BREAKING: Zimbabwe bans export of raw granite
The government of Zimbabwe has banned the export of unprocessed granite following a call by the President to ensure value addition and beneficiation of granite before export.
Rudairo Mapuranga
President Emmerson Mnangagwa ordered the government to come up with a Statutory Instrument that bans the export of raw granite because the country was losing over 300 per cent of revenue due to the export of unprocessed granite.
“When you sell that block it earns US$4.5 million, when you break it into stabs you earn US$12.9 million. What would want (if you are the owner of this block) to sell it at US$4.9 and not at US$12.9? No one. So, Minister of Industry, go and craft a Statutory Instrument to ban the exportation of raw blocks,” President Mnangagwa said.
The government is optimistic that the mining sector will fetch an annual revenue of US$12 billion by 2023, with value addition and beneficiation sighted as critical for the achievement of the mark.
Following the call by the President, Minister of Mines and Mining Development Hon Winston Chitando crafted the following Statutory Instrument (SI 127 of 2022) which was published yesterday.
Mines and Minerals (Prohibition Order of Exportations of Unprocessed Granite) Notice, 2022
IT is hereby notified that the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, in terms of section 3 of the Base Minerals Export Control Act [Chapter 21:01], hereby makes the following notice:
Title
1. This notice may be cited as the Mines and Minerals (Prohibition Order of Exportations of Unprocessed Granite) Notice, 2022.
Interpretation
2. In these regulations—
“Act” means the Base Minerals Export Control Act [Chapter 21:01];
“exportations” means sending unprocessed granite to another country for sale;
“unprocessed granite” means the unprocessed light-coloured igneous rock with grains large enough to be visible with the unaided eye.
Prohibition order
- (1) The export of unprocessed granite is hereby banned with immediate effect, except with the authorisation of the Minister in writing.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), preexisting valid contracts for the export of unprocessed granite will be allowed to continue until they expire.
Offence and penalty
- Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with this notice shall be guilty of an offence and liable to—
(a) a fine not exceeding level 9 or twice the value of the base mineral in respect of which the offence is committed or whichever is greater; or
(b)imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years, or to both such fine and such imprisonment.