Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has appealed for calm and restraint in Bougainville amid tensions surrounding Panguna, urging landowners and communities with grievances to reject violence and work through the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) and established processes to resolve their differences.
Prime Minister Marape said Bougainville had already paid an enormous price through conflict and must never allow disagreements over Panguna or other issues to drag its people back into violence.
“Whatever issues there may be in Bougainville, including matters relating to Panguna, there is absolutely no need to resort to violence,” Prime Minister Marape said.
“Bougainville has experienced enough pain in its history. We do not want history to repeat itself.
“If you have grievances, bring them forward. If there are disagreements, put them on the table. The Autonomous Bougainville Government, under President Hon. Ishmael Toroama, is there to listen to you, work with you and find solutions.
“Violence does no good to anyone. It hurts our people, divides communities and drives away the investment Bougainville needs to grow its economy.”
Panguna remains one of the most sensitive issues in Bougainville because of its central place in the events preceding the Bougainville conflict and the mine’s closure in 1989. Recent moves towards its possible redevelopment have again generated debate among landowners and other stakeholders.
Prime Minister Marape said his discussions with President Toroama had given him confidence that the ABG understood the sensitivity surrounding Panguna, including landowner rights, environmental concerns and unresolved legacy issues.
“From my work with President Toroama, I have been advised that his government is looking at structuring Panguna in a manner that involves the landowners, the people of the immediate mine-affected areas and the wider Bougainville community,” he said.
“The President understands that Panguna cannot simply be treated as another mining project. There are historical and legacy issues. There are environmental issues. There are landowner issues. These must be treated with great sensitivity.”
Prime Minister Marape said the National Government respected the ABG’s authority and Bougainville’s processes in determining the future of Panguna.
He said Papua New Guinea’s experience with other major resource projects could nevertheless provide useful lessons, particularly in ensuring that landowners and host governments received meaningful ownership and benefits.
“We have passed on examples of how we are structuring benefits in projects elsewhere in Papua New Guinea, where landowners and provincial governments have substantial interests,” Prime Minister Marape said.
“Panguna must ultimately be structured in a way that works for Bougainville, its landowners and its people.
“At the same time, major projects require substantial investment. You need credible investors with the capital and capacity to develop projects of this scale.
“Bougainville needs investors – not only in mining, but also in agriculture, fisheries, tourism and every other sector that can create businesses, employment and income for our people.”
Prime Minister Marape said economic development was particularly important because Bougainville needed to significantly strengthen its internally generated revenue.
The ABG’s 2026 Budget totals K844.09 million, of which K46.74 million – about 5.5 per cent – is internally generated revenue. The remainder includes K520.36 million in National Government grants and K276.9 million in reappropriated development funds.
“This shows why growing the Bougainville economy is so important,” Prime Minister Marape said.
“President Toroama needs all the help he can get in growing the economy and raising Bougainville’s own revenue.
“Under our arrangements, revenue raised in Bougainville can remain in Bougainville. That is why businesses and genuine investors who come to create jobs, pay taxes and build the economy must be able to operate in a peaceful environment.”
Prime Minister Marape said legitimate concerns about Panguna must be heard, particularly those of customary landowners and communities directly affected by any future development.
He said the answer, however, was dialogue rather than confrontation.
“To our people on the ground, if you have an issue, bring it forward and deal with it through the legitimate processes available to you,” he said.
“Do not use violence to express frustration. Violence will not solve the problem. It will only create new problems and chase away investment.
“Work with President Toroama and the Autonomous Bougainville Government. Bring your concerns forward.Sit down, talk and find solutions together.
“Bougainville has come too far to go backwards.
“The Bougainville Peace Agreement has shown us that peace and dialogue work. We must protect that peace.
“Whatever our differences may be, let us resolve them peacefully. Let us not repeat the painful history of the past. Let us build Bougainville’s future through dialogue, respect, economic opportunity and unity.”