ALLUVIAL mining will be reserved for Papua New Guineans through policy interventions, says Mining Minister Johnson Tuke.
He told an alluvial mining conference at the University of Technology in Lae that he wanted to help alluvial miners by making it a reserved business for locals.
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| Alluvial mining to be reserved for Papua New Guineans: Tuke |
He said the mining legislation to be tabled in Parliament in November would give the alluvial mining sector the support they needed.
“I’m trying to make alluvial mining a reserved businesses for Papua New Guineans,” Tuke said.
“We also want international partnership in this business but all we want is fair equity for locals.”
He urged locals to invest in it.
Tuke said they needed to change the way of conducting business through alluvial mining.
“We are only producing 120,000 tons per year and we need a collateral effort. We’ve got to develop the economic base that will substantiate us to borrow enough from banks. “We sit down and complain too much. Let us get up and make this sector grow.”
He said alluvial mining had been around for decades and a cohesive approach was needed to develop the sector.
Statement / The National / Pacific Mining Watch
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