Zimbabwe calls for gold, diamonds, platinum, and lithium as mining royalties

The southern African nation will maintain reserves of gold, diamonds, platinum and lithium, Mnangagwa stated in his weekly column, revealed within the Sunday Mail newspaper. 

“Beginning this October, Authorities now requires that a part of these royalties come as precise refined mining product in respect of every of the 4 minerals,” he wrote within the state-owned paper. He stated the central financial institution will likely be custodian of the reserves, which will likely be in processed closing merchandise, not ore, even when they’re processed overseas.

Wealthy in pure sources

Mining firms that function in Zimbabwe embody subsidiaries of Impala Platinum Ltd., Anglo American Platinum Ltd. and Sibanye Gold Ltd. Zimbabwe has the world’s third-largest reserves of platinum after Russia and South Africa. It additionally mines nickel, chrome, lithium and coal.  

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube in July introduced that platinum royalties would double to five% and that the identical price could be launched for lithium, beginning in January. 

The choice to ask miners to pay a part of the price in refined product will assist the federal government construct bodily reserves of valuable and strategic minerals, whereas nonetheless offering some money for the day-to-day working of state affairs, Mnangagwa stated. The reserves can also be used to securitize borrowing by the federal government.