MINISTER for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo says no mining licences have ever been issued to investors exploring mining opportunities near the Sigatoka Sand Dunes.
He said only exploration licenses have been issued to existing companies working along the Sigatoka River.
“There is no extraction at the moment,” he said.
“There is only exploration activity being done.
“Once a company decides that there is a body of evidence of minerals that they want to explore then they can apply to have a proper mining licence but at the moment it is all just exploration.
“They have to apply for a mining licence and out of that they will have to get the Environment Impact Assessment report to the Environment Ministry.”
Mr Vosarogo was responding to the growing criticism of the proposed Sigatoka Iron Sands Project by Magma Mines Pte Ltd.
He said no such licence has been issued, however, the company has applied for a special prospecting licence.
The Lands and Mineral Resources Department Minister reassured the public that proper processes of the application by Magma Mines Pte Ltd have to be followed.
“At the end of the review process of the EIA report, then the determination is done by the Environment Ministry and if they say no, there is an appeal process and if that comes back with a yes then it comes back to MRD (Mineral Resources Department).
“The MRD has to do their own assessment of the viability of the licence being applied.
“It does not mean the licence has been approved.
“It just simply means that someone has applied and these are things that they must satisfy both from the Environment Ministry and the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources.”
