Trading Bougainville Copper (ADRs) 867948

http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/programmes/...-take-tough-line

Originally aired on Dateline Pacific, Friday 22 May 2015

Academic says PNG's Bougainville ban on Australia a product of the confidence that comes with a fast growing economy.

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An academic at the Australian National University says Papua New Guinea's growing wealth has given it the confidence to take action such as a ban Australians entering Bougainville.

The PNG government imposed the ban after Canberra announced it would open a diplomatic mission in Buka in Bougainville.

Don Wiseman asked Dr Stewart Firth, a visiting fellow at the State, Society and Governance in Melanesia Program at the ANU, whether this was a clumsy move by Australia.

STEWART FIRTH: Yes, the foreign minister Julie Bishop claims that PNG was informed. The Papua New Guinean government says they weren't. It's very difficult to know where the truth lies in that. But whatever the reason I think the key issue is that Bougainville is very sensitive to the PNG government. Afterall Bougainville sometime between now and 2020 will be holding a referendum on possible independence and Bougainville is very much part of PNG still. So the idea of a separate Australian mission in Bougainville touches on a sensitive nerve.

DON WISEMAN: The onus is on Australia to back away initially anyway, isn't it?

SF: Well I think there is going to have to be some deft diplomacy behind the scenes because the PNG government has stated a public position from which it can't easily withdraw. If you look at Papua New Guinea in the last two or three years you will see a sort of growing independence on the part of PNG in its foreign relations. I think it's driven in part by the liquified natural gas boom which has doubled the size of the PNG economy within five years and so in. So there is a greater sense of confidence. And you can see this in a number of ways. It's not just this latest action. For example the PNG government abolished the system of issuing visas on arrival to Australian citizens coming in in Port Moresby. Because Australia had never extended that to PNG citizens coming to Australia. And also PNG government in recent years has developed its own aid programme to the region. So PNG it now sees itself as an aid donor to the region. It's embarking upon a major expansion with its armed forces, it's opening new diplomatic missions, and all of this is without much regard for what Australia thinks.

DW: Again it comes back to Australia almost not being aware of these dramatic changes that have happened in Port Moresby.

SF: I think that's right and I think also PNG's hosting of the centre for asylum seekers funded by Australia in Manus has given the PNG government a certain amount of leverage over Australia and I think they are exercising a bit of that leverage now. They've exercised it also over the form that the Australian aid programme takes, so that PNG has much more influence now on how Australian aid is being spent. And I think that partly comes from the hosting of the detention centre.

DW: In the midst of all this of course is Bougainville, Bougainville's president John Momis says he wants this sorted quickly because it's going to hit Bougainvillians, and he's very grateful from the help he gets from Australia and from PNG for that matter.

SF: Yes well I think that's right, and Australia has at the last minute helped Bougainville with printing the ballot papers and that sort of thing for the Bougainville election. In fact one of the reasons why Australia wants to put a diplomatic mission in Buka, is because we have such a large aid programme to Bougainville, quite apart from PNG, there's about a 50 million dollar a year aid programme for that part of PNG. And so that's what's driving it from the Australian end, but what you say about Australia's lack of sensitivity is quite right.

Source:
The National, Friday May 22nd, 2015

MINISTER for Foreign Affairs and Immigration Rimbink Pato has re-assured the Autonomous Bougainville Government President John Momis that peace building activities on Bougainville must be conducted in accordance with the Peace Agreement.
It includes all administration, business and development projects.
“It is the Government’s duty to ensure that this happens. We are doing exactly that,” Pato said.
He was responding to Momis’ statement this week, saying the travel ban imposed by the Government on Australians without the ABG’s approval breached “spirit of the peace agreement”.
Pato said the peace agreement defined defence, immigration and  foreign relations as the Government powers and functions.
Pato said it was the Government’s prerogative to speak out on sovereignty issues, including matters concerning relations with other governments and international bodies.
“We highly value donor assistance from abroad provided to PNG but that does not give licence to anyone to disrespect our nation, institutions or people,” he said.
“The department is in active dialogue with partners, including the Australian Government, to ensure the recently imposed travel ban is managed without affecting development activities on Bougainville and the ABG elections now in progress.”

http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/...start-sorting-ballot-papers

The process of sorting ballot papers has begun as Bougainville nears the end of its two-week election process.

The official voting period ends on Monday, but many of the autonomous Papua New Guinea region's 33 constituencies have already finished voting.

The acting electoral commissioner, George Manu, says ballot papers will begin to be sorted by region and constituency from today ready for counting next week.

