PNG has seen the staging of 15 Mining and Petroleum conferences so far, the upcoming Mining and Petroleum Conference will be the 16th conference. Unfortunately, in all these sophisticated mining conferences, no emphasis has been put on the Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining Scetor that constitutes largely indigenous people and particularly land and resource owners of sites where multi billion mining and petroleum projects exist on.
It is indeed a shame to see foreign multibillion company and individual interests put before peoples interests, not just people, but indigenous Papua New Guineans who are custodians of resources they are interested in, and owners of almost 100% of land in which these mutibillion projects exist on.
It is complete ignorance on the part of renowned international mining companies and organizations attending these forum to deny the current global focus on the ASGM sector for its economic contibution to many developing economies and the health and environmental impacts it has on people and the environment, by not incorporating the ASGM sector in its prestigious event.
The deliberate action of leaving out the ASGM sector is uncalled for at this juncture when there is global momentum on the ASGM sector.
Future conferences should consider the ASGM sector in PNG. Mineral Resources Authority, DMPGM, Chamber of Mines and Petroleum should, at this juncture, revist its priorities, be more inclusive, and turn their attention to the ASGM Sector as well. PNG been a Landlocked country cant afford to brush aside a very important sector that has been in existence even before large destructive modern mining came into existence.
The sector needs great improvements in its mining technologies, health and safety and environment concerns, Mercury issues, gender issues, sustainable supply chain establishments, regulatory shortfalls, and many more and the forum in which these important discussions should be initiated in, continues to turn a blind eye. This is an absolute disgrace.
By Admin.
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