Fair solutions sought for mine

Business

MINISTER for Environment Conservation and Climate Change Geoffrey Kama says existing laws will be followed to discipline companied in breach of any laws governing the mining industry but there were no short cuts in shutting down the mines.
Kama said this when meeting with the Basamuk landowners on Sunday at the Basamuk Refinery in Rai Coast, Madang.
He went to have an independent assessment on the refinery’s Aug 24 slurry spill into the Basamuk harbour.
Conservation Environment Protection Authority managing director Gunther Joku and deputy managing director Michael Maue as well as Madang Governor Peter Yama, accompanied Kama to the site.
This is the second visit of a senior state minister after Mining Minister Johnson Tuke also visited Basamuk Refinery for an independent assessment on Tuesday (Aug 27).
Kama’s visit follows after Cepa and MRA investigations were conducted.
Kama told principal Basamuk landowners that the government would not go ahead and shut down Ramu NiCo Project or Basamuk Refinery as demanded but would strictly follow the laws so that all parties were given fair treatment.
This was after the landowners demanded that the Basamuk Refinery be closed following the slurry discharge and other outstanding matters including socio-economic benefits.
Rai Coast MP Peter Sapia, Yama and the landowners demanded the closure of the Ramu NiCo Project last week.
But Kama said an investigation into the alleged slurry spill was still underway.
“Landowners are very important to the government. We represent you and must listen to your demands,” Kama said.
“The investor (Ramu NiCo) is also our friend as we invited them. So we must listen to both landowners and Ramu NiCo so that our decisions will be fair to all parties involved.
“We cannot just go on and shut down the project. Investigations have been done by third parties and we will sit down, go through the investigation report and based on that, we will make a decision.”
Meanwhile, Yama said it was difficult to attract investors such as Ramu NiCo to develop the project but now that Ramu NiCo was on the ground, it needed to conduct itself professionally and be in compliance with the country’s laws.
“The concern raised by the Basamuk landowners are my concern and I want the Minister for Environment to take that back to Port Moresby for a response,” Yama said.
“The Basamuk issue is one of the issues we address properly for the benefit of landowners and investors as well.”
Kama assured the landowners that the final findings would be delivered to Yama to present to landowners.
Ramu NiCo vice-president Wang Baowen and president Gao Yongxue assured Kama that they would fully comply and support the investigators to establish the cause of the incident and would implement the recommendations proposed by Cepa and MRA.