Star Mountain praised for using mining money to expand

MINING and petroleum landowner companies should start investing in sustainable projects like tourism, says Tourism promotion Authority chief executive Jerry Agus.
He said this when commending Ok Tedi landowner company Star Mountain Group of Companies, which has signed an agreement with the authority for the development of tourism in the area.
“They (landowner companies) must know that mining and petroleum have a life span so some time down the line, it will come to an end,” Agus said.
“Once you are blessed with such resources like that, and when you have a good income, you have to venture into sectors that will really sustain the future generation.
“Otherwise, once the mine comes to an end everything is gone, what will you fall back on?”
Agus said Royalty Trust, trustee of the Star Mountain Group of Companies, was doing a great job by investing in hotels. “They are going into tourism so that they can empower their local communities,” Agus said.
“They are not there to wait for the royalty to come only at certain times of the year.
“This is a great initiative and we really want other landowner groups to use this example as well.”