Mr Manu says the process will be observed by international and domestic observers, as well as scrutinisers representing each candidate, and the ballot boxes will be transported under police escort.

Mr Manu says the election, the first run by Bougainvilleans themselves, has gone smoothly, and he is happy with progress despite some complaints of interference and double voting.

Me’ekamui hardman hands power back to chiefs
Mr Uma, his wife and daughters processed in the heavy downpour in the customary ritual in which he transferred powers back to chiefs of clans in Kieta. Picture: JACOB IENU

THIS year’s May 17 remembrance day celebrations in Arawa, Central Bougainville was done in style.

Celebrants came from as far as Wisai, South Bougainville and nearby areas.

The crowd totalling more than 5000 braved the heavy downpour to witness the Me’ekamui defence force general Chris Uma transferring powers back to the clan chiefs of Kurabang, Barapang, Bakoringu, Basikan, Manta and Tankorinkana from Central Bougainville.

While addressing the people, Mr Uma thanked everyone for attending and witnessing the significant ceremony. He said he is ready to work with all chiefs for the good of Bougainville’s future.

May 17, 1990 was the date Bougainvilleans declared unilateral declaration for Independence (UDI) and now the date has been gazzetted by the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) executive council as a remembrance day on the island region.  

Bougainville
Observers praise B’ville election

An international observer group observed the polling period of the 2015 Autonomous Region of Bougainville’s Election following an invitation from the Papua New Guinea and Autonomous Bougainville Governments.

The group included representatives from Australia, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. International observers were provided operational and co-ordination support by the United Nations and observed polling across almost all constituencies in North, Central, and South Bougainville from 11 to 20 May.

The international observer group congratulated the people of Bougainville for their commitment and enthusiasm as they participated in an election that has been conducted in an often challenging environment.

Polling observed by the international observer group was conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.

The Office of the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner and election officials were committed in performing their duties and polling stations were generally run in an effective and transparent manner, the group said.

It said the presence of trained candidate-appointed scrutineers at polling stations and of trained domestic observers further enhanced the integrity of the voting process.

It said the Bougainville Police Service and community auxiliary police were diligent throughout polling, which enabled a safe environment for the people of Bougainville to exercise their right to vote.

The international observer group observed in some cases features with the electoral roll and voting procedures that could be improved. The observations of the international observer group will be brought to the attention of the electoral authorities.

“The Office of the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner is to be commended for its responsiveness to discrepancies with the electoral roll. The international observer group commends the Office of the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner’s response to allow as many eligible Bougainvilleans as possible, the opportunity to vote in line with Bougainville’s electoral laws,” the group said.

“We thank the people of Bougainville, the Office of the Bougainville Electoral Commis-sioner, election officials, and the police for warmly welcoming the international observers.”"

The international observer group will continue to observe the election during the counting period commencing on 26 May. We look forward to a continued peaceful process leading to the responsible formation of government by elected candidates.  

http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/...polls-close-on-bougainville

Bougainville's electoral commissioner says polling has now been completed in the autonomous region's third election.

The vote will see a Parliament elected which will have to set a date for a vote on possible independence.

The acting commissioner, George Manu, says the last polling was completed in the Atolls constituency on Saturday, and ballot boxes are now being transported for sorting, ahead of counting.

Mr Manu says the process of scrutinising ballots will begin this afternoon in three locations, in the presence of international observers and scrutineers representing candidates.

This will involve identifying ballots that may have been put in the wrong box, sorting papers into types and regions, ensuring voters were entitled to cast a vote and verifying that ballot boxes contain the correct number of papers.

Mr Manu says he expects this to be done by Thursday or Friday, ready for counting and the return of writs on the eighth of June.

Presidential ballot papers will be transported to Buka under police escort for counting there.

For the 2015 ABG General Election, counting of the ballot papers will be held at three regional count centres:

   Hutjena High School, Hutjena – counting for the Presidential seat and the North regional and constituency seats
   Sharp Memorial Centre, Arawa – counting for the Central regional and constituency seats
   United Church, Buin – counting for the South regional and constituency seats

How counting takes place
The below process is followed for each constituency, regional women’s, regional former combatant and the presidential elections.

1. On the first day, Tuesday 26 May 2015, the counting officials will open the ballot boxes in order to sort the ballot papers by type. This is so that when the counting of the ballots occurs, they are already grouped together.

2. The Special Votes (the votes in the envelopes) will then be examined to identify whether the ballots are eligible to be included in the count.

3. The counting officials will then go through the ‘reconciliation’ process, which checks that the ballot boxes contain the correct number of ballot papers.

