Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Rural Electrification (MMERE), Dr. Chris Vehe, recently stated that the two nickel mining projects in Isabel are still operational.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee, Dr. Vehe mentioned that the Ministry is closely monitoring these operations.
PS Vehe said this when he responded to MP for Maringe Kokota, Cathy Nori when asked about the operations of the two nickel projects.
Nori’s question came following numerous sources claiming that one of the two companies showing signs of closing down.
The Permanent Secretary noted that there are two licenses issued for nickel mining in Isabel: one for Kolosori and the other for Suma.
“Both companies are still in operation, despite some issues that may have arisen with one of them,” Dr. Vehe said.
“However, we continue to monitor these projects closely. Our staff visit the sites regularly, although we sometimes face challenges due to weather conditions.”
Dr. Vehe also mentioned that some royalty payments from shipments have already been received by the Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI) and are awaiting disbursement.
He added that there has yet to be confirmation from the local communities on how they will share the royalties among themselves.
