13 months of info up this thread , positive,negative and neutral. dig3...I agree with your comments about Ryan's letter being respectful etc...i was very impressed.
Alfred Sasako is the PM's offical press secretary and it was probably his involement in the wording on the PM's office website ( which is still there ). My take is that this is a totally political play - domestic and foreign -by PM Danny Philips ( notice that he's gone to ground ) and now his secretary is ONLY claiming the licence is invalid on a "technicality" re:3 months notice.
And no wonder that Tim Boreham recommends Avoid, when even AVQ says something like " nobody could do/cut a deal with the islanders before" when in fact it has been the local landowners who have had to negotiate amongst themselves to sort out their traditional rightful owners. Since 1992 until only a few months ago (like the landowner said in today's Solomon Star article ) - that's 19years through the SI legal process(and a civil war that interupted). ----------------------------------------------------- Solomons government adamant about Axiom suspension.
Posted at 01:59 on 29 April, 2011 UTC
A Solomon Islands government official, Alfred Sasako, says the suspension of a prospecting licence for Australian nickel miner, Axiom, remains in place, despite the company disputing this.
Axiom's chief executive, Ryan Mount, says the licence has been triggered and they're ready to start prospecting for nickel on Isabel.
But earlier this week the government announced the licence was invalid and Mr Sasako says that still stands.
He says the government suspended the licence because of concerns the now ousted mines minister, Mark Kemakeza, hadn't followed the correct procedure.
Mr Sasako says the licence had been granted three days after the issuance of a letter of intent, which contravenes the Mines and Minerals Act.
"The provision there says that a prospecting licence is issued only on two conditions. One that the potential investor has reached an agreement with the landowners to have access to carry out all the activities on their land and two, that is only given three months after the letter of intent."
Tim Boreham From: The Australian April 29, 2011 12:00AM
Axiom Mining (AVQ) 6.4c
GRUMBLINGS about local mining and carbon tax uncertainties and environmental red-tape should be put in context: at least when our officials grant a mining or exploration lease, that's pretty much the end of the matter.
In the Solomon Islands, such approvals are less certain, with the government doing a bizarre about-face on a prospecting licence granted to Axiom KB -- a joint venture with local landowners as 20 per cent holders -- on a possibly world-class nickel deposit on Isabel Island.
Early this week the Solomons government said the licence, issued by the former mines minister, was invalid. The Prime Minister's office went so far as to describe the circumstances as "highly suspicious" and has launched an inquiry. Axiom on Wednesday fired back, saying the statement, "purportedly" issued by the PM's office, was "inaccurate and misleading".
The Isabel dirt was worked by majors such as Inco and Kaiser Engineering, but no one could commercialise it. Axiom says that's because no one has been able to chalk a deal with the Kolosori and Bungusule landowners.
In the past, Axiom has described the laterite deposit as an "historical resource" of 159 million tonnes containing 1.045 per cent nickel and 0.07 per cent cobalt.
That's all very alluring. Your columnist doesn't purport to be an expert on Solomons mining law but this one has too-hard written all over it. Avoid.
