(KPL) Phu Bia Mining has won Sustainability Award for Best Community Development Initiative for the second consecutive year, and the Winners Social/Community Presented by Ethical Investor at the Asia Mining Congress 2011 in Singapore for its Livelihood Improvement Programme and technical trades training programme, according to Phu Bia Minings Senior Community Supervisor Mr. Vandee Herliacheu.
The Company helped established market garden and fish-farming businesses in local communities near its mining site.
Annually, the Phu Bia Mining contributes US$300,000 to community development projects, focusing on education, healthcare, agriculture, water and sanitation, infrastructure, and small business development initiatives, said Mr. Vandee.
He said the livelihood improvement programme has seen more than 150 people, of which 90 percent of whom are women establish market garden businesses to help meet the demand for fresh produce from the Phu Kham operation.
Monthly, local villages are supplying up to nine tonnes of fruit and vegetables, and one tonne of fish to the Phu Kham camp and geological calico bags to support the Companys exploration activities, he added.
The programmes most recent success is the establishment of two thriving sewing-group businesses supported by village Savings and Credit Fund, a micro finance plan development by the Phu Bia Mining in partnership with the Lao Womens Union of the Xaysomboune district.
On every Thursdays morning, Nam Gnone villagers converge at the market where they then prepare garden produce for selling to Phu Kham camp, said Mrs. Xoua Moua, villager of Nam Gnone.
There are six groups of farmers who do a regular farming for selling to the Phu Bia Mining. Groups have a membership of 65 families. They can raise around 10 to 11 million kip from selling crops to the company every week.
Before we were engaged in such agricultural production, we lived a hard live. My family was poor, doing slash-and-burn cultivation and didnt have a regular source of income. Since the company began mining near my village, the company has provided a place as market-garden to local people of Nam Gnone to sell their produce.
Presently, the livelihood of my family is better off than in the past.
For this 2011, the Phu Bia Mining has given Lao Government around US$ 31.3 million in royalties, US$4.4 million income taxes, US$0.06 million in concession and service fees, US$1.4 million customs excise/import service fees, US$31.5 million profit tax, and US$12.5 million value added tax.
and the Winners Social/Community Presented by Ethical Investor at the Asia Mining Congress 2011 in Singapore for its Livelihood Improvement Programme and technical trades training programme, according to Phu Bia Minings Senior Community Supervisor Mr. Vandee Herliacheu.