Aerial view of the Porgera gold mine. Photo: Zijin Mining
Businesses in Porgera town, adjacent to the soon to be re-opened Porgera Mine, are pleading for financial help from the Papua New Guinea government.
In 2020 the mine was closed when the government and Barrick Gold couldn't reach agreement on a new lease.
Those negotiations have taken three years and now the mine is close to starting again, but Nick Pakea of the Porgera Chamber of Commerce says all the businesses struggled through the close down, with some forced to shut down completely.
The government has promised funding to the provincial government, but Mr Pakea told RNZ Pacific's Don Wiseman some of that should go as a stimulis package for businesses, and to pay off outstanding bank loans.
