Bauxite mine in Bua earned about $15million from bauxite export

The bauxite mine in Bua has raked in about $15million from the exported 300,000 tonnes of bauxite so far.

Mine manager Basilio Vanuaca in an interview with this newspaper yesterday said a tonne of bauxite cost about $F50.00.

"We have so far sent six shipments to China last month from the Northern Division and the money comes right back into the Fiji economy.

"Bauxite mining has progressed well in Nawailevu since we started last year. We have managed to export six shipments so far with a total of 300,000 tones of bauxite.

"We are working well with our local communities and through our community work, our relationship has been strengthened," Mr Vanuaca said.

He said families around the area had benefited from the community assistance provided by the company.

"We have donated sets of computers to all secondary schools in Bua, provided food rations for families in the area who were affected by Tropical Cyclone Evan.

"We also have ongoing community work which deals with construction work of the village community halls or church buildings," Mr Vanuaca said.

"A good example is the repairing of the church at Nawailevu which cost us about $16,000."

Mr Vanuaca said his team also stepped in during TC Evan to help government teams remove fallen trees on roads and evacuate villagers from their homes.

"This is all part of our community work and we have more to do for the people of Bua and the Northern Division as a whole."

The ship takes about 17 to 20 days to sail from the Bua waters to China to offload the 60,000 tonnes of bauxite per shipment per month.

The bauxite mine which opened last year has employed about 200 people.