Gold bills to affect 26 laws: Opposition

ALTERNATIVE prime minister and East Sepik Governor Allan Bird says the Gold Bullion bills before Parliament will require 26 amendments, some of them constitutional.
“It’s as if we’re passing another organic law,”Bird said.
“It’s not a simple matter of passing a Gold Bullion bill. It’s a lot more than that.”
He was responding to questions raised about the Opposition’s stance on the of the National Gold Corporation Bill (NGC Bill) and The National Gold Corporation (Project and Shareholders Agreement) Bill 2022 that are available for debate in Parliament on May 28.
Bird said: “We’ve received sufficient advice to form an opinion and it is that we will not support it regardless of the debate. Whatever that needs to be discussed is already in the bill. We understand what the bill is trying to accomplish.”
Shadow mining minister James Donald has named no less than 26 existing laws which will be affected and which need to be amended to allow for the requirements of the gold bills.
Donald commended the Papua New Guinea Chamber of Resources and Energy (PNG Core) for publicly making their stance known on the National Gold Corporation Bill and contributing to the discussion surrounding it.
Donald said that in recent times, PNG Core has extensively outlined its stance against the bill and has contributed significant points of consideration as to why the public and members of parliament should ‘say NO’ to the National Gold Corporation Bill.
“The chamber through president Anthony Smare have adequately stated their case why members of parliament should not support the bill, and how the bill will drastically impact the mining industry, our country’s reputation, and the sovereignty of our country,”Donald said. “Our mining industry has spoken through the chamber, who have clearly articulated their stance against this bill. It is clear that there are more wrongs than right in this bill, yet the government appears adamant to further pursue this ‘golden dream’.
“This bill will affect so many laws and yet the government has made minimal effort to discuss with stakeholders and properly educate our MPs on the ramifications of this bill.
Donald said the proposed bills before Parliament would affect the following laws:
1. Central Banking Act 2000;
2. Customs Act;
3. Aerodrome (Business Concession) Act;
4. Civil Aviation Act;
5. Claims By and Against the State Act;
6. Companies Act;
7. Conservation Areas Act;
8. Excise Act;
9. Exports Act;
10. Firearms Act;
11. Goods and Services Act;
12. Income Tax Act;
13. ICCC Act;
14. Investment Promotion Authority Act;
15. Kumul Consolidated Holdings Authorization Act;
16. National Cultural Property (Preservation) Act;
17. National Institute of Standards and Industrial Technology Act;
18. National Library and Archives Act;
19. National Payment System Act;
20. Proceeds of Crime Act;
21. Public Private Partnership Act;
22. Regulatory Statutory Authorities (Appointment to Certain Offices) Act;
23. Salaries and Conditions Monitoring Committee Act;
24. Salaries and Remuneration Commissions Act;
25. Trade Measurement Act; and,
26. Quarantine Act.