With the announcement of several impact projects to be implemented in the Samarai- Murua district of Milne Bay Province, MP Isi Henry Leonard announced that one of them will be Alluvial and Hard Rock Mining. Blessed with an abundant of mineral resources, MP Leonard stated that they have registered a company under the name Eastern Star Mineral Resources that will work in partnership with a 100% nationally owned company, Wilhelm Holding Limited along with the landowners. This partnership through the District Development Authority’s (DDA) decision to have these mineralization opportunities to be owned and mined by the resource owners through benefit sharing arrangements, where they will own the license and mine the resources with investment partners providing technical, financial and marketing support. “The idea is that we engage with landowners. People who own the land and the resources and the district company will come and support them. If we give them the right machines and they mechanize Alluvial mining, the yield will be higher and gold recovery will be higher.” “And through our joint venture partners, the Dubai’s will give us support to engage with our people. Increase our yield, we process it, then we export our volume and I believe we can hit the mark. Then we can sell or trade the volume and the money will go back to the people.” “The Alluvial and hard rock mining potentials will exist on Misima, Sudest, Woodlark and Rossel Islands”. The nationally owned company will provide technical and operational support as well as funding and support through venture finance arrangements with foreign investment partners, where the mining operations will be based on Misima Island. The Board also noted that the District Economic Development Stimulus Strategy has the potential to create employment and alleviate poverty by developing the micro economy of the district through the mining project and two other projects ready for implementation. Therefore, the DDA Board approved to allocate a total of K8million to the Samarai Murua District Development Company, Kubwana Limited, to partner with investors to develop the district’s resource potentials in Eco Tourism and Carbon Trade, Fishing and Alluvial and Hard Rock Mining, as part of the Economic Development Stimulus Strategy. In order to facilitate the implementation of the Economic Development Stimulus Strategy and other services for the District, the Board noted the need to have an effective and sound mobility infrastructure, hence the Board approved funds, under the district infrastructure improvement program to rehabilitate basic infrastructure facilities at Misima, the District Capital. “This includes the airport re-grading and upgrade program,” said the MP.