BLC calls for more consultation on the Mineral Resources Bill 2025 before amendments proceed through Parliament.
The Chairman of the Bills and Legislation Committee (BLC), on behalf of the Committee, wishes to clarify the Committee’s position on the Mineral Resources Bill 2025 and the substantive amendments under consideration by the Government. The BLC respectfully rejects the Government’s projection that approximately $1 billion in revenue will be foregone as a result of allowing further time for consultation. The true cost to the nation lies not in a short delay, but in what is put at risk when resource owners and their provincial governments are not thoroughly consulted before legislation of this magnitude is enacted – a loss that cannot be quantified in monetary terms, but which would far exceed a billion dollars in fractured trust, community instability and diminished legitimacy. The BLC fully recognises the importance of mineral development to national revenue and development, and its recommendation is not opposition to the sector nor a decision to forgo Government revenue. It is, rather, a call for wider and meaningful consultation before the amendments proceed through Parliament, given their potential impact on landowners, communities, provinces, investors and the national economy.
The Committee has written to the Prime Minister recommending that the Mineral Resources Bill 2025 be withdrawn to allow further consultation with landowners, mining companies, provinces and other stakeholders, before a new Bill is brought back to Parliament. The Office of the Speaker has received notice of the proposed amendments but is considering whether to proceed, given their substantial and lengthy nature, before they can be referred to the Committee for its consideration and deliberation; accordingly, the BLC has not yet commenced an inquiry. The Committee welcomes the Government’s decision to use this time for further consultation in the public interest.
The BLC remains ready to support the Government through the parliamentary process once a new Bill is brought before it, including conducting an inquiry and presenting its findings to Parliament. Its role is to scrutinise legislation and make recommendations – not to determine Government policy or set revenue targets. Through its constitutionally-mandated oversight role, the BLC remains committed to complementing the Government’s aspirations for the sector, and urges that Parliament be given the opportunity to thoroughly examine the societal implications of mineral extraction, rather than focusing predominantly on revenue. Taking the necessary time for meaningful consultation is not a barrier to development, but essential to ensuring legislation of national significance is transparent, balanced and informed by those it will affect.
Hon. Jaimie Lency Vokia
Chairman
Bills and Legislation Committee
National Parliament of Solomon Islands
PRESS RELEASE
