adminHarare Bureau
Government has been urged to issue licences to artisanal gold miners so that they can contribute to the country’s economic growth by selling their gold through formal channels.
Zimbabwe Artisanal and Small Scale for Sustainable Mining president Wellington Takavarasha said yesterday at a meeting of small scale miners in Harare that some artisanal gold dealers were being used by foreigners to smuggle gold out of the country because they did not have licences. “Artisanal miners are contributing huge amounts of gold which is not collected in the formal way and is not accountable for in the mining sector,” he said.
“In 2013, artisanal miners produced 959 kilogrammes of gold, which has increased to 1.3 kilogrammes in 2014. Artisanal miners on average produce 500 grammes of gold per day and that can be increased if Government helps them through funding.”
Takavarasha said that gold panners had increased, demonstrating their potential to contribute meaningfully to the fiscus.
Speaking at the same event, ZASMC chief executive, Leo Mugabe, said they had since sourced 490,000 Euro from an organisation called PACT, to assist artisanal miners.
“We have engaged in a deal with PACT which is going to transform the artisanal miners into formal miners by supplying them with equipment and licencing facilities,” he said.
“ZASMC’s main objective is to support and stand by artisanal miners, who are regarded as thieves by different stakeholders.”
Mugabe urged the artisanal miners to partner with stakeholders who can supply them with mining equipment. An artisanal miner, Owen Makuvaza, said lack of proper laws to protect artisanal miners was resulting in the poor management of gold.
He urged Fidelity Printers and Refiners to buy gold straight from the miners.
“Fidelity Printers and Refiners should decentralise their depots to all the areas with gold deposits to fully harness all the gold produced in the country,” he said.
Online Reporter