lifting of mining license moratorium next mont

According to the government - next month the ban will be lifted... happy days


Zambia: Mining licences ban costs State K3bn
February 22, 2012 | Filed under: Business | Posted by: times



Zambia mine workers
THE Government has lost K3.2 billion in revenue as a result of the suspension of the issuance of mining licences and non- mining rights last year.
The government suspended the issuance of mining licences and non-mining rights due to irregularities, litigations and allegations bordering on corruption in the processes.
Mines deputy minister Richard Musukwa said in an interview in Lusaka that the Government had lost more than K3.2 billion in revenue from the time the issuance of mining licences and non mining rights was suspended.
For the period January to March 2012 alone, the government should have collected more than K3.2 billion as revenue from mining licences, application fees and area charges from mining companies.
The revenue which will have been lost out by March 2012 will be much more than the K3.2 billion estimated for the three months. The suspension was effected in October 2011.
He said it was in the best interest of the government to lift the suspension by next month and assured the cooperating partners and mining companies that verything was being done to speed up the process.
“As we stand today the value of money we are losing as Government is in excess of K3.2 billion.
“We were supposed to have collected revenue amounting to over K3.2 billion from January to March from the issuance of mining licences, application fees and area charges so it is in our interest that we lift this suspension on the issuance of the mining licenses and non mining rights by March this year,” Mr Musukwa said.
He said the Government had hired a South African firm to put up the computerisation system which had since been completed.
Mr Musukwa said currently the ministry was working at resolving the licensing conflicts and irregularities which have arisen.
“We are moving with great speed to resolve the licensing conflicts and the irregularities which have occurred. With the new system in place, when we give you the licences you will be the only one with that licence,” he said.
The deputy minister said that the technical staff at the Cadastre unit would begin to open up the system as the government resolves the conflicts and irregularities.
The licences and permits issued include; large scale mining, small-scale mining, prospecting licence, prospecting permit, gemstone licence, gemstone sales certificate and artisan’s mining rights.