Post Courier
CENTRAL Bougainville MP Jimmy Miringtoro wants the Autonomous Bougainville Government to seriously look at alternative ways of making money for the region.
And he has suggested the ABG hierarchy and bureaucracy seriously invest in the 14 abandoned plantations from the Bougainville crisis, one of them the Numanuma Plantation, to generate revenue because he believes the way things are going, mining will not kick start now or soon but after many years of negotiations.
“Mining will not come about soon,” Mr Miringtoro said.
“What transpired last week where ABG mining officials and leaders were chased away in Central Bougainville shows clearly or signifies that people are not ready to start the mine.
“We have to respect the people and we have to respect the ex-combatants and we have to respect the small people who suffered and who are still suffering.
“We must therefore start looking at alternatives, and one way is that the ABG should now seriously revisit the agreement on the plantations.”
The MP, who is also the Minister for Communication, has also defended Lawrence Daveona, who has been blamed for the actions of the ex-combatants, claiming that it was a big mistake to point fingers.
“Whoever is blaming Daveona must apologise because he is being used as the scapegoat when there are bigger issues to point fingers at including the ABG mining division,’’ mr Miringtoro said.
“The ABG mining division were not honest enough to organise people but pushed them to lure others in order to discuss the issue of mining.
“That is not the way to go about it. Shoving money under the table is not the answer. This is a sensitive issue that we must all address with due respect.
“So with this, I urge all people of Bougainville to look into other means of generating revenue and I would recommend agriculture to improve the economy of Bougainville.
“We should concentrate on cocoa and coconut and help our farmers.”
Papua New Guinea Mine Watch 
Starting mining in an area is a huge decision that cannot be taken lightly. There can be a lot of benefits to the community but there is always a downside, usually environmental. Mining alway has a huge impact on the local community if not done correctly from the beginning. Locals need to be invloved from the start. Money has to be spent in a way that doesn’t impact the locals if the mine shuts down. A lot of forward planning needs to be done.
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