Complete mining process, MP says

 Laigamp-Porgera MP Nixon Mangape has called on landowners of Mt Kare mine to return home and complete a land investigation study and report.

He said it was important that the clans were identified in the land identification process and therefore people, including the chiefs and chairmen of the landowner groups from Enga and Hela, to go back home instead of living in Port Moresby and other towns and cities.

“I’m calling on the chiefs of chiefs and chairman of chairmen to lead their landowners back to Mt Kare and complete the investigation and identification processes instead of misleading the public.

“Make sure your clan members are included in the study conducted by the government and Summit before it is too late as your clans might miss-out on benefits as they will not be recognised,” Mangape said.

Mangape, who is a landowner, made the call amid confusion created by a certain landowner company claiming ownership and exploration licence of the mine.

He said people should know by now that the O’Neill government had reviewed the exploration licence and granted it to Summit for another two years to do more exploration and feasibility studies.

Mangape said since that decision, no other company should claim they had exploration licence.

“Any company claiming to have been granted exploration licence is not true. They are not telling the truth and are trying to confuse the people of Laigamp-Porgera, Enga, Hela and PNG. 

“As your mandated leader, I must make it clear that Summit is the only company given permission by the State and no other companies.

“I’m now warning any companies claiming to have valid licence to stop misleading my people. I’m asking them not to enter my electorate because we will not entertain such misleading information,” he said.

Mangape said there were too many ore reserves all over the electorate that needed to be explored.

“If you think that you have the capacity then you are most welcome to discover those mineral reserves but I don’t want you to mislead the people on the issue of Mt Kare.”