New Guinea Gold Corp mining leases and exploration license renewed

By MALUM NALU
New Guinea Gold Corporation (NGG) chairman Ces Iewago yesterday welcomed renewal of its mining leases and exploration licenses at Sinivit in East New Britain, The National reports.
Pursuant to the recommendation of the Mining Advisory Council, Minister for Mining, Byron Chan has now executed formal instruments renewing the company’s expiring mining leases and mining easement (ML 122 and ME 70) and its exploration license (EL 1140).
The ML 122 has been renewed and extended for a further 10 years with a new expiry date of Feb 15, 2022.
ME 70 has been renewed for a period of eight years and now expires on Feb 15, 2020.
The exploration license (EL) has been granted for a further two years as is standard in Papua New Guinea and now expires on May 10, 2013.
“This is a great outcome for New Guinea Gold and reflects well on the relationship that has been fostered with the PNG authorities,” Iewago said.
“The company now has certainty of tenure and a great basis for moving ahead.
“We look forward to working closely with all of our stakeholders to maximise the value and benefits deliverable from the Sinivit mine and the surrounding high-potential exploration acreage.
“The possible addition of the state as a stakeholder in the project would be welcomed and the expression of interest confirms the belief the PNG government has in the potential of the project.”
The renewal of the MLs contained several ministerial conditions, which reinforce the ssState’s and company’s obligations under the applicable legislation.
Two of those conditions are material in nature:
• The company is required to change its processing method within 24 months from the date of approval to a “new and more efficient ore processing system”. This is consistent with the company’s current strategy and plans are underway to accommodate such a change should the definitive feasibility study (DFS) produce a positive economic outcome; and
• That the company enter into discussions with the state’s representatives to assess the state’s participation in the mining lease.

Today's buai pekpek (betelnut shit) in Port Moresby

While every second man and his dog are busy campaigning, or involved with campaigning, I continue quitely campaigning on my own for a cleaner and healthier Port Moresby for us all.
Please help develop Port Moresby and Papua New Guinea by not chewing and spitting buai pekpek all over the place, as well as not littering.
It doesn't cost anything and will go a long way.

The perennial pile of buai pekpek outside Mobil Service Station Waigani

These days, we just take buai pekpek and pipia (litter) for granted

Playing their trade outside BSP Waigani

I dream of a Yellow Brick Road

Plastics should be banned before they choke us to death

Right along the pavement

Klinki Steet along Waigani Drive

More pipia

Looks cleaner here

The ladies outside out The National office are among the cleanest buai sellers in Port Moresby that I've seen

Miracles still happen!

Miracles still happen!
I came across this Ela Motors employee cleaning up all the buai pekpek and other shit lying on the walkway along Wards Road, Hohola, this morning.

This fellow gets my good citizen of the day award.
You are a credit to Ela Motors, Port Moresby and PNG.
I wish that BSP Waigani workers could do likewise instead of joining the buai shitters for breakfast, lunch and dinner...

PNG Prime Minister's office declared vacant

By Eoin Blackwell
AAP Papua New Guinea Correspondent

Papua New Guinea has gone from two prime ministers to none, with parliament declaring the office vacant until Wednesday.
Deputy Speaker Francis Marus opened today's special sitting of parliament saying the Supreme Court had declared Sir Michael Somare was the legitimate prime minister.
He added, however, that Sir Michael couldn't serve in the position because he was disqualified from parliament for missing three consecutive sittings.
"This means there is now a vacancy in the office of prime minister," he said.
"I formally declare there to be a vacancy in the office of prime minister.
"Tomorrow, therefore, is when a new prime minister will be appointed - nominations for the office of the prime minister will be first on the agenda for tomorrow."
The surprise move was made shortly after MPs gathered in parliament.
Prime Minister Peter O'Neill was not present, however his deputy, Belden Namah, was.
The Supreme Court last week ruled Sir Michael Somare was the nation's legitimate PM, sparking a series of dramatic events that culminated in O'Neill's government declaring a state of emergency in three provinces.
In December last year, PNG briefly had two prime minister's and two cabinets after the court handed down its first decision.
Comment is being sought from Mr O'Neill.
When asked about Mr Marus's declaration that the prime ministership was vacant, Mr O'Neill's spokesman Daniel Korembao said he knew nothing about it.
"I don't know about that, you'll have to ask the deputy speaker."
Shortly after the declaration, Mr Namah called a caucus meeting in parliament's stateroom and was overheard saying he'd seek legal advice.

Resource benefits remain big challenge for PNG

By MALUM NALU
The key resources issue in PNG today is the challenge in converting benefits into real and tangible improvements in the lives of everyday citizens, according to the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum, The National reports.
This is the industry view on the current Mining Act and the proposed Mining (Amendment) Bill being mooted by North Fly MP Boka Kondra, and most recently Western province Governor Bob Danaya.
Chamber executive officer Greg Anderson said its stance was related to the growing corruption and mismanagement issue which could only be addressed through increased governance and transparency

Greg Anderson

“Changing ownership will not address this problem,” he said,
“It requires a fundamental shift in the way that governments and landowner leaders manage, utilise and distribute resource benefits, and the way they report on this to their respective constituents.
“It all comes down to effective management, transparency and integrity, and a dedication to serve the people.”
The chamber said the current Mining Act:

• Ensured that the development of extractive resources was for the benefit of all citizens, now and in the future;

• Ensured that the state issued exploration and production licences over extractive resources so they were managed in an effective and orderly manner that was recognised internationally and accepted by the investor.

