adminRichard Muponde, Gwanda Correspondent
FIDELITY Printers and Refiners (FPR) has introduced an additional facility for small scale miners in which those who opt to be paid in bond notes will receive three percent more of their earnings.
This incentive is in addition to the five percent export incentive that all producers are already enjoying for bringing foreign exchange into the economy. Miners were mainly paid in United States dollars for gold delivered to RPR, a Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe subsidiary.
The new development was revealed last Wednesday during a workshop for small scale miners organised by the Environment Management Agency (EMA) in Gwanda, Matabeleland South.
FPR’s customer relations officer, Mr Bhekilizwe Manyathela said those miners who prefer to be paid in bond notes were eligible to getting the incentive. “This does not mean that you don’t get paid in US dollars if your want them. It only applies to those who opt to be paid in bond notes. Even if you said a certain percentage should be in hard currency and the other in bond notes you still get your incentive.
However, for those who opt to have their money transferred to the bank they will have a five percent incentive,” said Mr Manyathela.
He, however, said miners were free to get their money in any currency they wanted without any restriction.
“You are free to get your money in any currency you prefer. The issue of bond notes is not imposed on you but it’s a voluntary thing, which has been incentivised,” he said.
Meanwhile, small scale miners appealed for a grace period from EMA to allow them to operate before submitting an Environment Impact Assessment report and being licensed.
“The money being asked for is too much for us. You should remember that we are poor and have no means hence we ask for a grace period so that we first mine and sell our gold then pay the fees. We are not saying EMA should not ask for that but if it gives us such an incentive our sector will grow and we might meet the gold producing target,” said Mr Leonard Moyo, a miner in Gwanda.
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