Illegal deals soar in Bougainville

THE recent apprehension by PNG Customs of an oil tanker carrying fuel it had loaded from Bougainville copper mine storage tanks is only one of many illegal operations which both the national and the autonomous Bougainville governments have been called on to look into.
A Panguna Landowner Association (PLA) executive said the tanker was only one of many illegal deals being conducted in Bougainville involving Bougainville Copper Ltd (BCL) property and machinery.
Lawrence Daveona said far too many of these businesses had ignored or bypassed established rules and procedures for conduct of business.
Consequently, he said, mine lease area people, who have suffered from the crisis, were missing out on benefits.
Apart from the oil tanker business, another lucrative business was the sale of scrap metal from the now abandoned mine and other parts of Bougainville.
Daveona said the association had an on-going understanding with BCL that all scrap metal, left behind as a result of the crisis, belonged to the landowners and they were allowed to enter into any business arrangement with interested foreign or national partners so long as they have the endorsement of the Autonomous Bougainville Government and relevant national agencies.
The approved process was to get a written approval from the PLA and the ABG to conduct such business before permission is sought from BCL.
Once this is sorted out, the final approval must come from national agencies such as Customs, Internal Revenue Commission and Labour where foreign workers were concerned.
Daveona said this process was necessary to ensure any business opportunity concluded would benefit the mine lease area people.
Tired of watching illegal operations going on, PLA had incorporated its own landowners company called Komeri Holdings Ltd. It had also established Panguna Metals Ltd through a joint partnership with UK-based Capital Equipment Supply Co.
Komeri Holdings shareholding included the two factions of Mekamui holding 5% each, 30% which is held by ex-combatants (BRA 20 % and Bougainville Resistance Fighters 10%) and Panguna Landowners Association (60%).
Daveona is confident that the company was ready to proceed to full operational status.
It has BCL approval to carry out its scrap metal operations in the secondary crusher, concentrator and mine pit areas covering the pit, pit workshop and the primary crusher.

National Newspaper July 6, 2010