Moroni awareness on cessation of transitional arrangements for mining without tenement
Miners, Community Government leaders, veterans and the general public at Moroni roadside in Panguna made time to attend the awareness on the cessation of transitional arrangements for mining without tenement and the enforcement of offences and penalties provisions of the Bougainville Mining Act 2015 (the Act) today.
This awareness was to remind the stakeholders and the general public at Moroni of the government’s decision to cease transitional arrangements for mining without tenement or licence.
The transitional arrangements are provided for under Section 369 of the Bougainville Mining Act 2015, under which an individual Bougainvillean may conduct certain mining activities without a licence. The Act also authorizes the BEC to designate a date for the cessation of the arrangement.
Consistent with this provision, the BEC had designated the 21st of October 2024 as the date for the cessation of the arrangement, meaning that after the designated date, any mining activity conducted without a valid licence will be deemed as UNAUTHORIZED MINING under the Act and will be subject to offences and penalties under the law.
The Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Regulatory Enforcement Taskforce (ASM Taskforce) led by the ABG Department of Mining and Petroleum, Bougainville Police Service and ABG Department of Community Government conducted this awareness campaign reminding the people and stakeholders of Moroni that the designated date to cease Artisanal Small-Scale Mining (ASM) activities without a licence had lapsed and enforcement implementation was the next next step.
Mining Director for Regulatory Operations Mrs. Lesley Gagesin thanked the stakeholders and general public for making time to attend the awareness and reminded them of the government’s decision. She added that the the ASM Taskforce was established to enforce the law on unauthorised mining activities.
Johnny Barou, Senior SSM Engineer with the ABG Department of Mining shared similar sentiments and reiterated that the legal protection available under law for Bougainvillean’s involved in unauthorised mining and using unauthorised equipment had now lapsed and those who continue to undertake in unauthorised mining activities would be liable for prosecution. “In order to avoid been penalized, any person who wishes to conduct ASM mining activities must apply and get an appropriate licence from the government, where possible according to law. When you have a licence, the government will be able to know exactly who you are, where you are, and what sort of activity you’re doing and be able to regulate your activities and support you to ensure your activities and not harmful to you and/or others and the environment,” he said.
The ASM Taskforce again made an appeal to stakeholders to support the government’s initiatives and support the Taskforce with enforcement implementation as it will need a collective effort to mitigate the negative socio-economic and environmental impacts of small-scale mining in Bougainville.
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