participants received certificates of attainment on March 26 following a 10-day programme conducted from March 16 to 25, with training sponsored by the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA).
The courses covered good governance, transparency, leadership and financial literacy, reflecting efforts to address longstanding gaps in landowner capacity to manage business interests, royalties and other benefits derived from mining projects.
The MRA said similar programmes have been implemented for landowners involved in other projects, including Hidden Valley and Simberi, as part of a broader strategy to enable resource owners to make informed decisions and improve their livelihoods.
Training was delivered by several institutions, including the Centre for Excellence in Financial Inclusion for financial literacy, the PNG Institute of Directors for directorship training, the Institute of Banking and Business Management for leadership, and the Somare Institute of Leadership and Governance for governance and administration.
LPA chairlady Monica Kuten acknowledged the support of the MRA, noting that the programme had strengthened participants’ understanding of financial literacy and other key areas.
The MRA said it remains committed to rolling out similar initiatives across the country, in line with the government’s policy objective of ensuring resource owners receive a fair share of benefits from extractive projects while improving their standard of living.
