Trading Bougainville Copper (ADRs) 867948

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Canadian police carry out investigation in Bougainville
by ramunickel
Alex Munme | New Dawn

A team of four Canadian Police Investigators are in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville to carry out investigations on Canadian Companies operating in Bougainville and to find out if they are operating legally.
Bougainville’s Acting President Albert Punghau told a Press conference in Buka yesterday that these Canadian Investigators were carrying investigations on possible breaches by the Canadian Companies operating in Bougainville under the Canadian Law-the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act 1998 and are here at their own initiative.

Under the Canadian Law Canadian Companies and citizens must not be allowed to use bribery or corruption to get advantage when doing business in developing countries and countries re-building after conflict like Bougainville.

The team of Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigators include; two Police Crime Investigators, one Lawyer and a Police Liaison Officer.

The Acting President while welcoming the team said they will conduct investigations only and whether or not criminal charges will be laid depending on the outcome of their findings.

He said that although it’s a Canadian Law it is intended to help places like Bougainville who do not have the capacity to scrutinize investors trying to come into Bougainville.

Mr. Punghau added that section 15 of the Bougainville Constitution directs full cooperation on similar operations to ensure that Bougainville is not used in any way to support terrorism or money laundering or other trans-national crimes and no people in Bougainville should support or assist terrorism or money laundering or other trans-national crimes.

He said that the Constitution also commits all Bougainvilleans to work to eliminate universal problems in Bougainville including corruption.

He called on the ABG and Bougainvilleans particularly Bougainville Administration Officials, current and former ABG Ministers to cooperate during the investigations.

Meanwhile, the Acting Chief Administrator, Chris Siriosi, while sharing the same sentiments, said that the Bougainville Administration has been directed to cooperate in full with the team.

He said that Bougainville’s mineral resources were one of its main sources of wealth and it is wrong for foreigners to try to get access to that wealth unfairly by corrupt practices. He said the focus of the investigation is whether that has occurred here.

Mr. Siriosi said the investigation is based Canadian own interest and initiative and is not the result of any complaint by the ABG.

ramunickel | November 30, 2013 at 7:55 am | Tags: ABG, Bougainville, Canada, Papua New Guinea | Categories: Corruption, Papua New Guinea | URL: http://wp.me/pMvf7-2SE
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.... and are here at their own initiative.
Würde mich schon interessieren, wer die Untersuchung angestoßen hat. (Momis?,Rio/BCL?,ESBC? )  

Mr. Siriosi said the investigation is based Canadian own interest and initiative and is not the result of any complaint by the ABG.

Dies ist die offizielle Variante, wer im Hintergrund die Fäden zieht, kann uns wurscht sein.  

Oder ein Civelli-Schachzug um Semple auszuschalten.Den Jungs traue ich jede Sauerei zu.

OB AU

bv24

The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) will look to implement new inward investment laws after they were passed through parliament on Wednesday 13 November.

These laws were created with the intention of promoting responsible investment on Bougainville that is congruent with the culture desires of its citizens.

This includes recognition of customary land rights, environmentally sustainable practices and employment & and participation of local people.

Once fully functional the laws will seek to ensure only investors that make commitments to these practices will be permitted to operate in Bougainville.
 

0,357 €

Mr. Sam Kauona’s recent attacks on the “transitional” provisions in the draft Bill. They include provisions that would keep the Bougainville Copper Agreement Act in force until a new Panguna agreement is reached. Section 203A would also keep BCL’s SML alive in the same way. I will explain why and how those provisions are included.
The Bougainville Executive Council (BEC) 2012 instructed the Bougainville Administration to develop a Bougainville Mining Bill based on the PNG Mining Act 1992. This is a law providing for a new entity (the ABG) to take over and change previous rights and duties (mining to be taken over by the ABG). Such a law needs to cover what happens to rights and duties under the old law. These are usually called “transitional” provisions. They cover transition from old to new arrangements. Absence of, or faults in, transitional provisions can cause big problems. There can be confusion on whether rights under the old law continue, or are abolished, or changed. Major arguments, disputes, court cases and crises can occur.
The ABG must also consider Constitutional and international treaty protections for property. It must also ensure Bougainville remains a competitive foreign investment destination.
So far we have had 3 drafts of the Bougainville Mining Bill. Each draft has been developed by discussion back and forth between ABG officers and advisers, and the drafter. Everything the drafter has included has been on the instructions of the ABG. That includes section 203A. Beyond that, each draft has been made available to various interest groups for their discussion and input. Each time this has resulted in many changes to the draft.
The transitional provisions have changed in each of the three drafts. But like all parts of the draft Bill, those in the current draft are not set in concrete. The draft is available for public consultation. It was recently tabled in the ABG House of Representatives for that purpose. Already the ABG has received suggestions from many sources. As with all parts of the draft, the ABG welcomes comments and suggestions on the transitional provisions.
The transitional provisions, including section 203A do not guarantee BCL a right to return to Panguna. In his statement responding to. Kauona, Semple and Rali published in The National on 25 November the President repeated past statements: “I have made it clear to BCL, and to the Panguna landowners, that BCL will never go back to Panguna unless landowners and the ABG agree that any new deal offered by BCL is the best possible. That continues to be my absolute promise to the Panguna mine-related lease landowners and to the people of Bougainville. In addition, the ABG is committed to including other major interest groups in the negotiation process. This will include women, former combatants, and other interests.”
In his statement published on 25 November, President Momis also commented on the transitional provisions in the current draft Mining Bill: “In his statement on behalf of Semple and Rali, Kauona claims that the draft Law’s transitional provisions give special protection to BCL. But in fact they offer BCL no more protection than the company has had since the Panguna mine closed in 1989. But even with that legal protection, BCL has not mined in all those years. That is because the landowners and the people of Bougainville have opposed them returning. That will continue to be the case unless an acceptable new deal is negotiated.
But the ABG also recognises that transitional provisions giving any protection to BCL can be sensitive ... possible changes to them have been discussed with Mr. Kauona and others. Amendments may be made when the consultation process is complete.”

