SIR MEKERE TO HEAD OK TEDI

Sir Mekere Morauta

Papua New Guinea's former Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta has been nominated to replace Australian economist Ross Garnaut as Chairman of PNG's largest mining company.

Professor Garnaut resigned after being forced out of the job by PNG government travel bans.

Sir Mekere was nominated to Chair Ok Tedi Mining Limited by the board of the PNG Sustainable Development Program, Ok Tedi's biggest shareholder.

Sir Mekere, who was appointed as Chair of the Development Program in October, has a long track record of fighting corruption and improving financial administration.

Sir Mekere thanked Professor Garnaut for his ten years of involvement with Ok Tedi and PNGSDP saying he had made a very significant contribution to Papua New Guinea.

PNGSDP is a charitable trust now worth $1.4 billion.

PNG's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill banned Professor Garnaut as a result of a dispute with BHP Billiton over control of PNGSDP.