The president of the Manica Business Council (CPE), Alcides Cintura, defended the installation of a gold refinery in the province to broaden the tax base and organize the mining sector. He pointed out that Manica is rich in mineral resources, including gold and precious stones, but exploitation is still uncontrolled in some districts.
Cintura pointed out that the refinery would not only increase employability for young people, but would also increase levels of revenue collection for the state and boost the value chain of mineral resources.
Despite recent gains with the existence of mining cooperatives, the CPE president said that clandestine mining is still prevalent in many districts. He pointed out that illegal mining attracts national and foreign citizens, especially young people, who exploit gold in an environmentally harmful way and sell the product without taxation.
In Manica, there are currently ten associations, 20 companies and more than 8,000 artisanal miners dedicated to gold mining, according to Cintura. The installation of a gold refinery would be an important step towards regularizing mineral exploitation in the region.
