Mining subject to Bougainville government

Miningsubject to Bougainville government

https://postcourier.com.pg/mining-subject-bville-govt/

May 7,2019

Allmining, oil, and gas powers and functions belong to the Autonomous BougainvilleGovernment, says ABG vice president and mining minister Raymond Masono.

MrMasono said this in response to a news article titled “Bougainville admonishedby O’Neill over planned mining change” which was posted on social media throughRadio New Zealand on Monday, April 29.

The ABGmining minister said the the transfer of these powers from the nationalgovernment to the ABG was signed in March 2008 at Alotau between the latepresident, Joseph Kabui, and the then deputy prime minister, Sir Puka Temu.

“Thisprocess was in turn completed when the ABG passed its own mining law in April,2015,” Mr Masono said.

“The ABGmining act is unique in the sense that it recognises landowners as owners ofthe minerals beneath the ground and not the crown or the state as in Papua NewGuinea.

“Theproposed amendment further consolidates this ownership rights by givinglandowners and the ABG controlling interest in any major mining developmentproject, starting with the Panguna mine through a Bougainvillean mining entitythat would own 60 per cent of the shares on behalf of the landowners, ABG andthe people of Bougainville.

“TheBougainville entity is not Caballus, it is the Bougainville advance miningcompany,” he said

MrMasono said contrary to the Rio Tinto Group-aligned special mining leaseOsikaiyang landowners association (SMOLA) that the amendments take awaylandowner rights, the proposed amendments give landowners more and betterbenefits in terms of equity and royalties than they are currently entitled tounder the existing law.

“But thePanguna mine no longer belongs only to the RTG sponsored SMOLA, rather the minebelongs also to the other eight mine-affected landowners, whose land was usedfor mining purposes in the 17 years of operations and who support theamendment,” he said.

“It alsobelongs to all Bougainvilleans because the blood of 20,000 lives was spilledover the mine by Bougainvilleans, who died fighting to protect theseresources.”

He saidBougainvilleans have consented that the Panguna mine must reopen, but not withBougainville Copper Ltd and certainly not with RTG, two firms that are no doubtsponsoring those opposed the amendments. Mr Masono said relevant agencies haveconducted and continued to carry out awareness to correct the misinformation,deliberate misinterpretation that are being propagated by those opposed to theproposed amendments.

The ABGis not rushing its work, it will continue to consult with landowners and thepeople of Bougainville before it passes the amendments.

“Inaddition to these consultations, the people of Panguna are now engaged in theirown traditional social mapping process called ‘tangurang’ to identify the truelandowners,” he said.