The chairman of the Bogenvil Resource Development Company, Robert Atsir, is adamant that their involvement with a Canadian company, Invincible Resources, is very good for Bougainvilleans.
There is growing opposition in the Papua New Guinea province to the deal with Invincible, which has seen them take a 70 percent stake in the BRDC, though Mr Atsir, a Bougainvillean businessman, will continue to chair the board.
He says the company understands the concerns Bougainvilleans have over foreign involvement, but he says the Invincible arrangement is not like the days of Bougainville Copper.
"They understand our standpoint, and they have been willing to sit down and listen to us. And we are able to get people who understand where we are coming from and therefore by doing that there is a major shift in the way foreign investors approach their investments in less developed economies."
Robert Atsir, who says neither he nor Bougainville President, Joseph Kabui, will be able to attend a public forum on the Invincible issue tomorrow as they are attending the Governor's conference in Manus.
