Usamate confirms license renewal for Dome Mining Ltd in Kadavu

Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, Jone Usamate confirms that the Special Prospecting License that was granted to Dome Mining Limited back in 2007 has been renewed and extended for another 3 years.

While responding to SODELPA MP, Simione Rasova’s question if he can update the Parliament on the status of Dome Mining Limited Project in Ono, Kadavu, Usamate says that the renewal expires on 24th June, 2023.

[SODELPA MP Simione Rasova - Photo: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji]

Usamate says this renewal only takes place if the ministry has a look at the terms of their license and whether they have carried out the exploratory work that they said they were going to do in the first place, so the company has achieved most of their work programme that they had set out to do.

Usamate says now the company’s prospect is for an area of around 3000 hectares and to date they have already spent around $5.9 million in terms of their exploration.

The Minister says the company is also doing other projects like maintaining old roads, constructing new roads, aiding and constructing a sea wall and constructing a new school dormitory for Naqara Primary School.

Usamate says this company spent $5.9 million and did not get a single cent but they are doing it in the hope that eventually they will find enough gold and silver ore.

When asked by NFP MP Lenora Qereqeretabua if the consultations were done with the landowners in the Ono dialect, Usamate says he was not around when the consultations took place so he cannot say specifically if it was done in the Ono dialect.

[NFP MP Lenora Qereqeretabua - Photo: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji]

Usamate says that there is a special unit that is there for consultations and meeting with the members of the community and he can guarantee that the consultations did take place.