Focus Media (Kigali)
Rodrigue Rwirahira
10 January 2009
Revenue from exports of minerals has nearly doubled over the last two years. This was announced during the celebrations of the International Mining Day last week.
The International Mining Day was celebrated on December 9 under theme "strengthening the mining sector for economic growth and job creation."
And it seems the sector is doing exactly that. Whereas exports from mining activities generated US$ 48 million in 2006, this amount rose to US$ 72m in 2007. This year, minerals are expected to bring in US$ 85m.
This is in part due to a better organization, through the creation of the geology and mining authority (OGMR), which is charged with conducting geological surveys, promotion of mining technology, establishment of mining products and quarries and assisting the government in valuing mining and quarry concessions.
According to Dr. Michael Biryabarema, the director of OGMR, private investment in the mining sector has been on the increase since 2006. This comes mainly from multi-sector foreign companies interested in mineral research in the potentially mineralized areas, but also from industrial exploitations formerly managed by the government.
And mining companies indeed play their part in economic growth and job creation. A company like Eurotrade International, for example, has managed to employ 659 miners in Nyakabingo sector; it produces about 15 tons of minerals per month, including cassiterite, coltan, wolframite, gold and tin. The enterprise is also extracting wolfram in Gifurwe sector, where is works with almost 900 miners.
However, Dr. Biryabarema warned that much work remains to be done to increase the capacity of the sector. Among the main challenges, he mentioned the lack of training opportunities for young scientists; the establishment of a sustainable mapping and mineral exploration program; organizing and professionalizing artisanal miners; capacity building in negotiating skills for fair sharing of the proceeds of the sector; and sensitizing local banks to finance local mining projects.
According to Monique Nsanzabaganwa, the Minister of Trade and Industry, her ministry was working with the ministry of natural resources in order to organize and professionalize the mining sector. She remarked that a law is about to be published to deal with smugglers and other embezzlers in the sector. Moreover, efforts are being made to interest more investors for mining activities, to group miners in legalized cooperatives and to export more.
For his part, Vincent Karega, the Minister of state for Environment and Mines, remarked that the environmental aspect is also taken into account. "We are working closely with REMA in terms of environmental protection in the mining sector, because there have been many complaints about violations of environmental acts.
Today, however, mining companies have to sign a specific contract concerning environmental protection," Karega said.
Another problem highlighted by the Minister of state was the insufficient numbers of geologists in the country. "We are collaborating with the ministry of education to set up graduate and postgraduate scholarships in geology and mining, and soon KIST will also open a geology branch. This will ensure that in the future we will have a good number of qualified geologists," Karega said.
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