Expending Mineral Revenue To Improve Livelihoods

Leaders Unite To Encourage Locals Expend Mineral Revenue To Improve Livelihoods

National leaders from both Government and the Opposition are unified encourage direct beneficiaries of mineral revenues to prudently develop their own livelihoods.

Minister for Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification, Hon. David Day Pacha and Opposition Leader, Manasseh Sogavare made the call in view of the reopening of Gold Ridge Mine in Central Guadalcanal today.

The project will certainly enhance economic activities by creating employment opportunities, increase government revenue and provide direct payments to tribal landowning units in the Gold Ridge area.

“It is very important that revenues derived from this project has to be managed in such a way that it contribute to raising the standard of living of our people in Solomon Islands,” Minister Pacha said.

Opposition Leader, Sogavare said the logging sector has already taught us that mismanagement of revenue from our resources only brought poverty and suffering.

“If we do not learn the lessons from unsustainable development of our forestry sector then we are in danger of repeating this mistake in other sectors. It therefore calls for responsible investment of returns from the development of our resources. This is a shared responsibility involving the government, the landowners and investors,” Mr Sogavare said.

Prime Minister Dr Derek Sikua led a high level delegation including cabinet Ministers and Senior Government Officials to attend the official groundbreaking ceremony alongside top officials from Allied Gold and landowners of Gold Ridge.

ENDS

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