An intending candidate has urged the Government to welcome Rio Tinto back into the country.
Kandaso Napi, intending candidate for the Laigap –Porgera electrorate yesterday said Rio was a major player in the mineral exploration, production and processing sector and it was pleasing to see the country back in the country.
Mr Napi who worked for the Rio Tinto owned Bougainville Copper Mine, now defunct, said PNG had gained as a country, from what Rio had done on Bougainville.
“Apart from the monetary gains, look at the mining industry now. A lot of the workers on the mines around the country now were trained by BCL. That is the contribution that Rio has made to PNG,” Mr Napi said.
Mr Napi was responding to a story in the Sunday Choronicle yesterday in which Bougainville Copper Limited Chairman Peter Talyor revealed that Rio has been granted exploraion leases in PNG since the mine 1990s when it pulled out of Bougainville.
Already the PNG Chamber of Mines has stated that the return of Rio Tinto was a stamp of approval for PNG.
“I could not agree more. This is good for PNG and the mining industry. Lets welcome this giant back with open arms,” Mr Napi said.
Mr Napi was employed as a driver by BCL and he later started his own trucking firm, which became the first national company to be awarded a contract by BCL.
When the mine was shut down in the 1990’s due to the crisis, Mr Napi closed his business down and moved to Lae where he started again. His trucking firm is now contracted to the Porgera gold mine in Enga.
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