NEW DAWN ON BOUGAINVILLE

310714 NINETY ONE TO GO
By Aloysius Laukai

The Department of Administrative Service has released NINETY ONE names of Government Employees who will be retrenched to make way for new people.
This is contained in a service message from the Department and is being broadcasted by New Dawn FM and Radio Bougainville this week.
The Department of Administrative Service message states that these NINETY ONE people have met the retrenchment criteria and must come to Buka to get their notices.
The message states that if these people are unable to come, the District Executive Managers can pick these notices on their behalf.
Meanwhile, the representative of the Bougainville Public Servants UNION, PEA, PATRICK HEROMATE said that new recruits must be attached under these experienced officers for some time as such exercise will cripple the NEW Bougainville Public service.
He told NEW DAWN FM today that the new Public service will lack the experience and technical capability if recruitment is done for graduates who have never been on the field.

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310714SMALL SCALE MINING BECOMING A BIG INDUSTRY
BY JENNIFER NKUI

Small scale mining is becoming a big industry and we have come to a stage where we must look at the industry critically.
This statement was made by ABG acting mining secretary Steven Burain during the small scale mining workshop in Buka today.
He said whatever policy and legislation we can have whether it needs to have a specific division to deal only with matters of small scale mining then so be it.
He pointed out that this small scale mining is an industry in itself within the mining industry.
Mr. Burain then told the participants, especially miners that mining is not only about getting money but to ensure that social issues, economic and environmental aspects are sustained.
He added that laws, legislation, capacity building is important for us to ensure there is a good administrative mechanism to be effective to create this sustainability.

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310714RESOURCE OWNERS ENCOURAGED TO ENGAGE EXCLUSIVELY
BY JENNIFER NKUI

Miners involved in the small scale gold mining industry were encouraged today to engage in the small scale mining workshop in an intelligent and exclusive way with all Bougainvilleans.
ABG president Chief Dr. John Momis made this encouraging remark when opening the workshop at the Kuri village resort in Buka Town.
He explained to the miners that in this way, the industry will not only benefit the miners from that area but all the people of Bougainville through the ABG.
He pointed out that the workshop is very important for ABG to get a good and accurate understanding of the small scale gold mining industry.
He said he is pleased to open the workshop because it is the first serious effort to get that knowledge and understanding.
Chief Momis then called on all miners who are directly involved in this home-grown industry to share their knowledge and experience with everyone present and to tell them of the good things and also the bad things in between.

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310714TSORA EXPLAINS WHY PNGTA ALWAYS GO ON STRIKES
BY JENNIFER NKUI

Former Bougainville education secretary Tony Tsora said the Papua New Guinea Teachers’ Association always go on strikes when they find out that things are not right with the condition of teachers.
Speaking in explanation to an article published in the paper yesterday, he told New Dawn Fm that the strike action is always a threat that PNGTA carries out when it finds out that things are not right with teachers’ salaries, their employment conditions and housing conditions.
He said this issue occurs always and it usually happens after visitations to provinces by the PNGTA.
Mr. Tsora said the recent visit was made to Milne Bay by the PNGTA.
He added that the visit to Milne Bay must have caused the threat of a strike after PNGTA found out that teachers there are not being paid, are not paid on time and are under paid.

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310714ABG ADMINISTRATION READY TO SUPPORT PROJECT
BY JENNIFER NKUI

ABG’s acting chief secretary Chris Siriosi said his administration is ready to support the small scale mining project.
When he was given time to speak during the small scale mining workshop today, he said as head of the public service he has made a commitment to support whatever proposals the department of the minster for mining is bringing to them to create capacity.
He said the idea to establish a small scale mining policy for the government is very vital.
He added that it is very important because more people will be involved and more men and women will be involved in economic activity to put income into their pockets.
Mr. Siriosi however stressed that it is good for the government to make things a bit difficult saying if more people are getting involved in small scale mining, they will forget all about gardening.
He said they will look for gold and go hungry at the same time which is not good.
He pointed out that it is good to balance all our activities.

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310714SMALL SCALE MINING INDUSTRY MUST MEET BEST STANDARDS
BY JENNIFER NKUI

ABG Minister for natural resources Michael Oni said today that Bougainville’s small scale gold mining industry must meet best standards with its development.
Speaking at the opening of the two day small scale mining workshop at the Kuri village resort in Buka, he explained that standards include the standards of health, safety and environmental protection.
He pointed out that it also requires miners, landowners, gold buyers and processors to maintain good standards of behavior and not to use violence, threats or weapons.
He said we need our new industry to develop with good standards being established by the ABG and honoured by miners.
Minister Oni added that the training of miners must be looked at also so miners are able to use the most efficient, safe, healthy and environmentally friendly ways of mining and also ensuring the miners receive fair prices for their gold.
He said the miners must be aided to get finances that they need to be able to buy the kind of equipment they need that will enable them to mine safely and in an environmentally friendly manner.
He pointed out that the other thing would be to set legal standards for small scale mining by making laws or regulations which include realistic and effective standards on health, safety and environmental standards.

