“Do away with ‘MIDDLEMEN’ in the country’s development”
"We must get the middlemen out of the equation.”
Solomon Islands needs to do away with MIDDLE-MEN when it comes to mining and logging operations.
Member of Parliament for Rennell and Bellona Constituency, Dr. Kaitu’u Angikimua made the call in his debate on the Sine Die motion in parliament recently.
He said, the current Mines and Mineral Act also needs immediate amendments.
“We must get the middlemen out of the equation. We must ask the actual miners with the money to come and do the actual mining in our country. And as I have stated, the Acts have to be amended to cater for this.”
He said, there is no benefit for the country and indigenous landowners after years of bauxite mining in West Rennell.
“As you know, the mining has been going on in Rennell for five years, it has finished and there’s no tangible development and infrastructure from this operation to benefit the people.”
Earlier, Governor of the Central Bank of Solomon Islands Dr. Luke Forau said, West Rennell mining injected around 300 million Solomon Islands dollars in the country’s economy during the period from 2019 to 2020.
Dr. Kaitu’u is Referring to the Asia Pacific Investment Development Ltd (APID) which has been acting as a middle men in West Rennell Bauxite Mining.
Upon the governments granting of the mining lease to APID, in 2014 to do Bauxite Mining operation it sub-leased the West Rennell Bauxite Mining Lease to Bin-tang Mining Solomon Islands Limited.
Originally APID is a logging company.
by Charley Piringi