4. Presidential ballot papers will be packaged up and transferred to the Presidential counting centre.

5. Following this, the scrutiny of the preferences will begin. The first sort involves the ballot papers being sorted into piles based on their first preference. The pile of votes is then counted to determine the number of first preference votes each candidate received.

Note: At this point, if a candidate receives the Absolute Majority, the count will be completed and await formal declaration by the Returning Officer. If not, the exclusion process commences.

6. The candidate who received the least amount of first preference votes is then ‘excluded’ from the count, meaning they are no longer in the running to win the seat. The ballot papers for the excluded candidate are then sorted based on their second preferences. So these additional ballot papers add to the number of votes the other candidates have won.

Note: The exclusion of candidates continues until one candidate either receives the Absolute Majority, or only two candidates remain in the count. Following either of these, the count will be completed and await formal declaration by the Returning Officer. The Activity: Understanding LPV provides guidance on how the exclusion process works.

At the counting centre
The process of counting is complex and takes time. It is important that each step is followed correctly to ensure that the candidate who wins is the candidate that was voted for. This means the process takes time.

The counting will take place around the clock with multiple shifts of counting officials each day. There are a number of groups inside the counting centre:

   Counting officials- with the responsibility of sorting and counting
   Returning Officers- managing the counting officials, with overall responsibility for their area
   OBEC advisors- a group of Australian and New Zealand advisors will be there to provide support and guidance following a request for support from the Acting Electoral Commissioner
   Scrutineers- one scrutineer per candidate can be at the counting centre to watch the process and provide quality assurance by alerting the Returning Officer if they see anything of concern
   Observers- international and domestic observers who are there following an invitation by the Acting Electoral Commissioner to observe the process as part of a commitment to transparency.

http://www.fastmr.com/prod/998785_bougainville_copper_limited.aspx
Kennt jemand diesen Report bzw. wer ist Fast Market Research???  

ist in diesem Fall:

World Market Intelligence is a premium information and marketing solution company focused on providing high quality information and software solutions to drive business success. World Market Intelligence publishes in-depth strategic intelligence reports across the construction and retail space. Their reports draw on in-depth primary and secondary research, proprietary databases and high quality analysis from their expert teams.

Fast Market Research ist scheinbar die Plattform über welche diese Information gekauft werden kann.  

........interest in Porgera gold mine.

https://ramumine.wordpress.com/2015/05/27/...st-in-porgera-gold-mine/

Chinese firm Zijin Mining Group buys US$ 710m gold and copper assets.

Jing Yang | South China Morning Post

Mainland mining group plans 10 billion yuan placement to finance deals with Canadian firms

Zijin Mining Group will buy US$710 million worth of gold and copper mining assets from two Canadian companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Papua New Guinea with funds raised through a private placement in the Shanghai stock market.

Zijin told the Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges on Tuesday it would buy a 49.5 per cent stake in the Kamoa copper project in the Democratic Republic of Congo from Ivanhoe Mines for US$412 million.

Zijin already owns 9.9 per cent of Ivanhoe, which recorded a net loss of US$52.9 million last year following a net loss of US$80.6 million in 2013.

Fujian-based Zijin will also pay Barrick Gold Corp US$298 million for a 49.5 per cent interest in the Porgera gold mine in Papua New Guinea.

The two companies have also entered into a strategic agreement to collaborate on future projects.

“We are excited to leverage our competitive strengths together, to start with at Porgera, while exploring additional joint opportunities for the future,” Zijin chairman Chen Jinghe said in a statement.

“Substantial synergies and value may be realised by bringing to Barrick the expertise and relationships that Zijin offers, including low-cost capital from Chinese institutions, leading Chinese engineering and construction skills, and Chinese machinery,” Toronto-based Barrick said.

To fund the acquisitions, Zijin would issue up to 2.4 billion new shares in a private placement on the Shanghai stock market, raising up to 10 billion yuan (HK$12.5 billion), the company said.

The proceeds will also finance the construction of Zijin’s two existing copper mines, as well as replenish working capital.

The deals come on the heels of Beijing’s unveiling of a 100 billion yuan gold fund in support of Chinese firms’ overseas investments in the precious metal in countries along the “Silk Road”.

China is the world’s largest gold producer, accounting for 14 per cent of global production, according to the World Gold Council.

About 21 per cent of output comes from Africa, with Central Asia and eastern Europe contributing 5 per cent.

The three regions are encompassed in Beijing’s Silk Road Economic Belt and Maritime Silk Road strategy.

