The “Panguna – Lessons and Eye to the Future” session, set for the second day of PNG Resources Week, will be chaired by PNG Chamber of Resources & Energy (PNG CORE) President, Anthony Smaré. This session will bring together landowner representatives, the Autonomous Bougainville Government, and other agencies to highlight the progress made over the past year on this key economic project.
In announcing the session, President Smaré emphasized the importance of learning from the Panguna experience. “The story of Panguna is critically important for our nation. Panguna provided the financial foundation for Papua New Guinea’s independence in 1975 and contributed immensely to the development of communities in Panguna, Bougainville, and wider Papua New Guinea,” he stated.
“While the project supported PNG, perceptions of unfair distribution of opportunities, especially from landowners, led to events culminating in the forced shutdown of the project, triggering a decade-long conflict on the island and the loss of many lives.
“CANCONEX 2023 was the first opportunity for all stakeholders in the Panguna issue to come together and speak openly about their challenges and willingness to work together for the greater benefit of Bougainville. The ‘Lessons from Closure’ session featuring Panguna was well received and provided the catalyst for significant progress.
“In January this year, the ABG granted a 5-year exploration licence (EL01) over the former Panguna mine area to Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL). This has allowed the company to undertake renewed Pre-Feasibility Studies (PFS) and Feasibility Studies (FS) before applying for a development licence. On the Community Affairs front, the Panguna Landowners Interim Council (PLIC) has been established to represent the landowners. All this progress is a direct result of CANCONEX 2023.
“In addition to our esteemed speakers representing landowners and key community groups, the President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Ishmael Toroama, who is also the ABG Minister for Mineral and Energy, has been officially invited and will provide insights into the progress made. Given the importance of this subject, it will be the longest single session at CANCONEX24. The insights from our speakers from Panguna will be critical for our landowners and leaders from across Papua New Guinea.”
Smaré noted that this session is a must-attend for landowners from resource project areas and national leaders.
PNG Resources Week will bring together all stakeholders in a series of events from July 1 to 4, 2024:
- The second PNG Community Affairs and National Content Conference and Expo (CANCONEX) from July 1 to 3,
- The PNG Resources Career Fair from July 3 to 4,
- The inaugural PNG Resources Summit on July 4, and
- The Resources Week Dinner on July 4.
