BCL

The landowners presented their petition on Friday, April 28, 2017.

The petition is a direct response to reports that President Momis is considering supporting the BCL application because he understood it was supported by local landholders.

Chairman of the SMLOLA (Special Mining Lease Osikaiang Landowner Association), Philip Miriori and other representatives met with Momis in March this year following the misleading statements made suggesting BCL had unanimous consent. 

The former speaker and also rebel hardliner during the crisis told PNG Loop that BCL boss Peter Taylor, should be ashamed of himself for entering Bougainville without addressing and compensating the 20,000 lives lost.

“First of all we should all know and understand the fact that this are the very people who caused a war for us to be slaughtered, it should have been admirable if they approached us in a more culturally related fashion.”

 “Like bringing a pig and shell money,” Miriki said.

The new BCL is a step away from the post-colonial and pre-crisis arrangement that had Bougainville at a disadvantage.

It is partly owned by the Autonomous Bougainville Government, the National Government, Panguna Landowners and people of Bougainville to develop the defunct Panguna Mine with the landowners for the benefit of Bougainville.

The shares were transferred to the impacted landowners of the abandoned Panguna Mine.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill last month announced the shares transfer to mine landowners, bypassing ABG. This did not go down well with the PNG’s semi-autonomous province.        

In a combined statement, Panguna Mine Affected Landowners Association and the Me’ekamui Government of Unity stated that the equity must be transferred to ABG to look after on behalf of all the people of Bougainville, including the impacted landowners.

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, this week announced PNG was gifting its Rio Tinto shares in Bougainville Copper Ltd or BCL to the province.

This means Bougainville will have majority control of BCL, something the province had been seeking.

President John Momis has expressed his gratitude for the move and said he hopes the shares would come directly to his Government.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill confirmed this to Loop PNG this morning.

He said the discussion will not only relate to Bougainville shares but LNG shares, Western Province Ok Tedi shares and others.

“This government wants to empower landowners to have rights and ownership of their resources.

“And I will deliver that before I go to the elections in 2017”.