Welfare and environment

THIS is an open call to all key stakeholders involved in the Ramu nickel/cobalt mine in Madang regarding our legitimate concerns about our welfare and environment.
But firstly, we thank the developer of the first nickel/cobalt mine in PNG; MCC Ramu Nickel Ltd that our once backward living conditions have been largely improved due to the mining development activities particularly in construction of major infrastructures such as roads, bridges and jetties/wharves.
In addition social services such as health, education, business spin-off activities and agricultural extension work has been aggressively pursued by the developer.
These activities are undertaken by the developer as part of their corporate social responsibility stipulated in the memorandum of agreement.
However, what really concerns me most is that major business spin-offs are not fairly being distributed to local landowners.
These major business spin-off activities namely includes catering, security, waste management, cleaning services, cartage/haulage and transportation, minor road construction, HR labour hire, etc.
Instead only a handful of so called LOs are being manipulated by foreign elements to conduct JV partnership at the expense of the genuine titleholders.
Sadly, profits generated by such business deals have not trickled down to the poor landowners.
This scenario is real and it is happening at Kurumbukari mine site.
Therefore, it is urgent and critical to go back to the drawing board in the forthcoming memorandum of agreement review and reconsider all contractual business arrangements to really ensure that genuine titleholders are fairly awarded major business spin-off opportunities.
The developer and the national government must not undermine our potential by using the lame excuse “you don’t have the capacity”.
But instead give us the opportunity to venture into the unknown because it is only through real hands on experience that one can master the real tactics of doing business.

John Mangua Yoga
Goroka- EHP