Proceeds from Namanhumbir ruby mining

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Proceeds from Namanhumbir ruby mining

11:12 CAT | 11 Sep 2017

Notícias (File photo)

The government of Montepuez, in Cabo Delgado, received 6,128.7 thousand meticais, or 2.75 percent of its revenue, from the extraction and sale of ruby by Montepuez Ruby Mining ( the Us dollar worth more than 61 meticais).

This is the income from oil and mining activities transferred this year by the Ministry of Economy and Finance to the provinces where the projects are located and intended to finance socio-economic development projects in rural communities.

According to available data, 2,160,000 meticais were transferred to the province of Nampula, corresponding to the 2.75 per cent resulting from the exploitation of the heavy sands at Larde-Topuito.

The same data shows that, for Tete, 1,915 thousand meticais were transferred by the coal mining operation in Moatize-Cateme, an equal amount for “25 de Junho”, 1,915 thousand meticais in Chipanga II and 647.4 in Benga.

For Inhambane, 1,477.4 and 6,600,7 thousand meticais were transferred for the exploitation of coal and natural gas in Govuro-Pande and Maimelane respectively.

According to Montepuez district administrator Etelvina, in the specific case of Namanhumbir, the money will be used to build socio-economic infrastructure, including classrooms and, community irrigation systems and dams, community forests, markets, roads and bridges.

She announced this during a meeting with representatives of communities and civil society organisations to announce the transfer of the 6,128.7 thousand meticais into the district management budget.

Community leaders at the meeting expressed their wish to see the money spent on building and rehabilitating soccer fields, purchasing sports equipment for local clubs and electrifying villages.

The attendees chose to construct two classrooms in Nanhupo “B” district, erect school fencing, install latrines at a market in Nanhupo “A”, build a school in Chimoio, extend the primary school at the administrative post headquarters and build more classrooms at the district secondary school.

However, some of the participants who spoke during the meeting said that before the announcement of the new 2.75 percent package and the projects to be financed this year, the government should have presented accounts of expenses incurred in the 2016 edition.

These showed that over the past year not only had the district executive forced them to accept the proposals to finance the construction of and equip six water sources and the rehabilitate another 18, but also the management of a little over six million meticais of the 2.75 per cent referring to the 2016 edition, which was scarcely participatory.

Regarding the alleged imposition of projects, Etelvina Fevereiro replied that in the previous edition some leaders had proposed the construction of football fields and purchase of equipment for local football clubs, investment that, in her view, would not benefit the majority, and had therefore decided, together with a group of leaders, to invest in projects of greater impact, such as water supply.

On the participation of communities in the management of the fund, from the planning, mapping of projects, preparation and opening of tenders, award of works and other forms of accountability, Fevereiro acknowledged the failure but said this was a new experience, and that the parties had agreed on the creation of a management committee that would include representatives of the government and the administrative post’s advisory council, an initiative which Jaime Utui, representing civil society organisation the Association of Friends of the Environment, welcomed.

According to official data from the Montepuez government, the opening of six water boreholes and the rehabilitation of another 18 cost 5,251,387 meticais, plus 640,251.11 meticais in consulting expenses and 237,052.00 for fuel.

Source: Notícias / AIM