The President of the autonomous Papua New Guinea province of Bougainville says his Government's approach to a reopening of the Panguna Mine will continue to be driven by the wishes of the landowners and the people.
Photo: RNZ
The President of the autonomous Papua New Guinea province of Bougainville says his Government's approach to a reopening of the Panguna Mine will continue to be driven by the wishes of the landowners and the people.
John Momis was speaking during this week's 30th Australia PNG Business Forum in Cairns.
Don Wiseman has more:
"Bougainville's New Dawn FM reports him says the province has strictly limited time in which to get real autonomy working before the vote on possible independence. Mr Momis says this requires that the Government to focus on the possibility of re-opening Panguna to create fiscal self-reliance on Bougainville. He says if this is done the mine could be in operation in the early 2020s and the Government would have been receiving substantial tax income during the projected three year construction period. Mr Momis says despite what critics have claimed the ABG has continued to consult with landowners and other Bougainvilleans to prepare for possible negotiations about the future of the mine. He says this is being done slowly, deliberately, and carefully."
