Alluvial mining needs proper laws

Business

PAPUA New Guinea’s alluvial mining industry has been operating without proper policy regulations to guide and protect its activities.
Mining Mineral Policy acting director Asavi Kendua made the comments in Lae during the Mamose consultation forum on the Mining Safety Act (1977) review on Sept 27.
Alluvial mineral exports account for almost K400 million annually for the State.
However, the Government is yet to set in place appropriate policy guidelines and regulations to guide small alluvial mining activities.
“Until 2019, it is 146 years on in small scale alluvial mining activities involving about 80,000-plus people not only for a living but importantly, contributes about K350 million to K400 million in exports,” Kendua said.
“However, this industry has been neglected in terms of policy guidelines.”
The Mining Act 1992, section 48-64 caters for alluvial mining activities providing necessary requirements for alluvial mining license (AML) for five years and can be extended.
Section 38 (2) of the Mining Act 1992 ensures that alluvial mining activity is limited to citizens.
“If the lease holder works in partnership with foreign investor then the lease holder is automatically entitled to 51 per cent and the investor gets 49 per cent,” Kendua said.
Taking into consideration the invaluable efforts and commitments of alluvial miners in country, the Mineral Resource Authority (MRA) set up the Wau Small Scale Alluvial Mining Training Centre (WSSAMTC).
“The Government also decided to build three similar small scale alluvial mining training centres in the New Guinea Islands, Highlands and Southern,” Kendua said.
MRA also initiated a small scale miners forum facilitated every two years to encourage landowner participation and looking forward to setting up downstream processing facilities for alluvial mining industry.
Kendua said the forum was therefore important to gauge the views of small scale miners and impacted riverine communities to draft a proper policy to protect the alluvial mining activities in country.