Effectively replacing the regulatory roles previously undertaken by the Department of Mining, the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) was established by an act of Parliament in 2005.

Key to the MRA’s success is the way it is funded. Direct funding from government coffers has been replaced by industry-generated funding. A 0.25% levy on existing mining activity effectively means that the MRA now has the resources it needs to adequately police, monitor and regulate the industry, and ensure its sustainability.

To be sustainable, Papua New Guinea’s mining sector needs to discover and develop new deposits. The MRA’s Geological Survey Division (GSD) is tasked with stimulating mineral exploration activities in the country. It provides a centralm online database of geological, geochemical and geophysical data, maps and surveys. As well as supporting large scale mining operations, the MRA also has plans to develop and expand small-scale mining in PNG conducted largely by local landowners, currently estimated to be worth between K150 and K200 million per annum (US$50 to US$66 million).

The MRA website (www.mra.gov.pg) is an invaluable resource for mineral exploration companies. As well as publications, news on developments in the sector, and listings of all landowners and miners, the site provides access to the MRA’s Geological Mineral Resources Information System (GMRIS) database. Funded by the European Union, this database incorporates all available geological data on PNG.

First published in Business Advantage Papua New Guinea 2009/10