Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea : Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Jame Marape has threatened Barrick to take over the Porgera Gold Mine in Enga Province if the company does not comply with his government directions.
"Now that your[Barrick] lease has expired, the legal process is there for Barrick to comply so you can maintain your operation until an agreed exit time we both secure at negotiations when mutual obligations are retired". The Prime Minister said.
"Barrick [can] continue operating the mine when we go through this phase, but if you sabotage or close the mine, you leave me no choice but to invoke orders to take over the mine for the sake of land owners and provincial government who should be getting bigger equities, plus the employees and contractors who are presently working with the mine"
"Don’t fight me ( I am in my country and I lose nothing), work with me for your ease of business during this transition and exit phase ( you never know, negotiations may buy you extra mine operation time)". Marape said.
"I have my country’s 8million shareholders including the people of Ipili, Pogera , Enga, environmental footprint areas plus present mine workers to look after".
"PNG is a robust democracy that honors all agreements to the text and spirit, congruent to our mining act'.
"To all PNG miners (those in both operations and explorations) we will not change goal posts in between".
"Major amendments to the resource law regimes we doing will be effected post 2025 and will not affect those agreements secured under present regimes. You can have that comfort".
"However Pogera is a special case and is an exception because Barrick’s lease expired on 18th August 2019. My letter to Barrick is on it’s way and will explain this and also allude to formal and legitimate processes of government including MAC’s deliberation that refused application for lease renewal".
"To all PNGeans bear with me, short term pain for long term gain, don’t be cry babies and pessimist. The world will not end if Pogera closes".
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"Now that your[Barrick] lease has expired, the legal process is there for Barrick to comply so you can maintain your operation until an agreed exit time we both secure at negotiations when mutual obligations are retired". The Prime Minister said.
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| Barricks Porgera mine in PNG shutdown Temporily : Photo by Alex Nange /FB |
"Barrick [can] continue operating the mine when we go through this phase, but if you sabotage or close the mine, you leave me no choice but to invoke orders to take over the mine for the sake of land owners and provincial government who should be getting bigger equities, plus the employees and contractors who are presently working with the mine"
"Don’t fight me ( I am in my country and I lose nothing), work with me for your ease of business during this transition and exit phase ( you never know, negotiations may buy you extra mine operation time)". Marape said.
"I have my country’s 8million shareholders including the people of Ipili, Pogera , Enga, environmental footprint areas plus present mine workers to look after".
"PNG is a robust democracy that honors all agreements to the text and spirit, congruent to our mining act'.
"To all PNG miners (those in both operations and explorations) we will not change goal posts in between".
"Major amendments to the resource law regimes we doing will be effected post 2025 and will not affect those agreements secured under present regimes. You can have that comfort".
"However Pogera is a special case and is an exception because Barrick’s lease expired on 18th August 2019. My letter to Barrick is on it’s way and will explain this and also allude to formal and legitimate processes of government including MAC’s deliberation that refused application for lease renewal".
"To all PNGeans bear with me, short term pain for long term gain, don’t be cry babies and pessimist. The world will not end if Pogera closes".
next :