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Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Correspondent
THE Government will push Fidelity Printers and Refiners to expedite payment for gold deliveries to discourage side marketing of the yellow metal.
This follows numerous complaints by artisanal and small-scale miners who say there are experiencing delays of about two weeks for payments for deliveries to the country’s sole gold buyer.
Finance and Economic Development Minister said Prof Ncube said Government would ensure that Fidelity makes the payments for the gold delivered to Fidelity early to plug leakages.
“We have heard the concerns of gold miners that there have been delays in the payment of gold delivered to Fidelity. We are going to expedite the payment of miners who deliver their gold to Fidelity. We would want to ensure that there is continuity and fluidity in the production of gold,” he said.
Miners had told the minister during a recent meeting in Gweru that payments were now being delayed by as much as two week. A miner in the province Mr Simbarashe Mutukwa said the delay was now affecting production.
“We are concerned with the delays in the payment of gold delivered to Fidelity. We have been made to wait for close to two weeks after delivering gold to Fidelity before we could receive our payments. This is slowing down productions at our mining sites. If we are paid promptly it also plug gold leakages,” he said.
Small scale miners continue to lead in gold deliveries to Fidelity Printers and Refiners. Last month the small scale miners delivered 747 9569 kgs of the total 1 406 3692 kgs. Primary producers brought in 658 4123 kgs
Sidumisile Mabena