China also overtook India in 2013 as the world’s top consumer of the metal. The World Gold Council predicts that demand from China’s private sector will increase 20 per cent to at least 1,350 tonnes per year from the current level of 1,132 tonnes by 2017.

Bucking the industry trend as a result of stagnant gold prices, Zijin clocked up 2.3 billion yuan in net profit last year, and netted 415 million yuan in the first quarter of this year.

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/tokpisin/...ting-i-gohet-yet/1452198

@ nekro, das bestätigt was wir hier schon seit Jahren schreiben: Bougainvillian`s

holt für eiuch bei den Verhandlungen mit BCL raus was geht
aber gebt BCL und euch selber eine neue Chance, verschlaft sie nicht, denn eine bessere werdet Ihr in den
nächsten 50 Jahren nicht mehr bekommen!!! ;-))

 

Co-operative new Bougainville parliament predicted

Updated at 3:34 pm today

A former president of Bougainville says he expects little politicking in the incoming parliament as MPs focus on preparations for the referendum on independence.

Votes are now being counted in the autonomous Papua New Giunea region after a two week long voting process.

James Tanis, who was president from 2008 to 2010, says everyone will now be thinking of the referendum on possible independence from PNG, which has to be held before 2020.

"That is the big picture. That Bougainville is going towards a referendum. A referendum that me, Sam Kauona, Ishmael [Toroama - along with Sam Kauona, a candidate in the presidential contest] - we, the former BRA [Bougainville Revolutionary Army] we all support, and I don't see there will be much politicking or room for instability because by then we will be trying to move forward in preparation for the referendum, to make sure we do get what we struggled for."

http://www.gold.de/...klasse-rio-tinto-mongolei-legen-streit-bei.html

Nun stellt sich die Frage, strebt Rio zusätzlich auch noch Panguna an oder verkaufen Sie oder tun Sie gar nichts!?  

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/...to-counting/1452984

...verkaufen ? Es wäre aus kaufmänischer  Sicht  die absolut falsche Entscheidung denn die Höhe die Kosten sind bekannt ( Machbarkeitsstudie hin oder her;-) und der Gewinn ist bekannt.

Wenn es möglich ist an allen Standorten wo Bergbau  - oft unter viel höheren Risiken - betrieben wird bei allen den Problemen die so etwas mit sich führt, immer zu einem Konsens zu gelangen, warum sollte es hier als einzigsten Standort nicht gelingen??

Ich bin mir sicher: sollte BCL nicht mehr der nächste Minenbetreiber sein und Einnahmen für das ABG generieren dürfen, kann Bougainville den Traum von Independenc weiter träumen aber auch nur träumen. Es ist falsch zu denken ein anderer Investor würde Verbesserungen bringen. Das muß jeder auf der Insel, der die zur Genüge bekannten Argumente gegen BCL wiederholt, in diesem Spiel wissen.


 

The order of the count for the ABG General Election 2015 is scheduled as follows:

Order North Central South

1 Teua Kokoda Torokina
2 Taonita Teop Kongara Bolave
3   Tonsu South Nasioi Lato
4 Atolls Eivo/Torau Baba
5 Haku Terra        Motuna/Huyono/Tokunutui
6 Mahari Rau Kopii
7 Suir Ioro Ramu
8 Nissan North Nasioi Makis
9 Taonita      Tinputz Baubake
10 Peit Lule
11 Halia         Konnou
12 Hagogohe
13 Selau
14 Tsitalato

https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/...912#.VWJXqEaqipc

First Preference Count ;

Leading President John Lawrence Momis

Last Update 30 May 10:49 pm

From count 11,

John Momis had 2321 votes
Sam Akoitai had 548,
Nick Peniai had 137,
Sam Kauona 134,
Ishmael Toroama 133,
Justin Pokata Kira 65,
Reuben Siara 61,
Peter Nerau 24
FR.Simon Dumarinu 17

Mehr als das Doppelte der Stimmen aller Kandidaten zusammen für Momis, wenn das so weitergeht hat BOC die allerbesten Karten. ;-))

After First Preference Count Number 4
as at 31 May 2015 06:54


Ballot No Candidate Prev Tot Votes New Total
        16§John Lawrence Momis 6167 1245 7412
        17§Ismael Toroama 1486 226 1712
        14§Sam Akoitai 1132 499 1631
        12§Sam Kauona 443 499 942
        10§Nick F. Peniai 598 104 702
        18§Reuben Siara 386 247 633
        11§Justin Pokata Kira 226 74 300
        13§Peter Nerau 76 29 105
        15§Simon Dumarinu 93 11 104

Total Valid Votes 10607 2934 13541
  Informal       261        58       319§
Total Votes 10868 2992 13860

The ABG President, DR. JOHN MOMIS started ahead of all his rivals when count one for the Tsitalato seat was put on the board.
After count one he was already on 2,000 mark whilst the other candidates were still in the hundreds.

