Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB) has cancelled 13 mining licenses, and said others could follow if nothing is done to promote their mining standards.
The revoked licences belonged to 13 companies, and owners who allegedly breached mining laws and standards.
They include Africome Intl, Better Generation and Machinery limited, Cooperative Abahizi, TMT Ltd, Cooperative KOPAMU, and Soremi Intego Ltd.
Others are SEAVMC Ltd which had four lincenses, DEMICARU Ltd, Mushishiro Mining Company Ltd, and Hard Metal Ltd.
“Today, in accordance with relevant laws, RMB issued immediate cancellation or non-renewal notices of the following 13 concessions with serious and persistence shortcomings,” the statement released by RMB on 13 November reads.
“Additionally, several other companies with serious deficiencies today received cancellation warning notices, with a requirement to submit within two weeks, convincing evidence of remedying the breaches. Failure to do so will result in cancellation of those concessions,” part of the communique also reads.
The cancellation follows the latest tragedy where mines curved on miners, killing six people in Kayonza district, Eastern Province. There have been other irregularities in the mining which ended in death of people.
“RMB, together with other government institutions, will ensure that abandoned concessions are secured and property decommissioned while waiting for new investments, and that measures are put in place to support artisanal mining professionalize,” the statement further reads.
According to RMB, there are nearly 150 mining concessions operating in good standards, and most of them operated by local cooperatives.
