Small-scale miners call on dept to address issues

SMALL-scale gold miners in Wau and Bulolo, Morobe, are asking the Mining Department to address issues they face with their mining leases.
Wau-Bulolo Gold Miners Association spokesman Frank Kinok said many miners across Wau, Bulolo and Watut faced problems with their mining leases.
“We face sediment issues from operations by big mining companies, disputes with landowners and illegal miners because we have no proper documentation,” Kinok said.
He said a surveyor from the Mining Department, Alman Lama, was conducting a survey to make proposals for them to operate within their leases.
“We want a proper granting of licences for us, the small gold miners, from the Minister for Mining Byron Chan.”
Kinok said they would like to thank the World Bank, Japanese Social Development Fund, the mining department and Wau Ecology for initiating the Wau-Bulolo Gold Miners Association in 2006.
“We thank the MRA officers who are working in Wau and ask if they can work with us to resolve the problems in regards to our mining leases,” Kinok said.
“We  ask that the big mining companies in the area work with us to ensure there are no problems between us when it comes to operating mines for gold,” he said.
Mining lease holders Deba Wisan and Masonga Tapet, who accompanied Kinok, questioned whether they would be paid dividends by the government as they had been working in mining sector for a long time.