BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE
We are always the losers when it comes to resource operations.
Rick Hou, member of Parliament for Small Malaita constituency stressed this in parliament last week.
He said what has been happening in the country is when operators fly in, they harvest resources and leave the rest to land owners, resource owners and the government to deal with.
“And what is the rest? The rest is the mess.”
Hou said the mess left behind is environmental damage, revenue shortfall and of course, a load of litigation cases in court between land owning groups.
He pointed out that resource operations in the country like mining at the moment is only conducive for the operators.
“Of course, we are always the losers. The resource owners, provincial and national governments, the economy and this country is always the loser.”
He stressed that the country receives revenue from such operations but once we lose in terms of revenue from these operations; the government is left with challenges like dealing with a hospital without drugs, clinics without medicine and closure of operating theatres.
Hou said a regulatory environment conducive for advancement of our people in this area is needed.
He also urged the Minister for Mines and Energy to bring to parliament the Mineral Act.
