AfricaPress-Tanzania: complaints from Likuyu villagers in Namtumbo District, Ruvuma region that Mkuju River project is delaying, the government is appealing for patience and assuring the residents that anytime it would resume once uranium prices become stable in the world market.
Making the revelation to this paper yesterday over the phone, Mining Commissioner Executive Secretary, Prof Shukrani Manya said that the project that focuses on uranium mining shook because the silvery-grey metal’s price fluctuated.
“Let them calm down as their expectations will be met after the mining activities resume, because right now an investor, named Mantra Tanzania Limited, who has a special mining licence and ready for business, can not operate because the project is not profitable as a result of a shake in world price(s),” he added.
Asked that supposing another investor crops up without waiting for world price(s) to stabilize, Prof Manya responded that: “A mining licence isn’t transferable in such way, and remember, the first investor has already invested in some areas, including carrying out feasibility studies.
Again, it is well known worldwide that currently world market isn’t stable, hence, where is the new investor going to sell the minerals?”
However, according to the Minerals’ Ministry’s public notice issued on July 12, 2017 uranium price slipped from USD 65 per ratio in 2013 to USD 18.5 per ratio in the beginning of the year 2017, before slightly climbing to USD 23 per ratio in the same 2017 year.
On his part, Namtumbo District Council Chairperson, Mr Dan Nyambo also urged the villagers to be patient, because it would resume with a lot of benefits to them.
Explaining, he said that feasibility studies showed uranium will be mined in the area for more than 50 years, hence an assurance that many benefits will come to them.
“The first way is through the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) that directs an investor to set aside one per cent of the turnover for the CSR purposes.
The amount would be submitted to the Council and the villagers will decide social services it would fund be it education, health, road infrastructures or water projects among other things,” he said.
Mr Nyambo said that the contract also directs 60 per cent of the project’s manpower (both skilled and unskilled) should be carried out by locals; hence the villagers will also be assured of jobs.
