SAN JORGE LOS DEPLORE DELAYING TACTIC(Honiara, Solomon Islands,...

SAN JORGE LOS DEPLORE DELAYING TACTIC(Honiara, Solomon Islands, 8th November 2019) Bungusule Customary Landowner Trustees on San Jorge in Isabel Province have deplored the government for employing the delaying tactic in dealing with the Axiom Mining Limited export permit saga and call for an immediate stop to it.Axiom filed for a judicial review of the Minerals Board’s and the Minister of Mines’ refusal to grant it an export permit in the High Court.The Minerals Board insistently told Axiom that it cannot grant it an export permit because it has not obtained a provincial business license from the Isabel Provincial Government- a decision deemed unlawful by the jointly owned Landowner and Australian mining company as the Mining Act does not stipulate business license as a prerequisite to being granted an export permit.In a mention hearing on the Axiom judicial review application yesterday, the presiding judge Justice Rex Foukona adjourned the trial on the case to next year. The long adjournment was prompted by the failure of the Attorney-General to file any response or even a defence long past the normal 14-day time-frame and also the oncoming court vacation. In fact, the excuse by the Attorney-General’s solicitor who appeared in court for the respondents was that he forgot to bring his file so could not properly answer some questions.Axiom’s legal counsel John Taupongi applied for a default judgement because of the failure of the Attorney-General’s to even file a response on time and the urgency Axiom places on being able to properly run its mine site and being able to be allowed to have shipping operations at San Jorge so its customers can receive the nickel ore. But the judge ruled that the case be adorned to next year.Bungusule Customary Landowner Trustees spokesperson Janet Voda said it appears the national government is using delaying tactics just to frustrate Axiom’s nickel mine project and get in another investor of its preference to take over the project.Mrs Voda said: “I am upset my own government did not feel the need to even file a response to our application for a judicial review. We landowners and our company Axiom have put in a lot of effort to get to this point in the development of a nation-building project and yet they just ignore all our legal requests.”She said the Attorney-General’s failure to abide by the normal legal time-frame is a manifestation of the government’s delaying tactic and this is totally unacceptable to Bungusule Customary Landowner Trustees.“We have waited long enough for the Minerals Board and the Ministry of Mines to get their acts together to ensure this important nickel project goes into the export phase.“We the landowners want the project to start up again to give Axiom and its customers confidence that the Solomon Islands government and we- the landowners- are genuine people in doing business.“We- the landowners- need money to improve our livelihood and it seems the government is turning a blind eye to this very important nickel project that we have become important stakeholders of,” Mrs Voda emphasised.She said the Attorney-General should consider advising the Minerals Board and Ministry of Mines to quickly resolve the matter out of court with Axiom if they are not going to respect the court rules.“The Attorney-General should not allow a legally-flawed decision to tarnish his integrity and reputation by doing the right thing by advising the Minerals Board and the Minister of Mines to grant us an export permit so we landowners can get on with our lives instead of making us look like fools running around chasing our own government.”Mrs Voda added that: “The Prime Minister has preached to landowners of Solomon Islands to open up our lands for business. We have done just that – we opened our land!“We did what he asked of us but now we are disrespected by this government and again when we go to court they shy away. It is time for the government to honour its commitment and stop playing games with our lives and our land.”Ends///-PRESS RELEASE