NI ready for first gold refinery

NEW Ireland has put its hand up to accommodate the country’s gold refinery, as proposed by Mining Minister John Pundari last week.
Governor Sir Julius Chan said NIP was the logical place for a refinery, not only because it had so much gold produced there, but because it had much faster access to the major markets in Asia and North America.
He said Kavieng was several hours closer to Japan, China and even North America than other points in PNG.
“We are upgrading Kavieng airport to international standard and when that is done we will be able to export refined gold to all the major markets of Asia and North America more efficiently and at lower cost.”
Chan congratulated Pundari on his call for revision of the Mining Act and for the establishment of a gold refinery in PNG saying NIP was suited to make this a reality.
He called on Pundari and the government to support NIP in establishing not only ownership of minerals by the people but also a refinery in the province.
“The government should make PNG people beneficiaries of wealth that comes from the ground they own and live on. 
“The profits reaped by overseas operations should go to the people.”
He said Kavieng and Lihir, with thermal power, was ideal to process gold cheaply as well as to fill in the gap after the mine’s closure  with more processing plants, including fish canning.