A purported ‘Fact Sheet ‘or information paper, containing agreed terms reached between the State and Barrick Niugini Limited in relation to the closed Porgera gold mine, circulated by the State Negotiation Team (SNT) has not gone down well with local landowners.
A copy of the fact sheet obtained by media basically outlined the current status of Porgera mine, included future landowner benefits, taxes, royalties and assets while proposing the way forward for re-opening the mine.
However, the 24 Special Mining Lease (SML) Agents objected the ‘fact sheet’ and any agreement reached, as illegal and demanded Prime Minister James Marape to keep his government’s commitment in ‘Taking Back the Porgera Gold Mine.’
The 24 SML agents and leaders collectively signed a petition last Friday objecting to the ‘purported fact sheet’ and demanded that, the national government re-open the mine forthwith under Kumul Mineral Holdings Limited (KMHL) SML 11.
Spokesperson and former Lagaip Porgera MP, Nixon Mangape told a media conference at the Hilton Hotel in Port Moresby last Friday that the SNT’s Fact Sheet was illegal and rejected it outright on behlaf of the landowners.
“The fact sheet provided by the State Negotiation Team (STN) does not reflect landowners’ interest and concerns. Porgera mine landowners including SML, LMP (lease for mining purpose), and Riverine and Power line have suffered for the last 30-years,” Mr Mangape said.
He said the 30-years of our bad experience with the previous developer will not return, adding that the SNT has illegally hijacked the lawful negotiation process by excluding the landowners from the negotiations and then circulating a ‘fact sheet’ without the knowledge and consent of the Porgera landowners.
At the conference, the 24 SML Agents, including veteran leaders Mr Mangape, Justice Foundation for Porgera chairman Jonathan Paraia and Tuanda Incorporated Land Group (ILG) chairman Sole Taro objected to the negotiated terms contained in the Fact Sheet.
“The government has to immediately re-open the Porgera mine under KMHL as the SML holder. The SNT ‘fact sheet’ proposing to give 49percent to a developer (named) will not go unchallenged. We have 30-years of legacie issues and that needs consented effort from the national government, provincial government and the landowners to address,” the leaders said.
Meanwhile, Justice Foundation for Porgera’s firebrand landowner advocate and Chairman Mr Paraia said the National Government should work in partnership with landowners to address incumbent issues.