Zasmc to hold stakeholders’ meeting

Oliver Kazunga Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe artisanal and Small-Scale Miners’ Council (Zasmc) is set to host a one-day all-stakeholder meeting in Masvingo to find solutions to address the challenges faing its members and increase mineral output. The meeting would be held on 9 November under the theme, “Raising hopes of the artisanal and small-scale miners”.

In the past, small-scale miners have expressed concern over the increased mining levies, indiscriminate fees, levies charged by rural district councils, arrests and closure of small-scale miners.

Zasmc president Mr Wellington Takavarasha said they have invited the Ministries of Mines and Mining Development, Environment, Water and Climate, and Finance and Economic Development to address the different issues affecting their members.

“We have invited a number of ministries but the key ones are the Ministries of Mines and Mining Development, Environment, Water and Climate, and Finance and Economic Development.

“The meeting is more of an integrated approach aimed at coming with a holistic approach on how we can realise the full potential of artisanal and small-scale miners,” he said.

He said in recent years output by small-scale miners has been largely affected by issues such as incessant arrests of registered miners by the Environmental Management Agency and the (police) Criminal Investigations Department Minerals Unit, dispute resolutions as well as punitive fines charged on our members,” he said.

He said their members have in the past demonstrated their potential to contribute meaningfully to the fiscus but due to high royalty tax burdens among other issues continued to affect the potential of artisanal and small-scale miners.

“We would want the Ministry of Finance to revisit the high royalty tax burdens because this is also contributing to the decline of mineral output by our members.”

Due to the challenges facing artisanal and small-scale miners, gold production from the sector plummeted from 17 tonnes in 2004 to an average of two tonnes at present.