The statement said whenever a new government takes office, it has the right to review the decisions made by the previous government to see if they are appropriate and falls in line with its policy direction.
It says any inappropriate and contrary decisions will be revoked at the discretion of the new government.
Meanwhile the government statement said in this case, the decision by the then Caretaker Minister to award a mining lease to Bintang Borneo on 9 September last year, without the Mineral Board’s deliberation and approval effectively means that the mining lease was null and void.
This position by the Mines and Minerals Board on the invalidity of the mining lease was readily conveyed to Bintang Borneo by the Director of Mines, with clear instructions to the company to remove all its machines and equipment from the site.
The statement said the decision by the Minister for Mines and Energy, Hon. Samson Maneka to revoke Bingtang Borneo’s mining lease was made after being briefed by his ministry officials on the position of the Mines and Minerals Board.
It said upon the withdrawal of the mining lease, the Minister has directed his Permanent Secretary to work on a Cabinet Paper to enlighten the DCC Government on the issue of the prospecting boundary overlap, to decide the best way forward.
