Clan signs logging deal with miner

 THE IMURUBA clan in the Bundi local level government of Madang will benefit from a logging business spin-off opportunity through its clan company, Imuruba Investment Ltd.

Chinese miner Ramu NiCo agreed to allow the clan company to harvest logs on the special mining lease (SML 8) area at Krumbukari mine and clear the area for Ramu NiCo for further mining activities. 

The Imuruba clan owns part of the SML 8 on which Ramu NiCo is permitted to carry out its mining activities.

According to the contract, more than 25 hectares of SML land area will be logged by Tropical Timber Ltd, a timber operator in Madang, in a joint venture arrangement with Imuruba Investment Ltd.

“Tropical Timber has agreed to carry out felling, cutting and clearing of trees of commercial value within the SML area as logging operations to enable Ramu NiCo to carry out mining activities and operations,” Ramu NiCo’s community affairs superintendent Krumbukari Robert Wang said.

Wang said the clan company and Tropical Timber had agreed on the logging sales benefit, and the business opportunity was provided to the landowners to harvest logs to ensure they benefited.

The logging contract, initially prepared late last year, was finally signed in April by Ramu NiCo, Imuruba Investment Ltd and Tropical Timbers Ltd.

Ramu NiCo provided an advanced financial assistance of K30,000 to the clan company to mobilise its resources and help identify Tropical Timber Ltd so logging activities are professionally conducted with high safety management. 

The engagement of Tropical Timber secures the market for the clan company.

Tropical Timber engaged six chainsaw operators to help 12 landowners from Krumbukari and has completed more than 61,000 square metres of logging.

Ramu NiCo will mobilise its machinery to stockpile the logs to be milled by six milling machines from by Tropical Timber Ltd.

“While benefiting from the logging business opportunities, we are hoping that the landowners will support Ramu NiCo so they can benefit from the mining activities,” Wang said.