Sir Ano assures Mamalo villagers on the Rigo Limestone Project

The Member for Rigo and Minister for National Planning and Monitoring, Sir Ano Pala, has moved to calm fears among Mamalo villagers over concerns they could miss out on benefits from the proposed Rigo Limestone Project in Central Province.

Mr Pala clarified that the project is still in its early development phase and no mining activities have commenced, stressing that all affected communities, including Mamalo, will be consulted before any major decisions are made.

The Rigo Limestone Project is being developed by Combuco Ltd, a nationally owned company founded by a businessman from Kapari Village in Abau District. The company has been exploring for mineral resources in Central Province since 2017, with a focus on Rigo District.

During exploration for copper deposits, the company discovered significant limestone deposits along the Aroma Coast Road. Sir Ano said he became familiar with the project after Combuco’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Clement Wain, briefed him shortly after his (Sir Ano’s) appointment as Mining Minister in 2022.

According to Sir Ano, the project underwent an initial feasibility study in 2018 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. A financial feasibility study completed in 2022 later confirmed the project’s viability, allowing it to advance into the Front-End Engineering Design stage, commonly known as FEED.

He explained that the FEED stage is designed to determine whether the project is commercially viable and does not involve the construction of a mine.

“At this juncture of the project life cycle, it is important for every stakeholder to note that Combuco is not building a mine but is undertaking FEED works to answer a simple question, is the project commercially viable,” Sir Ano stated.

The project officially entered the FEED stage after Combuco signed an agreement with Chinese companies Sinoma and Conch Cement at the Stanley Hotel on April 22. The launch was later held at Kaloapana Village on April 24.

Sir Ano said awareness programs had already been carried out in several villages including Kore, Kwaipo and Ganimarupu. Meetings were also held with stakeholders from Kore and Mamalo, followed by public gatherings at Kaloapana and Kore villages.

However, he admitted Mamalo villagers may have felt excluded because the same level of public awareness had not yet been conducted in their community.

“Obviously, the company and government teams have not held the same public awareness in Mamalo Village so the people felt left out. I can assure you that the people of Mamalo are not left out. They are a critical stakeholder and their voices are heard and respected,” he said.

In response to concerns raised through the media, Sir Ano announced fresh stakeholder consultations will be conducted this week by officials from the Department of National Planning and Monitoring, the Mineral Resources Authority, the Rigo District Development Authority and Combuco.

Meetings are scheduled for Kore Village on May 12, Mamalo Village on May 13 and Ganimarupu villages on May 14.

Sir Ano said the consultations are aimed at informing villagers about the FEED process, answering questions and ensuring landowners give informed consent before engineers enter customary land.

He further assured landowners that if the project progresses to the Final Investment Decision stage in November, an application for a mining licence would trigger formal government processes to independently identify landowners and determine benefit sharing arrangements, including royalties, equity participation and business opportunities.

Sir Ano also highlighted the project’s economic potential, saying the company expects to spend almost K40 million annually on food supplies for workers.

“There is a lot of upside for this project and I want my people of Rigo to benefit,” he said.

He also praised Combuco for attracting major international partners, describing its partnership with Sinoma, the world’s largest cement technology company, and Conch Cement, the world’s largest cement manufacturer, as a major achievement for a small Papua New Guinean company.

Photo Caption : Combuco’s CEO, Dr Clement Waine (centre), meeting with the Kore and Mamalo landowner representative on April 13, 2026 to update them of the Rigo Limestone Project and informed them on the impending signing of the FEED Agreement and launching. PICTURE SUPPLIED