Temotu provincial government has now finally issues a business and export licences to Jaya Berjaya logging company.
The controversial Vanikoro Island logging issue has been on debate since September last year when the company defied the provincial governments orders and illegally landed in Vanikoro Island.
The issuing of the two licenses comes following the national government through the ministry of forest issued a felling license to the licensee Vanikoro Lumber Ltd to operate on the island up until August next year.
The contractor is Jaya Berjaya Company an Indonesia Company.
A meeting was held between the tribal land owners, the provincial government delegation, and representatives from the company in Vanikoro Island weeks ago.
Speaking to the Solomon Star from Lata, Temotu provincial premier Fr. Brown Beu said, a delegation from the provincial government including forestry officers, Member of Provincial Assembly for Vanikoro, and police officers, have met the land owning tribes and the company’s representative in Vanikoro and have agreed to grant the licenses for the company.
“My office did receive a formal consent letter from the tribal land owners and on Wednesday this week, the provincial government did grant a business and exporting license to the company.
“We did so because of two things, one is that the company did complete the legal requirements and had obtained a felling license from the ministry of forests, as well as the land owning tribe has come to compromise and agreed for the logging operation.
“That is what my government is trying to do; that is to see things done in a legal way and to ensure my people did agree and were happy with the operation.”
He said his government is only facilitating the operation.
“My government is only facilitating the operation to be done according to the laws of this land.
“As they have now agreed and the legal part of it was now done, the operation will start soon.”
Vanikoro Island is well known for its endangered spice Kauri, a tree that the forestry had banned for years from felling it.
And Temotu Province had banned logging on the Province since 1990’s.
By CHARLEY PIRINGI