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ABG jumps to defend Rio Tinto’s controversial Mining Act clause
by ramunickel
Chris Siriosi

I post as acting Chief Administrator (Bougainville Administration) for 4 months. Before that as I was CEO of the Law and Justice Division. Yesterday, a young and inexperienced Bougainville Administration officer made an inaccurate and misleading post on the Forum. He claimed that the supposedly “controversial” section 203A of the draft Bougainville Mining Bill was not in the drafting instructions for the Bill. He said it was inserted by an AusAID funded legal drafter. In fact, the section is not exceptional. And it was not inserted by an adviser. His untrue statements reflect his inexperience of developing new laws.

His comments reflect Mr. Sam Kauona’s recent attacks on the “transitional” provisions in the draft Bill. They include provisions that would keep the Bougainville Copper Agreement Act in force until a new Panguna agreement is reached. Section 203A would also keep BCL’s SML alive in the same way. I will explain why and how those provisions are included.

The Bougainville Executive Council (BEC) 2012 instructed the Bougainville Administration to develop a Bougainville Mining Bill based on the PNG Mining Act 1992. This is a law providing for a new entity (the ABG) to take over and change previous rights and duties (mining to be taken over by the ABG). Such a law needs to cover what happens to rights and duties under the old law. These are usually called “transitional” provisions. They cover transition from old to new arrangements. Absence of, or faults in, transitional provisions can cause big problems.

There can be confusion on whether rights under the old law continue, or are abolished, or changed. Major arguments, disputes, court cases and crises can occur.

The ABG must also consider Constitutional and international treaty protections for property. It must also ensure Bougainville remains a competitive foreign investment destination.

So far we have had 3 drafts of the Bougainville Mining Bill. Each draft has been developed by discussion back and forth between ABG officers and advisers, and the drafter. Everything the drafter has included has been on the instructions of the ABG. That includes section 203A. Beyond that, each draft has been made available to various interest groups for their discussion and input. Each time this has resulted in many changes to the draft.

The transitional provisions have changed in each of the three drafts. But like all parts of the draft Bill, those in the current draft are not set in concrete. The draft is available for public consultation. It was recently tabled in the ABG House of Representatives for that purpose. Already the ABG has received suggestions from many sources. As with all parts of the draft, the ABG welcomes comments and suggestions on the transitional provisions.

The transitional provisions, including section 203A do not guarantee BCL a right to return to Panguna. In his statement responding to. Kauona, Semple and Rali published in The National on 25 November the President repeated past statements: “I have made it clear to BCL, and to the Panguna landowners, that BCL will never go back to Panguna unless landowners and the ABG agree that any new deal offered by BCL is the best possible. That continues to be my absolute promise to the Panguna mine-related lease landowners and to the people of Bougainville. In addition, the ABG is committed to including other major interest groups in the negotiation process. This will include women, former combatants, and other interests.”

In his statement published on 25 November, President Momis also commented on the transitional provisions in the current draft Mining Bill: “In his statement on behalf of Semple and Rali, Kauona claims that the draft Law’s transitional provisions give special protection to BCL. But in fact they offer BCL no more protection than the company has had since the Panguna mine closed in 1989. But even with that legal protection, BCL has not mined in all those years. That is because the landowners and the people of Bougainville have opposed them returning. That will continue to be the case unless an acceptable new deal is negotiated.

But the ABG also recognises that transitional provisions giving any protection to BCL can be sensitive ... possible changes to them have been discussed with Mr. Kauona and others. Amendments may be made when the consultation process is complete.”

ramunickel | December 4, 2013 at 9:29 am | Tags: ABG, Bougainville, Mining Act, Panguna, Papua New Guinea, Rio Tinto | Categories: Papua New Guinea | URL: http://wp.me/pMvf7-2T5
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04.13.2013

Source: Autonomous Bougainville Government

ABG jumps to defend Rio Tinto’s controversial Mining Act clause

by Chris Siriosi






I post as acting Chief Administrator (Bougainville Administration) for 4 months. Before that as I was CEO of the Law and Justice Division. Yesterday, a young and inexperienced Bougainville Administration officer made an inaccurate and misleading post on the Forum. He claimed that the supposedly “controversial” section 203A of the draft Bougainville Mining Bill was not in the drafting instructions for the Bill. He said it was inserted by an AusAID funded legal drafter. In fact, the section is not exceptional. And it was not inserted by an adviser. His untrue statements reflect his inexperience of developing new laws.

His comments reflect Mr. Sam Kauona’s recent attacks on the “transitional” provisions in the draft Bill. They include provisions that would keep the Bougainville Copper Agreement Act in force until a new Panguna agreement is reached. Section 203A would also keep BCL’s SML alive in the same way. I will explain why and how those provisions are included.

The Bougainville Executive Council (BEC) 2012 instructed the Bougainville Administration to develop a Bougainville Mining Bill based on the PNG Mining Act 1992. This is a law providing for a new entity (the ABG) to take over and change previous rights and duties (mining to be taken over by the ABG). Such a law needs to cover what happens to rights and duties under the old law. These are usually called “transitional” provisions. They cover transition from old to new arrangements. Absence of, or faults in, transitional provisions can cause big problems.

There can be confusion on whether rights under the old law continue, or are abolished, or changed. Major arguments, disputes, court cases and crises can occur.

The ABG must also consider Constitutional and international treaty protections for property. It must also ensure Bougainville remains a competitive foreign investment destination.

So far we have had 3 drafts of the Bougainville Mining Bill. Each draft has been developed by discussion back and forth between ABG officers and advisers, and the drafter. Everything the drafter has included has been on the instructions of the ABG. That includes section 203A. Beyond that, each draft has been made available to various interest groups for their discussion and input. Each time this has resulted in many changes to the draft.

The transitional provisions have changed in each of the three drafts. But like all parts of the draft Bill, those in the current draft are not set in concrete. The draft is available for public consultation. It was recently tabled in the ABG House of Representatives for that purpose. Already the ABG has received suggestions from many sources. As with all parts of the draft, the ABG welcomes comments and suggestions on the transitional provisions.

The transitional provisions, including section 203A do not guarantee BCL a right to return to Panguna. In his statement responding to. Kauona, Semple and Rali published in The National on 25 November the President repeated past statements: “I have made it clear to BCL, and to the Panguna landowners, that BCL will never go back to Panguna unless landowners and the ABG agree that any new deal offered by BCL is the best possible. That continues to be my absolute promise to the Panguna mine-related lease landowners and to the people of Bougainville. In addition, the ABG is committed to including other major interest groups in the negotiation process. This will include women, former combatants, and other interests.”

In his statement published on 25 November, President Momis also commented on the transitional provisions in the current draft Mining Bill: “In his statement on behalf of Semple and Rali, Kauona claims that the draft Law’s transitional provisions give special protection to BCL. But in fact they offer BCL no more protection than the company has had since the Panguna mine closed in 1989. But even with that legal protection, BCL has not mined in all those years. That is because the landowners and the people of Bougainville have opposed them returning. That will continue to be the case unless an acceptable new deal is negotiated.

But the ABG also recognises that transitional provisions giving any protection to BCL can be sensitive ... possible changes to them have been discussed with Mr. Kauona and others. Amendments may be made when the consultation process is complete.”

 

......... in Buka

Quelle: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

04.13.2013



By Aloysius Laukai

The Australian High Commissioner to PNG, HE DEBORAH STOKES arrived in Buka this morning for a two days official visit to the region.

This was her second visit since she took over from the former High commissioner, Ian Kemish.

On her arrival to Buka, she was welcomed by the ABG Minister for Public Service, JOEL BANAM who said that the people of Bougainville were happy to the continued support the government of Australia was providing to ABG and the people of Bougainville.

The Acting chief administrator,CHRIS SIRIOSI also said that he was looking forward to a positive dialogue on issues that the are of interest to the two parties during her stay in the region.

High Commissioner, STOKES said that her visit to Bougainville was important as she would like to get some latest information on issues and developments on Bougainville especially ahead of the Heads of Governments meeting between Canberra and Port Moresby next week.