• Ensured security of tenure for the investor; and

• Set the framework for PNG’s benefit sharing system which was one of the most-equitable in the world for mining and petroleum developments.

The chamber said the Mining (Amendment) Act:

• Transferred mineral and petroleum ownership from the state to the landholders;

• Introduced a totally new fiscal and legal system overnight without any consultation with industry or government agencies, including Mineral Resources Development Company which was to be abolished;

• Prevented the state from playing any meaningful role in the process of exploration and development which would become a private arrangement between the developer and the landowners;

• Further eroded the role and value of the state to its people ;

• Would result in loss of security of tenure for the explorer and developer because of the uncertainty of dealing with a tenement system that relies on the stability of landowner groups which makes it impossible for the resource industry to operate;

• Would prevent any developer or investor raising finance in the international markets as the only security the investor could offer would be a contractual agreement with a group of landowners or a landowner company which could be unstable or volatile;

• Created enormous inequalities between the very small number of fortunate landowners who happened by chance to have an extractive resource beneath their land and the rest of the nation; and

• Greatly increased the likelihood of social tensions and landowner disputes because the rewards for the lucky few would be greater.

Danaya: We lost K67 trillion over the last 37 years

By MALUM NALU
Western province governor Dr Bob Danaya has accused the mining and petroleum sectors of siphoning out of the country at least “K67 trillion” over the last 37 years, The National reports.
Danaya has claimed that they (sectors) were responsible for the country’s loss of K67 trillion over that length of time.

Danaya...will work to give ownership of natural resources to landowners

This is the reason why the ownership of minerals, oil and gas should go to the landowners/.
Under the Mining Act, and Oil and Gas Act, all minerals, oil and gas existing on, in or below the surface of any land in PNG are the property of the state.
Danaya said he would change these two laws if his PNG Labour Party formed the government,
He told an emotionally-charged press conference on Sunday that the bill to change both the Mining Act and Oil and Gas Act was overdue, after having failed to pass in the last parliament term through what was known as the Boka Kondra Amendments.
Danaya was flanked by lawyer and East Sepik Regional candidate Alois Jerewai as well as other PNGLP candidates.

Alois Jerewai

In 2009, North Fly MP Boka Kondra gave notice in parliament that he would introduce amendments to the Mining Act and the Oil and Gas Act to vest ownership of minerals and oil and gas in customary landowners.
“This is the bill that should have been passed,” Danaya said.
“I’ll take it back again to parliament and I’ll make sure that it is passed.”
He claimed 80% of earnings from PNG resources were taken by foreign developers with only 20% coming to PNG, bulk of which was “stolen in Waigani”.
“This is what we are trying to change,” Danaya said.
“This is what’s been happening for the last 37 years.
“How many millions have been taken out of Lihir, how many millions have been taken out of Ok Tedi?
“I say 60/40: 60% for landowners and 40% for developers.
“This is not going to scare investors.”
Jerewai said the exploitation of PNG resources was a form of “neo colonialism” imposed on the people of PNG.
“We (PNGLP) will take the bold step to stop this,” he said.
“We have been sub-servient on our own land.”
The PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum is strongly against the proposed mining amendment bill, which seeks to transfer mineral and petroleum ownership from the state to the landholders.
The chamber is concerned that transfer of mineral and petroleum ownership from state to landholders would be to the detriment of all concerned, including tangible benefits such as money.
“Papua New Guinea has one of the most-equitable benefit sharing systems in the world for mining and petroleum developments,” chamber executive officer Greg Anderson told a recent media workshop.
“It includes the national government, affected provincial and local level governments, and the impacted communities.”

Today's buai pekpek (betelnut shit) in Port Moresby

By MALUM NALU

Today, apart from the buai pekpek, I'd also like to highlight the problem of plastics, which is literally choing us to death.
Plastics should be banned!
Also today, I had the pleasure of  National Capital District (NCD) Governor Powes Parkop commenting on my Facebook page about the buai pekpek problem in Port Moresby.
"I am open to suggestion and solutions that can work," Parkop said,
"Right now I have not heard or seen any new ideas that is viable so that's why I am sticking to the approach we are implementing: educating and enforcing.
"The other suggestion that has been propsed to me is to release bugs to kill the betel nut palm
". I am tempted to do this but prefer to educate and change attitude instead.
" It wont work overnight but if we continue we will suceed.
"Next stage is to spot fine chewers and spitters.
" I am waiting for workable solutions."


Plastic and other litter in a Hohola drain



Plastic in a Hohola drain

Plastics are choking us to death and should be banned!

A messy Hohola drain

Plastic and rubbish galore at Hohola

Plastic clogs up a drain along Wards Road, Hohola

Buai pekpek and plastics...a sickening combination!

Some looney burnt rubbish in this bin and then toppled it over along Waigani Drive, outside BSP Waigani

BSP Waigani, a lovely building, messed up by buai pekpek in and around its vicinity