Africa-Press – Mozambique. Alcides Cintura, President of the Manica Business Council (CPE), advocated on Thursday (11th) the need for the installation of a gold refinery to help broaden the tax base and make the mining sector more organized at the level of that province in central Mozambique.
The official highlighted that Manica is rich in mineral resources, including gold and precious and semi-precious stones, particularly in the districts of Manica, Gondola, Báruè, Macossa, Guro, and Vanduzi, where their exploitation is still uncontrolled.
“The refinery will increase employability for young people, increase revenue collection levels for the state, and help to energize the value chain of mineral resources,” he stated.
Speaking during a seminar evaluating the challenges of the mining sector, Cintura acknowledged that the province has been experiencing significant gains lately, with the presence of mining cooperatives. However, he emphasized that “they are not sufficient because mineral resource exploitation is still being done clandestinely.”
“Illegal mining is predominant in almost all districts and attracts both national and foreign citizens, mostly young people, who, using environmentally harmful techniques, exploit gold. Often, the product is sold outside the normal channels without any form of taxation,” he added.
According to the president, in that part of the country, there are currently ten associations, 20 companies, and over 8,000 artisanal miners engaged in gold extraction.
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