The Alyansa Tigil Mina Blog

http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS2006062367567.html

By MELODY M. AGUIBA

Rapu Rapu mine operator Lafayette Philippines Inc. (LPI) paid its P10.4-million fine with the government in anticipation of a test run that it hopes to conduct as soon as it finishes all 15 conditions set for the 30-day probationary operations.

“We paid the P10.4 million fine last June 20. We’re definitely hoping that for our own benefit that we will be able to start the test run soon,” said Lawyer Bayani Agabin, LPI vice president.
LPI claims to have complied with majority of the 15 conditions set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) prior to its 30-day test run. However, it expects government to do necessary verification of its compliance before issuing a go on the trial run to ensure that another spill will not occur in the mine.

“We’ve completed most of the conditions, and we’ll be almost complete by tomorrow. But government may still send a team” to check our compliance, he said. (more…)

http://business.inq7.net/money/topstories/view_article.php?article_id=6117
By Michelle Remo
Last updated 01:47am (Mla time) 06/23/2006

THE mining sector, which the government says is expected to attract as much as $7 billion worth of investments annually, is likely to get special privileges under the government’s program to rationalize the grant of financial incentives for investments.

The Senate ways and means committee headed by Senator Ralph Recto plans to file a bill that will withdraw tax and duty breaks that are deemed unnecessary. But a government official said Recto had asked the Department of Finance, Department of Energy and Department of Environment and Natural Resources to assist the committee in doing a study to determine the appropriate incentives for the mining sector.

Recto’s bill will be aimed at limiting the grant of financial incentives to exporters, effectively removing all tax- and duty-free privileges given to domestic-oriented investments.
But the senator said mining companies not engaged in exports could be given incentives, such as reduced income tax rate and application of net operating loss carryover (nolco), the source said. (more…)

http://newsinfo.inq7.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view_article.php?article_id=6126
By Blanche Rivera
Last updated 02:40am (Mla time) 06/23/2006

THE government has again suspended the transport of ore from the Biak-na-Bato National Park in Bulacan where marble quarrying is being opposed by the provincial government and environmentalists.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau would not issue a new ore transport permit (OTP) to Rosemoor Mining and Development Corp. (RMDC) until the case lodged by Bulacan officials and antiquarrying groups is resolved, MGB regional director Angel Bravo said.

“It’s suspended until the resolution of the case. We have to respect our superior,” Bravo said in an interview after a forum at the Manila Pavilion yesterday.

Environment Secretary Angelo T. Reyes has created a committee to investigate allegations that the RMDC did not have an environmental compliance certificate for its quarrying operations and that the acquisition of the firm’s Mineral Production Sharing Agreement was anomalous. (more…)

Phayul - http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?article=Tibetan+protests+target+Canada+Mining+Companies&id=12938

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19th, 2006

TIBET ACTIVISTS TARGET CANADIAN MINING COMPANIES, PROTESTS MAR CONTINENTAL MINERALS’ ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Vancouver - Tibetans and their supporters will protest today at Continental Minerals’ Annual General Meeting, calling on the company to cease the development of a gold-copper mine in Chinese occupied Tibet. The company, a subsidiary of Hunter Dickinson, is conducting exploratory drilling at the Shethongmon mine site in central Tibet. HDI/Continental and five other junior Canadian mining companies recently came under fire from Tibet advocacy groups over plans to aggressively exploit gold and copper resources in the politically volatile region.

“Tibet’s natural resources belong to the Tibetan people,” said Pema Lhalungpa, Regional Coordinator for Students for a Free Tibet. “Until Tibetans are free to determine the use of their own mineral wealth, as protected by international law and human rights covenants, extraction of Tibet’s resources by HDI/Continental and other Canadian mining companies amounts to looting and stealing.”

Continental Minerals started exploratory drilling in Tibet last year and recently acquired control of an additional 100 square kilometers at the Shethongmon site from its merger with Great China Mining. The other Canadian companies involved in Tibet are Inter-Citic Minerals Inc, Eldorado Gold Corp, GobiMin Inc, Dynasty Gold Corp and TVI Pacific Inc.

“There are enormous financial and reputational risks attached to controversial business projects inside Tibet and we have seen foreign companies like Sino Gold and Holiday Inn, as well as the World Bank, withdraw in the face of international controversy” said Ray Yee, spokesperson for the Canada Tibet Committee -Vancouver Branch. “We are deeply concerned about HDI/Continental’s activities given that Tibetans have no voice when it comes mining on their own land, an activity that poses a direct threat to the preservation of their culture and environment, with little to no benefit to the Tibetan people.”

The protest comes just days after the Canadian government held a roundtable forum in Vancouver on issues related to Corporate Social Responsibility and the Canadian extractive industry in developing countries. Tibetan representatives present at the meeting urged the government to withhold political assistance and support from Canadian mining companies involved in Tibet.

An international coalition of Tibet Support Groups, including Students for a Free Tibet, Canada Tibet Committee, International Campaign for Tibet, Free Tibet Campaign, Australia Tibet Council and Comité de Apoyo al Tibet are opposed to the extraction of Tibet’s resources, especially non renewable resources, while the China-Tibet issue remains unresolved. The coalition is urging HDI/Continental and the other Canadian mining companies to immediately halt all operations and withdraw from Tibet.

Contact:Pema Lhalungpa, Students for a Free Tibet Canada (604) 876-1974
Ray Yee, Canada Tibet Committee (604) 240-5215