adminTHE government of Botswana is bringing relief to profit-squeezed mining companies in the country by allowing them to defer the payment of mineral royalties.
Speaking at the 13th Botswana Resource Sector conference here, Minerals, Energy and Water Resources Minister Onkokame Kitso Mokaila said the government was applying this short-term relief and would continue to assist the mining industry on a case-by-case basis for mutual benefit.
“What keeps me awake at night is how we enable business to earn a return on their investment and at the same time have national benefit,” Mokaila told the conference.
Emphasised at the conference was the importance of working collaboratively.
The minister made himself available for prolonged questioning from the floor and said his country was going all out to overcome its energy and water challenges by addressing immediate short-term issues while also working on the long-term goal of achieving energy self-sufficiency by 2019.
In the immediate term, Morapule B power station’s 600MW power plant boilers were undergoing repair after which all four of the power station’s units would be functional.
“This will be followed by major repair over the next two years to ensure reliability,” he said, adding that a full 30-year life of power plant was being targeted. State power utility Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) was also increasing the capacity of the diesel peaking plant, which is scheduled to increase to 195MW by the end of July.
Additionally, it was refurbishing three 33MW units of the Morapule A power station for completion by 2016, and the fourth unit by 2017.
An option to increase the size of Morapule A was also being kept open.
The Minister said that expressions of interest had been invited to secure gas for the open cycle gas turbine plant at Orapa and 100 MW of solar power for the country’s north-west region. – Miningweekly.
Online Reporter