Fiji Labour Party Alleges Gold Export Irregularities

The Fiji Labour Party (FLP) has raised serious concerns over what it describes as a potential scam involving the movement of gold concentrates from Vatukoula to Lautoka, questioning the lack of regulatory oversight and transparency in the process.

In a strongly worded statement, the party criticized the Ministry of Mines for claiming that the Director of Mines' approval was not necessary for transporting gold concentrates within the country if they were intended for international export.

FLP maintains that such a transfer should have been authorized and undergone rigorous security checks.

“It was highly irregular, if not illegal, for gold ore concentrates to be moved out of Vatukoula without the approval of the Director of Mines,” the statement said. “Gold is a precious commodity and should be handled with the strictest security measures, not transported at whim.”

The FLP highlighted that strict regulations govern the removal of gold—whether in dore, concentrate, or ore form—from mining precincts.

These regulations require gold consignments to be assayed, measured, audited, and taxed, with certification from the Director of Mines before leaving the site.

This process must be witnessed by officials from the Mineral Resources Department, the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service, biosecurity agencies, and other related organizations.

The party questioned why these security procedures were allegedly bypassed before the concentrates were removed from Vatukoula.

It also noted that Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo had admitted that when the Labour Party began raising questions about the containers of gold concentrate in Lautoka, they had not undergone the required security and assessment procedures.

Furthermore, at that stage, Vatukoula Gold Mines Limited (VGML) had not even applied for an export license.

Vice Chairman of VGML, Ian He, was quoted in the Fiji Times (February 28) confirming that 40 containers holding 800 tonnes of gold concentrate are to be shipped to China.

He stated that exporting gold concentrates was more profitable than exporting gold dore.

However, FLP countered that claim, arguing that dore bars contain at least 51% gold and should command a higher market price than gold concentrates.

The party also warned that with final processing occurring in China, the Fijian government would have no means to verify the actual gold content, leaving room for potential manipulation and undervaluation, which could lead to lower royalties and tax revenues for Fiji.

“Fiji has been exporting gold dore to Australia and New Zealand for years.

Why are we now switching to exporting gold concentrates to China? This raises serious questions about transparency and national revenue protection,” the FLP statement read.

The party has called for an urgent investigation into the matter and for full disclosure of the agreements surrounding the export of Fiji’s gold resources.