Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
NMP sends out warningImage may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. JANA-MARI SMITH
Namibian Marine Phosphate (NMP) on Friday warned that it will take steps to protect its reputation and investment of close to N$800 million, depending on the severity of damage caused by the escalating anti-phosphate actions over the past weeks.
In a media statement on Friday, issued by NMP’s directors and management, the company said one of the consequences of the “scurrilous unsupported allegations” made against the company and its environmental consultants had forced it to review its position and the available options.
The company said it had a duty to “reserve its rights to seek recourse in event of any consequential damages”.
The company added that the “divisive and factually incorrect” comments and actions taken against its proposed Sandpaper Marine Phosphate project “have culminated in an unfortunate public disagreement between three of the most prominent ministries in government”, referring to the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
Moreover, the company said fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau’s recent claim of ministerial jurisdiction over marine phosphate deposits are based on “entirely false statements that marine phosphates are derived from fish bones and from fossils”.
The company said Esau’s claim of jurisdiction had exposed a “thinly veiled attempt by the fisheries ministry to politicise the matter”.
Moreover, the minister’s statements were allegedly an attempt by the fisheries ministry to “usurp the authority of the Ministry of Mines and Energy in regard to mineral resources management in the country,” NMP alleged.
According to the statement, the decision to withdraw the marine phosphate environmental clearance certificate would have long-term consequences, and besides the impact on NMP’s reputation and its shareholders, Namibia’s reputation as an investment destination was also at stake.
NMP furthermore said that the decision by the environment ministry to set aside the environmental clearance certificate “this late in the proceedings” was not only based on the misrepresentation of facts and the politicising of issues but had also driven a wedge between the three ministries.
“The situation is regrettable given that since 2008, at the standing invitation of government to invest in mineral projects, approximately N$780 million has been expended by the company to develop the mineral licences legally issued to it,” it said.
The statement lists the completion of environmental impact assessments that were conducted in compliance with mining licence conditions and environmental regulations.
According to NMP the company incurred “significant additional expenditures in 2013 and 2016 in order to verify the impact assessments and to address specific requirements from the fisheries ministry and their concerns.”
NMP believes that a host of independent experts with knowledge of the Benguela ecosystem found that at the proposed scale, the phosphate mining project can be safely managed without impacting fishing resources.
The company added that it supports the “principles of responsible development and management of ocean-based industries”.
NMP is owned by Mawarid Mining LLC (85%), an Omani company, and Havana Investments (Pty) Ltd (15%), a Namibian company belonging to Knowledge Katti.
Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta last week ordered environmental commissioner Teofilus Nghitila to inform the ministry of fisheries, the fishing industry and all other interested parties to finalise their inputs within three months.
He said the consultation process must be completed within six months and the order is binding on all parties unless set aside in the High Court.
Clik here to view.
NMP sends out warningImage may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
JANA-MARI SMITHNamibian Marine Phosphate (NMP) on Friday warned that it will take steps to protect its reputation and investment of close to N$800 million, depending on the severity of damage caused by the escalating anti-phosphate actions over the past weeks.
In a media statement on Friday, issued by NMP’s directors and management, the company said one of the consequences of the “scurrilous unsupported allegations” made against the company and its environmental consultants had forced it to review its position and the available options.
The company said it had a duty to “reserve its rights to seek recourse in event of any consequential damages”.
The company added that the “divisive and factually incorrect” comments and actions taken against its proposed Sandpaper Marine Phosphate project “have culminated in an unfortunate public disagreement between three of the most prominent ministries in government”, referring to the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
Moreover, the company said fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau’s recent claim of ministerial jurisdiction over marine phosphate deposits are based on “entirely false statements that marine phosphates are derived from fish bones and from fossils”.
The company said Esau’s claim of jurisdiction had exposed a “thinly veiled attempt by the fisheries ministry to politicise the matter”.
Moreover, the minister’s statements were allegedly an attempt by the fisheries ministry to “usurp the authority of the Ministry of Mines and Energy in regard to mineral resources management in the country,” NMP alleged.
According to the statement, the decision to withdraw the marine phosphate environmental clearance certificate would have long-term consequences, and besides the impact on NMP’s reputation and its shareholders, Namibia’s reputation as an investment destination was also at stake.
NMP furthermore said that the decision by the environment ministry to set aside the environmental clearance certificate “this late in the proceedings” was not only based on the misrepresentation of facts and the politicising of issues but had also driven a wedge between the three ministries.
“The situation is regrettable given that since 2008, at the standing invitation of government to invest in mineral projects, approximately N$780 million has been expended by the company to develop the mineral licences legally issued to it,” it said.
The statement lists the completion of environmental impact assessments that were conducted in compliance with mining licence conditions and environmental regulations.
According to NMP the company incurred “significant additional expenditures in 2013 and 2016 in order to verify the impact assessments and to address specific requirements from the fisheries ministry and their concerns.”
NMP believes that a host of independent experts with knowledge of the Benguela ecosystem found that at the proposed scale, the phosphate mining project can be safely managed without impacting fishing resources.
The company added that it supports the “principles of responsible development and management of ocean-based industries”.
NMP is owned by Mawarid Mining LLC (85%), an Omani company, and Havana Investments (Pty) Ltd (15%), a Namibian company belonging to Knowledge Katti.
Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta last week ordered environmental commissioner Teofilus Nghitila to inform the ministry of fisheries, the fishing industry and all other interested parties to finalise their inputs within three months.
He said the consultation process must be completed within six months and the order is binding on all parties unless set aside in the High Court.