Dept providing accurate data to government

By NATHAN WOTI
THE role of the Department of Minerals Policy and GeoHazard Management (DMPGM) is crucial as it provides accurate data to the Government especially when it comes to striking better deals for the country, says an official.
DMPGM deputy secretary Winterford Eko made the remarks at the Geoscience, Exploration and Extraction Conference in Port Moresby yesterday.
Eko said DMPGM helped the Government in policies that protected the interests of citizens, the nation as well as stakeholders and investors, while at the same time providing data on geohazards that were potential risks to all stakeholders.
He outlined the department’s functions which comprised two core mandates — economic and social (geohazard).
“Our aim is to ensure the state has sufficient data and not rely solely on developers,” he said.
“The economic mandate relates to the policy advice and legislation to ensure we have a robust regulatory framework in place for mining sector initiatives.” Eko said this was one of the core aspects of monitoring and assessment of geological hazards, specifically earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and mass (tectonic) movements.
He said the geohazard or social mandate came under the Geohazard Management Division of the DMPGM, where activities were oriented toward improving quality of life and safety of citizens through effective geohazard management system for disaster, early warning, response and resilience overseen by the Rabaul Volcanological Observatory, Port Moresby Geophysical Observatory, and the engineering geology branch.
He said continuous instrumental monitoring with visual observations were crucial for reliable information to be disseminated to relevant authorities, affected communities and the public.