By EDDIE OSIFELO
WIN Win Investment Ltd and Turarana Landowners Taskforce and other leaders have resolved their dispute following a meet at Henderson Police post yesterday.
Both parties agreed to work together to iron any issues relating to the mining operation of the company at Turarana.
The so-called Taskforce called the meeting for the company to clarify outstanding issues and due payment need to be settled relating to the mining operation on Turarana tenement.
The taskforce said failure to meet with them, the company expect to see all four tribes would stage a road block on 13th July, which is the deadline of the 14 days’ notice issued on 29th June to Win Win.
Win Win does not recognize the existence of Taskforce as it was set up outside the 24 trustees of Turarana where Win Win signed the Surface Access Agreement and Surface Access Rights Agreement with them.
In a letter sent to the Managing Director of Win Win mining Company Ltd on 1st July, the four landowning tribes (Garavu, Lasi, Koe’naho and Manuki) tribes who owns the Turarana tenement where the company is operating, agreed on this during their extra ordinary meeting held at Turarana village on Wednesday 30th June.
Some of the log of claims which are dued payments are:
1. Premium – $26,000 (Surface Access Agreement)
2. Access fee – $250,000 (SAA)
3. Rental payments – $1,000/square kilometer multiply 12 square kilometer – (2018-2021)
4. Campsite payment – $3,000 per month from 2018-2021
5. Pits
6. Damages
However, the Taskforce was happy when they heard that the company had paid the $250,000 access fees to the taskforce already.
Also the taskforce was informed by Elemelek Vamule, mines officer in the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification that the royalty payments of the landowners are still with Central Bank of Solomon Islands.
Vamule said CBSI can only release the payments once the landowners sorted out their land boundaries and open a bank account.
He said other payments like rentals and campsite will be part and parcel of the land acquisition and opening of bank accounts as well.
As such, the taskforce assured the company that there will be no road blocks and they are willing to work together with their trustees during the span of the operation.
Island Sun understand there were 19 shipments of the minerals made so far and the company overseas has already paid eight shipments to CBSI.
Vamule said this is in accordance with Mines and Mineral Act that payments must be made within three
Win Win has extracted alluvial deposits on the stream beds of Mamasa and Turarana to get the minerals, especially gold.
The company started operations on Mamasa in October 2019, however the company discovered the tenement had low alluvial deposits on its stream beds.
Win Win is now operating on Turarana which is believed to have high alluvial deposits.
