THIRTEEN tenement holders in Wau-Waria and Bulolo, Morobe, Papua New Guinea (PNG) have finally received licences for alluvial mining from Mineral Resources Authority (MRA), an official says.
The leaseholders were presented licences on Wednesday by MRA in Wau, after waiting for years.
The licences will be reviewed after five years.
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Officer-in-charge of MRA’s Wau small scale mining branch, Samuel Leonhard, said they could now conduct alluvial or mechanised small-scale mining activities.
“Go ahead and develop your leases.
“Look for investors to help develop them through small scale mining activities.
“Your licence has been granted.
“Thank you for your patience.
“The process to get licence is long and takes time.”
He said while waiting for the licenses, some lease applicants had gone ahead in small-scale mining with machines which was illegal.
“The licenses are authorised under the Mining Act.
“You are now given approval from the authority to do mining activities.
“It is illegal to do mining without a licence, even if it’s on your own land.
“There’s no approval from government, without a licence.”
Leonhard said MRA had functions under its own Act to implement the Mining Act and Mining Safety Act.
He said the Act called for all mechanised mining to be licensed.
“There’s also a provision in the Act that allows landowners to do alluvial mining in a small way just using shovels.
“You don’t need a licence for that, because the Act says so.
“But if you want to be advanced by taking in investors or using machines, the environmental impact would be huge that you need to get mining or alluvial mining leases,” he said.
He said those licenced had followed the process.
“To be good citizens, we must follow the law and laws governing our minerals.
“If you are a landowner, don’t be in a rush to go into mechanised small-scale mining without a license.
“Apply for a license, follow processes and wait.
“This is the only way to go for economic sustenance of our new district.”
The National / Pacific Mining Watch