Mining firms receive licences

By NATHAN WOTI
FOUR exploration licences were handed over by the Government to four mining companies: New Porgera Limited (NPL), K92 mine, Ramu NiCo management (MCC) Ltd and the Frieda River project yesterday.
Mining Minister Sir Ano Pala said the four applicants had successfully met the minimum requirements to be given licences.
The Government was also satisfied with the processes which the mining companies had come through.
Sir Ano added that the Government was expecting the Frieda River Project to be as big as Porgera.
Mayur Resource Ltd, involved in the limestone project in Central, did not attend the presentation yesterday.
In total, 18 tenement agreements were signed.
Fifteen were ancillary tenement agreement for the New Porgera mine project, including the exploration licence for areas under the approval for development agreements.
The other three were exploration licences for the Frieda River Project, K92 Mine, and RamuNiCo MCC.
Mineral Resource Authority managing director Jerry Garry said it was the first time for the MRA and the mining minister to publicly hand over licences to mining companies.
Garry said Sir Ano had demanded that the renewal of licenses, issuing of a new tenement, particularly the mining, and mining tenements, be held in public.
“This would give meaning to the document,” he said.
“In the past, some of us have, have gone through the process without having an official ceremony as such.
“And sometimes, people take these documents away without appreciating the importance of this document.
“Once we issue a tenement or extend a term of an exploration license or mining license, it is a process whereby we transfer the rights to a certain extent of the mineral resources in the country to the successful applicant.