The interim government in Fiji has told landowners of a district earmarked for a proposed copper and gold mine it wants exploration work to resume.
Exploration work and an environmental impact assessment report for the Namosi Joint Venture were frozen in February for the rehabilitation of areas used for exploration, following concerns by landowners.
The Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, Lieutenant Colonel Pio Tikoduadua says the regime leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama met with representatives of the Tikina Namosi Landowners Committee last week.
"The message that the government took up was that government wanted a resumption of the SBL and the completion of the environmental impact assessment report. The landowners, there was kind of a mixed reaction coming from them. But that is something that we are working through."
Colonel Pio Tikoduadua says rehabilitation work is almost complete and the government will be holding further discussions with the landowners.
