THE Ramu nickel and cobalt mine is considered as the only mine in Papua New Guinea that distributes its royalty funds to all 19 local level governments (LLG) in Madang Province.
Ramu NiCo’s management was given the opportunity to share its community development and engagement work on 28 July during the first day of the 2025 Community Affairs National Content Expo (CANCONEX) in Port Moresby.
The mine that is run and operated by the Chinese government has been doing this since the mine did its first royalty payouts in 2018 after the full production in 2012.
Ramu NiCo’s community Affairs General Manager Eric Kuman said the royalty payouts is given yearly to the 19 LLGs in Madang Province during same period that the company pays to the landowners mine site.
Madang Provincial Government also has a share on the portion of the royalty payouts into the Madang Provincial Government Account.
The mine is unique being the only nickel and cobalt mine in the country; it has implemented a system that is unique to other mines in the country. The royalty payouts for other LLG in Madang is paid straight to their individual LLG accounts and that money is also to assist in their projects and programs.
Mr Kuman said the company also assists in other projects through donation and programs that is set by the Community Affairs Department and Corporate Office to maintain the company’s corporate and social responsibilities along the project corridor.
He said the mine had been keen on programs that would leave a long-lasting impact on the communities through royalty as well as projects that would sustain the mine after it ends.
“We have developed programs such as the Cocoa Nursery Program that was estimated by PNG Cocoa Board as the largest seed nursery in the country,” Mr Kuman said.
“We also introduced the Juncao Technology into our Mine’s Rehabilitation Program that is now starting to develop and grow well in the old mine pits.
“Apart from royalty payouts into Madang Province and agriculture program, we also provide the deliver countless programs from education subsidies for tertiary education, industrial training, our Graduate Development Program and currently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Technology in Lae and the University of Papua
New Guinea research programs.”
Mr Kuman said Ramu NiCo’s aim is to promote better living and sustainability to the host province as well as providing training and development for the human resources of Papua New Guinea as far as the company is concerned.