A number of mining sector policies will be reviewed to improve performance, according to Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman.
Making his presentation on the proposed 2017 national budget last Thursday, Trotman said the ministry will continue to execute its mandate to harmonise policy and sustainably manage the natural resources based sectors. “In doing so, the ministry will focus on implementing key policy-led initiatives under the three programmatic areas referred to earlier, requiring a financial commitment of $798.4M to cover recurrent costs and capital expenditures,” he said, while pointing out that $579.9M has been allocated to the Policy Development and Administration programme area, $17.8M to the Natural Resources Management programme area and $200.7M to the Petroleum Management programme area, which will see a Petroleum Commission developed in 2017. He explained that the ministry, with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will revise and update the Ministry’s Natural Resources and Environment Strategic Plan and Monitoring and Evaluation.
He also pointed out that the National Log Export Policy will be reviewed.
He noted that the ministry and the GGMC will complete a draft of the Mining Policy in 2017, while adding that there is an ongoing review of the bauxite industry with a particular emphasis on the feasibility of an aluminum plant.
“Mr. Speaker, there is a need for a clear legislative regime that enables improved governance and the development of a sustainable extractor sector,” he said.
Trotman also sought to defend the budget, likening it to medicine needed to heal the country.
“We cannot look at one budget, which is really a snapshot of a period in time, and expect to be fair in its assessment without juxtaposing the budgets that passed before. The budget, therefore, must be read in conjunction with those from before–all programmes, policies and resources in these three must be woven together that are taking the country further on a path of realising a green economy,” he said, while adding that Minister of Finance Winston Jordan and his staff did not conjure a budget to harm the country but to heal it.
“We all remember that vaccination we get at an early age of infancy – the closer to birth the better. I refer to the one that made us scream in pain and anger. We all bear the mark on our arms and today thank our parents and health care workers who administered it. It was painful and made little sense then but now, we realise that it has protected us for the duration of our long lives,” he said.
