BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
Gordon Darcy Lilo has expressed deep concerns regarding the recent incident involving the burning of machinery and equipment at the Gold Ridge mining site.
The Member of Parliament for Central Honiara and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) raised his concern in a statement yesterday.
Lilo said that the situation could have been avoided if an open discussion had been held between the relevant parties and landowners regarding their complaints.
He described the event as a grave situation.
The PAC Chairman said the possible involvement of competing foreign companies, with interests seeking tenements within the larger Gold Ridge area, cannot be ignored.
He called for a stop to issuing consents to companies seeking to procure a prospective license from the Ministry of Mines and the Mining Board, and to address the ongoing discussions surrounding the mining policy framework as part of the current legislative reforms.
Lilo also called for the suspension of all applications and an immediate halt to the issuance of prospecting licences.
He said that this allows the government to work towards legislative reform to reinstate its commitment to international regulatory standards and comply with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).
Lilo adds that this approach will ensure that the concerns of landowners and other stakeholders are addressed fairly and within the bounds of the law.
He cautions that the current operational status at Gold Ridge is unsustainable, and the government must take decisive, transparent and responsible action to rectify the situation.
