MP complain over exorbitant mining fees

Uzumba MP, Simbaneuta Mudarikwa  has complained about the exorbitant fees charged small scale miners in registering for mining which he said is deterant and will countie to affect locals from being established miners.

Speaking at the National Assembly, Mudarikwa said the issue at stake which he want to deal with is the ease of doing business.

"How do we fare as a nation when we want to do business and what is business? Business is the ability of converting resources for your personal benefit and national benefit," he said.

"As a country, we have put certain laws that make us admire poverty - when you admire poverty; you are a victim of your own ignorance. Statutory Instruments in this country are now being used to amend the Principal Acts."

He said the country has minerals where everybody who is able-bodied will be able to do something on those minerals but they cannot do anything because of the challenges he would explain.

"For example, Statutory Instrument 56 of 2014 sets a figure of US$4 000 to be paid by somebody who is a prospector. If you want to register as a prospector, you must pay US$4 000 which is equivalent to R5000 and yet the same situation in South Africa, you only pay R500," he said.

"Then there is special prospecting licence for a particular area, again the figures are unheard of, you pay US$5 000. We have got diamonds in this country and they will never be put to use because nobody will ever come and mine diamonds here, unless that person is partnered with ZMDC."

"We want independent diamond miners; they have to fork out US$1 million to get a licence."
He said this money is paid to the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development. When you want to export; export brings new money to the economy.

"You will have to pay an export licence of US$10 000 per quarter, which is US$40 000 per year and then there are these people who are milling gold serving our communities by mining gold in rural areas," said Mudarikwa.