BUKA, 19 FEBRUARY 2019 (POST COURIER) – Former Bougainville Revolutionary Army General Sam Kauona has slammed the proposed amendments to the Bougainville Mining Act.
He further called on the Bougainville Executive Council (BEC) and the legislation committee not to allow the three bills to proceed any further, especially the addition of Part 17 to the Mining Act which would allow for the creation of the special mining entity, Bougainville Advance Holdings.
“I am one of the people who stood our ground and negotiated the terms of the Bougainville Mining Act 2015 and I am not happy with the changes especially the addition of Part 17 to the Act which in my view directly contravenes sections 23 and 24,” Kauona explained.
“Please, I don’t want you to meddle with Sections 23 and 24 of the Mining Act. Don’t touch these sections. With the inclusion of Part 17, you are undermining Sections 23 and 24 and I do not want to see these changes and I don’t want to see the Bills deliberated on any further in the House of Representatives,” an irate Kauona told the BEC members during the consultative meeting in Arawa last week.
“The changes are unacceptable and defeats the whole purpose of what we fought for which was to reclaim our stolen birth right, our land from government, foreigners and foreign laws,” he said.
Kauona said the amendments would give the special mining entity “exclusive rights” and a “clear monopoly” over all minerals on Bougainville currently not subject to existing exploration licences.
Kauona, who also heads Isina Resource Holdings Limited, which currently has an existing exploration license for the West Isina area of Kokoda Constituency, Central Bougainville, said the new changes to the Act would allow the new special mining entity to “take over my resources if our exploration license expires”.
“This is totally unacceptable as the land and resources on it are mine and I will not allow you or any special mining entity to take over my ownership rights,” he said.
Kauona reminded the Autonomous Bougainville Government that these were “sensitive times” in the lead up to referendum and the government should not lose its focus on ensuring the people are united before the polls.
“Mining is a sensitive issue on Bougainville and these changes have the potential to create disunity among the people, that is why I am calling on the government to withdraw these Bills and concentrate on getting the people prepared for referendum,” he said.
“Even if there is a shortage of funds to run the affairs of the autonomous government, we will still go through with the referendum,” Kauona said.
ABG Minister for Finance and Treasury Robin Wilson said the amendments were being pursued to ensure the creation of a majority-owned Bougainvillean entity that would manage the financial proceeds from mining activities for the benefit of all Bougainvilleans.
“We have to have a mechanism to manage the equity and royalty proceeds from mining activities that is why we need a special mining entity. We need a vehicle to park funds. An entity that will hold the interests of the people of Bougainville,” he said.
