The recent development of an online portal by the Mineral Resource Authority has been credited as a major driving force behind the increase in interest in mining in Papua New Guinea.
The portal, accessible through MRA’s website, provides an insight into mining tenements across the country.
The portal has also been used as an avenue to promote transparency within the mining sector.
In line with moves to improve its operations, the Mineral Resource Authority hosts a mining cadastre portal on its website.
This resource, is a window into the various mining tenements in the country, and also provides an insight into the different minerals that are present in each part of the country.
This portal is being constantly updated by MRA through periodical geological surveys, and is increasingly becoming the first place to go for potential investors looking to tap into the mining industry in PNG.
Louie Kawale is the tenement Management System Officer, and oversees the portal.
According to Mr Kawale, this portal has been gaining traction since it was first launched, and is now seeing an increase in not only the number of investors looking to learn more about mining in the country, but also from members of the public who want to learn more about mining.
” We have information from various source all stocked into one location,” Kawale told EMTV News.
At a time when investors are looking to PNG within mining, the portal provides ease of access.
“This site will help prospective investors to find libraries of information to make their decisions,” said Kawale.
For Papua Mining, which has several mining tenements on New Britain Island, the online portal has been helpful in tracking the progress of its applications – which is more cost-effective than flying into Port Moresby to physically check on applications lodged with the MRA.
The development of the portal has also complemented moves by the MRA to add value to efforts in promoting transparency within the mining industry, especially at a time when Papua New Guinea is a candidate to the international Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative.