And after count for this morning, he is still gaining distance count by count.
After Count Number 4 this morning.310515

Counting has been suspended to one pm this afternoon.

Bougainville" has been a punchline of Australian politics – a put down for Broadmeadows, or used by Kevin Rudd to describe Julia Gillard's occupation of the Lodge. But the real place, a resource-rich yet poorly developed island north of Australia, is no laughing matter.

From the middle of next month, Bougainville will be entitled to hold a vote on breaking from Papua New Guinea and becoming a nation on its own. There is a bloody history. A separatist conflict in the 1990s saw as many as 20,000 people killed. But a peace deal that put off a decision on independence for a decade is fast running out.

Port Moresby is becoming acutely sensitive about it, demonstrated by an ugly spat with the Abbott government this month that saw Australians banned from the island.

Here are four things to watch in the months ahead as Bougainville decides its future.

Cocktails in Buka?

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has made two trips to Bougainville, and revealed this month in the federal budget plans for Australia to open a new diplomatic post at Buka, the capital of the province. Trouble is, it seemed no one thought to tell the government in Port Moresby.

PNG's leaders quickly branded Australia's plans "outrageous" and "mischievous", then retaliated by banning Australians, including diplomats, from visiting the island.

Bougainville isn't exactly a tourist destination, so the ban had little practical effect. It also appeared doubly unfair, because Bishop insisted Australia did consult with Port Moresby before going public.

The two countries agreed at the weekend there was a communications "misunderstanding" and have agreed to move on.

The proof will be if Australia does actually send in more diplomats

Back to the future

Australia has good reason to want to pay close attention. Bougainville won the right to govern its own affairs within PNG under the terms of a 2001 peace deal. But that wasn't the end.

The deal also included a clause for Bougainville's people to vote on eventual independence no sooner than 10 years after the first autonomous government was elected.

That happened on June 15, 2005 – which means from next month the decade-long wait will be over.

That doesn't necessarily mean a decision right away. But under the explicit terms of the peace deal, a five-year countdown will now begin where the people of Bougainville must be give the chance to vote for independence.

The vote veto?

But here is the sting. The national parliament in Port Moresby has the final say, regardless of the referendum outcome.

The peace deal includes a clause for "ratification" and PNG's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill insists Bougainville is an essential part of his country.

At one time the massive Panguna copper mine on Bougainville made up almost 20 per cent of the nation's income. Rio Tinto ran Panguna in the 1980s and mismanagement of the mine was the major source of strife on the island. The future of the mine is still hotly contested, with some seeing a potential boon for a newly independent nation, while plenty of locals are opposed.

PNG has since gained other sources of income, but O'Neill has effectively declared Bougainville will never be independent on his watch.

Australia climbs off the fence?

Any veto of the referendum might lead Bougainville to make a unilateral declaration of independence, and no one quite knows where that might lead.

The moral power of a "yes" vote would be impossible to ignore.

Which brings Australia back into the picture. Having just ended a decade-long, $2.6 billion intervention in neighbouring Solomon Islands, Australia won't welcome the prospect of another tiny and fragile nation on the doorstep. And by relying on PNG to resettle refugees, the Abbott government doesn't want to get Port Moresby offside.

But Australia is also backing a peace process that could well see Bougainville chose to become independent. Some time soon Australia will have to declare a hand.

This issue looms as a big test for Julie Bishop, the hard part only just beginning. She once stirred Kevin Rudd during Labor's leadership wars by asking in question time when he would "return to Bougainville".

She might find herself spending a fair bit of time there, too.

After First Preference Count Number 6
as at 31 May 2015 21:20


Ballot No Candidate Prev Tot Votes New Total
        16§John Lawrence Momis 8420 2427 10847
        14§Sam Akoitai 2461 394 2855
        17§Ismael Toroama 1866 123 1989
        10§Nick F. Peniai 1209 72 1281
        12§Sam Kauona 1100 133 1233
        18§Reuben Siara 862 26 888
        11§Justin Pokata Kira 377 109 486
        13§Peter Nerau 154 19 173
        15§Simon Dumarinu 144 13 157

Total Valid Votes 16593 3316 19909
  Informal§ 334 137 471
Total Votes 16927 3453 20380
 

besser geht die Wahl wohl nicht :-))