THE Mines and Minerals Board [MMB] is believed to have rejected an application by the Hong Kong-based Far East Resources Company Ltd for a Mining Licence [ML] to develop the rich San Jorge nickel tenement in Isabel.
The decision was taken during the Board’s meeting last Tuesday 17th December 2024, sources told Solomon Star over the weekend.
Far East Resources Company Ltd’s application is the 10th and last item on the agenda for the meeting that day. The director of Mines, believed to be Krista Tatapu, chaired the meeting, which extended into Wednesday 18th December 2024,” according to the agenda paper, which Solomon Star had sighted.
It is understood the application was rejected in its present form because of outstanding environmental issues, which Far East Resources Company Ltd, has been asked to address.
“These issues relate to the process, including the production of the compulsory Environment Impact Assessment Study (EIA) report. In its present form, the application appears to suggest short-circuiting the process, which was rejected,” sources told Solomon Star.
A company spokesman recently rejected accusations it had cut corners in its application.
“We followed everything in the law,” the man said.
Despite the stand taken on environmental issues, San Jorge Customary landowners are not so sure.
“Our position is based on past record that any decision by the Board can easily be over-ruled particularly under the Ministry’s new policy to auction tenements for the highest price. Why the leave Board meeting just days before the Christmas day holiday,” the landowners said.
The landowners are also suspicious why the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification does not appear to be working on the same page when it comes to policy matters.
“For example, last week Minister Bradley Tovosia told Parliament during Question Time that the government has suspended issuing Gold Dealers Licence (GDL).
“This is not true because Gold Dealers Licence appeared as Item No. 7 on the Board’s agenda for last week’s meeting. We warn the government that we are watching the matter very closely,” one customary landowner told Solomon Star.
Solomon Star has sighted the item on the agenda identified on the meeting paper as “Meeting No. MMB 04/24”.
The Isabel Provincial Government is also understood to have taken a firm stand against how Far East Resources Company Ltd had gone about applying for a Mining Licence (ML) for the San Jorge tenement.
“The company has done the process back to front,” an Isabel Provincial government insider told Solomon Star.
This has prompted the provincial government to develop a comprehensive mechanism to stop this practice repeating itself in the future.
By Alfred Sasako
