Papua New Guinea (PNG) has threatened Barrick Gold with criminal proceedings, claiming the company’s joint venture in the country was planning to illegally export $13 million in silver and gold to Australia.
The country’s mining regulator said that Barrick Niugini Limited (BNL) asked earlier this week for clearance to ship precious metals to the Perth Mint.
The move, the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) said, is considered illegal given that BNL is not allowed to process or ship gold since the government’s refused to extend its mining lease for the Porgera mine almost two months ago.
The world’s second-largest gold producer and its Chinese partner, Zijin Mining, temporarily halted operations at the mine in the Enga Province in late April, following Prime Minister James Marape’s decision not to renew Porgera’s lease.
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