 

Rohstoffgigant Rio Tinto setzt verstärkt auf Kupfer

10:42 04.12.13
Erhebliches Angebotsdefizit erwartet
Der Rohstoffriese Rio Tinto (WKN 852147) will sich neben seinem
Eisenerzgeschäft verstärkt auf die Kupferproduktion konzentrieren. Der
Konzern legte einen langfristigen Plan vor, der helfen soll, ein
Angebotsdefizit zu schließen, von dem man ausgeht, dass es sich bis auf
die Hälfte der weltweiten Produktion des roten Metalls ausweiten wird.

In letzter Zeit allerdings hatte Rio Tinto sein Kupfergeschäft
verschlankt, indem man Assets im Wert von 1,8 Mrd. USD abstieß, um so
die durchschnittlichen Kosten pro Tonne zu senken. In den kommenden fünf
Jahren rechnet das Unternehmen nun erst einmal mit einem
gleichbleibenden Ausstoß, hat aber nach eigenen Angaben das Potenzial
auf ein Produktionswachstum von mehr als 1 Mio. Tonnen pro Jahr durch
zwei neue Projekte identifiziert: die Tagebaumine La Granja in Peru und
die Untertagemine Resolution in Arizona.

Nach Ansicht von Rio Tintos CEO Sam Walsh wird die Welt in Zukunft
wesentlich mehr Kupfer benötigen, während es gleichzeitig schwerer
werde, dieses zu liefern. Weshalb er Kupfer für sehr aussichtsreich
halte, so Walsh. Bis La Granja in Produktion ist, will der Konzern den
Wert seines Kupfergeschäfts vor allem durch Kostensenkungen steigern.
Erst danach soll der Ausstoß erhöht werden, erläutert der Chef von Rios
Kupfersparte Jean-Sebastien Jacques.

Wie Jacques weiter ausführt, wird die Branche zwischen 2012 und 2025
ihre Produktionskapazität um zusätzliche 2 Mio. Tonnen erweitern müssen,
nur um das aktuelle Niveau zu halten. Da aber gleichzeitig ein Anstieg
der Nachfrage vorhergesagt werde, gehe man bei Rio Tinto davon aus, dass
das Angebotsdefizit 2025 bei 9 Mio. Tonnen liegen könnte.

Da die jährliche Nachfrage derzeit bei rund 18 Mio. Tonnen des roten
Metalls liegt und die größte Kupfermine der Welt, Escondida in Chile,
rund 1 Mio. Tonnen pro Jahr fördert, wird diese Lücke nicht einfach zu
füllen sein.

Nach dem Verkauf der Palabora-Mine in Südafrika und der Northparkes-Mine
in New South Wales arbeitet Rio Tinto nun mit vier großen, produzieren
den Assets und den zwei Expansionsmöglichkeiten. Bei den vier
produzierenden Minen handelt es sich um Bingham Canyon in Utah sowie Oyu
Tolgoi in der Mongolei, die von BHP Billiton (WKN 908101) betriebene
Escondida und die Grasberg-Mine in Indonesien, die Freeport McMoRan (WKN
896476) betreibt.

La Granja, die Mine verfügt über das Potenzial zur Produktion von
500.000 Tonnen Kupfer pro Jahr, wird zunächst im Fokus von Rio Tinto
stehen. Eine Vormachbarkeitsstudie zu dem Projekt soll im ersten Quartal
fertig gestellt sein und die Produktion könnte schon 2016 anlaufen. Die
Resolution-Mine verfügt über eine mögliche Produktionskapazität von mehr
als 640.000 Tonnen Kupfer pro Jahr.
 

.....Wie Jacques weiter ausführt, wird die Branche zwischen 2012 und 2025
ihre Produktionskapazität um zusätzliche2 Mio. Tonnen erweitern müssen,nur um das aktuelle Niveau zu halten. Da aber gleichzeitig ein Anstieg
der Nachfrage vorhergesagt werde, gehe man bei Rio Tinto davon aus, dass
das Angebotsdefizit 2025 bei 9 Mio. Tonnen liegen könnte.....

......ich lese daraus re-opening in dem geplanten Zeitfenster.

(oder sogar noch früher) ;-))))))))))))))))))

 

Anfang Dezember ist eine Güteverhandlung in Stuttgart anberaumt.........

186 (StGB)
Üble Nachrede

Wer in Beziehung auf einen anderen eine Tatsache behauptet oder verbreitet, welche denselben verächtlich zu machen oder in der öffentlichen Meinung herabzuwürdigen geeignet ist, wird, wenn nicht diese Tatsache erweislich wahr ist, mit Freiheitsstrafe bis zu einem Jahr oder mit Geldstrafe und, wenn die Tat öffentlich oder durch Verbreiten von Schriften ( 11 Abs. 3) begangen ist, mit Freiheitsstrafe bis zu zwei Jahren oder mit Geldstrafe bestraft.

Zumindest

"5. Sie behaupten, die Herren Civelli seien die Hintermanner von Lindsay Semple, gegen den
die Herren Civelli selbst mehrere Schadensersatzklagen wegen Veruntreuung und Unterschlagung erhoben haben. Ihre Behauptung ist nicht richtig."

......... sollte durch

http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/SC/13/19/2013BCSC1919.htm

.......hinreichend bewiesen sein.

Dann wollen wir dem Präsi mal ToiToiToi zur Veranstaltung wünschen, u. hoffen dass viele seiner Fans aus dieser Gegend erscheinen u. für die nötige Stimmung sorgen. ;-)))))

toi, toi, toi ...und wenn gewonnen, dann gleich eine schmalzige Gegenklage......  

Gib doch bitte den genauen Verhandlungstermin bekannt.  

http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/...es-cacao-chocolate

http://ramumine.wordpress.com/2013/12/06/...al-ownership-a-challenge/

Post Courier

THE main challenges that are now facing the government which are predominant through the mining provinces in Papua New Guinea include the issue of mineral ownership, greater national participation and others says Mining Minister Byron Chan.

Chan also said there are challenges in increased and better distribution of mine derived benefits, tangible infrastructure developments, mine closure and rehabilitation.

“These are all very important issues that every stakeholder involved in the business of mining in PNG must take note of and contribute meaningfully to address. We must all make a collective effort to address these issues whenever they arise.

He said the National Government was very serious about those issues and has taken the lead though the review process.

“I call upon every stakeholder in the mining industry, be it provincial governments, local level government, landowners, NGOs, state departments or the developers to contribute towards addressing these issues in your various capacities”, Chan said.

Chan said important changes will be introduced these changes are basically coming out from PNG experience and learning from experiences of other great nationals who have gone before PNG in the business of mining.

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

die für kommenden Dienstag anberaumte Verhandlung vor dem Landgericht Stuttgart in Sachen Civelli vs Sturm ist heute aufgehoben und verlegt worden.

Der neue Termin ist nun festgelegt auf:

Dienstag, den 21. Januar 2013  16:00 Uhr

Ort:     Landgericht Stuttgart
           Saal 155 (1.Stock)
           Urbanstr. 20
           70182 Stuttgart

Das persönliche Erscheinen der Parteien ist richterlich angeordnet.

An der Sache interessierte BOC-Investoren sind als Zuhörer willkommen! Ich persönlich lege verständlicherweise  keinen Wert auf das Erscheinen sensationsgieriger Zeitgenossen, speziell nicht dann wenn diese  den ESBC ohnehin nicht wohl gesonnen sind.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Axel G. Sturm
Escaldes-Engordany,    06.12.2012

...es muss natürlich heißen:

Dienstag, den 21. Januar 2014  16:00 Uhr  

die daumen zu einem solchen termin. das ist doch klar.
unabhängig wie man zu esbc und dem verhalten fremden fragenden gegenüber steht.
also toi toi toi!  

...legt sich wieder für Lindsay Semple und Hintermänner ins Zeug! Wieviel mag ihm wohl vom Kuchen versprochen worden sein? Gut, dass die kanadische Polizei gerade vor Ort ist!

www.bougainville-copper.eu

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No more dependency and neo-Colonialism on Bougainville: Minister Miringtoro
by ramunickel
FUNDING OF BOUGAINVILLE RESOURCE OWNERS REPRESENTATIVE COMMITTEE WAS JUSTIFIED

Jimmy Miringtoro, MP

FUNDING ALLOCATION TO BRORC

It is has come to my attention that the Acting President on Behalf of President John Momis of the Autonomous Bougainville Government has seen it fit to questioned the funds allocated through my office to “Bougainville Resource Owners Representative Committee” (BRORC) saying that I had given the funding to Morumbi Resources, a small mining company registered in Canada.

Where the Acting President or the President had got such information I don’t know, but the fact is, I am not in the business of allocating public funds to mining companies. These funds were allocated to BRORC after it was approved in Joint District Planning and Budget Priority Committee (JDP&BPC) meeting. Let me make it clear that I as the Member for Central Bougainville, a region which was and is still being affected the by the effects of large scale Mining operations, do have a duty to look after the welfare of my people 90% of whom are in the rural areas.

These people have been ignored by the ABG when it was carrying out is Mining forums which were brief and not extensive enough to give leaders and key community members and in rural Bougainville opportunity to register their input on the mining agenda. In actual fact these so called forums were rushed through to “justify” that the people of Bougainville had been informed. We all know that the re-opening of Panguna mine was always high on ABG’s agenda. Only certain chosen people with name tags hanging around their neck were accorded more time to talk at the forum and many people felt unwelcomed by the forums were staged inside a building instead of out in the open in view of the general public. These chosen people with name tags from their necks were of course none other than the ones who supported the return of BCL to Panguna.

