Responsible mining initiative gains momentum

GOVERNMENT said in June it was moving to enforce a “Responsible Mining Initiative” announced last year to stem tax evasion and smuggling in the country, which has been losing US$1,5 billion a year to backstage gold deals.

Mines and Mining Development minister, Winston Chitando told the Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines’ annual mining conference in Victoria Falls that his ministry would talk to transgressors, but did not specify his game plan.

Chitando is determined to achieve an ambitious target he set out back then, to scale up output to US$12 billion from 2023.

at would be sixfold about US$2 billion output four years ago.

But the ambition has recently come under pressure due to many reasons including tax evasion.

“In 2021, government came up with the responsible mining initiative which we will be enforcing in the next few weeks,” Chitando said in a key note address.

“Mining companies must pay tax. ey must respect the country’s laws and they must protect the environment. People are getting licences for claims and going on to mine before getting the EMA (Environmental Management Act) go ahead,” Chitando said, noting government would be tightening the screws on borders to stem rampant minerals smuggling.

“It (enforcing the initiative) is an issue we are coming heavy on in the next few weeks. We will be coming up with a programme to ensure that all mining entities comply with the laws of the country,” the minister said, as he shot down suggestions that his US$12 billion mining vision was under threat.

Miners raised output to about US$5 billion last year, falling US$7 billion short of the target,