Summit seen to solve Pujada mining row

The province of Davao Oriental will conduct a mining summit in July aimed at addressing the row between two corporations involved in the over a billion dollar Pujada Nickel Mining project in the City of Mati.

Davao Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industries president Louie Rabat said the mining summit was proposed by the Regional Development Council and approved by Environment Secretary Lito Atienza.

Rabat said the summit would try to solve the conflict between Australia-based mining corporation BHP-Billiton and Filipino-owned Asiaticus Management Corp over the US$1.5 billion mining project.

The summit will discuss complaints and sentiments of the two firms as well as the concerns of other sectors like the local government units and the indigenous peoples in the area.

The “use-it-or-lose-it” policy of the government on mining rights will also be discussed during the summit. Rabat said the aim of this new policy is to weed out speculators in the mining industry.

The summit is tentatively scheduled from July 27 to 28 in Davao City.

 

Category: ResourceAsia