No guidelines to monitor mining activities: Iguan
By MADELEINE AREK
THE Morobe provincial government does not have guidelines in place to monitor increased activities in the mining and petroleum sectors in the province.
Judging from the number of mineral and petroleum companies which applied for exploration licences and mining wardens in the past few months, provincial mining, natural resources and environment chairman Konnie Iguan believes quick action needs to be taken to avoid problems for the province.
He said in their last meeting, a number of major players involved in exploration and mining activities in the country had applied for licences.
He said with the potential for a mineral and petroleum boom in the province, it was disappointing that there was no policy in place to safeguard resource owners and the provincial government from being exploited.
The province does not have policies to govern the mining and petroleum sector, nor does it have an environmental policy to safeguard resource owners from environmental damages.
He told the provincial assembly that his committee was yet to develop a provincial mineral policy; an environment policy and a mining landowners policy.
He also told the assembly that his office had yet to establish a parliamentary mineral development committee to oversee all facets of mineral and petroleum developments, investor operations and landowner business participation.
Mr Iguan said there was a need to improve the existing structure on the administration of both, through increased manpower and improved resource support, focusing on the mineral and hydrocarbon sector.
He said there was also a need to improve networking on forestry developments and environmental monitoring and compliance processes.
He said it was important that all these were done to avoid a similar situation to what was happening at Wafi/Golpu.
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