Papua New Guinea’s mining authorities will visit Solomon Islands to help strengthen the country’s mining sector following high-level talks between Prime Minister Matthew Wale and his PNG counterpart, Chief James Marape, in Port Moresby.
The agreement was reached during a roundtable discussion involving the two Prime Ministers, Kumul Minerals Holdings Limited and the PNG Minerals Resources Authority, where Solomon Islands sought to learn from Papua New Guinea’s experience in managing its mineral resources.
Wale and Mines minister Derrick Manu’ari were in Moresby last Friday on a day-long visit.
Prime Minister Wale said reforming the mining sector is one of his Government’s priorities, with particular attention on the country’s growing alluvial gold industry.
He said the Government is pursuing reforms to improve transparency, strengthen regulation and ensure the nation’s mineral wealth delivers greater benefits to Solomon Islands.
Among the proposed reforms are the establishment of a dedicated gold export unit and, in the longer term, a national gold refinery.
“This will allow us to refine our own gold, control pricing and retain more value within our economy,” Wale said.
He also stressed the importance of building trusted partnerships across the entire mining value chain – from extraction and processing to export – to ensure the country’s resources contribute more directly to national development.
“We want a model where all parties benefit fairly and value is retained within our economy to support national development,” he said.
Prime Minister Marape said Papua New Guinea’s experience had shown the importance of putting landowners at the centre of mining policy and ensuring resource-sharing arrangements are transparent.
“There is often confusion between taxes, royalties and equity. Investors must know upfront what they will pay and what benefits will flow to landowners and the State,” Marape said.
He acknowledged that PNG has faced significant challenges in managing its mining industry but said the country remains committed to improving outcomes for its people.
Both leaders agreed that strong governance, clear legislation and effective regulatory oversight are essential to ensuring resource wealth is managed fairly and sustainably.
The planned visit by PNG mining officials is expected to support Solomon Islands’ ongoing efforts to strengthen governance of the mining sector and maximise returns from its mineral resources.
