Basil raises concerns over bill

BULOLO MP Sam Basil Jr has raised concerns over why ministries and agencies are not coming out to explain and address issues of national importance.
Basil said that it was not justified why concerned ministries and agencies such as mining, attorney-general and justice, commerce and industry, state solicitor and First Legislative Counsel and even the chief secretary did not come out to address issues that had been identified as important to the nation.
While appreciating Finance Minister Rainbo Paita’s proposal for the Government to consider a wider stakeholder consultation on the proposed gold refinery project and its Bill, he requested the Government to respect all concerns and calls made by the communities, MPs and industry bodies.
Moreover, Basil said that the Ministry of Mining and its agencies had not provided any clarification and its silence raised more questions about the proposed Bill.
“The silence or lack of information and clarification from the responsible ministries and agencies show that they are confused like many of us are or they are just not aware of what is going on including the origin and drafting of the Bill,” he said.
Basil said that while the Government was focused on taking back PNG, the Mining Act had not been amended to increase the production levy or royalty to 10 per cent and to include refinery ownership and operations and to leverage the citizens’ benefits in resource projects.
“I am baffled over why the Ministry of Mining has gone out of its way to bring the proposed Bill consisting of more than 500 pages, much longer than the Constitution and the Mining Act and any laws in place,” he said.
“We also expect the ministers for mining, attorney-general and justice, and commerce and industry, to explain why PNG cannot amend the Mining Act and associated legislations that could provide more benefits to landowners, surrounding communities and the Government than jumping onto a bigger dream like a PNG-owned refinery.”