Govt grants mining lease to Canadian company Lion One Metals

The Tuvatu Gold Mine in Sabeto, Nadi will now be in full operation after the government has granted a lease to Canadian company, Lion One Metals.

Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama says this tenement has changed hands several times since it was awarded in 1987.

Bainimarama says the Fiji Mining and Quarrying sector has accounted for about 1.2 percent of GDP since 2011.

He says with the decline production in 2012 and 2013 and low prices in 2014 due to low metal prices, gold exports have remained strong since 2013 at around $101.1 million a year.

He adds mining is one of the areas that will take Fiji forward and the government is committed to creating opportunities for development and economic growth throughout Fiji.