THE hype on a new prospect of exploration licence-Mt Tundaka- is still hanging in the balance without any tangible progress.
WANPIS AKO, a freelance journalist looks at it from its onset.
[This is his personnel view. It does not represent his employer’s or others’ by association]
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| Picture sourced from Google showing Mt Tundaka |
They have either formed their own association or umbrella company according to their small groupings in anticipation of the project.
MT Tundaka is located in Enga’s Kandep district along the fringes of Magarima in Hela province.
In the recent past, an Isreali company has shown interest in its mining and exploration to no avail.
Geologists predict the mining at Mt Tundaka can have a lifespan of 200 years of gold, diamond, oil and gas exploration.
In the wake of Papua New Guinea’s economy being cash-strapped to much-debated rationing of foreign exchange (Forex) orders by businesses and individuals, the government is eyeing a handful of impact projects to address it.
The issues with the establishment of Sovereign Wealth Fund and other governance problems in its regulatory and legal framework of the sector- have not stopped it until the house is in order.
Those projects which the government aims to commence-by way of partnership with potential companies- are Wafi-Golpu in Morobe’s Bulolo district, Gulf’s Elk Antelope and Frieda River in Sandaun, amongst others.
Besides, Mt Tundaka has got the huge potential to bring in much needed, or better still, floods of capital inflow.
However, it still has not convinced the government. The lack of basic infrastructure is a huge challenge for potential explorer (s).
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| Googled picture of Mt Tundaka as caption inserted. |
This area has got sacred significance.
Locals believe that it is the epicentre of resource deposits which can be proven otherwise by a scientific research.
Calls have been made to the government to start a social mapping process as to avoid ‘identity crisis’ being experienced in PNG LNG project of neighbouring Hela province and others.
Meanwhile, Minister for Mining Johnson Tuke’s plan on reserving alluvial mining for locals has unleashed a storm of praises from local landowner companies across the country.
Mr Tuke recently said through this proposal he was keen on enabling locals to build up wealth and capital to prosper in the next stages of the mining-especially in the mineral deposited areas.
Joining the chorus of praise is an aspiring umbrella landowner company- Tundaka PNG Limited of Mt Tundaka exploration licence area.
The new prospect is located in Enga’s Kandep district along the border of Magarima in Hela.
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| Chairman of Tundaka (PNG) Limited-Pokya Pea |
"As the chairman of the umbrella company, representing the entire people of Kandep district in Enga and Magarima in Hela Province, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him and support this initiative which has been lacking since independence to empower us.
"I am happy to support our Minister for Mining’s innovative idea to give initiative to the indigenous landowners to venture into such lucrative businesses on extractive industries,” Mr Pokya Pea said.
Mr Pea said in a media statement that was an intelligent idea to break the barrier of landowners being the collectors of royalties ‘ONLY’ and spectators in their own resource developments.
"We can’t be bystanders from generations to generations for the foreigners to extract our valuable resources for granted by giving us 2.5% only as equity share especially in the extractive industries.
"The proposal, when established, will set the pace for strengthening and growing our economy through setting up our own Bullen Bank and our people being financially empowered for the better,” he said.
According to the words of the chairman, locals are always given ‘cheese pop money’ in form of aid and others.
He stated that time was ripe for fellow citizens to change their attitudes and embrace this plan.
He called on the government through the minister to amalgamate the Mineral Resource Authority and the Department of Geo-Hazards Management to bring about new extractive developments as well as to build the wealth capital.
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| TPL General Manager John Kunao |
Chairman Pea also urged MPs to support the minister in making this a reality as it has been a dream only in the minds of many.
Meanwhile, the licence is currently under the custody of someone whom the company chairman referred to as ‘stranger.’
He said they had already opposed it at the Mineral Resource Authority for the revocation of the licence, making way for his umbrella company to claim back its licence.
Author Reference: Wanpis Ako has graduated from the University of Papua New Guinea with a Bachelors Degree in Journalism and Public Relations. He has briefly worked with two daily newspapers of Papua New Guinea-The National and Post Courier. His work experience has been extended into the Prime Minister's Media Unit and the office of Parliamentary Opposition Leader of Papua New Guinea- not to mention the Ministries of Treasury, Higher Education, Communications, Information Technology and Energy. He has got over five years experience in digital marketing, branding, public affairs, media and public relations.
