A short history of mineral development policies in Papua New Guinea, 1972-2002

Colin Filer, Benedict Imbun

    Research output: Chapter in Book / Conference PaperChapter

    Abstract

    There was a time, during the 1980s, when Papua New Guinea was an attractive place for mineral exploration and investment, because it was seen to have a stable and user-friendly policy framework by comparison with many other developing countries. This is no longer the case. The circumstances surrounding and following the closure of the Bougainville copper mine in 1989, and the sequence of events which has led BHP Billiton to disengage from operation of the Ok Tedi mine, have both done enormous damage to the country’s reputation. To read much of the recent writing on the history of mining and mineral policy in Papua New Guinea, one gets the impression — to use a colourful English phrase — that the Papua New Guinea government could not organize the proverbial piss-up in a brewery, let alone foreign investment in the mining and petroleum industries. And both of these industries have recently been in steep, if not precipitous, decline. However, closer examination of the recent history of mineral policy in Papua New Guinea, when compared with that of many other developing countries, suggests that the government has done a reasonably good job of coping with difficult circumstances and unforeseen events. So it is not at all obvious that disinvestment in either or both of these sectors is a direct consequence of mineral policies which have been poorly designed or implemented.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationPolicy Making and Implementation: Studies from Papua New Guinea
    EditorsRonald J. May
    Place of PublicationCanberra, A.C.T.
    PublisherAustralian National University E Press
    Pages75-116
    Number of pages42
    ISBN (Electronic)9781921536694
    ISBN (Print)9781921536687
    Publication statusPublished - 2009

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