Panguna locals complete awareness program by ramunickel A Panguna landowners’ educational awareness programme for the six mine lease areas of Bougainville has been completed, reports The National (aka The Loggers Times).
Co-ordinator Lawrence Daveona and the executives of the interim Panguna Landowners Association for the six mine lease villages carried out the awareness over six weeks.
Daveona travelled to the six mine lease area villages covering the Lower tailings, Upper tailings, Special Mine Lease area villages, Port Mine Access Road, Radovan/Uruawa and Siokate customary land on the outskirts of Arawa Town.
The programme’s aim was to educate landowners on the global financial and business consequences of resource development in Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
An international collaboration between Panguna mine lease area stakeholders and M.Cam-a finance corporation based in the US with operations throughout the world-created a presentation entitled “Global financial literacy: A basic analysis of financial structures effecting asset development in PNG and Autonomous Bougainville”.
The intention was to recognise the urgency of creating an informed dialogue for the consideration of the Bougainville copper and related lease areas.
It was conducted by Dr David Martin, CEO of M.Cam.
Martin’s final information sessions began at the Panguna mine site with several local landowners in attendance.
He provided detailed information with respect to the corporate structure of Bougainville Copper Ltd and a review of the supra-constitutional nature of the Bougainville copper agreement drafted during Australian administration prior to independence.
The presentation showed the complex corporate structure designed to enrich foreign investors while providing minimal economic or social value to the country and the region.
It also highlighted the need for landowners to be fully aware of all economics of resource development including financing corporations, asset holding and leasing corporations, and other developer-related companies.
Martin said many of these operator-affiliated companies shielded financial and physical assets from legal liabilities and damages within PNG.
The awareness also went into the no-go zone areas where the team met with the leader of Mekamui Defence Force, Chris Uma.
Daveona and his organisers are currently planning to expand their awareness to other parts of Bougainville using the University of PNG students and other interested stakeholders throughout the country.
Daveona said the awareness which originally was to target the six area villages have received overwhelming support to be extended to all parts of Bougainville. |