bougainville copper agreement review.

24.11.2011
Source: Post-Courier


Plans set to review BCA
By GORETHY KENNETH


PLANS are now underway to establish a National Government’s Coordination Group to oversee the Bougainville Copper Agreement review process.
The Bougainville Copper Agreement review was as old as 1967 when it was initiated and no other reviews were made since then except for “slight negotiations” along the way. The BCA Review, if undertaken now will be a completely “new deal” as stated by the parties that would be involved in the negotiations.
The Coordination Group will be made up of the following representatives:
* Two representatives from the ABG
* Two representatives from the National Government
* Two representatives from the Panguna Landowners Association and
* One representative from the Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL)
This is from a brief from the Deputy Chief administrator for Bougainville Raymond Masono in his presentation to the Autonomous Bougainville Government Steering Committee together with the Panguna Management Consultative Committee in Buka last week.
The Group is expected, when set up to also cover the BCA Act which was also discussed including the legality of it (ACT) -the Panguna Landowners claimed it was now irrelevant and wanted a completely new deal.
The other issue discussed which the Group would take charge of was BCL’s request to the National Government to extend/renew the Special Mine Lease (SML) licence.
But the Panguna Management consultative Committee is now aware the National Government had allocated K2 million to oversee the BCA Review and other Panguna mine re-opening allocations and mine related matters.
This fund will cater for the landowner’s establishment, regional awareness, ABG/PLOA – BCA Secretariat and the PMCC works program (budget). There are already five of the sic mine leases registered by the mining division and they include Special Mine Lease (SML), Lower Tailing Lease (LTL), Upper Tailing Lease (UTL), Port Mine Access Road Lease (PMARL) and Uruawa/Rorovana Lease (URL and the Siokate Lease (Arawa Customary Land). All these issues should be the agendas for the National Coordination Group if setup by the Government. This is the start of the Bougainville Copper Agreement Review.





24.11.2011
Source: Post-Courier


Arawa meeting to cost K6m
By GORETHY KENNETH


THE bill for the planned National Executive Council Meeting in Arawa next January will cost taxpayers a whopping K6 million.
Coupled with security concerns, the Government is now considering moving the meeting away from Bougainville to Kavieng in New Ireland Province.
The proposed move has angered the Bougainville politicians, the autonomous government and their people.
Autonomous Bougainville Government President John Momis briefed the Panguna Management Consultative Committee (PMCC) meeting of the changes.
PMCC is made up of ABG leaders from the Mining division, Law and Justice, ABG Administration, ABG ministers, expatriate advisors and the Panguna Landowners.
The PMCC was told the major hurdle for the Cabinet meeting to be held in Arawa was financial constraints and security reasons.
During the meeting, there were some discussions on why the move was made as people in Arawa and Panguna had already made preparations to welcome the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and his Cabinet Ministers. The people of Central Bougainville raised their disappointments in the cancellation of the NEC meeting in Arawa as already preparations were underway to host the meeting.
President Momis assured he would travel to Port Moresby and meet with Mr O’Neill on the matters raised by the people of Central Bougainville. This week the National Co-ordinating Office of Bougainville Affairs (NACOBA) advised that the Joint Supervisory Body meeting, the avenue for the National Government and the ABG to discuss issues pertaining to Bougainville, was re-scheduled for December 5 in Buka. Mr O’Neill is expected to lead his National Government team to Buka for the meeting.