Locals near mine might move

THE Government will look at relocating Bougainvilleans who are living near the old Panguna Mine site, Prime Minister James Marape says.
Responding to questions by South Bougainville MP and Minister for Communications Timothy Masiu on the Panguna landowners living near the mine, Marape said although it was the jurisdiction of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, he would take the matter up.
“Bougainville is now under the jurisdiction of that special autonomous region or government,” Marape said.
“I will take this matter up whilst we progress it at the national level to look at the relocation to ensure that our people are given their due respect.
“PNG Government and BCL have some obligations to ensure that these people are given their due respect as far as the relocation is concerned.”
Marape said the issue would also be discussed at the Joint Supervisory Body meeting in Arawa on March 6.
“These and other issues like this can be put on the table and understand what the role of the national government is and the government on the ground is to handle these sort of matters.
“This is another case in point indicating to us that provincial government and the people of this country continue to live with the legacy and scars that this sort of projects way after the mine has moved on and it is closed.
“It is important for us to strike better deals going forward but in this instance I will give response to them in the affirmative,” Marape said. “We will try to work it through in dialogue and in partnership with the provincial government on the ground in Bougainville.”
He said of the K200 million put aside for small to medium enterprise (SME), the policy intervention is that 10 per cent of that is quarantined for businesses in Bougainville.
“When Commerce and Industry Minister William Duma brings his paper into cabinet then we will have the finer details of this paper, what is meant for SMEs in Bougainville. “We hope that this sort of people are given prominence to participate in business and SME resuscitation progamme in Bougainville.”