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310714ABG COMMITTED TO ENSURING HOME-GROWN INDUSTRY CONTINUES
BY JENNIFER NKUI

ABG president Chief Dr. John Momis said the Autonomous Bougainville Government is committed to ensuring that our new homegrown industry which is small scale gold mining continues to prosper and grow.
When opening the two day small scale gold mining workshop in Buka today, he told the small scale miners that small scale mining is an important industry with widespread benefits that we must ensure it grows.
He pointed out that the ABG’s support for the industry has so far been very limited.
However, chief Momis added that with the government’s determination to change that, our new mining law which will be debated in parliament says that most existing small scale mining will be legal.
He said unlike PNG mining laws, small scale mining is illegal but Bougainville will make small scale mining legal.
He explained further that the draft law also states that anyone will be able to mine, not just on their own land but also on the land of others with the landowners’ permission.
He said the miners on the other hand are also required to meet basic environmental, health and safety standards.
The workshop is held to get a better understanding of small scale mining in Bougainville to help the ABG get a better understanding of both the good things and problems of small scale mining.

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300714SMALL SCALE MINING WORKSHOP FOR BOUGAINVILLEANS
BY JENNIFER NKUI

Small scale mining for gold has become a big industry in Bougainville and is a source of income for thousands of people.
People are mining and washing gold in parts of Torokina in South west Bougainville, Tinputz in North Bougainville, Eivo in East coast Bougainville, Panguna, the Kawerong and Jaba rivers in Central Bougainville, Konnou in South Bougainville and other areas.
Small scale mining for gold is a new industry that only began in the late 1990’s.
A two day workshop on small scale mining for Bougainvilleans will be held in Buka starting tomorrow, Thursday July 31 to Friday, August 01 to look at Bougainville’s experiences and compare it with international developments.
The workshop will be attended by more than thirty people involved in small scale mining in different parts of Bougainville and it will be opened by ABG president chief Dr. John Momis together with the ABG minister for Natural resources Michael Oni.
The workshop is part of a research project funded by the Australian government and is organized by Ciaran O’Faircheallaigh form Griffith University and Anthony Regan from the Australian National University and is in partnership with the ABG and the University centre at Kubu.
The main aim of the workshop is to get a better understanding of this important new industry in Bougainville to help the ABG get a better understanding of both the good things and problems of small scale mining.
The organizers want to know how ABG, the miners and other Bougainvilleans can together make the industry work best for Bougainville.
They said the discussion at the workshop will help set the direction for the work of the whole research project.

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300714SPEAKER RECALLS PARLIAMENT TO MEET
BY JENNIFER NKUI

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Andrew Miriki today issued a notice calling the House to meet on August 6, 2014.
He said the reason for the House to convene this meeting is to consider the advice of the Bougainville Executive Council for the House to debate and pass the three important proposed laws on;
• A Bill for an Act entitled “Bougainville Mining (Transitional Arrangements) Bill 2014”
• A Bill for an Act entitled “Bougainville Senior Appointments Act 2014” and
• A Bill for an Act entitled “Principal Legal Advisor Act 2014”
Speaker Miriki said the copies of the Bills have been received by the Parliament and members of the House are urged to get a copy each from their respective mailbox at the parliament this week
He stressed that because the Bills are very important, members are encouraged to study them carefully before they are debated on the floor of parliament on August 6, 2014.
He calls on all honorable members to attend this important meeting of the House on Wednesday, August 6, 2014 which will commence at 10 am in the morning.

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300714NORTH BOUGAINVILLE BOXERS IN TRAINING
BY JENNIFER NKUI

President for the referees in charge for the North Bougainville Amateurs’Boxing Association Ezekiel Lames has revealed to New Dawn Fm today that boxers selected to represent North Bougainville in the ABG games are currently under training at Tohatsi.
He said the boxers were selected during a boxing tournament that was held in Buka Town recently.
He explained that the selection was carried out by the North Bougainville Amateur Boxing association to prepare a team to take part in the Bougainville Regional selections.
Mr. Lames said the regional selections will take place in Arawa at the end of next month or beginning of September.
He said Team Bougainville for boxing will be selected in Arawa for the PNG games.

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