THE PURPOSE OF BRORC AND ITS ESTABLISHMENT

The reason why BRORC was established is to represent the resource owners in my electorate and to address the underlying issues that brought about the Crisis which are being ignored by the ABG, and were never dealt with in the Bougainville Peace Agreement. To re-open the mine without addressing the root cause of the problems associated with mining is a recipe for disaster. Peace cannot be attained if there is no justice. Before any talk on resumption of mining in the region takes place, basic grievance such as return of stolen rights of the people and the compensation for land degradation and environmental damage must be dealt with.

With the class action in the United States courts thrown out of court it is not clear how or when the people will be compensated for not only mining related damages but loss of lives in a war that the previous governments waged on the people in support of the BCL. Therefore, I have no doubt whatsoever that the funding I have allocated is justified and to an organization that will work closely not only with the resource owners, but leaders of communities that maybe affected directly or indirectly by the resumption of mining in Central Bougainville. I further believe that that BRORC, in consultation with local resource owners will draft a mining bill that will protect people’s right to and ownership of resources found on their land and that they will be have the last say on it.

The funding of BRORC by my JDP &BPC has therefore, nothing to do with the current media war that is raging between parties on different sides of the mining issue in the region.

PEOPLE DO NOT WANT BCL TO RETURN TO PANGUNA

My continued involvement with mining matters is directly related to my concern for the rights and the welfare of the people of my electorate of Central Bougainville. I frequently visit my electorate and have listened to my people’s views regarding Mining. From what I heard the resource owners feel that BCL has nothing to offer them because it already owes them and the people of Bougainville a lot in terms of suffering and loss of lives in a war declared on the people of Bougainville in defence of its mine and interests. The removal of class action in the USA has strengthened BCL’s non-apologetic attitude towards the people of Bougainville who have suffered at its hands. Such self-righteous bigotry is unwelcome in Bougainville when there is ample weight of evidence to prove BCL did partake in the cruelties on Bougainville. I believe the best way to deal with mining investors is judge them by their own merits and what they have to offer Bougainville if they were allowed to establish their mining operations on the island. Let us therefore, not be narrow-minded as to believe that “there is none but BCL”, otherwise we may miss someone who can do what BCL had failed to do when it had the opportunity.

THE ISSUE OF MINING SHOULD NEVER BE CONFUSED WITH REFERENDUM AND INDEPENDENCE

Despite opposition on the ground, ABG has continued to push for mining. In the efforts to water down opposition to mining and to muster support of the people, ABG put out a distorted idea that referendum on the future political status of Bougainville is not possible without minding. This is completely misleading and to put a price tag or a condition on referendum which the National Government had agreed to is totally wrong and unacceptable. Whilst there are conditions set down in Bougainville Peace Agreement with regard to a timeline to referendum; one must not forget that the people of Bougainville paid ultimate price in blood and thousands of lives lost in the crisis. Agreements are not set in stone and must be reviewed when time and season requires it or else they will suffer the same fate as the Bougainville Copper Agreement which still hangs out there in the shadows. Why then is ABG worried so much about “back door mining deals” when it fact its “front door” deal happens to with a mining company that shows no remorse for the suffering and death from war efforts that it supported. Why can’t the President and his people for once draw up a bill that gives a better deal to the people of Bougainville rather than writing nonsense to promote BCL’s mining interests?

WHY MINING CANNOT BE ESTABLISHED AS YET IN BOUGAINVILLE

Having heard what my people had to say regarding resumption of mining in Panguna and/or, establishment of another large scale mine on the island, I have decided there are a whole lot of issues to be resolved before mining can take place on Bougainville. In the meantime ABG should consider other revenue earning opportunities to run its operations and to provide services for the people. There are sustainable industries that can be developed such as agriculture, tourism and fisheries. We can also establish manufacturing and downstream processing of our commodities and raw materials. Bougainville is a resource rich island and blessed with water, high rainfall and fertile soil. Mining cannot be established in an environment where people are still recovering from traumatic experience of a war that started as a result of it. Mining can only be considered if we have strong mining laws that will ensure resource owners are shareholders and that there is minimal damage to the environment through better waste management and mining methods that will not cause so much pollution and degradation of arable land. Above all these laws must also ensure equitable distribution of wealth from the mine so that no one group in Bougainville becomes while the rest are poor. At this point in time it is highly unlikely that ABG will be able to manage the impact of mining in Bougainville because it simple lacks the resources and the capacity to do so.

ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE RESOLVED PRIOR TO RESUMPTION OF MINING

There are basic grievances of the people of Bougainville to do with compensation for loss of land and environmental damage that need to be addressed before the resumption of mining is considered. This has led me to a conclusion that ABG must consider alternative means of revenue generation in the meantime because to establish new mines we must have proper mining laws drawn to protect rights and interests of the resource owners and the people of Bougainville. There must be greater involvement by resource owners and community leaders throughout Bougainville in the creation of this laws and must have a same hearing as the Bougainville constitution received.

STOP MISLEADING THE PEOPLE

My patience and tolerance with the good President is wearing thin and I cannot continue to stand by and watch him mislead my people of Bougainville. In the 40 years he had served in the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea, the President had done nothing to improve the condition of resource owners. In fact beneath his rhetoric he has nothing to show for his term as one of the longest serving politicians in the history of this country.

Just before the crisis he came up with a dream called “Bougainville Initiative” in which he attacked BCL likening it to a “wild pig that had come to destroy the garden”. His attack was so effective that it helped to fuel anti-BCL sentiments which was a factor in bring about the landowner uprising and the subsequent crisis. Had he made some in-roads in the parliament in having the Bougainville Copper Agreement reviewed to accommodate a better deal for the landowners, we would not have gone through so much heartache and a costly war.

The people of Bougainville must know that during his term in Parliament he voted for the option to declare war on the people of Bougainville. I am not surprise at the stand he has taken to continue to subject people to endless suffering at the hands of BCL. I have advised my people at Panguna to dissolve the umbrella organization established to deal with landowner issues because it is a rubber stamp for ABG and its advisor Tony Reagan who has been working on a draft mining bill for Bougainville which is oppressive and colonial. The people of Bougainville should not be rushed to accept something they don’t fully understand. That has been the way of the past in which outsiders have been in telling us how to run our affairs only for us to find out later that things had worked out in their favour and not ours.

It is time ABG must woke up from its long sleep and develop industries that will create employment for our people who need to work and pay taxes instead of being “looked after” by the state. The reality is that this people are farmers, fisherman and carpenters and cannot be expected to find employment at the mine unless they are skilled in some trade. We have a large tourism potential but so far not much is being done to develop it. Unless we have our people occupied in something kind of job or occupation, mining will cause envy and jealousy when the old “haves and have nots” comes back to haunt us. I have the duty to serve my people and if I find that they are not served then I will step in to help them.

Thank you and may God Bless you All.

Hon. Jimmy Miringtoro, MP for Central Bougainville & Minister for Communication and Information Technology

ramunickel | December 9, 2013 at 10:44 am | Tags: ABG, Bougainville, Environmental damage, Human rights, Jimmy Miringtoro, Landholders, Panguna, Papua New Guinea, Rio Tinto | Categories: Environmental impact, Financial returns, Human rights, Papua New Guinea | URL: http://wp.me/pMvf7-2Ue
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Bougainville minister expects potential investors will wait for referendum
by ramunickel
Radio New Zealand

The finance minister in the autonomous government in Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville says he expects any potential investors in the mining sector would hold off until after the province has held its referendum on possible independence.

Albert Punghau says the new mining legislation should go before MPs by March as public consultation about a possible resumption of mining is continuing.

Mr Punghau says mining is the best option for a quick re-start of the economy and that this will provide investment for other sectors like agriculture.

But he says given past experiences in the province, no investor would be interested in coming in until the political future is resolved.

“And I think that the political stability of having the referendum and the result of the referendum, whether it is an autonomous government here in Bougainville or an independent government here in Bougainville - that would be a clear indication for the investor to come in.”

Albert Punghau.

Bougainville is to conduct the referendum some time after 2015.

ramunickel | December 9, 2013 at 9:41 am | Tags: Bougainville, Mining Act, Panguna, Papua New Guinea, Rio Tinto | Categories: Financial returns, Papua New Guinea | URL: http://wp.me/pMvf7-2Uo
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Money from mining would stimulate other industries – Bougainville minister
by ramunickel
Radio New Zealand

The finance minister in the autonomous government in Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville says re-launching mining in the province will provide the finance to foster other sectors of the economy.

There is a real prospect of a re-start with new mining legislation likely to go before the ABG early next year and extensive efforts by the government to garner the thoughts of communities around Bougainville.

Albert Punghau told Don Wiseman the immediate appeal of mining is it would bring money into the economy the moment construction work starts.

