Basamuk clan, firm sign deal to extract sand

A CLAN in Basamuk, Rai Coast district, Madang has allowed Ramu NiCo Management to extract sand from its land.
An agreement was signed between the nickel/cobalt mine developer and the Teterege clan of Dein village, located three kilometres south-east of the Basamuk refinery.
The sand is to assist with development in the processing site.
Last Wednesday, trucks from the Ramu NiCo’s limestone department, an excavator and a front-end loader arrived at Dein village to collect sand from an area the clan had identified.
Ramu NiCo community affairs deputy superintendent at Basamuk Nick Genaia said the company would pay the clan according to the amount of sand extracted.
Genaia said clan leader Ping Seb allowed the company to extract sand from the area.
The sand was previously used to manufacture cement and pavement foundation at the Basamuk refinery site during the construction phase of the project.
Seb is happy that Ramu NiCo had also used its machines to upgrade the bad sections of the road between Yaganon River and Dein Primary School.
Ramu NiCo officially recently visited Dein Primary School where vice-president Xu Jian donated stationery, sports balls and food to the school.
Seb and school head teacher Simon Douglas welcomed the good working relationship with Ramu NiCo.