Support for BOC

The National aka The Loggers Times | April 20, 2017

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has indicated his support for Bougainville Copper Ltd (BCL) to resume its operations on Bougainville.
Bougainville President Chief Dr John Momis said this would provide BCL with the level of assurance they needed to manage sovereign risk and take meaningful steps to start feasibility work.
Momis said that Prime Minister Peter O’Neill agreed that a steering committee would be established with joint representation from the national government, ABG Government, landowners and Bougainville Copper Ltd.
The steering committee would be convened by an independent chairman to ensure that all parties’ interests were heard.
“As president, I am very conscious of the sensitivity of this issue, but I am pleased that the vast majority of landowners have now agreed that Bougainville Copper Ltd should be given the opportunity to rehabilitate the mine,” Momis said.
He said the economic benefits of that could not be denied, but Bougainville should ensure that any future mining operations were respectful to the people, protected their environment and benefits flowed through to the people.