As Parliament resumed yesterday, the Minister of Mines and DPM, Hon. Tovosia, was in the spotlight with the issue of 33 unpaid bauxite shipments extracted from West Rennell, worth SBD288M. The long-standing issue, which has caused significant financial losses—impacting both the government and local landowners—has been a point of conflict for over 7 years.
Tovosia detailed each shipment and the dates they were sent to China. He confirmed 33 shipments worth $288m once again, with a total royalties value of $8.6m. Hon. Tovosia repeatedly asserted that the government is actively working to catch the perpetrators behind the unpaid shipments but was unable to provide any substantial evidence to support these claims.
His continued failure to present concrete progress on the matter left many members of Parliament frustrated, as it became clear that little has been done to hold those responsible accountable. Among the debated issues, was a question about if the taxes derived from the $288m and how much of the royalties had been paid to the landowners. The mining was undertaken by APID, which the minister said was no longer mining on the island. He said usually issues like this when tax payers are at default it triggers the need for a tax investigation.
Minister of Finance and former PM, Manasseh Sogavare in response to the questions on taxes and royalty said: “I am just keen as the leader of opposition to know what duties and taxes are outstanding from the shipments.”
In response to the ongoing crisis, Hon. Tovosia explained that the government is working on a new bill aimed at strengthening protections for the mining industry. However, this explanation did little to alleviate growing concerns. Several members of Parliament proposed a temporary halt to all mining operations until the new legislation is finalized, arguing that immediate action is necessary to prevent further exploitation and losses.
The debate highlighted deepening frustrations with the government’s handling of the mining sector and underscored the urgent need for stronger measures to protect the interests of the people, particularly in resource-rich regions. With the introduction of the new bill, it remains to be seen whether the government’s promises will translate into real change or if the issues will persist.
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