West Wits has yet to secure access to Derewo project

By Ruli Setiawan

ASX-listed West Wits Mining Limited said on Wednesday it has continued to press its local partner to deliver a safe and secure mining site at the company?s Derewo Gold Project in Papua Province.

As previously announced PT Intan Angasa Aviation (PTIA) was engaged with the objective of facilitating access at Derewo. In April West Wits reported its employees were on site preparing for a commencement of an alluvial operation and in anticipation of the site being fully secured had begun delivering supplies, fuel and provisions to the base at Derewo. However this momentum slowed due to a number of outside influences affecting sign-off on security of the site.

Through this period PTIA has remained confident in its capacity to deliver a safe site. PTIA continues to meet all expenditure obligations associated with establishing the site at Derewo, including helicopter expenses, as well as all costs for the West Wits? local subsidiary PT Madinah Qurrata?ain (PTMQ), the project company for Derewo.

As part of PTIA delivering a secure site West Wits said it has received a consent for the appointment of Drs Irjen Pol Purn Rudiard M.L. Tampubolon, MM as PTIA?s representative to the board of Commissioners for PTMQ. Rudiard M.L. Tampubolon is the recently retired Chief Police Inspector, General of Police for Indonesia. Mr Rudiard M.L. Tampubolon will be PTMQ?s liaison for dealing with each of the various law enforcement forces present in Papua.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon