Aerial view of the Porgera gold mine. Photo: Zijin Mining
For the past several years the Papua New Guinea government has been talking about adding value to the country's gold production by establishing a refinery.
It has revealed little about the plans but there is legislation now before parliament that would authorise a Singaporean/Australian business to set up and manage the refinery and mint, and retain the majority interest.
There has been a lot of criticism of the plan - from communities and from the Chamber of Resources and Energy, which says it risks undermining a key part of the country's otherwise fragile economy.
Executive director at the PNG Institute of National Affairs, Paul Barker, is furious about the scheme.
He spoke with RNZ Pacific's Don Wiseman
