Mining earns some revenue for the country but that is not the end of the story. It is lauded by many as a revenue earner and i used to believe this however, the trend of miseries associated with mining in the country points more towards the villagers, land owners, and the environment as the real losers. Villages and inhabitants located within or near the mines suffer more physically and socially. The current events in Porgera this year 2017 where it is reported a police raid, again, was carried out is yet another example of misery brought upon the villagers as a result of mining. Facts surrounding this event of police raid have yet to be verified but what is certain is another misery in the midst of national pursuit of benefits.
Apart from the villagers' misery there is continuous animosity over mining benefits held in trust between the government and various stakeholders. This is brought up in political debates on the floor of parliament and in the public via the media.
With the exception of the Bougainville civil war as an extreme case the story is the same in all mining sites and nearby communities. The people and the environment suffer more. Panguna mine in Bougainville was closed in 1989 but the Jaba and Kavarong rivers are still polluted. The Fly River in Western Province is polluted. The polluted waters certainly has varying effects on people who depend on the water for food and other necessities.
We move over to the Bismark Archipelago where Solwara 1 the flagship of Nautilus is pursuing Experimental Seabed Mining. Discontent is already fermented by the lack of consultation as well as the public call for a ban on seabed mining is falling on deaf ears. The United Nations recently joined in calling for a ban on experimental seabed mining. The most recent is people from Duke of York Islands and New Ireland have gone further to issue a warning that they will take up arms to oppose experimental seabed mining. That is trouble brewing and one may foresee confrontation between the villagers and the Police acting on behalf of the state and the mining company.
Note that the company that operates in Porgera is owned by a company from Canada. Nautilus is also owned by a company in Canada. Negotiations between the Government and mining companies take place with less meaningful participation from the villagers.
One of the main causes of all these miseries is that we have a mining law that disregards traditional ownership of land and water under which the minerals are located. We have a foreign law that favors the foreign companies and ensures they benefit more and the people whom the government represents suffer. Another cause is the tax concessions and tax incentives accorded to companies. It is now obvious there is little consultation. Consultation between the villagers and the government is lacking. At the national level there is lack of consultation between various government departments on tax concessions and incentives.
Apart from the villagers' misery there is continuous animosity over mining benefits held in trust between the government and various stakeholders. This is brought up in political debates on the floor of parliament and in the public via the media.
With the exception of the Bougainville civil war as an extreme case the story is the same in all mining sites and nearby communities. The people and the environment suffer more. Panguna mine in Bougainville was closed in 1989 but the Jaba and Kavarong rivers are still polluted. The Fly River in Western Province is polluted. The polluted waters certainly has varying effects on people who depend on the water for food and other necessities.
We move over to the Bismark Archipelago where Solwara 1 the flagship of Nautilus is pursuing Experimental Seabed Mining. Discontent is already fermented by the lack of consultation as well as the public call for a ban on seabed mining is falling on deaf ears. The United Nations recently joined in calling for a ban on experimental seabed mining. The most recent is people from Duke of York Islands and New Ireland have gone further to issue a warning that they will take up arms to oppose experimental seabed mining. That is trouble brewing and one may foresee confrontation between the villagers and the Police acting on behalf of the state and the mining company.
Note that the company that operates in Porgera is owned by a company from Canada. Nautilus is also owned by a company in Canada. Negotiations between the Government and mining companies take place with less meaningful participation from the villagers.
One of the main causes of all these miseries is that we have a mining law that disregards traditional ownership of land and water under which the minerals are located. We have a foreign law that favors the foreign companies and ensures they benefit more and the people whom the government represents suffer. Another cause is the tax concessions and tax incentives accorded to companies. It is now obvious there is little consultation. Consultation between the villagers and the government is lacking. At the national level there is lack of consultation between various government departments on tax concessions and incentives.
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