New law would allow Uganda to take stakes in private mining

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A safety vehicle follows a mining truck loaded with excavated kimberlite rock out of Jwaneng mine, operated by the Debswana Diamond Co., a joint venture between De Beers and Botswana's government, in Jwaneng, Botswana, on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012. De Beers, the biggest diamond producer by revenue, is moving the sorting and trading of rough stones to Botswana from London to secure access to the world's largest supplier of diamonds by value and challenge Antwerp's dominance as the world's biggest trading hub for rough diamonds. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Uganda’s cabinet has approved a draft mining law that would allow the government to own shares in private mining operations and impose steep penalties for violations in the sector, including prison terms of up to seven years.

The draft law mirrors others in the region, including in Tanzania, where authorities have sought to extract more value from natural resource wealth they see as having unfairly benefited international mining firms at the expense of locals.

The bill will be presented to parliament for debate and eventual passage into law, Sarah Opendi, junior energy and minerals minister said on Wednesday in a statement.

EARNINGS FROM GOLD EXPORTS JUMPED TO $1.8 BILLION LAST YEAR, FROM $1.2 BILLION IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR

She did not give a timeframe, but now cabinet approval has been given, the law could be sent to parliament as early as next week.

When enacted, it will replace a law that has been in place since 2003.

It will provide for “state equity participation in large, medium and small scale mining up to a maximum of 15%,” Opendi said in the statement.

Penalties set out in the draft law include fines of 1 billion shillings ($278,164.12) and custodial sentences of up to seven years for those found guilty of illegal mining and other violations.

Investors would be required to enter production sharing agreements (PSAs) with the government. Previously, companies could apply and be granted mining licences on their own, Opendi said.

President Yoweri Museveni’s government has been seeking investment in the sector to increase exploitation of resources, such as copper, iron ore, gold, cobalt and phosphates.

Earnings from gold exports jumped to $1.8 billion last year, from $1.2 billion in the previous year.

($1 = 3,595.0000 Ugandan shillings)

 

Reuters (By Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Duncan Miriri and Babrara Lewis)