Porgera meeting begins

By KELVIN JOE
THE Community Development Agreement (CDA) meeting for Porgera mine is expected to start today in Wabag, Enga, with Prime Minister James Marape expected to attend, according to Governor Sir Peter Ipatas.
Sir Peter said the Enga government including his people, shareholders and other stakeholders wanted the CDA to be concluded as soon as possible.
“The CDA is managed by Minerals Resources Authority (MRA) and starting this week and hopefully will completed on Friday or early next week,” he said.
“As a province, we want to host the CDA successfully to ensure we completed the agreement as soon as possible. That’s where we are now.”
According to the MRA, riverine communities include those in Enga, Western, West Sepik and Hela provinces, who will be impacted by the operations of the Porgera mine.
According to MRA, the CDA negotiations will be governed by the various laws of the country, adding that stakeholders needed to be mindful of the relevant laws when negotiating benefits.
So far, the State has met with the Special Mining Lease (SML) landowners, Lease for Mining Purposes landowners, the Enga provincial government and the Porgera Rural local level government.
The State Team, which has been involved in these meetings comprises the departments of the prime minister and National Executive Council, commerce and industry, lands and physical planning, conservation environment Protection Authority, State Negotiating Team, national planning and monitoring, treasury, mineral policy and geohazards management, and MRA.
Project operator New Porgera Limited and Kumul Minerals Holdings Limited (KMHL) have also been attending the meetings to respond to specific queries where necessary.
The Porgera Mine hosts 11 million ounces’ gold reserves, produces 500,000 ounces dori and five per cent gold as concentrate per annum.
The project is jointly owned by the State and Barrick Niugini Limited (BNL).
The Government and its partners own 51 per cent equity while BNL owns 49 per cent.
The 51 per cent owned by PNG comprises 36 per cent to KMHL, 10 per cent to SML Landowners and five per cent to the Enga government.