The process in re-opening Porgera Gold Mine is almost at the end, this was made mention by Prime Minister James Marape.

The Prime Minister on behalf of New Porgera received the environmental permit from the Conservation and Environment Protection Agency (CEPA).

The permit is part of the process of the granting of the Special Mining Lease (SML) to reopen Porgera Mine.

Jude Tukuliya the acting managing director for the Conservation and Environment Protection Agency (CEPA) said.

The last three years the Marape Rosso Government has been working hard to reopen the Porgera Mine.

And with the transferring of the environmental permit, this signifies Governments commitment in seeing the mine reopen.

“There has been many legacy issues passed on over the years and New Porgera will still be required by law to attend to a number of regulatory and policy concerns,” Tukuliya said.

He further highlighted that one main issue is the 1995 Ministerial Determination for Compensation for environmental damages caused by discharges of mine wastes including tailings and sediments into the riverine system.

He said NPL will work with CEPA and State Team to undertake a detailed review of the Determination, before a new Determination can be entered into.

“The environment permits are essentially the important management tools the New Porgera Limited will utilize, rely upon and will seek guidance to meet statutory environmental obligations and to better manage the environment in Lagaip Porgera, Strickland River System, all the way down to Lake Murray and the Fly River Estuary,” Tukuliya said.

Prime Minister James Marape said the opening of the new Porgera mine is drawing closer, and the receiving of this permit is part of the process.

“We will allow the process to go ahead so we are almost coming to the end; I just want to indicate to all stakeholders more importantly, to our country, which have been waiting patiently for the reopening.

“If I had it in my own way, by way of voice and direction it would have happened one year ago, when we signed the Porgera Framework, but we are a country that follows the rule of law and process,” Marape said.

Marape further stressed that the New Porgera will ensure they work within the requirements of the environmental permits.

“As the Government I just want to give support to CEPA’s view that continual work on environmental management will be done to make sure that New Porgera Limited does not tamper with the permit requirements and will be done with prudent environmental care and management of the Porgera Valley and the Porgera river system.

“We will not compromise the interests of the future of our Children of Porgera, Riverine the children of Strickland River and the entire foot print of the Porgera Valley,” Marape said

The Prime Minister also announced that plans are in place to have the population within the SML have a better improved living standard as the gold mine progresses.

“Your life as we operate the mine the next 20 years and even beyond that possibly similar to a sustainable facility we have in Ok Tedi will be looked at so that Children of not just of the SML as we relocate you away from the SML Villages to a better life the children of the Porgera river system are protected.

“We will relocate you out to our infrastructure development grant allocated tax credit projects that will impact all of you but more importantly a sustainable development program will be put in place,” Marape said.

Simon Kilepa, Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change said there would be an environment audit to follow suit.

“The transfer of the environmental permit is a milestone for me as a first term Member of Parliament in my first year in office, knowing that what my authority has done something to better the lives of those impacted.

“An environmental audit will be done forthwith in the not so distant future as the mine progresses, even so in the four yeas of its shutdown operator Barrick Niugini Limited has taken the burden of maintaining it thus far without government input,” Kilepa said.