Consider mining impacts: Smare
THE Government needs to consider both the positive and negative impacts of the mining and petroleum industry when making changes to laws, says Chamber of Mines and Petroleum senior vice-president Anthony Smare, pictured.
Smare said this during a media briefing yesterday when speaking about the impacts that legislative changes would have on the economy following the Government’s decision to amend mining legislations.
He said it was important to look at the contributions that the mining sector has contributed to the country and also the implications that changes to the laws would have going forward into the future.
“The approach that needs to be taken by the Government and the people should be a process that looks at the pros and cons and understand what has worked for us and what has not,” he said.
“When we look at changes, we should really try to understand the implications to those changes and whether it will bring us forward or retard us as a country.
“Any changes should be fact-based and done upon consultations and modelled not just on the impacts on the existing projects and the projects coming through, but also on exploration. We need people to bring money in to explore and see what other assets that we have that we then have to spend another 20 years trying to develop and that’s the challenge with this legislation.
“Changes on mining laws should be based around how to get more from the mining sector without killing the industry to ensure that the country can continue to benefit into the future.”
Smare added that mining and exploration was very strong in the 1970s and 80s but dropped significantly due to the Bougainville crisis, rise in crime and uncertainty in fiscal and legal regimes. “It was only from the change in government in Aug, 2002 that resulted in the removal of profit tax and fiscal barriers that previously made PNG unattractive to investors that helped revive the mining industry,” he said.
“Mining has played a significant role in the transition that we have had as a people and changes to the legislation should also consider people in the rural areas that benefit from exploration and projects.”
3 comments
It is a pity for the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum to come out publicly to comment on something (the Government’s intentions to review legislation mining, oil and gas laws) which they are always involved in and always participate in. There is nothing hidden and sinister on the part of the Government. So the question is; why???. Coming out public means the Chamber is trying to promote its own interest which is actually the industry players’ interests which the Chamber represents. The Government must make laws including reviews of legislation of any kind to benefit its people. If the chamber thinks there will be problems than liaise with the Government through the consultations and negotiations prior to passing the law. Otherwise pack up and leave. The Chamber should not tell the Government what to do and what not to do through this deceitful idea. Wok mas go yet! Change the mining and oil and gas laws now if they do not benefit PNG. Happy Independence!!
It’s better for the government to change the mining and oil and gas laws. These huge companies have been cheated on us for so long. Though they have said that they are helping us greatly in terms of economy and sustainable developments, the operations which they are carrying is very unethical. It is now by time that we should deal with them properly and settle things in ways that will benefit ourselves and our future generations.
By now we should dig our golds/copper and extract oil and gas. Just employ experts in certain areas. Papua New Guinean engineers and miners can mine now. Spend less than 10% for contract officers and machinery and save 90% as revenue. Today 95% is drawn out of the country by mining companies. Only 5% in Loyalties, tax, sponsors, shares and others paid to government, provinces, land owners, and shareholders.
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