You are absolutely right kiwi. Doing business in PNG is a...

You are absolutely right kiwi.

Doing business in PNG is a different kettle of fish to operating in developed nations.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Local Landowner Relations are a massive factor in a company's ability to develop an asset.

Very often large multinational mining corporations overlook this key area and try to bully their way through ("we are too big to deal with the locals" attitude) and ultimately fall over.

You need people on the ground who are old mates with the tribal chiefs, look after the locals, actually care about their welfare, and have close ties with the relevant govt ministries. CSR needs to be built from the ground up. It is a slow process but absolutely essential.

Lihir Gold was a great example of a company that played its CSR cards right.