Fly-in, fly-out tactic only leaves us shortchanged

 WHAT provokes me  to write is the article by the president of the Resource Owners Federation of PNG regarding fly-in, fly-out issues (June 25). 

I wish I were a politician to support Lagaip-Porgera MP Nixon Mangape or resource owners to fight hard to stop such mining companies operating like that in my country. 

Unfortunately, I am not. 

As a true  son of PNG, I wish to back my comments on the reality of mining companies that are now using the fly-in, fly-out policy as their basis of operation. 

To me, this smacks of an unacceptable attitude towards PNG  that has crept into the mining and petroleum sector. 

Developers fly-in into our resource-rich regions, spend a few weeks there taking what they want and then fly-out. 

Local Papua New Guineans also come from their provinces and spend a few weeks before flying out while no tangible developments are seen or felt in the area where mining takes place. 

Hidden Valley Mine in the Bulolo district is one of the mining companies that operate on a fly-in, fly-out basis. 

There has literally been no changes in the mining towns of Bulolo and Wau.

This mentality has deprived, depressed, suppressed and neglected locals from developing their towns. 

Such a trend and mentality towards PNG must stop. 

Therefore, I call upon the mining and petroleum departments and most importantly, true, patriotic parliamentarians to enact tougher laws for resource developers to stop the fly-in, fly-out mode of operation. 

Please prevent this mining trend or else upcoming mines such as Wafi-Golpu, Mt Kare, Frieda and Gulf LNG will leave nothing behind but rusty metal pieces for our future generations. 

Ruben Kepmewato

Bulolo