BY JEMIMA GARRETT

FORMER PRIME MINISTER Sir Rabbie Namaliu says he accepted a directorship on the board of Bougainville Copper because it’s important the company has a PNG voice.

Sir Rabbie was appointed to the board earlier this year as it became clear that talks on the reopening of the Panguna mine are set to begin.
The mine was closed in 1989 after it had sparked a decade-long civil war on the island.

Sir Rabbie, who led PNG from 1988 to 1992, says he thought long and hard before accepting the directorship and consulted widely on the matter.

He says he took on the post because Bougainville needs all the help it can get to restore services in the lead up to a referendum on independence.

Source: Radio Australia