Staff Reporter
Government has temporarily relaxed its export ban on lumpy chrome ores as well as that of chrome concentrates for companies that have already started building their smelting furnaces to raise capital.
Speaking at the 19th Post Cabinet Press Briefing, the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa explained the rationale behind the relaxation of the ban.
“The rationale for banning the export of ores and concentrates was for companies to invest in the requisite facilities to value add to ferrochrome.
“This policy still stands, and companies have started the process of constructing smelting furnaces.
“To enable these companies to raise the necessary capital, Cabinet has approved recommendations by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development for the exemption on the ban of export of chrome ores by the concerned companies, in order to complete the construction and expansion of furnace and processing facilities,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
Minister Mutsvangwa further informed the nation that Cabinet granted some mining titles to traditional leaders to benefit their communities.
“Tefra Mining Syndicate (Chief Marange); Goromonzi Mining Trust (three Chiefs Rusike, Chinamhora, Chikwaka); Chinamhora Mining Syndicate (Chief Chinamhora); Chiwara Mining Syndicate (Chief Chiwara); Bere SP Mining Syndicate (Chief Bere) and Budiriro Mining Syndicate (Chief Chiweshe). Cabinet further granted the request by War Veterans for mining titles,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is set to be allocated eleven syndicates chosen from the eight administrative districts of Masvingo, with three other syndicates being solely for youths, war veterans and women to supply chrome ore to Zimbabwe Zhongxin Smelting Company (ZZSC), a new smelting company in Mashava, Masvingo Province with a capacity to generate US$88million as well as create 200 jobs.
