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http://www.miningweekly.co.za/article.php?a_id=120614

DRC govt urges mining industry to wait for official report

By: Olivia Spadavecchia
Published: 6 Nov 07 - 12:26
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Mining Department DG Jean Felix Mupande on Tuesday slammed the report that suggested that some 61 mining contracts in that country were to be cancelled or renegotiated as untrue.

In a telephonic interview with Mining Weekly Online Mupande dismissed the claims as "entirely false" and emphasised that the report was not official.

He added that the industry should wait for the official report, which was expected next week.

This comes as news service Reuters this week quoted a report by a government-appointed panel as saying that 24 out of 61 mining contracts should be cancelled. It added that the remaining 37 would be renegotiated.

The DRC government had set up a commission to review 61 existing mining contracts, and to determine the validity of mining permits in June, in an effort to bring them up to international standards, and to stabilise its mining industry, which had been damaged by years of political instability.

Meanwhile, South African-based diversified-miner Metorex, which has various assets in the DRC, also responded to concerns over the leaked report on Tuesday, saying that it was "an unauthorised breach of protocol".

The company said, in a statement, that the contents of the leaked report lacked merit and that its mining titles and joint-venture agreements were in accordance with the DRC's mining code.

Metorex added that the report of the commission still required discussion and amendment prior to presentation and release by the DRC government.