Below is a little article on Peter O'Neil and his thoughts on...

Below is a little article on Peter O'Neil and his thoughts on PNG involvement of future projects. Sounds good!



PM: Ramu Nickel not a good deal for PNG
by ramunickel


Post Courier


Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has announced that Ramu Nickel will most probably start producing world class nickel by end of this year or early next year.

And he has alluded to the fact that the National Government had not done a good deal with Ramu Nickel but was certain that PNG would learn from that mistake and for the other projects that were on-stream, therefore assuring better deals.

In response to questions raised on the Ramu Nickel during the FM 100 Talk Back Show last week, Mr O’Neill said that the Ramu Nickel Project was agreed to before his time but assured that the project would be one of the best for PNG.


“Well, Ramu Nickel Project was agreed to before my time so I don’t know the details but as far as I am aware at present or the briefs that I am getting, is that it is due for production before the end of the year. They are now running the production as we speak, on a test basis, trying to see the machinery and all the aspects of the project are working,” he said.

“We have not done a good deal with Ramu Nickel but I’m certain that we will learn from that mistake and for the other projects that are on-stream, I am certain that we will do a better deal. But in terms of shareholding, you must realise that Highlands Pacific which used to own this particular resource went ahead and did a divisions decision to sell then for the Chinese interests. And they have come in here now and they have developed probably a world class nickel mine which is going to produce in a few months time.

“...but we are going to get money not only in taxes but we’re also getting royalties, the landowners are going to participate in the development up there. But I agree that we have not done a good deal whereby we have not taken up more equity for our country.

“But we are going to address that in the other projects that we are now embarking on.

“Papua New Guinea will fully participate in most of the projects in terms of the laws that we have.

“Most of the projects are now out there for development. We will fully participate in taking up the equity.

“Our country is not going to disappear, but we will not let people come in and just take our resources away.” he said.