ALBERT PUNGHAU: The cash crop industry, for example the cocoa and coconut and the other crop industries, they’re also equally important here in Bougainville, but given the situation that we are at, to re-activate back the plantations here that have been closed down that were generating economy to Bougainville are all in virgin forest. And we need to clear this forest - all the plantations are no longer as they used to be. We need, first of all, an amount of money to kick start clearing the bushes so the cocoa trees and the coconut trees that are now in the bush can be cleared so we can start to work on these plantations. It will need money to kick-start all these things that were left for a long time during the war. And as a minister I feel if we can kick-start the mine we can reinvest all the money into agriculture and try to get downstream processing on maybe cocoa and coconut industry here in Bougainville. So the mine would give the financing time kick-start the agriculture industry here in Bougainville.

DON WISEMAN: Some might think that’s cart before the horse given the problems associated with mining.

AP: Yes, I think we need to also look at the realistic situation on the ground. Yes, peace has prevailed in Bougainville. We are now in total peace. But the issue of getting the agriculture industry up and running so fast and quickly, it will take time to produce all these cash crops, to produce cocoa and to produce coconut and all these things. But if you can look at mining we can just kick-start the economy quickly because as soon as construction starts on the mine there will be money thrown to the people and to the government As soon as they open the mine. But if we don’t do the agriculture it will take some time. And, remember, we are going through this referendum until five or four or three years’ time. So it is something that we are putting into a situation where we have to make some hard decisions, some drastic decisions for us as a government, as a people of Bougainville to now say that we have to things from the past in the past and look to the future and rebuild the economy and get the political aspiration that people have died for.

DW: Do you think that the mine can be up and running or mining, per say, can be a significant activity in Bougainville within that two or three years before there is a referendum?

AP: From the investors point of view, in my view I think they would want to do is they would want to wait until the referendum is taken in Bougainville. Then they would know how much money they are going to invest in Bougainville because no investor would want to come to Bougainville given the situation that we have gone through and given the experience that the investors had had in the past. And I think the political stability of having the referendum and the result of the referendum, whether it’s an autonomous government here in Bougainville, an independent government here in Bougainville, that would be a clear indication for the investor to come into Bougainville. But we need to start something to talk about these issues with whichever investors want to come. Then we can talk within the parameters of the mining policy that we are talking about and we are trying to build. And then the investor would use that mining policy to come and invest in Bougainville. But I think the investor would want to come to Bougainville only after the referendum. That’s my view.

DW: As far as the mining legislation goes, how far away is that in terms of it being re-presented in the house?

AP: We have given copies of the draft to all the constituency members of Bougainville. And they are doing consultations with their people in all the constituencies in Bougainville. As soon as all these consultations are done it will be taken back to the mining department of the Autonomous Bougainville Government and then the Autonomous Government will collate all the views of the people and try to look at how they can put all these inputs together before they present it back to the Bougainville executive council and the executive council will make a decision as to when they can put the mining law on to the floor of parliament.

DW: So the middle of next year maybe?

AP: If I look at things, yes, I think it might be the first session of parliament, which will be March. Maybe that will be a good time for us to have a look at that mining transitional deal.

DW: There has been criticism that there hasn’t been enough consultation at grass-roots level. Do you think with this work that the MPs are doing that that will satisfy those critics?

AP: I think that people, especially the people in the constituency from South and North Bougainville, they are virtually aware of what is happening and what the contents of the mining deal is all about, but it is the people in Central Bougainville where there a lot of mining elements and Panguna and [Indistinct] and all the other places where they find coal, these kind of people who are resource owners, these are the people who really want to scrutinise the mining deal and make sure that the landowners and the resource owners are protected.

DW: The MP from Central Bougainville in the national government Jimmy Miningtoro spoke out quite recently about how the people there don’t want mining.

AP: If go to Central Bougainville and you talk to the actual people on the ground you will find that there are people who want the mine to be open and there are also people there who think the mine should not be open. So these are the people that we need to educate and we need to tell them why it is important that we have to get this mine up.

ramunickel | December 9, 2013 at 5:35 pm | Tags: ABG, Albert Punghau, Bougainville, Jimmy Miringtoro, Mining Act, Panguna, Papua New Guinea | Categories: Financial returns, Papua New Guinea | URL: http://wp.me/pMvf7-2UA
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09.12.2013

Source: Radio New Zealand International


Bougainville minister expects potential investors will wait for referendum


The finance minister in the autonomous government in Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville says he expects any potential investors in the mining sector would hold off until after the province has held its referendum on possible independence.

Albert Punghau says the new mining legislation should go before MPs by March as public consultation about a possible resumption of mining is continuing.

Mr Punghau says mining is the best option for a quick re-start of the economy and that this will provide investment for other sectors like agriculture.

But he says given past experiences in the province, no investor would be interested in coming in until the political future is resolved.


“And I think that the political stability of having the referendum and the result of the referendum, whether it is an autonomous government here in Bougainville or an independent government here in Bougainville - that would be a clear indication for the investor to come in.”

Albert Punghau.


Bougainville is to conduct the referendum some time after 2015.