Johannesburg - Zimbabwe is considering increasing diamond mining application fees to US1 million (about R8 million), Harare's Herald Online reported on Friday.
It said Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu made the announcement on Thursday. He was briefing players in the mining sector.
“We have been in talks with our principals (of the inclusive government) on the issue of increasing application fees for diamond mining to US1 million and they have been agreeable,” the minister was quoted as saying.
“We also intend to increase licensing fees for new diamond miners up to US5 million (about R40 million), as well as introduce fees that will be charged for certain mineral blocks.”
Mpofu said the new fees would also be applicable to current operators and would be backdated.
“The period where foreign miners exploit our resources for next to nothing is over.”
The move was part of broader initiatives by the government to gain leverage on its key natural resources, the Herald reported. - Sapa